Agent Angel
by Rondabunny
Part 1
Whole team was sitting at the table with files in their hands.
"Our victim is an 11 year old girl Joelle Garrette whose family was murdered this morning. The victimology points to Jackson Sellers style of killing. The woman was slaughtered before her husband's eyes. After that the man was strangled. There should be a child but she somehow escaped or I don't know what happened," informed Hotchner.
"Wait a second, Sellers is very pedantic. How could she escape?" added Morgan.
"You're right. His method is to torture parents before their children, kill them and then he sadistically tortures children until their death," said Hotch.
"Last time we made a profile it indicated Jackson Sellers but we hadn't any evidence and police let him go," reported JJ.
"Our task is to find the girl maybe she will lead us to him. I assume she's a witness and he's after her," said agent Rossi.
"That's right. We must save her whatever it takes. She's our only hope to make him go to jail," replied Hotchner.
"Twelve foster families? You got to be kidding. She's just 11." Emily was really surprised to find such information in the file.
"IQ 136? Impressive for a kid. She is what another Dr. Reid?" continued JJ.
"Actually an intelligence quotient is a standardized test to assess intelligence though IQ scores have been shown to be associated with such factors asmorbidityandmortality,parental social status,and, to a substantial degree, biological parental IQ. While theheritability of IQhas been investigated for nearly a century, there is still debate about the significance of heritability estimatesand themechanisms of inheritance. So, what I want to say, her IQ doesn't show that she's smart and can be successful in life. Besides she has fewer points not as I had at her age," Reid as always gave an exhausting info on the issue.
"Yeah, who can doubt your brilliance," mocked Emily.
"I like our foster system. One couple was imprisoned for child abuse, two other were administratively fined for negligence, one died of cancer, four abandoned her for different reasons. She ran away from three families. This girl has a hell of experience," concluded Morgan.
"The only lasting stay was with this family and finally they were murdered. It's like an end of a bad horror movie. When you watch it and tell your friends 'You won't believe me, everyone's died'," Garcia commented.
Two hours later on the plane in the airport in Philadelphia.
"Rossi and Morgan, go to the crime scene. Prentiss and Reid, go to school and find out about her friends. JJ, make a press release. Assure the public that we know what's happened, appeal to the girl. Maybe she could find a way and contact us. Give our number. I contact local police and try to find out some more information." He took the file and left the plane. Others followed his example.
Thirty minutes later at school.
"So, Mrs. Klayton, Joelle has been studying here for nearly eight months. Has she made any friends?" inquired Emily.
"You must understand that Joelle is the youngest in her class and the smartest one. Children are jealous when somebody is not like them. She was always alone. I think she liked that. She didn't complain, always was in a good mood," the teacher replied.
"Did she participate in school life?" continued Dr. Reid.
"Yes, she was doing many things. Dancing, violin classes, gymnastics, though most of all she liked mathematics. She tried to be the first in everything and it irritated the kids. You should ask children from the Mathematical club. She spent a lot of time there preparing for competitions. Last year they won," Mrs. Klayton answered.
Same time the crime scene.
"Look at these photos, she always wants to detach from them," Rossi took one photo from the wall.
"Her room also doesn't deserve a credit. Everything is neat. All plush toys are accurately placed on her sofa. Books are on shelves. Clothes are in the wardrobe. It seems like she's not a child," Mogan stated. "Did the unsub make children clean everything before he killed their parents?"
"No, Sellers cherishes the process of murdering and control. Mess in the house doesn't matter. Emotions of victims are precious for him. This means that it is Joelle's habit to tidy everything," explained Rossi.
"Hi, sweet girl, can you find out more information about all the foster families this girl was in?" Derek asked.
"Sure, tiger, what exactly do you want to know?"
"Were any of her parents obsessed with cleanness?"
"One moment, please… Ok, the Mcfarens, a catholic couple from Virginia, very religious people. They returned her into system because she was 'a messy child' who 'didn't respect the Lord's law'", Garcia was taken aback by the exact wording from the written request of this family.
"Oh, and the judge swallowed it?" Rossi was impressed.
"Yeah, the further the better, this girl ran away from the family where father was a policeman. All their children had to participate at different athletic competitions. I think she wasn't fit enough for them because… Oh, my God. Her whole body is in bruises," Garcia gasped.
"What did they do to the parents?" Morgan required.
"Nothing, they said she was doing it to herself and called her mentally unstable. After that a doctor set diagnosis: autism. She spent two months in a hospital, then they put her into system again," the blonde woman said.
"How old was she?" Rossi continued.
"Five," was the answer.
"That's bad. She won't trust the police. JJ must apply not to the girl but to the audience. Thank you, Garcia. Is there anything else we should know?" asked agent Rossi.
"One family reported to the police that she stole a diamond ring. She was returned to the orphanage. At the trial they said that she was very artful and knew a lot of tricks to make person believe her," informed the computer geek.
"How old was she?" Rossi sounded like a stuck record.
