His prey was jogging toward the parked car. A big boy, wiry brown hair bouncing as he grew nearer with every step, windbreaker flapping around a green t-shirt and jean shorts. The man made to step out of the dark green car he had stolen that morning. Pausing as the boy stopped to greet a small child who just emerged from the long grass at the edge of the road. The small red head with a fishing pole over his shoulder, stirred the man's blood but he had a bigger prize on his mind. Getting out as the duo walked toward him, the man closed the distance until he could hear quiet conversation.
The red head caught sight of the man first, abruptly he stopped his chattering about his fishing trip, making the bigger boy look around. The man could see the boy gulp and press the other boy behind him. The man laughed cruelly to see his son trying to protect his little friend.
"You've grown big, Robert." Indeed, looking at the boy was like looking in a mirror from the past. Both tall, with the uncontrolable brown curls, his own cropped short by the prison barbers. The man felt the familiar pull of ownership as he looked into his son's scared eyes.
Drawing nearer, the man seemed to grow even larger or maybe the boy just grew smaller. The man reached past his son and tousled the red hair before it cringed away from his touch, eyes crafty and challenging upon his son.
"Russell, run, get away." The red head dropped his forgotten fishing pole and disappeared quickly into the weeds.
Robert was frozen in place as the man barked with laughter, "So eager to be left alone with me?" The hand that had tousled the other boy came up to pat his cheek, before pulling back and cracking across is face. The boy fell to the ground only to be pulled back to his feet by the hair. "That bitch will not take you away from me so easily, Robert." The boy wriggled out of his windbreaker and threw it onto the edge of the road, the man didn't notice at the time.
The man wrenched the back door of the car open and shoved his son down into the leg room of the back seat. "Stay still and shut your mouth." One last threatening glance before he covered his prey with a raggedy blanket. The boy laid there praying under his breath while the car started and took him away.
/\/\/\/\
Special Agent Aaron Hotchner represssed a loud sigh as he flipped yet another manila folder open, his door was open to allow the gentle mummer of the early arrivals in the bullpen to reach his ears, it would not be appropriate to clue his co-workers in on his boredom. He had a reputation to maintain. A born leader, Hotch, instilled confidence in his team by holding himself to even higher standards than he held them. His dark eyes skimmed the new information as he propped the folder up in front of him, he permitted himself a slight smirk to hide a yawn.
"You have a girlie mag in that folder?"
David Rossi leaned comfortably against the door jam, not going so far as to laugh as the stoic man at the desk dropped the folder, but there was a gleam in his eye as he stode into the room to take a seat. Seeing just another collection of police reports, Rossi grimaced at the victim's picture stapled in the upper left hand corner, "Too bad, you look almost as tired as I feel." Hotch had noticed the slight ruby tinge in the older man's eyes but decided to not mention it. "Anything I can help you work through?" Pouring over reports was a large part of the job, Hotch thought he must look bad indeed for Rossi to offer help.
Before the banter could truly begin, Jennifer Jareau, JJ, poked her head in the door. "Come on boys, we just caught a kid knapping." The scant handful of information was slapped against the door frame as her heels clicked down the stairs to the bullpen, herding the rest of the team together. The men shrugged at each other as the usual excitement started to mount in their bellies. Rossi snagged his go-bag and met Hotch to follow the communications liason, both dreaded and yearned to learn more about what had lit such a fire under the youngest member of the team.
"Locals are on the scene in Carrsville, reports from the family suggest that the young man was abducted less than 2 hours ago." JJ was briefly filling in Emily Prentiss and Derek Morgan who were at their desks.
"Who was abducted?" Spencer Reid walked up as he stirred his highly sugared coffee.
"Micah Clemmens. Carrsville, VA. Cars will be ready in five. It'll take maybe 20 minutes to get there if traffic is good." JJ glanced at Hotch for confirmation, he nodded, before JJ sped off to her office to collect her go-bag.
"It's not often we get contacted so quickly. Let's take advantage of it and find this kid." Hotch strode out the double doors of the BAU offices to the elevators, confident that his team would do everything possible to find the missing boy.
