“Yesterday morning, around eight a.m., a body was discovered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.” Penelope Garcia turned to face the screen. “The victim had ligature marks on her wrists and ankles and she was sexually assaulted multiple times. No DNA was left on the body.” Garcia shuddered, looking back at the team. “The unsub, however, wasn’t finished there. He dressed the body in a police uniform and dumped it in the middle of the night. The unusual part, as if that isn’t bad enough, is that he put hazel contacts on the victims eyes and carved the initials A.E.R into the skin on the back of her neck. This morning a similar scene was found in front of the Smithsonian.”
“This A.E.R must be a member of some department of law enforcement.” JJ looked up from her tablet. “He’s obviously dressing the victims to depict her.”
“But why dress others like her instead of targeting A.E.R herself?” Amelia tucked her hair behind her ear. “Wouldn’t it be less hassle?”
“Maybe he doesn’t have the nerves to face the real object of his rage yet,” Reid said. “These might just be practice runs.”
“There’s one more thing you ought to know about the bodies,” Garcia interrupted. “Both victims received a poorly done tattoo on their right hip. It appears to represent an owl.” She pushed a button on her remote and pulled up the image.
Amelia and Reid both went rigid. Their eyes narrowed as they studied the tattoo, both becoming more distressed by the second.
Derek placed his hand on Amelia’s. “Honey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Amelia said nothing. She couldn’t. She was blinking, hoping that she would wake up and see it was all a dream. It had to be. It couldn’t be happening again. She had just gotten everything back to normal.
“Ryder?” Hotch studied her calmly. “Ryder, what is it?”
“It’s her, Hotch.” Reid’s voice was quiet and small.
“What do you mean ‘it’s her’?” Rossi asked.
“I mean, the victims are supposed to be her. The hazel eyes, the uniform…” Reid trailed off.
“Reid, a lot of women in law enforcement have hazel eyes.” Hotch shook his head. “Why do you think it’s Amelia?”
“Because I’ve seen that tattoo. It’s on her hip.” Reid looked down at his hands.
“There’s more, Hotch.” Amelia focused her gaze on the screen. “Amelia Eleanor Ryder. A.E.R. This unsub is after me.” She stood up and walked to the screen, placing her hand on the images. “And I know exactly who it is.”
YOU ARE READING
Oh Father, My Father
FanfictionSSA Amelia Ryder has been a member of the BAU for as long as she can remember. Dr. Spencer Reid has been her best friend and, at one point, her lover. But a secret Ryder has carried with her for years has suddenly put him in danger, and she must rel...
