A/N: Sorry for the delay on this one. I've had to do a fair bit of planning to tie up the plot as I begin to work towards the end of the story.
"Thank you for coming to speak with me, Mr Morgan." Pippa said gratefully, sitting down at her desk, gesturing for Morgan to do the same. Morgan nodded grimly; he was still deeply unhappy with the woman. "I am very sorry for what you have witnessed today, I'm sure you have found it distressing."
"Not as distressing as Reid has found it." He bit back.
Pippa gave a tight smile. "That's what I would like to talk to you about. I'm under no illusions that Spencer is not benefitting from being here when we have incidents like we've had today. I would like to understand how to best help him. I am beginning to realise that our standard treatment program might not be appropriate in his case. I wanted to speak to you to better understand what we are dealing with here."
Morgan sighed. "How long have you got?" He said half-jokingly.
"As long as it takes. I understand you have been living with him, so you're the best person to speak to regarding his triggers?"
"Yeah, that's right. I mean, I don't know how much you are aware of when it comes to Reid. Has he talked to you about what's happened to him at all?"
"Not to me, but I know he's had some conversations with my colleague, Susan. He did open up to her a little. I am aware that he was raped and tortured, then raped again a few months later." Pippa said gently.
"Yeah, well in a way that's half the story." Morgan sighed. "He's being persistently tormented by a sex trafficking ring that we are investigating. They are stalking him, threatening him, sending photos to him. Recently he and our colleague were assaulted again. The video has been posted online." Morgan closed his eyes. "He's living in a state of constant terror." Morgan's gaze then landed firmly on her. "He doesn't feel safe anywhere. There was a time when he felt safe around me, but they manipulated him into believing I was somehow involved and I'm not sure he fully trusts even me yet. Add this to the things that have already been done to him, let me say, immobilising him on a bed is probably the most stupid thing you can do to him right now."
"I understand how distressing he finds it."
"No. I don't think you do. The first time he was taken, the guy who did it was a sexual sadist who wanted complete dominance over him. He strapped him down to the bed so he couldn't move while he raped him." Morgan shuddered. "Every single thing he did was designed to show him how little he could do to stop it. The second time round he was just completely overpowered. There were four of them. Three of them raped him while I was stuck in the other room being made to listen." Pippa paled.
"Oh my." She said in shock, putting a hand to her mouth.
"They got into his head. That's what these guys do. They are traffickers, sex is their business, so their ultimate goal is complete submission and humiliation... to the point where a person no longer respects themselves. They start seeing themselves as something to be used and abused. Almost like it's their purpose. That's what these guys are trying to do to Reid, like it's some sort of challenge to make an FBI agent feel that way."
"Hence the tattoo." She said in understanding.
"Exactly." Morgan nodded. "They are trying to break him down. To make him feel like he's powerless and worthless. And I hate to say it, but it's working. Why wouldn't it? We've not been able to keep him safe." Morgan said angrily. "Every time he's trusted one of us, they've managed to get through our defences to get to him in one way or another. He has little self-respect left. That tattoo on his neck is what they call him, just to drive home to him exactly how they see him."
"Agent Morgan, I have to ask, is he safe here?"
"I can't honestly say he's completely safe anywhere... but we feel he's safer here than anywhere else right now. As long as the security procedures are fully adhered to." Pippa nodded in understanding.
"So, lack of control is a big issue for him at the moment." She observed.
"I'd say that's one of his biggest triggers. If he's not in control then he doesn't feel safe. You have to remember; he's surrounded by people he doesn't know here. He wasn't the most confident person to start with. And his life is constantly under threat. Genuine threat, not just imagined. It isn't paranoia or hypervigilance like you're probably used to dealing with. He has no sense of security, then you strap him down and take away any chance he has of protecting himself. That's going to trigger him, if the unfamiliarity hasn't already."
"I can't do anything about the unfamiliarity unfortunately."
"No, but you can give him some sense of security, starting with not just letting other patients walk into his room whenever they feel like it."
"Yes, that was unfortunate and shouldn't have happened. We used to have someone keeping an eye on the hallways but we are short staffed."
Morgan rolled his eyes. "That's reassuring." He said sarcastically. "Well can't you give him the code to his door so he can lock it when he wants to?"
"I can't do that. I can keep his door locked, but we only normally do that for very high-risk patients. We try to make this unit as independent as we can."
"No. Locking him in won't help. He already feels imprisoned here."
"I'm afraid most of our patients feel the same way."
"Yeah, well try being locked and chained in a basement for three days while being raped and tortured. I'm pretty sure you will realise quickly why hes not like 'most patients'." Morgan snapped.
"Agent Morgan, the majority of our patients have been through trauma. It's not something we are inexperienced with."
"Yeah, but how many of them have that trauma still actively ongoing? For how many of them is it still a genuine threat?" Pippa's lips tightened and she nodded. "He's not your typical case. If he could have some control over who enters his space then that would definitely help him."
Pippa sighed. "I can see what can be done regarding the door locking. I can't promise anything though."
"Thank you, that's all I can ask for." Morgan said gratefully.
There was a knock at the door and Belinda poked her head around.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Spencer is having a panic attack. He's asking for Agent Morgan again."
Morgan put his head into his hand. Pippa looked at him with concern. "He's very dependent on you, isn't he?"
Morgan nodded. "It's a safety thing." He said standing up.
"Leave him." Pippa said firmly. Morgan raised an eyebrow at her. "He needs to learn how to manage his symptoms himself without depending on you."
"I can't leave him like that." Morgan said frustratedly.
"So, what happens when you go home? This will keep happening and the more you respond to it, the more it will keep happening."
"Are you suggesting he's doing it for attention?" Morgan's eyes flashed with anger.
"No! Not at all, but if every time he has an episode you are there to help him, he's going to associate you with feeling safe. So, when you aren't there, what's that telling him?"
Morgan frowned. "That he's not safe."
She nodded. "Exactly."
"Urgh, this is so hard." Morgan sat back down.
"I know." She said softly. "But you have to be able to trust us to take care of him. If he sees that you trust us, that will help."
Morgan laughed sardonically. "I guess I have some trust issues too."
"Understandable given the circumstances. Look, all we want to do is help him. We don't want to keep him here. That's the last thing we want. We want to be able to send him home with the ability to manage his symptoms well enough that they aren't completely overwhelming him. You can help with that. But it's not by holding his hand through it. It's by talking to us, helping us to understand what it is he needs and giving us the tools we need to handle these situations. He needs therapy, but he's not in a condition to even participate in that at the moment. We need your help to get him there."
Morgan sighed, his eyes welling up with tears. "Okay." He wiped at his eyes, self-consciously.
"Tell me all about him. His triggers, what comforts him, what doesn't. Everything."
Hotch sat with Laura and Garcia in the conference room. Hotch had given Laura all the information they had gathered so far regarding the trafficking ring, Maloney and his associates including his suspicions about an inside man. She was looking increasingly concerned.
"I do appreciate you sharing all of this with me, Agent Hotchner. I understand you must be very concerned about security right now."
"Yes. It's a major concern." Hotch said seriously.
"I can assure you, any information you have given to me will be kept within a small group of agents who I trust with my life."
"Thank you." Hotch said gratefully. "So, what do you have on your end?"