/\/\/\/\
Chic Emily Prentiss rode shotgun in one car as Morgan drove, Reid was in the backseat trying to balance coffee and a legal pad on his lap. Sweeping a dark curtain of hair out of her eyes, she adjusted the smart phone in her hand so she could see their flamboyant technical analysist clearly.
"Tell us about the family, Garcia." Emily knew that the other car would be watching and listening to the same information so kept to the facts of the case.
Penelope Garcia did not.
"Not even a hello on this gorgeous morning, Emily? Its okay, I will try not to be offended. To the reason we come together today. It is the Clemmens family.
Family is a loose term but it takes all kinds. The four kids in the house are foster chldren: Micah is 16 and the one who was abducted, Preeta is 15, Cevin is 14 and the baby Kadin is 4." Garcia provided a picture of the family: a slight platinum-blond boy, a beautiful indian girl with wary eyes, a toddler with dark hair hid his face in the shoulder of the young woman holding him and a small giant loomed behind the group, hugging them all together. "School records indicate that Micah and Preeta are average to good students, but Cevin is a bonnafide genius as far as testing goes. Micah and Cevin are also into extra-cirriculars such as starting fights."
"I have a guess but confirm, which one is Micah?" Morgan exclaimed as his eyes darted between the photo and the road.
"Micah would be that big hunk of boy towering over the rest."
"How does a kid that big get kidnapped?" Rossi chimed in from the car ahead of them.
"If the kidnapper had a weapon or threatened his family, does it really matter how big the victim is?" JJ threw her two cents in snapping her phone closed, "Sheriff Pritchard is at the house, as I understand it, he's a family friend."
The black SUVs turned onto a two lane road, the main businesses of the town ran along each side. Although early, townspeople were going about their errands. The locals took notice of the two new vehicles on their territory, many stopping to stare. A group of old men stood in a cluster gaping at Hotch, two split from the group pointing at Emily before stumbling further down the road to spread some unknown news.
Emily's eyes widened as she watched the town spring to life, a mixture of fear and excitement seemed to run through the town. "Are you all seeing this? Those people are pointing at me."
Teens, free from school during the summer, whooped and waved at the lead car. "Well the kids seem glad to see us." Rossi added dryly.
"Any info on the mother, what's her name?" Derek brought the conversation back to the point as the cars left the main drag behind.
"Do you really think I haven't run her down already, shame on you Derek Morgan." Garcia adjusted her pigtails before continuing. "Unfortunately, from what I found, she is clean. Has lived in Virginia for most of her life, a short stint in Vegas when she was a girl. The family still resides in her childhood home, sharing with the man who took over the family business, Stephan Rutherford, 50, mortician and county coroner. The business is located on site, enjoy that."
"Mortician for a father, lives in a house with corpses and raising four foster kids, cuts down on the suitors I imagine. Is Rutherford a bigger part of the family than just a business partner?" Emily watched her friend's fingers fly across the keyboard as she kept sifting her information.
"No such luck, the relationship seems pretty boring. The two are completely seperate, no joint accounts, no hanky-panky, business above boards. The four foster children currently in residence...looks like she has been working with her lawyer to begin the adoption process. Except for the baby, each has lived there for over two years. Micah has been with her for five years now. Now, she has fostered other kids, always has extraordinary reports from child services. Each child that is sent over by the state of Virginia has been successfully placed with other parents, and look to be doing just fine. Healthy and happy."
"Adoption takes years, why bother with the older children? They'll be of age before the paperwork gets filled." Morgan interupted.
"Well that's the thing, she's a wiz with paperwork. She makes her living cutting through red tape for business and private persons. She expediated the building permits for two green energy companies, to considerable financial gain. All above boards. She tithes 20% of her earnings, lives in a mortage free home and volunteers her and her family's time to nummerous philanthrolical organizations. If she can do a back flip, she is offically my new hero. Sorry, Morgan. What it comes down to is she knows how to work the government and works it to the betterment of the world."
Hotch led Morgan through a gated stone wall, the large SUVs bumping along the dirt road as a cemetary rose on either side of the trail. "Keep digging, Garcia, the more information we have the better." A large gothic monstrosity revealed itself as the road angled upward, Hotch saw a sherriff leaning against a county truck speaking into a radio.
