Adult-FanFiction.org : Television / Streaming

Thrown to the Dogs	By : hatochiisai Category: 1 through F > Criminal Minds Views: 4828 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, nor do I make any financial profit off of writing and posting this work.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
VERMONT
6 AM

In the morning, the team took the sheriff's advice, and skipped the hotel's continental breakfast. Sure enough, when they trudged across the street to the station first thing in the morning, Ms. Partridge and Ms. Snow were bustling about in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for "their boys".
The deputies were drifting in and out, giving the old ladies hugs and collecting their plates, and then heading to the conference room to eat, carefully avoiding the case files and crime scene photos. Morgan was only too happy to be the first to join them, obtaining for himself a large platter of eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes and biscuits smothered in gravy. This was accompanied by a large mug of coffee and a glass of orange juice. The girls stared at his plate in horror.
Rossi followed, his own meal very much the same except he made a face of disgust at the biscuits and gravy. Hotch on the other hand, was all over those. He skipped the pancakes.
JJ and Emily stuck to eggs and pancakes with fruit, and Reid sat down with just a large mug of coffee and a single strip of bacon held delicately between his thumb and forefinger. At least, until Ms. Snow plunked down a loaded plate before him, telling him that he needed to put some meat onto his skinny bones if he didn't want to freeze to death in the Northern winter. Reid just stared in horror at his place, which resembled Morgan's monster of a breakfast.
"Um… I… I don't want this… It's… WAY too much!"
"I'll eat it!" Announced Sheriff Mark Taylor, walking over and sitting down across from Reid. He leaned over and snagged his plate, sliding it across the table to his own spot, immediately digging in.
"MARK!" Ms. Partridge scolded, furiously. "Your mother taught you better manners than that!" And then she turned to Reid. "What would you like, dear?"
"I… I'm fine." Reid mumbled, flushing.
"Nonsense. You need to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Just tell me what you want and I'll make it!"
"Um… an egg and toast is fine." Reid finally said, tentatively.
"Alrighty! Poached eggs on toast with bacon and hash browns on the side!"
"Wait, what?" Reid began, but then just sighed as Ms. Partridge scurried away. "Okay then…"
"So this is why you guys all come in to work an hour early?" Emily asked, grinning at the rowdy affirmative cheers that she got from the sheriff and deputies.
"And they do this every morning?" Hotch asked, smiling between bites of his hash browns. Another affirmative cheer, which doubled when Ms. Snow and Ms. Partridge walked in.
"Oh, you boys settle down now." Ms. Snow said, smiling. Ms. Partridge on the other hand, scowled.
"I see elbows on the table, napkins NOT in laps, and I'll have none of this hullabaloo at the breakfast table! Mark, you know better than to talk with your mouth full, much less yell and holler."
"Yes ma'am." Mark said, swallowing and politely wiping his mouth on his napkin before tucking it into his lap. Ms. Partridge snorted and went around refilling coffees. Ms. Snow in the meantime, had set a plate down in front of Reid.
"Eat up, dear." She said in a motherly tone, then turned to a deputy and picked up his empty plate. "Would you like seconds, Randy?"
"Maybe a bit more egg and hashbrowns." He said with a smile.
"And a strip of bacon?"
"You know me too well." Randy grinned, and watched the women shuffle back into the kitchen.
"They were mothers, weren't they?" Emily asked.
"Yep." Mark said with a grin, double checking to see that neither of the elderly ladies were watching him to catch him talking with his mouth full. "Ms. Snow had a girl and three boys. Ms. Partridge had five boys. They've all moved out of state, so they've kind of adopted us as surrogate boys."
"That is so sweet." Emily said with a grin. Reid perked up as he tasted the poached eggs on toast, and began to wolf it down. Hotch quirked an eyebrow and made a mental note; Reid likes poached eggs on toast.
Once he had cleaned his plate, Reid found Ms. Snow setting a plate of pancakes before him. The team snickered, but to their surprise, Reid only blinked at the pancakes, and then dug in. Even Hotch was impressed. He had never seen the boy eat that much for breakfast before.
"You are gonna put on fifty pounds while we're here if you keep eating like that." Morgan said with a grin.
"Good." Ms. Snow said, refilling Morgan's orange juice. "He could stand to gain that." Reid turned red and slouched down in his chair.
"Sit up straight!" Ms. Partridge barked, and Reid promptly obeyed, eyes widening. "Be a gentlemen!" the Agents and deputies laughed.
