A Message
a/n: this fic would move a lot quicker if ppl would do what I want and stop wandering off and getting into trouble! Damn them! Sorry about that. Pb xox
Two whole days had passed since they had found the burning structure and what they now considered to be Flanders home. They had come back with DNA results confirming that it was his blood on the clothing, but to Hotch that really wasn't a surprise. They had finger printed the things found on the rug on the grass and confirmed that the sooty marks were more than likely made by a child, but that was all there was. The rubble had been searched but there was nothing left to find. No sign that the young babies had been there, but equally no evidence that they'd not been there at some point. A complete dead end again, but Hotch was still of the impression that Flanders would show up again. He was sure of it. What he was less sure of was what the hell Reid was playing at.
He paced his office trying to feel anger at the younger man for just disappearing the way he had, but all he could feel was a deep dark worry; almost bordering on panic. It was with great relief when it reached that time of the day when he could finally get up and leave. The bullpen was in silence as he walked his way through, not even glancing over at Reid's desk. He couldn't do that. He didn't want to face the fact that one of his agents had just run away like a scared school child. He wouldn't accept that.
-o-o-o-
There's been a light rain at some point during the day giving that wonderful heady smell the rain brings with it, but it's giving me no pleasure. The escape from the office has led me here. Home…and again I'm going to feel that emptiness I always feel here now. It's not my home anymore…just somewhere I store my clothes and sleep in. I pull my keys from my pocket and unlock my front door. A quick flick of some buttons just inside the door deactivates the alarm I have set and then I close the door and lock and bolt it. It's only now that I realise that something is wrong. Something is very wrong. I can smell coffee and cooking, and at first I wonder if Haley has decided to come to see me, but then I smell cigarette smoke, and I know that whoever has been in my home is not the mother of my son.
I pull out my side arm and take a deep breath and I just listen, but there seems to be nothing to hear. Slowly and with my gun at the ready I walk in the darkness of the hallway towards the door leading to my lounge. There is no light showing below the door and so I pull down the handle and push open the door.
Immediately I know there is someone here. The smoke is thick and the smells stronger…and someone has lit candles and placed them on the small table to the side of the couch. I take another step in, glancing around the room and that's when I see him. He is sitting on my couch with a glass of something in his hand and he is smiling at me.
'Hello Agent Hotchner. Nice to see you again.'
His voice sounds light and untroubled by me finding him here. 'What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in?' I ask stepping a bit closer to him so that I can get off a better shot.
'I came to talk to you, and as I knew you'd be a while I cooked us something to munch on whilst we have our little chit chat. Take a seat and put that damned gun away.'
He cooked for me? I spare a look at the coffee table where there is a large pot of something sitting and a couple of bowls to eat out of. I keep the gun firmly aimed at him. I pull my cell phone quickly from my pocket and attempt to look like I have everything under control. 'We would be better off talking somewhere else.' I tell him and damnit he's standing up and shaking his head.
'We tried that and it didn't work. Put that away.' He motions towards my gun. 'And the cell phone won't work in here. I fixed things a little bit to give us some privacy. We really do need to talk.' He is suddenly standing right in front of me and his hand is wrapping around the barrel of the gun.
'If you were going to shoot me, you would have done so already. So just put it away and listen to what I have to say to you.'
I pull the gun out of his grasp, but he lets me. I know that. I know that he would have just ripped it from my hand if he wanted to. The confidence in this person is something you rarely see. He is very sure I won't shoot him…as sure as I am.
'What do you want?' I snap at him and take a step to the side. I don't like the close proximity he seems to favour.
'Sit and eat and have a coffee and relax.' Flanders steps back to the couch and sits again where he was previously. 'Really I'm not going to hurt you Hotchner if you listen to me. I don't want to have to carve my message into your chest with the kitchen knife. Just sit, relax and listen.'
Still keeping my eyes firmly on him I move to the large arm chair and sit. I'm not going to relax. I'm not going to eat whatever this is he has made but I will listen to him. I watch as he dishes out a couple of ladles of food into a bowl and he slides it across the table towards me. He follows that up with a fork. I sit and look at it, but I don't touch. He then makes a bowl of this food for himself and sits back with the drink on the side table with the candles and the bowl in his hand.
