It's hard to deal with twin's case because it reminds me so much of my dead sister, Angelique. I haven't met her but heard from my mom she died after we born. I was the one who came first before her and somehow- I feel like it's my fault she died because I came first. Mama always assures me it's not my fault because it happens sometimes to a woman who's going to give birth to a child.
I always think what would Angelique look like. Is she going to be my identical twin sister? Or maybe fraternal twins? Either way, I'm going to love her. Unfortunately, she's not with us but watching us from heaven.
Spen is always sticking to my side because he heard my twin dead sister and comfort me by rubbing my back or stroking my head. He never asks about my sister which I'm quite grateful and willing to wait whenever I'm ready. He never been a pushy type of person and always respects me.~Novilene Cruz
Bang!
Bang!
Novilene cringed seeing Reid's shooting range that he hadn't shot any targets only outside of the picture. Hotch wanted her to tagged along with them and secretly hoping it would bring Reid motivation.
"On S.W.A.T, we broke shots down into 3 steps. One- front sight. Focus on the front sight, not on the target. 2-controlled trigger press. 3- follow through. After the shot, you come right back to the target." Hotch explained to Reid.
"Now, what did you do wrong?" Novilene asks in a soft tone towards the sandy brown-haired man. It didn't take long for Reid to answered it as he knows his mistakes.
"I didn't follow through." Reid answered and feeling embarrassed that he couldn't shoot well like Novilene or the others.
"Right. You came off the target to see where you hit." Hotch pointed out as Novilene couldn't help but agreed with him.
"Hotch, my firearms qualification is tomorrow morning." Reid spoke up and placing the gun down on the table. "I barely passed my last one."
"Cruz?" Hotch asks the young woman as she shrugged and going to demonstrate it to Reid.
"You're overthinking too much, Spen." Novilene commented and grabbing the gun hiding inside of her white blazer. "Front sight, trigger press..." She hit the 5X right on the spot as Reid stared at her with a surprised expression. "Follow through. You do those 3 things, you'll hit your target everytime." She puts her gun back inside of her left hoster.
Reid tried again as Novilene cringed more that he misses the targets again. Novilene had a feeling he's going to fail the test tomorrow.
"Did Elle teach you that?" Hotch questioned Reid.
"They're gonna take away my gun." Reid spoke up and closing his eyes in disappointment.
"A profiler is not required to carry." He informed him and Novilene remained silent.
"Yeah? And yet you carry 2 of them." Reid pointed out.
"I carried 4." Novilene spoke up and earned her disbelief looks from the two men. "What? For emergency purposes!"
"How did you hide your 3 guns?" Hotch asks her curiously and surprised that Gideon wasn't bluffing when he told him that his daughter carried 4 guns, not 2.
"2 hiding inside of my boots and the other 1 hidden one of my secret pockets inside of my white blazer." She explained and shrugged as if it was normal for her to carry more than 2.
"Gideon wasn't bluffing then." He muttered and she laughs sheepishly as Hotch grab the gun, hiding of his left leg then shoot. "When I joined the BAU, Gideon said to me, 'you don't have to carry a gun to kill someone'."
"I don't get it." Reid spoke up and removing the earmuffs.
"You will and even Cruz knows." He glanced at Novilene and she nodded her head in agreement. "Good luck tomorrow." Leaving the two young people behind.
"How did you clearly hit the target, Lenny?" Reid asks curiously. "You hit right through the main target and I missed it."
"I clear my head and never think too much of the consequences." Novilene spoke up and smiling at him. "You always think for failing this test and that's the cause of missing the target." She patted his shoulder. "Calm yourself down and I'm sure you'll pass it."
Novilene leaves Reid alone and knowing him, he's going to ignore her advice and failed the test. She did help him out to train his gun shooting and it's all up to Reid to ace the tests.
Novilene predicted it right, Spencer Reid failed the shooting test. She knew that Reid was nervous and compromise the test. Novilene spinning the pen using her hands as her father leaves his office.
