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.

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Chapter 3

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“Sir. The receiver is set up. We’ll be getting the live feed in Garcia’s office and in the meeting room.” JJ said.

“Good.” Hotchner said, standing from his desk. He looked at Rossi as he walked in. “How much time?”

“… Thirty seven seconds and counting.” Rossi said, checking his watch.

“Gather the team. We need to see this.” Hotchner said, and took up a brisk pace to Garcia’s office. “For now, I want it to stay within the team.” He said. Once the team had gathered in Garcia’s office, Hotch closed the door.

“… Eight.” Rossi said. They all stared at the screens… “Five, four, three, two…” A moment later, the screens lit up. Each showed a different view.

“Whoa.” Garcia said, staring around. “He… he knows my system. How does he know my system?!”

“Garcia.” Rossi verbally jabbed.

“Right. Sorry. He routed the camera feeds to different screens.” She said, tapping away at her keyboard. “… And they can change. They’ll prominently display the camera he wants us to be watching.” A moment later, the screens changed. They were staring at what looked like a basement. The camera was displaying a cot, and across the room behind it was a staircase going up.

“… Where’s Reid…?” JJ breathed.

“Wait.” Rossi said, and they heard over the speakers a door opening. A moment later, there were feet on the stairs. The UnSub descended into the basement, Reid in his arms. The boy seemed to still be unconscious, hanging limply. He was still gagged and blindfolded. The UnSub walked across the room and deposited Reid on the bed, positioning him on his side, facing the camera.

“I know you’re watching.” He said, suddenly. “With that phone, you can call him…” He laid a hand on Reid’s shoulder, then moved to stroke his hair. “Talk to him… comfort him, even…”

Morgan growled. “Don’t you fuckin’ touch him you sick, twisted—“

“Quiet!” Hotch hissed.

“The difference between me and Hankel…” The man said, “Is that I will allow you to watch every moment… every little thing I do to him…” He continued stroking Reid’s hair. “But… I think I’ll give him some time to… settle in first.” And the UnSub turned, walked across the room and up the stairs. They heard a door close, and several locks turning.

“What do we do?” Garcia asked, immediately.

“… Garcia, I want every frame of the original DVD analyzed, as well as the live feeds he sends us. Look for ANYTHING that could lead us to him.”

“God only knows where he is…” Rossi said, frowning. “We don’t know when Reid was abducted, where he was taken, how far away…”

“Okay, let’s narrow it down.” Hotch said, placing his hands on the back of Garcia’s chair. “Garcia, what time did you drop him off last night?”

“… Um… nine thirty? Ish?”

“Okay… so sometime between –“

“Hotch.” Morgan interrupted. “You turned off Reid’s alarm clock. Beside his bed.”

“… I’m on it.” Garcia said. Her fingers flew across the keyboard and she pulled up the video of Reid’s abduction. She fast forwarded through it, until they got to Reid walking into the bedroom.

“There.” Morgan said, leaning out and pointing. They could see the glowing green numbers on the digital clock. “Enhance it, girl.” Several more taps on the keyboard. “… One seventeen am…” Morgan said. “… And it changed to one eighteen.”

“Go back.” Hotch said. “Morgan, time it from when the clock changes to when the video ends.”

Morgan nodded. “Roll it, hot stuff.” Garcia nodded and hit play. Morgan timed it.

“… Six minutes, four seconds.” He said. “It would only take thirty seconds tops for him to get in his car and get on the way.”

“Garcia, pull up a map of the area around Reid’s building.”

“Yes sir.” She said, nodding and typing. “Here. This is Reid’s building.”

“That’s where his apartment is.” Hotch said, pointing at one of the corners. “He went out of the door and turned right, then ended up around the building here in the alley. The truck was facing east. So the UnSub probably left heading that way.”

“But when he got to the street, which way did he turn?” Rossi asked.

“Garcia. Pick up all cameras in the area around that time and look for a black Dodge Ram.” Emily said, frowning in concern. Garcia nodded and began working. Hotchner sighed and walked over to a monitor at eye level and stared at Reid, face lined in worry. Morgan leaned over Garcia, watching her work, and JJ walked out of the room, shaking her head.

“JJ?” Rossi called.

