Ghu'h Da'q

Billy: There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Hotch was looking for leaves like the ones back with the blood fondue. Something big enough for him to cup and then collect water from the rain. He kept to the path and moved as quickly as his bruised body would permit. He finally saw what he needed. He reached up and plucked a few leaves from the tree. Now he needed to find water he could let drip into the dip in the leaves and get some water back to Spencer. He wasn't sure how long he had been but everything had remained quiet.

He saw the water dripping from leaves just off the pathway, so carefully he started to make his way over to it.

A snap in the undergrowth had him spinning, his heart pounding – hoping it was Floyd, because he didn't think it would be Reid. He looked over towards where the sound had come from and now a different noise. Something was being thrown – Aaron put his hand up to protect his face but it hit him just above the eye. He took a quick step back and looked down to see what had been thrown.

His heart was beating so hard he thought he was going to have a heart attack.

Reid's watch lay by his feet.

He thought of Reid alone back where he had left him and then remembered that Floyd had been wearing Reid's watch. He bent down and picked it up. There was fresh blood caked along the watch strap.

"Floyd?"

There was no answer and he didn't expect one. Floyd hadn't thrown this. He dropped the leaves and quickly and painfully made his way back to where he had left Spencer.

……………………..

When Aaron saw Spencer his stomach hitched. He was laying across the path on his side curled up hugging his knees and making strange noises.

"Spencer?" Hotch fell to hands and knees and crawled over to where he was laying. "Spencer – what happened?" He got no response – just some odd whimpering noises. He put a hand out and grabbed Reid by the shoulder. "Reid! Talk to me." He pulled him so he was laying on his back. Those strange open blank eyes again – his hands closed so tightly into fists that Hotch could see blood. Finger by finger Aaron pulled his hands open. He had cut into his palms with his fingernails. Laying now in his open hand was a ring. Hotch recognised it immediately. It was Floyd's.

"Where did this come from Spencer." He remained kneeling looking around for danger. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Reid just lay looking at the sky, but Hotch could see now tear tracks down the side of his face. "He'll come back Spence. He said he would and he will."

He pulled Reid to him and held on tightly. A feeling of dread in his stomach. What the hell had happened to Floyd? Why wasn't he back yet? And why had his belongings been returned. Was this another mind game of Flanders?

……………………

"Ghu'h Da'q"

A voice in Floyd's ear.

"Leave me. Agreement is completed. Go do what you are here for."

A strange snuffling noise and it was pulling Flanders onto his back.

"No – no more." Weak protests on deaf ears.

He had no energy to scream out in pain again. He could smell fresh blood and then that feeling at the back of his nose and that special headache as his nose began to fill with blood.

Floyd turned his head to the side and closed his eyes wondering if Spencer and Hotchner were still waiting for him. He hoped they weren't because he was now having serious doubts about this special little agreement. Someone seemed to be taking liberties.

The rest he managed to blank out somehow by thinking of anything he could. The major part of this time was taken up by inventing new ways to cook different things. When finally the ripping tearing pain stopped and it released him he heard it move towards his head. It grabbed him by the hair and started to drag him back towards the path. He didn't protest. He didn't try to stop it. He just let it do what it needed to do.

………………….

Reid was beginning to wake up. Hotch saw him blink first and then his limbs started twitching. At first he thought he was going to start fitting, but after a minute or so it died down and Reid just lay still and limp in his arms. He could feel the steady breathing which felt so good. Hotch ran his finger over the scar on Reid's neck and it sent a shiver down his spine. Then a big exhale of breath and another blink. This time though his eyes made contact with Aaron's. Reid gave him a smile.

"Oh hi."

Aaron stroked Reid's hair. There was no point in giving him another lecture on this right now. It was something they could talk about later. When they were safe. "Do you think you can stand?"

"He's not back?"

A shake of the head. "Not yet, but I don't want to leave you on your own. There is still something out there and it is still making contact with us."

"Oh." Reid started to sit up. The pain was still somewhat shielded by all the drugs still running through his system.

A sudden noise to the side of them made Reid roll over and get to his knees. Hotch turned to look in the direction the noise came from.

They tried to see what it was. Probably a passing animal – but they couldn't see anything. But Reid knew if it was Floyd and if he didn't want to be seen then they wouldn't see him. He lifted his hands and looked at his palms. "What happened?"

"You took more painkillers."

He glanced over at Hotch and then back to his hands. "I was in pain."

"I know."

"What happened to my hands?" He ran finger over the crescent shaped cuts.

"You had a visitor whilst you slept. It left you this." He handed over the ring to Reid.

"Oh no." Reid just looked down at the bit of metal in his hand. It had smears of blood over it, but it could have been his own. He held the ring up to his face and smiled a very odd lopsided smirk. The ring was in his mouth before Hotch could stop him.

"Reid! What the hell are you doing?" He crawled quickly to his side. "Give me the ring." Hotch wasn't sure what to make of what Reid had just done. That thing had been covered in blood and now it looked like his youngest agent was sucking the blood off with a look of deep pleasure on his face. "The ring – now!" Once again making it an order.

Reid turned to look at him and took the ring out of his mouth. He looked confused and a frown passed over his face. "Floyd is close. I can feel him. I can smell him."

Hotch began to wonder if Reid was cracking under the strain of everything that had happened. This was meant to be a trip so they could relax. Floyd was going to show Reid how to fish and they were going to try to get on with each other. Why had Floyd brought them here? Although he denied it Aaron was sure he knew more than he was letting on.

Another noise. Closer. Very close. More than just movement. This time it almost sounded like a howl of triumph. Reid moved in closer to Hotch and the pair of them stared at the direction of the noise.

Then things started to get thrown at them.

A pair of black blood soaked jeans.

A belt.

Something which might at some point in its life been a pair of boxers.

A ripped blooded shirt.

A torn battered bleeding Floyd.

He landed with a soft splat and a groan in front of Reid.

………………………..

A/N: sorry if this seems a bit short.