An Emblematic Woman ● S. Reid | ✓

26- Hiker

Russo

"We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered." ~ Tom Stoppard

He grabbed my waist and shoved his tongue down my throat. He yanked my hair, and kicked at my legs. They started to buckle, leaving me to stumble to try to catch my breath. He came around behind me and bit my throat, then left sloppy, hard kisses down...

He kicked my side, sending me swinging to the right, then back to the left. The pain in my wrist became much more intense. He grabbed my shirt and pulled me back onto my feet, then wrapped his hand around my throat.

He made a fist then punched me in the stomach, again, and again, and again. He kicked at my torso, and slapped me repeatedly. Then he grabbed my throat and started to strangle me...

"Kennedy? You with us?" I turned my attention back to my teammates as he headed for North Dakota. Everybody was looking at me.

"Yeah, sorry I kinda dozed out there," I said, "Continue,"

"Cooperstown is a small village with a population of just under a thousand people; only about a twenty minute drive to Homen forest. That's a major risk he takes, transferring live victims from location to location," Kate said.

"Yet he's able to take victims without anybody seeing him," Morgan said.

"He needs a large enough vehicle, but nothing that would stand out. Maybe a mini van? A station wagon?" JJ suggested. Garcia tuned into video chat on the computer monitor.

"Bad news crime fighters; another body was just discovered half a mile out from the last two victims; although this one seems to be more decomposed then the last three," she said.

"I told you, large area, more victims," Reid said.

"We get it, you're right again," Rossi said dully, not bothering to look up from his papers.

"Not only that, but another girl, Tammy Whitlock, never came home last night from dinner with friends, a security camera last saw her walking down the street by herself," Garcia said.

"His typical victim and M.O, grabs them when they're alone. Young, blonde, short hair," I said.

"Any footage of the car?" Hotch asked.

"Not so far, state troops are still doing a canvas," she replied.

"He grabbed her only two days after disposing Wending Mathis, he's getting more impulsive," Reid said.

"Which means if he dumps her, it's gonna be a lot more sloppy," JJ said.

"So he grabbed her around midnight, which means we now only have less than 30 hours to track down Tammy Whitlock," Rossi said.

"As soon as we land, Morgan, Reid, and Russo head to the last disposal site, Kate and JJ talk to the M.E, Dave and I will set up at the police station. We'll rendezvous around three o' clock," Hotch said.

A ranger had to drive us twenty minutes through the terrain, then we endured another ten minutes of hiking through the woods until we came to the last dump site. "She was found by a hiker, the guy upchucked his breakfast at the sight of the girl," he said.

"You found the first victim?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, coroner said she had to be dead over a month or so, critters got her pretty good too," he replied. The toe of my boot caught on a root and I felt myself trip; Reid grabbed my arm at the last minute.