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To say this situation was extremely bad would be an understatement.
Frank had returned, targeting and slaughtering someone that Gideon had been planning to meet that night all because Jane had left him and he wanted her back. The police were convinced that he had done the murder himself, already on the look for the missing agent who was hiding thanks to some help from Garcia and Hotch. To top it all off, Frank had the list out of Gideon’s death journal, the one listing out all the victims that he had managed to save.
And they had no idea who would be targeted next off that list, or who exactly was on the list.
Reid would be lying if he said this whole situation did not have him on edge. It had not struck him until he had explained to the others exactly what was on that list that he could be in as much danger as the other victims Gideon had put in there. He had never seen the contents of the book itself. The only reason he even knew about it was because Gideon had once told him about it, trying to help lift his spirits after a rough case by sharing his reason behind keeping the journal. Gideon had told him how he had been keeping the journal since he first started at the BAU, the journal seemingly overflowing with the information he had put into it.
But by that logic, and knowing the kind of information within the pages, that meant there was a high likelihood that Reids own name and information was within.
Georgia had only happened a few months before, the memories still as fresh as the day they were made. He had become a victim that day, one that the team had thankfully rescued before death could come to claim him. He had survived and because of this he was sure that his name appeared within that list.
“Reid?”
Reid looked up from the files spread out in front of him, eyes meeting with Prentiss who had a similar spread before herself. The two of them had been tasked with finding the files of possible targets for Frank. They had to try and get ahead of him before he could make his next move, and that started with contacting any of the survivors within the area to warn them.
There was concern behind Prentiss’s eyes mixed with the fatigue all of them were starting to feel. It truly had been a long night, and it was only getting longer with each passing minute.
“You’ve been staring at the same file for almost five minutes now. Are you feeling alright?” Prentiss asked in concern.
“I’m fine.” Reid lied, eyes dropping to the files once again.
“You’re a terrible liar.” Prentiss stated. “Somethings clearly bothering you, Reid. What is it?” she asked.
Reid sighed. There was no getting around Prentiss’s questioning now.
“Given the contents of the missing page, the likelihood that my own name is on there is high… Higher than even I’d like to admit.” Reid explained.
“Ok, but we already figured as much given what happened.” Prentiss said, leaving the past unspoken given how everyone on the team remembered those terrifying two days. “That can’t be all that’s bothering you though.”
“It’s not… Frank targeted someone close to Gideon. Who’s to say he won’t do it again?” Reid said.
Prentiss appeared confused at first, but then her eyes widened as understanding crossed her features.
“You think Frank’s going to target you.” Prentiss whispered.
Reid nodded in affirmation, watching as the concern grew on Prentiss’s face.
“It would make sense. We think he’s going after people in this area from that list, and by technicality that would include me.” Reid explained.
“That won’t happen.” Prentiss stated.
“How can you be sure?” Reid asked.
“Because you are in one of the safest buildings in D.C., somewhere that Frank couldn’t get to you even if he tried, with a team that knows what they are doing. We won’t let that happen to you.” Prentiss said.
Her statement did put Reid at ease, even if only a little bit, but the nagging fear was still there. They had already seen what Frank was capable of before after taking children hostage and using them as his scapegoat to get away from the police. He had also seen the crime scene photos of Frank’s victims, and the way he eviscerated them while still alive. If he could do that, then what else was he capable of?
“I’ve found at least five files for likely targets over here.” Prentiss said, changing the subject before either of them could dwell on it any further. “How many do you have?” she asked.
“Four.” Reid said, stacking the files up. “All the others are from area’s outside of Frank’s current reach.”
“Ok then, we have a starting place.” Prentiss said, standing from her chair. “We better go tell the others.”
Reid pushed his own chair back, sweeping the stack of piles off the table before turning to follow Prentiss. It was not a long walk to the conference room, the files room only one floor down.
Upon entering the conference room Reid immediately spotted the array of picture frames laid out on the table. It was clear that JJ had gone through Gideon’s office, pulling all of the photos for reference. Reid knew his own photo was among them. He had seen it numerous times when entering his mentor’s office but never questioned it then. He never had to worry about it until now.
“So far we’ve narrowed it down to nine possible targets.” Reid explained to the team as he set the stack of files on the table.
“Ten.” Prentiss corrected as she moved towards the tv hung on the wall. “You can’t leave yourself out of this now Reid. I won’t let you.” She stated.
“Right, ten. Their contact information is in the files.” Reid explained, handing the first one to JJ who was ready to get started.
“Everybody grab a phone. Let’s start calling.” Prentiss stated as she turned the tv on, revealing the photos of the possible targets.
Reid was relieved to not see his own picture on the screen, but the rest of the team clearly had picked up on what Prentiss had said before.
“You said ten. Are we considering Reid a target as well?” Morgan asked, reaching out for one of the files.
“It only makes sense. Gideon had a photo of me with the rest of these, and through deduction that means that my name would be on the list.” Reid explained, taking one of the files for himself. It was the file regarding Nathan, the teen who he had rescued from a suicide attempt months ago. He highly doubted that the kid would be one of Franks targets given the kind of security around the facility he was being held in, but they had to side with caution.
