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Chapter Two:
Reid was covered in blood. Unspeakable things had been done to him. At this point he didn't want to live anymore. He just wanted it to end.
Morgan:
The eyes of the kids bore holes into him. The first two were most likely dead, from what Morgan read of the file when Hotch was busy. But they could save third. They had to save him.
Hotch sent the team home at seven, and told the team to be back and ready by six. Morgan had written the name of the guidance counselor in his notepad. He decided to work the case on his own.
Once he was safely in his hotel room, dialed Garcia.
"Baby-girl we got another case," Morgan said. "A guidance counselor approached Hotch and gave him the names of three boys. The first two are most likely dead. Hopefully we can save the third boy."
"Give me the name," she said.
Garcia didn't hesitate. He knew she wouldn't, not when it came to kids. Morgan gave her the details.
There was a knock on his door. Morgan prayed it wasn't Hotch.
J.J. was there, with Rossi.
"You working the missing kid case?" J.J. asked.
"Yeah," he said sheepishly.
"We want to help," Rossi said.
Morgan put it on speaker phone.
"Garcia, J.J. and Rossi are here."
"Wow, this kid is smart," she said. "He got a perfect score on the SATs. He's being recruited by every major school in the country."
"Why'd his father abandon him?" J.J. asked.
"There's an unsolved missing person case not far from where the Reid's used to live. But the case notes indicate they believe the lead suspect is dead. The father ditched them not long after that."
"Guilt?" J.J. asked.
There was another knock on the door.
This time it was Hotch, with Prentiss.
"You're looking into the missing child case," he stated.
"Yeah," he said guiltily.
"Let's do it together then."
Hotch and Prentiss took seats on his bed.
"Guys I found something a little disturbing," Garcia said.
"A Live Journal account of a girl teasing Spencer Reid. Oh my god! She describes stripping the kid naked with the help of another girl and the football team and tying him to the goalpost. The girl admits she feels some guilt, but seeing the way her football star boyfriend laughed made him feel like it was worth it."
Morgan swore.
"Can you get the girl's real name?" Hotch asked.
"Working on it. Amber Mills."
"This doesn't match the profile," Rossi asked. "This isn't something teens pull off. Not the notes to the family. These kids didn't abduct Spencer."
"Could the kid have colossally bad luck?" Prentiss asked.
"That's a thought," Rossi said.
"We need to call the guidance counselor with our findings," Hotch said.
He pulled out the business card and dialed. He put it on speakerphone.
"Dr. Haller this is—"
"Agent Hotchner," she said. "I recognized the DC area code."
"Amber Mills wrote about an incident in Live Journal where Spencer was tied up naked to a goal post the day he disappeared."
Haller swore. "I'm going to rip those kids a new one. Say goodbye to football scholarships for all of them!"
"We don't think they're the abductors," Hotch said.
"All sorts of riffraff get into the football stadium when there aren't games. I will kill those kids!"
J.J. and Morgan exchanged a look. This was not a guidance counselor any of them would want to mess with.
"Is there anything else I can help with?"
"Before you read the kids the riot act, let Agent Prentiss and Morgan drop by to interview the kids."
"Deal," she said. "What happened to waiting three days?"
Hotch looked at the group of them.
"Most of my agent, all of my agents, didn't want to wait to try to save at least one of the kids."
"You've got a good team, then."
A hint of a smile appeared on his face.
"I know."
…
Las Vegas High was a massive school. It boasted a top-ranked football program.
"Nice school," Prentiss said.
"Better than the one I went to," Morgan said. "But every school has it's dirty little secrets."
They signed with the receptionist. She was your typical older lady with big glasses and her gray hair in a bun.
"Which way to Dr. Haller's office?"
"Dr. Haller went home sick."
"School hasn't even started," Morgan said.
"Haller always gets in an hour early. She called the office twenty minutes ago, and said the Chinese she ordered last night was coming back up on her."
Morgan and Prentiss exchanged a look. This didn't sound like Haller.
"Take us to her office," Prentiss said.
"Who are you exactly?" she said.
Morgan showed her his ID.
"I'll contact the principal."
…
Principle James Maclan was a slick figure. His suits looked to be of a price range higher than what his salary could afford. The long brown hairdo looked like something from the early nineties. The smile on his face suggested he preferred not to know that anything was wrong with his school.
"Haller is a little intense at times," he said as they walked to Haller's office. "She cares about the students obviously, but has a tendency to overstep on occasion."
"Which reason would you like to go with Mr. Maclan?" Morgan said angrily. "The fact that she is black, or the fact that she was about to make sure a bunch of college offers were going to be rescinded?"
He stared at Morgan briefly.
"I am not racist. I also don't think kid's lives should be ruined over a childish prank."
"Morgan," Prentiss said.
He was prepared to slam the guy against the wall of lockers.
"Haller," she said.
Morgan resisted the urge, for now.
They walked to door with Haller's name on it. Maclan pulled out his key.
He didn't though, the door opened with a push.
Everything in the office was wrecked. Papers were strewn everywhere. There was a trail of blood leading to behind the desk. Dr. Haller was there on her side, with her throat slit.
Maclan stepped out and threw up.
"She knew something," Prentiss said. "It has to be someone in this school."
"It'll take forever to go through all this," Morgan said. "I'm not sure we have the time."
"She might have left us a clue though."
It was force of habit for agents to always carry gloves in their pockets. Prentiss put hers on. Careful of where she stepped, she went behind the desk.
"Bayron," Prentiss said. "She wrote Bayron in her blood on a piece of paper."
Morgan dragged the principal back in.
"Who the hell is Bayron?"
Maclan still looked sick, and now scared.
"Duncan Bayron is the head custodian."
Morgan and Prentiss ran out of the office. Time was running out to save Spencer.