Prentiss and Rossi tried the crowbar against the lock of the door for the hundreth time. They'd abandoned their original posts when they heard Orbus was the suspect they needed to concentrate on.
While the Cops got everyone out of the circus, the rest of the BAU rounded up the other preformers and led them to the big top where they sat in the middle of the ring, away from the props and poles.
Meanwhile Prentiss and Rossi were tasked with looking for the key and/or getting the door open. Since Mr. Drahtseil had "lost" it in the chase, they decided the easier route was just forcing open the door.
"It... wont... OPEN!" Prentiss cried after the crowbar slipped from its position again, making Prentiss collide with the door.
"We need another tactic." Rossi said, "What's another way to open the door fast?"
"Gee, maybe finding the key?" Prentiss snarled. It was dark, it was no fun being out here, and she was mad enough they hadn't found Reid here, even as the whole Circus was being searched no one had any hope of finding the young genius here.
"Prentiss." Rossi sighed, "That-"
"I know I know. I'm just frustrated by this door!" She jerked her thumb toward said door to make her point.
"Well, maybe we could dig?"
"To much time."
"Locksmith?"
"One's been called but we need to do this now Prentiss."
"Okay, okay, umm... i honestly don't know! Wait!" Prentiss scrambeled up, mentally kicking herself for not checking sooner. Yes! The hinges were on the outside of the door!
"Get me a screwdriver!"
It took less than ten minutes to bang all three pins out of the hinges before the door crashed to the ground. Then the cops and the BAU stormed inside the giant maze of mirrors.
"Careful! Don't shoot unless your sure its not one of us or the hostages." Hotch shouted from the back.
Everyone nodded and walked slowly through, branching off from the main body of people to take a turn left or right down a mirror hallway.
The lighting made the mirrors look like they were glowing, dazzling the BAU profilers reflections as they marched by.
JJ stood up against Garcia, holding one hand to comfort the terrified technical analyst and standing infront to protect her. JJ was scared to, but she could control her fear better.
"Who are you?" She called. It looked like a man wearing a top hat. The Ring Master?
"My name is Mr. Orbus."
"That doesn't tell me who you are." JJ called curtly.
Garcia was silent, then she took a breath and asked in a quivering voice, "Are you the Ring Master?"
The figure in the mirror was silent, standing rigidly still, then, "Yes."
"What are you doing?" Garcia cried, voice betraying the signs of nearing hysteria.
"No Dear Lady, what are you doing? following me after my preformance? Not very grateful of you after i gave you all those tickets."
"We wanted to make sure you didn't have anything to do with.. with..." Garcia lost her nerve as JJ backed into her when it looked like he'd taken a step. Which he had. He'd begun walking toward them slowly. The Reflections growing bigger and bigger as he neared.
"The disapearence of Spencer Reid? No I didn't have anything to do with the disapearence Dear Lady. No, not me. I wasn't even around at the time, well, somewhat. Anyway, I do not know where he is. But if you wish to look yourself, go ahead."
By now he'd rounded the corner and stood infront of them. He reached out his cane and pointed it towards one of the mirrors. It moved on its own, swinging back and revealing a dark hall past the doorway.
"How do we know you wont do anything to us?" JJ asked.
"You have my word we will not harm you." Orbus said curtly. Then he motioned his cane towards the door, "Hurry, before she realizes and punishes me."
And without another word, Garcia rushed forward, pulling JJ through the door and into the black hall. The door closed quietly behind them, but they didn't even notice.
Prentiss had somehow gotten seperated from the rest of them. She was completely alone, surrounded by mirrors.
She scanned each one carefully, looking for anything she could chase after, listening hard for footsteps.
Thump thump thump!
Prentiss whirled around in a circle, looking for the source of the sound of running feet. Or was it banging? she couldn't be sure.
Thump thump thump!
Prentiss ran downa hallway. maybe she could corner them? Or atleast head them off?
Thump thump thump!
A dark, open doorway! One of the mirrors was a door! Prentiss didn't even think, she ran inside.
Thump thump thump!
It was pitch black, so she slowed down and walked cautiously, feeling with her feet for holes or obstructions in her path, anything to make her trip.
Thump thump thump!
What was that? It was really starting to bug her.
Thump thump thump!
Prentiss kept walking, feeling the hard, cold walls for another way, some other hall.
Thump thump thump!
BANG! That's when she collided face first with the door. She leapt back and felt her nose for blood or if it was broken. No, she was okay. Then she felt forward to find the door again.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
What the heck was that?
JJ and Garcia walked slowly. They'd just been invited into a part of the maze by the suspect of the whole case after he'd trapped them in here.
Garcia held onto JJ like an iron clamp, letting herself be pulled down different turns and twists.
A shadow passed one of the mirrors, making both the women jump.
"We know your in here Orbus!" JJ shouted threateningly.
"JJ!" Garcia screamed.
On the mirror to their left was a white, disembodied head covered in black burn marks. It lifted a white hand to its mouth, touching the pointer to it's lips. Shh!
Garcia stopped breathing entirely. JJ stepped back, hitting the other mirror. She heard giggles as the mirror tileted backwards and forwards before resettling in its original position.
"Okay, we be quiet." JJ whispered.
"JJ, I cant do this anymore!" Garcia's strangled, fear ridden voice was enough to amke JJ reconsider going ahead.
"We're doing this for Reid. He could be at the end of this and we not even know it! This is the closest we've come in a long time Pen. Do you really want to turn back?" JJ asked, looking Garcia straight in the eye.
Garcia whimpered, but shook her head.
"Good." JJ said softly and took her friends hand, leading her down the next hall and turning to the right.
Prentiss was mad. All she'd done after walking through a pitch black hall and nearly flatening her nose was walk into another part of the maze. But when she'd walked through that door, it'd swung closed and locked itself. Prentiss wasn't even sure anyone knew where she was.
'They wont just leave you here. Keep calm and look for Reid while you have the chance.' She kept telling herself.
A left, right, and another left turn and the maze opened up into a somewhat circular room-like space. A dead end, but a good place to just look.
The mirrors reflected tons of shadows floating by on only the mirrors. there was no fog, no mist, nothing to reflect on besides her. Yet there they were, floating around her in the mirrors.
Prentiss got close to one and touched it, wondering if the shadows were just smudges.
A shriek followed by giggles rang out when her skin made contact with the glass, causing her to jump back.
"REID IF YOUR IN HERE ANSWER ME!" She screamed, completely shaken now. She was scared. And when she was scared, she was angry.
Thump thump thump!
"Seriously?" She cried.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
She turned around to see a silhouette against a suddenely foggy mirror, kicking and hitting it.