Chapter 15

A/N: Drugs and coffee alert! Slight implied slash.

A Little More

Work was impossible. The geeks had broken my spirit. They had done too many things wrong. It was never like this for Mencken. He lived like a Prussian gambler -- sweating worse than Bryant on some nights and drunker than Judas on others. It was all a dehumanized nightmare...and these raddled cretins have the gall to complain about my deadlines: -Hunter S. Thompson

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

She had lay on the bed all night with her eyes open looking into the darkness and muttering to herself. At about five in the morning when the last of the cigarettes had gone from the pack she stretched and slid off the bed. She caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror on the wall and the grubby person who looked back didn't look like the Emily she had known all her life.

Briefly she considered a shower but decided to pop to the small twenty-four hour store first and get another pack or two, and maybe even a lighter. She pulled on an old battered leather jacket over the top of her vest and a pair of combat boots and wearing the same clothes she had for days now – she left her apartment.

Outside the store was an ATM, and so she withdrew as much as she could and then walked into the store. She got four packs of smokes…a yellow disposable lighter and a bottle of water. Having paid for them on her card she then walked to the end of the street where there was a small place she passed often and dreamed of entering.

It sold bikes. She hadn't had much of an opportunity to ride the one she had hired and luckily this place was open already. Again paying on her card and sorting out insurance in the shop she was ready to ride it out within the hour. Water smokes and money stored in the pannier – she looked both ways before pulling out onto the street and heading out of the city. Garcia would understand. She would call Hotch. She would have to let him know. Emily needed to find Floyd.

-o-o-o-

The morning saw the remaining agents heading back to the SUV for a journey back to base. It just wasn't possible to spend any more time here. They didn't even know if this is where Reid was. He could have gone anywhere….as Emily had said, he may have carried on his journey.

The phone buzzing in Hotchner's pocket caused him to pause as Rossi and Morgan carried on walking to the car.

It was an unknown number and so with caution he took the call.

"Hotchner." Firm and authoritative. "Yes." Listening. "Where are you?" The other two turned around to look at Hotch who had now raised a 'wait a minute' hand to them both. "I will meet you there." Again listening. "Tell me where and I will see you and yes they will be with me." A pause. "I will find it." He snapped his phone shut and looked up at the other two. "Someone thinks they saw Reid."

They walked closer with a questioning look on their faces.

"The day Prentiss last saw him. He says he has some information. Paradise Diner on 4th street."

Morgan nodded. "What are we waiting for then."

"Just understand that this might be a false lead. I want to find him. I need to know where he is, but I wont raise my hopes on one report that he was seen."

Rossi was nodding now.

"As long as we are clear." Hotch looked at Derek. "And please – as before…."

"I know….calm."

They walked quickly now to the car. The only lead in so much time was a relief but as Hotch had said, it might be nothing. It might just be someone looking for a reward of some kind.

As Hotch was getting in to ride shotgun his phone began to buzz again. He pulled it out and once again it was an unknown number. He put it to his ear once more and spoke.

"Hotchner." Again a pause and a frown. "No Prentiss that is not good. I need you to go back to base and assist Garcia." Listening. "No – Prentiss you are not listening properly. I need you do go back now." Hotch's face looked like a thunderstorm had broken out overhead. "Well I'm not agreeing to it so you may not. Go back." Listening again. "You will stop with these games now. I don't know what you think you are doing, but you will return immediately. You have a job to do and I am not granting you personal time until it has been done………" a pause. "Prentiss? Prentiss?" He looked down at the phone and snapped it shut.

"Just get us to the diner Morgan." He snapped at Derek and offered no explanation of the telephone call.

The place was a bit out of the way and slightly run down and probably made most of it's money from street folk during the early hours of the morning. Right now it was empty apart from the two members of staff and the skinny kid sitting in the corner looking nervous. When Hotch looked over in his direction he held up one of the pictures Hotch and the others had been handing out. Rossi ordered four coffees and then they all went over to meet the guy. Hotch introduced themselves and watched as the young guy looked like he wanted to scarper.

"I didn't know you were Feds." His voice was shaking almost as much as his hands were.

"Hotch sat and slid across to face him. Rossi sat down right on the edge of the same bench seat the guy was sitting on. Just in case he wanted to escape. Morgan stood with his arms folding being calm.

They just sat in silence until the coffee arrived. Once settled Hotch started to talk.

"You've seen him?" He tapped the bit of paper.

A nod "I'm sure it was him. But he looked sorta skinnier and ill."

"Can you tell me what he was wearing?" Hotch needed to be sure it was Reid he had seen.

