We continue the conversation with Emily and Derek. It goes on for a while, that's why I separated it over two chapters, to make it less heavy.
(o.s.)= voice over the speakerphone
CHAPTER 5 – The Crime Scene
I need to know more.
"How did you find the second crime scene?"
PRENTISS: Morgan and I retraced your steps last night for about a mile. You were walking barefoot and bleeding, that's how we followed your trail. It went through the industrial district: factories, warehouses... Then, thanks to the residues on your clothes, Reid and Crime Scene were able to narrow down our search to a shut down foundry. We found your shoes and socks outside, at the back of the building, and blood on the ground. We searched the building for part of the night.
It was dark; I don't remember how I got outside. I can't remember what the foundry looked like.
"And inside?"
MORGAN: The building was abandoned, empty, and unlocked. We found out that someone had turned off the alarm system. That means that whoever was in there knew the code, so maybe one of our guys was an ex-employee. We contacted the owner; he wasn't too happy to be waken up in the middle of the night! He said that when the company went belly up and they were emptying the building, several people were given the code and they probably shared it with others, since they had to dispose of all the machinery, equipment, furniture, and so on. So it could be an employee, a mover, a driver, a workman... We asked Garcia to work with the owner and try to produce a list of employees and other contacts.
PRENTISS: When we searched the place, we found one room with a table, two chairs, and an old mattress. There was garbage from a couple of take-out places. Next to it was a larger room where you had been held prisoners.
A large room, yes...
"What does it look like, the room?"
PRENTISS: They kept you in the old furnace room. It's a large space, probably not well lit in the daytime — there was no power in the entire building — but we saw it at night, so we're not sure. It's as big as a very big gymnasium, with high ceilings, windows high above the ground, concrete floors and walls... As far as we could tell in the dark, it was dusty, filthy, full of discarded metal debris, boxes, pieces of wood, a stepladder...
MORGAN: Do you remember the ladder? The boxes?
Why would I remember the garbage in the room?
"No..."
MORGAN: Okay. We found your jacket, soaked with blood — the blood wasn't yours, though! So we knew that you and at least one other person had been kept in there for a while. Then I guess Carla and Nicholas were moved to a new location. We're not sure if that was before, or after your escape, but most likely before, because that room was still locked when we got there. I don't think they would have bothered locking the door, or even gone ahead with the bank robbery if they'd known you had escaped. They never planned on coming back to check on you, either; the place was pretty much 100% escape-proof. Well, almost.
"The door?"
PRENTISS: The door was a heavy metal door with a solid deadbolt lock and a two by four across to secure it. There was a small double-pane window, heat and shock resistant, but from inside that room, you could not see out because the window was painted over.
That sounds familiar!
"What color?"
PRENTISS: I'm sorry?
"The window, what color was it painted?"
MORGAN: Black. The door was a dark red, I think. The room was the color of concrete with lots of black stains that we could see with our flashlights. Dirty and dusty; very dusty room.
Shit. It's not coming back to me.
Was I conscious?
Yes, I was near the boy...
Then his mom was with him, while I —
...
What was I doing? How did I escape?
Damn, I can't believe we're so close and yet... Nothing!
Is Nicholas still —
PRENTISS: Hotch? Anything?
"No."
MORGAN: I have an idea. Garcia? You're on speaker.
GARCIA (over speakerphone): My friends, I'm sorry, I do not have good news for you.
MORGAN: The bank?
GARCIA (o.s.): Yes, apparently the thieves have killed one person, wounded two, and have taken something like twelve hostages. I just saw JJ, far in the background on the live coverage on TV, they've just arrived.
MORGAN: What a mess. I guess things didn't go as smoothly as they'd planned.
PRENTISS: They did lose one of their men yesterday.
They should have dropped their plans, but went ahead with the holdup anyway, despite all that happened yesterday. That's bold, stupid, or desperate.
MORGAN: Obviously they thought they could pull it off even with one man short. That means that they probably need to rely on Christoph van Blerk's help and cooperation much more than initially planned. Does the man have any experience with weapons?
GARCIA (o.s.): Wow, great minds do think alike! Rossi just asked me the same question! Yes: he served in the Navy, 6 years... Communication expert, a warrant officer... training others...
PRENTISS: Did the kidnappers know that? Why did they pick van Blerk? How did they choose him and his family to do this?
MORGAN: Garcia, do you have that list from the owner of the foundry? Can you see if anyone has served in the Navy at the same time as van Blerk? If not, try to find any other connection from his past.
Good idea.
GARCIA (o.s.): I don't have it, yet, but I'm on it! I'm riding the wind, a tornado if necessary! I'll get back to you, pronto! Garcia, out!
MORGAN: If we can find the name of the second partner, we might be able to find out where they're keeping the victims.
The Navy, something about the Navy...
MORGAN: Hotch? Anything new?
"No, not really."
