hey everyone. coming to the end of the story now which is always super sad but it was been fun. this chapter pretty much wrote itself so maybe the next chapter will do the same. I wanted 2 get this chapter up yesterday on my birthday, and while it was kinda done then, it wasn't really done. haha. but its cool. so its 2 days after Matthews birthday and one day after my birthday and paget's birthday lol. pisces really is the coolest zodiac sign ever. so anyways, here is the chapter =)
Rossi's blood was boiling. Everything seemed to be going so well. Hotch and Reid were finally on the road to recovery, and things were starting to wrap up with this case. How could they let Laura escape? What kinds of people was Sheriff Bill hiring? The men working there knew how dangerous she was. It didn't make any kind of sense that she could just run away like that. Even if Laura did get the cop's gun, the officer should have easily been able to take her down. Laura was sadistic, and she would stop at nothing to get her way, but she wasn't able bodied enough to physically overpower a trained officer.
"What the hell is going on here?" Sheriff Bill shouted at them.
"Get in the car Taylor," Rossi told the female officer. She did as he said, and he turned around the face the sheriff. All of this was his fault, and Rossi wasn't afraid to let him know that.
"I recommend you tell those reporters to leave," Rossi said.
"Why in the name of Jesus is she in your car?" Bill asked.
"We are going back to the station to find out why your officers found it too difficult to keep a middle aged woman behind bars."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," the sheriff said looking back at the anxious reporters. "What are you talking about?"
"Just got a phone call from one of your boys back at the station, "Rossi said. "Seems like two grown men couldn't keep Laura Bates locked up. I don't know the details since I was here with you, but she is on the loose and armed."
"She's out of jail?" Bill asked.
"That's what I said, and your no good female officer was the first one to find out besides the two winners that let this happen. We are going down to the station right now, but if I were you, I would stop focusing on the paparazzi out there and try to find Bates before she kills someone else. If she manages to lay one finger on Agents Hotchner or Reid, it will be me that you answer to. Got it?"
"Don't do dare threaten me Agent," Bill growled back.
"Oh, I'm not threatening. I was just offering pleasant conversation the same as you were offering Taylor earlier."
Rossi got into the car while the sheriff stood dumbstruck only feet away from several live rolling cameras. J.J. jumped into her seat, and Rossi got them out of there. He smiled when he looked in his rearview mirror and saw the sheriff still standing in the same position, but his smile disappeared seconds later. Rossi would never tell J.J. or their new friend in the back seat how scared he really was. How long had Laura been missing? Did she know what hospital Reid and Hotch were at? Rossi was sure Morgan could handle the redneck woman, but that wouldn't calm down his beating heart. What if Laura knew that Reid was going to be out of the hospital today at the morgue? He pulled out his cell phone, and dialed Prentiss. He put her on speaker phone, and he prayed Reid wasn't listening nearby.
"Prentiss," she said answering her phone.
"Hey, it's Rossi and J.J.," Rossi said. "Where's Reid?"
"He's still in with the teacher," Prentiss said. "He hasn't been back there too long, but I think everything is fine. Is something wrong?"
"Laura Bates escaped from jail," Rossi said as calmly as possible. "Don't tell Reid, but we know that she is armed and she's angry."
"Does she know where we are?" Prentiss asked. There was a new alarm that was in her voice, and Rossi was sure that Reid would be able to tell.
"I don't know. We are on our way to the sheriff's station now to find out, but don't let Reid out of your sight. You can tell the doctor too. The more eyes that are looking out for Laura, the better. I'll text you as soon as I find out anything."
"Does Morgan know yet?"
"I was just about to call him," Rossi said. "We are almost at the station now, but please; don't let Reid out of your sight. Laura isn't exactly on the bright side, but she won't be afraid to shoot."
"I know, I've talked to the woman," Prentiss said. "I'll tell Dylan."
"We'll meet you back at the hospital," Rossi told her before hanging up.
"I don't think Bill has the resources or man power to go looking in the forest for that woman. I still get lost in there. Especially at night. Man, its creepy in there at night," Annie said from the back seat. "It would probably be smarter for you guys to just get the agents that she is after out of here. Right?"
"We've been waiting for the okay from their doctors," J.J. explained. "Neither one of them are in any condition to fly yet."
Rossi was probably driving faster on the road than he should have been, but all that mattered to him was getting to that station and find out exactly how a psychotic woman not only got out of jail but armed herself as well. It didn't make any sense. Rossi called up Morgan at the first red light he came to.
"Morgan," Morgan whispered from the other end.
"Morgan, is everything alright?" Rossi asked.
