I know it's been a while but I have finally gotten my life somewhat put together. I'm back to writing and I hope to update more regularly. Hope you guys enjoy this latest update!
Chapter 16
Rossi's POV
Garcia had calmed Spencer down enough to get him sitting in a chair at the conference table. Small sniffles came every so often as he stared at the phone waiting for a call, probably hoping for some proof that the Unsub still had Cat alive somewhere. Garcia sat next to him while running her hands in small circles on his back. Rossi stood at the screen taking in every detail of the case the BAU had amassed over the years they looked into the Warner case. There was not a lot to go on at the time. Terrance Ward had managed to call for help before the sick bastard got to him. By the time police had gotten to the house he was gone and all members of the family besides Abigail…Cat… were dead. Since Ward had been named Chief they had called the BAU for backup, figuring it was a targeted attack with how high profile he and his family had just become. Terrance was found on the stairs, Christine outside of the master bedroom, and Nathan inside the bedroom. Abigail was nowhere to be found but he remembered Gideon being convinced that she was still alive and in the house somewhere.
An incoming phone call interrupted his thoughts. Spencer jumped as Garcia reached out and hit the speaker button.
"Hello?"
"Garcia, it's Hotch. Is Rossi there?" Hotch and the others must have reached Cat's apartment by now.
"I'm here Hotch. What's going on?"
"Is there evidence of forced entry or blood?" Spencer quickly jumped in.
"Reid, go home. You're too invested in the case," Hotch sighed, but Rossi could detect genuine concern in his statement and he agreed. Reid's connection to Cat would make moving forward difficult.
"No. I can help. You need my skills to look for connections between the case in '97 and what's happening now," Spencer pleaded with Hotch, wiping his face to clear the wetness.
"Spencer…"
"Please Hotch."
"Okay. But if you become a danger to the case and I tell you to leave, you cannot fight my decision."
"I won't. I promise."
"Thank you."
"Hotch, what is going on with the apartment? Forced entry? Signs of a struggle?" Rossi changed the topic, the only way to help Reid and Cat was to figure out how the unsub got her.
"Nothing. The door was closed and locked when we arrived, the apartment seemed to be in order but…"
"Buts are never good," Garcia murmured.
"It was covered in photographs. They were taped to everything: the floor, the walls, the windows, the furniture. It's probably how the unsub distracted her in order to knock her out."
"What were the photos of?" Spencer asked.
"Cat, her parents, her brother, all of them together," even over the phone Rossi could pick up the uneasiness Hotch felt. How did the unsub have these and how did he get them all printed so quickly.
"Hotch!" Morgan's voice was distant but clear over the speaker. "You need to see this!"
They could hear Hotch walk across the pictures to wherever Morgan was in the apartment and his breath catch in his throat.
"What's wrong Hotch?" Rossi called.
"It's Cat and Reid. The Unsub had a picture of them. It's on the television."
"How…what are we doing? In the picture?" Spencer was falling right back into BAU agent mode but Rossi could see the anger and fear still in his eyes. He's handling this a lot better than Rossi would have thought. He's determined not to lose her like he lost Maeve.
"It looks like you're eating lunch. Kid, what are you wearing?" Morgan's sudden question threw Spencer off for a moment.
"Um, a dark purple shirt and black tie. Why?"
"Do you remember what Cat was wearing when you went out to lunch earlier?"
"Of course I do. A gray sweater with a pink flower necklace and jeans. Her hair was in a braid that she hung over her shoulder. It's so pretty when she does that, her hair frames her face perfectly," tears started to fall as he thought back to their lunch date. Garcia put a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll find her, kid. Don't worry," Rossi moved over to stand behind Spencer's chair. His heart clenched. He should have mentioned this to Hotch or Spencer or anyone sooner. Maybe they could have kept a closer eye on her since she started to get closer to the BAU again.
"This photo is from today. It's the only recent one. All of the others we've looked at have been from before the murder of her family that he could have easily gotten when he invaded their home," Morgan told them. Rossi saw Spencer's fist clench in his lap.
"We don't believe anything was taken from the home. There was no evidence of family photo albums or anything missing. The only thing taken was Christine and Terrance Warner's wedding rings," Rossi couldn't look at Spencer.
