CHAPTER 29
2 years ago
March 2015
Hyattsville Police Station (MD)
Tick, tick, tick
Daniela watches as the small clock in the center of the room completes another whole minute.
It's 5:22 pm.
Its been almost an hour since she was taken to the police station after being rescued by her kidnapper.
After she was attended to by paramedics, she was placed in a small interrogation room. She has been waiting in this room since then.
The room is small, with minimal items in it. A table, two metal chairs, and that damn rusty clock that was ticking ever so loudly in the room.
The fact that the room has two shades of grey painted on the walls only added to the dullness of the room.
The room is so depressing and bleak. Somehow the girl felt that the room was smaller than it is.
The environment was almost... suffocating.
She wishes the officers placed her in a more comfortable environment but their excuse was that there were no empty rooms available to stay in.
The interrogation room was the best option.
A small part of her is grateful for the secluded room. At least she has her bubble in which she can unwind though she doesn't get too comfortable.
She knows people can easily be watching her on the other side of the reflective window. She is not dumb. She has seen people do so in cop shows.
She places both hands on the metal table and lets out a deep sigh.
So much has happened, yet she feels nothing at all.
Just four days ago she buried her mother at the cemetery. It's been eight days since her death.
Eight days since she lost the one person that has helped her get by. Now she is all alone.
She has no mom. She has no one that looks after her.
Her mind goes back to the night she went to go visit her mom.
She wasn't supposed to go to her. All her visits are scheduled and monitored but it wasn't enough. Once every other week was not cutting it for her.
It wasn't fair in the eyes of the girl how a bunch of strangers can decide how many times she can see her mom.
That didn't stop her from seeing her that night.
She was met with a small apartment void of any light. She called out for her with no response.
Daniela knew something was off so she searched for her mother in every room.
That's when she saw her. She found her mom, lifeless in her room.
She shakes her head and runs her hand through her hair, shaking away that horrible memory. She doesn't want to go back to that night.
That memory already torments her enough at night. Enough to keep her awake.
She shifts her focus to what happened today. It was all relatively normal.
She was dropped off at school with her foster siblings. She went to class. Her soccer practice was canceled and therefore went walking to Mr. Novak's place.
She wanted to get to her foster home as late as possible, so she took the long route.
That was her mistake because once she reached the end of the street, she was yanked into a van.
She struggled to get free but her mouth was quickly covered with a cloth.
After that, it all went blank.
She stares at her wrists, both of them wrapped in elastic bandages.
The paramedics told her that she didn't sustain any serious injuries. Just some scrapes on her wrist due to having her hands tied with that rough rope.
She has seen the man that kidnapped her before. She didn't know his name but had seen him wander through the streets where her mom lived.
Daniela never thought much about him. She just thought he was a random guy in the streets.
She never would have guessed that the same guy would have a sharp blade on her neck, threatening to kill her.
She reaches for her neck and gently touches the bandage she has. It was a minor scratch but enough for it to sting once in a while.
She almost forgot it was there.
The man, she can't remember his name, was going on a rant about something. His talking was all over the place.
His anger and frustration were evident. His words weren't completely coherent but Daniela understood enough to know why he was doing it.
She overdosed and died! No one cared! They all abandoned us like strays and now she is dead!
His words echo through her mind.
You are all the same! You leave the people who you are supposed to take care of! You left your mom and now she is dead!
The girl didn't need a background history of this man to understand what he meant. His story is much too similar to her own.
He felt abandoned by the people who were supposed to take care of him and blamed his mother's death on them.
And he blamed Sofia Hernandez's death on Daniela. That is why he was going to get even.
So much has happened to her in just a few days. She should be sad. She should feel mournful. Miserable even.
But she doesn't. Not right now. She just feels... empty.
In all honesty, she prefers feeling downhearted because at least she could feel something. Anything.
The worse feeling is feeling nothing at all. All there is now is a void of darkness.
Daniela rests her elbows on the table and looks at the clock once more.
5:29 pm
This place is driving her crazy. The minutes feel so much longer than it's supposed to. She blames it on the bleak room.
She starts to fiddle with the elastic bandage on her right wrist out of boredom. She pulls it back and sees a red rash around her arm.
Knock, knock, knock
The door of the room starts to open. Daniela doesn't think much of it, assuming it's a police officer or her caseworker.
About time someone gets her out of here.
