The Intelligence Control and Analysis Program

Chapter 11

Spencer nodded enthusiastically, his hand shooting up as if to ask permission to speak.

Oh. Wait.

He was asking for permission to speak.

"Yes?" Strauss asked, arching a brow slightly.

"Could I make a suggestion, ma'am?"

Strauss nodded and listened.

Spencer cleared his throat and scratched at his legs a little faster, clearly nervous and excited in equal measure. "Um, it might be beneficial to reach out to various police departments I've worked with since coming to the BAU. I know, um, I know my behavior hasn't been, um... stellar... but a combination of good and bad reports will be much more believable than entirely positive feedback, and, um, going on the assumption that this case will attract a lot of national attention, having the input of everyday, blue-collar workers and small-town heroes could be seen as more valuable to the public than the opinion of bureaucrats." He rubbed the back of his neck a few times and then started scratching there. "Um, depending on how far the case against ICAP goes, um, my suggestion could apply to police departments where any geniuses have worked." He cleared his throat, scratching down his neck and then going after his legs again. "Um, may I, um... make... another suggestion?"

Strauss gestured to the space between them. "By all means."

Spencer nodded and swallowed. "Um, it might also be beneficial to get statements from geniuses. I think... I think people would be surprised how many of us... aren't all that manipulative. Most..." He was clearly more off-put by his second suggestion than his first. "Um... most of us have been isolated for so long, we're... um, we just... don't care about a lot anymore. I, um... before I started... with..."

Strauss pursed his lips slightly, unsure of what to do, and she looked to Emily for help.

Emily dropped her arms and stepped forward, pulling a chair up next to Spencer and sitting down. "You were given permission to make a suggestion, Spencer."

Spencer chewed on his lips and nodded, eyes misting up. "I..." He reached up and scratched the back of his neck again. "Um, I just think... that if people knew... if they could see that geniuses aren't angry or malicious or..." He chewed on his lip for a moment, sniffed, and dropped his head to stare at the floor. "We're just tired. If there were angry geniuses, they were put down a long time ago. Those of us who are left, just... we just don't want to be where we are anymore." He glanced up for a fraction of a second. "I know—I know that sounds like... all the more reason to do anything to get out, because we do want to escape, but... for a lot of us... we don't see ourselves ever getting out... alive... and if..." He let out a frustrated noise and pressed his hands to his face, muttering unintelligibly under his breath.

Emily reached out and put a hand on Spencer's shoulder, squeezing once before returning her hand to her lap. "Spencer, it's okay. Just tell Chief Strauss what you wanted to tell her."

Spencer whimpered quietly, but then he nodded, and after another moment of silence and sniffling, he finally spat it out. "Most of us have attempted suicide multiple times. People don't do that when they think they can escape some other way. If geniuses were sitting in ICAP, plotting ways to get out, scheming so we could make our lives a little more tolerable, a lot more of us would be able to hold on. But... the truth is, we've accepted that we're never getting out, and that means the only escape is..." He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It might hurt the case more than it would help it. But... I—I think it should be considered."

Strauss looked at Spencer for a long time, sparing Emily a brief glance, and then she slid her chair back. She pulled a legal pad and pen from her desk drawer and prepared to write. "Genius 4383, do you think you could tell me a little about your experience with this?"