"Eight."
"Good, thank you, you're the best!" Morgan praised her.
"I'm always the best." She disconnected.
School, a few minutes later.
"Mr. Cloud, what can you tell us about your student Joelle Garrette?" Reid began questioning.
"Very bright child, very bright. She participated in a teenage group from 13 to 15 and we won last year. It is our first victory at the National Mathematic Competition Contest. It was impressive!" replied the teacher.
"Can you describe her as a person?" Spenser asked more precise.
"She is smart, as I already said, very quiet. If you don't ask her she won't tell you anything. She is a kind girl, helped everyone in the team."
"How do children treat her?" Prentiss inquired.
"Like a small child. If they ask her about anything not connected to school or maths she replies abruptly or tries to avoid answering the question. She's an introvert. Doesn't like showing herself in public, doesn't like company," was the reply.
"Why then dancing, violin classes, gymnastics?" agent Prentiss went on.
"She did all these things for her parents. They wanted to be proud of her. She tried hard to prove she is great in everything but in my opinion dancing and gymnastics is not for her. The girl showed average results," said Mr. Cloud.
"Thank you, Mr. Cloud," Emily and Spencer walked in the hall and opened Joelle's locker.
"It doesn't resemble a child's locker. No stickers with heroes, no drawings, nothing. Just books, copy-books and some clothes for changing," Emily stated. "Spence, what did you have in your locker when you were her age?"
"A poster with Einstein on the door. Different stickers with signs on physics and several tin Star Wars characters."
Emily smiled, "This girl definitely tries to be invisible. There is nothing that shows her interests. It's like she wants to tell us that she doesn't exist." Agent Prentiss closed the locker.
An hour latter. The police office.
"So, what do we know about our victim?" Agent Hotchner began forming a profile.
"A smart girl, who doesn't trust anyone, tries to be invisible but makes everything to satisfy her new family. Maybe this way she wants to have a stable permanent place nevertheless, she is detached from adults as well as from children at school." Emily started.
"She is very pedantic, likes order. It means that there was enough chaos in her life or she wanted to impress the adults," added Morgan.
"She doesn't feel that people like her that is why she hides her feelings inside trying to be calm and reasonable. On other hand, she could be sociopathic. Although she suffered autism at younger age she still can have problems with showing her emotions to other people," concluded Agent Rossi.
"Great, no connections, no friends. If I didn't know that it is a child I would have supposed that she is an Interpol agent on a mission," Reid joked.
"Fine, Dr. Reid, what would you do if you were an 11 year old child hiding from a maniac?" asked agent Morgan.
"I… I don't know. I hadn't such an experience. Besides I always knew that if anything happens to my mother I would go right to foster care, that is why, I always showed that everything was good. This girl is somehow asocial, if you understand what I mean. She doesn't like lasting relationship with any family because she never had one. She doesn't know what it is. That is why she behaves like a loner. This girl wants to prove that she can handle everything alone. Sorry, I'm not much of a help here," Reid washed his hands of this situation.
"You are right. I asked Garcia to find out about families that she ran away from. Every time she appeared nearby a hospital. She attracted attention of security guards and nurses after that she was handed over to foster care again. Now, the most interesting information, only the woman from her previous family was imprisoned, the man serves the federal sentence at a mental hospital. He is a sociopath with persecution mania. The girl was sent to the doctors at this state," Aaron showed the pictures to his team.
"My Gosh, it's like she suffered every torture of a war captive," commented agent Rossi.
"He taught her endurance, patience, composure, accuracy and independence. She escaped three months later. I can presume that she studies very quickly. So, we are seeking for…" Agent Hotchner was interrupted by JJ who flew into the room and blurt out.
"The girl was seen at a mall near the railway station. The police are searching the area but they haven't found her yet."
After four hours of search Garcia found only several glimpses of the girl in the mall as well as of Jackson Sellers.
"Look, she really knows how to get away unnoticed," said Prentiss watching the video.
They watched the girl coming inside the building followed by the unsub and after ten minutes she reappeared without a jacket just in a sweatshirt with the hood on her head and went the same direction she arrived. Sellers came out only after 20 minutes.
"Yes, she's there alone, without a jacket, running from a serial killer. She has great perspectives ahead," Morgan said sarcastically.
"I've spread information at every hospital. Maybe we'll be lucky," added JJ.
Next day 11 o'clock in the morning.
"You won't believe it. Joelle was arrested in an internet club in Springfield an hour ago. She tried to find information on Sellers." JJ informed Hotchner.
"And you say that this girl's IQ is 136. She has 11 year-old thinking abilities," concluded Reid.
"Of course, Dr. Reid, one little thing is, she's got to another town less than in 24 hours without money, tickets or anything else. Could you do this at her age?" Morgan looked at Reid with scorn.
"Yeah, you are right. I had a better life." Reid shrugged his shoulders and followed Morgan out of the room.
To be continued…
I would like to read some of your comments. Thank you!