"Spen failed his qualification." Novilene informed Gideon with a solemn look on her face. She did everything to help Reid out and he failed it.
"He can re-test in 2 weeks." Gideon assured Novilene and knowing it's not her fault that Reid failed his test.
"I know but I'm pretty sure that he's going to be embarrassed about it, so let's not mention it." Novilene giving her father and Elle a piece of advice before giving Morgan a look.
"Yeah, let's not." Gideon agreed with her.
"Not a word." Morgan commented and raising his arms up. He saw Reid coming in and hiding the whistle behind his back. Novilene is looking at Morgan while narrowing her gaze. "Hey." He greeted Reid as his desk is across from Novilene. "We're all here for you. I'm serious." Novilene biting her lips and wanting to bang Morgan's head. "If you ever need anything..." Morgan let Reid wear the whistle around his neck then blowing it. "Just blow on that."
Novilene sighs angrily and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Remind me to have revenge on Morgan later?" She stands up and removing the whistle around Reid's neck. "Ignore him and don't let him get into you."
"He-" He sighs heavily and slumps down the chair. Reid screwed up the tests and feeling awful because Novilene is helping him out.
"Hey..." Novilene grabs Reid's hand and grips it gently. "Everything is going to be alright, I have faith in you. I failed the shooting tests 3 times."
"You do?" Reid asks in his disbelief expression as Elle smiled, seeing Novilene is comforting him.
"Yeah, but on the 4th time of shooting test... I passed the test." She smiled and squeezed his hand one more time before letting go. "I'll tell you half of my story, soon."
"Promise?"
"Promise." She linked her pinky fingers at his. "I always keep my promise and never break it." Novilene smiled at him as he returned the gesture as well.
"Okay, Franklin Park, Des Plaines, yesterday afternoon." JJ came inside of the bullpen as she handed the manila folder of her team. "3 victims shot at distance. It's third such shooting in 2 weeks."
"A sniper?" Elle asks curiously when she flip over the documents.
"We don't use that word." Morgan spoke up while reading the files.
"Why not?" Novilene asks curiously and wondering why they don't use that word.
"The public perception is that the FBI doesn't have an exemplary record with snipers." JJ explained to Elle and Novilene.
"Besides, a sniper is a professional marksman. These guys aren't snipers." Hotch pointed out.
"What do we call 'em then?" Elle asks and slumping down the chair as Novilene reads the files.
"L.D.S.K."
"Long Distance Serial Killers." Reid answered before Novilene had a chance to ask what it means.
"How many of these guys have we caught using a profile?" Novilene asks Reid curiously.
"None but you on the other hand. you caught L.D.S.K before joining us." Gideon answered as Novilene slouching down more wanting to hide under her desk to ignore their surprised looks. "We need your experience of how you caught them before."
"I've never told you what I did to my previous cases because it's classified information." She immediately sitting up and wondering how Gideon manages to know everything about her.
"Your previous Captain Vargas did." He smirked and she banged her head on the table.
"2 weeks, 3 shooting incidents, 6 victims, all shot in the abdomen." Hotch explained to his team when they're having a brief room by themselves. "First and fatality, Henry Sachs, married, father of 3, was shot in a shopping center parking lot. 9 days later, Doug Miller and Keven Parks were playing basketball at a community center. Franklin Park, 4 days later, Jerry Middleton, Kate Murray and Tim Reilly. Des Plaines Police have found no link between any of the victims." He showed them each other victims picture through the screen.
"Ballistics?" Morgan asks curiously.
"He's using frangible rounds, which fragment on impact, making ballistics comparisons impossible."
"The good news is that all the Park victims are gonna make it. The bad news is that none of them saw anything. However, one of the patients does have an intact bullet lodge in his spine." JJ explained to everyone.
"If they remove the slug in his spine, there's a 50-50% chance that he can be paralyzed forever or not." Novilene spoke up and clasping her hands together. "I believe that the Doctors are having a disagreement?"
"Yes, you are right, Novy." JJ was taken back by her intelligent and forgetting that she was a former Doctor. "There's a disagreement among surgical staff as to whether they can remove the slug without paralyzing the patient."
