Remember Me

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

                The team was split between the SUVs as they raced to Manassas, sirens blaring, lights flashing. As they reached Manassas, Morgan’s phone began to ring, and he reached down, flipping it open.

“Morgan.”

“Hey, it’s me – I found something I think you guys should hear.” He pulled the phone back, and hit one of the buttons, holding it out.

“I got you on speaker, Garcia, so try to behave.” She snickered, but hit a few keys on the keyboard.

“I was going back through the known victims’ histories, trying to figure out some sort of connection, since you said you hadn’t found one.”

“What’d you find?” Hotch asked, eyebrow raised.

“Well, it looks like you only looked at the connection of the victims…I threw Gayle in there too. It looks like she is the connection. She said that Thompson was her married name, and that her maiden name was Morel, so I looked her up by her maiden name, and found her marriage announcement in The Roanoke Times from five years ago. Her husband was at the very least familiar with all of the victims except for Debbie – she was just a friend of Gayle’s…”

“Gayle’s husband’s been dead for two years, though, Garcia.” A soft chuckle sounded, and Morgan raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Here, I’m sending you a picture…it might help,” she said, hitting a few buttons.

“Alright. Thanks, Garcia,” Morgan said, hanging up as the picture came through. He looked down at it, and frowned, turning to look at Hotch. “Look at this…” he mumbled, holding out the phone to Hotch. He took one look, and shoved his foot into the gas pedal.

[PAGE BREAK]

                He smirked over at Gayle, shutting the door as he headed back upstairs. She wriggled against the support beam he’d cuffed her to, and sighed, looking around the room.

“Hey…Mel?” she whispered. Melody glanced over. “Have you seen his face?” A confused frown formed on her face, but she didn’t move her head either way.

“Why?”

“I want to know who that is…” she replied, sighing, and lowering her head.

“You mean, you can’t tell?” The confusion was visible on Gayle’s face as she looked over at Melody, and shook her head. Melody opened her mouth, to respond, when the door opened again, and Gayle could faintly hear sirens outside before the door fell and latched behind him.

“You bitch, what the hell did you do?” he hissed at her, moving for the work bench and fumbling. “Those damn agents are almost here, I can’t let you ruin this for me,” he growled, grabbing his pistol and silencer from the drawer on his left. Gayle whimpered, struggling to pull her hands through the cuffs.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, shaking her head. He snickered, but shook his head, moving towards her with the pick in his hand. Gayle shook her head, listening as best she could to the sounds over head. No footsteps. He paused, and looked up at the ceiling.

“I’m really, really going to enjoy this,” he replied, stepping up to her and placing the silencer to her temple. Her heart beat so hard against her chest, Gayle couldn’t even hear herself breathing.

                She did, however, hear the trigger click…and nothing happen. A string of curses passed his mouth, which she began to hear as her heart slowed again. He turned, chucking the pistol into a pile of rags, and dug through the tools on and around his workbench. Gayle looked around, and heard a few faint footsteps over head. She gulped, and tilted her head back.