Chapter 2
Two Views
Aaron stayed crouched behind the stand, wondering what the hell had just happened. He needed to find a way to see what was going on in the theatre.
Very carefully, he took his gun from the ankle holster and crept to the side of the display. Peering round the edge, he checked that there was no-one in the foyer.
It was deserted, and the lights were out except for the security lights around the sides.
Keeping close to the wall in the shadows, he moved silently to the closed door of the theatre. He listened. He needed to know what was going on.
He heard footsteps coming towards the door.
Aaron looked around for somewhere to hide. The only place was back where he had come from.
Quickly, and without worrying too much about being quiet, he ran back to his hiding place.
The theatre door opened and Red Hair emerged, gun in hand. He quickly walked down the ramp towards Aaron, and opened the door opposite where Aaron was crouching.
Waiting just a moment to ensure no-one else was coming out of the theatre, Aaron darted across the hall to the door through which Red Hair had just gone.
Carefully, slowly, Aaron pushed open the door. There was a flight of stairs to the left, and a door at the top. Aaron took the stairs cautiously, bending low, making no sound.
The door opened when he was half way up.
He had nowhere to go.
Red Hair stared straight down the stairs at him, and brought his 1014 up. Aaron pointed his gun and threw himself flat.
The semi fired over his head and a split second later, Aaron fired one round.
He took the UnSub in the chest, and he fell back through the door.
Crawling up the stairs, he put his gun in his pocket, and pulled the man out of the doorway and into the room at the top.
It was the projectionist's suite. Aaron saw the body of the projectionist pushed up against the wall, and the equipment in a pile in the corner.
He turned the UnSub onto his back and checked him out.
He was still alive. Aaron turned his face towards him. The man's eyes were half closed, and he was groaning when Aaron moved him.
"What do you want?" Aaron hissed, his gun at Red Hair's temple. "What are you doing here?"
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In the theatre, Spencer lay still on the floor in the front of the theatre. He knew that the back of his head was bleeding, he could feel the blood running down to the floor, and he could feel the growing pool on his cheek. He tried to keep his breathing even. He didn't want the UnSubs to know he was awake.
He could hear someone crying, and frightened whimpering from the hostages. He didn't think anyone had been hurt. He hoped he could divert any attention away from them.
Aaron. Where was he? Had he come back? Was he among the hostages?
He felt hands on his arms and he was pulled upright.
One of the men holding him was looking at his ID.
"Doctor Spencer Reid, BAU." he read. "What is BAU?"
Spencer feigned unconsciousness. The man lifted his head and smacked his face hard. One of the women screamed. Spencer blinked, and shook his head slightly. The man held Spencer's chin tightly in one hand, and jerked his head up.
"I said, what is BAU?"
"It s-stands for Behavioral Analysis Unit. I'm a P-Profiler." he said softly.
Spencer looked past the UnSub in front of him, to the hostages. He saw that a bag was being passed along the rows, and they were putting mobiles and valuables into the bag. Women had been separated from the men, and they had all been cuffed to the arm rests of the seats. He guessed that as long as he was useful, they would leave them along. At least there were no children…..
"Bit young to be a Fed?"
"I was….."
The hand across the face again. Spencer's head jerked to the side. He felt a stab of pain as his neck cricked.
"That was a rhetorical question. Are you stupid or something?"
Spencer kept quiet and sucked at his bottom lip, tasting blood. He stared at the man with wide eyes trying not to show fear.
He thought of how Aaron never showed that he was afraid, always the same stoic expression.
His mind flashed back to that time when they had tracked the LDSK to the hospital, and he and Aaron were facing the gun of a killer. He had been terrified, he was so scared, his body had been shaking. Aaron, on the other hand was in total control of himself, and the situation.
Total discipline and restraint. Spencer wished he could be like that.
He had wanted to learn from Aaron . But his emotions were too close to the surface, and they spilled over far too easily.
He glanced at the hostages, sitting and huddling. He couldn't see Aaron, so he was probably trying to get them out.
Unless they had found him already?
He felt a clenching in the pit of his stomach as he thought of this. If he was shot somewhere, and there was no-one to help him…….
He forced his expression from panic into one of calm.
Aaron would be relying on him; he had to play his part, whatever that turned out to be.
The red haired guy brought over the bag of things confiscated from the hostages.
"Now yours." he said to Spencer. He put his hand into Spencer's pocket.
"I don't have my phone on me." said Spencer, "And I'm not carrying."
This time, it was a fist to the side of the head. Spencer took a step side ways, but managed to keep his balance. He saw flashes of light before him, with effort, he quickly regained composure. He felt sick, and his ears were ringing.
The woman screamed again, then her scream broke into sobs. Spencer wanted to tell her not to scream. These UnSubs could go in any direction. He didn't want the hostages to antagonize them.
Aaron, I hope you have a plan. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up.
He swayed slightly
"You will only speak when you are spoken to."
He finished the search of Spencer's pockets, then he patted him down checking his ankles. Spence hoped that if Aaron was out there, that he had his gun. He didn't know if he had left it at home with the others.
The tall man who was obviously the leader called the red headed guy over.
"We need somewhere to put this one. He's important, and he'll be useful. Go and find somewhere."
He nodded and, shotgun in hand left the room.
Spencer was walked to the front row on the other side of the theatre to the hostages, and cuffed to a railing that ran up the side of the ramp.
It was at that moment that the shot was fired.
Everyone in the room froze.
Then a second shot.
A different sound, a different gun.
Aaron!