Despite my tiredness, I always push myself too hard and didn't complain or whining at all. I'm the reckless and unpredictable type of girl who wants to get the job done.~Novilene Cruz
How can my daughter be so reckless? She's lucky enough to save her own head before anyone beheaded her. I know Novilene didn't want me to fuss over her injuries but sometimes I couldn't help myself. I'm her father and it's also my job to worried about her. That girl would be the death of me someday. ~Jason Gideon
Reid couldn't sleep well last night because of his nightmares related to their previous cases. Having an eidetic memory is a blessing because he can memorize everything whereas it could be a curse for reliving terrible pasts. He long wanted to tell Gideon about his nightmares but didn't want to bother him or even Novilene. Speaking of Novilene, Reid didn't want to add her problems because she's might informed Gideon about it.
It makes him wonder why Novilene wanted to become a spy agent at the age of 14 years old. She's way too young to become a spy agent and never think of the consequences. Both of them are polar opposites to balance their friendship. She's the only person who can stand his clumsiness and nervousness. Reid's feelings for Novilene goes deeper than before and longing for her to become more than friends, perhaps becoming of a lover. It scares him of what is going to be consequences if the team finds out about them are together in the future. Are they going to separate each other? Reid couldn't stand of leaving Novilene behind.
"Easy there, tough guy." Morgan appeared from the room seeing Reid pouring a lot of sugar into his coffee. "Have some coffee with your sugar."
"I need something to wake me up." Reid explained and didn't bother to stare at Morgan.
"Ooh... late night?" Morgan wiggling his eyebrows while making coffee for himself and milk tea for Novilene since he offered to get drinks.
"Very."
"My man." He smirked and glancing behind the window glass to see Novilene is almost finishing up her paperwork as usual.
"Not that kind of late night." He denied Morgan's assumption of him having a date last night.
"Ok, so tell, me, what does keep young Dr. Reid awake at night? Wait, let me guess." Reid stared at the man with a blank expression. "Memorizing some obscure textbook. No, no, no. Working on cold fusion. No, I got it. I got it. You couldn't stop thinking about our mini Gideon?"
Reid blushed furiously and shaking his head. "I-I-I, Le-Lenny and I are just friends, Morgan!" He whispered and hoping Novilene couldn't hear their conversation.
"Come on, I saw the way you stared at mini Gideon like a Goddess." Morgan noticed how Reid's behavior when he's with Novilene.
"She's out of my league, Morgan! Look at her, she's more socializing person than I do!"
"Most of the Agents in here are asking mini Gideon out and she rejects them." Morgan pointed out and Reid didn't even know a lot of guys are asking her out on a date. "Why? They're asking her out because of the looks and mini Gideon hated that. As usual... our Ice Queen rejects them." He grabs his coffee and milk tea for Novilene. Just when he is about to go to Novilene's desk.
"Hey, Morgan?" Reid decided to ask him a question as Morgan stopped and stared at the young Doctor. "Uh, do you ever have dreams?"
"I'm sorry?" He stared at him in confusion.
"I guess nightmares would be a more accurate description."
"Is that what's keeping you up?" He asks worriedly in his serious expression.
"I used to get them occasionally, but lately it's like I have them every night."
"What are they about?"
"This. What we do." He referred to this job that they're taking for saving people's lives and solving the cases. "Do you have nightmares?"
"Reid, I'm not sure if I'm the right person for you to talk about this." He started to feel uncomfortable to share his previous nightmares.
"Why not?"
"It's just, uh... did you ask Gideon about it?"
"No."
"What about Cruz?"
"I don't want her to bother my nightmares."
"You should tell them both especially Novilene is a kind and understanding person." Morgan suggested.
Just when Reid is about to tell Morgan about Novilene or Gideon. Elle walked in and unaware of their conversation. "Hey, Hotch wants everyone in the round table room." She told the two men as Novilene is behind her.
"Are we interrupting something?" Novilene asks curiously and noticing their serious expression, they're in the middle of the conversation that they just interrupt them.
"No." Reid answered as Morgan handed over her milk tea as she smiled and muttered thank you. He left, leaving the three alone.
