CHAPTER 8

The smell of eggs brought Reid out of his restless slumber. Sanchez sat himself at the table with his back to Reid as he ate. A wave of nausea washed over Reid as a desperate growl escaped his stomach. It had to have been more than twenty four hours since he last ate. It was grey out and rain pelted against the windows. Sanchez scraped the last of the eggs from his plate into his mouth and came to his feet. As he turned, he noticed that his prisoner was awake. He gently caressed Reid's gagged mouth as he passed with his plate.

"Morning, sunshine." He gave Reid's jaw a pat as he made his way to the kitchenette. Reid grunted into the tape as he glared at Sanchez. The sound of an engine and crunching of branches attracted Reid's attention. He snapped his head up and tried to peer through the window. Sanchez smiled as he returned to Reid and placed a hand on the crook of his neck. Reid tensed.

"It would appear we have company." The front door swung open, allowing rain to splatter the floor and a cold wind to rush in. Reid shivered. The familiar figure of a dark skinned man stood at the door. He was wearing a dark waterproof coat with the hood pulled up. The man took a few paces until he was stood directly in front of Reid and lowered his hood. Reid's eyes widened at the sight of Calvin Shaw. He struggled against his bonds, feeling the zip ties cutting further into his flesh. A new wave of pain emanated through his feet and ankles. His curses were muffled. Shaw chuckled as he took off his coat and shook off the water over Reid before draping it over the back of the chair Sanchez had recently vacated. Shaw pushed his hands into his pockets as he admired his friend's handiwork.

"Not bad, Sanchez, not bad." Shaw considered Reid for a moment before he landed a punch in Reid's already cut cheekbone. Reid's neck twisted to the right. He desperately stifled his groan as he straightened back up to stare Shaw in the eyes.

"Oh, now you're going to keep quiet! I'd like to see you tell tales now, snitch. I've got to say, I certainly wasn't expecting it to be you who poisoned the drugs." The smirk dropped from his face as he moved closer to Reid. His dark hand reached out and tightly gripped Reid's throat. Reid let out a choked gasp, "And you're going to pay for putting me in the infirmary, boy." Shaw indicated to Sanchez to pass him his flick knife with his free hand, the other still wrapped around Reid's neck. Sanchez obeyed as he tugged it out of his pocket and placed it into Shaw's hand with a smile. Shaw flicked the knife open directly in front of Reid's face, eliciting a gulp from his prisoner. Without blinking or moving his eyes away from Reid's face, Shaw drove the blade down into Reid's right thigh. Reid couldn't stop the scream leaving his throat. The blade was pulled back out with a squelch. Blood dripped with small thuds on the floor. Reid squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to breathe his way through the pain. He brought the blade back up to Reid's face and made a small cut to the side of the tape near Reid's ear, nicking his skin as he did so. Reid hissed. The tape was harshly pulled away from his skin and tugged at his hair as it was removed. Reid took in a deep breath through his mouth, suddenly grateful for the ability to breathe.

Shaw handed the knife back to Sanchez as he fumbled through his coat pocket. He took out a small white packet and waved in front of Reid's face.

"Look familiar, Spencer?" Reid's eyes widened.

"No," he rasped.

"No, it's not familiar? Or no, you don't want it?"

"I don't want it. Please..." Reid hated the sound of begging in his voice and silently cursed himself. Sanchez moved behind Reid and tilted his head As far back as it would go, one hand on Reid's forehead and the other clamped tightly over his mouth. Shaw opened the packet and poured the contents into Reid's nose. Reid struggled and snorted as he tried to rid himself of the powder that was clogging his nostrils. Spots appeared in his vision as he became aware that he was unable to breathe and forced himself to take in a deep breath through his nose. He coughed and Sanchez let go of his head. His chin collided with his chest as he mentally tried to process that he had been force fed drugs yet again. He felt the world spin as he drifted into a daze.

Reid twitched sometime later as a sharp pain ripped through his abdomen. Another wave hit him and his eyes flew open. He retched, his chest heaving. He felt something run down his lips from his nose. He licked his lips and he got a familiar metallic taste. Blood. The blood continued run down his chin and drip onto his shirt. Reid turned to the side and vomited into the floor. More blood.

"Hurts doesn't it?" came Shaw's voice from the corner of the lounge. He was sprawled across a tattered green sofa, watching Reid intently. Reid turned his head slowly to face him, "The external bleeding will stop soon but the pain... Oh that pain will linger for a while yet as you bleed internally." Reid could only glare at Shaw in response as a new wave of cramping took over his abdomen. All he wanted to do was curl up in the foetal position and will away the pain but his restraints prevented him from moving at all. Reid gritted his teeth and tried to breathe through the pain as he focussed on one spot on the floor . "I told you I would find you anytime, anywhere." Reid continued to stare at the same spot on the floor. His gaze moved across the floor and up to his left where Sanchez was holding the phone up, undoubtedly recording the ordeal once again.

"What do you want from me, Shaw?" Reid asked, still clenching his teeth.

"I told you. I want you to pay for poisoning the drugs. And because I want to see Agent Alvez suffer for having me transferred away from my family."

"Family? What family? Everyone you care about abandoned you a long time ago," snapped Reid. Shaw quickly came to his feet and approached Reid. He took a handful of Reid's curls and pulled his head backwards.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that one, Spencer." The hand kept his head still as Sanchez approached him from behind with the roll of duct tape and pressed it tightly over his mouth, digging into his flesh and wrapping it around his head once more. Shaw let go of Reid's hair. Another wave of cramping came over Reid's abdomen, making him groan into the tape as he curled in on himself as much as he could within his restraints. Shaw chuckled to himself as he returned to the sofa and threw himself into the cushions. Sanchez took up the flick knife and flipped it open. He advanced in the prisoner as he thrust it into Reid's left shoulder. Reid let out a desperate gasp of pain as blood blossomed across his shirt. Sanchez picked up his phone and snapped a few images before removing the memory card. If ever Reid wanted unconsciousness to wash over him, it would be then, but adrenaline rushing through his veins prevented it. The blood pulsed over the lavender fabric of his shirt with each heart beat which was getting faster. Rapid heart beat, followed by shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue are to follow... Then I'll go to hypovolaemic shock. Combined with dehydration... I'm going to die...