"Yeah, Hotch is sleeping so I'm trying not to wake him. How did it go with the sheriff?"
"Laura escaped," Rossi told him. There was no use in beating around the bush, and if Laura's intent really was to kill Reid and Hotch, the hospital is the first place she would go.
"What?" Morgan's voice got considerably louder, and Rossi heard the echo of footprints as Morgan raced down the hallway.
"I am on my way to the station now with J.J. and one of the officers, but I already told Prentiss what's going on. I think she is going back to the hospital."
"What the hell happened?" Morgan shouted.
"I don't know, I'll tell you as soon as I find out."
"Laura wasn't smart enough to get out on her own. Somebody had to have helped her. Was it the sheriff? Did he go back or something?"
"No, he was with us the whole time," J.J. told him.
"He wouldn't do something like that," Taylor said.
"Then who did it?" Morgan asked.
"There was only 2 guys there when she got out, and one of them was getting his lunch or something so that leaves Kyle, but he didn't really let her out. She attacked him. He was probably trying to give her some water or something when she jumped on top of him."
"But how would she get that opportunity?" Rossi asked her. "I don't think I've met Kyle yet, but I'm sure he is bigger than Laura is. With all of the training he has had to become a police officer, it shouldn't have been this easy for Laura to escape."
"What are we going to do?" J.J. asked.
"I'm not going to tell Hotch," Morgan said. "He's sleeping right now. He isn't having the best time over here."
"What do you mean?" J.J. asked.
"I'll tell you more when you guys get back, but he does have ptsd. I'm pretty sure it was water from the sink in the bathroom that set him off, but I don't know yet. I don't want to start asking him questions until I'm sure he is up for it, and with that woman escaping from jail, I don't know if he will ever be ready to talk about it. What's the sheriff doing about Laura?"
"I'm not sure," Rossi said stopping at a red light. The station was just in sight, but then something hit him. Where was Rickie? He told the sheriff not to let that kid work there anymore, but the last time he saw Rickie, he was leaving with the sheriff. "Taylor, have you seen Rickie?"
"Yeah. He was the one who found the blood on the table and the clothes under the couch. He left right before you guys came."
"Did he say where he was going?" Rossi asked.
"No," Taylor said thinking back. "Um…he might be looking for his bike. I think he left it at the hospital from this morning."
"Are you sure he didn't walk back home?" J.J. asked.
"He wouldn't go back there unless someone made him. He hates that place."
"Morgan, if you see Rickie outside anywhere, don't let him leave. None of us know what Laura's plans are, but I don't think Rickie made a good impression on her."
"Walkin outside now," Morgan said. "I don't see his bike, but I'll let you know when I find him. Get over here when you leave the station. I'm positive Laura is on her way over here, and I don't want to be alone when she comes."
"Garcia was in the cafeteria," J.J. said. "You should probably tell her. Laura is known for holding hostages so none of us should be alone at any times."
The light finally turned green, and Rossi pressed on the gas until he was pulling into the police station. An officer was already waiting outside for them. How long had it been since Laura escaped? An hour? She could be anywhere by now, and time wasn't on their side. Rossi was planning on making Sheriff Bill get every single officer he had to cover the hospital. Laura wasn't getting anywhere near Hotch or Reid if Rossi could help it.
Prentiss hung up the phone, and looked at Dylan who was now staring at her curiously. She put her phone back in her pocket and stood up. Reid was still back with Kate, and this was not her plan to rip away from this moment he needed. Everyone deserved a chance to say goodbye, but she didn't know where Laura was. She was sure she could handle the redneck if Laura came to the morgue, but a shootout in front of Reid wasn't the best idea. Laura wouldn't go down without a fight. Prentiss was sure of it.
"What's wrong?" Dylan asked.
"Laura escaped, and the lovely police force in this town doesn't know where she is at."
"Laura Bates?" Dylan asked standing up. He pushed the wheelchair out of his way, and looked out the window like he was expecting to her strolling by.
"Yes, Laura Bates."
All of the color drained from Dylan's face the moment Prentiss confirmed who it was. She could understand why. He was trained as a doctor. He didn't sign up for any of this, and if Laura did break through the doors, it would be Prentiss who would have to deal with it.
"Bring it on," the mortician challenged from behind the front desk. The white haired man pulled out a pistol from a back shelf and put it in front of him. Prentiss couldn't imagine why he had a weapon that big. Usually when robbers go looking for looking for something to steal, the first location popping in their heads isn't the local morgue. "I just dare that woman to take one step in here. Just one little step and I'll blast her away."
