A FRACTURE IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS ✓

JOSH

Their first case back flew by quickly. The copycat murderer had been a retired cop on the original case of St. Louis Stranger, who they caught in the act of getting rid of a body.

Tyler calmed down over the three days there. He stopped yelling at the team for little things and closing up at the first sign of conflict. Josh knew something was going on, but whenever he'd ask, Tyler would freak out. He snuck out more often, but Josh didn't think much of it. If Tyler needed space, he couldn't force him to not take advantage of the wait between cases.

After four days, a double case fell into their laps.

"What's so special about these cases that we have to do both at once?" Judah asked Brad as they waited on Sarah and Dallon, who were both running late.

Brad sighed, looking at Josh for a moment. "You'll see."

"Let's just say that these two are going to take all hands on deck," Mark said.

Tyler reached over the table to take Jenna's folder, who swatted him away. He snarled slightly but didn't try to take it again.

Dallon stumbled into the room, holding extra files for the others and a sequined go-bag. He wore cargo pants and a navy cardigan over a white tank top, his unicorn slippers squeaking with each hurried step.

"Sorry I'm late, the printer jammed and it took like twenty minutes to print anything."

"It's alright," Brad said. "Did you see Orzechowski?"

"Nope, not a peep."

"We don't have much time, I think we should start without her and catch her up the plane," Jenna suggested.

Brad nodded in agreement. "Alright. Our first case-" he pressed the clicker in his hand, flipping to a slide of a woman with graying hair, her body mutilated and her clothes soaked in blood. Tyler choked on his third cup of coffee that morning. "Ester O'Hare, age 67, was found murdered in her home a week ago in Sacramento. She was killed with a knife from her kitchen, no fingerprints or DNA of any kind. Three other people were murdered in the same fashion. Sebastian Springer, 45, Holden Richards 24, and Daniel Harper, 38."

"Wait, those names sound familiar," Josh said.

"They should. All four were suspects in an old case a couple of years back." Mark nodded to Dallon, who handed out the files. "They all had serious criminal backgrounds but weren't the killer we were looking for."

Jenna tilted her head. "It sounds like revenge to me."

"Doesn't it?" Dallon took the clicker from Brad and covered his eyes as he made his way through the images of the bodies. "So, the most rage seemed to be towards Daniel Harper, who was lacerated many times, the killer avoiding any major arteries until he reached his arms."

Josh saw a fleeting part of Daniel's body. He looked like he'd been torn apart by an animal. "Why are we just seeing this now?"

"We believe that whoever killed these four is responsible for nearly two dozen murders in several other states," Brad said.

"So, he crossed state borders," Judah added.

Tyler, who'd been oddly silent since they started, rose his hand. "He's killing criminals."

"That's what we thought too, because he killed again this morning in Los Angeles, a man who was indicted of sex trafficking in 2014," Brad said. "Dun, Orzechowski, Akers, and I will be going to investigate the crime scene. The rest of you will be on the second case with Black."

"What's the second case?" Dallon asked.

Jenna's face turned slightly fearful. "Dun, can I talk to you outside?"

Josh looked at her then Tyler, whose stoic expression melted to concern. "Of course."

He followed her out of the meeting room, seeing her cuticles torn around her thumb. She'd been chewing at them again.

"What's the matter? Why don't you want me on the second case?" He asked.

"This next case is... personal. I don't want you to have to deal with it, especially considering the handful you have with Tyler already," she explained.

"How is it personal?"

Jenna hesitated before sighing and handing Josh a photo. It was of a woman no older than forty with her head bashed in, a pool of blood surrounding her body. A bloody book end sat beside her. Josh knew by the ivory the elephant shaped book end who that woman was. He'd given it to her for her birthday, after she married his father.

"They found her last night. Her son and his babysitter were locked in a closet, dead." She put a hand on his shoulder. Josh shrugged it off.

"Was it him?" He kept his voice down, feeling his anger bubbling up already.

"LAPD has a suspect in custody, but we don't-"

"Was. It. Him."

She sent him a stern look, and he looked back with stubborn defiance. "I think so. It's the same style as your mother's murder, but there's no proof and their suspect isn't him. The only reason I'm going on this case and not Brad is because he'd kill your father without question if it turned out to be him."

Josh gritted his teeth to stop himself from spitting acid. "I'll do the same," he growled.

"I can't risk any of my agents going down for murder," Jenna said. "Remember Cincinnati?"

"Of course I remember Cincinnati."

She patted his cheek, smiling. "Good. Don't do anything that stupid again, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am. Can I-" Josh took a deep breath. "Can I have a moment? I need to, um-" he gestured to the bathroom.

Jenna let him go, Josh stumbling to the bathroom like he was drunk. His head spun, every noise in his head being amped up to the max volume. He felt like he was going to explode.

By the time he made it to an empty stall, Josh was in the middle of a panic attack, tears blinding him as he slammed into the door, barely locking it behind him before sinking to the ground, gasping for air.

Something metal caught his eye as it hit the tile floor. He blinked hard, his chest moving faster with each breath, and made out a needle and syringe lying on the floor. Then he saw maroon heeled boots, the ones Dallon bought Sarah for Christmas.

"S-Sarah?"