A/N: Well, I'm either going to get ragged on for Reid being a partial idiot, or praised for the awesomeness that is this chapter. Or both. Either way I'm happy with it. Feels like some of the chapters in DSH felt. Descriptive and purposeful. I have my mojo back. At least for this chapter... and maybe the next. LOL After that, who knows.
Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Predator

Reid lay in bed next to T, staring up at the ceiling. For a while, he had watched T as he slept, but it was stirring things inside him he didn't want to deal with yet, and so the ceiling became his focus. Still his thoughts couldn't help but wander to the body lying next to him. He thought back to the times they had shared the year before; the sex, and the conversations. The ones where they would talk for hours about everything and nothing. They'd opened up to each other in ways neither of them had to any other person. They had something special; Reid just didn't know what it was yet.

His mind flittered to the recent kiss they shared, focusing on how it made him feel. He'd enjoyed every second of it, even if he hadn't let it continue. He couldn't deny the feelings he had, but he also wasn't sure if he could acknowledge them fully. Their relationship had been formed out of need and necessity, not out of a genuine want for the other person. They had used each other to get what they needed and stay alive. Reid wasn't going to let that happen again.

No, this time, if they ever had an intimate relationship again, it would be because they both truly wanted the other person. Not because Reid was the only one around to fulfill T's needs. Reid wouldn't allow himself to be used like that.

He sighed, wondering if such a relationship would even be conceivable with someone like Tamesis. He didn't know if T believed in monogamy, let alone if he would be able to stick to it. And if T did sleep with someone else while they were a couple, Reid wasn't sure how he'd take it. Would he be able to understand that it's not something T can control? Or would he be hurt and angry? Would it be something that would eventually tear them apart? Reid swallowed, not wanting to think about it. Besides that, he was getting ahead of himself, this wasn't even a sure thing yet, but that's just how his brain worked. Always thinking, running scenarios, needing to get the facts laid out in a straight line.

His eyes wandered around the confines of his bedroom, eventually landing on the closet. He tried to picture the empty side filled up with T's clothes. Clothes, he realised, T didn't have. He could picture T's signature pieces he always liked to wear: the leather jacket, black jeans, and heavy boots. He needed them back, but that would mean another visit with Connors.

Slowly Reid turned to his side and slid off the bed, careful not to disturb T. He found a notepad and scribbled a quick message before placing it on the pillow next to T. He was hoping he'd be back before T woke up, but you could never make assumptions when it came to Connors.

Reid tiptoed from the bedroom and made his way to the door, stopping only to clip his phone to his belt. He debated calling one of the team, Hotch maybe, for backup, or just to tell someone else where he was going and why. However he knew that anyone he called would try to talk him out of it. He would have his phone with him though, it's not like he would ignore one of them, if they called. And if they asked, he would tell them the truth, he just didn't see why he had to go out of his way to inform them. He swallowed hard as he took the stairs down to the underground parking, and hoped this wouldn't backfire on him.

Reid pulled up directly in front of Connors main compound, not caring about subtlety. He approached the thick compound door, and waited, knowing he was on camera. They would know he was there. When the door opened it was Troy again.

"You don't have an appointment." he stated.

"I need to see Connors, now." Reid replied.

"He's busy."

"I'll wait." Reid said, inviting himself inside. Troy's hand on his chest stopped him.

Troy turned, whispering into his wristwatch, as if he were pretending to be a spy. When he turned back he looked less than pleased. "Boss says he'll see you. Follow me."

Reid followed Troy through the halls of the compound, and was taken to Connors 'lair' as Reid had begun to think of it. Reid eyed Connors and the other man stood to greet him like a professional businessman would. Reid crossed his arms, having none of it.

"What brings you here, uninvited, Doctor?" Connors asked.

"I want T's things. His clothes and anything else he might have." Reid replied.

"So he's still alive, I take it?"

"Yes, and he's going to be fine."

"Why do you feel as if you can demand things from me and that I'll just roll over and let you get what you want? Have I ever given you the impression that I give things away without anything in return?"

