A FRACTURE IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS ✓

JOSH

Jenna didn't like the idea of having Tyler as a consultant with their case, but he was a strong asset they wearing lacking while he stayed at home on leave. Tyler was ecstatic to here, so for the next week or so, he and Dallon teamed up to help them over speakerphone and computer screen.

One of the sponsors in the rehab center turned out to be an angel of death- a type of killer who believed he was putting the weakest recovering addicts out of his misery. He strangled them then made them overdose on the nights they received their ninety day chips, injecting their bodies with an array of nasty hospital chemicals that made survival nonexistent.

This hit the hardest with Sarah, who was a recovering addict. They all knew but never spoke openly about it. That, among many other things, was a touchy subject.

The team found the guy through a combination of witness sketches and unreliable alibis. They tracked him down to an apartment out of city limits and arrested him. Easy peasy.

Unfortunately, their unsub knew the ins and outs of the system like the back of his hand, so there was no legal way to tie the murders to the crime. No evidence, not guilty. The police could him for 36 hours, even up to 96 because the severity of the murders, but then he called in a lawyer, and it was over for them.

Tyler was pissed and rightfully so, if not a bit too overdramatic. He begged for him and Dallon to drive over the day before they were supposed to leave and see if their were any strings they could pull from there.

Brad was hesitant and Jenna flat out refused, but nobody could resist Tyler's sad puppy dog eyes. Not even two well trained FBI agents.

"I can't be the only one not buying this dude's story," Tyler scoffed as they watched back their interrogation recording from the detective's desk. "It's a completely illogical timeline, not the mention the fact he doesn't seem smart enough to evade capture this long."

"But there's no physical proof tying him to the murders. It's all circumstantial," Brad replied, rubbing his half-open eyes.

Josh kissed Tyler's temple, making his tense shoulders relax. "My gut's telling me this is our guy, but we just can't prove it."

"He's supposed an angel of death, wouldn't he have tried to explain why he was killing?" Tyler asked.

"According to the profile, yes." Jenna, who was hunched over the screen, stretched, popping her back. "But not every profile is 100 percent accurate, you know that."

"I know that I know that, but we've never encountered an AOD that hasn't confessed."

"I'll get a warrant for his computer, see if there's any nasty little secrets I can find on there," Dallon said, whisking Sarah away as his assistant.

Jenna and Brad left to speak to the man's lawyer while Mark rallied the frantic reporters crowding the front of the police station. That left Josh and Tyler alone.

Tyler huffed but said nothing, pushing his chair away from the desk. Josh brushed the back of his hand against his cheek.

"Ty, what's wrong?" He asked. "You're acting hypervigilant."

"I am not acting hypervigilant. I'm just-" Tyler sighed, pressing his hands against his eyes. "I have a feeling about this guy. What happens if we can't make this mother fucker pay?"

Josh was shocked to hear him swear so violently, but ignored it. "Then we pray that karma gets him before he kills again."

Tyler's posture suddenly straightened, his eyes trained forward at the now blank screen. "I want to interview him."