'Eat or we don't talk, and as that is why I came all this way and went to all this trouble then I'll get a bit pissed off and you've seen me less than happy before, don't make me go to that place in my head again Hotchner. I'm trying here. I'm really trying to do what is best.'
I pick the bowl up and look at it. 'What is this?' I ask, now slightly curious.
'Chilli, but I didn't make it too spicy. I didn't think you looked the type to handle my real hot stuff. It's good though. I sorta specialise in it. Eat.'
I watch as he puts a mouthful of the stuff between his own lips and chew lightly on the mixture. 'I don't think I want this thank you. Just tell me why you are here.'
He shakes his head. 'Doesn't work like that Hotchner. You're not the one in control here. I am. You do what I fucking tell you…excuse my language…you do as I tell you or we get nowhere, and that isn't where I want to get to tonight. I can be quite persuasive.' And he takes another mouthful. 'Are you waiting to see if I have poisoned the stuff? You want to swap bowls?'
I have a murderer in my home. Someone we have been searching for and I am talking to him about a bowl of chilli? I take a small amount on my fork and eat and to my surprise discover that it really is very nice. I look over to him and he is looking back at me. 'OK…talk.' I tell him.
'It's like this Hotchner. I know you are very close to him. I know there is a special bonding between the two of you, and I really don't expect that to stop.'
I'm not sure who he is talking about but I just nod and let him continue.
'I need you to tell me where he is.' And his dark eyes are staring at me as he takes another mouthful…and for some reason I seem to be mirroring his actions and eating his food offering.
I shake my head at him. 'I can't tell you that.' I need to bluff him until I know what he is talking about.
'Then we have a problem Agent Aaron Hotchner. I know you have him somewhere. I know you have him hidden from me…I need to know where. I can't protect him if he's in hiding.'
He is talking about my Jack. He wants Jack? Again I shake my head.
'I could take him you know. I could take him as mine. It would be really easy for me to do, but I'm not going to do that. I don't want to have to do that, but I am going to tell you that I have a horrible feeling that either you have him hidden from me in some way, or he's in danger.'
'He is perfectly safe. I don't need you to worry about him. Is that all you needed to know?'
'You really don't know where he is do you?'
I watch a deep frown cross his brow and the bowl of food is placed on the coffee table. 'No. I sent him away. With his mother. To keep them away from you. She is perfectly able to look after him. We don't need your concern.' I place my bowl on the table too and watch him carefully…I watch the expression on his face turn from one of confusion to one of humour and I'm really not feeling in much of a humorous mood. 'What's so funny?'
'You think I'm talking about Jack don't you? You think I'm here to find out where you sent your son. Now that would be really pointless seeing as you have no idea where he is. Why would I bother coming here when you don't have information I want?'
I sit shaking my head trying to keep eye contact with this man. 'Then I really don't know what you're talking about.'
'He's in Australia; staying with friends of his mother's. Natalie Miles. You should remember her as you were all friends at some point.' He grins at me. 'You really didn't know did you? It's just too easy to be able to trace people these days, obviously if you know what you're doing. Which it seems I do. I am confused though. Where the hell is Reid?'
There is a problem now. I can't tell him to leave because I really don't think he will just get up and go with out some persuasion and I don't want to get into that again. I can't pull my gun and stop him that way because he is perfectly correct; I can't kill him. He still hasn't given up the information on the children. 'I can't give you the information you require Flanders and even if I could give you that information I wouldn't be in the position of actually giving it to you. I am sorry you've wasted your time coming here.'
He picks up his drink and takes a long deep swig of my most expensive whiskey. 'Then it appears we are going to have to work together because I need that boy safe. Man…boy…Reid. I can maybe help you find him Hotchner but you're going to have to let me go without so much as a whisper from you.'
