Is It In The Blood?

4

They all sat around the table, staring at Adam as if he grew a third arm. None of the team could believe what they had heard. Especially Tim.

His father in law was a murderer. His husband has to live with that, and Tim has no idea where to go from here. On top of that? It was somehow connected to the case they were working on.

This was by far the most difficult case to solve. And they've had plenty of cases that turned them around.

"Foust?" Tim looked up to see Olena standing in the doorway. "We think he's taken another one."

Just when Tim thought that his day couldn't get any worse. He sighed, looking at the sheriff. "Who is she?"

"It's a male."

Now the entire room was silent. A male victim? But the unsub had only taken females up to that point. What had changed? What snapped in him? Did the man provoke the unsub without knowing? Was it an accidental run-in with him on the street?

There were so many questions that the team had! Not even Austin, their resident genius, could figure it out! This case was beginning to drive all of them mad.

"Get him up on the board. Let's hope he gives us a lead." Tim said with a sigh. He may be the hard-ass, maybe even the drill sergeants of the team, but he cared about people. And this case was bound to prove that point.

Olena didn't say another word as she left the room to get the new victim's information and file. It was only a few moments before she was bringing it back into the room and pinning the new victim's picture to the board. Everyone stared as she stepped aside, letting the team get a good look. Sami gasped, quickly covering her mouth.

"You see it too?" Chance asked, glancing between the liaison and the newly pinned picture.

"Hey guy-" Austin started as he walked in the room. "Why is Adam on the victim board?"

Yes, that's right. The latest victim looked identical to their very own Adam Rupp. They all stared with wide eyes, no one knowing what to say. Adam had yet to come back from getting his coffee. How were they supposed to explain this to him?

Tim sighed, running a hand over his face. He knew that Adam would blame himself, and it would hinder anymore of the investigation. There was only one thing that Tim could do to keep everything from being a biased opinion. He quickly stood from his chair and excused himself, stepping out of the room.

Foust made his way through the boards of policemen that littered the station. His focus was solely on finding Adam. He apologized as he ran into one of the deputies, continuing on his journey to the break room.

When he got there, he sighed in relief when seeing Adam. The blonde was sitting at a table in the back corner of the room, coffee in his hands, staring at the wall blankly. A stare that Tim knew very well.

Adam was deep in thought.

"Hey." Tim said, pulling out a chair, sitting down across from his husband. "We need to talk."

"I'm not losing it, Tim."

"Adam," Tim sighed, taking the blonde's hand in his own. "I know. But, there's another victim. A man. Who looks a hell of a lot like you."

Adam's eyes quickly flickered to Tim's, jerking his hand away. He knew exactly where Tim was taking this conversation, and he was having none of it.

"You're not taking me off the case!" Adam was standing, his nostrils flaring, and his eyes filled with anger. "I'm a vital part of catching this guy! It's linked to my father!"