Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target or Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.
Tessa was sitting on the edge of the hotel bed, dark green folder in hand, when Julia came out of the bathroom.
Don't ask how she got into the room or how she even knew where she was staying to begin with. It was Tessa. "Since you happen to be in San Francisco anyway… a case just came up. You might find it intriguing", she told her friend.
"I'm afraid it'll have to wait a while."
Tessa snorted dismissively. "Don't tell me you have a date."
"Name's Christopher – Chris maybe, we haven't gotten that far yet… met him at a bookstore."
"Hm-hm." Tessa flipped the file open. "It looks like a visionary motive type of killer is on the loose, pretty time-sensitive issue, two victims so far…"
"Listen to me for a second, will you?" Julia threw her wet towel at her, only half playfully. "I did not meet him at a police station, while working a case the makers of Nightmare on Elm Street would get nightmares from. Neither in a morgue, while pouring over a horribly mutilated body. I didn't find him locked up in a DIY torture chamber/cold-storage room/what have you after he was kidnapped by some serial killing nutcase and had gone through a given period of hell on earth. He's just a nice guy, funny, likes to read…"
"Anyway, as I said, it's a time-sensitive issue, two victims so far, he seems to target red-haired women…"
Julia shook her head, determined not to listen. "Don't do this. Don't belittle this. There's a delicate life-work balance that needs to be respected."
"This pig farmer case in Canada really got to you, hm?"
"We found the remains of eighty-nine people." Julia slumped down on the bed next to her friend. "Eighty-nine people nobody missed, nobody cared about - till one man stood up and forced us to pay attention. And you know what? He's going to jail for it. I need a break Tessa. I really do."
"This unsub", Tessa softly continued, "he doesn't give them water. He lets his victims die of thirst. We think he's holding another one captive right now."
"Thirst…" Julia looked out of the window, but actually she was staring off into space. "When was she taken?"
"Yesterday evening."
Yesterday evening. There was still a chance of finding her half-way intact, half-way unbroken…
Julia reached for her phone and called the number Christopher had given her. Quite relieved he didn't pick up, she left a message.
Some things are just not meant to be.