The Conspiracy
Chapter 1
Arrival

"Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe." – Frederick Douglass

Hotch stood with his back to his desk and looked out onto the bullpen. All his agents were busy catching up on paperwork. Morgan he felt sorry for. Reid had been on leave, and so Morgan was having to do his own writing, something he wasn't used to. He smiled inwardly. Morgan had got Reid onto that on his first day, still wet behind the ears and eager to please. Now it had become a habit that both agents were content not to break.

Emily had her head down working on the last case. The team had been debriefed, and Hotch thought she was probably making notes to remind herself what could have been done, one of the best learning methods there was. Although not hand picked, as he preferred, she was a valuable member of the team.

Reid was conspicuous by his absence. He was not noisy himself, but he seemed to liven the room up when he was there, as if his mere presence was noisy.

Actually, Hotch was a little concerned about Reid. He had asked for leave to go and look up an old college friend that he hadn't heard from for years, who suddenly called him and asked him to go and stay with him. Reid didn't say why, and Hotch didn't ask. But since the second day, his cell had been switched off, and Hotch didn't like not being able to contact a team member, even if they were on leave.

He left his office and crossed the walkway to see Dave. He and Dave had become close during his so far brief addition to the team. Hotch thought they were friends by default. Neither of them liked to share their inner feelings with others, and neither found it easy to make friends. Hotch had served under Rossi, and their friendship sort of fell into place with neither of them having to make any kind of special effort.

He knocked on Dave's door and waited to be invited in. He began without preamble,

'I am worried about Reid.'

'He still not called in?' Dave said, looking up from his open laptop and waving towards a chair.

'No and his cell is still switched off. It's so unlike him.' Hotch sat down. 'Heaven knows he's entitled to take leave, and have his privacy, but I don't like being out of touch.'

'Hm yes. If something came up, you would need to get in touch quickly. When is he due back?'

'He has another week.' Hotch said, sitting right on the edge of his chair. 'I don't want to leave it that long though.'

'You want to go and check up on him?'

'Well yes, but I wanted your advice. He might not take kindly to being checked up on.' Hotch said. 'I'm not his Mum.'

'I can't see the harm in flying out to see. We don't have to interfere with what ever he's doing; just make sure everything is ok.'

'Yeah. And ask him to switch his phone on!'

-0-0-0-

Hotch told Morgan what he was going to do.

'Well I'm glad somebody other than me is concerned.' he had answered.

'Dave and I will both have our cells on. If anything comes up, we will be on the next flight back.' Hotch said. 'So you are running things until we get back.'

'No probs, Boss. See you in a few days.'

Morgan left Hotch's office, and Dave called the airline to book their seats.

'What do you know about where Reid has gone?'

'I looked up the town on the web. It's a frontier town in Arizona. From what Reid said, it hasn't come far in the last hundred years. A real backwater.'

'The more I think about it the more nervous I get.' Dave said. 'I don't like that we can't contact him.'

Hotch picked up his go bag, and Dave followed him out of the office. 'We'll take my car to the airport.' he said, heading for the lift. He glanced across his domain. Morgan was at Emily's desk, probably explaining where the boss was going. Todd was in her office shuffling requests, and Garcia was doing whatever it was she does. Everyone synchronised together.

Hotch had a good team.

Going down in the lift, Hotch again second guessed himself as to whether he was doing the right thing following Reid. He didn't know the name of the man he was looking up, nor did he know where he was staying. Would Reid be annoyed?

Hotch knew of the strong feelings Reid had for him, and he didn't want to give any wrong signals. But Reid knew well that Hotch liked everyone to be accessible at all times, and surely wouldn't turn his cell off. He sighed deeply.

'Are you ok, Aaron?' Dave asked as the lift juddered to a halt in the parking garage under the FBI building. 'Having second thoughts?'

'Not exactly. I need to find out what's happening.' Instinctively, Hotch felt that Reid was in some kind of trouble. 'I'm sure this is the right thing to do.'

He pointed his key fob at his car and opened the doors. Hotch threw his bag onto the back seat and got into the driver's seat. Dave put his bag beside Hotch's and sat next to him, and Hotch drove the car out into the Quantico traffic.

-0-0-0-

As they walked across the concourse to their flight, Hotch tried Reid one more time. He didn't expect an answer, and he quickly put his phone away and boarded the plane. They were in the air about an hour, and then they hired a car for the last hundred miles or so. Hotch wondered how Reid made the trip. It was a long and tiring trip and when they drove into the dusty streets of the little town, all either of them wanted was a shower and a sleep.

The hotel was an old clapboard building opening directly onto the street with a small dusty car park at the back. Hotch drove into a space and glanced around for another car that could be Reid's. If he was staying at the hotel, but there were no other cars in the car park, just an old pick up and a battered old ford.

