The Photographer
folder
1 through F › Criminal Minds
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
23
Views:
1,813
Reviews:
1
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Currently Reading:
0
Category:
1 through F › Criminal Minds
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
23
Views:
1,813
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters, nor do I make any type of profit from this.
XIII
RICHMOND POLICE DEPARTMENT
Richmond, VA
“Sergeant Mills, we appreciate your cooperation.” Reid nodded awkwardly to the police officer as he followed Morgan out of the interrogation room. “He is definitely not our UnSub.” Spencer nodded in silent agreement with the acting unit Chief. The young doctor fiddled with his worn leather satchel, walking into the all too familiar conference room. “Hopefully the others had more luck than we did.” As if on cue, Derek’s phone started vibrating. He looked at the caller ID before flipping his phone open with a slight jolt of hope. “You find something, Rossi?” Any joy that may have been seen in his face quickly disappeared and was replaced with a look of despair. “Yea, Dave… we’ll be right there.” He closed his phone gently before looking at Reid, his voice soft. “We have to get to the hospital.”
---
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
Undisclosed City, VA
A putrid odor filled the air as Hotch was jostled from his pain induced slumber. It didn’t help the nausea he already felt from the pounding in his head, but he still refused to vomit. That would show too much weakness. “Fish hearts and livers. You did your research.” Hotch was surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded, but more surprised that this UnSub had taken something so personal from the case when Reid had been captured and implemented it here. He immediately altered the profile he had mentally built to only include law enforcement. That was the only way he could have gotten a hold of the case file to find out such an intimate detail of the conditions Reid was held in. “What’s next? Russian roulette with a pistol?” He furrowed his brown in both determination and an attempt to focus his vision well enough to see the man standing in front of him.
The UnSub backhanded Hotch, drawing more blood from the corner of the agent’s mouth. “I had something else in mind.” He left the room, the reassurance that he was gone from the locks on the door. Just as Hotch began to relax, he heard a low thrumming of gears turning as if a machine was warming up. Out of now where, there was a burst of an incredibly loud sound which reverberated off of the stone walls and increased in volume until the level was unbearable. Hotch tried to escape the painful sound surrounding him but his hands were still restrained, which prevented him from covering his ears. After a few moments he began to moan in pain, recognizing the excruciating pain as what he suffered from the effects of the car bomb. The loud and oppressive sound had caused another tear in his ear drum. “Hyperacusis.” The sound had been replaced by the UnSub’s informing voice, Hotch’s pain continuing despite the break from the loud noise. He let his head hang limply as the pain consumed him, the disorienting effects overwhelming his senses. He didn’t notice as the Photographer pulled out a syringe and a different bottle than before. “It helps.” He smiled at the Unit Chief sickly as he watched realization wash over the man’s face.
“Dilaudid? Really? Am I that much of a threat to you that you have to drug me?” He fought to keep his tone level. In all honesty, he was concerned about his attacker giving him such a powerful narcotic. Hankel only had Reid for two days and that had been enough to get him addicted. How long would he last? And in his deteriorating state, would he even wake up? His thoughts were becoming jumbled by the constant pain from his feet, sides, and now the hyperacusis in his right ear. He didn’t have much time to contemplate his injuries before the Photographer injected him with an ample dose of the narcotic, sending him into an uncomfortable drugged stupor. He had to fight this. He would not become dependent.
---
RAPPAHANNOCK GENERAL HOSPITAL
Richmond, VA
Morgan galloped up to the front desk and flashed his credentials at the nurse stationed there, Reid fumbling behind him. Derek hadn’t spoken the whole way there other than to tell the younger agent they were going to the hospital. Spencer had fought to silence the statistics and probable outcomes of any situation that involved a trip to the hospital that were racing through his mind. Now that they were there, approaching the waiting room and only seeing Rossi and Prentiss, the facts came flooding back with one simple question. “Where’s JJ?” His voice was low, showing just how scared he was to hear the answer.
