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Demonic Whispers	By : AngelAnastasia Category: 1 through F > Criminal Minds Views: 574 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, nor the characters from it. I do not own Funny Games, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
Calvin was right about Boyle wanting a car ride to the hospital. He didn't even ask when J.J. got up with the devastated man and made their way over to the parking lot. Calvin got in his car and turned the heat on. It was going to be a chilly morning. J.J. opened the door so Boyle could sit in the back seat, and J.J. took her place next to Calvin. They sat in heavy silence for the first few minutes of the journey. Calvin didn't know what to say so he thought it was best to just keep his mouth shut. J.J. was back on her phone when they reached the main roads. Boyle was sniffling in the back seat.
"Do you know what time he died?" Boyle asked about five minutes into the ride. He wasn't even looking out the windows to distract himself. He was just staring at his knees.
"There hasn't been an autopsy yet," J.J. said.
"I just want to know what the hell I was doing when my only son was dying," Boyle said.
"You can't beat yourself up over this," Calvin told him. "You were doing everything you could have. The only ones you can blame are the asses that did this. Not you."
Boyle didn't say anything else the rest of the trip. He didn't take out his phone to make any calls or text messages, and he never asked what killed his son. He was quiet when Calvin parked the car in front of the hospital, and he let Calvin and J.J. guide him inside. Calvin had no idea where to go. He didn't have a clue where hospitals kept the deceased, so he was glad when he saw Agent Prentiss waiting for them. Exhaustion was written across her face, but she was alert when she saw them come through the doors.
"They put him just around the corner," Prentiss said. One of the nurses buzzed them into the back hallways, and Prentiss took them to Peter's room. It looked like an actual hospital room, but Calvin couldn't see inside. Calvin didn't think he wanted to go inside. The door was shut. There was a nurse's station just down the hallway, and he could hear people talking, but it looked like they had this area to themselves. "Room 106."
"Can I just go inside?" Boyle asked.
"Yeah," Prentiss said. She stood back next to J.J., and Boyle went in the room by himself.
Calvin pulled up a chair across from the room. He would be there as long as Boyle needed. J.J. and Prentiss stood next to him. He imagined both of them would be leaving shortly to check on their friends. Boyle didn't scream or yell when he saw the body of his son, but loud sobbing was coming from the room. Calvin felt his heart drop in his chest. There was nothing worse than a parent seeing the body of their dead child, and Calvin felt like he was partly at fault. They could blame the bad guys all night long, but if they had gotten to the cabin maybe even just a few minutes earlier, this kid could have been saved. Calvin felt like puking.
"Has he told his wife yet?" Prentiss asked after a few minutes of listening to poor man's distraught cries.
"I don't think he's told anyone," J.J. said. "I mean, it's still really early. Most people are probably still sleeping."
"You guys go check on your friends," Calvin said. "I'll wait here for Boyle. If something exciting happens over here, I'll be sure to call on you."
"Thanks," J.J. said. "I'll be back later to check on you."
"Does he have a time limit with this room or anything?" Calvin asked.
"Nope," Prentiss said. "Took care of all of that already. He can take as long as he needs."
Calvin smiled and waved them off. He really hoped their friends were alright, and that the sheriff was going to find those murderers soon. He wished he was out there with the other officers. They needed all the men they could get to track down those assholes, but he was sure they were doing just fine without him. Sheriff Bolton once tracked down a thief that was hiding out in the middle of a lake. He had a skill, and that skill was going to come in handy finding these guys. The last he heard; the officers were still in the forest looking.
Agent Prentiss was smart in not having a time limit for the hospital room though. Calvin almost fell asleep waiting for Boyle to come out. He didn't have any nurses walking to him asking questions, and he never once saw a doctor, so it was very easy to just doze off. He had a long night, and with nothing keeping him awake, his eyes just got heavier and heavier. He never fell into a deep sleep though, and when Boyle finally emerged from the room, Calvin was on his feet. Boyle's eyes were red. Calvin felt just awful.
"What happened to Peter's finger?" Boyle asked, his voice cracking with every word. "One of his fingers is missing. His pinky finger. And all of his fingernails on that hand."
"I don't know sir," Calvin said. Calvin hadn't even seen the body. He didn't think he wanted to at this point. He planning to ask J.J. what she thought killed the boy, but he never got the chance yet. There was no way in hell he was going to ask Boyle.
"I gotta call my wife," Boyle said. Calvin didn't think the grieving man heard a word that Calvin said. His hands were shaking as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.
"Sir, that can wait until later. It's still really early." Calvin pulled out his own phone. It wasn't even six in the morning yet. People were still fast asleep in their beds.
"I don't think she ever went to sleep," Boyle said. Calvin didn't blame her if she did stay up. It would be hard to sleep with one of your children missing. Boyle dialed the number and stepped further out into the hallway. Calvin didn't follow him. His wife must have answered on the first ring because Calvin heard low mumbles coming from Boyle. The call didn't last long. The phone was back in Boyle's pocket just about a minute later when he came back from the hallway.
"She answered?" Calvin asked.
"She's on her way. Tell me when she gets here. I'm going back in with Peter. He never liked hospitals," Boyle said quietly. New tears were forming in his eyes when he turned to the door. Calvin sat back down and put his hands on his face. When he dreamed of being a cop, he always thought about chasing bad guys into dark alleys and rescuing damsels in distress. He never once thought about sitting in hospitals with fathers who lost their children. He didn't like it one bit.
Sitting in that waiting room was one of the most stressful moments in Rossi's life. He kept telling himself that Morgan and Reid were going to be just fine. Morgan was able to walk out of the cabin without much help. Rossi didn't think he breathed in that much smoke, but Morgan couldn't keep himself awake for more than a few minutes when he was outside. That could be from a number of things, and Rossi was worried that one of the numerous injuries on Morgan got infected. Infections weren't the worst things in the world though, and Rossi was in good hands. He was sure that when the doctor was done, Morgan was going be just fine. He was more concerned about Reid.
By some miracle, Hotch did get the boy genius breathing again, but Reid had been buried alive. Reid didn't open his eyes once on the way to the hospital, but Rossi held his hand the entire way. He was sure that Reid could sense a friend was nearby. Rossi tried not to stare at Reid's hand though. It was impossible not to see the bloody marks where Reid's fingernails used to be. Every nail had been ripped from its bed, and the pink skin looked sensitive to touch. Rossi felt his stomach roll. The paramedics searched for a bullet hole in Reid's head just like Rossi did earlier, but there wasn't one. Rossi's best guess was that the unsubs shot at Reid, and the bullet just grazed the side of his head. That would explain all of the blood, and Reid could have easily passed out from fear alone or even just from the stress he was put through that night. He was badly dehydrated, and the poor kid was shivering from the cold. Rossi didn't know how long Reid was outside or why the kid's hair looked wet, but Rossi was getting ready to give Reid his shirt too. He kept reminding himself that Reid was safe now. The paramedics knew what they were doing, and Reid would be going home to his books soon enough.
Rossi's eyes skimmed over Reid's battered frame, but his attention kept going back to the torn-up boxer shorts. Rossi was positive that Reid was ripping up his own boxers to use the cloth as bandages for Morgan. Rossi was proud that Reid would do something like that. It wasn't out of his character, and Rossi wanted to think that he would have done the same thing in that situation. They really were much more than just a team. They were best friends, a family, and they were going to be that for the rest of their lives. Rossi wasn't given much a chance to look over Reid's injuries in detail. He didn't want to be in the way of the paramedics, and those guys were working their butts off to help Reid so Rossi did try to keep his distance while keeping a hold of Reid's hand. Rossi didn't let go of his friend's hand until Reid was rolled into the operating room. That seemed like hours ago. Rossi was sure it hadn't been that long. It was still dark outside, and Prentiss came back with J.J. just about a half hour ago.
