Fighting Wars

Chapter 12

A few months later Jennifer and Aaron walk into the roundtable room. "This is Hadley Wells, she is autistic and was abused by our killer but survived unlike the others." Emilie says passing out files as soon as they sit down. "Where is Hadley now?" Jennifer asks. Emilie smiles and says "She's staying at the station." Jennifer smiles and Aaron says "How about Jennifer and Kyrsten make their way to the station,  Charlie  and Derek look around the crime scene, and Emilie and I will get a press conference setup. Jennifer do you have a profile?" Jennifer nods "Is a preliminary one but once Charlie and Derek get back to me with what they found I can polish it." He nods and grabs the files "Plane leaves for Alaska in thirty."
    Jennifer and Kyrsten walk into the station. "Agent Kingston?" Kyrsten shakes her head. "I'm Agent Allred, Agent Kingston went with Agent Gideon to set up a press conference." This is Agent Porter." Jennifer smiles and shakes his hand. "Hi, I'm Detective Larsen. A press conference already?" Kyrsten nods "We work fast. Where would you like us to set up?" He waves them over to a room and Jennifer taps his shoulder "Where is Hadley? I'd like to talk to her." He nods and says "Right this way." Jennifer follows him and this small little girl no more than 12 sits on the couch staring at the painting. Jennifer sits down next to her and looks at the painting. "It's stunning isn't it." Hadley looks at Jennifer and then back to the painting. "Yes it is." Jennifer smiles and says "My names Jennifer." She nods and says "Hi Jennifer, I'm Hadley. Can I call you Jenni?" Jennifer nods "Yes you can, do you remember what happened last night?" Hadley continues to stare at the painting "Someone broke in my house." Jennifer nods. "Can I hold you hand?" Hadley shakes her head "I don't like to be touched." Jennifer nods and moves a chair in front of Hadley "Can I go through a little exercise that will help you remember what happened that night?" Hadley nods and Jennifer says "Okay, Close your eyes." Hadley closes her eyes and Jennifer starts "You're at home, what are you doing?" Hadley turns her head to look around. "I'm in the living room with the TV on." Jennifer smiles "That's great Hadley, what were you watching?" Hadley taps her fingers on her knee "How to play one of my favorite songs on the piano." Jennifer nods. "Were you doing any homework?" Hadley shakes her head "I can barely do one problem without getting frustrated." Jennifer nods. "So you were watching how to play your favorite song, what song was that?" Hadley tilts her head and says "Faded... duh." Jennifer laughs "Okay, what happened after the video finished?" Hadley shakes her head quickly "It didn't finish the power turned off!" Jennifer nods "Okay, the power turned off. Did you go upstairs?" Hadley nods. "The top stair scared me like it usually does." Jennifer nods "Are you scared of the dark?" Hadley nods furiously "I'm terrified. My mom screams. They're coming at me Jenni! Jenni!" "Hey Hadley I'm right here open your eyes." Hadley's eyes open and she gives Jennifer a hug. Jennifer holds her and whispers "You did great." She nods and Jennifer wipes Hadley's tears away and looks up to the window. "I'm going to go." Hadley nods and wiggles away from Jennifer. "I'll be back." Hadley nods and Jennifer walks out.
    "How did she do?" Kyrsten asks, Jennifer looks back to the window. "Good, she has an excellent memory." Kyrsten nods and says "Charlie and Derek are back so you can polish the profile." Jennifer walks into the conference room and sits down. "Describe the scene to me with no assumptions." Derek nods and Charlie starts explaining as soon as Jennifer closes her eyes. "They live in the richer side of town, the doorway is grand a foyer with a spiral staircase. The living room is filled with modernized antique pieces." Jennifer nods "What's in the kitchen?" "The kitchen is as big as the living room a grand island settled perfectly in the middle with matching seating. No dining room." Jennifer nods and Derek says "Then we move up the grand spiral staircase to the upstairs. It's a broad hallway at the end is the master bedroom. So neat and spotless it looks like a house just put up for sale. The only thing out of place is a kitchen knife on the nightstand and blood on the covers. At the opposite end of the hallway is Hadley's room. The bed is made nothing on the floor. But the desk is cluttered she has drawings all over her walls. A piano notebook sat on her desk." Jennifer nods and Charlie says "The only blood found was on the bedsheets in the master bedroom and a bit on the staircase when Hadley was attacked." Jennifer opens her eyes "Thank you so much, I have a profile."
    Emilie walks up the stand and holds the profile Jennifer gave her. "Thank you for coming. We are looking for a white male in his early forties, he is socially awkward and hates social interactions. He stalks the victims for days, weeks even. He knows their schedule he knows when they are home and when they leave and where they leave to. This is not new to him as a child he would have watched everyone go home from school, he would be a 'peeping tom' and as he grew into his prepubescent years he started acting violently and probably went to juvie for some sexual assault. If you notice anything suspicious like that leering feeling that somebody is watching you please call us. Thank you." Emilie closes the file and walks off of the stand with cameras flashing and the media screaming questions.
