"Matthew?" Prentiss stood in the doorway of his hospital room with JJ at her side. "May we come in?"
He nodded silently. The man appeared to be in good condition, all things considered. But Prentiss didn't doubt that if they'd been much later to the scene, things could have been quite different.
"I'm Agent Emily Prentiss, we met earlier. I'm with the Behavioural Analysis Unit of the FBI." At this, Matthew noticeably bristled. "This is my colleague, Agent Jennifer Jareau."
"You can call me JJ." She said giving a soft smile.
"Would you be okay to talk with us?"
He looked between the pair of them, clearly nervous. "Are you going to take me back there?"
Prentiss' frowned in confusion. "You never have to go back there again." She said reassuringly.
"How do I know that?" He said nervously.
"We are FBI, Matthew. We are here to help you." JJ said with another smile.
"It's because of the FBI that I ended up there." He said, a hint of anger in his voice.
"What do you mean?" Prentiss tilted her head at the man.
"He said he was FBI and he got me into this mess!"
"Who did, Matthew?" JJ asked calmly.
"A guy I met at the gym. I thought he was a friend but he set me up and handed me over to them." His eyes were starting to tear up now.
"And he told you he was FBI?"
"Yes! They all said the FBI is in on it. They know about it and they're part of it. That's why they won't do anything." He looked at them with pure hatred.
JJ shook her head. "That is not true, Matthew. We are working to shut the whole thing down."
"You've even sold your own agents! I've seen it! They showed us pictures!"
JJ and Prentiss exchanged a look of confusion.
"What do you mean?" Prentiss asked firmly.
"You all know about it." He snapped.
"No, Matthew. We don't." JJ looked at him seriously. "What did they show you?"
Matthew was looking unsure now, but he still scoffed as if he didn't believe them. "They showed us his FBI ID. And pictures of how he was before and then him... after. It was a threat for what they would do to us if we stepped out of line."
"Did you ever meet this agent?"
"No." Matthew shook his head.
"Can you remember the name of the agent?"
"I'll never forget it. Spencer Reid."
Prentiss' mouth dropped open. "Matthew, Spencer Reid is our friend. He's a member of our team and he is safe."
He looked at her unsurely. "W-what?"
JJ started scrolling through her phone and stopped at a picture, holding it up to Matthew. "Is this the man they showed you?"
Matthew looked at it carefully and recognition swept over his features. "Yeah, yeah that's him."
"He's my best friend." JJ said passionately.
"B- but I saw pictures. There were pictures of what they were doing to him." JJ looked to Prentiss; her eyes sad.
"He was targeted and attacked. But he is safe now." Prentiss said softly.
"I don't believe you."
"Matthew, I can assure you, Spencer is our friend. He works for the BAU with us. We want this operation shut down just as much as you do." Prentiss said strongly.
He looked at them hard for a few moments then nodded. It was clear he still didn't trust them.
"Will you please tell us what happened to you?" JJ asked softly. He nodded reluctantly.
"Thank you. If you need to stop at any point, please tell us and we can take a break. We know this is really difficult."
"What is your full name, Matthew?" Prentiss asked.
"Matthew Kowalski."
"Can you tell us about the man you met at the gym?"
"His name was Jason. Jason Turner. I met him at a gym in D.C. I was doing an induction and he came over to talk to me. He said he was a regular and was talking up the gym and the people there. I wasn't sure about signing up as I hadn't worked out for a long time... I was working through some... problems and thought the gym might help. He convinced me to join." He sighed. "I wish I never had now. It was supposed to be a positive thing." He laughed. "It turned out to be a fucking nightmare."
"So, you saw Jason at the gym regularly?"
"Fairly regularly. He worked a lot though so he wasn't always there at the same times. We started meeting up for drinks. I thought he was a friend." He shook his head in disgust. "I told him everything about my life. I was so stupid."
"That isn't stupid. You trusted him."
"Yeah, well I shouldn't have!"
JJ closed her eyes. She could almost hear Reid talking.
"He was very skilled at what he did. He knew exactly how to gain people's trust. It was his job." Prentiss said reassuringly.
"Was his job?... Has he been arrested?" He asked hopefully.
The women shifted uncomfortably. "No... he's dead."
Matthew's eyes widened then he laughed. "He's dead?... What? How?" He couldn't keep the smile from his face but it was clear he didn't entirely trust the information he was being given.
"He was killed." Prentiss said simply, avoiding any detail.
"How?" Matthew asked.
She furrowed her brows. "I can't go into detail on that."
"Of course. Protect your own." Matthew spat.
"No, it's not like that-"
"Tell me then! What is it like?! Why are you protecting him?!" Matthew was infuriated. His trust in the FBI was obviously non-existent.
"Spencer killed him." JJ said suddenly.
"JJ." Prentiss said warningly.
"He stabbed him in the neck after being tortured by him for three days. He did the same thing to Spence that he did to you. Pretended to be his friend, got him to trust him, to open up. And then he hurt him." Her eyes began to tear up. "So, trust me when I say, we have no loyalty to that man, or any of the people he works with. We want to stop them just as much as you."
"But we need your help." Prentiss said gently, leaning forward.
Matthew's gaze darted between them for a few moments as he took in their expressions. His eyes softened and he nodded. "Okay. I believe you." He sighed. "What do you need to know?"
Rossi and Morgan buzzed on the door to the psychiatric unit. Belinda answered.
"We're here to see Spencer Reid." Morgan said automatically.
"Names and IDs." She said firmly. Rossi shot Morgan a look. The woman was not in the least bit friendly or welcoming.
"Derek Morgan, David Rossi." They both displayed their credentials. She flicked through a list on the wall looking for their names.
"Okay." She said, waving them in.
"Could you show us to his room please? He was only admitted earlier today." Morgan asked.
She nodded silently and began walking up the corridor. They followed.
"He had an 'episode' earlier. Fighting with another patient. He had to be restrained and sedated. He's still giving us trouble now. Perhaps you can talk some sense into him." She said coldly.
"He has been restrained again?" Morgan asked, a hint of fury in his tone.
She stopped outside of his room. "Yes. What do you expect us to do when someone is displaying violent behaviour? Let them run around destroying the place?"
"Reid is not violent." Morgan argued.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, he was earlier. And now he is refusing to calm down." She knocked on the door. "Wait here." She said coolly and entered the room, closing the door behind her.
Morgan's jaw was tight. Rossi frowned and put a hand to his shoulder.
"They are supposed to be helping him, Rossi. How is he ever going to get better if they keep doing this to him? He's never going to trust them."
