AN: With help from an awesome Beta. This and chapter four will be up tonight before new BOK!

Chapter Three

An unjust death

Stretching feet

Sitting in the back of the car with Lloyd, Elizabeth kept playing with her fingers, she knew Charlie told them to stay in the car while he checked out the cabin, but she felt itching to get out of the car. She spent too long looking at the back of Erica's head; she thought she was going to die of boredom.

Lloyd felt his eyes sneaking a peak out the window, he closed it quickly before meeting Elizabeth's gaze. "He hates me," He said to her unasked question, but he put his thumb near his mouth biting the skin.

"Yeah, kinda got that impression." She turned to face Lloyd. "Stop doing that!" She pulled his hand away from his mouth, both of their eyes looking down to their hands.

Lloyd felt her grip let go before inhaling sharp. "Well I'm warning you, and I'm saying this because I'm scared." He felt his hand going to her knee feeling her tense, "I don't think you'd be safe, because you fit the profile of their victims."

"Yeah, I kinda get that," Elizabeth touched his hand moving it off her knee. "But I trust that Charlie will be able to protect us." She felt Erica's stare from the rear view mirror.

She'd been watching them for a while, but Erica just couldn't put her finger on it, she was always good at picking up on people's emotions around her as she looked to the house now seeing Charlie step out looking worried. "I think this is the place." She opened the door getting out.

Elizabeth opened the car door, turning to Lloyd seeing the look on his face, "I'm sorry," Reaching over she touched his shoulder. "We'll get these guys before they can hurt anyone." She squeezed letting him get out of the car.

Walking up into the cabin Charlie was quick to stop Elizabeth from looking into the bathroom, "You don't want to go in there." He whispered pointing away, "It's not good."

Lloyd stepped forward placing his hands on Elizabeth's arms moving her aside, he peaked in to step back, and looking at Elizabeth he felt sick. "Before they hurt anyone huh!" He moved away from the bathroom starting to look around the place for a clue.

Before Charlie could stop her Elizabeth stepped into the bathroom seeing the body, her hand going to her mouth quickly leaving, she followed Lloyd to a bedroom sitting down. "Fuck!"

"Yeah, I know," He turned around seeing her face. "You see. This is why they should have done what I said." He referred to the courts sentencing.

Brushing her hands into her hair Elizabeth exhaled loudly, Lloyd walked over to her touching the top of her head. "Are you going to be okay?" He crouched down to be eye level with her.

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes, she nodded, "I'm fine," She whispered feeling his hand touch her cheek, "Lloyd…"

He kept still for a second, "You mean that?" He asked pushing her hair behind her shoulder, he never stopped staring into her eyes trying to find her tell that let him know she was upset.

She nodded again, "Lloyd, you're sweet," Her hand resting on his shoulder standing up. "Thank you." She softly kissed his cheek heading out of the bedroom walking behind Charlie on the phone.

Lloyd got to his feet touching his face, "Damn…" He muttered starting to look around the room for anything he could find to help the case.

"Any other properties in the Marge's name?" He asked her on Loud Speaker, he gave Elizabeth a quick look over before focusing back on the phone.

Elizabeth stood still listening to Julianne. "Just the one you're in and it wasn't even in her name. She leashed it with cash, using the fifth fake I.D I've traced back to her so far. But I'll keep looking"

"Alright," Charlie hung up the phone, his attention going to Lloyd standing behind Elizabeth looking nervous.

Lloyd didn't like this. He shifted from one foot to the other studying over Charlie. "They're coming back here."

"What makes you so sure?" Charlie asked, he could tell Elizabeth was starting to search for something; he now turned his attention back to Lloyd.

Trying to keep his tone carefully Lloyd could see Elizabeth looking over a book shelf, "The third victim Erin Ning after Damien and Brent raped and killed her they left her in a tub for twenty four hours. While they went out and had a steak dinner and caught an eight o'clock showing of Co dela monyo. Then they came back and dismembered her." He turned to look at Erica, "The good news is they are probably sustained, temporarily." He clapped feeling like he got the events right.

Erica stepping forward carefully, "What was the shortest amount of time between abductions before they were caught?"

"Three months," Lloyd said, his eyes going over to Elizabeth watching him, he knew she was paying close attention to everything he was saying now. "So all occasions point back to them coming back to finish the job."

