BDSM big bang 2012 (Criminal Minds entry)
Title: Safe, Sane, Consensual
For warnings and other information see part one
PART II: Sane
“Her name is Sarah Buchanan, she worked in one of the local adult sex shops and had been seen at the club often in the past few weeks,” Rossi filled Reid in as they looked over the photographs from the dump site.
“She matches what we know about his other victims perfectly,” he observed. “However unlike Sophia she wasn't a newbie. It's possible she knew him or that is so charming and sophisticated that even someone who knew better would be fooled into trusting him,” he theorised.
“Perhaps, although the large quantity of alcohol found in her blood stream suggests she wasn't thinking straight that night. Easy pray, even,” Rossi informed him.
“How drunk was she?”
“The M.E. doesn't think she would have been incapacitated by her alcohol level, but she was definitely more than tispy,” Rossi answered.
“Still conscious but easily swayed,” Reid murmured. It was how many rapists got away with their crime, claiming she could have said no because she was awake but really their was nothing consensual about attacking a person when their judgement was so impaired.
“We still don't have enough to release a profile, and if he's started to kill then it means we're running out of time,” he said sadly, looking to Rossi for guidance.
The older profiler looked at him with a kind expression. “Don't lose hope yet, Spencer. The nurses at the hospital have been persuaded to contact people who came in with those injuries in the past to come forward and tell give us information. Even if they chose not to go to trial anything they tell us can help make our profile more accurate. Hotch has already interviewed two more victims.”
“We don't need them to go to trial,” Reid said, starting to believe that this guy wouldn't be free for long, “he never bothered to blindfold Sophia, so she'll be able to pick him out of a line up. All we need is enough information to get a profile out so we can catch him.”
~ CM ~
“So, what do we know?” Garcia asked, having flown down after a call from Morgan that had her worrying about Reid, who was after all her number two man. Garcia was just as likely as the others to mother Reid, although he minded it less from her since it was almost like they shared an understanding, that being that they were both better at their specialities, either knowing everything or being able to find anything out, than they were at dealing with violence or pain.
“We have multiple victims of both gender between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-five. We've only been able to speak to five of them even though the nurses suggest that the number of victims exceeds fifty and that they date back years with varying intensity. Sarah Buchanan is, however, his only kill,” Rossi summarised.
“All the victims met him at the same club,” Prentiss said.
“Which means that is where we're most likely to catch him. It also means we've been unable to guess where he lives or works because we have no other geographical information on his whereabouts,” Reid added. “Also I don't believe this man is a 'Dom' so much as he possesses dominant qualities and uses the BDSM scene to supply him with a pool of victims who are less likely to be suspicious of his desire to be overtly controlling and who won't call the authorities when the scene goes badly because they'd have to tell them they were in a fetish club. However people will categorise him as a Dom, so in the profile it would be best to refer to him as such.”
“How useful is the profile going to be in catching him?” Rossi asked.
“His level of experience, the fact that he has been able to return to the scene of the crime multiple times without anyone getting suspicious means that the profile is going to have limited affect. Maybe if we could give it out to his potential victims then they'd be able to get out of an unsafe situation before he could hurt them but the nature of the club means that we won't be able to have access to the members. The best we can do is give the profile to the employees and hope we have better luck with an undercover operation,” Hotch told them.
“Who's going in?” Morgan asked.
“I don't mind volunteering,” Emily said cautiously.
“No, I'll do it,” Reid said, and everyone in the room turned to look at him with varying degrees of shock and worry. “I have the knowledge and experience so I won't be suspicious, and people rarely think I'm an FBI field agent or cop because I lack the typical attributes associated with those careers. I'll be convincing,” he finished.
There was a pause while everyone tried to come up with reasons to defeat his but before anyone could voice them, Hotch spoke, “fine. Then I'm going in too.”
Reid was surprised, he'd thought that Morgan would be sent in and if Morgan's expression was anything to go by then he'd been under the same impression. Spencer met Aaron's eyes and saw in them determination and something else that made his heart beat faster. “Everyone dismissed,” Hotch added. “Reid, we need to talk.”
Reid felt a bit like a naughty school child being told to wait behind at the end of class, a genuine naughty child not the kinky BDSM scene type. Everyone gave him assessing glances as they walked past him and JJ squeezed his shoulder in a gesture of comfort before they were gone and it was just Hotch and Reid, alone.
“You lied to me,” Aaron started with, surprising Reid once again as he assumed they'd be talking over the details of the ruse they'd be using to fool the UnSub into revealing himself.
“You lied about how involved you were with Matthew Decker,” Hotch added when there was no response from Reid.
“I said I knew him when I was-”
“A teenager. You didn't say you'd subbed for him, or that things had gone wrong,” Hotch finished for him.
Reid felt under attack. He never wanted this conversation to take place, especially when he understood that the only reason that Hotch was angry was because he thought Spencer had risked the integrity of the BAU in order to help out his ex-Dom. It wasn't true, not at all. Matthew wasn't the kind of ex who deserved favours, and the only reason Reid had given the case files to Hotch was because he wanted to help the people being victimised by their UnSub, especially when there was no one else to take their side or believe that they weren't responsible for their own victimisation.
“My past relationship with Matthew had no bearing on why I brought this case to you,” Reid said, hating the feeling of having disappointed Aaron.
“Then why did you lie about it?” His boss demanded.
