Jadie
Disclaimer: I don't own numb3rs…all I own is a bunch of clutter and an army of dust bunnies that live under my bed.
WARNING: MENTIONED VIOLENCE! MILD SWEARING!
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: First: THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! I was a little insecure when I started this story but I will definitely continue with more confidence:-)
OK in this chapter I might be going out on a limb a little—I'm eliminating any involvement of Child Services which in real life would be most likely involved in something like this (I really don't know what the process would be and I'm too lazy to do research—yes I'll admit it. So for the sake of ease and the way this plot bunny goes in my head, C.S. are not involved.) Also just so you're all forewarned Jadie has a freak out in this chapter and she's says some things that are possibly, and most likely beyond that of an average 10 yr old. I'll try to clarify why this is in future chapters, so don't all go for the throat at once :-)
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CHAPTER 5: Lost Innocence—" …she's a serpent in the garden…"
"Sweet Jesus." Don half whispered to himself. When he'd seen Agent Richards' wild eyes, he'd thought it was just a greenie overreacting. But this…this was insane.
On the entire back wall, from ceiling to floor, was covered with drawings. And these weren't the typical ten-year-old drawings. They were violent. They were graphic. They were like something from a nightmare.
Jadie sat in the middle of the room; her eyes were fixed intently on the notepad in front of her. Her small arm was moving in sure confident strokes and she looked as if not even hell itself, raging around her, could stop her from drawing.
The drawings.
Don took a couple steps into the room and then stopped. He could feel his lower jaw dropping, ever so slightly.
There were drawings of little girls screaming.
There were drawings of little girls being tortured.
There were drawings of little girls dying.
There were drawings of little girls dead.
All in flawless, disturbing, realism; Don looked at the illustrations, he took a step back and gasped. He'd been looking at the pictures individually, but all together, all together, they were a self-portrait of Jadie.
It was a drawing of a little girl crying, covered in blood.
He turned to the two silent agents behind him.
"I'm going to take her back to the FBI building." Don half whispered, "Get these together and bring them to me ASAP." The wide-eyed agents behind him nodded.
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Don held Jadie's hand and led her through the office, ignoring the eyes of the other agents, and the girl's blank stare. Don took her to the currently empty conference room, and saw Megan sitting there.
"What…?" Megan began, but Don just shook his head, glanced out of the room sending Megan the wordless 'I'll talk to you out there' look. Megan nodded, confusion written plainly across her face. She winced as she walked by Jadie; there was no way she could miss the tensing of the child's shoulders.
"Ok, Jadie," Don started softly, leading her to one of the chairs, "C'mon, sit down." She sat obediently. Don leaned against the table, looking down at her. His mind was racing. Shitshitshitshitshit. He was about to ask Jadie about the drawings when he happened to glance out in the hall and saw Megan staring him down. I better go tell her what's up…Don thought reluctantly.
"Wait here." He told Jadie. Like she's going to go anywhere…Don shook his head as he stepped out of the room.
He'd barely done so when Megan was suddenly next to him.
"What the hell is going on?" She whispered harshly.
"I don't really know." Don answered truthfully. "She drew all these," Don struggled for the right word, "graphic drawings and each and every one of them had one of our vics in it." Megan looked at him like he'd grown a second head.
"Are you sure they were our vics?" Megan asked, incredulous and doubtful.
"Well, let's just say Jadie is quite the artist." Don replied in a somewhat restrained manner. "The agents who were over there are gathering the drawings and bringing them over as soon as possible."
"Just how many drawings are there?" Megan frowned. Don put his hands on his hips and looked around frustrated.
"A lot." Don's shoulders sagged, right as Agents David Sinclair and Colby Granger walked up.
"Hey guys." Don spoke wearily.
"Jeez, don't act glad to see us or anything." Colby muttered.
"Why's the girl here? I thought she was in protective custody?" David said, glancing into the conference room.
"There's been an incident, or something like that…" Don hesitated, "She drew a lot of pictures, violent pictures, and they are all relevant to the murders." He looked at his team, meeting each and every one of them eye to eye.
"This girl definitely witnessed the first five murders first hand." Silence greeted that statement. Don ran his fingers through his hair.
"So," he continued, "tell me about the latest victim."
"Not much to tell, boss." Colby shrugged. "Same cause of death as all the others—she bled out."
"Her name is Laura Fields." David interjected. "She went missing about two days ago and turned up under a tree in the city park. Jogger called it in and the forensics team is checking right now to see if the killer has slipped up and left some evidence." David reported.
"Ok good." Don nodded absent-minded. "Keep me updated," he paused, "As a matter of fact, David, why don't you go to the forensics lab and wait on their findings. I want you to call me as soon as you find out whether or not there is anything we can use." David nodded.
David almost made it to the elevator when a frantic Agent Richards came flying out of the doors, almost plowing over David in the process.
"What the hell's the matter with you Richards?" Colby yelled as he, Don and Megan ran up to the young man.
"Brian…!" he gasped, his eyes roaming around frantically, glazing over. Little alarms went off in Don's head. Something was not right.
