Reid was going a bit stir crazy, being left alone for such a long period of time with no stimulation and no ability to move. It felt as though it had been days since Malcolm's last visit, but his brain told him that couldn't be the case. He could see that it was getting close to dusk now. Sunset is at about 8:16 p.m., assuming I'm still in the D.C. area. I was taken around 2 a.m. this morning. So I've been here for approximately 18 hours. Hopefully the team is getting close. Reid knew that every case was different. Sometimes they were able to solve a case within a day, and sometimes it took much longer. Reid hoped for the former in this instance, but knew in the back of his mind that it wouldn't be that easy. It never is though. Not for me anyway.
Reid had spent most of his imprisonment attempting to profile his captor. His conclusion was unsettling. Reid's analysis concluded that Dr. Malcolm would stop at nothing to enact his revenge. The man was organized and likely had planned this entire abduction for quite some time. While Reid couldn't be sure of what exactly the man had in mind for him, he was certain that his team would be forced to watch progressively more painful videos of Reid. The thought of this made Reid feel sick. He didn't want to be the source of pain for his team. Not again.
Reid was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps near the top of the stairs, and it wasn't long before Dr. Malcolm came into view as he made his way into the basement. He was wearing the same clothes as before, minus the white jacket. Malcolm had a neutral expression on his face that alarmed Reid. It was as if this was just any other day for him. What concerned Reid more were the pair of scissors and roll of black duct tape the man held in his hands.
Malcolm smiled at Reid as he reached the bottom of the stairs. It was not a friendly smile, but a sadistic one. Reid could tell that this man was looking forward to hurting Reid again.
Reid could feel his heart rate rise as the man grew closer to him, but Malcolm walked past to what Reid could only assume was the man's staging area. As it was behind Reid, he was unable to see what exactly was happening, but he heard Malcolm set something down, and then heard a rustle of material.
When Dr. Malcolm re-emerged into Reid's field of vision, Reid could see that he now wore a black ski mask. It was an odd look for the older man, what with the rest of his outfit looking fairly professional. The roll of tape Malcolm previously held was nowhere to be seen, but the scissors were still in his hands, and he was fiddling with them in a menacing manner.
"I don't want your friends to figure out who I am. Not quite yet," Dr. Malcolm offered in explanation to Reid's unasked question about the mask.
Hopefully they already have figured it out, Reid thought. He knew that his team needed that crucial information if they had any chance of finding him. If not, hopefully there will be something telling in the next video. Reid had no doubt that such a video stream was about to take place.
As if Dr. Malcolm could tell what Reid was thinking, he walked to the laptop, opened it up, and began typing on it. It was only a few moments before Malcolm seemed satisfied that everything was ready to go. He stood off to the side of the computer, and Reid could see his disheveled self now visible on the screen. The webcam was on, and his team was about to be sent another live video stream.
Malcolm frowned at the image on the screen, and moved the entire table the computer was on to the left a few feet. He stepped back again and nodded to himself. He seemed to be more satisfied with this position of the camera, that caught Reid somewhere between a frontal and profile angle. So whatever he's going to do, he'll be standing in front of me. And he doesn't want to block the team's view.
Reid's breathing was now quite fast. He hated the prospect of this being broadcast to his friends almost more than the prospect of being tortured. He knew that, if it weren't for the drugs, he would be trembling. Infuriating as it was to not be able to move, a small part of him thought maybe it was better for the team this way. They wouldn't have to see him shake, flinch, or recoil in response to whatever Malcolm was about to do. I'll look less afraid. Maybe that will make it easier for them to watch. Reid knew that he was holding on to the faintest of silver linings here, but that was a good sign. It meant he had hope.
Malcolm had set down the scissors as he worked on the computer, but Reid could see they were back in his hands once more. Reid tried not to think about all of the gruesome things a sadistic man could do with a pair of scissors, but his eidetic memory couldn't help but recall the images of all of the crimes he had seen involving scissors. Reid tried to push them aside and focus his mind on adding to his profile of Dr. Malcolm. It gave him a small sense of control to try to profile this man like he had done with so many past unsubs. He needed that right now, because nothing else was within his control.
"Are you ready Spencer? I think it's about time we get your friends back on the screen. They must be worried sick about you." Dr. Malcolm said with an obvious taunt in his voice. He enjoys asking me questions, knowing that I can't answer. It gives him a sense of superiority over me, Reid profiled in his mind. That's it Reid, just focus on the profile and you just might get through this.
Dr. Malcolm walked over to the computer. With a press of a button, he had sent an email. They didn't have long to wait before the team would pop up on the screen. Reid knew that, unless they had a lead, they would all be in the office and would not hesitate to accept the video link. If for no other reason than to assure themselves that Reid was still alive. I'm still here. And hopefully will still be when this video ends. Reid swallowed hard and tried to prepare himself for was was to come.