Rossi just gave a tight-lipped smile. He knew the sort of volatile headspace Reid was in, so couldn't possibly argue that they were completely in the wrong. He certainly didn't like it, but he didn't have to deal with it.
They could hear raised voices on the other side of the door.
"Let me go!"
"Spencer! You are going to hurt yourself!"
"I don't care!"
Morgan's eyes stung with tears and his blood ran cold. He shoved the door open and stormed into the room.
"Hey! You were to wait outside!" Belinda said angrily.
Morgan found Reid once again strapped to the bed, he was soaking wet with sweat. He was completely unable to sit up or move his arms or legs, his limbs were wriggling desperately trying to free himself. His face was flushed from the struggle. Pippa was stood next to the bed, apparently trying to calm him down. Rossi gasped at the sight and now understood Morgan's fury. This is not what he had in mind when he encouraged him to accept returning to the unit. He should have known better.
Reid's panicked eyes met Morgan's.
"Morgan! Morgan! Help me! I can't move." He started breaking down, his breath coming in gasps. "I can't move."
Morgan was straight to his bedside.
"Spencer, we need you to calm down." Pippa said, trying to get through to him.
"How is he supposed to do that when you're doing the one thing that is sure to fucking trigger him?" Morgan snapped at her then took Reid's hand. "I'm here, kid." He put his hand to his head and ran it through his soaking wet hair. "I'm here. Take some deep breaths, okay?' He could feel Reid's body pulling against the restraints still.
"Morgan, please help me." He whimpered.
"You need to take these off." Morgan ordered.
"No." Pippa said firmly. "Not until he is calm. I will not risk another situation like we had earlier."
"This is ridiculous. He's not a danger to anyone!"
"Tell that to the other patient he fought with earlier." Belinda said coldly. "He's been fighting with us for the last hour and all we want him to do is calm down and he simply refuses."
"As soon as he is calm, I can release the restraints." Pippa said simply.
Reid started madly pulling at the restraints, his eyes distant. He bucked his hips, trying his best to loosen the grip they had on him but it was hopeless.
"The restraints will only make it worse." Rossi said shaking his head.
"I told them this last time, Rossi. They clearly don't give a shit."
"The safety of our patients and members of staff is paramount here, Agent. That comes above everything else and if there is a risk to safety then we need to handle it appropriately for everyone involved." Pippa said, her tone clipped.
"And this is appropriate, is it?" Morgan clapped back.
"Okay, Derek. Let's just focus on calming him down." Rossi moved to the other side of the bed, forcing Pippa to step aside. He took his other hand.
"Reid. Kiddo, we're here with you."
Reid's eyes closed and he shook his head, whimpering. "Help." He breathed out, then his whole body tensed as if he was in pain. Rossi exchanged glances with Morgan.
"How many flashbacks has he had?" Morgan asked.
"He has been in and out of them for the last hour." Pippa said sadly. "I did release his wrist but he hit me in the face." She displayed a bruise on her cheekbone. "So, I had to restrain him again. Honestly, if I had any other option..." She trailed off.
"If we can calm him down, will you take them off?" Rossi asked.
"As soon as he is calm." Pippa said confidently.
"That's not gonna be easy with these things on him." Morgan said rolling his eyes.
"Stop. Please stop." The bed was clanking as Reid pulled against the restraints again. "It hurts." He cried out, then his face tensed up in pain. He was clearly reliving every single feeling once again.
Rossi squeezed his hand. "Reid, can you feel me squeezing your hand? It's me, Dave. You are safe, you're not there. You're not with them, you're with me and Derek and you're safe, kiddo."
"It's just a memory, Reid. Push it away. You don't have to go back there. Come back to me and Rossi." He tickled the fingers on the bandaged hand he was holding. "Can you feel that, kid? That's me."
Reid shook his head, his body going rigid like a board. His breathing became short and sharp and then he stopped altogether as though he was trying to get himself through immense pain.
Morgan stroked his hand through his hair. "Breathe, Reid. Come on, breathe."
"Whatever you're feeling isn't real." Rossi said gently. "You're in hospital and you're safe."
Reid suddenly cried out in pain. "Stop stop stop!" He said frantically. "Please stop." He sounded like he was in agony.
"This is a bad one." Morgan said shaking his head. "I've not seen one this bad for a while."
"I'm sure recent events haven't helped." Rossi said solemnly.
"Reid, please come back to me." Morgan stroked his face.
Pippa moved in towards the bed. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked gently.
"I think you've all done enough." Morgan snapped. "If I could walk him out of here right now I would."
"I promise you; we are doing everything we can to help him."
Morgan stared hard at her now, losing his patience. "Does it look like you're helping him?!" He shouted.
"Derek." Rossi said warningly.
"No, Rossi. Look at him, man! Surely this can't be the best way!"
"You need to calm down or you will have to leave." Belinda said dispassionately.
"Okay, Derek. Focus on Reid. Come on."
Morgan closed his eyes taking a deep breath and nodded. "Okay... okay." He calmed himself. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Reid's forehead. "Come on, kid." He whispered as he rested their foreheads together. "We need you. Come back and see us. I know you're scared but it's safe here with us."
Reid moaned, a grimace crossing his features.
"Morgan." He whimpered.
"I'm here, Reid. I'm here."
"Help me, Morgan. Please." He whispered, tears running down his face.
Morgan stroked his face gently. "I'm trying, but you gotta come back to me, man."
He gasped. "Fuck toy." His features scrunched up. "I'm a fuck toy."
"No, no, no, Reid. No, you're not. Don't listen to them. Listen to me. Please, kid." Morgan continued to keep his forehead rested against Reid's.
Pippa's hand was to her mouth now. She exchanged a glance with Belinda, who had an uncharacteristically soft expression. She was beginning to understand the extent of his trauma.
Reid fought against his bindings again and began to sob.
"Please." Rossi said, turning to Pippa. "Please let us take them off him. He can't move and it's just keeping his mind there. It's too strong a memory."
Pippa sighed; her lips tightened for a few moments as she considered the options. She reluctantly nodded.
Rossi sighed in relief, automatically moving to the restraint on his wrist and unbuckling it. As soon as it was undone, Reid's arm flew towards his face. He dodged it and grabbed his hand.
Morgan was quickly undoing the other restraint and then moved to his ankles.
As Reid found his arms were free, he began feeling around the bed and the sheets. His hand then landed on Rossi's chest, gripped his shirt and then crawled up to his face. He rubbed his hand through his beard.