“… I’m letting Strauss know what’s happened.” She said, looking back. “All cases are on hold until this is over.”

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

“HOTCH!”

Hotchner looked up from his desk, then stood and walked out of his office.

“Reid’s waking up.” Morgan said, and the agents ran into Garcia’s office. Reid had rolled onto his back and was fumbling at the blindfold. He managed to push if off of his head and pull the gag out of his mouth. He rolled onto his side again, lifting himself up on his elbows and looked around, blinking in confusion. He furrowed his brow, turning the other way and looking at the stairs. Slowly, he sat up and looked down at the cuffs around his ankles, looking almost insulted. He looked up at the stairs and ceiling again, appearing to be debating as to whether or not he should call out…

“Call him.” Hotchner said. Garcia nodded and turned to her computer. The disposable cell was hooked up to a speaker phone to Garcia’s computer so that she could try to track its call. A moment later, Reid jumped and looked around, eyes wide at a ringing. He blinked and looked directly to the left of the camera, frowning. His mouth opened ever so slightly and he rolled off of the cot so that he was kneeling to what seemed to be the table that the camera was sitting on. Reid eyed the camera, looking more and more nervous, then reached out with his bound hands. The ringing stopped.

“… Hello?” He asked, meekly, his voice coming out of the computer speakers.

“Reid.” Hotch said, firmly.

“… Hotch?!”

“Reid, are you okay?”

“Where… what’s going on?” Reid asked. Hotch closed his eyes and sighed.

“Reid… it’s the case we’re working on.” Hotchner said, slowly. Reid blinked, furrowing his brow again. “The UnSub sent us a video.” Reid frowned in confusion, but then his eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly again.

“… My apartment…” He said, weakly. Hotch sighed.

“He sent us the video of your abduction, Reid. After you were out, he… explained the game. He’s our UnSub, Reid.” Hotch said. Reid slowly leaned to the side, thumping down onto his backside instead of sitting on his knees. He leaned against the wall behind him, staring off into space. Then he blinked, and looked back at the camera.

“… Don’t hide anything from me, Hotch.” Reid said, trying to keep the dread out of his voice. “I want to know everything he told you.”

“Reid, I don’t think that—“

“The more I know, the better prepared I am to help you guys out.”

“Help us out?” Rossi asked, surprised.

“I’m still part of the team.” Reid said, shaking his head and fixing a determined look on the camera. “As long as we have this, and I’m still in touch with you guys, I can still do my job.” The team all looked back and forth at one another.

“Reid, I admire your dedication, but—“

“Dammit, Hotch!” Reid almost shouted. He turned his eyes on the camera again. They were filled with fear. “Give me something to stay strong for!” Everyone was silent, staring in anguish at the wild look of desperation in Reid’s eyes.

“Alright.” Hotch said, softly. “Everyone listen. The UnSub targets one person at a time. He takes someone important to them to hurt. Not only does he torture his target by torturing the victim, but he tortures the victim using techniques the target saw in the cases that haunted them more than any other.”

“So who is the target?” Morgan asked. “It has to be one of us.”

“It’s not one of us.” Hotch said, shaking his head. “If I was the target, he would have gone after Jack or Haley… If it was Morgan, he would have gone after his mother, sisters… maybe Garcia.” Garcia smiled weakly. “If it was Garcia, it probably would have been Kevin Lynch. Emily or Reid, their mother, JJ would have been Will… But the UnSub chose REID as his victim. His target isn’t one of us…” Hotch almost laughed. “It’s ALL of us. The team.” The others were staring grimly at him.

“He listed off our… worst cases.” He continued, and Reid continued to stare off into space, listening and absorbing every word. “The Kansas City case with the 63 missing people…” Reid gulped when he thought about the horrifying facility they had found… “Goehring and Frost from Montana…” Reid winced when he remember the videos they had found taken by Frost, of Goehring torturing women. “Frank…” Reid still had nightmares about the inside of that trailer. “The Dr. Howard in Portland who murdered by fear.” Reid ran his hands through his hair, anxiously.

Hotch took a deep breath and looked at the screens. “And Tobias Hankel.” Reid’s eyes grew wide and haunted, and his face grew pale. He looked ill. Slowly, he bowed his head, sliding his fingers through his hair until he was holding his head. The team watched him sitting completely still, curled up in that defensive position for a long time.

