"What are the chances this has something to do with your college years?"
Hotch was perpetually unlucky enough to share a room with Spencer. On the surface, it was because Hotch snored like a bear and Spencer tended to talk in his sleep. Those things did happen, there's no denying that. One time, Spencer woke from a nightmare with an old friend's name on his tongue after thrashing about all night. Morgan had insisted that he'd never sleep in the same room as his genius friend ever again no Hotch you couldn't pay me! That was years ago, but it sort of ruined shading a room with him for everyone else. Not that anyone else had tried. Just this once, Hotch was grateful for it.
Spencer didn't answer at first, scuttling around the room and knocking at the walls.
Hotch was confused, but gave it a few minutes before he asked again.
"Okay, we're clear. Except for the part where the walls are paper thin, but nobody around here gives a shit anyways."
"Reid." Hotch snapped.
"They don't." Spencer grumbled. "Deputy Marshals might be onto something but if she is then whoever did this is long gone. We won't find them here. And that's if she's right, a pretty big if, considering nothing about her life here showed any signs of being with the Crusade."
"But this is bothering you." Hotch realized. "Because she could be right. You can't have been the first agent to retire early."
"And I won't be the last. If I go poking around I'm not sure how welcome I would be, but the least I can do is see if Layla or Jack have any ideas."
"You…" Hotch hesitated here. "You seemed edgy when she mentioned the codenames. Did you know people with those ones in particular?"
"Names get recycled. Whoever had it when Waller knew them likely doesn't now."
"Who do you know?" Hotch wondered.
"That's not mine to say." Spencer admitted. "But I really hope this is just a run-of-the-mill case."
The odds were slim, but it was nice to dream.
"You sure are grumpy today, Spence." JJ's voice yanked Spencer from his thoughts and he turned to find that the blonde had a concerned look on her face. "This case bothering you more than usual?"
"I'm fine." Spencer ground out.
One good thing about JJ is that she knew when not to push. Layla did too. Jack never stopped trying to get under someone's skin or into their head. He often had to be pushed out. Jack thinks it's an extension of his power. He was always trying to get into or out of something. Including people.
"If you need anything-."
"I'm fine." Spencer insisted.
JJ was the last person he wanted to talk this over with. The people he needed to see weren't here.
"Okay." She said, and left.
Spencer must be throwing off danger vibes with how smolderingly furious he was. Maybe that would keep people away.
"We're landing in a few minutes." Hotch's voice slammed into his ears and Spencer nodded, closing his eyes. "Are you going home?"
"Hopefully." Spencer scowled. "Why so many questions?"
"You found something different that could have been useful. We know that the killer has moved on, but your talk with Deputy Marshals might have put us on the right track. You should be proud."
"That is the exact opposite of what I need to be, SSA Hotchner. If those codenames are real then my time here is up."
"What makes you think that?"
"The last mission I went on, we were made before we even got through the door. Our enemies never found the man on the inside, but someone tipped them off that Layla and I weren't who we should have been. Jack had to claw his way back into their good graces and even then, they went underground and the mission was put on hold, technically deemed successful. Now eight people turn up dead with stars behind their ears and one of them might have slipped some things about her shady past to the people around her. The last thing this needs to be is something to do with the Crusade."
"Dr. Reid."
Strauss called Spencer into her office almost as soon as they got back, and he walked in to find Hotch and Agent Faulkner standing shoulder to shoulder. Something was absolutely wrong.
"Agent Faulkner." The genius murmured uneasily. "Apparently I was right about this case having to do with the Crusade."
"You could be, but that's not why he's here." Hotch offered.
"The Calvins have gotten their feet back under them. Your team was the last sent in. You need to go underground."
"That's likely not an option."
"Your job will be here when this is all over-."
"Thank you, Section Chief Strauss, but that's not what I meant. If all of the agents sent to deal with the Calvins start going underground, wouldn't that give them a hitlist?"
"You misunderstood, Dr. Reid. Agents who dealt with the Calvins can no longer associate with the Crusade. It would be in your best interest to go under because we has no resources to spare. You all will, quite literally in some cases, be on your own."
"This was a courtesy."
"It was."
"And the other teams?"
"Have gotten similar messages from their handlers. I've done so three other times."
"Thank you for your time."
"Good luck." Was all Faulkner said before he slipped out of the room.
"Do you have any ideas?" Strauss wondered.
"A few." Spencer offered, throat thick. "I can't just pick up and go when my face hits the papers. Like I said, it'll lead them straight to us. I'll have to figure something out. Thank you for the information. May I take my leave?"
"You're free to go, Dr. Reid… good luck." Strauss murmured. Spencer nodded his thanks and shuffled out of the office.
"What'd Strauss want with you?" JJ wondered when he got back to the bullpen.
"Confirmation. Hotch talked about the animal names in the report so she wanted to cover all her bases."
The lie slipped out easily enough, and though he despised it, there were some things they just didn't need to get wrapped up in. They would… eventually. His goal was to keep them out.
"I'm heading out." He announced.
"Lemme guess, you finished your paperwork."
"Yep." Spencer chirped.
"Dr. Reid, I'm not sure you're alright to go home yet." Faulkner's voice rumbled through his earpiece and Hotch was on the steps.
"He's not going home." The Unit Chief informed them both.
"Why not?" Spencer wondered what story he'd come up with to keep the rest at bay.
"You've got a stalker. There's no way you're leading them straight to your house."
"Reid's got a stalker?" JJ parroted, alarmed. "You'll take some agents and get stuff from your place, but you can't go home tonight." Hoych continued as if he hadn't heard JJ.
"You think keeping me holed up somewhere can make this go away?" Spencer scoffed.
"It will deter them until we come up with a plan."
"And endanger your people in the process. Why are you so willing to risk everything for someone you'd barely call a friend?"
Hotch shot him an even look that let Spencer know he wasn't buying it.
"This isn't up for discussion."