Garcia was sitting next to Prentiss with two stuffed animals on either side of her. Her face was streaked with tears. She wasn't even checking her phone like she usually did. She was staring off into space. Rossi hated seeing her like that, but there wasn't anything he could do to cheer her up. There was nothing he could do to even make himself feel better. All of the prayers were in those hospital rooms with Morgan and Reid. J.J. sat next to Rossi in their little circle in the waiting room. Her face was red too, but she wasn't crying. She was checking her phone, but that was probably to see where Hotch was. He was the only one from their team who wasn't there. Rossi knew he would be there as soon as he caught the unsubs and got those asses in jail.
J.J. was nearly asleep by the time the doctor finally came in. Rossi was having trouble keeping his eyes open too. The sun was starting to rise, but the hospital was quiet for the most part. That would be good for the new patients. Rossi was the first one on his feet when he saw the middle-aged doctor approach them. He felt wide awake and was more than ready to see Morgan and Reid again. The doctor was so busy staring down at his notes that he didn't see Rossi and the others until he nearly bumped into them. He took a step back, adjusted his glasses, and looked around at the team. The doctor was almost bald, with just a few gray hairs on the back of his head, and Rossi could just see his green eyes behind the glasses. There was intelligence in his eyes, but he probably never had surgery on a BAU member before.
"Agents?" the doctor asked timidly.
Rossi smiled. "Agent Rossi," he said extending his hand. The doctor shook it and smiled back. "How are they? Did you work on all of them?"
"No," the doctor said. "But I do have some notes on the people brought here that I haven't formally met yet. Jenny Parker was the only woman checked in with the agents. She has multiple large bruises on her back and legs, and she was stabbed three times in her stomach. All of the stabbing wounds required stitching, but she will make a full recovery. She could go home as soon as tomorrow. Her supervising doctor wants to keep her overnight to make sure none of the marks on her are infected. She is able to have visitors this morning."
"Her mother is on her way," J.J. said.
"Agent Reid was worked on by Doctor Santoro. He is missing all of the nails from his right hand. Santoro has the fingers bandaged up, but they should regrow on their own just fine. Three of his toes were broken on his left foot, and his right eye is badly swollen. He has large bruises over his calves, back, stomach, his right shoulder, and his thighs. His left shoulder blade was broken from blunt trauma to his back. Scalding on his knees and lower legs. Santoro stitched up five rather deep wounds from what he suspected came from a sharp kitchen knife on his stomach. His right shoulder also needed stitching. All of the wounds were exposed to the elements when he was buried alive, and Santoro did find dirt in the lungs. If he wasn't rescued when he was, this young man would have died. Santoro also wrote that he bandaged up the side of Agent Reid's head. There wasn't a bullet hole, but he was bleeding there pretty badly. There's evidence that your agent suffered from a concussion, and that he was sexually assaulted. No stitching was required for that injury, but it's going to be sensitive in that area for a while."
"He was raped?" Prentiss asked.
"No, no, no," Garcia mumbled, clutching one of the stuffed bears even tighter.
"Was Parker sexually assaulted as well?" Rossi asked. He didn't think rape was part of their profile. He couldn't remember the sheriff mentioning that to him.
"Parker was sexually abused, but I didn't see any signs of penetration. The agent I worked on wasn't raped" the doctor said. "But Dr. Walker, who was cleaning up Peter Boyle for his parents, noted that Boyle had also been sexually assaulted. He had identical bruising on his inner thighs as Agent Reid."
"Doubt it was from the same unsub," Rossi said. "They probably did it together."
"We don't know if the assault was from the same man yet, but we are currently running tests to see if the DNA matches up," the doctor said.
"Was an autopsy already done on Boyle then?" Prentiss asked.
"Not a full one," the doctor said. "Walker didn't have the time. He just did an initial exam while cleaning up the body. Walker noted the sexual assault, a missing finger, one of the boy's hands was broken..." The doctor turned one of his pages over. "Multiple surface wounds across his chest, stomach, and legs. Scalding on his knees and legs, almost exactly what Agent Reid through, but he was stabbed multiple times on his lower chest and stomach area. Some of they were quite deep. They were put through similar torture but what Walker thinks ultimately killed the boy was the slitting of his throat."
Rossi nodded. They already knew that's what killed Boyle. "The stabbing wounds on his stomach area," Prentiss started. "Do we know if those would have proved fatal?"
The doctor flipped back to the previous page. "Like I said, the full autopsy hasn't been done yet, but from what I can see in these notes, I think they would have. The mark underneath the rib cage would have penetrated one of his lungs. The other wounds went through his intestines and his liver was damaged. There was a fifth attack right in the genital area. His penis was almost ripped in two. This boy would have bled out in minutes from any one of these injuries if he wasn't killed by the severing of the carotid artery in his throat. That killed him instantly. I don't think he could have been saved even if he was given immediate medical attention."
Rossi bowed his head. He didn't know how close Morgan and Reid might have gotten to this boy during their time together, but he imagined they were trying to protect the kid the best that they could. It was in their nature to protect people like Peter, but they couldn't. Rossi felt terrible.
"Agent Morgan was the only one that I personally worked on," the doctor said after no one had any comments about what happened to Peter Boyle. "His most serious injury was the open fracture on his left arm. I was surprised to see that it was relatively clean after seeing what this man has been through. Somebody cleaned off the wound and put a splint on it. I applaud whoever did that. It helped him a lot. Four of his toes were broken on his left foot, and he has a bullet wound to his right leg. He was also shot in the left shoulder. He suffered from some smoke inhalation, but he will make a full recovery. I didn't see any signs of sexual assault."
"So why just Reid and Boyle?" Prentiss asked.
"We probably won't see any signs of rape from the victims the unsubs tried to bury either," Rossi said. "This was a new thing they just wanted to try out on Reid and Boyle first."
"I don't know when Agent Reid will be up for visitors, but I'll allow all of you to see Agent Morgan later this afternoon. He's resting comfortably now. Room 304."
"Thank you doctor," J.J. said forcing a smile. "We didn't catch your name."
The doctor smiled back kindly. "Elliot. Joshua Elliot."
"Thank you, Dr. Elliot," J.J. said.
Garcia collapsed back in her seat as soon as the doctor left. She was sobbing again, and J.J. hurried over to comfort her. "Who would do that to Morgan and Reid? Who?"
"Hotch is on his way," Prentiss said checking her phone.
"They caught the unsubs?" J.J. asked.
"No," Prentiss said. "Not yet. Hotch said the sheriff is still out there with a handful of officers and dogs, but they haven't found the unsubs. All they found was a gun belonging to either Morgan or Reid."
"It's still early," J.J. said. "The sun is coming out, so they won't have the cover of darkness to hide in anymore."
Rossi sat down and put his face in his hands. Did the unsubs plan this? Rossi never saw the two murderers running out of the house when the authorities arrived. He never saw them at all. It was like this was their idea all along. The unsubs were planning for Morgan and Parker to be burned alive in that cabin destroying their lives along with all of the evidence of the murders. After they buried Reid, they would just disappear with the night. Morgan, Parker, and Reid were all rescued, but if they didn't find the unsubs soon, Rossi had a bad feeling that they never would.
"We can have the roads blocked off," Prentiss said. "All of the roads that lead out of the city can be blocked off. We are going to find these guys. The drawings of those two are still all over the news. They can't just get away."
"Morgan will be asking about them the second he wakes up," J.J. said.
"And if he doesn't think we found them, he's going to want to go out searching himself," Rossi concluded. Rossi could just picture Morgan out in the middle of forest in a wheelchair looking for the monsters that tried to kill him and Reid. That is something he would do, but it wouldn't be smart. That would be outright dangerous.
"We can't let him do that," Prentiss said.
"But we can't lie to him either," Garcia pointed out. "He's going to find out whether we tell him or not. He'll be hurt if we just lie to him."
"We'll just have to remind him that the sheriff is out there with the officers," Rossi said slowly. "He needs to stay here for Reid."
"The unsubs might be found though by the time he wakes up. It's still early, and if we can't see him until this afternoon, that's a few hours for the unsubs to be found and arrested," J.J. pointed out.