"Well, without a useful witness or a solid piece of forensic evidence..." Morgan muttered.
"All the profile's all we'll have." Hotch finished the sentence in grim expression then stared at Novilene. "What have you experience when you caught them?"
"The sni- I mean the L.D.S.K was usually worked from the Army, Agent or Police before going on a rogue to kill someone." Novilene spoke up and stared at Hotch. "They are sneaky and hard to catch them, especially they have sharp eyes. Let's also not forget that it's rare to have L.D.S.K murder."
"How did you caught them?" Elle asks curiously.
"I caught the paper, the list of names when I fought him by myself before. That man wanted to get revenge for someone who humiliates him." She pointed out. "It had been slipped out by his pocket and knew the next target."
"He's an idiot for having the list with him." Morgan commented and realize something. "How did you fought him?"
"I learned mixed martial arts and I'm more of a physical than using guns." She smiled sheepishly at them. "Looks can be deceiving, Morgan." Novilene knows the look on Morgan's expression of why she's fit but can fight.
"After this case, why don't you and I spare?" He suggested and couldn't believe that she could be fought a criminal by herself without any backup.
"This should be interesting." Gideon whispered and remembering that she throws Ethan off the mat when they're having a spare one time.
|| Paula, Newsome ||
"L.D.S.K's are so rare as what Cruz mentioned, we haven't been able to build a standard profile. Here's what we do know: they're always male, and they frequently have law enforcement or military experience, and they always contact the police or the media." Hotch explained to his team.
"To take credit or relive the experience?" JJ asks curiously when she's seating right next to Novilene.
"Both." Gideon answered. "All serial killers attempt to relive the ecstasy they get from their killings. Novilene." He stared at her.
"Right." She was startled when Gideon asks her opinion. "Some use souvenirs taken from the victims, and others return to the dumpsite to interact with the body. Both modes require contact with the victim, contact which by definition long-distance serial killers don't have." Novilene explained as she studying the documents in deep thought. Seeing the pictures of a teenager, her heart aches to remember her younger brother, Alex, is at Caltech to do his nursing course.
"The beltway shooters left a tarot card at one of their crime scenes." Hotch commented. "Later they called a tip hotline, which ultimately led to their capture."
"But our Unsub hasn't contact anybody." Morgan pointed out.
"He will."
"Until he does, what do we have?" Elle asks curiously to them.
"Sometimes it's not what the Unsub does that reveals the profile. Sometimes it is what they do not do." Gideon spoke up.
"He doesn't kill his victims." Reid pointed out.
"Underkill's a unique signature."
"The next question is does he shoot them in the stomach intentionally just to wound them, or is he just aiming at the biggest part of the target?" Hotch questioned and even Novilene couldn't answer that question. "Specifically, does the Unsub lack the skill to make the headshot, or simply the will to take it?"
"Come on, Barry, you don't know that!"
Novilene, JJ, Gideon and Elle decided to go to the hospital to interview one of the victims while Hotch, Morgan and Reid are going on a crime scene.
"Good morning, Doctors." The woman greeted the two men.
"Forgive us. We were just reviewing the cases at hand." The man in a suit spoke up.
"This is Dr. Neil Erstadt, Chief of surgery, and our trauma specialist, Dr. Barry Landman." She introduced the two men in front of them. "These are the FBI profilers, Agents Gideon, Jareau, Greenaway and Cruz."
"How are you?" Gideon shakes his hand to Dr. Erstadt and Dr. Landman.
"Forgive me. I don't shake." Dr. Ladman spoke up and ignoring Gideon's hand. "My hands, you understand?"
"Of course." He smiled slightly and respected his wishes while Novilene immediately hated him already for being too much of an ego person.
"So as psychological profilers, what exactly are you looking for?" He asks curiously.
"How the victims were shot. That could reveal the shooter's signature behavior." Gideon explained to the Trauma Specialist.
"These separate wound channels blossom from the entrance wounds." Dr. Erstadt spoke up and examine the MRI scan. "You can see the trauma's extensive."
