∗ ࣪ ˖༺ violent delights ༻˖ ࣪ ∗

pistol

as i settled into the driver's seat, i felt excitement and anxiety churning in my stomach. emily slid into the passenger side, her bright smile lighting up the dim interior. "it's so great working with you again, mads. it's been what, two, three years since yemen? feels like yesterday."

"yeah, it's been a while. it's good to see you too, em." i replied, focusing on the road ahead. "you're gonna love this team," she said, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "i know it's different from what you're used to, but honestly, they're like family. we take care of each other. you'll see."

i nodded, my heart fluttering with a mix of hope and trepidation. the tight-knit dynamic among the team was palpable, but i was determined to maintain some distance. "i can tell." i said, keeping my voice steady despite the uncertainty gnawing at me.

silence stretched between us for a moment, and i could feel emily's gaze shift toward me, weighing the unspoken words in the air. "how's your dad? hannah?" she asked, her tone gentle but curious. "i miss hearing your dad's stories, and matthew, is he enjoying his new district?" she rambled.

my grip tightened on the steering wheel, and my heart raced. i forced myself to relax, focusing on the road ahead, on the familiar scenery of quantico. "they're good. dad's keeping busy. hannah's still in school, doing well." i replied, my tone carefully neutral. the mention of matthew was a tightrope walk, and i wasn't ready to dive into that just yet.

emily seemed to sense the subtle shift in mood and nodded, not pressing further. "that's great to hear. i always admired how close you guys were." she said, her voice softening. i offered a short nod, feeling the weight of unspoken words hanging between us. keeping my gaze fixed on the road, i knew we had reached the boundary of what i was willing to share for now. sensing the shift, emily redirected the topic. "you'll see. this team has a way of making even the hardest days a little easier. just give it time." glancing over at her, i allowed a brief smile to escape. "i'll keep that in mind."

as we pulled up to the park, my heart raced at the sight of police cars lining the street, their lights flashing like distant stars against the bright morning sky. the tension in the air was palpable, a heavy reminder of the chaos that had unfolded here. i parked the car, and emily and i stepped out, the gravel crunching beneath our feet as we made our way toward the gathering crowd of officers and detectives.

"hi, i'm ssa emily prentiss, and this is my colleague, ssa madelyn mortier. our unit chief called the head of the hazmat team over here?" emily introduced us to a man in a full hazmat suit, his face partially obscured by the mask.

"yes, ma'am, that would be me." he replied, his tone professional but slightly weary. "what are you telling people about the park?" i asked, trying to gauge the situation. "methane build-up in the sewage system." he answered, his eyes darting briefly to the police tape surrounding the area. "and they believe it?" emily asked, her brow furrowing as she thought aloud. "well, yeah, of course, why wouldn't they?" she says, answering her question.

"hot zone and all surrounding areas have been neutralized. you're safe here." he assured us, but i couldn't shake the nagging doubt in the back of my mind. "you're sure?" i scoffed, unable to hide the skepticism in my voice. "yes, ma'am." he replied, catching my edge but not seeming to take offence. "thank you." emily said, offering a nod as he turned back to his work.

"okay, check it out. high levels tested over there." emily said, pointing toward an area cordoned off with bright yellow tape. "that's probably where the unsub released the attack." i suggested, my eyes scanning the scene as a police officer sat idly in his car right next to the marked-off area.

"and there was a prevailing wind out of the northeast yesterday. airborne spores scattered that way, hitting everyone below him." emily continued, her tone analytical as she gestured in the direction of the wind.

"this park doesn't scream target to me though," i replied, feeling a bit uneasy. "terrorists usually target symbols—the white house, the pentagon, the world trade center, not parks." "okay, so maybe for the unsub it is a symbol." emily countered, her brow creasing in thought.

"well, we know kaczynski sent bombs to berkeley, where he taught, michigan, where he went to school, and chicago, where he lived." i pointed out, recalling my studies on the unabomber.

"and the amerithrax suspect left letters to two pro-choice senators whose politics he opposed," emily added, her analytical mind connecting the dots. "they can't help but attach a personal note to the place they attacked."

i gazed at the park, searching for answers hidden in the shadows of the trees and the echoes of laughter that had once filled the air. "okay, so what does this place mean to our unsub?" i asked aloud, hoping the answer would jump out at me. 

as emily and i settled back into the car, on the way to our secondary crime scene, the atmosphere shifted from the tense seriousness of the crime scene to the buzz of the town. the streets were alive with people, all seemingly oblivious to the chaos brewing just beneath the surface. laughter and chatter filled the air as groups gathered for dinner, eager to kick off their weekend.

i glanced out the window, catching a glimpse of the hazmat team discreetly cleaning out a nearby building, their movements deliberate as they scanned for any signs of anthrax use or production. the contrast between the normalcy outside and the potential danger lurking within was jarring.

emily's phone rang, and she answered quickly, her voice steady as she spoke to jj. i turned my attention back to the street, watching families stroll by, couples holding hands and friends laughing. the scene was almost surreal. when emily hung up, i couldn't shake the nagging feeling that all these people were living their lives, completely unaware of the threat lurking just a few feet away.

"look at all these people just living their lives," i scoffed, shaking my head. "if only they knew what was going on here." "it's better they don't," emily replied, her gaze serious. "jj said the bookstore's been closed since the owner died. gale mercer's card purchase happened right before closing."

"well, that explains why only three victims were hit here." i responded, a chill running down my spine. just then, a voice crackled through my earpiece, pulling me from my thoughts. "we've tested hot, i'll alert command." the hazmat team announced.

"this was his test run." i concluded, my mind racing as i pieced together the implications. "okay, well he's gotta have a history with the place," emily said, her tone shifting to tactical. "we need to get a list of current and past employees, customers with grievances against the owner, see if any of them had a scientific background."

"can you believe there is only a quarter-inch thick piece of glass between all of us and a wmd?" i asked, still struggling to grasp the magnitude of it all. "attack anthrax wasn't made to kill three people in a bookstore. it wants to be right out in the open, where it can feed and multiply." emily explained, her voice heavy with the weight of reality.

i scanned the crowd again, noting families with children, couples laughing and friends sharing stories over drinks. "just a small amount could wipe out everyone here, and they'd never see it coming." i said quietly, the gravity of the situation weighing on my heart.

after a moment of shared silence, emily nodded. "let's head back to the field office. we need to meet up with the team and explain what we found." we drove back through the bustling streets, the noise and laughter fading into the background as we focused on the task at hand. arriving at the field office, we joined the team, each of us exchanging solemn looks that spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation.

as we gathered around the table, the atmosphere shifted again, a shared sense of urgency uniting us. after exchanging findings and theories, it was clear that it was time to deliver the profile. hotchner led the charge, and as we prepared to outline our findings, i felt a swell of determination.