Reid frowned, "So what do you want?"

"Well, I would greatly enjoy having you back, but I have a feeling you won't agree to that, and I wouldn't want to force you. This needs to be mutual."

"Get to the point, Connors."

"Stay with me, here, for one night. Let me show you the work I do. You've convinced yourself that everything I do is bad. I can assure it's not, but I know you won't take my word for it. Let me prove it to you." Connors smiled.

Reid shook his head immediately, "No, I can't stay here. I have to get back. T needs me."

"I can send someone to look after him for you."

It took everything in Reid's power not to laugh, "I'd rather you didn't. Not after what you did to him. I can't trust you."

"Fair enough. I'm sure if he's made it this long, he can last one night on his own." Connors paused, and eyed Reid slowly. "Well, what's your answer?"

Reid frowned, taking a moment to think about it. He couldn't leave T alone for the night. But this was also a great opportunity to see the inner workings of Connors business and find some sort of weakness in it. But he could also find nothing, and the deal would be a waste.

"You want his things, don't you?" Connors urged. "I suppose you could always buy him new clothes, but trust me; he has expensive tastes, even for me. And he likes the things he has."

"Can I make a phone call, if I agree to stay?" he made sure to emphasize the 'if'.

"That's a reasonable request. Anything else?"

"I want to take T's things to my car, now. So I can leave in the morning."

"Think you'll be in such a hurry to leave?" Connors gave a sigh, and nodded. "Fine, I'll have someone take you to his room. Four, perhaps?"

Reid couldn't supress the shudder that followed. 'Oh please, anyone but Four.' he thought to himself. It was too late to protest however, Connors was already issuing the order to have Four come to them. He opted to remain silent, turning to see Four enter the room.

Four stepped up to Connors, giving Reid a small look of disgust that didn't go unnoticed. He bowed his head in respect to his boss, "Sir?"

"I'd like you to take Doctor Reid here to pick up some things for his houseguest. They're already packed in boxes in his room. Help him carry them to his car."

Four remained silent, as if he was waiting for more instruction, and trying to keep the look of distaste off his face, believing this to be a task that was beneath his skills. Four's shoulders slumped slightly when Connors didn't continue. "Yes, sir."

Connors smiled at Four, "Treat him well. He's our guest. Run along now, have fun."

Four bowed his head again and turned on his heel, stalking towards the door he came in. It took Reid a second to react, but his long legs allowed him to catch up easily. He followed Four through dimly lit corridors that seems to descend downward, until they reached a series of doors. The hall was lined with them on both sides and Four stopped in front of one, turning the handle with his long fingers, and opened it for Reid to enter. After a small moment of hesitation Reid stepped forward, over the threshold and cast his gaze around the room.

It looked like a torture chamber and Reid couldn't stop his mouth from gaping open. He didn't even notice Four step in behind him and close the door. The walls were dark cement, and there was no window. Reid was sure they were underground somewhere. The only source of light was from a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room; it swung back and forth slightly in an unknown breeze, casting shadows up the walls. And attached to the walls were various implements of torture; whips, shackles, and devices Reid only knew from reading up on ancient torture methods.

In the far corner to his left was a small bedframe, topped with a thin mattress which had holes in it from the springs that poked through, and was stained dark red in places. Directly across from him were a set of chains and manacles attached to the wall, and the floor underneath them had the tell-tale signs of dried blood. To the right were two medium sized boxes, seemingly untouched by blood splatter or anything else. And behind the door stood an old nondescript toilet that was bolted to the floor and looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in ten years. And the smell, a mixture of urine and the metallic scent of blood, was overwhelming.

Four's voice was what finally brought him back to his senses. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Reid turned to look at Four, and couldn't help but notice that Four actually looked comfortable, and perhaps even happy, in this room.

It took Reid a moment to find his voice, and when he did speak it was soft and breathy. "You… you kept him here? For… for 9 months? How could you?" Reid ignored the fact that it wasn't really Four, but Connors, who had done this.

Four shrugged, "He deserved every minute of it."