"It was dark. Look he had dark jeans on and a white shirt I think…I'm sure he did….and he was dirty. Most of the boys down there are very particular about hygiene and stuff….but he was noticeable cos he was so grubby. I didn't get close enough to see how bad he smelt. Thought didn't want to."

Hotch hated the way his youngest team member was being described but he bit down what he wanted to say in defence and kept going. "Anything else?"

"He was stoned – or drunk. Could hardly stand up straight. He was leaning on the wall. Waiting."

"And?"

"Well he went off with someone."

Hotch's stomach tightened again in pain of what he was hearing. "Did they talk? Do you know who he went off with?"

"They had a few words exchanged then he went off with Gert, but I'm telling you that boy couldn't walk a straight line – I don't know what Gert wanted with him – he's usually dead fussy and only takes to the pretty boys."

Morgan's arms unfolded and he wiped his sweaty palms on a napkin off the table. He took a glance and Hotch and re-folded his arms. It was taking all his mental power to stop jumping this guy and pounding him into the floor.

"Why didn't you tell us all of this earlier? Why wait until days after the event?" Rossi wanted to know.

The guy turned to Rossi. "I've not been around. Found this on the floor when I got back."

"And so Gert…" Hotch was talking again. "You can tell us where to find him?"

A twitch of the face. "Well here's the thing – I know where he takes the boys…and you know…they make out, but no one actually seems to know where he lives. He's never taken anyone home with him. So really you know – I wouldn't think he's still with Gert. But that's a guess….Gert never takes anyone home and he wouldn't stay in that rat hole he takes the boys back to."

And so this is why they were back once more at the small street. Now they were sure this was the last place Reid had been and for some unknown reason he had been waiting for someone. Whether he already knew Gert and it was him he had been waiting for he didn't know but Hotch was sure that Reid would never have come to this town in the first place without some sort of coercion and he definitely wouldn't have got drunk and then hung out with drug addicts and prostitutes. It was so far off from what Reid would do that it was almost laughable. But the lead had to be followed up.

The three of them walked down the small street. The smells were the same as last time. Dirt and old sweat. The door way they were told about was easy enough to find and they were standing in the very large dark room that Reid had been in not so long ago. They could see movement around in the edges of the room. It was disgusting and filthy but it was the door directly across from them that they were interested in. The room Gert took his boys to.

Hotch felt sick. If this man had taken Reid in there and he hadn't been seen since and Gert also seemed to have gone then what was behind that door? Were they going to find a corpse? Or had this all been a mistake and it wasn't Spencer that the guy had seen. They walked slowly forwards. Hotch's brain wanted him to run and kick the door down and scream….but his body forced him to stay calm and walk. They readied their side arms and Hotch pulled the bolt across on the door.

It opened with the sound of a long drawn out sigh.

They shone torches around the room and though the smell was revolting it didn't have the smell of depomp to it. The flashlights reflected off the chains on the wall and the mess over the floor. They could see blood and stains of all kinds over the bed and some dirty clothes thrown into the corner. Carefully with gloved hands Rossi picked through some of the things. Dark jeans, a very bloody dirty white shirt, odd socks…grimy boxers and a pair of shoes….it was the socks which made Hotch squeeze his eyes shut. He needed to try to get rid of the images shooting through his mind.

"I'll call the CSU." Rossi walked away to get a cell signal and Morgan just stood still….scared if he moved he would lose the false wall of calm he had around him.

"So where the hell is he now?" Was what Morgan managed to finally say.

-o-o-o-

They sat in their small room. Ardal was sitting on the edge of the bed. Spencer on the same bed but sitting with his back against the wall and his knees pulled up tight the small robe tied tightly around him and his arms wrapped around his legs.

"You confuse me." Ardal suddenly said.

Reid looked at the back of his companions head. "I don't want to do it."

"You made that perfectly clear, but it's more fun if you do it with someone. You know – like drinking."

Spencer pulled an annoyed face. "You don't have to do it either you know."

Ardal turned slightly so he was facing Reid. "But it's what gets me through."

Spencer nodded. "I understand – but I don't like it and I won't join you."

Ardal fiddled with the mirror he had on his lap and turned away again. "Why the self righteous act Spencer? You are more than happy to do Ether when offered."

Spencer pulled his knees up even tighter. "No – Ardal – no I'm not happy."

Now the mirror was on the bed next to Spencer and Ardal was moving back to sit next to him. "Just once."

"How many times is not the point. I have seen what this stuff does to people. I'm not joining you and I wish you would just throw it away and forget about it. I'll hold you – I'll help you."