“Reid?” JJ called, tentatively. “… Are… you okay?” Slowly, Reid looked up and looked at the camera. He gave them a weak smile, and shook his head slightly.

“No.” He whispered, looking away again. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, before shaking his head and looking back up again. “… I’m scared…” He admitted, his voice shaking.

“We’ll find you, kid.” Morgan said, determination in his tone. “Help us out. Find us something to work with.” Reid nodded, eyes darting around in the nervous fashion that was specifically his… A moment later, he covered his face with his hands.

“I… I’m not like the rest of you guys… I’m not… I’m not strong or tough… I don’t have the will to… to fight this.”

“Reid, that’s not—“

“LOOK AT ME!” Reid shouted, cutting off Emily. He stared at the camera, eyes wide and frantic. Tears spilled down his face. “I’m weak. And you all know it.” He let his face fall into his hands again.

“Reid…” JJ started, but Rossi cut her off.

“Listen!”

They all watched as Reid’s head jerked up. He looked at the stairs, and moments later, the UnSub appeared. He walked down the stairs. Reid swallowed nervously, slowly sliding back into the corner.

“You’re awake.” The voice said, calmly. “… Are you hungry?” Reid didn’t answer. He didn’t move. “No? Very well then. Let’s begin.” And he walked over to Reid and knelt. Reid jerked away from him, but he was cornered with nowhere to go. The man reached down and freed the agent’s ankles from the cuffs.

“On your feet.” Was the command. Reid struggled to obey, getting to his feet. The UnSub grabbed his elbow and steered him towards the stairs and dragged Reid up behind him. Reid stumbled up the stairs, casting a despairing look over his shoulder at the camera…

The image on Garcia’s computer changed. It was showing another room. It looked like a surgery suite in a third world country… There was a metal autopsy table, and spread out over the counters were instruments that would have been used by surgeons, coroners and butchers alike…

Reid let out a strange noise, like he was being strangled, and he recoiled from the room.

“Don’t worry…” The UnSub chuckled, stroking Reid’s hair. “You’re not ready for this place… for Frank… Not yet.” Reid slowly turned and stared at the man with a look of horror on his face. The man chuckled and jerked Reid out of the room and down a hallway. It was long. Very long. Made of concrete. As they went down the hall, cameras switched.

They showed the rooms that they were passing from inside… they could see the look on Reid’s face as they passed each room, looking more and more horrified as they went.… An old rundown bedroom with a bed that folded up to the wall to reveal a rack of home made instruments of torture… The next revealed what looked like an old spring mattress with the covering ripped off, and the room was littered with objects that would deliver electric shock.

The next room was what seemed to be a bathroom with a shower and tub, and nothing else… Reid didn’t recognize that as being from any of their cases… Then, another door was opened. Reid turned and paled.

“Oh my God…” Garcia breathed, weakly. “It… It’s a recreation of the shack Hankel kept him in…” Rossi leaned over, frowning and inspecting it. The UnSub dragged Reid in and shoved him down into the chair sitting in the middle of the room, wrapping a leather strap around the link between the cuffs on his wrists, tying him to the chair. Reid was looking terrified.

“Please…” He gasped, voice cracking. The UnSub laughed.

“Breaking down already?” He taunted. “You’re weaker than I thought.”

Reid swallowed thickly, eyes darting around. This place was enough to make him feel physically ill. It brought on too many traumatic memories… The camera on the tripod, the four laptop computers… The wood burning stove in the corner. There was a loud hissing and a nauseating smell filled the small room. A smell that he knew far too well. He turned and watched the fish hearts and livers sizzling on the top of the stove. The UnSub turned and stare at Reid for a long time. The he took out a revolver, and a bullet. Reid’s eyes widened and his gut congealed. The man held the bullet out.

“Tell me boy…” He growled, sick amusement in his voice. “Do you remember what this is?”

Reid stared at him and swallowed the lump in his throat, closing his eyes for a moment and wetting dry lips. “… God’s Will.” He gasped.

“That’s right.” The UnSub purred, sliding the bullet into the chamber and flicking his wrist, snapping the cylinder into place. Then he turned the gun on Reid. Reid stared, eyes wide.