"So we're guessing Marge was raped," Erica slowly down, she felt her eyes shifting to Elizabeth still standing there playing with her hands.

Before Erica could say anything else Lloyd snapped in, "She's naked in a tub, do you think we have to do a patch smear?" He pointed to the body, but he felt Erica's eyes glaring before titled her head towards Elizabeth. "Oh God I," He exhaled.

"Lloyd…" Charlie tried to calm the situation.

Erica rolled her eyes, "I thought they were only into co-ed types." She folded her arms.

"Don't sound disappointed," Lloyd said to her before turning back to Charlie. "Let's focus."

"I'm just hoping they got what they needed from Marge to hold them over three months." Erica felt Elizabeth standing beside her; she could tell the girl was getting tired of being walked around like she was fragile.

Charlie inhaled. "They maybe have changed their MO; they sure had time to come up with a new one." He kept his tone calm; he knew there was no point in bickering. "We secure this location in case they come back, but carry on looking for them."

Elizabeth rubbed under her nose listening to Lloyd's phone ring; He lifted it up checking the number. "It's blocked."

"Answer it on loud speaker," Charlie stood closer to the phone, and Erica lightly wrapped an arm around Elizabeth giving her a light squeeze.

Lloyd pressed the answer button feeling nervous, "Hello…"

"Doctor Lowery?" The voice spoke, and Lloyd swallowed a dry lump in the back of his through feeling sick, he took a step away from the group.

"Yes," He kept trying everything he could to keep a level head.

"It's been a long time, remember me?" Damien's voice coming through the speaker made Elizabeth keep close to Erica.

Lloyd sat down on a sofa looking to the phone, "Of course I do." He glanced up to the others; he knew he needed to keep it going for a possible trace.

"Not very well Doc huh?" Damien replied, his tone was smooth as if he was untouchable, "You stood on that stand and said I was insane," He carried on with a dark edge to his tone of voice. "And I actually thought you understood me."

Lloyd found it hard to keep calm, "Could you give me another chance please?" He asked, for a moment glancing up to Charlie, he felt all eyes of the room on him now.

"I would but I think you lost yourself, sending in that whore trying to trick Brent." Elizabeth turned to look at Erica, the girls both standing still listening to the conversation. "You actually thought that would work," Damien carried on. "Keep it up there Doc, practice makes perfect."

Listening to the phone going dead Elizabeth moved from Erica's side to sit beside Lloyd wrapping an arm around him, she could see all the colour had drained from his face as he slowly closed the phone.

"You going to be okay?" Erica asked seeing the moment between Elizabeth and Lloyd, she could tell he was distressed.

Charlie stepped forward, "I'm gonna get Julianne to trace the call." He went for his phone.

Elizabeth felt Lloyd getting to his feet; she kept sitting down staring up at him, his face changing into an expression she never thought he could pull. "I wanna be armed," His tone dead serious, it was strange to hear it coming from his mouth. "If we're going any further after Damien I want to be armed!" He snapped.

Charlie shook his head, "No cons get weapons Lloyd." He tried to keep this under control, but didn't see Lloyd getting the message. "Just stand behind me and Erica." He turned walking away.

Elizabeth glanced up to Erica before back at Lloyd, she stood up trying to calm him down, but saw Lloyd's attention going to a pair of scissors.

Lloyd picked them up; he studied over the blade thinking of the best way to use them as a weapon. "No, Lloyd. No…" Erica whispered watching Lloyd walking away; he pocketed the scissor ignoring Erica. "He's going to be in so much trouble if Charlie finds out."

"Then we make sure he doesn't," Elizabeth followed behind Lloyd, she never seen this side to him before, and as worried as she was for his safety, she didn't want to begrudge him the right to want to defend himself.

It was a good idea for Elizabeth to take a walk; it wasn't much of a walk as she found herself standing outside a seven eleven. Hands in her pockets she rocked back and forth on her feet looking over the sign, she exhaled going to open the door, but felt a hand on her shoulder. "You need anything?"

"Ray," Elizabeth's eyes meeting Ray's, "I'm good, just thinking of…" she laughed, "I was thinking of buying a pack of smokes." She waved.

Ray laughed, "Smokes," He looked to the store, "Well as long as it's just that." He looked over her face, "You need to tell me something?"