“Reid’s right. At this point we have to consider anyone who Gideon has rescued in the past to be a target.” Hotch explained. “We can’t let our guard down on this one. We have one target safe. Now we focus on the others.” He stated.
Reid made quick work of contacting the facility that Nathan was placed at, explaining to the person on the other end the situation and that they had to keep any visitors away from the teen for the foreseeable future. He had just wrapped up the call, prepared to grab another file from the stack, but froze when he heard the voice from the speaker.
“He’s not agent Gideon, is he?”
Reid turned to face the speaker phone, watching as similar looks of concern filled the room. It appeared that they had not acted fast enough.
Frank had already picked his next victim in Rebecca, the girl they had rescued from the Fisher King almost a year ago.
“Rebecca, this is agent Hotchner. If you can, very calmly excuse yourself and get out of the house. Can you do that?” Hotch asked.
No answer came from the other line, and the tension in the room began to build.
“Rebecca, just calmly hang up, walk to your door, and leave. Ok?” JJ stated.
“What’s going on?”
“Rebecca.” JJ spoke up.
The sound of a muffled gasp filled the air quickly followed by a thud. The team could only speculate what was happening to Rebecca. They waited with bated breath, hoping that she was ok. Hotch continued to call out Rebecca’s name, the tension in the room ready to burst.
Then a voice came across the line.
“Hi. I regret to inform you that Rebecca’s name should be moved to a new list.”
A chill ran up Reid’s spine at the sound of Frank’s voice. It was already too late. Looking towards Hotch revealed anger that was being carefully hidden behind a mask.
“Frank, we don’t have her. We do not have Jane.” Hotch stated.
“I will not stop until I have her back.”
“Frank… Frank!” Hotch snapped.
The line clicked, indicating that Frank had hung up on them.
“Dammit!” Morgan cursed.
“Where does Rebecca currently live?” Hotch asked, turning to JJ who still had the file open in front of her. JJ was quick to hand over the file.
“We might be able to catch him. Let’s move!” Hotch stated.
Reid moved to follow the rest of the team out of the conference room, but a hand on his chest stopped him at the door.
“Whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Morgan asked.
“I’m going with the rest of you.” Reid said. “You’ll need all the help you can get if he’s there when you arrive.” He stated.
“Not this time.” Hotch said.
“What?” Reid questioned.
“If Frank is serious about going after everyone on that list, then we need to keep you out of the field.” Hotch stated.
Reid was about to argue it, but the look that Hotch gave him silenced the brewing storm.
“I don’t like it any more than you do Reid, but we have to do this.” Hotch stated. “Stay here with JJ. Help her find Jane.” He ordered.
“Yes, sir.” Reid said.
Reid stepped out of the conference room slowly, watching as the team disappeared through the glass swinging doors to reach the elevator bay.
“It’ll be alright Spence.” JJ said, coming to a stop at his side.
“Then why does it not feel that way?” Reid mumbled.
---
Reid was sitting at his desk in the bullpen, nerves on edge as people moved around him.
There had been no word from the team since they left, and JJ was focused on trying to track down Jane utilizing her different contacts. That left him playing the waiting game.
Normally he would not complain about having to stay behind like this, often given the task of looking for further information or even helping to map out the fastest routes to the crime scenes for the rest of the team. Not this time. This time he was left to twiddle his thumbs until the team called back with any news.
And he absolutely detested it.
Reid stood from his chair, far too restless to remain where he was. He needed to move around, needed to try and distract himself from the gnawing anxiety. Glancing towards the break area, he could see a fresh pot of coffee sitting in the machine. Maybe a drink would distract him a bit.
Reid moved towards the coffee machine, quickly filling one of the Styrofoam cups beside it nearly to the brim. He was about to reach for the sugar when another figure joined him.
“We’ve got some news.” JJ said, pausing at his side.
“Good or bad?” Reid asked.
“Some good, the rest bad.” JJ explained. “I managed to find Jane, and Prentiss is going to get her now… Rebecca didn’t make it.”
A sigh escaped Reid’s chest as he ducked his head. He had known there was no chance of them stopping Frank in time, but a small part of him had hoped they could get to her before she died.
“There was a note left by Frank on the scene.” JJ said.
That caught Reids attention as he turned to face her.
“What did it say?” Reid asked.
“7 a.m. Union Station.” JJ stated.
“He’s raising the stakes… He could have another victim, but so far all of the targets on that list are accounted for.” Reid muttered. “Who could he have gone after now?”
“Children.” JJ said.
“It makes sense. He is incapable of feeling normal emotions but will target those who adults hold dear.” Reid said, coffee forgotten as both he and JJ walked together towards her office. “The only question now is who he will go after. The only child from our original list is in a facility that he can’t get into.” He stated.
“That’s where I need your help.” JJ said. “I think someone on that list from an out of area case could be in Virginia or close enough that Frank could reach them. We need to pour over these case files and try to figure out who it could be.” She explained, pushing her office door open to reveal the stacks of files she had pulled from the archives. “It’ll go much faster if you help me.” She stated.
“That, I can do.” Reid said, falling into one of the open seats as JJ moved to sit at her desk. He took a small stack of files from the pile and began pouring over them alongside JJ.
