The reviewers have spoken! Thanks guys! Here's chapter 2!
A quick note on the quotes: I'm continously using the same quote by Benjamin Franklin at the beginning of each chapter because it plays an important part in the role of this story. You'll understand later. I promise. At the end of each chapter is a quote by 'Peter Pan' creator James Barrie; I just think they fit in with the events of each chapter, plus Barrie wrote the original story.
I own nothing!
….
The pen is mightier than the sword. ~Benjamin Franklin
The temperature steadily rose the higher Reid and his captor climbed in the ship. But to Reid it didn't matter; he was using his analytical mind to rethink the team's original profile.
They had said it was only one UnSub, working under the delusion that he was Captain Hook; it turned out to be several UnSubs, at least two for sure. The 'pirates' being delusional was a given. Sadistic, possibly; Reid had yet to experience their hospitality, and from what he remembered from the autopsy results, the UnSub, now UnSubs, would greatly enjoy poking and prodding their victims with swords and other sharp objects. He could say yes to the sea-faring vessel that was their UnSub's secondary location, where he held and tortured his victims….
Reid was still pondering the changes to their profile when he realized that they had stopped moving. A moment later, he was dropped to the floor a second time. Rough hands yanked the material from his mouth and eyes, and cut the rope binding his feet together. Before he could get his bearings, Reid was shoved into blinding sunlight and a roaring wall of sound.
Unable to see, and barely able to walk, the profiler stumbled and fell, landing on the deck of what was unmistakably a pirate ship. His eyes closed, he gasped in lungful after lungful of salt-tinged fresh air; compared to this, the air below decks was stale and dank. While doing so, he managed to collect himself. He knew he would need all his mental capacity in order to outwit these men; as delusional as they were, they were smart. At the very least, they knew how to take forensic counter-measures in order to keep themselves safe from the authorities. He would just have to hold out until the team realized what had happened and came for him.
Reid took one last deep pull of air to calm his pounding heart before opening his eyes to find at least twenty men standing around him. All of them were large, muscular and, to some extent, filthy. They smelled of stale sweat and seawater and a general aura of fearfulness surrounded them. Their clothes consisted of worn-out shirts, ripped shorts and faded bandanas. At least three had eye-patches, one had a peg leg and… was that a parrot on that man's shoulder?
The deck of the ship itself was massive, about the size of the entire bullpen area back at the BAU. The bow lay farther ahead; if Reid was measuring it based on the dimensions of their offices back at Quantico, the bow would be the exact amount of distance away from him as his desk was from the elevators. Actually the entire section of the sixth floor that housed their unit could have fit onto the deck this ship… twice!
Reid took such a long time staring around at the sight before him that he almost didn't hear the sound of footsteps coming from behind him. He shakily got to his feet and turned to see what appeared to be a large cabin directly behind him, the captain's quarters, he realized, which apparently was the way he had come up. The captain's quarters filled the entire width of the ship, and Reid knew that it would cover the entire stern area. On either end of the edges of the captain's quarters were two sets of stairs leading to a polished wooden wheel a level above the deck where Reid currently stood. But Reid wasn't looking at the wheel, but at the man standing at the foot of the left-hand staircase, the one closest to Reid.
He was tall, thin and dressed in a fine-looking red coat with a white ruffled shirt. His pants were black and formal, matching the black boots that adorned his feet. At his waist there was a sword buckled to his side, and he wore a tri-corn leather cap with a feather in its side.
But what held Reid attention was the man's left hand, which was not a hand at all. It was a hook.
So that is the captain, Reid mused. He's so delusional that he actually dresses like Captain Hook.
As if the arrival of the man was a signal, another pirate grabbed Reid by the scruff of his shirt and half-carried, half-dragged him over the length of the deck to deposit him in a heap at the foot of 'Hook.'
Both the pirate and the profiler looked at each other; to everyone watching, neither face displayed any emotion. Reid lay sprawled on the deck, his torso lying on his arms; he could feel his hands falling asleep. But he didn't show his discomfort; he wasn't going to let this man win.
