Chapter Text
“Thank you all for listening to me ramble for an hour,” he joked and a small chuckle came from the audience, “i-if you have any questions or concerns, you can ask me or call my associate, Jennifer Jareau.” Reid flashed an awkward smile and waved as he walked off the podium to applause.
He wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt and relaxed his shoulders slightly.
“You did great,” Morgan said, leaning against the wall as students began to disperse and leave the lecture hall.
“Thanks.” He pursed his lips slightly. “I wonder how many of them are actually interested in what I’m talking about.”
“They wouldn’t show up if they weren’t.” He reassured Reid before patting his shoulder. “JJ and I managed to convince Hotchner to go out to dinner.” Reid gave Morgan an amused smile and Morgan gave him one back. “I know, I know. We’re in the Big Apple, might as well enjoy it, right?”
Reid looked away for a moment. “I feel this is leading up to something.”
“Well, we wanted you to come with us. I know this stuff ain’t really your thing but I think it would be good for you to spread your wings a little, see the sights.”
Reid was quiet with thought before nodding. Morgan smiled. “Promise you won’t regret it. 7, tonight, we meet at the hotel lobby. Alright?”
He nodded again before frowning. “Did you know that a robber is more likely to injure a victim if it’s night? According to a report by the Bureau--”
“Are you gonna show up?” Morgan interjected and Reid pursed his lips again.
“Sorry, yeah.” He smiled and Morgan patted his shoulder again. “Don’t have too much fun ‘til then.” He quipped and Reid waved at him. “I-I won’t.” Morgan smirked and left the lecture hall through a side door. Almost all the students had cleared out by then, but one.
“H-Hi,” a nervous voice said, “I-I don’t want to bother you but--”
Reid turned to his left and looked up at the speaker. He was taller than Reid, somehow, and definitely more muscular. “No, it’s no bother at all.” Reid said politely and put his hand on the strap of his satchel.
“I’m a really big fan of your work, Spencer,” the man went on, “Your observations regarding the recent case are just phenomenal.”
Reid smiled at the flattery and tucked his hair behind his ear. “It’s Dr. Spencer Reid. I-I appreciate the compliment, but the BAU operates as a team and I would have never been able to make the connection without my teammates.”
The man looked a little upset. “But it was you who ultimately led to his capture, wasn’t it? You did it?”
Reid’s brow furrowed as he began to grow suspicious of the man. “Yes, I did. But as I stated previously, I could have never done it without my team.”
“Right… Spencer, you should know that… I’m just a really big fan.” The man’s eyes looked at Reid oddly, uncomfortably.
He swallowed nervously and began making his way to the door. “I-I really need to go, my team--”
“You never asked for my name.” The man said, his tone now cross. Reid paused and collected his composure, turning around. “Y-you’re right, that was rude of me. What is your name?”
“It doesn’t matter… Bye.” He said abruptly before leaving the lecture hall. Reid let out a deep breath and took a moment to calm himself. Unfortunately, with his line of work, people like that were inevitable. Though, nothing seemed too alarming. Just another strange fan. Reid had an odd amount of those.
Reid walked to his hotel, which was only a few blocks from the campus. Manhattan was strange, how colleges were intertwined with the skyscrapers. It was a true mixing pot of every single kind of person, which frankly frightened him. It wasn’t a small town where everyone knows everybody, where you know the demographic. People of all races, all economic backgrounds, all walks of life converged in a relatively small center. There was no generalization, no blanket term. It was out of his comfort zone.
He left the elevator and walked down the hall to his room. He began searching through his satchel, looking for his room key. He was certain he had put it in the front pocket. No, he had put it there. His heart began to sink as he felt goosebumps on the back of his neck.
“Looking for this?” A familiar voice said and Reid swallowed nervously, his breathing becoming rugged. “Please, whatever you want, we can work it out.” He spoke calmly and the man slammed his hand on the door which caused Reid to jump. “Take out your gun. I know you have it on you. Take it out and toss it or I swear to God I will kill you right fucking now.”