“Hotch, how do you tell someone about the biggest mistake you ever made? Especially when I've never told anyone,” he admitted in a small voice. Hotch didn't soften.
“Matthew Decker had no problem telling me all about it, that you were eighteen or about the fact that you had to be hospitalized. Did you ever consider the possibility that Matthew was our UnSub?”
“No,” Reid said firmly. Matthew had been a stupid, arrogant, thoughtless kid, but then so had Spencer and Seth. They'd all been culpable in what had happened, and even though Reid had never forgiven Matthew he knew that it had changed the man. Besides, even if Mattie was guilty of great acts of irresponsibility, he wasn't capable of carrying around the guilt of killing someone. He'd have confessed by now. Reid had found a way to forgive Seth, and they were still close now with Spencer considering him a guardian Dom, someone to whom he could turn to whenever he felt like he was about to make a bad decision. He trusted Seth more than he trusted Matthew, but he'd never sub for either of them again.
“You seem very sure, is that because your emotions are clouding your judgement?”
Reid did his best not to be offended at that. “Matthew isn't a sadist. He's an exhibitionist and desires more than anything for everyone around him to witness the power he exerts over others, that's what arouses him. He would never be able to successfully hide a crime of this magnitude without becoming extremely stressed and either confessing out of pride or shame, and either way he would never invite the authorities into the situation and risk being caught on terms that weren't his own. We were young and naïve, and we didn't understand the stress that a body undergoes during bondage scenes which was why I was hospitalized. After that I stopped having contact with Matthew and moved on with my life.”
“What about Seth?”
Spencer was speechless with shock. Matthew really had been feeling chatty if he'd told Hotch this much. Seth Townsend had been Matthew's best friend and college room mate when they'd met Reid, and they'd been close enough that they did everything together. Including explore the darker side of sexuality. Seth had been Matthew's audience before they went too far, and Reid had been in awe of both of them, although he didn't think he'd ever loved either of them. “Seth took care of me after wards. We remained close, but no, we were never together after that. In any way.”
Hotch nodded. “I understand.” He turned to leave.
“Hotch, do you think he's a suspect?” Reid asked.
Hotch paused on his way out of the door. “No. After I discovered your past I had Garcia check his alibi. At the time of the murder he was having dinner with his boyfriend at a restaurant on the other side of the city. He's in the clear.”
~ CM ~
They had gathered up all the employees in Matthew's establishment and these were the people they were giving the profile to. While Hotch and Rossi opened with the physical description that Sophia had provided them with, Morgan scanned the faces of all the employees looking for a reaction.
“That's a really general description, lots of men look that way,” one of the Dominatrices said, unimpressed.
“We realise that,” Hotch said calmly, “but that is all the solid information we have to go on at this point.”
“However we do have a psychological profile that we've been able to put together after talking with Sophia, Micah and Annette and studying all the evidence we've been able to collect,” Prentiss explained.
Reid stepped forward to deliver the profile. “The man we are looking for self identifies as a Dominant, but he is not one in the truest sense. He is abusive, sadistic and manipulative and has clearly been in the scene for a long time, years maybe as many as ten but due to his age it is unlikely that he'll have been in the scene for much more than that. He appeals to people because he seems strong and in control but he actually has rage issues and if challenged he will lash out. Sophia was a first timer at the club but both Micah and Annette have been in the D/s scene for many years even if Micah had never been at the club before. This tells us that he is very charming and can easily fool even street smart submissives who don't often take risks like letting a stranger tie them up,” Reid said, feeling like the subject was much more than just a theory in order to narrow down the pool of suspects. He had once been just like Sophia, naïve and out for a thrill. They'd both found out that safety was an illusion and trust was a gift best bestowed on the worthy. The problem was judging who was worthy and who wasn't. He avoided looking at Matthew during his speech.
“So, handsome, charming but a dick, between thirty-five and forty with dark hair and a fake tan... gee, that'll help us stop people from ending up like Sarah for sure!” Said one of the waitresses, a small pretty thing who looked to be in her late thirties. Under the derision was a hint of fear and a whole ton of anger. Reid thought back to Sarah Buchanan's file and remembered that she'd worked in the adult sex shop which supplied the club with their toys and that her co-worker had suspected she'd been dating one of the employees from Sub Zone.
“Profiles are only one tool we utilise in tracking down UnSubs. In this particular case we're also preparing to go undercover. One of my agents and I will be posing as a Dom/sub couple in which the Dominant is exuding an unhealthy amount of power over the sub. We're hoping that the UnSub will be drawn towards me as an abusive Top and reveal something about himself. We suspect he is the kind of man who'd like nothing else but to brag about his conquests but has no one to talk to. He'll see me as his equal, as someone who really understands what it means to be a Dominant,” Hotch told them and they all looked comforted to hear the news.
“This may not work and even if it does we suspect it will take more than just one night to build up a rapport with this UnSub so in the mean time we ask that you keep an eye out and continue to warn people about the dangers of playing with strangers,” Prentiss was quick to tell them.
The employees looked unsettled but seemed to take the message seriously which was the best they could hope for. The kind of man they were looking for wouldn't be caught by the police because the police or general public because they would look for different behavioural clues than the people who frequented this club. Still, the undercover operation was their best bet. This guy had been coming in and out of this club for years which meant he was trusted to some extent and people generally had trouble believing someone they trusted was capable of hurting others so badly. Which meant it was down to Hotch and Reid to catch them. No pressure, though.