She stared at Reid with a serious expression and noticing how his shoulder is tense. "Is Spen-"
"Mini Gideon." Morgan stopped her that he knew what she's thinking right now. "Did I mention how creepy you are?" He teased the young woman as she blushed and laughs nervously. It freaks him out often because Novilene could sense someone is being unusual. He almost forgetting Novilene has Sherlock Holmes to teach her to analyze their behavior.
"Sorry! I'm going to shut up now." She sips her milk tea and Elle looked confused between them.
They went inside the briefing room as JJ followed as well. "McAllister. Western slope of Massanutten Mountain in Virginia. 2 bodies discovered in the woods both with apparent blunt trauma to the head." She explained to everyone.
"Skeletons?" Reid asks when he and Novilene saw the pictures.
"One of them. The second victim was just killed this morning."
"How do we know there's a connection?" Elle asks curiously.
"They were found about 75 feet apart with nearly identical head wounds." Hotch answered.
Novilene frowned that they had a lack of files and decided to ask the Unit Chief. "Where's the rest of the case file?"
"There isn't one. The Sheriffs are on the scene waiting for us."
"Their location is only a half-hour away by plane." JJ informed them.
"What's the rush?" Morgan asks.
"Well, there was evidence on the scene that could cause a bit of public uproar." Hotch answered as Novilene widening her eyes in shock staring at the pictures in her hands.
"A satanic cult." She muttered and placing down the pictures.
"JJ, we need to obviously keep this out of the press for as long as possible." Hotch ordered the blonde Liaison.
"I'll do what I can." JJ answered.
"Why is that so important?" Elle asks curiously and didn't mind when Novilene is laying her head on her shoulder.
"There was a nationwide scare in the 1980's involving Satanic Ritual killings and abuse." Reid explained and glancing at Novilene's direction.
"It was called the Satanic Panic." Novilene added and trying to adjust the heat pad over her lower stomach. She despises every girl's month day and despised to drink medicine to ease the pain. "It began after the publication of a book about repressed memories being recovered through hypnotherapy. Memories of growing up with the devil worshippers who use children in their rituals and ceremonies." Reid is giving her a look and wondering why she had a heating pad on her lower stomach as Novilene shakes her head at him.
"Most of the claims were later found to be false or just impossible." Hotch pointed out and didn't bother to ask Novilene since he knew what the heating pads for unlike the young genius Doctor, who keeps on asking about her stomach ache.
"Still numerous therapists accepted the assertions as true and began searching for similar signs in their own patients." Reid rambled. "After one year, thousands of people reported the exact same repressed memories." He air quoted the last phrase as Elle nodded in understanding.
"The Bureau conducted an investigation and concluded that most of the most of the ritual killings or abuse were more urban legend than anything else."
"You're saying that there's no such thing as devil worship?" Elle asks curiously towards the Unit Chief.
"Not at all." Gideon spoke up. "But most of the satanism that we've seen is Juveniles damaging property, desecrating churches, cemeteries. To my knowledge, there has never been a proven case of a satanic ritual killing in the United States."
"Well, maybe there is now." Morgan commented when he saw the picture.
Massanutten Mountain || Virginia ||
Novilene sighs quietly seeing the trunk of the tree with a star underneath of it says Satan lives L.O.D. The young woman noticed Reid is wearing the homemade purple scarf she gave him on his birthday. She smiled slightly and staring at the tree back in a serious expression.
"Morning, John Bridges." The Sheriff introduced himself in front of the FBI Agents.
"Yeah. We spoke on the phone. I'm Agent Jareau, and this is Agent Gideon, Agent Cruz and Dr. Reid with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit." JJ introduced him to her teammates.
"Hi." Novilene greeted the Sheriff.
"Thanks for coming out so fast." Sheriff Bridges was glad they're here to help them solve the case.
"Yeah, of course." She smiled and assured him that they're going to help them.
"There was an in-service in Charlottesville last year, said if we ran into any unusual homicides, we were supposed to call you folks sooner rather than later." Sheriff Bridges explained to them.
"Yeah, they were right." Gideon agreed with the opinion of calling them.
"Is this unusual enough?" He questioned them.
"It certainly is interesting." Reid pointed out whereas Novilene thinks it is interesting but finding it creepy about Satanic.
"You guys must get a lot of this, huh? Satanic stuff?"
"Not really." Gideon commented as Reid gets closer to observed the scene.
