It's been four weeks since I've been working in the BAU. As I made a promise to Reid to work with them in two weeks whether to join them or not, I begin to enjoy our work. I'm starting to get along with the team easily. As for my dad? We're building up our relationship as we use to.
These guys remind me off my former IMF teammates. They give me a warm welcome unlike my previous job because they're annoyed at me. Speaking of IMF, I missed my old teammates so much especially Benji's sense of humor.
Of all the BAU teams I get along with is Reid because there's something in him- makes me want to know more about him. It's his awkward and kindness that makes me feel at ease around him. I've never felt this way before ever since my former lover, Zack, passed away.~ Novilene Cruz
Novilene smiled in satisfaction and placing the cake right in front of him with the trick candles. Today is Reid's birthday and turning 24 years old while she's going to turn into 23 soon on Christmas Day with her dead twin sister, Angelique.
"Make a wish, Spen. I worked so hard to baked this cake just for you." Novilene spoke proudly as Reid smiled shyly.
"I didn't know you can bake well, mini Gideon." Morgan commented and shaking his head slightly. "What are the things that you don't know?" He couldn't wait to try her homemade cake.
"Umm..." She blushed slightly and coughs then looking away from Morgan. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that."
"You do!" He exclaimed happily that he's discovering new things about her and Reid chuckled at their banter acting like children.
"Psh! No, I don't!" She glared at Morgan and ignoring the fact her face is red like a tomato while he smirked widely like a Cheshire cat.
"Morgan, leave Novy alone." JJ scolded the older man and smacking his shoulder lightly. "Make a wish." She told the birthday man.
Reid blew the candles, however, the fire won't stop as Morgan decided to tease him. "Come on man! Blow, baby blow!"
"I thought you were full of hot air Reid." Elle commented as Novilene giggled seeing Reid still blowing.
"You can do it, Spen." Novilene encourages him and smiling while Morgan wiggling his eyebrows at her. Seeing the light brown-haired woman gazes at the young Doctor.
"They're trick candles, Spence, okay? They gonna come back on every time." JJ explained the young Doctor.
"Oh, mommy to rescue you!" Morgan teased Reid as he pulls the birthday hat down on Reid's head.
"Mommy?" Spencer asks in a confused tone.
"Here." Novilene handed him a nicely wrapped blue gift to Reid. "I hope you like it."
"What do you know? Reid's gift wrapper matches your outfit, mini Gideon." Morgan commented with a smirk as Elle can tell that Reid is having a huge crush on Gideon's daughter, Novilene.
"You really should stop teasing me, Der." Novilene spoke and sighs heavily. "What have I ever done to you?" She asks and pouts slightly like a puppy.
"Probably you're easy to tease, mini Gideon." She rolled her eyes and smiled at him.
"Happy birthday, Spen." Novilene hugs Reid behind his back as he immediately relaxes at her touch. "I hope you like chocolate since I don't know what your favorite cake is." She lets go of him and helping the two women to remove the trick candles.
"I-uh-I do, Lenny." Novilene blinks her eyes in surprised hearing a new nickname coming from Reid's mouth. "You, okay?" He asks her worriedly seeing her look.
"Yeah, you're the only person who called me that." She smiled and Reid decided to approached Gideon who's watching him with an amused expression.
"You having fun?" Gideon asks the birthday man and glanced at Novilene cutting a slice of cake for Reid.
"Yes, definitely. I'm definitely having fun." Reid answered sarcastically and often looking at Novilene discreetly.
"Make a wish?" He questioned him with a smirk on his face.
"Can I take this hat off?" Reid stared at the ridiculous birthday hat on his head.
"I wouldn't." He shakes his head slightly then smiled. "Before I disappeared from Novilene's life for 2 years. I always attend her birthday party and dancing with her debut party of becoming an adult."
"Debut party?" He asks curiously and staring at her in a loving expression.
"When the girl turns 18, she's becoming an adult. 18 roses dancing with the boys and 18 candles with the girls saying birthday message to her." He explained and stared at him. "That's how Filipino traditions look like when it comes to girls and before her debut... she's going to have a photo-shoot before her birthday."
"Does Zack was there with her?" He asks in a low tone and Gideon blinks in a surprised expression. "Lenny- I mean, Novilene told me she had a boyfriend died a year and a half."
"Yeah, Zack knew Novilene when she was 10 years old while he was 13 years old, they met each other back in Elementary School. Later on, when Novilene turned 14, they started dating." He explained and smiling at him sadly. "It's not in my position to say how Zack died. I can tell that she's moving on and ready to have a relationship with someone who accepts her everything."
"Hey, Spen." They turned around to see Novilene is holding the slice of the cake with fork. "First piece for the birthday boy." She smiled at them.
