Fighting Wars

Chapter 3

"If you need anything call me Emilie!" Aaron calls rushing out of the office "Thank you Emilie!" Derek and Charlie says waving as they walk out. "Dinner at six?" Kyrsten asks Emilie and Jennifer. "Sure!" Emilie says, Jennifer smiles and says "Is there anything I could help you with?" Emilie looks around and says "Maybe help me clean up a bit?" Jennifer nods and walks down the steps where the desks are. "Charlie needs to stop leaving his notes everywhere." Jennifer laughs sorting out the different notes into piles. "Derek needs to learn your organization skills Jennifer." Kyrsten says smiling. Jennifer laughs and Emilie says "Kyrsten when your done could you help me in the roundtable room? Jennifer could you help clean up Aaron's office?" Jennifer nods and Kyrsten follows Emilie to the roundtable room. Jenifer walks into Aarons office and sees the clutter or files all over his desk. "No wonder why he was in such a hurry." Jennifer chuckles, she sorts the files back into the cases and slides it back on the shelves. She turns off the lights and walks into the roundtable room. "Wow you're fast." Emilie says brushing her bangs to the side. "Lucky he didn't empty the files or else I would still be in there." Jennifer says Kyrsten walks in and says "Are we done?" Jennifer laughs and Emilie says "Yes we are." Kyrsten sighs and says "Alright! Let's go get our hair done!" Emilie claps and says "Good I need to get my bangs done." They turn to Jennifer and says."My highlights need to get touched up." They smile and Kyrsten says "Wait I take the bus." Emilie nods and says "I ubered today, my car is in the shop." Jennifer smiles and says "Good thing I have my car." They nod and they all walk out to the parking lot. The snow is gone and some flowers are sprouting but it's still cold. They get to Jennifer's Mini Cooper and squeeze in.
    They sit down in the hair salon and are each getting helped. "Highlights please." Jennifer says to her stylist. The stylist nods and Emilie asks for her bangs trimmed. And Kyrsten wants to get a more auburn color. They chat to their stylists and each other. for about an hour or so until they have to pay and leave. "Dinner?" Emilie asks when they get back into the car. "Yep! Where do we want to go?" Kyrsten asks. "What about Tautog's?" Jennifer suggests. "Yes! I love seafood!" Emilie exclaims. They laugh and Jennifer drives to Tautog's.
    "That was some good shrimp." Jennifer says walking with the girls into her apartment. Jennifer's white lab puppy Sierra runs to her. "Aww she's so cute!" Kyrsten says Jennifer smiles and picks up Sierra. She growls and Jennifer shakes her head "No Sierra, Kyrsten and Emilie are friends." They smile and Jennifer hands Sierra to Emilie. "I'm going to change, I'll be back." She says, Emilie nods as Jennifer walks into her room to change into black sweatpants and her old navy blue FBI academy T-Shirt. She. walks out and takes Sierra from Emilie and She and Kyrsten goes to change.
    "What movie?" Jennifer says sitting down on the couch wrapped in a blanket. Emilie looks through the movies and says "What about Harry Potter?" Jennifer smiles at Emilie "What one?" Emilie slumps back "True." Jennifer stands up. "I forgot to check the mail, you guys choose a Harry Potter movie. I'll be back." They nod and Jennifer stands up still wrapped in her blanket.
    "Any mail?" Jennifer asks Henry, He nods and reaches under the desks and lifts a heavy package "Rehevas?" Jennifer asks, he shrugs and returns to his book. Jennifer picks up the heavier package and returns upstairs. "Order of the Phoenix it is!" Emilie says when Jennifer walks into the room. "I got a package." Jennifer says unsure. "Well open it with us." Emilie says setting the remote down on the couch. Jennifer sets the package on the counter and pulls out a knife to open it. They pull the package open and stare at the contents. "Oh my god."
    Aaron sits down on his couch with a bottle of soda. Normally people would ask why but Aaron enjoys it. Just sitting on the couch watching TV with a bubbly drink. A knock sounds on the door and Aaron rolls his eyes and gets up. The mail man holds a letter and Aaron takes it and smiles. The mail man walks away and Aaron closes the door. "Rehevas?" Aaron says questioningly he opens the note and grimaces.
