They heard the voices as they approached the barn.
"Sydney, why are you doing this?" was the plaintive cry. "You're my sister!"
"No – You're the sister. I'm the Nothing," was the harsh reply. "And I'm tired of it. I'm tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes. I want to be a – a Something. And, I want it now!"
"Dad's gone," was the plea. "Now you can be anything you want."
As they peered through the crack between the barn's two main doors, the BAU team could see that Mary's arms were pulled up over her head and attached to a chain which was hanging from a hook on one of the barn's beams. Sydney was standing in front of her holding a long butcher's knife, with a Philips head screwdriver protruding from her back pocket.
"I want a normal life," the tirade continued. "But the only way I can have one is if I leave here."
"So, go," Mary encouraged her. "I won't stop you and neither will Marcus."
"Oh no, you and your precious boyfriend won't stop me – Because you'll end up with the business. The one I was forced to slave in day after day after day. Constantly on display so everyone could come in and see the freak!" Sydney shouted angrily.
Rossi looked over at Hotch and nodded. Holstering his weapon, he pushed one half of the barn door open and stepped inside.
"Sydney?" he asked. "Sydney Masters?"
The distraught woman turned her head to look at him.
Rossi held his hands up so she could see that he wasn't holding anything.
"Sydney, I'm David Rossi of the FBI and I just want to talk with you. Is that okay?" he asked.
The young woman stared mutely at him.
"Sydney, that's a pretty name," Rossi commented.
"I'm not pretty," the woman turned partially around and everyone could see that she was apparently attempting to let her hair grow out, and that it was now lying down, messily plastered to her scalp.
"Maybe not at the moment," Rossi agreed. "However, with some new clothes, and I can see that you have been working on growing your hair out."
The woman self-consciously reached for her head.
"Now, you can't try on new clothes while you are holding that knife," Rossi pointed out. "Why don't you put it down and come over here and talk with me?"
He took another step closer to her.
"Listen to the man, Sydney," Mary spoke up. "He is trying to help us."
"You don't need any help," Sydney spit out as she turned to again face her sister. "You have always had everything – The clothes, the hair, the boyfriends. While I was stuck in these overalls with my head shaved and not even allowed to wear a bra!"
She waved the knife around wildly and took a step closer to Mary. "NO!" she screamed. "Not Any More!"
As Rossi stepped to one side, a shot rang out.