Not Ready to Lose You Chapter 6
A/N: So here is another chapter of this story. I want to thank RogueStorm84 for being the beta for this story and for doing a wonderful job looking over this chapter! I also want to thank all you readers for Reading, Reviewing, Favoriting (This is not a word, but I had to call it something), and/or Following this story! Your support gives me the boost I need to continue on this journey with Reid, Morgan, and the BAU team. Well enough of my rambling...here is Chapter 6 of 'Not Ready to Lose You'. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds of its characters, only the psycho and the victims are my creation.
Warning: Mention of murder/violence(Mild)
After finding the second victim before the forty-eight hours had been up the team had gone into overdrive. The tension was high and the room was drenched in silence. The unexpected death of yet another person had spurred an intense feeling of dread. But no one was affected more than Reid.
This burden rested heavily on his shoulders. To him every life that was lost was his fault. These lives were being taken because he had lived. His mind was wondering what if. What if he had given up in the apartment? What if Morgan had answered the phone? What if he had simply let his life slip away? Logically speaking he knew that dying had not been an option. Even if Reid had simply let go he knew that the Unsub would have just chosen another victim…and then another…and another until he was caught. But emotionally he was being swallowed whole by the guilt. It covered him completely, stealing his sense of ease and throwing him into a downward spiral.
He had been extremely moody lately. Snapping at unexpected moments at people that he had never lost his temper with. Just half an hour earlier Reid had yelled at Hotch, "Do it yourself! I'm not a work slave!" Only once the words were out did Reid realize his outburst and apologize profusely. Now the team was gathered in the conference room. Hotch stood looking over his team. With his eyes portraying no emotions he took everything in. The distressed look that his youngest agent was wearing was painful to watch. Reid was falling apart right before their eyes and they were no closer to fixing this. No closer to making Reid safe again and easing his guilt. Morgan sat off to Reid's side. Hotch noticed how the brawn of his team shadowed Reid's every move. He was like the moon orbiting Earth. Reid was Morgan's Earth.
The older agent had a glint of despair in his eyes. His hope was slowly diminishing and he was clearly beating himself up over this entire ordeal. Hotch watched Morgan as he got a faraway look in his eyes, most likely thinking about what he could have done to protect Reid better, even though he knew that he couldn't have done anything. Still Morgan replayed everything in his head, making himself suffer instead of letting it go and helping Reid through his hard time.
Prentiss was staring down at the new victim's file but she hadn't turned a single page in the last five minutes. Her face spoke of deep thought and concern. JJ was mindlessly playing with her hair. Her eyes trained on her son's godfather as emotion after emotion flickered on and off her face. Garcia was typing with a look of pure determination and ferocity. Since the call with the name of the second victim, she had been sitting in the conference room digging through his life. They all looked haunted. His entire team, but the only two agents not showing it were himself and Rossi. Hotch quickly looked to his right to see Rossi studying the team just as he was.
Hotch knew what the team needed. They needed to get focused. They needed to pull it together and push harder. "What do we know?" Hotch posed the same question that everyone had asked for the past thirty minutes.
"Well, he is clearly obsessed with Reid. So from that alone we know that he had a trauma in his past. Most likely as a child. He is clearly angry, but what was his stressor?" Prentiss asked as she looked up waiting for an answer.
"Before we can know that we need more of the profile. What did we learn from the Medical Examiner?" Hotch asked, trying to steer the conversation.
"Victim one was twenty-seven year old Jason Montello. He was shot in the torso. The ME said that the bullet had been lodged in between the fifth and sixth ribs." Morgan paused when Reid spoke up.
"What do you mean by had?" Reid asked.
"The bullet was removed…before death. The spleen was also nicked. So, while the bullet was being removed he was also bleeding out."
"The incision was done like it had been practiced. The examiner suggests that the Unsub is probably a surgeon or surgical intern. The toxicology report came back clear so he wasn't drugged. There were also no defensive wounds and no signs of sexual assault." Prentiss placed a photo on the table. The team finally had their game faces on. Reid grabbed the image from the table.
"This is the work of an intern."
