Warning: child abuse/ intense interrogation scenes

Chp. 21

Emily wanted to be out doing something, anything to get Spencer back. The longer he was away from her and the more time he spent with his captor gave her mind ample time to run rampant. She thought about what could be happening to him, then forced herself to stop. She thought about what she could have done to change the circumstances that had led the team to where they were now. She thought about what she could do to help get Spencer back. Jason had been right, as usual, that blaming Mark wouldn't solve anything. In fact, Emily had learned that Mark had captured one of the men holding Spencer and that Mark and Will were currently interrogating him. She wanted to be involved, but Morgan was standing in her way.

"Prentiss, would we allow any other victim to interrogate a suspect?" Derek asked.

"No, but…" She started, but Morgan held up a hand signaling he wasn't finished.

"Do you trust Will?" When she nodded, Morgan continued. "Do you trust Rossi?" She understood this question to mean that if Emily trusted Dave, she should trust Mark as well.

"You know I do, Derek. What's your point?"

"As hard as it is, we need to wait for Will and Mark to bring back whatever information they can so we can start in the right direction and get our boy back that much sooner."

"Our boy?" She asked.

"You think we'd let anyone else take him?" Derek asked.

Emily smiled and shook her head, but tears were forming in her eyes. Morgan stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. For now, until the phone rang and they were given something to go on, it was all Derek could do.

000

Mark stopped the SUV outside a nondescript and somewhat rundown building in the bad part of town. After sending a text, he waited for the roller door to open.

"They awake in there?" Will asked.

"Guess so," Mark said as the door started rolling up. He pulled in and the door closed behind him. The inside of the building was and open concept floor plan with some cells and an interrogation room along the back wall. Another area held a kitchenette, shower/bathroom and some bunks with lockers. It was a bare bones operation designed to give Dragon Slayer teams a place to interrogate potentially uncooperative sources.

The third member of Mark and Will's team, James Blake, was waiting for them. Like Will, James had been in the U.S. Army prior to joining the U.S. Marshals Service. Blake had served as a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot in the 160th Special Operation Air Regiment (SOAR). He still held an air rating on the Blackhawk helicopter as well as some civilian helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Blake and other two men shook hands and they brought him up to speed.

"Has our friend in the truck said anything?" James asked.

"Nope." Mark said, "You wanna play good cop?"

"I suck at good cop."

Mark shrugged. "Well, one of you has to play the good cop 'cause I kinda fell into the bad cop role. Sorry."

James' eyes narrowed at this admission. "Mark, what'd you do?"

"I got the drop on him and threatened to torture him if he didn't give us information most ricky-tick."

James sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, I'll play good cop. Will, do you mind alternating?"

Will shrugged. "Sure; I'll call Garcia and have her dig up info once we get a name."

Mark perked up. "Actually, can I do that?"

James smirked before Will could respond. "She your new girlfriend?"

"Nope." Mark said quickly. Too quickly.

"Not yet, you mean." Will said.

Mark glowered. "Shut it, hick."

Will smirked. "Eat me, whop."

"Children, behave. We got work to do, and a kid to save." James said, ever the voice of reason.

With that admonishment, James and Mark went to retrieve the prisoner. Will turned on the surveillance equipment and prepared to monitor the interrogation.

000

Spencer lay on a cold wood floor, in a dark room. He was terrified, but he did have a slim ray of home. He felt the faint nail marks from Emily's finger nails as she'd attempted to hang on to him. She wouldn't stop looking for him and neither would Morgan. He couldn't explain it, but Morgan was the first man he'd felt safe around sense…probably ever. Spencer snapped back to the present when the door and his father stood over him.

"Get on the bed." William commanded, in a cold angry tone. Dejected and petrified, Spencer did as he was told. Despite his efforts to control it, paroxysms of terror ran through Spencer's body as he registered what was about to happen. Tears rolled down his cheeks and his mouth opened in a silent scream.

William shook his head, "You should be used to it by now, Spencer. Daddy always gets what he wants. Turn over."

Spencer again did as he was told and kept one thought in his mind. Please find me mommy and daddy.

000

A bright light filled his vision and Alvin winced painfully. He tried to look around the room, but the light blinded him enough that he couldn't get a clear picture of his surroundings.

"Do you know where you are?" a voice asked, startling him.

Alvin hesitated. "Do you know where you are?" the voice asked again, impatient this time.

"No idea, other than you picked the wrong guy to mess with." Alvin answered.

"Wrong guy to…" the voice started, then broke into a fit a laughter. As his eyes adjusted, Alvin could see another man was in the room.

"Our friend thinks he's a heavy weight." Alvin heard voice 1 say. Then he knew he'd made a mistake because he saw a table behind the man. He watched as the man picked up a knife. Alvin eyes darted between the man and the knife as his captor closed the distance between them. Alvin's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. He tried to move away, but Mark was too quick.

The chair was against the wall and Mark used this to his advantage, placing his right forearm across Alvin's throat. The next thing Alvin registered was blinding pain in his left shoulder. His eyes bugged at the shock of this new sensation and his breathing rate increased to the point of hyperventilation. Out of the corner of his left eye he saw red and some part of his brain told Alvin he was bleeding. He watched as his captor calmly stepped back.

"What…what…" Alvin's mind tried to form the sentence but he couldn't get past the pain in his shoulder.

"Stabbed you in the shoulder, pussy. You need to toughen up, Al." Mark said, turning his back on the man.

"You son of a bitch! I didn't touch your damn kid!" Alvin screamed, crying now. He'd never experience pain like this in his life. He'd say anything to make it stop.

"Insult my mother again, and we'll go for round two." Mark threw this last bit as a parting shot, as he and James walked out the door, leaving their prisoner to think about all the choices that had led him to be where he was now.

000

A/N: I don't claim ownership of the character of James Blake. He belongs to the Criminal Minds writers. Alex Blake will be introduced later in this story as well.

A/N2: Thanks for all the reviews, favorites etc., as always. They make this all worth it.