Six months.
That was how long it had been since the raid on the Salvatore estate. Six months of endless debriefings, commendations, and a promotion to Senior Supervisory Agent that felt more like a prison sentence than a reward.
I sat at my desk in the BAU bullpen, the harsh fluorescent lights of the Hoover Building buzzing relentlessly overhead. The glow of my double monitors cast a pale, sickly light over the stacks of case files piled high on my desk.
"Hayes, you're still here?"
I blinked, pulling my eyes away from the pixelated security footage on my screen. Agent Miller was standing by my cubicle, holding a lukewarm cup of vending machine coffee. He looked tired, but nowhere near as hollowed out as I felt.
"Just finishing up a report," I said, my voice dry and scratchy.
Miller l