Reid smiled and turned back to face Gideon in a curious expression. "Do you know she's the only person in the whole world calls me 'Spen'?" He chuckled.
"Why don't you ask Mulan and she'll answer it." He smirked seeing Reid's face flushed.
"I-I- don't know." He stuttered in response
"It won't hurt to try." He smirked as Reid approached Novilene and thanking her for the cake.
"Hmm! This cake is delicious, Cruz. You didn't put too much sweet but it's the right amount." Elle complimented her baking skills. "How old were you started to learn how to bake?"
"My grandmother, I always call her Ma... taught me how to bake and cook when I was 8 years old." Novilene answered and smiling sheepishly at her. "Ma taught me how to bake and cook because she wanted me to learn independently."
"You did a good job, mini Gideon." Morgan compliments her baking skills. "Maybe you're going to bring your cooking sample and we're going to judge it."
"I would love that." Novilene smiles. "I wanted someone to tell my cooking rather than eating it myself. I just love to hear other's opinions regarding my cook."
"You're going to be a great wife someday, Novy." JJ spoke up and she laughs nervously the idea of her getting married now.
"Yeah, not now for the moment. I'm still looking for a guy who's going to accept the whole me not for the looks." Novilene explained and missing the way Elle is giving a look to Reid which he blushed in response.
"Sorry, guys, the party's over." Hotch told them after he received a call from San Diego.
"We're going to San Diego." Hotch announced as Novilene spinning the pen using her pen then a realization hit her. There could be a possibility she's going to see Zack's older brother working as a Cop.
"Not for surfing, huh?" Morgan asks sarcastically at Hotch.
"They're calling him the Tommy Killer." JJ answered and ignored Morgan's sarcastic remark.
"6 women raped and murdered in their homes in the last 3 weeks." Hotch explained to his team.
"6 in 3 weeks?" Elle asks in a disbelief tone.
"That's a short fuse." Gideon commented.
"And getting shorter. The first 2 were 8 days apart then the next 4 in 2 weeks." Hotch pointed out and Novilene's mind wanders thinking about the Unsub killer.
"Rapid escalation. Do you think he's regressing into a psychopathic frenzy?" Reid asks curiously.
"No, he's too controlled for that. See you on the plane." Just when Hotch is about to leave the briefing room.
"Why the Tommy Killer?" Morgan asks when he observes the pictures.
"You know the rock opera? This Unsub glues the victim's eyes wide open." He left.
"He wants them to see him." Novilene commented and stared at the pictures in her usual cold look.
"And feel him." Gideon added.
|| San Diego, California ||
"Brenda Samms was found yesterday by her children when they got home from school." Hotch explained to his plane inside of their private jet. "She had been strangled with a thin ligature, possibly a wire."
The entire team decided to fly over to San Diego as Novilene didn't expect that Reid is going to spend his birthday in this case. Reid hasn't open Novilene's gift yet and decided to open it after the case.
"No weapon left at the scene." Elle pointed out.
"Residue on the wrist and mouth indicate that duct tape was used and then removed." Reid explained when he observed the pictures the same as Novilene.
"Also not found at the scene." Hotch commented.
"Brought it with him, took it with him." Novilene commented.
"He also started leaving messages in the fourth scene. This was on the mirrors." He showed it to Elle and Novilene then starting to read it. "'Fair lady, throw those costly robes aside. No longer may you glory in your pride. Take leave of all your canal, vain delight.'-" He was cut off by someone.
"'I've come to summon you away this night.'" Reid finished the thought then noticed a strange look excluding Novilene to him.
"Is it a Ballad from the late 1700's or 1600's?" Novilene asks Reid in a curious tone.
"1600's, Lenny, a dialogue betwixt death and a lady." He answered.
"A 17th-century Ballad?" Elle asks in a surprised tone.
"Essentially, a woman begging death to live."
"What kind of person knows this Ballad? Are we looking for a Literature Professor?" Looking at them with a disbelief expression on Elle's face.
"Anyone with an internet connection, actually. You should see what comes in when you type the word 'death' into a search engine." He rambled and glancing often at Novilene.
"Reid, no wonder you can't get a date." Morgan teased the man and Novilene decided to tease the older man.
"No wonder why the girls dumped you for only a week, Morgan." She smirked seeing Morgan glared at her as she high-five with Elle.
"Watch your back, mini Gideon.." He playfully glared at her.
"Oh, it's on Morgan... after the case." She smirked and observing the picture again.
"Reid, you stay on the messages. See if there's a deeper meaning." Gideon ordered the young man.
"He ransacked the crime scene pretty well." Morgan commented and showed everyone the picture.
"A lot of damage, nothing taken." Hotch pointed out.
"The eyes are the thing, the signature." Novilene spoke up then stared at everyone. "The behavior that isn't necessary for the murder but necessary for the emotional release. That's what he's there for."
