JJ in Wonderland – Chapter 4

.

"This is just like any country place; quaint and small." Dave commented as he drove along the interstate after leaving the Airport in Talladega where the BA jet stopped for refueled and to drop off the two agents.

JJ was looking out the scenery, she had not said anything since bade the rest of the team good bye as they continued their way to Killeen, Texas.

"Okay," Dave sighed. "I am sorry, JJ." He paused as he looked at her peripherally, "For everything I said and yet to say. Please forgive me."

Nothing.

"Look," He tried again. "JJ, we can't continue like this…"He gestured all over the SUV, "We have to work together." He picked up the folder with the photos inside. "We have to figure this out or we'll have nothing."

She did not respond.

Dave gave her one last look before he turned his attention to the road and towards the city of Sylacauga.

"We're to meet with the SPD, Sheriff Peter Dougherty at the department." JJ said quietly.

"Roger that, Agent Jareau." Dave replied; well, if that's the way she wants to play, two can play the game.

JJ turned slightly to stare at him but she didn't utter anything as he drove on.

Sitting next to him is such a close proximity and alone in the vehicle was making her feel very uneasy.

His subtle cologne was like honey to her and she found she couldn't help taking deep breaths catching his scent wafting around them.

It was like a drug to her and she wanted more.

Dear god! Why did Hotch pair her with him? JJ wondered if how much longer her control could last.

This was such a bad idea, being with him..alone.

"I'm sorry, Dave." She said finally. "I shouldn't have given you the cold treatment, it's wrong of me and …and…it's not me." She said softly.

He nodded, "There's nothing to apologize, JJ."

"Dave, let's start over again, can we?"

He thought for a moment and nodded, "I'd like that."

After a small pause, JJ began as she opened the folder. "What do you think of these pictures?"

"I'm not sure but the key question is who left the envelopes on yours and my car."

She frowned, "You have a point, Dave." She kept her eyes on the photos. "But since we can't figure who, in the meantime, we have to follow the only lead and that is to pursue the location of these photos and it's leading us to his is an old railway depot."

"Shouldn't be too hard to find a railroad in such a small town."

She looked up at the road they were on and saw the sign; their destination was another 20 miles.

"Isn't it a shame about what happened to Emily?" Dave began.

JJ quickly glanced over to him and turned away from him, "Yea…yeah it is a shame."

He watched her for a moment and said, "JJ she's still alive isn't she?"

JJ continued to look out the passenger side window and watched the cars passing by. "I don't know what you mean, Dave. Emily is gone."

"Okay, if that's what you want us to think."

"Why do you think she's still alive? I mean we buried her, you were there for the funeral."

"We buried a box, for all I know it might be empty. Come on JJ, you're talking to me, not some 1-year graduate. Don't think I didn't see your exchange with Aaron."

"You…you…did?" She began to pick at the corner of the folder nervously.

"I'm not dumb, JJ. I have a pair of perfectly good set of eyes, I just had my eyes examined and they're great for a man my age, so the optometrist said."

"Maybe he needs to get his eyes examined." She muttered under her breath.

Dave curved his lips into a smile. "I miss her too."

She didn't reply.

Half an hour later, they were standing inside the police department.

"Er, what can we do you folk?" A deputy stared at them, he had a strong southern accent.

Showing him their badges, they introduced themselves and told him they were here to see Sheriff Peter Dougherty.

The deputy nodded and led them into the office.

"I'll tell Sheriff you're here." He left them alone.

"I can barely understand his accent, I feel as if we'd traveled back in time."

Dave grinned, "Welcome to the South, JJ."

"Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that. I did miss your sarcasm." She smiled.

Dave was about to say something but the Sheriff entered his office. He was a short and portly man of about 60 with graying hair…or what was left of his hair on his head. His uniform was about two sizes too small for the man.

JJ arched her brow as she noticed an empty box of donuts in the trash can.

She glanced up to Dave and saw he was looking at the empty box as well and his small grin.

Pursing her lips, JJ tried not to burst out laughing as she quickly introduced them to the Sheriff.

"FBI huh?" The Sheriff tried to suck in his guts as he kept his gaze at JJ, "What can I do for you folks?" He too had a strong accent.

Dave showed him the photos.

The Sheriff frowned, "What the…? What in Pete's sake is this?" He looked at Dave and then at JJ for answers.

"We're hoping you can help us, Sheriff Dougherty."

They began to explain to him how they found the photos and through further analysis, they found that these photos came from the railway here in Talladega County.

The Sheriff was thoughtful for a while before he spoke, "So let me get this straight, Agents. You found these pictures here in your car?"

"On," Dave corrected him. "They were on the windshields of our cars."

The older man stared at Dave, "All right, on your car. And these photos here, you looked at it and ana…analyze it in your sophisticated machines in your lab and all and came to this conclusion that they came from here."

"Well, not quite," JJ interjected. "One of these photos was the one that gave us the clue." She pointed at the one.

"The license plate? You can make out the numbers?"

They nodded.

JJ showed him an enlarged section of the plate.

"Yeah, that's Alabama's." The Sheriff nodded slowly. "And?"

"And," JJ showed him another sheet of paper, it was a printout of the owner of the license plate. "Here's the result of the plate we ran."

The sheriff reached for his reading glasses and picking up the paper he began to read it, "Well, I be…Bill Pruitt. He had reported that old '67 Ford pickup missing. He loved that old truck."

"When was that?" JJ asked him.

He frowned as he thought of the question. "I'd say that's about six months ago."

"Six months ago?" JJ and Dave exchanged puzzled looks.

He nodded, "Yep, you found it."

"Do you know the location?"

The older man nodded, "Why yeah, everyone who live here knows about the Eastern Alabama Railway. It's one of our major transportation here in Sylacauga. Back in the 60s when the limestone was a boon here, the railway kept this town alive and now, it's the paper mill and the Avondale Cotton Mill."

They nodded as they listened raptly to him.

"Sylacauga was quite a town back then but now?" he shook his head sadly. "The economy has died and we're practically a dead town. The Mill is closed, the limestone is barren and well, the only thing that's holding us together is the paper mill and that is endangered what with the technology in the internet."

Dave arched his brow, "Is that right?"

The Sheriff nodded confidently.

"So…." JJ said. "You'll take us to this site?"

He nodded, "Why yes, I'll show you where it is. Know that place by heart. All kids 'round here grew up playin' that place."

They walked out of his office.

"Ryan," The Sheriff called out to one of his deputies. "I'm headin' out to the railway with these FBI folks here." He nodded at him and left the precinct and climbed into his unit car.

JJ and Dave climbed into the vehicle with him.

The railway was 15 minutes away from the police department and when they arrived at the deserted depot, the FBI agents saw the abandoned truck right away and turned their attention to the large building across from them.

Entering the building they began to look around and saw it was bare.

"It's gotta be somewhere here." JJ said.

"Look on the ground…wait a minute, this ground is concrete…the ground in the photo is dirt." Dave looked up at JJ. "What the hell?"

…..

End of Chapter 4