"Before you go Garcia," Reid's voice sounded rushed and a bit higher than usual, worried to Derek's ear, "What's the mother's name?"
"Oh, yes, junior G-man...Seraphina Clemmens."
A three story house was perched at the apex of the curved driveway. Turrets poked at the sky above the off-white paint and dark gray trimmings. Evidence of children littered the front of the house, over grass and porch, bright plastic toys mixed with various sporting balls. An addition veered off the east side of the building, signage for 'Clemmen's Mortuary' hung ornately above the shallow stone steps that met double oak and glass doors.
A concrete slab angled down to a set of bay doors sunken into the hill behind the building. Terraced levels surrounded the home, tombstones radiating out in orderly rows. Large monuments lined up with the eight compass points on nearly every terrace. Walking paths meandered through the greenery and stone. An abandoned bicycle was visable at the base of the hill. Near the house were three squad cars, one of which was marked as a K-9 unit, and the county truck which supported the sherriff, who was now animatedly talking into his cell phone.
When the cars rolled to a stop, the team streamed out dragging supplies out with them. JJ noted the sound of barking dogs in the distance as the morning sun heated her shoulders. As the contact person, she strode to met Sherriff Pritchard with an extended hand. He was late 30s, thickly built, with a bit of shaggy hair peeking out from his cowboy hat. His tan and brown uniform already looked rumpled this early in the day.
Shaking firmly, Pritchard greeted her, "Agent Jareau? Sherriff John Pritchard, glad y'all could come down so quick. The family's beside themselves and..." Pritchard's light drawl tappered off and the man went pale as the rest of the team came forward.
Uncertain as to what distracted her new aquintance, JJ made introductions. "These are SSAs Dave Rossi and Derek Morgan. Dr. Spencer Reid, and SSAs Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss." The sherriff ignored Rossi's outstretched hand and vaguely nodded as the other names tumbled from JJ's mouth. Pritchard's eyes darted from Hotch to Emily and back again. The entire team froze as they saw him reach his hand out and roughly poked Aaron in the shoulder.
Pritchard exhaled his breath loudly, "Oh good God, sorry, I thought-thought you were a ghost. Thank God!" He spat after saying the word ghost but looked very much relieved before turning to Emily. "And you, no wonder the entire town's in an uproar, you look just like Desdemona. Except for the nose. Dispatch called to tell me that Sera's family had come already." Emily's hand self consciously went to her nose. Pritchard removed his hat, the team could see the sweat on his forehead, he wiped himself down with his hankerchief, chuffing the goose pimples on his arms.
"Probably has its fair share of ghosts, this house." Rossi tried to disapate the uneasy feeling around his team.
"Not so's you'd notice, sir. Once you get inside, you'll see what all the uproar's about." With a bright smile that did not fit the occassion, Pritchard invited the confused team up the stairs, "We have a room set up as Miss Jareau specified, boards and what not. We'd have brought you in to town but Sera refuses to leave unless I'll let her go trapsing through the forest looking for Micah. She'd go out there with a machette and look until she died of starvation, if I let her. For the mean time, I got her convinced the dogs are the best method, not sure how long she'll wait for results though." Pritchard stopped by the front door.
A sign hung at shoulder height:
House Rules 1. The Golden Rule 2. Control your temper 3. Duels at dawn, swords only
Pritchard checked his firearm, insuring the safety was in place and placed his pocket knife in his boot. "Watch your weapons, the little one's a shit head." With a final look at the sun, Pritchard lead the way calling over his shoulder, "Welcome to the powder keg."
/\/\/\/\
The main door opened into a wide foyer, wood floors spread out in all directions and a circular stairway rose from the center of the room, disappearing from sight into the ceiling. "The office is this way."
As the team wound around the house Morgan asked Pritchard, "Since you know the family, anything happen recently that would maybe spur Micah to run away, foster kids do it all the time. Why do you think this was a kidknapping?"
"Physical and emotional abuse is common in foster families, maybe there is something going in the house." Reid was not able to provide any statistics due to an angry shout that preceded a short boy hurtling out of a side room.