"There used to be a widely held belief that the eyes record a snapshot of the last thing a person sees before they die." Reid pointed out.
"Yeah, that's right." Morgan agreed with Reid's statement. "People used to write poems about talking to death."
"Ballads, Morgan." Novilene corrected him without looking at his direction.
"Whatever." He rolled his eyes at her.
"Rolling your eyes might pop out soon." She stared at the picture with deep thoughts about why every picture has a similar position. Each victim turned their head away and Novilene needs to find out about it.
"You definitely have a third eye, mini Gideon." He freaks out a bit how she could tell it when she's observing the pictures without looking at him.
"You think they'll ever run out of new things to do with their victims?" Elle asks and cuts their small banter off.
"Well, finding new ways to hurt each other is what we're good at."
Task Force Headquarters || San Diego Police Department, California ||
Novilene can't help but curious what'll be Zack's older brother, Scott Mendes, the Task Force Commander, reaction looks like when they're going to meet each other now. Everyone gets in to see Scott is greeting Hotch that he didn't see her yet.
"Captain Mendes, Task Force Commander." Scott introduced himself to the Unit Chief.
"Sorry, we all get tunnel vision." Hotch apologizes. "I'm Special Agent Hotchner, this is Agent Jareau, our Liaison, and Special Agent Cruz."
"I appreciate you coming out." He froze and blinks his eyes to see Novilene again. His younger brother's lover before. "Novilene? I thought you're still working in London?" He hugs the young woman and she hugs him back ignoring the surprised look to them.
"Well... I quit and they offer me a job to become an FBI Agent like them." Novilene answered as they pull away from each other. "I'm going to observe the board with dad and see if we could found something." She left them alone.
"How did you know Cruz, Captain Mendes?" JJ asks curiously and Scott smiled sadly at them.
"She dated my younger brother, Zack, and passed away for a year and a half now." Scott answered with a solemn expression. "She shuts everyone out including her grandma and 6 months later... Novilene came back to herself but the heartache is still there."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Captain Mendes." Hotch spoke in a soft tone giving the man with sympathy expression.
"Zack wouldn't want us to mourn anymore, he has always been remembered by our hearts." He shakes his head slightly. "Enough about that, let's focus on the case." Dropping the subject of Zack's death and didn't want to relive it again.
Novilene hums in deep thought when she observed the pictures. She tilted her head and biting her lips lightly as Gideon noticed Novilene's behavior.
"Found anything, Mulan?" Gideon question his daughter in a low tone and she nodded her head.
"Dad, don't you think it's a bit strange?" Novilene retorted back in questions and stared at his dark brown eyes. "Look at the pictures, every victim's head turn at the other side, why?"
"Now that I think about it." He stared at the pictures closely seeing their head turn to the side instead of the front. "You're right, Mulan."
"I wonder why he glue their eyes and the face stared in a different direction." She crosses her arms. "We're missing something. I should read the message to see if I'm having any luck with it."
Just when Novilene is about to leave her father's in deep thought he grasps her hands. "Are you okay? Seeing Scott works here?"
"Yeah, I can't run away if I bump into Zack's family, dad." She assured him and patted his shoulder. "Zack wanted me to move on by throwing the locket necklace I'm wearing after the case."
"How did he... died?" He asks in a low tone. Gideon didn't know the whole story of how Zack died last year and his daughter hasn't told him.
"It's better left in the dark, father." A dark looked showed on her face. "I'm also one of the victims that I trusted someone before and it was a rookie mistake." She left ignoring the worried looked of Gideon.
Reid stared at the board with different messages coming from the Unsub. "'My name is death. Have you not heard of me? You may as well be mute.'"
"Creepy, huh?" Novilene spoke up right next to Reid as he jumped in surprised that he didn't expect to see her. "Sorry, I'm always a silent walker. I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine, you caught me off guard." He assured her and she sighs in relief. "Actually, conversations between death and his victims were a fairly popular literary and artistic theme throughout the Renaissance." Novilene stared at him with an amused expression. "Yeah, creepy."
"Why do I get the feeling you're always awkward around me?" She tucked her light-brown haired behind her ear.
"Are you profiling me?" He blinks his eyes in a surprised expression.
"You're easy to read, Spen." She pointed out and raising her hand up and down on his body. "The whole you, practically screaming... I always rambled and awkward type of person. Don't worry, I'm not a judgemental type."
"You don't?" Reid looks surprised to hear it from her. He usually receives a judgmental look towards other people because they didn't know him very well, unlike his team. Novilene, on the other hand, wants to know the person first before judging them.
"No, I find it... unique one and there's nothing to be awkward around me." She smiled in serene expression that makes Reid's heart flutter.
"Mini Gideon! We're heading back to the crime scene!" Morgan screamed at the young woman.
