[✓] 𝐶𝐼𝑁𝐷𝐸𝑅 | 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐃

𝟏𝟐 | 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

— 𝒞 —

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 past dark by the time the team and the officers pulled up at Tobias Hankel's home.

The blue and red lights on the tops of the police cruisers were the only things lighting their path as they all hurried out of the car.

"Morgan," muttered Farraday.

"What?"

"There's a barn around back."

Morgan gave a grim nod and glanced back at Charlie. "Jang, come on."

Gripping her gun tightly, Charlie followed Morgan around the house and to the back, where a tall barn sat. A couple of officers and Farraday trailed behind them.

She grabbed her flashlight that was hooked onto her belt and lit it while Morgan did the same. Cautiously, she entered the barn, slowly drifting her light around.

It stopped on a limp figure—a dead dog. She took a few steps forward, and her light shone over the spot they had seen in the video.

She swallowed back her revulsion. There wasn't a single spot in the area that wasn't covered in blood, and the growing stench only enforced it.

"Oh, damn," she muttered, turning her eyes away.

"FBI!"

Charlie quickly turned around to see JJ standing at the corner of the barn, her hair wild and her gun pointed towards them.

"JJ!" shouted Morgan as they and the other officers closed in.

"Don't move!"

"JJ, it's Morgan and Charlie," Morgan called quickly, "don't shoot!"

"It's okay," Charlie coaxed, hurrying up to her as JJ lowered her gun and sighed in relief. "Are you hurt?"

JJ's voice was shaky, "Tobias Hankel is the UnSub."

Morgan nodded. "Yeah, we know."

"I'll go call in an ambulance," muttered Farraday, receiving a nod from the other man.

"And we just thought he was a witness," continued JJ as she tucked her gun away. Her eyes drifted down to the dead dogs. "I had to kill them."

Charlie sighed, biting her lower lip before turning back to her. "JJ, where's Spencer?"

It seemed as though JJ hadn't heard her. "They just completely tore her apart. There's nothing even left—"

"JJ, look at me. Look at me," Charlie said softly, gently gripping her arm and finally catching her attention. "Where's Spencer?"

"Oh." JJ's eyebrows furrowed. "We split up. He said he was going to go around back."

Morgan immediately headed out the door, though Charlie decided to stay with JJ until the ambulance came. As worried as she was about Spencer, she needed to comfort the person next to her.

She sighed as she glanced around before slipping her gun into its holster. She rested her flashlight on the steel drum in front of her.

She turned her attention to JJ, whose gaze was on the flashlight, though her mind seemed far away.

Gently, Charlie used her index finger to tilt JJ's face up, and she got a better look at the dirt in her hair and sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Those dogs," JJ muttered before Charlie could say anything, and her voice was unsteady. "I thought . . . I thought they'd tear me apart, like her. I didn't have a choice."