Please Stay | A Dr Spencer Reid fanfic

Chapter 40- Dark web

Spencer's leg bounced up and down on the jet. His anxiety had everyone on edge.

"Guy's the New York office just sent us this." Garcia's eyes were wide.

"What is it Garcia," Hotch asked.

"This stream went live around 20 minutes ago on the dark web." She turned her screen so that everyone could see.

The screen was blank, but a distorted voice rang through the speakers. "At 2am this morning we acquired some rather special talent. We have been attempting to contract them for quiet some time. Unfortunately, they didn't appear to level with our views. That is why we took so extreme measure to, shall we say, see things our way. These high value targets will be available for auction. Juncture at the dead of night on the day of the gold rings. Rise to forty. Point to the 7132 molecules. Step to the left for the Seventy-four. The period of 119. Proof to follow. May we all be cleansed." Then the recording cut off.

"What does this mean?" Rossi was puzzled.

"These files were uploaded to the server thirty seconds after the stream cut." Penelope turned the laptop back to her and changed the tabs.

The screen was no covered in images and text, profiling each of the five kidnapped researchers.

"Wait. What is that?" JJ pointed to the corner of the screen.

Penelope peered at the screen and enlarged the portion. She quickly looked away. "Looks like a live stream, corresponding to each of the victims."

"What?" Spencer gasped. He lunged closer to the screen. Low and behold the screen was segmented into five regions. Each box recording the research team.

Noah was bound to a chair, struggling against the rope that contained him. Evie was in a similar position opposite him, but her head hung. Anna was pacing back and forth in a padded room. Jack was suspended by his arms from the ceiling. Gia's position was different from the others. She lay in a clinical room, probably sedated. She looked peaceful. She didn't appear to be restrained in any capacity.

"That is so strange," Emily muttered, peering over Spencer's shoulder.

"What?" Derek questioned.

"Organised crime doesn't usually work like this. They were all taken together. Why are their holding conditions different?"

"You think this isn't an organised crime group?" Rossi asked.

"No. That's not what I'm saying. If it wasn't for the auction, I would think they were contracted to kidnap them. But since they are going to be auctioned that doesn't make sense. Something about this seems too personal."

"There is another agenda," Spencer whispered.

Emily nodded in agreement.

Hotch took over. "Garcia, I'm assuming you can't trace it." Penelope glumly shook her head. "Okay get on the message boards and see what information you can gather. Morgan, Prentis, you two link up with the protection detail and see what they have uncovered. Reid, had to the local office and start working on figuring out what that message means. JJ head there with him see what patterns you can find in the timeline leading up to the kidnappings. Rossi and I will speak with Lochlan Macdonald and see what he knows."

"I want to see him." Spencer spoke up. Hotch raised his eyebrows. "Hotch, I want to talk to him." Spencer spat out each word.

"Reid, I don't think that is a good idea."

"Hotch this isn't a discussion." Spencer settled back in his seat.

"Fine. But only after me and Dave speak to him. Until then work on the decoding the recording. There is probably a hidden message. Garcia keep an eye on the live streams. If anything changes notify us immediately."