GAME
Chapter 2
Finding Out

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." – Albert Einstein

He directed Garcia to drive. She was constantly aware of Hotch enclosed in the trunk, and drove more carefully than she had ever done. Soon the town was left far behind and she was driving along the interstate. Suddenly he told her to turn up along a narrow dirt path that ran through fields. In the distance she saw the hangar and wondered if that was where they were heading. She didn't have long to wait, and she was pulling up outside it. She sat terrified, unable to move.

'What are you going to do? Please let Agent Hotchner out of the trunk.'

He ignored her and took a small bottle out of his pocket and poured its contents onto a handkerchief. He reached round to Garcia's face and pressed the pad against her mouth and nose. She struggled for a second or two before the chloroform rendered her unconscious.

He was very careful. He didn't want her dead. There were things to do first.

He left her slumped in the driver's seat and got out of the car and walked round to the trunk. He opened it and looked inside.

If you had just kept your nose out, Agent Hotchner, you would be comfortable at home now instead of here with me.

Hotch was still passed out, and the fumes had made him sick in the car. The man frowned when he saw the blood and vomit in the trunk. Now he was going to have to clean it. He shook the dazed agent awake and ordered him out of the car. With shaking hands Hotch gripped the sides of the trunk and pulled himself into a sitting position. He tried to catch his breath and was confused as to what was going on. He tried to remember. He had stopped to help Garcia when her car broke down, but after that was a blank.

'Get the hell out!' the man yelled. Hotch tried to pull himself out of the car, and managed to get on his knees. The hit on the head and the carbon monoxide poisoning had made him feel really ill, and once he was on his knees, he fell forward out of the trunk onto the ground. The man picked him up by the back of his collar and dragged him round to where Garcia was out cold in the front of the car.

Now the fun starts!

-0-0-0-

Later – she couldn't tell how much later – she woke up feeling very cold. Her first thought was for Hotch, and she raised her head and looked around. It was dark, but as soon as she moved the lights came on. It was a diffused light that seemed to be coming from everywhere. Her head felt as if her brain was on elastic and was bouncing around in her head. Slowly slowly she sat up and looked around.

There was Hotch.

She carefully crawled over to him. He was still unconscious, and she checked his pulse. Holding his wrist made her feel odd – he was her boss, and she had never touched him before, and as soon as she felt the blood pumping through his arteries, she lowered his hand back down to the floor.

She guessed he would come round sooner or later – she hoped sooner – so while she waited she took stock of her surroundings.

They had been left on a wide ledge around a room. The ledge was about six feet above the floor. The ceiling was another six feet or so higher, and on the ledge she could touch the ceiling. In the middle of the floor was a small box with a red cross on it, and hanging from the ceiling above it was a key. It was about ten inches long and suspended just below the ceiling.

She went back to Hotch.

She moved him so that he was on his side. He had vomited, probably while he was in the trunk of the car, and his hair was matted with blood from a bad head wound. She needed the first aid kit.

She looked back across the room. The whole thing was sickeningly familiar, and if she went down for the first aid kit for Hotch, she knew what was going to happen.

Oh god not this, please!

She looked around for something to hook the box with, but there was nothing. As she expected. Whatever happened, eventually they would both have to get down there to get the key. She stood up and looked around for the camera. Whoever set this up was sure to be watching.

'You sick creep! Let us out of here!'

But she knew the answer. They had to find their own way out.

She shook Hotch gently and it was with profound relief that he groaned and turned onto his back.

'Please wake up Sir. I need you to be awake.'

He blinked open his eyes and looked at her, still dazed and not understanding.

'Where..... are we.' he breathed softly.

'I don't know where we are, but I think I know what is going on.' She reached out her hand to him and carefully she helped him to sit up. He touched his hand to his head and winced. Then he looked down at his vomit stained jacket.

'Sorry about that.' he said, embarrassed at not presenting himself in his usual pristine way.

'He hit you Sir, and shut you in the trunk of his car. I think the fumes affected you.'

Hotch pulled a face. That was no excuse.

'Do you know what is going on?'

'I think this has been set up for me, Sir. It is a game.'

'A game?' Hotch said, a puzzled frown on his face. 'What kind of game?'

'A computer game. A few weeks ago I reviewed a new game for a developer, and it was terrible. This looks like the first level of that game.'

'So you know what is going to happen?'

'Only the first three levels. There were so many mistakes in the game that I gave up then.' she said.

'So tell me about this level. What do we need to do.