Rossi didn't know what else to say. It was going to be a hard task keeping Morgan away from the hunt for the unsubs, but his attention was drawn to breaking news on the television. He looked up at the screen and saw the cabin that his friends were held in all night on fire. It looked like the reporters made it to the scene just before the firefighters got the blaze out. They wouldn't need any evidence lost in the fire to convict those guys, and in the long run, it was probably a good idea that the cabin was destroyed. Morgan and Reid didn't need any reminders of the torture they went through behind those walls.
Hotch felt sick that he couldn't catch the unsubs. He wanted to stay in that forest all damn day to find them. The state park was massive, but there was no way for two men in their 20s to avoid the detection of both of the police and the FBI. Hotch didn't think it was such a bad idea to start sending officers into the trees if they were able to withstand the heights. Hotch paused to look up at one of the foreboding trees behind him. It looked impossible to climb, but almost everything that happening during the night seemed impossible too. He was going to have to tell the sheriff to start searching the trees as well as the bushes and the nearby highways. They were going to catch the assholes that tried to kill Morgan and Reid.
He watched Calvin leave with J.J. to the hospital, but Hotch was going to stay behind a little bit longer. He was hoping against hope that the sheriff was going to call him and tell him that they corned the two unsubs. Hotch went through the backyard where the bodies were still just partially uncovered. Tatiana Garland. Sarah Nelson. An unidentified male and a bag of their belongings was all that was left. He circled to the front of the cabin and found an officer standing near the fire trucks with a note pad.
"There's bodies of some victims in the back yard," Hotch told the younger man. "We are going to need a photographer out here to document this."
"He's already on his way," the officer said. "Have all of the missing been found then?"
Hotch thought back. "Both of my agents are recovering at the hospital along with Jenny Parker. The bodies out back haven't been identified yet, but they match the descriptions of Tatiana Garland and Sarah Nelson. There is a third body buried with them. It's a male, and if I had to guess, I'd say it was the boyfriend of Garland. And…Peter Boyle was found in the cabin."
"Is he still in there now?" the officer asked.
"No," Hotch said. "He's at the hospital right now with his father. They haven't done an autopsy on him yet, but I'd like one done on him and all of the victims in the back yard. The families will need to be notified soon." Hotch never liked to keep parents waiting, and every single one of them had a family that was praying for a miracle that was never going to come. "Let me know if you hear anything from the sheriff."
The officer nodded, but Hotch didn't notice. His attention was drawn to the car parked near the front door of the ruined cabin. The front of it was black from smoke damage, but this was the white sedan Hotch remembered watching from the footage. This was the car that Morgan, Reid, and probably Boyle were abducted in. Hotch put some gloves over his hands and went over to the car. He didn't think the police would find any fingerprints in it from the unsubs. The white gloves they wore was something that stuck out to Hotch in their profile. They didn't want to leave any traces behind.
There wasn't anything in the backseat. It was empty, but he saw a dark smudge on one of the floor mats that he suspected to be blood. He didn't see any shoes, wallets, or phones. None of that was taken with the abductions. The only sign that the victims were ever in that car was the blood stain. Hotch turned his focus to the front seat. He couldn't find any notes that the unsubs might have dropped underneath the seats. There wasn't any evidence at all that anyone other than the owner was ever in this car. Hotch did find the car's insurance in the glove department, and saw the car was owned by Tatiana Garland.
Hotch wouldn't be able to go into the cabin and map out what happened in there. All he had to go on was this car, and the words of the survivors. Hotch was pretty sure the unsubs found Tatiana in the cabin, and after they locked her up, they stole her car to look more victims. He just couldn't figure out how they got away so fast or how they knew the police were coming. They were so careful to be quiet. The police didn't use their sirens, and Hotch actually walked part of the way on foot so no one could hear him coming. What tipped the unsubs off? How could they get as far as they did on foot? Hotch slammed the door shut. He needed to get to the hospital. He wanted to see Morgan and Reid. He just didn't want to be the one to tell them that the people who hurt them still weren't caught. He pulled his phone out to let Prentiss know that he was on his way, and he told her with reluctance that the unsubs were still on the run. He would come back later to help on the search if the sheriff hadn't found them by lunch time. The murderers weren't going to be able to hide forever.
J.J. found herself wandering around the hospital after the unsettling news from the doctor. She was eternally grateful that Morgan and Reid were going to make it through this, but she wasn't prepared to hear about the sexual assault against the baby of their close-knit team. She studied every detail that she could about the unsubs, but rape never came up once in the profiles. Not once. Maybe if it had, she could have been better ready to hear about the news, but she wasn't. It felt like a blow to her face. She felt like curling up in a ball and crying, but she couldn't. She needed to stay strong and be the brave face that Reid needed to see. Walking around distracted her from the horrors of reality, but when Hotch showed up with the news that the unsubs were still out on the loose, her spirit just sank. She didn't know why, but she was sure those jerks would be caught by the time Hotch got to the hospital. She was wrong. Hotch went into the waiting room to be with the rest of the team, but she decided to just keep walking.
A woman's shouting broke J.J. out of her solemn daydreams. J.J. walked towards the source of the scream and saw Boyle's mother pushing her way through concerned nurses and doctors to find her husband. Mr. Boyle was just coming out of the room that his son was in. He wiped away any tears that were still on his face, and his wife just started screaming when she saw him.
"Where is he?" she screamed. "Where is my baby?" J.J. noticed the woman managed to put a dress on, but she wore her bathrobe over the dress and her hair hadn't seen a brush in over a day. J.J. couldn't blame her though. J.J. couldn't imagine losing her son. She didn't even want to think about it. The devastated woman had her fists against her husband's chest, but she wasn't hitting him very hard. Her husband didn't recoil. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to was sobbing. "Please let me see him. Please let me see my baby boy. Please."
"Melissa, just stop," her husband told her. "He's right in here."
She pushed her way to the door and ran inside the room with her husband right behind her. J.J. only counted a few seconds go by before she heard the most heart-breaking scream she had heard in a long time. J.J. hung her head down. There was nothing she could do to bring this woman's son back or to take away the horrors that Morgan and Reid went through. They were all just going to have to learn to get through this together. Calvin was still standing awkwardly by the door. He didn't seem sure if he should go in after them or let them have their peace, but Peter's mother was just bawling. J.J. felt terrible.
J.J. turned around to get back to the waiting room. She felt better sitting with the team than listening to Mrs. Boyle. She turned to her left, but the first thing she saw was Boyle's little sister standing calmly in the hallway. She was still in her pajamas, pink and purple ones decorated with tiny flowers, and her brown hair was tangled on the back of her head. She was clinging onto the doll that J.J. remembered from last night, and she was holding some kind of handmade card in her other hand. She looked exhausted, but she heard her mother's howls.
"Is Peter not coming back?" Clara asked after a moment went by. Her green eyes were nearly identical to Peter's eyes in photographs. The child wasn't crying, but she wasn't far from it.
"I'm so sorry honey," J.J. said taking a step forward. She got on her knees to be level with the little girl. Clara was keeping her composure a lot better than either one of her parents were.
"But we're at the hospital," Clara said handing the card to J.J. "I'm sure the doctors can make him all better. Right?" The card was made out of pink construction paper. There was a big red heart drawn on the front of it with 'Petey Get Better' written in the middle of it. If J.J. could ever feel any worse than she did earlier, this was it. J.J. didn't open the card. Whatever that child wrote in the card to her big brother was meant for his eyes only.
"The doctors can't make him better sweetie," J.J. said slowly. "Not this time. We tried our hardest, but he's gone. We can't bring him back."
Clara's eyes were finally swelling with tears. The innocence that all children had was breaking inside of Clara. She was never going to be the same again, and J.J. prayed to God that the Boyles were strong enough to help their daughter. She needed them now more than ever. There was true evil in this world, and Clara had to find this out earlier than most.
