XI
"Something about her seems…off." JJ announced as they observed the infamous Mackenzie behind the mirror. The girl had made herself at home as soon as the two EMTs working on her ankle left. Lucky for her, it wasn't broken at all just twisted and should heal in a few days. That didn't stop the girl from glaring at the mirror as she waited to be interviewed.
"Yea." Emily agreed, crossing her arms and making room for Hotch to watch beside her.
"I think it'd be best if the two of you talk to her." He suggested. "She didn't seem to have a positive reaction to Morgan and me."
"I wouldn't have a positive reaction to you if you'd just dragged me away in handcuffs either." JJ commented dryly but made her way to the door regardless. Before Emily could follow her out, she felt Hotch's hand on her shoulder and turned to face him.
"I'm sorry about what happened with Waters." He blurted out and Emily frowned.
"There's nothing to be sorry for. He's a creep." She shrugged nonchalantly and he nodded in agreement.
"You fell pretty hard, are you sure you're alright?" Hotch took a small step towards her and Emily couldn't help but smile at his concern.
"I'm fine Aaron." Emily assured him softly. The use of his first name always sedated the two; making them believe for just a moment that there was no one else around. She licked her lips and didn't miss his eyes take in the action immediately. Standing toe to toe, Emily could practically feel his breathing quicken and she was sure he could sense hers too. Any closer and there was no doubt in her mind that he'd be able to hear her heart beating out of her chest as well.
"You're sure?" he practically whispered, their noses merely centimeters from one another. Emily had to force her brain to restart as the sudden urge to reach out and touch him flooded her senses.
"Yea." She breathed out, her hot breath practically caressing his lips. "I'm sure." Suddenly it didn't feel like they were talking about her fall anymore.
"You should-"
"Go." She finished for him and reluctantly took a step away.
"Yea." He nodded and cleared his throat slightly. Emily spun on her heel and left the room, willing her heart rate to slow down as she nearly knocked JJ over.
"Did you-"
"No, don't be dumb." Emily brushed the blonde away as they neared the interrogation room.
"Did you want to?"
"Shut up." Emily chucked up her anger to the fact that she had ruined a perfectly fine blazer in the take-down but knew she had to apologize to her friend later. As the women opened the door and took a seat across from Mackenzie, Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with the girl. You probably saw her when she hacked your phone. A minute or two went by in complete silence, the three women competing in a battle of wills as they stared each other down. Mackenzie's snake-like, emerald eyes seemed to take in everything about the agents as she examined them like lab rats. Slightly uncomfortable under her gaze, Emily and JJ mimicked their own expressions of dislike as they watched the girl flick a strand of jet black hair out of her face.
"You two aren't nearly attractive enough for me to sit here and stare at you all day." The girl quipped, obviously bored of the stare-down.
"Well that's too bad," JJ began as she opened up a file and scattered the images across the desk. "Because we're going to be here a while." Mackenzie briefly glanced over the pictures before returning her stoic expression back on the women.
"You think a few bloody crime scene photos are going to sway me?" she chuckled softly and crossed her legs. "You must be new."
"This is Charlize White. She was 32 years old with a 7 year old daughter." Emily shoved the picture forward. White lay sprawled in an alley, her blouse ripped open exposing her stomach and the Latin phrase etched into her skin along with the dozens of stab wounds.
"And I'm sure you know Michael and Albert Fox." JJ tossed the pictures in the girl's direction. Both brothers were displayed in exactly the same position as White.
"And let's not forget, your friend Cassidy Newton." Emily placed his picture on top of the rest and waited for a reaction; one which she didn't get.
"Since when does the FBI investigate the murders of criminals?" Mackenzie leaned back, her wrist full of bracelets clanging against the cuffs as she did.
"Criminal or not," Emily crossed her hands on the table. "No one deserves that."
"How sentimental of you." The girl narrowed her gaze at older brunette.
"We know you knew Newton. We know you watched the last three murders happen live. We know you called them in." JJ summarized.
"And what does that tell you Agent Jareau?" Mackenzie eased forward and frowned slightly. "How exactly does that fit into your profile?"
"You cried when Newton was killed. How well did you know him?" Emily asked.
"Well enough to cry as I watched him die." Mackenzie rolled her eyes at the mundane question.
"He seems a bit old for you." The brunette continued as she evaluated the man's license photo. "I mean don't get me wrong, he's not bad looking. What'd you think JJ?" She handed the photo to her friend and waited as the blonde examined it. Nodding her head, JJ agreed.
"Not really my type but you know, to each her own." JJ turned the photo so that it faced Mackenzie. The girl just shook her head with a small smile.
"So you're not into older guys?" Emily stood slowly and encircled the girl. "Could've fooled us." JJ laughed slightly.
"I thought everyone was into rich, tall, dark, and fresh out of prison." The blonde shook her head in mock disbelief.
"I guess that's just us." Emily joked, causing JJ to snicker.
"Am I being charged with anything here?" Mackenzie straightened herself and rolled her shoulders. As she did, her shirt eased up slightly and Emily caught a slight glimpse of her pale skin. Noticing a dark blue patch on her seemingly perfect body, she approached the girl only to have her lean away.
