Rossi clutched the knife tightly. "They're watching us. They want to watch to see how long I can last."
"Well, congratulations," Garcia said, trembling, "You passed the first test. There can't be that many traps set for us."
Rossi pressed his lips together. "That wasn't an actual test, I don't believe; it was too easy, and if they had hit me, a doubt they would have killed me. At least not right away. That was a warning, so stay close and don't touch anything."
"Do you think it would be okay if I took the walkie-talkie? We might be able to use it to call for help, or if I can get inside, it might help us."
Rossi shrugged. "Sure. I doubt that's gonna hurt us. They put too much effort into all of this to kill me with a radio."
They moved cautiously through the thick canopy of trees.
"Next time we get abducted together, one of us needs to remember bug spray," Penelope whispered.
She fiddled with the channels quickly but heard nothing, so she promptly changed the channel back to the one the unsubs used to talk to them.
A rustling sound came from somewhere behind them, and Rossi stopped, causing Garcia to do the same.
"What was that?"
Rossi gripped his knife tighter. "Stay here."
The sound grew louder; footsteps crunched on dry leaves.
The walkie-talkie crackled to life, and the southern drawl echoed. "Agent Rossi, I hope you use that knife wisely. The real fun is about to begin."
Kevin pulled up Eric Callahan's financial records and any known associates. Morgan and Reid hovered nearby. Morgan read through the case file, and Reid read Rossi's book.
"He didn't just wake up one day and decide to kidnap two FBI agents. "Morgan said, "They probably didn't expect to see Garcia in the parking garage, so why didn't they kill her there?"
Kevin nodded, "Callahan doesn't have a criminal record, and I'm trying to see if he met someone online but at surface level it seems he didn't have much social media. I'm checking forums, group chats, phone messages, anything he could have been involved in and I'm finding nothing. Unless…"
He typed a bit and allowed himself a small smile. "Bingo. He's been active in a message board for people who are trying to solve the Sarah Callahan case. He's posted a few times about how Sarah was failed by the investigators."
"Has anyone responded to him?"
"There's one who keeps coming up. 'WatchDog73' They've been encouraging him, feeding into his anger.
Reid leaned into the screen. "From these messages, it's pretty clear that 'Watchdog73' is the one in charge. Callahan's just the musle."
Hotch entered the room. "Kevin, have we found anything yet?"
"I'm tracing his IP address right now, but he's using multiple proxies. It's going to take me some time to pinpoint their locations."
Hotch glanced at the screen. "Keep at it. We need to get to them before our unsubs suspect we're investigating."
"Where are they?" Garcia's voice was barely audible.
Rossi didn't answer.
The voice returned. "Agent Rossi, you've spent your whole life hunting monsters, and your free time hunting animals, but how does it feel to finally be the prey?"
"Show yourself," Rossi said, "I don't know what you want, but this is between the three of us. Let Garcia go."
A low chuckle came. "I might, but not yet. I want to see if you've got what it takes to protect her. Head North, agent Rossi."
"We're not going to do what he says, are we?"
"We are," Rossi said.
Garcia's eyes widened. "But they have something planned for us."
"They'll escalate if we don't play along."
Garcia nodded and followed Rossi as he led her north. Eventually, she stepped out of high heels and walked barefoot on the cold, wet grass. After some time, they emerged into a clearing. A tree stump with a folded envelope and a canteen stood in the middle.
"Stay back," Rossi warned.
"What do you think it is?"
Rossi picked up the envelope and tore it open.
One of you must drink what's in the canteen. You have sixty seconds. If you fail to decide, both of you will pay.
Garcia clutched her arms around herself, shivering in the cold. Rossi removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Thanks. What do you think about it? Could it be anything? Water, Poison, Vodka?"
"That's the point," Rossi said, picking up the canteen, "Whatever is in here, they want to test their control over us."
The walkie-talkie crackled. "TikTok agents. You have thirty seconds."
"What happens if we don't choose?" Garcia asked.
"They'll escalate."
"Well, then I'll drink it," Garcia said, "It's probably okay, and they're just trying to scare us."
"Or what if it's poisonous, and they want to prove that I can't protect you."
He unscrewed the cap and took a sniff.
"What are you doing?"
"Trust me," Rossi said, "It's whiskey. They were just trying to scare us."
The walkie crackled. "Fifteen seconds, David. Your call."
Rossi took a swig, grimacing.
"I wasn't entirely accurate. It's Jack Daniels. I'm not sure you can call that whiskey. And it's watered down."
He capped the canteen and set it back on the stump, taking the walkie-talkie from Garcia.
"Satisfied, or do you need me to dance next?"
The voice chuckled. "Not quite. Head west."
Morgan paced back and forth as Kevin sifted through layers of proxy servers.
"Almost there," he promised, "Whoever this guy is, he's good but not good enough. I've narrowed down his IP activity to a two-block radius."
Reid scanned the screens, looking for connections between the case file and Rossi's book.
"That's weird. WatchDog73 is using lines straight from Rossi's book. He's rewriting them to sound more casual, but they're very similar."
Emily crossed her arms. "What if he took Garcia just to make Rossi easier to control? Kevin, do you have the location?"
Kevin nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It's coming from a warehouse just outside of town."
Hotch's phone buzzed.
I warned you about getting involved. Get control over your team or there won't be anyone left for you to save.
Morgan's jaw clenched. "I'm about sick of this guy."
"They're trying to buy time. Kevin, send us the coordinates for the warehouse. We're leaving now."
