Scara Rose, The Warrior

Chapter 44

Scara's pov

"WHAT?!"

Reid hands the device to Chris and I, and we read the headline on the virtual newspaper.

Federal Agent Released From Intensive Care After Being Shot In The Heart.

"So to the outside world, I never died and still work for the FBI?"

"The other articles say that you resigned from the BAU and moved away after your 'near death experience'."

We all take a long moment to process the news. Hotch gets another call and goes to take it.

"So technically I'm still an agent?"

"Not an active one," Reid points out, "but yes."

Hotch gets back and we see our iPad's have pictures popping up.

"Hey are y'all ok with..." I begin to say, gesturing to the iPad with a grimace.

"Yeah we're fine, you guys just do what you do," Henry says, grinning from ear to ear.

He is going to enjoy watching us work.

I look to the rest of my family and they all nod as well.

We all nod in response and get straight to business. Hotch gets out a stand for his extra iPad and uses it as a board.

"Twenty minutes ago, local police of West Point, Maine, a small town about 3 hours away, discovered the decapitated body of 29 year old Alex Harper in a shallow mass grave about 2 miles from Route 6. He was returning home from an out of town business meeting five days ago. When he didn't show up, his wife called local authorities."

Hotch puts an image of a man on the makeshift board and sends us pictures on our iPads of the dead body from different angles.

I notice Emma slightly grimace at the picture on my screen. I reach over and squeeze her hand to calm her, as Killian does the same with her other hand.

I know from experience that it takes a while to 'get used' to these pictures.

"About thirty feet away there was another man, 30 year old Jacob Cobbs, was killed about 48 hours ago. His head was also missing."

Hotch puts an image of the newest victim on the board next to the other one.

"It says here that the coroner estimated each of victims' times of death to be 2 days after they were abducted," Morgan reads.

"Ligature marks on both victims wrists and ankles suggest they were bound, my guess is rope judging by the shape of the burns underneath," Prentiss adds, "there is also bruising on both of their chest and sides."

"The coroner also reported splinters in the neck that were at angles in the skin," Rossi points out.

"Could he have beaten them with wood?" JJ asks.

"Look at the way they're sticking out," Reid points out, as everyone looks at the same image I am, "there are splinters only in the neck and they're on all sides."

"A struggle?" Morgan asks, "But why would he restrain their heads?"

"The cuts are clean," I exclaim, "that plus the wood, I think he used a guillotine."

"Non-smooth wood would explain the splinters," JJ says, "but aren't those difficult to make?"

"No all you would really need is wood, rope, a blade, and some type of pulley system," I state, before Reid can open his mouth.