My First Love [Spencer Reid Fanfic - 1]

Chapter 48 - In Name and Blood

"Let your heart feel for the affliction and distress of everyone." - George Washington

I arrived at the break room, desperate to get my coffee fix. Spencer was already there, sitting on one of the chairs. "Morning, Spence! Have you heard from Gideon?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. He hasn't picked up any of my calls. It's not like him."

I grabbed the coffee pot and poured it on a FBI mug. "He blames himself for what happened in Flagstaff."

"But it wasn't his fault." Spencer argued.

"I know, Spence." I sat next to him. "But Strauss is determined to blame him and Hotch."

"Well, she already suspended Hotch and Emily resigned." He pointed out.

I put my hand on his knee. "We just need to talk to Gideon and insure his return to the unit." I took a big gulp of my coffee. "I'm more worried about Hotch and Emily."

Spencer held my hand. "I just hope Strauss doesn't come for the rest of us."

"We'll be ready for her if she does." I gave him a reassuring smile and we finished our beverages before heading to the conference room.

_______________________________________________________________

There was a lot of tension in the conference room as Spencer and I stepped in. Strauss was sitting next to JJ and by their looks, there were no good news.

"For the past three weeks, multiple women were found dead with their hearts cut out." JJ informed us. "And this morning, Claire Thompson, was abducted from a mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin."

I flipped through the file. "The removal of the hearts could be symbolic." I commented.

"Or ritualistic." Morgan suggested.

Strauss stood up. "I will be accompanying you to Wisconsin." She announced.

"With all due respect ma'am,but you've never been on the field." Morgan stated and I had to contain myself not to laugh.

"It's true Agent Morgan, but this unit needs my supervision now that Agent Hotchner is no longer in charge and Agent Prentiss resigned." Strauss defended herself.

"And whose fault is that?" Morgan asked rhetorically.

"I do not appreciate your tone, Agent Morgan." She glared at him.

"And I do not appreciate you coming after this team." Morgan stood up to confront her. "Hotch is a great leader and didn't deserve to be punished."

Strauss looked livid. "Then he shouldn't have acted so recklessly."

"Gideon made that decision." Spencer explained.

"Agent Hotchner was in charge, not Agent Gideon." Strauss stated and left the conference room.

"Do we really have to put up with her?" I asked in annoyance.

"Only until Hotch returns." JJ commented and we left the room. It was going to be a long flight and a longer investigation.

___________________________________________________________

We arrived at the station and Strauss arranged for us to go through the surveillance camera at the mall. "What do you see?" Morgan asked me.

"There was no one following Claire." I replied.

"How is he picking his victims if he's not stalking them?" Morgan seemed frustrated.