Chapter 06

Capital Plaza Apartments
Apt #23
Washington DC

June 2012

The next day Spencer was up and waiting and recording again. Once again, 6 am on the nose. "Please don't hang up." He said as soon as the line opened. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just want to..." He heard a faint sound on the other end, footsteps on pavement and someone speaking to the caller. Whomever it was spoke briefly, with a pleading tone. He held his breath and waited.

A moment later there was a click and the distinct hollow rush of a phone on speaker and the sound of someone making a shushing sound. "Is someone there?" He asked. "I just want to help. You must know me, you must know I'm an FBI agent, I can help you. Just please let me help."

Then he heard it.

For the first time he heard a voice.

He heard a girl's voice. Young, excited...

"See Mom..."

The line went dead.

BAU Headquarters
FBI Building
Quantico, VA

"Eight years, your entire time at the FBI and you don't say anything." JJ chided Spencer. She was keeping company as Garcia was downloading the recording, trying to clean it up, make the voice clearer. "Could you keep things any quieter?"

"Probably." He kept a lot of secrets, this was true.

"Okay, here we go." Garcia started the clean recording.

Please don't hang up. I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just want to...

Please let me listen Mom! Please!

Shhhhh...

Is someone there? I just want to help. You must know me, you must know I'm an FBI agent, I can help you. Just please let me help.

See Mom...

"Do you know anyone with a little girl?" Garcia asked.

"No." This was a mystery all right. "The only children I know are Jack and Henry." He could picture it, the little girl saw her mother on the phone, came up and begged her mother to let her hear his voice, knowing her mother called him at precisely that time of day. Mom put it on speaker, indicating that the girl should stay silent. But she didn't and the call ended.

"Well her mother likes calling you. And they both like hearing your voice. This is weird." She was checking something. "And this number is going back to a burn phone. Mom does not want to be found."

It was three that afternoon when Spencer's phone rang again. "Dr. Reid."

There was silence on the other end of the line, long enough for Spencer to start recording again. And then... "Mom's in the shower," said a small, female voice.

"Is she?" He had to be careful. This was a child after all. He clicked it over to speaker and motioned JJ over to listen. "Are you using her phone?"

"Uh huh." She was quiet again. "Can you help us?"

"I can try. I'll do what I can. My name is Spencer. What's your name?"

"Mia. Artemis, but everyone calls me Mia."

"Hello Mia. What's your Mom's name?"

"You don't know?"

"I can't think of it right now. I, um, I haven't seen her in a long time. Where are you?"

"The bedroom."

"No, I mean what city?"

"Oh, um..." Mia gasped. "Mom shut the shower off!" The line went dead.

"Damn it!" JJ said

Spencer resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room.

Corcoran Gallery of Art
East St. Entrance
Washington DC

Go to the East Street parking entrance, Morgan's directions read. Park on the lowest level. Use this code to enter the door down there. There will be a guard just inside, give him this envelope. And then play along.

He opened the door. Just inside was a nondescript entrance hall. A guard in a neat suit-style uniform stood at a desk just inside. It all seemed bland but Morgan couldn't help but notice how the guard reached under the desk. "Can I help you?" He asked.

"I was told to bring this here." Morgan said, passing over the envelope.

In reply the guard took his hand off the gun mounted under the desk, read the note, nodded, and pressed a buzzer. "It will just be a moment." He said.

Morgan waited about four minutes, during which time a guy dressed for the gym came in, was recognized, and passed through with a nod and a smile. Then a man in a neat suit came from inside the facility. "Agent Morgan?" He said with a polite smile. "This way please."

His escort led him into the facility. There was a large, open, well lit space reminiscent of a small hotel lobby, modern, well-lit, comfortable but not lavish. Halls and other spaces branched off. There were a handful of people milling about, all relaxed and comfortable. "Nice place." Morgan said.

"You haven't been?" His escort asked.

"No, I was oathed in in London." He had done no such thing but that was what he had been told to say if anyone asked.

"Then as we have a moment while Mr. Benson is in his meeting let me give you a bit of a tour." The escort took him into some of the spaces that branched off. There was a larger than expected gym, one set up more toward martial arts than general work-outs, quite comfortable and well kept. Locker rooms to go with it, with all the amenities. An indoor shooting range, of all things, as good as the one at Quantico. A library for the members. A game room with a small bar at one end where a few people were hanging out. And, he was told, investment advisors available by appointment.

"Investments?" Morgan asked.

"We were the first bankers. We believe in supporting our members." The escort replied. He nodded to a bank of elevators. "Those lead to the chapel on the top floor."

"Right." Chapel attendance was no longer mandatory for Knights of the White, thank god. He looked down another hallway which lead to an elevator manned by a guard. "What's down there?"

"Entrance to the cache."

"Can we..."

"Knights of the Blue only."

"Right." Other than that bit of creepy and the fact that this was a hidden, underground facility, it didn't seem any weirder than the local Elks lodge. He had expected something more from his legends.

Soon enough Morgan was led down the last hallway, this one made up of offices, and shown in a door. John Benson had the patrician good looks and confident attitude of a high level government employee or perhaps a banker, utterly invisible in DC society, notable only for his shock of white hair. "Agent Morgan!" He boomed out as he stood up to shake Morgan's hand. "You have no idea how glad I am to meet you!"

"Really?" Morgan shook his hand politely. Was this going to be this easy? "Usually decisions made from above..."

But he didn't even have a chance to finish. "I know, I know. The Master of our department has been ranting my ear off for a solid day, telling me to be careful and all of that. But he doesn't have to live here; he has no idea what it's been like dealing with our problem child." Benson moved to a small bar set up off to one side and started building himself a stiff scotch. "I completely agree with the GM, you are just the man for the job. I will sleep better knowing you understand the situation and are keeping tabs on him. Drink?"

"No, thank you." It was going to be this easy. "So, what's wrong with this guy?"

Benson chuckled. "Oh, I think you'll understand when he gets here." There was a commotion out in the hall. "In fact that's probably him now."

"...in a meeting." The escort was saying outside.

"I don't care!" The office door burst open and in strode a very familiar, very tall figure. "I do not need a babysitter!" Spencer Reid yelled.