Tribulations

TRIBULATIONS

By hatochiisai

Disclaimer: I do not own “Criminal Minds” or any of the characters of the show.

Reidcentric

WARNING: This work includes nonconsensual homosexual intercourse.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 2

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hotchner walked into the meeting room, looking through the file that had been faxed to him. He looked up at the team. “Where’s Reid?” He asked.

“… He’s not here yet.” Garcia said. Hotch blinked.

“Not here yet?” He asked, turning and looking out into the bull pen. Reid’s desk was just as he had left it last night. Hotch frowned. The first think that popped into his head was that Reid was never late. The only time he ever was… he thought. It was back when Reid was struggling with his dilaudid addiction…

“Call him.” Hotch said. The others looked at one another, and Morgan pulled out his cell phone, dialing. He sat there with the phone to his ear for several long seconds. “… voicemail.” He said, and hung up, then dialed another number. “… Same with his home phone.” Hotch frowned.

“How long does it take Reid to get here?”

“… thirty minutes to an hour, depending on whether or not he misses his train.” Garcia said, shrugging.

Hotch nodded. “Okay, come back in an hour.” He said and returned to his office. Forty five minutes later, he hung up his phone and walked out of his office. “Reid?”

“Not yet.” Emily said. Hotch frowned.

“Call him again.”

“Yes sir.” Morgan sighed, and called. “… Voicemail on both, Hotch.” Hotchner frowned and turned, heading into Garcia’s office.

“Garcia. Can you track Reid’s phone?” He asked.

“Spying on the good doctor?” She asked. “Hm. That’s hot.”

“Garcia, just do it.”

“And you have won a free trip for two to… Reid’s home address.” Garcia said.

“Garcia, keep calling him.” Hotch said, and went back to the bull pen. “Morgan, with me.”

“Where we goin, boss?”

“Reid’s place.”

“I’m driving!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“You know… I’ve never been to Reid’s place…” Morgan said as they climbed the stairs.

“None of us have. Except maybe Gideon.” Hotchner said.

“This is it.” Morgan said, and knocked on the door. They waited for a good ten seconds with no response. Morgan knocked again. “Hey Reid!” He called. “Come on, man, open up!” There was still no response. Hotch frowned and reached out, turning the knob… the door swung open. Morgan looked at Hotchner. The pair slowly walked in, hands on their guns. “Reid?” Morgan called.

“Reid!” Hotch added.

“… We have GOT to get our boy a social life, Hotch.” Morgan snorted, eyeing the floor to ceiling bookshelves that covered the walls, and the crime scene photos that covered the floor.

“Hear that?” Hotchner said.

“Sounds like an alarm clock.” Morgan said. Hotch turned and walked down the hallway, keeping his hand on his gun. He reached the bedroom and pushed open the door. It swung open with a little squeak. The lamp by the bed was on, and the alarm clock sat on the bedside table, screaming insistently. Hotch walked over and shut it off. Morgan walked in.

“Clothes he was wearing yesterday are on the bathroom floor.” Morgan said. Hotch looked at him, and walked back out to the living room and into the kitchen.

“He has an automatic coffee maker.” Hotch said, frowning and walking over. “The pot is full. And cold.” He looked at Morgan.

“That ain’t like Reid.” Morgan said pointedly, going back out into the living room. “Hotch...” Hotchner went back out into the entrance hall. There was a table behind the door. Sitting on it was Reid’s cell phone. Morgan picked it up and checked the records. “Nothin’ since yesterday afternoon, other than my calls this morning.”

“So where is he?” Hotch asked, frowning. “Let’s get back to the BAU.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When they got back, the team was standing around Reid’s desk. They all looked at Morgan and Hotch, looking worried.

“What is it?” Morgan asked.

“Package.” Rossi said. “Just arrived. We were trying to decide whether or not to wait for you to get back before opening it. Addressed to the Colleagues of Dr. Spencer Reid.”

Hotch frowned and walked over, picking up a letter opener from Emily’s desk. The others hung over silently while he opened the package. It was filled with bubble wrap. He pulled out a lump and unwrapped it on the table.

“… Oh God.” Garcia gasped. Out fell Reid’s gun, his badge and credentials, and a DVD.

“Garcia.” Hotchner said, handing her the disk. “Now.” She stared down at it, then nodded and walked away. The group followed her to her office where she sat down and put the disk into her computer. She glanced back at the others, took a deep breath, and hit ‘Play’.

