Twice in a Lifetime (Criminal Minds)

Strucken

The team had fallen into full blown panic. They had only been gone for ten minutes and boy genius was already gone. Naturally Rossi, Hotch and Morgan felt guilty for leaving him. They knew Reid wouldn't want them to feel guilty, but that didn't stop them. One of them should have stayed despite what Reid said. 

What really struck the team was how the UNSUB had managed to get Reid out of the crowded hospital unnoticed. Someone must have noticed a man dragging an unconscious man through a hospital, at least they assumed he was unconscious, there was blood on Reid's pillow. But of course, no one did.

A young blonde, female nurse did say she saw Reid being pushed down the hallway, by a male nurse, in a wheel chair. To her he seemed to be asleep, but the team thought other wise.

The team was now having a discussion in a small break room on Reid's floor.

"What are we going to do?" Morgan asked, wanting to hit everything in sight.

"Well we'll just have to wait until the crime scene team is finished and have the results from the tests," Hotch replyed his usual stoic expression still plastered on his face despite the current situation.

The team stared agape at him.

"You've got to be joking. We can't wait that long. There has to be something we can do!" Morgan nearly yelled at his superior.

"Morgan we have nothing to go on, except the profile and thats given us nothing so far."

"We need to think about Reid and his experience with Tobias. Where would the UNSUB have to bring Reid to get the fear and pshycological torture he wants?" J.J. spoke up.

"The graveyard." The team automatically stood up and left the break room, leaving Garcia alone. 

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He didn't remember what had happened. Reid tried to open his eyes but the pain was blinding. His whole left side was acheing from the car accident and his head was pounding from being knocked out. Suddenly the memories came flooding back.

Henry.

The UNSUB.

Being kidnapped.

His eyes flew open and took in his surroundings. No...No...No...

He was back in the shed. The shed that had filled his nightmares for years. The UNSUB had tied him up just like Tobias had and that God-forsaken lightbulb still hung eerily above him. 

This has to be a nightmare. This can't happening . Reid silently yelled to himself. But he knew it wasn't true. Then he saw him. Huddled in a corner. Crying. His long blonde hair covering his face. But his identity was unmistakable to Reid.

"Henry..." He breathed. The terrified young boy looked up at his Godfather recognition evident on his face.

"Uncle Spency?"

"Yeah Henry. It's me. Are you ok? Does anything hurt?" Henry shook his head. "Ok good. Can you come over here?" Henry answered by jumping up and running over to Reid. Henry jumped into his arms and he hugged him as best as he could with his hands still handcuffed to the chair. "Oh Henry, I'm so glad your alright."

"Awe how sweet." 

The voice made them both jump. Henry climbed onto Reid's lap, curled up in a ball and began shaking with fear.  Reid turned in his chair and stared up at the man he knew was the UNSUB. 

"I'm sorry to break up this little reunion but I have business the attend to."

"Let him go," Reid ordered the UNSUB. "He has nothing to do with this." 

"Oh well of course he does. It's just killing you knowing that your the reason he's here. You know that don't you? That it's your fault that hes here." Reid's silence answered his question well enough. "Now, as for my business..." 

The UNSUB leaned down and pulled a duffel bag out from a small cupboard in a corner. From the bag he pulled a revolver. The same one Tobias used, Reid recalled. The UNSUB walked over to Reid, and sensing the worst Reid quickly began to stall. 

"What's your name?" He asked, with as much confidence as he could muster.

"I don't think that's important."

"Your going to kill me any ways who am I supposed to tell? God?"

"DO NOT SPEAK OF THE LORD THAT WAY!" The UNSUB yelled causing Henry to shake even more.

"I-I'm sorry. I won't do it again," Reid said his confidence wavering.

The faint sounds of sirens began to fill the silence that followed the UNSUB's outrage. Hoping he hadn't heard them, Reid began to blurt facts to muffle the noise.

"85,000,000 tons of paper are used each year in the U.S.!"

"What?"

"Every time Beethoven sat down to write music, he poured ice water over his head."

"What are you doing?" 

The sirens began to get louder.

"IN THE WHITE HOUSE, THERE ARE, 13,092 KNIVES, FORKS AND SPOONS!" Reid now had to yell to overpower the sirens. But it was no use.

"What the hell? How do the cops know I'm here? Dammit!" He began to pace, the gun still firmly in his hand. Reid quickly thought up a  plan and leaned down to whisper in Henry's ear.

"Henry, I want you to sneak out that hole in the wall ok? Try to make no noises." Henry nodded and slide down Reid's leg. Reid watched as Henry crawled across the floor and through a hole just big enough for him to fit through. With Henry out of the way Reid could attempt to disarm the UNSUB. His childhood dream of becoming a magician helped him remove the handcuffs from his wrists with out the UNSUB knowing. 

Desite the pain Reid launched himself from the chair and grabbed the gun.Two bodies fell to the ground in a heap and they began to struggle for control over the gun. The UNSUB's grip never faultered and Reid found the gun being pointed at his face. Out of instinct Reid once again grabbed the gun and attempted to rip it from the UNSUB's hand, but the UNSUB's finger found the trigger and a shot rang out.