I'm nervous posting this one :O Oh, this is an intense chapter. These are seriously getting harder and harder to write without covering the same ground and getting stale with the plot. Perhaps I should have let Reid stay in the nice cosy hospital... nah!
Okay, firstly I must apologise for the length of time between chapters. As I say, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to write as I took myself down a plot line that hasn't been fully thought out just as yet. The subject matter is also particularly draining and I can find myself getting lost in my own head space a lot, so I need to take myself away from it for a while then. But I am pretty sure on where I'm going now. The next chapter, I'm hoping will be the emotional one. It's just a case of what comes out when I start typing really.
I would also like to thank all of you who keep reviewing the chapters, they really mean a lot to me so I would love more of you to do so too ;) ;) I'm really grateful to those of you who really stick with me. Anyway, don't hate me too much for this chapter, this is probably as bad as it's gonna get. It's a dark one :O Poor Spence.
WARNINGS: Please take heed, things get about as bad as they can possibly get in this chapter. If there was a sticker for being cruel to a character and creating a feeling of utter hopelessness, I think I might just get it for this chapter. But hopefully it's been done well :/ Non-con, swearing (lots), violence, all the uglies.
(Ha just read this chapter through, wow I'm evil) ENJOY!
Rossi, Morgan and Hotch sat around the table in the conference room, still staring at the same information. JJ and Prentiss had gone back to the gym to interview Steve again. They knew it was a long shot, but they figured that even a little bit of extra information would help.
Morgan sighed loudly, dropping his head onto the table.
"This is useless! We're just looking at the same stuff over and over again and finding nothin' new!"
"There has to be something in all of this somewhere. Something to suggest where he might have taken him." Hotch reassured.
"But what if there isn't Hotch?" He turned his concerned deep brown eyes to the other man.
"Don't lose hope, Morgan. We've got to keep going." Hotch said strongly.
"What? Like you have?" Morgan snapped. "You've given Rossi the lead on this, man. You can't lecture me on not giving up!"
"Morgan-" Rossi warned.
Morgan automatically reprimanded himself.
"Sorry, Hotch. I shouldn't have said that."
Hotch shook his head, a signal for Morgan to forget it. Hotch didn't want him to know that his comment had stung.
The men sat in silence for a good minute, still looking through various papers and lists of possible victims. The list seemed endless. So many men fitting the profile had been killed in blitz attacks over the last ten years.
"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Rossi sighed. Morgan looked up, a memory playing on his mind.
"Or Reid would say we were looking for a particular needle in a pile of needles." Rossi raised his eyebrow curiously at Morgan. He shrugged in return. "A needle would stand out in a haystack... apparently."
"Ah." Rossi smiled slightly. There were so many reasons why the team cared so much for Reid. His unnecessary correction of common phrases was one of them. An uncomfortable silence overtook them again. Rossi shifted nervously. "You know we still have some evidence that we haven't used yet..." He eyed the other two men, carefully.
Hotch looked up at him, knowing what he was going to say.
"What?" Morgan questioned, willing to try anything.
"The rest of the tape." He said searching Morgan's gaze for a reaction.
Morgan's brows furrowed.
"We can't watch any more of that, Rossi." He said categorically.
"Nobody said you had to watch it. Either of you... But I will if it means we get some information."
"But what is he really gonna say? Reid clearly didn't know that Jason planned on taking him again. And Reid's not stupid. He would have been profiling the guy constantly. He wouldn't have missed something like that."
"No, but he wouldn't understand the significance of Jason talking about his favourite bar or about a friend, or anything like that. It's only now we can make that connection." Hotch clearly thought watching the video was their only option right now.
Morgan ran a hand over his face, sighing.
"I hate this." Morgan had obviously conceded. Rossi nodded to Hotch to grab the next tape.
"You don't have to watch this, Morgan. You know that." Rossi reassured him.
"I do." He answered simply, leaving no room for questions. They all understood each other's reasons for not avoiding watching the video. They hadn't been there for Reid, this seemed like their only chance to do something right by him. As invasive as it felt.
Hotch pressed play and they were greeted with the sight of Jason leaning over Reid after assaulting him. Reid's arms and legs were chained to the bedposts and he just lay flat, staring at the ceiling.
"Spence?" Jason nudged him, trying to rouse him. Reid wasn't responding so he tried again. This time he was successful. Reid blinked and shook away his daze.
"He was dissociating." Rossi noted.
Morgan shook his head in sadness. Seeing Reid's mind slowed down so much was painful to watch.
Reid started shaking then and Jason released his arms from the chains. Reid curled in on himself and turned on his side. Jason was looking at him, almost sadly.
"I've gotta go back to work now, Spence. Can I have a kiss?"
Hotch scoffed. Both at the lie and the ridiculous request. They watched as Jason placed a gentle kiss on Reid's neck and advised him to 'eat something', before leaving the room. Reid didn't respond at all. He was obviously deeply disturbed. The odd shudder ran down his body. But again, he didn't cry. He was completely silent. They watched for any movement for a good five minutes and then Hotch decided to 'fast forward' the tape.
"He must be asleep." Morgan commented.
They watched as the tape rolled through the footage quickly and Reid moved onto his back and again, wasn't moving.
"He's not asleep." Hotch noted thoughtfully. "He's just staring at the ceiling."
They all furrowed their brows when they thought about what this suggested. Jason was obviously starting to have a serious effect on Reid's mental state and this did not bode well for his current situation.
Eventually they came to the end of the tape and inserted the next one. This tape contained much of the same. Reid staring up at the ceiling. In fact, that was all that tape contained.
"He was like that for hours." Rossi said, shaking his head.
