"Hold him," you ordered, your voice sharp. Your operative managed to gentle Reid, whose frantic movements were threatening to reopen the cuts on his wrists. You had a brief window before he lost it completely.

"Reid." You moved into his line of sight, making him focus on you. "It's me. You're safe."

Tears streamed down his face, carving clean paths through the dirt. Fear had hollowed out his eyes, leaving a haunted, pleading look you’d never seen on him before.

"Mmmph..." The whimper was muffled by the gag you were already reaching to remove. He was your husband, but in this moment, he was a victim you had to save from the wreckage of your own life. Your gaze swept over him in a practiced, clinical assessment that did nothing to soothe the ache in your chest.

"Listen to me." You kept your tone even, a calm anchor in his storm. "Did they touch you anywhere else?"

The guilt was a cold, heavy thing in your gut. He never should have been part of this world. You should have told him the truth.