"Well, the information you have provided has been incredibly helpful towards our investigation. Especially the information from Matthew. It helps me to understand the structure of the operation a little more. They currently are posting on two different marketplaces accessible via the Tor network. One they use solely for live streaming and selling videos. The other they use for marketing their in person 'services'. On that website no actual transactions take place but they advertise their 'products' there. It's almost like an online catalogue of the men they have available for either sale or solicitation. It is an invite only thing."
"This is why I never want to work in cyber crimes." Garcia said, disgust written upon her face.
Laura pulled her laptop over. "We have various handles on these websites, but they are incredibly cautious, especially on their marketing website. We have tried to purchase or solicit some of their men but they do not answer our queries. Access to the catalogue is by invitation only. We suspect that they only sell to those they have met in person, that way they can verify their identities. This would be where an undercover would be a great help, but without any locations to work with, we've been drawing blanks. We knew this organisation was located somewhere in the US, but until we found the video of your agents, we didn't realise just how local it was. We have had more success on the video streaming site and between our 4 aliases we have purchased every single video they have sold on there, but we have yet to be invited to the actual livestreams. We only have videos of them after the fact. They don't sell them all either. Some we are aware are happening but if we don't get an invite we don't see them."
"So, the arrest of the Senator should be useful to you."
"Absolutely. If he can tell us how he obtained access to the marketplace then that will give us a good indication of where these guys are finding their clientele. The downside is that they may already know that something has gone wrong."
Hotch nodded. "Because none of their men have returned." Laura nodded.
"Precisely. I could do with speaking to Matthew to better understand the structure of the network. If the guys you have arrested were running their own 'franchise' so to speak, it may take some time before anyone realises they are missing. We could use their aliases to appear as though they are still active and selling to pick up any buyers and make use of the Senator's account to set up more meets."
"But all of this is very dependent on the men assisting us. If they are anything like Maloney, they won't."
"You'd be surprised how disloyal some of these men turn out to be when they are staring a life sentence in the face." Laura smiled knowingly.
"Well, I hope you're right. Maloney's men have been less than helpful." Hotch sighed.
"We tend to find the higher up the chain they are the more loyalty they have."
"Much like a cult." Hotch nodded. "Leo Mitchell, Peter Bradshaw, Jack Oswald and the Senator should be here within the hour so we can begin our interrogations. We need to move fast. We have only a week until the arraignment on the 22nd. Maloney is pushing for WITSEC by that date. Let's make sure we don't need to grant it." Hotch said firmly.
"Agreed. I'd like to start with Senator Porter." Laura said.
"That's fine, I will take Jack Oswald and then we can deal with Leo and Peter. Garcia, a search of the Senator's home retrieved a laptop, I need you to examine it and pull any evidence you can find."
"Okay, Sir. As soon as I have it, I will get started. I've been unable to find addresses for Leo and Peter." Hotch nodded in response.
"No doubt they are housed by the operation. Let's all take a break. It's going to be a long day."
Morgan entered his living room to find Rossi sat on the couch with a glass of scotch. Moving to his drinks cabinet, he grabbed a glass and placed it on the table.
"Pour one for me, will you?" He said flatly, collapsing into his chair. Rossi silently leaned over and poured him a large measure and pushed it in his direction. He then sat back into the couch resting his own drink in his lap.
"I've been told not to visit Reid." Morgan said, taking a large swig of his scotch. Rossi's eye twitched, but he didn't respond. "They think he's 'too dependent' and it's making him worse. The stupid thing is, by the end of the meeting I was actually agreeing with them. It felt like the right thing to do. Now I've left there, I'm not sure I haven't made a big mistake." He took another swig of his scotch and sat forward. "He had a panic attack and was asking for me. But he did settle down to sleep by the time I'd finished the meeting. So, maybe it is me making it worse." Morgan thought aloud. "Maybe I have been mollycoddling him. I thought I was helping..." He drifted off, sitting in thought for a few moments. Then he sighed and sat back, downing the rest of his scotch. He looked to Rossi, who appeared to be deep in thought. Guilt hit him. There he was ranting and Rossi was understandably struggling with the news he had just received. "You alright, man?"
"Oh, I'm just fine." Rossi said dryly.
"You wanna talk about it?" Morgan asked calmly.
"Talk about what? How my image is all over the dark net doing god only knows what? Or the fact that Reid knew the whole time and didn't have the decency to tell me?"
Morgan sucked a breath in. "That's not fair, Dave."
"You're damn right it's not fair." Rossi laughed. "He came in to see me and assured me that he didn't remember anything. That neither one of us was to blame. I could deal with that. Neither of us remembering. But now, I know he was awake. He's seen me... like... that. Doing god only knows what to him and the other way round. How can I ever look him in the eye again, Derek? How could he even look me in the eye in the first place? Then lie to me like that? It makes me cringe. Something is not right in his head if he thinks that's okay."
"He was obviously trying to protect you."
"I don't need protecting, Derek. Especially not by someone who's young enough to be my son!" Morgan sat in silence for a few moments, watching Rossi take more sips from his scotch. He could almost feel the embarrassment radiating from his older colleague. Morgan could see he was completely horrified. It was understandable. He could appreciate how it would be easier to deal with mentally if neither of them remembered it. Now it had been immortalised on film and in Reid's brain. He didn't know which was worse. To know that other people had watched, or to know that Reid had been conscious through it, no doubt in great distress. He sighed and shook his head.
"He's in denial." Morgan said gently. "He's not dealing with it."
"Well at least he has something to process. I have no idea what happened so I have no idea how I should be feeling!"
"Then watch the video." Morgan said flatly.
Rossi scoffed. "Watch the video."
"If you want to know what happened, then yeah."
Rossi unconsciously shook his head. "You make it sound so simple."
"Dave, trust me, I know nothing about this is simple. What they have done to you both is sick and it makes me so angry. But their intention is to drive wedges between all of his relationships. And you're letting them."
"No, Derek. He's letting them by not being honest. That's all on him." Morgan sighed in response.
"Okay. Maybe he should have told you."
"You think?" Rossi snapped.
"But maybe it was too painful. Remember what he said when he thought he was going to die? You are his role model, man." Rossi flinched. "He looks up to you. He feels privileged to be able to call you a friend. Maybe he didn't want to lose that. Just think about it, he knows what happened. And still, your friendship is more important to him, protecting you is more important to him than anything that happened in that bedroom."
Rossi dropped his head down into his hand and tears ran down his face.
"I just can't stand the thought of what he's seen. The thought that he was awake when he had to... his saliva was..." Rossi shuddered. He didn't need to finish that sentence. They both knew where his saliva was found. "I mean I feel violated and I wasn't even aware of it. But he was and I'm the one that violated him. They used my hand to... penetrate him for god's sake."
"They used more than that Rossi. I got a text from Garcia. The sex toys returned with traces of his DNA. They had been cleaned but they'd been used." Morgan dropped his gaze.
Rossi shook his head in disgust. "And there were people watching this; telling them what they wanted to see. How depraved can you get?"
"Well Reid's torture videos have been sold on there too. And apparently proved very popular. So, I would say the depths of the depravity on that website knows no bounds."
Rossi looked at him in horror. "They sold the videos of him and Jason?" Morgan nodded grimly. "Does he know?" Morgan nodded again. "How did he react?"
"He didn't want to hear it. I can't say I blame him. There's only so much a person can take." Morgan sighed. "He's already hanging on by a thread." Rossi looked thoughtful for a few moments. "All he cared about was that you were upset with him. He's so worried that you hate him now."
Rossi cringed. "Oh god." He dropped his head to his hand again. "I could never hate him... I was shocked. Angry. And yeah, I guess I was angry with him. As irrational as that is."