Reid was saved from the snarling boy as a woman ran toward the group, grabbed the boy and twirled him around to shove his face to the wall. The boy's nose was pressed into the paint, her hand latched onto his neck as the rest of his body squirmed to attack the FBI agent. She pressed a bit harder on the sides of his neck when the boy planted his palms on the wall. Rossi and Hotch, both had instinctively stepped in front of Reid, relaxed as Morgan replaced his gun in its holster. Reid was staring at the back of the woman's head, studying the suddenly familiar twists of her dark hair.
Sera Clemmens, ignoring the others for the time, forced her arm to remain steady as she felt the strain lessen under her fingers. She waited for the red flush to drain from his face before she spoke, "Are you calm?"
Cevin waited a moment longer before replying. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. We do not have time for you to act out on your frustrations today."
"Didn't you hear what he was saying? He thinks you abuse us, he is so wrong, I can't let some random doink talk about you like that."
"I don't care if they call me murdering whore, puppy-kicking rapist. These agents are here to find your brother and we will do everything possible to help them with that task. That includes but is not limited to; answering every question honestly and in English, expanding the information provided if the right questions are not asked, spilling any and all secrets that might lead us to Micah. It does not include attacking the feds or deputies causing their attention to be diverted. Do you understand your role?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Good, now appologize."
Sera physically turned Cevin to face the slightly trembling Dr. Reid. Sera flinched as she looked into his face but remained quiet. Cevin caught the spasm of movement and scowled deeply at Reid. With true teenage stubborness he pivoted a quarter turn to Rossi, "I appologize for my outbust, Sera has treated me with the highest levels of love and respect since I entered her home. My mom would never abuse anyone in her care. Anything you and your team can do to bring Micah back would surely put us in your debt." Cevin caught his arms behind his back and ducked his head slightly, waiting.
"There would be no debt, son, we are only here to find Micah. Your mom is right about sharing any information you have, make sure you do. It can only help." Rossi clapped a hand on the teen's shoulder, Cevin's eyes rose to look him in the face. "No one here believes that there is abuse under this roof, we just need to talk out all possible options." Rossi softened his gaze as the overly formal boy breathed easier.
Sera mouthed 'thank you' from behind Cevin's back. Her hand smoothed the young man's hair as she dismissed him. "Go, stay with Preeta and Kadin, make sure they eat something, yourself as well, stay in the kitchen." Her eyes followed the boy down the hall.
As the door closed behind him, Sera sighed, "Hi Sparky." Reid blushed feverishly and gulped, JJ flashing inquisitive eyes his way as the group started again. Sera headed the way, eyes on the ceiling as she declared to the heavens, "You're a right fucking bastard, aren't you?"
/\/\/\/\/\
Hotch hooked Reid's elbow and pulled him into an empty sitting room. "You know Miss Clemmens?" Morgan followed.
Reid paced the small room, suddenly full of energy. "Seraphina was at my school for a few years, she moved away when I was eight. I was 6 when we met, she and her uncle Colin intervened when I was getting my ass beaten in a school yard fight. Sera grabbed a shovel from the yard workers and smacked Chad Johnston in the face. By the time he recovered, her uncle was with us and able to easily fend the bully and his friends off. She was my best friend for five years, even after she moved away, we wrote almost daily until the letters stopped when I was 11. I haven't seen her for over 2 decades and I don't know what happened. I'm amazed she recognized me." There was bitterness under the facts that Reid supplied.
"Why didn't you say anything in the car? Sparky." Morgan couldn't resist the new moniker. Hotch grimaced to slow any more teasing.
Reid bristled at the name but knew if he made a big deal about it, Morgan would never let it go. "I didn't know it was her."
"How many Virgian mortician's daughters named Seraphina Clemmens do you think there are, Sparky?"
"Morgan. You haven't seen her for 2 decades? We all know you eat your emotions, Reid. If there is any reason for you to not work this case, out with it now."
"Just because she dropped me 20 years ago, doesn't mean I'll let her son stay lost. I am fine Hotch. I'm prepared to work."
Hotch and Morgan exchanged a quick look, both knew Reid was far from fine but decided to drop it.