The next tape was then inserted. Eventually they came to a point where Jason entered the room again, he moved straight over to the chair and sat.
"I know you're awake, Spence."
Reid snapped uncharacteristically.
"I wasn't pretending otherwise." Reid then shifted, sitting himself up.
"He's trying to hold it together." Rossi commented.
"You don't look too great if I'm honest, Spence. You look tired."
Morgan scoffed, shooting an angry look to Hotch. Hotch shook his head in disbelief.
"I'm fine." They heard Reid quickly retort.
"Ooh, a bit defensive aren't we? I've only come down here for a bit of company. Hard day at the office."
He picked up the whisky, offered some to Reid, when he didn't respond, he returned to the chair in the corner.
"Like good old friends having a chat over a drink." Rossi commented sarcastically. They couldn't believe he was bending Reid's ear over a job he hadn't even been in to. And depending on Reid for emotional support.
"Did you speak to anyone today?" Reid's voice was quiet. It wasn't clear whether he really believed Jason's work story, but they figured he might have been playing along. But at the hospital, he'd clearly had his doubts.
"Nope. Just my team, as always. Morgan asked whether I'd heard from you. I said no, naturally."
Morgan sprang out of his seat. If Jason had been in the room right then and there, he most certainly would have been unconscious by now.
"WHAT THE HELL?" Morgan shouted at the screen. He paced the room, trying to keep himself calm.
Neither Rossi nor Hotch had the heart to tell him to sit down. It seemed that Jason liked to push his buttons. And was succeeding.
"Didn't Morgan find it strange that you hadn't been in contact with me?"
"He doesn't believe him, Morgan." Hotch said calmly.
"No, but he did, didn't he? There was that little bit of doubt there. And that was enough." Morgan said frustrated.
"Nope, not when I said you'd told me to fuck off... Well, in your own little way, of course."
"I wanna kill this guy." Morgan said, still pacing.
"I'm perfectly capable of telling people to fuck off, you know." Reid sounded offended, irritated.
"Morgan, sit down." Rossi ordered. Sensing that something was brewing. Morgan turned to the man and reading his body language, he realised he hadn't meant it offensively. So he sat.
"Really?" Jason's eyes danced with laughter, which made Reid's colleague's eyes dance with anger.
"Come near me again and you'll find out." Reid said, his voice low and deadly. Like the team had never heard it before.
"Oh no, Reid. Don't antagonise him." Morgan said, rubbing his hand over his face.
This is the mood that Rossi had been sensing.
"Well bravo to you, Spence! Bravo! You've obviously recharged your batteries after your earlier lesson. You've a lot more oil in your can than I gave you credit for."Jason was completely patronising Reid at that moment, taking almost a victory sip from his whisky glass. "Shame for you though, it only makes it more fun for me. Real shame."
"If you think that you will break me, you're mistaken. I'm not a child, no matter how much you treat me like one."Reid calmly retorted back, also his voice was laced with unexpressed anger.
They watched Jason stare long and hard at Reid. Reid stared back, his gaze unflinching.
"He's got some guts, I'll give him that." Hotch commented proudly.
"You can fight me if it makes you feel better, Spencer. But the fact of the matter is, there is no way out for you. Both your legs are chained to this bed, unless you're going to drag a double bed up some stairs whilst also incapacitating me, I don't think there is much you can do. In the end, Spence. I'll win."
They watched as Reid's gaze flinched. His shoulders dropped slightly. If it was obvious to them, then it was definitely obvious to Jason. They all knew Reid was never going to win this battle. And watching this, knowing already that he had lost made it all the harder. As much as they tried to cheer him on inside, they knew deep down, Jason had already won this battle of wills.
"Then I'll make it as difficult as possible for you. You'll wish you'd never bothered." Reid smiled.
"I bet he did an' all." Morgan said. Feeling a sad pride at the strength Reid was showing, despite how terrified he must have been.
"Oh Spence. You just don't get it, do you? It really doesn't matter how much you fight. I'll be the one with the knife." Reid suddenly burst out laughing, the team exchanged concerned glances.
"You think a knife scares me now? One thing I've realised about you Jason, is that you aren't going to kill me. Not yet. Not till you've got what you want at least!"
"What is he doing? He's giving away all he knows." Hotch said, frustrated.
"So a knife no longer bothers you then?" Jason sat smiling. It was obvious he didn't believe Reid. Who would? The team knew that Reid had done himself no favours here.
"Okay, Spence. Well let's have it this way then. How about I strap you down to that bed so fucking tight that you can't even move? How does that sound?"
"Oh my god." Morgan gasped, turning away from the screen. His jaw tight with tension. Rossi took in a deep breath. Hotch found himself wanting to reach in through the screen and pull the young man out. Knowing Reid was back with Jason was making this so much harder. Even though they knew it wasn't live, it may as well have been for what might have been happening to him at that moment.
They watched the panic scuttle across Reid's face and he quickly pulled it back. But it had been there. That much was undeniable.
"Aah, so that does bother you then."Jason was teasing him. "My own personal puppet, under my complete control. That sounds pretty appealing to me. What do you think?"
Hotch paled, feeling as though the blood had drained out of his body.
"Oh come on, man!" Morgan shouted, devastated for his friend.
"It doesn't bother me, no."
Reid was clearly trying so hard, but he just couldn't keep that shake out of his voice.
"Hmm... You think you're so smart, don't you, Spencer?" Jason was now moving slowly and carefully towards Reid. The team's stomachs flipped as they thought about what his intentions were. "Thinking that hiding your fear from me will somehow change things. Make me less likely to want you?"Reid tried to interrupt but was cut off. "You're very much mistaken, Spence. If only you'd realise, I'm all for the fight. In fact, it makes it all the more worthwhile for me. The more you fight, the more I want to have you. And the more I want to have you, the less chance you have."
