Chapter 57
Before Hotch had the chance to outpace Rossi and Morgan a raven swooped down in front of them and suddenly Jimmy was standing before them. "Lana is epileptic. Her dog is actually a service dog that warns her when she's about ready to have a seizure."
Morgan shook his head. "And the son of a bitch killed her dog? How si. . ." He trailed off because he knew exactly how sick their unsub was and while killing a dog was horrible, it was nothing compared to what it had done to several people.
Jimmy shook his head. "The dog isn't dead. It was apparently trying to protect Lana and the shifter attacked it. It's in pretty bad shape, but it's holding on. They have a vet on the way." He took a deep breath. "Not sure it can hold on, but we're going to try."
Hotch looked from Rossi to Jimmy and then huffed. "And how long have you been here?"
Jimmy never missed a beat though. "I heard the call and took off. Flying's quicker than boat."
Hotch's look told him he didn't believe him but he started walking again. "Go back to the street and set up a command center. We need to keep track of where people are searching."
"But I can. . ." Jimmy tried.
Hotch turned on him. "And what do we do when some of the seachers stumble upon our unsub?"
"We. . . I guess, you could. . ." he started and then sighed. "You're right."
Hotch nodded. "Yes, I am. Get back there and keep the searchers in close contact. Once we have an idea where this thing is, you are going to have to make sure none of them get near it."
Jimmy took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright," he agreed and took back off into the sky.
"He wasn't happy," Morgan thought he needed to point out.
"But he's safe," Hotch threw in and started off again.
After about twenty feet, Hotch held up his hand to stop the men with him. They immediately froze and watched as Hotch's head drifted back and forth slowly. He shook his head as he turned back the way they had come. "JJ's coming."
Morgan and Rossi both turned to look, too, but they couldn't see or hear anything. After a couple moments, JJ came into view carrying three vests. "I thought we batter have these," she offered as she passed the vests out.
"It hasn't used a weapon so far," Morgan told her but strapped the vest on and put the comm link in his ear.
"Just because he hasn't shot one of his victims doesn't mean he doesn't have a weapon," Rossi offered.
"And he probably knows he's being hunted," Hotch agreed and they all took off again.
After about a hundred feet, Hotch held up his hand to halt them again. When he tilted his head to the side, they knew he was listening to things they couldn't hear, and when Hotch's stance shifted minutely, Rossi's hand grabbed Hotch's upper arm. "You're not going alone!" he whispered harshly.
Hotch hissed and looked him in the eye. "I can hear it."
"I know that, but. . ." Hotch slipped from his grip and was gone before he could utter another word. "Damn it, Hotch!" Rossi half yelled and took off in the way he thought Hotch had gone.
Hotch slowed down to his human gait when the sound of the shifter's heart disappeared and he mentally cussed as his eyes searched the forest around him. Son of a bitch! If it's shifted into animal form, where the hell is the girl?
He tried to concentrate his hearing to listen for anything out of the ordinary, but not being familiar enough with Hawaii's nature, he wasn't sure if he would even know what wasn't ordinary, and he winced as he walked.
Once he had traveled about another two hundred feet, the sound of a snapping twig got his attention and a wicked smile crept onto his face. Nothing natural on these islands is that big. He ran a hand across the back of his neck. Or at least I don't think there is.
XXXXX
"If Hotch went this way, then I can't tell it," Morgan confessed as he walked beside Rossi.
"Would he even leave a trail with as fast as he can move?" JJ asked the men in front of her. She had silently wondered if Hotch even touched the ground when he moved like that, and the look that Rossi shot over his shoulder to her told her that he didn't know.
"Well. . . Do we keep searching or do we head back to the street?" Morgan asked as he held back a low branch for JJ to pass.
Rossi took a deep breath. "We keep searching until we either find Hotch or the girl."
Morgan nodded his agreement and then took out his phone as it vibrated. "You're on speaker, Baby Girl."
"Is Mon Capitan with you all? He didn't answer his phone."
They could all tell how worried she was, but Morgan smiled and tried to ease her worries. "He's flashing through the forest looking for the girl. Why are you looking for him?"
She sighed. "Cause I have the info on little Lana, and I'm not sure if I should send it to him."
That made them all stop and share confused looks. Rossi leaned closer to Morgan's phone. "Send it to us."
After a few keystrokes, Morgan's phone signaled its receipt of a text and he opened it.
After looking at the screen, a heavy sigh escaped Rossi as he slowly shook his head. "We've got to find her before Hotch."
JJ reached over and gave his arm a squeeze. "He'll be alright," she tried but her stomach tightened because she wasn't even sure she believed the statement.
"See why I didn't want to send it to him?" Garcia asked in a tone that was begging for them to understand.
"It's alright, Kitten. We'll take care of it. Good job," Rossi offered.