Anger boiled up inside Reid and he jabbed a finger at Four's chest, towering over the shorter man. "You… animal. If anyone deserves to be tormented like this it's you and Connors. You both deserve a taste of what you dish out every day."

Four's golden-yellow eyes flashed, narrowing and taking on the distinctive look of a hawk spotting its prey. Reid took an instinctive step backwards and noticed Four had pulled an intricate blade from inside his vest. Reid's eyes flashed to the door, notice there was no door handle on the inside. Four looked at the blade, something akin to love or devotion in his eyes now, but that quickly flashed back to a predatory gaze as he cast his eyes back at Reid. "Hmm, door only opens from the outside." He looked back at the blade in his hand. "I'd like you to meet my Queen. She was a gift from the Boss, after I graduated from training. And she's hungry."

Reid gulped but forced himself to remain calm. Dealing with a psychopath, this was something he could do. "Four," he cautioned, trying to keep the quaver from his voice, "Connors… your boss… didn't give you permission to do this."

Four looked slightly amused, "Didn't he?" A grin spread across his face and Reid had a hard time picturing it normally, instead seeing each of Four's teeth as having been sharpened into points.

He blinked and shook his head, freeing himself from the image. "I didn't hear him say it. And he promised me a phone call."

"I'm not going to kill you, just play with you. You can have your phone call later." Four took a step towards Reid, who responded by taking another step away, keeping an arms (and blade) length between them.

"What do you want, Four?"

Four paused to think about it. "I want to help you. He might have infected you. I can cut it out for you." Referring to T.

"Infected me? With what?" Reid asked, buying time.

"His sickness. His disease." Four replied.

"What disease? T's clean, he doesn't have anything." Reid continued to try and keep Four talking. If he was talking, he wasn't cutting.

Four shook his head, hair falling in front of one eye. "Not that kind. It's what he is. What he does. With people like you. I tried to cut it out of him, but it was too far buried. I couldn't find it. But you might still have a chance."

Reid furrowed his brow in thought before it started to make sense. "You think, because he likes other men, that he's sick?"

Four nodded, "And he's infected you too. I can smell it on you. He tried to give it to me once, when he first came here. My Queen didn't like that. She told him so."

"Four," Reid tried to reason with him, "this isn't something you can cut out of a person. It's just the way they are."

Four glared, "You lie. I've done it before. Before I came here."

Reid nodded, "Alright, tell me about those times."

Four focused on Reid, trying to figure out if it was safe to tell him. Finally he took a breath and spoke, "My father was the first. I was six." Reid could see the hatred in Four's eyes as he spoke of the man. "Stabbed him with a kitchen knife."

"Was that the first time you'd killed something?" Reid swallowed.

Four shook his head, "No, I'd killed plenty of animals before that. I liked to know what made them… tick. But he didn't die, my father. No, he lived, but I had cured him. Father and mother sent me away after that. School they called it, but it wasn't really a school. They didn't let me have sharp things. Had to stay there until I was 18, then they couldn't keep me any longer."

"What did you do after that?" Reid asked, realising this was working, he was keeping Four distracted. He didn't want to think too deeply about Four's story though. The possible implications of what might have happened to this child at the hands of his own father threatened to make Reid feel sympathy for him. Something he wasn't prepared to do.

"I went home. You should have seen the look on my father's face when he saw me all grown up. He was scared, like I used to be. But I wasn't scared anymore. He assured me that he had been good, that he'd kept his hands to himself. But he liked to lie. So I made sure, doubly sure, that his words would remain true. I cut it off." He dropped his wrist, causing the tip of his blade to point at Reid's crotch, letting the action speak for itself. A look of pure glee passing over his face at the words.

"I… I'm sorry that happened to you. That you had to go to such extremes to make it safe for you and others."

Four smiled, an expression that looked out of place on him. "Don't be. It was the beginning of the new me. I had been given purpose."

"Did you kill after that?"

