Shades of Red

Chapter 5

One month later

"Meredith, Meredith! Wake up!" My eyes fluttered open. Emily's face was hovering close to mine. "What's wrong? Do we have a case? What time is it?" I rubbed my eyes until I started to see the room clearly. "We do not have a case. I was thinking about breakfast," said Emily with a cheeky grin. I looked at the clock beside my bed, 5:20am. "You couldn't have let me sleep in a little?" I sat up and Emily straddled herself over my lap, and wrapped her hands around my waist. With her hands, she pulled me to her; she kissed me lustfully. Maybe breakfast wasn't the only thing she was hungry for. "So breakfast, huh?"

Emily and I had spent the better part of the last month completely entangled in each other. Every free second we were together. I made bacon, eggs, and toast for Emily. I sat a plate in front of her, and joined her at the table. "Are we driving separately to work? Or together?" I asked even though I knew the answer. We still hadn't told the team about us yet. "Probably best if we drive ourselves," said Emily as she shoved a piece of bacon into her mouth. Just then, Emily's phone rang. "Hey Garcia," Emily's eyes got serious, and I knew we had a case. "Sure Penelope. I'll be there in 20." Emily hung up her phone, and mine rang almost immediately. Garcia repeated the information to me, and I also, told her I'd be there in twenty minutes. We ate a few more bites of our breakfast before throwing it away, and heading out the door.
Emily and I rode the elevator up together. Sometimes, it was hard for me to believe the team hadn't figured us out already. All of the stolen glances and the sweet gestures; it felt like we were always stealing away moments to touch each other while at work. The elevator doors opened and Emily linked her arm with mine as we walked into the BAU together. Everyone was already in the briefing room. Emily and I took our seats and waited for Hotch and Penelope to start presenting the case. "Someone from a small religious group that runs out of Laplata, Colorado County called in a complaint of sexual abuse of a minor to local authorities yesterday afternoon," said Hotch with his arms placed across his chest. Garcia hit a button on her computer, and a recording started playing. "He comes into my room at night, but I'm only fifteen. And I'm not the only one, please, help me!" The recording ended and Hotch started to speak again. "We believe that the "he" the girl refers to in the recording is Benjamin Cyrus, the groups leader. He has no criminal record. There is actually relatively no record of him at all." "It's rumored that he practices polygamy and forced marriages within the group," Penelope said as she pulled up a photo of Benjamin Cyrus. "Do we know who the caller is?" Asked Emily. "Jessica Evanson is the one who the age fits, but there's no way to be sure," said Hotch. "A social worker in Colorado has arranged for interviews with all of the children in the group," continued Aaron. "That couldn't have been easy," I said from my spot beside Emily. "If we show up guns and badges blazing, they're going to put up their defenses; and it could get ugly," said Morgan as he was flipping through the case file. "That's why I'm only sending two of you. Emily and Spencer, I want you two to fly to Colorado and meet the social worker. You'll go undercover as child victim interviewers to get inside. This group is more a cult then a religious sect. We need to treat this sensitively. I want you two on the jet as soon as possible." Emily and Spencer immediately rose from their seats and headed out.
I didn't feel right about any of this. Spencer, who had quickly became my best friend, and the woman I was seeing sent to a cult. It just all felt off. I had a bad feeling. They had landed almost an hour ago. The last we heard from them, they had made it inside. I was in the bullpen discussing the football game last night with Derek. JJ came rushing through the door. "Morgan, Meredith; we have a problem," said JJ turning on the tv. A news broadcast came on. "What is reportedly being called a routine "questions and answers" meeting, by Colorado child services has turned into a violent and deadly standoff between Colorado authorities, and a fringe religious group known as the Septarian sect. The raid is still ongoing. We have no news on the officers, or the social workers inside." "Tell me that's not the ranch where Emily and Spencer are, they're still inside!" Morgan asked, concern filling his voice. My mouth went dry. JJ looked at me, I wasn't quite sure how to read the look on her face. "Hotch!" Derek yelled out. Hotch and Rossi emerged from their offices to see the news. "Look at the TV, Prentiss and Reid," said Derek. Every phone in the BAU started ringing as agents bustled around to answer them. "That means we're running point on this," said Hotch.
Thirty minutes later we were on the jet, flying to Colorado. "The situation turned deadly when the Colorado state police tried serving a warrant. The attorney general said the cult has been under weapons investigation for six months," said JJ pouring over the case file. "Six months, and we didn't bother to check before we sent in Prentiss and Reid?" Said Morgan. "No, we checked. I had ATF call Wells, the attorney general. He told them there were no pending investigations," said JJ. "Why would he lie? What's to gain from that when we have two agents in there?" Said Rossi. "Wells is running for governor. He thought ATF was about to poach his election-winning weapons bust. It's clear he didn't know there were FBI agents in there. He just thought the best time to serve a state warrant was when all of the children were in school being interviewed," JJ continued. "What do we know about the sect?" Rossi asked. "Liberty ranch was founded in 1980 by Leo Kane, a libertarian. He created it as a self-sustaining commune." Said Garcia from the laptop screen. She was back at quantico. "Libertarians aren't religious. Clearly this sect has abandoned libertarian principles," said Rossi. "Benjamin Cyrus, the current leader, brought in religion when Leo Kane left, but I can't find anything on him. However; Kane is doing a seventeen year sentence in Deerfield federal prison, Garcia chimed in. "What for?" I asked. "Apparently libertarians don't like to pay taxes," answered Penelope. "Seventeen tears for tax evasion seems a bit extreme," I continued. "Two tears for tax evasion, the rest came after going after IRS agents with a Louisville slugger." "We'll have Kane come to the scene. He's about best chance at figuring out who we are dealing with," said Hotch. I spent the rest of the ride reeling. My head was spinning. I knew there was something off about this case. JJ took a seat next to me as I was resting my eyes. "Hey, they're gonna be okay. I know you are close with Spence," she took a moment before continuing. "And I know there's something going on between you and Emily." I felt my eyes widen. "How—," I started. "You guys aren't exactly subtle. And I know Emily well enough. She's seemed happier lately, especially when she's around you, Meredith." I didn't know what to say. I thought Emily and I were careful enough. "I care about her, and Spencer is my best friend. I need them to come out of this JJ." Just then I saw a flicker of something in JJ's eyes. Not concern for our friends, but jealousy maybe? "They will."
