**Because of the explicit sexual abuse here, this story now requires an M-rating. But there will be no more sexual abuse after this chapter.***
Chapter 17-A New Video and Clue
Rossi, Morgan, JJ and Prentiss all stared at the board as Reid took a step back. Their young genius had made finding the hidden message so simple it was embarrassing.
"Fairfax?" asked Morgan with arched eyebrows. "But we already suspected that's where Armitage took Hotch from the burned remnants of the map we found in Shane Cooper's garage."
"Not really," Reid explained. "Yes, we suspected that's where he might have taken Hotch. But with this anagram, Hotch confirms what we already suspected. Now we know for sure. Also, Hotch would have no way of knowing we suspected that's where he is."
"So now we can focus our search on Fairfax," said Rossi wrapping his arms around himself. "Somewhere there Aaron's being held. Now we only have to figure out where."
Just then the desk phone rang; the caller ID showed it was Garcia. Morgan pressed a button. "Go ahead, Garcia. I've got you on speaker. Tell us what you found on Ruth Bellows."
"Be patient oh sexy, handsome chocolate God. Your all-knowing, all-powerful Goddess is still searching, but thought you might want to know what I've found so far."
Despite the seriousness of things, Morgan still had to smirk. "Sorry, sweet thing. But time is of the essence right now. What have you got so far?"
"Okay. Ruth Bellows had been suffering from kidney trouble and was hooked up to a dialysis machine and confined to bed. After several months a match was found for her failing kidneys and a kidney transplant was performed from which she recovered fully enough to be removed from dialysis and live somewhat of a normal life again. About two or three months later she got a job with the local electric company where she began a torrid affair with her boss, the late Melvin Daley, where she worked as his receptionist. He left his wife after becoming involved with her, and she left her son in the care of her mother and told nobody she was moving out of the home she shared with her husband. Her husband found out about the affair and threatened to kill her and her lover. So she waited until her husband had left for work one day, then she and Daley went to the house so she could pick up the rest of her things when a suspicious fire suddenly broke out while they were in the house. It started in the basement and rapidly spread nearly destroying the entire house. She and Daley barely escaped the inferno. But the blaze was chalked up to faulty wiring by the insurance investigators and the fire department and as Armitage was still residing there at the time of the blaze, he received a check in the amount of four hundred grand when arson could not be proven."
"How did Melvin Daley die?" Rossi interrupted.
"Car accident due to faulty brakes. An investigation by local police didn't reveal anything suspicious except a loss of brake fluid due to a leak. The final report determined it to be an accident."
"How much do you want to bet that loss of brake fluid wasn't an accident despite what the police may believe?" asked Rossi looking at the others grimly.
"What about Ruth Bellows, Garcia?" asked Reid leaning forward with his hands on the table. "What happened to her after the death of Melvin Daley?"
"That's what I'm still checking into, my young genius. It was right after Daley's death that Ruth Bellows discovered she was pregnant by Daley and gave birth to a daughter whom she named Ruthanne. Now this is where things get confusing so pay attention. Ruth Bellows began having kidney trouble again and had herself admitted to the local hospital where she later died from kidney failure. But before her death she gave her daughter to Daley's parents who knew nothing of her husband, to raise as their own. But as the Daleys didn't know anything about Arnold or Jason Armitage, they didn't think anything of it when Jason showed interest in Ruthanne and she in him. When she was of legal age and following the death of Daley's parents, Jason Armitage married Ruthanne Bellows and they had one child, a son named Tyler. But he became abusive towards her according to the numerous police reports filed, and eventually she left him but had to leave her son behind as she was unable to care for an infant, changed her name so he couldn't find her, and vanished."
"Any idea where to?" asked Prentiss.
"I hate to say this, but I don't know. Also, there's no property listed under either Ruthanne's name or the Daleys. And the only property under Armitage's name was the house that burned down. I also checked under the maiden name of Ruth Bellows and found nothing. But I'm still looking though. But it would help if I knew what Ruthanne changed her name to."
"Unfortunately we don't have that information, Garcia," Morgan sadly replied. "But if anybody can find out it's you, baby girl, so keep looking. And Garcia…."
"Yes, my handsome champion of the people?"
"Get back to us as soon as you find anything. Hotch may be running out of time."
"I shall look under every rock until I find something. There will be no escape from the all-powerful Goddess of the all-knowing. Garcia out." The call was disconnected.
