Aftermath- 2:5
Harita's POV
"Doesn't anybody ever go home?" Gideon asked. It was too late at night, and the only ones left were Elle, Reid, JJ, Gideon, and I. JJ and Gideon were doing what they normally do, and Elle, Reid, and I were working on some case files together.
"You're here." Elle argued.
"Exactly. Trust me, you don't want to model your social life around mine."
"If it makes you feel any better, Hotch and Morgan took off." Reid optimistically said.
"Well, Hotch is married, and Morgan's, you know, Morgan." I explained. JJ came into the little kitchen the four of us were huddled in and threw some case files onto the table. We gathered around and looked through them.
"What's this?" Gideon asked.
"Police in Dayton, Ohio need our help with a serial rapist." JJ said.
"What's the story?" Elle questioned.
"Three months ago he raped five students at a small bible college. Roughly, an attack a week, then suddenly nothing, until 9 days ago when he suddenly reappeared with a whole new victim pattern. Both those women are in their 30s. They were raped about 5 days apart." I looked at Elle, and she had a distraught look on her face. I thought I was the only one that saw, but I looked around and saw that Reid also noticed.
"Where have the new attacks taken place?" Gideon queeried.
"Opposite ends of the city. He was waiting for them when they got home." JJ replied.
"How do we know it's the same guy?" Elle asked as she leaned back in her chair.
"He leaves voicemails for them." JJ said.
'Freezing them with fear before they even see him." Spencer added.
'They don't recognize the voice?" I asked.
"No." JJ shook her head. "Cops even have DNA, but it's just not in the system."
"Why would someone attacking college students suddenly widen his net?" Gideon questioned.
"Serial rapists hardly ever change victimology once it's established. It's based on a fantasy that's very specific." Reid explained.
'Maybe he's telling these women that no one's safe." Elle suggested, confirming my silent theory. She's definitely thinking about the case. The case where she got shot. The Fisher King.
"Call Hotch and Morgan. Tell them wheels're up as soon as we're cleared for takeoff." Gideon ordered JJ.
"Yes, sir."
…
*CUE INTRO*
(For one of the 'pictures' in the intro, imagine Harita fidgeting with a pen, looking at a map with her left eyebrow raised.)
…
"Helen Keller once said, 'Although the world is full of suffering, but it is also full of overcoming it.'"- SSA Jason Gideon
…
"Okay, we got new information on last night's victim." JJ announced, as I put down my knitting stuff. We were on the jet, and it was bright and early. I got some sleep before, but I woke up an hour ago. "Alicia Jordan, 38. MO is the same. He was waiting for her to get home, he broke in through the back, subdued her with a gun."
"Answering machine?" Hotch asked.
"I left a message about an hour or so before. I can't imagine being taunted like that in my own house, you know?" JJ asked.
"Well, the messages aren't taunts, they're overtures. 'I think we're ready', 'trust me'. He's being sincere." Gideon suspected.
"Sounds like we're dealing with a power reassurance rapist." Morgan said.
"To him the messages are courtships. He's introducing himself to the victims." Spencer added.
"Then he must've stalked them to know so much about their lives." I stated.
"First victims were all college students, all religious. Why change?" Gideon asked.
"Have the police found any connection between the latest victims?" Morgan questioned.
"No, nothing yet." JJ shook her head.
'We have to figure out what made him go off script." Gideon ordered.
…
Morgan, JJ, and Callahan, the detective, went to the colleges while Hotch, Elle, Reid, and I went to the hospital to visit the newest victim.
"Alicia, we're from the FBI." Hotch introduced. "I realize you've already spoken to the police, but we were hoping there are a few questions you could answer for us."
"Every time I think it's over someone else wants to photograph me or touch me or ask me to relive it." Alicia rambled.
"We will keep this short, I promise." Elle nodded.
"You said that your attacker knew the things that you thought. What did you mean by that?" Hotch asked.
"He said that we weren't the type of people to just stay inside and read books. And he talked about taking me away to Positano, Italy, And drinking white wine and listening to Al Green." Alicia sobbed.
"Is there any significance to that?" I asked gently.
"My favorite place in the world, the only alcohol I drink, and my favorite singer. I don't understand how he could know any of it."
"I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to ask you to listen to this and tell me if the man's attitude sounds the same as when he was in your house." Hotch pulled out his phone and played the recording.
