Lockdown

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

11/09/2019. 22:05 hours. Emily Prentiss' Apartment, Quantico, Virginia.

Emily swirled the crimson contents of her wine glass as she chewed her bottom lip in thought. She had tried to watch some cheesy rom-com to try and appease the vortex of thoughts running through her mind, but no amount of cheesy comedy was swaying the pit of unease in her stomach. For all Mel's reactions seemed genuine when they first entered the prison, there was something that did not sit right with the unit chief about her. For a woman who had only briefly met their resident genius, she had become exceptionally invested in him. Emily could understand Spencer's declaration of love; he had not experienced romantic love since Maeve, and he was trying to give the team a clue as to his whereabouts. Mel had been quick to kick them out of the room when Spencer was seizing, but they had been through this before with the doctor. Mel should have known the importance of someone being handcuffed when in federal custody.

With her wine glass in her left hand, Emily felt around the cushions beside her for her cell phone. She found it wedged down the side of one of the cushions. She scrolled through the numbers and dialled one.

"My sweet buttercup! What can I do for you, my liege?" came Penelope's chipper voice.

"Hey, PG. I need you to do some of your magic for me."

"Your wish is my command! What do you need?"

"I need you to do a deep dive on Melanie Carter."

"Boy Wonder's girlfriend?"

"Yeah. There's something unsettling me about her." Emily could hear Penelope typing away on her laptop.

"Odd. Melanie Carter has only existed since 2010. She's listed as living at 3320 McCorkle Court. There's a sealed file here. Let me just unpack it. Wait a minute. She wasn't born Melanie Carter. She was born Alyssa Cartwright. She went into foster care at age five. She bounced around foster homes for years and got herself into a whole bunch of trouble. She's got multiple arrests for assault, false imprisonment, drug offences, and stalking. Her last foster parents were judges and got her a new identity under WitSec, and her records were sealed." Emily sipped her wine, wincing at the burn as it slid down her throat.

"Shit."

"What are we going to do about Reid?"

"I don't know yet. We need access to her laptop. For someone who only briefly met him, she has a real investment in him. We need to keep this between us for now. I want to try and get eyes on her house."

"Got it, boss lady!"

"Alright. Thanks, PG." Emily sighed and ended the call. This was going to be difficult. Very difficult. Spencer was in trouble again, only this time he was unable to see it and it was right in front of him.

12/09/2019. 10:09 hours. An undisclosed address, Virginia.

Mel smirked as she stepped into the room and gazed around. Things were coming together nicely, albeit slower than planned. She had known for so long that she had to have him, especially after watching one of Dr. Spencer Reid's lectures from the very back of the auditorium. He was extraordinarily handsome with his chiselled cheekbones, his angular unshaven jaw, the deep brown curls that brushed over his shirt collar. And those hazel eyes. They were to die for. He was so animated as he spoke, hands gesturing throughout. He always had time for his students, answering their questions with grace. When she got wind that he was visiting a Death Row inmate, she had to meet him. She knew that Warden Michaels had planned to abduct Spencer. She just had no idea that he would try to kill him. She could not let Michaels kill him and take him away from her. She needed him in the same way that she needed air and water.