Soulmates

Chapter 3-Innocence

                             TW: talk of Sexual Assault, and murder

It had been a few months since the Family annihilator case. Ryan and Prentiss had their brunch and made it a point of having lunch dates every now and then. Since Desmond Harrison, Ryan's workload has remained busy, though he wouldn't say any case he's gotten has been bad as that one or the one's before. 

Ryan's day had not been as busy as usual lately and he was hoping that he could get off early and spend some much needed down time with Tyler and Emma, That was until he got a call from Detective Russell. So much for down time, Ryan answered the call, "Christensen." There was hesitation on the other end before Russell's voice came through. "Ryan we need to meet", Russell stated. 

There was something in Russell's voice that made Ryan worry. "Why what's wrong has something happened?", Russell avoided the question "Just meet me at the coroner cafe, near you're office in 10 minutes! "Okay I'll meet you there." Not even responding Russell hung up, His curiosity ever so peaking Ryan let the receptionist know that he was going out for a bit. 

Arriving at the cafe he spotted Russell in a booth in the far corner, they greeted each other and sat down. Russell started, "I'm sorry for the mystery Ryan but I needed to talk to you." "What about?" Ryan asked, Russell hesitated before speaking again "You remember Samuel Higgins?"

Ryan looked down how could he forget him. Samuel Higgins was a man Ryan had arrested for the Rape and Murder of two young women, Hannah Lewis and Jessica Willows. Higgins was convicted and is scheduled to be executed in a week though throughout the trial he claimed to be innocent, despite evidence pointing to him and his alleged alibi falling through. 

"Why do you want to talk about him the case is settled." Ryan stated, Russell hung his head in shame. "It's not as settled as you may thing." Ryan looked at Russell "What are you saying?" Russell looked Ryan in the eye. "When we were working the case the DNA sample we got from Jessica Willows matched another sample from another person." Ryan did a double take at that 

"Wait are you saying that Higgins had someone else with him." The DNA sample was one of the key Evidence at Higgins trial. Higgins kept claiming that he didn't know how his DNA got on Willows but of course that wasn't a defense. "No I'm saying that the DNA sample was fabricated to make it look like Higgins matched. " Ryan's eyes widened, "Wait a minute Higgins DNA didn't match at all?" Russell nodded, "Ryan we we've worked together for awhile and I like to say I've always been on the straight and narrow but that's not true. I've done a lot of bad things and hid behind the badge the Higgins case is one of them." 

Ryan couldn't believe what he was hearing, not only was Russell telling him that the DNA sample the most important evidence used to put Samuel Higgins away for the two rapes and Murders was fabricated but he was practically telling him that he knew it was fabricated and still helped put a man away for it. "Russell you tell me right now, if Higgins didn't kill those two girls who did?" Ryan demanded 

 Russell hesitated before stating "It's bigger than you think Ryan, I didn't want to do it but I did what I was told." " Told by who?" before Russell could respond a shot ring out and Russell's coffee cup exploded and he fell out of the booth onto the ground. 

 "Get down everybody down!!!" Ryan yelled out before he too ducked. Looking around him making sure nobody was standing up with his gun drawn before looking to see where the shot might have come from. He then looked to Russell who was lying lifeless on the floor. After checking his pulse he took out his phone to call it in. "This is FBI special Agent Ryan Christensen, we got a shooting at the cafe on east and central. One fatality."