It's been over a week since Doyle died before our eyes. The team is still in shock, myself included. We've only had two cases since we got back to work: one in Richmond and one in Oakland. they were both two white men kidnapping innocent women, two different men with the same goals.
We arrested them both and managed to save both victims. none of my team has been seriously injured these days, Hotch has recovered and Emily is working the BAU with us as if nothing happened.
I have noticed the change in Reid's behavior with JJ this week. after all, I'm angry with her too, but never as angry as Reid. I know he lied to us, but I should be even angrier at Hotch making this decision. but i'm not. Maybe I was able to forgive them both. Other than Morgan, he hasn't accepted Emily's death, and as surprised as he is to have her back with us, he doesn't seem happy enough. One evening on the jet after that stressful case in Richmond, I talked to him on the way home and asked him why he was still mad at Emily, even though it wasn't her fault. He explained that he was furious at Hotch and JJ but didn't show it, meanwhile he was starting to accept that they lied to the whole team.
I understood Derek. I also understood the reasons why Spencer was particularly angry with JJ. She consoled him when he mourned the loss of a friend. But deep down, JJ knew Emily was still alive. So why not tell us? Rossi always says we're like family, but I hate it when these secrets pit us against each other.
While I think back to what happened this week, I'm in my bed and I'm still sleeping when my cell phone, placed last night on the bedside table, starts ringing. It's Hotch.
"Hello?" I pick up the phone and I answer.
"Hi, it's me, sorry to wake you up, I know it's 4am, but we have a case in Seattle. I'm notifying the rest of the team, we'll meet in the conference room in 20 minutes." Hotch doesn't even give me time to answer and hangs up.
I get out of bed and get ready in about ten minutes, then I walk into the building and head to my floor.
I meet Reid in the elevator, with a cup of coffee in his hands.
"Good morning" he says to me drinking his coffee.
"if you mean good morning at 4am then i prefer good night" I am very tired, I didn't expect the next case so soon, but after all, I happened to have a case even at 2am.
At my comment he smiles then reminds me of the time we went out to dinner with the team, when Gideon was still there, many years ago, and we finished dinner at 11pm, after half an hour when we get home we get the message to meet at the jet in 30 minutes that we have a case in San Francisco. I remember that night very well, because by the time we got to the jet Elle had been drinking a lot of wine and so slept through the ride, Morgan and Hotch had headaches while JJ slept through the ride. I played cards with Gideon and Spencer, then I fell asleep listening to Taylor Swift for over two hours. It was so funny I miss Gideon so much.
We get to our floor and sit down in the conference room where Garcia starts introducing us to the case. Rossi is not here yet.
After about ten minutes he runs into the room, he's well dressed and has a stupid smile on his face.
"whoa, where are you from wife number 4's house?" jokes Morgan.
"shhh, it must be a secret" he answers according to Morgan's game.
"I'm sorry to interrupt what you were doing, but we have a case, Garcia go ahead" says Hotch to Garcia.
"2 girls have been kidnapped and killed in the last two days. The body of Elizabeth Davis, a 23-year-old Phoenix City College student, was found yesterday morning in the college cafeteria. the other girl, Charlotte Miller, attended the same college and course as Elizabeth. They were studying literature and were in the same year. It was found the day before yesterday in an isolated area of the courtyard surrounding the college."
Garcia explains showing us the photos of the bodies.
"Garcia, can you enlarge the wounds on the victims' backs?" I ask and she immediately zooms.
"what kind of draw is it?" asks JJ.
"It's not a drawing, they look like writing" says Reid.
" -Lucifer- was written on the back of the first victim" I say. The letters are poorly written, probably the unsub wrote them post mortem.
The second photo was taken badly, unfortunately it is not possible to read the second writing on the back of the second victim.
"We'll start profiling the unsub on the jet, wheels up in 30." I missed these words so much and I also miss the jet, even if we flew to Oakland a few days ago. I'm not used to flying anymore, after what happened to Emily we didn't have any more cases.
We arrive on the jet. I take the window seat, Emily sits next to me, and opposite me are Reid and Morgan. Garcia is online on her computer so she can tell us about the case.
"it appears the unsub is a college worker or a student" says Morgan looking at the papers.
"Yeah, I totally agree. The unsub left their bodies in two common places in the college." says Hotch.
"the trip won't last long, but when we land Emily and I will go to the crime scene, Rossi and JJ will go to talk to the two families of the victims, Morgan y/n and Reid will go to the coroner for the autopsy of the two bodies, tell us what you discover." concludes Hotch. We nod and we wait until the plane will land.
As soon as we land, me, Morgan and Reid get in the SUV and head to the coroner's office.
The doctor explains that both victims' wounds are post-mortem and were incised by a knife. "Charon" is written on the back of the second victim.
I glance at Reid, because I know that he knows the connection between the two victims. He glances at me too and we explain to Derek and to the doctor what we have just realized.
They are both two characters who, according to Dante, went to hell. We call Hotch and tell him what we found, when he informs us that there was another victim and to go to the crime scene first, not too far from here.
As soon as we arrive we pass the yellow tape and show the card to the other agents. This time the girl is in the college gym.
"Ulysses" was written on the back. Spencer sends the photos to Hotch and we go back to the police station ready to deliver the profile.
"We're looking for a white guy who goes to the same college as the 3 victims" explains Aaron to the cops.
"we also think that he targeted some girls in the school, we have questioned friends and relatives, they said they have never committed anything serious." says JJ.
"we think that while studying literature he was inspired by the characters sent to hell according to Dante, such as Ulysses, Charon and Lucifer."
"the policemen will guard the school and we ask the students not to leave their rooms." concludes Morgan.
That night we decide to join the hunt for the unsub. In this boarding school, there are many rooms that hold at least 4 people inside. Maya Smith, the roommate of the 3 girls, has been monitored at the police station all day, and is now in the interrogation room with Morgan, to help us get the unsub. We think it's a boy, also because it's usually the boys who kidnap the weaker girls.
Maya stays at the station with JJ, while me, Hotch, Reid, Morgan and Rossi position ourselves in different common areas of the college.
My phone rings, it's JJ.
"Hey, Maya is here with me and the sheriff, she says that there's a guy, Joseph Brown, he is very introverted and has always had a strange behavior. he knows the victims well and they often teased him for what he did. His room is 218 try to check."
"Ok JJ I'll call you back." I hang up and I run until I see Rossi in the corridors and ask him to come with me in case we have to run.
We knock on the door, then a boy in a black hood opens it for us. She had brown hair and wore it a bit long. We kindly ask him to come in. He sits on the bed and Rossi and I check his room.
his room was filled with books, posters, and articles about mythology and hell.
Noises are heard coming from the wardrobe, Rossi goes to open it but yells at us not to open the wardrobe, he drops Rossi and points a knife to his throat. I punch him and then another and then a kick, the boy knows how to defend himself but I was trained by the FBI, I drop him and handcuff him. We manage to get the girl out of the closet and out of college.
"Thank you" says Rossi on the return journey.
"Don't thank me, I just wanted to protect you." I reply.
"What happened to Joseph after his arrest?" asks Garcia by videochat.
"Well, he's going to juvenile detention to read a lot of books" I say.
"when you come back can we go to dinner together in that chinese restaurant?" asks Garcia.
"of course Garcia" replies Hotch with a rare smile on his face.
It's as if in that moment all the tensions between us have melted away, as if nothing has ever happened to Emily or to any of us after some trauma.