The man is insane. That really goes without saying. It's been obvious from the get go that this person is not in possession of a full set of marbles. He is just proving my point now. 'There is no way I could ever work along side you just so you can get your hands on one of my agents. Have you actually listened to what you're saying? Have you worked out what you are going to do next? How you are going to leave my home and not have me follow you with every man available.'
'Well I still have the location of those children you are looking for. I think we might be able to make some sort of deal here.'
I stand and walk over towards him. 'You have no idea where the children are have you?' I stand there looking down at him. Keeping my superior position and keeping my eyes locked on his.
'Of course I do. That little girl is very precious to me, I'm not going to take her and then not know what happens to her am I? The boy I'm less sure about, but I suspect they've kept the two to them together. Now tell me where Reid is, because you're beginning to piss me off a bit now and you know how my temper gets so frayed when it begins to live in my head.'
I don't know how he manages it so fast…but he is pushing me back over the small coffee table…sending the bowls and the large pot of food flying along with me. His hands are around my neck as he pushes me back him self climbing over the table without losing a step. I'm flailing backwards trying to stay on my feet and attempting in vain to keep my eyes on Flanders' face. His whole expression has changed from that one of someone in control to one I have seen before; back in the interview room and I know straight away that things are going to go very bad from here. I try to get a hold of my sidearm, but he is too close to me. Somehow his hands seem to be all over me….around my neck and pulling at my side arm at the same time.
'I don't like guns.' He is hissing in my face. 'Fight like a man Hotchner. Show me what you've got.' And one hand is squeezing at my neck and the other as I said seems to be everywhere else. Touching and feeling me. I pull at the hand around my neck and crack him across the jaw with my other, but it doesn't really seem to have much effect. My back has been pushed against the wall and his face is pushed hard against the side of mine and he is talking into my ear with hot fast breaths.
'I could kill you where you stand Agent Aaron Hotchner. I could snap your neck right now as you stand there wondering what the hell it is I'm after but I'm not going to do that.' He pauses. 'Stop wriggling and fucking well listen to me.' I feel the hand loosen around my neck and his other hand is now on my chest pushing me back. Not that I can go any further back. 'I want to make a deal with you Mr FBI and that's not going to work very well if I've been put in this shitty mood, so you need to relax and sit back down on your cute arse and listen. Do you understand me?'
I want to look at him and try to read the expression on his face but he still has his face pressed hard against mine…and I can still feel hot breaths whispering across my ear. I need to keep this man calm. I need to get him off me and get him to move back. I know if he wanted to he could and would kill me and for some reason he hasn't. There is something he needs from me and that something seems to be one of my Agents. One I have no idea as to his location. 'I understand. Step back and you tell me exactly what it is you want.' Again the hand loosens and now finally moves away from me and he takes a step back.
'You're lucky.' He says and then he licks his lips. 'You're lucky that I need you or you'd be one dead bloke by now.'
I just nod at him and then indicate the couch. 'Sit and talk.' I tell him and then glance around the room in search of where the hell he threw my weapon. I still have the gun strapped to my ankle but I have a funny feeling he knows about that and doesn't really care. I stay with my back against the wall and watch as he turns his back on me and walks back to the couch. He picks up his drink again and sits back down.
'An exchange of information?' He asks me, but I don't know what I can tell him. Actually I have no intention of telling him anything, but I nod again and take a step away from the wall and he starts talking again.
'I need to know where Reid is. I have to see him. I need to smell him.'
'Smell him?'
He gives me a smirk. 'Smells are much better at jogging memories than just photographs. I need to hear his voice. What does he sound like?'
I walk slowly back to my chair but I don't sit just yet. 'I'm not following this. You know Reid. I know you do, so why are you asking me what he sounds like?'
Now a small shake of the head. 'It's complicated.' He drinks more of my whiskey.
'I'm OK with complicated. Go ahead. Explain.'
'It's so complicated that I don't really know the answers. I just know I've seen him before and I know he is in some sort of danger.'
'And you know this how?' I sit.
'Up here.' And a finger touches his forehead. 'I see him. I know I've fucked him. I know I should know him, but the memories are gone.'
