A series of newborn kidnappings and murders near Cumberland, Maryland, catch the attention of the F.B.I.'s Behavioral Analysis Unit. Dr. Spencer Reid finds the case particularly fascinating. It's not just the mind of the killer that enthralls him-bu...
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THREE DAYS AFTER Desdemona Orson was rescued by the FBI, she was allowed to return home. Carina Maye was overjoyed to be able to carry her baby girl through the doorway to their house. News vans, crime scene tape, and groups of police officers were no longer a part of their small home. The street had returned to its quiet state. Everything seemed to have gone back to normal.
Carina parked in the concrete driveway and took in the sight. The only thing that remained from the investigation was a small strip of yellow stuck to the vinyl siding. She sighed and looked back to her daughter's car seat, still not believing that she had her back. She grabbed her overnight bag from the passenger seat and stepped out, unbuckling Mona and carefully lifting her out. The baby immediately grabbed onto her mother's shirt, something she did every time she was comfortable. Carina smiled and led them into the house.
The odor of cleaning supplies hit as soon as she opened the door, making her cough in response. She dropped her bags by the door and did her best to ignore the stench as she carried Desdemona into her nursery.
Carina stood at the doorway for a moment, staring at the empty room. She had flashbacks of the night her daughter was stolen from the very window she was looking through. She remembered how the agents made her walk through that experience as she sat in the rocking chair. It was a horrifying experience, making her not want to leave her daughter in the crib again. She muttered a curse to herself and ran into the bedroom, locking the nursery door behind her. She set her daughter down on the bed before finding the foldable bassinet in the closet and setting it up.
"This is just going to have to do for now," Carina said to herself, facing her sleeping daughter. She noticed how Mona had gained some weight back during the hospital stay, but she was still not at the level she needed to be at. She placed her in the bed, biting her lip in anxiety.
Looking between the door and the bassinet, Carina debated between leaving Mona alone in the bedroom for a second or try to carry both the hospital bags and her daughter up and down the stairs. She was so torn apart. Before this experience, Carina just would've quickly ran downstairs and brought it back up. But now, she never wanted to leave her daughters side in fear of her being taken again. She felt a tear slip out of frustration, then flopped on the bed.
Her eyes danced around the room as she cried, eventually landing on the pictures of Gavin on her bookshelf. She had several images on display; their prom photos, a photo from one of their vacations at the beach, a picture of him standing in the back of his truck, and his Marine enlistee photo. The Marine picture always made her choke up. He always wanted to serve the country and was so excited after being granted the opportunity. Carina was hesitant at first, but she couldn't deny him his one wish. He went on one deployment before she got pregnant and was forced to leave again as soon as she found out. The look of complete joy on his face as she showed him the positive test is something that she'll never forget and wish she could relive every day.