"This promotion with Charlie," Elizabeth took her hands out of her pockets, "I mean if he does leave, then big change the team will be shut down, and Julianne and me…" she stopped talking, "It doesn't matter."

"You'll be out of jobs and miss my ugly mug," He touched her shoulder. "Nothing is set in stone right now, so I think we need to relax."

"Hence why I'm getting the smokes," Elizabeth pushed the door open stepping inside, Ray staying on the outside, "I'll be fine, just do what you gotta do." She watched him disappear.

Heading over the counter looking over the clerk, "How can I help you?" The clerk was a tall man with a dirty shirt on, he looked over Elizabeth for a few seconds before smirking.

Feeling crept out Elizabeth just pointed, "Packet of smoke and box of matches." She paused, "No scratch that, give me a light." Her hands reaching into her jacket pocket for her purse taking money out as the clerk put her things on the counter.

"Thank you," The man held a hand out for the money, his eyes watching as she picked the things up dropping the notes down away from his hand.

"Keep the change," Elizabeth rushed out of the store, she could see Charlie going into the room.

Taking a smoke from the packet she didn't rush to go back, she sat outside listening to Charlie giving a speech, she would have walked in, but still felt weird being on the team, inhaling more of her smoke she closed her eyes listening to Charlie leaving, it wasn't long before he was followed by Ray going into their own room.

Flicking the butt away Elizabeth knocked on the door, in a few seconds Shea opened looking over her, "I thought you had your own room?" He asked.

"I do," Elizabeth replied, her eyes scanning inside the room, "I'll give you a smoke if you drop the attitude." She held up the packet and Shea took one with the lighter stepping out.

Lloyd kept on the bed as Erica had gone into the bathroom to get dressed, his eyes scanning Elizabeth sitting on the other bed, "Seems tense."

"You can say that," He looked to the smokes in her hand, "Those things will kill you." He pointed out.

"Yes, and I think with everything going on, I can risk it." She moved from the bed she was on sitting next to him, "So," her eyes studying over his, "I'm stuck here the night."

"You're helping the case," He found his hand awkwardly trying to go somewhere without touching her. "How's everything at home?" He wanted to talk about anything but the task force; his mind couldn't handle the idea of the team being over.

Elizabeth let a small smile slip, "Good, me and Julianne got our own place," she nodded. "It's small, but we both don't take up much room, plus Julianne loves the view from the bedroom she picked."

"You moved out your mom's place," He nodded. "You two seem to be well bonded, have a great relationship regarding the fact you choose to live away from your mom."

"Well Jules chose to move, I got thrown out," Elizabeth waved her hands, "big fight with my mom, some not so kind words was exchanged."

Lloyd patted her knee. "I see," He then moved his hand away, "are we going to be awkward with each other?"

"Awkward as in?" Elizabeth asked slowly. She didn't really know how to act around Lloyd anymore; she felt she still wanted to be his friend, even if she could feel the ways his eyes looked at her.

"As in, we've never really spoke about what happened that day," His eyes going to the door, he could see Shea through the window with the smoke, but felt relieved to see him now talking to Ray. "It's hard to know where I stand."

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip, "There's not much to talk about Lloyd, we had sex." she started feeling her hands running up her thighs. "It's not something we planned on doing, and it's weird because I'm pretty sure I am never seeing you in the same light again."

"Oh," Lloyd watched her getting to her feet. "If it was my performance, I don't have much to go on from there, because I'm not big with the ladies." He watched her put the smokes into her pocket.

Elizabeth covered her mouth as she giggled, "Lloyd, really?" Studying over him, she shook her head.

"Well not many times I can ask about my…" He glanced down.

Elizabeth closed her eyes for a second, and he could tell that she was trying to keep her voice down with Erica just in the next room. "If it gives you any comfort, I don't regret it," She lightly giggled. "Just, I think we both needed something from the other, and it was just connecting to another human and not feeling so alone."

"Yeah," Lloyd smiled watching her walking to the door, "I don't regret it either," He said watching her hand on the handle, "I'm just saying so it's out there."

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning," Elizabeth opened the door stepping out; she closed her eyes for a second opening them to see Ray and Shea staring at her. "I'm gonna go bed, so I'll see you two later." She took her key card out going into the next room. She glanced around knowing she had it all to herself, but sitting on the one bed her eyes went to the wall thinking of what was just said between her and Lloyd before she crashed back into the mattress closing her eyes