I rub at my eyes with my fingertips. 'I think you've got the wrong person.' I tell him. 'and you've not explained how you know he's in danger.'
'Where does he live? I need to smell his clothes so I can get a lock on his location. I don't have anything to follow. Just grainy images and feelings. I'll help you find him Hotchner; hopefully before he's dead, but you have to help me out a bit and in exchange I will err…give my word that I'll leave him alone. Obviously I've forgotten him for a good reason, but there is this nasty niggling feeling crawling around in my head that I should be keeping an eye on him. That you should be protecting him and I have a equally nasty feeling that I don't want you going near him, but I'm going to have to keep that back until I can assess this situation better.'
The man is insane. There is no doubt in my mind that he is completely delusional and psychotic, but I have to keep him talking and try to keep him relaxed and open. There is always the slim chance that he'll give me information he didn't intend to.
'I see. So you think you can find him if you know what he smells like?' I run my fingers through my hair pushing back a wayward lock which keeps slipping down onto my forehead.
'Something like that.' And he frowns.
'So Flanders, tell me more about you. Where are you from? Maybe we can work out how you know Reid.'
'Again it's complicated Hotchner. I'm not sure.'
'Not sure?' Again that darn bit of hair gets pushed back by my fingers.
'Where I'm from. I have conflicting memories. Someone had fucked with my mind at some point. Not a clue when, but way back and things are a bit fuzzy around the edges you know. However, where I am from is not where I know Reid from.'
'You've been in hospital?' I think probably the way he is he cant have got to the age he is and not have been in prison or and institution of some kind.
'Probably, but that's not the problem. Talk to me about him. Help me out here and help Reid out at the same time. I want to talk about Reid not me.'
I just sit and look at him for a while unsure where this is all going to go and uncertain how I am going to get this man back into some secure unit where I'm sure he's escaped from. I'm puzzled that Garcia couldn't find any record of this man. His finger prints were not recorded anywhere. We couldn't match him with anyone, so who the hell is he really.
'Maybe we can start with your name?'
He looks over at me. 'You know my name. I don't want to talk about me. I want to find this Reid person. I need to know why I know him and why I am feeling this urge to fuck his brains out. Then there is the question of why I am asking you in particular for assistance here. What is your role in this game Aaron?'
'It's not a game Flanders. You said you think Reid is injured. Why do you think this?'
'In trouble of some kind. I helped him out once and he ran straight into more shit. I can feel it here.' A finger is placed on his chest. 'I can feel something is wrong but I cant get a lock on him.' He's looking confused again.
'Let me makes some phone calls. Get you someone else to talk to. Someone who will understand your problem better.' I think having a word with SWAT right now is what he needs to do.
'Fine, you don't want to help or you cannot help. That's fine. I can see you don't know where he is. I can feel your confusion. I was really hoping you could help.'
'We were exchanging information before. Maybe we can go back to doing that?' He has put his drink down and his hands are balled into tight fists. I really need to keep this man calm. 'Perhaps we will both get what we need.'
'You don't have the information I need. So there is nothing to exchange.' He stands up. 'I'm going. I'll find him myself, but the consequences of this will be on your shoulders Agent Aaron Hotchner.'
I remain sitting and look at him closely. He's as confused about all of this as I am. 'I can help you find him. Use BAU resources to assist.'
'You would have found him already if you could do that. I'm not stupid Hotchner. I know you have no idea where he is.' And he is pacing the room.
'If you know I have no idea, then why did you come here in the first place?' His hands are in fists again, but he's just standing staring at something behind me.
'I needed to be sure, oh and I needed to give you a message.'
Now I stand. 'A message?'
'I need to show you what will happen to you if you let anything happen to Reid. Anything more. Something's already happened. When you find him…when he returns…if he does…you need to protect him.'
I move slightly to the side so that I don't have the chair directly behind me. 'Protect him from what?'
'Well that's the thing. Me.'