~ CM ~
Everyone was nervous and high strung before the operation, which was normal of course. It would be cause for concern if anyone wasn't. There was tension between Hotch and Reid that was more than just what was left over from their earlier scene.
“You don't have to do this, Spencer, you know that right?” Hotch said when they had a few minutes alone, away from the others.
“I know,” he reassured his boss, although the man didn't look all that comforted.
“I don't want you to feel pressured because you are the only one with experience in the BDSM scene,” he said.
“It does make me the only one qualified for this operation and we've always used people's skills or knowledge to help catch UnSubs before,” Reid pointed out, using logic to make his argument.
“Of course but there is a line, Spencer, and this is most definitely crossing it. I know before it may have felt like I was attacking you, but I don't want you to think I judge you for your past. Being a submissive is an extremely personal thing, and a part of that is knowing you can trust the person you are with in every capacity,” Aaron said.
Reid looked at his boss, his face calm and his eyes holding a depth of emotion that was untranslatable. “I do trust you, in every way.”
Aaron took a breath as he realised that this conversation was about more than just going undercover. He'd always known that Reid had more than just professional feelings for him but had brushed off Gideon's concern and chalked it up to hero worship on the younger man's behalf. But seeing his eyes now as he made that confession and knowing what little he did know about Reid's introduction to sexual experiences the concept took on a whole new meaning, one which Aaron had never had to think about before and he wasn't sure he should be thinking about now. Just because he had decided it was okay to start dating again didn't mean he should jump into a hardcore BDSM relationship with his male subordinate. In fact, despite the desire that this case had stirred up in him he had to admit to himself that there may never be a moment where these feelings would be okay to be expressed.
“Reid,” he began warily but backed down because this wasn't the time for that conversation. Instead he reiterated his point, wanting to make sure that Spencer understood the full ramifications of this operation. “I'm going to have to hurt you, humiliate and degrade you and maybe even make you do things that if HQ find out about they'd probably take my badge away, serial rapist and murderer or no.”
“Which is why it makes more sense for me to be the Sub, at least I'll know what to expect and how to behave. Besides, Morgan and Rossi clearly couldn't handle it and Prentiss would find a way to make you pay,” Reid said mischievously attempting to lighten the mood.
“No mention of JJ?” Hotch asked, raised eyebrow at the omission.
Reid smiled. “I don't think she could pull off a Sub any more than Morgan could. They definitely both have 'alpha' written all over them. Even Mattie said she'd look at home with a whip in her hands.”
Hotch laughed quietly. “Thank you but that's an image I could probably have done without.”
“Just remember, you kick like a thirteen year old girl and I've had worse,” Spencer said, reminding them both of the mission at hand and how serious the matter really was.
Hotch lost his smile. “That doesn't make me feel any better,” he said sighing as he tried his best not to picture Reid in a hospital bed, all alone and scared. He didn't need the anger he associated with the image.
Reid shrugged uncomfortably. “It's in the past. I just use it to remind myself that I'm a stronger person than most people assume I am.”
“Gideon knew how strong you were,” Aaron said softly, knowing that even now the team tended to shy away from mentioning Gideon, especially around Reid. It wasn't that they'd forgotten him, or Elle, just that it was painful, and a reminder of how easy it was to lose yourself to this job.
“You think that's why he wrote me that letter?” Reid asked sceptically.
Hotch couldn't speak to that, even after all these years he wasn't sure if he'd addressed the letter to Reid because he'd known how much his defection from the team had hurt him or because he'd known that Reid would be the first person to get curious enough to find the letter. Either way he knew that Reid had been hurting and lost afterwards and he hadn't helped much, to busy with his own failing marriage and disappointment in his old friend. “I think that's why he brought you onto the team.”
Reid nodded, content with that answer. “So, are you ready to Top me?” He asked brightly.
Hotch smacked him roughly around the mouth with enough force to snap his head around. “Shut up, boy!” He hissed angrily.
Reid, to his credit, immediately got into character. He let his head fall so that his chin rested on his chest and his eyes stayed glued to the floor in front of his shoes. “Yes sir, I apologise sir.”
“Now, now, I'm sure you can do better than that!” Hotch tutted darkly, sounding amused even as his gut clenched in repulsion at someone acting the way he was right now. It was one thing to punish someone in a safe environment for breaking pre-set rules with scripted consequences and a safe word for opting out but the kind of scene they were creating was one in which the submissive was as much of a slave as Cindi had been with no choice in the matter only threats of worse treatment should they not behave as expected by their Dom.
Reid dropped elegantly to the floor in one movement, his forehead touching the tops of Hotch's shiny black shoes. “Forgive me, Master,” Reid whispered, pressing tiny little kisses to the leather.
“Better, but you'll have to be punished later of course,” Hotch said dismissively and with a swift kick that had very little power behind it he unbalanced Reid enough to topple him over and send him the rest of the way to the floor.
“That was impressive. I almost believed in it myself,” Mattie's voice was like a bucket of cold water and Hocth snapped out of the scene immediately. He hadn't realised that the other man had entered the room and wanted to ask how long he had been standing there but knew that asking would draw attention to the fact that Hotch had been saying things he would rather Matthew didn't know. Things that he wanted to stay between himself and Reid.
Mattie helped Reid off the floor and Hotch did his best not to glare at where the other man's hands were touching Reid. Top-space, even an abusive top space that was concocted for the purpose of flushing out a serial rapist, was hard to come down from.