"But why not? What's wrong with him? Let me see him!" Clara flung her arms around J.J. Tears were rolling down her face, and all J.J. could do was hold her tight. "Let me see Petey. Please let me see him. Maybe he'll get better if he sees me."
J.J. looked up at Calvin. It wouldn't be a good time for Clara to see Peter. Their mother sounded like she was planning on being in there a while. It probably wasn't a good idea for Clara to hear her mother screaming like that. "Can we go on a walk first?" J.J. asked. "I want for you to meet my friends. I know one of them will just love your doll. Is it an American Girl?'
Clara pulled away from the hug and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Yes. Her name is Samantha. Mom thought she looked like me except for the eyes. Can I still give Petey my card later? I made it last night before mom made me go to bed."
"Of course you can honey," J.J. said. She got to her feet, and took a firm hold of Clara's hand. J.J. nodded at Calvin as he went into the room with the Boyles, and J.J. led Clara away from the sorrow. It wasn't much better in the rest of the hospital, but at least no one was crying in the front room. J.J. took the main entrance back into the waiting room and found her team still just sitting in there.
Hotch was sitting next to Prentiss. Both of them had their eyes glued to his phone. Maybe they got some good news like the sheriff caught the unsubs hiding out in a tree. J.J. couldn't wait to ask them the good news, but she would have to wait. Rossi was sitting next to Garcia drinking a cup of coffee, and Garcia was staring at the television screen until she saw J.J. and Clara. Garcia grabbed one of the teddy bears and hurried over to them. Clara took an uncertain step behind J.J. when Garcia offered the stuffed animal over to her.
"Clara, I'd like to introduce you to Penelope Garcia," J.J. said. "She is one of my best friends."
Clara smiled gently, and took the bear that Garcia was still holding out. Rossi set his coffee down and walked over to see the little girl. "I'm David Rossi," he told her. "I like your doll. What's her name?"
"Samantha," Clara said. "I didn't name her though. She came with that name."
"She looks like a Samantha though. Don't you think?" Rossi asked.
"I think so," Clara said. She held the stuffed bear in one arm, and her doll in the other. The card was stuffed inside the doll's dress. J.J. was sure that Rossi and Garcia saw it.
"Clara came with her mother," J.J. told them. She didn't need to go into any of the details. All of them understood perfectly. "But I was thinking that Clara might want to have some pancakes for breakfast. Or waffles. I always liked waffles better."
"I'm not hungry," Clara said. "I'm ready to see Peter."
"Could you help me get some hot chocolate first?" Garcia asked. "I know that's not like a breakfast food, but I love something really warm to drink on cold mornings. I always add extra whip cream, and maybe I could look at your doll. I never had a doll like her before."
"I like hot chocolate," Clara said slowly. "Can you tell my mom and dad where I am? I'll come right back after. I promise."
"Of course we will," J.J. said. J.J. was glad that Garcia was distracting Clara, and hot chocolate really didn't sound like that bad of an idea, but she'd rather hear what Prentiss and Hotch were looking at on the phone.
"We'll be back in a jiffy," Garcia said. Clara handed the doll to Garcia to look at, and Garcia was already examining the doll on the way to the cafeteria. "Do you have any idea what you will name your bear yet?"
J.J. turned back to the team as soon as Garcia was out of sight. "I couldn't just leave her there. Her mother was screaming. It's like she totally forgot she had her daughter there."
"We heard," Prentiss said. "Pretty sure the entire hospital heard."
"They have a long road ahead," J.J. said. "Did you guys find out anything? Did you hear from the sheriff?" J.J. sat down next to Prentiss, and Rossi walked over to join them.
"They haven't caught the unsubs yet, but a store clerk saw two men matching their description in his shop this morning," Hotch said.
"Oh my God," J.J. said. "Did he stop them? What were they trying to buy?"
"He didn't realize they were wanted criminals until they were gone," Prentiss said. "But he did catch them on camera, and the sheriff just sent us the stills. It is them." She handed J.J. the phone, and J.J. stared down at the two men that almost killed two of her best friends. There was no denying that the two men in the still were the unsubs. They were wearing identical white shirts, black pants, and the now infamous white gloves. She couldn't get a clear look at their faces, but the younger one looked tired. He was eating a corndog while his partner was holding what looked like a cup of coffee. They didn't look worried at all. They just looked like a pair of brothers enjoying an early morning breakfast.
"The store clerk did say though that the unsubs weren't using a car," Hotch said. "They were just walking, and they paid with cash. The sheriff already has officers combing the area. He said he'll be there shortly with some dogs. They aren't far from catching these guys."
"How far was the gas station from the cabin?" Rossi asked.
"Finding out now," Hotch said.
"Can't figure out how they evaded the police this far to actually make it to a gas station," Prentiss said. "These guys really know what they were doing."
"They aren't going to get much further," Hotch said with confidence. "The sheriff has every available officer looking for these guys."
"Agents?" J.J. turned around and saw Dr. Elliot. She was so into their conversation that she never noticed the doctor sneak up behind them. "I didn't mean to disturb you."
"Yes?" Hotch asked standing up. J.J. stood up behind him followed by Prentiss. They were all worried that something might have happened. Maybe some kind of infection spread in Reid or Morgan broke more bones than the doctors previously thought.
"Agent Morgan woke up earlier than I thought he would," Elliot said. "He won't calm down. He's been asking to see you. I was just going to have him sleep more, but he sounds desperate. Would you come see him? Just please don't excite him. That's probably harder than it sounds, but try your best. Try to remember what he's just been through."
"Of course," Prentiss said. "Room 304, right?"
"Yes," Elliot said. "Take the elevator to the third floor, and it's the second room to the right. We have Agent Reid just across the hallway in Room 303. We thought it would be a good idea to have them next to each other. I imagine they will be visiting each other a lot when they are able to."
"Thank you so much doctor," J.J. said. She shook hands with him as Hotch led the way to the elevators. J.J. pulled out her phone to text Garcia where they were going. She could just picture Garcia coming back to an empty waiting room and freaking out. J.J. would never do something like to that in this kind of situation. J.J. was scared of what Morgan was going to tell them. She didn't know if she could handle any more details about what happened to them, and she knew Morgan was going to ask which jail the unsubs were in. She wouldn't know what to tell him.
Morgan's heart was pounding. Nothing he could tell himself was calming his nerves. He didn't mean to scare that nurse, but why wasn't the team there? The doctors weren't telling him crap, and he got the one room in the entire hospital with the television that wasn't working. He wasn't going to let any damn doctor or nurse put anything else into that IV until he talked to the team. He couldn't remember anything. Every single memory he found was a jumbled up mess. The cabin was on fire. Those sons of bitches lit the cabin on fire after they took Reid outside. He remembered smelling smoke. The smoke was getting in his eyes and making him tear up, and the heat was warm against his back. What happened after that though? His memories just went fuzzy, and he couldn't stand that. Did they find Reid?
There wasn't even a wheelchair in his room. His nurses were so thoughtful. The sun was just starting to peep through his window. The sun didn't have to see the hell that he went through last night. He turned away from the sun and swung his legs over the side the bed. A cast took over most of his arm, and he had a thick bandage wrapped around his leg. It didn't hurt as bad as he thought it should. He probably had pain medication in the IV or something, but that wasn't going to stop him from getting up. He was sure he could still walk. It didn't matter if he got the stitches out or not. Nothing mattered except for finding Reid. He wasn't sure if he could even find out where the damned cabin was, but he was going to try.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" Rossi asked. Rossi and Hotch hurried through the slightly opened door, and Rossi was at his side in seconds. Rossi put his arms gently on Morgan's shoulders, and tried pushing him back on the bed.
"Let me go!" Morgan shouted. "We've gotta get Reid now. Those guys took him in the backyard, and Reid wasn't awake. They shot him. We have to go now!"
"Calm down," J.J. said hurrying to Morgan's other side.
"He's safe," Hotch said. "We found him when you told us. You don't remember?"
"No," Morgan said. He could finally breathe. Reid was safe. "When did I tell you?"
