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Spencer's head spun as though he'd spent too long on a carnival ride like the Whip or the Tilt-O-Whirl when he opened his eyes. He blinked, rapidly, and panic set in until he realized that he couldn't see because it was night. He swallowed hard and winced. His throat felt like he'd walked miles in a sandstorm. He grimaced, pushed himself to a sitting position and waited until the swooping sensation in his gut subsided.

"Hello," he tried to speak, but it came out as a whisper.

The blackness around him seemed complete, but then, as he waited, he realized that silver light seeped into this room – wherever he was – and gave a tiny bit of illumination. He felt around him, and his hand brushed something. It felt like something solid, but slim and long. Was it light? No. His brain seemed to kick into gear, and he remembered that he was in a strange home and – he shuddered and fought off a new round of panic. A man, a very tall man had drugged him with the help of some woman claiming to be a former nurse. He put his hand to his head and nearly screamed when pain flared under his questing fingertips.

He reached for the object to his right and lifted it. It felt like glass, he let both hands explore it as his eyes continued to adjust to the gloom around him. Yes, it had the shape of a drinking glass. He tilted it back and forth and felt liquid sloshing inside. He lifted it and drank down several gulps of cool water. It was like ambrosia on his throat. He wanted more but had no idea where to find a tap. Was he in the same room? Had they moved him?

"Hello," he said, and this time his hydrated throat cooperated, and he could croak out his question.

"You are awake," said a voice near him. A familiar voice.

"Who are you?"

The voice didn't return and for a moment, he thought he imagined it. Then he heard a scratch and then a flare of light as a match was lit at his left. He squinted as a golden light touched a long, white candle in a tall taper made of silver. Yes, he was in the same room, but someone stood in the shadows with him.

"Please, come into the light?"

The figure hesitated and then, stepped cautiously into view. He drew in a breath because it was the same young woman in white who'd tried to stop a man, she'd called her father, from drugging him. Moreover, he could see her face, as she no longer wore a veil. It was oval-shaped, with full lips and skin as pale as moonlight. Her delicate eyebrows framed dark blue eyes, and her nose was perfectly straight and just a bit upturned at the end. She was so beautiful, he forgot to breathe for several seconds. When he remembered to breathe, he realized that his heart thumped to see her. He'd thought the man had somehow punished her for defying him.

"You're alright. I thought that man hurt you."

"I am well. It is you that is in danger here. You must leave."

"I can't," he said and turned to slid off the bed and stand. He swayed on his feet and nearly fell. "My car is wrecked. The other woman said my phone was destroyed."

"Mrs. Jarvis is a liar," said Rachel. "She will tell you anything she thinks will keep you under control."

"Why? What does your father want with me? I'm a Federal Agent. People will be looking for me."

"I know," said Rachel. "That is why you must find a way to leave this place. I can show you how to get out of the house without detection, but Mr. Jarvis has the keys to our automobile on a corkboard in his workshop behind the house."

"Tell me your name," Spencer asked as the dizziness finally began to subside.

"My name is Rachel."

"My name is Spencer."

"I know. I saw your badge. You are a doctor?"

"No, not a medical doctor," Reid explained. "I have three Ph.D.'s."

Rachel studied him for a long minute. "I see. Did you travel far to go to university?"

The fact that she accepted his obvious genius without comment piqued his interest. "I was born in Las Vegas."

"Nevada," said Rachel and her eyes lit up. She smiled for the first time and she made him think of an angel in an old painting.

"Yes."

"Tell me about it."

"I need to get out of here," he reminded her.

"Oh, yes, I am sorry, Spencer. Here, I found your shoes."

She gestured to a chair where lay not only his shoes, his bag, his coat and his credentials. "I apologize that I could not locate your weapon. Father must have hidden it away."

"It's okay," Reid said, despite his misgivings. "Why does your father want to keep me here?"

Terror entered Rachel's expression and her eyes filled with tears. "I – I cannot speak of it. We must go," she said, urgently. "Please make haste."

"You have an unusual way of speaking," Reid said.

"Do I?"

"Yes," he said as he put on his shoes and donned his jacket. "You converse like someone from long ago."

"My father taught my brother and me proper English."

Something in her tone and manner made Spencer think she learned her lessons under an iron fist and despite her manner now, he was sure she'd endured some form of punishment for her last visit, and yet she still came to help him.

"How do we leave? The door is locked."

"Do not worry. There is a hidden passageway behind the bookcase."

He watched her go to the bookcase and with a hidden lever, he couldn't see, made it swing forward on silent hinges. "Awesome," he said without thinking.

Rachel stared at him. "You have never seen a hidden passageway?"

"No."

