Chapter 5
It has been four days since the team arrived in Boston in search of the serial murderer on the loose.
While investigating, there were two more murders at a local lake. They had leads but still stumbled in finding out who it was due to there being no witnesses at the scene.
"The last two murders were more sadistic. He stabbed both victims 12 times." Tara says with a frown while looking at the crime photos.
"He is becoming more disorganized. The way the last two kills that were executed shows that he is unable to control his anger anymore." Reid states.
"We know he has no connection to the victims. All of them are just victims of opportunity," JJ says.
"It's about the environment. The unsub must have some sort of ritualistic motive or suffered some sort of trauma near a lake or body of water."
"I don't see anything that can point out to the killing being connected to ritual practices," Reid points out.
"So it can be a trauma that he suffered. The amount of rage shows that it is something that is accumulated over time."
"So that means that this trauma most likely happened during his childhood," Rossi chimes in.
"We said that the bag was his signature. What if he suffered some sort of torture that involved suffocation?"
"Garcia, search for any police records that involve crimes near lakes or streams in the state. It had to happen roughly thirty years ago," Emily says.
"It is surprising the number of crimes that happen in lakes, this is why I am an indoors person," the tech girl commented.
"I have a long list here. I need something else to lower it down."
"We said that the Unsub was tortured during his childhood," Alvez said.
"What if it was on a school trip or at a camp? Bullying can be pretty brutal."
Garcia starts typing down Luke's suggestion.
"The newbie agent is right. I see a lot of records regarding bullying. Some of them are just awful. Thank goodness I'm out of school."
"Search for any schools or camps near a lake in search of similar records," Emily says.
"Yes, mam. I will get back to you guys in a few." Garcia tells them and hangs up.
The team starts gathering information to find out where the unsub will target next. They were all looking over files, with Reid leading the geographical profile.
While analyzing the crime board, Emily receives a phone call. She answers quickly without looking at the caller ID.
"Prentiss," she says with a dominant tone. A tone she would use in her line of work.
"Sheesh. You sound like a scary dictator," Dani replies on the other end of the line.
Emily gives a slight chuckle. Of course, Daniela would say that. She steps outside the office and talks to Dani in the hallway.
"Hey, honey. Sorry. I didn't see it was you. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Everything is fine. I just wanted to tell you that I am going to spend the night at Emma's," Dani told her.
"If you let me of course."
"Sure thing, as long as you don't get in any trouble."
"Ha. Trouble is my middle name," Dani replies.
Emily shakes her head with a grin, imagining the smug face Dani has on right now.
"You little troublemaker," she commented.
"You know me so well. I am flattered," Dani said. "How's the case?"
Emily lets out a small sigh.
"We are getting there. We are missing a few pieces of the puzzle."
"I'm sure you guys will figure it out. You always do," Dani says.
"Alright agent, I will leave you so you can catch the guy and come back home."
"I miss you, Dan. I can't wait to fly to DC and see you," Emily told her with honesty.
She missed the girl like crazy and couldn't wait to wrap up the case and go back to see her.
She completely understands how JJ and Matt feel when they are away from their kids. She felt the same way with the girl.
"I miss you too. I need someone to annoy," Dani answered back playfully.
"You all will solve the case quicker than you think," she told the agent. "I have to go. The bell is ringing for transition."
"Alright. Talk to you later."
"Bye."
Emily heads back to the office. The team gathers around the intercom to hear Garcia's findings.
"So I searched for camps near lakes and check this out," she starts.
"About thirty years ago, there was a camp in Lake Attitash. A boy named James. Camp records show that a group of boys took him to the lake where they were drowning him. They placed a bag over his head while dumping his head inside the water. James' parents tried to press charges, but there wasn't sufficient evidence."
"That sounds like him alright," Emily says. "Any last known location?"
"Yes. I have both housing and the workplace. I sent it to you guys already." Garcia responds.
"Thank you, Garcia," Emily says, turning off the intercom.
"Alright. JJ, Reid, and Matt, you guys go and search at his workplace. Rossi, Alvez and I will head to his home. Tara, you will talk to James' parents. Officers will be going with you."
The team heads out to their designated location. Rossi is driving the SUV heading towards the unsubs house when Emily receives a call from Garcia.
"Guys, we have a problem. There was a report of a kidnapping about an hour ago. Jeffree Flower was taken by force while at a parking lot in his job," she said.
"He was one of the people who bullied James in the camp. A witness described seeing James with him."
"Okay. Now he has a personal connection with the victim. This is his endgame," Rossi says.
"He is most likely going to the same lake where the camp used to be located." Rossi starts redirecting his route to the lake.
Once they arrive, the three of them get out of the car and start walking through a trail. All agents had their guns drawn out, walking cautiously in search of James.
As they are walking, they hear someone screaming for help. The team starts heading towards the direction of the screams.
When they arrive, they see James holding Jeffree, who is tied up with a plastic bag over his face. He is soaked in water.
