[CM] THE CASE

The moral level of a society is measured by how it treats children. —— Bonhoeffer

This is a strange room.It has no windows, no furniture, no clock or even a door, as if time and space have been stripped away, leaving only a small space here.The walls are black, and a single white lamp on the ceiling just barely illuminates the small, cramped room.Several clothes and a warming blanket were thrown on the ground, along with some food.The surroundings are too quiet, the sounds of breathing, heartbeat and cloth rubbing are all noisy.

A boy plays with a toy soldier.His large eyes were full of obedience, a perfect blend of innocence and fear.His long, curly eyelashes drooped down, and his tame brown curly hair made him extremely well-behaved.The boy might not understand why he was in a room like this, but he knew instinctively that this was not a good place.

But my father said, I want to be an obedient child.

Dad said he would let me out.

So the boy held the soldier tightly, like a dying believer holding a painted cross, and he moved in front of a white mask.

The masks are in the Venetian style.A hole was dug out for the mouth, and the black camera was hidden there. It looked like a pale face with its mouth open, eager to devour something.

The boy swallowed anxiously, as if he could gain a little courage from this small gesture.Then he looked at the camera and put the soldiers on his chest.

"His name is Jack, and he will protect me," the boy said.

Meeting Griffith in the tea room was a highly unlikely event, at least Morgan thought so.So when he saw Griffith walking towards him with a glass, his coffee spilled.

"Good morning." Morgan greeted while working on the messy countertop. "It's rare for you to come to the pantry. Get some coffee? BAU's coffee is the best in the Bureau."

"Good morning." Griffith smiled. "I don't drink coffee, actually. I find it too bitter."

"Oh, then you must not be the only one who thinks so." Morgan smiled, "Reid adds a lot of sugar every time, and BAU is probably the department that uses sugar the fastest."

"I heard you mention my name." Reid appeared behind Griffith with his empty glass.

Griffith took his glass to turn on the water, acting as if he had nothing to do with it.

Morgan tosses the tissue in the trash. "Good morning, Reid. Coffee again?"

"Well, coffee keeps me awake."

"But drinking coffee is bad for your health." Griffith couldn't help reminding.

"Actually, that's not entirely true." Reid quickly countered, "A small amount of caffeine can relieve headaches, and..."

"Reid," Morgan said in a threatening tone, "please don't do this."

Reid curled his lips: "Okay."

Griffith laughed silently.This expression is very subtle and quick.As if realizing that this was not good, he quickly suppressed his smile.

The water was filled up, and the translucent petals of the dried chrysanthemum finally unfolded.Like blooming flowers floating on the water, trembling with slight changes in the water.The red wolfberry is full of water, and some sink.

"What's that?" Morgan asked curiously.

"Chrysanthemum and..." Griffith paused, not knowing how to translate "goji berry" into English, so he changed the name, "a medicinal herb."

"Medicine? Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine, just a little…" Griffith froze again - he didn't know how to say "fired".

Luckily Reid saved him: "It's a Chinese drink that has some health benefits. I've read about it before. To be honest, I'm a little interested in Chinese medicine. Unlike us, they focus on the balance of yin and yang, and put Some medicinal materials are classified, and different medicinal materials have different medicinal properties. I think this reflects the Chinese philosophy..."

Morgan took a deep breath without leaving a trace, knowing that Dr. Reid's little lecture had started again.He has always listened attentively, and a string of rapid pronunciations flew past like a meteor and disappeared.But he casually glanced at Griffith across the way, and he froze.

The little colleague from China held his philosophical tea and listened to Reid's words seriously.The black eyes seemed to have been stuffed with a pair of torches, which were dazzlingly bright.

Morgan silently turned his head to watch Reid.

Reid has the same habit as Griffith when he talks, of staring at each other.Their inability to speak is a direct result of their low self-esteem, so the other party's reaction is very important.

Reid was probably slower than Griffith. Griffith will stop when the other party shows a little displeasure, but Reid will not react until the other party is particularly impatient.

But no matter how dull a person is, seeing Griffith's interested look will be encouraged.

So Reid continued his rare uninterrupted small class: "...Actually, the development of Chinese philosophy has political constraints, such as Qin Shihuang's burning of books and burying Confucianism. I have done a little research on that period of history..."

Griffith took a sip of his tea.This kind of experience of listening to Americans discussing Chinese history is really too rare.

"...In short, I admire some concepts in China." Reid finished the speech and took a sip of cold coffee to moisten his throat, and then realized that he had just forgotten to add sugar.With a little childlike distaste, he started looking for a sugar bowl.

Griffith blinked, feeling a little dazed.

Morgan left at some point, they just didn't notice.But none of them minded.

Reid poured almost one-fifth of the sugar into the coffee, and didn't stop until the sweetness he was satisfied with was adjusted. Griffith couldn't help but take another look at Reid's coffee - he suddenly admired the solubility of sugar.

