A FRACTURE IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS ✓

JOSH

After a day or two or analyzing the killer and another victim- this one being another murder- the team decided they were ready to give a profile to the police. Mark, as their communications liaison, set up a conference, speaking to the press in another room. The others, minus Dallon and Tyler of course, filed into the meeting room where the other officers had gathered.

"What we're about to give you is a psychological profile of the killer you're chasing," Jenna began giving the profile, all the eyes of the police trained on her. "Now, this killer we're looking for is a highly intelligent and unstable woman with possibly a long history of abuse or being used by male figures in her life."

"Since she upgraded from raping to killing, this means she's devolving and may kill again soon, even tonight," Judah added, pacing behind her. "She may be more attractive than average, which is how she convinces her victims to separate from their groups and take her to their hotel rooms."

"She may have a also history of domestic violence sexual abuse. Something about these men and their dominant personalities trigger her and causes her to lash out through rape. This unsub also drugs her victims with Rohypnol so they don't remember what she looks like or the assault," Brad continued.

One police officer raised his hand. "If it's a woman doing this, then how's she raping them?"

Sarah stood, not looking at the crowd but rather at her notes. "Uh, we believe she's using something she brings with her to, um..." she made a pushing motion with her hand. "Recreate her own rape."

"We also believe she's from this area and is familiar with it, specifically the busy parts of the city," Josh said. "Look into rape cases dating back five to ten years where a local woman was drugged and raped in a hotel room by a college student on vacation. The charges were either dropped, expunged, or the defendant was acquitted."

When the meeting finished, Jenna pulled him to the side. "I assume Heaton told you," she said.

"Yeah, how the Bureau is fucking us over even though we weren't even there when Smith escaped from the Los Angeles police department and not our custody," he said.

She sighed, furrowing her brows in the motherly way she usually did. "Joshua."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I just don't understand why they're getting on him for that."

"Enough of that. I'm talking about Joseph."

"What about him?" Josh asked.

Jenna pursed her lips and stuck a small stack of stapled papers in his hand. "This is his psychological evaluation. You remember his mother, right?"

"Of course I do. She's a sweetheart," he said, folding the papers in half.

"She also has schizophrenia, and which mental illness are hereditary?"

Josh went rigid, his mind whirling with the possibilities of what could go wrong- Tyler could be kicked out of the FBI, sent to a mental institution, or worse. "Having a predisposition for a mental disorder doesn't make someone a menace to society," he hissed defensively.

"Josh, I didn't mean-"

"I know what you meant, but I- you're not saying what I think you're saying."

"I'm not," Jenna said, though her face told a different story. "He passed the eval, but only by a hair. His therapist says that his headaches from before are getting worse, but now they're accompanied by noises."

"He's hearing things now, like what? Voices?" She shrugged. "No, he would've told me."

"He wouldn't if he knew you'd worry about him."

"Okay, maybe he's been hearing things. I would be too if I'd gone through even a fraction of what he suffered. After the orphan bombing in Manhattan, Eshleman was seeing those little kids for months."

"Yes, but that's different. His family has a history of mental illness, Mark's doesn't." Jenna out a hand on his cheek, smiling sympathetically. "Just keep an eye on him, okay? I won't let the Bureau do anything to you or Tyler, but I can't guarantee anything."

Josh frowned but nodded. "Okay."

Jenna kissed his cheek. "Go to the hotel and some rest. Call him. We can pick this up in the morning."

"Yes ma'am."

—

The next morning, Mark drove the two from their shared hotel room to the police station. Josh didn't speak, staring out the window and thinking over what Jenna had told him the night before.

Sure, Tyler had all the making of an autistic and possibly schizophrenia kid, but his empathy outweighed any darkness inside of him. That was what made him so gentle and so vulnerable, something that was rare in their line of work.

Mark's phone rang, and Josh perked up just enough to hear him mumble, "Are you sure?" Before sighing and saying goodbye."

"Weekes was on the phone. He thinks might've found our unsub," he said.

"Good." Josh returned his focus back to the window. "Because I can't stand to be another day away."

Jenna let go of Josh and they both rushed to the other room. Dallon was yelling through the speakerphone, the background noise making him almost imperceptible.

"Weekes, repeat what you just told me and Eshleman," Brad said.

"Wow, skipping the entree and going right for dessert, huh, sweet cheeks?"

"Dallon."

"Alright, alright, just building the suspense. So, Jessica Miller was raped eight months ago in that same hotel. An employee found her wandering the fifth floor in only a bloody bathrobe. The semen found on all of the victims- hers."

"What? How?" Sarah asked.

"Because Jessica was not always Jessica. According to her birth certificate and driver's license prior to 2015 when it was changed from M to F, she was born as Jackson Miller, an only child."

"A transgender woman," Josh said, the pieces slowly falling together.

That made sense. A woman serial killer who had the strength and means of raping and killing. Josh felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

"You're going to have to thank Joseph for figuring that one out."

"He's with you?" He asked.

"He was, but he just left for his apartment, saying something about a headache." He could hear Dallon's tone shift from carefree to concern. "By the way, Dun, when's your birthday?"

Josh looked at Jenna through the corner of his eye, keeping his composure. "June 18th. You're the master hacker, you could've just looked it up."

"No reason, I was just wondering because Tyler said- holy shit."

"What? Weekes, what?"

"That sicko who raped her- Martin Coast, a college student on vacation, was acquitted. The court claimed that Jessica couldn't have been raped because, and I quote, 'men can't be raped.'"

"She sure showed them wrong, huh," Mark mumbled under his breath.

"Sweet mother of Joseph. Martin Coast moved to the area six months ago. He's trying to sue Jessica for defamation of character."

"That must be the stressor," Jenna said, already grabbing her coat off the chair.

Mark tossed Josh the keys to his car. "He's her final victim."