"Farell also provided us with a substantial amount of evidence that proves you were not present for the Abbotsford Auto-Mall attack, the arrest of the Bacon brothers, the murder of Raphael Baldini, any of the various murders Person X committed, the capture of Person Y, Matthew Campbell's death, or any other drug-trafficking heists or transactions. In other words, all supposedevidence proving you have done anything illegal for the Red Scorpions has been proven to either have been falsified or fake." The Captain spat a look of true anger gracing his features.
That wasn't possible. This wasn't possible.
I ran more than the majority of the Red Scorpion's drug heists, deals, arrangements, and deliveries. I was the one who made deals with rich, white men that had nothing but pockets full of money to burn. I was the one who went undercover to get intel from corporations. I was the one who brought those who wronged the gang to the leaders. I was one of the most highly respected and trusted members of the Red Scorpions. This wasn't possible.
Kirk Farell, of all people, would no way in hell help me. It was because of my father that his own was placed in prison, and he was now dead. Farell despised the Valentine's. We ruined his family, as well as our own in the process.
"All charges against you, Cara Valentine, have been dropped." The Vancouver Police Department was dead silent in the early rays of the morning as every set of eyes landed on my still figure. Only the sound of a clock ticking could be heard as everyone waited for the now-free woman to react. No one moved nor mentioned the fact that dozens of files showing and confirming everything I did for the Scorpions were sitting in the back of the black Suburban parked outside. Everyone simply remained quiet.
"You're behind this, aren't you?" the Captain asked, and I raised my brows considerably high. "You and your little gang? It may say you're innocent on paper, but you and I both know you are anything but that." Narrowing my eyes, I gave the man a stone-cold glare that caused his face to blanch.
Taking a step forward, he regained his composure, "Agents, it seems that your job here is done. I can take Ms. Valentine and process her; make sure she gets out of here safely."
Spencer moved up to my side and gave me a reassuring look before making eye contact with the pot-bellied man. "There's no need for that, sir. We still have a few more questions for Cara and when we're done, we can process her ourselves," the doctor spoke, and I noticed the way Hotch was narrowing his eyes.
"Have it your way," he scoffed, walking away and disappearing back into his office.
Turning sharply towards Spencer, Hotch cleared his throat, "I need to speak to you in the conference room."
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𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗗 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗢𝗩
CLOSING THE DOOR BEHIND THEM, THE UNIT CHIEF SPUN ON HIS HEEL TO LOOK AT THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF HIS TEAM WITH AN INCREDULOUS EXPRESSION. His eyes narrowed as he studied Spencer Reid before he spoke, "What was that?"
Fidgeting with his fingers nervously, Spencer looked up. "I know that she's part of an infamous drug-trafficking gang, an accessory to murder, and has withheld information about killings and trafficking that have happened, but she isn't a bad person. And I know you and the others see what I see too. You don't see a monster resting inside her like you do when you look at other UnSubs. You see a woman who got dragged into something as a kid that she should have never been a part of; a woman who doesn't deserve the hell that she's been through. For years, she has been isolated and kept a secret from the world. We all saw that bunker. She was practically kept in a cage like a wild animal. She did what she had to do to survive the situation she was in. I don't have to know everything that's happened to her to know that I would have done the same things she's done while with them.
"Throughout the entire time we've had her, she could have stayed quiet. She could have remained silent and stagnant. But she didn't. She helped us, even if it took a little pushing to get her to, and due to that, we have gotten valuable information that we would have never known or learned of if it weren't for her." The doctor breathed, keeping eye contact with his superior and making sure the man before him knew how serious he was being with what he was insinuating.
Hotch glanced out the window of the conference room, his eyes landing on the blonde who was sitting in a chair; Blake talking to her. "What are you proposing, Reid?" he asked, slowly glancing back over at the brown-haired agent.
"We take Cara back to Quantico with us. Make her a part of the team."
"Reid—"
"I know it's a crazy idea, Hotch, but Cara has an enhanced sense of pattern recognition and her specialty is detecting behavior and lies. Those are two skills that make a great profiler. During the increments of time that I've spent with her, she's pointed out my behavior and knew my next move before I had a chance to even act. She would make an excellent profiler and would be a good addition to the team." The Unit Chief remained stoic as he was taking in Spencer's words and admitting silently that he, himself, had been having similar thoughts.
It wouldn't be an easy thing to do— to get the government or the FBI to agree to this opposition. But it was possible. "If she can locate the Red Scorpions, I'll consider it. Right now, it's too early to tell and I need to see her in action. To see how good she truly is." Spencer breathed a sigh of relief.
He was one step closer to getting Cara Valentine out of the hellhole she was in. He was one step closer to saving her.
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