"When you were getting out of the cabin with Jenny Parker," Rossi said. Morgan relented a little, and allowed Rossi to help him back on the bed. His arm was stinging, but it wasn't too bad. He wasn't going to tell the team. "She's safe too."
"Last thing I remember was the smoke," Morgan said. "Anthony and Michael must have set it right after they took Reid outside. Was he shot in the head?"
"No," Prentiss told him. "The bullet just grazed the side of his head. That was lucky. He's going to be just fine."
"What about the cabin? Was it destroyed from the fire?" Morgan asked. The bastards were trying to destroy the evidence of what they did, but Morgan didn't need any evidence to convict their asses. He wanted to watch them burn.
"It's a total lost," Hotch said.
"But we did get Peter Boyle out," Prentiss said. "We found him in the den before the roof collapsed. His father was with us for most of the night so I felt it was only right to bring him back his son."
Morgan looked back out the window at the sunrise that Peter would never see. "I'm sure this is bound to come up during their trial which is something those two don't deserve, but they didn't physically kill Peter. I mean, I know that won't mean anything since they are the only reason that Peter died, but it wasn't by their hands. Jenny did it."
"Jenny Parker killed Peter?" Hotch asked. J.J. took a seat next to Rossi across from the bed, but Hotch kept his place near the television. Garcia wasn't anywhere in sight though which was odd for her. He was sure she'd be the first one to see him.
"It was an accident," Morgan said. He didn't know if this was the time or place to be discussing details of the case, but he wanted them to know before Anthony and Michael had their chance to make a statement. "We didn't even know Jenny was there. They kept her in another room. Reid and Peter went out of the den to look for a phone. According to Jenny, Peter did reach the phone and he made the phone call, but she attacked him on the way out."
"She thought he was one of the unsubs," Prentiss said.
"When Reid found the kid, he was almost dead already," Morgan said. He felt like crying. He never should have allowed Peter out of the room. The boy didn't want to go, but Morgan pressured him into it anyway. He was partially to blame. "He was going to bleed out. I wasn't there so I don't know details, but Peter asked Reid to end his life. Reid was the one who slit his throat. I kept telling Reid that I would have done the same thing, but Reid wasn't taking it very well. Both of us liked Peter."
"An autopsy hasn't been done on him yet or the others we found in the backyard. I think they are still removing the bodies back at the cabin," Prentiss said. "It was me and J.J. that got Peter out. I didn't get a good look at the injuries, but I agree with you. He would have bled to death."
Morgan nodded. He couldn't remember his grand escape from the cabin, but he remembered all of the blood and grievous injuries to both Peter and Reid. "Just don't mention it to Reid. I mean, he might mention it later, but…The kid has been through a lot," Morgan concluded. Morgan didn't even want to think of what happened to Reid, and there was no way in hell he was going to tell the others about the rape. They were going to find out sooner or later, but it wasn't going to be from Morgan. At least, not now. Morgan wasn't going to dare relive it. "Did the asses try to fight you guys when you arrested them?" Morgan needed to hear some good news. He wanted for Hotch to say Anthony and Michael were crying like babies in the back of a cop car.
Morgan noticed something was wrong immediately. J.J. was looking down, and Rossi was looking over at Hotch to see what he would say, but even Hotch kept his mouth closed. Morgan swung his legs back over the bed. Garcia still wasn't there with him. It didn't seem like her to go out to location with them, but what if she did? What if she wanted to help rescue them? What if something went wrong? Did she get caught in the crossfire? His heart sped up again. "Where is Garcia? Is she alright? If you don't tell me right now, I'm getting the hell out of this hospital."
"She's fine," J.J. said standing up. She tried to help Morgan get back in the bed, but he resisted her nudges.
"She ran into Peter Boyle's little sister downstairs," Rossi said. "I think they are still eating breakfast together. Her parents are with Peter."
Morgan calmed down a little. That explained where Garcia was, but why weren't they talking about the murderers? "What about Anthony and Michael? I doubt that their real names, but that's what they were calling themselves all night. Did they fight back when you found them? I can see Anthony fighting to the death. I don't know if Michael would, but neither one of them are sane."
Hotch stepped away from the wall and walked up the foot of Morgan's bed. Garcia was safe, but something was definitely wrong. "They aren't in custody yet," Hotch finally said.
"What?" Morgan shouted. He didn't mean to get so damn loud, but how the hell did those two get away? It didn't make any sense.
"We never saw them," Rossi said. "When we got there, the house was burning down and we found all of you outside already. Well, mostly outside. You got to the doorway."
"One of the officers thought he saw some people running in the woods," Prentiss continued. "So the sheriff was out there, and he brought dogs to help sniff them out."
"We did find evidence that those guys were out there," Hotch said. "We haven't found them yet, but the sheriff is still looking with every available officer he has. Those guys aren't getting away."
"They already did," Morgan mumbled. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. Morgan was trying to figure out their time frame in his head, but it wasn't working. How long did it take for him and Jenny to leave the house? It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but Hotch and the team were probably already outside before Morgan fled the cabin. Even if Anthony and Michael knew the woods, how could they have slipped away so easily?
"Their names are Anthony and Michael?" Rossi asked.
"That's what they called themselves. I mean, I don't think those were the real names. They might have been brothers. They had similar looking eyes, but I don't know. They never talked that much about themselves. Or why they were doing what they did. Anthony was the older one."
"We think everyone that was abducted was just a victim of opportunity," Prentiss said. "They never had any particular victim in mind. Did they tell you what they wanted?"
Morgan thought back. "No. I mean, we didn't even know Jenny was there until much later. When we first got there, we saw the body underneath the television stand. Think her name was Tatiana or something, and we figured out that it was her cabin. Or her family's cabin or something, but she was already dead. And then they killed another woman that was abducted with us right off the bat. They shot her in the head because she picked a wrong number."
"They didn't say anything else?" Hotch asked.
"They wanted to make a bet with us," Morgan said. "They bet that we would be dead by morning and we were supposed to bet that we would be alive. They've been doing this a while, haven't they?" Morgan did think it was weird both of the unsubs were gone before morning. It was like they already knew the team was coming.
"We think they have," Rossi said. "The sheriff noted similarities between this case and another one a little while back. The last time, they only recovered one of the bodies."
"Did they take the car?" Morgan asked. He remembered they were taken in a car that didn't belong to them. He still didn't know whose car it was, but that could make for a clean getaway. All the police needed was the license plate. They might find the car abandoned later on, but they were never going to get fingerprints till the guys were caught. Morgan never once saw them without their white gloves.
"The car was still in the driveway," Hotch said. "They didn't leave anything in it. If they took anything with them when they took over the cabin, it was lost in the fire."
"I doubt they took anything with them. I mean, everything they used was just crap they could find around the house. Except the gun. That gun was mine."
"They picked a random house and used what they could find," Prentiss concluded.
"The sheriff is blocking of all roads," J.J. said. "They aren't going to get very far. Their pictures are all over the news."
"So you found a witness? Those pictures were really good," Morgan said.
"She didn't come forward until later on in the evening, but she helped with what she could," Prentiss said.
Morgan would have liked to meet her and thank her for her help. If the police did catch those bastards, it would be partially from her drawings. Those were only way the cops knew who to look for, but it one thing was still bugging him. "I still don't know why those guys left when they did. I mean, they acted like they were going to keep us till like 9am. You guys didn't have your sirens on or anything?"
"No," Rossi said. "We walked part of the way on foot just so they wouldn't hear us."
"Jenny said she heard them talking outside, but then they just stopped. We left the house a few minutes later when we smelled the smoke. I mean, I don't think they heard anything and I'm positive they wanted to come back inside and drag the torture out, but they didn't. They just left. How the hell did they know?"
"Agent Morgan?"
Morgan looked over at the doorway, expecting to see some nurse or doctor begging him to lie down, and saw Jenny Parker. She was in her hospital gown with the fashionable hospital socks around her feet. Her hair was brushed back, and her face was washed, but she still looked worn out. She was holding a vase of tulips in her hands, and as she walked further into the room, she held the vase out for him.