“Then I guess we're ready to go clubbing,” Hotch said coolly, keeping the conflicting emotions he was feeling out of his voice.
“You might want to change your clothes first,” Mattie suggested in an amused voice but there was nothing in his eyes that was smiling. Hotch had a feeling that Matthew could read him better than most people could and it irritated him further.
“Of course. Garcia went shopping,” he said smoothly and gestured for them both to follow him out of the room.
Reid shook himself free of the hand that Mattie had kept on him and stayed close to Hotch as they tracked down Garcia. “Are you sure letting Garcia choose our outfits was a good idea?” He asked softly. They all loved her, and no one could imagine her without her bubblegum pink or florescent orange outfits but at the same time no one wanted to dress like her either.
“It'll be fine. We discussed concepts before I gave her my credit card. We also discussed penalties for going overboard,” he said and he was only half joking.
Luckily for all of them, Garcia had stuck to the boss's suggestions although she hadn't been able to stop herself from adding a few flares here and there but they only added to the realism of the outfits instead of deducting from it.
“I considered having you half naked but then I decided that I'm a possessive top who would never share you with anyone in any capacity,” Hotch said and the words were secretly aimed at Matthew. The other man's jaw tightened and Hotch guessed he'd gotten the message. “Besides,” he added lightly, “then we'd have to bruise you up some and this just seemed easier.”
Reid winced and looked inside the bag. It actually wasn't as bad as he had feared, and he disappeared into the men's room to change. He still felt fairly exposed as he left the safety of the bathroom and when he entered the office once more his eyes were downcast simply to avoid seeing his teammate's reactions.
Mattie let out a wolf whistle. “Very nice. If I didn't know personally exactly how old you were I'd guess twenty-five at tops, and a very hot twenty-five at that!” Reid could practically feel Mattie's eyes burning a way through his outfit, what there was of it anyway.
Garcia had clothed him in a skin tight white t-shirt with a high neckline, a pair of soft soled canvas shoes and dark blue jeans that fit snugly around his waist. It was definitely true that Reid looked younger in his new clothes and he hated it. The reason he dressed older than his age was because he'd always had so much trouble getting people to take him seriously as an academic and an FBI agent. Dressed like this he felt all of fifteen. No one was likely to take him seriously like this. Although he guessed no one was meant to.
Hotch's hand lifted his chin forcing him to meet his eyes. “You look perfect for the part,” he said, and somehow that made all his doubts and worries dissipate. It was the perfect thing to say.
Reid allowed himself a peek at what his boss was wearing. “Ditto, boss,” he said, sounding pleasantly surprised. Garcia had definitely reigned herself in on this shopping trip. Hotch didn't look massively different from his normal self, unlike Reid, although this outfit seemed to shout out that Hotch was someone important who didn't have the patience for people who weren't serious. He was wearing black slacks that were freshly pressed and well tailored, in fact they fit so well that Reid suspected that Hotch had actually owned these rather than allowed Garcia to buy him some. His shirt also fit well and was a dark blue colour that complimented his eyes. He had kept his polished leather work shoes and tucked his shirt in to show of the thick leather belt around his waist that looked more like a threat now than an everyday item.
“Only one thing missing,” Hotch said, indicating Reid's bare throat.
He gulped. “Couldn't reach the fastening,” he murmured as an excuse as he handed over the excellently crafted leather collar to his boss.
Hotch took it silently and gently placed it around Reid's neck, unconsciously caressing the skin as he fastened the silver buckle and twisted the collar around so that the 'D' ring was at the front. Finally they added the last part of their cover.
A leash.
The leash was what Garcia added, but it was perfect for their cover and completely acceptable for Sub Zone. It matched the collar in it's functional simplicity and both had clearly been made for human use which was comforting. Hotch held the handle in his own hand and clipped the leash onto the 'D' ring so that it fell safely in front of Reid and wouldn't be a choking hazard if he pulled too quickly on it. Not that he would, human necks were easily damaged and the idea was to look like Reid was being caused a lot of pain, not give them reason to visit a hospital before the night was over.
When they were alone Hotch pulled Reid close and added a few touches of his own. First he ran a hand through Reid's short brown hair so it spiked up haphazardly, then he dug out a packet of cigarettes and slipped them into Reid's front jeans pocket so that they were easily visible. Smoking would be a good excuse to get out of the club, even if only for a few minutes, and he may even be able to make a few 'friends' this way as well. The last thing he did was hand Reid a cock cage.
“You know what this is?” He asked, and could tell from the blush that stained his sub-ordinate’s cheeks that he did. “I want you to put it on. Trust me, it'll be an easy way of demonstrating my sadistic control over you without having you preform intimate and debasing acts in front of others.”
Reid nodded and disappeared for some privacy, adjusting the cock cage so that it was obvious that the device not only prevented ejaculation but also stopped him from getting hard. Someone who was wearing this was not going to be having any fun, and Reid knew that permanent use caused the type of damage that no man wanted to admit to. Cock cages didn't have to be humiliating and dehumanising, and Reid had even seen them used in loving healthy relationships to further the pleasure of both partners rather than cruelly torture one for the other's sadistic enjoyment. Of course in this case they wanted the UnSub to mistake Hotch for the latter kind of Dom.
Reid prayed he lost the blush before they arrived at the club or else he wouldn't survive the night, low lighting or no.