"Well... duty calls." She steps back and salutes at Reid using two fingers. "Call if you need my help."
"I will." He smiled as Morgan carried Novilene when she jumps at his back.
"She really is an amazing woman, no wonder why Zack loved her much." Reid looked behind to see Captain Mendes staring at them. "I'm sure Zack would be so proud of her."
"You know Novilene's boyfriend?" Reid asks curiously at the blond Captain.
"Yeah, I'm Zack's older brother." He answered and leaving the young Agent in his deep thoughts.
"This profiling really works?" Detective Martin asks them when he drives the car and headed where the crime scene is.
"It's a tool." Morgan answered when he seats in the front seat while Gideon and Novilene are in the backseat.
"You can tell all about a guy from looking at the scene."
"Well, the scene's only part of it. We use victimology, precedent. We can usually get a fairly clear picture of the guy."
"Our guys went over it pretty well."
"I'm sure they did."
"Local officers aren't trained to look for the things we look for." Gideon pointed out as Novilene stared at the window in a serene expression.
"What's that?" Detective Martin asks curiously.
"Hate, insecurity, fear, anger." Novilene answered.
"That's all at the scene?" He asks in a disbelief tone.
"It's all about his behavior." Morgan answered.
"You know anything about our guy yet?"
"Yeah. He isn't gonna stop until he's caught." Gideon spoke up.
They get off the car as Novilene noticed they've increased the patrol. She couldn't blame them since there is a killer on the loose and hard to get captured him.
"You increased patrols in there neighborhoods when the pattern was identified?" Novilene asks curiously towards the Detective.
"After the fourth victim." Detective Martin answered and lead them to where the house is. "Bosses canceled. days off, vacations. A neighborhood full of cruisers, and he still stuck 2 more times."
Novilene's phone rings and wondering who called her. "He blends, sir." She accepts the call. "Cruz speaking."
"It's me, Hotch. There may have been another attempt 6 blocks from the station house."Hotch explained her and Novilene wondered why he called her not Gideon?
"Attempt?" Gideon leaned closer to hear their conversation as Novilene decided to put her speaker on.
"The husband interrupted, and the attacker got away but Elle and I are headed over there right now."
"Well, we're already at the last crime scene. Let us know if you identify a suspect." Gideon spoke up as Novilene ended the call.
"Suspect?" Detective Martin asks them.
"There might have been another attack not far from your station." Novilene explained and noticed Detective Martin is trying to leave without them.
Morgan saw the Detective is about to leave them behind, he called him. "Hey, hey, hey. Where are you going?"
"Over there." Detective Martin answered in an obvious tone.
"Well, units are already heading that way." Gideon pointed out to him. "We can get more accomplished here."
"You're kidding me, right?" He stared at them in disbelief expressions.
"No. If there's an arrest, what we find here will help you prosecute." Morgan explained to the Detective.
"The scene won't be pristine forever." Novilene added as the Detective shove the keys in her direction.
"Guys, knock yourselves out." Detective Martin told them.
"Thank you?" She muttered and passing the keys to Gideon as she went through the back. Novilene stopped at the window opening as she wearing disposable plastic gloves.
"Mini Gideon, why are you wearing disposable gloves?" She turned around to see Morgan in a skeptical look.
"I don't want to get my fingerprints around the crime scene." She spoke bluntly and he just chuckled. "What?"
"You always worried about such small things." He shakes his head at her statement. "May I?"
"Be my guest." She shrugged and letting Morgan climb in the window.
"Okay, not that easy to maneuver." He commented. "That means I'm a little bit athletic." Jumping off the window and stared at Novilene. "Need a little help?" Teasing the young woman.
Novilene shakes her head slightly. "Step away and I don't want you to get crash into you."
"Wha-" He immediately step away as Novilene step back then diving over the window and landed safely like a cat. She moves her head up and blowing some of her hair was covering her face. "How on earth did you do that?" Morgan noticed her movements as graceful as water. Her actions represent she'd done gymnast before.
"19 years of having private training in gymnastics." She stands up and smiling sheepishly at him. "I didn't mean to show off my skills." Novilene is a never type of girl to show off their skills.
"You and Gideon are completely opposite yet similar theory you two got there." He shakes his head at the young woman.
Novilene went ahead and observing the kitchen room, living room, dining room then lastly at the bedroom seeing her father reading the writings in the mirror.
"I don't get it why the Unsub broke the appliances right after he rapes the woman." Novilene spoke up and crossing her arms. "He didn't take her money or something valuable things."
"There's more than broken things, Nov." Gideon spoke up. "' You may as well be mute. There is no time at all for vain dispute you. Your riches, gold, and garments, jewels bright your hose and land must on new owners light.' You have any clues?"