“Oh God!” Garcia cried.

“He won’t kill him.” Hotchner gasped. “He won’t finish this before he’s even started.”

The UnSub lowered the gun. He moved it across Reid’s chest and shoulder, down his arm, across his midsection, and then down his leg. He stopped halfway down the thigh. There was a long pause, and he pulled the trigger. Reid winced at the deafening metallic click.

“Is it worse than you thought?” The UnSub asked, making Reid shudder involuntarily.

“Goddammit…” Morgan growled, bracing his hands on the back of Garcia’s chair. “That sick son of a bitch…”

“God spared you the pain.” The UnSub said, calmly. “I won’t.” Slowly, he picked up a stick for the fire, about two inches thick. “Confess your sins.” Reid blinked at him, then looked down at the stick in the man’s hand. His eyes widened in realization and he jerked his head up, staring at the UnSub.

“No… please don’t…” He begged, shaking his head. The UnSub grabbed his ankle and held up his foot, raising the stick.

“I said confess!”

“I haven’t done anything!” Reid cried, trying to jerk his foot away. The UnSub snarled and brought the stick down. Garcia jerked and Emily looked away at the sound of the impact, and the pained yelp.

“Reliving it yet?” The UnSub asked, sounding amused. Reid shook his head, grimacing in pain.

“Please… stop…” He whimpered.

“Confess.”

“But I haven’t done anything!” Reid repeated, and yelped as he was struck again.

“Confess!”

“… I… I killed a man!” Reid cried, still trying to tug his foot away. “I killed him…”

“Who?”

“Tobias.” The UnSub stopped and stared at Reid, slowly lowering the stick.

“He wasn’t expecting that…” Rossi said, frowning.

“Of course not.” Hotchner agreed. “Why would killing a man in self defense be a sin that needed to be confessed?”

“So then, why would Reid use it as a confession?” Emily asked, and Morgan sighed, straightening up and shaking his head, folding his arms.

“Because he feels guilty.”

“It was self defense!” Emily protested.

“But he still feels guilty.” Morgan argued.

“Enough!” Rossi ordered, and a moment later they heard Reid yelp again. They all looked back at the screens.

“Do not give me a false confession.” The UnSub snapped. He was holding Reid’s other foot now.

“I didn’t… it’s not false… I killed him.” Reid gasped, head hanging.

“It was self defense.”

“Tobias. He… he never hurt me…” Reid explained softly, trying to keep his voice level, but he was choked with tears. “He tried to help me… he tried to protect me from Charles and Raphael. And I killed him.” The stick came down on the sole of his foot again, and Reid cried out in pain.

“It was self defense.” The UnSub said again. Reid nodded finally, accepting that this man would not consider this confession legitimate. “Confess.”

“I… I dishonored my mother.” Reid mumbled, going with the confession that Charles had been given. The UnSub stared at him, then raised the stick and brought it in a glancing blow across the side of Reid’s head. Garcia and JJ screamed, and Hotchner winced and turned away.

“You think I’ll let you get off easy with repeat performances, boy?” The UnSub drawled. Reid groaned, trying to focus through the pounding in his head.

“… I’m sorry…” Reid whimpered, curling in on himself protectively. Slowly, the UnSub knelt before Reid and stared up at him until Reid locked eyes with him.

“You related to him…” The man murmured. Reid stared silently, unable to break eye contact. “You relied on him. When Charles was hitting you, you cried for Tobias to help you…” Reid began to tremble. The UnSub grabbed his wrist and jerked his arms out, staring at the inside of his right arm. Reid watched him with wide eyes. The man laid a finger on Reid’s wrist over a vein, standing out through the white skin like a road map. Slowly, he traced it with a fingertip up to the inside of his elbow.

“I do NOT like where this is going…” Morgan said, slowly.

The UnSub continued. “You were hungry, he brought a lamb… You were thirsty, he brought you water… you were in pain…” He continued to stroke the thin skin inside of Reid’s elbow. “He brought you… escape. Releif.” Reid’s breath caught in his throat. He didn’t move. He couldn’t move. He stared at his captor, not blinking, barely breathing…

“Snap out of it, kid…” Rossi breathed. “Don’t let him get to you…”

“In the end…” The UnSub said, softly. “You returned the favor. He was suffering. Being tormented by his other personalities… You relieved his suffering. You allowed him to escape…”

“I killed him…” Reid whimpered in a high pitched tone.