"I hope it won't come to that," Prentiss said. She looked out the window, but she didn't see anyone lurking around out there. "We need to get Reid out of here though. Do either one of you know anything about Laura or her family?"
"No," Dylan said.
"What did you need to know?" Ed asked.
"Does she have any friends? I know that she was kind of a loner with her family, but did she talk to anyone else?"
"Are you afraid that she is going to get some help? Nobody in the right mind would want to help her," Dylan said. "I mean, if she is going to try finish what her family started, any friends she has would turn her immediately. Right?"
"Anybody that would be friends with her is already nuts," Ed said. "I don't know if she talked to anyone else other than her husband and her brats. I think she did go to all of the town meetings and such, but she was always with her husband. She talked to other women, but only if her husband was around so I dunno if she had what normal people would refer to as friends."
"But she's lived in this area her whole life," Prentiss told herself. "Even if she didn't have friends, she knows this place like the back of her hand. Finding her isn't going to be easy."
"Unless she makes a mistake," Ed said. "And from what I hear, this woman isn't exactly on the bright side. It won't be that long for her to mess up."
"We don't have that long," Prentiss said. "She isn't getting anywhere near Reid or Hotch. I'm going back to get him. I don't like it when I can't see him, and he can barely walk."
"He's just past the double doors back there," Ed said. "The only way in here is through this front door. I mean, there is a door in the back but it's bolted up. No one can get in there, and Laura wouldn't have the guts to come in so everyone could see her. I think Reid is fine where he is."
"You're probably right, but he's been abducted before this. It was a while ago, but it's still fresh in our minds. If something did happen to him while I was with him, I would die. I was in the car when Hotch and Reid were both taken. The Bates left me behind. I'm not going to let anything happen to him again."
Prentiss pushed the doors leading to the back open, but when she saw the double doors, she stopped and listened. She could hear Reid crying softly from the other side. She took a step closer, and looked in the door windows. She could just see Reid on the floor holding Kate's hand. A pile of vomit was near him, and his body was trembling. His face was pressed against her hand, and Prentiss couldn't tell if he was just crying for her or if the tears he shed were for everything he had gone through this past week. It was more than most people could handle, and she would admit that he needed this. She would give Reid a few more minutes with Kate.
Laura felt like she had been staggering through the woods forever. It wasn't as cold as it had been, but she still wanted gloves on her hands and a hat on her head. She kept her hands buried in her pockets to keep them warm as she pressed on in the snow. She didn't care what the pig told her at the station. Why would she go out of her way to kill some kid? She didn't care for him much, but she had bigger things to do. Maybe after them agents were dead and her boys were out of the hospital, then she could tell them about killing Rickie, but not before. She was thanking the almighty God in heaven for letting her out. She didn't do nothin wrong. She had no reason to be caged up like some animal. Even they wanted to arrest someone, they should be arresting Hollywood for raping the virgin boy. That was all his doing. She had nothing to do with it.
She avoided lingering near the main road. She kept herself near the center of the forest to avoid being seen, and she smiled when she heard sirens blazing in the opposite direction. She was sure that she had been gone for at least an hour, and the sheriff man was just finding out. He really was a loser, and she sure as hell didn't vote his ass back into the office. She wanted the old Irish guy. She was pretty sure his name was McDonald or something. She liked that guy. He was still for the death penalty for robbing banks which was just fantastic in her mind. People needed to pay for their crimes. Getting sent away to some fancy resort like prison wasn't going to teach them any lesson. They all needed to burn.
She started humming to herself to help pass the time when she heard something just in front of her. She jumped behind a bush, and held her breath. It was probably just an old hunter, but she wasn't going to risk being seen. She kept her legs tucked underneath her, but she moved some leaves out of the way so she could see who it was. At first, it just looked some random guy pushing a bicycle in the middle of the woods. It wouldn't be that unusual, but it still seemed odd to her. She bent in closer, and she swore that she recognized the chestnut hair underneath the baseball cap. Just to make sure, she picked up a stone near her feet and threw it as far as she could. It crashed against a tree, but the boy pushing the bike didn't flinch. Out of all of the fools that could have been pushing their bikes, it just had to be stupid deaf Rickie.
Laura stood up when she was sure that he couldn't see her, and pulled one of the guns out of her jacket pocket. This was just too easy. She followed behind him at a close distance, and tried to decide where to shoot him. She could shoot him in the chest and let the kid bleed to death in the snow or shoot him in the head and just be done with him. That seemed easier. If she left him alive, he would be able to fight and that wouldn't be good. She stopped walking, and aimed the gun at the back of his head. Long live Rickie. She closed her eyes and fired the gun.