"It's normal to be angry." Morgan said reassuringly. "No one expects you to be okay with this. But don't be angry with him, Dave. Please, not with him..." Rossi rubbed at his eyes. "Trust me, I made that mistake when he cut himself. I let my fear take over and I pushed him away. He didn't deserve it. He's just trying to get through this as best as he can."
Rossi began to break down. "I know. I know that. This is just going to take some time to get my head around. He's like a son to me. And the thought that..." Rossi shook his head. "It doesn't bear thinking about."
"Yeah." Morgan said quietly, his eyes closing. He couldn't imagine how Rossi was feeling. The guilt and disgust he felt with himself for being stuck in Reid's apartment while he was attacked was crippling. If he knew he'd been made a part of the abuse, he didn't know what that would have done to him. He slid his glass across to Rossi again. Rossi sat forwards to pour him another.
"This is the scotch the kid bought me." Rossi said fondly.
Morgan smiled a little. "It's good."
"I'll never forget opening the door to him that night. He was looking so much better. More like himself. That feels like a lifetime ago now."
"Crazy to think it was only a few weeks ago." Morgan nodded.
"You never know what's round the corner." Rossi said, taking a swig of his scotch.
"No... no, you don't." Morgan said thoughtfully, taking another sip of his whiskey.
Agent Laura Hall sat in the interrogation room opposite Senator Lionel Porter. The man was extremely anxious and kept wringing his hands on the table in front of him. To Laura and Hotch's relief, he had waived his right to an attorney for now. This was usually a good sign that someone intended to confess and assist the investigation. They were both hopeful that this would provide some good leads. Hotch had managed to keep the arrests under the table for now. Only the BAU, Strauss and Laura were made aware. Not even Wilks or Fickler had been informed. The last thing Hotch wanted was for this to get back to the organisation before they had a chance to utilise any of the information provided to them. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but the more people who knew, the more chance it had of reaching the ears of someone who would use that information against them. Laura and Strauss had agreed.
Hall sat back in her chair after reading his Miranda Rights. The man was jittery and kept talking after confirming his understanding.
"I will assist you in any way that I can, just please, I want it on the record that I cooperated." He said desperately. The man was clearly mortified to have this side of himself revealed to the world.
"I will do that." She said coolly. "Let's start from the beginning, shall we? How did you come into contact with this organisation?"
His foot started tapping anxiously. "Look, I haven't always been like this. I've made a huge mistake. Got too caught up in a fantasy."
"I'm not here to judge your preferences, Senator." She said calmly. "I simply need to know how we ended up here."
The Senator closed his eyes and nodded. His grip tightening on his hands. He took a deep breath. "I have always liked the idea of being dominant... in the bedroom. So... I used to watch BDSM porn online. For many years that was enough. But then I found out there was a local club, "Club Lash" and my intrigue got the better of me. I started going there regularly for a few months."
"How many times is regularly?" Hall cut in.
"Say once every fortnight. They always let me use the back door due to my high profile. I used to hire a submissive for an hour. It was good at first as I was learning the ropes and becoming familiar with the role of a 'dominant'. But as time went on I was getting less and less out of it."
"And why do you think that was?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. The submissives were very experienced. Some of them were real masochists and they loved everything I was doing to them. And... it just wasn't quite how I imagined it."
"You imagined them reacting negatively to the activity?"
He cringed. "I guess so, yeah."
"So, it was a more non-consensual fantasy for you?" Hall asked calmly and without judgement.
"I didn't realise that was what it was at the time. I just knew that whatever was happening just wasn't 'doing it' for me."
"What did you do about that?"
"I began looking online for extreme BDSM, but there was a lot of stuff they were doing that didn't interest me. Then I kind of fell across a video." He sighed. "It wasn't real." He added quickly. "But it was an acted kidnapping scenario where the submissive was an unwilling participant. It was acted really well and was believable. Then I found there are lots of videos out there like that. So, I started watching those instead."
"And did you continue attending the club?"
"I did. But I didn't really enjoy it anymore. I was having a drink after a session one evening and I was chatting with one of the barmen, Luke. They are completely judgement-free places and very discreet, so we got to talking about our fantasies. I asked him if he'd ever watched any videos like the ones I was watching and he said he did. That was his preference also. He called it a kink. He said that's why he never made use of the facilities at the club, as the submissives aren't real submissives. They are too dominant and too in control of the scene. Everything he was saying made sense and it explained to me why my fantasy wasn't really working. He mentioned to me that if I like that kind of thing I should go to The Citadel Casino and speak with Mike, the host. He'd be able to 'hook me up' with something that would be a bit more 'my flavour'."
"How long ago was this?" Hall asked curiously.
"It was about six months ago. It took me two months to get the confidence to go. I wasn't sure that I was ready for it."
"And what made you decide that you were ready for it?"
The Senator cleared his throat a little. "I- um- found a website that had... I suppose 'questionable' content. It was hard to tell if they were real or not. If they weren't then they were very convincing. But the fact that there was a chance they weren't real still stuck in my mind and it made it less appealing."
"So you were looking for real rape videos?" Hall said grimly.
The Senator closed his eyes in embarrassment and nodded. "I know it's awful. But that was the fantasy. It was the only thing that was missing from everything I had watched so far. The second I saw the 'victim' playing along, I would switch off. So, I decided to go to The Citadel."
"And this Luke had told you he could provide real rape videos?"
"No, no, nothing like that. He just told me that there's lot of guys like me who want the same thing and the really good stuff is hard to find. But he knows someone who produces excellent content."
"Okay." Laura nodded. "So, what happened when you went to the casino?"
"I told Luke I would be going and he said I would need to ask for the host, Mike. He said he would let him know I was coming. When I arrived, I asked for him. I seemed to be waiting forever. I nearly left, I was so nervous and was starting to think this was some sort of trick by the press or something. But then Mike finally came out and he took through the back of the casino and into this like, hidden club."
"A hidden club?"
"Yeah, the sort of place that you would only know was there by invite only. It was underground and the entrance reminded me of something from a film, you know where you pull a book on a shelf and it opens a hidden door. The code pad was hidden behind a picture on the wall and you would never have known there was a door there just by looking."
Laura was excited by this information; her stomach was fluttering. This casino was obviously a key player in the whole organisation, but she kept her composure knowing that the more he told her, the more chance they had of figuring out the whole network. "And what sort of club was it?"
"From what I could tell, it was a sex club. I only saw into a few rooms. Some were kitted with BDSM equipment but others were just beds. A few of the rooms were in use."
"Okay, so what happened once you were in there?"
"He gave me a card with a website address on it. He said I could access it through the Tor network. I had no idea what that was, so he took me through how to get access. He said the websites would give me access to all of the latest videos and I could book some time with their men through there too. He said it might be at the club or it might be somewhere else. Once he explained it all he took me back out. I never went back to the casino again after that."
"And by that point, were you aware that these men were being trafficked?" Hall asked curiously.
"No. Well, I wasn't sure. It was all still quite vague. It was once I got onto the website I realised that something was 'off'. The videos were too real. The men seemed like they were genuinely being forced to do what they were doing. They didn't have the same tolerance that the guys at the BDSM club did."
"What kinds of videos did you watch?"
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, anything and everything. From just the basic sexual assault and rape videos right through to the BDSM and torture content."
"And when you realised that it was probably real, that didn't put you off?"
