JJ groaned, waking up when Reid started to get out of the bed the next morning. "Why do you have to get up so early on a Saturday?" She tried to pull him back into bed, almost succeeding with her kisses.
Reid moaned but pulled back, "Detective Rodriguez will be by to pick me up in a hour. I agreed to give a group of detectives at the 63rd a brief profiling class." JJ nodded, remembering when he told her about it after a Beltway Cops meeting. He had become friends with a few of the detectives and even though there were no full names or badge numbers exchanged, his skill set still came up and he agreed to go over a few basic topics before their shift got too busy.
"Right. So you'll meet up with Henry and I at the park later? He wants to show off his soccer skills for you." Reid nodded as he headed into the bathroom to get ready. JJ smiled softly at the view of her guy walking away in his boxers and suddenly didn't feel tired anymore. She couldn't contain the bubble of laughter that escaped when he jumped after she hopped in the shower with him. Later when he was finishing getting dressed and she was back in her pajamas but with wet hair, she realized just how much happier he had made her over this past nine months.
She hugged him, catching him off guard. "I love you." Reid looked down at her and smiled, pulling her in for another kiss.
"I love you too." As they kissed once more, Reid knew it in his heart that they were ready. The timing wasn't right for this moment, but some day soon. JJ walked him downstairs to the door, knowing Karen was bringing Henry back soon.
"Mommy! Pence! Let's play!" Henry came running into the house and the adults laughed, as if he had known JJ was thinking about him. They could vaguely hear Karen yell 'sorry' from next door.
"I have to go to a meeting for awhile today, but I'll play later okay buddy?" Henry nodded and Reid bent down to kiss the top of his head. "I better get going. Love you."
"Love you!" Henry shouted and JJ smiled as Reid waved before heading out the door.
"All units in the area of 10 and Southeast, robbery in progress at Colonial Liberty Bank. Shots fired."
Reid glanced over at Detective Rodriguez as she spoke. "That's one block over. You okay if we delay the class?"
Reid nodded, "As long as you have another vest for me." She nodded; gesturing behind her where he found one and started to strap it on.
"426 Responding. I have an FBI agent Dr. Reid with me." She turned on the sirens as Reid adjusted his vest. The pair pulled up to the side of the building. He got out, glancing around when Rodriguez got out. "We better pull back and see..." Suddenly her head fell back and he ran behind the car, managing to take two shots and hit one of the robbers. He noticed the two of them go back inside as he reached for the radio.
"Officer down. Shots fired, I repeat shots fired," he all but yelled into the radio. He sat on the curb behind the car, barely able to glance at his fallen friend. After a second, he dug out his phone and called Hotch.
JJ all but ran out of the SUV and dived into his arms, not caring for a moment that more than just the team was around. "Are you okay?"
Reid hugged her tightly. "I'm okay, I'm okay." He pulled back, kissing her forehead before turning to the team. The pair turned back into their work modes as soon as they separated.
"What were you doing here in the first place?" asked Morgan.
"I was helping out friend, about to give her and some other detectives a brief profiling class." Reid sighed. "Now I get to tell her three kids that their mom isn't coming home tonight." Emily squeezed his shoulder as he turned to Hotch. "It was definitely them. I saw the Jack and the King, but the Queen has to be inside as well." The rest of the team looked at between the pair, confused. "I did the original consult and talked to Hotch about taking the case."
"Media is calling them the Face Cards. They've robbed seven banks in seven months. They've killed one person at each robbery with a single gun shot wound, where they bleed out." Hotch answered as the group headed to the command center.
"Wait, serial killers with a thirty day cooling off period and we're only just hearing about this now?" Emily was astonished.
Hotch shrugged. "Reid gave them a preliminary profile. Headquarters always viewed them as robbers first, murderers second. When I saw his profile, I tried to change their minds, but was overruled."
Rossi shook his head, "So why are we here now?"
"Because crisis negotiation is overseas."
JJ looked between Hotch and Reid. "What more do we know about them?"
Reid answered as Hotch continued to lead them to the command center. "They're efficient, organized. Each strike takes only two minutes. They are clearly scouting the banks beforehand." They climbed into the bus to find Garcia.
"Before you even ask, we can't identify them because they hack the security feed both before the initial canvas and during the robbery. Only once the masks come back are on is it resumed and we're allowed to watch," answered Hotch as the group looked at the monitors. The team continued to discuss the case as the watched the group of robbers.
"The face card masks add to their narcissism. Their personas are as the royalty of poker." Reid added, seeing an old file come to life on the screen.
"JJ, Prentiss, Reid, look at past robberies to compile a more detailed victimology than Reid's initial consult. Do you remember your report?" Hotch asked Reid. Reid nodded as the group started to separate. Reid waited for JJ to pass him and felt her give him a soft hand squeeze as she did.
