"Guys! Guys!" Garcia ran into the bullpen the next morning holding a stack of papers and the silver tickets.
"What is it Baby Girl?" Morgan leaned back in his chair.
"I think I might have found a connection to Reid!" She cried, eyes bright, if marred by dark cirles. She'd been up all night researching and reading about the Circus of Dreams.
Prentiss and Morgan shot out of there chairs! "what?" they both cried in unision.
Garcia ran up to the BAU room, pushing boxes onto the floor, letting them crash below.
Then she began placing papers side by side eachother. The first was of an old article about the circus, then one about the "Mysterious Ring Master." and finally one with a picture of Reid.
"Um... are you trying to say Reid joined the circus?" Prentiss asked as Morgan reorganized the boxes below.
"No. I'm saying they had somehting to do with his disapearence!" Garcia bubbled.
"... and thats a good thing?" Prentiss cried.
"No! Hell no! Baby dear, it means we can center the investigation on there!"
"Do you have anything else? A statment? or a witness?" Morgan asked, really trying to help his Baby Girl.
"Me! I was there last night, and I got knocked down by these idiots guys." SHe started.
"Oh Baby Girl I'm sorry." Morgan said.
"No, that's not important, anyway, the guy who helped me back up was him!" she pointed at the Ring Master. "Then he gave me free tickets to the midnight showing tonight. Enough for all of us and Kevin to go."
"And you think he's guilty of kidnapping from that?" Prentiss deadpanned.
"No, we got to talking and he mentioned Reid's disapearence being in the newspaper." both profilers blinked.
"It wasn't in-"
"Exactly! And before that he was talking about Spencer like he saw him and everything! Name, face, the whole thing! Doesnt that sound just a bit suspicious?" Garcia buzzed.
"Yes." They both answered.
"So were going to that Circus!"
Hotch and Rossi and JJ were informed us this new information and given their ticket. Then a plan was formed.
"So JJ, you go with Garcia and get the Ring Master talking after the Circus. Morgan and I will be twenty feet behind you in case something goes wrong." Hotch instructed as everyone got guns and badges ready.
"Rossi and Prentiss will try talking to the other preformers while Detective Collins will scope out the rest of the Circus with the rest of the taskforce."
everyone nodded and they ran to the SUVs. It was already 11:30.
Detective Collins, the detective assigned to Reid's case, sat outside the Big Top with the rest of the cops. All were dressed in civilian wear, trying to blend in. They were more of a precautionary measure than backup.
The BAU sat on the first row of the stands, all holding a silver ticket and waitng tensly for the show to begin.
The lights went completely out, plunging the tent into darkness.
The Ring Master walked on, holding a lit torch close to his face. He bowed to the awaiting audience, then began the show.
"Tonight my friends, is the Mindnight Showing! Tonight we pull away all the strings and show you a real Circus! Tonight, of all nights, is the special treat you've all been waiting your lives for!" He shouted.
"I know he's trying to make it fun, but the mask is starting to get annoying." Morgan whispered to Garcia, squeezing her shoulder tenderly, "It just makes this all creepy."
"That may be the point." Garcia whispered back before an old woman in the row behind shushed them.
"Tonight, feast your eyes on the power of Ms. Spider!" Ring Master cried.
The tall raven haired woman marched onto the tightropoe, and when a spotlight was thrust on her she raised her arms to reveal a web of spiders hanging on a spider web she wore like a shawl.
The women in the crowd screamed and a few fainted. Ms. Spider then tilted to the side, slowly, slowly going over the edge. She began to plunge to the ground. But she didnt move, just stayed absolutely still.
The spiders on her began flying off in twos and threes. Then fives and sixes. And finally all of the rest let go. She looked like she was free falling, she was only ten feet from the ground. Five, three, ten inches, two...
She jerked about a foot. Hanging still in the air an inch above the floor!
The tent was dead silent, then it erupted into ear-shattering applause!
"Thank you Ms. Spider!" Ring Master cried as she got up and a black blanket of spiders descended onto her. She walked out, waving regally as she did.
"Is this whole Circus like this?" JJ whispered to Prentiss.
"Yes. I can just tell."
Next was the trapeze artists, performing above a net of fire. Then dodging the knives of the knife thrower. Then the tightrope couple Mr. and Mrs. Drahtseil.
They barely stayed on the rope! When they both reached the middle they tangoed off the side and swung around it like they were a fan. Then they flew off it and landed on the trapeze acts podium.
"When is this over? The long wait's making me tense." Rossi asked Hotch.
The long wait ended after the witch's performance.
The tent went green, and the vulture chose another person to walk down and choose a sign.
This time it was a teenage girl. She chose a sign that looked like a ballerina holding a long pole across her chest with a spiral above her head.
"A lovely choice!" the Witch cried, shaking hands with the young girl. Really she was placing a pin that showed a rabbit in a tutu on the tightrope. (But only you dear readers know that so shh!)
After that the lights came completely back on with the Ring Master standing on a tall block of wood. He bowed to the crowd before saying, "Thank you for attending Quantico Virginia's Midnight Showing! Sadly we must move on to the next town in need of smiles!" He pointed both pointer fingres to the giant one painted on his mask, "So in three days time we'll be leavig you all for a little while!" He then bowed and hoped backwards off the block of wood.
As everyone was filling out, Hotch grabbed Rossi and JJ, "Get your partner. It's time."