Ding Ding
Kirsten rolled over and picked up her lit up phone from the night stand. Unplugging it from its charger, she held it up to her ear.
"What?" she asked.
"Well Good Morning to you too, Princess," Cameron said.
"What do you want?"
"We have a new case," he informed her. "Need you and Camille to the lab."
"Okay. We'll be there soon." With that she hung up, groaning as she rolled out of bed.
She entered the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee pot where her roommate was already nursing her own mug.
"We have a case," Kirsten said.
"I know. Linus texted me."
"Did he say what it was?"
"Nope," she said.
Kirsten silently poured her cup of coffee and then went back to her room to get ready.
Once in jeans and a loose white shirt, Kirsten came in the living room to meet her roommate for a ride to work. It had taken her 26 minutes and 58 seconds to get ready. Camille was sitting at the bar in the kitchen, still drinking her coffee, but this time she also had toast and was dressed. She was wearing white skinny jeans with a maroon loose top with a long white-beaded necklace.
"Ready?" Camille asked.
"Yes."
Camille got up from her seat, putting her mug in the sink and her plate in the garbage. She picked up her purse from the front door and grabbed her key from the hook before leading them outside to her car.
As usual, the car ride was fairly silent. Kirsten played on her phone the entire time while Camille drove. Occasionally Camille would ask her something, but Kirsten would give a quick answer, immediately ending the conversation.
When they stepped out of the elevator, everyone was working in their designated stations. Camille went to Linus' side, picking up her tablet and telling him 'Good Morning.'
Kirsten walked across the room, heading towards Cameron. Maggie, noting their entrance came out of her office saying, "It's about time. Conference room in 5 minutes."
"Good Morning Sunshine!" Cameron greeted meeting her gaze.
"Hey," she said, with her normal, don't care tone. Her gaze was still looking down at her phone.
"What are you up to?" he asked, pointing towards her phone with the tablet in his hand.
"Trying to decode this message Ed left me."
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's just a bunch of numbers right now," she said. "I've been running it through some of my databases, so hopefully something will match."
"Oh okay. Ready to go get debriefed?"
"Mhmm," she hummed, finally putting her phone in her bag. Taking off her shoulder bag, she slipped it under Cameron's desk and then followed him up the steps to the conference room.
"Alright team," Maggie said as soon as they were seated. She clicked her remote towards the screen and a young blonde girl appeared on the screen. "Erin Ernst. 28. She and her husband were on a couple's retreat where she was found dead."
"What happened to the husband?" Camille asked.
"He's missing," Maggie said. She changed the screen to a handsome man. "He's our goal. We need to find him and hopefully find out what happened to her."
"What do they do?" Camille asked.
"He's a lawyer. She's a pediatrician," Maggie said.
"Oh, power couple," Linus said.
"Let's go," Kirsten said. They all pushed back their chairs and exited the room.
Kirsten quickly pulled on her catsuit and a medical assistant helped her out.
When she entered the main area, everyone was buzzing around prepping their areas.
Camille walked over and handed her a com. Kirsten slipped it in her ear and then fixed her ponytail.
"Ready?" Camille asked.
"Always," Kirsten said, heading to the fishtank. She climbed up the stairs and slid into the cool water as Cameron started his countdown.
"I need lights at 20%," he called out.
Kirsten saw the lights dim as she anchored her feet to the platform and spread her hands over the keyboards.
"I need a go, no-go for stitch neurosync.," he called. "Life-sci!"
"Go."
"Sub-bio?"
"Go."
"Engineering?"
"Go."
"Communications?"
"I'm a go," Linus called.
"Medical?"
"She's good. Go."
"Com Check One-Two. Can you hear me, Stretch?"
"Loud and clear, girlfriend." She closed her eyes and relaxed.
"Okay, induce stitch neurosync on my mark. Three, Two, One, Mark!" he pushed his mice forward and connected her consciousness with Erin's.
"What do you see?" Cameron asked.
"I'm in a hotel room. Very red. She's with her husband." She paused for a second before adding, "His name is Derek."
"Hold on Stretch," he said. "I'm moving you."
"Okay," she said. When her vision cleared she found herself near stables.
"What about now?" he asked.
"They are getting ready to go on a trail ride," she told him. "An instructor is going over the rules. There are about 3 other couples here with them."
She got silent again as the memory changed.
"They're in a ballroom. Everyone's dancing, there's a band. The People Pleasers."
"On it," Camille called. "They play primarily for the retreat. Not much else."
The memory shifted and Kirsten refound her focus.
"They are walking past the pool towards some pop up tents behind the property. Looks like they're going on a hike."
"Okay Stretch, you're getting close to the end. 25 seconds."
"I need to be closer," she said.
Cameron moved his mice, pulling her closer towards the death.
There are the same couples from the trail ride," she said. "Erin and Derek are in the back."
The couple was holding hands, following their group when all of a sudden a man reached out and grabbed Erin, pulling her into the trees. Derek was dragged behind her as their hands were still connected.
She let out a squeal but the man grabbed her, covering her mouth with his hand. Another man grabbed Derek. Their hands fought to stay together, but eventually the men wrenched them apart.
"Time to bounce, Stretch. 10 seconds."
"Hold on," she said.
"Heart rate is elevating," Ayo called out.
The man wrapped his hands around her neck, but because he was behind her, she never got a good look at him.
"5 seconds, Kirsten," Linus said.
"Come on, bounce!" Cameron told her.
She typed in her name and password to bounce. "I heart Linus," she said aloud as she typed.
"Well?" he asked as she sat up.
"Two guys pulled them off the trail into the woods. I couldn't see their faces."
"The husband?" she asked.
"Last I saw, he was with her. I didn't get close enough to see how she actually died."
"Refractory period?" Maggie asked.
"None," Linus called out. "The memories collapsed when she bounced."
"Time to call Fisher," Maggie said heading back to her office.