The Senator looked down shamefully. "No, it- it fuelled the fantasy." He said quietly. "I know it's so wrong, but I couldn't help it. I got totally lost in it." Hall just nodded in response. She had seen a lot of these videos and all she saw was drugged, distressed and suffering young men. She couldn't imagine how anyone could feel aroused by the content on those videos.
"How much content did you view on the website?"
"Nearly all of it." He whispered. "I had my favourites, like everyone did. The guys they used had nicknames and you could search by their name to find videos of them. There were a lot of men on there so there was never too much content of just one person. I suppose it made it more exciting when there was new footage of them. Increased demand I guess." He said rolling his eyes.
"And who were your favourites?" She asked, trying to keep the disgust out of her voice.
"There were three I liked. "M.M.", known as Masochistic Mike, "F.T." known as Fuck Toy and "C.W." known as Cock Whore. I know the names are bad, but it was a way of identifying them."
"What did you like about those men in particular?"
The Senator shifted uncomfortably. "They were some of the more extreme videos. And they were the most attractive. They were kind of dainty and young looking, they looked easy to control. Some of the other guys were a bit too muscular for me. C.W. did a lot of Somnophilia videos, which I didn't know was something I enjoyed. He was unconscious and it was a control thing, I guess. M.M. did a lot of videos alone where they would tell him to do stuff to himself and he would. I guess that's why he got the name 'masochist'. He was good at it, but you could tell he didn't want to do it. He would whip, cut and bite himself. If he didn't do what the viewers asked then someone would taser him. He'd usually do anything after that. F.T. was uh, pretty full-on rape and torture. At first, I wasn't sure it was real but I saw him later with scars, so I know it was genuine. There was bondage, stabbing, cutting, biting, locking him up in a dark space, pretty much any kind of control you could want."
"Did you ever meet up with any of those men?" Laura asked.
"No. They were never available for appointments. Only for online viewings. That was one thing that put me off, as I didn't really want to meet up with some random guy. My fantasies involved those men in particular." He looked down in shame again.
Laura could feel her blood boiling now. "Those men you were fantasising about were human beings, taken away from their lives and made to do these things so perverts like you could watch them. They were terrified."
He dropped his head into his hands. "God, I know. I'm so sorry! I wish I could tell them how sorry I am."
"It didn't stop you booking appointments though, did it?" She snapped. "How many times did you arrange meet ups?"
"Only once. I swear. That was my first time." She looked at him skeptically. "Honestly, I swear on my daughter's life. When I couldn't meet up with any of the ones I liked, I decided to leave it. But they assured me that they had someone similar to the guys I liked. They said he was a cross between F.T. and C.W. So, they sent me some images of him. I booked in for a light BDSM session."
"Light BDSM? What does that involve?"
"No cutting, burning, anything that will leave a scar. So not like F.T's videos. They said he couldn't handle that and they didn't want him returned too damaged. Which was fine with me as it was my first time and I was nervous. They provided some drugs as well if I wanted to knock him out. On the day, I wasn't even sure I was going to turn up."
"But you did." Laura said dryly.
"I did." The Senator sighed. "I was told to go to a mall parking lot where I would then receive a text message 5 minutes before my appointment."
"Do you still have that text message?" Laura asked.
"Yes, I do. You should find it on my cell." The Senator nodded.
"When booking your appointment with the young man, who did you speak to?"
"It was always someone with the username 'SETH'. He seems to handle all of the bookings. The videos came from multiple accounts."
"We are going to need your username and password for the sites." Laura said firmly. The Senator visibly paled.
"My p-password?" He stuttered nervously.
"Yes. You said that you would help us in any way we can. This is the best way that you can help us. Give us access to those websites so we can obtain more information about the group and the victims."
His jaw tightened anxiously. "The second they realise that I've been arrested they will shut down my account." He said quickly.
"Well, we'd better keep your arrest under wraps then, hadn't we?" Laura smiled and pushed a piece of paper across the table. "Now, username and password."
Hotch emerged from his interrogation with Jack Oswald and headed straight to the conference room where Garcia was waiting. She looked at him with anticipation.
"How did it go?" She asked quickly. He placed a piece of paper down on the table with login details for the network.
"Oh my, he gave it to you?" She gasped.
"Yes. He has been very cooperative. It seems the threat of a life sentence works wonders. How has the search on the Senator's laptop been going?"
She paled and shook her head. "It's... hideous. There's no number of kittens or bunnies or cute baby pandas that will erase the images that have been burned into my brain this afternoon.
"Sorry, Penelope." Hotch said regretfully. "Did you manage to find anything useful?"
"Not really, the men doing this all wear masks to hide their identities and I haven't been able to find any identifying marks on them either. The only video with anyone identifiable is the one with Jason."
"He watched that?" Hotch asked, his upper lip curling in disgust.
"And then some. There are four videos in total. Two of them make it into his most-watched list. The one with Rossi and Reid is quite high up there too."
"You found it?"
"Not intentionally, Sir. Rossi's face is pixilated."
"It is? But Agent Hall identified him from that video."
"Well, if I didn't know it was Rossi, then I wouldn't be able to identify him."
"Perhaps they did it because they knew he might recognise him. Dave is a well-recognised character, especially amongst those in power. He wouldn't necessarily recognise Reid, but Dave? There's a good chance."
"Maybe, Sir."
Hotch stood silently for a few moments. "Did you watch it?"
Garcia cleared her throat. "Some of it. Too much of it. I switched it off once I realised the guys in it were wearing masks again, but it took a while for them to show themselves." Hotch noticed that her hands were shaking.
"Reid was definitely conscious?" Hotch asked, still not wanting to believe it.
"Uh huh." Garcia said in a shaky voice. "He was drugged. Very drugged. He couldn't really move, but um... he was crying." She broke down putting her hands to her forehead. "They said they would kill Rossi if he didn't do exactly what they told him to do. And he was crying, Hotch. And the voices coming through on the video were laughing at him for being upset and telling them to make him cry more. It was so horrible. He doesn't deserve any of this. My poor baby genius, I just wanted to reach through the screen and grab him and tell him everything is going to be okay and that we love him and not everyone in the world is going to be that cruel. It breaks my heart. I just hate to hear him cry." Her voice broke and she cried. Hotch put a hand to her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Penelope." He felt awful for putting her through this. Her regular job was hard enough without putting her on a deep dive in sex crimes. Especially when one of the victims was someone she saw as a little brother. This would no doubt stay with her for a life time.
"I'm okay... I'm okay." She said, more to herself than anyone. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath to pull herself together. "I'm sorry, I should be focusing on getting the bastards who did this."
"With these login details we are a step closer to that." Hotch said confidently.
Laura now entered the room with a smile on her face. Hotch turned and looked at her expectantly. She placed the paper down on the paper much like Hotch had earlier.
"Login details. He has cooperated fully with the investigation. How did it go with Mr Oswald?"
Hotch nodded. "The same. He seemed keen to distance himself from it all. He gave me the name of a Fahim Mohammed. He was the one who approached him about making use of the rooms. They were aware of his previous criminal background so they obviously targeted him due to that. They paid him a weekly payment to take over three rooms at the motel and be given access 24/7 to come and go as they pleased. In return for the money, he would manage the bookings and keep the rooms clean. He saw six different men bringing victims to the rooms. Two are the men we have in custody, he's given descriptions of two others who he said he never spoke to. He also knew of a Marshall Richards and a Cain McDonald." Hotch gave a small smile. "When shown the images, they were Langley and Peters."