Finally, breakfast was cleared away, everyone clocked in and got to work.
"Can I get a ride to the coroner's office?" Reid asked, standing and draining his coffee. "I'd like to take a closer look at the bodies."
"… You just ate." One of the deputies said, and Reid blinked when he realized that everyone was staring at him. He turned red (again) and averted his eyes to the floor, shoving his hands into his pockets and shuffling his feet, anxiously.
"I'm coming with you." Rossi announced, standing. "Once I refill my coffee." Reid nodded with a smile and the pair went to do just that.
"Al, will you drive them?" Mark asked, looking at his senior deputy.
"Sure. As long as I don't have to look at the bodies with them… I just ate!" Amused looks were exchanged amongst the team, and then Reid and Rossi bundled up, and clutching their coffees, trotted out to the car that Al had started warming up for them. The drive over to the coroner's office wasn't too long, but it took longer than usual due to the thick snow drifts.
"Lazy snow plows…" Grumbled the aging deputy, as he carefully drove around some snow that had tumbled into the road. The sun was rising as they arrived at the coroner's office. The building was downright depressing and dreary compared to the station… there were no Christmas lights, wreathes or garland… there was a small fake Christmas tree on the main counter, but other than that, it could have been any other time of the year.
"Hey Marty." Al greeted when a man in his early forties emerged. He nodded.
"Al." He said in a simple greeting. "And you must be FBI."
"Yes. I'm SSA David Rossi, and this is Dr. Spencer Reid."
"Good to meet you. Don't bother taking off the coats. It's cold back there." Marty said, and they all trooped back to where they victims were all laid out on metal slabs, awaiting their inspection. Rossi sighed and looked over them while Reid pulled on a pair of gloves and immediately got to work, leaning in close and inspecting the wounds for himself.
"… You uh, found canine hair on the victims?" He asked, not glancing up from a large, mangled bite wound.
"Yeah. I did."
"Send them in to FBI Analysts, see if we can determine what breed of dog they came from… it could help us narrow down a profile…" Reid mumbled, prodding at the wounds with gloved fingers. "Hey Rossi… You have a dog."
"… Yeah."
"What do you make of—"
"Look, kid… just because I have a dog, it doesn't mean I know anything about dog bites or dog attacks. I shoot ducks, and he retrieves them. Otherwise, he just chews up my socks."
"Not your fancy Italian Leather shoes?" Reid smirked.
"Oh, he learned a LONG time ago not to do that." Rossi snorted, and the M.E. chuckled.
By the time Rossi and Reid arrived back at the Police Station, it was lunch time. And to their amusement, the two little old ladies had cooked it up again! And to Reid's delight, it was an old lifelong favorite of his, down to every last detail… Tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and warm cinnamon apple sauce. The team sat around having lunch and cocoa as they all discussed the results of their morning's work.
"I got together with Garcia." Morgan said. "And we've found a pattern in the veterinarians that this guy hits. He's not abducting techs from the same offices… he's going in a circle." And Morgan showed the team on a map.
"Do we know which one he'll hit next?" Hotch asked. Morgan nodded, and stuck a tack into the map.
"Here. Doctor Audrey Wolfgang." He announced. "And judging by the assumed time of death, another is going to be taken any day now."
"… So what do we do? Have her close up until we catch this guy?" The sheriff asked.
"If we close it, he'll only go on to the next one." Emily sighed.
"… We need to lure him out… He's going to strike either way. May as well let it be on our terms." Rossi said, slowly.
"You mean… use an undercover?" the sheriff asked.
"Have all of Dr. Wolfgang's techs take off, put in one of our own so that they are the only option…" Rossi said.
"Alright then." The sheriff nodded. "But… who can pose as a Vet Tech?" there was a long moment of silence. And then a single voice spoke up.
"… Me." Everyone turned and looked at Reid.
"You?" Morgan asked, looking amused. "Reid, what on earth makes you think that you can pose as a vet tech?"
"… the month I spent being trained as one by Jonathan Wilkes in February." Reid said, simply. (AN: See the Lies of Life)
The team stared at him.
"My God… he DID train you, didn't he?" Hotch finally said. "… Alright."
"What?" Morgan yelped. "Hotch, you can't seriously—"
"We don't have time, Morgan." Hotch said. "We have to send Reid in now before an innocent civilian gets taken."
"… Wait… now?"
"Now." Hotch said. "Let's get moving."
And two hours later, they were sitting in Dr. Audrey Wolfgang's office, and she was staring at them.
