nina cried power [SPENCER REID]

eleven.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
ANDERSON AND HUXLEY

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Once he's finished writing his bullshit 'witness statement' about his phone call with Nina, Spencer steps back into the bullpen (he'd been in the round table room, alone and in silence, for privacy and thought) to find that the rest of the team, minus Garcia, are gathered at his desk. They're fussing around someone that, once he gets close enough, he realises is Anderson, except he's in a Dickies blue boiler suit.

Rossi is the first to see him coming, and he must look sour because the man remarks with a tinge of amusement to his deep voice, "What's up with you -- you need a hug or something?"

Spencer ignores him (it's either that or lose his temper like he did in Hotch's office), glancing among his team. "What's going on?"

"Anderson's going to stake out James Huxley," JJ answers, looking over her shoulder at him, and when Spencer frowns in confusion, she adds, "He's the agent who was assigned to watch you in Florence."

"Our mole," Hotch adds with a curt nod.

Spencer swallows, feeling a strange mixture of guilt and joy. He'd gotten what he wanted, at least, which is an investigation into the middle man linking them to Nina -- but he'd only gotten it through throwing a complete temper tantrum. The embarrassment about doing that had hit him half way through writing his statement, and it hadn't faded in the slightest ever since.

Plus, they're sending Anderson of all people undercover, which means two things: one, this undercover operation is a piece of information that's remaining inside of their team, and won't be spread to Strauss, SWAT, the Director, anybody; and two, Spencer's thrown a fit like a child and now one of his friends is being thrown into the firing line.

What happens if Edelstein finds out? Or another one of his minions? What if, in two weeks time, Anderson's the one with stones over his eyes and his throat cut?

"The main goal is to see if it appears he's being watched," says Prentiss, as Anderson shoulders a heavy bag, no doubt made to look like it holds tools but inevitably contains a microphone. "At least, by people who aren't us."

"That's unlikely," remarks Rossi. "But you need to check for more than a van on the street. He might have cameras or microphones in lightbulbs, in cupboards, under pillows, in his fruit bowl -- anywhere. We have no idea how much control this Edelstein clown has over Huxley's life."

"Or Nina's," says Spencer.

A few of them glance at him, and beside him JJ bristles, before Prentiss says, "Me and Morgan'll be listening from the van, but Huxley knows what I look like and he probably knows Morgan, too. But if you need us, we're there."