A/N: Still do not own Criminal Minds
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"Okay, let's think about this for a minute. Thelma dies suddenly of a heart attack induced by potassium chloride. She's not yet eighty so her eyes can be donated. She has no family but someone claiming to be a sister signs the consent form. Now because Thelma was close to eighty, if she had lived a couple of weeks more, her eyes would no longer be eligible for transplant. Was Thelma killed a couple of weeks before her eightieth birthday just to get those eyes? Who benefits from that, besides the people receiving the transplant, of course?"
Garcia added, "Probably the people doing the transplant. I don't know what the going rate for a transplant is but I imagine it's not cheap so I suppose there's money to be made."
"Ten thousand dollars per eye, that's the going rate and only some of it is covered by health insurance," Reid supplied in answer to Garcia's question.
"Garcia, can you find me anything on the financials of the nursing home, Dr. Price and the rest of the staff. There's a reason someone is doing this and if whoever it was, was willing to kill two innocent women, something tells me this could be bigger than just the death of Thelma Fletcher," Reid said and Garcia jumped to the computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard in response.
"Gideon, I don't like the sound of this. Think about it. Nursing homes, a lot of old and very sick people there who, at some point are expected to die. What if some of these deaths are being hastened along? Colleen and I saw some people this morning at the nursing home, that if I went there tomorrow and heard they had died, I would think nothing of it. What if they are making money out of procuring these eyes for some unscrupulous ophthalmologist? Say this guy is making ten thousand per eye and paying only a little to the middleman for procuring said eye, he's walking away with a lot of cash. The nursing home isn't losing anything because waiting lists are so long for these places, that as soon as someone dies, their spot is filled the next day. The ophthalmologist is making money, the nursing home or someone working there is making money, some sightless person is getting his or her sight back and all that's lost is an old or very sick person who was probably going to die anyway."
"What you're saying makes a lot of sense Reid, and if there's one nursing home, who's to say there aren't more. I really don't like the sound of this either. Let's see what Garcia comes up with and if it looks widespread, we will have to call in the team."
"Bluegrass Valley makes a lot of money. Most of the money belongs to the parent company, Lifelink Enterprises. Now I looked into Lifelink Enterprises and this company is doing veeery well. They not only own nursing homes and sanitariums all over the country, but also health equipment outlets, some clinics where there are ophthalmologists who do corneal transplants, funeral homes and crematoriums. They have every side of this thing covered. I can't find any really big salaries for the people who work there but that doesn't mean payments aren't being made under the table."
"Sanitariums, Garcia did you say sanitariums," Reid said looking panic stricken. The group, with the exception of Gideon and Garcia, wondered why he looked so worried.
"I'm on it sweet pea," Garcia said, once again attacking the keyboard. This time Reid stood right behind her with his hands on her shoulders, the tenseness showing in his white knuckles. A few seconds later she said, "Not Bennington, okay Reid, your mama is okay."
The group heard Garcia and saw Reid's eyes close and a look of relief wash over his face. Was Reid's mother in a sanitarium, they wondered? Then Reid's eyes opened and a cold hard look came into them. "My mother's safe but tonight someone else's mother or father or brother or sister is in jeopardy, we have to find out what's going on before some other innocent person is killed. Gideon, this has got to be bigger than the little town of Castleton. I think we need the team."
"I think you're right."
Hotch was in his office working on some consults when the call came in. "Hotchner."
"Hi Hotch, me again, how are you doing?"
Hotch let out a sigh, "I'm fine Reid, and to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Well Hotch, it looks like we have a situation down here that could be far reaching. We just don't know how far."
Hotch rubbed his forehead. He suddenly felt a headache coming on and he knew he was not going to like this. "Okay, Reid, you better fill me in."
Reid filled Hotch in on the situation as they knew it. They didn't know how involved Lifelink Enterprises was but considering they owned companies at every end of this scheme, it was a good bet they were fairly involved. He said that he and Gideon both felt this was bigger than Castleton and they thought they needed the team. Hotch said he would gather the team and they would be there as soon as they could.
Reid informed the group of the impending arrival of the rest of the BAU team. He asked Morris to secure accommodations for four, Agents Hotchner, Morgan, Prentiss and Jareau. Morris wondered what effect it would have on his small town to have a group of profilers from Quantico descending on it.
Morris went to set up accommodations for the arriving profilers while Gideon and Reid considered their next move. Reid said, "I think we have to concentrate on Castleton because it's the only place we know about so far. I'll also get Garcia looking for correlations between deaths at Lifelink nursing homes and sanitariums and eye transplants; that is if they are recorded like they should be."
"I agree, Reid. If we can connect someone at Bluegrass Valley to the scheme, maybe we can turn that person and get them to give up someone else in the organization. That's what we have to concentrate on now and maybe a whole FBI team in a little town will make someone very uncomfortable, uncomfortable enough to try and contact an associate."
Colleen came over and joined them saying, "What do you think of talking to the residents at Bluegrass Valley. I mean I got that little tidbit of information from Bud. He seems to know or hear a lot of what goes on there. If I go back tomorrow, maybe I can find out more."
"That's probably a good idea but I do not want you going to that place again, alone. Are you listening to me Colleen," Reid insisted as she rolled her eyes.
"Reid, you're getting worse than my dad. Bud already knows and likes me so maybe he'll talk to me."
"I don't disagree with that Colleen but I agree with Reid. When you go there, you should have one of the BAU team with you for your own protection," Gideon added.
Reid got a phone call then from Hotch. He said they would be there in about an hour; it wasn't a long flight from Quantico. There was an airstrip a little ways out of town and they would need to be picked up. Reid assured Hotch, they would be there to get them.
"Well," Reid said to the group, "Now you'll get an education you hadn't counted on. I have learned more from these people than in all the schooling I've had and I've had a lot. So take advantage of the knowledge that's about to be shared with you. These are the finest profilers in the country, some possibly the best in the world. Don't hesitate to ask them questions, they know you're here to learn and they've all been in your shoes. You ready to go get them Morris?" The two men headed out the door and to the vehicles.