"That is – strange," she said and led him inside. "Does not everyone have them in their homes?"

"No."

"Strange," she said again. "I have read many books and thought it normal."

Reid wondered what kind of reading matter she'd been exposed to but then forgot about his curiosity because the passageway was extremely dark. He stood waiting for Rachel to move forward, but she didn't until she'd lighted a candle and motioned him to follow her. "We must go forward to the end of the passage and then down three flights of stairs. This way leads to the back of the house. Everyone sleeps, so we are perfectly safe to exit and find the keys to the automobile."

He followed her down the passageway and as he walked, he felt a bit disappointed. Secret passageways in movies and books were described as festooned with cobwebs and full of rats or spiders. This passageway was built from the same wood as the house, but it didn't have cobwebs and he didn't see any rodents running from them. As for spiders, and other insects, if they were there, they were all sleeping or hiding. He supposed he should feel relief instead of disappointment. Still, it was a bit spooky because the light from Rachel's candle threw shadows on the narrow walls of the walkway that swayed and stretched like living beings as they walked.

Soon, they reached the narrow flight of stairs that wound down in a tight spiral. He continued to follow Rachel and this time, he kept his eyes on his feet so that he didn't trip and fall into her. Rachel proceeded with the confidence of someone who'd traversed this path thousands of times. In fact, she descended so quickly, he had to move fast to keep up with her and stay in the circle of golden light thrown by the candle in her right hand. He held tight to the railing and finally, they reached the first floor. Rachel led him down another short pathway to a door and when she opened it, he found himself outside.

It was dark and for the first time in years, he saw stars over his head, like a million twinkling diamonds. The moon stood out full and threw enough light for him to see the forest around him, the huge house behind him and a small building directly in front of him.

"What is wrong," Rachel asked. "We must hurry."

"I'm sorry, it's been years since I've seen the stars."

"Why?"

He almost laughed at the perplexed look in her eyes. "Because I live in the city and there's too much light pollution."

"Light pollution? What is this?"

"It means that the light from houses, buildings, and streetlights block out the stars even on clear nights."

"You live in a very odd world. I could not live without stars and studying the constellations."

"It's normal for me."

"I live only in the night." Rachel said, then she shook her head. "Come, we must go."

"What do you mean?" Spencer inquired as she led him to the building behind the house.

"It is nothing. I spoke without thinking?"

She opened a door to a small office crowded with a wooden desk, a chair and, filing cabinets. Several sets of keys hung on a corkboard nailed to the far wall. Spencer looked around for a phone but saw none. He hissed out a frustrated breath. "Why don't you have a phone?"

"Father said there is no need for such distractions."

"What if there is an emergency?" Spencer almost laughed at the irony of his words. If ever there was an emergency, now was the time.

"Father is a skilled doctor. He can treat my condition without assistance."

Rachel went to the corkboard and removed a set of two keys. "Here. You must take them and go. I cannot drive."

"Why? Tell what is going on, Rachel. You hide from the light. You say your world is the night and stars and now you want to stay here with an unstable man who punishes you for every small infraction. You're an adult, Rachel. Come with me. I have friends that can help."

"No! You do not understand. I have a severe allergy to sunlight. My father diagnosed it when I was five. If I go into the light, I will die."

"There is no such disease, Rachel. Your father is lying to you to control you."

"It is you who lie. I know it is called Xeroderma Pigmentosa and it is very dangerous."

"You can't develop it," Spencer countered. "You're born with it. If your father told you that you have this condition, he's lies."

"No."

"Yes!" Spencer insisted and reached for her arm. "Come with me."

"No, do not touch me. Father said men only seek carnal knowledge of women. I will not let you take advantage of me."

Spencer dropped his arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I will go. Please, think about what I said. I will come back here with my friends and make your father let you go. He must answer for kidnapping a Federal agent."

"No." Rachel began to cry, and his heart ached to see her blue eyes filled with tears. "I will not leave my father. My mother died and my brother is gone, too. Father is my only family. Do you not understand?"

He thought of his mother and nodded his head. "Yes. I understand."

"Please go and think no more of me. Go quickly before Mrs. Jarvis realizes I am not in bed. She checks on me many times a night."

"Alright. Thank you, Rachel. I promise I'll come back."

"No," said a voice and Reid whirled to see the tall man and the man call Jarvis step through the door. "You will not leave this place.

Jarvis strode forward and Reid saw the object in his hand too late to dodge out of the way. A crackling sound reached his ears seconds before he was hit with the jolt of a powerful stun gun to his shoulder. He crashed to the floor and the last thing he saw was Rachel standing over him. She screamed as his sight went black and once again, he was lost to the unconscious world.