Fearlessly Yours

SHE is NOBODY

What the hell did I get myself into. Man, writing a suspense story is a lot harder than I thought. So many scenarios keep popping into my head, so much possibility but I have to stay true to the flow of the story. Pardon the use of police jargon in this chapter. This is the result of watching too much police procedural shows on TV. (I love Criminal Minds). We will get to the Rated18A scenes soon enough. Thank you y'all!

Strong and suggestive language used. 

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Nicolas was sitting down with Mike inside SMH's security booth reviewing the security cameras when he spotted what they were looking for. The funny thing is that the unsub always had their back turned to the camera. It was obvious that it was female though from the way she dressed and the way she moved. Because the video is so grainy and black and white, her hair colour as well the colour of her clothes were unrecognizable. Fuck! It's the 21st century people. Update your security cameras, for crying out loud. The two police officers watched her movements within four different camera angles and not once did she make the mistake of showing her face. It was Mike that spoke first.

"Damn! She's good. I gotta give her that. It almost looks like she knows where the cameras are placed. She either did her homework or she works here" Mike mused out loud.

"I was just thinking the same thing. But did you notice that bandage on her right hand. Mike, if she hurt her hand, there might be some blood drops around the car." Nicolas stated.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing" Mike responded while staring at the woman in the video. "I'll go back to the parking lot later to take a closer look" he added.

Nicolas was doing the same thing but then he stood up all of a sudden when he watched the woman step inside his sister's room, 2 minutes after RJ stepped out. It looked like she purposely avoided RJ and waited till he was gone before she stepped inside Maine's room. Nicolas sped dialed RJ's number.

"Hello?"

"RJ. Are you with Maine?" Nicolas asked.

"Yes, Kuya. What's up?"

Mike and Nicolas were already heading out the security booth, almost running towards Maine's room. So they didn't see that the unsub had left Maine's room a few minutes right after she entered.

"Stay where you are! Don't touch anything! And stay close to Maine and Cece" Nicolas instructed.

"Why? What's going on?" RJ responded starting to panic upon hearing the urgency in Nicolas's voice.

"Just stay put. We're on our way to you!"

Nicolas and Mike got to the FBU in record time. RJ was waiting for them outside Maine's room.

"What's going on?" RJ asked puzzled.

"Whoever slashed your tires entered your wife's room after. She purposely waited till you left before she entered the room" Mike explained while Nicolas stepped inside his sister's room. He had to see for himself that his sister and his niece are both safe and sound; for his own piece of mind. When he saw the woman enter Maine's room, his heart dropped to his stomach. He watched while she slashed RJ's tires and he saw the malice in the act. When he was sure both were sound asleep, he stepped outside to join the other two.

"Did you notice anything different when you came back?" Nicolas asked RJ.

"No. But Maine thought she saw someone standing by the bassinet and then headed to the bathroom. She insisted it was me and when I told her it wasn't me, she thought she must've been imagining things. I didn't think any of it, until now! What the fuck, Kuya Nico? Did you see who it was?" RJ asked while pacing agitatedly.

"She had her back turned towards the camera the whole time" Mike interrupted.

"SHE?!?" RJ asked disbelieving.

"Yes. That we know for sure. We couldn't make out the colour of her hair or clothes because the security cameras were all black and white. She had a bandage on her right hand though" Nicolas explained.

"AHA!" Mike exclaimed as he whipped out his camera and started taking pictures of the door handle. Nicolas and RJ looked closer and there, clear as day, were bloody fingerprints. 

"RJ, as much as I hate to wake up Maine at this ungodly hour because I know how cranky she can get, but it's best that you take your family home. The unsub might not come back but I'm not willing to take that chance." Nicolas mused out loud.

"I was thinking the same Kuya" RJ responded while dialing a number on his phone. He called the PCC and told her of his plan to take Maine and Cece home at this time. One of the nurses, after noticing the commotion, stepped closer to the group.

"Dr. Faulkerson?" she asked tentatively.

"Oh hey, Sheila. Maine and I would like to go home now. I know it's early morning, but she will be 24 hours in 2 hours anyway. I've already talked to the PCC" RJ stated and promptly turned his back to step inside the room. 

As expected, Maine wasn't too happy to be woken up and pretty much rushed to head home. When she saw her brother and another officer named Mike however, she kept her mouth shut because her husband, her brother and Mike all looked like they meant business. RJ promised to explain everything at home. All three just emphasized that it's for her safety and Cece's. So, who was she to argue after that. 

In under 15 minutes, the convoy of Maine's jeep (with RJ driving) followed by Nicolas in his car, left the hospital premises. Mike was left behind to finish up with his investigation of the inside of Maine's room as well as to provide some sort of an explanation to the staff of the unit.

They reached the house in less than 30 minutes since traffic was light. Nicolas did a walk about inside and outside the house to make sure nothing was amiss while RJ settled his wife in their bedroom and his daughter in the nursery. Sebastian and Nanny Pearl were still sound asleep even with all the commotion. RJ made sure all the windows were locked before he went to join Nicolas downstairs. He found Nicolas in the living room, busy on his phone.

"Hey baby. I'm sorry but it was worse than I thought. I can't leave them tonight. I'm going to stay for the rest of the night until an officer can come relieve me in the morning. *pause* Yeah, I know. Maine and Cece are fine. I'll see you in the morning babe. *pause* Wait, you are off tomorrow right? *pause* Nah, I would like to have you for the whole day. Food be damned! *paused while laughing* Damn woman! You can't say those things over the phone! You better be ready in the morning. *giggling* (Yes, a grown man, built like a middle weight boxer, giggled like a schoolgirl)." 

Nicolas spotted RJ hovering behind him so he ended the call and faced his brother in law, who by now was wearing the stupidest smile on his face.

"Kuya, I'm sorry to have to take you away from your baby" he teased.

"Shut up RJ! You didn't hear anything! And you'd better not be tattling to my siblings about what you heard, especially your wife, or else" Nicolas threatened.

"Or else what?" RJ challenged with a laugh.

"Or else I will kill you myself" Nicolas menacingly stated but then quickly realized his mistake when RJ's face quickly sobered. "Oh shit, sorry bro. I didn't mean it that way" he apologized.

"Nah, it's okay. C'mon Kuya, I know you don't mean it" RJ responded.

"Fuck! I hate that you are put in this position. I mean, she (referring to the unsub) might not have the guts to actually kill, but I, no we, we can't take that chance. She showed enough malice when she systematically slashed your tires. I honestly don't know what else she is capable of" Nicolas explained while pacing.

"Kuya, just promise me one thing. Find out who is behind this! And make her pay for threatening my wife and my daughter. That's all I ask" RJ pleaded.

"I won't stop till I do, RJ. I promise you that! Nobody, and I mean NOBODY will get away from threatening my family like that" Nicolas vehemently stated.