"These are for you," she said smiling. "I'll just put them on the table for you since your arm…It would be funny if I gave them to you and you dropped them. Someone had them in my room for me, but I think you deserve them more. I mean, without you, I'd probably be dead from burning or breathing in that smoke or something."
"Getting out of that cabin was teamwork," Morgan said. "I couldn't have gotten out of there with your help."
Jenny looked around the room at the rest of Morgan's team. She didn't seem bothered at all that they were there. "I'm really sorry for the way I acted. I mean, I acted like a real idiot in there. I keep reliving all the stupid stuff I did and said, and I feel really bad. My mom is on her way here, and so I just decided to see if you were awake so I could apologize. I normally don't act like that. I swear I don't so I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I don't think any of us acted like ourselves back there. We were under a lot of stress so it's totally fine."
"Well, thank you." She looked around and found Hotch and Rossi. "Are you guys going to find the bad guys? I saw on the news they are on the run."
Jenny knew before he did that the unsubs were gone. He needed another room with a working television. He had to remember to tell the doctor. "We are working on it," Rossi told her.
She was satisfied with that answer and turned to leave. As she was stepping out of the doorway, she turned back around and looked at Morgan. "You don't think they will come looking for us, right? I mean, we know that they got away. Do you think they know we survived?"
Morgan didn't think of that. He didn't know if Anthony and Michael were the types that would go after survivors, but he was positive they would find out who survived. He kept reminding himself that they were completely safe. Anthony and Michael know that Reid and Morgan worked for the FBI. They would have to be complete fools to go after them now, but none of this was going to be easy to tell Reid. Morgan wasn't even completely positive that the unsubs wouldn't try to finish their deadly game at a later date, and that terrified him.
"We're going to find them," Rossi said. "Don't worry. They can't hide forever." If Morgan wanted to, he was sure he could argue with that statement and probably win. He didn't want to.
It was a beautiful sunrise. It was one that Anthony was going to remember for a long time because this was the first time in the history of his games that someone survived, and it wasn't just one person. According to the local media, three people were taken to the hospital. The only three that could have survived were Agent Derek Morgan, Agent Spencer Reid, and Jenny Parker. How could he have been so careless? He could have sworn that bullet went through Reid's head. It was impossible to survive an injury like that, but he did.
"You're going to get fat if you keep eating those corndogs for every meal," Anthony told Michael who was munching away on more processed food junk.
"You're not the boss of me," Michael said. He took another big bite and chewed loudly just to annoy Anthony.
Anthony didn't know where they were going next, but he had to decide quickly. He already saw at least two police cars combing the area. He was lucky to have evaded capture for this long. If he had to do it over again, he probably wouldn't have chosen two FBI agents as his targets. That was a mistake. He hadn't seen so many cop cars in his entire life. It was crazy how much attention from the authorities he got just from taking two useless agents. He only had himself to blame. He should have lit the cabin on fire sooner, and he should have buried Reid even deeper. Anthony learned from his mistakes, and he wasn't going to let that happen again. He would have plenty of other people to choose from, but the time to go looking wasn't now. He needed to disappear. They needed to disappear.
After they got Michael's must needed crap for breakfast, Anthony led them through the twists and turns of the back roads that led to the highway. It was freezing outside, and his constant motion wasn't do anything to help keep him warm. He needed to find a jacket. He was stupid not to take one from the closet before he left, but no use crying over spilled milk. What's done was done. He couldn't keep dwelling on the past if he wanted to get out of this mess.
"Don't you ever eat?" Michael asked. He finally finished the corndog and threw the stick into a nearby bush. They were never going to find that stick, but if the FBI or the cops did come upon it, there wouldn't be a fingerprint to be found.
"Not hungry," Anthony said. That much was true. He wasn't a big eater. "Red or blue?" Two cars were cruising down the highway going in opposite directions. Anthony didn't care which one Michael would choose.
"Let's do blue this time," Michael said. Michael didn't have to be told what to do next. He walked out to the edge of the grassy trail and stuck his thumb out. The driver wasn't going to be their next victim. It was a possibility, yes. Everyone was a possibility, but the driver wasn't going to be the intended target. The driver only had one thing Anthony needed, and that was the shiny vehicle the elderly woman was driving. She must have felt sorry for Michael when she pulled over to the side of the road. Michael approached the car with caution like he always did. Anthony stayed nearby hiding beneath a bush.
"Good morning, ma'am," Michael said with the upmost curiosity. He peered around the car to spot any other passengers and sent Anthony a thumbs up when he saw it was just the woman with her border collie in the back seat. "I am so sorry to disturb you. I hope you weren't in a hurry."
"My sister is sick," the woman told Michael. "I was going to take a plane, but I never trusted those things. There's just so many scary stories about those flying contraptions crashing. I'd rather trust my luck in my car. She hasn't let me down yet. It's not that long of a drive. My sister lives in North Carolina. Were you needing a ride somewhere young man?"
"Raleigh actually, ma'am. My uncle has a job waiting for me and my brother over there. We've just never been able to afford a car. Hopefully, all of that will change with our new jobs."
"Brother?"
Anthony didn't miss his cue. He slowly emerged from the bushes with disheveled hair and dirt on his face. He put his hands behind his back and took his place next to his "brother".
"Hello ma'am. I'm sorry I didn't come out earlier. I was trying to clean up a little. My little brother and I have been walking for a while." The black and white border collie growled under its breath when it saw Anthony.
"Oh, my dear. You look like a mess! Your uncle couldn't give you a ride?"
"He couldn't leave the farm for that long," Michael explained. Anthony had to hand the props over to Michael. The younger man came up with the best stories in a moment's notice. That was more skill than Anthony had in that department.
"Come in the car," the woman said. "You two must be freezing." Michael took the front seat next to their new companion. Anthony sat in the back seat next to the still growling dog and was pleasantly surprised to find two suitcases. He was sure there was something in there he could use as a weapon. The elderly woman also had several blankets, pillows, and two dolls next to Anthony. "I always thought the sheets and blankets in hotel rooms were covered in germs. I usually bring my own stuff, but feel free to use them. You boys certainly need the warmth, and I'll turn on the heater. I don't want either one of you getting sick."
Anthony tossed one of the blankets in the front seat. Michael promptly put it on. It was a chilly morning, and Anthony took one of the blankets for himself. He would explore the suitcases later. The dog was going to be a problem. He could just feel it. The dog was keeping his distance away from Anthony, but Anthony felt the dog's eyes just staring at him. "You are too kind ma'am," Michael said.
"You can call me Dorothy, and the furry cutie is named Bandit. He's been my best buddy since my husband died three years ago. What are your names?"
"I'm Anthony, and this is my little brother Michael," Anthony said. Dorothy started up the car, and they were on their way to freedom.
"Well Anthony and Michael, were either one of you boys hungry?" Dorothy asked. "I was just going to go through a drive thru somewhere to get some breakfast. I certainly wouldn't mind getting you guys something as well."
"Thank you so much Dorothy," Michael said. "I haven't had anything to eat in a while. We've been walking a lot. Sooner we get to Raleigh, sooner we can start working."
Of course, Michael would say that he was hungry. That wasn't anything new. Anthony wouldn't mind getting some food either. "Thank you, ma'am," Anthony said. The dog growled at him again. Most animals didn't like him. They usually sensed something about him that most people didn't. He didn't care if Bandit didn't like him. He didn't like Bandit either. Anthony didn't like to make predictions. He didn't like to ruin any surprises in his games, but he predicted that this border collie wasn't going to be alive by the time they reached Raleigh.
"Alright. We can pull over at the next stop I see. I'll get you boys fed, and then we will be on our way. I'm sure Bandit wouldn't mind getting a little bit of sausage either."