'I think we're ready to meet. Trust me. I know what you want.' The unsub said.
'He sounded different." Alicia admitted.
"How so?" Reid asked.
'More nervous... even though he had a gun. It was like he was afraid to talk."
"Thank you."
"What difference does it matter how he sounded?" Alicia asked.
"On the phone he can rehearse, and in the flesh he can't hide his true self." Reid said.
"I don't understand." Alicia sobbed.
"In his delusion, the man thinks of these attacks as dates." Reid explained.
"I didn't do anything to make him think that." Alcica defended.
"We know you didn't." Hotch agreed.
"This is enough." Elle ordered. We all left the room, not without thanking her.
...
We drove to the hotel, since it was nighttime.
"Everybody get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow." Hotch said. I took my bags, and got out of the SUV with Reid. We were the last ones, and we kept small talk.
"Wait." I stopped. "There's 5 of us, but 7 in total, we're missing two."
"Harita, it's 6, not 5, you're missing yourself. You'd think a person with a mathematics PhD would know to count yourself." Spencer chuckled.
"Oh, I knew that. I was just… umm… testing you." I excused. "But in all seriousness, where's Elle?" I asked.
"Maybe she forgot something? Let's go back." The two of us went back a few steps and found Elle standing there, looking lost.
"What's up?" Reid asked.
"I think I left my glasses in the car." Elle said.
"Well, we'll keep you company." I proposed.
"No, it's all right. We got to get to sleep." Elle said, meeting up with us.
...
And to say that I would go to sleep. Yeah, sure, I love my sleep, but I would rather solve this case faster. I was going over my notes that I wrote on a piece of paper. I was sitting on my bed, in my gray sweatpants, black sports-bra, my glasses on, and my long-ass hair in two braids. I was going to get a drink of water when I heard a knock on the door. I got up and opened the door and saw Reid standing there. He was in his same clothes from before. He looked at me and saw what I had on.
"Oh. If you- if you want be to come- to come back la- later-"
"This is what I sleep in every night, even on cases. I'm fine with you seeing me like this. Come in." Reid walked in and closed the door. "What's up?"
"Nice tattoo." Reid complimented. I was confused.
"What?"
"On your back, right shoulder-blade."
"Oh, that. I got it at my lowest point of my life. It was in the middle of college."
"School work?" Reid asked.
"Nope, other issues. What's your issue? Wait, that came out rude. I meant to ask why you're here. I mean, not that I don't love your company, but it is late at night."
"I want you to come with me to… talk to… Elle. She's been acting weird lately."
"Oh, I'm so glad I wasn't the only one that noticed. Okay, let's go." I was about to head to the door when Reid stopped me.
"Wait. Don't you want to… I don't know… change." Reid hesitated.
"Why, are you uncomfortable around me?"
"No! To be honest, I expected this, I just don't know if the other's have."
"Well, since you passed, I know that everyone else will. Don't worry bub." I walked out of the door, Reid following behind me. We walked down a few doors and knocked at Elle's door, room number 926 . The door opened and revealed a slightly distressed Elle.
"Hey." Reid greeted as I waved.
"Hi, my two favorite people." Elle greeted.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Elle questioned. Reid and I barged into her room, knowing that wasn't the answer. "No, really, come right in. You want to check my ID?" Elle mumbled.
"I- we thought maybe... you might want to talk." Reid said, leaning against the TV stand, as I sat on the bed. Elle sat down on a chair near a table, not before bringing some bottles of water.
"Don't go all profiler on me." Elle warned.
"Elle, you got shot in your own home, and then you came back to the BAU like nothing even happened, thinking you might want to talk isn't profiling. It's psych 101." Reid corrected.
"Okay, what he means is that it's called being a decent human being, not some lecture out of a book, but he is right." I added.
"Please?" Reid pouted.
"Oh, come on! You can't say no to his puppy eyes." I complained. Elle sighed, giving in. She handed us each a glass and filled it with water.
"After he shot me. He reached into my wound so he could write on the wall in my blood. I was barely conscious, but I… but I could feel his hand in there... and sometimes it's like I can still feel it." Elle said. She had tears in her eyes, and I felt bad.
"Elle... he's dead. You're... you're right here." Reid said, being optimistic.
"You won, he lost." I added. I smiled at seeing Elle smile a real smile.
