Reckless

Chapter 3

Present day…

Thirteen serial killers escaped during the mass prison breakout. Over the last six months, the bureau had been tracking them down one by one. Despite Hotch's determination that the BAU was going to personally recapture every last one of them, most of them were apprehended by the bureau's fugitive task force. The task force was currently closing in on the whereabouts of Earl Roy Everton.

Spencer suspected that the BAU was called in as more of a courtesy. The task force didn't need their help. There was really no need for a whole team of profilers, since the identity of the escaped convict in question was already well known. But the BAU were the ones that originally captured Everton, back when Gideon was still heading up the team.

Normally, Hotch wouldn't waste the team's time or resources by going somewhere they weren't needed. So Spencer knew there had to be another reason for this trip. Hotch was always careful not to tip his hand. But Spencer heard the man mention the name Ramirez too many times for it to be a coincidence. When Morgan resigned, he left a crater sized hole in his wake. One that wasn't so easily filled. Hotch had been searching for his replacement for some time now. And it seemed that he'd found a likely candidate in the fugitive task force's lead manhunter. Spencer had never met the man. But he promised himself that he was going to give the guy a chance. This new agent wasn't and would never be Derek Morgan. But that didn't mean he wouldn't be a worthy addition to the team. If he was handpicked by Hotch, that meant he was the best of the best.

Most of Spencer's colleagues spent the plane ride familiarizing themselves with Everton's case. But he didn't need a refresh. Even if he didn't have an eidetic memory, Spencer wouldn't have been able to forget Everton's gruesome killing spree. It started with his teenage girlfriend's family. He shot her father, raped and killed her mother, then bashed in the head of her two year old half brother and stuffed their bodies in the family's chicken coop. By the time the police arrived on the scene, the chickens had pecked all of their eyes out. Spencer could still remember running for the bathroom and vomiting after he saw the pictures. It was only his third case with the BAU. If Gideon hadn't followed him to the bathroom and talked to him, it would have been his last. He could still remember the man's soothing baritone voice. Clean yourself up. Because it's your job to make sure he doesn't do that to anyone else.

As they drove out to meet with the task force, Spencer scrolled through the dating app on his phone. He'd long since gave up on actually finding the woman he was looking for. But after six years, searching for Toni had become a force of habit. He had his preferences set to screen out anyone that was too old or too young to be her. He started by searching her name, which always yielded the same results. He'd seen those women's pictures before. And none of them were the Toni he was looking for. After that he went profile by profile, swiping them to the left as fast as he could. Occasionally Spencer would pause, clicking on a picture of a woman that looked like it might possibly be her. Six years was a long time. Toni might have changed her hair or other things about her outward appearance by now. But he was confident he would still recognize her. The image of her face was permanently burned into his brain.

"That one was cute," Rossi interjected. "Maybe you should call her."

Spencer cast an irritated glance over his shoulder. Rossi had an annoying habit of looking at his colleagues' phone screens. It was why he never objected to sitting in the backseat. Spencer shifted his body and moved his phone to block Rossi's view.

"You don't call women on a dating app," Spencer countered. "You message them." He paused for a moment before he added, "...and I can't message any of them. Because they think I'm a tax accountant named Walter."

Rossi chortled in the backseat as he shifted his body, trying to sneak another look at the screen of Spencer's phone. "What's the point of being on a dating app if you're not going to date?," he asked. "You can't still be looking for…"

"It's part of an investigation," Spencer snipped, cutting off the rest of Rossi's question before he had a chance to ask it. Rossi knew about Spencer's chance encounter with the woman he was searching for. He confessed the whole thing to him one night after a few too many glasses of single malt whiskey. But Spencer hadn't mentioned her in years. Not to Rossi, or to anyone else on the team.

"We're here," Hotch announced, pulling the dark sedan into line next to all the other nondescript government vehicles. There was no need to announce their arrival. Both Spencer and Rossi could see that they were at what they hoped was going to be Earl Ray Everton's capture site. It was just Hotch's way of letting them both know that they better bring their dating app conversation to a halt.

Spencer observed the area where the operation was supposed to take place. There were a few agents a little ways off. From their position, Spencer assumed they were looking for the best spot to post a sniper. The rest of the agents were gathered near a square hole in the ground, conversing about the best way to carry out the apprehension they had planned.

Hotch received a few nods of recognition and respect as he approached the group. Spencer scanned them, curious as to which one of them was Antonio Ramirez. One man was taller and more well muscled than the rest. Hotch moved towards him, extending his hand. Spencer assumed at that point that the large man with the thick neck was the BAU's new tactical expert. That was, until the man took a step back and revealed the woman standing next to him.

