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dr-spencer-reids-queen · 2 years

Text

Seven Seconds: Part One

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.2k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there is any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

"Nothing is easier than to denounce the evil doer; Nothing more difficult than understanding him." - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Child abductions are one of the worst things a human being can do, but you thrive in those environments. You can usually find the child easily because their energies are pure and will lead you to them. However, the abductions usually happen in a smaller setting like a house or even a school...

This one just so happens to be in a fucking mall where there are thousands of people here. Your team was called to assist as soon as the child was reported missing twenty minutes ago. The good thing about this is you can always spot the perpetrator since they love to insert themselves into the investigations. Plus, they have to pretend like they're sad about this, which means they're lying to everyone, which means you can spot them even easier.

This case is meant for someone like you.

Your entire team gets to the mall quickly since you're only an hour from the crime. The local police are currently there as well to help out where they can.

"I'm James Franklin," James introduces himself when you get there. "I'm the Director of the Bureau's Rapid Deployment Team. We've been in lockdown for almost twenty minutes. My team's already in motion."

There was another kidnapping a week ago from the same location. Jessica Davis lost her life, and the killer hadn't been caught. You don't know if it's connected, but that's what you're here to find out.

"Another female, same age, same time of day, and taken from essentially the same location," Emily points out.

"What makes you sure Katie Jacobs is still in the building?" you ask James.

"The mall's got cameras installed at every entrance and exit. Surveillance video confirms Katie entering the building, but no sign of her leaving. Security paged her over the intercom, and their initial sweep came up empty."

"Whoever killed Jessica Davis last week left that mall with her because he wanted time with his victim in privacy. Assuming it's the same offender, he wouldn't stray from his MO. He wouldn't leave here without his victim."

"If Katie is here, then her abductor is still here." You turn to Hotch with a determined look. "I'll be able to tell you who did it."

"Good. Garcia, report to the mall's security office. Reid, Morgan, I want you to find the head of security. We need all data from every search team. You guys start with Katie's parents," Hotch says to you, Emily, and JJ. "We'll treat the mall like a neighborhood, and we'll separate into areas of control. Come on."

This may not be the biggest mall in Virginia, but it is one of the most popular ones. Still, it's pretty big with a hundred and seventeen stores, sixty-nine storage closets, seventy-three dressing rooms, six men and women's restrooms, seven restaurants each with separate kitchens, four elevators, and exits to the rooftop via the north and south stairwells. On top of all that, there is a whole underbelly beneath your feet. Boiler rooms, air ducts, and a subterranean level.

Every team got a copy of the map, but the reality of the situation is that it'll take at least three hours to cover the basics of the entire mall. Realistically, you only have half that time to find Katie.

Ninety-nine percent of abducted children who are killed died within the first twenty-four hours, seventy-five percent are killed within the first three hours, and forty-four percent are killed within the first hour. Jessica Davis joined that forty-four percent group, so if you have any hope of finding Katie alive, then you have about an hour to find her so she doesn't fall into that category.

Penelope knows more about cameras than anyone else on the team, which is why she is the perfect person for the job. She needs every inch of surveillance footage so she can examine it frame by frame to see if there is anything in the background that the police or security has missed. If you want to find Katie alive, then Penelope is going to do her very best to search for her.

Penelope didn't find much, but she did look into one of the cameras outside of the arcade. Katie is clearly shown in the video, but the video image is so poor that everything else is too blurry... including the person Katie is with. She could start the process to enhance the image, but no one has that kind of time.

The best thing you can do as a person and as an FBI agent is to be where the crowd is. You'll be able to rule out any suspects, determine who is innocent and who is guilty, and hopefully, locate the abductor. You, Emily, and JJ walk toward the general public, and you pause when you feel something creep up your spine. There is something trying to tell you that something isn't right here.

You look over the crowd at the different faces. Most people are in their own little world since they have no clue what is going on. Some are too bored to care, and then there are others holding their own children so they don't run off.

