PERSONAL TIME
Chapter 11
Chase

Anais Nin wrote, "I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, by losing."

As Spencer wove through the traffic, Emily watched Manson's car. The tension in her muscles and the strain of watching the car was giving her a headache. They couldn't lose her. This was the last best hope for finding Aaron before it was too late.

Manson's car was five in front now. Trying to follow it and still remain inconspicuous was proving a difficult task. The more Reid drove in and out of the traffic, the more attention it drew to them. He stayed in the same lane for a mile or so, trying t be invisible .

Six cars now.

"Spencer, you will have to get closer. I'm afraid I'm going to lose her." Emily said, hands on the dash, eyes staring, unblinking.

Reid changed lanes and overtook three cars and tucked back in again. They were heading out of town now. If it was difficult to follow in traffic, it would not be any easier when they were on the empty country roads.

"She's left the freeway." Emily said. "Next exit."

Reid got ready to follow. As he drove up the exit ramp, they saw that she had pulled into a lay-by. Reid drove straight past. Emily ducked down. After they rounded a corner, Reid looked for somewhere to stop. There was a small gravel parking area ahead, and Reid turned off the road.

He stared out of the window into the trees. He turned off the engine and waited. He was sure now that he had been seen. Why else would she park up like that?

But they still had the advantage. They still didn't know about Emily and Morgan. That was the key. That was how they would get Aaron out.

-0-0-0-

Manson was on the phone. "Hotchner's lover is following me in a black SUV." She was saying. "Yes, he is alone."

She laughed. She would lead him straight to Hotchner. Soon he could watch Hotchner die. "I'll make sure he doesn't lose me." She said. "How is our guest?"

He was still alive, but very sick now. "That last injection did some damage though." Phil said. "If you want another go at him, you had better get back here Sis. He won't last too much longer."

She grinned and fired up the engine.

Follow me now, Doctor Spencer Reid. I'll try not to lose you!

She drove past the little car park where Reid was, and headed on along the empty road.

-0-0-0-

Morgan fixed up the GPS receiver and gunned out of the car park. They were a good ten miles or so ahead of him, but he needed to catch them up. He had a strong feeling that they would need back up. He wished Garcia was in on this. Satellite would be so much better to follow Manson. They could lose her like this.

He wouldn't tell her though. He could never put her in danger. His mind flashed back to when she had been shot, and the terrible feeling he had when they thought she wasn't going to make it. He had told her that he loved her, and he still did. But it was a very special kind of love – deeper than friends, purer than lovers. It was difficult to define. He had had lovers, never had any trouble choosing the pick of the bunch. But when you can always have the most beautiful women, beauty ceased to be important. Empty headed and plastic; beautiful, yes. But his Baby Girl was something special.

He checked his direction, and headed towards the freeway.

-0-0-0-

An hour of vision, they had told him. But that hour had been spent in screaming agony. His eyes were gritty and sore again, and the pain sent shudders through his body. He closed his eyes again; closed to the searing light that seemed to burn his eyes from their sockets. Sweat ran in rivulets, mixing with blood and ran from his brow and into his hair. The cold air from the fan wasn't enough to cool his fever, and he shivered and sweated in succession. The chains were tight now, and the convulsion triggered by the last injection left a legacy of burning in his nerve endings, his skin sending messages of pain to his fevered brain. The metal rings drew blood which trickled in a continuous stream around his neck and limbs..

But the true fear was something else. There were things living in the light. They touched his skin and dug at his wounds. He felt them reaching into his nose and mouth, prying and pushing, looking for ways in, pulling apart his wounds, sliding into his blood and searching out his heart. Tentacles of light-creatures criss crossed around his brain and tightened, wringing visions of horror which dripped onto the sand like drops of water...

...water. He tried to remember what water had felt like. He tried to lick his lips, to moisten his cracked and bloodied skin. His tongue was cleaved to the roof of his mouth, dry swollen and torn.

He had forgotten water. The light creatures fought with the tentacles of sand; fought for dominance over him; more pain, more searing agony...

...he heard screaming, terrible unearthly, echoing through his head...

Please let me die please let me die...

Another convulsion gripped him and reality slipped away...

-0-0-0-

Manson turned into the long curved drive that led onto the estate. She had watched the SUV follow her and laughed out loud as it drove straight past the gate a few minutes behind her.

Foolish man. She had been led to understand that this Doctor Reid was some kind of genius. Hah! Some genius, to think he could defeat them on his own!

She wondered if he was going to drive up to the house, or follow in foot 'inconspicuously'. She laughed again and drove round the back of the house, and parked close to the green houses.

She was excited about seeing Hotchner again. She trembled as she remembered the last 'contact' with him. She hoped he was still alive, but if he wasn't, then so be it. She had always said she would not touch a corpse, but she was prepared to make an exception in Hotchner's case. He was too lovely to waste.

