Chapter 8

It was one of the tensest jet rides Rossi could remember. When J.J. had said that someone would be there soon, she should have said, "My team will be there soon." Everyone immediately grabbed their go bags, including Garcia, who had stood there with a look in her eyes that was almost frightening. Her eyes told them all, in no uncertain terms, that she was going and that no one was going to stop her. Hotch had looked at her, looked at her go bag, and simply said, "All right. Wheels up in thirty."

That had been the last thing said that didn't sound tense. No one was talking beyond small comments like, "I hope that letter can point us in the right direction," or "I hope Reid's okay." None of them wanted to say anything contrary to those two ideas, but Dave knew the darker side of things from his long years in behavioral analysis and those things did not leave him sanguine about Reid's situation at all. Whoever had taken Reid had taken him for a purpose, and those kinds of kidnappers did not let go of their prizes easily. The kindest thing he could do for his teammates was to not say anything.

"Once we find Reid, we'll need to take him out for the night!" Penelope stated, bouncing in her seat. Her mood had changed from frightened to hopeful and then optimistic. Dave wished he had her sunny optimism sometimes. In her mind, Dave was sure that any clues Reid had managed to slip them would lead them right to him and they would all be home by Friday. Either that, or she was desperately trying to distract herself from worrying about their resident genius. Given the way that her eyes were a little too bright and her smile too forced, he felt it was the latter.

Derek looked up from his phone. "Are you sure Reid would be up for that?"

"He'd probably want to-you know, shake off a bad experience?"

"Let's see what Spence wants to do," J.J. suggested. She knew that Reid just might want to relax instead of going out for a night on the town.

All of them were pinning their hopes on that letter. They knew that their job of deciphering any code, clues, or hints would be difficult without Reid there to pick out patterns and point them in the right direction, but they were sure that they would have something to go on. When they got to the facility where Spencer's mom was, though, they got a shock.

"Spencer didn't write that letter," Diana stated, staring at her son's team as they crowded into her room.

All of them froze, even Penelope. "What...what do you mean?" the tech analyst asked, confused.

Diana picked up the letter from where it lay on her bedside table and handed it to Hotch. "Take a look. It's not how he usually writes; it's his handwriting, but it's too different to be him. It was someone else."

Hotch unfolded the letter and looked at it. It looked like Reid's handwriting...except...hmmm. Since when had Reid added little tails or dashes to certain letters? "Is it all right if I read this out loud to my team and make a copy of it take back with us?"

Diana dropped into a chair and waved a hand. "You can take it with you, if you like. Just find my son."

Hotch took a seat on the sofa and started to read.

Dear Mom,

I am so sorry that I haven't written to you for so many days, but I have some news. I've been transferred to a new unit. The mail doesn't run here that often, so I'll only be able to write you once every other week. It's all right, though, I'll make them good, long letters.

The new unit I'm working for is interesting. It all happened really fast. One second I'm in D.C. and then the next, I'm here. It's really hot here, but I'm getting used to it. You should see this place! There's honeysuckle, magnolias, huge oak trees, and you should see the beaches! Everywhere you look, there's a beach where you can watch the sun rise or set, except for the north. My new unit is based on a peninsula and it's really nice here-almost like a resort! Everyone is very kind and the director here has seen to it that I've settled in. He had lunch with me the first day and this evening I had dinner with him. He's arranged for me to send letters, so he let me sit down in his office and write to you right away. He says I'll start working on different projects soon and I'm looking forward to it.

There's a nice park where I can read or play chess, and there's a rec center where I can get some exercise. I'm re-earning my childhood nickname since I'm such a klutz-can you see me doing a yoga class? That's what I'm doing, though, every morning. I had a physical exam when I arrived and the doctor suggested I take the class, and now here I am, trying to learn and hold yoga positions. Yeah, I kind of suck at it.

Everything here is provided for me, which makes clothes shopping really easy. I arrived and my wardrobe and dresser were already full! How they knew my sizes is beyond me, but it's come in handy. If I'd brought all of my own clothes I would have roasted alive in my sweaters and slacks. Here, I've got cotton and linen shirts, cotton and linen pants, and so on. All of my clothes are light and comfortable. I love the pajamas the most; they're the most comfortable things I own.

My room is nice and relaxing, and I'm in a cottage with a few other people. We all have our own rooms and bathrooms and balconies, but we share the common areas. Each common area is stocked with games, movies, a stereo system, and so on. Last night I played Carcassonne with some of my housemates, and we were pretty evenly matched. There are plenty of people here who share the same interests I do, and I've already made some friends. I have my meals with them every day and we talk and talk the whole time.