Derek hadn’t even stopped to talk to his teammates as he walked into the hospital room the nurse had motioned towards. His heart stopped as his eyes rested on the unconscious form lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to numerous wires and monitors. “Damnit!” He ran his uninjured hand over his shaved scalp in frustration. How many more blows could they take like this? “Derek… I’m so sorry.” He turned around and pulled the bruised media liaison into his strong arms. The paramedics had just finished examining JJ and she made it her priority to find the acting Unit Chief. She knew he would be in Sergeant Newell’s room, watching the wounded man, willing for him to wake up. “JJ, there’s nothing to be sorry for. He attacked you. You had to protect yourself, and I’m glad you weren’t the one shot.”
JJ winced as the strong agent hugged her a little too tightly, agitating her bruised ribs. Her heart shaped face was still beautiful despite the purple bruise that had formed on her defined cheekbone. “Derek… he was our only lead to Hotch and now he may never wake up.” She let her eyes fall to the ground as she fought to suppress her emotions. Morgan shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Even if he was conscious, he wouldn’t necessarily do anything. Just think of it this way; he can’t hurt Hotch while he’s unconscious in the hospital.” Jennifer nodded, feeling slightly less guilty about what she had been forced to do. Derek was good at relieving her guilt. He had been the one to convince her to stop kicking herself over Reid’s kidnapping. She knew why Hotch had chosen him to lead the team in his absence.
Sepncer rushed JJ and brought her into a gentle embrace. “JJ, when we get back, you’re going to give me some lessons at the firing range.” He smiled at her affectionately, the dread that had welled up inside of him vanishing for a few moments until he remembered why they were there. “So, this Sergeant James Newell seems to be our UnSub?” Dave and Emily nodded in unison as JJ sat in one of the chairs in the waiting room.
“James Newell was very adamant in helping with the investigation into his team when some morphine went missing. Classic narcissist.” Emily’s voice was calm and soothing as she looked at JJ, worried about her mental well being. The blond agent merely nodded, recalling the few words he spoke to her. “He uh, asked me if I was a profiler and while he was attacking me, he asked who told me. I know I’m not a profiler, but attacking an FBI agent in the middle of a firehouse seems too sloppy for such an organized killer as our UnSub. Are we sure we have the right guy and he didn’t just attack me over the morphine allegations?” Her eyes met those of Rossi who nodded in agreement. “I think we missed something. This guy is too disorganized to be our UnSub… but he is still going down for assaulting a federal agent. I don’t want to rule him out because with this level of psychosis, anything is possible, but let’s not just settle with him.”
Behind the team a scream of shock was heard, drawing the agents into Newell’s room. The heart monitor continued its incessant beeping; indicating the patient hooked up to it was dead. The handle of a knife was protruding from his chest as blood dribbled from his open wound. Lying on his abdomen was an envelope with the acronym ‘BAU’ written on the top. Spencer slowly pulled out a photo of an unconscious Hotch who looked impossibly bloodier than before, as expected. On the back of the photo was a message for the team. ‘You’re looking the wrong way. Turn back to your big, long suspect list, or Hotch may not make it.’ Rossi, JJ, Prentiss, and Morgan looked at each other in confusion, trying to understand how the UnSub could have gotten into the hospital undetected. Reid felt something else in the envelope and pulled out a Ziploc baggie, dropping it in apprehension when he saw what it was.
Morgan put a hand on Spencer’s shoulder, pulling him away from the used syringe and nearly empty bottle inside the bag protectively. “Dilaudid.” Derek understood why Reid had back away, knowing the memories of his time with Hankel and addiction to the narcotic were threatening to flood back to him. Dave gave the young doctor a knowing look. He didn’t know all the, but Hotch had told him after he had given the young man a hard time about being late once that he was struggling with the drug Hankel had subjected him to. “Reid, Hotch will be ok. We know this UnSub wants his victims to feel pain. He won’t keep drugging Hotch long enough for him to become addicted.” Rossi’s words of truth gave Reid a weird sense of comfort. He didn’t wish that addiction on his worst enemy, but he also knew the escape it provided could be wonderful. His flashbacks were interrupted by Derek’s smooth voice. “JJ, you and Reid get the hospital security tapes from the time Newell was admitted to when we found him dead and get Garcia to look over them. Our UnSub has to be on those tapes.” In all honesty, Morgan wanted to get Reid away from the thoughts of the drug and occupied on the case. “In the mean time, Prentiss, Rossi and I will go over our original suspect list again. This is going to take some time, so let’s get moving.” The team moved on to their tasks in silent agreement. No one needed to verbally admit they were running out of time. That would make things too real.
