𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭 ➵ 𝓼. 𝓻𝓮𝓲𝓭

Chapter 16: There's Something You Need To Watch

{tw - blood and injury description}

STILL ALL SITTING in two separate SUV's, the team has only about ten minutes before arriving at Corales' last phone ping before being shut off.

Spencer is sitting in the back of the vehicle as Derek drives, Hotch in the passenger seat. When Derek's phone begins to ring, all three of them know who it is.

"Are you there yet?"

"Garcia," Morgan begins, "We aren't any closer than when you last called us ten seconds ago."

"Right sorry...I just, I need..."

If anything, Garcia's words aren't helping Spencer's state of mind. He zones out of the conversation in an attempt to calm his racing mind, processing his emotions without you is barely achievable. You had always been there to help him focus, your presence being enough. And now he doesn't even have that.

He finally returns his attention when Hotch's phone begins to ring, him not hesitating as he brings it to his ear. The person on the other end of the phone is inaudible to Spencer and Derek, who still has Garcia on the phone.

Finally, Hotch pulls the phone away and places it in his lap, the expression on his face an unreadable one. Finally, his lips form words that confuse the other two men, "Pull over."

Derek does as he's told, seeing the SUV that had been trailing behind them following suit. They all step out, regrouping in between the two vehicles.

"What's going on?" Emily inquires with her thumbs hooked on the belt loops of her pants.

Hotch swallows and hesitates, "Morgan, a word?"

Derek furrows his brows before following Hotch away from the group, their conversation going unheard by the rest of the team who converse on what could be going on. In Spencer's head, they should be going to your location, helping you, and stopping isn't going to do those things.

"What's going on?" JJ asks.

Rossi shrugs helplessly, "I don't know. And I don't like it."

There are a few hums and nods as the two men return, Derek's face more readable than Hotch's, but even the group of profilers struggle to read him.

"Reid, why don't we go walk for a bit?" Morgan finally says, causing Spencer to scrunch up his face as if he can't comprehend what he is saying.

"What? You want to go on a walk?" He asks suspiciously, his urgency to get to your location is clearly obvious.

Morgan looks away as he nods, unable to say anything else.

Spencer goes to take a step forward and actually go on the walk, thinking it is just a part of a bigger plan, but returns to his position.

"No."

The group exchange glances, they all know trying to divert his attention from you would be useless, and now Hotch and Morgan have no other choice but to tell the truth.

"I got a call from local PD, saying they had something relating to our case." Hotch states, and everyone looks around, trying to workout what could be so important that they had to stop helping you to hear it. Hotch looks like he's readying himself to say the words as he swallows and refuses to meet anyone's eyes,

"There's something you all need to watch."

Within a few minutes, Hotch has brought out a laptop and is hovering over clicking the play button, leaving everyone even more on edge than they had been. Finally, he clicks it, resuming what looks to be a live feed.

"Oh my God..." JJ mumbles shortly before turning away, one hand on her hip and the other clamped on her mouth as she walks back to the SUV, her eyes having seen enough.

"Ditto..." Emily adds, pressing her lips together and following JJ.

Hotch and Morgan turn their gaze to the floor, and Rossi inches closer to the screen, trying to see if he is seeing it right. He walks away shortly after without a word, sauntering over to the edge of the road by the tree-line.

Spencer is the last to look at the screen - everyone else's reactions had put him off. When he finally does focus on the video, he sees the live video feed of you tied up by your wrists to the ceiling. The bruises scattered all over your face and body are evident, never mind the blood dripping from your nose and soaking through your shirt.

He can't make out a single word, his heart caught in his throat as he leans against the SUV for support. He had expected something, but seeing you in a state such as that one was not the something he had been expecting. To be honest, he hadn't known what to expect - but that wasn't it.

Word Count
793