I'll just leave this here.
Chapter Fifty-Four:
"Duck Tales Woo-oo," Iris sang as they watched the show. "This is fun."
"It's not the worst thing I have ever watched," Reid said. "I'd have liked this as a kid."
Bruce appeared with popcorn. "Webby reminds me of Tameka. She was always coming up with elaborate ways of getting me out of jail."
Cameron, a student of Reid's walked into the lounge.
"Why are you watching cartoons?" he asked. "What some are calling the greatest serial killer is on the loose."
"The press sensationalizes stuff," Reid said. "The best minds are working on it. I'm trying to understand what the autistic son of my possible girlfriend gets out of watching animated ducks squabble."
"A killer is targeting female relatives of the richest men in the country," Cameron said. "He's branding them, and leaving them in public places."
"It's not a brand, it is a tattoo without ink," Reid said.
"You have been paying attention!"
"But it isn't my job anymore."
"Do you miss it at all?" Bruce asked.
"I have spent too much of my life at the hands of monsters. I'm ready for non-agent life."
"But he's gotten away with it four times!" Cameron said. "You must want to know what is going on."
"Right now, I want to figure out how Della Duck gets off the moon," Reid said and turned up the volume.
…
Reid walked into the office for his session with Juno and Ormes and felt the tension in the air.
"What have you two been fighting about?" he asked.
"My cousin wants to take me for a Broadway show," Juno said. "I can't decide between Six and Beetlejuice. Ormes says Six because it's about female empowerment while I like the idea of seeing live riffing in Beetlejuice."
"Don't BS him, Rene," Ormes said as she slumped into her chair.
"It's about what the press is calling the billionaire serial killer?" Reid said. "Every member of my team, former and active, is working the case. I haven't heard anything from them aside from apologies for not visiting.
"Jasper Engle, Musk's protégé has formed a group threatening our outreach funding if we don't give you conditional release to work the case," Ormes said.
"I swore to myself, if you ended up in danger again on my watch, I'd surrender my license," Juno said.
"I have to think of Mercer," Ormes said. "Most of our funding comes from fat cats like Engle."
Reid could sense the anger bubbling.
"What does Selzer think?" he asked.
"She's refusing to get involved," Ormes said.
Reid thought for a moment.
"Too many people I love have been put in danger, because of my involvement with criminals. If something happened to Nadia or her son, I would find a way to end my life, even if it meant gaming the system as long as took to find access to a means."
There was a knock on the door.
Juno opened the door. Alistair Simeon, a man in his early thirties with spiky blond hair in an aqua spring sports coat appeared. He was the CEO of the newest popular social media company.
"You tapped our phones!" Juno shouted. "Get out!"
"Mr. Reid will want to hear what I have to say," he said coolly.
"Dr. Reid," Ormes said as she stood up.
"I never thought of PHDs as real doctors, like 'Dr.' Jill Biden."
"You are trying to get under my skin Mr. Simeon and it is not working," Reid said. "What do you want?"
"Iris's treatment is funded by Elizabeth Orwell. She is prepared to pull funding for everything, including outpatient treatment if you do not consult on the case."
"You're a monster," Juno said.
"What do you think the tattoos are of 'Dr.' Reid?"
"They're numbers hidden in drawings of animals."
"You haven't lost a step," he said. "The killer has been telegraphing his moves. The coordinates of Olivia Spur's home were tattooed in dots. Despite moving her location, she was still killed. My step-sister Nicole is being targeted next."
"Then move her across the planet," Ormes said. "You can afford it."
"Nicole just started Harvard. She doesn't want to miss midterms."
"What about virtual learning?" Juno snapped.
"She wants the experience and I am prepared to give it to her."
"There's another reason," Reid said. "I'm guessing it might be an affair. There is a reason you'd go through all this trouble when a private jet would be easier."
"You really are as good as your reputation," Simeon said.
"The FBI has twenty other agents of my skill level on the payroll. Why me?" Reid asked.
"You are quantifiably the smartest agent to ever work there. Your team's success rate dropped by twelve percent because of your absence. The internal chatter indicates everyone working on this case is tired and out of ideas. Your service is required."
There was a tense pause.
"Here is what I want in return," Reid said. "More security for Mercer, vetted by my team. Nadia Dells and her son to go to Birch-Fitch immediately with security, again vetted by my team. Security for Bruce Havers kids."
"I'll add to that," Juno said. "I'm not leaving his side."
"Deal," he said.
"What does the FBI think of you breaking Reid out of here?" Ormes asked.
"They're being made to look like fools, they readily agreed to it. I'm sending a van to pick you up at five p.m. Do not worry about packing anything, we have everything covered, down to your medications. We also have clothes packed for you, Dr. Juno."
Ormes rubbed her forehead. "Get out."
"We'll be in touch," Simeon said and walked out.
"You missed a good opportunity to shoot the guy," Juno said with a sigh. "We could have made it look like Reid did it and I would have gotten him off."
"How do you know I keep a gun here?" Ormes asked.
"I pointed out to Juno how I smelled polish here once," Reid said.
"Do you want to do this?" Juno asked.
"No," he said. "But I need to. Can I leave early? I'd like to write to some notes."
"Of course," Juno said.
Reid walked out with a deep sense of foreboding. He was being drawn back into the life of a killer.