"I never before realized how many people we talk to on each of our cases," Rossi groaned as he tossed another case file into the 'maybe' pile. They had been at this for hours now. The profilers knew that this was taking far too long, and they still didn't have enough of a profile to narrow down the suspect pool to a reasonable level. There's something familiar about this unsub, I just can't put my finger on it. It was a sensation that had been plaguing Rossi since watching the video. Sighing, Rossi picked up the next file and started looking through it.
"Tell me about it. I mean, we leave our fair share of angry people behind after our cases. But who could Reid have pissed off this bad? The kid has the best temperament of any of us," Morgan tossed aside the case file he had been reading through. I'm the one who always loses my cool, not Reid. Why is this happening to him instead of me?
"I don't know. You'd be surprised," Rossi countered, the faintest of smiles reaching his lips. "Reid has his moments." Rossi thought back to a case a couple of years ago, and something clicked in his mind. How could I not have seen it before?
Rossi stood, catching the attention of the rest of the profilers. "I need to see the video clip again. I have a hunch that I need to confirm."
Garcia immediately pulled up the recorded video onto the large screen in the room. "Here it is. If you don't mind, I'm going to step out. I don't think I can watch this again." She looked to Hotch for approval.
Hotch nodded his permission for Garcia to leave the room. As soon as she was gone, he pressed play on the video. The five profilers watched the short clip of their friend. Even knowing what was going to happen, it was still difficult to watch.
When the video ended, Hotch met Rossi's gaze. "Dave, did you get what you were looking for?" There was a desperate hope in his voice.
Rossi cleared his throat. "Do you remember a case we worked a couple of years ago, in Atlantic City? There was a woman named Samantha who was turning her victims into dolls."
Emily, JJ, Morgan and Hotch all nodded, acknowledging that they remembered the case.
"Reid and I went to her father's office to try to get Samantha's location out of him. Reid was pretty confrontational with the guy - he had him pegged as a child molester in two minutes flat and laid it all out for the guy right there in front of him. It was a sight to be seen." Rossi explained.
"So you think that Samantha's father is the unsub?" Prentiss questioned.
"After re-watching that video clip, I'm pretty sure of it. His voice sounded familiar but I couldn't place it until now. The way he called Reid 'doctor' with such distain – he spoke the same way back then, as if he didn't think Reid deserved the same title as himself. But the biggest piece of evidence is what he did to Reid." Rossi paused for a moment as he remembered Reid's convulsing body on the video.
JJ had found the case Rossi was referring to as he had been talking. File in hand, she spoke. "Dr. Arthur Malcolm used electroshock therapy on his daughter Samantha when she was ten years old," JJ read, realizing the connection Rossi was getting at.
"Exactly. Dr. Malcolm has to be our guy. It all fits," Rossi concluded. He wished he had been wrong, but knew in his heart that the man holding Reid was Samantha's father. The anger in his eyes when he looked at Reid two years ago – I can only imagine what that rage has morphed into since then, if he really blames Reid for losing everything he had.
Hotch thought back to the video and on what had been bothering him since the first time he had seen it. Reid's behavior had been off, and now he thought he knew why. "JJ, what did Samantha use on her victims to make them into dolls?" he questioned.
"It says here that she used a battery of neural inhibitors to keep them physically immobile while remaining conscious." JJ grimaced as she thought back on it.
That was unfortunately just what Hotch had thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to stave off his growing headache. "We never figured out how Samantha was getting her hands on all of those drugs, but now I think she was getting them from her father."
Prentiss looked confused. "What does that have to do with Reid?" She asked, though she suspected she wouldn't like the answer.
Hotch sighed and wiped his face in exhaustion and discomfort in what he had just realized. "Last time Reid was in this situation with Hankel, he used the videos to try to communicate with us. But Dr. Malcolm said that Reid couldn't answer me because he was 'inhibited,' and now I think he was being literal. I think he's keeping Reid on the same drugs as Samantha kept her dolls." Hotch brought a hand to his eyes. If what he just said was true, Reid was trapped in his own body. That was a torture all its own.
At that moment, Garcia re-emerged into the conference room with a tea in her hand. She could sense from the tension in the room and the grave expressions on her friend's faces, that something had happened while she was away. "What's going on?"
Morgan looked at Garcia. "Baby girl, find everything you can on Dr. Arthur Malcolm from Atlantic City. We think he's our unsub."
Garcia got immediately to typing. "I'll have that information for you in two shakes of a lamb's tail." Just as she was about to pull up Dr. Malcolm's file, something else happened on her screen that caused her to pause. "Sir, I have another email from the unsub," Garcia said, eyes wide and just barely holding in a sob.
"What does it say, Penelope?" Hotch asked.
"It's another link. And the subject just says, 'Revenge.'"