Novilene kneeled down and opened the DVD to see them working out CD then closing it out. "The broken things are symbols, huh? She was doing a step aerobics workout video on. I bet that the woman didn't hear the Unsub barging in her house because she was focused on her workout especially the sound was loud enough of not hearing footsteps." She stands up.
"She had a workout CD." Seeing Morgan decided to join them. "Step aerobics."
"Step aerobics? With the platforms?" Morgan questioned them. "Step up, step down, step up, step down?"
"Yup, the question is... where's the platform?" Novilene questioned then approaching the bed as she looked down to see the platform is under the bed. "He spent a lot of time here."
"What, so he vacuumed?" He asks sarcastically. "I mean, there are no marks from the platforms."
"A lot of time." Gideon commented as Novilene stands up.
"Broken things. She must have been already been dead or incapacitated when he did that. Cappuccino maker from the kitchen, dishes, vases, broken jewelry."
"Symbols. 'Your riches, gold, garments, jewels bright. Your house and land must on new owners light.'"
"Her riches."
"Right. Ever feel like there's something obvious right in front of you, you just can't see it."
"Yeah, usually right before a woman dumps me."
"I shut everyone out when my boyfriend is dead in a year and a half now." Novilene spoke up and ignoring the sympathy look from Morgan.
Gideon, Morgan and Novilene came back from the Headquarters. Reid approached Gideon and Novilene holding the papers.
"The verses." He spoke up.
"Found something?" Gideon asks the young man.
"Not an answer, a question. I found a full text and he's pretty much following it to, at least the death side of the conversation." Reid explained.
"But?" Novilene asks him curiously.
"Why didn't he leave them at the first 3 murders? I mean, this Ballad is 10 verses long just on the death side. He's got plenty to work with. But if it's not part of his signature it isn't something that he has to do for an emotional reason then, I mean, why start?"
"Gusto niya maging sikat? (He wants to become famous?)" Novilene muttered in her Filipino language as Morgan giving her a confused look to her.
"JJ, find out when the press ran the first story on this Unsub." Gideon ordered the blonde Liason.
"When?" JJ asks Gideon.
"After which victim."
"Yeah, you got it." She called someone on the phone.
"What are you thinking?" Morgan asks Gideon.
"Mulan, you're right." She blinks her eyes in a surprised expression. "You think that I don't understand your Filipino language but I still know what it means. He wasn't getting enough attention."
"The Police Department sometimes don't even realize they're looking at a pattern." Reid pointed out the facts.
"Yeah, until somebody tells 'em." Morgan commented.
"The first story ran the morning after the fourth victim was found." JJ explained to them while holding the phone.
"The increased patrols didn't begin until after the fourth victim, either."
"Yeah, the Police didn't realize what was happening he writes his verse, and-" Gideon was cut off by two people.
"And everyone knows that he was there." Reid and Novilene spoke up at the same time as she coughs slightly that they're doing it again. Elle and Hotch came back.
"The offender in this new attempt is a black male." Hotch spoke up.
"Blackmail? That's cross-racial. That doesn't happen." Morgan pointed out.
"What about Herbert Mullin?" Reid questioned his friend. "He killed 14 different people of completely varying ages, races and creeds."
"But there was no sexual component to his crimes and he wore a ski mask." Elle pointed out. "This attacker wore a ski mask."
"Tell'em we're ready." Gideon announced while he watched the board far from them.
"For a profile?" Morgan asks.
"We're gonna make Tommy contact us." He grabs Novilene's hand and dragging her away from them.
"The Unsub brought the weapons with his tape, glue, wire." Gideon explained to them as Novilene is standing right next to Reid, watching Scott is listening to them carefully.
"He did not leave them at the scene. He took them when he left. He has a kind of killing kit that he carries." Novilene added an explanation to everyone.
"Organized killers usually have a skilled job, likely technology related which may involve the use of the hands." Hotch pointed out while crossing his arms. "The crime scenes are far enough apart that he needs a vehicle. This will be well kept, obsessively clean, as will be his home. His diurnal, the attacks occurred during the day so the vehicle may be related to his work, possibly a company car or truck."
"We believe he watches the victims for a time learns the rhythms of the home, knows his time frame." Morgan pointed out.
"You're not gonna catch him accidentally." Novilene spoke up and stared at everyone. "He destroys symbols of wealth in the victim's homes. He harbors envy of hatred towards people of a higher social class. He feels invisible around them."
"Class is the theme of the poem which he left at the various crime scene." Reid spoke up while holding a cup of coffee in his hands. "At one point in the poem, the women attempt to bribe death but he doesn't accept it. He says this is the one moment when riches mean nothing. When death comes, the poor and the rich are exactly alike."
"So he's poor?" Scott asks them curiously.
