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Chapter Seventeen.
Being one of the sober ones meant that making sure everyone got home fell onto my shoulders. Reid was far too exhausted to drive a vehicle so he sat in the front with me while the intoxicated ones messed around in the back. Honestly it was like driving home a bunch of teenagers! I decided if I was invited out again to make sure I did have a few to drink, just so I could tolerate them in this state.
Once everyone was home safe, I pulled up to my flat building and parked – a large yawn causing me to pause a moment and stretch before I got out. I was drained, not only was the case mentally and physically draining but trying to keep up with the team tonight was far harder than I expected. They asked so many questions, asking me about London and my previous job – not only that they asked quite a few more personal questions too which made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Thankfully Reid managed to keep me busy talking to him, I learnt quite a bit about him too which was nice – I liked talking to him, he made me feel rather calm.
I walked up the stairs, trying to fight back a second yawn. As I reached the top of the stairs I saw a bright white light flash a moment, I stopped stunned – my eyes looking around. "What the hell...?" I rubbed my tired eyes and put it down to an electrical fault or my imagination. "Time for bed..." I whispered, unlocking my door and walking inside – kicking the door shut with my foot before locking it behind me.
"I should text Reid." I took out my phone and dropped him a text to tell him I got back safe, I'd like to add he was the one who asked me to do that – usually I wouldn't but I couldn't say no to him. I removed the clothes from my go bag and shoved them into my washing machine, turning it on and then grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. I took a few gulps on my way to my bedroom, kicking off my shoes before putting the water down on the bedside table to remove the rest of my clothing. I yawned again, pulling away the covers and falling in – cocooning myself in the duvet before I fell asleep.
In the middle of the night I woke up, thinking I saw another bright flash – my hand searched for the lamp switch and once I'd turned it on, I scanned the room, my eyes barely able to focus. "I'm going crazy..." I muttered before I switched the lamp off and pressed my face back into the pillow, falling back to sleep.
When I woke up the next morning, I got dressed and went to the gym. I needed to work out, it helped me stay in control – it helped me let out the anger I usually contain. Luckily this gym had a fair bit of boxing equipment alongside the usual gym machines like the treadmill or static bike. I was there for just over an hour before I was stood at the door of my flat again, my hands shaking from the intensity of my exercise. I am definitely going to feel the burn later. As I opened the door I felt something scrape along the floor, my eyes looking down at the brown envelope – my name scribbled rather harshly across it.
I turned and peaked out into the hall, my eyes scanning the area again before I stepped inside and shut the door – locking it again behind me before I picked up the A4 sized envelope. I walked into the living room and ripped open the top, sliding out its contents onto the table.
"Holy shit..."
My eyes were currently looking at photos of me, some were of me walking around a shop, others getting out my car or walking down the hallway to my flat. "What the hell is this?" I grabbed two, the first one was me arriving at Washington Dulles airport and the other was of me sleeping! I dropped the photos down and shook my head, pulling at my hair. Who the hell could be doing this? I clenched my fists in anger, taking a deep breath before I broke something. It's fine, I'll just take them into the BAU and get them to help me, they'd do that...Right?
After I showered and got dressed, I stuffed the envelope into my go bag – feeling my gun was fastened to my hip. I suddenly felt very conscious of leaving the house – the flashes I saw yesterday must have been this stalker taking the photos. I checked I had everything before I grabbed my keys and left my flat, locking up again before I walked – very quickly I may add – to my car. My eyes studying my surrounds the whole time. Whoever this person was, they will not get away with it. They tend to show themselves, I just have to start to note down the same people who keep popping up where I am. Simple.
I got into my car, throwing my bag onto the passenger seat before pulling away – my fingers tapping nervously against the steering wheel.
When I walked into the office, I felt so god damn vulnerable – I hated it! I walked to my desk and dumped my stuff down angrily. My hands running through my hair as I took a few deep breaths. Stay calm, they will help sort this out... It will be fine. How bad can this person be?
"Davis, come on we're waiting on you." Rossi called from outside the meeting room.
"I'm coming." I replied, grabbing the envelope out the bag and jogging up the stairs to walk into the meeting room.
"What have we got...?" I asked as I sat down, the envelope still tightly in my grip.
"So, the Metropolitan Police Department have invited us in on this case. So far three women around the age of twenty-eight and thirty-three have been found murdered." JJ put the images up on the screen and my stomach dropped.
"The women are all red haired, they have been sexually assaulted and tortured before the Unsub finally kills them and dumps the body."
"The way the Unsubs positioned them shows that they feel remorse." Reid added and I began to bounce my knee again.
"Did the person cut the hair?" I blurted out and they looked at me, JJ nodding.
"The coroners report's show that the hair was cut after death."
"Any other factors that link these women?" Morgan asked, drawing the attention from me.
"Not that they've put together yet." JJ replied and I slid the envelope onto the table, swallowing deeply.
"I think I could probably help with that part guys..."
"What's this?" Hotch asked as his picked it up.
"I found it slid underneath my door this morning." I looked at him as he pulled out the images, his eyes immediately turning back to me.
"These go back to when you arrived in the city." He said, placing the images on the table for everyone to see. Damn I felt so bloody exposed right now.
"I know... I thought it was a straight forward stalker case but then I come in and see this?" I shook my head, looking through the file and looking at the recent victims.
"This Unsub has to be my stalker, it's too much of a coincidence for it not to be." I brought my knee up to my chest, my eyes looking at the teams faces as they studied the images.
"Red, have you noticed anyone following you?" Morgan asked from beside me, I shook my head.
"Honestly no, I don't know who this person could be. I'm normally here or away on a case. By the time I get a chance to do anything it's usually early morning or late in the evening. I don't have time to stop and socialise."
"He was in your home." Reid said and I looked at him from across the table.
"He was..." I paused, looking at the image of me sleeping, my finger tapping it. "I'm pretty sure this photo was taken last night."
"Was there any indication of forced entry?" Rossi asked and I sat up a bit, thinking.
"Not that I saw, I locked the door – I'm on the third floor so climbing up to my balcony would be pretty difficult."
"Not if they broke in to the apartment next door it wouldn't." Prentiss added and I looked back down at the images, going silent. I usually kept it locked but I didn't check it last night, if I checked it and it wasn't locked then maybe he wouldn't have been able to get in.
"Right I'm sending Morgan and Reid with you back to your apartment, they can see if there's anything you could have missed. Rossi and Prentiss, you go to the morgue, JJ and I will head to the station. If this Unsub is doing this then we know what the final outcome will be." Hotch stood, looking down at me.
"It ends up with me dead..." I stood up, watching JJ move the images into her file.
"Red, we won't let that happen." Morgan rubbed the top of my back and I nodded.
"Do whatever you need to do to catch this creep."
The team broke up and Morgan and Reid stayed behind as I just looked at the images of the women of the screen. "This Unsub did this because he didn't want to do it to me... Not yet..."
"Clara are you sure you want to be a part of this?" Reid asked and I looked at the two of them.
"Doc, I can't go home. I couldn't just sit at my desk knowing that this bastard is out there – killing these women because he's doing a trail run before he gets to the real thing."
"Red..."
"Don't Red me Morgan, you'd do the exact same if it was you." I took a deep breath. "Whoever this person is, they knew exactly when I was going to arrive in DC, when I was going to be home. They've studied my routine..."
"This Unsub is organised but something will throw him and he will mess up. We will catch him." Morgan said as he walked to the door. "Let's go."