One of the perks of this place is the number of classes they offer if you want something fun to do. I mentioned the yoga class, but can you imagine your son taking a crafting class and a baking class? When I can, I'll make you a chocolate cake-I'm sure you'll love it. They offer other things, too, like plays and concerts and movies in the evenings. Since I've been here I've attended a string quartet concert, seen a Shakespeare play, and there's going to be a fireworks show the day after tomorrow. Next week they're hosting a formal dance, and I intend to go and be a decorative wallflower. No lady there deserves to have me stepping on her feet. One girl, Mara, says she can teach me how to dance, but I think she might be letting herself in for more than she knows.

I can tell you that someone has found a way to make sure that I remember to eat when it's time. Meals here are mandatory. I'll let that sink in for a moment. Mandatory. No more forgetting to eat for me! I have to sign in each mealtime and there's a personalized menu for me, and the food is really good. I can choose what I'd like and someone prepares it for me and brings it to my table. I always have a ton of choices and I never get the same meal twice in a week. I don't think I've put on any weight-it's probably all the coffee that keeps me so skinny, just like you said! I feel like I'm always eating at a five-star restaurant; that's how good the food is! The only bad thing is that if I choose a high-calorie main dish, I can't get a high-calorie dessert. The nutritional plan they made for me makes sure I get enough nutrients and not too many calories and everything balances out. I can't eat an ice cream cone and call it lunch anymore, more's the pity. There is, however, a cafe, and they sell sweets like scones, muffins, coffee, tea, etc., so if I get an unbearable sugar craving, I can go there.

There's also a store here: it's got everything you could want, and a few things you never knew you wanted. I bought a new bag to carry things in and a CD player so I can play music in my room. I did mention that iPods or MP3 players would be more efficient, but the director said they wouldn't work here. Oh, well. It would be better if everybody could have their own smartphones and keep their playlists on them, but only the staff here have phones.

I said before that this place was like a resort, and it is. You can swim at the beach (I don't) or you can swim at the rec center. There's a rock-climbing wall and a fitness center, and there are trails for hiking and biking, a riding stable and riding trails, and there are plenty of gardens where you can relax. The Green is the most popular place, here, though-it's like a big park, with an amphitheater, biking and walking paths, benches, outdoor gyms-I'm there a lot, mostly to read or play chess. Everyone here either walks or bikes to get around. I've been biking a lot, too, but just to get from point A to point B. There are some who treat it like a hobby and spend all their spare time biking. One of my friends suggested I try horseback riding and I had to explain about the "Reid effect." With my luck with animals I'd get thrown from the saddle or stepped on, or both. I want to avoid that if I can, so I just admire the horses from afar-really far.

There have been other fun things to do aside from avoiding the horses. The staff hosted a picnic on the Green for us and I was invited to go sailing with a few other recent arrivals. I didn't get seasick, but I did almost fall off the boat when I spotted a pod of dolphins. They were a lot of fun to watch, and one of the staff offered to teach me to sail the boat. I never knew sailing could be so fun and I felt as if I should call him "matey" or something like that. I didn't, though, so he still likes me. I got a bit sunburned, but it was worth it.

The place I'll be working is called the research center-it's full of laboratories and workrooms and meeting rooms and best of all, it has a library with 200,000 volumes in it, and I have borrowing privileges! The only limit to how much you can check out is how much you can carry, or so I've been told. I've yet to test that hypothesis, but it's only a matter of time. I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm sure that the number of books I'll be able to carry will be proportional to my desire to read them.

I'm sorry that I won't be able to write as often as I usually do. Like I said, the mails don't run as often here, so once every other week is the best I can do, and I'm only limited to one letter due to space constraints. Still, I'm going to make my letters nice and long. That way, it'll take you longer than usual to read them , and it won't seem so long in between hearing from me. I never considered changing jobs before this, but it wasn't an offer I could refuse. It happened so fast that I didn't quite know what hit me until after I was here. You don't need to worry about me; they take really good care of their people. There's even an on-site hospital with a full medical staff, and there's a security staff on the grounds, and a housekeeping staff to watch after us. That's in addition to the team of chefs who prepare our meals and the staff in the spa and salon! That's one heck of perk, isn't it? My first day here I had a medical exam, like I said, and I was also treated to a shave and a haircut and even a manicure. I kept telling them that it wasn't necessary, but it was like arguing with a wall-I got nowhere, and I had my nails done. The doctor who examined me suggested I have a massage sometime, but I think he and I are going to butt heads over it. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'd better close this letter now, Mom, they're waiting to take it. In my next letter I'll let you know how that dance goes and all the things I've been doing. Until then, please take care of yourself, think of me as often as I'll think of you, and I'll see you soon. I love you, Mom.