"You performed the surgeries?" Novilene asks curiously as she examined the MRI scan with her serious expression.
"On patient Miller. I consulted with Dr. Landman on the others. The intact slug lodged between the 14-15 vertebrae."
"One small move could cause a patient to paralyze forever. It's a huge risk to remove the bullet out from his back." Novilene explained after observing the MRI scan.
"Yes, how did you know about this?" He was amazed by her intelligent.
"I'm a former Paediatrician Doctor and I have a friend who used to perform this surgery before. I take it you guys are having a disagreement with this surgery?" She glances back at the two men and ignoring their bewilderment looks. They are surprised to see a former prodigy Paediatrician Doctor right in front of them.
"Yes." Dr. Landman agreed with her questions. "With the right surgeon, there is no risk."
"There's always a risk as to what she said." Dr. Erstadt spoke up as Novilene couldn't help but silently agreed with him. Being a former Doctor like herself, there's always a risk when it comes to patient's life.
"What significance does the bullet have in building a profile?" The woman asks the FBI curiously.
"Well, even if we can't get a ballistics match, we can get a rifle type, and the specific type of rifle the suspect uses, that could be very significant to the profile." Gideon answered the question from the woman.
"You believe you can safely perform the surgery, Dr. Landman?" She asks the trauma specialist.
"I know I can." Dr. Landman answered in a determined tone with a cocky expression that Novilene hated it much.
"If I'm the Unsub, why do I shoot my victims between 2:55 and 3:15?" Elle asks as the four of them are having a private room to themselves by discussing the L.D.S.K case.
"That's when I'd do it. There are fewer cops on the street." Novilene answered when she twirls her pen as usual when it comes to thinking.
"Why is that?"
"Well, the police overlap shifts so there's always someone minding the store. The second shift starts at 3:00, first shift walks at 3:30."
"I actually forgot that you're a former Captain in London. That's actually a huge achievement you got there, Nov." She chuckled as Novilene smiled shyly at her accomplishments.
"Wouldn't there be twice as many cops on the street at that time?" JJ asks the young woman.
"The first half-hour of your shift, you're in roll call. You're not on the street. And the last half-hour, you're at the station. You're finishing reports, you're booking prisoners, so the 25 minutes around the first/second shift, that's a bad guy's golden window." Novilene explained to the blonde Liaison.
"How many people outside law enforcement would know that? But the Unsub does, and you've already thought of this." Elle pointed out.
"I had considered it." Gideon answered and Novilene hums in response, agreeing with him.
Dr. Landman appeared wearing blue scrubs and placing down the bullet with a small plastic. He usually showed his cocky expression and Novilene despises someone who has a huge ego.
"Hope you find it useful." Dr. Landman spoke up at Gideon and right before he's going to leave.
"Dr. Landman?" Dr. Landman stops walking and stared at the man. "How's Mr. Middleton?" Gideon asks curiously about the victim's well-being.
"Patient will make a full recovery as I told you he would." He bragged then winking at Novilene then leaving them alone.
Novilene cringed in disgust as she shakes her head vigorously to remove the image of him winking at her. Elle chuckled and hugging the shaking girl. Gideon stared in amused and wasn't surprised that few of the men fall for her beauty especially she's a half Asian.
"Radiology is set up to take photos and email them out for consults." JJ spoke up and stared at Novilene in sympathy expression.
"Call Hotch. We're getting the bullet to Garcia." Gideon ordered Elle. "Fill him in on the shift change theory."
"Elle, are you not going to report my file if I slap Dr. Landman if he dares to do something stupid on me?" Novilene asks her curiously as Elle pretends to think about it.
"No, I'll be watching and pretend that I don't know you." Elle answered and shaking her head slightly to focus back on the crime scene. "3 more victims with nonfatal wounds, and it's only been 48 hours since the last shooting."
"The media attention and the FBI presence will only escalate his desire to shoot again." Gideon pointed out.
"Meaning?" Detective Calvin asks the man.