Richmond, VA
“Sergeant Mills, we appreciate your cooperation.” Reid nodded awkwardly to the police officer as he followed Morgan out of the interrogation room. “He is definitely not our UnSub.” Spencer nodded in silent agreement with the acting unit Chief. The young doctor fiddled with his worn leather satchel, walking into the all too familiar conference room. “Hopefully the others had more luck than we did.” As if on cue, Derek’s phone started vibrating. He looked at the caller ID before flipping his phone open with a slight jolt of hope. “You find something, Rossi?” Any joy that may have been seen in his face quickly disappeared and was replaced with a look of despair. “Yea, Dave… we’ll be right there.” He closed his phone gently before looking at Reid, his voice soft. “We have to get to the hospital.”
---
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
Undisclosed City, VA
A putrid odor filled the air as Hotch was jostled from his pain induced slumber. It didn’t help the nausea he already felt from the pounding in his head, but he still refused to vomit. That would show too much weakness. “Fish hearts and livers. You did your research.” Hotch was surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded, but more surprised that this UnSub had taken something so personal from the case when Reid had been captured and implemented it here. He immediately altered the profile he had mentally built to only include law enforcement. That was the only way he could have gotten a hold of the case file to find out such an intimate detail of the conditions Reid was held in. “What’s next? Russian roulette with a pistol?” He furrowed his brown in both determination and an attempt to focus his vision well enough to see the man standing in front of him.
The UnSub backhanded Hotch, drawing more blood from the corner of the agent’s mouth. “I had something else in mind.” He left the room, the reassurance that he was gone from the locks on the door. Just as Hotch began to relax, he heard a low thrumming of gears turning as if a machine was warming up. Out of now where, there was a burst of an incredibly loud sound which reverberated off of the stone walls and increased in volume until the level was unbearable. Hotch tried to escape the painful sound surrounding him but his hands were still restrained, which prevented him from covering his ears. After a few moments he began to moan in pain, recognizing the excruciating pain as what he suffered from the effects of the car bomb. The loud and oppressive sound had caused another tear in his ear drum. “Hyperacusis.” The sound had been replaced by the UnSub’s informing voice, Hotch’s pain continuing despite the break from the loud noise. He let his head hang limply as the pain consumed him, the disorienting effects overwhelming his senses. He didn’t notice as the Photographer pulled out a syringe and a different bottle than before. “It helps.” He smiled at the Unit Chief sickly as he watched realization wash over the man’s face.
“Dilaudid? Really? Am I that much of a threat to you that you have to drug me?” He fought to keep his tone level. In all honesty, he was concerned about his attacker giving him such a powerful narcotic. Hankel only had Reid for two days and that had been enough to get him addicted. How long would he last? And in his deteriorating state, would he even wake up? His thoughts were becoming jumbled by the constant pain from his feet, sides, and now the hyperacusis in his right ear. He didn’t have much time to contemplate his injuries before the Photographer injected him with an ample dose of the narcotic, sending him into an uncomfortable drugged stupor. He had to fight this. He would not become dependent.
---
RAPPAHANNOCK GENERAL HOSPITAL
Richmond, VA
Morgan galloped up to the front desk and flashed his credentials at the nurse stationed there, Reid fumbling behind him. Derek hadn’t spoken the whole way there other than to tell the younger agent they were going to the hospital. Spencer had fought to silence the statistics and probable outcomes of any situation that involved a trip to the hospital that were racing through his mind. Now that they were there, approaching the waiting room and only seeing Rossi and Prentiss, the facts came flooding back with one simple question. “Where’s JJ?” His voice was low, showing just how scared he was to hear the answer.
Derek hadn’t even stopped to talk to his teammates as he walked into the hospital room the nurse had motioned towards. His heart stopped as his eyes rested on the unconscious form lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to numerous wires and monitors. “Damnit!” He ran his uninjured hand over his shaved scalp in frustration. How many more blows could they take like this? “Derek… I’m so sorry.” He turned around and pulled the bruised media liaison into his strong arms. The paramedics had just finished examining JJ and she made it her priority to find the acting Unit Chief. She knew he would be in Sergeant Newell’s room, watching the wounded man, willing for him to wake up. “JJ, there’s nothing to be sorry for. He attacked you. You had to protect yourself, and I’m glad you weren’t the one shot.”