Reid was studying the files and video feed, trying to figure out what he'd missed in the original profile. He was also trying to push down the guilt he was feeling. Guilt over losing Rodriguez. Guilt for the four people that had been shot since he'd shot Oliver. Rossi speaking through the speaker phone pulled him back.
"What if the smaller banks were training runs for the Straten brothers?"
Morgan added, "Well, they could be. She took two relatively amateur thugs and made them elite bank robbers."
Emily was walking around the room. "But why? To turn them into patsies?"
"So let's think about this. Until now, they have been highly organized. Striking banks only on deposit days when the largest amount of cash is on hand." JJ stated.
Reid's wheels were starting to spin. "But today was different. It was the first Saturday they hit, where there are more families and higher foot traffic. It's clearly risker. It doesn't help that the media is now involved, it's the first time they've had an audience."
Emily shook her head, "That might be why the female is so vain, she wants to look good for the cameras. She walks around without really looking for a way out, like she's enjoying the situation."
"We know the brothers are in it for the money, what's she in it for?" asked Hotch.
Reid frowned, running a hand through his hair. JJ and Emily both glanced at him. "What's wrong Spence?"
He shook his head. "Something's not sitting right with me. Garcia, have you looked into how the police got the call. Even if someone triggered the alarm when the robbery started, our response time was almost too fast."
"On it, boy wonder," Garcia replied.
"Guys, Reid was on to something. 911 was notified of the robbery by a text message from a phone in the bank. It was received thirty seconds before the crew even blacked out the security footage." Garcia notified Hotch, Morgan, and Rossi.
"So one of the robbers called it in? Why?" asked Morgan.
Hotch sighed, "She wanted us here."
As Reid climbed out on the SUV to rejoin the team, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. JJ looked over and saw his frown. "Hey, it's going to be okay," she offered.
He nodded and squeezed her hand. "I love you."
JJ wrinkled her brow. "I love you too Spence."
They reached the command center just in time to hear the end of Rossi's phone call with the King. "I want to talk to the cop who shot my brother."
The whole group in the bus looked at Reid, panicked. He sighed and nodded, for some reason he'd sensed this coming. He took off the vest he was wearing, it was still the police issue one. He started to unbutton his sweater as the group just watched.
JJ looked around, how was on one else stopping this. "No. Absolutely not Spence. And what are you doing?"
Reid looked at her as he started to put the vest back on over his shirt. "JJ, if it means we can end this. Besides, he doesn't know I'm with the FBI or a profiler. I can use this to our advantage. There is a chance that fourth partner is in there as well." He pulled the vest tight before putting the sweater back on to conceal it.
"What makes you think he won't shoot you the minute you walk through the doors?" she asked, trying to stay calm, rational.
"He wants out of there just as much as we want him out."
JJ shook her head. "It's not happening, forget it."
Hotch studied the man he'd come to view as a younger brother. "You know there is no guarantee that he won't retaliate for the death of his brother."
Reid glanced at Morgan. "I know you'd do it if you were me."
Morgan sighed. "Reid, I know what you're feeling. But you're too close to this case to make that call. Plus you have a family to think about too."
Reid nodded. "You're damn right I'm close. Michelle was a friend, I tried to help her. Now four people are dead because I shot his brother. No one else needs to die because of what I did. Besides, we need to get inside there, to really understand their dynamic. I'm the one that knows the most about this case; I did the first profile." He stood and turned to JJ. "I can do this, JJ. I need to."
JJ took his hands. "Spencer, risking your life won't bring those people back. Please don't do this."
Hotch shook his head. "Sorry Reid, but I can't approve of this."
Emily rushed into the room. "He's threatening to shoot a hostage very sixty seconds unless he get's Reid." Reid started to move when Hotch stopped him.
"It's time we go in." The group scattered to prepare for swat. It was only after JJ looked up from the bank's floor plans that she noticed Reid walking towards the door.
"What is he doing?" The rest immediately saw what she did and Morgan grabbed her, keeping her back. "Let me go Morgan, let me go! Reid! Reid! Spence!"
Reid tried to push out her cries, hoping to have a chance to make this up to her someday. He knew he had promised to not put himself in danger willingly again, but he had to stop this. Something told him he needed to be inside to understand what the bigger picture for the female unsub and the mystery one was. Plus he couldn't have any more blood on his hands. He held his hands up as he slowly opened the front door.
He first noticed the Queen notice him and a smile creep across her face as she informed the King. He came running over to him with the gun pointed right at him. "What's your name?"
"Let these people go." He was grateful to see three be released before dealing with the question at hand. "I'm Spencer Reid, MPD," he lied, not wanting to give anything away. He noticed the Queen grab her iPad right beforehand.
JJ screamed when she heard two shots fired, nearly collapsing to the ground beside Morgan and Prentiss.
"No! No! No!"