"Let me get this straight." She said, slowly. "Some psycho is kidnapping vet techs from all over the state, and after a month or so, they're found torn apart by dogs?"
"Exactly." Hotch said. "And YOUR clinic is next in line." She covered her mouth, looking sick. "We want to put one of our agents in undercover as a tech. And we need you to send the others home."
She stared at him, then laughed. "You really think than an FBI Agent can pretend to be a Vet Tech? Look, that requires specialized training that takes months!"
"I'm aware of that." Hotch said. "Dr. Wolfgang, allow me to introduce SSA Dr. Spencer Reid. He will be your Vet Tech." Reid gave her a little smile, and wave, and she gave him a look of dismay.
"No, Agent Hotchner. I don't think you understand—"
"I can read and write the appropriate medical notes." Reid announced, cutting her off. "I know how to properly restrain dogs and cats, I can draw up and give vaccines, take the temperature, pulse and respiration, assist in basic surgeries such as castration, ovariohysterectomy and dental cleanings, I know how to place and remove IV and urinary catheters, I can give IV and SQ fluids, I know the proper protocols for vaccine reactions, and how to care for—"
"Alright, alright!" She cut him off. "And just HOW do you know that?"
"For starters, I have an eidetic memory and I can read about 20,000 words per minute. I've read thirty books dealing with Veterinary Medicine. That and I had a month of hands on training with a Dr. Jonathan Wilkes when he abducted me and tried to turn me into his dead son."
She stared at him.
"… I can take care of horses, too." Reid offered meekly.
"Okay. Let's see if I have scrubs your size, and then we'll see how you do before I send my techs home…"
Reid nodded, eagerly, and was soon scruffing a very angry cat for her to administer vaccines to. He worked hard for about three hours with the two (scared) vet techs watching before Dr. Wolfgang finally said that he would do, and sent the (relieved) techs home. And so Spencer Reid spent the rest of the day working in her clinic assisting her in seeing patients. Garcia had tapped into their system and checked the identity of everyone who checked in and did a thorough check on them.
Over the next three days, several of clients were put on a 'suspisious' list, but no one had tried to abduct Reid.
On the fourth day, the little bell jingled as the door opened. The receptionist looked up when a man called 'Hello?'.
"Good afternoon!" She called, walking over to him. He was wearing dark sunglasses and had a large Golden Retriever by his side, wearing a harness that had both a leash, and a handle. He was clutching the handle. He turned his head into the direction of the receptionist. She reached out and laid a hand on his.
"Well, hello there." He said with a smile. "I uh… I'm here with relatives for the holidays, and I think Brandywine here may have somethin' in her paw. Front left… An' she's due for her Bordetella booster this week. Got the first one before I headed out of town. Here… this should say it…" And he pulled a wrinkled and folded piece of paper from his pocket. "Any chance you folks can take a walk in?"
"Of course." The receptionist said, warmly. "If you'll just come this way with me, I'll get your information." And she led the blind man over to the desk and got him checked in before guiding him into an exam room. She stepped through the door on the other side and into the treatment area. Reid was at the time going through and checking on all of the cats who were being boarded for the holidays, feeding and watering them, giving them some scratches behind the ears, and changing their litter boxes. He looked up at the receptionist.
"We've got a walk in." She said, needlessly. "Seeing eye dog, needs a bordetella booster and may have something in her left front paw."
"Thanks." Reid said, closing the kitty condo and standing. He washed his hands and went into the exam room after checking the paperwork. "Hi, Mr. Dalton. I'm Spencer." He greeted. "I hear Brandywine may have hurt herself?" He asked. The man nodded vaguely in his direction. "Okay then… What I'm going to do is a quick preliminary exam for you, and Dr. Wolfgang will be here in a moment to check that paw and administer the vaccine."
"Alright." The man nodded. The dog whined and let out a low 'whuff!' at Reid (the veterinarian had noticed and was amused by the Reid effect) but she allowed Reid to take her temperature, pulse and respiration.
"Everything looks and sounds good do far." Reid said. "Excuse me." And he slipped out of the room, handing the paperwork to the doctor to review and pulling up the bordetella vaccine. Then he accompanied Dr. Wolfgang into the room and she began to do the physical exam, all the while chatting with Mr. Dalton. She gave the vaccine, and then checked the paw, laughing and sputtering when the dog continuously licked her in the face while she tried to work. Reid knelt and took the dog's head in his hands and petted her and talked to her, letting Dr. Wolfgang work easier.