"He really is one sick son of a bitch." Morgan said. The energy had left his body. He was in shock now.
"So we can do this one of two ways. You can fight me, and I will have you anyway. Or you can co-operate, which will make it a bit easier for you, but the results will still be the same... It's up to you."
Reid looked as though he had just given up, his shoulders were slumped and his body language was tired and depressed. Until Jason's hand sneaked onto his shoulder. He tensed instantly.
"Get off me." He spoke through gritted teeth.
"Or else... what?"Jason smiled mockingly.
Reid suddenly punched Jason in the face. The team looked to each other, concerned.
"What's he doing?" Rossi said passionately. "He's just making it worse."
"What's he supposed to do Rossi, just sit back and take it?" Morgan said frustrated.
They both went silent again as Jason started speaking.
"I didn't think you had it in you, Spence."When Reid stood up to meet his tormentor's gaze, Jason continued. "So we're playing this game again then?"
The team watched helplessly as Jason launched himself at Reid and grabbed him by the throat. He looked as though he was going to strangle the younger man. Eventually, Reid's fight started to leave him slightly, as the oxygen began to leave his body. This is Jason head butted him, knocking him out cold.
"Fuck." Morgan said as Jason's head met Reid's and his young colleague's arms fell limp.
"Wake up, Reid... Wake up." Hotch was muttering.
The three men looked sickened as Jason brought the unconscious Reid into a passionate kiss then started groping his lifeless body. Out of respect and disgust his colleagues only glanced occasionally.
"He's not even talking. He's not said a fuckin' word that will help us."
"We knew it was a long shot Morgan." Hotch said.
"He would never have told us about any of this." Morgan said glancing through his fingers at the screen. "Oh god, he's rolling him over." He said without thinking. Turning away again.
Hotch and Rossi watched as Jason pulled him up the bed then started routing under the mattress.
"What's he looking for?" Rossi said curiously. His question was soon answered when a leather straps were produced through holes in the mattress. His mouth dropped open slightly.
Hotch dropped his face into his hand.
"Oh god." He said uncharacteristically.
"What? What?" Morgan said, refusing to look. When no one answered, his curiosity got the better of him and he glanced at the television. "No! You gotta be fucking kidding me?" Morgan shouted angrily. Both Reid's hands were strapped down and his midsection was just being secured to the bed. Morgan was stood again, pacing. He only stopped, freezing completely when Reid moaned slightly, coming out of his unconscious state.
As he tried to move and found he couldn't, he made little panicked noises and his eyes opened wide.
Hotch's eyes started watering. Watching this was almost like watching a son. It was too much.
They watched as Jason stroked his back gently, 'soothing' him.
"Shhh, Spence. I thought this didn't bother you. I mean, I did promise you this if you were to fight me."
Reid was now crying, all calm was gone. Reid knew he had lost this battle.
"Please, Jason. Don't do this."
Morgan's eyes were now filling up with tears too. He was so frustrated. To hear his friend begging someone who he had trusted not to force him to do something he desperately didn't want to do was just heartbreaking. They were words they would never be able to erase from their memories. Along with the pictures. As unfair as it was on Reid, they knew when they looked at him, they would never quite look at him the same way. They would always remember this sight and always feel sad. If they got him back at all that was.
The sight was just made worse by Jason lying flat down on top of Reid and pushing his lips to his cheek.
"Shh... you have no idea what you're doing to me, Spencer."
"Sick fuck... you sick fuck!" Morgan banged his fist hard on the table. The was constantly swinging between anger, sadness and shock.
Reid was begging again but Jason carried on, moving to remove Reid's boxers. Out of respect for Reid the men turned away. But a sudden sound of shouting drew their accident back to the screen, followed by a loud shriek of pain coming from their colleague.
"You fucking bastard!"
"That's when he stabbed him." Hotch said quietly.
"What happened?" Rossi asked.
Hotch picked up the remote and rewound, only going as far back as was necessary. They didn't want to watch a repeat of this whole trauma.
"He bent back his fingers with his knee... look." Hotch rewound again to show them.
They nodded.
"So he has uncontrollable rage when someone hurts him. Good job for him Reid wasn't the same, right." Rossi commented humourlessly.
Jason then kept telling Reid to shut up and strapped his legs to the bed now, so he was completely incapacitated. The men turned around again.
"Please... please... don't do this Jason... We were good friends... We helped each other..." Jason simply ignored Reid and started undressing, causing the young man to panic further, desperately trying to save himself from his seemingly inevitable fate. "I can help you! I can help you with whatever you want! Please, just untie me! I will comply, I promise! I promise!"
"Oh god, Reid." Morgan said sadly, not even looking at the screen. He couldn't do it.
"It's too late for all that, Spence. I've waited too fucking long for this. And I'm gonna enjoy it."
Rossi was the only one watching as Jason finally laid himself down on top of the young man and wrapped his hand around his face, covering his mouth. He turned away before the actual rape began. Having the sudden urge to be violently sick.
Reid lay on the cold floor. Barely daring to move. Jason had fallen asleep almost straight after he'd brutally raped him. Jason's hand was still gently wrapped around Reid's wrist and his arm and leg were still strewn across him, trapping him against the floor. Reid's body was a lot less tense now, having been forced to relax purely by the sheer duration in which he had been in this position.
He felt numb. He no longer felt frustrated, he no longer felt angry. He no longer felt tired, or awake, or anything. He just stared at the ceiling, lost in the disbelief and hopelessness of what his promising life had so fast become.
