Since I've been receiving some follows and favorites recently, I felt like updating in case you all are waiting to see where this goes. Thank you to all that have been following and favoriting me and my stories! I haven't posted in a while because I feel like people have lost interest, but those follows and favorites changed my mind a little, so here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Morgan and Prentiss returned to the station half an hour later. The group gathered around the rectangular table, except Riley who was otherwise occupied entertaining Lila in the other room. Busy, uninterested police officers walked by the table a few times but were no bother to the team as they discussed their next move.
"The neighbors didn't know much about them," Morgan says. "They didn't think the Franklins' had any enemies, but they also didn't talk to them much. None of the close neighbors saw anyone come or go last night and they also didn't see Lila wandering around the neighborhood." Prentiss nods as he finishes, confirming everything he said to be true.
"Alright so no known enemies; what did the Franklins' do again?" Rossi asks.
"Mr. Franklin was an anesthesiologist and Mrs. Franklin was a stay at home mom," Hotch answers.
"Maybe it was a relative of one of Mr. Franklin's patients. Something might have gone wrong and the unsub blamed the Franklins'." Prentiss adds.
"Morgan, call up Garcia and see if any of Dr. Franklin's patients had any kind of complications," instructs Hotch.
Morgan nods, pulls out his phone to dial. It only rings once before Garcia's voice is audible.
"What doth thou wish to know-eth?"
"Hey baby girl, we need you to check a list of patients for us."
"Sure, lay it on me."
"Can you look up Dr. Franklin's patient list and tell us if anyone has ever died under his care or if there were ever any complications."
Typing can be heard in the background as Garcia mutters,"Hmmm ok this could be a little difficult, most doctors and professionals have to keep everything confidential but I might be able to get in through….the fire…wall and okay got it! No, there's nothing, no deaths and no complications. This guy is just very good at what he does. Or was very good at what he did…you get the idea."
"Alright, thanks baby doll," Morgan says as he hangs up. Shaking his head at Hotch and the rest of the team, he tells them there was nothing like that in the man's records. He was squeaky clean.
"Then what could the motive be?" Rossi asks aloud. "If it's not a grudge then maybe greed?"
"That would make sense. It doesn't take a genius to know they were raking in the cash, anyone could see that from the street. Maybe someone got greedy and desperate enough to kill them? They could have simply been victims of chance," Prentiss says.
"But there was no money or valuables missing, only Lila was missing…" J.J responds right before another voice spooks everyone.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Everyone looks to the doorway of the interview room to see Riley standing against the door frame watching the discussion with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Isn't what obvious?" Hotch inquires, suspiciously.
"Oh come on," Riley says as she walks away from the door and paces parallel to the table, not interfering with any of the chairs. "you guys have to be thinking it too. It has to do with Him."
No one speaks for a moment. It's true, they were thinking it, but no one was brave enough to say it out loud. They were dancing around the answer, never wanting to hit the target.
Riley takes the silence as an invitation to continue, "He wouldn't do this himself, no; he's too smart for that. He would have someone who has a connection to them do it. He would find the poor man's weakness and use it against him. Make him see his own weakness and then turn it into a weapon, a weapon that could solve all of his problems…" Her voice fades at the end of monologue as she rambles more to herself. She looks down as she paces now, concentrating on her train of thought.
"But who would hold a grudge against them? It can't be from the husband's job and it's doubtful Mrs. Franklin would have enemies from her home," Rossi retaliates.
"Then we're back to greed," Riley says, still pacing with her head down.
"But that could be anyone, everyone gets greedy. Not everyone gets this greedy, but it's not exactly a characteristic that's easily identified at a glance. How would we find him?" J.J asks.
"Well there is one way to put an end to all of this…" Riley states as she finally stops her pacing to look at the agents in front of her.
Reid looks up at her and practically shouts, "No. Not happening."
Riley slams her hands down on the table. "Please! There's no other choice!"
"There's always another choice. And this time we have to take it."
Steaming with anger and impatience, Riley thinks up a reason for Reid to let her go. Isn't the fact that He went through all this enough reason? What would happen if I don't come? Will He even be there? It doesn't matter who's there waiting for me. It only matters if I'm there. What would convince him? Nothing, the only thing he wants is my safety…this couldn't be more difficult.