"Who found the bodies, sir?" Novilene questioned the Sheriff.
"A hiker found the first one at the trail, and my Deputies located this one while searching for evidence. We don't even know if it's a man or a woman." Sheriff Bridges answered the young woman's question.
"It's a man." Reid spoke up and glancing down at the bones. "The male pelvis is more narrow, and the opening at the bottom is heart-shaped as opposed to oval." He pokes the dark red melted using the stick. "Melted wax?"
"Candle wax?" JJ asks as Novilene kneeled down and grabbing a stick then poking it.
"Yes and are used in rituals." Novilene answered and smiling at Reid when he stared at her with a surprised expression.
"They're also used on birthday cakes." Gideon added and helping her daughter to pull her up.
"Actually, they were originally used to protect the birthday celebrant from demons for the coming year." Reid rambled and Novilene noticed the Sheriff's disbelief expression towards him. "As a matter of fact, down to the fourth century, Christianity rejected the birthday celebration as a Pagan ritual."
"What kind of a Doctor are you?" Sheriff Bridges asks him bluntly and it scared him lightly how this young man knows this stuff.
"A Doctor who will help us to solve the case based on his knowledge about the Satanic." Novilene spoke up and putting her hands inside of the grey coat. "Without him and his knowledge, it'll take ages for us to solve this case." Turning around and help Reid to stand up from his squatting position.
"Thanks." Reid muttered to her as she just smiled. He was surprised that Novilene defended him and she never complains or scolding him to stop rambling.
"Does L.O.D mean anything to you?" Gideon asks Reid and his daughter.
"Uh-uh. I don't know of any significance in Satanism, either." Reid answered.
"Novilene?" She pouts slightly and crossing her arms.
"Um... not even sure if it is right." Novilene answered and stared at Gideon in her dark brown eyes.
"Which is?" Reid asks her curiously.
"Lords of Destruction, I guess." She sighs and shrugged. "That's what I think. Can you ask Garcia to double-check it if it's Lords of Destruction or not, JJ."
"I will if I could get a signal." JJ spoke up and tried to get for a signal in the middle of the forest.
"Not much of a chance of that out here." Sheriff Bridges commented.
"Are there any cults in the area that you know about?" Gideon asks the Sheriff. "Secret groups? People you see you don't know much? People who stay to themselves mostly."
"This is a very religious area. Church on Sundays, fellowship on Wednesday, bible classes." Sheriff Bridges answered and Novilene hums in response. "If there was a secret group, I'd probably know about it."
Reid chuckled. "That's an inherent contradiction."
"Excuse me?" He frowned and not knowing what it means.
"What Dr. Reid was saying." Novilene intervened before Sheriff Bridges getting confused more because of Reid's rambling. "If some groups are being secretive, they would make sure to keep it silent without any suspicious."
"Look, people out here just want a quiet place to raise their kids." Sheriff Bridges pointed out in a stern tone. "What I know is none of them are capable of doing this."
Novilene wanted to retort back to what Sheriff Bridges was saying but decided to stay silent knowing her father would likely cover her mouth for talking back.
"Find anything interesting down there?" Hotch asks seeing the four of them came back.
"Yeah, it does look like some kind of ritual site." Gideon answered and helping JJ up as Novilene manage to get up by herself and giving Reid a hand.
"Have any of you ever heard the expression 'L.O.D'?" Reid asks curiously to his other teammates. "Or the acronym L.O.D?"
"Not me." Elle answered and having no idea what it meant.
"Lenny says it means Lords of Destruction." Novilene shrugged and pushing her glasses up.
"I'm not even sure if it's the right one." Novilene pointed out. One of the reasons why she guessed it because Alex and herself played video games before back when they were children.
"Cherish!? Cherish!?" They heard the scream of a woman then turned around when one of the Deputy hold her back. "Sheriff Bridges!"
"It's okay, Harris. Let her in." Sheriff Bridges ordered him.
"Was Adam Lloyd killed out here?" The woman demanded the Sheriff.
"Who told you that, Veronica?"
"Was he? My daughter was with him. They were out running together this morning." She exhaled and cried weeping over the girl. "Oh, my God. I can't find her. Cherish is missing! Cherish is missing! Help me, please." Novilene closing her eyes to avoid breakdown seeing the mother cried over her daughter.