The two of them poured over the files for hours, only stopping long enough to grab coffee or something to eat from the vending machines.
Reid was currently nursing a third cup of coffee as he continued the search, grabbing for a file that was dated from before he had even joined the BAU. He opened it to try and discern whether it would be of any help to them.
That’s when he noticed his vision was fuzzy.
It was only a slight change at first, seemingly no worse than if he forgot his glasses or contacts. Reid brushed it off as fatigue starting to catch up to him, pushing through the blurry vision to continue with the task at hand. But the blurriness was not clearing up. If anything, it was only getting worse. Words began to blend together on the pages before him, making it almost impossible to discern exactly what was written in the report.
Reid set the file down, rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to help clear his vision.
“Everything ok?” JJ asked, her eyes still glued to the file she had opened in front of her.
“I’m fine. Think I’m just tired.” Reid said.
“Can’t argue with that.” JJ said with a heavy sigh. “If I weren’t being fueled by coffee I’d likely be passed out on the desk right now.” She stated.
“We can’t sleep yet.” Reid said. “We have to find Frank first.”
“But we’re of no use tired like this.” JJ stated. “If you need to take a break Spence, I won’t blame you. You look ready to drop.” She said.
Reid tried to power through at first, picking up the file he had been looking over again only to realize that the words on the page were still blurry. He set the file down with a sigh before pushing to a stand. Maybe JJ was right that he could use a quick break.
“I think I’ll take you up on that offer.” Reid said, moving towards the door. “I’ll be right back.”
Reid slipped out of JJ’s office, rubbing his eyes once more to try and clear his vision. The blur in his vision was getting worse, everything around him blending into an amalgamation of colors and shapes. At this point he was moving on muscle memory, not able to see properly.
Something was not right.
Reid slowly made his way towards the bathroom, thinking that splashing some cold water on his face would help. But with every step that he took he started to feel worse. His limbs felt heavy like they were weighed down with lead. A feeling of dizziness was starting to creep in, forcing Reid to reach out to steady himself on the wall.
He paused within a few feet of the bathroom; eyes shut against the waves of dizziness that crashed over him.
Then there was a hand on his arm, and he was being pulled down the hallway.
“Are you having trouble staying on your feet, Dr. Reid?”
Reids blood ran cold at the voice.
It was Frank.
Reid tried to break free of the hold on his arm, but the grip tightened to a painful level as Frank continued to lead him down the hallway towards the emergency exit. He could see that the door was propped open slightly, likely from where he had gotten into the building. No other explanation made sense.
Reids legs began to buckle underneath him, no doubt from whatever drug Frank had managed to get into his system. Had it been in the coffee?
Suddenly there were arms wrapped around his torso, and he was being dragged through the emergency exit door. The heavy metal door slammed shut, echoing in the stairwell with a finality that sat cold in his stomach.
---
The elevator opened, releasing Prentiss who was guiding Jane beside her. It was a miracle that the woman was still cooperating with them, one that Prentiss hoped would help them when they finally had the chance to question her.
Prentiss had barely stepped foot into the main office space before a blur of blonde hair rushed up to her.
“Did you have any trouble picking her up?” JJ asked.
“None thankfully.” Prentiss answered, handing Jane over to another agent to take to the interrogation room until they were ready. “Did you manage to find anything on your end?” she asked.
“Maybe. Looking through the files, I found that one of the people we helped before had relocated to Virginia a few months ago. Hotch and Morgan are both on their way now.” JJ explained.
“Good. Where’s Reid?” Prentiss asked.
“Taking a quick break. I was actually looking for him.” JJ explained.
“Is he ok?” Prentiss asked.
“As ok as he can be given what we’re dealing with.” JJ said, reaching for her phone. “I’ll let Hotch know we’ve got Jane.” She stated.
“Ok. I’ll see if I can find Reid. Maybe he can help me with Jane.” Prentiss said.
The two women turned to go their separate ways, but neither made it very far before a shout caught their attention.
“Excuse me!”
Prentiss looked towards the hallway to find another agent approaching them, appearing out of breath as he came to a stop in front of them. Sweat glistened on his brow as he heaved, bending over slightly.
“Is something wrong?” JJ asked, concern filling her face.
“I… I was given this in the parking lot.” The agent said, holding out a slip of paper to them. Prentiss acted first, taking the paper with confusion. “The man who gave it to me said I had to get it to one of you. Said something about someone’s life being on the line.” The Agent explained.
Prentiss shared a concerned glance with JJ before unfolding the paper, and her eyes went wide with horror at the message written down.
‘You went after the wrong kid agents.’
Alarm filled JJ’s face as she snatched the paper out of Prentiss’s hand.
“Who gave this to you?” JJ demanded.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen him before.” The agent explained.
“What did he look like?” Prentiss asked.
“Older, maybe in his 50’s. He was surprisingly calm when giving this to me. I’ve never seen anything like it.” The agent explained.
“Frank.” Prentiss said.
“But how did he even get on the property?” JJ muttered.
“That’s the least of our worries right now.” Prentiss stated as the dots began to connect in her head.
Wrong kid.
Frank was targeting children.
