"The shadows betray you because they serve me." -Unknown
Reid swallowed. "I don't want to leave Agent Morgan," he said. "I refuse. He's my friend."
"But you were willing to escape."
"And bring back help. Not offer to have you keep him permanently," Reid retorted.
"I think," the lawyer said, "We can work with this." He grabbed Reid by his hair and started to drag him along the side of the wooden wall. "I think I can punish Agent Morgan for you. You just want him to go to the hospital."
"What?" Reid asked.
"You want him to be beaten. That's what you want, isn't it? You want your friend to be punished. I can arrange for that. I can arrange for him to be beaten so badly he'll wish he was dead."
"No-"
"There will be no hospital for your friend, Spencer." The man grabbed Spencer and threw him in a closet, locking the door before walking down the hallway towards his other prisoner. He quickly undid the lock and came over to where Derek was laying down.
"It's your time to visit the hospital, Agent Morgan," he said cheerfully.
"Can't wait," Morgan ground out as he coughed. The man quickly undid his binds and ordered him to stand up. Morgan did so, staring him in the eye.
"We're going to go to the hospital. Do you still have Agent Hotchner listed as your emergency contact?"
Morgan blinked. "Um… I don't know," he admitted, not knowing how the Amsterdam hospital setting worked or was linked.
The man held his gun under Morgan's chin. "Don't worry. It'll all come out in time."
JJ, Hotchner, and Prentiss were actually on the way to where the lawyer was right now, they just didn't know it. Jason was with in the back seat, guiding them. "I get to stay in the car when you guys go in right?" he asked.
"Yeah," Hotchner said.
"Good." With that Jason paused, "This is it… Be careful. He's mean. And he likes to kiss." JJ and Prentiss shared a look but said nothing. Both grabbed their guns and followed Hotchner.
Reid groaned as he kicked at the door again. He didn't know what the man's endgame plan was, but sensed this was it. He frowned upon hearing a familiar yet beautiful voice.
"Clear!" Emily Prentiss' voice rang out.
"Clear," Agent Hotchner's voice rang out.
"HOTCH!" Reid yelled, as loud as he could, banging on the door. "HOTCHNER!"
"Did you hear that?" Hotcher asked. Reid could envision him holding up his hand.
"CLOSET!" Reid yelled. "HALLWAY!"
Footsteps came pounding towards the door and there was silence, before someone simply opened the door.
Feeling stupid, Reid blushed. "I thought he locked it."
"From the outside. Are you alright? Do you need medical attention?" Hotch asked. "Is Derek with you?"
"I'm fine, no, and he took Derek to the hospital."
"To the hospital?" JJ asked, coming back over. "All are clear. Thank god you're alright," she said to Reid.
"He likes to take one person to the hospital and hold the other one over them while he forces the person to lie to the authorities. I'm guessing he had to do that when he was younger. Anyway, you need to find Derek. He'll probably be at -" with that, Agent Hotchner's phone rang and Hotch looked at the unknown number before motioning for silence.
"Agent Hotchner? This is the Amsterdam local hospital. We have you as emergency contact for Derek Morgan?"
"That's correct," Hotch said.
"We need you to come sign a few forms. Can you do that?"
"Of course. I'm on my way." Hotch hung up the phone. "We need to get back to the car. Jason's in there. We're going to the safe house first. Prentiss, I want you to come with me to the hospital, and JJ, stay at the safe house with the kids, Reid, and Jason."
"Absolutely," JJ responded. Prentiss gave Reid a hug before they got into the car.
"Morgan is going to lie to you," Reid said as he got in, nodding at Jason. "Morgan is going to tell you that he's fine. That he wants to do this. That he trusts the lawyer, etc, etc. He'll even tell you the same thing if the lawyer leaves the room. The lawyer will likely suggest that you have one-on-one contact. He'll know that."
"We know that's all a lie, we can arrest the lawyer on the spot. He's from America so we can bring him back to be prosecuted."