As the door widens the person enters. It's neither an officer nor Bryant, her caseworker.
It's a woman.
A brunette with bangs that reaches just above her eyebrows. She is wearing a pair of black dress pants with a navy blue dress shirt, accompanied by a black blazer.
"I suggest not to play around with the bandage. You don't want to risk it getting infected," the woman tells the girl as she closes the door behind her.
Daniela looks up at the woman and sits up, having her back straight on the chair.
The woman in front of her seems... familiar but the girl can't point out why.
"Well, I was getting bored of being stuck in this place and the only thing I can do to keep me awake is playing with this," she says dryly.
She quickly studies the brunette, trying to figure out who she is.
The way the woman is dressed, Dani would assume that she is a social worker or works for the state.
Hell, for all she knows, the woman looks like a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
But there is one thing that cancels out these assumptions. A social worker or a Jehovah's Witness do not carry a gun so casually on the side of their waist.
At least none that she knows.
The woman nods in understanding.
"I apologize about that. They told me that the only room they had available was this one," the woman says as she approaches the table.
Daniela feels rather uneasy with the stranger approaching. It's not like the woman in front of her posed as a threat but she isn't sure who she is or what she wants.
One of the most important rules she has learned throughout the years in the system.
Don't trust anyone.
"And you are?" The girl asks.
"Oh yes, sorry. I probably should have introduced myself first. Sorry," the woman says, stammering over her words.
Daniela is confused for a second. Is the woman... nervous? If anything, she should be nervous. She has no idea who this person is.
"My name is Emily Prentiss. I work in the Behavioral Analysis Unit for the FBI," she says with a warm smile.
Emily reaches over and offers her hand to shake.
Daniela is hesitant for a moment, still processing what she has just heard. She wasn't in front of just any stranger.
She was sitting right across from an FBI agent.
A freaking FBI agent.
Daniela nods slowly and shakes the woman's hand, still quite hesitant in her actions.
"I'm Daniela Hernandez," she responds cautiously.
Emily can see the uncertainty Daniela has. At first, the girl looked bored but after she introduced herself she seems to be in doubt.
Before Emily can choose what to say to ease the girl's tension, Daniela speaks up.
"Wait a minute. You're the agent that talked down the dude with the knife," Daniela says in realization.
She couldn't figure it out at first. When the teenager was rescued, she was drowsy due to her being drugged.
Adding to the fact she had a knife close to her neck, she didn't exactly pay attention to who else was there when the man who took her was detained.
But it was her. Agent Emily Prentiss was the one who talked to the man.
She is just like you. Both of you tried your best in protecting the people you love.
She didn't see the woman clearly but she heard her voice.
"Yes, that was me," Emily said with a gentle smile.
Daniela nods and glances up at the woman, meeting her eyes for just a split second before her gaze moved back down to the table.
"Do you need information from me?" The girl asks the agent.
"I told the cops what I know which honestly isn't much other than what happened. I don't think I will be much help," she says nervously.
Agent Prentiss works for the FBI. She is an agent that solves cases. She is probably here to get more insight into what happened. That is why she is here.
Or at least that's what the girl thinks.
"I do have one or two questions but I can ask them once you're ready," Emily says calmly.
"What I do want to know is how are you doing?"
Emily had just finished having a conversation with the sheriff of the station about her interest in fostering the girl.
The sheriff seemed surprised but willing to help the agent in what he can.
He agreed with her saying that Daniela needs a stable environment to cope with what she went through.
The odds of Daniela landing in a good foster home are slim and her ending up in a group home would only hinder her ability to overcome her trauma.
The sheriff will talk to Daniela's caseworker personally about Emily's request.
Of course, it's not a process that is done overnight. Emily would have to go through a lot of hoops and even then, it's not certain that she can foster Daniela.
But for now, she wants to get to know the girl and see how she is holding up.
"You said what?"
The girl asks this out of pure confusion. She didn't expect the agent to ask her how she is.
Does she care?
"I just want to know how are you holding up?" Emily says calmly while looking at the teenager.
"You've been through a lot today. I just want to make sure your okay."
Emily was the one who carefully untied the ropes that had Daniela's arms and legs restrained.
The girl never looked up to her but she was visibly shaken about what happened to her.
The girl didn't cry. The woman didn't even hear her sniffle but she knows that it was most likely because Daniela was in a state of shock.
