𝙰𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝙾𝚍𝚍𝚜 | 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚎𝚒𝚍

All Goodbyes

The manhunt was just beginning and the hope to find more potential victims was looking good when Spencer showed up with the uncovered names they were missing. "I got 4 names on the bottom of the list prentiss gave us. Luke Renault, Lawrence Riley, Lila Rafferty, Lyle Rogers. All with the initials L. R!"

"The CIA uses cryptograms like that to assign to non-official cover agents working the same case," Hotch relayed as they gazed over the new names.

"So do other foreign countries," remarked Rossi. "Those last 4 names are covers... spies."

"Wait," Penelope happened to take a quick peek and found something obviously wrong. "No. This isn't right." She plucked the paper from Spencer's hand and turned it over for them to see, her finger pointing to a spot next to a black mark. "Do you see this space? That shouldn't be here."

"Could it be a formatting error?" Aitana asked. Everyone else seemed lost too.

"No, this is a spreadsheet template. Formatting doesn't allow for this. There's a missing name on here!"

"It's another spy whose cover is L. R.," Seaver made the logical deduction. The only question now was what the name was.

Spencer remembered exactly what that last name could be, and the more he considered it the more sense it made. "Lauren Reynolds is dead," he repeated the sentence that hadn't made any sense to him not too long ago. At the other's questioning looks, he explained. "'Lauren Reynolds is dead.' Prentiss said that on a phone call 17 days ago. But her intonation wasn't surprise or grief. It was like a mantra, like she was reminding herself."

"Lauren Reynolds, L. R," Morgan picked up on it soon. "If Prentiss is the last name on that list, she's on Doyle's list, too."

"That explains her behavior the past month. The secrets, the evasion," Rossi said.

"She's been biting her fingernails again, too!" Spencer added. All the signs were there and none of them had seen it.

"She said goodbye," Aitana suddenly said. Everything was beginning to click. Just as the others were asking her what she meant, she raised a finger to give her a moment then headed for Emily's desk. Hotch had already tried calling her in the meantime and to all of their surprise, Aitana yanked one of the drawers open to see Emily's vibrating phone inside along with her badge and gun. "She said goodbye earlier and I didn't realize it." Aitana let out a deep sigh. How could she have been so stupid? All the things Emily had said...she was saying a goodbye.

"Why would she do that!?" Penelope was the first to freak out.

Spencer wasn't of the same feeling but more of a deep disappointment and sadness. "That doesn't make sense. Why run? We're her family. We can help."

"Doyle's killing families. She's not married, not close to relatives. He was ready to wipe us out," Rossi said, trying to make it clear for the others. "She ran to protect us."

"She's a trained spy. She doesn't want to be found," Morgan said, already thinking logically to do exactly what she didn't want them to do. "She knows all of our tricks. We don't know any of hers."

"All right, then how do we find her?" Seaver asked them.

"Here's how," Hotch said, striding up to their evidence boards. "Ian Doyle is our unsub, Prentiss is our victim. We profile their behavior and we treat it like any other case." The sentiment that ran amongst the team was one and the same. It was a deep pain. Hotch didn't take time to notice it as he turned around, continuing with the plan. "Because terrorism isn't an area we specialize in, I've reached out to an expert from the state department, someone who can also shed light on Prentiss' past."