"Alrighty then, I'm out. Hit me back as soon as you have or need anything," she ordered.
"We will," Morgan agreed and then ended the call. After running a hand over his head, he looked at his teammates. "If he can't save her. . ."
Rossi cut him off by turning to start searching again. "We'll either save her or be there for him. Either way, we need to move."
JJ and Morgan shared a look as they quickly caught up with the older agent.
XXXXX
As Hotch silently made his way through the dense undergrowth, his ears were focused on the strongest heartbeat he could hear and hoped that it was the shifter. After going several yards, he froze. There, standing in front of him, was a donkey, and he slowly shook his head. Son of a bitch! He didn't think a killer shifter would use that form.
After watching it for a few more seconds, he was about ready to turn back when the donkey's head turned toward him. When its eyes locked with Hotch's and grew wider, Hotch knew it wasn't a real donkey, and before he could say or do anything, a man was standing in front of him. He quickly drew his pistol. "Freeze!"
The man slowly raised his hands. "You must be Agent Hotchner."
Hotch wasn't sure how the unsub would know his name, but it didn't matter and he took a step towards him. "Yes, and I know this won't kill you, but I do know it will hurt you."
The man's face showed his confusion for a second and then he started shaking his head as he put his hands in front of him. "I'm not the killer! I came out here to help search!"
That made Hotch pause, so he lowered his gun just a little and locked eyes with the man. "What is your name?"
"James Schewel," the man uttered. Being under the influence of Hotch's compelling powers, he couldn't look away.
"Schewel? Did Jimmy tell you to come out here?" he asked with an edge in his voice. He had told Jimmy to back off and keep the locals out of the way, but Jimmy had disobeyed him before so he wouldn't be surprised if he'd done it again.
"No."
That made Hotch relax somewhat, but then a horrible thought hit him. What if the killer is one of his family and that's why we can't find it. He took a deep breath but kept the mental link with the man he had never seen. "Then why are you here?"
"While Jimmy may be worried about upsetting you, I am not so inclined. I wanted to come out and help search. That little girl needs to be found."
Hotch licked his lips and pushed further. "Aren't you supposed to listen to him? Jimmy is a family leader."
"He is in line, but he will not be the leader until after my father and I die, and I hope that will be long time from now."
Hotch broke the link as he put his pistol back away. "Jamison is your father?"
The man smiled and stuck his hand out. "Yes, and Jimmy is my son. I'm sorry I haven't been there when you were to introduce myself, but I want to thank you for what you have done for my family."
Hotch shook his hand and then gave him a stern look. "You could have gotten yourself hurt. I thought you were the killer."
James ducked his head sheepishly. "I just wanted to help, and I was searching via the air and I thought I saw something in a break in the canopy." He shrugged. "So I came down to see what I could find."
"And you chose to be a donkey?"
James sighed. "A donkey's hearing is better than mine."
Hotch had to bite back the chuckle that wanted to escape. "I could think of a few animals that are better suited for a hunt," he offered and started to turn.
James shrugged as he moved to stay with Hotch. "Habit, I guess. We try to stay with forms that are natural. That way people don't get too suspicious if they do catch a glimpse of us."
"That makes sense," Hotch offered with a nod. "But I need to get back to searching, so you. . ."
He didn't get to finish his sentence as a massive rhino suddenly appeared off to the side and started charging. James was so shocked that he just froze, but Hotch shoved him out of the way. The animal's vicious horn caught James', jacket, though, and it pulled James with it for about ten feet before the animal turned into a mountain of a Polynesian man.
The new man completely ignored Hotch as he turned to James who was trying to get himself up off the ground. "Traitor!" he yelled as he loomed over James. "How can you help humans hunt one of your own?"
James face showed his disgust for the man in front of him. "One of my own?! You're not one of mine! We would never kill innocents just to feed a sick addiction!"
The giant man roared as he bent and grabbed James by the neck and crotch. "I'll show you what I think of traitors!" he bellowed as he lifted James up over his head and turned towards a fallen tree off to his right.
Hotch knew James wouldn't die from such an attack but he knew he'd be hurt severely, so he waited until the unsub's back was to him and then pulled his pistol and took aim. He also knew the bullet wouldn't stop the shifter, but he was hoping it would hurt him enough to give Hotch time to save James.
As soon as Hotch squeezed the trigger he took off and he was to the tree a millisecond before the bullet ripped into the back of the unsub's knee. The shock of the blast made the big man stumble but he still slammed James down intent on breaking him in half over the tree trunk, but Hotch grabbed James and tore him from the meaty hands and then quickly moved him off to the side as the unsub roared in anger and pain.
"Thank you," James gushed and Hotch nodded to him and then stood up to face the monster.
Spittle flew from the unsub's mouth from heavy breathing as he righted himself again and studied Hotch. When he started laughing, Hotch mentally winced. Oh shit.