She heard the strangest noise coming out of Rickie's lips in what she had to assume was some kind of deaf mute scream thing. She opened her eyes, and saw blood gushing out of his shoulder. Rickie dropped his bike and fell on his knees. One of his hands went to his shoulder while he turned around to see what hit him. Laura put the gun around her back and smiled. Killing this kid was just too easy. She smiled and waved at him when he saw her. He struggled to get on his feet, but he fell down again. Laura started laughing at the idiot. Getting shot in the shoulder wouldn't kill a guy, but he was sure acting like it was. Rickie rolled on his side, and managed to get to his feet the second time he tried. He kept looking at his shoulder in horror. Laura saw his stupid notepad near his bike. It must have fallen out when she shot him so before he could realize what was happening, she kicked snow over it. He wasn't going to need it anymore.
"Hey mutie, remember me?" she asked him.
Rickie stared at her like he couldn't believe what was happening. She saw him feeling his pants for the notepad, and he started freaking out when he couldn't find it.
"Don't bother mutie," she told him drawing the gun out from behind her back.
His blue eyes got large when he saw the gun, and he took a step back but then she took two steps forward. She wasn't going to let this idiot get away. He looked terrified, but that wasn't enough for her. She was in charge this time. Everyone was going to follow her rules. She shot the back tire off his bike to show him that she wasn't fooling around. He flinched when the back tire blew off, but he didn't try to run. He was probably in shock or something like deer caught in headlights. She remembered that Daniel told her once about how Hitler tried getting rid of all the people with physical or mental disabilities. Rickie would have been top of that list.
"You scared?" she asked him.
He shook his head, and took his hand away from his bleeding shoulder. It looked like it hurt bad. She would have to remember to patch it up before she gave the jacket to her boys. She was sure that Joseph would love it. The boots Rickie was wearing would fit Daniel perfectly.
"Sure you're scared. Everyone is scared right before they die."
Rickie shrugged.
"We did have a boy like you once," Laura said walking towards him. Even if Rickie could talk, he would never admit to her in a million years how scared he was, but he didn't need to. She could see it in his eyes. "I was still pregnant with Joseph. Me and my husband been killin people for years, but back when we was younger, it was all women. I didn't mind. He needed his fun so when he brought back this kid, I didn't really get it. Especially back then. Benjamin said he grabbed the boy because that was the first person he was saw, and he was sick bein at home with me. I had the worst morning sickness. Pukin every mornin. Pukin every night. Just puke, puke, and more puke. Maybe he just wanted to get his anger out, and this kid was the perfect opportunity. He was like the one murder I wasn't involved with. I mean, I was there, but everything that happened to the kid was because of Benjamin."
She remembered how excited she was when she first felt baby Joseph kicking in her tummy. There was no comparison in the world to the love she felt at that moment. She could have had a dozen babies, but there would only be one first kick, and he kicked at the exact moment Benjamin brought that boy home. It had to be a sign. Baby Joseph was already longing for a life just like the one his mommy and daddy had.
"Little brat wasn't exactly like you," Laura continued. "He could hear, and boy did that little ass have a mouth on him. Don't think he even lasted an hour. Benjamin got a belt around the scrawny neck right after we ate. Didn't take as long as I thought it would. I wasn't even done with my dessert by the time he was dead. He screamed and fought, but my husband was a strong man. Want to know why he reminds me of you dummy?"
Rickie shook his head no.
"I'll tell you why freak," Laura snapped. "Because after we dumped his body, nobody came lookin for him. Never saw him on the news or flyers and the sheriff certainly didn't care. He wasn't missed, and I know you won't be."
Rickie shrugged again. If Benjamin was here, this kid would be dead already. He might have even strangled Rickie to death the same way that other boy died, but Benjamin wasn't here. She was alone, and while she was armed, it just wasn't the same without her husband. Still, she didn't have a choice. If she wanted that fancy jacket for her boys, Rickie had to die. She stepped closer to him, and raised the gun up by her chest. Rickie's eyes grew bigger, and while they were going all over, his eyes kept ending back on her face.
"Turn around and get on your knees boy," she said. If she had to do this, she didn't want to look at his face as he died. She wasn't like that. "Do it now you stupid kid! Put your hands on your head while you at it. Understand mutie?"
