EASY WAY OUT ¹ ➢ spencer reid

X

My day off was horrible. I woke up with a splitting headache and the urge to throw up, which not long I after, I did. Twice. I spent the majority of the day either laying on my bathroom floor or in bed. The next day was even worse. At around five in the morning my phone rang, which meant duty was calling. I picked up the phone, letting out a loud groan.

"Morning to you too." JJ laughed.

"I can't come I've been murdered." I buried my face into the pillow.

"Nice joke for someone of your current employment status," she responded flatly, "get up. Hotch wants a debrief before we leave for College Park."

I shot out of bed. "We're going to College?" I asked. I grew up there, so already having a case there definitely freaked me out a little. I ran to the bathroom and started getting ready, JJ still on the line.

"Yeah," she sighed, "triple homicide. We'll talk more when you get here. I still have to call Morgan."

I hung up, feeling uneasy. My whole family still lived there, right next to the University. I knew there wasn't a high chance of them being the victims of a murderer, but the thought was still there. I got ready and grabbed my things before heading out. I raced down the hall. Once I got outside I pulled out my phone. I debated calling them, but almost immediately pushed the thought out of my mind. I had to get to work. Plus, it was still early they were all pretty heavy sleepers.

I ran into the debriefing room, thankful I wasn't the last to arrive. Hotch and JJ were there, talking amongst themselves, as well as Rossi who still looked half asleep. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes opening and closing rapidly. Over the next fifteen minutes everyone else wondered in. They all sat down, including JJ.

Hotch let out a heavy sigh. "We received a report of law enforcement being gunned down while on duty in College Park," he started, pressing the button of the remote, "this is forty-three year-old Walter Darwin and twenty-five year-old Nick Lucas. Both were shot dead during a home invasion, along with seventy year-old Miranda Lowe." All had a single gunshot wound to the forehead.

My breathing hitched when I saw Nick's face. I brought my hand to my mouth. I didn't know him well, but we had mutual friends and saw each other at a lot of parties. He was a decent guy, little on the rowdy ride, but still sweet. I swallowed hard, trying to look like it didn't bother me, even though it kind of did

"That's one sharp shot." Rossi said. "He's experienced."

"What'd he use?" Morgan asked.

".22 pistol." Hotch said without hesitating.

"A .22 will penetrate the skull pretty good." Morgan sighed.

"The bullet typically curves around the interior of the skull, creating massive damage." Reid added.

"Are we sure this isn't just a break in gone wrong?" I asked, hoping maybe it was. I really didn't want to go to Maryland. Not because it was bad or anything. I just didn't want some serial killer running around that close to home.

"There was a similar case in Bethesda last week, as well as in Hyattsville the week prior. Cops were called to the house, both shot dead, along with the residents inside." JJ added.

Hotch flashed portraits of the rest of the victims on screen. All were male, except for Miranda Lowe. All varied in age and ethnicity, but all had two cops and one civilian at each hit.

"So we got nine bodies in three weeks?" Morgan shook his head. He was already stressed.

"It would appear so." Hotch responded, a hint of worry in his voice.