"How do you-"
"I was there. I was on the team that investigated. Police called the BAU after they realized who the victims were."
"You were there…you told me to call her before Garcia said…you knew," Reid murmured, starting to piece everything together. Rossi braced himself. "You knew who she was and didn't say anything!?"
"Reid calm down," Hotch called over the phone line.
"Why didn't you say anything? I could have been more attentive to people around us! I could have protected her!" Reid jumped out of his seat and glared at him.
"Reid!"
"Spencer!" Garcia got out of her seat too and tried to reach for Reid but he brushed her hand away.
"Kid!" Morgan's voice boomed over the phone and Reid backed up from Rossi. "It wasn't his information to tell. Cat clearly didn't want you to know. She was probably trying to keep the worst day of her life from hurting the happy memories she was making with you. Besides, Witness Protection Program, kid. He can't say anything unless he had reason to believe she was in danger. No one knew the Unsub was still after her and around the area. Even Cat felt comfortable enough to come back for her job." Morgan's words seemed to calm Reid enough that he got back into his seat. He put his head in his hands and let a low, shuddering sigh rake his body. Garcia gave a sad look to Rossi before going back to her seat and resuming her comforting circles on his back.
"Anyway, something must have happened recently that allowed the unsub to find her."
"Her aunt's death," Reid's head popped up.
"Her aunt? I thought her mother died?" Morgan asked.
"No, no. It's her aunt, that's who she lives with. Witness Protection made Rosie her mother so they could stay together but Cat slipped when we first met and almost said aunt. I put it together and asked her about it when she showed me her necklace with her parents' initials on it and tried to say they belonged to her aunt. She didn't really answer so I knew I was right."
"You are, Rosie is her aunt. They called her after the murders and she took Cat in. Michael was the agent attached to their case and he and Rosie developed a relationship after spending so many years together."
"Who took over their case after Rosie and Michael got married? They wouldn't have allowed Michael to stay on it after getting involved with a family member," Hotch was trying to follow but Rossi could tell he was confused.
"I'm not sure. I didn't keep in contact with them after I retired, but I know Jason got a few updates every few years from Rosie. "
"Hotch I found something," Rossi had forgotten JJ was there with the others. He could hear something with a lot of papers get handed to someone and then "oh my god."
"Let's go back to headquarters. We'll see you guys in a little bit." And with that the line went dead.
"What did she find?" Garcia asked as they all stared at the dead speaker phone.
"Whatever it is can't be good," Reid said softly.
"We'll find out in a little bit I guess." Rossi went back over to the screen and started flipping through more of the case file.
Cat's POV
Cat woke up with a throbbing headache and weird pressure around her abdomen. When she opened her eyes all she could see was white but her eyes adjusted to the pain of her headache and after a few blinks she could make out a little bit of the room she was in. It was dark. The windows were boarded up so only a little bit of light filtered through the cracks the wood didn't reach. The light was yellow so she figured it was a street light. A ratty couch sat under the window that was straight ahead of her. To her right was an arch way leading to an empty room. More boarded up windows there. This layout…this was…no. It couldn't be. She squinted to get a better look at the archway. She could just make out faded black lines on the left post, the names "Nathan" and "Abigail" scrawled next to them. Their height markers. This was her old home. She was back.
NO.
Tears started to form and a small cry escaped her mouth.
She went to jump out of her seat but something forced her back down. Cat couldn't budge. Looking at her arms she saw her wrists were zip tied to the metal chair she woke up in and rope was wrapped around her midsection and the chair, keeping her in place. A frustrated cry escaped her as she pointlessly tried to free her wrists. Rationality told her it wouldn't help but too many emotions were clouding her judgement. But she didn't care; she needed to get out. Now. Flashbacks were starting.
Blood.
Popping noises.
Thuds.
Crying.
The creepy laugh.
Wait. That laugh wasn't in her mind. It was real. Cat froze. Fear clenched her heart and her breathing stopped. Tears continued flowing from her eyes and the shaking started. The laugh got louder as the man it came from walked up behind her.
"Hello Abigail. It's been so long."
Cat stared straight ahead but out of the corner of her eye she saw a thin figure move to stand in her line of sight. He blocked her view of the bare wall and couch and she looked up into the eyes of the man who destroyed her family.
"Hello Agent Duncan."