“… That’s Reid’s apartment.” Morgan said, immediately. The camera moved out of the kitchen, carried by hand, and moved to focus on the floor where the crime scene photos were scattered.

“… I see I’m finally on your radar…” A voice almost… purred. “My work…” A gloved hand reached out and moved some of the photos around. “I mimic the work of others… I combine them and make something better. It’s such a fun game. This is going to be the most important one of all… the one that will make me… or break me…” The voice continued. The camera moved up. “The target is you. And I have chosen my victim.”

“Target?” Garcia repeated, weakly. “Victim?”

“Shh.” Rossi hissed. The camera moved across the room and down the hall. There was a loud creak, and the person carrying the camera froze. At the end of the hall was the bathroom. The shower was running. The camera suddenly jumped and spun, and Reid’s bedroom was seen, upside down.

“Hello?” They heard Reid call.

“Oh God…” Garcia whimpered. A moment later, the camera was up and moving down the hall again. Slowly, the bathroom door was pushed open, and a gun was raised into the frame. The shower was running behind the dark green shower curtain. Slowly, it was pushed aside and the camera panned over until it was centered on Reid, showing him from mid chest up.

“Oh, God, Reid…”

Reid had his head back and eyes closed, the water from the shower running over him. He lowered his head and wiped the water from his face, then opened his eyes. There was a brief moment of confusion, followed by shocked realization. Reid’s eyes widened and he froze, staring at the gun, HIS gun, which was pointed directly at his chest.

“Hello, Dr. Reid.” Said the voice. The team watched in horrified silence as Reid’s eyes slowly slid up from the gun, to the face of the intruder. He swallowed and his eyes began to flick around between the gun, the man, and the camera. He was shaking slightly.

The camera moved back. “Step out of the shower, please. Hands where I can see them, Dr. Reid. And don’t talk. If you think that you can talk me into ‘doing the right thing’ and ‘redeeming’ myself, don’t. You’ll just make my finger… tense up.” They watched the shower curtain being pushed out of the way. Slowly, hands up, Reid stepped out of the shower. He kept his eyes mostly on the gun, but his eyes flicked off to the right a couple of the times. “Dry yourself off. Slowly. I’m watching you.” Reid blinked and raised his eyebrows, shaking his head slightly.

“What?!” He blurted, looking alarmed and embarrassed.

The man laughed, harshly. “… Not like that.” Reid turned red and looked away, then reached off to the right. His hand came back holding a towel, and he dried himself off. “Turn off the water.” Reid did as he was told. “To the bedroom. Go.” The man said, and stepped to the side, allowing Reid to walk around and get in front of him. The camera followed Reid down the hall. A grateful look crossed Reid’s face when the man said, “Get dressed.” Reid laid his towel on the bed and moved to the closet, reaching for something on a hanger.

“No.” The man said, and Reid stopped. “Not for work. For bed.” Reid blinked and raised his eyebrows in surprise again, slowly turning and looking at the man, nervously.

“… What? Why?” There was a pause, then a look of alarm on Reid’s face that they briefly saw before the camera moved and blurred. They saw the gun streak through the air and heard Reid yelp as it glanced off of the side of his head.

“OH!” Garcia cried, jumping. Reid stumbled back and the camera was fumbled before getting level on Reid again. He had his hand to his head and was leaning against the dresser. His finger came away from his face wet with blood. Reid looked up at the man, fear in his eyes as a drop of blood rolled down the side of his face.

“Don’t ask questions, just do as you’re told!” The man snapped, and Reid winced. “Get dressed.” Hands shaking, Reid nodded and opened a drawer on his dresser, pulling out a dark blue t shirt and gray sweat pants. He pulled the pants on and jerked the shirt on over his head quickly before turning back to face the gunman. But he didn’t look at him, he stared down and to the left, rubbing his arm nervously.

“Good. Now let’s go.” The man said, and gestured towards the door with the gun. Reid blinked and hesitated, then lowered his head and did as he was told, shuffling out into the living room.

“Keep going. Out back of the building.” Reid paused again, then nodded and opened the door, stepping outside and heading for the stairs. He slowly made his way down the stairs, around the building and out into the alley. The wind blew, his shirt fluttering, but his wet hair was still plastered to his head. Reid stopped before a black Dodge Ram. The team noted that the license plate was covered.