"That's me, kiddo. You're safe." He said gently, his eyes filling with tears. He found it heart-breaking that Reid had been prevented from doing the one thing he had needed to do to for the last hour. He was clearly desperate to get himself out of the flashback and find something safe to cling to. "Derek is here too."
Morgan quickly grabbed his other hand after undoing the straps around his ankles and waist. He was still secured around his shoulders but Reid seemed to appreciate his limbs being free. He moved his legs around becoming accustomed to the freedom of movement.
"Morgan... help." He breathed out weakly, his brows furrowed. "I can't... I... I can't do this..." He whispered.
"I'm right here, kid. Squeeze my hand, come on." He stroked Reid's fingers, trying to get him to respond.
Morgan winced as Reid's grip tightened on his hand. It wasn't his usual squeeze to tell him he had heard him. It was a terrified, desperate grip from someone whose body and mind were taking as much as it could take. Morgan tried to release the grip, very aware of the damage Reid's hand had already taken.
"Ah! Reid, careful. Come back, man. You're safe!" Morgan's voice was becoming more nervous now. He'd not struggled to get Reid out of a flashback like this for months.
Rossi tried again leaning down next to the side of his face. "Spencer. Those are just memories. It is not happening now. You need to focus on our hands and come back to us. Derek and I are here waiting for you."
"It's not working, why isn't it working?" Morgan said in anxious frustration.
"Derek, keep calm." Rossi ordered. The last thing they needed was Morgan's anxieties flaring. Keeping his own at bay was proving hard enough. If he lost Morgan to a panic attack, he didn't think he could hold it together.
Rossi was racking his brain, trying to think of some other way of refocusing his young colleague's attention. If he could just find some way of jump starting the logical part of his brain, he knew he'd be able to bring him out of it. Suddenly, inspiration hit him. "Reid. What's on page 135 of my book? Something about arsonists, right?" Morgan looked across the bed at him, nodding slightly, understanding what he was trying to do. "About the different types. I'm sure I mention something about the motives for arson. Vandalism; excitement; revenge... Or no, I'm not sure. It might be the section about John Leonard Orr. Page 135, Reid. Think for me."
Reid's brows furrowed and he shook his head a little. He bit his lip slightly, a cue that told Rossi his brain was starting to engage. He nodded to Morgan.
"Reid, squeeze my hand, let me know you hear me." He stroked the delicate fingers sticking out of the bandage again and Reid's index finger hooked around his thumb. "That's it. That's it, kid." He smiled, tears of relief filling his eyes.
"It was definitely about John Leonard Orr." Rossi continued. In reality, he had no idea what was on that specific page. He was taking no more than an educated guess.
"No." Reid whispered, shaking his head, still biting his lip.
"No?" Rossi said curiously, trying to figure out if that was in response to him or another mental attack.
"No." He said again, a little louder now. Morgan stroked his head.
"Come on, Reid. Tell us." Morgan said passionately.
Reid's lips started moving as if he was reciting, but no sound came out. His unbandaged hand squeezed Rossi's.
"I felt that, kiddo. Can you do it again?" Reid squeezed his hand again and Rossi nodded to Morgan with a smile. He put his other hand to Reid's shoulder and leaned close to him speaking quietly. "What are you saying, Reid? What is it?"
Reid began to whisper.
"A dysfunctional family: with one or both parents missing from the home during childhood. If from a home with both parents, the atmosphere was unstable and unpredictable. Unable to adjust to marriage. If not married, still living at home with parents. Lack of stable interpersonal relationships. Interested in the fire service because it provides an arena for excitement, not for the sake of public service. He uses it to achieve a 'hero' status and gain notoriety. Likely suffers from alcoholism, childhood hyperactivity, depression, borderline personality disorder, and suicidal tendencies. Average to higher intelligence but poor academic performance..."
He continued to reel off details from page 135 as Rossi squeezed his shoulder. Pippa and Belinda exchanged deeply confused looks.
"That's great, kiddo... You can stop now. That's helpful, thank you." He stroked his head. Reid stopped automatically. He appeared to be calmer now as if the memories had become distant.
Morgan pulled out the ball that Susan had given to Hotch previously and took Reid's undamaged hand from Rossi placing the ball into it.
"Can you feel that, Reid?" He nodded anxiously.
Morgan worked with him for another ten minutes getting him to recognise the ball, the shapes on it, the textures, until eventually Reid seemed to be back in the present.
"Do you think you can open your eyes for me?" He said gently. Reid's eyes slipped open, squinting as they struggled against the light in the room. After a couple of attempts, his eyes were fully open. "Hey." Morgan said softly. "Good to have you back." Reid looked between Morgan and Rossi then tried to sit up, panic flared in him again when he realised he was still strapped at the shoulders.
"Please, get them off!" He looked to Morgan desperately.
"Okay! Okay, relax." Morgan said kindly. "We're getting them off now." He looked to Pippa, unsure of how to undo them. She moved toward the bed with Belinda.
"Spencer, we're just going to remove these, okay? Can you stay nice and calm for me?" He nodded frantically. She unfastened them from the top of the bed. "Can you sit up for me, Spencer?" He followed her direction, his whole body trembling from the after effects of the flashbacks. They unhooked the restraints from under his arms and pulled them free. He took a deep breath of relief as they did. They worked to detach the rest of the restraints from the bed. "Can you roll over for me, Spencer?" he once again shakily followed her instruction. They pulled the restraints out from underneath him and moved away from the bed allowing Rossi and Morgan to move back in.
Reid was sat forward, his soaked hair hanging down around his face. He looked haunted and exhausted. His whole body was practically vibrating with shock and distress. Morgan used the remote to bring the head of the bed up so Reid could sit up. He placed a hand on Reid's shoulder and pressed him back into the pillows.
"Relax, Reid. It's okay. You're safe now. Just relax."
Rossi exchanged a sad glance with him then reached over, pushed his hair back and placed a kiss on Reid's sweating forehead. At this, Reid broke down and began to cry.
"Reid?" Morgan stroked his arm.
"I'm so tired." He sobbed. Morgan felt the sting of tears.
"I know, kid."
"We'll give you some privacy." Pippa said moving towards the door. Her eyes were also misty now. "Mr. Morgan, could we have a talk before you leave?"
He nodded. "I'll come and find you." Pippa and Belinda left the room, closing the door behind them.
"Please don't leave me." Reid said grasping onto Rossi's hand.