Four nodded, "A few here, a few there. It was always an experiment, you know. The sickness is hidden differently in different people. Sometimes it took a while to find. Mostly they bled to death before I could find it." Four shrugged. "But that works just as well. They can't infect anyone else that way."

Reid mind flashed to an old casefile he had read. Gay men stabbed and cut open, pieces removed. One a week, for 2 months before they just stopped. To think he could be looking at the unsub for that case was both frightening and fascinating. "So, Connors found you after that?"

"Mmhmm, he'd been looking for me for a while. Said I was special. He taught me control, and discipline. I only kill now when he asks me to."

Reid was slightly astonished that someone like Four could ever be controlled, knowing that was just a testament to the supreme brainwashing skills Connors must have. "And he didn't ask you to kill me."

"Already told you, I'm not going to kill you." Four stepped forward again, refocusing on his task, but was distracted when the door swung open. He turned, only to be greeted with a strong backhand, Connors bejewelled rings scraping his skin. "B-b-boss?" Four looked up at Connors, confusion on his face.

"I told you," Connors growled, "he's a guest. This is not how we treat our guests."

"I… But you told me to have fun. I thought…" Four was cut off by Connors strong hand grabbing him by the throat. Four dropped his Queen and struggled against the hand cutting off his airway.

"Since when are you allowed to think? You don't think, you just do as you're told. Understood?"

Four attempted to nod, but didn't succeed. Reid silently cursed at himself before he opened his mouth, "Connors, let him go. I'm fine."

Connors glanced over his shoulder at Reid, menacingly. "As long as you're a guest under my roof, boy, you will address me as Sir." The carefully placed façade of a perfect gentleman slipping in his rage.

Reid raised a brow, "I will not. Now let him go."

Connors seemed to growl again before he released Four and composed himself. He looked at Four, who had slunk to the floor. "Get up; take these boxes out to the good Doctor's car, then return to your room."

Four nodded hurriedly, and didn't hesitate, taking up his Queen and putting her away as he followed his instructions. The room was silent until Four left, who was only able to carry one box at a time. Reid then cast his gaze to Connors. "You could have shown up a little sooner." Reid said bitterly.

"Be grateful I showed up at all." Connors replied.

"How did you know to show up, anyway?" Reid asked.

Connors pointed to the top corner of the room, behind the door, where a camera was placed, red light blinking. "I had to keep this room monitored. Had to make sure no one went too far. Had he died on his own time, that would have been fine, but there is no killing on site."

"You wouldn't have cared if he died?" Reid asked, already pretty sure of the answer.

"Not in the slightest. He's already dead to me. Nothing but a disappointment." Connors replied.

Reid suddenly wished he had a voice recorder, or some other way of proving to T what Connors had just said. He glanced at the camera and sighed, knowing there was no way he'd be allowed to get that recording. A few seconds ticked by and Reid refocused his thoughts. "We need to renegotiate our terms."

"Do we? And why is that?" Connors inquired.

"Considering one of your men just tried to kill me, I think I should be allowed to make a few more demands." Reid said, stretching the truth slightly.

"Requests. You can make requests, not demands." Connors corrected.

"You have another compound. I want to see it."

"The training facility. It is part of the grand tour you'll receive. Anything else."

"I want to leave tonight. You still get the chance to show me your side of things, but I am not spending the night here. Oh and I still want my phone call."

Connors considered for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "You'll miss the best part, I'm afraid, but it's a fair bargain. You may make your phone call whenever you wish."

Reid nodded and unclipped his phone from his belt, dialling his home number and raising the phone to his ear. Silently he hoped T would answer. It rang, and rang, before finally dropping to voicemail. Reid sighed and hung up without leaving a message, and started to dial again when Connors grabbed his wrist.

"I said one phone call. Just one." Connors was smirking.

"There was no answer." Reid replied, pulling his wrist free.

"Not my problem." Connors said. "Now, let me have your phone, so you don't try again." His tone left no more room for negotiation.

Slowly Reid handed it over, "I get it back when I leave."

"Of course. Now come with me, we have little time." Connors said turning to exit the small room, Reid following, just as Four came back for the second box.