"Probably middle-class." Hotch answered. "A decidedly lower-class person would stick out in a highly patrolled neighborhood. This guy appears to belong there. He blends in."
"Why does he glue the eyes open?" One of the Detectives asks.
"The Unsub is an exploitative rapist." Elle answered. "Most rape victims close their eyes during the attack, turn their heads. For some rapists, this ruins the fantasy. For this type of rapist, the goal is more related to the victim, watching him than the act itself."
"The verses, the staging, the aggressive language, 'I am death', this is a guy who, while being in control of the crime scene almost certainly feels inadequate in the rest of his life." Novilene pointed out the facts.
"That's why he couldn't wait for you to figure it out what he'd done." Gideon commented and standing up. "Why he needed to make sure all his crimes were counted. His victims represent whatever it is that's controlling him and he wants that control back. He is under the thumb of a powerful woman who frightens him. And a final point. He is white."
"We have witnesses that identify him as a black male." Scott pointed them out that makes him confuse why the profiler is a white male instead of a black male.
"The attacker was black. He is not Tommy Killer."
"Mrs. Gordon's husband came home at the same that he always does." Hotch explained to the Captain. "The Tommy Killer would've known that."
"And Mrs. Gordon's attacker wore a ski mask." Elle pointed out. "The Unsub knows he walks into a house, he's going to kill the woman who lives there. If you're not leaving any witnesses, why wear a ski mask?"
"And he wants the victim to see him anyway." Morgan commented.
"Your attempted rapist is a garden variety, disorganized young man." Hotched pointed out.
"As the victim's age goes up, generally the attacker's age goes down. Mrs. Godron is about 60, which puts her rapist at about 20." Elle explained.
"And it takes years to develop the level of calm and sophistication that Tommy displays at a crime scene." Gideon commented. "The rapist is far too young for that."
"Mrs. Gordon told me that there's a young man who delivers groceries to their home. He fits a lot of what we're describing here."
"Great. So we're back to zero on Tommy." Scott spoke sarcastically and he started to loose cool as Novilene noticed it.
"Not at all, Scott." Novilene assured the man. "We're close to capturing him."
"Novilene..." He narrowed his eyes at her. Scott always knew once she's declaring about it, Novilene will do everything in her power to stop the criminals.
"May I see you in your office for a moment?" Hotch asks the Captain.
"Follow me." Scott and Hotch left them.
Everyone is waiting for the Unsub to call the Headquarters surrounded by a huge tension. Novilene is seating right next to Morgan trying to have a light nap.
"God, I hate waiting like this." Elle spoke up while twirling her phone as Reid playing the Rubrics cube.
"Do you think it's weird that I knew that Ballad?" Reid asks Elle curiously while playing the rubrics cube.
"I don't know how it is that you know half the things you know but I'm glad you do." She chuckled.
"Do you think it's why I can't get a date?" Elle stared at him with a questioning look as he stared back at her.
"You ever ask anyone out?"
"No."
"That's why you can't get a date." She spoke bluntly and smiled mischievously. "You planning to date Gideon's daughter on your birthday?"
"Wh-what?" He stuttered and stared at Novilene who's having a light nap right next to Morgan.
"Come on, Reid. It's very obvious that you're having-"
Detective Martin snaps his fingers as Novilene immediately woke up while everyone turns the telephone on the speaker.
"You stupid, incompetent sons of bitches!" The man yelled angrily through the phone. "I don't make mistakes! I am death! You hear me!? I am death! You'll see now. Tomorrow, mark my words, you will see. And while I'm taking her, I'm gonna be thinking of you." He ends the call and Novilene could tell he's going to kidnap a woman again.
"She said she got nothing." Novilene snapped out of her thoughts when JJ told everyone that Garcia hasn't found the unsub.
"Nothing?"
"We missed him?"
"No, Garcia didn't miss it." Novilene spoke up and Scott sighs heavily, of course, she's always quick to understand the situation. "He must have used the disposable phone in order for us to prevent tracing him."
"What now?" Scott asks them curiously. "I'm not going to ask you, Novilene, because you scared the hell out of me sometimes of that theory of yours." She smiled and laughs nervously knowing he's right.
"We're going to have an undercover." Gideon suggested and stared at Scott.
"Let's hear it."
Novilene is partnering with Scott when they're going to catch the Unsub. She leans back and closing her eyes trying to think back of the scenes. Scott is tapping the wheel lightly and didn't bother to disturb her thinking. The blonde man didn't expect he's going to see her again especially when she has gotten herself move from the death of his younger brother, her lover, who died last year.
Scott knew that despite Zack's gone, Novilene's loved for him will never disappear. After all, Zack was Novilene's first loved. Here she is, Novilene is willing to open her heart and fall in love again.
"Scott... our Unsub is a phone technician repair." Novilene opened her eyes and stared at him. "It makes sense."
