i'll keep you safe, criminal minds

017. spencer

Mackenzie is getting her stuff for her next class when she feels her phone vibrate. She takes it out and reads JJ's name making her frown as she answers it.

"Hey." Mackenzie greets.

"Mackenzie. Hey. How, uh... are you doing okay?" JJ asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Mackenzie says. "Why are you calling me?"

"I, uh, Spence just wanted me to check in on you. He-- his phone wasn't working, so..." JJ says.

"Right." Mackenzie mumbles. "You sure? I mean, I called him last night."

"Yeah. Yeah, no, he just-- it broke today."

"Well, if his phone's broken, how'd he tell you to check on me."

"Uh..."

"What's going on?" Mackenzie asks.

"Nothing, sweetie. Everything's fine." JJ assures. "Go to class. Nothing's wrong."

+++

"This has got to be Scratch." Tara states. "He was laying low. Now we know why."

"Crossing the border as a fugitive is a huge risk." Luke says.

"The reward is greater." Emily says. "He's been punishing the team. Now his target is Reid."

"Peter Lewis dropped off the map after attacking Tara's family." Stephen says. "Maybe he's been hiding in Mexico this whole time."

"We also have to consider this isn't related to him." Emily says.

"Who else would it be?" Rossi asks.

"Drug cartels." Luke says. "Could have threatened Reid and used him as a mule."

"Agreed. This could simply be a case of bad luck." Rossi says. "Reid was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Spence's mom is okay." JJ states, walking in. "The home nurse he hired said all is stable. I called Mackenzie and she's doing okay at school."

"Oh, thank the stars." Penelope sighs in relief.

"How long did he tell the nurse he'd be gone?" Luke asks.

"Uh, 3 days." JJ says.

"That sounds reasonable. After the Palm Springs case, Reid said he had to get back to Houston to talk to his mom's doctor." Emily says.

"Well, Houston is only a 5 hour drive from the border." Tara says.

"Usually I can read him. I can't believe I didn't pick up on any of this." JJ says.

"He didn't want you to, and there's no way you would have guessed he'd end up in Mexico." Stephen says.

"The question is, why did he go down there?" Tara questions.

"And why does he have narcotics?" Rossi asks.

"Yeah, exactly. That-- that-- he wouldn't-- he wouldn't do that. I'm not gonna share any secrets I'm not supposed to, but those drugs were planted on him." Penelope states.

"Absolutely. But there's something bigger in play." Stephen says. "That's why he crossed the border and kept it a secret. There's something he didn't want to share with any of you."

"Okay, so what would make him risk everything?" Emily asks.

"His mom." JJ states. "Or-- or Mackenzie."

"Yeah, but they're both here, and they're both safe." Penelope says before her computer beeps. "Oh, wait. Cruz just sent me the arresting report. Hold, please. Translating now. O... kay. It says here that Reid was involved in a high speed chase."