“Do you deny the happiness you saw in his face?” The UnSub asked. “The relief?” Reid slowly shook his head, looking haunted… A moment later, tears breached his eyes and ran down his face. “You felt close to him.” The UnSub concluded. Slowly, Reid nodded. “Then let me help.” The UnSub said, standing. “Let me help you get closer to Tobias Hankel.” He removed the strap tethering Reid’s cuffs to the chair and jerked him down the hall and into the room with the tub. It was filled with water.

“What… what are you…?!” Reid stammered in alarm.

“Baptizing you. The way Charles did Tobias.”

“Oh, no…” Morgan groaned. “No, no, no…”

“Oh God…” Garcia cried when the UnSub grabbed Reid by the shoulders, spun him around and shoved him back. Reid shouted in shock as he fell backwards into the water of the tub, gasping sharply at how cold it was. But the UnSub was still shoving. Reid went under. The team stared in tense silence as they watched and listened to Reid thrashing in the water, desperately trying to break free of the UnSub’s grip… The UnSub jerked him out and Reid gasped, inhaling. The man paused, then shoved him back under. Reid’s bound hands clawed at the UnSub’s shirt, then face. The mask fell…

“Turn around, you bastard…” Emily hissed. “Show us your face…” The anxiety in the room grew as Reid’s fighting grew more and more terrified, more and more desperate. And then, it began to rapidly weaken. Reid’s hands reached into the air for help that was not there… He thrashed his legs once more, before falling still. The team collectively held their breaths. The UnSub jerked Reid out and tossed him onto the floor. Reid hit the concrete hard, jerking and coughing. He drew in one painful breath, then coughed up water, slowly dragging himself away from the UnSub, shaking violently.

The UnSub picked up his mask and replaced it, then removed the cuffs from Reid’s wrists.

“I’ll make you a deal, Dr. Reid.” The UnSub said, suddenly. “I’ll give you until sunset to find your way out of here. If you do, you’re free. If not… well… I think you know.” And he turned and walked out of the room.

“When is sunset?!” Hotchner demanded.

“That depends on where he is.” Garcia said. “Sunset where we are is in… twenty seven minutes.”

“So…” Hotch said, frowning. “IF the UnSub took Reid and drove straight west, from one thirty am last night until when he appeared on camera this afternoon… he MAY have gotten into a different time zone. So Reid has anywhere from twenty seven minutes to an hour and twenty seven minutes to get out of there.”

“We all know he won’t.” JJ said, looking pained. “He’ll fix it. Just like the psycho in Kansas City. He’ll taunt Reid with the prospect of escape, just to snatch it away at the last minute…”

“I know.” Hotch said. “But Garcia may be able to narrow down where Reid is by finding out what time the sun sets where he is.”

“Is it stupid for me to hope that he actually does make it out?” Garcia asked, weakly. Morgan sighed and leaned down, kissing her cheek.

“It’s not stupid, baby girl. But the chances ARE slim…”

“I know…” Garcia sighed, watching with the others as Reid finally lifted his head and turned, looking at the door. He struggled to his hands and knees, shivering violently and dripping wet. He reached up and placed a hand on the edge of the tub, slowly dragging himself to his feet.

“AH!” He yelped, pain flashing across his face as he got to his feet. His legs collapsed beneath him and he fell to his knees, gasping. He sat there for a few minutes, then slowly forced himself to his feet and headed to the door, whining in pain with every step. Rossi sighed and shook his head. He hated to see that kid in this state…

Reid stumbled into the hall and looked back and forth, trying to figure out which way to go. Finally, he settled on heading left, back towards the recreation of Hankel’s little shack. He almost fell over the threshold into the room and looked around. He lurched forwards, and headed for the computers… He dropped to his knees before the desk and began tapping away at the keyboard.

“The UnSub wouldn’t really be that stupid, would he?” JJ asked.

“No…” Hotch said. “He’s not. He’s torturing Reid. See?”

They looked back at the screens. Reid had jerked away from the computers when the UnSub appeared on the screen.

