Sinner | Spencer Reid

Chapter 24

Spencer's POV

The world stops.

All that I can focus on is the woman on Garcia's computer. It's unmistakably Jaella. My mind feels as if it's spiralling. So many thoughts rush through my head. Usually I can section and comprehend the mass of information, but now, with the prospect of Jaella being with those criminals, I feel lost.

The room is silent for a few seconds until I speak in a quiet voice, still loud enough for everyone to hear.

"She called me."

"What do you mean 'she called you'?" Asks Rossi.

"This morning. At 7:43. She called me." I almost crumble at my realisation. "I thought that she just wanted to talk so I declined. She needed me, and I declined," I say, almost in disbelief.

How could I be so fucking self-centred? She could be dead.

"I need to know that all of you are able to work this case," says Hotch in a stern tone. "We can't have any feelings," his eyes briefly scan to me, "getting in the way of our work. We all knew her personally but in order to save her we must treat this like a normal case. This situation is now prioritised because a federal agent has been taken, not because she was a friend."

The room digests Hotch's words.

He's right. We have a better chance of finding her if we don't emotionally attach ourselves to the victim. Fuck. She's a victim.

"Are we able to talk to any witnesses?" Enquires Emily.

I can tell that the team is trying to be casual about this but we all know that her life is at risk.

Hotch's phone goes off and he answers. Soon after he hangs up and turns to us.

"Alex Carter, another agent from DC was travelling with Jaella on the bus, who should be arriving soon. They were travelling to work together from Jaella's apartment."

Probably her boyfriend. Spencer stop. She is kidnapped and you're getting jealous over her relationship. You're the one who walked away from her.

Morgan places his hand on my shoulder. He doesn't need to say anything but I know that he's there. I've gone from feeling betrayed by Jaella to forgetting about every problematic detail in her life. I just need her back. I ignore her and pretend like she doesn't exist for weeks and now the one thing that I want is her by my side.

A short girl with dirty blonde hair walks into the room accompanied by Hotch. She looks all of us up and down. I can tell that she's been crying. When her eyes land on me she narrows them.

"Team this is Agent Alex Carter."

I'm an idiot.

We ask Alex questions about the two men. She give us as much information as possible. "Do you know why they'd want to take her back?" JJ asks after a couple minutes of questioning.

"Did you guys even let her explain to you what actually happened with the Black Diamonds?" She asks. We all look around at each other. Nobody had bothered to find out the truth about the accusation.

Why were we all so blinded by the possibility of her being a past criminal, that we didn't even seek out the truth? I didn't even seek out the truth.

"We were told that she killed people, agents and civilians," replies Morgan from beside me. Alex gives us all a look of pure disgust. We shift uncomfortably in our seats.

"Yeah because you should always trust what a murderous psychopath says," she replies bitterly. I rub the back of my neck in guilt. She rolls her eyes and continues. "Jaella was working at a strip club from sixteen. She didn't have any role models or people to turn to. Her mother left early and her dad was a drug addict. She did what she could to get money. When the owners told her to go out and 'advertise' to get people to the go to the club, that's what she did. How was she supposed to know that they were being sent off to the Black Diamonds and getting killed? She was a teenager for fucks sake." Alex sighs deeply and sits down at the table with us. "A long while later, I guess they decided that she was valuable, they started to bring her to meetings and discussions. There the men would.." The girl pauses. "Take turns with her. They would force for her to have sex with most members in the one night. Their desires were filled and to them she was just another whore who couldn't complain. If she did she would've been killed."

My fists clench tightly under the table. I can feel my nails drawing blood from the palm of my hand, but I don't care.

"Every meeting she picked up more and more information. This is how she found out who they were and what they had been doing. Once she pieced everything together, she called the FBI anonymously and told them where the Black Diamonds were. She turned them in and now the Black Diamonds probably took her for revenge because she's the reason that they were sent to prison. They know that she betrayed them. And now they could be doing anything to her." Alex suddenly breaks down in tears.

JJ and Rossi take her out of the room so that she is able to collect herself. I look around at the people left in the room. Morgan's head is in his hands, Emily has a faraway stare, there are tear marks on Garcia's cheeks and Hotch looks more emotionless than usual.

I'm glad that there is no mirror in front of me because I am certain that I look worse than everyone combined.

What the frick?! 1000 REIDS ARE YOU KIDDING?!?! Y'all are hella strange for clicking on this story and I lerv you for it. Mentally hugging every single one of you *hug*.