"Hmm… eehhhh… yup. Here we go." She said, and the dog whined. "Looks like we have a little sliver of glass. Spencer, can you hand me the tweezers and the Chlorohex scrub." Reid did as he was told, and helped hold the dog still while the doctor got the piece of glass out and scrubbed the tiny wound clean. The dog whined.
"I know it stings, Brandywine, I'm sorry…" The doctor told the dog. "Well, it's a small, shallow cut, nothing that will need stitches. What I would say is leave the paw alone, keep it clean and dry and don't let her lick it. An e-collar may be needed."
"I got one at home from her spay surgery." The man said, nodding. Then he chuckled. "She'll love that. Put a bag on her foot when she goes outside?"
"Yes sir, that's right." The doctor said. "Spencer will get her fixed up for that. Do you need any help outside?"
"That would be nice. Not sure where my ride parked. And she doesn't like jumping into the car, we have to lift her in."
"Alright then, Spencer can help you out."
"My pleasure." Reid said with a nod. And then he found the bag that the newspaper had come in and put it over the dog's paw, and secured it there with some self-adhering bandages while Mr. Dalton paid. Then he walked outside by the man's side. "We're in a big blue van." The man said.
"Okay, I see one around the corner at the end of the parking lot." Reid said. As they approached the van, he began to get an uneasy feeling… there was no driver… "Who drove you?" Reid asked.
"My nephew. He's not there, is he?"
"No, sir."
"Probably went to get a coffee." Mr. Dalton chuckled. Reid glanced back at the coffee shop that was in the same strip center as Dr. Wolfgang's practice. There were several people inside. "He won't be long. Just help me get Brandywine in and you can go back inside where it's warm."
"… How did you know I'm cold?" Reid asked.
"It's snowing, boy!" the man laughed. "I didn't hear you leave the room or make any sound like you were putting on a jacket!"
"Oh." Reid said, relaxing slightly.
"… And your teeth are chattering."
Reid groaned, and Dalton laughed louder. "Just pop open the back doors." Reid did as he was told. Inside was a large dog crate. Brandywine leapt into the van and lay down on the blanket that sat beside the crate. Reid blinked.
"Um, she just—" He turned and froze, staring into Dalton's steel gray eyes, that were staring straight into his own… and into the barrel of a gun.
"Keep your mouth shut and get into the crate." Dalton hissed in a low voice.
Reid's eyes widened, his heart pounding. "W-What?"
"Get in. Now."
"N-No… please…" Reid gasped, fear seeping through his every vein… his mind flashed to being locked in a dog crate on the deck of Coronado's ship that summer…
"Unless you wanna die cold in the snow, choking on your own blood…" And Dalton pressed the gun into Reid's thin chest. Slowly, Reid obeyed, climbing into the dog crate in the back of the car. Dalton closed the door behind him and latched it shut, then tossed a tarp over the crate. Reid listened as the driver's door opened and the man hopped in, pulling on a different colored jacket and removing his wig of graying hair, revealing light brown hair. The engine turned on, and they pulled away…
Ten minutes later, a very tense Derek Morgan walked through the parking lot, looking for Reid.
"… Hotch… he's not out here…" He spoke into his phone, turning this way and that. "No! I walked the back alley out behind the building, there's nothing there! Reid is GONE, man! The blind guy… I don't think he was blind, man! I think he was smart enough to fake it! Reid is NOT HERE!"
And within half an hour, the Crime Scene Investigators were on the scene… but with so many footprints in the snow of that shopping center, there wasn't much to find.
"I have them walking off camera…" Garcia told Morgan on the phone. "And I lost them… there are no camera's showing over there."
"Where, baby girl?"
"Left side of the building, past the post office." Garcia said. "That's the only blind spot, except for the back alley."
"So this guy knew it. He checked this place out before hand…" Morgan murmured. "Thanks Garcia." And he hung up. "Hotch!" He jogged over to the man, seeing the silent panic behind his eyes. "Reid and Dalton went past the post office. There's a blind spot in the video surveillance. Garcia loses them after that. He must have scouted this location out before coming."
Hotch just nodded, watching a CSI dusting for prints on the outside handle of the door to the vet clinic. Emily was inside doing a cognitive interview with the receptionist, and Rossi with Dr. Wolfgang. JJ was handling the press that had showed up on the heels of the Crime scene team.
"This guy doesn't hurt them at first, Hotch." Morgan reminded his boss. "We'll find him."
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Thrown to the Dogs