"Stand!" The older man demanded gruffly. A second later, the sound of a pistol being cocked was heard over the sounds of the gulls crying. Warily, and with difficulty, Reid clamored to his feet. 'Hook' stood at an imposing six feet six inches, only slightly taller than the younger man's six feet and one inch. Again, neither of them spoke. Then, the older man started to laugh.
"Nice to see you again, Peter," he mockingly cooed, and Reid saw as the hook that served as the man's replacement limb, and namesake, raised itself to slowly caress his cheek, the sharpened end facing away from the profiler's face. Reid glanced at it cautiously for a moment before leveling his gaze at 'Hook,' but keeping it in his peripheral vision. He took a deep breath.
"Sir," Reid began in a calm voice, the voice he'd usually use to give a profile, or, like in this case, talk down an UnSub. "My name is not Peter. My name is Spencer Reid, and I am with the FBI."
The older man stopped, the hook raised into the air. He glanced up at it, almost marveling at the way it sparkled in the sunlight. Reid also followed the man's gaze, and only caught the evil gleam in 'Hook's' eyes when it was too late.
The hook slashed downward, cutting across the edge of Reid right shoulder and down his chest, ending at his underarm, leaving a mark through the boy's clothes and in his skin in the shape of a 'C.' Clothes that, Reid realized as he stumbled backwards to get far away from the UnSub with a yelp of pain, weren't his.
That morning, he had been wearing a plain white dress shirt with short sleeves, a red tie with white horizontal stripes, a pair of tan slacks, his usual pair of Converse and two mis-matched socks: One was green with a green argyle pattern, and the other with an alternating black and white hounds-tooth argyle pattern. Now, he was wearing a green short-sleeved tee shirt, and green Capri's, both with plastic leaves sewed into the fabric. His bare feet rested on the deck of the ship, the sunlight almost blinding him with their paleness.
But his clothes didn't worry him at the moment; he could replace them. What bothered him was the obvious absence of his gun, badge, credentials and wallet. They were the most important things he had with him; to lose them was catastrophic in the eyes of the young genius.
"Where are my clothes?" He asked, furious. "I want my clothes back! More importantly, my gun and badge!" He then turned to 'Hook.' "You don't have to do this," Reid added in a harsh undertone.
"Ye don't need 'em. You got these! Savvy?" A familiar voice taunted from behind Reid. He turned to see another pirate, a grin on his face. He recognized the voice of the man from his short captivity below decks.
Wait! Below decks? …How long was I out? How long was I down there?
…Oh, no!
Without stopping, Reid turned tail and bolted for the edge of the ship. It didn't matter which side, he just wanted to see land. He looked over the starboard side.
Nothing but ocean.
Desperately, he turned to the port side, only to be met with the same results. He felt his insides shrivel up like dried seaweed.
Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no….
Reid sunk to the deck of the ship, landing on his knees and resting his head against the wooden railing as he tried to keep himself from having a full-blown panic attack in front of delusional men pretending to be pirates. He would survive this; he'd lived through worse.
Breathe, Spencer! Breathe!
He only just managed to catch his breath, resting his head against the wooden railing a second longer before rough hands pulled him away. Reid kicked out at his assailant as the man leaned over the profiler's lithe body, a harsh, wordless snarl emitting from his mouth as he did.
"Quiet, you!" a voice barked.
"Get off me!" Reid spat back, and rammed his head into the man's chest. A second later, harsh hands gripped his throat, and Reid gasped as black dots swam in front of his vision, his legs jackknifing as he struggled
But it didn't help; one last though drifted through Reid mind as he lost consciousness.
This couldn't be happening.
...
We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it. ~James M. Barrie
...
A/N: Hi! ...Still want more? **gestures below** All yours!
A quick thanks to my reviewers so far: SayidRocks, zannabanana, RIPCURL. aus, The-Vampire-Act, lolyncut, RogueSquirrel, RavenParadox, SSAFunbar, TheOneThatIsAddidctedToHPFics, Noel Ardnek, 68luvcarter, and KASEY64! Love ya! :D
Chapter 3: We catch up with the team, and Reid meets a less-than-willing-to-participate crew member. (I dunno if that second half will be part of chapter 3, or if I'll make it a seperate chapter)
And for all you Harry Potter fans... Who's Psyched For Thursday?
*~N_CBAU~*