The idiot didn't nod yes to acknowledge her, but he did turn around. He looked around him, probably hoping someone would come rescue him, but no one else was around. She kicked him in the back to speed up the process. She didn't have all day to kill this fool. She needed to get to the hospital before the sun went down. Rickie stumbled a little, but he managed to get on his knees. He was taking his sweet time with it though. He knew that she was in a hurry. He just didn't care. She clenched her fingers tightly around the gun, and without thinking, she slammed it down onto his bleeding shoulder. Rickie let out a pained gasp, and he finally tried fighting. He fell on his hands, and tried to scoot away from her, but she was ready. She grabbed him by his hair, and pulled him back up to his knees.
"Any last words?" she asked laughing.
Rickie was breathing heavy. Idiot was scared silly, but this was it. She patted his head like he was a cute puppy dog, and she took a step back. She knew he was going to get blood splatter all over the jacket she was wearing. Shooting people directly in the heads could get pretty gross. She always used to yell at Benjamin whenever he shot people in her kitchen. Brains got everywhere, and she hated cleaning that up more than anything. She usually made Daniel do it. He never seemed to mind. She hated not knowing how sick her boy really was. That agent was probably just making it up. Daniel couldn't have a tumor in his head. Her family didn't get sick. He was probably just tired or stressed out from all the homework that slutty teacher gave him. All of that was over now. He would be able to relax, and that's what her boy needed. She crossed herself, and aimed the gun at the back of Rickie's head. She closed her eyes, and fired.
J.J. was furious. She was fuming inside, and while she was choosing not to act out openly like Rossi was doing or Morgan would do, she wanted to kill whoever let Laura out. She was ready to get Hotch and Reid in the jet at that very moment. Even if Laura didn't know where they were being kept yet, it was only a matter of time before she did. An armed psychopathic woman was dangerous, but an angry psychopathic woman was worse. She had nothing else to lose. J.J. followed Rossi out of the car, but she kept looking behind her with every tiny noise she heard coming from the forest. She had a terrible feeling that something bad was happening, and that they didn't have a lot of time to dilly dally. Taylor was close behind her, but J.J. could barely hear the other woman. There were sirens screaming in the distance.
The front door was wide open at the station. A paramedic was in the corner taking care of the officer that was there was Laura escaped, and the other officer was standing by Bill's desk. He was sweating. There was a brown paper bag by a pile of papers, and there were a few spots of blood on the dirty floor. It didn't look like anything too serious.
"Oh, thank God you're here," the officer said once he spotted them. "Hey, I'm Tony," he said extending his hand towards Rossi.
Rossi took his hand, but J.J. noticed he was still looking in the other cop's direction. He was the one they both wanted to talk to.
"Hi, I'm Agent Rossi and this is Agent Jareau," Rossi said.
"I don't know what happened," Tony said quickly. "I mean, I wasn't gone that long. I grabbed my lunch off the counter and came right back."
"And he was on the floor when you got back?" J.J. asked.
"Yeah. He was crying, and he said that Laura attacked him. That's all I got out of him. He's really upset too. Is the sheriff out looking for him?"
"Think he is on his way here," Taylor said. "He isn't having the best day."
"Great," Tony said looking at his feet.
Rossi turned around. He looked into the prison cell, but then went over to where Kyle was sitting in the floor next to the paramedic. There wasn't anything odd in the cell. J.J. didn't even see a cup of water or food that was knocked over that Kyle gave her when she attacked. J.J. knew there was something fishy from the start.
"Kyle?" Rossi asked the red headed man in the corner.
"What?"
"Could you stand up for me? I just wanted to look at your injuries," Rossi said.
Kyle looked at the paramedic, but stood up. Rossi circled around him to see what happened to him, but all J.J. could see was a few scratches on his face and arms. It didn't look like anything that could have taken down a full grown man.
"Can you tell us what happened?" J.J. asked him.
"Yeah, I was giving the bitch some water. She was refusing to eat or drink anything until she sees her sons so I tried opening up the cell to give her some. I wasn't expecting her to do anything, but she jumped on top of me. We both fell down, and she grabbed my gun. She took my gun, and something from the desk. And my jacket. She took that too. Right before she left."
"And old Henry's shoes," Tony called out.
"What?" J.J. asked.
"Henry's shoes," Tony said pointing towards the wall. "Drunk guy. Shows up dancing in the street every holiday. He left his shoes here on Halloween, and we were keeping them here for when he came back on Thanksgiving. They're gone."
"Where is the water you gave her?" J.J. asked looking back at the cell. "There isn't anything in here except for a bed and a toilet."
"Cleaned it up," Kyle said.
"So let me see if I understand what happened," Rossi said. "You gave her some water. She surprised you, grabbed your gun, took your jacket and Henry's shoes. She got the gun out of the desk, gave you a few scratches, and left. After she was gone, you cleaned up the water spill and called up Taylor all before Tony got back?"