>>> Continue onto part three here (final part).
For warnings and other information see part one
PART II: Sane
“Her name is Sarah Buchanan, she worked in one of the local adult sex shops and had been seen at the club often in the past few weeks,” Rossi filled Reid in as they looked over the photographs from the dump site.
“She matches what we know about his other victims perfectly,” he observed. “However unlike Sophia she wasn't a newbie. It's possible she knew him or that is so charming and sophisticated that even someone who knew better would be fooled into trusting him,” he theorised.
“Perhaps, although the large quantity of alcohol found in her blood stream suggests she wasn't thinking straight that night. Easy pray, even,” Rossi informed him.
“How drunk was she?”
“The M.E. doesn't think she would have been incapacitated by her alcohol level, but she was definitely more than tispy,” Rossi answered.
“Still conscious but easily swayed,” Reid murmured. It was how many rapists got away with their crime, claiming she could have said no because she was awake but really their was nothing consensual about attacking a person when their judgement was so impaired.
“We still don't have enough to release a profile, and if he's started to kill then it means we're running out of time,” he said sadly, looking to Rossi for guidance.
The older profiler looked at him with a kind expression. “Don't lose hope yet, Spencer. The nurses at the hospital have been persuaded to contact people who came in with those injuries in the past to come forward and tell give us information. Even if they chose not to go to trial anything they tell us can help make our profile more accurate. Hotch has already interviewed two more victims.”
“We don't need them to go to trial,” Reid said, starting to believe that this guy wouldn't be free for long, “he never bothered to blindfold Sophia, so she'll be able to pick him out of a line up. All we need is enough information to get a profile out so we can catch him.”
~ CM ~
“So, what do we know?” Garcia asked, having flown down after a call from Morgan that had her worrying about Reid, who was after all her number two man. Garcia was just as likely as the others to mother Reid, although he minded it less from her since it was almost like they shared an understanding, that being that they were both better at their specialities, either knowing everything or being able to find anything out, than they were at dealing with violence or pain.
“We have multiple victims of both gender between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-five. We've only been able to speak to five of them even though the nurses suggest that the number of victims exceeds fifty and that they date back years with varying intensity. Sarah Buchanan is, however, his only kill,” Rossi summarised.
“All the victims met him at the same club,” Prentiss said.
“Which means that is where we're most likely to catch him. It also means we've been unable to guess where he lives or works because we have no other geographical information on his whereabouts,” Reid added. “Also I don't believe this man is a 'Dom' so much as he possesses dominant qualities and uses the BDSM scene to supply him with a pool of victims who are less likely to be suspicious of his desire to be overtly controlling and who won't call the authorities when the scene goes badly because they'd have to tell them they were in a fetish club. However people will categorise him as a Dom, so in the profile it would be best to refer to him as such.”
“How useful is the profile going to be in catching him?” Rossi asked.
“His level of experience, the fact that he has been able to return to the scene of the crime multiple times without anyone getting suspicious means that the profile is going to have limited affect. Maybe if we could give it out to his potential victims then they'd be able to get out of an unsafe situation before he could hurt them but the nature of the club means that we won't be able to have access to the members. The best we can do is give the profile to the employees and hope we have better luck with an undercover operation,” Hotch told them.
“Who's going in?” Morgan asked.
“I don't mind volunteering,” Emily said cautiously.
“No, I'll do it,” Reid said, and everyone in the room turned to look at him with varying degrees of shock and worry. “I have the knowledge and experience so I won't be suspicious, and people rarely think I'm an FBI field agent or cop because I lack the typical attributes associated with those careers. I'll be convincing,” he finished.
There was a pause while everyone tried to come up with reasons to defeat his but before anyone could voice them, Hotch spoke, “fine. Then I'm going in too.”
Reid was surprised, he'd thought that Morgan would be sent in and if Morgan's expression was anything to go by then he'd been under the same impression. Spencer met Aaron's eyes and saw in them determination and something else that made his heart beat faster. “Everyone dismissed,” Hotch added. “Reid, we need to talk.”
Reid felt a bit like a naughty school child being told to wait behind at the end of class, a genuine naughty child not the kinky BDSM scene type. Everyone gave him assessing glances as they walked past him and JJ squeezed his shoulder in a gesture of comfort before they were gone and it was just Hotch and Reid, alone.
“You lied to me,” Aaron started with, surprising Reid once again as he assumed they'd be talking over the details of the ruse they'd be using to fool the UnSub into revealing himself.
“You lied about how involved you were with Matthew Decker,” Hotch added when there was no response from Reid.
“I said I knew him when I was-”
“A teenager. You didn't say you'd subbed for him, or that things had gone wrong,” Hotch finished for him.
Reid felt under attack. He never wanted this conversation to take place, especially when he understood that the only reason that Hotch was angry was because he thought Spencer had risked the integrity of the BAU in order to help out his ex-Dom. It wasn't true, not at all. Matthew wasn't the kind of ex who deserved favours, and the only reason Reid had given the case files to Hotch was because he wanted to help the people being victimised by their UnSub, especially when there was no one else to take their side or believe that they weren't responsible for their own victimisation.
“My past relationship with Matthew had no bearing on why I brought this case to you,” Reid said, hating the feeling of having disappointed Aaron.
“Then why did you lie about it?” His boss demanded.
“Hotch, how do you tell someone about the biggest mistake you ever made? Especially when I've never told anyone,” he admitted in a small voice. Hotch didn't soften.