    A knock sounds on Derek's door. He groans and gets off of the couch. His girlfriend, Quincy, protests him leaving but soon he comes back and sits down on the couch next to her. "Rehevas?" Quincy asks, Derek shrugs and opens the card. Quincy gags and Derek shakes his head closing the card
Charlie wakes up to a knock on his door he opens the door and there's a package "What kind of a name is Rehevas?" He says picking up the package and shutting the door. He start the package down and opens it. "How?" He whispers going through the contents. He picks up his phone and calls Aaron
    They meet up at the office the next day each holding the thing Rehevas sent. Jennifer gladly puts hers on the desk and backs away. Emilie walks back in her face still pale from back at the apartment when she threw up. "Alright on the count of three open your letter, box, package, or whatever." Aaron says. "One." Jennifer starts "Two." Charlie says "Three." Derek finishes. They open it and Emilie immediately turns into Charlie. "Oh god." Charlie says looking at Jennifer's box. There lies a severed head. Jennifer nods and Aaron says "We should have that go to the lab to see who it is." They nod and Derek tosses his papers on the table. "That's gruesome." Jennifer says scanning the bloody images of the murder. Charlie sets his note down with a lock of hair tied by a ribbon and Aaron sets down a book covered in blood. "Who is Rehevas?" Emilie asks still avoiding any eye contact with the severed head. Aaron shrugs "I don't know." Charlie grabs the book and skims through the bloody pages until one page completely untouched by blood. and highlighted is a line saying "and the youngest must save her." Jennifer looks around the room and Aaron says "That would be you Jennifer." She nods and Charlie starts writing Rehevas backwards "Save Her." Emilie says when Charlie finishes. "Save who?" Derek asks they shake their heads "I have no idea." "Well we could start with sending the lock of hair to the lab." Aaron says.
    Kyrsten comes back with a file and the lock of hair in a bag. "Alright, guys here's everything that lab and I could pull on her." She sets it down on the roundtable and opens up her laptop. "They've identified her as Maddie Lincoln, she's been missing for three years and hasn't been confirmed dead." Emilie shudders and Jennifer asks "So basically I have to find a girl who's been missing for three years before Rehevas kills her?"  Kyrsten nods and Derek says "We need to get more on Maddie." They nod and Kyrsten starts typing and searching for more.
    "Alright Maddie was put into foster care after her mother and father died when their house caught fire." Kyrsten says, she keeps searching while they listen intently. "Her father actually lived..." Kyrsten gasps. "Her father has been trying to get custody of her for a while now and failed until she disappeared... poof." Jennifer nods and asks "So her father is Rehevas?" Emilie nods and Aaron says "See where the house that burned down is that will help us find out more." Kyrsten nods and finds the address.
    They pull up to the burnt house. "They still haven't rebuilt it?" Charlie asks getting out of the SUV. "Stories, they still haven't found out what started the fire so Real Estate Agents are afraid to come near here." Emilie says shutting her door. Jennifer and Aaron step into the ashy house first. "Careful." Aaron says turning on his flashlight. Jennifer looks up the stairs and says "Aaron there's a light on." Aaron follows Jennifer's path of sight and sees the light to. "Guys There's A Light In The Basement!" Derek calls. "Derek And Charlie Go Check It Out. Jennifer And I Will Head Upstairs." Aaron calls back. Aaron takes the lead with Jennifer Following behind. They look down a hallway and there's a door with light pouring from the cracks. "Come Out." Aaron calls. The door opens but no one is standing in the doorway. "Send the youngest in, I am unable to move." A raspy voice calls. Jennifer takes a step in and looks back to Aaron. He nods and whispers "Get out of there if there is any trouble." Jennifer nods and walks inside. There is a desk and a chair that is turned to face away from where Jennifer is standing. "Hello?" Jennifer asks. She pulls out her gun as the chair spins around. "Miss Jennifer Porter, oh you look so much like my little Maddie." His face charred and peeling from the long lasting burn wounds. But that's not the only thing that scares Jennifer. It's the bomb strapped to his chest.
    Emilie looks around the basement until Charlie calls "Emilie, Derek come here I found her!" Emilie and Derek run towards Charlie's voice and see that the girl is trapped behind the door in a small room. "Maddie my name is Emilie I'm from the FBI I'm going to get you out okay?" Emilie says taking a few steps back before kicking the door open just like she'd seen Jennifer do. She runs in and unties Maddie from the bed. "I got you." Emilie whispers pulling Maddie into her embrace. Maddie sniffles and Emilie helps her stand up and passes her off to Derek and Charlie. Emilie goes upstairs to where Aaron and Jennifer are but only sees Aaron. "Where's Jennifer?" Emilie asks Aaron nods to the door "In there." Emilie looks to the open door at the end of the hallway and sees Jennifer's figure run out of the room before it bursts into flames. They are sent flying forward by the blast and the already burnt house bursts into flames once again. "We Gotta Get Out Of Here!" Emilie calls over the crackling of the flames helping Aaron lift Jennifer out of the house.
    They make it out of the house covered in ash, they lay Jennifer down and she starts coughing. "Just breathe." Emilie sooths. Kyrsten runs up from the SUV she drove. "Are you all okay!" she exclaims running up to them they nod and Jennifer sits up after she finishes coughing. They talk and calm each other down from the events that have happened. They turn to Jennifer who has finally sorted herself together after the whole ordeal. "You guys are my best friends, I just wanted to say that before I have another near death experience." She says. They all smile and Derek says "Jennifer without you we never would be smiling." Derek says, Jennifer smiles and brush her hair out of her face sending some ash into the night air of Virginia.
    Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light -Helen Keller