"This is gonna get much worse." Novilene answered with a grim expression
"Then we need to give the police a profile immediately." JJ suggested. "You ready?"
"State troopers. This is the second time he's crossed jurisdictions." Elle pointed out.
"Yeah, we're ready. They're not gonna like it." Gideon spoke up.
Novilene sighs heavily and couldn't help but agreed with her father. This Unsub was a former army and Novilene knew it because it would take a lot of practice to shoot using sniper far distance by killing someone. They haven't figured out who the Unsub is and Novilene had a feeling that something terrible is going to happen that she's not going to like it.
"This initial profile is not ready to be given to the media." JJ announced in front of the Police officers and Detectives. "Releasing this profile prematurely can get people killed."
Hotch step forward as JJ let him take the talk to inform everyone what they got so far before letting Novilene explained the rest. "We're looking for a 30 to a 40-year-old male veteran, driving a car large enough to shoot from, but not so large it was noticed. Like the beltway shooter, it's probably a sedan, customized to conceal the shooter, his weapon, and the sound of his shoot. The Unsub suffers from both narcissistic and paranoid personality disorders. He works out obsessively and is never without a weapon." Hotch explained and giving Novilene a look to stand right next to him.
She stands right next to him and stared at everyone in a serious expression. "He's completely self-centered and cannot sympathize with others. Incapable of admitting fault, he blames his shortcomings on those around him. He has no friends and his career history has been marked by frequent job changes." She explained and mentally sighs heavily. "He's drawn to high-stakes jobs by a need to prove his superiority to a world he perceives has undervalued him, and these shootings are the ultimate expression of that need."
"We believe he changes jurisdictions intentionally and strikes during the first-second shift change, indicating an intimate knowledge of law enforcement."
"You're saying he's one of us?" One of the police officers asks curiously.
"We're saying he once was or is now a police officer." Hotch answered.
"Is he driving a white van, too?" Everyone chuckled.
"Enough." Sergeant Weigart stopped them. "That'll be all for now. We can talk in my office."
"Thank you." Hotch thanked the police officers for listening to them. He and JJ are following Sergeant Weigart and Detective Calvin.
Novilene approached Gideon and sighs heavily as she crosses her arms then leaning on the desk. Gideon noticed a distressed looked at his daughter and decided to talk with her.
"You're thinking about Alex?" Gideon asks his daughter when he stops writing.
"Yeah, seeing how the Unsub killed the victims, few of them are same age of Alex." Novilene answered and playing her small gold cross necklace. "I'll be alright if we catch him."
"You're one of the bravest person, Mulan. Don't ever forget that." He patted her hands gently then Reid approached them in solemn expression. "How are you holding up?" He asks Reid.
"Look at me. Without a gun on my belt, I look like a teacher's assistant." Reid answered and sighs heavily.
"You're not worried about how you look." He stands up and holding the paper.
"Hotch told me that when he came to the B.A.U, you told him he didn't need a gun to kill somebody?"
"Well, the only truly effective weapon we have is our ability to do the one thing they can't." Novilene stared at the window in dark expression. Reminiscing her past when she used to join the IMF and killed someone for survival.
"Which is what?"
"Empathize. They dehumanize their victims. We humanize the killers." Gideon explained to the young man.
"You're just saying that to convince me, I don't need to carry a gun."
"I don't care you carry a gun or not. The deadliest weapon we have is a thorough and accurate profile."
"Of course you believe that."
"Footpath killer, he had a shotgun in the back of my head. I'm here, he's not." Novilene closes her eyes to forget what she's been through before.
"I love you, Serenity... I want you to move on."
Zack's last words echoing through her mind when he took the bullet for her. She jumped and is about to take someone's arm. Noticing it's Reid and she sighs heavily. "Reid, you scared me. I would've to flip you over my shoulder by now."
"Sorry, it seems like you spaced out... is everything okay?" He asks worriedly and noticed she's in deep thought.
"Yeah, it's just that..." She sighs heavily and smiling sadly at him. "I'm just worried about my brother, Alex. Seeing those victims same age as him, I can't help myself but worried about him."
