Life Outside the BAU

Chapter 3

I walk back in through the front door and sit on the couch. It was the perfect night, everything I could have dreamed for. Everything I've ever wanted in a woman. I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I pull it out to see who could be trying to contact me at such a late hour. 'Be here as soon as you can' It was from Hotch. So much for a vacation. I arrive at the office at about 1 am. When the elevator opened the whole team was standing around looking groggy and rubbing their eyes. Morgan walks up to me. "So how was the vacation pretty boy?" "Oh fairly boring, I finished reading Warsaw 1921 by Adam Zamoysk, it's a story about this guy who goes..." "Okay I get it Reid, you had a fun vacation" Morgan walks away. Sometimes annoying people with my intelligence helps me out. "Guys, in here" Hotch calls from the meeting office. We all sit down at the round table and JJ passes around the case files. "Four women were found outside the Time Cafe late last night, they were found with bruises around their wrists and ankles" JJ informs us. "So they were held captive?" Callahan asks. "Yes, and it appears the victims were dumped three days apart from one another." JJ replies. "Why have they only been discovered now?" Hotch asks. "I'm not sure but Texas police requested our help on their investigation" JJ says. "Alright wheels up in thirty" Hotch commands. Everyone gets up from the table JJ approaches me. "Hey, are you okay you seemed a little bit, distracted" Well I mean I technically should be asleep right now so I guess I'm just a little tired" I say jokingly. JJ smiles at me and walks out and I follow behind her. We all aboard the plane and take our seats. Once everyone is on the plane starts and we are in the air. Morgan opens the laptop to Garcia's colourful and wacky hair and makeup. "How's my beautiful baby girl?" "Tired and sleep deprived my pretties" Garcia replies with a witty comment. "So we need everything you got on recent homicides in the area" You can hear her typing away on her keyboard like a robot. "Yeah so there have been many in that area, homicides have up 20% in the last few months" Garcia says. "Alright, thanks darling" Morgan says "Keep me posted" Garcia replies and clicks out. "If murders have gone up 20% then it's going to be much more difficult to catch this guy." Rossi states. "How can we be sure this is a guy? The body only shows one gunshot to the forehead, it's quick and painless and their are no other bruises on the body" JJ points out. "Also the body is laid out so the hands are folded on top of each other, it seems to, structured to be a man only a woman would show this much respect to a body." I mention. "But how would she be able to carry the body all the way to the back of the alley by herself, considering there are no scratches or bruises?" Callahan asks. "Maybe a team, a man and a woman." JJ asks "A man to do the heavy lifting and a woman to do the thinking, makes sense" Hotchs adds just as the plane starts to land. We walk into the police department. Hotch walks over to the officer in charge of the investigation. "This is agents JJ, Rossi, Callahan, Reid, Morgan and myself agent Hotchner" Hotch says pointing to each one of us. "I'm detective Evans, it's nice to meet you" He says smiling at us. "Let me show you to the investigation room" Evans says. We all follow him to a decent sized room with a white board right up in front. I put my bag down and walk over to the board and open one of the markers. I start talking and everyone looks up at me "So we know its a man and woman team" I say righting down information. "Probably mid thirties if he is able to carry a full grown woman" Morgan suggests. I right that down too. I take the pictures of the victims on the board and write down their information below. Evens runs back into the room, "Another woman's just been found" We all get in our cars and drive to the crime scene. When we get there we are in a different ally than where the other three bodies were dumped. "They must have found out are here" Rossi mentions. JJ and I walk over to the body. "Same position, hands folded over her chest and bruises on her ankles and wrists" I say thinking out loud. "But there is something different" JJ says opening the girls mouth. "Her tongue is missing" I point out. The rest of the day id spent trying to figure out who his dynamic duo is and what they are trying to accomplish. Finally we get a call from Garcia. "So I looked up men who have jobs that allow them to do alot of heavy lifting and I found 24 guys. All working at gyms or construction sites. "Reid and Morgan go check out local construction sites, Rossi and Callahn you are coming with me. JJ stay here and handle the press as you see fit" Hotch says walking out the door and to his car. There are alot of workers at this site. "How are we supposed to figure out which one it could be with all these guys?" I ask. "Were not, were just going to try and get a little closer to figuring it out" Morgan replies. When Morgan and I step out of the vehicles we get many menacing glares. "Hello" Morgan says very loudly getting everyone's attention "We just need to ask you guys some questions" Suddenly a guy from the back takes off running. Morgan and I charge after him. I grab my gun out from its holster holding it down at my hip. Morgan and I chase him into a corner where he pulls out his gun. "Come on now, we both know you don't want to do that, just put down the gun so we can handle this calmly and peacefully" Morgan try's to convince him. I keep my gun pointed at him. He changes his aim front Morgan to me. I don't flinch. He aims it back at Morgan. "Where's your partner?" I ask him. He doesn't answer, just keeps his eye set on Morgan. I get a call in on my radio. " His name is Travis Wardly" "Yeah thanks JJ, we got him here" I say into the radio. The mans eyes seem to light up at the sound of his name. "Put it down Travis" Morgan says again. Travis fires the gun and so does Morgan. The whole world goes hazy as Travis falls to the ground. I fall to the ground and I hear Hotch screaming my name. He leans to my side "Reid?" he asks nervously. I look down at my chest where the bullet hit. Strangely I don't feel much pain and then I notice that it didn't go past my vest. "Thank god" Hotch says letting out a huge sigh. Hotch helps me to feet. I can already feel the bruise forming but it's better than a bullet hole. The paramedics rush past me to Morgan and Travis. He was dead before he even hit the ground. Morgan walks over to Hotch and I. "You okay kid?" "Yeah I'm fine, nice shot" I reply. Morgan just smiles and smacks my back. Callahan and Rossi stand by the cars as we walk up. "Did I miss something?" Rossi asks. I just smile and get in the car. It's hard not to smile when you know your still alive after something like that. We all board the plan again and I quickly fall asleep. I dream about Victoria. Her beautiful hair and gorgeous lips. I'm glad that I will be able to see her again, smell her again. As soon as we land I will call her but now all I can do is sleep. I am awoken by JJ as she tells me we are landing. I grab my stuff and get into my car. I look at my phone. While I was asleep I got 3 new messages all from Victoria. I click the first message. "Spencer... please help me someones here... I'm scared" Oh god, I click the next one "Please pick up Spencer I'm in his trunk, help me please" I can hear the terror in her voice, she's crying. I can barley click the third one but I do. "I'm at the old abandoned warehouse by your apartment that's all I could see (what are you doing?) No please, please stop." Her voice goes blank. "Victoria!" I say to myself. I grab my gun and head to the warehouse.