∗ ࣪ ˖༺ violent delights ༻˖ ࣪ ∗

flash

another hour drags by, and i can't stand still anymore. i find hotch and stride over, needing action. "hotch, i gotta get out of here. i'm gonna meet up with emily and reid, form a search party. i can't just stand around and wait." i sigh.

"okay, call if you need backup." he replies, his usual sternness softened. i'm surprised he's letting me go off alone, considering my monitored duty status. "i will," i assure him, and as i turn, he calls out. "madelyn?" he says, the sun glinting off his sunglasses. "yeah?" "be careful." "always." i reply, heading off to find reid and emily. i walk into the barn and spot reid up in the loft, kneeling among scattered belongings.

"i found where lucas sleeps." he calls down. "up there? so mason was lying?" i ask, noting the rough setup—just planks and scattered hay. "hard to believe mason didn't know his brother was here." reid mutters, examining a pile of tattered drawings. "anything up there to help us track him down?" i ask. "nothing solid, not yet," reid pauses. "but i doubt he's psychotic." "why's that?" i ask, looking up at him.

"these drawings suggest autism or an intellectual disability. co-occurring psychosis with developmental disabilities is rare—it's more likely lucas doesn't fully grasp the consequences of his actions." "anything to suggest he's as dangerous as mason claims?" i ask. "not in these sketches. they're childlike—there's a hint he's being watched, though. when we find him, he might be scared. maybe confused."

"think he'll fight?" "maybe." reid glances at me, his expression darkening. "hey, maddy—ever get the feeling a case isn't going to end well?" i nod slowly. "yeah, but keep looking. this girl needs us." i offer a small smile, leaving him to the task. outside, i find emily and we start toward the woods, the quiet heavy around us. "how long have you been with the fbinow?" i ask as we walk. "almost seven years." she says with a slight smile. "it's been five for me," i say, hands in my fbi windbreaker pockets. "but it's all i've thought about today—this guy has been out here for years, killing ninety-eight people, and we didn't even know."

"we know now. and we'll make him pay." she replies firmly. "but how many more are out there, em? hunting, killing? no matter how hard we work, it's never going to end." i sigh, the weight of our job pressing down on me. before emily can reply, a search officer calls us over. we jog through the trees to find a creek cutting through the terrain. emily sighs. "he must've gone into the water."

"if the dogs lose his scent, this is gonna be like searching for a needle in a very big haystack." i mutter. "maybe we should split up? one on either side of the creek." emily suggests. "as long as i don't have to deal with that damn pig farm, i'm game." i say, hopping across a few rocks. with a team of search officers, i start combing through the tall grass, keeping an eye out for any movement. a crackle in my ear catches my attention—it's emily. "i see someone in the woods, sneaking around."

"copy that," i reply, moving toward her. soon, i spot a man in a clearing and raise my gun. "fbi! don't move!" i shout, rushing in. as i try to grab his arm, he tackles me, pinning me to the ground. before he can land a punch, emily steps up, gun pressed to his temple. "do not move!" she commands, her voice icy.

we pull ourselves up, and he sneers, brushing himself off. "i'm a hunter. live a few properties over. what's wrong with you people?" "our apologies, sir." i say, rubbing the back of my neck where it's already sore from the scuffle. "we're so sorry but can you answer a few questions before you go?" "whatever. can i just get back to my property?" he huffs. "have you seen this man?" emily holds up a photo of lucas.

"that's lucas turner. a little soft in the head, y'know? he'll come wandering back if you wait long enough." he grabs his bag and heads off, muttering to himself. "you okay?" emily asks, noticing me wincing. "yeah, all good," i reply, eyeing the hunter's bag suspiciously. "wonder what he's got in there." "probably nothing we'd want to find out." she chuckles. just then, my phone rings. garcia's voice buzzes through the line.

"maddy! i've got a location for kelly and lucas—kelly called on a cell, and i traced the signal. sending it to your phones now." she exclaims. coordinates appear on my phone, and emily and i take off, running. we join the rest of the team on a path with search officers and dogs gathering. "it should be right here. this is where the signal was." hotch says, looking around. "there's nothing here." morgan mutters, frustrated. "kelly!" i call out. the team fans out, each of us combing the forest floor.

then, i spot carvings on a tree trunk. "guys!" i yell, kicking aside some leaves to reveal a small hatch. i pull it open, gun raised. "kelly shane?" i call down, and her voice echoes back. "i'm here!" she shouts, her voice desperate. i climb down the ladder and find kelly crouched, trying to calm lucas. "lucas turner, this is the fbi." i say as swat officers descend behind me.

helping kelly up, i guide her out of the hatch, her grip trembling in my hand. outside, hotch pulls her up, then helps me out of the whole as swat officers wrestle lucas into custody. kelly clings to me, her sobs muffled against my jacket as bangs and shouts echo from below. morgan yells at the swat officers to hold fire as lucas charges, panicked and flailing. back at the farm, paramedics check kelly over. jj informs us that hightower went in and killed mason; with lee's death confirmed, he felt he had nothing left to lose.

the team heads back to the jet in silence, exhaustion sinking in. i settle into my seat, a book resting in my lap as i struggle to keep my eyes open. hotch sits across from me, his expression soft. "you did good work on this case. i spoke with strauss—she agrees you're ready for full duty." "thank you." i say, managing a tired smile. he studies me, his tone softening. "how are you holding up?" "i'm... okay. just exhausted. this case—it was a lot." i glance around, noting the rest of the team already out cold.

"i understand. get some rest." he says. i nod, grateful for the reprieve. back at the office, everyone quickly files their reports and heads home. the only lights left are my desk lamp and the glow from hotch's office. i hear his footsteps as his light clicks off, and he comes down the stairs. "go home, madelyn. those can wait." he says, glancing at my stack of files. "i'd rather stay," i say softly. "i'll keep busy here." he gives a faint nod, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. "goodnight." i watch him disappear into the elevator, leaving me alone with the quiet hum of the office.