Once a person comes back from a state of shock, they gradually take in what happened. Some are faster than others.
Emily just wanted Daniela to have someone, anyone to keep her company. That way, she can assimilate better.
"I'm fine. I'm okay," the girl responds cautiously while looking at her wrist.
"Or at least, I will be. The paramedics who patched me up told me I don't have any major injuries. Just some scrapes."
"That's good to hear," Emily tells the teenager.
"How about the cut on your neck?"
Daniela tentatively touches the bandage on her neck when the woman points it out.
"It's just a slit. Nothing major," the girl responds.
"I mean, considering what could have happened I won't complain," the girl says as she runs her hand through her hair.
"I could have ended up much worse if it weren't for you. Thank you for convincing him to spare my neck," the girl says with a lopsided smile.
Emily lets out a small chuckle but stops herself. She doesn't want to take what happened to the girl as a joke.
"It's no problem. Though it's a team effort, not just me," she tells the girl.
"You work in a team? Do you-" Daniela inquires but quickly stops herself.
"Sorry, sorry. I should be the one answering questions not asking them," she apologizes while sitting up and looking down.
Emily looks at the girl and saw a spark of interest when she asked about her team.
She wants the girl to loosen up and feel comfortable so she is glad to see an area of interest.
"It's okay. You don't have to apologize," she says.
"As I said, I work in the BAU with my team. There are six other agents in the team," she starts to explain.
"We specialize in studying human behavior to help solve cases around the country."
Daniela looks up at the agent, genuinely invested in what she was saying. When she first knew agent Prentiss worked for the FBI, she felt... off.
She can't describe it other than uneasy. It's not every day someone like her meets a person with a high-ranking position.
She felt out of place even being in the same room as her but now, agent Prentiss doesn't seem too bad.
At least for now.
"That sounds cool. What you do," the girl says with a nod.
Then something came to mind.
"Wait. You're an FBI agent here in the Ville? Normally locals are the ones dealing with stuff like this unless..."
Emily looks at the girl, wondering what she has in mind.
"That dude messed up. Like whatever he did was bad. I mean, bad enough that the feds were after him."
She didn't think much of what that man is and what he is capable of.
Sure, she knew the man was bonkers but she never stopped to think about what could have happened if the agents didn't arrive.
Yep. She would likely be six feet under. She might sound delusional to most but that isn't the part that scared her.
The part that did give her goosebumps is exactly how it was going to happen.
The profiler in front of her can see how Daniela was slowly piecing together what happened and what could have happened to her.
The micro- facial expressions the girl is showing. Her small but noticeable frown and the way her eyes were moving side to side though she kept her gaze low.
The weight of what happened is slowly crawling up to her.
Before Emily can say something to ensure the girl that she is safe, Daniela speaks up once more.
"What exactly did that guy do that was so bad?"
Emily can see how Daniela genuinely wants to know what her abductor did to his past victims.
She doesn't blame her. It's human nature to be curious but Emily isn't quite sure what or how to tell the girl.
How exactly do you tell a 13-year-old girl about William Jones?
How does she explain that he was a man who brutally stabbed his victims to death?
His sixth victim was stabbed up to 22 times.
But she doesn't want the teenager to think that Emily is hiding something from her. Daniela may even think that Emily doesn't believe she can handle it.
Though in all honesty. No one should.
"William Jones was wanted for a series of murders here and around the city," she starts.
"He would kidnap his victims and then kill them in a secondary location. We were called in after his fourth victim," Emily tells her.
"That explains why the FBI is here. That guy killed a lot of people," Daniela says in a low voice.
Emily looks at the girl and nods.
"My team and I specialize in a series of crimes. Serial murders are one of them. That is why we accepted to help."
"Serial murders. So the person that took me is a serial killer? Like a full-blown psycho killer like John Wayne Gacy or Ted Bundy?! "
The girl is no longer masking her fear anymore. Her stoic demeanor is now replaced with legitimate worry and fear.
Well... at least her wish came true in regards to wanting to feel something.
She feels her anxiety in every inch of her body.
Not exactly the feeling she had in mind.
Emily can see how all of this is overwhelming Daniela. Her foot bounced up and down quickly, seeing her anxious state.
Without thinking, Emily places her hand on top of Daniela's resting hand as she begins to speak.
"I know what you went through is a lot but please know that he can no longer hurt you. You're safe."