He could feel Jason's hot breath tickling his cheek as the man slept. Reid had pulled his face away enough times by now to know that it was a useless task. Jason would simply shift in his sleep and pull him back closer again. Although Reid hated the feeling of the man being in such close proximity to him, it was certainly preferable to him being on top of him and awake. So he kept still, willing his body to stop shaking.
As he stared at the ceiling, he winced as a shot of pain darted up his leg. His body was battered. His stomach in particular, ached dreadfully. And his wrists stung from where they had been used as a hanging device for the rest of his body. The bandages that covered a large percentage of his body right now were starting to unravel. His swollen, broken knuckles were now exposed. Reid didn't think he would ever feel like himself again. He now lived in a world clouded by pain, he felt consistently dirty and his mind was slowed considerably by depression. Emotions were fast becoming too exhausting to deal with, so he pushed them back as he tried to calmly come to terms with the fact he most likely wouldn't make it out of there alive.
Reid stopped breathing for a few moments, his body tensing as Jason moaned in his sleep slightly. He shifted, rubbing his mouth against Reid's cheek. Jason then settled into stillness again and Reid breathed a sigh of relief.
"You still awake?" Jason said softly. Reid quickly closed his eyes, trying his best to feign sleep. Jason lifted his head to examine Reid's face. He smiled slightly when he saw Reid had his eyes closed. Jason wasn't stupid, he knew when someone was faking it. His smile broadened. "Well I guess if he's asleep, he won't mind if I do this then."
He ran his hand down Reid's front, Reid sucked in his stomach and tensed. His hand moved to stop the progression of Jason's. He opened his eyes, knowing he'd been caught out, but not particularly caring. Reid sighed. Did Jason ever give him a break?
"I can't sleep." Reid said quietly with a hint of accusation in his voice.
"I slept very well." He stroked Reid's face and then turned it to kiss him on the lips. Jason breathed in Reid's scent as he did so. He let out a satisfied moan against Reid's lips. Reid didn't react. "Not fighting me now, Spence?" Jason smiled, looking deep into the young man's eyes.
Reid sighed.
"What's the point?" He turned his face away, avoiding Jason's predatory glare.
Reid's face was forcefully pulled back towards Jason's and he playfully bit Reid's bottom lip. Again, Reid didn't react, just closed his eyes for a short moment.
"Because I like it." Jason growled, clearly irritated by Reid's lack of reaction.
"Of course you do, you're a sexual sadist who gains arousal through the pain and exploitation of your victims. You like to dominate, because it makes you feel important in a world that otherwise ignores your existence. You struggle to make waves in your professional life, working in an office where you have gone unnoticed for the largest part of two years. Rejected from the BAU as an agent, few friends to speak of, no relationships, no parents. It's hardly surprising you need to force someone to be intimate with you. It's the only way you can feel in control." Reid said calmly, with no emotion in his voice. He clearly wasn't scared right now.
Anger flashed in Jason's eyes and he grabbed Reid by the throat. Reid flinched, Jason tingled slightly at the sight. But soon Reid was calmly looking him straight in the eye. Then Jason flipped.
"You think you know what dominating is, kid?" Jason quickly stood, dragging Reid up by his throat. He winced as his body complained. "You're gonna regret the day you ever fuckin' went there." He pushed Reid over towards the bed, again Reid made no effort to fight. He was definitely scared, but his body didn't have the energy to keep the adrenaline pumping around his body at such a rate. Something had to give. He grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, he pushed Reid forwards and down onto the bed. His face pressed firmly into the mattress. He cried out slightly as his body ached and twinged. Jason was stood behind him and leaned over to lick his cheek. "Shut up, Spence."
"All you're doing is proving the profile correct." Reid said a little faster than he would have liked. Jason pushed the back of Reid's gown open and rubbed himself up against him. "You're doing this because you want an ego boost. This isn't even about intercourse." Reid tried to keep his voice calm and level, as difficult as that was.
Jason groped around Reid's body then readied a finger at his entrance.
"No, Spencer? Not about intercourse?" He asked curiously, teasingly.
"No, this is about-" Jason inserted his finger and Reid lifted his body off the bed in a gesture of extreme discomfort, but he desperately tried to keep talking. "T-this is about power. Most of the time-" Jason inserted another finger and Reid's hands grabbed at the mattress desperately trying to alleviate some of his discomfort. Reid stuttered. "Most of the time," Reid continued undeterred. "A man doesn't even have to be homosexual to attack another man. It's often less about the victim and more about the attacker."
"Well I can assure you, Spence." Jason inserted another finger making Reid's back arch. "I am most definitely homosexual. And this is allabout you." He leaned over his victim, pushing his weight onto Reid's neck so his face was painfully pushed into the mattress. Jason nibbled and licked at Reid's ear.
"You can't even see how pathetic this is, can you?" Reid said with a little desperate laugh. His body arching again as Jason manoeuvred the fingers inside him.
"I can see how pathetic you are. Pushed into a mattress, writhing underneath my touch and doing nothing to stop it." Jason snarled.
Reid dug his fingers deeper into the mattress, that comment stung.
"What's the point in fighting if you'll only enjoy it more?" Reid snapped.
"Ah, so that's what you're doing then." Jason smiled, licking at Reid's ear again and speeding up the movement of his fingers. Reid's face contorted. "I will enjoy this anyway, Spencer. Have no doubt about that." He bit Reid's ear again. "I'm gonna take my time with you. Show you what control really means. And I'm not gonna stop 'til you're begging me to." He withdrew his fingers from Reid quickly and then rolled him onto his back, pinning his arms down. He lay on top of Reid and kissed him hard. "Think that'll make me feel 'important' doctor?"