'He's probably staying with his friend.' Dave said when Hotch voiced his disquiet. But as they walked round to the front, Dave too looked a little worried.

Walking into the bar, they almost expected cowboys to be sitting around the table and a spittoon by the door. It was like stepping back in time. Hotch ordered two beers and showed the bartender a picture of Reid.

'Nope, ain't seen him around here.'

'He was visiting a friend; about a week ago he would have arrived. I thought he would have stayed here.'

'No one like that has stayed here.' he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Hotch put the picture away.

'We would like a room please.' Dave said, trying to smooth things over. They hadn't travelled this far just to antagonise the locals. They could do that perfectly well in Quantico.

'Nope. All the rooms are taken. So you might as well get in your city car and get your city arses out of here.'

Hotch stepped back. All he wanted to do was punch the rude SOB on the nose, but he restrained himself and left it to Dave to get the room.

Dave pointed to a row of keys hanging behind him.

'One of them will suit us fine.'

The man slammed the key onto the desk.

'Top of the stairs, turn left. But you can only have it for one night, payment in advance, cash only.'

Dave took out his wallet calmly and paid him the exorbitant price for the room and wrote their names in the visitors' book. He clapped Hotch on the arm, and the two of them went up the stairs to their room.

It was a clean if Spartan room with a double bed. Hotch looked at it and said, 'I'll take the chair.'

'It's a big bed, Aaron. Have you seen the chair?'

Hotch briefly glanced at the chair, and decided to share the bed. There was no shower, but a small bath. Hotch turned the taps on and was pleased to find the water hot and clear. He unpacked his go bag and hung his suit and shirts in the wardrobe with Dave's things. There were no complementary shampoos or anything, so Hotch took his soap bag in the bathroom with him.

'Won't be long, and I'll run you one.' Hotch said, sinking down into the hot water.

Fifteen minutes later he felt better, clean and hair washed, he dressed in a clean pair of suit trousers and a short sleeved shirt.

'Ok, your turn!'

Hotch sat on the bed to figure out what to do next. They weren't welcome, that much was clear, but why? It was difficult to think with Dave singing his head off in the bath.

Maybe show Reid's picture around the town. It was late afternoon now. Perhaps check out the shops in the town. They might get a response. He thought Reid was quite memorable. People wouldn't easily forget him. If he had been here, a fact of which Hotch was certain, then someone would give him up sooner or later.

When Dave finally stopped singing and emerged from the bathroom, Hotch suggested they take a walk through the town. Dave attached his gun to his belt and Hotch picked up both of his.

There was a general store across the street, and this is where they headed first. There were two customers in the shop, but they both left as Hotch and Dave entered.

'Do you remember seeing this man in town over the last week? Hotch said, sliding the picture across the counter.

'I wondered when you would show up here.' the man said. 'I haven't seen him.

'I don't suppose you would mind looking at the picture before you decide.' Hotch picked up the picture and held it in front of the man's face. The man brought his hand down on the picture and looked Hotch in the eye.

'I said, I haven't seen him. Now if you don't want to buy anything, I have customers waiting.'

Hotch looked round at the empty shop but didn't say anything. He picked up the photo, and the two of them left.

'Well that went well, didn't it?' Dave said with a grin.

Hotch handed him the photo.

'Your turn.' he said.

-0-0-0-

'What the hell did you give them a room for?' hissed a man with a star pinned to his shirt.

'They just kinda took it.' the hotelier said, cringing slightly.

'Get that kid's name out of the book, and get rid of his stuff.'

'It's ok, his room is clear, and the page he signed I have already torn out.' he said. 'You've got his car.'

Another man was standing with them, looking scared. 'What the hell am I going to do with the kid? He's worked out everything!'

'You dealt with the other guy; can't you do the same with this one? Just shoot him and leave his body in the desert?'

'It's all very well you saying it!' he raised his voice.

'Not so loud! They are only just upstairs!'

'Sorry.' he said quietly this time. But it's ok you telling me to kill him, but the kid is a Fed.'

'So, what's the difference?' the sheriff said.

'The difference is I'll get caught, and I ain't going down for this. I ain't killing no Fed.'

'Well it might not come to that. He's only a kid. Just knock him about a bit and dump him in the desert.'

'Tonight?'

'You don't need to just yet. I might be able to get rid of those two upstairs.'

'I got to get home now. I told Muriel I'd only be a minute. But I ain't killing the Fed. If you want him dead, you do it.'

He left the group and walked out into the night air. He rued the day he got in with those two. He ended up doing all their dirty work, but he couldn't get out now. It would be his body being pecked by vultures in the desert. And with Muriel being sick and all........

'I suppose I'll have to kill him if it comes to that.' he thought. He sighed and began the half mile walk back home.