“Matthew Decker had no problem telling me all about it, that you were eighteen or about the fact that you had to be hospitalized. Did you ever consider the possibility that Matthew was our UnSub?”
“No,” Reid said firmly. Matthew had been a stupid, arrogant, thoughtless kid, but then so had Spencer and Seth. They'd all been culpable in what had happened, and even though Reid had never forgiven Matthew he knew that it had changed the man. Besides, even if Mattie was guilty of great acts of irresponsibility, he wasn't capable of carrying around the guilt of killing someone. He'd have confessed by now. Reid had found a way to forgive Seth, and they were still close now with Spencer considering him a guardian Dom, someone to whom he could turn to whenever he felt like he was about to make a bad decision. He trusted Seth more than he trusted Matthew, but he'd never sub for either of them again.
“You seem very sure, is that because your emotions are clouding your judgement?”
Reid did his best not to be offended at that. “Matthew isn't a sadist. He's an exhibitionist and desires more than anything for everyone around him to witness the power he exerts over others, that's what arouses him. He would never be able to successfully hide a crime of this magnitude without becoming extremely stressed and either confessing out of pride or shame, and either way he would never invite the authorities into the situation and risk being caught on terms that weren't his own. We were young and naïve, and we didn't understand the stress that a body undergoes during bondage scenes which was why I was hospitalized. After that I stopped having contact with Matthew and moved on with my life.”
“What about Seth?”
Spencer was speechless with shock. Matthew really had been feeling chatty if he'd told Hotch this much. Seth Townsend had been Matthew's best friend and college room mate when they'd met Reid, and they'd been close enough that they did everything together. Including explore the darker side of sexuality. Seth had been Matthew's audience before they went too far, and Reid had been in awe of both of them, although he didn't think he'd ever loved either of them. “Seth took care of me after wards. We remained close, but no, we were never together after that. In any way.”
Hotch nodded. “I understand.” He turned to leave.
“Hotch, do you think he's a suspect?” Reid asked.
Hotch paused on his way out of the door. “No. After I discovered your past I had Garcia check his alibi. At the time of the murder he was having dinner with his boyfriend at a restaurant on the other side of the city. He's in the clear.”
~ CM ~
They had gathered up all the employees in Matthew's establishment and these were the people they were giving the profile to. While Hotch and Rossi opened with the physical description that Sophia had provided them with, Morgan scanned the faces of all the employees looking for a reaction.
“That's a really general description, lots of men look that way,” one of the Dominatrices said, unimpressed.
“We realise that,” Hotch said calmly, “but that is all the solid information we have to go on at this point.”
“However we do have a psychological profile that we've been able to put together after talking with Sophia, Micah and Annette and studying all the evidence we've been able to collect,” Prentiss explained.
Reid stepped forward to deliver the profile. “The man we are looking for self identifies as a Dominant, but he is not one in the truest sense. He is abusive, sadistic and manipulative and has clearly been in the scene for a long time, years maybe as many as ten but due to his age it is unlikely that he'll have been in the scene for much more than that. He appeals to people because he seems strong and in control but he actually has rage issues and if challenged he will lash out. Sophia was a first timer at the club but both Micah and Annette have been in the D/s scene for many years even if Micah had never been at the club before. This tells us that he is very charming and can easily fool even street smart submissives who don't often take risks like letting a stranger tie them up,” Reid said, feeling like the subject was much more than just a theory in order to narrow down the pool of suspects. He had once been just like Sophia, naïve and out for a thrill. They'd both found out that safety was an illusion and trust was a gift best bestowed on the worthy. The problem was judging who was worthy and who wasn't. He avoided looking at Matthew during his speech.
“So, handsome, charming but a dick, between thirty-five and forty with dark hair and a fake tan... gee, that'll help us stop people from ending up like Sarah for sure!” Said one of the waitresses, a small pretty thing who looked to be in her late thirties. Under the derision was a hint of fear and a whole ton of anger. Reid thought back to Sarah Buchanan's file and remembered that she'd worked in the adult sex shop which supplied the club with their toys and that her co-worker had suspected she'd been dating one of the employees from Sub Zone.
“Profiles are only one tool we utilise in tracking down UnSubs. In this particular case we're also preparing to go undercover. One of my agents and I will be posing as a Dom/sub couple in which the Dominant is exuding an unhealthy amount of power over the sub. We're hoping that the UnSub will be drawn towards me as an abusive Top and reveal something about himself. We suspect he is the kind of man who'd like nothing else but to brag about his conquests but has no one to talk to. He'll see me as his equal, as someone who really understands what it means to be a Dominant,” Hotch told them and they all looked comforted to hear the news.
“This may not work and even if it does we suspect it will take more than just one night to build up a rapport with this UnSub so in the mean time we ask that you keep an eye out and continue to warn people about the dangers of playing with strangers,” Prentiss was quick to tell them.
The employees looked unsettled but seemed to take the message seriously which was the best they could hope for. The kind of man they were looking for wouldn't be caught by the police because the police or general public because they would look for different behavioural clues than the people who frequented this club. Still, the undercover operation was their best bet. This guy had been coming in and out of this club for years which meant he was trusted to some extent and people generally had trouble believing someone they trusted was capable of hurting others so badly. Which meant it was down to Hotch and Reid to catch them. No pressure, though.
