10:32 AM
Logan Police station
Dark circles ringed Monica's eyes, and she rubbed her temples as she felt the start of a dull ache. She ignored John's worried glances from across the room and tried to concentrate on the report in front of her. She'd been right about the attacks dating back past 30 years. The earliest report was from a write up in a New York paper from 1852, but she believed that they extended back further than that. Not that it mattered much at the moment, but she needed something to occupy her thoughts. She was still convinced that she would be the eighth victim. The only matter weighing on her mind was when they would take her. Not if. When.
2:47 PM
"Where are you going?" John asked, as Monica rose up from behind a desk and stretched.
"To the bathroom. I trust that's okay with you." She replied sarcastically. Then noting the look of hurt that flashed across his face she sighed. "I'm sorry John. I'm just a little on edge, you know?"
"I'm just worried about you Mon."
"I know you are. I'll be back in a minute, okay?"
His eyes followed her as she walked down the hallway to the ladies room. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight until tomorrow. He was still watching the bathroom door a few minutes later when his phone rang.
"John Doggett." He snapped.
"Agent Doggett its Agent Feldman. We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?" he asked, already on his feet.
"We've lost our suspect."
"Shit! What about the others? Where are they?"
"They seem to have disappeared too."
He dropped the phone and ran down the hallway. He burst into the bathroom, calling out frantically. He was too late. Monica was already gone.
3:25PM
"How did they manage to walk into a police station unnoticed, grab a federal agent from a room with only one door and no windows, and leave, again unnoticed?" AD Skinner barked over the phone.
"I don't know." John replied dully.
"That's not good enough Agent Doggett. This shouldn't have happened."
"I know."
"How long has she been missing?"
"Thirty-eight minutes."
"You've got the task force looking for her?"
"Yes."
"Any sign of her at the house?"
"No."
"And the suspects? The so-called cult members? Where are they?"
"Gone."
"What do you mean, gone?"
"They're just gone." John said simply.
"Agent Doggett –"
"I don't know where they are. I don't know where Monica is. And I don't know what it is you want to hear from me."
"I want answers, damnit!"
"I don't have any." John whispered, and hung up the phone.
"We'll find her Agent Doggett." Sergeant McKinley said, trying to comfort him.
"I didn't believe her." John said, lost in a daze of guilt and self-recrimination.
"Didn't believe who?"
"Monica. She said - she dreamed that she would be the eighth victim. And I didn't believe her."
"She had a premonition?"
John looked at the sergeant in surprise. If a complete stranger could believe that Monica experienced something spiritual, then why the hell couldn't he? God, if anything happened to her --
"This is your fault." He spat out, and grabbed the sergeant by the throat, pounding him against the wall.
"Agent Doggett –"
"You brought us here. You exposed her to these psycho's. You knew what they were doing and did NOTHING."
"Please –" McKinley gasped, clawing at his throat. "I can't breath."
"If anything happens to her, by God, I'll kill you."
"Agent Doggett! Let him be."
John was pulled off the sergeant by another agent, and pushed into a chair. He slumped down, his chest heaving, and beseeched the agent with his eyes.
"I have to find her."
"We will John, we will."
"You don't understand. I watched her walk into the bathroom. I didn't take my eyes off the door the whole time."
"They must have found some other way into the building."
"I should have done more. She'd still be here if only I'd done more."
"She's not dead yet, John. She's only missing. And if you want to find her you'll have to snap out of this self-pity and pull yourself together."
John looked at the agent as the daze lifted. He was right. This wasn't helping Monica at all. "I want to see the house." He said firmly. "See if these bastards haven't left some clue as to where they are."
Logan Police station
Dark circles ringed Monica's eyes, and she rubbed her temples as she felt the start of a dull ache. She ignored John's worried glances from across the room and tried to concentrate on the report in front of her. She'd been right about the attacks dating back past 30 years. The earliest report was from a write up in a New York paper from 1852, but she believed that they extended back further than that. Not that it mattered much at the moment, but she needed something to occupy her thoughts. She was still convinced that she would be the eighth victim. The only matter weighing on her mind was when they would take her. Not if. When.
2:47 PM
"Where are you going?" John asked, as Monica rose up from behind a desk and stretched.
"To the bathroom. I trust that's okay with you." She replied sarcastically. Then noting the look of hurt that flashed across his face she sighed. "I'm sorry John. I'm just a little on edge, you know?"
"I'm just worried about you Mon."
"I know you are. I'll be back in a minute, okay?"
His eyes followed her as she walked down the hallway to the ladies room. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight until tomorrow. He was still watching the bathroom door a few minutes later when his phone rang.
"John Doggett." He snapped.
"Agent Doggett its Agent Feldman. We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?" he asked, already on his feet.
"We've lost our suspect."
"Shit! What about the others? Where are they?"
"They seem to have disappeared too."
He dropped the phone and ran down the hallway. He burst into the bathroom, calling out frantically. He was too late. Monica was already gone.
3:25PM
"How did they manage to walk into a police station unnoticed, grab a federal agent from a room with only one door and no windows, and leave, again unnoticed?" AD Skinner barked over the phone.
"I don't know." John replied dully.
"That's not good enough Agent Doggett. This shouldn't have happened."
"I know."
"How long has she been missing?"
"Thirty-eight minutes."
"You've got the task force looking for her?"
"Yes."
"Any sign of her at the house?"
"No."
"And the suspects? The so-called cult members? Where are they?"
"Gone."
"What do you mean, gone?"
"They're just gone." John said simply.
"Agent Doggett –"
"I don't know where they are. I don't know where Monica is. And I don't know what it is you want to hear from me."
"I want answers, damnit!"
"I don't have any." John whispered, and hung up the phone.
"We'll find her Agent Doggett." Sergeant McKinley said, trying to comfort him.
"I didn't believe her." John said, lost in a daze of guilt and self-recrimination.
"Didn't believe who?"
"Monica. She said - she dreamed that she would be the eighth victim. And I didn't believe her."
"She had a premonition?"
John looked at the sergeant in surprise. If a complete stranger could believe that Monica experienced something spiritual, then why the hell couldn't he? God, if anything happened to her --
"This is your fault." He spat out, and grabbed the sergeant by the throat, pounding him against the wall.
"Agent Doggett –"
"You brought us here. You exposed her to these psycho's. You knew what they were doing and did NOTHING."
"Please –" McKinley gasped, clawing at his throat. "I can't breath."
"If anything happens to her, by God, I'll kill you."
"Agent Doggett! Let him be."
John was pulled off the sergeant by another agent, and pushed into a chair. He slumped down, his chest heaving, and beseeched the agent with his eyes.
"I have to find her."
"We will John, we will."
"You don't understand. I watched her walk into the bathroom. I didn't take my eyes off the door the whole time."
"They must have found some other way into the building."
"I should have done more. She'd still be here if only I'd done more."
"She's not dead yet, John. She's only missing. And if you want to find her you'll have to snap out of this self-pity and pull yourself together."
John looked at the agent as the daze lifted. He was right. This wasn't helping Monica at all. "I want to see the house." He said firmly. "See if these bastards haven't left some clue as to where they are."