"It doesn't make sense to me." He spoke bluntly and she rolled her eyes wasn't surprised by his clueless person. "How did the Unsub became the phone technician?"
"He's observing the surroundings and decided to attack them whoever the richest person lived in here. Before he attacks, he studied their houses and routines-"
"Decided to rape them and destroyed the valuable things." The realization hit him. "How are we going to find out which one is which?"
"I'll call Garcia, she's our tech analyst." She scrolled down her contacts then calling her.
"Office of unfettered omniscience. Penelope Garcia is in. Speak, oh fortunate one." Garcia accepts the call after one ring.
"Garcia, it's Cruz. Could you get into the phone repair records in San Diego?" She asks the blonde tech analyst.
"Mini Gideon... I can run Centcom from here and still participate in simultaneous Tetris tournaments." Novilene hears the typing of the keyboard.
"I'm looking for repairmen cross-referenced with the murders in San Diego. It could be as much as four or five days prior. See if there are any common names."
"Total cake. Stay on the line."
"Nov, I was surprised you left the country despite you love it very much." Scott spoke up. "If you and Sherlock are together, you two are quick enough to solve the cases anyway." He pointed out.
"Sherlock can solve the case without me before and he can do it himself. The more I stayed in London, Sherlock would give me an early stroke or grey hair." She gives him a deadpanned expression and he chuckled in response.
"Well, you're the only one who could understand him of all people." He smiled cheekily and she huffs quietly.
"Mini Gideon, I've found it. His name is Franklin Graney."Garcia manages to get the name of their Unsub while she heard their conversation. It caught her guard off by Novilene knew this guy before.
"Thanks, P." Thanking the tech analyst and decided to call Hotch that they've found something. "Call dad and say our Unsub is Franklin Graney. I bet that he knew that the Unsub is a phone technician."
"Copy that." Scott agreed and decided to call her father. "Hey, Jason..."
"Cruz, what did you got?"Hotch answered after 2 rings.
"The Unsub is a phone technician, Hotch. Police are looking for someone walking around the neighborhood in broad daylight. Who notices a phone guy on a pole?" Novilene questioned his Unit Chief.
"He can watch for husbands leaving for work, watch for police patrols, known when the neighborhood's quiet." He commented and Novilene hums to agreed with his deductive skills.
"He knows when he'll have plenty of time. Tapping the phone line to make sure someone's home. How about routing a call through 25 substations? Backyard? Looking for pole and climb on it and pretending he's focusing his job but it's something else. Tape? Course he does because it's part of his job description. Wire? He's a repairman."
"Sounds right, Novilene." She blinks her eyes in disbelief to hear Hotch calling her first name.
"It is right, and we have his name."
Novilene sighs in relief as she gets off the car. Scott rolled his eyes and nudged her shoulder lightly for being an overdramatic friend. She glared at him and shoving him lightly for being the reckless driver that almost gotten themselves hit by a cat walking down the road.
"Lighten up, we didn't kill the cat." Scott pointed out and to see Gideon and Elle arrived at the same time as them.
"If only you didn't over speed like we're some sort of Fast and Furious scene. We wouldn't bump the cat and almost killed him or her!" She exclaimed angrily and slapping his shoulder.
"You almost hit by a cat?" Gideon asks them in an amused tone.
"We do and that's his truck right?" She changed the topic.
"Yes." Hotch appeared wearing his sunglasses. "Fan out. Go through yards. Look at telephone poles. He's around here." He ordered everyone.
Everyone split up in different directions. Novilene went to the left side and see the gate is opened then narrowing her eyes at the house. She came in and saw the equipment laying on the table while the baby boy in the high chair is crying looking for his mother. Novilene's heart pounding and grabbing her gun to look at the surroundings.
"Mama! Mama! Let me out! Let me out!" The baby boy screamed while wailing. He noticed a woman holding the gun is here then sobbing.
Novilene recalled her horrible past, the death of her mother as she immediately shakes off the thought and focusing the case. She kissed the forehead of the baby boy and called her father. "875 Orange, Dad. Backdoor." Ending up the call and rubbing his head. "Mommy will be back, okay? I'm going to call her, I promise, and sissy will do it."
"Ye-yeah." He hiccuped and immediately liking the young woman.
Novilene walked silently and looked up to see the silhouette of the man. She goes upstairs and walked slowly in front of the room to hear the voice of a man and a crying of a woman.
"Never acknowledge me. Never... think of me." The man declared and the moment Novilene takes another step, it creaks.
Novilene grimaced and decided to continue heading the room as she opened the door to see Graney holding the gun and pointing the mother of the child's head.
"I'll shoot her." Graney told the young woman and feel scared seeing her cold calculative looked.