~ CM ~
Everyone was nervous and high strung before the operation, which was normal of course. It would be cause for concern if anyone wasn't. There was tension between Hotch and Reid that was more than just what was left over from their earlier scene.
“You don't have to do this, Spencer, you know that right?” Hotch said when they had a few minutes alone, away from the others.
“I know,” he reassured his boss, although the man didn't look all that comforted.
“I don't want you to feel pressured because you are the only one with experience in the BDSM scene,” he said.
“It does make me the only one qualified for this operation and we've always used people's skills or knowledge to help catch UnSubs before,” Reid pointed out, using logic to make his argument.
“Of course but there is a line, Spencer, and this is most definitely crossing it. I know before it may have felt like I was attacking you, but I don't want you to think I judge you for your past. Being a submissive is an extremely personal thing, and a part of that is knowing you can trust the person you are with in every capacity,” Aaron said.
Reid looked at his boss, his face calm and his eyes holding a depth of emotion that was untranslatable. “I do trust you, in every way.”
Aaron took a breath as he realised that this conversation was about more than just going undercover. He'd always known that Reid had more than just professional feelings for him but had brushed off Gideon's concern and chalked it up to hero worship on the younger man's behalf. But seeing his eyes now as he made that confession and knowing what little he did know about Reid's introduction to sexual experiences the concept took on a whole new meaning, one which Aaron had never had to think about before and he wasn't sure he should be thinking about now. Just because he had decided it was okay to start dating again didn't mean he should jump into a hardcore BDSM relationship with his male subordinate. In fact, despite the desire that this case had stirred up in him he had to admit to himself that there may never be a moment where these feelings would be okay to be expressed.
“Reid,” he began warily but backed down because this wasn't the time for that conversation. Instead he reiterated his point, wanting to make sure that Spencer understood the full ramifications of this operation. “I'm going to have to hurt you, humiliate and degrade you and maybe even make you do things that if HQ find out about they'd probably take my badge away, serial rapist and murderer or no.”
“Which is why it makes more sense for me to be the Sub, at least I'll know what to expect and how to behave. Besides, Morgan and Rossi clearly couldn't handle it and Prentiss would find a way to make you pay,” Reid said mischievously attempting to lighten the mood.
“No mention of JJ?” Hotch asked, raised eyebrow at the omission.
Reid smiled. “I don't think she could pull off a Sub any more than Morgan could. They definitely both have 'alpha' written all over them. Even Mattie said she'd look at home with a whip in her hands.”
Hotch laughed quietly. “Thank you but that's an image I could probably have done without.”
“Just remember, you kick like a thirteen year old girl and I've had worse,” Spencer said, reminding them both of the mission at hand and how serious the matter really was.
Hotch lost his smile. “That doesn't make me feel any better,” he said sighing as he tried his best not to picture Reid in a hospital bed, all alone and scared. He didn't need the anger he associated with the image.
Reid shrugged uncomfortably. “It's in the past. I just use it to remind myself that I'm a stronger person than most people assume I am.”
“Gideon knew how strong you were,” Aaron said softly, knowing that even now the team tended to shy away from mentioning Gideon, especially around Reid. It wasn't that they'd forgotten him, or Elle, just that it was painful, and a reminder of how easy it was to lose yourself to this job.
“You think that's why he wrote me that letter?” Reid asked sceptically.
Hotch couldn't speak to that, even after all these years he wasn't sure if he'd addressed the letter to Reid because he'd known how much his defection from the team had hurt him or because he'd known that Reid would be the first person to get curious enough to find the letter. Either way he knew that Reid had been hurting and lost afterwards and he hadn't helped much, to busy with his own failing marriage and disappointment in his old friend. “I think that's why he brought you onto the team.”
Reid nodded, content with that answer. “So, are you ready to Top me?” He asked brightly.
Hotch smacked him roughly around the mouth with enough force to snap his head around. “Shut up, boy!” He hissed angrily.
Reid, to his credit, immediately got into character. He let his head fall so that his chin rested on his chest and his eyes stayed glued to the floor in front of his shoes. “Yes sir, I apologise sir.”
“Now, now, I'm sure you can do better than that!” Hotch tutted darkly, sounding amused even as his gut clenched in repulsion at someone acting the way he was right now. It was one thing to punish someone in a safe environment for breaking pre-set rules with scripted consequences and a safe word for opting out but the kind of scene they were creating was one in which the submissive was as much of a slave as Cindi had been with no choice in the matter only threats of worse treatment should they not behave as expected by their Dom.
Reid dropped elegantly to the floor in one movement, his forehead touching the tops of Hotch's shiny black shoes. “Forgive me, Master,” Reid whispered, pressing tiny little kisses to the leather.
“Better, but you'll have to be punished later of course,” Hotch said dismissively and with a swift kick that had very little power behind it he unbalanced Reid enough to topple him over and send him the rest of the way to the floor.
“That was impressive. I almost believed in it myself,” Mattie's voice was like a bucket of cold water and Hocth snapped out of the scene immediately. He hadn't realised that the other man had entered the room and wanted to ask how long he had been standing there but knew that asking would draw attention to the fact that Hotch had been saying things he would rather Matthew didn't know. Things that he wanted to stay between himself and Reid.
Mattie helped Reid off the floor and Hotch did his best not to glare at where the other man's hands were touching Reid. Top-space, even an abusive top space that was concocted for the purpose of flushing out a serial rapist, was hard to come down from.