"Oh my gosh, that's great news." Garcia exclaimed.
"Garcia-"
"Already on it, Sir!" She said typing into her laptop furiously.
"He said that for the money he was being paid, the rooms were not used that much. He said he was surprised to see so many men available on the website. The number he had seen were only a fraction of the number available on the site. So, he knew they must have been filming and making appointments elsewhere. Richards and McDonald always used the same room, where he thinks they did a lot of filming as they always turned up with filming equipment and a lot of technical hardware. They always took it with them when they left so that's why we didn't find any."
"This is a real breakthrough." Laura said enthusiastically. "It really feels like we are making some progress now. How long does he think we have until they realise he is gone?"
"They still have the keys to the motel. Each pair he met appeared to be from a different group and didn't seem to know each other personally. As it was a 24/7 service, he wasn't always there. He will provide us with information on who to book slots with so we can target each block of the organisation. The only problem we have is when Bradshaw and Mitchell don't return with Matthew. So, we need to act quickly."
"Okay, we need to get into that network now. The longer we leave it the higher the chance of exposure. Agent Hotchner, may I bring in two of my team? They know how these guys talk, how they act and the procedures on websites such as this one. They are two of my most trusted colleagues and they will get the job done, I promise."
Hotch looked to Garcia for a moment. She nodded. "Sir, it definitely sounds like a good idea. I wouldn't know where to start with this kind of thing. I can mimic people online well enough, but this sort of thing comes with its own hidden rules, language and etiquette that I just don't have the time to learn."
"Exactly." Laura agreed.
"Okay, bring them in. They will work here from the BAU."
Laura nodded. "Whatever you are comfortable with." She took her phone from her pocket. "Did you say you currently have two agents in West Virginia?"
Hotch nodded. "Yes, Agents Prentiss and Jareau."
"There is a casino called The Citadel. It has a hidden club used for meet ups with victims according to the Senator. It's hidden behind a coded door. It's where they took Senator Porter to give him the details for the network."
"Garcia, get all information you can on The Citadel." Hotch ordered. "JJ and Prentiss were due to visit there as part of their investigations."
"Mr Porter mentioned a man called Mike, he was a host there. I assume that's the same Michael who was killed as part of the 30 executions?"
"Certainly sounds the same. They probably hoped if they got him out of the way we would assume he was only personally involved and wouldn't look into the casino any further." Hotch thought aloud.
"Possibly. We need to get the timings of this right. If we raid any one of these locations too early, we risk tipping off the others and the rest of the operation disappearing underground. We need to take the maximum number of traffickers and victims that we can."
"We need to coordinate with the Pittsburgh field office. Do you have anyone in cyber crimes over there?" Hotch asked.
"I am friendly with SSA Karen Leyland. If your Agents can head into the Pittsburgh office, I can send her what we have and coordinate our raids in line with what we arrange through the network."
"Okay. Please tell her to keep this information on a need-to-know basis. SWAT should only be informed of this operation at the latest possible moment. We don't want a repeat of what happened with the previous raids. We want them alive and able to talk."
"Absolutely." Laura agreed. "I will contact Pittsburgh now and get my analysts set up."
"Thanks, Laura." Hotch said gratefully as she left the room.
"Sir! Marshall Richards, otherwise known as 'Langley', was a Tech Specialist who used to run a software company in Richmond, Virginia. He also employed Cain McDonald, otherwise known as 'Peters', as his Chief Technical Officer. The company closed down mid 2010 and the two drop off the radar from then. It seems like it was quite the fall from grace as the company was plagued with complaints about sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. Richards was sued by a George Lyons in 2009 for sexual harassment which, funnily enough, mentions him 'being filmed without his permission'. Sounds like they've always been skeezy."
"Any current addresses for them?" Hotch asked hopefully. He knew it was biased, but the two were at the top of his priority list.
"No." Garcia said sadly. "Nothing, Sir."
Anderson suddenly knocked on the door. "Agent Hotchner." Hotch turned to meet him. "I'm afraid Leo Mitchell and Peter Bradshaw have invoked their right to an attorney. He's on his way in now."
Hotch's jaw clenched. "Do we know who he is?"
"A Walter Freidman." Anderson shrugged, clearly unfamiliar. Hotch groaned and rolled his eyes.
"What? Is that bad?" Garcia asked innocently.
"It's not good." Hotch was familiar with the tenacity of the man from previous cases. "It means any chance of getting Mitchell and Bradshaw to cooperate just went out of the window." He sighed. "Thanks, Anderson." Hotch nodded to the man as he left the room. "Garcia, see what you can find out about The Citadel casino. Who owns it, who is employed there, we need as much information as we can get. And don't forget Fahim Mohammed. It sounds like he is a key player, so we need everything we can get on him."
"Will do, Sir. I'm also running checks on Senator Porter's cell. I'll let you know when they are completed."
"Thanks, Penelope. I'm going to call JJ and Prentiss." He went to leave the conference room and then stopped for a moment. "Garcia?"
She stopped in the middle of frantic typing, looking up at her boss. "Yes, Sir?" She said attentively.
"Thank you for all of your hard work. We really couldn't do any of this without you." Hotch gave a small smile and left the room.
Garcia was taken aback for a moment and then smiled to herself. It always felt good to be complimented by Hotch. But for him to do it at this moment, when she was feeling completely overwhelmed with the content of the videos and the information constantly flowing in, it meant the world to her. Her eyes welled up slightly. She nodded to herself, took a deep breath and dived back in to her work.
There was a knock at Reid's door. He was sat up in bed with his eyes closed trying to keep himself calm. His nerves were completely shot at the moment. Whilst logically he knew he was safe in the unit, telling his nervous system was a different matter. He felt like he was constantly poised to run out the door and escape. To where, he didn't know. And again, logically, he knew that was the worst thing he could possibly do. It would expose him and no doubt place him in even more danger. But it wouldn't quite be PTSD without the consistent and nonsensical urge to escape from somewhere uncomfortable.
He looked up to see Belinda entering the room. His heart sank. He didn't have the energy for this woman today.
"Evening, Spencer. How are you feeling?" She asked with something akin to a smile. It looked unnatural on her face. Taken aback, Reid stuttered slightly, his mouth dropping open in surprise at her apparent kindness. She normally entered like a whirlwind, told him how useless he was and dragged him out of the room for all to see.
"I'm- I'm okay." He said quietly... warily.
"It's dinner time. Would you like me to bring you something?" He stared at her in shock. Where was the aggression? The apparent contempt for everything he was doing and his lack of interaction with the unit? Surely any second she was going to turn and pull him out of bed. Seeing that he wasn't responding, she moved a little closer. "Spencer?" She actually sounded concerned.
"Oh, erm, I'm not hungry." He said awkwardly. "Thank you." He added quickly, trying not to offend the woman. If he could keep her like this, then ultimately it would take away at least one stressor from his stay here.
"Oh, come on now. You've not eaten all day. Even if it's just a sandwich. I'll bring it in here for you." She said, trying to tempt him. His wide eyes landed on the woman and he nodded.
"Okay." He said with a small smile.
"We need to get some weight on you. You'll waste away." She smiled that unfamiliar smile again. "Okay, I'll be right back." She suddenly turned. "Do you want some pudding? We have Pecan pie, yoghurt or jello." Reid's ears suddenly pricked up.
"Jello, please."