Horror flooded Prentiss’s veins once more as she snatched her cellphone out of her pocket. She dialed Reid’s number, waiting patiently as the dial tone rang out.
A shrill ringing filled the hallway, and JJ was running before Prentiss could even react. She rushed after the blonde, her heart racing a mile a minute.
When she caught up with JJ she spotted her knelt on the floor, grabbing the item that had been ringing.
It was Reid’s phone.
“Oh God.” Prentiss whispered, lowering the phone from her ear.
“Frank got him.” JJ said, cursing under her breath as she reached for her own phone. She quickly dialed a number, holding the phone up to her ear.
“Hotch. We’ve got a problem.” She stated.
---
Coming back to the waking world was jarring.
Reid was not sure when he had lost consciousness. The last thing he could remember was being fireman carried down the emergency staircase by Frank.
This time he was not in a staircase.
Opening his eyes revealed a small room lit by an overhead light. It was very dusty within, the vases on the shelf across from him covered in the kind of layers that only built up from years of ignorance. A few picture frames lined the walls, most of them containing some kind of landscape within. Maybe it was Frank’s way of reliving his kills. The couch that took up most of the space in the room had clearly been moved, a clear outline in the dust marking where it had once rested. It was pushed up against the wall across from him.
And sitting on the dusty surface was none other than Frank.
Reid moved instinctually to try and get away from the man but quickly found that he was unable to do so. His hands were bound behind his back with some kind of leather strap wrapped around his chest keeping him attached to the chair. There was tape over his mouth, making it impossible for him to speak.
“Good. I was starting to think you would never wake up Dr. Reid.” Frank said in a sickeningly calm tone.
Reid could only watch as Frank slowly stood from the couch, his heartrate skyrocketing as the man crossed the room to stand in front of him.
“I must say. I did not think it would be that easy to get my hands on you.” Frank said. “I thought surely that your team would not let you out of their sights, what with your name being on Jason’s list. Who would have thought that all I had to do was slip something into your cup when your back was turned and wait for the right moment.”
The man moved out of Reid’s line of sight, his footsteps echoing off the walls.
“Jason truly holds you in high regard, doesn’t he?” Frank asked. “He had pictures of you at his apartment, almost like a father would of their child.”
Frank was trying to get a rise out of him. He wanted to see his reaction, to see that his words were having some kind of effect.
Reid would not bend to his will.
A hand landed on Reid’s shoulder, squeezing tight enough to elicit a wince.
“I wonder why that is?” Frank muttered.
Something clicked behind Reid’s head, but the sound was not quite right. It was not a gun; the sound was too quiet for that. He got his answer when something flashed in his peripheral, revealing the item to be a disposable flip phone. There was a number pulled up on the screen but given the angle the phone was held at Reid was unable to make it out.
“I need you to do something for me.” Frank said as his hand left Reid’s shoulder. “I am going to call Jason, and you are going to remind him that you were once rescued by him.”
The tape covering Reid’s mouth was roughly pulled away, his skin stinging as a grunt escaped his throat.
“If you don’t.”
Reid’s head snapped back as Frank grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling hard enough to elicit a surprised cry. He looked up into the man’s eyes, seeing no emotion looking back. It was unsettling, made even more so when a sadistic smile crossed his lips.
“Then I will find ways to make you scream.” Frank stated.
Frank hit the call button on the cellphone, the dial tone ringing out in the small space. As the tone rang, Reid felt the hand tangled in his hair release, letting his head fall forward. Footsteps echoed again as Frank moved to stand in front of him, holding the phone steadily.
There was a click from the phone.
“This is Aaron Hotchner.”
Reid’s eyes went wide as Frank pulled back. He had forgotten that the police had found Gideon’s phone at his apartment. By that logic no one should have answered because the phone was supposed to be in evidence.
Unless the team had gotten their hands on it.
“I need to speak to Jason.” Frank said.
“I can’t do that, he’s not here.”
“But you know where he is.” Frank stated, his free hand dipping into his pocket. “And I think he will want to hear what I have to say.”
There was silence on the other line. Reid’s eyes bounced between the phone and Frank’s still form. It was only a slight difference, but he could see the tension building on his face. His jaw was clenched, the muscles in his neck bulging slightly. No one would have noticed unless they were truly looking for the signs.
There was a beep from the phone indicating that the call had been redirected.
“I-It’s for you.”
Frank bent down, holding the phone out so it was pressed to Reid’s ear.
“Yeah?”
Reid found himself unable to speak at the sound of his mentor’s voice. Frank was using him to toy with Gideon, to force him to play this game in order to get Jane back. He could not play this man’s game.
Reid saw movement as Frank pulled his free hand out of his pocket. Within his grasp was a pocketknife, already flicked open and moving. The blade was pressed to his throat, forcing Reid to tip his head back to avoid being cut.
“Go ahead.” Frank said, his voice taking on a dark tone.
There was no getting around this. Frank was going to kill him anyways; it was his MO after all not to hold his targets as hostages.
“Gideon.” Reid said.
There was a short period of silence on the phone, only broken by a horrified gasp that sounded like Garcia.
“Spencer?”
The sound of Gideon’s voice almost broke him as Reid shut his eyes, biting the inside of his cheek to try and keep his composure.