Daniela looks at the agent. She is not sure what she feels about her anymore.
At first, she was intimidated but now she sees she has no reason to feel that way. The agent has done nothing but treated her like a normal person.
Agent Prentiss has given her a sense of... security. Which is odd coming from a person she hardly met.
She moves her hand from the agent and sighs.
"You're right. The guy is locked up. He can't harm anyone behind bars," she says.
She needs to say it out loud as a way to convince herself of this. A way of reassurance.
"I just don't know why this is all just getting to me. It's just a dumb feeling I'm having right now."
"It's not dumb, it's human. For some people, it takes time to assimilate negative experiences like this."
"You just have to let yourself express the way you feel," Emily tells the girl.
Daniela simply nods and runs her hand through her hair.
The agent may be right. Letting out her feeling might help her but she just can't afford to do this.
She has been bottling up her feelings for a long time. If she starts to let go, she is afraid of opening Pandora's box.
Then, an idea comes to Emily's mind.
"Hey, why don't we take this conversation somewhere else?" She suggests.
"My team ordered pizza and there was a box leftover. We can go to the conference room and finish talking over there while eating."
"Umm... I don't know. I think I'll pass. I don't want to be an inconvenience to you or your team," Daniela says.
"And I'm also not that hungry."
The truth is, she is declining because of nervousness. She doesn't want to have to meet a whole team of FBI agents.
Yeah, a lot of people consider them cool. Even Daniela does but considering her track record, she prefers to stay out of the way from federal agents.
Meeting one agent is more than enough for her.
"Don't worry about my team. They all left. It's just me," the agent explains.
"And it's no inconvenience whatsoever. You have been here for a while. I think it's good for you to be in a more... comfortable place."
The agent knows Daniela has been in this room for over an hour. Normally, suspected criminals sit here to be interrogated.
This room is designed to make a person uneasy. She doesn't want the girl to feel like some type of criminal.
"I mean... to be honest, this room does suck," the girl admits.
She sits up and glances up at the woman.
"But I still can't go."
"Why not?" Emily asks, genuinely confused.
"Like I literally cannot go. Like physically move out of this room. Look," she tells the agent as she points down to her left ankle.
Emily looks down at where Daniela was pointing. She looks at the girl's left ankle and sees something rather unexpected.
Daniela's ankle has a pair of handcuffs cuffed to the table leg.
The girl was restrained like an actual criminal.
That did not set well with the agent.
"What? Why do they have that on you?"
She asks this with confusion but a hint of visible anger. Daniela does not deserve to be treated like this.
After everything the girl went through, the last thing she needs is to be treated with so much hostility.
"They must've read my record," the girl mumbles, mostly to herself.
"This has to be a mistake. I'm going to call someone to take those things off you," Emily says as she stands up.
"You don't have to. It's fine-" Daniela tries to convince the agent.
It's too late. Agent Prentiss stepped out of the room to find an officer.
"Ain't she a stubborn woman," the girl mumbles to herself.
She knows the reason why the station did this. It's typical protocol for kids with her rap sheet.
But agent Prentiss left too soon before she could explain.
The girl waits for a few minutes until she hears the doorknob start to rattle, signaling that someone is entering.
"Ma'm, I understand but it's protocol in situations like these," she hears a male officer say as the door opens.
Daniela recognizes the voice and looks up, seeing officer Ramirez entering with agent Prentiss.
Oh, this day just get's better and better, the girl thinks to herself as she rolls her eyes.
"I just don't think it's necessary at all," Emily replies to the officer.
She isn't going to change her mind about this. It's not fair for Daniela to be stuck in this room like this.
How is she supposed to calm down in this type of environment? The room is designed to make one uncomfortable.
Officer Ramirez sighs as he looks at the teenager giving her a "not you again" look.
"Daniela Hernandez, nice to see you in one piece," the officer says.
"You know why you have that thing on your ankle, don't you?"
Daniela simply rolls her eyes at the officer's question. That man can get on her nerves.
"Protocol or whatever," she mumbles with a sigh.
The officer looks back at the agent.
"Daniela is what we call over here a runner. She has escaped from either her foster home or from the police directly," he says as he glances at the teenager.
"More than once," he adds.
"Not my fault you can't catch up, foo," the girl speaks up.
"Are you still mad I outran you in front of the rest of your home boys?" She says with a smirk on her face.