/\/\/\/\
As the men rejoined the group in the office, Sera was pulling a young boy from under the couch; an ankle in one hand, wrist in the other. Kadin giggled as she tickled his sides, holding him off the floor. "Where's your sister? If one of you's here, the other one is too." Kadin pointed at the window, easily giving his sister up. Sera gently dropped the gasping boy and stuck her head out the window. She helped Preeta climb into the room, gathering both children in front of her. "No more eaves dropping. If anyone asks you a question answer fully, Preeta stay with Kadin and Cevin in the kitchen. Start making coffee and iced tea. Feed your brothers and eat something, yourself. Now go, they want to ask me questions."
Staring at Reid, Preeta could be heard whispering to Kadin, "Isn't that guy on our mantle?" as they left.
When adults were once again alone, Sera fell into the leather great chair behind a huge desk. The chair spun as she slumped into its familiar comfort.
"Your girl's kind of literal ain't she?" Pritchard saw a small tired smile on Sera's lips as she rubbed her temples. A migraine was on the horizon. "You know, it wouldn't be such a horrible thing if you ate something as well, Sera." He looked down at his exhausted friend to be rewarded with a scathing glare as her fingers wrapped around the letter opener on the desk.
"You know that the adults in my family don't eat when one of our own is in peril. I can't break tradition now and if you suggest it one more time, I'm cutting out your eyes and I'll eat those. Just to make you happy, John." Fluttering her eyelashes, Sera released the weapon carefully before turning to the BAU members. "Please, do me a favor and check the room for kids before you talk out of turn." her eyes flicked at Reid before continuing. "Feel free to use this office for everything you need . I turned on the wireless network for your computers and if Micah calls he would dial my cell phone not the land line. Now, you have met everyone in the family, save Stephan, Mr. Rutherford is in his work area. Unfortunately Mrs. Saperstein passed last night, and death does not wait for other family emergencies."
Pritchard's radio skwaked to life, he turned to the window to hear better.
Emily asked, "But your children and Stephan have been on site all morning, is that correct? Can you go over the morning with us?"
Sera leaned her elbows on the desk, taking up a pen, she twirled and clicked the pen throughout her story. "Kadin woke me up at 5 am, saying he was hungry. He won't eat food that isn't given to him, so he always asks for food from one of us. I got up and we ate cereal together, he started drawing at the kitchen table, a dog or dragon, not sure. Micah came in as I started the newspaper. He drank from the orange juice jug and grabbed a granola bar. He added a bright yellow sun to Kadin's drawing before he left for his morning run. He always leaves around 6 and gets back just before 7. I told him to take a jacket cause I thought it smelled like rain."
Sera paused as she fought back emotions, when she continued her voice was thick with them. "About 6:30 Cevin and Preeta came in, Preeta made pancakes for herself and eggs-in-a-frame for Cevin while he was outside feeding our rabbits. Cevin was the first to realize Micah's absence, they're building a trebuchette, a catapult, and Cevin wanted to work on it. I won't let him do it on his own, in case something happens..."
Pritchard finally finished with his call, cleared his throat gently, "Sera, the dogs found something." Her eyes lit as she stood, a mixture of fear and hope. Pritchard put his hands out in front of him, "Don't get excited, they found a green windbreaker, looks like Micah's. I'm going over to confirm that. Stay here. I'll call with an update."
Morgan and Rossi stepped forward, Rossi said, "We want to look at the area where the jacket was found. We'll be able to work the case better if we get a feeling for the area."
The three men left, the room seeming to get larger in their absence. Sera fell back into her chair, lost in thought.
Gathering his team, Hotch said, "Prentiss, take Reid and go talk to Rutherford, look for motive and see if we can get more informaiton on Micah's movements this morning. Take a look around the house and yard too. JJ and I'll talk to Sera and her kids."
Over hearing the hushed voice, Sera broke in, "If you go out the front door, walk around to the bay doors. Here's a key. Probably have to pound on the inner door to get his attention, he plays music while he works." Sera removed a set of keys from her desk drawer, a Superman emblem thunked onto the desk as she left them for Emily to collect. "The big key is for the mortuary, square key is for the bay doors, and the small keys go to the out buildings on the property. John and his deputies have searched everything, but have a look round, maybe you'll see something."