Shakily he got to his feet and looked out across the room. He held onto the wall with one hand and his head with the other. He thought he might faint again. He couldn't do that in front of the Techie. She was part of the team; he had to stay in control.

-0-0-0-

David was the first in the next day, and he was surprised. Hotch was always the first in, often he didn't go home and slept at his desk.

Still, maybe he took his own advice and had a sleep. He would wait until the others were all in before he phoned him.

Jordan was the next to arrive. She ran into the bullpen thinking she was late. Dave was standing on the walk way.

'It's ok, Todd,' he said. 'You're not late.'

She visibly relaxed, and ran up her stairs to her office. She was surprised that the boss wasn't in too.

Emily Spencer and Derek arrived together.

Now it was time to call Hotch. He beckoned Morgan over.

'Hotch hasn't arrived yet.' he said. 'And I haven't seen Garcia either. Would you check on her? I am going to call Hotch.'

Morgan nodded, a flash of worry across his eyes. He went down to Garcia's bunker.

She wasn't there, but he didn't expect her top be. Dave would have checked already.

He picked up a phone and called her apartment. He let it ring for a while. Then he called Kevin. He was sure she wouldn't be so irresponsible as to stop over the night before a big case, but he would rather it was he who found her there than Dave.

Kevin answered the phone on two rings.

'Oh!' he said when he realised who it was. 'I was hoping it would be Garcia.'

'She's not with you then?'

'No.' he answered. We had a date last night but she wasn't home when I went to pick her up. I thought she was working late and forgot to tell me. She does that sometimes.'

Morgan put the phone down. He didn't have time to chat.

'I'm driving over to her place.' he said to Dave as he ran across the walkway.

'I'm sending Reid, Prentiss and Todd to the crime scene. They can get started and we'll catch up later.'

Morgan nodded briefly and entered the elevator.

On his way down to the car park he tried to think of where Hotch and Garcia could be. He couldn't imagine them being anywhere together. But stranger things have happened.

He got in his car and drove up the ramp into the traffic. He knew the way she drove home, and took the same route. He was puzzled that she had stood Kevin up. It wasn't like her, although Kevin did say sometimes she forgot to say if she was working late.

But she wasn't, and she wasn't at home either.

He realised he was gripping the steering wheel too tight and tried to relax.

Left at the lights and out of the town.

Then he saw the cars. He saw Hotch's car first. It was pulled in to the right with the driver's door standing open. He pulled up behind it, and saw Garcia's in front.

He got on the phone to Dave and got out of his car.

Hotch's door was open and the keys were still in the ignition, although the engine had been turned off. He checked the position of the seat. Hotch liked to drive with his legs straight and the seat was back. Garcia's car was also unlocked but the doors were closed. Her keys were in the ignition too.

He slowly walked round the car, checking the pavement and the car. He saw something that turned his stomach, and bent down for a closer look.

Blood.

Oh hell crap. No.

He called the CSU.

Taking great care not to disturb it, he continued his inspection of the car. Garcia's cerise bag and purple coat were on the back seat.

When Dave arrived, Morgan showed him the blood.

'CSI's are on their way, Dave. It looks like an abduction.'

Dave rubbed his forehead. 'Let's search and set up a perimeter.' he said. They walked in opposite directions, checking the ground for anything. It was Dave who found the Krook-Lok.

'Morgan, come and see this!' he called, crouching down and inspecting the Lok.

'Blood and hair.' he commented as Morgan crouched next to him. He pointed to the evidence. The blood was caked around the end of it, some dark hairs caught in the blood 'It's Hotch who's been hurt.'

'There are some gloves here. They might hold latents.'

'Let's hope he has a record.' David said with a sigh.

-0-0-0-

Watching the portable monitor in the car was a brilliant innovation. I can sit here and see the hangar, and see what's going on inside at the same time. It will make an interesting study. He is the boss in the work environment, but she is the boss here. How will he take it? Will he defer to her, or will he take charge?

I can hardly wait to find out.

I watch as she wakes him up. He's dirty – that will put him at a disadvantage to start with. It makes a change to see him dirty. That will damage his leadership in his own eyes if not in hers.

She's helping him stand now. i see she touches him as little as possible. Either she is repulsed by him, or has feelings for him .

I wonder which?

Well done Agent Hotchner for interfering. You make the study so much more interesting!

Oh yes I'll show her what a rubbish game it is. Let them play it properly, how it is meant to be played.

Let's see you survive it!