Chapter 2
Ransom
"We who live in prison, and in whose lives there is no event but sorrow, have to measure time by throbs of pain, and the record of bitter moments." Oscar Wilde
When Aaron woke up, he was lying prone and almost naked on rough cut boards. His arms were not restrained, which was something; they were under his body, crossed under his chest. He could hear voices, but they were muffled, and he couldn't hear what was being said. His head was to one side, and he opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. He was facing a wall constructed of similar rough cut wood. He turned his head with difficulty, to look the other way. Blood had dried in his hair and on his face where it had pooled around him and dried on the floor. His skin pulled as he unstuck his face from the wooden floor. As he looked in the other direction, he felt a primeval dread deeper than he had ever felt before.
-0-0-0-
Spencer and Derek sat in the police station, and Spencer tried to give a description of the UnSub to the sketch artist.
"There were four of them." he said, "but I only saw one." Spencer closed his eyes and tried to conjure up an image of the man who attacked him. "All I really saw was that he was white, clean shaven and about my height."
The cop looked irritated. This kid was meant to be FBI, and this was the best he could do? "What was he wearing, Dr Reid? Maybe you can remember that."
"Dark clothes, blue I think. Button down collar." He looked at the cop. "White buttons." He looked back down at his hands, twisting in his lap. "I'm sorry. I really didn't see." Spencer felt a horrible scared feeling well up inside him. He felt so useless. Morgan thought Spencer was on the verge of tears.
"Look, don't you think he would tell you if he could remember." Morgan said. "Hotch was Dr Reid's closest friend."
The cop nodded. "You might as well go home. We can contact you if we need any more information. Don't leave town."
Spencer got annoyed. "We are the victims here." he said. "I don't appreciate being treated like an UnSub. The man who has bee kidnapped is a Federal Agent!"
"We cannot be sure he has been kidnapped yet."
Morgan put an arm across Reid's shoulder. "C'mon Kid. It's best we go." He guided Spencer out of the interview room, and back down the corridor.
As the door swung closed behind them, he heard the cop mutter, "Damned Feds. Think they run the place..."
-0-0-0-
Aaron stopped breathing in fright. The wall the other side of him was inches away from his face, and he realised he was in a box. He panicked and kicked at the sides, and pulled his hands out from under him. Punching at the sides of the box, he shouted out to the voices.
"Let me out! For god's sake, don't do this!" The sides of his hands were starting to bleed on the rough wood, and he felt his body start to shake in terror. Suddenly the box moved, and he heard a scraping sound as it was dragged across the ground. He kicked and punched and screamed, as he felt the box being lowered.
Oh god. They are burying me alive! Oh god no! No please, not that! Please, somebody! Help me! Oh god...Oh god help me!...
The sound of soil being layered on top of the box was too much. He lost control completely as he fought against the walls enclosing him. Tears of fright welled in his eyes and he kicked with bare feet on the sides of the box. The tiny amount of light filtering through the cracks between the boards was now cut off, and Aaron was lying in total darkness in his tiny prison. He collapsed exhausted, trying to understand what was happening to him. His breathing was fast and shallow, and he could feel his heart beating through his body. He knew he had broken the skin on his feet and hands, and he felt splinters of wood catching the skin of his chest, abdomen and legs. He tried to turn over onto his back, but the height of the box was less than his shoulder width and it was not possible. His body started to shake as the full realisation of what had been done to him hit home. He opened his mouth and screamed into the darkness engulfing him. He screamed until his throat hurt, and then he screamed some more.
-0-0-0-
Morgan drove Spencer home, and Spencer asked him to come in with him.
"Please, have a coffee with me, Derek. I don't want to be alone right now."
Derek walked to the front door with Spencer, and saw the envelope nailed to the door first.
"I'll get some gloves and bags." he said, racing back to the car. Spencer unlocked the door and stood in the hall, staring at the envelope. Was it some kind of ransom note? About Aaron?
Morgan was back. He carefully pulled the nail from the wood and put it in an evidence bag. The envelope was addressed to Dr Reid. He noticed it was of the self stick kind, so there would be no DNA. He slid a key under the flap and opened it, and carefully slid out the note. He unfolded it and held it up so that they could both read it.
by now you will realise that we have your lover here with us. on monday you are due to give evidence in court against my client. since his guilt or innocence will rest on your evidence you will tell the court that you were mistaken in your analysis and that the defendant is not guilty. your lover has air enough to last until then. when my client is released then so will your lover be released. if my client is found guilty then your lover will die. these instructions are to be followed if you want to see Hotchner again.
"They want me to perjure myself." said Spencer. "I can't do that." He pushed his hand into his hair and pulled at it. "But they've got Aaron. I have to..."
Morgan put the note in an evidence bag and sealed it.
"We need to get this down to the police." said Morgan. "They might be able to get something from it."
Spencer tried to profile the note. "Cheap paper, printed on a standard ink jet printer. He's used no capital letters, although he has used punctuation, so the lack of capitalisation is likely deliberate, to show unimportance." He glanced at Morgan. "He is saying that Aaron isn't important." Spencer felt a shiver pass down his spine. "Sentence structure indicated a level of education. He refers to the defendant as his 'client'."
"I think we need to have a chat with him, he might have something to do with it." He noticed tears in the corner of Spencer's eyes. "It's ok, Genius. We'll find him."
Spencer carried on as they left the house and got back in the car. "He speaks of Aaron's air supply being limited, so he's not just being kept in a room anywhere. He's being held in a sealed room. That should help us find him."
Morgan drove away from the 'Castle' back towards the town.
-0-0-0-
Aaron had stopped screaming, and was lying still in the box trying not to hyperventilate. He knew he had to conserve air. He felt around his prison to see if he had been left any water. His throat was sore and he needed a drink. In the corner of the box his hands found a small knife. He gripped it in his palm, wondering why they had allowed him to have this. And then he realised. It was his way out. His only way out. If this got too much, he could use it on his wrists. He began to shake again. They had no intention of freeing him. He was being left to die. The knife dropped from his trembling hands and he began to cry with terror.
Please, I can't die here. Oh god no!
In state of dread, he forced himself up so that his back was against the top of the box. The wooden casket creaked, and puffs of dirt fell through the planks. He stopped abruptly, sense returning to his mind. Desperately trying to keep control, he lay still, steadying his breathing. He closed his eyes, and thought of Spence.