I didn't even see a twitch on his face. No change in expression. Nothing to alert me that he was going to launch himself on me. It happened so fast that although I was expecting it to happen he was on me before I could even blink.
-o-o-o-
I had to do it. I had to show him. Maybe I went a bit far, but hey, he pissed me off talking in fucking circles and not actually giving me the information I wanted. The fact he didn't have it in the first place is irrelevant. I saw the look of surprise on his face. And I could smell the fear coming off of him in big sickly waves. My fist caught him on the jaw and sent him back a step and now then he was more prepared for me. The next hit he attempted to block but I move pretty fast and just to confuse the poor bastard I lead with my left when I fight. Or my right. Or both at the same time. When you spend your life doing this on a daily basis you get pretty damned good at it. Hotchner didn't really stand much of a chance. I'm sure he understands my reason for doing this. I had to show him. I had to let him know what would happen if he didn't do what I wanted. The punch to the kidneys had him reeling back and trying to fend me off, but I knew I'd hurt him. He bent forward slightly to take the pain and that's when I caught him with an uppercut. He went down surprisingly easily. His head smacked back on the floor and seemed almost to be in slow motion as it rebounded and hit the floor again.
'This is what I'm going to do to you if you don't look after Reid.' I hiss at him as my foot makes contact with his groin. 'This is what I am going to do to Reid if you don't look after him.' He has moved onto his side and it looks like he's going to try to make a grab for his ankle holster crap, so I stamp down on his head and he makes and nice 'umph' sound as I do it.
'After all of this you think I'm going to let you shoot me? You stupid or something?' I'm shouting now. 'I'm just delivering my fucking message. Let me do it!' And he's still trying to make for that freaking gun, so I stamp on his hands to stop him. And it does…for now at least. I don't like the noises he is making at me. I'm not sure if he's trying to say something and right now I'm not in the mood for more of his words. He's interrupting my message delivery so I kick. I kick him in the face and watch his head snap back and I kick him in the chest as he scrabbles with his hands and tries to grab hold of me to make me stop, but it's not going to work. I just rip my way through his weekend grasp and carry on kicking him in random yet painful places. I need him to remember this. I need him to stay awake and with it. No point in all of this if he doesn't remember.
I don't know how the hell this person is going to protect Reid from me. I don't even know why I am giving him this lesson. Maybe I should get my arse out of here and locate him myself and smack him into next week. Or fuck him…whatever it is I feel like doing to him when I find him, but for now Hotchner has stopped flailing around and has stopped those pathetic noises and so I stand back and just look. There's a lot of blood. Not sure where it's all coming from but as he's not moving now I feel OK to crouch down next to him and have a closer look at my handy work. Whist there I slip that second gun away from him and slide it across the room.
'Can you hear me Agent Aaron Hotchner?' He doesn't respond so I put a hand on his shoulder and push him onto his back. 'Can you hear me now?' He still says nothing. I look down at his blood covered face and slowly slide my fingers over the mess. It looks like most of it has come from a cut above his brow and his nose; maybe his mouth too. I slip my fingers into my mouth and suck off the mess. 'Get up.' I snap at him. 'Get your arse up off the floor and be a damned man for fucks sake.' And this time he looks at me so I know he can hear me. 'You're a mess. Go clean yourself up.' And I stand and offer him a helping hand to get up. A helping hand which he refuses to take. 'Fine, have it your way. I'm going. Just don't forget.' I watch him lick his split and bleeding lips but still he's not moving. 'You have any questions before I leave?' But he either doesn't feel like talking to me or can't. Either way I don't really care now. I've got to go and talk to someone else. I have to find Reid. I need to….I have to…I have to go and sort things before I forget even more. 'Bet you wish you'd shot me now huh?' I say as I bend down and wipe my tongue over his lips. I bet you wish you'd never met me. I'm sure we'll be able to become friends though. In time. Once you understand the rules.' I move away from him. 'For your information Aaron, I'll never tell you where that baby is. I'll die before you get that information out of me.' And I have a feeling that he'd die before giving me the location of Reid.
I leave the way I got in. You don't need to know the details of that.