Novilene distance herself slightly towards her teammates to pull herself together. Seeing the mother, Novilene couldn't help but remember her mother, Maria. She sighs quietly and shaking her head slightly.
"Hey." Novilene hums in response and turning around to see Reid is staring at her worriedly. "You okay?"
"I will be." She smiled sadly and staring at the woods in deep thoughts. "Seeing the mother weeping over their child, I can't help that I miss my mom dearly... we're not really close like I did to my grandmother and dad."
"Can I ask why?" Reid asks curiously and noticing Novilene always wear her silver locket.
"Ma used to babysit me before until I became an independent person." Novilene explained and pushing her glasses up. "Mom was used to be a Prosecutor just liked Steve. She was one of the best and always worked but rarely spends time with me."
"You were close to Gideon and your grandmother than her?" Novilene nodded sadly.
"Yeah. We're not close but I care for her deeply, Spen." She sighs heavily as Gideon approaches them. "I miss her so much."
"We're looking for someone who can overpower our victim, abduct a girl from a traveled path without being seen." Gideon spoke up before Reid could comfort her.
"It certainly fits with the cult theory." Reid pointed out and discreetly looking at her with a worried look on his face. "More than one unsub to control multiple victims."
"But if the attack were ferocious enough, a single unsub could, too." Hotch added and Novilene nodded her head in agreement. "Kill Adam and grab the girl while she's in shock."
"This is some rough country." Elle is running down towards them together with Morgan. "We only went 1/4 of a mile, and we almost got ourselves lost."
"The unsub has to be from this area." Morgan spoke up. "You don't just stumble onto a place like this."
"JJ, where'd the Sheriff go?" Novilene asks the blonde liaison.
"He's setting up a search party." JJ answered and still trying to get a signal on her phone.
"Tell him I want him to use volunteers from the area locals." Gideon suggested and hoping that his daughter could feel uneasy about one of them.
"Do you want him to know why?" JJ questioned the older man in a skeptical look.
"No, not yet."
"Is it wise to alienate him, dad?" Novilene questioned her father.
"Well, he thinks we're looking for a monster." Gideon replied and pointed out his opinion. "If we tell him we're looking for volunteers so we can profile who shows up, he might call the whole things off."
"Hey." Reid whispered to get the young woman's attention as she stared at him in confusion. "You want to come with us?"
"May I ask why?" She whispered back blinking her eyes slightly.
"Well... what if you're right that the L.O.D means Lords of Destruction? We could use your help and I'm sure that Gideon can manage to do it without you." He suggested as she hums in deep thoughts. "Okay." She agreed and going with them.
"What happened, John?" An unknown man questioned the Sheriff when the four of them stopped
"Reverend Paul Burke, this is-" the Sheriff stopped and completely forgotten their names. "I'm sorry, I forgot your names."
"I'm Agent Cruz, Jareau and Dr. Reid." Novilene introduced themselves again towards Burke.
"They're with the FBI." Sheriff added.
"FBI?" Burke asks in a surprised tone and didn't expect the Federal Agents will help to solve the case. "It's true, then? Adam's dead?"
"Cherish Hanson's missing, too." He answered with a grim look on his face.
"Is there anything I can do?" Burke wanted to help as much as he can to stop this killer from killing innocent people.
"Actually, yes. We're putting together a search party. Could you call the congregation?" He asks Burke.
"Of course. Of course, I'll go make some calls." He left them alone.
"Thanks, Reverend." He thanked the man. "This way." Leading them inside of the building.
Novilene pushes her glasses up and gets inside of the building. "Use any phone, Doc, you just dial 9 to get an outside line." The Sheriff spoke up as the young woman handed her phone towards Reid as he gladly accepts it and decided to use hers.
Something caught Novilene's attention as she approached the bulletin board with the trophies and ball. She grabbed the ball to see a picture of a teenage boy.
"Did you play ball?" She turned around to see a teenage boy wearing varsity jacket asks her.
"No, my two brothers does." Novilene answered and smiling at him.
"I don't." Reid answered and scoff at himself playing a football will likely ended him up humiliated in front of people especially in front of Novilene.