Tears stung at Reid's eyes. Jason was always one step ahead of him, no matter what tactic he tried. Blinking the tears away quickly before Jason saw them, he went to speak as Jason caught his mouth with another bruising kiss.
"No speaking, Spence." Jason breathed against the younger man's mouth.
Reid was stuck in a confused position. Did he follow Jason's orders? Or keep trying to throw him off with observations about his personality? He had never felt so confused by a person before. The exhaustion was starting to mess with his abilities.
When Jason lunged in for yet another kiss, this time he deepened the kiss with his tongue. Reid couldn't help the automatic reaction to bite down. Not hard. He didn't want bloodied tongue in his mouth, but just enough to give Jason a warning. Jason quickly pulled away, his eyes flashing angrily. He smacked Reid hard across the face and he cried out as his fractured cheek bone met with Jason's hand. "You wanna bite like a dog? You can be treated like a dog." He grabbed Reid by the hair and pulled him to the head of the bed. Reid tried desperately not to fight, refusing to spur Jason on. "You can wear this."
Reid looked to Jason's hand. He was holding a collar attached to a long chain, which in turn was attached to the bed. His eyes opened wide.
"You can't be serious." Reid said in shock. Jason suddenly thrust the collar around Reid's neck and clamped it shut. Reid grabbed at it trying to loosen it, but it was no use. It was locked tightly in place. Jason then yanked hard at the chain, making Reid choke. He coughed and Jason used the distraction to pin down Reid's arms and buckle them to the bed.
He took Reid's mouth into another brutal kiss.
"No speaking, I said." He then covered Reid's mouth with his hand as he started kissing and groping all over Reid's body. Reid put up no resistance. "You just gonna keep still through all of this?" He leaned over Reid's face, mouth still covered. Reid just stared back at him. Jason smiled. "Brave choice, Spence." He then reached his free hand between the young man's legs, causing Reid to jump slightly and his eyes to open wider slightly. Jason smirked, staring deep into Reid's eyes. "But I guarantee you, that won't last long."
Prentiss and JJ entered the gym to be met by the manager Steve.
"Hi again." He said confidently. He moved to shake Prentiss' hand and then JJ's.
"Agent Jareau. We spoke on the phone." She introduced herself.
"Ah. Nice to finally put a face to the name." He smiled. She returned it. "Come into my office. I'm not really sure how much help I am going to be to be honest. Like I said last time, I really don't know that much about Jason at all."
"Anything you can tell us will be helpful." JJ nodded, moving to sit down next to Prentiss at the man's desk.
"What can you tell us about his daily routine?" Prentiss asked.
"Well, from what I can gather, he must finish work at about five or six 'o clock. He comes here as often as he can, usually at around half past six. But like I say, that's as often as he can. He doesn't have set days or anything. He'll often come at the weekend too. Especially when there are any events going on."
"You said he helps out a lot with any events here, right?" Prentiss thought back to their earlier conversation.
"Yeah, he's really very helpful." Steve smiled. He clearly thought a lot of Jason. "Have you not managed to find him yet?"
"We really can't go into any details, sir." JJ said strongly.
"Did he ever show any aggressive behaviour towards anyone here? Particularly men who would be considered perhaps more physically imposing, doing well for themselves in their career? Anyone like that?"
Steve furrowed his brows and shook his head.
"Like I've said, he really is a stand-up guy." He smiled.
"Do any of the staff here ever work around him?" Prentiss asked.
"No." Steve said suddenly. "He's not an employee."
"I know," Prentiss raised her eyebrows, "but if he's a regular helper, then surely they have had some interactions with him?"
"Not likely." Steve said. "He keeps himself to himself."
"So the only person he has ever spoken to here, is you?" JJ looked at him sceptically.
"Pretty much." He shrugged his shoulders, not looking entirely comfortable with the line of questioning.
Prentiss furrowed her brows at the man opposite her. He was clearly hiding something and she wanted to know what. She suspected they knew each other a lot better than he was making out.
"Mr. Kent. Were you and Jason Turner romantically involved?" She said strongly, not afraid to ask the question.
"What? You must be joking!" Steve scoffed, looking horrified at the suggestion. "I'm a married man, Agent!"
"It wouldn't be the first time that a married man has cheated on his wife with someone of the same sex."
"No, I'm sure it wouldn't be, Agent Prentiss. But I can assure you, my interests lie only in the fairer! I can assure you, I have never had a relationship with Jason Turner and I'm, frankly, offended at the suggestion!"
"What is it you're not telling us then, sir?" JJ asked. Any light was completely gone from her eyes right now, she was tired of this man messing them about.
"What do you mean, what am I not telling you?" Steve was clearly frustrated now. His temperament was a lot different to how he had been a few moments ago.
"You're being very defensive, Mr. Kent. If you are not willing to speak to us here, perhaps a visit to the local station might jog your memory a little?" Prentiss smiled. Not taking any crap from him. His eyes opened wide at the suggestion.
"Okay, okay! Fine! Look, there was a guy who used to work out here a few months ago. Drove a nice car, had a good job. He was a big guy, he worked out a hell of a lot. He never liked Jay. He started making up all sorts of crap about him because he found out he was gay. Jay was walking around with his hands in his pockets all the time, you know? The guy just made things difficult for him, so I told him where to go. He didn't come back again and that was that. No one's mentioned it since, but the staff still keep their distance. It pisses me off, but Jason doesn't seem to bother."
"Did you ever see Jason talking to this guy?"
