CHORUS
You are a woman marked for sorrow.
ELEKTRA
Yes, I know sorrow. Know it far too well.
My life is a tunnel choked by the
sweepings of dread.
⟿ criminal minds
⟿ aaron hotchner
...
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: WOMAN WANTS TO BE IN LOVE BUT ALSO YIKES
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"ASSAILANT AT EDENHURST! Requesting immediate backup!"
Crouched behind the protective barrier, the staccato rhythm of gunfire echoed around Beatrice. Two bullets found their mark, grazing the corner of her refuge. Clutching her weapon tightly, she returned fire with precision. In the brief respite, she seized a speed loader from her pocket, seamlessly reloading her revolver. Strands of hair clung to her lips, and she blew them away, pressing her head against the reassuring solidity of the wall. Her heart raced as the chaos unfolded around her.
Her team leader's voice crackled through her earpiece. "Sterling! Where's Morgan and O'Mara? Are they with you?"
"Morgan's unconscious and O'Mara's. . . missing."
"Wait for backup. Do not confront him alone."
"I'm trying my best, but this guy's out for blood here."
"Ster. . . ling. . ."
A sudden hush enveloped the scene, the crackling static replacing the once urgent voices on their comms. Beatrice stood frozen, every nerve on edge. Gradually easing from behind cover, she pivoted, scanning for any sign of the attacker. A cautious retreat led her to the kitchen, where blood streaked across the floor, a morbid trail suggesting a recent struggle. A chilling sight then met her eyes—The Eye of Providence drawn in blood at the backdoor, the Reaper's signature.
Maintaining her guard, she stepped outside, only to be met with the sight of O'Mara's body sprawled on the ground. Kneeling beside him, she pressed two fingers to his neck, desperately seeking a pulse. A heavy heart sank further as she found nothing.
No wonder O'Mara wasn't around when Morgan was attacked—he was already dead.
Suddenly, a visceral awareness gripped Beatrice as a looming presence materialized behind her. Reacting on instinct, she instinctively moved to her left, narrowly avoiding the deadly arc of the unsub's knife where her neck had just been.
Seizing the moment, she grasped the assailant's arm, leveraging their shared momentum to spin around on her right foot with his back against hers and flip the assailant over her shoulder. Without hesitation, she transitioned into a headlock, her arm cinching around her attacker's neck.
Yet, the Reaper was no novice; he twisted within her grasp and in a sudden burst of strength, he managed to break free, fleeing through the front door. Without hesitation, she pursued the serial killer through the dimly lit alleyways. The chase led them to a bus stop, where the unsub managed to slip inside a waiting bus. Beatrice, arriving just moments too late, watched helplessly as the doors closed behind him, the vehicle pulling away into the darkness.