"Yeah, I probably wouldn't have, either, if not for my father. I'm Cory." He introduced himself and blushing slightly to see a beautiful woman then didn't notice a jealous look from Reid.
"Spencer Reid." He shakes his hands quickly and Novilene didn't show her confused look. Why Reid is nervous to shake hands with other people? Then it clicks her mind he has a phobia of getting germs by a handshake.
"I'm Novilene Cruz." She sneakily put her mini sanitizer inside of his pocket and standing behind him to shake Cory's hand. "Who's that, Nietzsche?" Novilene asks curiously as Reid is thankful that the young woman is quick to know that he needs a sanitizer.
"'Thus spake Zarathustra' was rather antagonistic of the Judeo-Christian worldview for this town, isn't it?" Reid questioned Cory and Novilene hides her frown when she stared at the teenage boy.
"I don't think too many people here would've bothered to read it." Cory spoke and laughs nervously. "If they had, they wouldn't understand it. Might as well be a Hawking essay on Quark Theory." Novilene and Reid chuckled as Cory stared at them in awestruck but mostly at her. "Nobody ever got that reference before. Is my father around? The Sheriff."
"He's in his office with another Agent." Reid answered as Novilene spin the ball using one finger.
"Agent?" He stared at them in a curious expression.
"We're with the FBI." Novilene spoke up and pushing her glasses up by using her free hand. "Behavioral Analysis Unit."
"Profilers?" He questioned and blinking his eyes in a surprised expression as they nodded their heads. "Ha. This is mad cool. I got, like 100 questions I go- wait. Why would FBI profilers be here in McAallister?" Cory missed Novilene's cold calculative look before serene expression been showed.
"There was a murder outside of town on the mountain." Reid answered.
"A murder?"
"Yeah, a girl is missing."
"It's Cherish, son." They turned around to see Sheriff is approaching them.
"Cherish Hanson?" Cory asks with a disbelief look on his face.
"We're putting together a search party. I need you to get the rest of the team together and meet us out at the trail about 1/2 mile South of the point." He ordered his son.
"Yeah, okay." He agreed and leave to inform his teammates.
"Hmm..." Novilene hums and staring at the teenage boy. "Looks can be deceiving, don't fall off their innocent act." She muttered and remembering Noelle taught her how to analyze the person carefully.
"What?" Reid asks her in skeptical expression seeing Novilene gazing at the teenage boy.
"There's something off about him and I can't point out why." She sighs heavily and rubbing her arms repeatedly. "The way his stares creeps me out and I'm also old enough for him to be his sister."
"I've noticed that you always rub your arms after when someone stared at you." She stops rubbing and laughs nervously. It's her habit to rub her arms whenever she feels goosebump by their malicious stares.
"It's an old habit of mine that I do it often... you wear the purple scarf that I gave you on your birthday."
"Yeah, and it really warms." He fixes his scarf around his neck. "How did you made it?"
"Ma taught me how and it takes me 3 weeks to learn how to knit. Let's go, we don't want to wait for them for us long."
"I grew up in Brooklyn. You couldn't get these many people out for anything less than free money." Elle told Gideon, Novilene and Morgan about her hometown. Novilene didn't expect a lot of people will help them.
"Well, here comes the jocks and cheerleaders." Morgan commented and Novilene raises her eyebrow with a mischievous look.
"Like you, Morgan?" Novilene asks Morgan and nudging her shoulders with him lightly as he playfully glared at her.
"Very funny, mini Gideon." Morgan immediately removed her hair tie to reveal long wavy brown hair. "That's better than bun style as a high school principal."
"Tch." She snatches her tie back and glared at him. "I hate you."
"Love you too, sis." She yelped as Morgan hugging her on his side. "Did I mention you're- ow!" Novilene stumps his right foot hard as Morgan lets go of her.
She scoffs and decided to stand right next to Reid. "Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please? Now, you're all assigned grid squares to search. Each grid has a Deputy or an FBI Agent. You find anything, do not touch it. Just let your grid leader know." Sheriff Bridges informed them as Novilene noticed a young teenage girl looks nervous and didn't want to participate in the search. "Now, are there any questions? All right. Everyone get in your group now."
"Remind me to wear running shoes next time when it comes to forest, Spen?" Novilene whispered to him as Reid chuckled and nodded his head in agreement.