Before Riley could throw in her rebuttal, Hotch cut in, "Reid's right, you're not going."
Her eyes widen and her jaw drops fractionally. At first she's shocked and speechless, but the anger from before returns, strengthens, and locks onto its next victim.
"Why not?" she asks through clenched teeth.
"It's too dangerous. We don't know who's out there waiting for you and we don't know what they're planning. We aren't taking that risk."
"But this is our only chance! If the killer's there we can catch him!"
"And what if he kills you on the spot first. He might just be luring you," Reid adds.
She hesitates but replies, "Then surround the place and take him afterwards. Besides, He wouldn't allow that; he hasn't gotten what He wants yet."
"It doesn't matter. We aren't taking the risk," Hotch states.
"This could be our only chance of catching him and we're letting it go! Why not go after Him before he goes after someone else?! It could be another innocent family! Or even worse, He might just snap and come after you guys without my help after all. He isn't a patient person. We have to stop Him before He stops us!" Energy and emotion pours out of Riley. Exasperation strengthens her words as she tries to make her friends realize how dangerous this man can be. It's like trying to hammer a nail into a rock. Nothing she says will get them to change their minds.
"I said no, Riley! This conversation is over. No one is going there tonight. No one. Am I clear?"
Riley looks across the table at him and holds his gaze for a moment. She lets out a weak sigh and knows she is defeated. There's nothing she can do, if Hotch says no then she's not going.
"Yes sir," is Riley's only response before she stands up straight and leaves the main room to go back to Lila.
Reid makes eye contact with her as she leaves the room a disgruntled mess. The way she's been acting lately has been out of sorts but looking into her eyes he could see the girl he was so used to. She was still in there, trapped, confused, wanting this to be over, and scared it never will be. She's stuck in her own mind, deciding whether she should run and hide from Him or stay and fight, protecting those she cares about. She's trapped in there, and I don't know how to help her.
Eight o'clock comes and goes without an event. The team remained in the police station trying to find motives and other suspects. Riley stayed with Lila as they awaited a family member to come and pick her up. Riley, as entertained with Lila as she is, couldn't stop thinking whether someone was waiting at the park for her or not.
Was He there? Where did He go when He realized I wasn't coming; when no one was? What if it wasn't even Him, He might have sent His latest "follower". You know what, this was too high risk for Him, I bet He didn't come. But it still would have been worth it to be there and find out…
A soft vibration startles Riley from her thoughts. She pulls her phone out of her jeans pocket and checks the screen. As curious as she was, she takes a moment to tell Lila she's stepping out for a moment. Riley steps out into the main room, glances at her team in front of her, and shuts the door behind her.
With a click of the OK button she answers, "Wren? What do you need, bud?"
A deeper voice than she was expecting replies, "Wren can't come to the phone at the moment so I'll have to answer for him. And while I have you on the line, we have a little business to attend to. Why didn't you come to my meeting early? I got word that you hadn't shown."
Riley's jaw drops, for the second time today, and her eyes grow wider than ever before. She knows that voice. It's Him. Calm down, Riley. He might not have Wren. It might just be his phone. Stay calm. She is taken off-guard and needs a moment to regain her equilibrium. She composes herself and keeps up the conversation.
"So you weren't there either. Why would you want me to go to the park by myself?"
"Someone else was there...but that doesn't matter now…"
"Then what does? Why did you call me from this phone?"
"I just wanted to tell you about this friend of yours I have here. Small boy, very smart though. You should be proud, I know how much you care about him." She can practically hear the smug grin he has as he says this.
Anger surges through her body like electricity. Riley knows exactly who he's talking about. Wren. She clenches her teeth and threatens, "If you touch a hair on his head, I swear..."
"Oh, Riley, let's not make any promises we can't keep shall we?"
Riley looks up and sees intrigued, curious eyes watching her. She can't handle them right now too. She turns away from their relentless stares and continues her conversation.
"Just let him go." Her threatening tone vanishes and is replaced with desperation.
"You know I can't do that Riley. I'm going to need something in return."