"What makes you so sure Reid?" Morgan asked, leaning forward to look over his lover's shoulder. Reid pointed to the incision in the photograph.
"The incision isn't perfect. The edges are slightly jagged as if the hand was shaking. Shaking because he was nervous." Reid explained with ease. His spirit was finally rising after solving another piece of the puzzle.
It was Rossi who shot down Reid's spirit when he said, "Well not necessarily. Remember the victim was awake when the bullet was removed. Since there was clearly no drugs in his system it is safe to assume that the Unsub did not provide morphine or an anesthetic. So, the jagged marks could be from the way that the victim struggled against the pain of the cut." Reid's frown deepened as he thought about what Rossi had pointed out. He was right. There was nothing that they could conclude from the incision. Maybe if the victim had been dead, then we could draw a conclusion, but considering the amount of pain that it could cause to be cut open right over a fresh bullet wound… Reid's thoughts came to a halt when he heard Garcia squeak with excitement.
"Okay my pretties," exclaimed Garcia as she finally looked up from her laptop. "I finally have a connection. Our victims are twenty-seven year old Jason Montello and twenty-nine Danny Ford. Montello was a medical intern just like our sick Unsub but Ford was a gym trainer. They both have different racial backgrounds, as well as places of birth and family dynamics."
"So, what is the connection then Garcia?" JJ asked.
"I managed to pull up the financial records. Both males frequented the exact same bar. A bar named-" Garcia was cut off by the loud ringing of the phone. The room went silent as the team stared at each other. Hotch was the first one to move. Clicking the button to accept the call the entire team held their breaths, not knowing what to expect.
"Well agents, I take it that you found the second victim? Hmm…how does it feel to know that his life was taken because of your stupidity?"
"Why did you kill Danny Ford before the forty-eight hours were up? " Rossi questioned as he took a seat at the table. There was a gut wrenching feeling that was nagging him. With his facial features under stern control he fought against letting everyone know how this was going to end. He knew what this sick bastard wanted…Spencer. And he wanted him now.
"You should probably ask Agent Hotchner that question. Perhaps you can enlighten us Aaron."
"I don't know-"
"Bullshit! You know exactly what you did! The entire nation knows thanks to your little statement to the press. Did you really think that I wouldn't be watching? You denied the fact that this whole case circles around Dr. Reid. You robbed me of my achievement. Ripped away the only thing that matters! The pathetic socially challenged FBI agent has already taken my dignity! I will NOT allow him to take away my credit! So as retribution for your crimes against my passion I want the dear doctor. You have twelve hours to return Spencer Reid to his apartment unprotected. If I see one officer I will murder another person. If I see that Agent Morgan is loitering I will kill another person! And if Dr. Reid is not present I will kill one victim every twenty-four hours! Soon Spencer, we will be together again. You have twelve hours…time starts now."
The line went dead. The room was filled with harsh breathing and an eerie beeping sound. Fear was written on everyone's faces. Garcia's eyes brimmed with the tears that threatened to spill over. All eyes shifted to look at Spencer. He shuddered as memories that he had ignored rushed forward. Reid found himself surrounded by his agony and despair. He was going to die, he was sure of it. If the Unsub didn't kill him then the guilt would. There was a nagging feeling that Spencer was all too used to. He fought hard to push the thoughts and voices aside. With the dark moments of his past shoved aside he tried to find what he was missing. Reid still didn't understand what he had done or who he had upset. Then as if an answer was waiting for the right time to present itself, everything clicked into place.
"We met at a bar," Reid said, blinking quickly to dislodge the tears that hampered his vision. He felt his lover tense next to him, but he forced the rest of the information to come out with silent tears marring his face. "We met at a gay bar. He is doing this because…be-because I-I-I turned d-down his invitation to dinner and a movie."
A/N: Well there you have it. I know that you are probably trying to figure out why I left it here. Well, let's just say that next chapter will be very revealing and Morgan will learn some things about how Reid is feeling. Anything in particular you want to see just PM me or Review! So as always don't forget to R&R, because Reviews equal love and support which means more creativity for me to share! Until next time...See Ya :D