"Mackenzie," Emily softened her voice and crouched down to her level, no longer meaning to be in a threatening position. "What is that?"
"What's what?" the girl frowned, unaware that both agents had seen the deep bruise. Against her better judgment, Emily reached out and lifted the girl's shirt, revealing a mirage of blacks, blues, and purples from her pelvic bone to where the shirt began just below her breast. Mackenzie flinched away from her touch immediately but couldn't do much with her hands cuffed behind her.
"Who did this to you?" JJ stayed on the other side of the table, wary of the girl's uneasiness.
"No one." She scoffed. "I fell off the treadmill in my apartment three days ago." The lie would have been convincing if her eyes hadn't darted around the room like a junkie itching for a fix. The girl's once hardened jade glare turned into the frightened eyes of a child waking up from a nightmare.
"I know you don't trust us," Emily ignored the scoff. "But we want to help. We know you didn't do this." She motioned to the pictures on the table. "But you can help us find out who did."
"No I can't." she said softly.
"Can't or won't?" JJ asked even though she knew the answer she would receive.
"Both." Both agents eyed one another, the same thought swirling around in their heads; although the teenager in front of them was a criminal wanted by multiple agencies and was probably looking at at least 15 years in prison, everything about her screamed 'victim'.
"We want to help." JJ turned on the voice she used to coo Henry. "But we can't do that if you don't let us."
"You can't help." Mackenzie's wide eyes fixed on the blonde's sapphire gaze with an intensity she had never seen before. "Just let me go."
"You know we can't do that Mackenzie." JJ shook her head slightly.
"My name is NOT Mackenzie!" she cried suddenly, stunning the two agents.
"Then what is it?" Emily asked only to be greeted with silence. "We're on your side. We just want to stop anyone else from getting hurt."
"Good luck with that." The girl scoffed again, a sad smile growing on her lips. Before another question could be asked, there was a soft knock on the glass.
"We'll be right back." Emily promised the girl.
"Take your time." Was her response. As they closed the door behind and they shook their heads, they saw Hotch approaching them quickly.
"She's not going to tell us anything." Emily deduced, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"She's obviously terrified of someone. Whoever gave her those bruises definitely didn't stop there." JJ recounted sadly as scenarios of Mackenzie's life flashed in her mind.
"We have a bigger problem." Hotch handed the women a small stack of photos. "Garcia just faxed those over. They were circulating the internet." Emily and JJ exchanged looks and quickly came to the same conclusion. The first three shots were of Mackenzie walking in and out of her apartment building and room. The last four were of Mackenzie and Adrian Hail locked in a passionate embrace; kissing in front of a window, undressing one another and finally, their silhouettes entangled in bed.
"Anyone could have seen these." Emily quickly scanned through the pile.
"Which means she's in even more danger than she knows." JJ glanced nervously around the room as if anyone in it was a potential threat.
"I think she knows exactly what kind of danger she's in." Hotch folded his arms. "Get back in there and find us something. I'm done being three steps behind this guy." Without a word, the two women reentered the room and quickly showed Mackenzie the photos.
"Our technical analyst found these online. Do you know what that means?" Emily watched as the girl glanced searched through the collection, her demeanor dropping by the second.
"That I should have started working on my will." Slouching in her chair, Mackenzie's eyes dropped to the floor in defeat. The photos of Adrian's relationship were most likely taken by a private investigator hired by one of Hail's many adversaries; all of which would pay a future to put him out of business. The photos proved one thing: that Adrian Hail had a weakness and it came in the form of an infamous genius.
"This isn't over yet." Emily said with new found determination. "We can protect you." Apparently, Emily had chosen the wrong career path as Mackenzie burst into a fit of borderline hysterical laughter.
"Protect me?" she cried. "Do you want to know what happened to the last woman that pissed him off?!"
"What woman?" JJ frowned again, the prospect of another victim worrying her.
"What does it matter?" Mackenzie sighed and they could have sworn they saw tears building in the corners of her eyes. "She's dead now and I'm right behind her."
"No you're not." Emily placed a hand on the girl's arm, ignoring the slight flinch. "We will help you and we will put him away."
"If you let me go, he might be able to stop them. He knows I would never tell you anything. He can protect me." Mackenzie's eyes flickered from one woman to the other.
"But for what price?" JJ knelt by the girl. "Your health? Your freedom? Your sanity? Or all three?" Mackenzie took in a trembling breath.
"And who will protect you from him?" Emily chimed in.
"I've survived two years of him." She told the women. "I think I can handle it."
"Well it's not up to you anymore." Emily frowned, growing annoyed at the girl's stubbornness. She stood and Mackenzie's confused gaze followed her. "We're taking you under protective custody under Hail and his crew are caught."
"You- you can't do that." Mackenzie's eyes widened as she tried to stand, only to be held down by the handcuffs behind her back.
"If you don't want to talk, that's fine. We'll just figure it out ourselves and you can go prison for stealing $6 billion." Emily shrugged as if she didn't care and waited for JJ to join her at the door.
"He'll just kill you to get to me!" Mackenzie shouted as they opened the door to leave.
"Let him try." JJ called over her shoulder but not before she heard the girl scream echo across the precinct.
"You're signing my death warrant!"
Relatively long chapter so I hope you enjoyed it.