"Believe what you want," Kyle mumbled.
"How many guns does Sheriff Bill let you have?" J.J. asked Taylor.
"Um, two of them. One we keep hidden in case of emergencies, and there is always the extra one in the desk."
"Where is your second gun?" Rossi asked.
"Left it at my house," Kyle said.
"So if we go to your house right now, we'll find your second gun?" J.J. asked.
Kyle didn't say anything, but his face was starting to turn as red as his hair.
"You told me she took your other gun too!" Tony said.
"Sir," Rossi said asking the paramedic. "Do you think he could have done all of these injuries himself?"
"Oh, most certainly," the young man said.
"So why would you let Laura out?" J.J. asked choosing to go another route with the questioning. He wasn't going to admit that he was the reason the maniac was loose, but he might slip up and say why she was free.
"I didn't let her out," Kyle mumbled.
"Were you just sick of her?" Rossi continued. "I admit, she probably could get pretty annoying in there with her potty mouth and stinky hair. Maybe you wanted to get back at the sheriff?"
"I didn't do it!" Kyle shouted.
"Maybe you wanted her to do something for you?" J.J. asked. "I mean, she could do whatever she wanted right now. She's already in trouble so she's going back to jail anyway. What could she do that you couldn't get away with?"
"Oh my God," Taylor said quietly. She looked out the window and then back at Tony who was looking more worried by the second. "Did you see Rickie come by here? He was getting his bike at the hospital, but he should have been back by now."
"I haven't seen him all day," Tony said.
"What about Rickie?" Rossi asked.
"Kyle and Rickie never really got along," Taylor said. Her eyes were still glued out the window. "Like ever."
The sirens were blazing louder, and J.J. could just see the sheriff's car pulling into the parking lot. She could see the sun high in the sky, and she saw the melting frost on the window, but she couldn't see the teenager with his bike.
"I didn't let her out," Kyle repeated.
Rossi slammed his fist into the wall which even made J.J. jump. She wasn't expecting that, but she knew how close Rossi had gotten to that boy already. She pulled out her phone, and texted Garcia about what happened. The goddess of technology would be able to tell them if Rickie stopped by at the hospital for a visit or not, but J.J. was sure he didn't. Laura was hiding in the woods, and the deaf kid was strolling in the woods. It wasn't a good scenario.
"You better not have not let anything happen to Rickie," Rossi warned Kyle.
Kyle didn't say anything, and Rossi finally turned around to leave. J.J. was right behind him, and they almost ran into the sheriff and his deputy as they were walking in.
"Whoa, what's the rush?" Bill asked them.
"Ask Kyle," Rossi said sharply.
J.J. could barely keep up with Rossi. She managed to shut her car door just as Rossi sped out of the parking lot. J.J. turned the heat on, and took off her gloves. Rossi was just staring at the road.
"What now?"
"I'll call Prentiss. I want to make sure that Reid is back," Rossi said. "I don't know what to do about Rickie. The forest is huge, and they could have taken any number of paths. I doubt they took a course near the main road. Rickie can't hear the cars and Laura doesn't want to be spotted. I wouldn't know where to start looking. We need to make sure Hotch and Reid are both safe in the hospital first. I'll have Bill send some of his first class officers to make sure no one gets into the building until Laura is caught."
"Do you think he will?"
"Of course he will. His name is on the line. He doesn't want him and his little town to be known as the place that Laura Bates got away."
Rossi was right. He was usually right, but J.J. couldn't help but feel for the kid. It was all just assumption that Laura was out there with him. Rickie could be at his house by now or maybe he stopped somewhere to get food. All of them could be freaking out for nothing, but something inside gave J.J. the chills. She wanted to get back to that hospital and stand guard in front of Hotch's room and Reid's room. No one was going to get in with her watch. No one was ever going to hurt them again. She would make sure of that.
Reid felt his tears drying up. He didn't know if he actually done crying or if his body was still suffering from extreme dehydration. He knew the doctors had an IV connected to him at all times when he was in the hospital, but he took that thing off long ago. He never really liked needles, and he couldn't see Kate with that thing connected to him. It was like a leash or a chain connected to a wall that was meant to keep him in place. He looked at the bruises on his wrists, and felt another wave of emotions flood through him. He squeezed tighter onto Kate's pale hand. It was almost like if he could squeeze tight enough, he could bring her back. This nightmare would be over. That's all he wanted. He didn't want to think about the constant pain coming from his rear end, or what would happen when he finally did go back to work and leave this town forever. He couldn't save Kate. He couldn't save Daniel. He couldn't even save himself.
