Hotch and Morgan arrived at the Station, the unsub was playing with fire. Kento's house is a mere 6 minutes away from the headquarters of the FBI and now, the station is just around the corner. What was he playing at? That, they needed to figure out and fast. Jumping out the jet black SUV, the pair headed inside. The station was eerily quiet, it was just a small, twin station job, but the sky was a dull grey and cast a gloom overhead. The lockers were located just past the main doors, to their right. 20 lockers sat in rows of 5, old and tatted, unkept and forgotten. Just like the rest of the station, graffiti lined the walls, the smell of urine was strong, and tiles were lost from the walls. This place could do with some TLC Morgan thought, but right now really wasn't the time. Hotch checked through his phone, "Locker 9". Hotch said, voice stern and flat.
"The code?". Morgan was met with an old fashioned, 4 digit padlock. This was clearly new, most of the other locks were old and rusted, some didn't even have locks. This was a brand spanking new one, the silver head still shining, fresh out the packet. "Try 1018". Morgan nodded. He twisted all the numbers till they were in a row, reading 1018, what they've learned to be a date, but the date of what?
The locker opened with a successful click, the padlock falling away in Morgan's hands. "Careful". Morgan opened the door slowly, just in case it was a trap. Luckily for them, it wasn't but inside was a brown A4 sized envelope, and on it in black pen read 'Dr. Spencer Reid'.
Hotch and Morgan looked at one another, confused. "What the fuck does his name keep popping up in all this". Hotch was beginning to get annoyed, Spencer has clearly been hiding something from them this entire time and they need to know what. Reid could be putting this whole case at risk, Kento could lose his life if he hasn't already. Morgan ripped the top off the envelope, taking out its contents. Morgan gave Hotch a concerning look. "Hotch, what's going on?". Morgan didn't know what to think, and neither did Hotch, they both needed answers, and now.
The team, including Shouta, were all sat around the table drinking coffee out of their personal mugs. JJ's had a photo of her children, Emily's, a cute cartoon cat and well Penelope's was just something else. It was definitely a decorative type mug, to say the least, and Reid's, Reid's was a simple brown mug that had a quote written on the side by one of his favourite authors.
They all sat talking over the case whilst Morgan and Hotch were out, but they had come no closer, no new leads had appeared, nor evidence. Garcia was still making light of Kento's laptop, and as much to Reid delight still hadn't gotten inside. He wanted to save Kento more than anybody here in this room, par Shouta of course, but they couldn't know that because to him he has to be just another victim. It was cruel, but he couldn't let them know, if they found out the truth, he couldn't face them again.
But it seems Spencer was all out of luck. Morgan and Hotch had come back, holding the brown envelope. Their eyes were fixed on Reid. "What's going on Reid?". Hotch's tone was harsh, stern and cold. The team was confused, and so was Reid. "I don't know what you're talking about Hotch". Reid wasn't lying either, he didn't know what was going on.
"DON'T LIE TO ME REID!!". Hotch bellowed, taking out the contents and throwing it onto the table for everyone to see. Inside the envelope was a series of images, old-style darkroom images. With about 5 in total, they were all of Spencer and Kento together. One showed them having coffee together in a little cafe, another the pair walking and laughing down the street and another inside a book store. The images were of three separate occasions as each outfit was different. Reid's eyes widened, a shiver ran up his spine, his heart began to beat against his chest, he could feel the sweat draw to the surface of his skin. Spencer looked up, some looked over the images whereas Morgan and Hotch's eyes stayed fixed on Reid.
"What aren't you telling us, Reid? You lying to us could be jeopardising this entire case!". Hotch seemed to just be getting angrier and angrier. Morgan, Morgan just didn't know what to say to the kid, he had been lying to us, he clearly knows Kento, and rather well at that. But why was he lying? The kid told him everything, he felt hurt and betrayed.
"I don't know...".
"STOP LYING TO US REID!!" Hotch bellowed. "You know him, that is quite clear to see". Reid gulped. "And don't think you're getting out this easily Shouta". No one had seen Hotch this angry at a member of the team, ever. It wasn't like him at all, the girls and Rossi watched from the side, they too didn't know how to take all this, they were just as much in the dark.
"I'll ask again...Do you know the victim?". Reid didn't know what to do, he needed to come up with something and fast.
"Yes".Blurted out suddenly. He covered his mouth, regreting almost instantly what he had done.
"Dammit Reid". Morgan cried, tossing the chair that was in front of him. "Why lie? Who is he?". Morgan's face was still, his eyes glaring, brows raised, Morgan was pissed but saddened also. The kid blatantly lied to them all.