Rossi slid himself onto the bed next to Reid. "Budge up." Reid shifted over as Rossi settled himself against the pillows. He lifted his arm up inviting Reid in and he automatically turned onto his side and hugged into Rossi, resting his head on his chest and throwing his arm across him. He held onto his shirt tightly. Rossi could feel the shivers running down his body. All of his clothes were soaking wet. "Derek, could you pass me that blanket?" He pointed to a blanket hanging over a chair. Morgan went straight to it and then wrapped it tightly around Reid.
"Thank you." Reid said weakly, grabbing hold of the blanket and pulling it in to his face. Rossi's arms wrapped tightly around him, securing him in a protective hug.
"You just relax, Reid. Take some deep breaths." Morgan said, rubbing his back. Reid shuddered and cried quietly into the blanket. Rossi rested his cheek on top of his head and closed his eyes, desperate to take the pain away from him.
Rossi knew Reid was a complete melting pot of emotions at the moment and it was exhausting him. A combination of such strength and fragility competing against each other for control. Reid was an expert at masking his emotions, but these flashbacks brought him to his knees every time. Re-experiencing the most horrific moments of his life over and over again was breaking him. For someone whose mind was his most powerful tool, the lack of control must be completely new and terrifying territory for him. Especially knowing what fate lay in store for his mother. He thought about the strong young man who had sat in front of him yesterday, bravely confronting the painful events that had taken place. The man clinging to him now couldn't be more different. He felt honoured to be trusted by him in this moment of pure vulnerability. He stroked his hair as he felt more shivers running down the young man's body. He was still crying silent tears into his chest.
"You're okay, Caro. You're okay." He exchanged a glance with Morgan. His colleague's face was set in a deep frown.
"Are you still proud of me?" Reid mumbled with a sardonic laugh, as if the notion was completely ridiculous.
Rossi's face crumpled. "God, I am so proud of you." He hugged him tighter. "Nothing will ever change that."
"I'm pathetic." Reid sighed.
"No, you're not, Reid. Will you please stop saying stuff like that?" Morgan shook his head.
"Why? If it's true. Better terrible truths than kind lies." He whispered.
Morgan sighed. He knew this wasn't the time for this conversation. Reid had just emerged from back-to-back flashbacks of the abuse he'd suffered; no doubt accompanied by a soundtrack of demeaning words and insults. Pathetic probably wasn't the only negative emotion he was feeling about himself. But Morgan couldn't help the anger that ran through his veins every time he heard Reid say anything bad about himself.
"Okay, kid. I don't wanna argue with you." He rubbed his shoulder.
Morgan's phone began to ring. He took himself to the corner of the room and flipped it open. It was Hotch.
"Hey Hotch." He answered solemnly.
Rossi looked in his direction.
"Everything okay? You don't sound happy." Hotch said seriously.
"I'll talk to you about it later." He said under his breath.
"Okay... well I thought you should know that Emily and JJ have made four arrests at a motel in West Virginia. Three for trafficking and one for patronising of a sex trafficking victim. One victim has been rescued, a 25-year-old called Matthew."
"You serious?" He glanced to Rossi. "That's great news!"
Reid's head perked up a little.
"The man who was patronising is a State Senator."
"What? You gotta be kidding me!" Morgan said, his mouth dropping open in shock.
"No joke. Morgan we're getting closer. I can feel it. They are being brought to the BAU for interrogation."
"I wanna be there."
"No Morgan, you are still signed off and will be for the foreseeable until you are cleared."
"Oh, come on, man!"
"We'll talk about this later. Now is not the time." Hotch said firmly. "I just thought you might want to pass on the good news."
"Okay." Morgan sighed. "Thanks, man. Speak later." Morgan turned to find Rossi and Reid looking at him expectantly. He moved towards the bed and sat down. Reid pushed himself up from Rossi's chest and wiped his eyes.
"What is it?" He asked, his voice shaking a little. He was clearly so used to bad news.
Morgan grabbed his hand. "Four men have been arrested for trafficking in West Virginia. One male victim has been rescued."
A shiver ran down Reid's spine, Rossi put a hand to his back.
"Was- was he okay?"
"I don't know. But they got him out."
Reid squeezed his hand. "That's good. That's so good." His gaze dropped to the bed sadly.
"Reid?" Morgan prodded gently. "You alright?"
He nodded. "I just hate to think what he's been through."
"I know... But he's safe now. He'll get there." Morgan said reassuringly. Reid's gaze went introspective for a few moments.
"What's his name?" Reid asked quietly.
"Matthew. He's 25."
"Matthew." Reid whispered thoughtfully.
"What of these men they've arrested?" Rossi asked.
"Three were involved in the trafficking of the victim. The other was paying to have sex with him." He squeezed Reid's hand supportively. "He's a State Senator."
Rossi sat forward now. "He's a State Senator?" He asked in shock and disgust.
"They are well connected." Reid said, his face paling somewhat. "He said they were." Morgan nodded, his memory reluctantly jumping back to Maloney's words in the apartment.
"I think Hotch is hopeful that it will provide us with some of the information we need to crack this."
Reid lay back against the pillows again and closed his eyes. "Let's hope so." He mumbled, putting his hand to his eyes. He was exhausted. He didn't even dare to hope anymore. Thoughts of Matthew washed over him; had he been beaten? Probably. Had he been raped? More than likely. Was he severely traumatised? No doubt. All he wanted to do was apologise. To tell him how sorry he was that Matthew went through it at all and how much he wished that things were different; that he had done more to stop it; that he would spend the rest of his life sorry for everything Maloney, Jason and all his men were responsible for. Sorry that he escaped that fate when Matthew didn't. And sorry that he had been feeling so bad for himself whilst Matthew had still been suffering. He was just so sorry for everything.
Hotch was sat in his office when a knock came at the door. He looked up to find Strauss stood in the doorway.
"Erin. Come in." She entered the room and closed the door behind her.
"I hear some progress has been made." She said, her expression stern.
"Yes. The suspects are being transported here as we speak."
"And the victim?" She asked as she sat down in the chair opposite him.
"He's currently in the hospital. Agents Prentiss and Jareau will be interviewing him to see what we can learn."
"That's good. Very good. Jack is working to keep Lionel Porter's arrest confidential for now until he can be interviewed. He will be speaking to the Vice President later to inform him of the developments."
"The less people who know about this, the better. We don't want this getting back to the trafficking ring before we've had chance to investigate the other locations." Hotch stated firmly.
"Jack has assured me that only essential personnel have been made aware of the arrests."
"Good. If we can minimise exposure to that information then we have less chance of a leak."
