Stones
Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone, Kindness in another's trouble, Courage in your ownAdam Lindsay Gordon
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.
The guy laid Spencer down on a pallet in a side 'room'. He was laid on his front with his arms out in front of him. His wrists tied together and then to a ring on the wall.
"You need to sleep now. I will be back. The less you move around the quicker you will get better." He could see the scrape marks down the prisoners back where Floyd had dug in his nails and scratched. "You don't know how lucky you are that you are filth." A parting shot which Reid was beginning to agree with. He didn't know what was going on with Aaron. He had no idea where Floyd had gotten to or why had hand done what he had. Spencer just hoped that somewhere in that deranged mind there was a reason for it. A real reason. Not just – 'because I felt like it'.
He didn't want to sleep, but he was exhausted. They had tried to stop him losing anymore fluids by slathering him in some stinking paste, and the bleeding had finally stopped on his arms, but he had no idea of the state of his back and they were still refusing to give him anything to drink.
Spencer slowly and carefully manoeuvred himself so he was laying on his side with his back to the wall and his face to the entrance. It pulled and scraped his arms but now he had been moved the pain around his pelvis had increased and now a headache. A terrible pounding headache in rhythm with his heart thumping too fast in his chest.
He tried to stay awake, but at some point his eyes closed themselves and he fell into a fitful sleep full of pain and nightmares.
-o-o-o-
Floyd ran.
He knew these back tunnels. He had been planning this for months. This escape from the clan, he just didn't know when he had first realised that the family was here that this was how he was going to be doing it. He needed Rosa. He needed Spencer too but first this had to be sorted. He would come back for Spence and Aaron – if he wasn't too late. He would come back and he had that all planned out too. He just hoped Aaron would understand why he had just done that. Then again if he didn't understand then it was entirely his loss. The man could be stubborn sometimes.
Spencer was ill. He needed to get back to him and get him better somehow. He still wasn't sure what he had picked up. But he definitely knew where from. The taunting about the whores and rent boys was just a bit of fun. Spence would understand that.
He ran fast. He ran with a speed that he knew they wouldn't be able to catch up and he ran in the shadows leaching the energy out of them and pulling them into him self – like a vampire feeding off the life of others, Floyd fed off the negative energy surrounding him. It made his head light and his vision clearer. It made his nose and ears bleed, but he kept going.
"Put me down you bastard."
The voice pulled Floyd to a stop. She was awake.
"I can't. I need to take you with me." He held her tighter.
"You are a beast. I know all the stories. They told me what you are." She started kicking.
"Then you know why you can't stay here. I need to train you – to give you a new set of rules."
He started to run again.
"I'm not a dog. I don't need training."
"You are beast as much as I am my sweet and I will train you. And you will become powerful and irrepressible. You will be the most wonderful beautiful thing on the planet Rosa. Surely you must want that. Not hiding in caves feeding off your dead relatives."
"It's what I am 'daddy' – so take me back. I will scream." She resumed her kicking.
"No – 'darling' it's not what you are. You are like me. You are a beast and if you start to scream I will stop you."
At the first tiny squeak of a shout Floyd carried out his promise and stopped her noise and her kicking.
-o-o-o-
Aaron couldn't tell what was going on, but something had really made the people up top angry. He stood up and looked up at the grill trying to hear what was being said. He heard the word 'Floyd' he heard 'the child' being shouted.
"My god Floyd what have you done now?" He ran his hands over the surface of the pit he was in. They walls were lumpy and rough hewn and he wondered if his leg didn't have a hole going through it if he could manage to climb out. There were definite foot and hand holds and he still had his shoes on – which would be an advantage. Escape whilst this noise and panic was going on up top didn't feel to Aaron like the best time to try to escape. He sat back down again and looked at the walls. Whatever Flanders had done now was not to the liking of these strange people. He couldn't think straight with the headache he now had. He put his hand to the back of his head and felt the sticky blood clotting on his dark hair. It had stopped bleeding though. So far his wounds had been fairly minor, except for his leg. Even the piercing he had received to his side seemed to be healing with no infection. Whatever Flanders had done it had worked. Now he had to wait.
Hotch closed his eyes and rested his head on his knees and listened to the shouts of panic.
-o-o-o-
Spencer was awoken by rough hands shaking him. His eyes shot open expecting to see Floyd but it was another dark haired man standing there and he didn't look very pleased.
"Where is he?" He seethed.
Reid gave a small slow head shake.
"He planned this with you. Where is he? Where has he taken her?"
Again a small shake of the head. If he had known what they were talking about he still wouldn't have said anything. He felt the ropes tying him to the wall being cut and a hand grabbing him by his pony tail. "Get up. Get up off there and come with me. You will tell me where he has gone."
Spencer let out a strange squeak of pain and let the man drag him to the floor. They had stopped being careful if they damaged his skin. Something had happened. Something had gone wrong for them and it was something Floyd had done.
As Reid lay on the ground moaning in pain another man entered. "Iolanda – do you want the other one out of the pit?"
He felt the man called Iolanda grab his hair again and start dragging him over the floor. "Yes – get him out and take him to the west wall. I want them facing us. I want them to see. I will get my answers."
-o-o-o-
When the rope ladder was thrown down to Hotch he just sat and looked at it. If they wanted him to do something they were going to have to ask. He wasn't their trained puppy and never would be. He glanced up to the rim of the pit and saw a set of eyes looking down. Aaron turned his head and looked away.
"Get up here now. You are needed."
Aaron stood on weary painful legs and stood at the bottom of the ladder. There was every chance that they would just kill him once he was up there again, but then if that is what they wanted they could just leave him here to rot. He started the long and painful climb to the top of the pit. Not a huge bottomless pit but it seemed like it was as his legs started to shake with the sudden need to use his muscles properly. He dragged him self over the rim and was pulled to his feet.
