The Dangers of Falling (A Criminal Minds Story)

XV

quick note: this chapter will be from Reid's POV for a little change in scenery. hope you're enjoying the story! <3

    I woke up around six, and rolled over, reaching my hand out to grab Andy's, yet it wasn't there. I opened my eyes and sat up, the imprint of Andy's body still in the bed but without her. I got out of bed quickly, praying that if I turned a corner, she would be there, making burnt waffles and coffee like always.
    Maybe I was being too worried. Too overprotective. But this was a matter of her safety - and I was not going to let someone take her from me. From all of us.
    "Andy?" I called, walking into the kitchen. No answer. My heart beat faster as I tore through the house, calling her name. "Andy?" I screamed again, but still, no answer. My hands were shaking. This had to be a nightmare.
    I walked into the bathroom, a final, fleeting moment of hope - but she wasn't there. I wanted to scream, or do anything, anything to save her, but there was nothing I could do. I looked around the bathroom and noticed a few splinters of wood on the door as if someone had hit it too hard and a toothpick on the floor.
    I grabbed a tissue and picked it up, careful not to get any fingerprints on it. This could do it; this could bring us closer to Andy. This could get them back.
    I ran back into the bedroom and called Hotch, letting him know what happened before getting dressed and running to my car. I felt sick as I drove in, going way past the speed limit. I didn't care. How could when the lives of three of the most important women in my life were in danger?
    I was the first one into the B.A.U. except for Morgan, who tried to slow me down as I tore into the conference room, with him close behind.
    "Kid, calm down," He said, grabbing my shoulder. I whirled around.
    "How can I calm down when he has her? When he has them?" I was almost screaming, my voice ten times louder than necessary.
    "We're going to find them." Morgan said, and I looked him in the eyes.
    "How do you know that? You don't. There is no evidence to back that we will find them. We have nothing on this guy except a lock of hair that doesn't belong to him and a handwritten note, no Garcia, no JJ, and no Andy." My voice hitched on the last word. No Andy. Morgan's face softened.
    "We're going to find her." He said and I nodded, moving away towards the board as Hotch and Rossi entered.
    "Emily's not answering her phone," Hotch said, placing his bag down. I sighed.
    "He has them all now, then, right?" Morgan said, crossing his arms. "It's only a matter of time until..." He shook his head.
    "What do we know about this guy? What profession could he work in?" Rossi asked, looking at us.
    "Well, he took Garcia from the room and Andy from her apartment while Reid was there without causing anyone to notice." Hotch said and the guilt hit me almost instantly. This was my fault. I should have looked out for her.
    "I found this in the bathroom." I took the tissue out of my bag and placed it on the table.
    "A tissue?" Morgan asked as Rossi picked it up. I shook my head.
    "No, a toothpick." I watched Rossi carefully unwrap it. "It might have DNA on it, anything, fingerprints, just something that might tell us who this is."
    "I'll get someone to take it to the lab," Hotch took it, leaving the room. I tapped my foot anxiously. It had been hours since Andy was taken and every one of them felt like they were bringing her closer to death.
    "If he took Andy and brought her to wherever he's keeping her, it would have to be close considering he then grabbed Emily." I said, moving over to the map of Quantico.
    "Which did he grab first?" Morgan asked.
    "It doesn't matter - if the two of them were together, they would have overpowered him and escaped." I explained.
    "Unless they were drugged," Rossi pointed out.
    "Even still, they couldn't have lasted that long. He needed a way to transport them and he would only be able to do that if the drugs didn't wear off by the time he got them to wherever he was keeping them. It has to be close." I insisted.
    "What floor does Andy live on?" Morgan asked.
    "Three," I answered a little too quickly.
    "So how did the unsub get her down two or three stories without being seen?" Rossi asked.
    "He could have dragged her or taken the elevator." Morgan answered. "The elevator comes with a higher risk of people also calling for the elevator, but if he dragged her down the stairs, people would notice."
    "There's security cameras both ways." Hotch added, entering the room. "Something had to at least see him coming in when he went the first time when he left the hair or when he took her." I swallowed, still unable to shake the feeling that this was all my fault.
    "Let's get Kevin in here," Hotch said, and I watched Rossi turn and make a call to get him.
    "We'll check the cameras and we have the DNA from the toothpick," Morgan said, suddenly appearing behind me. I nodded. "We'll find her."
    "I know," I responded, but I wasn't sure I truly believed it.