"No, you won't, Franklin." Novilene spoke up in a calm tone.
"Yes, I will."
"If you hurt her, I won't hesitate to kill you." Staring at him in cold looked. "I'll just say we caught a low-life burglar. You didn't turn out to be Tommy after all. You will remain uncaught." She steps closer. "After a while, people will forget you. You'll be nothing. Once every 5 or 10 years, they'll do a TV show. They'll ask, 'whatever happened to that Tommy guy? Why'd he disappear?' Then they'll stop talking about it altogether and be forgetting that you exist in this world. Put the gun down." Novilene noticed his demeanor changed and hesitating whether he's going to do it or not. "Come on. Walkout here with me. I'll make sure your face is splashed across every newspaper and TV around the world. Tommy Killer. Franklin Graney. Everyone will see you then. Bundy, Dahmer, Graney. The whole world will know who you are. It's up to you, Franklin. You can be famous, or you can be invisible."
"You'll tell everyone?" Graney asks the young woman with a hopeful look on his face.
"I have a media specialist outside right now. It's your choice." She lied and wanted to put him in jail than spread his fantasy idea.
"Promise?"
"Yes, sir. I promise." Graney putting his gun down and raising his arms up. "Back away from the gun." He steps back as Hotch and the others came in.
Hotch handcuff Graney as Novilene immediately remove the duct tape from the woman's mouth as Elle removes the wire from her feet being tied up.
"Where's my baby? My baby!" The woman cried as Novilene comforted her.
"He's fine. The baby is fine." Elle assured the woman.
"Your baby boy is fine and you're okay. We caught him." Novilene spoke up in a gentle tone.
"Thank you." The woman thanked them.
Novilene comforting the woman that they already caught Graney.
Everyone is riding on the private jet heading back home while Reid and Gideon are playing chess. Gideon realized something and grabbing a gift inside of his bag.
"Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you." Gideon whispered and glance at Novilene who's busy doing her paperwork while listening to the music using headphones.
"Oh, yeah?" Reid asks him.
"Forgot to give it to you at the party."
"But you don't give birthday presents." He pointed out that Gideon never gives presents to him before. Reid opened the gifts to see two tickets for the Ice Skating National Tournament. "Ice Skating National Tournament?" He blinks in surprise and didn't expect Gideon is into Ice Skating.
"It's a V.I.P box." He commented and couldn't wait to see Reid's reaction if he's going to say next.
"Thank you so much."
"Ever been to an Ice Skating National tournament before?" Gideon questioned Reid curiously.
"No, I honestly didn't go to see Ice Skating National Tournament before." He answered while examining the VIP tickets.
"You're gonna love it." Gideon smiled seeing Reid's happy.
"We are. You're coming with me, right?" He asks with a happy look on his face.
"No. Someone else on the plane is a huge fan of watching Ice Skating." Gideon answered with a smirk on his face and thinking of a certain person who loves to watch Ice Skating.
"Who?" He asks in a confused tone.
"Only one person in the world who calls you Spen." He smirked seeing a blush on Reid's cheek.
"Lenny?" He stared at him in disbelief expression.
"She's a huge Ice Skating fan and especially her cousin, Linda, is competing as the representative of their country."
"Wh-what should I say?" He stuttered and Gideon didn't answer. Reid stands up and before moving the chess piece. "Checkmate."
Novilene stops writing and leaning back on the chair that she finished doing the paperwork in advance. She played her pen by using her fingers twirling it absently while closing her eyes.
"Um... Lenny?" She opened her one eye to see Reid is seating across her and smiling nervously. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I just finished doing paperwork and I'll have plenty of sleep when I get home." Novilene answered and sitting up straight.
"Um... are you-you free on Saturday?" He stuttered and mentally face palming himself for being a nervous person.
"Yes, I'm free. Why?" She tilted her head curiously.
"Well... I was-was wonder-wondering if you could hang out with me to watch Ice Skating Tournament on Saturday and it is fine if you don't come and-" He stopped rambling as Novilene giggling at him. He blushed embarrassed and hearing her giggle is like a bell chime.
"Sorry, haven't we talk about this? There's no need to be nervous." She smiled and biting her lips lightly. "Are you asking me out on a date? Spen?"
"Well..." Seeing the serene expression of Novilene, encouraging him to go on. "Yes?"
"You sounded unsure, Spen. I'll let this one slide... I would love to go on a date with you, Spen." She smiled as Reid couldn't believe that he's asking someone out on a date towards Gideon's daughter.
"Great, fantastic. Um... it started at 1:00, we can go to lunch together before going to the event? If that is okay with you-"
"Spen."
"Yes?"
"We can go to lunch together before the event."
Reid smiled at Novilene that he didn't expect a woman like her would say yes. Elle overheard their conversations and smirked that it's about time that they go out on a date.