Thanks for the support!
Chapter Two:
Prentiss wasn't surprised to find Reid at his desk at eight o'clock.
"I thought I told everyone to come in at nine," she said.
"Technically I working on coursework," he said. "It's easier to think here."
"In, a suit and work clothes," she said dubiously.
"It keeps me from reading the biography of the inventor of the karaoke machine. He's an interesting guy who gave away his invention for free."
Prentiss felt a yawn growing.
"Different strokes for different folks," she said.
"Correct."
She went up the stairs and unlocked her door. It was time to catch up on some paperwork.
The team started trickling a half-hour later. Rossi said hi on his way to his office and everyone else waved as they came in. It was an uneventful morning.
J.J. knocked on her open door.
"I'm ordering in from the new taco shop, do you want anything?"
"My usual," she said.
"Got it."
"I'm surprised Garcia hasn't bugged me about operation Santa yet," Prentiss said.
"Because I told her to wait until lunch," J.J. said with a smile.
As if on cue, Garcia appeared dressed head to foot in green, with matching green glasses.
"You look like a Christmas tree," Prentiss said.
"I'll take that as a compliment thank you very much," she said. "So, I have a few ideas for how to make this work. First, we hire a Santa and deliver Reid's profile to him."
"That sounds like a lot," J.J. said.
"But Reid has never believed! He's never written a Christmas list. He has never had a sense of wonder."
"He is right behind you."
They turned to see Reid standing behind J.J. and Garcia.
"Whatever you're thinking of don't," he said. "Please. Don't make me regret telling you. Garcia, did you put that doll on my shoe last night?"
"What doll?" Garcia asked.
"That eighties Astronaut Barbie on my trainer."
"Honestly, boy wonder, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"It's probably my new neighbor's idea of a joke," Reid muttered.
"We profiled all your current neighbors," Prentiss said. "Do we need to do another sweep?"
"Hopefully not. I did have a reason for coming up here. Congressman Hughes called off his emergency meeting relating to the omicron variant and his son's school just went into lockdown."
"You're thinking of kidnapping?" J.J. said.
"Yes."
"I'll stay close to my phone. Thanks, Reid," Prentiss said.
"Just, no more Santa nonsense," he said.
"Deal," Prentiss said.
"Deal," J.J. said.
"What about Elf on a Shelf?" Garcia said.
"Those things are creepy," J.J. said.
"Garcia," Prentiss said.
"Fine, fine no more Santa shenanigans," she said.
Prentiss' phone rang.
"That's a Virginia area code," she said. "Everyone, stay in the building."
Her team dispersed as she answered the phone.
…
Reid was right. Ben, the eight-year-old son of congressman Christopher Hughes was signed out by a stranger during lunch. The team was ordered to drive to the congressman's residence right away.
Christopher Hughes already had the look of someone rapidly aged by his political position. His reddish-brown hair was thinning, and additional wrinkles made him look older than thirty-eight. He was one of the younger congressmen.
Suits filled the modest ranch-style home. The kidnapper tracking phone kit was on the kitchen table. Mrs. Hughes was rushing home from a business trip in Florida. Everyone looked serious and a little on edge.
"Thank you for coming so quickly," he said. "It's good to know I have the best minds in the FBI helping locate my son."
"Can we look at your son's room?" Reid asked.
"By all means," he said.
"Congressman, do you have any particular enemies, that come to mind?" Prentiss asked.
"Agents, I am a pro-mask mandate politician in the state of Virginia. Everywhere I look there are enemies, even in the Capitol Building. It's going to take me a while to narrow it down."
"We need to take the time," Prentiss said.
Reid went into Ben's room. It was decorated with superhero posters. He liked Iron Man the most. He noted an unfinished letter to Santa was on his desk. The first toy listed a was Lego set. Reid carefully went through the room. No drawings depicting trauma. He did find a note to his mother saying he didn't want a sister, suggesting the Hughes were trying to have another child. It was an ordinary kid's room.
The phone rang. Reid left the room and listened. The person was using a voice synthesizer.
"I want you to order the governor to lift all mask mandates in the state of Virginia."
"I don't have that kind of authority!" Hughes said.
"If you don't your son dies."
"Daddy!" Ben could be heard crying.
Then Reid heard it: A wind gust.
"You have two hours, to implement the order."
The call ended.
"The call is bouncing through Russia, sir," Garcia said sadly.
"The wind," Reid said. "That sounded like a northerly front. Sir do you have a beachfront home?"
"My aunt does and she's in the hospital with Covid-19," Hughes said.
"Reid and Alvez, head to the beach house," Prentiss said. "We'll start combing the beachside community for agitators."
Reid and Alvez quickly left.
"Why would he be there?" Alvez asked.
"It might be a location of convenience," Reid said.
Alvez turned on his flashing lights as they got on the expressway.
"Let's review what we know," Reid said. "The school was approached by a man who had capital security credentials. He even had the congressman's cellphone number. He said the congressman was being threatened and sent him to bring the boy home."
"He even knew where to look to avoid security getting a clear picture of him," Alvez said. "This was a professional job."
"Some of the insurrectionists were well-financed."
"They know the congressman doesn't have the power to reverse the mask mandate."
"Ben is going to die an example of what this terror group is capable of."
Alvez floored the van. Reid held on tight. This was a matter of life and death.
They arrived at the beach house in record time. With their guns ready, Alvez kicked the door in. Alvez stepped forward and yelped. Alarms screamed. A door was slammed.
Alvez had stepped into a beartrap.
"Reid, go!" he shouted.
Reid ran through the house and saw a man holding a struggling boy on the dock. He left the house.
"Sir, killing Ben won't solve anything!" Reid shouted.
"Help!" Ben shouted.
The man with dark curly hair in a yellow jacket smiled.
"Since they get to take away my rights, I'll take away something they value."
Reid shot the man in the heart as he dropped Ben into the water.
He didn't have time to think. He pulled his guns off and dived into the icy waters.
"BEN!" Reid shouted. "BEN!"
The waves were too tall. Reid swam with all his adrenaline-fueled might. Then he saw something bright-red up ahead. He didn't quite believe what he was seeing. A man with a beard and a red suit was holding Ben. Reid swam to him. "Santa" passed the boy to him. The man winked and disappeared in a cloud of glitter.
Holding the boy to his side, Reid swam to the shore. There were police and FBI present.
"Ben!" Hughes shouted.
"Santa caught me, dad!" Ben said happily as he hugged his father. "He gave me to the agent!"
"That's the shock talking," Reid explained.
"Spence!" J.J. said as Reid tried to get his bearings.
"Don't touch me," he said. "You don't want to get wet too."
Prentiss appeared.
"Are you okay?"
"Winded is all," he said as he let out a cough.
"We found the other traps," Simmons said. "Go in, and we'll find you some dry clothes."
"How is Luke?" Reid asked.
"No bones broken," Prentiss said. "Go in, shower. It'll be okay."
Reid went into the beach house, exhausted. He found a shower for the guests.
"Agent Reid!"
Hughes appeared.
"Take what you need from my closet."
"Santa didn't catch him," Reid said.
Hughes nodded. "He needed to believe someone held from being swept away further. What do you believe?"
"I don't know," he said honestly.
"It's okay to believe in the supernatural Agent Reid. Especially when there are no logical answers available."
Hughes left. Reid didn't move for a moment. Lost in thought, Santa seemed to be a recurring concept in his life right now. Shivering, Reid sought out clothes and a hot shower.