"I know that," Reid said, "But for Morgan's sake…" he let out a breath. "If you arrest the lawyer then and there, Morgan still won't go with you. He'll be too worried about me and the potential contacts the lawyer claims to have in the system. Also, the lawyer claimed that he knew where our families lived and could threaten them, however I believe that to be false."
"So what's our best option?" Hotch asked.
Reid frowned. "Let's do something like this…" he quietly outlined his plan to the car.
Morgan groaned as he laid in the hospital bed. The man had really outdone himself this time. While nothing was officially broken, Morgan ached all over. What's more, he knew that the man had Reid at his mansion and there was nothing Morgan could do about that.
Yet.
He was frantically trying to come up ways he could be open and honest with Hotchner. Hotch already knew that he was a prostitute and had been assaulted against his will. He just hoped he could get away from the lawyer, and get Reid to freedom.
He wasn't sure he was worth caring about himself, anymore.
The door opened and his former boss stepped in. He sighed and looked over at the wall where the lawyer was idly reading a book.
"I'm surprised that you are here while only being a lawyer," Hotchner said, nodding at Derek. Derek smiled a bit, sensing Hotch had a game plan. I have to trust him, Derek thought, he's my boss.
"I'm not just a lawyer. I'm an advocate for the brothel," the man said. "I represent all of our clients. I take it you'll want to talk to Derek." He smiled and turned to Derek. "Derek, you really need to remove him from your next of kin as that trumps the restraining order."
Derek rolled his eyes. The man ignored him and continued. "I'll be back in awhile. I need to get some coffee."
Hotch looked at Derek, studying him. Derek looked exhausted, as Reid had said, yet determined. "So go ahead," Derek said quietly, "Just sign the paper saying that I'll be treated and it'll be fine."
Hotch came over to the chair next to Derek and sat down. "Derek."
"Hotch." Derek stared at him. "Why haven't you signed the release papers and just left? The case is over. You found me. You found Reid. We work for a brothel now." His voice held a bitter and broken tone. "I know you'd never take me back to the team and there's no point in me going back to America. I have nothing there."
"Not even your family?" Hotch questioned.
"Don't bring the team into this -"
"Your other family," Hotch said.
"Don't. Don't mention them," Derek responded.
"He doesn't have the power he thinks he does, Derek."
Derek frowned. "The lawyer?" He laughed bitterly. "I'm a profiler, Hotch. I know that. I may not work for the FBI but I've kept up my skills." He sighed. "He says he knows where my family lives, he has Reid… God Hotch. I don't want to be here, but I feel like I can't leave."
Hotch fought to keep a neutral expression, relieved that Derek was willing to consider leaving - although truthfully, he'd have kidnapped him if necessary. "The lawyer thinks he has me on a hook, and Reid probably thinks I'm hooked on the lawyer's words and believe them. While I know he does have power, I also know where that power is. Hotch, he doesn't have any contacts in this hospital."
"He doesn't?"
"No. Why do you think he's been sitting at my bedside the whole time? Normally he leaves us here. This time he's staying here because he doesn't want me to talk to anyone without him."
"So why leave you here with me alone?"
"One of two reasons. He's going to punish me for talking if he thinks I talked. Alternatively, if he doesn't think I've talked, he's going to reward me… not sure which is worse. But Hotch - he has Reid. Please - you have to find Reid."
"He doesn't have Reid. We have Reid and the kids in a safe house. Only the inner circle: Rossi, Gideon, JJ, Prentiss, know where it's at."
"Thank God." Agent Morgan's shoulders slumped in exhaustion. "Hotch - he's trying to hold me over. I think I have a plan for how we can trap him and get mine and Reid's passport back. Would you be willing to consider it?"
"We can get you a new passport, Derek."
"It's about way more than that," Derek said.
"I know," Hotch said. "What's the plan?"
The lawyer came back twenty minutes later to find Hotchner talking to Derek. "I'm working your resignation through with the FBI now that we have proof you're alive. They're changing your status, and that. But we have to have a passport to formally discharge you."