Reid’s eyes began to water as he slowly reached his holster, taking out his pistol and gently laid it on the ground, putting his hands up in submission. “You don’t have to do this.” His voice trembled slightly. “You won’t be in trouble, I promise.” He practically whispered as the other man pet his hair before inhaling deeply, moaning softly. “It’s better than I imagined.” The man whispered before abruptly taking Reid’s hair into his fist, slamming his head against the room door. He was caught off guard by this, his eyes rolling back as his vision went black.
He slowly opened his eyes, feeling his body shift. Everything was blurry, and his mind was trying to make sense of what had just happened. He tried to move hair from his face but his wrists were restrained behind him. He let out a low groan and tried to lift his head, but a sharp pain stopped him. He heard a chuckle and fear immediately filled his veins.
“I’m sorry, Spencer, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” His voice was calm again. “I was scared that you would try to run away.”
Reid closed his eyes again and let out another groan. “Where are you taking me…”
“Somewhere safe.”
He sighed at the vague answer as his eyes began to focus. He was in a car, in the backseat. By the lack of traffic sounds, he wasn’t in the city anymore. He wasn’t sure how long he had been out. He shifted his wrists and felt soft cloth, as well as leather. They were most likely BDSM gear, easily accessible but definitely not cheap. His ankles were restrained by the same method. “... Who are you…”
The man gripped his steering wheel tightly. “Who am I? Who am I?! You dare say that after all the moments we’ve had together? All the times you’ve looked at me with that… that look -- that look that you gave to me. Only me. Who am I?” He scoffed and began to calm down. “You must have a concussion. You’ll remember soon enough.”
Reid tried thinking, but any use of his mind gave him an awful headache. He looked up and out the window, seeing trees, lots of them. He must be in upstate New York now, but determining exactly where was impossible right now. Tired, with his mind thumping, he closed his eyes again, letting out a resigned sigh. “My team will look for me…”
“I know.” The man said curtly. “I’ve already prepared for that. They won’t find you.”
“They will… they will find me…” He felt his consciousness slipping from him, but he tried to hold on for as long as he could. “... they will.”
Morgan checked his watch, frowning. “Anyone hear from Reid?”
They shook their heads and Emily sighed. “I’ll go check on him, he’s probably just nervous. Be back in a few.” She smiled and Morgan sighed. “Was it a good idea? To bring him along?”
Hotchner sighed softly. “We need a moment for ourselves. This case was rough and having recreational time is necessary for this kind of job.”
“You have recreational time, Hotch?” JJ said with a little smile. Hotchner just smiled softly and rolled his eyes.
Emily left the elevator, checking her watch as she went to Reid’s room. She froze, at first, from the hallway she could see a gun on the floor. She quickly pulled out her own weapon and slowly stepped towards the door, scanning the area. On the floor was his gun, along with his room key. There were a few drops of blood on the floor. Afraid of compromising anything, she backed away. She shifted her weapon into one hand and reached for her phone, calling Hotchner.
Hotchner frowned a bit and reached for his phone, seeing that Prentiss was calling. “It’s Prentiss.” He said aloud before answering. “Is everything okay, Emily?” He asked.
“No, no it’s not,” she answered. “I-I can’t find Reid, and his gun and room key are on the floor.”
Hotchner quickly stood up and gestured for the others to get ready. “Are you sure?”
“Yes! Yes, I’m sure.” She sighed. “Hotch, there’s blood.”
“We’re coming now. Call 9-1-1 and try not to touch anything.”
“Yes, sir.” She quickly hung up, calling 9-1-1. Her mind was racing with possibilities. He could be dead, could be long gone, could be hurt. Why didn’t she think to check on him? She began to breathe heavily. Reid wasn’t comfortable in places like this, she knew that. They all knew that. But they trusted him, they trusted him. He’s a trained FBI Agent, he can handle himself. He’s smart, she told himself, he wouldn’t let himself be taken unless it was absolutely necessary. She just hoped he was smart enough to know that no matter what, they wouldn't stop until they found him.