Criminal Minds Series Rewrite: Season Three

Seven Seconds: Part One

"Nothing is easier than to denounce the evil doer; Nothing more difficult than understanding him." - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Child abductions are one of the worst things a human being can do, but you thrive in those environments. You can usually find the child easily because their energies are pure and will lead you to them. However, the abductions usually happen in a smaller setting like a house or even a school...

This one just so happens to be in a fucking mall where there are thousands of people here. Your team was called to assist as soon as the child was reported missing twenty minutes ago. The good thing about this is you can always spot the perpetrator since they love to insert themselves into the investigations. Plus, they have to pretend like they're sad about this, which means they're lying to everyone, which means you can spot them even easier.

This case is meant for someone like you.

Your entire team gets to the mall quickly since you're only an hour from the crime. The local police are currently there as well to help out where they can.

"I'm James Franklin," James introduces himself when you get there. "I'm the Director of the Bureau's Rapid Deployment Team. We've been in lockdown for almost twenty minutes. My team's already in motion."

There was another kidnapping a week ago from the same location. Jessica Davis lost her life, and the killer hadn't been caught. You don't know if it's connected, but that's what you're here to find out.

"Another female, same age, same time of day, and taken from essentially the same location," Emily points out.

"What makes you sure Katie Jacobs is still in the building?" you ask James.

"The mall's got cameras installed at every entrance and exit. Surveillance video confirms Katie entering the building, but no sign of her leaving. Security paged her over the intercom, and their initial sweep came up empty."

"Whoever killed Jessica Davis last week left that mall with her because he wanted time with his victim in privacy. Assuming it's the same offender, he wouldn't stray from his MO. He wouldn't leave here without his victim."

"If Katie is here, then her abductor is still here." You turn to Hotch with a determined look. "I'll be able to tell you who did it."

"Good. Garcia, report to the mall's security office. Reid, Morgan, I want you to find the head of security. We need all data from every search team. You guys start with Katie's parents," Hotch says to you, Emily, and JJ. "We'll treat the mall like a neighborhood, and we'll separate into areas of control. Come on."

This may not be the biggest mall in Virginia, but it is one of the most popular ones. Still, it's pretty big with a hundred and seventeen stores, sixty-nine storage closets, seventy-three dressing rooms, six men and women's restrooms, seven restaurants each with separate kitchens, four elevators, and exits to the rooftop via the north and south stairwells. On top of all that, there is a whole underbelly beneath your feet. Boiler rooms, air ducts, and a subterranean level.

Every team got a copy of the map, but the reality of the situation is that it'll take at least three hours to cover the basics of the entire mall. Realistically, you only have half that time to find Katie.

Ninety-nine percent of abducted children who are killed died within the first twenty-four hours, seventy-five percent are killed within the first three hours, and forty-four percent are killed within the first hour. Jessica Davis joined that forty-four percent group, so if you have any hope of finding Katie alive, then you have about an hour to find her so she doesn't fall into that category.

Penelope knows more about cameras than anyone else on the team, which is why she is the perfect person for the job. She needs every inch of surveillance footage so she can examine it frame by frame to see if there is anything in the background that the police or security has missed. If you want to find Katie alive, then Penelope is going to do her very best to search for her.