“Get in the back.” Came the order. Reid turned his head slightly, then crawled onto the open tailgate and slid into the bed of the pickup. “On your knees, face the front Hands on your head.” Reid obeyed, settling on his knees and slowly bringing his hands up, lacing his fingers behind his head. The team watched as the man put the gun down.

They could see Reid’s reflection in the back window of the pick up, his face pale and frightened and his eyes darted around. Then, they settled and stared on the reflection of the man behind him. Reid blinked and watched the man pulling something out of his pocket. There was a crackling sound and Reid’s eyes widened. The man darted forwards with a sparking taser, jabbing it into Reid’s lower back. Reid bucked forwards with a surprised gasp, then crumpled to the truck bed.

“… Oh God…” Garcia whimpered, and Morgan squeezed her shoulder in comfort. The camera was fumbled around, and eventually rested on the top of the pickup cab. There was a metal chest in the bed of the truck right behind the cab. The man opened the chest. The camera gave them a view of the inside. It was padded and had padded leather restraints like those that were sometimes used in mental hospitals. He buckled them around Reid’s wrists and ankles, then gagged him and tied a blindfold around his head.

The team watched as he gathered Reid up into his arms, the agent’s head falling back limply. He moved and laid him down in the chest, adjusting him around trying to get the tall, lanky boy to fit. He snorted, then slammed the chest closed and peered up at the camera.

“Now the real fun begins.” He chuckled. “I know your cases. I know what has scared you in the past…” He continued, his glittering eyes fixed on the camera. “That case in Kansas City, with all the lowlife scum going missing… that serial killer, Frank, who scared off Jason Gideon… That phobia obsessed Dr. Howard in Portland… Francis Goehring and Henry Frost, the torture-happy freaks in Montana. And that one guy… what was it that Jill wanted to call him, Agent Rossi? ETK? I would have just called him Sparky…” He snorted, and they could FEEL his smirk. “… Tobias Hankel.” Hotchner inhaled sharply. “I know that the boy wasn’t the only one tortured. I know it tortured you to watch him suffer, unable to help him…”

“Oh God…” Emily breathed, and JJ lifted a hand to her lips.

“I’m here to make you all relive those nightmares… You’ll get the equipment you need soon. Oh, and like your… ADVENTURES with the Fisher King… this stays within the team. Remember what happened with him when you broke that rule…” And the recording ended.

“What’s he talking about?” Rossi asked. Hotchner looked at him, then sighed.

“One of our past UnSubs, the Fisher King, had this delusion that we were knights of the round table and had to find the Holy Grail. The grail was his daughter. When we sought help outside of the team… he shot and nearly killed one of our team. Elle. And another UnSub, Tobias Hankel, had a split personality. Himself, the Arch Angel Raphael, and his father, Charles. He abducted Reid, and we had to watch him get tortured over a live computer feed.”

“… Yikes.” Rossi said, folding his arms and looking at the haunted look in the eyes of the team.

“… Charles tortured him physically, Raphael psychologically… and Tobias, trying to make it better for him, ended up forcing Reid into an addiction to Dilaudid.”

“Dilaudid?”

“Yeah.” Morgan said, sighing. “It was a rough time for our boy…”

Hotchner sighed, shifting. “I have a feeling that this time is going to be worse…”

“Sir?” They all turned and looked at a rookie agent. “Package.”

“… Who is it addressed to?” Hotchner asked.

“… Um… The BAU Team.” He said. The group all hurried out into the bull pen. The package sat on Morgan’s desk. Hotchner frowned and ripped it open. He exhaled heavily.

“Disposable cell phone, untraceable.” He said, picking the thing up and opening it, pushing a few buttons. “There’s a number in it already. Garcia, run it.”

“… A receiver…” Morgan said, pulling out the next thing. “And… a timer.”

“Is it running?”

“Yeah. It says, time until broadcast. Has twenty minutes on it, and counting.”

“… Twenty minutes until he started streaming a live feed to us. JJ, get this receiver set up. Morgan, get than timer to the lab, have it run for prints, same with the DVD, Reid’s gun, his badge… The boxes they came in…”

“What about the phone and receiver?” Emily asked.

“… I think we’re going to need them.” Hotchner said, frowning.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If you want to read this all the way through RIGHT NOW, it is fully completed on Fanfiction.net along with many more Criminal Minds fics, most of them Hotch/Reid.

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1203694/AhmoseInarus