"James Davis, FBI!" Alvez stated.
"Please. Help me," begged Jeffree to the agents, coughing out his words.
"Shut Up!" Exclaimed James. He grabs Jeffree into a headlock position, pointing the knife at his throat.
"James put the knife down and let him go," Rossi said. "This is not the way to punish him."
"You have no idea how it was like being tortured by this son of a bitch!" James yelled.
"He made me suffer and didn't get punished!"
"But if you do this, the only person who is going to get punished is you." Replied Rossi.
"You don't want that. It's not fair that you will end up in jail for a person like this." He glances at Jeffree and looks back at James.
"You already have what you wanted. After this, he will be scarred for life. Now let him go. Do not stoop to his level."
James looks down at Jeffree, who is trembling in fear.
"He deserves nothing but the worst," James yelled, clenching the knife. "He drowned me! He and all of his friends humiliated me!"
"Why don't you do the same they did to you?" Rossi asked cautiously.
"Humiliate him. Let him feel what you felt. If you let him go he would have to live the rest of his life knowing that you got him back. The shame he would feel knowing that he shouldn't have ever messed with you," he told him.
"Just let him go."
James pauses and looks at Rossi. They were both staring at each other for long seconds that felt like an eternity.
He sighs, dropping the knife, and puts his hands up. Rossi and Emily go up to James and arrest him.
Alvez unties Jeffree, taking off the bag that was over his head. Paramedics arrive at the scene to check on Jeffree. The team leaves, heading back to the station.
Everyone wrapped up the case and packed up their stuff, heading off to the Jet. The team was glad that the case was over.
Rossi wanted a drink with Krystall, Alvez missed Roxy, Tara wanted to visit her father and Reid wanted to check up on his mother.
JJ and Matt were getting prepared for an avalanche of hugs they were going to receive from their kids.
Emily was feeling slightly sad knowing that Dani wasn't going to be home when she arrived. She thought it was only fair. After all, she did leave Dani alone for almost a week.
She just couldn't wait for Dani to return.
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During the next day, Emily went to get some groceries before Dani came back from school.
She texted the teenager that she arrived back from Boston and told her to come back with an appetite. An exquisite dinner would be served.
AKA pizza delivery. Emily still hasn't mastered the art of cooking.
Emily arrived back home with groceries. She went to put them away and ordered pizza.
For the remainder of the day, she was catching up on paperwork. Emily never liked wasting time when she could be doing something productive.
Being a work addict was her weakness. She knows it could be unhealthy from time to time but, what else can she do when she is the head of the BAU?
Four o'clock comes around and Dani arrives home from school.
She opens the door and is welcomed with a fresh smell of pizza. The girl smiles, remembering that Emily came back from work.
She took off her shoes and hung her sweater, entered the living room, and saw Emily on her laptop. She looked very focused on what she was doing and the girl knew Emily was working.
"Hello, agent. I see you are enjoying your break," Dani says, hence the word break with air quotes.
Emily looks up, startled.
"Geez. I didn't notice that you arrived," Emily said, getting up. She walks towards Dani and hugs her.
The girl smiled and wrapped an arm around the woman.
"I should be the one who is surprised," Dani says, still embraced by the brunette.
"If you wouldn't have texted me, I would have thought you were a burglar or something."
Emily releases Dani and looks at her.
"I'm sorry for being out for a while, Honey."
"It's alright. You had to work," she replied.
She looked at Emily, who didn't look so convinced.
"But, if your one-sided guilt won't leave you alone, I accept pizza as an apology," Dani says with a smile.
"That sounds like a deal," Emily responded.
She guided Dani to the kitchen with one hand wrapped around her. Emily pulls out two plates and serves a slice for each plate.
Dani gets the plates and places them on the table while Emily retrieves the wings and soda.
The two of them start eating. While Dani was serving herself a cup of soda, Emily asked,
"What did you do during these days without anyone to nag you around?"
"Sorry, agent, can't tell. It's top secret," Dani said with a smirk.
"Very funny," Emily said with a sarcastic tone. "What did you do?"
"Well, over the weekend I went to visit some friends back in my hometown. You know, Tony, Jose, and Cam," she said.
"We went out and ate. We hung around for a while talking and stuff."
"I'm glad you got to see them," Emily said with a smile.
"Yeah, me too," the girl told her.
"Tony told me to see them more often or he will drag me there."
"That boy cares about you," Emily told her.
She has met Daniela's friends before. She remembers Antonio very well. A very charismatic and respectful boy.
She saw the interactions he had with Daniela. They were close and anyone who would see them could tell they had a special bond.
Emily has always wondered whether that bond would end up being a romantic one. Of course, she never liked the idea of her kid dating.
That was something she was anxious about but she knew that the boy wouldn't cause much trouble.
Or at least she wishes he wouldn't.
"Of course he does. Who would let such s great person like me just slide out?" the girl said with a smug face.
