Caged - Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 1

Team

"Hey, Hotch, have you seen Reid?" Morgan had been drumming his fingers on his desk watching his team mates file into the bull pen, but Reid's chair remained empty.

Hotch who'd been standing outside his office, turned toward Morgan, a puzzled frown crossing his face.

"Is he not in yet?" Hotch was always used to arriving to see Reid already sat at his desk starting on some case files.

Morgan glanced at the elevator, expecting Reid to run in apologizing profusely for his lateness, but there was no sign of him. "Well looks like pretty boys going to be late for the first time ever!" Morgan laughed and text Reid to give him a heads up, having seen Hotch's frown deepen.

"Well he better get here soon, I have a case for you my loves" Garcia said bouncing over to the bullpen, carrying an armful of thin files.

The team gathered in the conference room, taking their seats, Reid's remaining empty.

Rossi came from his office and noticed Reid's absence. "Not like the kid to be late."

"Let's stay focused on this new case. I will deal with him when he gets here, We can brief him on the jet."

Garcia clicked her remote and gruesome images of homicide victims flooded the screen.

"We have another unsub who likes feet." She grimaced in disgust.

After 20 minutes of debriefing Reid still hadn't arrived. Alex kept nervously glancing out of the office windows. She wouldn't be so worried, but they all knew this was completely out of character for Reid. He'd of let the, know if he was going to be late.

Morgan's phone buzzed on the table, and he made a sudden grab for it. Hotch stopped talking. "Is that Reid?"

"Tell the kid to hurry up and get his ass here!" Chuckled Rossi.

Morgan didn't say anything, his eyes darting across the screen as he read and re-read the text. Dread filled him, he felt it grip him like a vice and panic began to rise inside him.

"Hotch, hold off on this case."

"Morga..." JJ's panic was cut off.

"Reid's in trouble"

"What? What's wrong with my junior g-man" cried Garcia.

"He text me. Something's wrong, we need to get to his apartment"

"Morgan what did he say?" Rossi said, keeping his voice calm and composed, unlike JJ and Garcia.

Morgan held his phone up to Hotch and it was passed around the team, each of their faces turning fearful as they read the text.

"Morgan, something's happened, I don't have time to explain, just, just please hurry, tell the others only them, please"

"We...we need to get to him... NOW" Emily whispered.

"Should we get backup?" Asked JJ.

"No. From the sound of it someone is with him and we can't risk his life on backup. We go alone. It may not be anything serious." Hotch said, doubt rising within him, unable to even convince himself with his last sentence.

"Pretty boy might have just ran out of coffee" Morgan feebly joked, though his gut twisted in fear.

"Morgan, Rossi and Emily take an SUV, JJ, Alex and I will follow behind. We should..."

"Hotch, don't you dare leave me here, if he's in trouble I have to make sure he's alright"

"Garcia, I am not putting you in danger."