"Then here's to winning." Elle raised her glass, and we cheersed her. A few minutes later, I left the two so they could talk. I went over to JJ's room, to see if I could help her, cause everyone knows we are all awake, especially JJ. I knocked on her door and she opened it.
"Hey Harita. What a surprise." JJ said, shocked. She let me in her room.
"Well I came here to help with your theory."
"My… theory?" JJ asked.
"Oh, come on, you have pictures of the victims on your bed, and you are still in the same clothes as earlier. If you're going to lie about getting sleep, try and make it seem like it." JJ chuckled.
"Very funny. But you are smart."
"So, you have something?" JJ nodded. "Okay, spill."
"Hotch asked me to look into the idea of rapes that went unreported, and I need some help. I got one, sorta. 2 months ago, this woman, Shelly, at the college committed suicide. She's a bit tricky."
"Well, let me help." And that's what I did till sunrise.
…
"Good morning. Thanks for coming in a little early." Hotch announced to all of the officers. We were about to give the profile. I was in my red long-sleeved shirt, black pants, red high-top Converse, my hair was in a high-ponytail, with my glasses framing my face.
"We just want you to hear what the FBI has gathered and get you on the streets." Detective Callahan yelled.
"So the guy we're looking for is a classic power reassurance rapist." Hotch started.
"This differs from a power assertive rapist who attempts to humiliate and traumatize his victims, as well as the anger retaliatory rapist and the sexual sadist, whose attacks are also random and excessively brutal." Reid explained.
"The reason that's important for you to know he's the only kind of rapist who targets a specific victim."
"He fantasizes that he's in a relationship with these women. Now, he doesn't come across them by accident. This is someone with access. He's the cable guy, or the locksmith. He's the guy who reads the gas meter. He can describe exactly what these women wear and how they smell. These details are what feed his fantasy." Morgan stated.
"What we need you to do is look for the overlap between the sets of victims. Delivery men, lawn crew, handymen. did the school share workers with any of the recent victims?" I ordered.
"Because he sees these as relationships, he most likely lives alone." Reid suspected.
"And living alone allows him to indulge his delusion that he's in a relationship with these women." Hotch described.
"Because of the discrepancy in the victims' ages. We can only pinpoint his age somewhere between 20 and 40 years old."
"It's possible that he has a profession that he finds emasculating. So look for someone in their lives with a job that deviates from normal gender roles, something like a secretary." Morgan advised.
"We're sure that there is some overlap. This guy is a shadow at the edges of each of these women's lives." Hotch said.
"All right, that's square one. Recanvas and be sure to relay information on shift change." Detective Callahan yelled.
"Thanks very much." Hotch added.
...
Hotch called us, saying that we needed to ask Alicia one more question.
"Did he say anything to you about children, family?" Gideon asked.
"No." Alicia said.
"Did he mention anything about suicide? Refer to a personal tragedy, somebody he was maybe in a relationship with?" I questioned.
"Why are you asking me this?" Alicia replied.
'One of the victims took her own life when she realized the rapist got her pregnant." Alicia gasped.
"What is it?" Elle queeried.
"I'm trying to have a baby." Alicia spilled.
"For how long?" Reid asked.
"I had an appointment at the clinic to talk about insemination a few days before I was attacked."
"Did anyone else know about that?" Gideon questioned.
"I just decided. I'm 38. I figured I couldn't afford to just wait around for the right man to show up."
…
We arrived back at the station, Morgan waiting to share the news.
"I talked to the other 2 victims in their 30s. They had both gone to a fertility clinic within 5 days of their attack."
"Same one each time?" Elle aked.
"Yep."
"Have Garcia run down employment records. They might be looking at someone who works there or who has access to their medical records." Gideon said.
"You got it. What's the significance of the 5 days?" Elle questioned.
"The most popular fertility drug is Clomiphene, and the clinic would most likely have a policy not to attempt insemination until the drug regimen is complete." Reid explained.
"So then getting there before they begin the insemination process would guarantee the unsub paternity." I clarified.
"He's trying to get them pregnant." Elle said.
"He hasn't changed his fantasy, He's merely found a way to perfect it." Reid stated.
"Well, that explains a change in victimology. He's targeted young, ultra-religious girls, who he assumed wouldn't want to have an abortion." Morgan suspected.
"So when Shelly killed herself, he decided to change it up and go after women who were desperate to have a baby." I added.