"And that is exactly why she is restrained. I am not risking having her go out under my watch," the man says, ignoring the girl's remark.
Emily glances at the girl as she slouches on the chair she is sitting on. She then looks back at the officer.
"I understand it's protocol but this case is... unique," she tells him.
"Look, we're just going to be out in the conference room. She is going to be under my supervision the whole time until someone arrives and picks her up."
She sees the officer isn't fully convinced with her idea. He isn't looking at her directly.
His eyes are solely on the teenager. Almost like he is just expecting the girl to jump out of her chair and run.
What exactly did Daniela do to get this man so hostile towards her?
"You can't expect kids like her to follow the rules. They have no respect for such a thing," officer Ramirez explains.
"Ouch. You know I'm right here, right?"
Daniela speaks up, her face expressing a not-so-sincere hurt.
"I know you are. That's exactly why I said it out loud."
"I appreciate the help, agent Prentiss but Ramirez over here won't budge," Daniela tells the woman.
"Plus, I was starting to get used to this place."
"You probably should get used to it. Sooner or later, you will end up in that chair for the wrong reasons," Ramirez mocked.
"You'll end up just like your father. After all, de tal palo, tal astilla."
Emily can see how that last remark did not sit well with the girl. Before Daniela snaps at the officer, she speaks up.
"Okay. Okay. let's just take it down a notch," she interjects as she looks at the officer.
If anything happens, I take full responsibility. None of it falls on you," she begins, getting everyone's attention.
"But nothing is going to happen. Just a simple meal in the conference room with no incidents. Right, Daniela?"
She eyes the girl, her expression firm.
Her tone and expression are enough to convince anyone to not mess around her.
Daniela nods in understanding.
"Lo prometo. Running away from an FBI agent is way above my pay grade," she says as she raises her right hand in an oath.
Officer Ramirez looks down and sighs.
"Well, looks like I have no other choice," he admits as he walks over and takes out the cuffs.
"But remember Daniela. One more strike and off to a detention center you go," he warns.
Daniela stands up and stretches her arms.
"Loud and clear," Daniela confirms, rolling her eyes as she walks towards the door.
Emily quickly thanks the officer as she walks behind the teenager, heading towards the conference room.
"That officer had it for you. You must've done something that sets him off," Emily comments as they enter the conference room.
Daniela let out a dry chuckle.
"You should have seen his face after I dodged him the last time. I'll do it again just to see it," the girl replies with a smile.
She then glances at the agent.
"But not today of course. I pinky promise," she says as she raises her pinky.
If you don't mind me asking, why did you run away from-"
"Oh wow! You got Pizza Hut!" The girl explains, cutting Emily mid-sentence.
She walks towards the pizza box on the round table.
"Yep. It's half pepperoni and half cheese," Emily says as she opens the box.
The agent hands over a paper plate to Daniela and grabs one for herself.
She waits for Daniela to grab a slice but notices that the girl does not attempt to do so.
She then sees that Daniela is looking at her, silently waiting for her to grant her permission to do so.
"Grab as many slices as you want," she tells the girl with a smile.
Emily did find it a little odd that the girl waited for her permission to grab a slice but didn't think much about it, assuming it was just courtesy.
Daniela nods and grabs a slice of pepperoni while Emily grabs a slice as well.
They settle down, Emily sitting right across from the teenager as they get ready to eat.
Daniela waits patiently until Emily picks up her slice and takes a bite. Daniela then starts to eat her slice.
Emily once again noticed this and now she can't help but wonder about the girl's behavior. Once again, it can just be a simple courtesy.
But it's almost as if the girl was conditioned to be permitted to do simple things such as getting food or eating.
And that rubs the agent in the wrong way.
"Wow. I seriously forgot how good pizza from this place is," the girl comments out loud.
"I'm glad you like it. Seems like you haven't tried it for a while," Emily says.
She is thankful that there wasn't an uncomfortable silence in the room.
"Yeah. It's been months since I've tried this," Dani said with a nod.
"Normally I'm not allowed to eat this type of food."
"How come? Is it because of allergies or something?" Emily asks.
"Nah. Mr. Novak, my foster parent, he doesn't like us eating junk food. He says it's super unhealthy or whatever."
"Well, one slice won't harm you," Emily replies.
"That's what I would say. Like one slice won't kill me," the girl agrees.
