In Too Deep (Agent Severide Book 3)

Chapter 8

21st District Police Department, Chicago

Hotch stood there for a moment looking at his agent, "Fine but Morgan's going with you," the unit chief said as Severide looked at Morgan before she headed down the hall locking her gun up in a safe in the hallway. Morgan followed behind her as she took a breath and walked into the room.

Grissom sat handcuffed to the table as the two agents walked into the room. Severide walked over to the empty chair. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Grissom asked looking at the blonde who raised an eyebrow and laughed a little. "When it comes to my job and catching people like you I do. You see Carl I spent my whole life studying people that do some unspeakable things, that you couldn't even wrap your head around." Severide said. "I didn't do anything," Carl said glaring at Zoey, "What would your dad say about this?" Carl sneered. "That's enough- No it's okay Morgan. I haven't talked to Benny since that night." Zoey said coldly.

Carl had a blank face the moment he mentioned it, Morgan caught it even after Carl tried to recover. "I don't know what you're talking about Zo," Carl said. "It's agent Severide, thanks only my friends are allowed to call me that and you are not my friend," the blonde said as a knock came from the door.

Zoey walked over to the door opening to find Antonio standing there, "Do you have what messaged you to get?" she asked quietly as the detective nodded handing the plastic bag and zippo lighter to her confused. "Thanks, Toni" she said walking back into the room shutting the door before turning and walking back over to the table setting the large Cuban cigar down in front of Carl along with the lighter. "My favourite, you remembered," he said as he took the cigar off the table and pulled it from the plastic smelling the tobacco. "How could I forget," she replied fighting everything in her from fighting the anger trying to seep through. "May I?" he asked as she nods telling him to go for it as Morgan uncuffed one of his wrists chaining the other cuff to the table.

"Thanks," Carl said lighting the cigar causing Zoey to look at the double glass. "You guys have nothing am I wrong? This is all just a giant bluff" the man said taking a deep inhale of the cigar and exhaling. She could see Morgan getting mad, "Is it a bluff? Because you might have killed all your victims but you screwed up." Severide said laying out the bodies his firefighters recovered. "I still don't know what this has to do with me" he adds as Zoey just smiled and shook her head. " The cigar in your hand is the exact same cigar that you used on each one of these victims," she added causing the man to shift uncomfortably for a moment. "So does Benny and Kelly what is your point?" Carl growled putting the cigar out on the metal table.

Severide took a breath, she could snap now. "Yeah but Benny and Kelly didn't rape and burn 15-year-old girls before setting a building on fire to kill her," she said pulling out the photo of the girl's burnt body followed by a photo of the girl beforehand. Carl froze again, "She looks a lot like I did at her age, is that why you picked her?" Severide asked as Morgan sent her a confused look as he tried piecing together where this was going.

"I don't know- You don't know what I'm talking about. You see this mark here? here? and here?" she said laying out 3 different victims. "Sure," he replied unamused, "This is what we call a signature. It's like a killer's calling card, and this. Is your signature," she said looking at him. Carl went to say something when the blonde agent pulled her hair up showing her neck towards the man and Morgan who was shocked probably as much as the team was behind the double glass. "The night you snuck into my room after Benny was passed out drunk on the couch, how you pinned me down and burned me with a cigar just like that before you raped me. I was 15!" Severide snapped slamming her fist down.

Carl just starred at her before he just smiled, "You had it coming," was all he said as Severide walked towards the door leaving the interrogation room and walking straight past everyone going straight into the locker room slamming her first into a locker in anger before she rests her head on the cool metal fighting tears. Don't cry, don't cry. she kept telling herself, "Zo," the voice was Jay's.

Zoey stayed in place just trying to take deep breaths, "You good?" he asked as she turned around forcing a smile, "And don't say you're fine, because I know your not." the detective asked. Zoey took a breath, "I've waited 10 years to put that... turd in prison and I thought I feel better and maybe some fucking closure and I'm just so..." she said as she balled he fists. "Lost and angry, I get it," Jay said surprising her. "Wanna head over to Molly's first shots on me and you are only drinking single shots. Miss shots till she drops," Jay said causing her to smile and laugh nodding. Zoey looked up meeting the detective's gaze as they locked eyes, he took a step forwards closing the space between them.

"Hey Severide you go- Oh sorry," Morgan said causing Jay to step back as they both just looked at the agent who was smirking at them. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything. We're gonna get a hotel and hit Molly's you coming?" her partner asked. "Yeah, I need a drink after this one" she replied with a smile as she walked past Morgan and out of the room. Zoey grabbed her gun from the safe placing it on her hip. "Why didn't you tell me what was going on?" Hotch asked quietly. "Not something I ever share. don't be too offended. Kelly doesn't even know, nobody did" she replied shrugging. "Do you need a couple of personal days?" he asked her, "I'd just end up binge drinking, I'd rather just work. Try to carry on, you know?" she asked as Hotch nodded. "If it gets too much you gotta say something. And no more random arrests," Hotch said as they both walked down the hall into the bullpen where everyone was.

"So who's gonna come to Molly's and raise a toast to another case closed with me?" Severide asked as she picked up her go bag and keys. The room erupted with Yeahs and Zoey and the group made their way down the stairs together.

Molly's Bar, Bucktown Chicago

Zoey pulled up to the bar after heading home to shower and change feeling gross being that close to Grissom again. The blonde walked across the street and into the bar that fell silent the moment she walked in making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Kelly stood up and walked straight up to Zoey and just engulfed her in a hug she didn't know she needed. "I'm so sorry Zo," Kelly said softly holding his baby sister.