"I'm so sorry Kate."
He kept saying this over and over and over. He hoped that she could hear him, and he hoped that she could forgive him. If he could go back in time and stop Joseph from choosing her, he would do it in a heartbeat. He would convince Daniel's family to take him to the hospital, and he would find a way to get Hotch out of there. It would all be better if Reid could just have one more chance. Nobody would have had to die, and after Daniel was treated, he would be able to live out the rest of his days as a normal person. Reid would rest easier at night knowing everyone was safe. He rubbed his nose, and looked up at the sealed boxes in the wall in front of him. Was Daniel in there? There could only be so many morgues in a town this small. Where else would they keep him? Were Joseph and Benjamin in there as well?
Reid used the table Kate was on to steady himself as he got back on his feet. His legs still wobbled underneath his weight. How long would that last? He couldn't remember the last time he actually felt like himself, and he was scared to death that he would never feel that way again. He lifted Kate's hand back on the bed, and let it rest on her leg. He was staring at the cuts and bruises on her wrists when he noticed the chipped nail polish still on Kate's nails. He remembered Laura did that to her right after Benjamin raped her. He raped her right in front of Reid, Hotch, and both of the boys, and then Laura had the nerve to put that paint on her nails after she was knocked unconscious.
He pulled her hand closer to him, and got to work scraping the nail polish off. She would never want to be buried in something that one of her murderers gave to her. He couldn't save her life so the least he could do was get the paint off. It wasn't coming off as easily as he would have hoped, but he was making progress when he noticed Prentiss standing by the door. How long had she been watching him? He couldn't tell, but he didn't like the idea of being spied on. He knew the entire team looked out for him. He was the youngest and not as physically strong as the others on his team, but that didn't make him weak. He knew he wasn't weak. He just wished they would learn that too. If he could get through something like Henkle, he could get past the Bates family. He pretended not to have noticed Prentiss, but she probably saw him looking her direction because she slowly walked in the room.
Reid stopped messing with the nail polish, and stood as tall as he could. Prentiss looked down at Kate and then back up at Reid. He didn't say anything as she stepped in front of him, but then all the emotions came flooding back and hit him at once. He bit his tongue to keep himself from crying, but that didn't work at all. This was his reality. All of this did happen, and no matter how many times his mind tried telling him this was a bad dream, that was a lie. He wasn't sure what brought that about, but seeing Prentiss with a sling around her arm almost made Reid fall to his knees. Everything that he went through could have happened to her instead. She could have been the one chained up to a bar in the Bate's freezer. She could have been the one that was raped in the shower by a fat alcoholic slob, but she wasn't. That all happened to Reid. He looked into Prentiss' eyes, and he just broke down. He couldn't stop the tears from falling down his face.
He expected Prentiss to start talking to him or tell him to stop crying, but she didn't. She wrapped her arms around him, and Reid started bawling. His chin fell on her shoulder, and his nose was dripping. He felt overwhelmed, and he didn't know how he was even able to hold himself up. He didn't try wiping his eyes, and all Prentiss did was gently pat on him on the back. She never tried talking to him, and for that, he was grateful. He didn't think he would be able to comprehend anything she could say to him at that point. The warmth of her body brought him comfort that he hadn't felt since before the abduction. In fact, he didn't think he physically touched another person since what the Bates did to him. His mind kept trying to compare the hug to the feeling of Benjamin on top of him, but Reid wouldn't let his thoughts go there.
Reid didn't know how long the hug between them lasted, but it was long enough to try up his tears. He was the one that broke away from the hug, and even when they were parted, Prentiss looked ready to catch him if he needed her again. He wiped his face dry, and looked back down at Kate. He knew that once he left the room, he would never see her again. This was it, and as hard it was for him to accept, he knew that he couldn't change the past. He couldn't bring her back. He put her hand under the sheet where it belonged, and took a step back.
"Are you ready?" Prentiss finally asked.
"Yeah," Reid said barely hearing his own voice.
"Ok, I'll be out there waiting. We need to get back to the hospital."
Reid watched her go, and had a short flashback of what happened last time he was left alone after his abduction. Grabbing the drugs from Henkle's pocket was still fresh in his mind, but he never considered doing that again. Instead, he walked back up to Kate. He bent over, and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"I hope you're at peace," Reid whispered. "I'll never forget you."