“Yes… It’s me.” Reid said.
“Go ahead Spencer.” Frank whispered, his tone almost encouraging despite the knife being held to his throat. “Tell him.”
“Y-You saved me once before, when I was kidnapped. Do you remember that?” Reid asked, fighting to keep his voice steady. The knife against his throat shifted slightly, the blade nicking his skin. Reid did not react to the sting, ignoring the thin trail of blood that slipped down his neck.
“Of course I do. How could I forget? All of us do.”
“Gideon, he’s not going to stop.” Reid said.
“I know, I know. Listen to me Spencer. Everything’s going to be ok. We’re going to find you.”
Those words had Reid spiraling back to a dark place, one where he had been confronted by Tobias (Charles) and tortured and drugged in a dark room. He could almost smell the burnt fish guts despite logically knowing that was not possible. He bit at the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood, the taste of iron flooding his mouth as he tried to ground himself with the pain.
Reid knew he had to get a message across to Gideon. He had to warn him that Frank was serious, that he was not going to stop. He would keep going until the list ran dry, and then find another way to torment them, until he had Jane back.
Knowing that he was likely not going to survive this, he set his resolve.
“No, you won’t. Gideon, you can’t give him Jane. H-He’s just going to keep killing. He won’t stop-“
The knife left Reid’s throat, and before he could wrap his head around what was going on the blade sunk into his left shoulder. A scream tore free of his throat, pain shooting down the length of his arm as Frank twisted the blade. He shut his eyes as nausea began to claw up his throat, his shirt already slick with blood. He could hear cursing from the phone despite Frank having taken it away from his ear. Opening his eyes he could see Frank standing a few feet away, his own blood on the man’s hand. The blade was still buried in his shoulder.
“Jason.” Frank spoke in a sing-song tone, holding the phone to his ear. He had no idea what Gideon was saying on the other side, now unable to hear his mentor. All he could do was watch and try to breathe through the agony.
“Shh, Jason. I chose the station because I know how much you love trains. I saw the toys in your apartment.” Frank said before lowering the phone and ending the call. He dropped the phone on the floor, stomping it with the heal of his shoe until it was nothing but little plastic pieces against the carpet.
“You won’t win this.” Reid whispered. “You should know that by now.”
Frank turned his full attention back to Reid, swiftly closing the distance between them as he grabbed the handle of the knife. He wrenched it out of his shoulder with a sickening squelching sound. The blade was back at his throat, Frank’s other hand yanking hard on Reid’s hair to force his head back.
“And why do you say that?” Frank asked.
“Because you are unable to feel proper emotions. You lack the capability to stop what you’ve begun. Even if we were to return Jane to you now, you would never be able to stop killing. You’ll just keep killing until someone stops you.” Reid stated.
A heavy silence fell over the room, almost suffocating in nature. All Reid could do was look up at Frank, watching as his eyes seemed to darken for the briefest of moments.
Then the knife was gone, and Frank released his hair.
“I think I see now why Jason looks on you so highly.” Frank said. “You think just like he does.”
A fresh scream of pain tore from Reid’s throat as Frank lashed out, stabbing him in the stomach this time. Once again, he twisted the knife, his facial expression never changing as he slowly drew the blade out. Sweat began to dot Reid’s brow, the early signs of shock setting in.
“Maybe losing the person he sees as his child will break him.” Frank said, his hand raised and ready to strike.
“Killing me won’t do that.” Reid said, causing Frank to stop.
“And why is that?” Frank asked.
“Because Gideon will simply move on.” Reid lied. In truth he knew what would happen if he died here. Gideon would completely fall apart like he had two years ago after the footpath killer. It would likely force him to leave the Bureau, unable to continue knowing what had happened, what could have stopped this from happening.
The hand Frank was holding the knife with fell to his side, small drops of blood slipping off the tip.
“Is that so?” Frank asked.
“Yes. He will move on, find a new mentee to fill my place… He won’t miss me at all.” Reid whispered.
Tension filled the air as Frank seemed to size him up. Reid watched with bated breath, not knowing what the man’s next move was going to be.
He got his answer when Frank approached, setting the blade down on the coffee table to his left. The leather strap that was holding him to the chair loosened and was tossed aside.
“Very well then. We will just have to test that theory.” Frank said.
Reid was hoisted to his feet, his vision going gray for a moment as he was forcefully dragged into one of the nearby rooms.
“I suspect, given the amount of blood on your clothing, that you have approximately 8 hours before you bleed out. If what you say is true, then Jason will not find you in time. If it is, then either he or your team will return Jane to me, and I will tell them where I left you.” Frank stated.
The room he was dragged into was some kind of bedroom. It was quite small, barely big enough for the full-size bed pushed up against one of the pink walls. Reid could not help but look up, something catching his attention on the bed.
His blood ran cold when he spotted the mummified body of a woman.
She was old by the looks of it. What was left of her hair was haggard and gray yet kept neat. She was laid in a similar position to that of people lying in a coffin, but her mouth was hanging wide open as if in an eternal scream. There were dead flowers laid out around her like some sick form of mourning.
Who was this lady?