JJ winced as the strong agent hugged her a little too tightly, agitating her bruised ribs. Her heart shaped face was still beautiful despite the purple bruise that had formed on her defined cheekbone. “Derek… he was our only lead to Hotch and now he may never wake up.” She let her eyes fall to the ground as she fought to suppress her emotions. Morgan shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Even if he was conscious, he wouldn’t necessarily do anything. Just think of it this way; he can’t hurt Hotch while he’s unconscious in the hospital.” Jennifer nodded, feeling slightly less guilty about what she had been forced to do. Derek was good at relieving her guilt. He had been the one to convince her to stop kicking herself over Reid’s kidnapping. She knew why Hotch had chosen him to lead the team in his absence.
Sepncer rushed JJ and brought her into a gentle embrace. “JJ, when we get back, you’re going to give me some lessons at the firing range.” He smiled at her affectionately, the dread that had welled up inside of him vanishing for a few moments until he remembered why they were there. “So, this Sergeant James Newell seems to be our UnSub?” Dave and Emily nodded in unison as JJ sat in one of the chairs in the waiting room.
“James Newell was very adamant in helping with the investigation into his team when some morphine went missing. Classic narcissist.” Emily’s voice was calm and soothing as she looked at JJ, worried about her mental well being. The blond agent merely nodded, recalling the few words he spoke to her. “He uh, asked me if I was a profiler and while he was attacking me, he asked who told me. I know I’m not a profiler, but attacking an FBI agent in the middle of a firehouse seems too sloppy for such an organized killer as our UnSub. Are we sure we have the right guy and he didn’t just attack me over the morphine allegations?” Her eyes met those of Rossi who nodded in agreement. “I think we missed something. This guy is too disorganized to be our UnSub… but he is still going down for assaulting a federal agent. I don’t want to rule him out because with this level of psychosis, anything is possible, but let’s not just settle with him.”
Behind the team a scream of shock was heard, drawing the agents into Newell’s room. The heart monitor continued its incessant beeping; indicating the patient hooked up to it was dead. The handle of a knife was protruding from his chest as blood dribbled from his open wound. Lying on his abdomen was an envelope with the acronym ‘BAU’ written on the top. Spencer slowly pulled out a photo of an unconscious Hotch who looked impossibly bloodier than before, as expected. On the back of the photo was a message for the team. ‘You’re looking the wrong way. Turn back to your big, long suspect list, or Hotch may not make it.’ Rossi, JJ, Prentiss, and Morgan looked at each other in confusion, trying to understand how the UnSub could have gotten into the hospital undetected. Reid felt something else in the envelope and pulled out a Ziploc baggie, dropping it in apprehension when he saw what it was.
Morgan put a hand on Spencer’s shoulder, pulling him away from the used syringe and nearly empty bottle inside the bag protectively. “Dilaudid.” Derek understood why Reid had back away, knowing the memories of his time with Hankel and addiction to the narcotic were threatening to flood back to him. Dave gave the young doctor a knowing look. He didn’t know all the, but Hotch had told him after he had given the young man a hard time about being late once that he was struggling with the drug Hankel had subjected him to. “Reid, Hotch will be ok. We know this UnSub wants his victims to feel pain. He won’t keep drugging Hotch long enough for him to become addicted.” Rossi’s words of truth gave Reid a weird sense of comfort. He didn’t wish that addiction on his worst enemy, but he also knew the escape it provided could be wonderful. His flashbacks were interrupted by Derek’s smooth voice. “JJ, you and Reid get the hospital security tapes from the time Newell was admitted to when we found him dead and get Garcia to look over them. Our UnSub has to be on those tapes.” In all honesty, Morgan wanted to get Reid away from the thoughts of the drug and occupied on the case. “In the mean time, Prentiss, Rossi and I will go over our original suspect list again. This is going to take some time, so let’s get moving.” The team moved on to their tasks in silent agreement. No one needed to verbally admit they were running out of time. That would make things too real.