𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 - 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀

An Attempt

(Chapter 11)

August 8th, 2018
"Guys, wake up. Another woman went missing." My eyelids fluttered as Spencer spoke. JJ and I rose out of bed, I walked to the bathroom to change.

I stared at my eye in the mirror. Shades of purple and blue are painted on, causing me to look battered, but the spreading purple with yellow blotches is only a surface wound.

I didn't realize how long I'd zoned out for until I heard Spencer's voice at the door. I was upset about what he'd done last night, but I couldn't stay mad. He didn't mean any harm.

I clicked the door open and walked out in my work clothes. "Yeah," I smiled. "I'm fine." I pushed past Spencer and grabbed my bag, ready to walk out the door.

We made for the car and started our drive. I didn't know when a good time to tell them that I was going home tonight would be, I didn't think that there was one, so I decided to just get it over with.

"Hey guys," I began.

"Yeah?"

"What's up?"

"I'm going home tonight, I'll talk to Hotch about it but I need to get back to Caleb and Jason. Nobody has tried to break in or harm my family, I think we're in the clear." The car came to a halt and their head both turned to face me.

"No you're not." Spencer countered.

"Not over my dead body." JJ added. I sighed.

"Guys, I'll be okay. I'll figure something out." I pleaded, Spencer buried his face in his hands over the steering wheel.

"If you go home I'll tell Hotch." Spencer replied.

"I already said, I'm going to talk to Hotch. He'll let me go home."

"No, I'll tell Hotch about Jason." He threatened.

"No you won't," I laughed. "Now you better drive or we might have another woman's blood on our hands." He started the car.

The rest of the ride over was quiet. JJ stared out the front with contemplating and Spencer was giving me the silent treatment out of spite.

When we arrived at the station, Emily handed us coffee. "Hey, how's your eye?" She pulled me aside.

"It's getting better." I grinned. We walked back over with the rest of the group.

"Jane Riley went missing last night on her way home from work." Hotch began. "She lives in the kill zone and has 2 children and a husband, I know we've been stuck lately but we need to figure this out. Let's get to work."

"Hey baby," Morgan called Garcia.

"I already know what you're going to ask," She cut him off. "Yes, I have a list of names. 5 women fit our unsubs type in his kill zone, I'm sending you their names now." She hung up but Morgan's phone rang again. "Hello lovely people, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Maddens name is on the list I compiled." Pairs of eyes glanced over at me, I twisted the wedding ring on my finger, trying to ease my nerves.

Hotch called me over to him. "You're going home, is Jason there? If not, we need to get an agent to be there with you."

"No, I mean yes, he's home. Let me call him." I walked into a vacant room and took a deep breath. My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I though about the possible consequences for last night. I sat in a chair at a table, dreading having to call him, my eyes fixated on the photo of the woman on the board. I pulled my ring off and slid it back on repeatedly, it was a nervous habit I'd developed over the years.