"What's wrong?" Emily asks you.

"The unsubs are here. I can feel them."

"Unsubs? As in more than one? How do you know that?"

"Because there is confusion and panic coming from everyone. And out of everyone here, there are two people who are unusually calm."

"Katie was last seen by her cousin in the arcade about twenty-five minutes ago," an officer interrupts. "She was wearing jeans, a green shirt, gray sneakers, and ponytails. We also have a list of registered offenders located within a forty-five-mile radius."

"Okay, run this against current and former employees as well," Emily says. The officer nods and leaves, and Emily turns back to you. "What do you mean by two people? Who?"

"Them."

You gesture to them with your head. Katie's parents, Beth and Paul, are crying and freaking out like any other parent would. However, Katie's aunt and uncle, Richard and Susan, are beside them acting like they are scared. Susan is unusually calm about this entire thing, and Richard is more scared than panicked. Scared for himself, that is.

"They're Katie's aunt and uncle," JJ says.

"You're suggesting family members can't be predators to their own family? Look, I don't have proof, obviously, but I know what I feel and what I see. They have something to do with it. Looks can be deceiving, so don't let them lie to you."

You three head over to Katie's parents, but your eyes are locked onto Richard. Susan is also a suspect in your book, but Richard seems like he has dark secrets. You know he is hiding something dark, you don't know what it is just yet.

"Hi. We're agents Jareau, Y/N, and Prentiss with the BAU. You two must be Katie's aunt and uncle. This can't be easy. We're here to walk you through this."

Hotch walks away from his group and heads over to you three, but you don't look away from Richard. You cross your arms over your chest to make it look like you know their secret. Richard tries not to look at you, but his wife isn't so shy about telling you off.

"Why are you looking at my husband like that?"

"Just thinking, ma'am."

You look away from Richard and focus on the issue at hand. If you want to prove that Richard and Susan are your unsubs, then it would do you and Katie no good to call them out. You have to build a case first, so you have to stay silent about this for a little while longer.

"So, when you and your cousin were going in and out of stores, did anybody try to talk to her?" Emily asks Jeremy, Richard and Susan's son and Katie's cousin.

"I don't think so."

"Did somebody maybe compliment her hair or open the door for you guys?"

"He wasn't exactly paying attention," Richard scoffs.

"Yes, I was."

"You'd think after all my years in retail, I'd hate the mall, but it was convenient," Susan sighs.

"She was right next to me, I swear," Jeremy says, but his parents are paying any attention to them.

"Then we split up, because I--I had to shop for my husband's birthday," Susan continues. "I should have stayed near the kids. Now I wish we never left the house this morning.

"That's when you got lost in that video game, right?" Richard asks his son.

"This isn't fair."

You need to get Jeremy away from his parents if you're going to get the whole story from him.

"You know, this may all be a mistake. Katie might just be lost, maybe in some bookstore or something. She loves to read. You know, she could just be in a corner, just, you know--or maybe playing dress-up in a store or something," Richard stutters.

"This image was captured moments before your nephew reported Katie missing," JJ says, showing the image that Penelope was trying to work with.

It's very grainy and hard to see, but it's what you have right now.

"Oh, god," Paul sighs sadly.

"I know the angle's limited, but is there anything or anyone in the frame that you recognize?" Hotch asks.

"No. No. Katie has asthma. She needs her inhaler," Beth whimpers.

"H-how could someone have just taken her in front of all those people?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," you state.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

You could tell him what you can do, but that might upset Richard and Susan into killing Katie. You don't know where she is, but you do know that she is alive.

"We're retracing Katie's steps. We're going over surveillance footage. We're searching every crack and crevice under this roof."

"I want to be out there looking for my girl."

"I'd want to be doing the same thing, but when an abduction is reported, the parents are debriefed separately. It's more efficient that way," Hotch says.

