Chapter 26
Week 27
By the next day Garcia had a frame by frame breakdown of every bit of the video, specifically the parts where they could see Spencer. "I even put together a computer model of the room they're in, or the best estimate I could based on what I could see."
The computer model showed a large room, with three walls of bars turning it into a U shape. The spaces between the walls and the bars on two of the sides were nicely finished, complete with carpet and paint, while the center was bare concrete. The third side was blank as it had not appeared in the video. The end of the U was divided in two; one side included a sofa, comfortable chair, reading light, TV, bookshelves. The other side held a bed. The side of the U that was seen was also divided up, one section included a treadmill, and the other held a small bathroom. "I don't think this guy is a sadist." Rossi said. "He doesn't want them to suffer."
"On the contrary, they not only have the basics, they have some creature comforts as well." Blake considered this. "Maybe he's trying to win their cooperation?"
"Or keep them healthy." JJ pointed out with a sigh. "They have ventilation, sunlight, a place to exercise, and he's feeding them the same diet he's eating at least."
"There's something else." Hotch noted. "Look at the directions of the dividers and the furniture. Every room is open to the center, and all of the furniture is angled perpendicular to the bars. If someone was standing in the center the people trapped behind the bars would have nowhere to hide."
"So he wants to watch them…live?" JJ asked.
"No, Lizzy mentioned cameras at one point. He could watch them even in a closed room." Morgan replied. "That's a clear field of fire."
"But why?" Rossi asked. "Does he want them to live a certain way? Nothing in this setup indicates anything different from current societal norms. A threat implies do X or else, but there's no indication of an X here, at all."
"Maybe some kind of psychological testing," Blake said. "Maybe variables could be changed."
"Well that's a pleasant thought." Morgan replied. He moved on to the frame by frame shots. The very first showed Reid sitting in the comfortable chair directly across from the door as it opened. He was wearing some kind of pants or jeans, a white undershirt and an open light denim shirt over top. He had his feet up on the ottoman, a book in his lap and a cup of coffee on a small table at his elbow. "Nope, that is not suffering. I think that's our other victim, right on the edge." Laura Patterson was sitting at some kind of desk or table, one of two behind the sofa. As they went frame by frame she turned to see what was going on, then looked at Spencer, who waved her back as he rose and stepped to the bars. "He's indicating that she should stay back, behind him. He's protecting her." Morgan nodded approvingly.
His movements showed Spencer to be unharmed. "I ran a computer algorithm on this, one used to confirm identity, and it showed that he's about the same size as when he left." Garcia told them. As they moved forward they saw Laura, clad in a long, loose dress, get up and stand behind Spencer as bidden. "Based on the pictures Tonya had of her it looks like Laura's bodyweight has increased by maybe 15%, but with that dress it's hard to tell."
"They both look as healthy as when they left though." Blake said.
"Yeah, but he's tighter." Morgan replied, "Looks like he's carrying less body fat. He might actually be healthier."
They watched it carefully, frame by frame. "Look at his body language." Rossi said at last. "He's curious, concerned, and outright pissed, but not once do you see submission. He wasn't just putting on a show, he hasn't given up."
"And neither have we." Hotch replied.
Week 29
Ten days later Chaz Darnell finally landed on US soil in California. Five hours after that he was sitting in an interrogation room facing Rossi and Hotch. "What the hell is going on?" He asked. In reply Hotch started the first video Katie had found. Almost immediately Darnell got the guarded, wary expression of a man who feels the noose around his neck. "I don't know anything about that."
"You were there." Rossi replied. "We know."
"I want a deal."
"There is no deal. And there is only one chance of earning any amount of good will."
"We believe a Federal Agent is being held on that property." Hotch told him.
Darnell's jaw dropped. "You mean Farmer John has a real pig down in his pigpen? I knew that bastard had a brass set but Jesus…."
"What's he doing with them down there?" Rossi asked.
"Not a clue. The way he was looking at us I didn't ask."
Hotch passed over a secure tablet with a map program up. "Show us how to get to the farm." He said.
Darnell looked at them both, considered, and shook his head. "And fuck over Kip? Not a chance. Go ahead and throw the book at me."
"Do you have any idea what they do to child molesters in prison?" Rossi asked him.
"Not a third of what Kip would do to me. Now my apologies but I want my lawyer."
Darnell simply refused to talk. He confessed to rape and molestation and participating in the manufacturing of child porn and anything else they threw at him but he would not give up "Kip" or "Farmer John". They thought they had reached another dead end until the next morning when they found Garcia already there. "I found them." She said. "I found the Unsubs."