"What happened?" Don grabbed the younger man by the shoulders, pulling him around to face him. Brian…that must have been the other agent…Don wasn't familiar with all the agents in the building but he was at least able to piece together this bit of information. Agent Richards' jaw clenched when Don asked him what happened and he looked like he was going to pass out.
And then he did.
"What the hell?" Colby spoke, voicing everybody's confusion. Don had caught the man, and laid him on the floor, checking him for wounds.
"He's doesn't appear to be hurt…" Don trailed off. Just what the hell happened? Don snapped from his thoughts. "Someone get a medic in here, don't just stand around and stare! Move it!" Don barked. Just then, a small voice spoke from the back of the room.
"She's going to find me." Everyone turned to see Jadie, her eyes filled with tears, looking absolutely terrified. Don stood up and was about to lead the girl back to the conference room and ask her what she meant but Colby's nerves had been frayed by the case and now they broke at the girl's seemingly cryptic sentence.
"Look, kid, I'm not in the god-damn mood to hear your creepy…whatever...so just go back to the conference room while we take care of one of our guys OK!" Colby yelled.
"You don't understand!" Jadie shrieked.
"Hey honey it'll be ok…"
"Calm down…"
"Whoa hold on…" They all started to speak, but they were cut off.
"You don't know what she's like!" Jadie continued, apparently oblivious to their placations.
"They screamed! Don't you get it! They screamed for their mothers, fathers, their brothers and sisters! But none of them ever came to save them! Their screams were the sought after damnation that evil evil thing" Everyone froze in horror as the girl screeched.
"And when their family didn't come to save them they screamed for God, as if he could save them, they prayed 'yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil!' But they did fear! And when they screamed in terror, that evil woman, that evil thing thought they were so beautiful in their perfect fear, in their terror! And she slaughtered them! Slaughtered them like lambs! Slaughtered them as they screamed! She's a serpent in the garden, corrupter of innocence and innocence was lost! Gone!" Tears were streaming down the girl's face now, no one moved, no one breathed. Don felt like his heart was going to explode.
"And then they lie dying," Jadie stopped screaming now, her voice was a hoarse croak, filled with sorrow and pain. "And as they lie dying, finally, finally, they cried for me, because I was the only one left, the only one there. And all I could do," her voice filled with anguish, "was to hold them, hold them as best I could, until all the life went out of their eyes. Oh, I held them until their eyes held no soul!" She screamed then. A wordless cry on of pure and utter anguish and depression, and still no one moved.
"As they exhaled their last breath," Jadie continued, tears pouring down her face, her pale face covered in red blotches, "I kissed them on the forehead, I kissed them goodbye and I could taste their blood on my lips and I am damned because I couldn't help them!" She ended in an unearthly shriek that rose into a wail, like a wounded animal that feels death is near. Jadie fell to her knees.
"She'll find me, she'll find me, she'll find me…" Jadie whispered over and over rocking herself, repeating her warped mantra over and over.
Don felt as if time had stopped.
"Everyone," Don spoke suddenly and loudly, startling most of the gathered FBI personnel. "Get Richards downstairs and get him some medical assistance and someone please find out what happened to the other agent that was at the safe house! Move it people!" Don ordered. Instantly people started moving. Don walked over and knelt next to Jadie, who had dropped her mantra in favor of humming some melodic and haunting tune that Don didn't recognize.
"That sounds like this Celtic song I heard once…" Megan spoke from behind him. Don glanced back at her mildly surprised.
"Since when do you listen to 'Celtic' music?"
"Well," Megan huffed defensively, "I didn't say that I listen to it, just that I heard it." Don turned back towards the girl, poised and fragile, oblivious to the world around her.
"What are you going to do with her?" David asked.
"Not sure yet," Don sighed and turned towards David, "Go ahead and get down to the forensics lab, I still want to know if they've found anything." After a moment of hesitation, David nodded and got on the elevator. After a minute Don made up his mind.
"Granger, go find out what the deal is with Richards and what happened at that safe house, and while you're at it see if you can find the pictures Jadie drew. Megan why don't you go with him?"
"Don," Megan started, " What are you going to do with the girl?" She spoke softly.
"Well she can't go back to the safe house," Don sat back on his heels, looking at Jadie who was still humming. "I'll take her to my apartment. I don't want my Dad or Charlie involved in this case." Don said sharply when Megan looked about to ask the pertinent question 'why not Charlie's house?' Megan just nodded and started towards the elevator. Colby hesitated.
"Listen, boss, I…"
"Don't worry about it Colby," Don interrupted him. "That was going to come out sooner or later." He turned his head slightly towards Colby, "Go on." Don motioned with his head towards Megan and the elevator. Colby hesitated, wanting to say more, but in the end, he nodded resigned and went with Megan in the elevator.
Don ignored the stares from the people left in the office and after a few minutes, he held out his hand to the complacent Jadie, who was still humming.
"Just me and you, kiddo." Don murmured as the small girl took his hand, and together they walked out of the office.
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NOTE: How was that? OK the celtic song that was mentioned didn't include any words but in my head (in case any of you were curious) it was a song by Loreena McKinnett called 'Moon Cradle' (I don't own it...yadda yadda yadda) R&R! Let me know what you liked/disliked ect. ect. And whether or not you think there is anything that can be improved. (I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing.) Again, Thanks to all my reviewers!