"You are still sure someone in the FBI is behind this, aren't you?"
Hotch's jaw tightened. "I certainly think there is someone leaking information to the organisation. I can't speak to their level of involvement in the operation itself."
"And how do you propose that we handle it, Aaron?"
"The way we are already handling it. Chasing up leads. In doing so we've already taken 4 people out of the operation and hopefully they will be able to provide us with information we can use to secure more arrests."
"And if they don't?"
"We still have more leads to follow up, Erin. Prentiss and JJ are still in West Virginia and Wilks is covering locations in Virginia and D.C."
"Wilks has found nothing so far. No signs of any operation whatsoever."
"We have multiple locations we are looking into." Hotch said with slight frustration. "Not every one will turn up something useful. These guys are experienced and intelligent. They will move their operation around. We just have to keep the pressure on and at some point, they will slip up."
"And what about your team in the meantime? You can all now be considered targets."
"In the meantime, we focus on keeping everyone safe. Myself, Rossi and Morgan are staying together and Reid is back in the hospital."
"Yes, Aaron, I wanted to talk to you about that."
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "One moment." He said to Strauss, looking to the door. "Come in." He called.
A familiar face pushed the door open. "Agent Hotchner." She looked to Strauss. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt."
"Agent Hall, you're not interrupting. Come on in." He turned to Strauss. "This can wait." He gave a hard look. He knew what Strauss was aiming to discuss with him and Reid's place on the team was still not a topic he wanted raising right now.
Strauss sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Fine." She stood, shooting Hotch a death glare for being so bold. He knew he would likely pay for that later. She turned.
"Agent Hall." She nodded as she left the room.
"Laura, please sit down." Hotch gestured to the chair. "I was pleased to hear about your promotion. It's well deserved. Cyber Crimes are lucky to have you."
"Thank you, Aaron."
"It's been a long time." He smiled; his face dropped as he saw the frown on her face. "But this isn't a social visit."
"No. I'm afraid not." She said solemnly.
"What can I do for you?" Hotch asked.
"Over the last year we have seen an increase in cybersex trafficking. Where victims are being coerced into sex or assaulted on live streams for paying audiences. We have had a task force in place for the past 6 months looking into these perpetrators, which as you can imagine, is not proving easy. Many perpetrators are out of our jurisdiction and the hardest part is determining which feeds are coming from within the US. As part of our investigations we follow the activities of certain sellers. We currently have ten on our watch list. These sellers don't only live stream, they also sell the live stream videos after the fact along with videos of victims being abused in other settings... Aaron... I don't really know how to say this..." She trailed off, taking a deep breath.
"What?" Hotch scowled. "What is it?"
"I might be wrong, but a video recently came up for sale. I'm sure it was David Rossi." She pushed a screenshot across the desk to him. Sure enough, Rossi's face was clear in the shot. Hotch dropped his forehead into his hand but didn't say anything. Laura looked at him curiously. "You don't seem surprised."
Hotch stood from his desk. "They recorded it." He said in disgust.
"No. I don't think you understand me. This was live streamed." He looked at her in horror. "Now, Aaron. I know he is your agent and I don't judge for what people are into, but was this consensual?"
"Laura. He was unconscious."
"So, you are already aware of this?"
"Of the situation, yes. But not of the recording." He sounded exasperated and began pacing the room.
"Is he safe?" She asked cautiously.
"Yes, yes, he's safe."
"I would like to talk to him, if possible. You may or may not be aware but there was another man involved in the incident. He has been a person of interest to us for the last few weeks."
Hotch turned and looked at her. "Person of interest?"
"Yes, another victim. We first saw recordings of him a few weeks ago. He looked like he was being kept in a basement. Multiple videos of this man being abused have been posted for sale. They all look like they were filmed in the same location, then new footage stopped coming. We thought the man had probably died as he was in such a bad state, but then we came across the video of David and this young man appears with him. Different seller, different site. So, the people who did this to Agent Rossi are the same people who are keeping this young man and torturing him. We also have videos of numerous other victims from the same sellers, but none as extreme as the videos featuring this young man."
Hotch just closed his eyes. He couldn't find the words to respond. He felt like the weight of the world had just come crashing down on him. His face drained of all colour and he sat back down at his desk.
"Aaron, are you okay?" Laura looked at him with concern. "I know this is a shock."
"Yes... that victim." He said quietly. "He's also my agent."
Laura looked at him in astonishment. Now she was lost for words. "W-what?"
"The young man on the video with Dave. He's my agent also."
"I'm sorry, Aaron. Are you saying that your agent has been lost to a trafficking ring?"
"No. No, he's safe." Hotch spoke like he had no energy left in his body. "But he was kidnapped and a trafficking ring has been targeting him ever since. It's become almost like a game to them."
She pushed a screenshot across the table from the video of Reid and Jason.
"This is one of your agents?" Hotch gave it a quick glance and pushed it back towards her.
"Yes. Dr. Spencer Reid."
"How on earth were we not informed of this?" Laura said, disbelief in her voice. "There are videos flooding the dark web of FBI agents being assaulted and no one thought to talk to us? Is no one from sex crimes involved?"
"The sex crimes operation had to be put on hold." Hotch said darkly.
"On hold?" She said in shock.
"Yes, on hold. For the foreseeable. We have taken over the case in the last few days."
"So, in all the time this was being investigated, no one thought to tell Cyber Crimes about it?"
"We didn't know there were videos online!" Hotch said, his frustrations mounting. "There was a leak to the press recently, which I'm sure you were aware of and we have people looking into that, but these videos, this is the first I have heard of them being posted online."
"Yes, I was aware of the leak. And the sudden disappearance of Nick Field from sex crimes. Tell me the two aren't related." Hotch's lips tightened. He could neither confirm or deny. "Oh god." Her hand came to her mouth. "How could he be so stupid? So, that's why nothing came our way, because he was influencing the investigation." She said in realisation. "Gosh, I'm sorry, Aaron... Your other agent. He is alive?"
"Yes. He's alive." Just about. Hotch thought.
"Then why weren't you aware of the live stream?" She asked, brows furrowed.
"I'm sorry?" Hotch looked at her with slight irritation.
"Didn't your agent tell you about it?" She asked curiously.
"They were unconscious, Laura."
"Well David certainly was, but your other agent wasn't."
Hotch froze, staring at Laura from under his furrowed brow. "What?"
"He was conscious. He'd clearly been drugged, his motor skills were compromised, but his eyes were open and he was able to follow direction." She pushed a screenshot across the desk of Reid tied to the bed, his eyes glazed and looking up at a man in a ski mask.