Anthony was sure that the dumb dog did like his meat. He wrapped his blanket around his legs and stared right back at the annoying animal. Bandit was the one who broke eye contact first. He was going to just love murdering this dog, but he wasn't going to think about that now. He needed to make sure that he got safely out of this state with Michael. The BAU was probably going to search neighboring states if they could, but he had a good feeling they were going to get out of this state with no problems. He was looking forward to it. The sun continued rising higher in the sky, and Anthony settled into his seat. The warm air felt good on his skin, and nothing could dampen his spirits. He would think about finishing what he started once he arrived in Raleigh. Right now, the only thing on his mind was breakfast. He was hungrier than he thought.
Reid couldn't remember getting rescued. He couldn't remember getting buried, and he couldn't remember getting shot. Everything that happened to him was coming back to him in bits and pieces. Those small pieces of memories though were nothing more than nightmares. They terrified him and sent his heart racing. The stabbings. The fingernails. The rape. He was raped. He would never be able to forget that. All the drugs in the world couldn't take that away from him, and he was raped in front of Morgan. One of his best friends saw him getting raped by some psychopath. Reid felt nauseated just thinking about it. He kept fading in and out of consciousness, but he didn't want to wake up. He didn't want to remember all of the grisly details of the night before. He wanted to keep sleeping until he forgot everything, but where was he? It felt like he was in a bed. He felt sheets covering up his legs, and his legs felt bandaged up. Did Morgan do that? Did Morgan find him? He knew he wasn't in the den anymore, but that's as far as his memories got. What if it wasn't Morgan who put him in the bed? What if it was the unsubs? What if this was some new kind of game?
Weakly, Reid opened his eyes. He needed to know where he was. He was in a bed with white sheets, and an IV was connected to his arm. He wasn't in the cabin anymore. He was in a hospital. How in the world did he get there? The hand with the missing fingernails had a bandage around it, and he could feel one wrapped around his head. It was obvious someone found him. He was rescued, but where was Morgan? Where was Jenny? He forced himself into a sitting position, and a sharp pain shot across his head. This was the worst headache of his life.
"Hello?" he called out. His voice sounded terrible, and every time he tried to move, he just felt worse. The headache wasn't going away, and he felt a burning sensation in between his legs. He knew what that pain was from.
"Spence?" a familiar voice asked. J.J. opened up his door, and she ran to his bed side when she saw him sitting up. "Oh my God, Spence. Why are you sitting up?" She hugged him lightly, and he felt safe. He couldn't believe he was seeing her again.
"What happened?" Reid asked. He felt so sleepy. That had to be from the pain medication that he probably needed more of.
"Reid?" Rossi asked. "He's awake guys." Rossi came in from the hallway followed by Prentiss and Hotch. Reid didn't see Garcia or Morgan anywhere.
"You're at the hospital. It's okay now," J.J. said. He allowed her to help him back into the bed. He felt a lot better once his head touched the soft pillow. "You're going to be okay Spence."
"Where's Morgan? And Jenny?" Reid couldn't go back to sleep until he knew where they were.
"His room is right next to yours," Rossi said. "And Jenny is already walking around. Did you really think we would just leave you at the cabin? Everything is going to be alright now."
Reid nodded. If they took him to the hospital, the doctor already talked to them. Reid's team already knew what happened to him. If he didn't feel so tired, he would probably be embarrassed. The team already babied him, but now they were going to watch over him like a hawk. He didn't want that.
"Anthony and Michael are in jail?" Reid asked. He hated how hoarse his voice sounded.
"We can talk about that later," Hotch said.
"You need to sleep," Prentiss said. "You've been through a lot. We will all be here when you wake up. Morgan is sleeping too."
Reid didn't want to go to sleep. The sun was shining bright behind the curtains of his room, and he had more questions than he was sure the team could even answer. The team didn't have Anthony and Michael though. He knew that much. If they did, they would be more than willing to give him the details of their capture. Reid could just tell by the way his team was looking at him. There was sadness in their eyes. Why didn't they just tell him? It wasn't going to be any easier on them later on.
"Can you track them down?" Reid pestered on. He couldn't sleep until he had some kind of answer.
"The police has every officer they can spare looking for them," Hotch finally said. "There was a sighting of them at a gas station. We're going to find them."
"I don't think they're brothers," Reid heard himself saying. He didn't know why the team should know this, but that's what he said. Anthony and Michael might not have been brothers, but Reid couldn't seem them separating. If one of them was killed or gave up the murderous spree, the other one wouldn't be able to continue. Michael wouldn't have the skill or determination to pull it off, and for some reason, Anthony needed Michael. If Anthony wanted to, he could keep on killing people until he was caught or he died, but he wouldn't do it without Michael. If they wanted to catch them and stop the murders, they needed to get Michael. He would be easier to catch, and Anthony couldn't stay far from his best buddy.
"Probably not," Prentiss said.
"But they will be together when we find them," Rossi said.
Reid nodded. "If you only have the chance to get one of them, try to get Michael. He's the younger of the two. I think Anthony will come once you get Michael."
"Reid!" Garcia shouted. She ran over to him as fast as she could in her blue heels. She bent over and hugged him. She was crying, but Reid barely noticed. He was just so tired. Garcia put a teddy bear next to Reid's pillow and stepped back with the others. "Is he awake?" she whispered.
Reid hadn't noticed that he closed his eyes. Reid didn't like this. He didn't like not being in control of his own body. He wanted to stay awake, but he couldn't fight it anymore. His muscles were relaxing, and he felt his mind start to drift away. "He was awake," J.J. told Garcia.
"He needs to sleep," Rossi said. His voice sounded so far away. He didn't want the doctors giving him that much pain medication. He was sure he needed it, but he didn't trust himself with it. His friends would be there for him though. He knew that much. They would be there when he woke up, and they would be there to help him get through this. He loved all of them. He hoped they knew that.
It was a cold and rainy day when Peter was buried. Morgan thought the weather was fitting for the already gloomy event. Morgan and Reid paid for the entire funeral. Reid bought the kid a nice suit to wear, and Morgan paid for the plot and the casket. He let the parents pick out the casket, but Morgan chose the nice plot of land beneath an oak tree for his grave. The cemetery gave a discount. They felt terrible for what happened and offered large discounts to all of the victims of the brothers. Morgan was released from the hospital three days after they were rescued. Reid was released the day after that. They were lucky enough to not have any of their numerous scars develop any infections, but it was only after they were out of the hospital that they saw the true horrors of the night. Tatiana's parents and older sister were in complete shock when they found out their family cabin was destroyed, and their daughter was murdered. Her autopsy showed that she had been dead for less than an hour when Morgan and the others were abducted. She bled to death in that cabin without ever knowing what was going on. She was planning a romantic weekend with her boyfriend when the unsubs ended her life, and the life of her devoted boyfriend. Jenny Parker should have been met with the same fate. She had similar wounds, but none of hers were as deep. Jenny told her interviewers that Michael was the one who attacked her, and he wasn't as violent as Anthony was. His cuts weren't as deep as Anthony's were, and that was the only reason Jenny survived when Tatiana did not.
Sarah Nelson's mother was meeting with the team every single day for any news from the unsubs. She was doing her own research when she wasn't with the FBI or the police, and she found three other cases that were almost identical to what her daughter went through. The strategies were always the same. The abductions took place at night, and the victims were always dead by morning or presumed dead. It was rare to find the bodies, so Ms. Nelson thanked God every day for getting her daughter's body back. The only known survivors of the brothers were Morgan, Reid, and Jenny Parker. That was it. No one else ever lived to tell their tragic tale. The other three cases were all in neighboring states. It seemed like the guys just killed completely random people and moved on. It was one of the weirdest cases that Morgan ever heard of. Sarah's funeral was the day before Peter's was. It was overcast when they lowered her white casket into the ground, and her mother couldn't stop crying. She vowed that she would never stop searching for Anthony and Michael, and Morgan believed that.