Belinda smiled again. It was beginning to look more comfortable on her face now. Perhaps this is what she looks like to people in her life outside of this place? People she actually likes.
"Okay, jello it is." She turned and left the room.
Reid wondered what had happened during the hour he'd been locked in his nightmares. Or during the chat Pippa had with Morgan. Something had obviously occurred to bring about this change. Whatever it was, he was grateful for it. He could only hope that it would last. The thought of eating wasn't anywhere near as daunting when he didn't have to sit in that dining room with all of the other patients staring at him like he was some sort of special case. Again, he knew that was probably paranoia. But he also knew he was the only one who had publicly made a fool out of himself multiple times in the time he had been there. Everyone else seemed a lot more stable than him, which was not a comforting thought when he was locked in a psychiatric ward. It suddenly hit him. This was serious. And it was getting bad. He wasn't devoid of logic. He just lacked the skill to apply it at times. And he knew, if he didn't do something to at least try and stabilise himself, a room like this could become his permanent home. As tempting as that may feel with the dangers targeting him in the outside world, that was not a life he wanted. He didn't get through his twenties without a schizophrenic break to cave to PTSD when approaching 30.
Realistically he was at a crossroads, and he knew it. He could take the easy road, which was painful, dark and lonely but ultimately wouldn't take much work. He could just continue moving forwards and his body would do the rest. Or he could take the road that was blocked by a mountain. It had footholds but would be incredibly difficult to climb. On the other side was a valley, filled with growth, light and warmth. The downside, the mountain was treacherous and he would be climbing for a long time. Everything in his body was telling him it was too dangerous; too painful; he couldn't do it. He knew he wouldn't get a glimpse of the valley until he was near the top.
Was the 'valley' even worth it? Did it even exist anymore?
He rested his head back against the pillows again and closed his eyes. The crossroad wasn't going anywhere. For now, he would just settle for a unexpectedly kind nurse and some jello.
Hotch finally arrived home at 2am. It had been a hectic but incredibly productive day. Despite Reid being back in the hospital, he decided to remain at Morgan's. He felt the team were much safer in numbers right now and Jack seemed to be having a lot of fun with his aunt. Hotch couldn't wait to see him, but he had plenty of plans up his sleeve for when they finally got to spend time together. Jessica had been incredibly patient and understood the severity of the situation, which he would be eternally grateful for. All she would say when they spoke was 'Just get them, Aaron. And take care of your team.'
Hotch moved into the living room as the familiar beep from the security system alerted to his arrival. He found Rossi sat on the couch with the TV playing quietly. He quirked an eyebrow.
"Dave, I didn't expect to see you still up." Rossi shifted a little to look at him. Hotch could see how tired and troubled his friend looked.
"I can't sleep. Even the scotch couldn't knock me out."
Hotch frowned. "I'm sorry about what I had to tell you earlier."
"Did you watch it?" Rossi asked coldly. Hotch moved to sit down next to him.
"No. I promised Reid I wouldn't." Rossi's lips tightened and he nodded in response. "Garcia has watched some of it."
Rossi flinched a little. "And... what did she see?"
Hotch sighed. "I don't think this is going to help you, Dave."
"Tell me." He said strongly, his eyes burning into his younger superior.
Hotch swallowed. "She said that Reid was conscious but very drugged. He couldn't really move. They were threatening to kill you if he didn't do what they wanted... and he was crying."
Rossi closed his eyes. "That's it?"
"She mentioned that the people watching were encouraging them to make him cry more. Which I guess they probably did. She stopped watching once she realised Langley and Peters were wearing masks."
Rossi took a deep breath through his nose and rested his head back on the cushions. "That poor kid."
"It's not your fault, Dave." Hotch said firmly.
"No, but it's my fault he thinks I hate him. And it's my fault I haven't even got the stones to go and tell him I don't."
"You're being too hard on yourself. This has come as a shock and you have to get your head around it."
Suddenly Morgan entered the room, obviously having heard Hotch's entrance through the front door.
"Hotch." Morgan sounded tired; he'd clearly been woken from a deep sleep. "Everything alright? You're back late."
"We've made a lot of progress today." Hotch said positively. Both men looked at him with intrigue as Morgan sat down in his chair.
"Oh yeah? So, the interrogations went well?" Morgan asked enthusiastically.
"Very. We got access to the Tor network and the booking schedule at the motel. We will have coordinated raids between there and a casino where we have evidence that there is a hidden club used for the solicitation of victims."
"Oh, man. That's amazing."
"We also now know the identities of Langley and Peters." At this Rossi's interest piqued. "Marshall Richards and Cain McDonald. No known addresses for them yet, but we are getting closer. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I have a good feeling these raids are going to provide us with some good leads."
"Assuming there are no leaks." Rossi said dryly.
"We are playing everything under the table for now. SWAT are aware there will be a raid but no locations or details have been shared yet. The commander isn't happy about it but he understands the need for discretion. He is working with us."
"That's good. Don't want a repeat of last time." Rossi nodded.
"No, no we don't." Hotch said grimly.
"Hotch, my last mandated therapy session is tomorrow. Well, later today. 10am. I can return to work, right?"
Hotch looked at him skeptically. He wasn't convinced that Morgan was ready for a return to work after everything he had dealt with in the last few weeks. He couldn't deny though, the team was thin on the ground and Morgan's potential return couldn't come at a better time. "If you are signed off by the therapist, then yes." Morgan appeared satisfied with that response. Hotch then frowned. "Did you have your meeting with the doctor?"
Morgan sighed. "Yeah, I did. I shouldn't complain as they are finally listening to what he needs, but she's told me not to visit him. Apparently, he's too dependent. They think he needs to learn to 'self-soothe'."
"Like a child." Rossi scoffed. He clearly found the phrase highly insulting.
Hotch's brows furrowed. "He's going to struggle not seeing you. You've been his main source of comfort since Jason."
"I know. That's what they are trying to reprogram. They don't want him to see me as his only source of comfort and safety." Morgan rolled his eyes.
"I suppose that makes sense. If he's to get back to living a normal life he needs to be able to do things without you." Hotch conceded.
"I know, man. But this just feels so cruel. I left without being able to say goodbye to him and I'm just gonna not go back. He's gonna think I've abandoned him."
"I'm sure they will discuss it with him. Don't worry, Morgan. I'm sure they know what they are doing."
"I seriously hope so, Hotch. Because if he comes out of there worse than he went in, I swear, I'm coming for them with everything I've got." Morgan said dangerously. "I'm sick of walking in to find him strapped to that bed in a complete panic and being told that they have no other choice. It's not fair on him. It's like torturing him all over again."
Hotch frowned and nodded. "Richards and McDonald tied him up also, so it's not surprising that he's reacting so violently to it."
"Exactly. But it seems to be their go-to move whenever he's doing something they deem to be 'uncontrollable'. How can it be that we've managed three to four months of flashbacks, panic attacks and nightmares without needing to restrain him but the second he's in there, restraining and drugging him is the first thing they do?" Morgan said in irritation. "Tell me how that works."
Hotch could see the tension building in Morgan. His concern was turning to anger. "I know, Morgan. I know. He'll get through this." Hotch said reassuringly. Not really knowing what else he could say. He really didn't know how to help this situation.
"I mean, who's gonna go and see him now? You guys are all busy with the case, I'm banned and Rossi's not exactly in the mood for him right now. He's gonna think no one wants to know him."
"Oh yeah, put it like that Derek." Rossi snapped. "Guilt trip me, why don't you?"