"Hotch, can I talk to you?" you say and gesture to the side. He excuses himself as you two go off to the side. "I know this is too early to determine, but you need to keep an eye on Susan and Richard."

"What do you see?"

"I'll bet my entire career that they're both the unsubs. Out of everyone here, they're the only calm ones as if they know something we don't. Susan is showing fake concern--I see it all over her body. I know I don't have proof, but I will work on getting it. I'll have to talk to Jeremy away from his parents. I'd like to go to the arcade to see what really happened."

"I trust you," he nods. "I'll keep an eye on them."

You leave his side and approach Emily before tapping on her shoulder.

"Hotch gave me permission to talk to Jeremy away from his parents. I'm going to meet Spencer and Derek at the arcade. I'll let you know when I'd like for you to bring him over here."

"You got it."

You leave the group and head straight to the arcade which is thankfully, on the same floor as everyone else. Derek and Spencer are there already talking to each other. When they see you, they break up their conversation.

"So she and her cousin came in here about thirty minutes ago, and that was the last time anyone saw Katie?" you ask them.

"That's right. Ten minutes after the assault is generally the molester's lowest point of self-esteem," Spencer says.

"He could be panicking right about now, realizing he's got a witness."

"Yeah, I doubt it," you say.

"Richard Allen Davis strangled Polly Klaas just to prevent her from identifying him," Spencer says.

"Yeah, well, I met our unsubs, and they don't really seem fazed by all this. I believe our unsubs are Richard and Susan, Katie's aunt and uncle. I need proof, which is why I'm here now. Hopefully, with Jeremy, I'll be able to paint a picture."

"A single abduction like this would normally be classified as a snatch-and-grab, but with the Jessica Davis abduction, it's more likely we're dealing with a preferential offender whose victims fall into a particular type. He came to this mall knowing what he was looking for because he feels safe here, familiar with his surroundings."

"Emily, you can bring Jeremy over," you say over the earpiece. Moments later, Emily brings over the kid before leaving you three to talk to him. "Jeremy, we asked your mom and dad if we could talk privately. Thought it might be easier that way."

"Because my dad thinks this is my fault," he sighs and takes a seat at a nearby table.

"No. Jeremy, your dad is just super upset right now because in times like this, people get really emotional," Spencer says, taking a seat across from him.

You don't comment on what he said because you don't want to upset or worry Jeremy over something he can't control.

"Hey, kid, the moments right before a kidnapping like this are the most important. You gotta understand you're the only one who can help us with that."

"But... I can't remember."

"Jeremy, all we need is the last thing Katie did or said before you realized she was gone."

Jeremy starts to think about it, but the more he does, the more he panics. His breathing picks up, clearly showing the signs that he's having a panic attack.

"I can't breathe," he gasps.

"He's having a panic attack," you jump into action. You sink to your knees and place your hand on his back. "You're okay, Jeremy. Put your head between your knees, okay? It'll help." You guide him to the position you want him in, and you rub his back to comfort him. "Just take deep breaths for me."

This is going to take some time, you can't rush something like this.

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dr-spencer-reids-queen · 2 years

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Seven Seconds: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.7k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

You two grab Richard from his family and bring him into another room separate from the rest. He doesn't know what you two could want, but he remembers how you were staring at him earlier. He hopes that you don't figure out what he's been doing in his spare time.

"What's going on here?" Richard asks once you close the door.

"We're questioning Jeremy in another room," you state.

"I know that. Why?"

"We suspect that he may know something."

"About Katie?"

"From you, Mr. Jacobs, we'd like to know more about your son," Hotch says, ignoring his questions.

"What would you like to know?"

"What are Jeremy's interests?" you ask.

If Richard is doing what you believe he is doing, he'll know everything about Katie and almost nothing about his own son.

"He likes to be on the computer. Spends hours at a time. What's going on?"

"Who does he socialize with?" you ask further.

