Selcouth | Criminal Minds | Spencer Reid

Chapter 23

"Exterior Beauty, Without The Depth Of A Kind Soul Is Merely Decoration"
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I PUNCH IN THE number to IT, knowing it by heart as the team watches expectantly from outside the room.

"Tech support, Cadence speaking," A voice pipes up from the other end.

"Hi; I was just wondering if you could send someone up to the BAU; our computers seem to be acting up and our usual tech was called away for a family emergency," I lie through my teeth, knowing that Garcia is just a room over.

"Of course; I'll come up myself as we are a bit swamped down here," Cadence chirps.

"Alright; thanks, see you soon," I reply, placing the phone back on its hook.

"Positions!" I command the rest of the team, watching as they scatter.

If we want this plan to work at all and connect Cadence Foyer to anything, we have to get her talking. That can't be done if it looks like a set up, though.

I make my way to the next room over quickly where Garcia is currently letting a virus free on our computers.

"How long will this keep her busy?" I question quickly, peering toward the elevator nervously.

"It should keep her busy for around ten minutes buttercup!" Garcia grins.

"I can work with that; now go hide!" I whisper-yell.

With Garcia hidden and most of our computers wrecked, I make my way from the meeting room only to notice Cadence Foyer making her way towards me purposefully.

"Are you the IT tech?" I question.

"Yes, I am; now what's going on with your computers?" She replies, striding into the room where the rest of the team is now poring over case files.

Everyone glances up, but like we practiced, they give a disinterested look and go back to reading.

I notice this garners a rise from Cadence so I decide to see how long we can continue this gimmick before she cracks.

"I really don't know; do you mind checking them over while we work on this case?" I suggest, turning my back on the woman and plopping down in my chair.

She doesn't seem to be holding her anger in well and it starts to seep through her facade like paint dripping.

"Alright; I think I have a theory on the shooter," Morgan offers, leaning back in his chair as he flips through page after page.

"Shoot," I reply, giving him the go ahead.

I notice in my peripheal Cadence perk up just a bit and I nearly smile.

"If it is a group of people; I'm thinking that Garrett Stevenson had to have been the dominant and was more or less the leader," Morgan replies.

"Makes sense; he has all the makings of a natural leader, someone that others would blindly follow and take his words like the gospel," Rossi adds.

A crash from beside me almost makes me jump, but I catch myself and turn towards the source of the noise.

Somehow, Cadence managed to knock over a cup of coffee all over the carpet and from the look on her face, she doesn't seem too apologetic about it.

"Garret Stevenson; a leader?" She huffs, crossing her arms angrily.

"I'm sorry; was my talking an invitation for you to join this conversation?" I question innocently.

"You have no idea; do you?" She fumes.

"About what; now you have me confused," Emily murmurs, just loud enough to be heard.

"You people are so daft; actually thinking your crackpot science will actually help you find every loose end and connect them all; Garret was disposable you blustering morons!" Cadence growls angrily.

"Huh, disposable?" Spence repeats, cocking his head to the side, miming confusion.

"You actually think Garret would have went in if he was leading; no, I sent him in because I knew he was disposable!" She huffs, looking at us as if stupid.

"I still don't understand..." I trail off, cocking my head to the side.

"I sent Garret in to shoot this place up because what idiot would actually shoot up a government building filled with trained FBI agents; apparently him," She scoffs, not noticing Hotch sneaking up behind her until he has the handcuffs clasped around her wrists.

Her eyes go wide in confusion, then anger as she realizes her mistake(s).

"Classic villain trope," I mumble as she is lead away.

"What do you mean?" Spence questions.

"The villain always explains their master plan to the heroes believing that they are about to get rid of the hero when in reality it was all a set up," I explain, sidestepping the trickles of chestnut coffee as I make my way to the door.

"Does that make us the heroes?" Spence grins, looking down into my eyes with his own whiskey colored ones.

"You know what Spence; I guess it does," I smile as he wraps his arm around my waist and leads me from the room.

A/N:
Alright, so I'm thinking two more chapters (although I personally think that last blurb would make a pretty good ending) and Selcouth will officially be finished. Let's see if I can get them both up tomorrow! And by the way, I included a GIF of who I imagine Candace as.😊