Frank released him for a moment, reaching for something in his pocket. It was revealed to be a roll of tape, which Frank expertly used to silence Reid by slapping a strip over his mouth. Once that was completed, Frank opened the small door he stood in front of to reveal a cramped closet space.
“It looks like our time together is finished Dr. Reid.” Frank said before harshly shoving Reid into the closet.
Reid landed hard on the floor, his shoulder and stomach burning as a muffled scream broke free of his chest. He looked up through blurry vision as Frank began to close the door.
“I must be going now. I only have a few hours before I have to be at the station.” Frank said.
The door slid shut, and he heard a lock click.
Reid let his head fall against the floor. He was not a praying man, but he found himself praying that his team would figure out where the hell he was and stop Frank before he got what he wanted.
---
JJ could not stop the worry that coursed through her veins.
Reid was missing, the rest of her team was facing off against Frank alone, and here she was hoping to find any scrap of a lead as to where he could have taken Reid.
She was joined by Morgan; the other agent having fought like hell to be able to accompany her. In the end Hotch relented, knowing that it was best to tackle this with more than one agent.
The two of them were standing outside the apartment that belonged to Mary Breitkopf, Frank’s mother. It had been difficult to track down, but thanks to Garcia’s digging they had managed to find the address. As they approached the room, the team was set to face Frank in D.C.
JJ just hoped they would find something here. She had this nagging feeling that Frank would not give away anything.
The door was unlocked for them by a maintenance man in the building. JJ pushed the door open, immediately bringing her gun up.
“Wait here.” JJ said to the maintenance man.
JJ made the first move, stepping into the small apartment. The first room, appearing to be the living room, was covered in dust. And yet she could easily make out areas along the carpet where things had been moved recently. There was blood on the carpet, fresh enough to still bear its crimson color. Not far from the blood sat the remains of a disposable phone, likely the one Frank had used to call them.
Which meant that Reid had been here. There was no doubt about it.
Morgan moved ahead of her, eyeing the other room that appeared before them. The door was left open revealing a darkened space beyond. Morgan walked through the doorway first, quickly followed by JJ.
JJ’s eyes immediately spotted the mummified body of Mary Breitkoph laid out on the bed, a macabre display like that of a funeral service. Morgan pulled the blinds away from the window behind her, the sunlight pouring into the room.
This light also revealed a growing red stain around the door to what JJ assumed to be the closet.
“Morgan.” JJ called out, gesturing to the door.
She moved closer, watching with bated breath as Morgan undid the lock. The sight of blood had already spiked her anxiety, but to see it leaking from behind the door only made it worse. She had no idea what they would find on the other side.
Morgan ripped the door open; gun raised immediately as the light poured into the confined space.
“Oh God.” JJ breathed, eyes wide with horror.
Reid was lying against the floor, blood soaking the front of his shirt and pooled underneath him. He was not moving; his arms bound behind his back and eyes shut to the world.
Morgan was the first one to act, pushing into the closet while JJ reached for her radio.
“We need Paramedics stat! Agent down!” JJ barked.
JJ backed away from the door, watching with her heart in her throat as Morgan swiftly pulled Reid’s limp form from the closet. Now in better lighting, JJ was able to make out where the blood on him had come from. There was a stab wound to his left shoulder, the entire left side of his body soaked in blood from where he had been laying in the pool of it on the floor. There was another wound to his abdomen, a circular blood stain taking up most of the space across his stomach.
“JJ, hold him up for me.” Morgan instructed.
JJ fell to her knees beside Morgan, immediately reaching out to steady Reid’s body. As she did this, Morgan pulled a pocketknife out, quickly cutting through the ropes binding his arms together.
“OK. Lay him down slowly.” Morgan said.
The two agents worked together to lower Reid to the floor. As soon as he was settled, JJ’s hands moved to his face. She brushed a few stray curls out of his eyes, her other hand carefully pulling the duct tape off his mouth. She could feel soft puffs of air against her hand. He was still breathing, but it was shallow.
How long had he been in there like this?
“Come on Spence. Time to wake up.” JJ whispered.
There was no movement, not even a flutter of his eyelids.
“Come on kid.” Morgan said, his hand moving to put pressure against the wound on his shoulder which appeared to be the worst of the two. JJ moved to put pressure on the other one, ignoring the way it squelched under her palm. “You’re not dying on us today.”
“Wake up Spence.” JJ begged.
JJ’s prayers were finally answered as she saw Reid’s eyes begin to flutter.
“Spence?” JJ spoke up.
“Come on kid. You can do it.” Morgan said.
The two agents watched as Reid’s eyes slowly opened, hazy with pain as they looked at the ceiling above him.
“There he is.” Morgan said. “Welcome back to the land of the living pretty boy.” He stated.
Reid’s eyes shifted to look at the two of them, the pain in his eyes mixing with relief.
“How… How did you find me?” Reid asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“You can thank Garcia for that.” JJ explained. “She and Gideon managed to find out Frank’s surname, and she tracked this place down for us.”
“This place… Where are we?” Reid asked.
“Upper side of Manhattan. I think Frank believed we’d never find this place in time.” Morgan said. “But we did.”
