Copycat//Criminal Minds FanFic

Choices

Reid woke up when he felt the man touch his arm. He was instantly awake. His sleeve was rolled up to the elbow. He saw the bottle and the syringe.

Reid tried to shift as far away as he could, even though there was no way he could get away. "Please," he faltered. "Please don't. Please. You don't have to do this. Please, no."

The man stopped and considered Reid through the eyeholes in his mask. "Yes. I do."

"No, you don't!" Reid's voice cracked.

"It won't stop unless I do this exactly right." The man continued filling the syringe.

"What won't stop?"

"You've all been following me! You won't leave me alone. Ever since I helped you, you've all been following me!"

"What?"

"I know you've been watching me. I can feel your eyes. You'll never leave me alone."

"No one's following you!"

"Yes you are! All of you! You can't hide it from me. I've been warned of your lies."

Schizophrenia. "Whatever he's telling you, it's not true."

The man shook his head. "You can't trick me." He used his belt to tie Reid's upper arm.

"Please, no." Reid pulled his arm as close to his body as possible.

"Don't fight it. Doesn't it make everything better?"

"No, no..."

____________________________________

Hotch was in the police office when Handel came back from lunch.

"Have you guys found anything on Agent Reid?"

"Doctor," Hotch corrected automatically. "And no, nothing yet. But we're going to find him." Hotch continued searching the database. Garcia was tied up with other business and Hotch had volunteered for this job.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Handel said as he looked over Hotch's shoulder.

"I'm making a list of all the computer repairmen in this town." Hotch finished his search and clicked the print button.

"Where ya off to now?" Handel asked as Hotch grabbed the printed papers and left the room.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that."

____________________________________

Garcia was finishing her own search of the FBI discharges. She had found five more that fit at least one part of the profile.

"I have the information on the computer guys around here." Hotch came in the room and dead bolted the door behind him.

"I'll start cross referencing," Garcia said as she accepted the stack of papers.

There was a beep on Garcia's laptop.

Garcia froze.

"What is it?" Morgan asked, immediately sensing something wrong.

"It's happening again."

____________________________________

Reid was still a little out of it when he woke back up.

The man was standing next to the video camera.

Reid slowly shook his head, trying to clear it.

"It's time."

"What?" Reid asked.

"It's time to choose." The unsub turned and motioned to the monitors behind him.

Reid blinked. Not again. "No."

"Just like last time." The unsub didn't miss a beat. Reid watched him take out a handgun. "God's will," the man said as he loaded one bullet into the gun and spun the barrel.

Reid gulped. He looked at the monitors.

____________________________________

"Come on, man. Pick someone and give us a hint to find them," Morgan begged.

The team was gathered around Garcia's laptop.

"No." Reid was firm in his statement.

The sound of a gun barrel was heard. The team held their breath. There was a click. No gunshot. Everyone relaxed the slightest bit.

JJ let out a slight sob and disappeared to the bathroom.

"Please, Reid," Morgan whispered.

____________________________________

Reid still wasn't thinking totally straight. Somehow, he was able to realize that the team was watching this. He had to give them a hint.

He swallowed, his mouth dry. "Why are you doing this? We aren't following you."

"I told you, boy-"Reid grimaced at the familiar nickname. "- I know that you all have been since I helped you. You can't fool me. It's over for you all!" The man raised the gun. "Choose, or I will kill all of them. And you."

"No."

____________________________________

Hotch walked away from the screen and paced the room, running his hands through his hair.

There was another click.

"Choose!" Morgan willed through the screen.

____________________________________

Reid was shaking. He was losing some of his prior confidence. I have to keep him talking.

"How do you know we're following you?"

"Because he told me!"

"Who's he?"

"Him! He tells me everything, and he's right." The man paused. "I shouldn't be talking to you. This is your last chance. Choose."

Reid opened his mouth. He willed himself to say no, but he knew it wouldn't help in the end. He sighed in despair. He closed his eyes. "I chose the one on the right to be saved."

____________________________________

The video feed was cut quickly. The team stood in stunned silence. It was Tobias all over again.

Hotch was the first to wake up. "Could you trace it?"

"No," Garcia said sullenly.

"How did he get to your computer?"

"I don't know." Garcia seemed on the verge of tears. "I can't do anything to track him."

____________________________________

Reid watched the man. Knives were packed and he grabbed a separate bag of unknown contents.

He had almost left when he hesitated. He turned back and looked at Reid with his dark eyes. He dropped his bag and walked back to Reid. He knelt and took out the bottle and syringe.

"No. Please stop. Please..." Reid protested weakly.

"You want it," the man stated matter of factly.

It was true, but Reid refused to accept it. He tried in vain to pull away as the needle bit into his arm.

I feel horrible for this chapter, but I think I had to do it.... right?

:*(

*sniff*