Is Prentiss ok? Will the team find her in time?
Chapter Two.
"Mum? Mum are you there?" Sophia hung up & closed the phone.
"She wanted you to look for someone named Freddy Chalmers. She said that once you found him you'd find her. But there was someone else there I heard him try to take the phone off her & then I heard what sounded like gunshots & then the call cut out. I hope she's okay." The agents all looked at each other with grim faces. They knew the chances of Prentiss still being alive but none of them wanted to scare Sophia.
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Said Reid in an attempt to reassure her.
"Garcia, were you able to trace the call at all?"
"Sorry. She wasn't on the line long enough for me to get anything." Garcia answered.
"Okay, well, see what you can dig up on this Freddy Chalmers guy for me."
"Will do."
"Reid, you & JJ keep an eye on Sophia. I don't want her to be alone at all. But let's keep working on this case. We need a working profile for the metro police."
Sophia typed away on her laptop while Reid worked on a geographical profile & JJ called members of the press she knew to let them know what details they could & couldn't release. While Reid & JJ weren't looking, Sophia snuck looks at the crime scene photos. They were gruesome but interesting. Just as she was getting a feel for what kind of guy they were looking for Hotch came into the room & noticed her looking at the photos.
"Reid, why are those where Sophia can reach them?"
"But I think I may be able to help with the profile." Sophia tried to explain.
"You are too young to be looking at crime scene photos. Reid make sure she doesn't look at any more of them." Hotch said as he left the room.
"Sorry I got you into trouble." Sophia said to Reid.
"It's okay. Hotch just doesn't want you having bad dreams when you go home."
"Hehe I watch crime fiction on TV all the time. Granted it's not exactly the same thing but that sort of stuff doesn't bother me."
Morgan & Rossi had gone back to Prentiss' apartment to see if they could find anything else.
They were checking through her mail for anything that might help when Morgan's cell rang.
"Talk to me girl, what have you got?"
"Okay this Freddy guy was in the British SAS but he was kicked out almost thirteen years ago when an operation he was in charge of went pear-shaped. He was dishonourably discharged & moved to the US a couple of months later. He got a job as a private security guard but lost it six months later because of a drinking problem. After that the only records are a few drunk & disorderlies, a stint in a Baltimore rehab facility & a new apartment in downtown Georgetown. I'm emailing you the address as we speak."
"You're a saint Garcia."Morgan checked his phone for the address & he & Rossi headed for the car. Morgan called Hotch to let him know what Garcia had found. He gave Hotch the address & they were just getting out of the car hen Hotch & Reid pulled up.
"Prentiss told Sophia that we'd find her when we found Chalmers. Hopefully this is where he's keeping her but I don't like our chances. No matter what we take him alive." Hotch said as they made their way inside. They walked quietly, guns drawn, clearing rooms as they kept an eye out for Prentiss & Chalmers.
Rossi was in the kitchen when he noticed a puddle on the floor.
"Hotch you need to see this." Hotch, Reid & Morgan filed into the kitchen. The puddle was semi-dried but everyone could tell it was blood.
"Have forensics comb every inch of this apartment. And get them to determine who's blood that is."
"Oracle of truth. Speak."
"Garcia I need you to run all of Chalmers' bank records dating back at least a few years."
"Might take me a minute but if you stay on the line I'll have it for you momentarily. Am I looking for anything specific?"
"Yeah narrow your search to property. Specifically rural properties with lots of open space between neighbours."
"Yahtzee. Okay two years ago he inherited a property which is approximately four hours north of Rock Creek Park. I'm pulling up the geographical picture of the property & there are three buildings: the house, a barn & what looks like some kind of shed to store food maybe."
"Thanks Garcia. The address?"
"Emailed it to you should arrive momentarily."
Hotch ended the call & checked his phone for the address.
"Guys. Garcia found an address for a property that is right in the middle of Reid's geographical profile. Let's get over there as fast as we can. But when we get there don't have any lights or sirens on. We don't want to spook him. Problem is it's going to take us four hours to get there."
Emily Prentiss opened her eyes. She was lying on some kind of platform. Her arms & legs were stretched out & each tied to poles holding up the platform. Everything was quiet. Freddy was gone. She hoped the others would find him before he found Sophia.
Freddy had been waiting for her to come out of the coffee shop. He'd followed her to her car & then tasered her from behind before she even knew he was there. When she'd woken up, she was lying on the couch in what she assumed was his apartment. Freddy had been nowhere in sight & she'd assumed it was safe to try & contact help. She hadn't noticed him coming up behind her while she was on the phone to Sophia until he made a grab for the phone. Then he'd gone for her gun which he must have taken after he tasered her. Before she knew it she was on the ground. Her stomach felt like it was on fire. She'd heard two shots but she was pretty confident only one of them had hit her. Even still, she knew the odds of surviving without getting medical attention quickly were close to nil. He'd whacked her over the head then & taken her to a property he owned. Dragged her into the storage shed & tied her to a chair. Proceeded to beat the living daylights out of her to try to find out where Sophia was. Emily had done everything she could to resist but in the end he'd gone back to his car & found her bag. He'd searched it to find her purse & her driver's license. When he'd memorised the address he'd taunted her & then beaten her into unconsciousness. He must have tied her to the platform before he left. She tried to move but found it impossible. She hoped the others were focusing on finding him & not her. Protecting Sophia was the main thing, no matter what. Emily started yanking on the rope that tied her arms. After a while she could feel it getting looser. When she was finally able to pull her arms out she quickly sat up & undid her legs. What with the beating he'd given her & the gunshot wound she was finding it hard to move. Once her legs were free, Emily tried to stand. When that failed she, as gently as she could, fell to her knees & proceeded to crawl away from the platform. She was almost at the door when there was an almighty boom.
Hotch, Rossi, Morgan & Reid, along with three SWAT vehicles were just driving up to the storage shed. Having checked the other two buildings & finding no sign that anyone had been there in months, they had come to the conclusion that if Prentiss was anywhere on the property, she would be in the storage shed.
They had just pulled up in front of the shed & were about to check it out, when suddenly the whole shed exploded into flames.