“Then I guess we're ready to go clubbing,” Hotch said coolly, keeping the conflicting emotions he was feeling out of his voice.
“You might want to change your clothes first,” Mattie suggested in an amused voice but there was nothing in his eyes that was smiling. Hotch had a feeling that Matthew could read him better than most people could and it irritated him further.
“Of course. Garcia went shopping,” he said smoothly and gestured for them both to follow him out of the room.
Reid shook himself free of the hand that Mattie had kept on him and stayed close to Hotch as they tracked down Garcia. “Are you sure letting Garcia choose our outfits was a good idea?” He asked softly. They all loved her, and no one could imagine her without her bubblegum pink or florescent orange outfits but at the same time no one wanted to dress like her either.
“It'll be fine. We discussed concepts before I gave her my credit card. We also discussed penalties for going overboard,” he said and he was only half joking.
Luckily for all of them, Garcia had stuck to the boss's suggestions although she hadn't been able to stop herself from adding a few flares here and there but they only added to the realism of the outfits instead of deducting from it.
“I considered having you half naked but then I decided that I'm a possessive top who would never share you with anyone in any capacity,” Hotch said and the words were secretly aimed at Matthew. The other man's jaw tightened and Hotch guessed he'd gotten the message. “Besides,” he added lightly, “then we'd have to bruise you up some and this just seemed easier.”
Reid winced and looked inside the bag. It actually wasn't as bad as he had feared, and he disappeared into the men's room to change. He still felt fairly exposed as he left the safety of the bathroom and when he entered the office once more his eyes were downcast simply to avoid seeing his teammate's reactions.
Mattie let out a wolf whistle. “Very nice. If I didn't know personally exactly how old you were I'd guess twenty-five at tops, and a very hot twenty-five at that!” Reid could practically feel Mattie's eyes burning a way through his outfit, what there was of it anyway.
Garcia had clothed him in a skin tight white t-shirt with a high neckline, a pair of soft soled canvas shoes and dark blue jeans that fit snugly around his waist. It was definitely true that Reid looked younger in his new clothes and he hated it. The reason he dressed older than his age was because he'd always had so much trouble getting people to take him seriously as an academic and an FBI agent. Dressed like this he felt all of fifteen. No one was likely to take him seriously like this. Although he guessed no one was meant to.
Hotch's hand lifted his chin forcing him to meet his eyes. “You look perfect for the part,” he said, and somehow that made all his doubts and worries dissipate. It was the perfect thing to say.
Reid allowed himself a peek at what his boss was wearing. “Ditto, boss,” he said, sounding pleasantly surprised. Garcia had definitely reigned herself in on this shopping trip. Hotch didn't look massively different from his normal self, unlike Reid, although this outfit seemed to shout out that Hotch was someone important who didn't have the patience for people who weren't serious. He was wearing black slacks that were freshly pressed and well tailored, in fact they fit so well that Reid suspected that Hotch had actually owned these rather than allowed Garcia to buy him some. His shirt also fit well and was a dark blue colour that complimented his eyes. He had kept his polished leather work shoes and tucked his shirt in to show of the thick leather belt around his waist that looked more like a threat now than an everyday item.
“Only one thing missing,” Hotch said, indicating Reid's bare throat.
He gulped. “Couldn't reach the fastening,” he murmured as an excuse as he handed over the excellently crafted leather collar to his boss.
Hotch took it silently and gently placed it around Reid's neck, unconsciously caressing the skin as he fastened the silver buckle and twisted the collar around so that the 'D' ring was at the front. Finally they added the last part of their cover.
A leash.
The leash was what Garcia added, but it was perfect for their cover and completely acceptable for Sub Zone. It matched the collar in it's functional simplicity and both had clearly been made for human use which was comforting. Hotch held the handle in his own hand and clipped the leash onto the 'D' ring so that it fell safely in front of Reid and wouldn't be a choking hazard if he pulled too quickly on it. Not that he would, human necks were easily damaged and the idea was to look like Reid was being caused a lot of pain, not give them reason to visit a hospital before the night was over.
When they were alone Hotch pulled Reid close and added a few touches of his own. First he ran a hand through Reid's short brown hair so it spiked up haphazardly, then he dug out a packet of cigarettes and slipped them into Reid's front jeans pocket so that they were easily visible. Smoking would be a good excuse to get out of the club, even if only for a few minutes, and he may even be able to make a few 'friends' this way as well. The last thing he did was hand Reid a cock cage.
“You know what this is?” He asked, and could tell from the blush that stained his sub-ordinate’s cheeks that he did. “I want you to put it on. Trust me, it'll be an easy way of demonstrating my sadistic control over you without having you preform intimate and debasing acts in front of others.”
Reid nodded and disappeared for some privacy, adjusting the cock cage so that it was obvious that the device not only prevented ejaculation but also stopped him from getting hard. Someone who was wearing this was not going to be having any fun, and Reid knew that permanent use caused the type of damage that no man wanted to admit to. Cock cages didn't have to be humiliating and dehumanising, and Reid had even seen them used in loving healthy relationships to further the pleasure of both partners rather than cruelly torture one for the other's sadistic enjoyment. Of course in this case they wanted the UnSub to mistake Hotch for the latter kind of Dom.
Reid prayed he lost the blush before they arrived at the club or else he wouldn't survive the night, low lighting or no.
>>> Continue onto part three here (final part).