She found Phil and Stef in the gardener's shed watching Hotchner die on a CCTV screen that they had set up. It was being recorded of course, but it lacked the personal touch that Kate's filming had.

"I want another go with him before he dies." She said.

Phil handed her a key. "I don't think you'll get very far this time." He glanced at the screen. "I think he's dead. Did Doctor Reid follow you here?"

"Uh huh. He should be here any minute." She took the key and the three of them left the little shed to go and have some last games with Agent Aaron Hotchner.

-0-0-0-

Reid parked half a mile along the road.

"She must have seen us." Emily said. "Just be careful. They could be waiting for you."

"She might have seen me. But she wouldn't have seen you." Reid answered, getting his gun ready. "We should split up. If they get me, I don't want them to see you."

She nodded, checking her side arm. She didn't like the idea of splitting up. They had all learned a lesson from the Hankle experience when JJ and Reid had split up, and it almost cost Reid his life.

But the situation was different then.

She watched him jog back down the road towards the main entrance to the estate, and she climbed over the fence into the grounds.

-0-0-0-

Reid followed the drive to the house, keeping to the edge in the shadows. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that he had been seen. He decided to play along. That way, he still had an advantage. He felt an excitement in his bones, thinking that he was so close to Aaron now.

The house was in darkness, but he could see light coming from the back of the house. With his back against the wall, He crept towards the back of the house, gun in both hands, held close to his chest. He thought he could hear sounds, the same sounds as he had heard on the MMS that he had been sent.

Screams. Terrible screams of fear and terror...

I'm coming, Aaron. Please, just hold on. I'm almost there...

His heart thumping in his chest, he reached the far end of the wall of the house. He peered around the corner. He could see a bright light ahead, behind a small cabin, shining up through the trees. Bending low, he ran to the cabin and stood by the door. He pressed his back against the wall and stood still for a moment, trying to control his breathing. Then he swung around, kicking the cabin door open.

There was no-one there, but there had been. Cigarette smoke was still drifting towards the ceiling. There was a CCTV screen on the table. He went across and looked at the image, and he felt his heart breaking in his chest. He sank down onto the bench in front of the screen, clutching his gun.

Reid felt sick. He turned off the monitor – he didn't want Emily to see this. He turned away from the screen, and ran back to the door He had but one thing on his mind, to free Aaron from this sick abuse. He saw a glass roofed building up ahead, and a bright light reaching through the glass and up to the sky, and he guessed that was where they were holding him.

He was almost at the door when he heard the familiar mechanical sound of a gun cocking.

"Ok, Doctor Spencer Reid. Don't move."

Reid froze and slowly raised his hands.

Emily! Now...

"Throw the gun into the bushes."

Reid threw his gun to the side. "I want to see Hotchner." He said.

"Oh you will. Go to the door and open it."

Reid walked to the door. With a shaking hand, he turned to door handle, and pushed it open.

He thought he was prepared for this. After all he had seen Aaron brought down from a strong and powerful team leader to the broken destroyed man he had seen on his phone screen. He had watched each dreadful step. But nothing could have prepared him for what was in front of him now.

Blood was everywhere – cast off on the walls and ceiling, smeared over the floor, foot prints of blood around him...

"Oh my god." He whispered. Manson was holding Aaron's face in her hands and her lips were touching his. Spencer felt sick at what he was seeing.

"For god's sake! Leave him alone! Don't do this!" Reid felt as if someone was reaching inside him and twisting his guts. "Please, leave him alone!" He felt his voice break as he felt the pain of what he was seeing.

Manson looked up at him. She was smeared with Aaron's blood across her face and on her hands. She had Aaron's blood on her lips. She touched the man's face, and stood up and stepped away from him. Reid saw Aaron's body shake and tremble and his head rocked from side to side. Reid felt tears in his eyes and he stepped forwards towards him.

"Stand still. Don't come any closer." Manson said. She stooped down and picked up a piece of wood. Reid saw that it had blood on it. It had been used to beat Aaron. She held the weapon ready to hit Reid with it.

Reid ignored her command. He needed to get to Aaron. He called out to him. He took another step.

"Stand still." This command was from behind him. He took another step.

"I need to be with him." He said softly

Something hit the back of his head, and the blow sent him to his knees. He rested, leaning forwards on his hands for a moment. Then he crawled forwards, still calling Aaron's name. Aaron's eyes were closed against the light, but Reid could hear the painful jagged sound as Aaron sucked air into his dying body.

He didn't actually hear the shot, but he felt it. He looked down at the crimson flower that exploded from his chest.

Emily... where are you?

He reached for Aaron's hand. All he wanted now was to die with his hand in Aaron's. He fell forwards and stretched out his arm. His blood ran through the sand and mingled with Aaron's. He felt the coolness of the fan, and the movement of his hair. He could feel the fevered heat from Aaron's body, their fingers were separated by an eternity as Reid's vision clouded and he fell into blackness.

Aaron... Aaron, I am sorry ...I was too late...