"It's normal for an older sister to be worried about their younger siblings." Reid assured her and she smiled lightly. "High school student or college student? I remembered that you wrote an essay about himself when he asked you a favor."
"College student and scholarship at Caltech." Novilene spoke in a proud tone. "He wanted to become a nurse and I support his decision. Ethan and my stepdad supported Alex's decision as well."
"Caltech?" He blinks his eyes in a surprised expression. Reid assumes that her younger brother, Alex, will follow his sister footsteps going to Oxford University. "I've been there at Caltech, before."
"Really?" She gaped at him in a surprised tone. "Wow, what a coincidence. Maybe you could give Alex a few tips about Caltech? When we have free time?"
"Sure, definitely." He rambled and smiled that she's feeling better.
Novilene rub her right sore shoulder when Morgan pushed her towards Reid when they heard the shot. They haven't found the Unsub and wondering how did McCarty end up playing the Unsub? McCarty is dead before they had a chance to ask him a few questions.
"How did McCarty end up playing the Unsub?" JJ asks curiously and Novilene wondered the same thing.
"Weigart punished McCarty for mouthing off during the profile briefing by making him the Unsub and sticking him in the trunk of the car all afternoon." Detective Calvin explained the FBI Agents.
"Wait. Then how did the Unsub find out about the reenactment?"
"Come on. Cops talk." Morgan pointed out. "Pissed-off cops talk loud- at home, at the bars, at gyms, and to anyone who'll listen."
"What do we know?" Gideon asks out loud from his thoughts. "Our Unsub went from wounding civilian to executing a police officer, so he's escalated."
"He's not staying on script." Novilene commented and crossing her arms while ignoring the sore of her shoulder.
"Sometimes it's what they don't do." Hotch pointed out.
"He did not pick McCarty at random." Reid spoke up.
"He didn't take the gutshot." Morgan added.
"Why?" Novilene asks and tilted her head. "He wants to send a message. 'Nobody takes credit for my work'."
"Correct, Novilene." Gideon agreed with her opinion. "His ego won't allow it. He feels underappreciated."
"Okay, but we still don't know why he wounds them." Elle pointed out.
"We know if the killer has no contact with his victims, he will contact the media." Novilene realizes something.
"But he hasn't contacted the media."
"The Unsub contact with his victims." Novilene spoke up.
"And there's only one way." Hotch commented and stared at his team.
"Garcia nailed down the geographic profile." Morgan announced to everyone. "The crime scenes are centered on 2 separate locations."
"The hospitals."
Novilene is seating on the back seat right next to Reid when everyone is heading towards the hospital.
"I believe it's a case of hero homicide." Gideon told Detective Calvin.
"What's that?" Detective Calvin asks curiously.
"The best-known case was hospital nurse Richard Angelo." Novilene and Reid answered together. "He would inject toxins into his victims, then wait for them to crash so that he could run to the rescue and save them."
"He killed 25 people, and that's just what we know of." Reid added and smiled sheepishly at Novilene that they're doing it again.
"If he attacked 'em to save 'em, why'd he kill 25 people?" Detective Calvin asks curiously.
"Wasn't very good at it." Gideon answered.
"Yeah, and hospitals don't keep records of people who almost died." Novilene commented.
"So what's the profile on one of these guys?" Detective Calvin asks and completely looks loss of their ideas. He has no clue who the Unsub is.
"Arrogant, conceited, feels superior to everyone around them. I met worse Surgeon before and thank goodness I was just a former Paediatrician Doctor, not a Surgeon." Sighing heavily and patted her chests.
"You've just described every surgeon I've ever met." She chuckled. "Wait, you're a former Doctor? Your that famous Doctor Novilene Cruz?"
"Yes, how did you know?" She asks curiously and was surprised that she's a former famous Doctor.
"You save my nephew's life before and I'm very grateful for what you did." She smiled in the rearview as Novilene returned with a shy smile.