Hotch dropped his head into his hands. "He mustn't have known they were filming it."
Laura cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Aaron, but he did. They were taking instructions from the viewers and threatening to kill David if he didn't do it. He couldn't do much in his drugged state but he followed instructions like 'don't move' and 'open your mouth'."
"That's enough!" Hotch said banging his fist on the desk and standing up. He took himself to the corner of the room for a moment of solitude. Laura stayed quiet for a few moments.
"I'm sorry." She said gently, dropping her gaze down to the desk. Hotch stood in the corner of the room with his eyes closed and hands clenched. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Just as he felt they were making progress, yet another devastating piece of news was delivered. Reid swore blind he was unconscious throughout the ordeal. Hotch knew he shouldn't be surprised. He was probably protecting Rossi. Possibly even himself somewhat. Or maybe his mind had blocked it out, unable to deal with any more trauma. Either way, now Hotch was going to have to once again callously knock down his protective walls to get to the truth. And he hated it. He wished he could just leave Reid to deal with it in whatever way he needed to. After everything, didn't he deserve at least that one piece of privacy? Hotch could have almost laughed at that. The notion of privacy was long gone for Reid. And now for Rossi. He was not going to handle this well. Hotch turned back to Laura, his face stern.
"I need to speak with them, Aaron."
"And you will. But I want to tell them first." Hotch frowned. "They deserve to hear it from a friend, at least."
"Okay. I would like to share intel going forward. I feel our investigations will be able to assist each other. I am keen to see this operation shut down. These sellers have listed at least 20 victims that we know of. We are still trying to get invites to the livestreams. You may have information that can help us with that."
"Of course. Once we have handled this, we can sit down and go through everything. Just please, keep any information within trusted personnel only."
"Absolutely." She said reassuringly.
He moved back toward his desk and then paused. "So you have seen the video?" She sighed and nodded. "How bad was it?"
"Nothing compared to the first videos I saw him in. I'm so glad to hear that he is alive. He's haunted my dreams for weeks. When I saw him in this video, I couldn't believe it. I knew it was the same young man because of the scars on his body and his hair. This video was a lot clearer."
"That doesn't answer my question." Hotch said sternly.
She looked at him with an expression of surrender. "It was bad. Not one of the worst I've seen but he was very distressed, which only made the viewers enjoy it more."
"If you can't access the livestream, how do you know there were viewers?" Hotch asked curiously.
"They talk to them throughout the stream... and ask them what they want to see." Her voice trailed off. "There's something else you should know, Aaron." He looked at her with a look of dread. "The requests in the chat room are through the roof for more videos of him. They are making a lot of money from him."
Hotch's mouth dropped open in realisation. "Then that's likely why they keep targeting him."
"It's certainly a huge motivator for a group like this. If a victim proves popular then they use them more. What I don't understand is if money is the motivator, why didn't they just take him when they had the opportunity? I assumed he was already in their possession."
"I don't know." Hotch said honestly. "That's something we need to figure out, there's a lot more to this than you know." His mind flicked to Maloney. "I will catch you up on everything later, but right now, I need to see my agents."
Morgan was sat on the bed now, leaning back into the pillows with Reid sleeping in his arms. He had him wrapped tightly in a blanket and his chin was resting on the top of his younger friend's head. Morgan and Rossi had been sat in silence for the last 20 minutes, enjoying the fact that he was sleeping peacefully and getting some rest. By the time Morgan climbed onto the bed, Reid had looked positively grey. His energy levels were completely depleted but he was still fighting sleep. No amount of hand holding or head stroking was sending him to sleep, his body was just too tense. In the end Morgan opted for a protective hug.
Rossi was sat in the chair next to the bed, resting his chin on his hand. His eyes were closed as his mind drifted in and out of sleep. The room was peaceful and calm. It felt like their own personal safe space where they knew no one could touch them.
He jumped slightly as his phone started ringing. Morgan looked at him through tired eyes. Reid didn't even rouse from the noise. His exhaustion had taken over.
"Hotch." Rossi whispered to Morgan. He flipped the phone open and answered. "Hey Aaron." He said quietly.
"Dave, are you still at the hospital?"
"Yeah. We'll be leaving in half an hour when visiting time finishes."
"I need you to stay where you are. Tell the staff that I need to speak with Reid as part of the investigation."
"I'm not sure right now is a good time, Aaron." Rossi grimaced.
"It can't wait. I'm on my way now." Hotch said firmly. Rossi looked to Morgan, who was looking at him with curiosity. His gaze dropped to Reid and he sighed reluctantly.
"Okay. We'll see you soon." The call ended.
"Hotch is coming here?" Morgan whispered.
Rossi frowned slightly. "Yeah, he needs to speak to the kid. It sounds urgent." Morgan looked at Rossi with a hint of dread. Rossi just nodded in understanding. This didn't sound good.
Matthew had taken Prentiss and JJ through everything he could remember during his time with the traffickers. His experience sounded horrific.
Jason had told him they were going to meet some friends but when they got in the car he had been drugged. When he woke up, he found himself in what he could only describe as a storage unit with 5 other men. From that point on he was 'trained' regularly. Men would come in and teach him how to be submissive and subservient. The sexual assaults started on a weekly basis around three weeks into his captivity.
Matthew had struggled his way through his accounts of the assaults and had to stop multiple times. It reminded Prentiss of Reid taking Field through his experience with Jason. The man in front of her looked equally as pained and distraught.
He had been sold three times throughout his ordeal with the traffickers. Today was the first time he had been taken to the motel. The two previous times he woke up in a room somewhere after being drugged and had no idea where he was. He broke down once he started recounting his experiences with the two men and fell into a flashback. Once they had brought him back, Prentiss and JJ felt it best to take a break to allow him to recover.
They were currently sat in the hospital cafeteria.
"God, what that poor guy has been through. And there's so many more to find." Prentiss shook her head, stirring her coffee.
"I know. It doesn't bear thinking about. He's mentioned coming into contact with at least 15 other victims." JJ sighed. "I just hope we can help some of them."
"I can't believe they used Reid's torture as a way of keeping them in line. Matthew must have been one of Jason's last recruits before Reid."
"It seems like they like to keep them in good condition if they can. He was fed regularly, had regular check-ups, they weren't really beaten."
"I doubt that was done out of any form of care." Prentiss scoffed.
"No, it was necessity. To keep their value on the market." JJ shook her head in disgust.