"I don't know. Kids at school, I suppose."

He answered just like how you thought he would. He knows nothing about what his own son likes.

"You live under the same roof, but you can't name any of his friends?" Hotch asks.

"He spends hours in his room listening to that metal music I don't understand."

"Has he always been this distant with you or is this something new?" you ask.

"Well, I guess--I guess it's always been like this. That's why I don't find it odd."

"Well, we did some checking, and we found out that Jeremy, at the ripe age of thirteen, has a record."

"For stealing six months ago. We knew that."

"That didn't strike you as odd?"

"He stole earrings for a girl he liked. When I was his age, I--I probably did the same thing," Richard grows nervous.

"He must have really wanted to make an impression on her and make her feel special because we checked the record. They were very valuable."

"We reprimanded him."

"What was her name?"

"Who?"

"The girl Jeremy liked so much that he stole for," you state.

You walk around the chair that Richard is sitting on, always keeping an eye on him.

"I--I don't know. We're his parents. He's thirteen years old. If he hadn't been arrested, we probably wouldn't even know that he was interested in girls."

Making it look like an accident, you brush up against Richard and get another flash of anger. This time, it's Richard giving the necklace you found to Katie, smoothing down her hair when she accepts it. Another flash goes by, and Susan is ripping the necklace from Katie's neck in anger. It's why you saw blue energy all over the necklace when it was found.

You're brought back to the present and you take out your phone to type something in your notes app. You type down what you just saw before showing it to Hotch. He takes a few seconds to read what you wrote before nodding slightly.

"Mr. Jacobs, have a seat," Hotch gestures, and the older man sighs but listens. "Did Jeremy and Katie spend a lot of time together?"

"Our families spend a lot of time together. He likes his cousin."

"Does that make you jealous?" you ask.

"What? Why would it?"

You take out the necklace that's in the evidence bag, setting it on the table in front of Richard.

"We found that in the trash. How is it that you know your six-year-old niece likes to read books and play dress-up, but you don't know the first thing about your own son?" you ask.

"Typically, molesters only pay attention to the children that they're grooming, ignoring even their own," Hotch backs you up.

"Katie wore that necklace because you told her to because you told her she was special. As if the sexual abuse wasn't enough," you growl. "Is that when it started?"

"When what started?" Richard says too softly.

"When you gave Katie the necklace. When she started wetting the bed, when her parents came to you and Susan was wondering why their daughter locked herself in her room. Was that when it started? Is that when the molestation started?"

"This is ridiculous," Richard scoffs, but not denying it.

"You couldn't help yourself, could you? Like so many little girls before."

"You're crazy! I--I wanna get outta here."

"You started spending more time with her and telling her she was special. You knew it was sick; your brother's own daughter."

"Shut up!"

The more Hotch eggs him on, the more Richard becomes unstable. It's only a matter of time before he explodes and tells you the truth.

"Did she outgrow your preference? Did she get too old for you?"

"No!" There it is. "No. I may have done some things that... you couldn't possibly understand, but I would never hurt Katie."

You and Hotch leave Richard's side to discuss what the next steps are.

"Whoever ripped the necklace off Katie did it in a rage, and he just seems broken."

"That's because he didn't do it. I need to talk to Susan. I know she is the one who took Katie."

"Okay."

Hotch wants to stay with Richard, but you leave the room to find Susan. She is with Beth and Paul, and Derek and JJ are off to the side talking to one another. This could get messy, so you're glad that both of them are here to back you up if you need it.

"I need you guys. Things could get dicey," you whisper to them, passing by them.

They are immediately on high alert. You walk over to the trio, and as soon as Beth sees you, she immediately springs up in hopes you have good news.

"Susan--"

"What is it?" Beth asks.

"I need to speak with Susan."

"Why? What happened? Did you find her?" Paul wonders.

"No, not yet. I need to speak with you, please." You take Susan off to the side, and this is where Derek and JJ jump in to keep Katie's parents at bay. "Emily told me you used to work in retail."