Emily just rolls her eyes and laughs.
"Anyone who does would be an absolute fool," she agreed.
"Alright. Remember that tomorrow when you come back from school we have to meet up with your worker."
"Oh yeah. I forgot about that," Dani said, her smile quickly fading.
"Woohoo. I can't wait," she said with a sarcastic voice.
"Same here. But, it will just be for a while."
"I hope so." They finish eating and clean up.
Dani goes upstairs and starts on her homework while Emily finishes her paperwork. After the agent is done, she goes upstairs and enters Dani's room.
When entering, she hears guitar strings being played in a soft tune. She pauses, listening to the strings playing a soft melody.
Emily would always love hearing Dani play the guitar. She knows the kid is talented when it comes to playing.
The girl does it for a hobby, Daniela herself has told her a few stories of how she learned how to play one. The girl didn't have the meets to have a private tutor to show her.
Instead, she would watch basic tutorials on YouTube, watch musicians play the guitar on TV, and once and a while get a lesson to two from Antonio's family members who also played music.
Daniela would never admit to being a good guitar player and she probably doesn't consider herself one but Emily believes the opposite.
It would be rare but sometimes Dani would play a song or two in front of her.
Once, she did it in front of Penelope and Tara. She could range her voice from strong to soft and soothing.
She was talented indeed.
One of the many things she loves about the kid.
She knocks on the door and enters once Dani tells her to come inside.
"Hey," Emily greets her. "I see you are playing some tunes."
"Just practicing a bit. It's been a while since I have played a song."
"It sounds great," she said, sitting on the side of Dani's bed.
"I wanted to ask if you wanted to watch a movie together. You will still go to bed on time for school."
Dani smiles at the woman's proposal.
"Sure thing. I will go prepare the popcorn." Dani places her guitar on the stand and makes her way downstairs with Emily.
As Dani is preparing the popcorn, Emily is scrolling through movies.
"Any movie request?" Emily asked. Dani arrived at the living room with two bowls of popcorn in hand.
"Not really. As long as they are not cringy love stories, I'm good." She sits next to Emily and places the bowls on the coffee table.
Emily chuckles. "How about a horror movie? I haven't seen any movies that scare me."
"I highly doubt any movie can scare you," Dani said. "I mean, those crazy cases you have to solve are just something else."
"That is true. But that won't stop me from trying to find a scary movie," she said.
"How about A Quiet Place?" she asked, hovering at the movie's title.
"I heard it's pretty good," Dani replies.
"Play it. Let's see who is the first one to get scared."
"That sounds like a bet," Emily said.
She pressed play and the movie started. Dani gets a large, red blanket that is on the side of the couch.
With half of it, she covers herself while handing the other half to Emily, who also covers herself.
The agent snuggles closer to Dani, who in response lays her head on Emily's shoulder. Emily wraps her arm around Dani and watches the movie.
The movie ended, leaving Dani intrigued. "What? Why did the movie end on a cliffhanger?"
"Well, they are most likely going to make a second part," Emily says while standing up.
"I guess you have to wait until they release it."
"Aww," Dani said.
She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Emily smiled at Dani, thinking her gesture was cute.
"You should go to sleep, Dan. I will clean the rest of this up," Emily told Dani as she stood up.
"No. I'm good. I could help you," Dani responded, trying to look energetic.
"It's okay. I got this," Emily said.
She walks towards Dani and places both arms on her shoulders.
"You should go get some rest. You have school and then an appointment. I need you to have the energy for both, okay?"
"Alright, you win," Dani said.
"I always do," Emily replies with a grin.
She brushes Dani's cheek and kisses her on her temple.
"Rest well."
"You too," Dani replies.
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Dani was at lunch with her friends. They were all waiting to get food in the line, hoping that there was anything good left.
When they get their trays, they all sit down at the same table and start to eat.
"I can't believe our algebra teacher is already giving us a test," said James.
"It's just the first few weeks of school! What's the big idea?"
"I don't know. All we have done so far is review what we did last year," Amelia responded
"I just hope it-"
They hear a commotion at the back of the cafeteria. They all turn around and see a few of the male "Chaotics" members gather around and start throwing punches at a group of sophomores.
They all start screaming and fighting. The rest of the students in the cafeteria started gathering around the fight and started videotaping.
Dani sees how the sophomores get beat up badly. Security storms in and immediately separate them.
She sees how the sophomores are all bruised up. Dani's friends were shocked when looking at them.
"My God. I can't believe that just happened," Emma said with her eyes wide open.
"Sheesh. I am never getting near the chaos. I don't want to end up like that," Amelia said, pointing at the sophomores.
Security tells the students to head back to class. They all grab their trays and dump them in the trash.
Dani is walking with her friends not paying attention to what they are saying. She was thinking about never wanting to get close to those people.
She doesn't want to get in trouble all because of some dumb group that just causes trouble for fun.
She just hopes she never crosses paths with them.
let me know what you think so far :) *