New Hope

Chapter Eight

After separating from Prentiss and Morgan Zoraida, along with Hotchner and Brantley, went to a home belonging to one of the clients of the animal stuffers'. The confused lady there opened the door with a towel on her head. At least now we know why she wasn't answering the phone.  After showing their badges Hotch pushed his way inside, noticing she had a boars head siting in her living room. He inspected the eyes, plastic. The bewildered lady informed them she had it delivered from the suspect very recently, and remarked on how oddly he was acting. Phil put out an APB in the area before the three ran out in search for the freak of a serial killer.  Over the radio they heard that the van was found close by and they took off, Phil leading the way.

Phil and Hotch walk up to back of the suspect's van lead by a cop and his flash light. After a short conversation with the officer he turns back to Zoraida who was standing a few feet back, scanning the twilight lit buildings.

"He must be close by." Hotchner looked at Brantley, "You take the street to the north. "

They run in different directions.

Zoraida pointed to the officer's flashlight as Hotch ran by her, "You got an extra one of those?"

He nodded, "Yeah, here."

She accepted the light and took off after Hotch. Who's long legs had already taken him a good distance away from her. The sounds of scuffling echo down the street as she passes Phil, getting closer to the guy she's actually supposed to be protecting.

The sound of a spray bottle meets her ears and a painful low grunt. her heart pounded in her chest. Hotchner doesn't seem to notice what he could be walking towards. Zoraida's feet begin to pound against the pavement.

A cry for help.

Clothes scratching against the ground.

Hotch stops, finally listening.

Clang of metal. He takes off down an alley, out of Zoraida's sight. The sound echoes down the street.

Her feet barely touch the sidewalk as Zoraida tries to catch up.

The scuffling against the rough ground increases.

Phil's feet pound against the pavement behind her, "I need backup near Motor and Descanso." The click and static of a radio.

They can hear Hotch just around the corner, "FBI, Earl! Get off of her!"

Zoraida skids around the corner as Hotch chases after the attacker, gun in hand, leaving the girl on the ground. "Take care of her!" She yells back to the local detective, running by.

The thumping of multiple pairs of feet now bouncing all around them in the small side-street.

Far off police sirens drift nearer.

Earl jumps onto a cinder-block wall right as Zoraida catches up. Together the two agents grab onto the creep' arms and throw him back to the ground. Pushing him down face first they each twist an arm behind  his back. Zoraida kneels down, one knee in his lower back, "Stop your squirming!" Hotch reaches behind his jacket and passes her cuffs. Taking a second to watch how the small woman easily controls a man twice his size, seemingly all to happy to put the cuffs on just a tad to tight.

Phil yells to another cop coming around the corner, "We got him. We got him!"

That had drawn Hotch's attention back to the victim still lying in the street, scratched and traumatized "Call an ambulance!" He called, standing up.

"We need medical assistance." Phil spoke into his radio again. "8800 block of Descanso, south side of the street."

"Secure him!" Hotchner ran to them, leaving his new team member to handle the unsub.