He thought about pulling the sheet over her face, but he decided against it. He wasn't going to leave her in the dark. He took baby steps to the double doors, and he never looked back. If he did, he was afraid he would never leave. When he finally got back to the waiting room, Dylan was near the door with the wheelchair. Reid was feeling tired so he sat down in the chair without thinking twice about it, but something was different. He couldn't get off anything from the expressions on their faces, but there was a heavy feeling in the air. Something was wrong.
"Thank you for letting us come," Prentiss told the mortician.
"Anytime," Ed said smiling. "Be careful out there. Roads are slippery."
"Thanks," Dylan said.
Dylan helped get Reid in the car, and they were on the road in less than a minute of leaving the building, but something really was different. They weren't talking at all. They weren't offering up any information about what happened while he was with Kate, but it was something big. Was Hotch sick? Was his body rejecting the medicine they were giving him?
"What's going on?" Reid asked breaking the silence.
"Nothing," Dylan said way too quickly.
"Is it Hotch? Did he get sick?"
"Hotch is resting," Prentiss said. "Morgan already texted me."
"Then what is it? You can't say nothing is wrong. I see it in your faces."
"I'll tell you when I get back to the hospital," Prentiss said.
"How are you feeling?" Dylan asked changing the subject. Reid wasn't sure if he did that on purpose or not. Whatever was going on, Dylan knew about it.
"Just tired," Reid said.
Whatever was going on, it was urgent. They didn't stay around to talk to the mortician, and they got Reid into the car at record time. It was almost like there was something outside that they were trying to get away from. If there was news of some rabid animal wandering through the woods, they would have told Reid. That wasn't really big deal, but something was out there and it was something they didn't want to tell him.
"Is it Laura?" Reid asked quietly. He didn't want to hear himself say her name, but what else could it be?
"We can talk about it when we're back," Prentiss said.
"Telling me and telling me at the hospital isn't going to make much difference," Reid pestered. "Except for now the information you tell me stays between the three of us and there is no chance of anyone listening in."
"I'd feel better if the whole team was there," Prentiss answered.
"Does Hotch know yet that Laura escaped?"
"Hotch is sleeping, and I never said that," Prentiss said.
"You didn't need to say it. Process of elimination. If it was anything else but her, you would tell me and it would be no problem. You think she is trying to find where me and Hotch are at?"
Prentiss sighed, and turned around in her seat.
"We don't know. I'm sure the sheriff already has officers looking all over the forest. They will find her. She's not going to be able to get in the hospital."
Reid was scared. He wasn't going to let Dylan or Prentiss know, but he was scared. Thinking that she was nearby sent his heart racing. He missed the gun that was once safely by his hip, and he wanted it back more than anything. He could protect himself. He was prepared for Laura this time around. He wanted to ask Prentiss for his gun, but he knew that she would never let him have it. The logical part of his mind could understand why. He could barely stand up. Putting a deadly weapon into his hands just sounded like a mistake, but he didn't want to wait around for Laura like a sitting duck. He wanted to be prepared. Prentiss could tell him all day long that Laura was never going to find him, but she wasn't going to disappear into the woodworks. She was out there, and she was looking for him.
"It's going to be okay," Prentiss assured him.
"She isn't going to go back to jail," Reid said.
"She will if they catch her," Dylan replied.
"She won't let herself get caught, and if she is cornered, she would choose suicide over spending the rest of her life behind bars," Reid said quietly. Laura wasn't smart. She wasn't bright in any sense of the word, but she was loyal to her family.
"You let us handle her," Prentiss said.
Reid didn't say anything. The team knew how dangerous this woman was, and he was sure that they would be able to take her down without blinking twice. Still, his heart pounded in his chest. Laura was out there, and she was looking for him. She could appear at any moment, smiling with her rotted teeth, and in some ways, she was scarier than her husband. Benjamin knew he had problems, but Laura preferred to live in her own little world where she could bake pies for her family on the weekends while she killed the innocent souls her husband brought home. Reid was sure that he wouldn't be able to sleep until this woman was captured. Or killed.
so here is chapter 34. u guys like? its leading up to the final confrontation which shall b epic. right? im excited. ill start writing it soon but remember, awsum reviews on this chapter help me write faster lol. I love reading the feedback 4 every chapter and it gives me ideas 4 what 2 put in the next chapter. thx 2 everyone who has been helping me out with what 2 do with certain characters. I want every character that I gave a complex backstory for 2 have a good ending. I don't want any loose ends for my characters. so im pleased with the direction this is headed, and while I don't have every minor detail worked out 4 the next chapter, I already know the last little section for the story. and its AWSUM. so plz review friends. till next time xoxoxoxo and happy birthday 2 me and paget and matthew =)