“The team should be taking him down as we speak.” JJ explained. “And this time he won’t get away so easily.”
“No.” Reid whispered. “He… He won’t let himself be taken… He’ll die before surrendering… Why’s it so dark?” He asked.
“Don’t talk anymore. Just focus on keeping your eyes open kid.” Morgan said.
The sound of heavy footfalls filled the room as two paramedics came rushing into the space, their gurney left in the previous room due to there not being enough space for it. Morgan immediately started listing out Reid’s injuries to the paramedics as one of them knelt beside JJ. She quickly stepped back, watching with her heart in her throat as the two worked together to try and stabilize him. The medical jargon being shared between them went straight over JJ’s head as they placed an oxygen mask over Reid’s face, one of them cutting away at his blood-soaked shirt.
“He’s lost a lot of blood. He’s going to need transfusions at the hospital.” One of the paramedics said.
“Right. Let’s get him loaded up.” The other said.
JJ could do nothing but watch as the two paramedics worked together to lift Reid off the floor, transferring him to the gurney just outside the room. She moved as if to follow but froze.
“JJ, you go with the kid.” Morgan said. “I’ll handle things here.”
JJ nodded and immediately took off after the paramedics. She did not wait for their approval to ride along, immediately jumping into the back of the ambulance to sit beside Reid. It was clear he had lost the battle to consciousness, his eyes shut but relaxed. She reached out, taking one of Reid’s hands into her own.
“You’re going to be ok.” JJ whispered.
---
To say the takedown had gone bad was an understatement.
Frank, knowing that he was cornered and would not be escaping prison, had taken his life into his hands. He had jumped in front of a moving train alongside Jane. The two of them never stood a chance.
And to top it off, Frank never once confirmed the team’s suspicions as to Reid’s whereabouts.
Hotch stood on the train platform, watching as what remained of Frank and Jane was pulled from under the train. It was one of the worst sights he had ever seen, but he would not let it show. He had other things to worry about, like finding his missing agent.
The sound of his phone ringing pulled him from his thoughts. Hotch grabbed it, hitting the call button before even looking at the number.
“Yeah?” Hotch spoke.
“Hotch, it’s JJ. We found Reid at Mary Breitkoph’s apartment.”
The relief that flooded his veins was immediate, Hotch’s shoulders sagging as he turned away from the bloody scene below him.
“How is he?” Hotch asked.
“Not good. Frank stabbed him twice, and he lost a lot of blood before we found him. They just took him back for surgery.”
“How bad?” Hotch asked.
There was silence from the other line.
“JJ, how bad is it?” Hotch asked again.
“It’s pretty bad. Like I said, he lost a lot of blood. The paramedics were struggling to stabilize him in the ambulance.”
Hotch cursed under his breath. This had been his biggest concern when he heard that Frank had grabbed Reid. A part of him had hoped they would find him there, unharmed, but he was wrong.
“We have to finish up here. When we’re finished, we’re coming up there. What hospital are you at?” Hotch asked.
Once JJ had told him the hospital, Hotch gave her strict instructions to keep them updated before hanging up the phone. He moved swiftly to where the rest of the team was gathered, all of them turning to face him.
“They found him.” Hotch said.
A collective sigh of relief spread through the group.
“Is he alive?” Gideon asked.
“He’s injured but alive. JJ said they’re taking him for surgery now… Frank stabbed him twice. He lost a lot of blood.” Hotch explained.
“But… But he’s going to be ok, right?” Garcia asked.
“That’s my hope. JJ’s at the hospital with him, said she’d keep us posted.” Hotch said. “Let’s wrap things up here and get going. She’s expecting us.” He explained.
The team all nodded, all of them wanting to get out of here and ensure that Reid was ok.
---
When Reid came to, he was immediately slammed with the smell of antiseptic.
He detested the smell so much. It made his stomach turn uncomfortably. He could feel a nasal canula against his face, cold air flooding his nostrils. There was a scratchy blanket laid over him.
Cracking his eyes open revealed a brightly lit hospital room around him. He immediately closed his eyes against the onslaught, the light making his head hurt as a groan escaped his throat. In response he felt something squeeze his hand.
“Look who’s finally awake.”
Reid opened his eyes again, more prepared for the light this time. There was someone sitting at his bedside. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and immediately recognized who it was.
“JJ.” Reid whispered.
“Hi Spence.” JJ said, giving his hand another squeeze. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore.” Reid admitted.
“That’s to be expected… I told the doctor about your thing against narcotics, so they are giving you basic pain killers through an I.V.” JJ explained. “I promise you, they didn’t give you anything.”
Reid moved to try and shift his position, but the movement caused pain to course through his abdomen. He winced; eyes shut in pain.
“I wouldn’t try moving yet.” JJ warned. “The doctors had to cut you open in surgery. The stab wound to your stomach nicked your spleen which caused internal bleeding. They were able to repair the damage, but you almost bled out on them.” She explained.
That would explain how he lost consciousness so quickly after being placed in that closet. Reid had tried to free himself after Frank had left, but the fight had not lasted long. His best guess as to how he managed to survive as long as he did came down to how he landed on the floor. His positioning must have been putting enough pressure on his stomach to stem the bleeding until JJ and Morgan found him.