"No, man, that's not what I meant-"
"I know what you meant." Rossi stood, losing his temper. He'd had enough of hearing about it all. "I'll go see the kid tomorrow, okay? Just for god's sake, give it a rest!"
He swiftly left the room and they could hear his footsteps banging up the stairs and then a door slam at the top. Morgan and Hotch exchanged a concerned look.
"Shit. I didn't mean it like that." Morgan said worriedly.
"He'll calm down. He's just got to process this. A sexual assault is not exactly something a man of Dave's age ever expects to have to deal with. It will take some time, but he will come round." Morgan nodded sadly in response. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Rossi. If anything, he was trying to take the pressure of him and let him know that he wasn't expecting him to do visits. Hotch sighed. "I'd better get some rest. I'm back in the office for 10am.
"What time are the raids tomorrow?" Morgan asked curiously. His stomach somersaulted a little as he thought about how this could potentially crack the case wide open.
"12.30pm. That's when the next booking at the motel is."
"Great. I should be able to get to you before the raids are over." Morgan clearly seemed keen to return to work.
"Okay." Hotch replied with a nod. "We will talk tomorrow once you've had your session." Hotch stood, moving towards the stairs. "If you're planning on coming in, you'd better get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." He turned and headed up the stairs.
"Yep. Will do. Night Hotch." Morgan sat for a few moments longer in his chair, nerves flooding into his stomach. He was excited at the prospect of returning to work. Especially given the status of the investigation into the operation. He had been itching to get involved since he was signed off. But he also worried about what would happen to Reid if he did return. He definitely still needed 24/7 care and Morgan wasn't sure that he could provide it anymore. And the advice of his counsellor had been that he shouldn't. He hadn't planned to listen to that, but the prospect of taking time off work again filled him with dread. He'd fallen into the full-time carer role way too easily and he felt like he was losing pieces of himself. He knew if he wasn't careful, he'd lose himself completely.
The worst part of it was the guilt. The thought of the look on Reid's face if he told him he'd have to bring in full-time carers made him feel sick. But it was starting to look like the only viable option. That or some form of rehabilitation centre. Morgan quickly pushed that thought out of his head. If Reid was going to have to be cared for by unfamiliar people then the least he could do was provide a familiar environment.
Morgan sighed. This was one of the things his counsellor had talked to him about. The late-night anxieties that would creep in. Where he would play out every single scenario in his head, thinking he could solve it if he just thought about it enough. He remembered her words 'this is not something you can fix; you will drive yourself mad trying to'. And she was right. He didn't know what would happen with Reid yet. He didn't know when he would be out, if he would be out, whether Hotch had taken any of this into consideration, if any of the other team members were planning to step up. Nothing could be solved tonight. And yet, here he was, playing it all out again in his head, waking himself up. Taking a deep breath and shaking his head free of the mithering thoughts, he stood, telling himself that he would sleep.
He headed up the stairs determined to get some rest. He could only hope that Reid was doing the same.
"Smile for your audience." The camera was held up in front of his face. He closed his eyes as he heard voices coming from the laptop on the side table.
"Hi Fucktoy."
"You're so hot, baby."
"Smile for us, gorgeous."
The voices were salacious and eager to be part of the whole experience.
"Gentlemen, and lady, of course. It's your show. He is here to please you, and only you. You are all his Masters. Isn't that right, Fucktoy?"
Tears leaked out from his eyes and he shook his head. A small 'no' escaped his lips.
"Oh, he's already being disobedient." Came one voice through the laptop. He sounded amused.
Langley grabbed his face tightly as Peters held the camera over him.
"You will do as you are told. Or your old friend here will die." A gun was shoved in front of his face and the safety was flicked off. "Our viewers don't mind a bit of blood, do you?"
Laughter broke out into the air.
"Aw, he's crying." One man laughed.
"Poor baby." Said another.
"He has been drugged to keep him compliant. So, he will do anything you want him to do. Won't you?"
More tears escaped down his face, he squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. Langley squeezed his face tighter. "Open your eyes, look into the camera and tell them."
Reid reluctantly opened his eyes. "Yes." He whispered.
"I said they are your Masters. So, what do you say?"
Reid bit his lip and closed his eyes again.
Langley slapped him hard and Reid gasped as the hand stung his cheek. "Open your eyes and try that again. You're going to do whatever your Masters tell you, aren't you?"
Reid knew what the man wanted him to say. The words were stuck in his throat. His mind replayed the words whispered to him over and over in his apartment. 'We are your Masters. We are your Masters'. That day he had fought and garnered more punishment through his refusal to use the word. But now he seemingly had no options. There was a gun to Rossi's head and he could barely move.
He took a shuddering breath. "Yes, Masters." He whispered, looking into the camera with devastated eyes.
"Good boy." Came one voice.
"Make him cry more. I want to see him cry like he did in the other video." Another man said cruelly.
"Oh yeah, that was hot." Said another, with a growl of arousal in his voice.
"It will come." Langley assured. Peters moved towards the end of the bed and placed the camera on a tripod.
"Undress him." Came an order from the same voice that wanted to make him sob. "Let's see that body."
Reid kept his eyes squeezed shut as the cruel voices washed over him. He felt like a doll. A doll for other people's amusement and pleasure. His 'Masters' had complete control over him. His limbs lay limp on the bed. He wondered if this was the way Frank Breitkopf's victims had been when he started separating their limbs from their body. He could at least thank small mercies that he was on a bed and not on that autopsy table in that horrifying trailer. As he felt hands pulling down his pants, his mind did an about turn and he found himself contemplating whether he'd rather lose his limbs than go through this again. At least he would know at the end of it there was death and escape. This, this never seemed to end. This was going to be his life now. Every so often these men would invade his life and use him till there was nothing left, then they would come back again a few weeks later. He didn't know what was cruellest, trafficking someone away from their life or letting them live it only to come in every so often and rip it to shreds again. At least if he was kept in captivity, he would only have to worry about himself. The sick games wouldn't be necessary because he'd already be their property. They'd be his Masters and he would do whatever they wanted him to do.
No.
He couldn't think like that. He mentally slapped himself for even thinking such a thing.
He felt a slap to his face which brought him out of his thoughts.
"Don't go daydreaming now." Langley said. "Your Masters have orders for you." Reid felt the cold air on his body and suddenly realised he was completely naked. His cheeks flushed.
"They are friends?" Asked one of the voices over the laptop.
"Yes." Replied Langley.
"He should kiss him. And make it good. I'm sure the old guy would enjoy that."
"I know I fucking would." Came another salacious voice.
Reid started shaking his head. "Please, no." He ground out. His uncoordinated hands flopped upwards and then dropped to the bed again. He was trying his best to escape but his limbs felt almost boneless. They had given him just enough to render his body useless but not enough to completely incapacitate him. They clearly knew their dosages well. "Please, don't involve him." He whispered again. Whispers were all his voice could manage.
Peters was pulling Rossi's lifeless body up the bed and then rested him on the pillow next to Reid.
"Kiss him." Came a commanding voice through the laptop. This man was clearly an experienced dominant.
"What do you say, Fucktoy?" The gun was moved towards Rossi's head again.
Reid sobbed slightly. "Yes, Masters."
"Let me help you." Langley rolled him over and Peters helped to drag him on top of Rossi. His arms flopped out at either side. He tried to push himself up but his arms had no strength. He turned his face as much as his body would let him, his head hung off Rossi's shoulder, resting on the pillow facing away from the older man.