"He's a friend". Reid lied, again.
"A friend?". Questioned Hotch. The team all sat watching the truth unfold. "That's it? You lied to us all because he's a friend?". Reid gave a simple nod, Hotch doesn't buy it for a second.
"I was worried if you knew I was friends with him, you'd take me off the case".
"Dammit Reid!!". It was Hotch to shout this time. "You risked the life of a victim, not just a victim, but your friend because you were worried I'd take you off the case?". Hotch didn't quite know how to take this. "I've never known you to act too stupidly Reid".
"And you knew this Shouta?". Rossi chimed in from the back and replied with a simple nod. No one quite knew what to do, the pair stood at the end of the table, Reid fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt, palms moist from sweat, his heart began to pace itself, but he wasn't quite out the woods just yet. "I honestly don't know what to say". Hotch said, drained.
Hotch walked towards the ballpen door, no one saying anything just side glances headed at Reid. "Anderson". Cried Hotch. Coming back into the room, he carefully collected the images up, placing them back inside the envelope. "Sir?".
"Take these to the lab and get them dusted for prints".
"Yes Sir". Once Anderson left, Hotch didn't know quite what to do, he sat back down at the head of the table, Morgan followed, but Reid and Shouta stayed standing.
"So the first photo...". Hotch almost didn't want to ask. "Is that also you?". Reid gave a slow nod. "This changes everything, you know that?". Hotch sucked in through his teeth. "Everything we've complied, as little as it is, could be for nothing". Reid knew that just as well as everyone else, he never even thought about it, but he really was putting Kento's life on the line because he's too afraid of his team digging too deep. How messed up is that?
"Kento might not be the unsub's real target, it's you Reid!".
"What you saying Hotch?". Asked JJ.
"Isn't it a bit odd the friend special agent of the FBI was kidnapped? Photos of the pair of them were left for us and Spencer's name on the envelope?". The team thought it over, and it was a bit odd how all the signs, the arrows, answers, everything was pointing back at Reid and Reid were just as confused and lost as the rest of them.
Reid and Shouta found themselves seated, Spencer was happy that this was lifted off his shoulders, but he still held the heavy burden that he was still lying to them. "Why me?". Asked Reid. Hotch stood up out his chair and headed towards the door. "Follow me, Reid". Hotch walked off and Reid just around the room, all his team was watching him, he stood up and headed towards the door. Shouta reached out his hand, grabbing Reid's wrist lightly, before giving him a gentle nod. Reid replied back was a small smile that lifted at the side of his face, before heading after Hotch.
Once Reid left, chatter filled the room. "Why did you both lie?". Emily said, aiming her question at Shouta.
"As Spence said, he was worried his friendship with my brother would risk his place on the case".
"Spence?". Morgan repeated with a raised brow.
"Sorry, Spencer". Shouta corrected himself.
In Hotch's office, Aaron sat behind his desk, Reid on the chair in front. "Now. Spencer, I need you to tell me where you were on the day Kento was kidnapped?". Reid was shocked, was Hotch suspecting him?
"I'm not suspecting you, Reid, I just need to know, you could have been the last one to see him, but also you could have seen the unsub without realising".
"I saw him a couple of days ago, not before".
"Are you sure Reid?". Reid nodded. He was meant to be seeing him that evening, they had plans for dinner and a movie. "Reid I need the honest truth from you, because I don't believe I am getting it, you're hiding something from us".
"Hotch please...".
"Please what Reid? Not dig? At this point I'm done caring, you lied to us and we need to know the truth".
"I've told you". Reid snapped back.
"No, you haven't". Hotch glared, Reid, looking like a lost puppy that didn't quite know how to fight back. "Spencer, none of this is adding up and I think you're the only one who knows". And Hotch was right, Reid was smack bang in the middle of all this, and they just need to work out why and how?
Hotch carried pushing at Reid but the swift sound of knocking could be heard. Reid left out a sigh of relief, he hates being confronted, he hates being questioned like this, he left like an unsub. "The results are back, they found prints". Morgan stood in the frame of Aaron's office holding a piece of paper. Hotch and Reid stood up quickly and headed back to the round table room.
"And?" Reid and Hotch followed Morgan in, taking their seats. Garcia stood up, grabbing her remote for the screen, turning it on, a face appeared. A man with dirty blonde hair, jade green eyes which held such beauty, yet felt so evil. Reid became tight in his chair, a pit fell in his stomach, nausea washed over his body. Shouta shot a look quickly towards him, eyes widen with fear, not for himself but Reid. "Let me introduce you to our possible unsub, Alex Henderson".