"And that's not the point either. I want to do this. It numbs everything else. I would explode and die if I couldn't numb those empty places – or at least be able to forget and escape."

And those words had Reid looking at Ardal in the face and he though maybe this man had seen right into his soul.

"I really do understand." Spencer put a hand on the side of Ardal's face. "But I can't join you."

He watched with resigned sadness as Ardal prepared the powder.

He watched as he moved the blade over and almost like magic split the powder

'for me babes….one line for me.'

Reid frowned and shook his head.

'I got shot in the head Spence. I gave you all my healing stuff to help you. Now you help me back. One line babes.'

'For me.'

'I do love you – you know that don't you?'

"One." Spencer's voice was a whisper but Ardal still heard it.

"Thank you." Ardal looked at Reid and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

Reid took a short length of straw from him. "I'm not doing it for you."

He leaned forward and took one single line.

'Thanks babes. You are my number one whore you know.'

-o-o-o-

Garcia waited for a short while for Emily to arrive but when she didn't turn up she just carried on watching show after show. She had started to try to do facial recognition on any faces she could get a proper look at, but they were careful not to show the faces of the people without masks things on their faces to disguise what they looked like.

A new one just arrived. She marked it to save and watched the first few seconds.

"Well that's a bit different for a change." She said to herself as she caught a peek of two men in a shower. For now though she turned back to the back log she needed to try to wade through.

More whippings and beatings and lots of sex but no faces.

"I need a whole new sort of recognition software for this stuff." She muttered to herself.

-o-o-o-

He waited until he was sure they had gone until he pushed the tarpaulin off and sat up. He carefully touched the side of his head. The new bone was soft and the hair still not grown back properly…it was in fluffy clumps right now, but doing ok really. He now looked down at his feet and stated to removed the bindings around his ankles. He didn't know how well his tendon had heeled yet and now testing it he could tell that it was not right yet. He would need to be very careful with it.

Floyd reached over and pulled one boot and then the other over and pushed his feet back into them. He never felt quite right without these things on his feet and now he had to ask some questions – but he had no stuff.

"Great now what the fuck am I meant to do?" He held his hands out in front of him and watched them shaking. "You really don't want me to succeed do you? Why did you create something so fucked up and then let it loose? Why are you surprised it keeps messing up? Why do you fucking hate me so bloody much!" He had raised his voice from the original whisper to a shout. A deep in take of breath and he closed his eyes and thought.

"Spence. Just do it. You will be helping me so much. Just for once in your sodding pathetic lousy life think of me first."

A slow lazy smile spread over his face as he slipped back onto the floor of the woodshed and looked into the darkness.

-o-o-o-

"What are you doing here?" A voice in the dark.

"I need to know if I can have them." Floyd's voice sounded a long way off to him.

"Don't you know? Can't you use that all powerful mind of yours?"

"It's not working too good." A touch of sarcasm.

"I can't help you just because you have syphilitic pustules growing on your brain Floyd." A laugh in the darkness

"That's not the reason." Floyd spat back.

"But you're not going to deny it?"

"Just give me the answer I need."

"No – I told you not to come back here."

Floyd could feel the icy breath over his skin.

"Well I'm not – not really – as such."

"No - you got your whore to do it for you. Go think on those actions Floyd. Go do your job."

He opened his eyes and looked at the shed roof.

"Ohhh…decisions, decisions." And a big toothy smile.

-o-o-o-

He felt his mind slowly melt as he slid sideways and away from Ardal and whatever it was he was doing. There was a total nothingness. He pulled a slightly puzzled expression as strange voices and conversations drifted through his mind. He was sure he could hear Floyd.

"Floyd?" He reached out but there was nothing there and his mind shut down and let him fall into a deep drug induced sleep.

When he awoke he could feel warm arms tightly wrapped around him and the stale smell of sweat and sex. He had no memory of anything which had happened – if anything had indeed happened. He could feel the steady breathing of Ardal behind him. Spencer now realised that his robe was no longer on him and he tried to work out in his muddled mind if he had removed it. He could see in the dim light various things scattered over the floor and some of them made his eyes widen slightly and some of them scared him: a used syringe and some rubber tubing - paraphernalia of different types and uses and sizes. Spencer rested a hand over Ardal's and spoke his name. He didn't get a response and he didn't try talking again. The sound of his own voice he thought would cause his brain to explode. He felt a small trickle of blood begin to make its way out of his nose, but he wiped at it quickly and it didn't continue. He had no idea what he had been doing, but he could take a jolly good guess.

Spencer squeezed his eyes closed and pushed back against the only thing he could be sure of now. Ardal.