"Straddle him." Came another voice.
Peters and Langley pulled Reid's legs apart so they rested either side of Rossi's body. He could do nothing to prevent it. He could hear the sounds of men breathing heavily as they clearly became aroused at what they were looking at.
Peters moved to get the camera.
He heard voices saying 'closer, closer'. He didn't even want to know what they were looking at. The next second he heard the sound of a bottle being unscrewed and a squelching sound. Almost like a ketchup bottle. The next second he felt a finger penetrate him. His body tensed as much as it could and he cried out in surprise and discomfort.
This seemed to please the men on the other end as they begged for it to continue.
"Just a teaser for what's to come." Langley said sadistically. Reid squeezed his eyes shut as he saw the camera arriving at his face. Langley pulled his head up and turned it to face his older colleague. Reid scrunched his face up, refusing to look.
"Kiss him, Fucktoy. We want tongues, none of this innocent shit. We want you to kiss him like the whore you are." The commanding voice came through the laptop again. Reid didn't think he'd ever forget that voice for as long as he lived. Which at this point, he hoped wouldn't be very long.
"Please." He begged hopelessly.
"Get on with it." Langley said harshly, lowering his head so his lips landed on Rossi's. All he could feel was the man's beard and moustache scraping against his face. Panic was fluttering in his chest now. He wanted to be sick. Every single nerve in his body was firing in a desperate panic to get away from this situation, but nothing would work. His body was completely compromised. Useless. His arms twitched as he tried to bring his hands to the bed again to push himself up, but it was hopeless. Peters pulled down on Rossi's chin, parting his lips slightly. Reid could feel Rossi's warm breath from his nose tickling his skin. This was closer than he ever wanted to be to any of his colleagues. This was a nightmare. It wasn't happening. He simply wouldn't believe it. If he didn't believe it, it wasnt real.
The gun was back to Rossi's head. "Do it." Langley said firmly.
Reid was left with no options. It was either kiss him or watch him die. He really hoped Rossi would forgive him for this. He began to kiss the older man.
"That's it. Good boy." Langley said, slapping his backside.
"Use your tongue!" The commanding man practically shouted. Reid squeezed his eyes shut and hesitantly dipped his tongue into Rossi's mouth. He went light headed as he did so. This was surreal. Kissing someone who was unconscious was an odd sensation. There was nothing to really work with or usually as it was in his case, fight against. He couldn't lift his head so his face was completely pressed against Rossi's. He slipped off the kiss for a few moments and ended up licking down the side of Rossi's face. He cringed as he did. Mentally apologising to the man for doing any of this at all. Langley simply lifted his head back up and placed him back on Rossi's lips with an order to keep going. Now there was a hand in the back of his hair to keep him from rolling off.
"Turn him on while he does it." Another voice came through.
"Yeah, finger him." Came an enthusiastic agreement.
"No. Please stop."
He felt a lubed finger enter him, he realised Langley was wearing gloves, it was quickly followed by a second. He gasped. The sensation was equally as uncomfortable as it had been the previous times. It was invasive, painful and humiliating.
"Stop. Don't."
The fingers twitched inside him pressing down on a soft spot that made Reid's body spasm. He cried out into Rossi's mouth.
"Looks like you've got him there." One of the voices said with amusement.
The fingers kept pressing and exploring and he found himself panting into the kiss, slowing his movements.
"Please stop."
"Spencer?"
"Keep kissing him." Peters ordered, speaking for the first time. He had taken a step back to record the whole scene. Reid sobbed a little as a huge wave of painful pleasure shot through his body once again. He could feel himself growing hard against Rossi's body.
"No no no no."
"Spencer?"
"NO!" He was suddenly sat up in a dark room. A glow from nightlights shone through the window in the door. He could move! He could finally move. He was panting and gasping for air. A shiver ran down his spine as the cool air hit his sweating body. Realising he could move his arms he pulled the sheet up to his chest. His teeth chattered as he shivered. He looked to his right and found a nurse standing next to him, her face marred with concern.
"Are you okay, Spencer? You were having a bad dream." He looked at her wide eyed and nodded, his eyes filling with tears. Her expression changed to something akin to sympathy and Reid broke down. "It's okay. You're safe, Spencer."
Every member of staff had now been provided a full brief on Reid's situation. They had been made aware of how much danger he was in and how much abuse he had suffered at the hands of the trafficking ring. It was an unusual situation and not typical of the patients they dealt with on a regular basis. Most had suffered trauma in their past, resulting in personality disorders, severe depression or anxiety. But Reid's was current trauma alongside severe PTSD.
"Do you want the light on, Spencer?" He shook his head. She then moved across the room to grab a blanket that his friend had brought in with him. According to the brief, it was one that his friend used to ground him and comfort him when he was struggling. She wrapped the blanket around his shivering back and he grabbed it tightly, wrapping it around himself. It was fleecy on the inside but on the outside, it had a large cable knit pattern. Reid's fingers automatically went to mess with the pattern. He sniffed a couple of times, seemingly picking up on a scent that he hadn't smelt on it before.
"It smells like Morgan's cologne." He said in a slightly confused tone.
"Is Morgan your friend?" The nurse asked with a small smile. Reid nodded, pulling the blanket to his face to take in the familiar and comforting scent. The smell of cologne was never something he appreciated previously. He found it too pungent and invasive, his nose seemed to pick out only the smell of the chemicals rather than anything pleasant. But Morgan's cologne had become a smell he associated with safety. Whenever he was coming out of flashbacks or panic attacks, it was one of the first things he recognised and it filled him with warmth and comfort. "He must have wanted to leave you a reminder of him." She smiled. "That's nice."
"What's your name?" Reid asked after taking a big inhale of the scented blanket. It really was helping to calm him. It had been Pippa's idea. Morgan didn't like it, it reminded him of what someone does with a puppy when they are being left alone. It felt almost patronising, but she reminded him that sense of smell was an incredibly powerful grounding tool.
"I'm Sandy." She smiled again. "I always work nights, so I will be on shift for the next three."
"I'm sorry for disturbing you." He said quietly.
"You didn't disturb me at all. Nights can be boring. It's nice to have someone to chat to, actually." She said with a slight laugh. Reid glanced at her and gave a small smile. "And I haven't actually met you yet. So, it's a pleasure to meet you, Spencer." She could see Reid's eyes drooping as the smell of the cologne invaded his senses. "Do you want to lie down? I can stay with you if you like?"
Reid simply nodded again and turned himself onto his side, still wrapped tightly in the blanket. Sandy went to grab a chair and pulled it to Reid's bedside. He was already drifting off; his exhaustion was obvious. She supposed if this was how he spent most of his nights, it wasn't really surprising. Add that to the extreme flashbacks he was known to have, his body would be in a constant state of fatigue. Reid's hand came out from under the blanket and grabbed the bed rail.
Thanks to the detailed brief provided by Pippa, she knew that hand holding was something that provided him with great comfort, but she wasn't sure if he would accept it from someone he had only just met. The brief certainly suggested that he probably wouldn't, but she couldn't help feeling he was reaching out somewhat.
Sandy cautiously extended her hand towards Reid's and stroked the back of his hand with her finger. His fingers released on the rail and opened up to her. Her lips tightened and she stroked the inside of his hand. His fingers suddenly closed around hers and he held onto her hand tightly. She smiled, proud that she had seemingly made some rare connection with the young man. He tucked his head further into his pillow and drifted off to sleep.