"No. He genuinely kept his distance. That's what was so ridiculous. Jay just dropped that picture of his boyfriend one day and then it all kicked off. The guy was just a homophobic ass." Steve rolled his eyes.
"Jason had a boyfriend?" JJ questioned.
Before Prentiss could cut in, Steve answered.
"Yeah, you guys have a photo of him. That skinny kid, right?"
JJ furrowed her brows and went to answer, when Prentiss put a hand on her arm, effectively cutting her off.
"Can you remember this guy's name?"
"Yeah... I think... I think it was Roger Lineman." Prentiss nodded to JJ, taking out her phone. She went to ring Garcia. "That kid's not Jason's boyfriend, is he?" Steve asked JJ with a concerned look on his face.
JJ looked at the man, her eyes sad and full of worry.
"No, sir... No he's not." She felt like telling him all about what his friend was capable of, but knew it wasn't professional and would most certainly influence any information he had about Jason. So JJ decided to keep quiet about the relationship between the two. "Is there anything else you can tell us about Jason? Anything at all? Whether there was anywhere in particular he liked to socialise, or someone he liked to visit? Anything like that?"
He shook his head sympathetically.
"I'm sorry. Like I said, the guy's a bit of a mystery to me really. We get on really well, but we don't discuss personal stuff. I dunno, sometimes you just meet people like that, you know? You can talk to them for hours but when you think about it, you've not really talked about anything at all. I guess that's us. I'm sorry."
JJ smiled a disappointed smile. It seemed as though Jason was something of a ghost.
"JJ." Prentiss summoned her towards the door where she had clearly just come off the phone from Garcia. JJ glanced to Steve, nodding slightly out of politeness as she excused herself. Prentiss spoke in hushed tones. "Looks as though we may have found one of Jason's practise victims. Roger Lineman was found dead three months ago down an alley way. Clear blitz attack. Throat was cut and he'd been stabbed."
"His victims must all have some sort of personal connection to him." JJ pointed out.
"Or have pissed him off in some way." Prentiss added.
"We should get back and keep searching for any victims who may have had a connection to the gym or to the Coffee Stop. Jason obviously wanted us to look at those two places, so maybe there is more information to get out of them."
"I wouldn't hold your breath." Prentiss said dryly. JJ shot her a warning look. She didn't want this negativity when it came to saving Reid's life. Prentiss merely shrugged her shoulders, continuing on her negative thought path. "He wanted to be caught the first time. But now, he's leading up to his end game. Chances are, he's cut all ties with those places. They've served their purpose."
"Excuse me." Steve suddenly interrupted the conversation. "Do you know the kid in that picture?" He looked at the two agents searchingly. JJ's face gave it away. "Is he a friend?"
"And colleague." JJ sighed.
Steve furrowed his brows, clearly not liking what he had heard. He quickly changed the subject.
"Is there anything else you need from me?" Steve asked casually.
"Actually sir, if we could take a look at your CCTV footage from the days when Roger Lineman was last here, that would be a great help." JJ smiled at Steve, he didn't smile back.
"What exactly would you be looking for?" He asked seriously.
"We would just like to establish what might have happened the week leading up to you asking him to leave." Prentiss replied, slightly irritated by the man's apparent nosiness.
"Well... erm, I'm sorry, you can't."
"We can't?" JJ questioned, surprised.
"No. I've not saved them... They're gone."
"Mr. Kent, we can get a warrant and come back at a more convenient time, if you like? Or you can co-operate now and make life a lot easier for us all. We are not trying to invade your personal life. We just want to know what happened." Prentiss tried carefully.
"And I've told you what happened." Steve said plainly.
"We just want to see if there is anything that can help with our investigation." JJ lowered her voice and softened her eyes. "Please, a young man's life depends on it."
Steve's expression softened in return and he looked as though he had been convinced.
"I'm sorry agents. I really want to help you. But I just don't have the tapes. I'm really sorry." He then moved past them, grabbed JJ's hand and shaking it. Then moving to Prentiss. "Is there anything else?"
Prentiss' gaze hardened.
"No, that's all for now Mr. Kent. Thank you for your time."
She nodded and turned on her heel, leaving the gym. JJ was right behind her. They went straight to the SUV and sat in it.
"What's he got to hide?" JJ said, looking back to the gym.
"I don't know, but he sure as hell isn't gonna like this warrant." Prentiss replied.
"Do you think he knows where Reid is?" JJ asked, concern evident in her eyes.
"It's unlikely." Prentiss answered honestly. "But there's definitely something on those tapes that he doesn't want us to see."
"He's just going to destroy them isn't he." JJ said forlornly. "Do you ever get the feeling that something just isn't going to end well?" JJ looked out of the window, tears gathering in her eyes.
Prentiss didn't say anything. Theyall knew time was running out and finding Reid was looking less and less likely. She didn't have the heart to deny it any more. Things didn't look good.
"Please. Please stop." Reid breathed out, exhausted.
"What?" Jason asked, also panting. Teasing his victim.
"Please." He barely managed to say the word. His body was so tired. Jason hadn't left him alone for what must have been a good hour. How Jason kept going seemed impossible. Reid could only assume, although he didn't like to think about such things, that he had given himself a little assistance.
At first Reid hadn't fought, trying reverse psychology. That didn't work. So he tried fighting, trying to exhaust Jason into stopping. That didn't work. That only served to tire him into submission. So Reid had started begging hoping that Jason would keep true to his word that it would be the only thing that would stop him. It hadn't. Reid had been begging on and off for the last 20 minutes. But still Jason teased him. If Jason wasn't raping Reid, he was being pleasured by him, or giving 'pleasure' to Reid, or he was just exploring every part body with his hands, mouth, any part of him. Making sure he'd owned every inch. This is what Jason was doing now.