"I don't see why that's important. You know I'm here and you have my ID or something don't you? Isn't my social enough?" Derek asked. "Come on Hotch, please. I don't want to be bound to them anymore," he said, careful to hold a pleading tone in his voice while smirking at Hotch out of the lawyer's eyesight.
"I know Derek, but you have to understand I'm being stonewalled. They think that you and Reid were abducted and taken to Amsterdam. Since I can't get them on the phone with you at the same time because of the restraining order this is the process we have to go through. Where is your passport if you don't have it right now?"
"I can't tell you that - I don't know. They keep it for me." Derek's shoulders slumped.
The lawyer knocked on the door. "Sounds like I can help. What's going on?"
"I need Derek's passport to formally discharge him from the FBI and he doesn't have it."
The man smiled at Derek. "I have the passports for Reid and Derek."
"Mhm," Hotch said, keeping his expression clear. "Am I allowed to ask a question?"
"Of course. This isn't grade school."
"How did agents Morgan and Reid come to work for you here in Amsterdam?"
"They came to inquire about work in one of our locations. We let them work here. We felt it was a better fit."
"Why do you hold their passports?"
"What are you suggesting, Agent Hotchner? Are you suggesting that they were kidnapped or something? Because-"
"That's not what I am suggesting," Hotch deflected. "I'm just merely wondering."
"Of course we didn't kidnap them."
"Interesting choice of words there - we didn't kidnap them. Does that imply someone else did?" Hotch asked.
"I'm not implying anything. Look, you need to leave. Now."
"No," Derek said. "I want him to stay."
"You wanted to file a restraining order on him, Derek," the man said. "I'd think very carefully about my options if I were you. Changing your mind won't look well in the legal system. And remember what we've talked about," he said, carefully. "Reid will be here soon to visit."
"No," Derek said, struggling to get out of bed and pull himself up. Hotch felt his hand go towards his revolver, as if by natural instinct. "He won't."
"What do you mean, he won't? He'll be worried about you won't he?" the lawyer asked, turning towards Derek. "You need to sit."
"I don't listen to you anymore."
"I suggest you do," the man said. "Agent Hotchner, you need to leave. Now."
"No," Derek said. He sat back down on the bed, in too much pain to move further. "I want him to stay."
"Derek Morgan, he's leaving. NOW!" the lawyer said. "You're filing a restraining order against him."
Hotch smiled a bit at Derek. Their plan was working.
"I changed my mind." Derek stood up then. "I am tendering my resignation with the brothel."
"You can't do that. What about your debt? You still owe us over $200,000. We could file a lawsuit against you."
"Do it, then," Derek said. "I'm leaving."
"What about Reid? You can't leave without him. He's still working for us."
Morgan seemed to falter a bit and sit down. "Are you threatening me?" he asked. He was glad Hotch was getting all of this on the tape securely hidden under his belt. "Why else would you be mentioning all of this?"
"Also, we still have your passports. Do you still want to leave now, Morgan?"
"I-"
"What about everything?" The man asked, coming closer to him. "What about everything we've done for you?"
"You mean the work I've been forced to do as a prostitute?" Morgan asked.
"We've never forced anything."
"I quit."
"You can't quit. What about Reid?" the man asked.
"What about him?"
"Actually," Hotch spoke up, his hand on the gun, "There's no need for you to quit, Morgan, since all of those contracts they forced you to sign were null and void."
"That's preposterous. I wrote them myself!"
"They were fully lies. You knew this. You had kids from every nation working for you."
"I still do - it's part of our charm."
"Morgan," Hotch said, upon seeing the man was unarmed, "Technically you're still apart of the FBI. How would you like to help our friend here into some handcuffs?"
Morgan grabbed the cuffs and arrested the lawyer, reciting the rights he knew from memory so well. "Welcome back to America, bitch. Now, where's my passport?"
Final chapter coming soon! Remember to check out my new book, Bait. It's Reidcentric.