Your son,

Spencer

Hotch finished reading the letter aloud and then skimmed it quickly with his eyes. "Diana, why do you think Reid didn't write this letter? It looks like his handwriting."

"My son wouldn't leave his position at the BAU," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "It might look like his handwriting, but it's not right. Someone had to be pretending to be Spencer and wrote that letter and sent it so I wouldn't worry. Well, they've got me to deal with, now. Nobody kidnaps my son and gets away with it!"

Immediately Hotch regretted having had to inform Diana about Reid's kidnapping, but they were legally obligated to inform the next-of-kin. He only hoped this wouldn't set off one of Diana's episodes. That was the last thing that Reid needed. He examined the envelope and was surprised that there was no postmark. "Who brought this to you? Was it a postal employee?"

Diana shrugged. "Nope. Private courier. That's another reason why it can't be from Spencer, since he always uses the post office to send me letters."

"What did this private courier look like?" Emily asked.

"Some guy in a suit. He was wearing sunglasses, even inside, which was strange. Said he'd been asked to drop off a letter for me. Now, I ask you-a private courier wearing a suit? Who does that?"

Hotch nodded. "That's definitely strange; I agree. Derek, could you and Penelope go and speak with the head of security here? I want to see if anyone spotted this guy."

Diana watched the two of them go and turned to Hotch. "What are you doing to find my son?"

Hotch related all the steps they'd taken, including coming to see her. "Speaking to the families is always important. Right now, what do you think Spencer is thinking? How do you think he's handling what's happened to him?" He knew how Reid handled being kidnapped, but he still wanted Diana's take on it.

She smiled. "Knowing him, he'll be plotting ways to get away and doing his best to win people to his

side. If anything in that letter is true, I doubt it will be long before he's figured out what makes that place and the people in it tick, and he starts winding the clock so it keeps the time he wants."

J.J. smiled at her metaphor. "I think you're right."

They left shortly after that, leaving their contact information with Diana's doctor again just in case, encouraging him to call if he noticed anything. They spoke to the head of security and viewed the security footage and Penelope set up her laptop and started tapping away. Five minutes into viewing the footage she froze and stared. "I've got a match! That's one of the guys who escorted Reid out of his apartment building! See? Right there!"

The entire team watched as the man entered the facility, checked in at the desk and then dropped the letter off to Diana.

"No one on their security staff thought it was weird a private courier was wearing a suit?" Derek wanted to know. "They seriously need to take a good look at the people they employ."

"Well, their negligence has actually helped us," Hotch pointed out. "If he'd been turned away at the front desk, we wouldn't have gotten any footage of his face at all, not with the angles the cameras were at during the time he was at the front desk."

"It's actually a bit of good news, seeing that guy," Emily added. "Now we know for sure that the letter actually came from Reid. All we have to do now is track down this guy and have him lead us to their base."

Rossi smiled. It looked like the BAU was on the trail.

Two nights after sending his first letter to his mom, Reid woke up at some commotion outside. There was a man swearing a blue streak at the top of his lungs and he could hear some things crashing around. Confused, Reid got out of bed and went out onto his balcony, trying to see what was going on. If someone was hurt, they might swear, and if someone was hurt, they might need help. Was he the only one hearing this?

He got a shock when he saw WBKJ struggling with a man. He was built like Derek and he looked a bit like a Norse god, but any hints of divinity ended when the guy started swearing again. Reid had never heard anything like it in all his years on the BAU or during his time in public school. Sailors would blush if they heard that, or perhaps the demons in hell. He got a bigger shock when the guy tossed Wallace and Bell as if they were old rag dolls into the bike shelter (oh, that was where the crashing had come from) and knocked Jackson head over heels with a punch. It was Keller who brought an end to the fight, though, by jumping onto the guy's back and clinging like a burr. A second later he'd hit the guy in the back of the head and he went down like a tree. Unable to watch any more, Reid scurried back into his room and drew the blinds over the sliding glass door. He felt as if he were shaking and he didn't know what to do. He didn't think the man was dead, but he was sure that something was going to happen because of this man.

A/N: I have managed to smuggle out a chapter with the help of a sympathetic carrier pigeon. The plot bunny is discussing ransom.