"But, I do suggest keeping this meal between us. I don't want him to be up my ass about this," she adds.
"You're secret is safe with me," Emily promises.
They eat the rest of their slice in silence. Emily offers the girl a drink from the vending machine.
The teenager asked for a sprite and Emily buys two cans for both of them.
Emily makes sure that Daniela finished eating before she asks her some questions about her abduction.
"As you know already, I do have to ask you about the incident that happened to you," Emily says, starting off her conversation.
Daniela simply nods in understanding.
"Did you know the man that took you? Have you ever talked to him or seen him around?"
"I never talked to him or knew his name," Daniela responds while shaking her head.
"But I've seen him around the neighborhood. I never thought much about it. I just thought he was some dude."
"He was around your foster home?" Emily questions.
"No. Not there. He was around my hometown neighborhood. Where my mom live-"
She suddenly stops and then sighs deeply before she continued.
"Where she lived," she mumbles, almost inaudible.
Emily can see how sadness flashes through the girl's eyes.
In the small time, she has been with Daniela, Emily has seen a variety of emotions from her.
Her initial confusion, nervousness, curiosity, and even a glimpse of her fiery attitude.
But the sadnesses she is showing right now. Her sorrowful eyes are enough to show the pain she is in.
And Emily can't help but feel her heartache.
"I heard about your mom. I'm very sorry for your loss," Emily tells her.
Daniela looks down and bites the inside of her cheek.
"Yeah... me too," she replies quietly.
The teenager sighs and clears her throat.
"But like I was saying, I only saw him around the neighborhood. I didn't think much about it. I just thought he was a regular dude. Not a killer."
"He never outed himself as a killer. There was no way you could've known what he did to others," the agent explains.
"Yeah. I mean, I didn't know what he did until you told me."
Emily nods in understanding.
"I read in the report that you were taken after school. You were subdued and taken unconscious," Emily continues.
"What happened when you woke up?"
"I was in this small room. The one where you found me. My hands and feet were tied. I was really confused," Daniela shares.
"Then I saw him. He was pacing around the room. He was all frantic and mumbling to himself."
"Did he say anything to you?"
"Not at first. He was mostly talking to himself," the girl answers.
"But then he saw I was awake. He then started to lash out at me."
"What exactly did he say?"
"Something about his mother dying and his family abandoning him," Daniela said while leaning back on her chair.
"And then he started to talk about my mom. About her death and how he blamed it on me."
"He was just projecting his guilt onto you. What happened with your mom. That wasn't your fault," Emily tells the girl hoping she listens.
"Yeah. Everyone says that yet I feel no one believes it. Not even myself," the girl says as she flips her hair to the side.
"But I do. Just like I said back there. I bet you did everything you could to help her. There are just some things we can't control."
"Exactly. I did everything and I still failed. I don't care about all the work I put in. I only care about the results," Daniela responds.
"And the result is that I now officially belong to the state. I have no one," she says in defeat.
Emily looks at the girl carefully. She is completely defeated. No hope radiates out of her.
The girl needs something, anything, to hold on to hope. That way, she has something to look forward to.
"It may not mean much, but you have me."
The girl looks up at the FBI agent. She is confused. Why did the agent just say that?
She hardly knows her.
"I don't understand. What do you mean?" She questions with a brow raised.
"I can help you. Whatever you need. I can even help you find a good foster home."
The girl's confused face immediately turns into an amused grin. She can't help but let out a chuckle.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I swear that I'm not making fun of you. I just... what you said about helping me find a good home. That was funny."
Now Emily is the one who is confused and Daniela can see that so she continues.
"Look. You seem cool and all. Seriously, I appreciate your help and concern but I'll be okay. You've helped me enough by keeping my neck intact," Daniela tells her.
"But I'll make it on my own. You helping me find a 'good' home would be a waste of time for you. No one wants a teenager. Especially one like me."
"What about you?" Emily asks.
"I'm an at-risk foster whose mother was an addict and father is in jail. I'm bound to be trouble," Daniela responds nonchalantly.
"Why do you think Ramirez was up my ass about it?"
"He doesn't have to be right. You can better yourself."
"Tell that to them," Daniela says as she points at the glass window.
Emily looks at where the girl is pointing and sees two men talking to the sheriff.
She sees a man wearing a simple grey tee shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He is tall, over 6 feet in height with a muscular figure.