He was lucky to be alive.
There was a knock at the door catching the two agent’s attention.
“Is there room for more in here?” Morgan asked.
“Hey. Look who’s awake.” JJ stated.
Reid looked towards the door, surprised to find Morgan standing there. Hotch and Prentiss were not far behind, quickly followed by Garcia and Gideon. The hospital room was barely big enough for all of them, but they all managed to fit in around the bed.
“We were worried about you kid.” Morgan said. “You gave us quite the scare.”
“Sorry.” Reid muttered.
“We’re just glad that you’re ok.” Prentiss said.
“What… What happened to Frank?” Reid asked.
“He’s dead. He managed to convince Jane to go with him and they jumped in front of a train coming into the station. They didn’t stand a chance.” Hotch explained.
“You were right Reid. Frank wasn’t going to stop. He had every intention of getting away and continuing what he started until we exposed him for who he is.” Gideon said.
The reminder of what Reid had said to Gideon before brought back flashes of the apartment he had been in. Of the mummified body laid out on the bed surrounded by flowers.
“Who was the woman?” Reid asked.
“It was Mary Breitkoph, Frank’s mother.” JJ explained.
“There was no death certificate that I could find.” Garcia added. “Frank never once reported her death.”
“And based on how she looked, she’s been dead for quite a while.” Morgan added.
“He never even said her name.” Reid muttered. “But he walked me right by her… Like he wanted me to see her.”
“Frank had an unhealthy obsession with his mother. He was showing you that without saying a word.” Gideon said. “Likely thinking that we did not already figure it out, how he viewed Jane as his mother. His obsession with her likely started about the time his mother passed away.”
Silence fell over the room as Reid leaned back into the pillow behind him. The more he talked the more the ache in his shoulder and abdomen grew. He would not cave for stronger pain medication. He had fought like hell to get off the dilaudid, and refused to go back.
“C-Can you give us a moment alone.” Gideon spoke up, breaking the silence.
“Of course.” Hotch said, motioning for everyone to follow him out of the room.
Reid felt JJ give his hand another squeeze as she stood from the chair she had been sitting in.
“Take it easy ok.” JJ said before releasing his hand to leave with the others. The door slipped shut with a click.
Reid glanced towards Gideon, watching as the older man moved to sit in the chair JJ had been occupying previously.
“Spencer, I’m sorry.” Gideon said.
“Sorry?... About what?” Reid asked.
“For what Frank did to you… If I had been more careful about my notebook, then maybe no one would’ve had to die or get hurt.” Gideon explained. “Sarah would still be here, as would Rebecca.”
The guilt in Gideon’s tone was heavy. It was clear to Reid that he blamed himself for everything that had happened the last couple days.
That was not how Reid saw it.
“This wasn’t your fault.” Reid stated.
“But it was my list he used. He targeted you and all the others because of what I wrote. He wanted to toy with me… He got what he wanted.” Gideon said.
“No, he didn’t.” Reid said as he pushed himself up, ignoring the pain in his abdomen as he shifted to look at Gideon better. “Frank wanted to kill everyone on your list. He only succeeded in killing one. The others were all safe and accounted for. If he truly wanted to make you suffer like you think, then he never would have called you. He would have kept quiet, slowly hunting everyone down until they were all dead. Instead, he bought time because the person he truly wanted was trying to find you.”
Gideon shook his head, heaving a sigh.
“He still killed one. I’d rather it be none.” Gideon stated.
“It was almost two.” Reid said, watching as shock crossed Gideon’s face. “He was ready to finish me off after he called you. The only thing that stopped him was that I lied… I told him my death would mean nothing to you… Thinking back on it now, I don’t know why he even believed what I said. He was convinced that you saw me as your kid.” He stated.
“Because in a way I do.” Gideon said.
Reid looked up to Gideon with a mix of surprise and confusion.
“When I first met you, I saw a kid who was struggling, a kid who needed a father figure in his life. That was why I did what I could back then to help you. In a way, I guess… Well, I guess you could say I became the father you needed, and in turn you became the son that I missed.” Gideon explained. “And it’s because of that… When I heard your voice on that phone… I thought Frank was going to take one of the last things I had left to care about.”
Reid felt tears well in his eyes at his mentor’s words, his lip trembling as he fought to hold them back. He knew that Gideon cared about him, but he never realized it went that far.
Gideon must have noticed his shift in emotions as he reached out, grabbing his hand tightly.
“I know you lied to protect yourself, but don’t ever think for a minute that I would just move on if you were to have died. Losing you would devastate me. Don’t ever forget that.” Gideon stated.
The tears welled up in Reid’s eyes spilled over. He raised his hand to swipe them away, heaving a shaky sigh.
“Thank you.” Reid whispered.
“There’re no thanks needed. I’m just telling you as it is.” Gideon stated.
Reid nodded, fresh tears tearing tracks down his face.
“Did you make my boy genius cry!” Garcia cried out as she shoved the door open to peer in. “Whose day do I have to ruin?” She demanded.
The outburst from the blonde tore a chuckle from Reid’s throat as he wiped the offending tears away.
“Happy tears Garcia. Happy tears.” Reid explained.