“… Try again, doctor.” And the screens went dark. Reid stumbled to his feet and turned, making his way back out into the hallway. He moved down the hall, bracing himself against the wall, trying to keep as much weight off of his feet as possible. He staggered into what Frank would have considered his playground, and stared. There was another door. He hobbled over to it and threw it open, hurrying through. It was dark… so dark… The cameras that the team were watching from was on night vision.

“The wall looks strange.” JJ said, frowning.

“Oh man, Reid, don’t…” Morgan groaned. But Reid reached out to brace himself against the wall.

“OW!” He yelped and jerked away, stumbling into the other wall. “AAH!” He fell away from the opposite wall and fell to his knees, hugging his arm close. A moment later, lights flared on.

“Shit.” Morgan breathed. Reid was in a long hallway. The walls had been coated in concrete, and peppered with shards of broken glass… blood ran down Reid’s arm as he rocked back and forth on his knees, biting his lip. He looked up and stared at the hallway, sobbing helplessly. But after a moment, he struggled to his feet and limped down the hall, though he fell to his knees frequently. Finally, he reached the end and shoved through the door.

And he fell. With a startled shout, he fell eight feet and hit the concrete flood with a thud and a broken cry. Garcia was clinging tightly to Morgan, tears streaming down her face. JJ wasn’t doing much better as they watched Reid writhe on the floor, grimacing at the pain the wracked his entire body. It took several minutes before he was able to stand. He staggered badly.

“He’s hurt…” JJ gasped, looking devastated.

“He hit his head…” Hotchner said. “He probably has a concussion…”

“Then this needs to stop, now.” Rossi said, frowning. “He could really hurt himself. He needs bed rest.”

“this guy won’t give it to him. He won’t care if Reid has a head injury.” Morgan said, shaking his head. They watched Reid move down another hallway. When he was halfway through it, the lights went out. Then, strobe lights began flashing. They heard Reid cry out. He fell against the wall, clutching his throbbing head in his hands.

“GOD DAMMIT!” Reid cried. “STOP!” He tried to keep going, but the flashing light threw him off balance. He closed his eyes tightly and stumbled don the hall, weaving back and forth like a drunk… He ran into the door, fumbled for the handle and fell through. He collapsed to his hands and knees on the other side, and threw up.

“I can’t…” Garcia blurted, suddenly struggling to her feet. “I can’t watch this guy do this to him.” And she ran from the room in tears. A moment later, JJ followed.

“… I’m glad they left. Did you see the room?” Emily said, softly.

“… This guy knows a little too much about that Kansas City case. And now we have bodies…” Rossi said, frowning. The room was filled with severed human limbs, all hanging from the ceiling. Reid was now staring at them, a look of disbelief on his face. He shook his head in denial, before retching again. He forced himself to his feet and ran, head down, refusing to look at the remains around him, trying to ignore the stench of decay… He ran through the next door, unable to get through it fast enough. But he was careful. He ran through the door and slammed it, looking around before moving further into the next room, afraid of what he would find. The floor of this room was different. It was metal. On the other side of the room… was the door out.

Reid swallowed nervously… it was too easy… But he had to try. He limped forwards, and his foot came down on the metal. Emily jerked and looked away at the scream that ripped out of the speakers as Reid threw his head back, body going into convulsions brought on by what they could only assume was electric shock. He fell back off of the metal and onto the concrete, gasping harshly, muscles still twitching erratically.

Rossi shook his head in pity, and disbelief. Slowly, Reid got to his hands and knees and raised his head, looking out across the floor. He stared at it for a long time, but then, he seemed to deflate and a look of defeat washed over him. He sat back on his heels, and his head dropped. A moment later, and his shoulders started to shake. Then, across the room, the door closed… he was out of time. Reid watched the sunlight disappear when the door shut with a loud boom. He stared at it, his entire being radiating helpless defeat. Then he bowed his head, and cried.

At least until the door behind him opened and the UnSub stepped through. Slowly, Reid looked up at him.

“… You lose.” The man said, and Spencer Reid found himself for the second time on the business end of a stunner. He grunted softly, jerking and falling into the UnSub’s arms. The man lifted him up, turned, and carried him back into his haven, and Reid’s hell…