Gentle Epiphany // Criminal Minds

Chapter Fourteen - Most Of Us Are Strangers

♜ Spencer ♜

"All right, how do we remove a microchip that's not there?" Hotch questions, I can't help my pacing. The anxiousness I'm feeling as time continues to run out is all consuming. Is this how Daphne feels all the time, this crippling anxiety. It's awful.

"His speech is lucid. There's no sign of neologisms, word salad, or loosening of associations. As long as he can systemize, he'll be able to keep his thinking relatively organized." I explain.

Morgan looks over at me from his seat, "Organized enough to see through any game we try to throw at him?"

"And if he's convinced it's in his arm and not in a place like his back or his neck...." Hotch begins before Gideon interrupts him, "An incision means he's gonna be watching."

"Maybe we can just convince him that he's been looking in the wrong place." Morgan suggests which gives me an idea.

"Or we can fake it." I state all eyes turning to me, "Conceal a chip in the palm, a little sleight of hand." I do a bit of magic with the coin I've been fidgeting with.

"Oh, come on, Reid, what are you talking about? A magic trick? This is Daphne's life we are talking about?" Morgan argues in frustration. I know exactly who's life hangs in the balance.

"I'm well aware of who is in that train." I say aggravated, he's not the only one terrified here. "And yeah, I'm talking about a magic trick."

"No." Hotch looks over at me.

"I used to do it during college exams." I hold out my hand showing him how easy it is for me, "I can make it appear, I can make it disappear."

"We can't risk giving him another agent as a hostage." He argues not listening to me.

"We have to do something....it's Daphne. She..." I look around at everyone pleading with them. I have to at least try.

Morgan stands up with a sigh, "All right, Reid. Let's go. Teach it to me." He suggests.

Has he lost his mind? I'm not teaching him a magic trick. There's not enough time, and I'm not willing to risk Daphne's life on him possibly getting it right.

"What? No."

"Look, if you can do it, I can do it. show it to me." He argues with me.

"I've been practicing this my whole life. We have less than 30 minutes."

He points towards the screens nearby, "Reid, I am not about to let you get on that train with an armed psychotic. It's hard enough knowing Daphne is on there."

"And I'm not letting you put Daphne's life at risk. We don't have any other choice, I can do this." I state with finality.

"No," Gideon says standing from his chair to look at me. "Reid is right, this is our only choice."

Short lived relief floods through me at his agreement. I might not be muscular like Morgan who can hold men like Fielding back from hurting her, and I might not be able to keep calm and collected like Hotch during the situation with Dowd when she was in danger. But I can do this, I can use magic and sleight of hand to save her. I can trick him into believe I took out the microchip out.

˚　✦　🪐　.　　. 　 ˚ . ✦ *　 ˚🌒　.˚

🪐 Daphne 🪐

"We need to come up with a strategy." I tell Linda as she stands in the aisle watching Teddy.

"I'll try to talk to him." She nods her head slowly taking a few steps closer towards him.