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Chapter Five:
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Rossi said on the Monday before Christmas.
"Someone's in good mood," Prentiss said as she joined him in the elevator.
"What's not to love? Christmas with my wife and family in California. It's going to be a fun time!"
"I love the smell of Colorado air."
"Let's just hope a case doesn't ground us."
They got off the elevator and Prentiss saw Reid was at his desk. Prentiss recognized that slouch.
"Reid, what's wrong?"
It looked like he had been crying recently.
"There was a case of Covid at my mother's nursing facility. I can't go and see her until the first of the year."
Rossi patted him on the back.
"I'm so sorry."
"I can arrange for you to come to see Andrew with me."
There was a flash of anger in his eyes.
"Emily, I know you and the rest of the team mean well. I'm trying to keep the tree you sent me alive. Almost every member of the team has offered to take me in. Even Simmons tried to get me to go to Disney World with him."
"So, California is out of the question?" Rossi said.
"Every airline is booked solid. Even if the new variant scares people away, there are plenty of others on standby."
"Is there anything we can do?" Prentiss asked.
"Stop asking me about my holiday plans. We have four days of work. I intend to spend Christmas helping out at a homeless shelter."
"If there is anything we can do," Rossi said.
"I'll ask you," Reid said.
Prentiss and Rossi walked up the catwalk. She nodded to Rossi. If they lingered together, Reid would know they were talking about him.
She sat down and looked at the picture of Andrew with his daughter. She missed them as her heart ached for Reid.
…
"The amount of overkill suggests, this is a person projecting his rage on someone like the victim," Reid said into a Zoom session. "That should help you narrow down your suspects."
"Thank you, Agent Reid," the sheriff said.
"Call again if you need anything else," he said.
"Will do. Have a good day."
"You too, and good luck."
Reid left the office used for teleconference consults. He ran into Alvez.
"There is room in my Abuela's apartment."
"Luke, no."
"Two days until Christmas. Last chance."
"This is a firm thanks but no thanks."
Reid reached for his Tardis mug in the kitchenette. He found a small gold-wrapped box in it.
"Who did this?" he said with a sigh.
"Don't look at me," Lewis said.
"What is it?" Prentiss asked.
Reid opened the box and found a silver dollar in it. Not just any silver dollar, a double-headed nineteen seventy-four silver dollar.
"How?" Reid gasped as he grew emotional.
Simmons came forward. "It is a special coin?"
"My maternal grandfather did magic tricks with this coin when I was a kid. He died when I was six. I never found it in my mom's things."
"That's an odd coincidence," Lewis said.
"Excuse me," Reid said. "I think I left something in my teleconference room."
He knew the team was going to talk about him, but he needed a moment to collect his emotions.
…
Reid took the subway home. This was growing tiresome. There was no logical answer for any of this. Not even J.J. or Morgan knew enough details about his childhood to give him gifts like this. Visions of Santa, Reindeer, a light. What was going on?
He left the subway station. This was a time of transition. The nights grew longer until this time. Many major religions celebrated this period. Was something new coming for him?
Crossing the block, he heard a snorting sound followed by the trotting of hooves or something like it. Reid followed the direction of the sound.
A single hump camel appeared. It dashed down a street. Reid rushed along with it. They reached a dead end and the camel vanished through the wall.
He heard a panting sound. Reid followed the sound to a dumpster. He climbed the side and looked in.
A man was in there. His head was just visible.
"Hey there," Reid said. "Can you hear me?"
The man moved his head.
"Who's there?" the man said weakly.
"Special Supervisory Agent Reid with the FBI."
"Look I don't want to get Leticia in trouble. Her body-building buddies will come after me and do worse."
Reid turned the flashlight on in his phone. The man was bloody and bruised, from what he could see of him. He dialed nine-one-one.
"This is SSA Reid. I have an injured man in a dumpster by Julio's Deli, on Manchester Road."
"Please don't do this. I deserved it. I cheated on her. Just let me die."
"What did she do?" Reid asked.
"It doesn't matter."
Reid climbed into the dumpster.
"You matter," Reid said looking him in the eye. "Don't let anyone make you feel that way. You matter to me right now. I need to know where you're hurting. Let me help you."
"The girl I cheated on her with was blackmailing me for wanting out. She sent pictures of us to my girlfriend. Leticia tracked me down to where I was installing a new window. She cornered me hit and my junk with a hammer."
Reid touched the man's head. The man winced.
"Along with everywhere else. I think a few bones are broken."
The smell of rotting meat overwhelmed Reid's senses, but he stayed focused.
"It is best if you not move," he said. "Take a deep breath and focus solely on your breathing. We'll track her down. We'll make sure she never hurts you again."
"It's not her fault. The steroids are making her crazy. She's doing it for her followers on Insta and Tiktok."
Reid touched the man's bloody face. He gently rubbed a speck of blood off his right cheekbone.
"I'm not leaving you. You're safe with me. What is your name?"
"Chris King. Yeah, my mom had a sense of humor. She called Chris the King our lord and savior."
Reid felt very confused. He didn't know how to react.
"People don't know what to think when they meet me, especially at this time of the year."
"This is an odd time," Reid noted.
"Definitely."
There was the flashing of lights. EMTs rushed forward.
"Sir, Agent Reid," Chris said. "Thank you."
"It's going to be okay, Chris," he said. "I promise."
Reid climbed out to let the EMTs work.