"I'm sorry. How does that--"

"She told me you mentioned it earlier."

"So, what?"

"What you didn't tell her was that you used to work in this mall years ago."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"We should talk in private. Please, come with me."

Beth and Paul are hysterical, calling out to Susan and wondering what she did to Katie. Susan looks and feels guilty, but she goes with you to a separate room. You wait until she is sitting before you grill her.

"What did you do with Katie?"

"What are you talking about?"

"We found a necklace in the trash that Katie was wearing because the search dogs found it. You're the one who ripped that necklace off her and threw it in the trash. I know this because your husband was the one who gave Katie that necklace. You were jealous that your husband was giving a six-year-old more attention than he did to you. Katie ran out of the arcade when she saw it was you who was waiting for her. Did you really believe that getting rid of that little girl would take away his sickness?"

"You're not making a bit of sense," Susan panics.

"Did it occur to you last week? After you saw on the news that a little girl was snatched from a local mall and found dead days later? Did you duct-tape her mouth, too? You know, if you do that to someone with asthma, they could die. But I guess you already figured that out."

"This was not supposed to happen to my family."

"It didn't just happen, Susan. You took her, a six-year-old vulnerable child who trusted you and who trusted your husband. You need to tell me where she is."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, so you'll be okay with me going out there and telling Beth and Paul that Paul's brother sexually abused his little girl? They'll hate you, Susan, for the rest of their lives if anything happens to Katie, and you know it. Imagine what they'll do if they figure out you let your husband touch a six-year-old. No more Katie, no more family dinners, and no more marriage because Richard will find another little girl, and he is going to like her a helluva lot more than he likes you."

"Enough!" Susan yells emotionally, letting her tears stream down her face.

"Where is she?"

"In the basement in a supply closet for JCPenny."

Now that you have the location for Katie, you and your team go down there with some SWAT team members to try and find her. JCPenny is a very big store, so their supply close must be huge. However, that won't be an issue for you since you'll feel exactly where Katie is.

You enter the large supply close and look around, motioning for your team to follow you. Katie is located in a small closet all the way in the back that could be missed since there are boxes and stuff in front of it. You yank open the closet door, and Katie falls to the ground. She has duct tape over her mouth, her wrists are bound with rope, and she isn't moving.

"Hey, we need a medic," Derek says into his radio. "We found her." He gets on his knees and searches for a pulse, but he isn't finding anything. "I can't feel a pulse."

Hotch takes over and gets on his knees, giving the little girl CPR. He keeps going until the paramedics arrive, and they are more than happy to take over. JJ and Emily had brought down Katie's parents since they were going crazy not knowing where their little girl was.

"Come on, Katie," the paramedic sighs and keeps trying to bring her back.

"Katie!" Beth cries.

"Come on, sweetie. Come on, sweetie. Wake up," Paul says to himself.

The paramedic gives one more chest compression set, and Katie coughs and moans in pain. She is going to be just fine, you have a feeling. The paramedics brought Katie outside to their rig to transport her to the hospital. Beth and Paul are by her side the entire time, but Paul is watching his own brother and Susan get put into the back of police cars. Derek and Spencer are off to the side with Jeremy, and you head over to them slowly.

"Is Katie gonna be alright?" Jeremy asks.

"She will eventually."

"I heard her call my mom's name. That's what I remembered before," Jeremy sighs sadly.

That's what he kept out of his story. You get why he would keep it out.

"We get it, kid. That's your mom."

"What's gonna happen to me now?"

"I don't know, Jeremy, but, we're gonna make sure you're alright, okay?" Spencer asks, and the young kid nods in agreement.

If Richard had nothing to do with Jessica Davis, then her killer is still out there. You didn't catch him, but you took one offender off the streets for good, and that's all you can do sometimes.

"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." - G.K. Chesterton

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