A/N: Do not own Criminal Minds
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Hotch and Emily arrived back at the stationhouse with Gus Trillby in custody and the news everyone had been waiting for. They now knew who they were looking for and it was a shock to everyone. "We should call Reid and warn him while we're on the way," Hotch said reaching for his phone.
"Can't," Garcia said, "Phones have to be turned off just like in the hospital, something about the medical equipment."
"Oh yes, I forgot about that. Okay everybody, let's head out." They all went to their vehicles and a little convoy headed for the nursing home.
Reid was talking to some of the nurses at the nurses' station. He was asking about David Rafferty who seemed to be universally disliked. "Some of the staff have told me that he comes to see some of the residents. Is there anyone in particular that he visits?"
"Well" a nurse named Carlos replied, "I often see him talking to Bud Talbot. They used to talk a lot when he visited his mom too and they would play crib."
"Thanks very much for your time." Reid headed down the hall to look for Captain Bud.
Hotch and Gideon were in one of the cruisers, the other members of the team were in the SUV. Hotch said, "All right, spill, you look like you've been ready to bust a gut all morning."
Gideon could hold it in no longer and knew it was safe to tell Hotch. He told his friend about the quick getaway of the lovely Colleen from Reid's room in the early dawn hours and the flustered and clumsier than usual Reid. He was just glad Morgan didn't know. They both imagined if Morgan knew and the hell Reid would live through and even Hotch had to laugh at that.
"You're right about that, we definitely won't mention it to Morgan."
"I really don't want to hurt you little lady, don't come any closer."
"Bud, what are you doing, oh God it's you who's been killing all these people. Bud why, for the money from the eyes? The pitch of Colleen's voice raised in disbelief.
Reid had gone to the dayroom and the game room and Bud's own room but he was nowhere to be found. He'd go to Jim's room and find Colleen, he thought, maybe she'd know where to find Bud.
"No it wasn't for the money," Bud yelled at Colleen, "Do you think I'd do this for money?"
Reid could hear the raised voices. It sounded like Bud. "Bud, you know you can't get away with this, don't you." And Colleen!
Reid was running now until he was outside Jim's room. He stopped and stood with his back against the wall outside the room and peeked in. He could see Bud beside Jim's bed holding a gun on Colleen. Jim had a tourniquet around his arm and it looked like Bud had been about to inject him. Bud! It was Bud! And he had a gun on Colleen. Reid drew his weapon.
"Okay, deep breath, you can do this. Bud was a Captain in Vietnam, probably an excellent marksman. You know you can be too, when you have to. Remember Dowd and Hankel."
Reid stepped into the room, his weapon in a perfect two handed grip. "Bud, why don't you put down the gun, you're not getting out of here. Why hurt anyone else?"
"Hi there doc. Just having a chat with your little girlfriend here. I see she's not denying it this time, are you sweetie?" he said looking at Colleen.
Colleen turned her eyes to Reid and he could see the fear in them. "No Bud, she can't deny it now."
"Well, well, I'm happy for you, really. You're a nice young couple.
The team and the locals pulled up outside the nursing home and went in. The receptionist was startled at the influx of so much law enforcement. Hotch said displaying his ID, "Special Agent Hotchner FBI. Where would I find Bud Talbot?"
The woman looked confused. "Bud Talbot," then at Hotch's stern look she said, "Room 116. The agents, sheriffs and deputies headed down the hallway. They arrived at room 116 and found it empty. A nurse was coming along the hallway. Her eyes opened wide when she saw all the agents with guns out. Hotch said, "Have you seen Bud Talbot?"
"No I was just coming to check because one of the residents said he heard loud voices in room 121."
"We'll check, you go check on your other residents and keep the hallways clear."
The group moved up the hallway until they came to room 121 and they could hear the voices. "That's Reid," Morgan whispered.
Gideon stood against the wall and glanced in. He saw Reid with his back to the door, his weapon drawn, Colleen was at the end of the bed and Bud Talbot had a gun pointed at Colleen. He pulled back and told the others what he had seen.
Kyle became very agitated realizing that this killer had a gun on his daughter. Hotch indicated that he and Prentiss would go out and come around the other way from the fire doors. He wanted Morgan to go outside to the window. Gideon and JJ would maintain their present position. "Okay everybody, let's move," Hotch ordered, and the agents moved to their assigned spots with military precision.
"Bud why are you doing this if not for the money." Reid inquired taking a small step further into the room.
"You want to know why. I'll tell you why, because they owe me."
"Who owes you Bud," Reid asked, taking another small step.
"Lifelink Enterprises, that's who," Bud responded, another step.
Hotch and Prentiss had arrived at the other side of the door and Reid looked over and spied Morgan at the window. His team was here.
Gideon whispered, "Keep him talking Reid, keep him talking," as the group stood at the ready to go in if needed.
"Why Lifelink Enterprises? What did they ever do to you?" Another step.
"They're the reason I'm in this chair."
"Oh come on Bud, you lost your legs in the war, how could they be responsible for that?"
"It's their fault I never healed. The doctors at the VA hospital said my legs didn't heal properly because my diabetes had been mishandled and I developed…"
"Diabetic Neuropathy," Reid finished for him.
Bud nodded, "So instead of being able to be fitted with prosthesis and being a man again, I'm stuck with these stubs for legs. It was because the Lifelink doctor I went to was a quack and a drunk and they still let him practice. I tried to sue but they have so much money and so many lawyers that they'd have me in court till I was broke or dead. So I transferred to a Lifelink facility and tried to think of a way to ruin them. A scandal over stolen eyes for profit seemed like a good idea."
"I'm truly sorry about what happened to you Bud but you killed innocent people," another step.
"They were all people who needed to die. Thelma was so crippled up with arthritis and in so much pain. Cynthia had Alzheimers; she couldn't remember her son or her own name or anything. It was so sad. And the others were the same, look at Jim here." Jim's eyes were moving erratically, listening to the conversation.
"What about Edna Hammond and Tracy Wilcox, did they need to die too Bud."
"I didn't kill little Miss Marple and Nancy Drew. David got nervous when they started snooping into Thelma's death. I told him they wouldn't find anything but he got jumpy."
"It was easy to get Gus to agree to take the eyes and sell them; he needed the money so badly. I just made sure he sold them to a doctor from Lifelink to set up the scandal. I just wanted someone to pay for what happened to me. You don't understand that?"
Reid could see Morgan was getting the window open. He just needed a little more time.
"Yeah Bud I do. A little while ago something happened to me. I had just gone to work to do my job. I was kidnapped by a deranged psychopath with multiple personalities. One of the things he did to me was inject me with Dilaudid and when he was done with me I was addicted. You don't know how many times I've lain in bed at night and screamed at the fates, why did this happen to me. I did nothing to deserve this. But now I wear this label, drug addict. I have to learn to live with it and accept that everyone who knows me will never look at me quite the same way they did before. I wanted someone to pay but the way things were going the only person paying was me. It was the hand I was dealt and whether I win or lose all depends on how I play that hand. I could carry on with the drugs and eventually descend into the life of a junkie or I could pick myself up and do what a very good friend suggested, use it to make me a better profiler and a better person. I chose the latter." Another step.
Reid saw Morgan get the window open and climb in. He looked at Colleen and looked up and to his right. He lifted his right foot slightly and gently kicked the IV pole at the end of Jim's bed that delivered his liquid nutrition. The pole descended towards Colleen who screamed and moved to dodge the pole. Morgan jumped at Bud. Two shots rang out!