MORGAN: You need a break? You look tired.
"...Kettle black."
MORGAN: What's that?
"We'll all rest once this is over."
MORGAN: Yes, sir.
PRENTISS: Morgan, why did you want to speak to Garcia?
MORGAN: I thought I'd ask her to read the names on the list of the foundry's personnel to Hotch, see if it would jug his memory, but she's still trying to get it, so—
It won't be long, she's 'riding the wind'.
I, on the other hand, can feel myself slowing down to the pace of a snail.
I have no idea what I should try to remember, now. I had an idea a minute ago... What was it? The boy?
Jack.
"Have you heard from Jessica? Jack?"
PRENTISS: Yes. Rossi spoke with Jessica earlier. We thought you were sleeping, so Jess decided to call back later and maybe bring Jack after school.
Might be better to wait until tomorrow. I can barely move, or keep my eyes open!
PRENTISS: Hotch, we should tell you something: Jack wasn't told yesterday about your disappearance. We told Jess to tell Jack that — you were on a case, but that you were not going to be able to call him for a while. We didn't know how long it would take before we found out what happened to you.
Oh, hell. Poor Jessica. Didn't realize what she went through!
MORGAN: When the police found you, after eleven last night, we called her right away. She was quite relieved! She called the hospital this morning, but you were asleep, so she talked with Rossi and got an update.
"Maybe I should call her."
And tell her not to bring Jack, yet.
PRENTISS: If you're up to it. Do you want my phone?
"My phone! Where's my phone?"
MORGAN: Stay put! I think Dave's got it. She's okay, you know, Jessica. It can wait.
I can't think.
I wanted something.
"Where are my shoes?"
PRENTISS: I brought them, last night. They're here, with your socks and the rest of your clothes. Or what's left of them!
"Why did I leave my shoes—?"
PRENTISS: We think you couldn't see them in the dark. And with a second concussion, you probably were not in any shape to grope in the dark, looking for them.
MORGAN: Do you remember when or why you took them off?
"I have no idea."
MORGAN: Prentiss and I think we've figured it out.
I really have no idea.
PRENTISS: Speaking of phones—Go ahead, Garcia! You're on speaker!
GARCIA (on speakerphone): Okay, I've got everyone on conference call. Go ahead, sir.
ROSSI (o.s.): We've offered our support to the man in charge, Lt. McPherson, and told him about van Blerk and Paulie. They understand the situation. They say that three masked men have taken eleven people hostage in the bank. Two of the hostages have been injured, we don't know how serious their wounds are; the security guard is dead. Snipers can't see anything: they've closed the blinds, destroyed the security cameras. The situation is calm right now. We're negotiating for the release of the wounded; I'm helping with that and I'm trying to establish a rapport. I'll want van Blerk to know I'm old Navy, too. Having a connection with him, someone he might trust, could be useful later.
Can't ask for a better team to handle this case! They've accomplished so much in just 24 hours! I bet they'll get ahead of our unsub very soon... but will it be soon enough?
REID (o.s.): We believe that the situation would drastically change if we could find van Blerk's family and eliminate the hold they have on him. Any news on the third man's identity, Garcia?
GARCIA (o.s.): As I just told you when you called, I'm almost done researching the names on my new list— Oh! There he is! One guy! He served in the Navy with van Blerk, from 1989 to 1992, on the same ship! The USS Wasp.
ROSSI (o.s.): An amphibious attack ship, stationed in Norfolk. What's his name?
GARCIA (o.s.): Zachary Cole... I'm looking up his file...
They've found him!
Cole, Zack Cole...
The USS Cole... A ship?
Nope, it's still muddy.
Just a waste of...
MORGAN: Hotch?
"Sorry."
I feel like it's staring right at me, yet, it's just out of my reach.
GARCIA (o.s.): This guy's been in and out of prison since he was discharged from the Navy, dishonorably! Theft, extortion, a few bank robberies in 2002... He's lived in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware,... but—
ROSSI (o.s.): But?
GARCIA (o.s.): I have no current address for him. He disappeared off the map after his last jail term, in 2010. He probably has a new identity, a fake ID...
ROSSI (o.s.): Can you send us a list of the people he's been associated with? Old addresses, etc.
GARCIA (o.s.): I've already sent you his whole file, to all your phones, you should see it within seconds.
ROSSI (o.s.): Thank you, Garcia. Anything new at your end, Morgan?
MORGAN: No, nothing yet.
ROSSI (o.s.): Reid, JJ, and I will try to profile our gang and advise the police the best we can. But if you need our help in finding where the van Blerk family might be, let us know!
GARCIA (o.s.) AND MORGAN: Will do!
Come on, focus... Something about a ship... Or a boat?
I swear, I was sure this was going to be the next to the last chapter, but it got stretched a bit longer than I thought. I hope you feel as frustrated and impatient as Hotch does (sorry for being so mean)! All the answers very soon.