Morgan exhaled through his nose and folded his arms. "I'm willing to bet Armitage's father probably killed his wife's lover and started that fire. I'm also willing to bet Jason Armitage took after his father seeing as he faked his own death and the only person who could expose him was his wife who's also dead." His eyes fell on Reid and noticed the younger agent's odd expression. "What is it, kid? You look like you got something on your mind."
Reid massaged his chin and looked as if he didn't hear a word Morgan had said.
"Spence?" asked JJ, worried by the odd expression on Reid's face.
"I wonder…." Reid softly said as he removed the cap from the marker he still held and wrote the name RUTHANNE BELLOWS on the message board. He stared at the name for what seemed like forever to the other agents before he started rearranging letters, and crossing out the identical letters in the name as he used each letter. Finally, after a few seconds, Reid took a step back and looked at what he had come up with. He looked at the others before turning back to the conference table, pressing several buttons on the desk phone, and waiting as the phone rang on the other end. There was a click on the third ring.
"Office of the all-powerful Penelope Garcia. Speak and ye shall be heard."
"Garcia, it's Reid. I need you to check a name for me."
"But of course my young genius."
"I need you to check the name Rena Hunt Boswell for me. I'll hold on."
"Just give me a minute…."
Reid and the others heard the clicking of Garcia's fingers on her keyboard as they waited as she was on the speaker.
"Bingo. Rena Hunt Boswell lived in Fairfax, Virginia until her own death, a few months after the death of her boyfriend, Dane Lyle Vim."
"Now pull up her birth and death certificates, Garcia, along with the birth certificate of Ruthanne Bellows," Reid requested. After a few more seconds….
"Now this is weird. Rena Hunt Boswell's birth certificate contains identical information as that of Ruthanne Bellows. But how can that be?"
A slight smile began to form on Reid's lips. "That's because Rena Hunt Boswell is an anagram for Ruthanne Bellows, and Dane Lyle Vim is the anagram for her father Melvin Daley."
"Wait a minute…." began Prentiss, confused, as she looked at Reid. "Are you and Garcia both saying that Jason Armitage married his mother's daughter by another man and had a child with her?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense," Reid replied. "It also makes sense that before Armitage faked his own death that he killed his wife knowing she was the daughter of his mother and her lover. I believe the knowledge of his mother's affair and her giving birth to a child as a result of that affair was the original stressor. He saw his mother's affair as a betrayal of his father and sought revenge."
"But how does Hotch fit into everything?" asked Garcia.
"From what I read of the case file, Armitage's four-year old son Tyler was killed by a pedophile who lived in the area. But a neighbor, Stanley Hufferson, was accused of the crime after leading police directly to the body which he had found earlier. The local police investigated and Hufferson was cleared as there was no evidence proving he had done anything. But Armitage killed Hufferson believing he had murdered his son; Hotch prosecuted him and got a conviction. Armitage believed Hotch let his child's killer get away by not pursuing a case against Hufferson but prosecuting him instead. That was when he decided to get revenge on Hotch," Reid explained. "The death of his young son was the secondary stressor."
JJ shook her blond head. "Sounds like this Jason Armitage is more twisted than we originally thought."
Morgan bit his lower lip. "Hey, sweet cheeks, do you have an address for a residence under Boswell or Vim?"
"Nothing regarding an address under any name in Fairfax. But I'll keep looking. Garcia out." The call was disconnected.
Hotch winced in pain as drops of boiling oil were released from the holy water-like sprinkler and landed on every patch of bare skin he had. And with the Heretics Fork still in place, Hotch tried his best not to move his neck despite the pain from the droplets as they landed on his body. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut from the pain. He recalled watching Armitage pour the hot oil into one end of the sprinkler and then began to shake it enabling the hot oil to rush to the other end where they fell on every part of his body causing whimpers of pain. Hotch gritted his teeth to keep from crying out. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the drops of oil stopped.
Opening his eyes slowly, Hotch noticed Armitage standing beside the bed with an amused grin on his face. Then, suddenly laughing out loud, he turned and walked out of the room; his demonic laughter echoing as he got further and further away from the room Hotch was in.
A feeling of despair began to come over the agent as did the pain caused by the oil. He didn't know how much more he could endure before he gave up and begged for a release from all the pain. But as those thoughts permeated his mind, so did other thoughts; thoughts of seeing the two most important people in his life again. Thoughts of taking Haley in his arms and making slow, passionate love to her, and of holding his son in his arms and hugging him tightly. I can't give up, he told himself. I have to fight with everything I have to survive. Hotch was not a very religious man, but he inwardly found himself praying for the strength to hold on and withstand whatever his captor did to him. His quiet praying was interrupted by the sound of returning footsteps. Unable to lift his head, Hotch managed to move his eyes just a bit and noticed Armitage, wearing a robe, re-entering the room holding the tripod and video camera and knew what was going to happen.