"The unsub knew Shelly Norvell was pregnant, means he's still watching his past victims." GIdeon warned. "Elle, talk to Callahan, tell them we need patrols monitoring everyone on that victim list."
"You got it."
"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Morgan asked.
"Gary Heidnick in Philadelphia. He kept women in a dungeon prisoner for years with the hopes of impregnating them." Spencer recalled.
"Heidnick was a sexual sadist. He tortured the women and even ended up eating one of them." Gideon added. I gagged.
"Well, I wished I got a warning. I'm going to go to Elle." I said, running off.
…
We found out that the clinic that the woman went to, sold their information papers to this marketing firm called 'First Hand Media'. So, Gideon, Elle, Reid, and I went to check it out.
"You really think this rapist is one of my guys?" The manager asked.
"Well, he's used to being in strangers' homes, always on the phone. That's how he's confident. Thanks to your research, he feels like he knows these women." Gideon replied.
"Create a list of any employees you have that worked in a fertility clinic and university questionnaires." Spencer ordered.
"I give every employee complete access to all of our materials. It helps keep them fresh if they can alternate between types of calls. So I fill out my intimate personal information and then you just share it with everyone you have working here for minimum wage?" Gideon sassed.
"I sense an attitude." The manager argued.
"We need copies of every single questionnaire that you got from the clinic. We can get a warrant here in about an hour if you prefer." Elle suggested.
"If you think about it, all I'm doing is profiling, just like you guys." The manager chuckled.
"Let's not think about it." Gideon suggested. The manager went and got a box filled with files and handed it to Reid.
"All these?" Reid asked, shocked.
"We cover the entire Great Lakes region." The manager proudly said.
"Let's narrow it down. The guy we're looking for is a male, white. Between the ages of 20 and 40, socially awkward and unable to make connections easily." I profiled.
'I have 250 employees. Most of those are men and every single one of them match the description you just gave me." The manager said.
…
"I heard you ran into a wall of paper." Morgan said, walking into the room at the station.
"You can lock your doors, but these people still find a way into your home. Elle, it might be worth going back to the victims. It's a long shot, but maybe somebody remembers a first name from a telemarketing call." Hotch suggested.
"Yeah, the unsub feels a connection with them. So he wouldn't lie or use an alias." lLle got up and left.
"We know this guy's DNA is not in the system, but I'll cross-check employment records against sexual misdemeanors, i.e.; peeping, exposure." Morgan said.
"Good." Hotch dismissed.
"Separated Dayton forms from the rest of the region." Reid summarized.
"So, what do we know from the latest set of victims?" Hotch asked.
"They're all single and all over 35." JJ said.
"Each of them also indicated recently buying books on babies and childbearing." I read.
"So he knows they're committed to having children, Which means they're much less likely to abort, even in the cases of rape." Hotch speculated.
"Get this, each of the victims also checked the yes box when asked if it would be okay to contact them on special deals on pediatric items." JJ cringed.
"In the unsub's mind they've consented. He thinks he's doing them a service." I realized.
"Check those forms for each of those elements. If we can narrow it down to a potential list of victims, we can be waiting for him." Hotch ordered as he went and helped us.
"Any hits?" Hotch asked.
"Got one." JJ replied.
"Reid?" Hotch questioned.
"Nothing."
"Harita?"
"Same here."
"It's the only one?" Hotch queeried.
"It's a small city. There can't be very many single women in their late 30s going to the exact same fertility clinic." Reid corrected.
"So, we know who he's going after next." Hotch stated.
…
It was the next day, and we were too sloppy. We sent police to go to the girls house, and there was no response. What they didn't know was that she was inside, getting raped. We put Elle undercover so it would be more efficient to catch the unsub, if she stuck to the plan. We were getting her ready.
"What's my story?" Elle asked.
"You're a legal secretary, 36, divorced." Gideon started.
"Back there, the questionnaire's 2 days. So in the unsub's mind he's already behind his normal schedule." I added.
"This guy's itching for another victim, though. Once he sees that form he's going to want to stake you out." Morgan warned.
"You need to let him see you. He wants to know when you leave, When you come home, when you have friends over. He breaks into these houses when the women are away. So, he needs to see you leave." Hotch ordered.
"All we need to do is get him to breach that door. Once we got him on breaking and entering, we got reason to get DNA and his ass is ours." Morgan said.
"Another thing, don't go out with your gun on, it's too risky. If he sees it, we might lose him. Keep it someplace inside so you can get to it easily." Gideon alerted.