Reid rolled himself away slightly, turning onto his side and putting his face into his hands. He burst into tears, the breath sounding harsh in his throat.
"You said you'd stop." He weeped.
Jason grabbed Reid gently by the wrists and rolled him onto his back, trying to move the hands away from his face.
"Did I?" He whispered. Reid couldn't bring himself to answer verbally, he just started sobbing and nodded his head from behind his hands. Jason pulled Reid's hands away from him face, but Reid screwed his eyes shut in upset and turned his face away from Jason. Holding his wrists with one hand and pulling him face towards him with the other, he whispered. "Open your eyes, Spence... Unless you want another hour with me." Reid's eyes automatically opened. The tears escaped his down his face. "You talk about knowing your 'unsubs'. Using words like 'dominating' and 'controlling', thinking that you can control me with them" He whispered. He then looked Reid, dead in the eye, his gaze hard and threatening. A look Reid hadn't seen in him before, it made his blood run cold. "I know what dominating is. Now so do you. You don't control me with your words, Reid. I tell you to beg... you beg. Doesn't mean I'm gonna stop." He grabbed his face hard, making the young man wince. "Understood?" Reid's face crumpled up again and he nodded. Jason had even called him Reid. He was clearly in no mood for pleasantries. "Good boy." He said, tapping Reid's cheek. He then fingered thoughtfully at the collar around his neck for a few moments. Reid froze, swallowing thickly.
Jason then suddenly climbed off the bed and collapsed into the corner of the room. Reid lay shaking on the bed, hardly daring to breathe.
"Get some sleep." Jason said, his voice dead.
Jason suddenly heard a strange knock at the door. It was seven knocks, wrapped out in the beat of a tune. He raised his eyebrow. He hadn't been expecting this. He stood, moving slowly over to the door and gently opened it, peering cautiously through the newly created gap.
Upon seeing the person outside, he visibly relaxed and opened the door, allowing the other man inside. Taking a quick, precautionary glance outside, seeing everything was okay, Jason quickly locked the door behind him before turning his attention to his guest.
"What are you doing here?" He said with a slight smile.
The other man was stood over Reid, looking down at his sleeping form.
"Come to see what all the fuss is about." The man smiled down at Reid, pushing some hair back behind his ear. "I'll tell you something Jay, you don't disappoint."
Jason shifted uncomfortably, looking at the man, incredibly confused.
"Is everything alright?" Jason asked, sheepishly.
"Is everything alright?..." The man slowly approached Jason. "Not really Jay, no." He stopped still again. "I've had the Feds on my back for the last couple of days. Maybe you wanna explain why?"
Jason's eyes looked nervous and unsure. He didn't answer.
"Is he a Fed?" The man said, gesturing to Reid. "IS HE A FED?" He suddenly shouted at Jason. Reid was startled out of his sleep by the loud voice. He jumped when he saw the second man in the room.
"Yes! Yes he is!" Jason said quickly, looking over to Reid who was now staring back at him wide eyed. Confusion clear on his face.
The other man followed Jason's gaze and turned to find Reid's eyes open. Fear shining in their hazel depths.
"What the hell were you thinking?" The man said, his gaze still resting on Reid. The young man shifted uncomfortably. The man then turned back to Jason. "They are getting a warrant, Jason. A fucking warrant. They wanna know what I'm hiding. I said, if you were gonna fuckin' do this, you had to keep the cops away from my door!" Reid looked between the two men, clearly Jason was involved in a lot more than was originally thought. "I could lose everything thanks to you. And I ain't even made any fuckin' money outta this one!" He gestured again to Reid. Reid paled.
"We never agreed you were gonna take him, Steve." Jason argued back.
"No. But we never agreed that the Feds would come poking into my business either, did we, Jay?" Steve shouted. Jason flinched, he was clearly subservient to Steve. "This is what is gonna happen now Jason. You are gonna get the hell out of my premises, right now and you're gonna find somewhere else to have your fun with this kid. You ain't using my premises and drawing attention to my dealings without payment any more. Now get the hell out."
Reid was in shock, he stared between Jason and this Steve man, a feeling of hope fluttered in his chest. He knew Jason had no where else to go.
"The Feds won't find anything on you Steve! You make all your transactions untraceable, geez, I know that, believe me, I've looked!"
"It's too late Jason..." Steve moved towards Reid and he scooted back on the bed, distancing himself from the larger man. "I'll tell you what, why don't you let me take the kid off your hands? Make things easy for you. You can just go home, pretend like nothing's happened."
"But I thought you didn't want any part in this?" Jason said, confused.
Steve grabbed the chain around Reid's neck and pulled him close. He had no other option but to crawl towards the other man. His heart was pounding in his chest. Jason was unpredictable, but at least he knew him well enough to know he was unpredictable. This guy was a complete unknown and that was terrifying. Jason eyed the pair carefully. He clearly wasn't happy with this.
Steve turned to Reid who was shaking, and stroked his cheek.
"You're even nicer than your photo suggested." Steve licked his lips suggestively.
Reid found his gaze darting to Jason for help, as nonsensical as that was. Jason's eyes opened wide.
"You planned this all along." Jason gasped.
Steve looked at him, searching his face.
"Jason, you are kidding right? This is what we do! You know that! You get the guys, I pay you, then we move on." Reid's mouth dropped open as he looked between the pair. This was obviously some sort of illegal sex ring.
"But you knew this was different Steve." He pulled Reid's chain out of Steve's hand and dragged the young man towards him and off the bed. Reid had no choice but to follow and kneel beside him, wincing as he did so, his body was so sore.
Steve laughed.