"I thought you're a former Paediatrician Doctor who can remember everything?" Reid teased the young woman as she blushed embarrassing and rubbing her neck sheepishly.
"Yes to saving people's lives and no to wearing what kind of shoes should I use for this type of situation." She tripped something and about to fall over if it wasn't for Reid to catch her. "Thanks, Spen."
"You're welcome." He smiled and held her hand in case she tripped again while ignoring the looks from Morgan and Elle.
Novilene is taking down the notes from she gathers the information so far. Someone tapped her shoulder to see Reid that everyone is ready for them as Novilene closes her notebook and leaning on him.
"Contrary to popular belief, there has never been a proven case of Satanic Ritual Killing." Hotch spoke up which gained everyone's attention. "Never a verified human sacrifice. Having said that, there have been isolated cases of animal sacrifice... Many, many cases of vandalism in the name of Satan."
"But that doesn't mean that ritual satanism is impossible." Morgan spoke up. "More importantly, for our purposes, there have been cults that killed, just not in ritual fashion."
"The Reverend Jim Jones and the peoples temple... his followers killed a U.S Congressman and 3 people before committing mass suicide and leaving over 900 people dead." Reid explained and standing up to face the people as Novilene is observing them behind her glasses.
"And perhaps the most widely-known of the killer cults, the Manson family under the direction of Charles Manson, killed 9 people in a 4-day period in an attempt to initiate a race war." Novilene added as Reid mentally nodded his head that she's right on the track.
"Killer cults do exist, and they all have one thing in common... invariably they're headed by charismatic megalomaniacs." Elle spoke up.
"You're looking for that leader. He's who will stand out. He'll be memorable to somebody, people who aren't in his group will see him as a stranger, weird, scary." She glances at everyone of them and has a feeling that the unsub is here somewhere.
"Since we're dealing with professed Satanist, which is often practiced by younger males, we may be looking for teenagers." Hotch spoke up. "Heavy metal music is often associated with Satanism, and these kids and their leader may reflect that in this look."
"Most likely, there'll be sex, drugs and alcohol." Morgan pointed out. "And the leader, he'll be older. It's part of his charm."
"And he is from this area."
"He's definitely local." Novilene added and didn't bother to explain more that could cause asking a lot of questions to her. "These woods are too thick and confusing for a visitor to get around in."
"You think one of our own people is doing this?" Sheriff Bridges asks the FBI.
"We're sure of it, Sheriff." Novilene told him the truth that they're not lying about the unsub.
"I would know if someone was capable of doing-"
"Dad. I know somebody like that." Cory spoke up and Novilene stared at him with a curious expression.
"His name's Mike Zizzo. He graduated about 5 years ago. He's in his 20's, but he still hangs out with High School kids. He's got a group of them. They follow him everywhere. They all get high and listen to heavy metal. He calls them the Lords of Destruction."
"I'm right all along, L.O.D means Lords of Destruction." Novilene spoke up and sharing glances with Reid.
"How do you know this, Cory?" Sheriff Bridges asks his son and wondering how he knew about Zizzo he saw Cory is filled with uneasiness. "It's all right, son."
"I've bee there, where they hang out drinking beers. He talks about Satan all the time." Cory answered and Novilene couldn't point out that she's missing something. "Says he's the one true God."
"Where is this place?" Gideon asks Cory.
"On the other side of the mountain. The old Jenson house."
"It's out of my jurisdiction." The Sheriff answered and sighs heavily.
"Not ours." Hotch pointed out as his teammates going out of the building.
Novilene noticed a girl is distancing herself and stared at them. She blinks her eyes that it's the same girl who volunteers to go mountains with them as Novilene tap Gideon's shoulder and pointed out where the girl is.
"Novilene and I are not going on the raid." Gideon spoke up and closing the door.
"What's up?" Hotch asks them.
"We don't know yet, Hotch." Novilene answered as she followed her father.
Gideon and Novilene went inside of the church seeing the girl sitting bowing her head while holding the bible.
"Do you believe in God?" The girl asks them out of the blue as Novilene frowned at the question.
"I beg your pardon?" Novilene asks and pushing her glasses up.
"Do you believe in God?"
"We do believe in God." Gideon answered.