Novilene and Gideon thinking of the same man they met back at the hospital, Dr. Barry Landman. Novilene, however, thinks that Landmand is not the L.D.S.K but someone.
"Landman." Gideon muttered and grabbing his phone to contact someone. "Let's start with Landman."
"Ok. Courtesy of Garcia." Morgan spoke up when he received a document from the tech analyst. "Landman was an army, started out in M.P School."
"Well, there's your law enforcement." Elle pointed out and Novilene frowned as she twirls her pen in deep thought.
"But he was smart, got a degree on Uncle Sam, and ended up a Doctor with Special Forces and bounced around from the hospital since his discharge in 2001." He read off the papers and throwing them out.
"Has Dr. Landman... been had a reprimand? Has he had any kind of major blow up to his ego?" Novilene asks the woman
"Last month, he was passed over for Chief of Surgery." The woman answered.
"Let's get a warrant for his house. Let's see if we find the weapon." Gideon ordered Morgan.
"Okay." Morgan agreed then leaving the room.
"What can I do to help?" The woman asks them.
"You can tell me where he is right now."
Elle, Novilene, JJ and Reid are watching Gideon confronting Dr. Landman. Novilene frowned and crossing her arms.
"That guy gives me creeps." Elle muttered.
"You and me both." JJ agreed with her.
"At least my dad let do the talk." Novilene pointed out and she tilts her head observing Dr. Landman. "He knew that if Dr. Landman flirts or hits me more, I'm going to do more than a slap."
"He hits on you?" Reid asks curiously and scowled that he didn't really appreciate someone to hit his friend/crush.
"Yeah, I have zero interest in him." She gave Dr. Landman a cold glare as he jumped in fear seeing her cold expression. "At least he takes the hint."
Elle chuckled and hugging the girl that seeing the man is terrified of her. "Now I know why they called you Ice Princess it's because of your cold, calculative look." Elle commented.
"I didn't know that I could be scary." She pouts as JJ giggled and Reid just smiled at her.
"You are scary sometimes." JJ commented and she observed her enough of the young woman's attitude. "Is it true about him, Holmes, being a psychopath?"
"No." Novilene immediately answered and feels defensive whenever they talk Sherlock behind his or her back. "He's a sociopath but never a criminal. I know that Sherlock could be a sadist and always rude towards other people but they didn't know him very well as I do. Some people easily judge him because of his misbehavior and loves solving crimes."
"You manage to friends with him." Reid pointed out and noticing the difference between Sherlock and Novilene despite never seeing Sherlock personally.
"Yes because I'm the only one who can understand him like an open book where no one does." Sherlock hates her at first because she's the first girl he couldn't read. Novilene, being a persistent girl she is, wanting to befriend him and showing how to read human behavior by simply looking. Novilene noticed Hotch is approaching them. "You get anything from his car?"
"It's a red 2-seat Maserati." Hotch answered.
"Heh. Of course." JJ commented and scoffs
"If he's the shooter, he has another vehicle."
Novilene focuses on Gideon and Dr. Landman by reading their lips when she tunes everyone out. She feel something bad going to happen and feel like going to vomit.
"Great. Let's take a walk to the E.R." Hotch glances at Reid to come with them.
Novilene pulls Elle away and grasps their hands, staring at them worriedly. "I... I had a bad feeling about this and please be careful, both of you." Novilene pleads at them worriedly.
"We will." Hotch assured her and taking her advice seriously. After knowing Novilene for a long time, her feelings are always a sense of danger.
Gideon gets out of the operation room and sighs heavily. "He has the worst narcissistic personality disorder I've ever seen, but it's not likely him." Gideon commented and stared at his daughter. "I also hate the way he stares at you."
"Join the club, dad." Novilene spoke up and jumped in surprised they heard the gunshot. "Spen and Hotch."
"Let's go." Gideon and the others lead him where the ER is.
They froze seeing a lot of SWAT officers are here and Morgan approached them in his serious expression.
"Please tell me that it's not the gunshot we heard, Morgan." Novilene pleads at him as her heartbeat pounds in fear for Reid and Hotch's lives.