"Why? Because we're friends? Give me a break, Jay! Business always comes first and that kid could make me a fuckin' fortune! You know that." He pointed to Reid and he found himself moving behind Jason somewhat. If he got lost inside an illegal sex ring, the team would most likely never find him.
Jason moved forward, challenging Steve.
"No, you said you would give me the space to spend time with him!"
"And I have." Steve retorted coolly. "But now it's time to give him to me."
"I can't believe you've done this to me." Jason said moodily.
Reid looked up at Jason in disbelief and then burst out laughing manically. Both men turned to look at him, exchanging confused glances.
"What the fuck are you laughing at?" Jason snapped, turning to the young man kneeling beside him.
"Ironic isn't it?" Reid still kept laughing, but it wasn't a healthy laugh. It was the laugh of someone who had been through far too much and couldn't see things getting much worse. He clearly wasn't happy.
"What do you mean it's fuckin' ironic?" He pulled Reid up by the collar so he was looking up at him. Steve watched the pair with intrigue. Jason had clearly grown far too attached to the young man. He needed to change that if he was ever going to make some money out of the young agent.
"Well, I thought you were my friend... and you betrayed me. Funny that the same thing should happen to you. If I believed in such a thing, it could almost be karma." Reid's voice despite the laughter, was completely dead. He took great pleasure in Jason's screw up, but it didn't show. His emotions were no longer connecting. Jason's whole body tensed and he pushed Reid sideways violently using the collar. He knelt menacingly over the young man, his face full of venom. He took the breath from Reid's lungs momentarily.
"I don't know why you're laughing, Spence. It's you who's gonna be passed around a brothel like a peace pipe." Reid's gaze darted over to Steve who simply smiled and nodded in agreement. "Oh yes," Jason snarled. "They would love you." He moved dangerously over Reid but Steve grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Jay, you alright?" Steve looked at him, concerned. Jason did not seem stable.
"Course I'm fucking alright." He grabbed Reid's chain again. "Have you seen this?" He yanked on it slightly, making his point. "This is a fuckin' dream."
Reid kept his gaze to the floor. He was deeply ashamed, he felt like a piece of meat.
"Okay Jason." Steve took his shoulders and slowly moved him away from Reid. "Sit down for a minute. You're lookin' a bit strung out."
Jason looked at Steve taken a back slightly. But then nodded and moved himself over to the chair in the corner. Steve then moved his way back towards Reid who glanced at him nervously. When the man reached down and grabbed him under the arms, Reid flinched away. Steve pulled him up to his feet and sat him on the bed. Reid winced as he did so.
Steve then sat next to Reid, eyeing him carefully. Reid kept his gaze low still, trying to ignore the look. Steve then lifted his gaze to Jason.
"He's pretty." Steve said, nodding like he was looking at some prize.
"Yep." Jason smiled. "Pretty boy." Reid's gaze shot up to meet Jason's, his brows furrowed at the nickname. He tightened his lips into a thin line as he often did when he was nervous or upset and glanced back down. "I'm obviously not the only one who thinks so either, am I, Spence?" That was clearly a dig at Morgan. Reid didn't respond. This frustrated Jason a little. Steve cut in.
"But you keep treating him like this and he won't be for long. You gotta take it slow, be gentle." He stroked Reid's face. Reid just closed his eyes, shifting away slightly. He was in a different world now. What he wanted no longer mattered. So what was the use in fighting?
"Don't touch him." Jason eyed Steve dangerously.
"What is your aim here, Jason?" Steve asked confidently. "You ain't givin' him to me, I know that. I couldn't take him anyway, he's hot property. But what do you plan on doing with him? You can't keep him here."
Jason just shrugged his shoulders.
"We both know where this is going, Steve. There's no way I'm getting out of this state with him." Jason said calmly. "I've come to terms with that."
Reid just sat staring at the floor, listening to the men talking about his death.
"So you gonna do it tonight?" Reid didn't even flinch. Something strange was happening with him. He almost found the thought a comfort.
"Well I had planned on it." Jason said pointedly to Steve. Blaming him for his intrusion.
"Look man, if you're gonna do it, you've gotta do it properly. And I can get you out of here, no problem. But you can't just do this on a spur of the moment thing. There's preparations you've gotta make, loose ends you've gotta tie up... his body can't turn up here. I wanna keep this place."
Jason was getting frustrated now.
"I know! I know!"
"And not to mention the fact that you really don't wanna do it right now." Steve said softly. Jason looked at him and then to Reid. He almost looked sad. "You've grown attached. I can see that, man. It happens."
Reid glanced up for a short moment, finding the statement a bit odd.
"Look man, I can see that you need some more time and I'm willing to give it to you. I'm not a bad guy, you know that, I'll look out for my friends. Hell, I'll get you out of the country and as far away from the FBI as you fancy."
Jason stood, moving quickly towards Steve.
"Oh god, Steve, thank you so much, man."
"You gotta make sure everything's planned and dealt with, okay? I don't want any of this shit leading back to me. The FBI are already too close for my liking."
"I will sort it... everything." Jason said eagerly. Grateful for the extra time.
"But..." Steve said, standing up and looking Jason straight in the eye. "You gotta do something for me."
Jason's brows furrowed he looked at Steve confused. Reid gazed at the man knowing what was coming but showing little reaction. He was numb.
"What?... Anything." Jason answered.
"Anything?" Steve smiled. "Good answer." Jason then looked concerned. Steve licked his lips and turned to Reid, who was now moving backwards, his tired eyes just slightly more alive than they were a few moments ago. He glanced between to Jason for help. Steve moved towards him smiling. "Come here, Pretty boy."