"It's show time again, Aaron," Armitage stated as he set up his equipment; he then put a blank CD into the slot. Reaching into one pocket of the robe, he removed the remote control for the stun belt and, aiming it at Hotch, pressed the button causing the agent to whimper and hiss with pain as the prongs of the Heretics Fork dug further into his flesh. While Hotch was incapacitated, Armitage undid one buckle holding his arm and pushed the agent onto his side again and handcuffed his free wrist to the bed frame. Then he proceeded to do the same thing with one leg until Hotch was facing the camera again. The profiler continued to whimper as Armitage put on the 'Lone Ranger' mask again. Sitting on the edge of the bed behind Hotch, he grabbed the elastic of the agent's boxers and pulled them down to his knees. "You're going to give your team the performance of your life. And your performance will also be your ultimate humiliation because you will lose complete control and your team will see it." Getting slowly to his feet, Armitage peeled off the robe and dropped it onto the floor; he had on only his own boxers and nothing else other than the mask. Walking around the bed until he reached the video camera, he pressed the 'on' button before returning to the bed and laying down behind Hotch again wrapping an arm around his waist pulling the agent's body close to his and with his hand, grabbed Hotch's penis and proceeded to stroke it with purpose all the while planting wet, sloppy kisses on the agent's neck and shoulder while chuckling the entire time.
Hotch closed his eyes as he felt tears stinging his eyes. He was so tired and in so much pain, he didn't think at this moment he had any strength left with which to fight despite what he prayed for. He was feeling so dirty and used right now he seriously doubted any amount of bathing would erase the feeling of his captor's hands roaming over his body. Hotch felt his manhood beginning to show signs of life which only added to the shame and humiliation he felt when he opened his eyes and they fell on the flashing red light on the recorder knowing that his reaction was being filmed for prosperity and would be sent to his team for them to see which would add to his shame.
"Don't do this," Hotch found himself begging for the first time in his life, and even now, couldn't believe these words were being uttered by him. "Please don't do this." But his words fell on deaf ears as Armitage continued pumping his penis which was becoming partially hard and slightly enlarged. His captor stopped his kissing motions and rested his chin on Hotch's shoulder, gazing down at the agent's face after licking his neck and cheek.
"I can't stop. You're just so damn irresistible, Aaron," Armitage murmured softly with a touch of sarcasm. "I may not be into men, but I just can't keep my hands off of you. Now, let's show your team some real action." That said, Armitage shifted his body until his upper half leaned over Hotch's injured shoulder and pressed down on it causing a yelp of pain from the agent. He whimpered but determined not to cry out; the pressure of his captor's weight on his shoulder caused the Heretics Fork to dig further into his flesh and he felt himself about to pass out from the pain.
Armitage reached his other arm across Hotch's body and reaching out, grabbed his balls giving them a fierce squeeze which caused the agent to shut his eyes and bite his lower lip so hard he tasted blood in his mouth. Hotch could now feel his body betraying him and he hated it. Used to being a man of and in control, losing control of his own body was disturbing and humiliating at the same time. For somebody who wasn't into men, Armitage seemed to know what to do to force his body to betray him. Despite his best effort not to, Hotch could feel his orgasm rapidly coming on as Armitage continued pumping away with no intention of letting up.
Suddenly, warm liquid covered part of his body and the bed as he lost control completely. Tears of shame slowly rolled down his face from his eyes. It galled him that his captor was using his own body as a means of torturing him. But there was nothing he could do about it except endure and try to survive. As a way of enduring, Hotch forced himself to think of this ultimate violation happening to someone else; someone he couldn't see rather than himself. Not that he would ever wish this humiliation on anybody. After he felt his penis beginning to go flaccid, he just stared into space and didn't utter a sound. Not that he didn't have anything to say, he just didn't feel like conversation.
Armitage leaned his mouth close to Hotch's ear. "You aren't done performing for the camera, Aaron." He then chuckled sadistically. Getting no response from his captive, Armitage watched the profiler's face as he roughly shoved a non-lubricated finger into his captive's anus soon followed by a second and then a third finger. Hotch flinched from the burning sensation caused by the invasion of the fingers, and tried to move away but one arm was again wrapped around his waist pulling him close to his assailant. Hotch whimpered as he hated what was being done to him; he absolutely hated it. Hated it with every fiber of his being. He gasped at the pain being caused by the three fingers forcing their way inside his anus. As Hotch felt the fingers moving in and out of him, he heard a chuckle from behind him.