We set up just outside of the commune. Hotch put Rossi in charge of negotiations. Rossi wasn't thrilled given his emotional involvement. We needed someone who was close enough to predict the movements inside of Emily and Reid. The rest of the hostage negotiation team had arrived. Dave was about to make contact with Cyrus. JJ had met with the press to control what the sect was seeing given their access to the news. "This is what we call a minimal loss situation. Every person we get out is a life saved. We won't save them all," said Dave briefing the local authorities. "Cults are made like pyramids. The leader at the top, diehard believers under him, the biggest group, the base, at the bottom," Derek said as he drew a diagram on the whiteboard. Dave dialed the phone. "This is Benjamin Cyrus. Who am I talking to?" A voice said from the speaker. "This is Dave Rossi. I'm an FBI agent. We sent away the state police. It's just us, and the local sheriff. We just want to end this safely," Rossi spoke to Cyrus with confidence. "Then you'll leave us alone," said Cyrus. "We can't do that. One of the police died in the way to the hospital. So let's just stop this before anyone else gets hurt." "We're believers Dave. We believe that God says what he means, and means what he says. His laws don't depend on what state you live in." "We have no issue with your beliefs. The three child service workers," said Dave keeping him talking. "One of them is dead. It wasn't us." My stomach dropped. I couldn't breathe , but I stood still and calm. "I need a name, to inform the family." "Nancy Lund," replied Cyrus. Air found my lungs again. Rossi agreed to send in supplies to help the wounded inside. Morgan wanted to take them up with Rossi, but Rossi insisted going alone was for the best. We set up parabolic arc mics so we could get ears inside. The next morning, Rossi drove up to the commune to deliever the supplies. All the rest of us could do was wait. Rossi retuned less then thirty minutes later. "We have sound," said Derek. Reid and Prentiss," I asked Dave. "They're safe." Suddenly we could hear cyrus's voice. "We will be with him soon. We have drank the poison together." Rossi looked confused. "This doesn't fit. He was calm, lucid." "They're committing mass suicide," said Hotch. "We don't know that for sure," I said. "Mer, he just said it," said Morgan." "We need to get in there Hotch," said JJ panicked. "Aaron, if we go in there; people are going to die. You put me in charge for a reason. You need to trust me," rossi said convincingly. "People are dying, Dave. He just gave them all poison," replied Hotch. "Please Hotch, he's bluffing," I said in  agreement with Rossi. "Jim Jones did the same thing, it's a test run to see who is faithful to the cause," I said. "Prepare to go in," continued Hotch. Just then Cyrus changed course. "Be still, there was no poison. Instead, a test of faith," said Cyrus. We all breathed a sigh of relief. "Tell them to stand down," said Hotch.
"The standoff at the septarian sect ranch has officially been taken over by the fbi. There was much speculation in regard to the hostages. Anonymous sources inside the state attorney generals office have told us there is an undercover FBI agent currently being held inside." This asshat on the news was really starting to piss me off. "He can see this!" I yelled at Hotch. "Which one of you is it?" We heard Cyrus interrogating Reid and Emily. Just then I heard her voice. "What do you mean?" She asked Cyrus. "I know one of you is an FBI agent. Who is it?" "I don't know what you're talking about," said Reid calmly. "God will forgive me for what I must do," Cyrus said cocking his gun. "It's me," said Emily. My knees went weak. We profiled that he would kill Emily and Spencer if he found out that they were fbi, and Emily gives herself up just like that. Emily began grunting and gasping; clearly being hurt. "I told you not to put me in this position!" Yelled Cyrus as he began to beat Emily. I winced with every blow. " Hotch we have to get in there now!" I yelled. "We would be risking the lives of everyone in there," said Rossi trying to keep a calm head. "So what, we just let him kill her?! No absolutely not," I said pacing the room back and forth. Just then Emily's voice came over the speaker again. "I can take it," she said as he hit her again and again. "C'mon! She's antagonizing him!" I couldn't sit here and listen so I turned to walk away. Just then JJ grabbed my arm. "Listen to her mer. She's not talking to him," she said. "I can take it," Emily repeated. "She's talking to us. She knows we're listening. She's saying not to come in," said Hotch reassuringly. I couldn't sit in there and listen to him hurt Emily anymore. I excused myself and stepped outside. Derek followed me out. "What's going on with you and Emily?" He asked just like that, no hesitation. "What do you mean," I said trying to avoid suspicion. "C'mon Mer, we're all profilers. The way you're acting, your head isn't clear. You're unfocused. We all care about Reid and Emily, but
saving all of those innocent people is first priority. That's what Prentiss and Reid would want. It's clear that you care for her, but—" "They would also want to stay alive. I just feel like we could be doing more Derek." Derek put his hand on my cheek. "They are our family. Trust me when I say, we will do everything to get them out safely." We stood quietly together. "So Prentiss bats for the other team," he said with a chuckle. "So goes for you being a profiler."