"It was a gunshot and it was Phillip Dowd, our Unsub. He's armed and has a room full of hostages-"
"Including Spen and Hotch as well." She sighs heavily and stared at him. "Tell us what you know about him?" She asks in a calm tone and ignoring the fear inside of her.
"He joined the army at 18, went to ranger school, did 6 years before being dishonorably discharged in '95 for conduct unbecoming, obviously lied about it, joined the Arlington P.D."
"You were right. He was a cop." JJ commented that Gideon and Novilene thought the same when the Unsub happened to be a former Army then became a cop later on.
"For 9 months." Elle added. "When they found out he lied about the discharge, they kicked him out. Soon thereafter, Dowd got his nursing license. He's been bouncing from hospital to hospital ever since."
"Panginoon, tulungan niyo po kami. (Lord, please help us.)" She muttered and approaching Sergeant Weigart. "Sir, can I talk to you for a minute?" Gideon noticed that she's going to talk with Weigart privately.
Weigart leads her far from the SWAT members and she stared at him with her serious expression.
"Please don't send your men in yet." Novilene suggested to the Sergeant.
"You have to consider the possibility that your men are dead or at least disarmed." Weigart pointed out and Novilene mentally sighs.
"Agent Hotch is a very experienced profiler. He's gonna do whatever he has to get Dowd to like, trust us." Novilene spoke in her serious expression and didn't back down the glare been given her. "And once he does... He'll get Dowd to end this peacefully. All I ever ask is to give him time."
"Dowd's already shot, 10 people. He killed a cop."
"The cop is dead. This man is violent, deranged paranoid. It's a game for him, he's going to do whatever he has to." She explained to him. "You send your men in, they're just going to become villains in his little hero fantasy. You're letting him call all the shots."
"How are your unarmed men gonna stop him? I don't even know how you manage to become an FBI in the first place especially at your age." He glared at her.
"It's not the right time up to debate about my age here, sir. They're not unarmed and they have his profile. They understand him." She spoke in a calm tone despite she's angry about judging her age by becoming a Captain from London Metropolitan Police to an FBI Agent now.
"3 minutes. Then my men are ready to take the E.R. Your men... have 3 minutes." Weigart walked away from her.
She sighs shaking and leaning on the wall worrying about Hotch, Reid and the hostages inside of the E.R. Novilene approached her team giving them a small smile on them.
"I did everything I could, guys. They gave us 3 minutes to let Spen and Hotch handle Dowd." She explained and sitting down right next to Elle.
"You did everything you could, mini Gideon." Morgan assured the young woman.
"Yeah, the funny thing is. They judge me so easily because of my age." Novilene smiled bitterly and clenching her hand into fists. "I can't blame their jealousy, envy and hatred towards me."
"They're a bunch of idiots who didn't take you seriously, Nov." Elle spoke and hugging the girl. "You're my favorite genius girl, don't tell Reid about that."
She giggled and hugging Elle back. "My lips are sealed." The team smiled seeing Novilene is herself now.
Novilene approached Reid and hugging him tightly. He was startled at the gestured but hugging her back. Reid could smell the lavender of her scent as they pull away from each other. Novilene grabs her handkerchief and wipes the blood at his left lower lip.
Hissing in pain by the sudden touch and Novilene is staring at his brown eyes. "Sorry, you got a bit of blood." She smiled apologetically and touching the bruise on his left cheek lightly. "I'm glad that you, Hotch and the civilians are alright."
"We are, I heard that you pleaded with the Sergeant to give us time."
"Yeah, I always have faith and hope that you guys will stop him." She squeezes his hand lightly. "I'm not going to ask if you're feeling better or not."
"Thanks, Lenny." He smiled at her caring attitude. Novilene never questions of their feelings unless they are ready
"I'm proud of you Spen, you save people's lives." Novilene lean down and kiss him on the cheek of his bruise. "You're a Knight, to them." She pulled away and leaving the blushing young man.
"She kissed me..." He muttered and placing his hand on the right cheek.