There's a finish line for this story in my head, and I aim to get there.
Chapter Eighteen:
Four hours. Catherine "Cat" Adams had escaped four hours earlier when there was an explosion in Italy during which Miranda had been abducted from the scene. Reid would never forgive himself.
"Uncle Hotch and Aunt J.J are going to get mommy back, right daddy?" Rachel said.
The kids had been pulled out of school the minute news about the explosion broke. Reid left his luncheon with spouses of veterans to tend to them.
"Without question," Reid said. "Every police and intelligence agency are looking for her. They won't get far."
"How certain are you that she's alive?" Alex asked.
"There were drag marks at the scene," Reid said.
"But she could have suffered a head trauma and might be comatose," he said.
Rachel let out a whimper. Reid held on to her more tightly.
"Alex, the attack was highly organized, they would not simply abduct her comatose body. They want her alert, so she can send a video message."
He looked like he wanted to say something else, but Reid gave him a silencing look.
Rachel cried as he hugged her.
"I miss mommy!" she wailed.
Reid's shirt was wet with tears. Part of him wanted to join her in crying, but he needed to be strong. He needed to be strong for his children and Miranda.
The phone rang. Reid reached around and answered it.
"Hey, kid," Morgan said. "Can I come up? Hotch already cleared me."
"Of course, Morgan," Reid said, happy to hear a friendly voice. "Come on up."
"Great, I'll be there in a second."
Reid hung up. "Uncle Morgan is here for a visit."
"Great!" Alex said. "I can show him how not to lose at Risk!"
"Mommy's missing and that's all that's on your mind?" Rachel asked angrily.
"Rachel," Reid said. "Alex is allowed to process what is going on however he feels comfortable, just like you. Okay?"
"Fine," she said sniffling.
There was a knock on the door. Reid went to open it and Morgan pulled him into a hug. He hugged him back.
"How are you holding up?" he asked.
"I need to be strong for them," Reid said.
"Hi Uncle Morgan!" Alex said.
"Hi," Rachel said.
"Hey kids!" he said. "I know I can't help you feel much better, but you know always helps me when I have no control over a situation? A good movie. How about you guys call the chef for pizza and we'll watch Captain Marvel together?"
"I love Carol Danvers," Rachel said quietly.
"The movie is very good on its own," Alex said.
"So, it's a deal," Morgan said.
"Rachel you can call while I set up the TV," Alex said.
"Thanks," she said.
Morgan nodded his head to Reid's office. They went inside.
"I'm sure my kids know what you are doing, you know," Reid said.
"Really?"
"You're here to watch them while I help out with the investigation," Reid said.
"They really are as smart as you."
Reid hugged him suddenly.
"Thank you, Morgan."
"We'll find her buddy, I promise."
…
"This does not in any way feel right," Gomez said.
He was sitting at the head of the table in the situation room surrounded by a couple of his own staff, Hotch, the chief of the security council Don Clint, J.J. and Reid.
"I'm glad you could come down Dr. Reid," he said.
"I'm glad Derek Morgan was available help out," Reid said.
"I've been debriefed about who Catherine Adams is," Gomez said. "She sounds like a piece of work."
"That's one way of describing her," Reid said in a low tone.
"What we're trying to figure out is what Cat's endgame is," J.J. said.
"It's simple," Reid said. "She wants to slowly kill my wife on camera to drive me to the brink of insanity."
"You really think so Reid?" Hotch asked.
"She nearly killed my mom and she's been planning to try to get rid of my wife for a long time."
"What about her kid?" Gomez asked.
"In a special foster care system," J.J. said. "Cat hasn't seen him since she gave birth to him."
"Trying to use him as leverage would be a pointless tactic," Reid said. "If Cat wanted to see her son, she would have found another way by now."
"We've still got another issue to address," Clint said. "There is a traitor on her staff. Someone told whoever she is working with which rout they were taking to get to the Vatican."
"Geena Scott or Whitney Fleming," Reid said. "They are the only two with access to that information outside the secret service."
"I think it's Geena," J.J. said. "She was the one who put us on a false trail."
"It makes sense," Hotch said. "She also hired the staff she knew had connections to Shaw."
"But why?" Gomez asked. "Geena's been loyal to Miranda since before she became president."
"She's grown to resent Fleming's presence as special White House Counsel. She doesn't think she's being rewarded properly for her loyalty," Reid said.
"How does she connect to Cat Adams?" Gomez asked.
"Cat Adams is a master manipulator," Reid said. "She preys on the weaknesses of others. I don't have proof, but I'm fairly convinced Lang is involved as the financer of everything."
"Proving this is going to be difficult," J.J. said.
"That's why every resource in the country is being used to hunt down these individuals," Gomez said.
There was a knock on the door. Clint answered it.
"We have a transmission," the staffer said.
"Put it on," Gomez said.
J.J. reached for Reid's hand as the screen was turned on.
Miranda was dressed in an orange prison jump suit tied to a chair with rope and handcuffs. One foot was noticeably bare. The background was white.
A man dressed from head to foot in black appeared.
"Are you ready to confess your sins Miranda Reid?" he asked in a muffled menacing voice.
She was breathing heavily.
"I'm a Washington politician, where do you want to start?" she asked.
"Miranda's coping mechanism," Reid murmured. "Humor."
The man stepped around, took her bare foot and wacked it, hard. She screamed. Reid flinched and J.J. held on to him harder.
"I stole a Mulan doll from Disneyworld!" she yelled. "I accepted foreign money to finance my campaign. I drunkenly made out with an opposition researcher after Spencer and I got in a fight two years before our marriage."
The man nodded.
"That will due for now."
He pulled out a rubber strap and tied it around Miranda's arm. Reid couldn't breathe. He watched as the man pumped her with drugs.
"Spencer," she said groggily. "I love you and tell the kids I'm sorry. I don't belong in a place for heroes."
The transmission was cut. Tears silently dripped down Reid's face as J.J. hugged him.