Her dark hair was longer and styled differently. The last time he saw her it was in soft waves. Now, it was straightened. There was a gun on her hip and a badge fastened to her belt. But Spencer would have recognized her no matter what she had on.

"Reid… Hey kid, you alright?," Rossi asked. Spencer was frozen in place, staring over at the small cluster of agents like he'd seen a ghost. He sometimes hung back while introductions were being made, to avoid shaking hands with people. But this seemed like something else.
"Who is that?," Spencer asked.

Rossi glanced over, focusing on the woman that was shaking Hotch's hand. "Antonio Ramirez, the agent that's been heading up the task force manhunt."

"Not him," Spencer countered, "...the woman. Who is she?" He knew who she was. She was the woman he'd been searching for. But he needed to know what Toni was doing at the capture site.

"That's SSA Ramirez," Rossi confirmed. "She's the one heading up the task force manhunt."

"That's Antonio Ramirez?," Spencer asked.

Rossi glanced between Spencer and the other agent. She was doing a much better job at hiding it. But Rossi could tell she was just as shocked to see Spencer standing there as he was to see her. Something was definitely going on between them. Something wonderfully intriguing. Rossi considered both their behavior for another moment before his face lit with understanding. Antonio must be Toni. Spencer's Toni. The woman he was still searching dating apps for six years later.

"Holy shit, this is about to get good," Rossi hissed under his breath as he watched Spencer rushing towards the woman in question. He was really hauling ass too, his one wonky arm swinging off balance like it wasn't attached to his body. Rossi covered his laughter with a cough as he hurried after him.

Hotch had already met SSA Ramirez several times. But he made sure to shake her hand anyway, to let her know he valued and respected her work. On one occasion, he was able to elicit a smile from her. But not this time. Her focus was on catching Earl Everton and nothing else. She was filling Hotch in on the current status of their mission when she suddenly paused. Her full lips parted slightly, her body going rigid as she stared over his shoulder. She was quick to regain control over herself. But Hotch was trained to observe even subtle body language. Something just shocked the hell out of her. Hotch glanced back, confused when all he saw was Reid and Rossi following him over from the car.

"I… um… like I said…,' she stuttered. Rameriz kept talking, but it was clear from her tone that she was distracted. "Carla Birch might have testified against Everton at his trial. But she's been writing to him all these years. I've met with her twice. The last time, she gave me five hundred dollars in cash as a down payment for two sets of new identity papers. That same amount was taken from the safe of the elderly couple Everton murdered last month…"

Hotch read most of this in the brief that Ramirez's unit chief sent over. But he listened with interest anyway. People often revealed details that weren't included in the written reports. He was nodding for her to continue when suddenly Reid was fumbling all over him. Their bodies collided, sending Hotch a step to his left. At first, Hotch assumed that Reid must have tripped over something and fell into him. But that didn't appear to be the case. Reid wasn't stumbling around, he was reaching for SSA Ramirez's hand.

Hotch did his best to keep his composure. He wasn't above telling Reid to knock off whatever fucking wild nonsense he was up to. But he wasn't going to do that in front of another unit. And he was honestly shocked by what was very out of character behavior from their resident genius to say anything. Reid never shook hands. In fact, he went out of his way to avoid it. Now, all of the sudden, he was reaching for this woman like her hand was the last bread roll on the dinner table. For a second, he looked like he was going to move in and lift her off her feet. She was attractive. But that never seemed to matter to Spencer before. The only woman he ever showed a preference for was JJ. And he didn't grab at her like that.

"You must be SSA Antonio Ramirez," Rossi said, moving in and taking up position next to Spencer. "This is Dr. Spencer Reid. I'm SSA David Rossi." Rossi was smiling ear to ear as he elbowed in and forced Spencer to release his death grip on her hand.

"Nice to meet you both," she replied. Toni flicked her dark eyes towards Spencer. And then she proceeded to ignore him completely, like he wasn't there. "If you'll excuse me for a minute," she said, directing her apology to Hotch. "I, uh… I just need a sip of water and then I can finish briefing you on the operation."

Hotch nodded his head. As Ramirez hurried off towards whichever vehicle she arrived in, Hotch observed the odd behavior of his agents. Rossi was holding in laughter, looking like he was having the time of his life. While Reid looked ready to pass out and shit himself simultaneously. He watched Agent Ramirez walk away. But by the time she got halfway to her car, Reid was chasing after her.