"Don't even think about running off. We have Spencer and we will continue to hurt him if you don't do exactly what you are told to do."
Hotch just looked at them. He didn't want them hurting something so precious but he also didn't want them to see how twisted he was feeling inside. He gave a quick nod but kept his mouth shut. He wasn't sure that his words would be formed without a shake in his voice.
They directed him to a wall. On the wall were two rings at shoulder height and it was to these that the attached his wrists. In front of him, about fifteen feet away was a metal pole embedded into the rock floor. He watched someone dragging something over towards him. It wasn't until he was nearly at the pole that he realised it was Reid. He was being dragged on his front by his hair. His hands were dragging on the ground and he didn't seem to be struggling or making any movements of his own. The light was too dim to tell exactly what had been done to him and as he was pulled to his feet and pushed against the pole he saw the flicker of his eyes and Reid looked directly into his eyes.
Aaron stood and Reid was held in place by leather straps. Someone stepped forwards and introduced himself.
"I am Iolanda. I am one of the elders and I am going to ask you some questions. You are going to listen and you will think about how you are going to answer. Hotchner – if I think you are not being truthful I will punish Floyd's lover. Spencer – if I think you are hiding something from me I will punish your comforter. Is that clear?"
Hotch nodded slowly. Reid didn't respond.
"Spencer – I will start with you." Reid looked at Iolanda. "Where is he?"
"Who?" A small croaky voice.
Iolanda put his hand out and something was placed in it. He turned to Hotch and smiled. "That was the wrong answer." The rock hurled by the man hit Aaron on the shoulder. It hurt but not enough to make him cry out.
He walked over to Aaron.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know." He wanted to give him the right answer.
Iolanda shook is head. "Another wrong answer." He put his hand out again and Hotch saw a large rock being placed in it.
"It's the only answer I have. I don't know where he is." Hotch watched as the rock was thrown at Reid. It hit him squarely on his hip.
The pain shot through him. It felt like the bone had shattered under the horrendous force of the projectile. He tried to tip his head back but the pole behind him was in the way, so he just opened his mouth and let out an awful wailing sound. His throat still too closed and sore for it to sound human.
Iolanda waited for the noise to stop and become shuddering sobs and then Spencer got asked a question.
"Tell me Spencer – if you don't know where he is, take a guess for me. Where do you think he would take her?"
Reid had no idea what he was talking about but he had to think of an answer. One which wouldn't get Aaron this treatment.
"Home." He managed to say. It seemed like a good enough answer.
Iolanda smiled and looked over at Hotch. "You are saved." Now back at Spencer. "Where is his home – and I don't mean that building on the cliffs. Where is his real home Spencer. Where would he go? Where does he go and hide when he runs away from life. Where would he take you?"
Spencer knew he couldn't tell this man the truth. He also knew he couldn't lie to him. He looked up at Aaron who gave Spencer a small nod.
"I don't know." He whispered – hoping he was doing the right thing. Hoping that was what Aaron wanted him to do.
The projectile hit Aaron square between his eyes. It hit so hard that he did even get the chance to make a sound of pain. He fell forwards with his hands still attached to the wall. His head down and his hair wet with blood and sweat. Reid let out a small sound of shock as he watched the blood drip to the floor from the wound Hotch had just sustained because he – Spencer – had lied.
Iolanda now walked over to Aaron and pulled his head by his hair. Spencer could see the blood pouring from the gash across the bridge of his nose. "See what you have done Spencer. This is your fault. You are a liar. You can't lie to me Spencer. I will know if you do." He pulled the unconscious face in his direction. "So Aaron tell me. Where is Rosa?"
Spencer watched knowing that Aaron wouldn't be able to answer the question and his stomach twisted in panic.
"Spencer. I am sorry. I know you have taken a lot recently, but it seems it is just going to keep on until I get my answers." He put his hand out and was given a fist sized rock. Reid let his head fall forwards – he didn't want to get hit in the face. He closed his eyes readying himself for the pain. The rock hit his knee. He heard a strange noise crawling out of his throat and he felt he cartilage in his knee crack.
Iolanda walked over to Spencer.
"Where would he have taken her?"
He had to believe in the lie. He had done it before and he could do it again. He closed his eyes and put false memories behind his lids. He created a conversation and envisaged a place.
"The forest. A small building in the forest. I don't know where it is but he talked about it. Said it was the only place he could call home." His voice croaked the answer.
Iolanda looked at him and nodded. "You are stubborn. I can tell you have been around Floyd for too long. The lies just flow off your tongue like blood."
He held Spencer's head up and called for a rock. "Tell me where he is."
"The forest. A small building in the forest. I don't know……………" The fist with the rock in it hit Reid on the temple. His words shut off as his head began to spin.
"Let's try again. Where would he have taken her? Where is his home?"
Spencer could see out of the corner of his eye a small crowd of about six people. A mixture of men and women.
"The forest………." He started again and with a nod the six people started stoning the unconscious Hotch. Spencer could see his body jerking as they pounded him with rock after rock. He saw more blood dripping onto the floor as Aaron just hung there.
Iolanda put up a hand and it stopped. He pulled Spencer's face around to look at him.
"Where is he?"
Spencer wasn't going to give into them now. "The forest." He stopped; waiting for them to resume stoning Aaron.
"Everybody clear off – pack everything up, we are leaving as soon as I have finished up here. I need to talk to this young man alone. Get me something to sit on."
A chair was brought over and Iolanda sat down leaning forwards with his elbows resting on his knees.
"Let me tell you a story Spencer. Once I have finished I think you might change you mind about letting Floyd hide behind you. Let me tell you why we threw him out. Why we exiled him. Why he is reviled even amongst us.
-o-o-o-