    Emilie walks in and Jennifer walks up to her "Mrs. Charleston is here to see you she says the profile fits her husband spot on. Emilie nods and walks into the conference room flipping the bulletin boards so it doesn't show the victims and it only shows the maps. "Mrs. Charleston?" Emilie asks sitting down she nods and Emilie introduces herself "I'm Agent Kingston, could you tell be about your husband?" She nods and describes him in full detail and Emilie sits back stunned. Jennifer was right her husband fits the profile spot on. "We will find your husband." Emilie says she nods and Emilie walks out of the room while Kyrsten walks past her and says "If I am not mistaken I think that our miss Jennifer needs to head back to virginia." Emilie turns to walk with them "I'll start the car." Aaron says quickly walking out and to the car. "Emilie, it's up to you and the rest of the team to finish the case, you got this." Aaron says shutting the SUV door.
    Charlie and Derek run out to the front and Emilie says "Aaron and Jennifer had to go. Kyrsten can you go get us an address for Mrs. Charleston's husband and stay here with Hadley, tell her that you're a friend of Jennifer's." Kyrsten nods and runs inside while the other three run to the other SUV Derek calls Kyrsten "Before you ask her address is 5412 Hyder Way." Derek smiles "Thanks, you're amazing." Kyrsten laughs and hangs up. "Hyder way is three blocks ahead and to the left." Charlie says, Emilie shifts her gaze to the mirror to look at Charlie for a second then goes back to the road. "You just know that how?" Charlie shrugs "I just happen to do all of the Geological profile and memorize where things are for this exact reason." Emilie rolls her eyes and makes a sharp turn left.
    Kyrsten sits down in a chair next to Hadley "Hadley, I'm Kyrsten. I'm a friend of Jennifer's." Hadley nods and asks "Where's Jennifer?" Kyrsten smiles and says "She's having a baby." Hadley smiles and says "Can I meet him?" Kyrsten tilts her head "How did you know that it's a boy?" Hadley smiles and says "I guessed, I think that he's going to  be cute and sweet." Kyrsten smiles and says "I bet I can take you to see him after Emilie, Charlie, and Derek get back." Hadley nods and Kyrsten's phone rings. "I'll be right back." She says standing up.
    "Kyrsten he's dead." Derek says into the phone when she picks up. "What?" Kyrsten exclaims stunned, "Stay calm stay by Hadley and keep your gun close, we are on our way." Derek whispers Kyrsten looks back to the room with Hadley, "The wife is the killer isn't she?" "Yes." Derek confirms. Kyrsten says "Alright, i'm going to take her to the diner down the street." "Good, don't let the wife see you." Derek says, Kyrsten nods and hangs up and slides her gun into her belt so it's more accessible, then she walks into the room with Hadley. "Hey." Kyrsten says Hadley looks up to her and back to the painting. "Do you like french fries?" Hadley nods and Kyrsten says "Want to go get some?" Hadley nods and Kyrsten says "I need you to crawl if that's alright?" Hadley nods and says "Like a secret agent?" Kyrsten smiles "Exactly like a secret Agent." Hadley smiles and starts crawling out of the room to the front door. Kyrsten looks at Detective Larsen and says "She's the killer, keep her here she doesn't know that we're onto her." He nods and Hadley crawls out the front door and Kyrsten smiles following her out. "Good Job!" Kyrsten excliams Hadley stands up and gives Kyrsten a high five. "Can I get a milkshake to?" Kysten nods "For being an amazing secret agent? Of course." Hadley smiles and the two walk down the street to the diner.
    Emilie pulls into the station and parks. They walk in like everything's normal and Derek smiles when he sees that Kysten and Hadley aren't here. Derek motions to his gun in front of the officers and they pull theirs out and Derek, Charlie, and Emilie do the same thing and aim them in the direction of the wife. "Come Out!" Derek yells, She looks up and a little sly grin flashes across her face. She walks out "Get Down On Your Knees!" She gets down on her knees "Am I going to be famous?" Derek handcuffs her and jerks her up to her feet. "Am I?" She repeats, Derek leads her out with the detective to the station car. "Quiet." Derek commands shoving her in the car. Kyrsten and Hadley walk up to them and Kyrsten says "Hadley wants to see Jennifer. Derek smiles and says "We'll let's catch the next plane."
They walk into the hospital and knock on Jennifer's hospital room door. Aaron opens it and waves them in. They file into the room and Jennifer sees Hadley. "Hey Hadley what are you doing here?" Hadley smiles and says "I wanted to see you and your baby boy." Jennifer smiles and waves her over to her. "This is Jack." Jennifer says. Hadley smiles and sits down on the chair and asks "May I hold him?" Jennifer nods and hands Jack to Aaron. "Alright prop his head up." Aaron says carefully handing him to Hadley. Jennifer looks to Emilie, Derek, and Charlie and says "How is it that I went through several hours of labor and you all look worse than I do." Emilie laughs "Oh stop you look amazing." Jennifer smiles and Hadley carefully hands Jack back to Aaron. "So Jack?" Derek asks Jennifer nods and says "Jack Sean Gideon." They smile and Jennifer looks down into Jacks pale blue eyes just like his fathers.
My circle is small but the love is enormous and genuine. It gets no better - Alex Elle