"Whereas Jason never planned on making money off Reid. So, he was free to do whatever he wanted. And the gang took advantage of that to show them what happens if they step out of line." Prentiss almost laughed. The sickness of it all was overwhelming.
"Is it wrong that the whole time he was talking, all I could think about was Spence?" JJ asked, the guilt clear on her face.
"If it's wrong then I guess I'm joining you in hell." Prentiss said dryly. "It's impossible not to."
JJ sighed. "Shall we go back and finish up?"
Prentiss breathed out a heavy breath and nodded. This was by far the worst part of their job.
When they reached Matthew's room, he was sat back in his bed staring at the ceiling with a far away look in his eyes.
"Matthew?" JJ spoke softly. He blinked a couple of times and then looked at her. "Can we continue?"
He closed his eyes and nodded. "We are nearly done, I swear." Prentiss said reassuringly. "We just want to talk to you about the men who did this to you. Can you describe any of them?"
"I will never forget them. A few wore ski masks so I never got to see their faces, but the ones who didn't." He shuddered.
"Can you describe them for us?"
He nodded. "The guy who seemed to be in charge at the first place was tall, maybe about 6ft3. He was Hispanic, dark hair, brown eyes. They called him Carlos."
"Did he have any identifying marks such as tattoos? Scars?"
"No. Nothing that I saw."
"How do you know this man was in charge?" JJ asked.
"He was the one giving out the orders. He would tell the others when and where to take us. He was the one who threatened us the most with the pictures of your agent as well. But he never seemed to actually touch any of us. As far as I know he didn't assault anyone either. He used to talk a lot about webcam shows to the others and ask which of us would be good for it. They wanted the most obedient of us. He took two of them away and we never saw them again. Louis and Charlie. I don't know what happened to them." His eyes started to tear up.
"You're doing really well, Matthew."
"When you moved locations did you still see Carlos?"
"No, it was another guy, he was under 6ft as he was shorter than me but he was well built and strong. He had a cross tattooed on his neck."
"A cross?"
"Yeah, like a Catholic cross. They called him Bill." Prentiss and JJ exchanged looks and JJ pulled a photograph out of her file.
"Is this him?" Matthew instantly paled, his mouth dropping open.
"Yeah, yeah... that's him. He was different to Carlos. He was more violent. He would actually hit us and you could tell he was holding back. He used to talk about all the things he had done to men and they were... sick. I don't know how much of it was to scare us and keep us in line. He worked with two others, Ellis and Alan. Ellis used to be the one who would do my 'training'."
JJ pulled out two more photos and Matthew gasped, turning away from them. "I can't look at him. I'm sorry."
JJ quickly pulled the photos away. "That's okay." She reassured. "You're doing so, so well, Matthew."
"I have some more pictures to show you. Can you tell me if you recognise any of these men?"
Matthew swallowed anxiously and he nodded. First, she pulled out the sketches of Langley and Peters.
"Yes. I know them. I don't know their names. But when I mentioned the webcam stuff, they would be the ones to come in and 'examine the product' as they called it. They took Louis and Charlie away. I saw them a few times even after they moved me here."
"That's really helpful, Matthew. Thank you." Prentiss said. "Just one more." She pulled out the photograph of Maloney. Matthew's breath caught.
"You know him?" JJ asked putting a hand to his knee. He nodded then grabbed her hand.
"He- he used to come in and check us over. His name was John. He was never happy. Always talking about how we were 'low quality' and how they needed to stop bringing drug addicts and alcoholics. He was violent. He hit me a couple of times, but one guy called Ollie got it really bad one day when he spoke back to him. We were all terrified of him. He could be so nice one second then snap the next. He used to tell us he would kill us if we didn't do everything we were supposed to and there were rumours he had killed some of the men who were there before."
"Was he in charge, Matthew?" JJ asked.
"He was in charge of all the other men, even Carlos."
"So, you saw him at your first location too?"
"Yeah, only once. When he came in the other men would be on their best behaviour as though he was their boss. Even they were nervous of him. But he talked about a Seth. It sounded like he worked for him. I overheard him and Bill talking one day, it sounded like they were planning to take another guy but Seth wouldn't be happy as it was too risky. That was the last time I saw him. After that I was moved again and then you found me."
"I know this is a difficult question, but was he involved in the sexual assaults?" Prentiss asked.
"No. Never. He said we weren't good enough. Just filth." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "He used to make us watch tapes of other men. The ones he liked. He called them 'tutorials' and would coach us on what he liked about them. He used the same five videos all the time. There was a younger man in three of the videos, probably about 19. Another was about my age and your friend was the other one. That was the only video that involved torture. The others were just sex. I don't think I'll ever forget them. I can see them now." He opened his eyes and tears ran down his cheeks.
"Did you ever meet the other men from the videos?"
"No. I don't know where they are or if they are even still alive. We all thought your friend was dead. We were sure of it... I can't believe he's alive... I can't believe I'm alive. God..." He broke down and started to cry hiding his face in his hands.
"Okay, Matthew. You've done so well and been so brave. You've been a great help." JJ said comfortingly.
"Matthew, if we were to send a sketch artist in to see you, do you think you could describe some of the other men we don't have pictures of?"
"I don't know. I just want this to be over." He sobbed, shaking his head.
"I know." Prentiss said gently. "We wouldn't ask if it wasn't really important. You are the only person who can tell us what these men look like."
"You have pictures of the others and that hasn't helped, has it?!" He snapped.
"We have Bill, Ellis, Alan and John in custody."
Matthew looked up at them in shock. "Y-you do?"
Prentiss smiled. "We do. And we'd like to get the rest of them. But we can't do it without your help."
His hands shook as he looked at the two women and he nodded. "Okay. I will help."
Hotch entered Reid's hospital room and took in the sight before him. Morgan was sat on the bed, hugging Reid tightly. His stomach flipped. He'd obviously experienced a flashback and needed comfort. Hotch turned back to Laura who was waiting outside of the room.
"Just give me some time."
"No problem." She waved her hand at him dismissively. "Take your time."
Rossi glanced behind Hotch and furrowed his brows. "Laura Hall is here?" Hotch nodded, closing the door behind him. "She's Cyber Crimes, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is." Hotch said sternly then looked to Morgan. "Can you wake him up?"
"Do I have to? He needs the rest, Hotch." Morgan whispered.
"Yes. I'm sorry." Hotch stood at the end of the bed and dropped his gaze down, clearly deep in thought.
"What's going on, Aaron?" Rossi was clearly concerned now.
