Celluloid Dreams.
Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives. - William Dement
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.
"There is nothing sir." Garcia was talking to Hotch in his office. "I have looked at this in everyway I can. There is nothing on this that they didn't intend to let us see. That is definitely Reid." She paused. "It's not possible to tell where this done sir. There is no evidence of any kind. It could be anywhere." Pen's eyes were swollen and red. "I have looked at this so many times. I'm sorry."
Hotch looked up at the techie standing in front of his desk. "Thank you Garcia. You are sure it is Reid?"
"That was the only thing I could get positive results back on. Oh and the voice. There is an accent there, probably American Japanese."
"Find me everything you can on Taki Otikami. This isn't the first time he has done something like this. His name is on record somewhere for something."
Garcia nodded and walked quickly from Hotch's office and closed the door quietly behind her.
Aaron picked up the phone and dialled.
"It's Hotchner. I was wondering if you can give me fingerprint results."
………………
He felt them undo the bindings and turn him over and he heard voices, but his mind was trying to drag him back down to darkness again to protect him from what was happening.
"His wounds are infected. There is not point in keeping him."
"I can care for the wounds; it isn't as bad as it appears."
"He cannot stand. His feet are broken."
"We can tie him to stand. His face is perfect."
Someone was putting fingers under Reid's chin and turning him to face. "He has a good profile too. Very well, get him fixed. If those injuries get any worse I want him gone. Do you understand me Otikami? I don't want you getting infatuated by another boy."
The fingers went and Reid felt the collar being replaced around his neck and a voice hissing in his ear. "You need to try to move. You need to show them you are of use or they will remove your head from its shoulders. Turn over and get up. I don't care if your feet are broken. I can't help you if you don't get up."
Spencer rolled back onto his front and slowly and carefully pulled himself up to his knees. The thought of putting any pressure on his feet though was unthinkable. That was until he saw Otikami's eye widen and a hand started pulling upwards on his collar from behind.
"Otsu, leave him."
"Otikami San, I just want to see if he can stand."
Reid tried to put his feet down to take the weight off the collar and his neck. Immeasurable agony – his hands still oozing and weeping moved forwards and held onto Otikami's shoulders, redistributing the weight and the pain. He looked up and met Taki Otikami's eyes.
He felt arms pull him close and take the weight off his feet.
"I never understand you Otikami. Why you hurt them almost to the point of death, and only then find them desirable. You need to find yourself a boy who is whole. This one will die like all the others. You are a fool Otikami. You will get us caught, and then your head will be on a spike next to his." Otsu released the collar.
……………
His next memory was waking up in his small cell on his back with someone tending his wounds. He carefully opened his eyes and saw Taki Otikami kneeling next to him. He was nursing Reid's hand in his lap and rocking slowly back and forth.
"Hey."
Otikami looked at Reid's face.
"They are healing. I know it doesn't feel like it."
Reid just looked at the strange man and nodded slightly.
"I was trying to help."
"By nailing me to the floor?"
"That was Andanatchi. He would have done move than hands and feet if I hadn't been there to restrain him."
"Why me?"
"We were paid good money."
"Paid? Someone paid you to do this to me?" A deep frown crossed his face. He had assumed it was just a random event. The fact that someone chose him and paid for this to be done changed everything.
"It is alright. She won't be able to do anything again. Otsu saw to it for you. Well for us. No witnesses. Otsu has his own rules."
"She?" He winced as Taki started to wrap a dressing around his hand.
"Haley Hotchner."
"You killed Haley?" He watched the hands gently bandage his broken ones.
"Otsu killed Haley. I rescued you from him but he will want you."
"You were in charge. You gave the orders. You wanted this. You could have just let me go. It was you who lured me out of the hotel. Not Otsu or Andanatchi. It was you."
"Why do you constantly argue with me? I am trying to help you."
"I am not arguing, I am stating facts." He watched as Otikami moved down towards his feet and pour a vile smelling liquid over them. "What is that?"
Otikami looked up at Reid. "It is called arguing Spencer. This is antiseptic. It will help the skin heal."
"And the bones? How are they meant to heal?"
"You see, arguing with me again. No wonder your friend went away for the season."
He pulled his feet up closer to his body and away from Otikami. "You know an awful lot about my personal life."
"She gave us a lot of information. I was surprised when I saw you though. I was not expecting someone so good looking. The picture she gave us wasn't very flattering." He started to pull Spencer's feet back to where he could get to them.
"Leave them." Spencer sat up and looked down at Otikami fiddling with dressings.
He looked up and met Reid's eyes. "I can't. You need to be able to walk." Moving closely so his breath was hot on Spencer's ear. "I need to get you out of here. I can't do that if you can't walk." A mouth moving over Reid's neck. "I need you – I need you away from here."
"Why bring me here just to help me get away?"
"I had my orders. I am just a small fish in a big sea of sharks Spencer. I do as I am ordered."
"He will come and get you, and he will destroy you all. You do realise that don't you?" He was now letting Taki put dressings on his feet.
"He won't. He isn't coming for you."
"Why do I always attract the sadistic psychopath?"
Otikami laughed and moved forwards to brush his lips against Spencer's. "I am not a psychopath."
Spencer shook his head. "They all say that." Pushing Taki gently away from him. "So what is your plan? How will you get me out of here?
…………………
They sat and looked at the footage they had been sent. Well not sent the footage so much as a url to watch a clip from a porn movie. Someone tied to the floor partially clothed – they didn't want to look. They didn't want to accept the expression on the face of the person they were looking at. They didn't want to believe he was enjoying this but his face betrayed him.
JJ sat with her eyes glued to the scene. Unbelieving big blue eyes unable to tear themselves away from what she was seeing. "He must be drugged." she finally muttered.
Prentiss was sitting with her mouth slightly open. "I don't think he can understand what is happening there."
Morgan ran his hands over his head. "The sons of bitches – why him. Why pick on Reid?"
Garcia made a sobbing sound and left the room.
Hotch picked up a pile of photographs they had also had delivered. He passed them over to JJ. "Take those to Garcia. Those rats are eating 'something' I need to be sure that it isn't Reid. We need to keep positive. He is obviously drugged there. Stay with it team. I know we have been pulled off the case, and I am aware that I am not thinking straight. I need you to step up to the line and get this sorted and get Reid back to us. I don't know how much of that sort of treatment he can take.
………………….
Reid was given water to drink. Again it was rank and bitter, but it was all there was. Taki tried to get him to eat some of the grey rice.
"I don't feel hungry. I just need to sleep."
So he was left in the room with the lights too bright and he curled up with his bandaged hands and feet. His knees drawn up tightly to his chest and his head down to try to cut out some of the brightness.
He dreamed that he was tied up again in the room with the cameras, only this time it wasn't the girls crawling over him and touching him, it was Floyd and Taki. He moaned and whimpered in his sleep and when the dream was over and he was still in a deep sleep he cried quiet tears.
……………..