"How about the Devil?" The girl asks and Novilene started to get curious about why she asks religious belief.
"We do and some people loses their hope that they go to opposed God, by doing some things that aren't meant to do it." Novilene answered and carefully using simple words that could not scare her.
"You two are one of the FBI Agents, aren't you?" The girl asks and she agreed with the young woman in her early 20's answer.
"Is there something you want to tell us?" Gideon asks the teenage girl.
"Do you think God is vengeful?"
"We don't know."
"You don't think he punishes us?"
"After Hurricane Katrina, I read some essays about religious scholars. One writer said God was punishing America for its immortality. New Orleans was a wicked city, like Sodom and Gomorah." Gideon answered. "Another one, a priest from New Orleans, he thought the Hurricane was proof of God's love. Those levees didn't break until after the storm was over. If they'd broken sooner, thousands would've died. So... I guess the answer to your question depends on whether or not you feel you have something to be punished for."
The girl whimpered and staring down at the ground. "My friend Cherish... she's missing and it's my fault."
"What makes you say that?" Novilene asks in a soft tone and holding the girl's hands gently.
"The skeleton under the tree, he died a year ago." The girl, Brandy Dreifort, she introduced herself to the two FBI Agents spoke, starting to explain about the crime scene. "He fell off the trail, cracked his head open. He was just some tourist or something."
"How did you know that, Brandy?" Novilene asks her.
"We went to see the body all the time. We watched it decompose." She answered and fiddling her arms nervously.
"Who did?" Gideon questioned the girl.
"We did. Everybody, the whole group. At first, we were just curious, you know? We could go, a couple of us at a time, show each other and none of us had ever seen a dead body before. And then it kind of became our thing. Something that we had our parents didn't know about. It was ours."
For once Novilene didn't know what to say anything Dreifort as she glances at Gideon. "This was a human being." Gideon spoke up and knew Novilene didn't know what to say something to the girl.
"I told you that we're being punished." Dreifort sniffs and wiping her tears.
Novilene somehow feels uneasy as she immediately walked out of the church. She breathes heavily and calming herself down by patting her heart lightly.
"Novilene?" She turned her head seeing Gideon is filled with worry seeing his daughter in distressed looked.
"When she said the last word of punish, it somehow triggers my past memories before, dad." Novilene removed her glasses and wiping the tears been shed. "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" He asks her and didn't believe the words she said. "You can back-"
"Dad... just don't, we need to tell everyone about this now." She walked away while hugging her coat.
Novilene didn't want anyone to give her sympathy or pity looks from her past because she had enough of it treating her like a fragile glass. She's been through a very hard life but it doesn't stop her from moving forward. Time heals but the scar stays permanently in her heart.
Novilene barges in the interrogation with a serious look on her face. "Gideon and I need to talk to you, all of you now." She spoke and walking towards the Sheriff office.
The others followed her as Gideon removed his red scarf. "We've been with Brandy Dreifort. Do you know her?" Gideon asks the Sheriff.
"She's a friend of my son's." Sheriff Bridges answered.
"She's a friend of Cherish's, too." Novilene spoke up and pushing her glasses up.
"And?"
"Well, they all knew about the skeleton."
"Who did?"
"Football team, cheerleaders, everyone." Gideon answered and Novilene suddenly went pale and finally found out who the unsub is. "They all watched this man decompose like it was a game for their amusement."
"What?" Elle asks in disbelief tone and staring at Novilene for confirmation as she nodded her head in agreement.
"As far as we can tell, the only kids in that area who didn't know were Mike Zizzo and the L.O.D." Novilene pointed out.
"It's ridiculous." The sheriff denied their idea of the teenagers could be one of the unsubs.
"Sounds impossible, it's unbelievable. She told us all about it and my daughter can detect any lies." Gideon spoke up and glancing at Novilene. "She's a human lie detector and Novilene can tell Dreifort is not lying when she confess us. The guy was a hiker or something. Probably have him listed, a missing person somewhere."
"How do you know the L.O.D wasn't involved?" Hotch asks the father-daughter duo.
"Well, she said the pentagram and the candles, they weren't there a few months ago." Novilene answered.
"Which means?" Sheriff Bridges asks them.
