Innocent: Spencer Reid ✔️

{9} Atlantis

n i n e . o n e
S p e n c e r
v e s t

They do have a lead. Robert Macklyn is the same guy that was at the group, the same guy that spoke to Avery at the end, the same guy that called Hotch. We've been playing his game this whole time, and it's time to end it. Avery hasn't stopped smiling since we got here and found out we got a lead, now we're planning to go to his address. Bullet proof vests and guns. Avery wants to come, Hotch won't let her.

"Avery it isn't safe for you to come, we have to believe he's in that house and he could shoot at any time." Hotch says, strapping up his vest.

"Look, sir I promise, I can help. What if he has hostages? I can talk him down, I promise, I can help you, just please give me a chance." Derek nods with Avery, he's on her side. This is stupid, it's a stupid idea. She went through federal training but she's risking her life - she's never been out in the field before. I don't speak my mind, Avery will hate me if I do so and I don't plan on getting on her bad side. Hotch agrees on the condition she has an agent with her at all times and she isn't to have a gun. Fair enough, they still don't fully trust her. Is it bad that I do? Avery catches my eye and grins as she grabs a bullet proof vest. She knows how to put one on quickly, and mimics a flex once she does so.

"Hey brainiac." She grins, perching herself on the edge of the table in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I ask, it's stupid. They're putting her into the field where there are three men trying to kill her. It's all a big suicide game to them, and she's walking into it. He'll kill her, not the hostages. If he even has any.

"Going into field with you, genius." She ruffles my hair and slides off the table, following Hotch and Derek out of the round table room. I go after Avery and catch up with her, walking at a fast pace next to her. "Are you mad or something? You don't want me to go, do you?" She stops and grabs my arm to stop me catching up with Derek.

"You two, if we're going, we're going now." Hotch calls.

"Of course I don't want you to go, you've never been in the field before, and you have three murderers after you." I start walking again towards the elevator which Derek is holding for us. I slide in and pull Avery with me before the doors shut. We stay silent until there's some space for a personal talk when the elevator doors open and we all file out towards the cars. "Just behave."

"Hey!" She hisses back, "we kissed once. Or three times, whatever. Don't boss me around, genius." When she makes sure we're behind everyone else, she quickly gets on her tiptoes and kisses me again, leaving me confused and perplexed when she runs off towards one of the SUV's. I climb in after her, we're stuck with Derek's awful driving again. "Let's go kick some ass." She mutters, I catch Derek's eye in the rear view mirror. Yes, Derek, this was a mistake.

———

"You know what to do, don't you Avery?" Derek asks. What she's been told to do. Only if he has hostages does she enter, or if it's all clear. She nods at Derek and climbs out of the car, patiently waiting for Derek to bust down the locked door. I wait with her - like I've been specifically told to do. Alex Blake re-enters from the doorway and beckons us in. It's all clear, only his wife is home. "Ma'am do you have any idea where your husband could be?" Derek asks. We've spent the whole day finalising and planning, the sun is now setting. We're running out of time, he's slipping through our fingers.

"No...is he in serious trouble? I'm sorry I don't know." She whimpers, she's cradling a toddler, she has no clue what her husband has been doing.

"Is there anywhere he would specifically go to? Anyone he would meet?" Avery pleads, her hands start jiggling against her thigh. I discreetly take her hand in mine and brush my thumb against her knuckles, calming her down.

"God, I don't know... he always keeps his friends a secret from me. But I think he did say he was going to a diner not far from here. He orders there all the time." We all quickly head out back to the SUV's as Derek gets Penelope on the phone.

"Baby girl, we need the nearest diner to us, from our current location." Derek starts the car and waits for a reply from Garcia.

"What happened to hello? How are you? I'm tapping away... Michaels Diner, sending you the coordinates to your phones. Stay safe my lovelies." My heart is pounding out of my chest as Derek follows Hotch's SUV in the direction of the diner. He's there, I know he is and it makes my blood boil.

———
n i n e . t w o
A v e r l y n
b u l l e t

Everyone in the diner is running out when we get there, sirens blasting. JJ grabs a near hostage and asks if anyone's hurt, he shakes his head, tells us Robert is in there alone and runs. Some help you were. If he's in there alone - something is bound to happen. Everyone is ready, guns pointed, waiting for movement. Spencer is next to me, his gun pointed at a window as we shield ourselves by a car door. Just in case. "Robert Macklyn, we just want to talk." Hotch yells through a megaphone in hopes of getting his attention.

That's when he starts to shoot. Glass smashes around us as he fires too many bullets per minute. We're blindly shooting bullets back but it's no use, for some reason. He hits multiple officers in his frenzy as we aimlessly retaliate. Spencer was right - this is just one big suicide game. Alex Blake starts shooting, smashing panels of glass as she aims to get Robert down. Macklyn retaliates to Alex and starts shooting again, Spencer moves forward to block his shot before he falls back, groaning in pain.

I act on instinct, ducking down and grabbing Spencer to drag him out of Macklyn's line of fire. It's only a few seconds before he's reloading which gives Derek and JJ a chance to get him down. "Oh God, Spencer." I mutter, unsure where to keep my eyes. Alex helps me lean him against a car as he slowly bleeds out of his neck. His neck.

"Alright, Avery keep pressure on the wound, alright?" I nod and keep the palm of my hand pressed against his neck. He's not fully unconscious but he's close to it, his eyes roll back as he struggles to regain control. I don't know where Alex has gone - whether she's gone to get help or to go and help Derek and JJ but I need help.

"I need a medic!" I yell, desperately looking around for an ambulance anywhere. "Somebody! Spencer stay with me, please." His head falls back against the car we've rest him at as tears start to fill my eyes. The first guy to show the least bit of kindness to me since I got here and he's dying. I kissed him, and he's still dying. I quickly lean forward and press my mouth against his, a fast instinct.

"Maeve..." he whispers, his eyebrows creasing as he mutters the name. Maeve?

"Spencer, please." I beg as one of my hands fall down to his lap, he manages to take hold of it and hold it tightly. "Just stay with me, a medic is coming soon." I squeeze his hand back and wait impatiently for a medic. Blake comes back, she's alone with worried glances but Spencer is slowly losing himself in my arms.

*****
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