"...I have nothing to tell you."
An eerie silence is followed by the short scream of a child. She bites her lip before her emotions pour out.
"Don't hurt him!"
A soft whimper comes through the phone, "Riley."
"Wren! Just hang on buddy okay? I'll be right there!"
"So I can finally meet you voluntarily?" The deeper voice returns with an arrogant tone.
Riley bows her head in defeat. He's won this battle, but I will win this war. "Where are you?"
"I think you can figure it out yourself. I would hurry though, I might be a little tempted to keep doing this."
There's another pause before a high-pitched scream.
"Leave him alone!"
The person on the other line hangs up with a click. She takes a deep calming breath and turns to her audience. A line of curious eyes comes into sight as soon as she makes the turn. They seem to beg questions. Who was that? What were you talking about? Who's Wren? What's going on? Thinking of a way to answer these questions best, Riley decides there is only one thing she can tell them; the truth.
She clears her throat but before anything can come out Reid interjects, "That was Him, wasn't it?"
"Yes," she replies in a heartbeat. "We have to get back to D.C. He has a…friend of mine…and"
"Just stop. What are you trying to do here?" Reid stops her again.
Confused, Riley looks at him with concern, "What're you talking about, Reid?"
"Is this a game to you? Or are you being serious? Because I really can't tell."
"Reid! I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!" she answers, mouth gaping in bewilderment.
He stands up and gesticulates with every word, "Oh come on! I know you've been texting Him."
Riley's mouth shuts and presses into a hard line. "You went through my stuff."
"It was just there and I was curious. But that's not the point…"
She moves closer and slams her hands down on the table, "Then what is the point?! That was my business, Reid! Not yours! This has nothing to do with you!"
"What aren't you telling us Riley? I read that last message! He wants you to watch your back; from who? From us?"
Riley looks away from his fiery eyes, "You shouldn't have done that, Reid. This has nothing to do with you. You don't know anything."
He reaches across the table to touch her hand but she pulls away. "Then explain it so I can understand."
Riley staggers backward in a haze, never lifting her eyes from the floor. The entire table is frozen in a perpetual stare, wondering what's going on. She walks into the wall behind her and jumps slightly.
As if that argument hadn't happened, Riley replies, "I..I just have to get back to D.C. He...He has my foster brother."
"This boy means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Rossi asks.
Riley nods her head slowly. "I watch out for him. No one else does, so I do." She laughs dryly to herself. "Wren came to the home one month after I did. His parents would beat him senseless almost every day until they were killed by a drunk driver. None of his relatives wanted him. He was bounced from one bad foster home to another before he ended up here, the worst one of them all. He's been to Hell and back. And now I just put him back in there."
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Riley looks up at the people in front of her. "I try and protect him and only make his life worse."
J.J stands and walks over to Riley. "Riley, this isn't your fault. We can still save him."
She moves away from the caring hand and spits, "There is no 'we.' I'm going by myself. I don't need you guys; I'll do this by myself." She takes a long look at Reid. "I can't trust anyone anymore."
Ignoring the incredulous looks, Riley picks up her backpack, and heads for the door.
"Riley wait! I'm sorry. I'm sorry I broke your trust but don't turn your back on us now. We can help you!" Reid tries to reason as a last resort to calm her down and get her to stay.
"I don't want your help anymore. You're more useful here, looking for nothing."
"What are you going to do? Riley wait, we can work this out together," Reid asks, hoping desperately to get through to her, to get her to stay.
"I'll think of something on my own, I don't need any of you," she says as she pushes the door open and leaves the police station; never hesitating or glancing back.
The cool night air is welcoming. It seems to cool the fiery temper within her and her mind begins to settle. Did I do the right thing? What other options do I have? I can't trust anyone, not even Reid…I really thought he was on my side…
Her footsteps echo off the brick buildings as she passes each alleyway. The bus station is only a few blocks away but it seems like miles to Riley; miles that stand between her and Wren. She lets out a long sigh and looks up at the setting sun. When will this ever end?
This is one of my favorite chapters because I love to write arguments and I love conflict. So feel free to review what you think! And as always, follow or favorite if you like what you read!