"Someone wanted us to believe Satanists exist." Novilene stared at the Sheriff and it'll only break his heart if she told him the person who caused the problem. "The unsub wants to get himself involve with our investigation. That's one of the types of the killer does. Who was the one who gave us is Zizzo in the first place? Who knew all about him where no one else does?"
"You're talking about Cory?" The Sheriff asks with a pale look on his face whereas Novilene nodded her head sadly.
"Whether it's an intention or not to be convenient- it wouldn't matter for him. We had a teenage boy to inform us of the location of L.O.D. A group of fringe kids of nobody in the town would like." Novilene commented and stared at him with an understanding look on her face.
"But you called us here to advise you." Sheriff Bridges couldn't believe that his son could commit himself to become a murderer like that.
"My advice would be to get in front of this before your son hurts himself or anybody else." Gideon spoke up and finally understand why his daughter is paled that she knew who the unsub is now.
"You know where he is, Sheriff?" Novilene asks Sheriff Bridges.
"He went up to the Jenson house to see if your guys found anything on Cherish." Sheriff Bridges answered.
"Morgan and Reid are out there right now." Hotch told them as Novilene stared at him with fear and worried expression.
"Hey, Sheriff. Did you open the gun locker?" One of the Deputies asks.
"No." Sheriff Bridges asks and still grasping the fact Cory is the unsub.
"Someone did. There's a revolver missing."
"Cory is going to kill them and we fell off his trap." Novilene spoke up and staring at the Sheriff. "Take us where the Jenson house is."
Novilene and the others finally caught Cory as they're now flying heading back to Washington DC. She couldn't forget the hurtful look from Sheriff Bridges seeing his son, Cory could kill innocent people. The young woman stared at the picture of herself and Gideon back when she was a four-year-old girl.
"That's you?" She turned around to see Reid is sitting right next to her. "It's rare to see Gideon smile, especially that picture."
"Yeah, it is." She smiled and putting the picture back in her wallet. "Can I ask why you're tired during the case?"
"I had nightmares..." Reid answered and Novilene smiled in sympathy. "How did you manage to be so calm and you're so fearless for this."
"I do suffer a couple of PTSD." Novilene answered and removing her glasses as Reid stared at her in shock to hear it. She almost attempted to commit suicide if it wasn't for Ethan to save her in time. People always assume she's a perfectionist of everything but it is clear she had a rough past as well. "Do you remember that I failed 3 time of shooting test?"
"I did and you haven't told me why." Reid did remembered that she failed her shooting test before and wonder why Novilene bring that one up.
"When I was 5 years old... I was one of the hostages during the bank robbery." She sighs shaking and calming herself down. "He killed 3 security guards right in front of me as my mom trying her best to cover my eyes to avoid see death..."
"You don't have to say it if you don't want to, Lenny." Reid assured him and grasping her small delicate hands.
"I have to, Spen." She sighs heavily. "He tried to kill mom and I saw a gun beside me... the next thing I knew, I shot him right through the head using revolver." Novilene closes her eyes and gripping Reid's hand gently.
"Lenny... is that the reason why you prefer physical fight than using gun?" He asks in a soft tone and she nodded her head.
"Yeah, I don't know what's gotten into me that time and I've been going through a lot of Therapist, which happens to be Thea, Steve's sister-in-law." She opened her eyes and stared at him. "We all have nightmares and it's also not good to bottle up inside. If you have any nightmares, tell me or call me and I don't care what the bloody time is."
"Thanks, Lenny." He smiled and Novilene pulls his arm to force him lay on her lap.
"Sleep and you need it." Novilene stared down at him in a serious expression.
"But-!"
"No ifs or buts... either you stayed awake and I'll press one of your pressure points that-" Novilene explained it to details by threatening him but Reid cuts her
"Did I mention that you could be so bossy?" He smiled cheekily and Novilene rolled her eyes while stroking his soft curly brown hair. "Thanks, Lenny."
"You're always welcome, Spen." Novilene smiled seeing Reid finally fall asleep as she decided to have a nap while stroking his head and humming in low tune.
Elle smiled widely seeing how they are so comfortable with each other and decided to take pictures of the two youngsters. Reid didn't know how lucky he is to have Novilene in her life. Gideon couldn't help but smile seeing how they get so closer before and he approved Reid if they're together.