Anthony and Michael weren't seen since their short stop at the gas station. Hotch promised he would keep Morgan updated on the chase, but they just disappeared. It didn't make any damn sense. How could two wanted felons just get away? Their pictures were everywhere, and Hotch made sure that the authorities in neighboring states were aware of the situation, but nobody found any trace of them. Garcia ran stills taken from the gas station security camera to find out who these men really were, but she couldn't find one thing. Nothing. No arrest record. No online articles. No social media. Nothing. Their faces didn't match up with anyone in the database. Everyone agreed that Anthony and Michael were most likely made-up names. They could have been real brothers, but who the hell were they?
They weren't invited to Tatiana's funeral, but the Boyles insisted the entire BAU team when they said their last goodbyes to Peter. Mr. Boyle wanted everyone to be there, and so the morning of the funeral, the team went down to the services together. It was an open casket. Morgan wasn't looking forward to going, especially with the open casket. He didn't want any reminders of the hell they went through, but he owed it to Peter. Everyone was wearing black, and Morgan and Reid were still leaning on their crutches when it came time to stand. Morgan's arm was still wrapped in a cast, and the boy genius had to wear an arm sling to support his still healing shoulder blade. Reid was looking a lot better than when he first saw the kid in the hospital bed that looked way too big for his thin frame. He was getting color back in his cheeks, and he used his hair to cover up the stitches on the side of his head. Both of them had to go through required visits with a psychologist which was supposed to help prevent any PTSD or drug abuse from the pain medications. Morgan kept a close eye on Reid, but the kid never asked for extra medicine. He was probably using even less than he should have. Morgan never asked him about it and Reid never offered an explanation, so it was left at that. Morgan trusted Reid. He trusted Reid with his life, and so he believed that if pretty boy needed help, he would ask.
The Boyles sat in the first row. Mr. Boyle still looked like he was in a state of shock, but his wife was just sobbing. Little Clara sat next to them. She brought her doll with her, and she was still holding onto the teddy bear that Garcia gave her. She was wearing a black dress with matching tights and shoes. The doll was even wearing a black dress. A few cousins and uncles showed up as well several teachers and students that went to Peter's college. Peter was dressed in a black suit with a tie, and his little sister stuck several photographs and drawings that she made for Peter underneath his pillow. His hands were crossed together with a rosary placed on top of them, and Morgan felt sick when he saw the missing finger. The mortician did an amazing job hiding the fatal wound to Peter's neck. It was almost impossible to see it, but Morgan knew it was there. The boy didn't look like himself. There was always something about dead bodies that hid the personalities they once had. It was just a shell of their former selves. Peter looked more like a mannequin than the smart boy Morgan met a week ago who did everything he could to help. He had thick powder on his skin to hide the signs of his murder, and his body looked stiff. Peter tried so hard to fight back against his attackers, and he could have survived the night if Morgan never asked him to leave the den. No matter what anyone else told him, Morgan was always going to blame himself for Peter's death.
Everyone had to hold umbrellas when it was time to go outside for the burial. Rossi held the umbrella up for himself and Morgan while J.J. held the umbrella up for herself and Reid. It wasn't a heavy downfall, but the rain did come down steady. Hotch put a bouquet of red roses by Peter's face before the casket was closed, and Reid started crying. J.J. held him close to her in a hug, and Morgan almost lost it too when the casket was lowered. The priest said some parting words, and the guests were invited to throw a white rose on the top of the casket. His parents threw down the first flowers, and Mr. Boyle almost had to carry his wife back inside. Morgan felt terrible. The woman was shaking, and she might have jumped in the plot herself if her husband wasn't holding her back. Family and friends threw their flowers in next. Clara found Garcia standing near the team, and asked Garcia to help her with the rose. Garcia seemed more than happy to help, and Clara held Garcia's hand tightly as they walked towards the cars. It looked like Garcia found a new best friend. Morgan was happy that the little girl found someone she could trust, but Morgan wished it wasn't under these circumstances.
Morgan and Reid were the last ones to say their goodbyes to the quiet boy they met in the den. Reid found a way to hold up the umbrella for both of them, but J.J. was waiting nearby for when they needed to walk. She knew they needed their privacy for the final goodbye. They just looked at the casket for about five minutes. The raindrops falling were all the noise they needed. Morgan stepped up next to Reid. The kid was still crying over his lost friend. Morgan felt terrible.
"What are you thinking?" Morgan asked him. He didn't need to ask though. He knew exactly what was going through Reid's mind.
"That Peter shouldn't be down there. That if I didn't let him go off by himself, he would still be here. His family needed him."
"What happened was a terrible accident, and after the attack, his clock was ticking. There wasn't anything else you could do. The coroner told you that too. He was either going to bleed to death or those assholes would have tried to hurt him more. You did the right thing," Morgan said.
Reid nodded. "I'm glad Peter's sister found Garcia. I think she wanted to sit next to Garcia during the service too. She kept turning around."
Morgan couldn't agree more. Clara needed an adult that she could trust other than her grieving parents, and she found that adult in Garcia. Morgan kept a brave face for the first time he met Peter's younger sister. Every time he saw her, he couldn't help but think back to Peter and how hard he fought to survive and how he was partly to blame. Clara never mentioned that though. Not even once. She eagerly showed Morgan and the rest of the team photos of her and Peter during their short time together. Morgan didn't know if she was still in a state of denial that she was never going to see Peter again, but she cried a lot less than her parents. She invited Garcia over sometime later to see the rest of her dolls, and Garcia accepted. Clara couldn't have chosen a better idol. Garcia was one of the best people that Morgan knew.
"She's sleeps with that teddy that Garcia gave her every night," Morgan said. Garcia probably had no idea what a difference that she already made in the life of this child. "Peter would have liked Garcia too. She's really a people person."
"He would have wanted us to look after his little sister," Reid said looking down at the casket. "Are we ever going to catch up to Anthony and Michael?"
"You know we are going to," Morgan said. "They can't hide from us forever, and the sheriff still has men looking for them day and night. Their time is running out. Don't worry."
"I know," Reid said. He looked like he was about to start crying again. Morgan couldn't figure out if Reid took Peter's death worse than his own rape, but it was starting to seem like that. Reid was sensitive, but he was strong. He was strong, and he was going to get through this.
"Ready Spence?" J.J. called out. She stayed where she was standing. She didn't want to interrupt if they were having a moment, but that moment was over.
"Coming," Reid said. Reid tossed his rose into Peter's grave. "Goodbye Peter. Goodbye," Reid whispered. Reid turned around and walked over to the cars with J.J. by his side.
Morgan wasn't ready to say goodbye yet. He didn't feel like it anyway. It wasn't going to feel like a real goodbye until the men who did this to Peter, and Reid were caught. Morgan closed his eyes and felt a cool breeze go over his face. Jenny was going to be alright. Reid was going to be alright, and so was Morgan. He just needed to trust that justice was going to be served, and he would be there the damn second Anthony and Michael were arrested. He would be there throughout the trials, and he would make sure they were prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Morgan pulled a card out that he bought for Peter, and he threw the card and his rose on top of the others. The rain was coming for a stop, but it didn't matter much if the rain ruined the card. He was sure Peter already knew what it said. "We're going to find those monsters that did this to you," Morgan vowed. "This isn't the end. I'm just so sorry kid. I really am. You didn't deserve any of this crap. I'm so sorry. Your sister is safe. We'll make sure nothing happens to her, but I'm sure you're watching her too." Morgan felt his eyes swelling with tears. Nobody was around to watch, and he didn't try to stop them from falling. He needed this. "I'm so sorry Peter. I'm never going to forget you kid. Goodbye."
Morgan turned around quickly. If he didn't, he could have stayed there all day with the kid that he barely got the chance to know. He used his crutches to get across the wet grass, and he didn't turn back. He wouldn't. He couldn't. Morgan and Reid couldn't go back out on the field until they were fully healed, but the team wasn't taking other cases right now. They were still actively looking for Anthony and Michael. Morgan didn't know how much longer they would be able to keep looking, but Morgan wasn't giving up. This wasn't over. This wasn't over by a long shot.
- 11
- 12
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Demonic Whispers