Dopamine || Reid

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I HEAD UP TO THE SIXTH FLOOR. The files of freshly translated documents acting like a bolder in my arms. A suffocating weight that I'm eager to get rid of. A gnawing feeling deep inside my stomach grows with each step to Erin Strauss's office. It took me a while to translate for her, having become wrapped up in our cases but her multiple phone calls reiterating the approaching deadline made me lose sleep in order to get it done in time.

After the case in Portland unfortunately ran cold Hotch decided we had done all we could but without any more leads and no more bodies we were at a stand still. So we did the only thing left to do- we delivered our profile to the respective detectives and officers on the case and headed back to Washington. The team returning to spend a few days off as they tend to do after a long time away from home, Hotch fights for them to get that extra time between cases to tend to things at home and to get acclimated back to whatever change comes from staying in different time zones. I bet his own son has been a huge deciding factor in that decision, but the few days off is nice for everyone. That being said, my time off was really spent going through each horrifying page that Strauss had given me, translating the different codes and dialects into one cohesive binder.

"Ma'am?" I knock on the door to her office, inwardly hoping the early hour meant she hadn't arrived yet and I could avoid having the pleasure of her company. But of course I'm not that fortunate.

"Enter." Her voice greets like a harsh wind on a sunny day. She takes her time finishing the page paperwork she was working on, not even giving me a glance as I step inside. "Close the door."

I do what she demands, closing the door carefully behind me. She still doesn't look at me, continuing to fill out the documents in front of her. The silence is infuriating and tense.

Clearing my throat I take a step forward, realizing she isn't going to initiate this process. "These are the originals," I set the first stack of files on her nest desk. "These are the translations."

I watch with bated breath as she takes the translations, thumbing through them quickly.

"Good." She hums in unexpected approval. "Hand written."

"Uh- Yes. They are hand written." I say stupidly. She's looking at them she can clearly see they are. "Privacy reasons." I wrapped my arms around myself, not daring to say more.

"Yes. That was a test, which you passed." I perk up at her words. "Don't expect an award, Dr.Cypher. It doesn't take someone with your intellect to realize that computers can be hacked, meaning sensitive information can be stolen. The test part was to ensure you have some level of common sense, and to be honest I have low hope for that still."

"Your confidence in me is astounding." The words bite back before I could stop myself.

"Tread lightly, Cypher." Erin warns with the click of her tongue. "We wouldn't want to be accused of insubordination, do we?"

The threat is so simple. So spotlighted in her redundant question that it takes me aback.

"I assume your superiors cannot hear us." My eyes scan the room in search of something, yet not really knowing how to look for it. "Wouldn't want Deputy Chief of Staff to hear your blatant remark, he always was more... cryptic with his threats wasn't he?"

"Its time to take responsibility for your actions- welcome to adulthood Ms. Loxley."

Her steely gray eyes squint at my words, but I don't look away. For the first time since being here I finally feel as if I have figured a part of her out. But that confidence disappears when she breathes an amused scoff.