I have forgotten how good it feels to write regularly! Thanks for giving me a pass on the errors. I am out of practice ha ha.
Chapter Four:
For his own protection, Reid was moved to the geriatric floor after the intruder(s) came in. As again, only two were allowed, Prentiss and J.J. appeared. They found Reid writing in a notebook.
"Hey," Prentiss said softly. "You're looking better."
"Thank the electrolyte solution they're giving me," he said with a weak smile.
"What are you writing?" J.J. asked.
"I'm trying to build a profile of my rescuer," he said. "The sedatives are slowing my brain function."
"She signed in using a nurse's ID," Prentiss said. "The woman is smart."
"Probably as smart as me," he said.
"Like anyone could be," J.J. said with a laugh.
"No seriously, if Gideon chose a protégé like me, she would have to be as smart or even smarter than me."
"We put in a call to the technical analyst who would have been working the Samuel Cole case," Prentiss said. "He wasn't particularly helpful."
"She, Josie seems to know everything about me," Reid said. "I'm remembering when Gideon invited me to his cabin to dry out, I noticed there were no bird paintings. When I asked what happened to them, he said they were a reminder of things he wanted to forget."
"Garcia still consults for the FBI," Prentiss said. "Should we bring her in on the case?"
"She's been begging to come back on," J.J. said.
"Call her."
J.J. put it on speakerphone.
"How's my boy wonder!?" Garcia shouted. "I read there was a shooting and—"
"Garcia," Reid said. "Breathe. I'm okay."
"Oh Reid! I wish I could have helped! I threatened to blackmail the director—"
"Garcia," Reid said. "I have a specific request."
"Name it."
"Go through records for cities with populations with an average of around eight hundred fifty thousand. Over the past ten years, look for anonymous tips leading to arrest of murderers/violent offenders. Do not look at news coverage. Make sure it reaches threshold for substantial, warrant procuring reputability. Look for a name associated with them."
"You're making me work today, G-Man."
"Reid, where are you going with this?" Prentiss asked.
"I'm thinking like me. What I would have done, if I'd have gone rogue after one of my… injuries. This might take a couple minutes. How is Max?"
"Worried sick about you," J.J. said.
"The baby?"
"He just started kicking yesterday," J.J. said.
"That is unusual for her to be able to feel the baby kick at eighteen weeks, with this being her first child."
Reid looked at Prentiss.
"You're staring at me."
"I'm tired of coming so close to losing you," she said. "This was the fourth time on my watch."
"How do you think I feel?" he said with a slight laugh.
"Reid."
"Guys, I found something."
"What is it?" J.J. asked.
"Lola. If I wasn't looking, I wouldn't have found it. All the tips are dropped under the name Lola."'
"Short for Lolita, the title subject of Vladimir Nabokov's nineteen fifty-five novel. A name commonly used to describe a young girl who is seductive, but not directly victimized."
"I read it in college," J.J. said.
"Guys this is weird, the cities that have received more than five 'Lola' tips have been the target of a killer who tattoos the subjects with a rose."
"Why haven't we been called in then?" Prentiss asked.
"It's been happening over the course of three months in cities all across the country, including Alaska and Hawaii."
"Josie is a vigilante profiler," Reid said. "Someone has been following her work. Emily have you heard of the Red Serpent?"
"He's a myth in Interpol," Prentiss said. "Some people thought, he had died as there hasn't been any activity in five years."
"How do you know?" J.J. asked.
"He leaves his DNA everywhere. He is only in the system as a male who rapes and tortures women between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. He always leaves a red milk snake hidden somewhere at the scene."
"Milk snakes usually don't harm humans and are only found in North and South America," Reid said. "She told me to ask you about him."
Prentiss's phone beeped.
"Rossi has something to show us," Prentiss said. "Garcia, we'll touch base later."
"I'm here when you need me."
"Guys," Reid said. "I know you're all very worried about me, as am I. But please keep me in the loop about this case. It is the only thing distracting me from the nightmares."
J.J. touched his hand.
"We will."
"An armed guard is at your door at all times," Prentiss said. "As soon as you're cleared to leave, you'll leave with us."
"Thank you," he said. "None of this is your fault Emily."
"I wish I believed that," she said as they left.
…
They met in a conference room the team had been given. Rossi placed his phone in the center of the table for all of them to see.
The message was from Ed McCarthy. There was footage of a concept map, featuring photos, charts, and maps.
"This message is being sent to the last person who called me. I have no idea who it will be, but I've included information on how to send all of this to the FBI if it happens to be my pizza Uber."
"Who hunts the serial killer hunters? Crazy people, obviously. But not crazy in the disorganized sense. Just crazy enough to think that the hunters won't find them."
"Josie Brent found you. She's been trying to sniff you out for the last month at least. From my communication with her, I've gathered that she believes the Red Serpent is involved, as a snake design is always hidden somewhere in the crime scenes. I know Josie probably feels guilty for my death, but she shouldn't. I could have gone under if I really wanted to, but I'm too old and too lazy. If my death brings you a step closer to finding whoever is hunting you, then I count it as a win. Good luck my dear friend, and to whoever is hunting her, yours is going to be running out soon."
There was a sudden knock on the door. Everyone jumped. Lewis answered the door.
Elle Greenaway, dressed in jeans with a black leather jacket appeared.
"I'm looking for Josie."