"You like this don't you, Aaron? I knew you were holding out on me acting like you didn't like it. Well, let's go for the gusto." With that, Armitage inserted a fourth finger hearing Hotch gasp again from the pain and continued manipulating his fingers knowing what would eventually happen. He felt his captive's orifice shut tightly on his fingers but it didn't stop him from bringing on more humiliation and shame to the agent. Despite knowing his fingers by not being lubricated and being forced inside a small opening was causing great pain, Armitage didn't pull out. Instead, he folded his thumb inside his fingers creating an elongated fist and pushed his entire hand inside Hotch's body which caused Hotch to cry out from this painful invasion of his body as he felt Armitage 'fisting' him. He hated it and tried to pull away but couldn't because he was being tightly held by his captor and forced nearly onto his stomach to allow the 'fisting' to be caught on film. Armitage seemed to lose himself in what he was doing to Hotch; his sole objective now to cause as much humiliation, shame and pain as possible for his prisoner.
Hotch now had sweat streaming down his face as having his captor's entire hand inside his anus was enormously painful. His body and anus were not relaxed, nor had his opening been stretched gradually, and the forcing of a fist in his anus was unbearable. It hurt; God how it hurt! And besides the pain of his anus feeling like it was being ripped apart, the full feeling caused by an entire hand inside of him was excruciating. He felt like worms were crawling around inside.
"You are a tease, aren't you, Aaron?" asked Armitage was a smirk as he continued making pumping movements with his hand inside of his captive while continuing to tickle his prostate which was causing Hotch unwanted pleasure to sweep through him.
Hotch suddenly felt his manhood beginning to react as a pleasurable warmth overcame his entire body, and knew his body was betraying him again. Then Armitage, using the arm holding Hotch close, reached below and grabbed his penis again and began to stroke it. He was now working his captive from both ends; fisting him anally while stroking his penis fully aware that would cause the agent to respond with extreme pleasure which would be forever captured on film while at the same time feeling shame and humiliation at the pleasure he felt.
Armitage remembered when what he was doing to Hotch had been done to him; the rape, the fisting, all against his will. But he had to marvel that despite the great pain the fisting caused him, the pleasure he felt when his prostate was touched was indescribable. He remembered how he had been held down by several prisoners in the shower that day and one of the older prisoners roughly inserted his fingers into his anus before working his entire hand inside him while at the same time stroking him. After that, he was then raped by the same man.
So while he wasn't able to rape Hotch by forcing his own penis inside him, he knew what the fisting and stroking would do to him. After all, hadn't he just gotten Hotch to totally lose bodily control earlier? And the knowledge that the agent's entire team would see what was taking place now knowing the shame, pain, humiliation, and degradation the profiler would feel, combined with the knowledge of feeling pleasure at the same time, would be his crowning achievement concerning the torture. The final torture!
Hotch had been left alone in the room for the last hour. Now lying on his back again with the restraints back in place, he was grateful for this time alone. Staring into space with a blank expression, he faintly recalled the feeling of Armitage getting up from the bed, turning off the video camera, and leaving the room with the CD. He hated how Armitage had made him feel during this recording. He felt so dirty and used. He barely remembered everything the man had done to him this go-around including losing control of his body twice. He didn't even recall the backhand he had received before Armitage left the room which momentarily stunned him as his head snapped to the side following the blow. But about the only thing he did recall was that his team would see everything this time. They would see him losing control of his body twice. What would they think of him? He didn't have to think long for an answer. Once they saw that video they would know he had not only lost control, but that he had been broken. They might even question his ability to lead them. Losing control not once, but twice, had to be the most humiliating and degrading thing he had endured. How can I ever face them again once they see that video? Perhaps it would be better if Armitage just kills me so I won't have to face them and see the pity and loathing on their faces. And what will Haley think of me once she finds out? She won't want anything to do with me or want to touch me even if she gets past what he did to my face.
Then he thought of Jack. Jack would never pity or loath him; he was too young to understand thankfully. In fact, it was thoughts of his son that gave Hotch just enough strength back to want to fight again. But for now during this alone time, he closed his eyes and allowed the tears of shame and humiliation to trickle down from the corners of his eyes.