Mini Reid (Book 3 in the Boss's Niece series #Wattys2016)

Free Falling

*Mel's POV*

I pulled on my bullet proof vest. It seemed tight. I adjusted the straps do it would fit. JJ gave me a questioning look.

"It's just a bit tight!" I said before she could say anything. But what she said earlier was still replying in my mind. Could I be pregnant? No. Think about the case, not what she said. You can deal with that later.

The team split into two different SUVs. Uncle Aaron, David, and Spencer in one and Alex, JJ, Derek and I in the other. Derek drove, as usual.

We pulled up to Janet's house and got out. We split up. Derek kicked down the door and we all went looking around. Spencer and I went around the back.

Voices yelling, "Clear!" filled the house.

Out back, I found a shed.

"Spencer." I said. He looked at me. I motioned for him to follow me. We raised our guns and walked towards the shed.

The side door was unlocked and was open. Seems suspicious.

We walked inside, our guns raised.

"Janet?" I asked. "This is the FBI. Come out with your hands up."

There was no reply.

The shed was like a barn on the inside. It had a second floor that had narrow floors with a ladder and a railing around it. There was nothing on the first floor, so I climbed up to the second on to look for it.

"Be careful." Spencer said.

"Stop being so concerned. Who are you? My husband?" I joked. Spencer smiled up at me as he went to investigate.

I walked around. Up here was way worst then down below. There was actual evidence that this woman killed up here.

There was blood stains on the wall and knives, the murder weapon, out in the open. I put on my blue gloves and picked it up.

"Found a knife!" I called down to Spencer.

"Murder weapon?" he called up.

"There's blood on it and it seems like the right length, so I'd say yes." I replied. "I'll keep looking."

I put the knife in a plastic bag and continued walking.

The floorboards were old and decaying. I had to be careful I didn't fall through.

I found an old journal on a chair. I picked it up and looked through it. It was Janet's. She'd been writing in it since she was raped by her husband's friends.

I leaned over in pain. My stomach was hurting again. I accidentally let out a groan of pain. I heard him shuffle downstairs.

"Mel? Are you okay?" he called.

"Fine! Just...hit my leg!" I lied. He didn't seem to believe me, but he went on doing whatever he was doing. I let out a shaky sigh and stood up straight.

"I'm not pregnant." I whispered. "I'm not pregnant."

I didn't really believe myself, but I had a job to do.

I leaned against the rail and started reading the journal. Entry #1:

'The doctors tell me writing in a journal will help. Nothing will help what he did. What THEY did. We were walking home from the movies when Sam's friends came up to us. I could tell they were drunk.'

I closed my eyes. I didn't have an eidetic memory like Spencer did, but I could tell that after I read this, the image would be stuck in my mind forever. I needed to know, though. I needed to know.

I opened my eyes and continued reading.

'There were about three of them. They had a terrible smell of alcohol on their breathes. They talked to Sam like normal, slurring a few of their words. One of them, Mike, kept staring at me. He always did. His eyes were brown. Dark brown. An evil brown.'

I pictured the dark eyes. Like Spencer's, but his were kind. Mike's weren't.

'He spoke to Sam in such a calm voice when he asked. "Hey Sam. May I?" Sam was a good husband at that point. He said no. But then, Tray talked. "Come on, Sam. We'll be careful with your girl".'

Mentally, I was begging him to say no. I was begging him to take Janet and walked away, but I knew that wasn't going to happen.

'No one says no to Tray. No one. Sam didn't say anything. Mike took this as his chance. Tray and Brett pinned me up against the wall. They both managed to unzip my pants and pull them down. My underwear too. I heard Mike unzip his pants.'

I closed the journal for a second. I couldn't read more. This poor woman.

I rubbed my eyes before opening again and beginning to read. I skipped the more...graphic parts.

'One by one, they had their way with me. I looked at Sam each time and begged for help. I screamed. No one listened. Sam watched as his friends have their way with his wife.'

Bastard.

'When they were done, they let me fall to the ground. "She is amazing." Tray said. "Nice ass." Brett added. "You'll have to let us try again some time." I shivered as they said these things. They said them like complements, but they weren't. They left. They left me there. Naked. Raped. Even Sam.'

I heard creaking. I looked over my shoulder and shrugged when I seen nothing.

I continued reading the journal. Janet had a lot of rage towards Mike. He was the one who started it all. He had always made Janet feel a little uneasy. He had flirted with her for years, and not just in the kind of joking way. She blamed Mike for it all, which was understandable. He was the one who asked Sam first.

She had rage for Sam, too. But it didn't seem like it was as much.

CREAK!

I looked over my shoulder again. Nothing. I was about to read again when-

CRACK!

The rail I was leaning on broke. I found myself falling. I dropped the journal and flailed my arms, hoping to grab on to something. Unfortunately, I didn't grab anything in time and I started falling.

"Mel!"

I closed my eyes and waited for the impact. The impact that might kill me. But it didn't come. Two arms did.

I opened one eye to see that the person who caught me was Spencer!

"My hero." I breathed.

"I told you to be careful." he said in a half serious tone. He kissed my head. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine." I said, nodding. "I'm fine."

He set me down on my feet. A wave of nausea went over me as my feet hit the ground. Not now.

It passed just as it came. Thank God.

I noticed the journal on the ground next to me. I picked it up and passed it to Spencer.

"Janet's journal." I explained. "And, unless you want your eidetic memory stained with the visual of her rape, I wouldn't read the first entry."

He looked at the journal and nodded. I started walking to the exit.

"Where are you going?" Spencer asked.

"To call Garcia." I replied. "I think I know where we're gonna find our UnSub."