"Oh!" Reid exclaimed belatedly.The big boy turned around, with a guilty look: "I...Did I scare you just now?"

Griffith shook his head: "No."

"Really? You should have interrupted me," Reid said angrily. "I want to learn to communicate better with people. Gideon said I should learn to talk less and give people a chance to talk more."

"No...not quite. You just... looked amazing. I think it's pretty good."

"Thank you for saying that." Reid smiled gratefully, "You are the first person besides my mother to say that."

Griffith felt strangely sad. Reid's eyes are light tea-brown, and they look particularly clear and clean under the light.Joy made the muscles in the corners of his eyes contract, bending them into a beautiful shape.Just because of a compliment, people in their twenties are so purely happy.

He remembered what those smart kids looked like when he was still in China.They are domineering, as if they are number one in the world, and the solar system must revolve around them.They have heard too many praises, and even take those things for granted.They never take into account the feelings of others, nor will they hide their talents in order to communicate with others.In their eyes, other people are stupid and there is no need to communicate.

That's what makes Reid so special.

A kind person who is humbled by his differences and uses them to help others.

Griffith smiled and nodded at him, "You're a nice guy."

"what?"

"Nothing. I just saw JJ enter Hotch's office." Griffith picked up the subject easily.

Reid's attention was quickly diverted: "Then we have a job."

"This boy appeared on different pedophile websites a year ago. After a massive search by the Anti-Child Crime Unit, he disappeared," Gideon said while standing in front of the screen.The old detective wore glasses, his brows were deeply wrinkled, and his seriousness was almost sharp.

"Until Cole from Social Security called us tonight and he showed up again." Hotch also stood, adding to Gideon's words.

Griffith repeated the unfamiliar name suspiciously: "Cole?"

Morgan explained: "Katie Cole."

Reid asked back in surprise: "Isn't she in the behavior analysis group?"

"It used to be." A strange woman walked in carrying something.Her curly hair was fluffy, making her face small and delicate.But the crispness of her gestures tells everyone that she is definitely not a little girl who depends on others.

"One of the first profilers on the Behavior Analysis Unit," Gideon said appreciatively. "Brilliant clinical psychologist who now runs the Crimes Against Children Unit in Maryland."

"Thank you for the compliment." Cole said perfunctorily.

The video played on the screen was previously discovered by her department.The picture quality is not good, it is a bit stuck, and it is still black and white.But the child's pure eyes are clear.He just stared straight out of the camera, complaining silently.

Cole sighed slightly: "We call him Peter, we first found him in a set of photos a year ago. More precisely, I found him. Wait until that clock goes to zero—" She dragged on, seeming very upset Ren Xin: "He will be auctioned off."

The clock she was talking about was just below the screen, and it was less than seventeen and a half hours.

"Is there no way to track the web?" Jareau asked.

"It was released through a proxy server in Belarus. Before we could finish the official paperwork, Peter disappeared."

"It's okay." Jareau breathed a sigh of relief, "We have Garcia." She packed up the files and went to inform Garcia.After all, time is running out.

"His expression is not out of order." Gideon asked a question.

"Because the unknown person believed we wouldn't find him that quickly," Hotch explained.

Griffith stared at Peter blankly.

The boy behaved very calmly.He wandered around the small room, eating snacks from time to time, and whispering to the soldiers.There is plenty in the room, like a captive pet configuration.He can play in the cage, but outside a camera, I don't know how many people are looking at him, eager to have him.His fate is as vague as that gray picture.

No fear, no sadness, just ignorance.

The small room, the smell of chaos, the smoldering uneasiness, the unconditional trust in what is supporting him...

Morgan was the first to spot something wrong with him: "Griffith?"

But Griffith ignored him, his eyes were strangely peaceful and innocent.

Serene, a little boring, but be obedient...

"Griffith!"

Griffith shook his head suddenly, as if throwing something away.When he finally returned to normal, he found that the entire conference room was looking at him, and it was quiet.

It was Morgan who broke the silence: "Hey, how are you?"

Griffith started fiddling with his bracelet in extreme agitation: "I'm fine. I'm… sorry, I was wondering, what's Peter's relationship with that seller. Well, I think the guy who locked him in was someone Peter trusted a lot, But I haven't figured out what kind of relationship it is."

Hotch stared at him for a while: "It can't be like this next time."

"Sorry, sir." Griffith apologized sincerely.

Hotch skipped the episode and brought the conversation back to the case, and everyone resumed the discussion except Gideon who was still looking at him.When those eyes were brought to explore, people couldn't help but hold their breath.

Griffith ducked his head and pretended to read the file, forcing himself to avoid Gideon's scrutiny.

The author has something to say: school has started, so I will try my best to update...