Scara Rose, The Warrior

Chapter 48

Scara's pov

We are in the SUVs, split up like we were on the way down. Several cop cars are trailing behind us.

We are on speaker phone with the other SUV and Garcia, going over Hayden Grubbs' life. The sun is well beyond set as we are on our way to the unsub's home address.

"The police report says that the kidnapper disabled the alarm before breaking the window and taking her. They found her two days later in a shallow grave in the woods. She was strangled to death."

"Did they ever find the abductor?" JJ asks.

"They found recent evidence and obtained probable cause to arrest a suspect they believed to be deranged, but when they got there, they found he committed suicide after writing a confession," Garcia says, "this was a week ago."

"Just before the killings started," JJ dead pans.

"How did he die?" Prentiss asks.

"He made a homemade guillotine and chopped his own head off, and it was made out of Sumatran wood."

We all share an expression. It's usually about this time that everything starts coming together. I just don't remember us solving cases this quickly.

We arrive at the unsub's address and get out of the SUVs, well, all except Chris.

"Be careful," Chris pleads.

I nod, quickly kissing his cheek before I race after my team.

We pull out our guns and split up to storm the house. With our bulletproof FBI vests on, Hotch, Reid, JJ, and I go to the front door with half of the officers, while everyone else heads around back.

Hotch doesn't even knock. As soon as Morgan says that they're ready on the radio, Hotch gives me the signal. I kick down the door, and we search the house.

There's no one there.

"Baby Girl," Morgan says on the phone, "tell me you got something?"

"I'm looking give me a sec," Garcia stresses.

We begin to look around for clues as to where he went. There's a box on the floor with what looks like homemade videotapes. They all have the important milestones in Skylar's life. The last dated one says, "Skylar's first performance."

I see there is a VHS player under the TV and decide to play it. I put it in and begin to watch. I notice Skylar and recognize the dress she's wearing.

She was found dead in it. This was the talent show they were coming back from.

6 year old Skylar begins to sing a song that I know all too well.

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are gray

You'll never know, dear

How much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away

I feel my eyes begin to water at the memories brought up by that song. It was one of the few songs Cami taught toddler me before she killed herself. I hear someone walk into the room behind me so I quickly swallow my unshed tears and refocus.

"Hey I know that place," Officer Adam's states, "it's only used for events like that. The only person who goes in is the janitor."

"Grubbs wouldn't take him there," I state, more to myself than him, "but he would want to be close. What's around that?"

"There's two sheds out back. One is new that the janitor uses. The other one is further into the woods and run down."

"Does anyone use it?"

"No, it's been empty since the new one was built."

"GUYS," I yell.

When the BAU runs into the room, I speak.

"This is where Grubbs and his daughter were coming home from. There's an abandoned shed behind it towards the woods."

"It's further along Route 6," Adams says.

"Lead," Hotch states, as we and about half of the officers head to the cars and head off.

Chris can see I'm not fully ok emotionally. He gives me a questioning look.

I mouth "Cami" to him silently.

He takes my hand and gently squeezes it. I give him a smile and then we all discuss an entering strategy based on what we now know.

We arrive minutes later with a carefully crafted plan. I'm going to do the talking since I can remind him of his daughter. The rest of team was a bit reluctant to let the plan involve me, but they agreed.

We find the Grubbs, trying to force Mr. Collins into the guillotine.

"Hayden Grubbs," Rossi shouts, "let him go andput your hands where I can see them."