When Reid surfaced from unconsciousness, he could hardly breathe, his head was on fire and he lay moaning on the floor of the strange room. He made him self sit up slowly and gingerly, and he saw that some food and water had been left on the floor a few feet away. His throat was on fire and he knew he had to drink the water. His body insisted that he do so even if it was poisoned or drugged.
He knew that he had to try to figure out what this person wanted with him. He wondered again how long he had been there and began to seriously doubt this would end well. He couldn't understand the questions the unsub was asking him. It was like an interrogation but one with no purpose. He had to find the answer to the question before the unsub came back or there would be another beating. He didn't know how much more he could take.
At Quantico the next morning, Jason was expounding his theory on the unsub and his reasons for his choosing of victims.
"He is punishing these people for their crimes, or sins if you will. If you look at all the cases, they all were either acquitted of a crime or they committed some type of Christian sin. Most specifically something against the Ten Commandments."
"So you're saying we are dealing with a religious nut that kills people for their sins, what is this the Inquisition?" Agent Moreland remarked snidely.
"No, this unsub has had something happen to him in the past, he was victimized and the person's or person who did it was not punished so he feels he has to take on this role to feel better about his own situation. We won't know the stressor till we find him."
"So we are going with male for sure?" Morgan said
"We can't rule anything out especially since he is killing men and women, but yes I stick with the original profile." Gideon said
"What about Reid, is he going to get through this intact. We have seen what this bastard is capable of, will he break mentally?" Morgan asked.
"I don't know," Gideon said grimly, I hope to God he can hold it together, because he may have to find his own way out, we may not be able to find this guy's play ground before it's too late."
The others exchanged looks of dread and horror and finding Reid in the same condition as the others.
Agent Wilson came into the conference room at a quick walk apologizing for being late.
"My alarm didn't go off guys, I 'm sorry." she said sitting down.
"It's okay Sam we were just discussing how Agent Reid's goose is cooked." Agent Moreland said
She glared at him; he never knew when to shut up. "I was thinking on my way home last night that the way these people were mutilated is significant, he's punishing them for a crime."
"We were just discussing that, I think we need to go back to the court cases and see if there is anything there, is there someone who fit's the profile that was involved with all the cases." Gideon said.
I'll look into that I still have friends in the court system and it's time I called in a few favors" Hotch said getting up to go to his office.
The rest of the team went over what there was of forensic evidence. They had DNA but no fingerprints or fibers; it was as though this person lived in a vacuum.
Reid flinched when the door opened and the lights went out. The door closed and he heard the unsub moving toward him. He braced for another blow, but it didn't come. Instead the person said, "You have one last chance, tell me why you ignore her and I won't hurt you again, well at least not today anyway."
"I don't know what you're talking about; you have to be more specific."
The unsub said "Dr Reid didn't you ever go to Sunday school as a child"
"Yes" Reid couldn't image where this was going, but he had to play along to learn more.
"Then you know the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt honor thy mother and thy father. Do you honor your mother Dr Reid?"
"I love my mother"
"That's not what I asked you" the unsub said, back handing him hard to his already bruised face.
"You ignore her, you never visit her and you leave her in the care of the heathen scientific community and where has it gotten you, she's still ill and you're still a pathetic scared little boy. You don't deserve to live." Reid was struck hard again in the face.
He struggled to stay conscious and to sit upright. He was trying to concentrate on this unsub and profile him but the pain was so bad that he couldn't think of anything else. It took him a minute to realize the unsub had left the room again and he left the lights out. Reid no longer feared the dark, so perhaps this unsub was doing him a favor after all he cured him of his phobia. He couldn't stay awake and slumped over into deeper darkness. It was hours before he would awake again.
The man watched Dr Reid. He was a stubborn one and he needed more drastic measures to insure the agent saw the error of his ways. After all the man was doing him a favor once he killed him he would be free of the suffering the world heaped upon him and his mother would no longer hope that everyday her son would visit her and be disappointed when he never came. The man knew what Dr Reid was going through, why his own mother- no he wouldn't think of that, it was to painful and distracting. He had to keep focus and remember that he was chosen for vengeance and that soon his work would be over and he could rest.
Hotch entered the conference room where the team was breaking for lunch although no one was eating. JJ was talking to Gideon about the need for a press conference. The story had broken and now the media was demanding to know how it was that a federal agent was kidnapped from outside his own home. Morgan was wondering who had leaked the story to the media. Agent Wilson was sitting away from the group looking exhausted and very upset. Hotch figured that she was feeling guilty but didn't say anything, it wasn't his place to baby sit the members of another team.
"Where is Agent Hansen, I haven't seen him since yesterday." Hotch asked.
"He's been re-interviewing witnesses of the other cases, I just spoke to him and he hasn't found anything new so he staying with it." Gideon said.
"I've got Garcia working on cross referencing the court cases with what we know and she'll call us when she finds something." Hotch said.
"Spencer, can you hear me."
He didn't want to respond, he always said the wrong things and people hurt him.
"Please, no more I can't take it."
"Stop whining and act like a man."
The voice was familiar, who was it, was he dreaming or was this another trick.
"Look at me Spencer."
"No go away, please just leave me alone."
"Look at me Spencer!"
"NO! He shouted. Leave me alone!"
"Is that anyway to speak to your mother Spencer? I raised you better than that, didn't I? Now you will show me some respect by looking at me when I speak to you."
He opened his eyes and saw her standing there she was surrounded by a blinding white light and the expression on her face was one of loathing and disgust.
"I can't believe how pathetic you are, she spat at him. You are a grown man and yet you have the spine of a jelly fish. He's right you know you don't deserve to live."
"But mom I-"
It wasn't her, Elle stood in front of him, her clothes covered in blood a hole gaping in her chest. She held out her hands to him and he screamed at the sight of all the blood.
"Reid, I tried to tell you but you didn't listen, why didn't you tell Hotch.
"Elle I thought-"
"I was drowning and you let me drown, why, what did I ever do to you."
"Elle please, I'm sorry"
He was sobbing now, as she faded away and Gideon stood in front of him looking grim as he always did.
"Maybe we shouldn't have trusted you with the responsibility of this job. I don't think you can handle it."
"Gideon I-"
"I considered you a son and this is how you repay me by letting yourself be taken by an unsub and you didn't even put up a fight. You're not fighting him now, why not?"
"I hurt, there's so much pain"
"Life is pain, boy you should know that by now. Stop whining and use your head. If you can't then maybe you deserve to die." Gideon faded away.
Spencer lay on the floor sobbing, no one would come for him, and he was truly lost. Even Gideon had turned his back on him.
He didn't realize the lights were back on and the unsub stood watching him, looking pleased. The young man was beginning to break and soon the real fun would begin.
Agent Wilson came out of the stall in the bathroom and stood staring at her reflection in the mirror as she washed her hands. The medicine from last night had left her feeling hung over and she was having trouble keeping a lock on her feelings. Agent Gideon worried her; he seemed to be able to read her soul even though he hardly knew her. "I guess that is what makes him so good at his job" She thought to herself with a sigh. If she wasn't careful, they would take her off the case and she couldn't allow it, not now, not while he was in so much danger. She had to get it together and find him, alive. She refused to consider the possibility that all they would find was a brutalized body. She took several deeps breathes and forced the image of his face and his lovely eyes out of her head. It would only distract her. She turned and left the restroom, she kept telling her self over and over that she would find the unsub and she would make him pay.