Hotch just shook his head then looked to Morgan again. "Please." He nodded to Reid.
Morgan sighed and shook Reid gently. "Reid? Can you wake up for me?" Reid moaned a little and snuggled into Morgan's chest pulling the blanket up to his face. Morgan looked at Hotch for some leniency but didn't find any. He shifted himself a little and shook Reid harder. "Reid? I need you awake, man. Come on." He moaned again and rolled away from Morgan onto his back rubbing his eyes. "Hotch is here to see you."
Reid's eyes opened and his gaze landed on Hotch's serious expression at the end of the bed. He shifted himself to sit up against the pillows behind him.
"Hotch." He said in a croaky voice. Hotch's palms were sweating. He felt terrible about this.
"Morgan, can you give us some privacy, please?" Morgan looked at him in surprise.
"You're joking, right?"
"No. I'm not. Wait outside please." Reid looked at Hotch, his eyes wide and confused. Then he looked to Morgan, furrowing his brows. Rossi's hand was to his mouth. He already knew this wasn't good news.
Morgan stared at him for a few moments, but Hotch seemed to be in no mood for giving in. An order was an order. Morgan huffed as he raised himself from the bed and walked out of the door, closing it behind him.
"What is this, Aaron?" Rossi asked.
"Laura Hall has been running a task force looking into cybersex trafficking... I'm just going to come out and say it... there is a video of you both online." Reid paled and looked down to the bed sheets. Rossi's face contorted in anger.
"What?!" He shouted, standing up from his chair.
"What they did to you was livestreamed to a paying audience who had input on what happened."
Rossi's furious eyes filled with tears. "Oh god." He turned away from Hotch and walked to the window. "So, people have seen it?" He sounded mortified and completely embarrassed.
"I'm sorry." Hotch eyed Reid carefully. He was getting no reaction.
"Have you seen it?" Rossi turned to him.
"No. No, I haven't." He said reassuringly.
"But you're going to have to watch it. I don't want to know what was on it." Rossi shook his head in complete denial. "Don't tell me."
"If that's what you want." Hotch nodded. "Reid? You're very quiet."
"Of course he's fucking quiet. What is he supposed to say to that?" Rossi's temper was getting the better of him. Reid shifted uncomfortably not making eye contact with either of them. He could feel Hotch's piercing gaze burning into him. Rossi looked between the pair. "Is there something I'm missing here?" He asked in confusion.
"Reid?" Hotch pressed. Reid's gaze finally came up and he shook his head innocently.
"No... nothing."
"Reid, the video shows you were conscious." Rossi's stomach dropped. "That they spoke to you and gave you instructions." Rossi's mouth dropped open and he looked to Reid, almost pleadingly.
Reid's gaze dropped again. "I don't remember anything." He said quietly. "I was drugged."
"I know, but you were conscious enough to follow direction." Hotch said softly.
"I have no memory of it." Reid said flatly. His lack of eye contact was the dead giveaway.
"Reid. Did you know about this livestream?" Rossi asked, unable to keep the anger out of his voice. Reid shook his head quickly in denial, shrinking into the pillows behind him. "And you were awake when they were... god."
"No, I wasn't!" Reid cried out, grasping his hands in his hair.
"How could you not tell me?!" Rossi practically shouted. "There was me thinking that neither one of us knew what happened. I could deal with that! But now I learn you were awake the whole time?" He turned away in disgust and headed back toward the window, his hands shaking.
"No, I don't remember anything. I don't."
"Instead of telling me you let me find out from a fucking livestream that you know everything they did?"
"Dave." Hotch said warningly, trying to get him to calm down.
Rossi shook his head. "I can't deal with this." He turned on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Hotch looked to Reid with a deep frown, he moved around the bed and sat down next to him on the mattress.
Reid had pulled his knees up to his chest and tipped his face forward into his forearms, hiding himself once again.
"Reid?" Hotch said gently.
"Why did you do that?" Reid's weak voice asked.
"Because we need to know the truth, Reid. We didn't even know they were involved in cybersex crimes. If Agent Hall hadn't found that video, we'd never have known that there are other victims they are doing this to. It's only because she recognised Dave that we have been able to piece it together. Will you talk to Agent Hall about it?"
"I don't remember anything." He said through gritted teeth.
"Reid-"
Reid's head snapped up. "Are you fucking deaf?! I said I don't remember anything. I have an eidetic memory. If I say I don't remember anything then I don't remember anything. Okay?!"
Hotch leaned back a little. He was completely taken aback by Reid's outburst. The swearing, the aggression, the attitude. "Okay." Hotch surrendered, not wanting to cause him anymore distress. He was in complete denial and trying to force him out of that was a dangerous move right now.
"Can I at least send Laura in to talk to you?"
"No." Reid said, dropping his head down.
"Reid. Please." Hotch tried, practically begging by Hotch's standards.
Reid just shook his head. Hotch sighed, his shoulders slumping a little. He stared at Reid for a few moments. He could practically feel the embarrassment radiating from him. It was understandable. He obviously thought he could dodge this; that Rossi was unconscious and need never know what happened. Hotch's heart ached for him. He was clearly terrified of losing the relationship he had with the man who treated him like a son. Even if it meant that he had to live with the memories, he didn't want Rossi to have to. Hotch shifted a little closer to Reid and put a gentle hand to his forearm.
"He hates me now." He said weakly.
"No, he doesn't. He's just in shock... And embarrassed." He rubbed his forearm.
"Hotch?" Reid looked at him through sad eyes. "Please don't watch the video."
Hotch stared at him for a few moments then nodded. "I won't." Reid gave a small smile and dropped his head back into his arms.
"Do you want Morgan back in here?" Reid nodded. "Okay." Hotch said gently. He left the room and spoke with Morgan for a few moments outside the room. As soon as they were finished Morgan came straight into the room and squeezed up next to Reid, wrapping his arms around him again.
"Why didn't you tell me, Reid?... Why didn't you tell me?"
Reid just broke down, wrapping himself tighter into his defensive ball, allowing Morgan to pull him close.
Hotch watched through the window of the door as Laura approached. She followed his gaze into the room. "He's struggling." Hotch said. "You won't be able to speak to him today."
"That's okay. After what he's been through it's understandable. It can wait."
"Let's head back to the BAU and we can exchange what we have so far."
Hotch took a final glance at Reid through the window and felt tears stinging his eyes. If Reid ever got back to any semblance of normality it would be a miracle. I
Laura put a hand to his arm. "Come on, Aaron. Let's start working on making them pay."