The man is around his late 30s and has a stoic expression.
The man next to him is shorter than him. He is wearing a typical black suit and is holding a briefcase of some sort.
He is the one doing the talking with the sheriff.
"Mierda. He can't see me with this," Daniela mumbles to herself as she quickly stands up.
She throws away her paper plate and soda can quickly before sitting back down.
"Who are they?" Emily asks.
"My caseworker and foster parent," Daniela replies.
Emily nods as she sees the two men approaching the room. She stands up as they open the door.
"Daniela, I swear I should get paid extra for all the hassling I do for you," the shorter man says as he steps into the room.
He went in with urgency and annoyance. He didn't notice the agent until after he finished his sentence.
He looks at the agent and flashes a quick smile.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Bryant Thomas, Daniela's caseworker," he introduces himself as he offers his hand to shake.
Emily didn't like the first sentence that came out of his mouth when he entered the room. Nonetheless, introduces herself as well.
"I'm agent Emily Prentiss with the FBI. Nice to meet you," she says as she returns the handshake.
"Huh. FBI? You already caused enough trouble to get the FBI involved?" The man asks Daniela, looking unamused.
"I never asked to get kidnapped by a psycho," Daniela snaps.
"Watch it, Hernandez," the other man speaks up with a deep voice.
Daniela immediately sits up and looks down at the table.
"Right. I'm sorry," she apologizes.
"Daniela is right. What happened to her isn't her fault," Emily tells both men.
Her first impression of both men isn't the best. In fact, her impression is anything but positive.
From what she has seen. There is one word she can use to describe them.
Assholes.
Emily walks around the table and stands directly behind the girl. She sees that Daniela has her head down.
Now she fully understands what the teenager meant.
No one is giving her a chance. She was automatically singled out as the root of the problem without being given a chance to explain.
That's why she sees herself as unwanted.
No one has given her a chance to prove herself otherwise.
Emily tentatively places her hand on Daniela's shoulder as a sign of support. She can feel the girl stiffen at her touch but doesn't move.
"What I think is important right now is that Daniela is safe," the agent says.
"Right. Right. You're right," the caseworker agrees with a nod.
"Thanks for the help, agent. We will take it from here. Daniela has caused you enough trouble already," the taller man speaks up.
"I'm Roger Novak by the way."
"Trust me. Daniela has not caused any trouble at all. I just wanted to make sure she was okay."
Roger Novak. The man in front of her. Something about him makes her feel... uneasy. She isn't sure why.
"That'll be a first from her," he says as he glances at the girl.
"But I'm glad she's fine. Let's go, Daniela. The others are waiting for me," he tells the teenager.
"Yes, sir," Daniela says as she stands up.
The teenager looks up at the agent. The woman can see the tiredness in Daniela's eyes.
It's like she has been restless for days.
The two men open the door and thank the agent. They step out with Daniela slowly following them behind.
Before she steps out of the room, Emily calls her.
"Daniela, wait," she says as she walks toward the teenager.
Daniela stops and turns around, her attention directed at the agent.
Emily reaches for her inside pocket in her blazer and takes out a small card.
"I meant it when I said I want to help you in any way I can. Take my card. I'm only a call away," she tells the girl while handing her the card.
Daniela looks at the card, confused about why the agent is doing this. She hesitantly gets the card and looks at it carefully.
"Thanks," Daniela replies.
"Why are you doing this?"
"You're a good kid. I can see that. I don't care what others say about you. I just want to make sure you are okay."
"You don't have to," the girl says.
"I want to," Emily replies.
"Vámonos, Hernandez. We need to go," they hear Mr. Novak say in his broken Spanish outside the room.
"Gotta go," Daniela mumbles as she places the card in her pocket.
"I'll check on you soon, I promise. Take care," Emily tells her.
Daniela glances at the agent and offers her a tired yet sincere smile before she leaves.
"Thanks for being with me agent. It meant a lot."
Emily watches as Daniela leaves the building.
Despite what officer Ramirez said. Despite what her caseworker said. Despite what Mr. Novak said.
Even what Daniela said about herself.
Emily is convinced Daniela is a good kid. She is just lost. She just needs a support system.
Now more than ever, Emily Prentiss is convinced in helping the girl.
In giving her something to look forward to.
Something to hold on to.
Something called hope.