"Harita and I are going to be right out front, Hotch and Gideon will be around the corner in the surveillance van." Morgan assured her.
"And, don't forget you're wired. So, we'll be with you at all times." I reminded her.
...
It was a long day, sitting in the car forever, but luckily, Elle was supposed to leave the house soon, meaning that the unsub would break in.
"Wait a minute, why isn't she leaving?" I asked, as Morgan shrugged. Suddenly, very loud music played from her house.
"Morgan, call her." Hotch ordered. Morgan did, but she didn't pick up. A truck pulled up in front of us.
"I think we might have company." I warned. Morgan called Garcia to get information about the person in front of us.
"It's him." Morgan said.
"Bingo." I said, once Elle finally got out of the house. Instead of going to her car though, she went straight to the car that was parked in front of us.
"Come on, Elle. Back off. Back off. We've got no reason to bring him in." Morgan muttered.
"Don't blow it, Don't blow it." I mumbled. She pulled out her gun and yelled 'FBI' at the guy in the car. She got him out, Hotch telling us to assist her, and we arrested him, with no probable cause.
...
Hotch and Gideon were interrogating the dude when I walked into the room with Reid.
"William Lee is 28 years old and has a high school diploma, but he's had 12 jobs in the past 10 years." Reid said to Morgan.
"Home life?" Morgan asked.
"He lived with his mother until she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 6 months ago." I answered.
"One last chance to make mama proud, by starting a family." Morgan muttered.
"How are they playing it?" Reid pointed to mom and dad in the other room.
"Deep empathy." Morgan responded.
"Smart." I replied.
"Yeah. Well, it better work. If they don't get him to confess, we have no reason to hold him." Morgan said.
"Who's this?" Reid asked, pointing to the guy behind us. I turned around and saw him. Lawyer.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck." I muttered.
"Harita, who is ist?" Reid asked, clearly worried, as Morgan started mumbling under his breath.
"Son of a bitch. It's his lawyer." Reid shook his head. The lawyer barged into the interrogation room, collected Lee, and walked away, with us following him like little puppies.
"You're letting him walk!?" Elle shouted.
"Calm down Elle." I said to her, but it didn't work.
"You guys don't know what he's done." Elle yelled.
"The only reason he's walking is because you panicked." Hotch argued.
"I'm supposed to believe that you've got my back?" ELle pointed her finger to Hotch.
"What are you saying to me?" Hotch asked.
"The last time you sent me home, Hotch, it got me shot." Gideon grabbed her arm.
"Walk with me, right now." The two of them walked into a different room. A few minutes later, Elle stormed out of there.
"Everyone get some rest." Hotch announced. "Wheels up at noon."
...
3rd POV
"Is this what you do?" Elle asked. She chased after Lee in outrage. "You wait for them until they get home?"
"You're- you're not supposed- you're not supposed to be here." Lee stuttered.
"What, you can't talk to a woman without a gun in your hand?" Elle sneered. "You and I both know what you are and you're not going to hurt women anymore."
"I would never hurt them, you know that. That's why you let me go." Lee calmly said.
"I didn't let you do anything!" Elle shouted.
"You're very pretty." Lee whispered, stepping closer to her.
"What did you just say to me?" Elle exclaimed.
"Why do you choose to do a job that is so dangerous? You should find a man to take care of you." Lee asked.
"Oh, like you took care of those women?" Elle snorted.
"Now you're trying to interrogate me. You know you're not supposed to do that." Lee warned.
"I'm just here to let you know that I'm not going to rest until you go away." Elle promised.
"You're here because you want me to say thank you." Lee realized.
"You're sick." Elle hissed.
"Really? Because... without you I would still be locked up."
"I didn't let you walk." Elle corrected.
"Thank you. You've made a lot of women very happy." Lee turned around and walked away.
"Hey, Lee." Lee turned around and saw that Elle was pointing a gun at him. Before he could react, gunshots were fired. Lee dropped to the ground in one swift motion, and Elle stood there, grinning. She was proud of what she had done.
Two chapters in one day. Wow, didn't think I had that in me. Has anyone else noticed that ever since Season 2 Episode 2, once Elle came back, she's been wearing the same shirt for the next 4 episodes. I mean, it looks good on her, but she wore it for 5 episodes straight.
Toodles,
HernameisBurrito