Please Stay | A Dr Spencer Reid fanfic

Chapter 43- Cleansed

Spencer frantically poured over books and jotted down notes on the white board.

The door opened and Lochlan slipped into the room with JJ and sat on a chair out of the way of Spencer, so as to not disturb him.

Spencer played the clip again, rubbing his forehead. He had heard this piece enough. He knew it off by heart after hearing it just once, but he played it anyhow.

"Play that last part again," Lochlan interrupted, getting up from his seat and stumbling over books to Spencer.

Spencer complied and replayed it. JJ meandered over too.

"Keep playing it," Lochlan encouraged. His eyes ran back and forth as puzzle piece clicked together in his mind. "Cleansed," he muttered.

"What is it?" Spencer asked, impatiently. JJ rested a hand on his shoulder, warning him.

Lochlan exhaled. "The phrasing. Cleansed. This was before I knew Gia, but when she was doing her first PhD there was this group. It was more like a cult. That approached her. They wanted to recruit her."

"You think they did this?" JJ asked.

"They believe in this theory of cleansing. There is some story about it. I don't know it. I know they we vetted them when I first ran background for this project, but they hadn't tried to contact Gia again since the first time she rejected them. So, they were cleared at put on low priority."

"Wait. I know this story," Spencer shot up from the chair and paced around the room. "There is a fable. In summary, it's about combating overpopulation, by creating a virus that target certain people. Then after they do that and "save humanity from themselves" they restructure governments and essentially start a new world order."

JJ hurried out the room and gathered the whole team and brought them in, where she filled them in on what they had just theorised.

"So, this isn't trafficking," Derek was baffled. "They need them. Why are the auctioning them?"

"They don't need them," Lochlan voice was dark. "They only need Gia."

"Why did they take the others?" Emily pondered.

"Leverage," Spencer suggested. "They probably need a way to ensure that she will do what she wants. In the video stream they were stressed that they didn't take Lochlan and annoyed that she wanted to speak to me. They took the other's so that she complies," Spencer explained.

"Still doesn't explain the auction," Rossi intervened.

"I have a hypothesis about that."

"Share with the class," Derek motioned.

"I think this isn't an auction. It's more like an IPO. People are buying shares for their place in the new order. Buying their safety from the virus."

"So only people who buy shares will survive."

"No probably not. They will probably have flagged people who are beneficial to the future. People from all walks of life. Framers, engineers, doctors, law enforcement. The chose who gets to live and who dies. They will likely still want diversity. There will be all ages and races." Spencer indicated.

"Wow that is messed up," Derek scoffed.

"You can say that again." JJ agreed.

"So, this message is what opening up the IPO." Prentiss asked.

"I believe so." Spencer speculated.

They won't risk doing it online. So, it will probably be in person. Reid, that message could be a time and location." Hotch conjectured.

"Yeah. Still doesn't mean anything to me yet though."

"Keep working on it." Hotch motioned to the room. "Everyone, new task. See what locations you can come up with. How's Garcia going with the facial recognition."

"No hit's yet Hotch," Emily grimaced.

"Okay." Hotch breathed out deeply. "Leave her to it. Let's see what she comes up with.