Criminal Minds: Paralysing Anger

Chapter Nine

Chapter 9

Police Precinct

Reid was already in position behind the table when a police officer brought Smith into the room. Spence, appeared relatively calm but was secretly masking a sharp pain in his back, it had been a while since his last pain killer and seeing his history with strong opioids and his reluctance to take any, what he was on was mild and barely touching the sides. He tried his best, however, to hide this as he knew Garcia would never have brought him to the precinct.

The team, though surprised, had been less than happy at the arrival of Penelope and Reid. Nobody thought that this was a good idea. Reid needed to be in the hospital not here facing the person responsible for his shooting. They watched him warily from behind the two-way mirror. He still looked frail, and he must be in pain so soon out of major surgery. And as expected, Hotch gave Garcia such a stern look that she knew that she had the monster of all reprimands coming to her.

Reid looked the young boy over. He looked like a melting pot of emotions. He had a fear in his eyes, yet his clenched fist and furrowed brow showed evident anger, but as he was lead to the table and saw the wheelchair Spencer sat in, discomfort flashed in his eyes.

Spencer having read through Smith Weston's file, knew he had no juvenile police record and was a relatively good student. Having been filled in by Garcia on the way to the precinct, he understood that Danielle Hope was his Girlfriend, and having witnessed her shooting and subsequent paralysis, followed by the fallout of the disastrous court case had led him on a revenge mission. What he didn't understand was what triggered this revenge mission. The shooter had been walking free for six months, what was it that set him off four weeks ago?

"Smith, my name is Dr Spencer Reid; I am a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI's Behaviour Analysis Unit." Spencer introduced himself to the young man as he sat down in front of him on the opposite side of the table.

"I understand you've admitted to the shootings?" Reid started, Smith nodded, whilst still looking down at the table, not able to look Spencer in the eye.

"I know this is you trying to get revenge for what happened to Danielle; trying to get justice by punishing the man who shot her, his associates. I mean, I kind of understand. Someone very close to me was killed not long ago. I genuinely got pissed at the fact, her killer, killed herself because I thought that nothing on earth would make me feel better than to kill her myself. I felt that it was the only thing that could make me feel like justice was served...."

The team looked at each other solemnly. Reid had never told any of them this in the wake of Maeve, a woman he had grown exceedingly close to through correspondence's abduction and eventual murder by a jealous and psychotic woman who subsequently shot herself whilst killing Maeve. The team knew of how devastated he was, it took months for him to work through his grief, but none of them had known of these vengeful thoughts he'd had. Spencer was the least violent person they knew, only forced to act when necessary.

"...With you, it's almost poetic; an eye for an eye. Dustin Long took away Danielle's ability to walk, so you made it so that he suffered the same fate. He may not be in prison, but he'll live knowing what he did, what he put Danielle through, for the rest of his life. But what I don't understand is why not just leave it at that? I suppose the first three victims, Jarrod Lopez, Sonny James and Vincent Ray, were what, honing your skills? Or did you get the wrong men?

But moving on to shooting Cops? The cop that messed up the trial, Finn Donaldson? He was suspended and consequently dismissed from the police force following an internal investigation. Fair punishment for a screw-up, not malicious in any way just incompetent, don't you think? I mean he didn't pull the trigger, but his ineptitude meant that Long walked free. Someone you had already exacted revenge on. But have you not seen the news? Did you not realise that it was in fact not Finn you shot but his twin brother Mark?"