ABLOCATE ▇▇▇▇ VOLUME ONE
━━ ❛ 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆: 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆 ❜
chapter no. 006!
❝ THE WORDS ARE A CODE. ❞
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FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND EAST TO WEST, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS CROSSED AND COVERED BY MOUNTAIN RANGES, AND ISOLATED PEAKS OF PECULIAR SHAPES AND SIZES. In the eastern area of Arizona, extending from the San Francisco Mountains to the Gila River, a long timeline of extinct volcanoes can be found, along with immense lava fields, which are found in different portions of Arizona, conclusively proving that Arizona was once the scene of active explosions that destroyed the peaceful lives of those nearby.
Arizona was the perfect place for the Red Scorpions. For it would soon be the beholder of one of their new headquarters.
I can explicitly remember the buzzing excitement that floated from room to room like a balloon tied to a string. Every room it floated into, lit up with a bright light that nobody had seen in a long time. I remember how brightly the room shone and how the outline of everyone's figures glowed with a green hue that was greener than the hue of life; it reminded me of the color of leaves in the spring. Everyone was filled with excitement that left them wildly jubilant.
The news of getting the hell out of British Columbia, Canada, spread like a wildfire amongst the Red Scorpions. Everyone was, little to my surprise, more than ready to leave behind the land that they claimed as theirs's years ago. We had made it known that this land was ours and that it would not be wise to cross us, let alone try to sell on our grounds. We ran this land and never failed to remind anyone of that. This was our home. This was where we belonged.
However, regardless of all the hard work we put into building our empire in British Columbia, it was time to move onto new territory. Such as the territory of Arizona. Arizona was our soon-to-be home.
Correction: It was their soon-to-be home.
"They're in the States?" the blonde asked and I blinked, nodding ever so slightly as my eyes racked over her appearance. She looked restless and stressed—it was clear by the droopiness in her eyes and the bags underneath that shone through her concealer that she had not slept at all in the past twenty-four hours.
Walking toward me, the dark-brown-haired man had a mildly irritated expression painted across his cheeks. "Why didn't you tell us this right away?" the Unit Chief asked; his voice raised.
"Hotch," Dr. Reid said lightly, in what was meant to be a warning tone, and the man turned his head slightly towards him.
"I had to follow the plan," I stated bluntly, my eyes resting on the good doctor for two seconds before moving back to the man in front of me. "I was going to get to it at some point, I just had to wait," I explained, noticing how Agent Morgan was glancing at Dr. Reid questioningly.
"Where in the States?" Rossi asked, and my hands clenched together tightly. There was this back and forth battle taking place between two opposing sides in my mind. One side wanted to keep quiet and stay as loyal as I could to the Red Scorpions. However, the other side wanted to keep talking; wanting to keep opening up to these agents who'd promised to keep my father, and I, for the time being, safe.
"Cara, we can't keep your father safe if we don't know everything," the brown-haired woman said after I'd answered them with nothing but silence, and I felt a quick wave of anger hit me. They now had something over me and I was the one who gave it to them. He was my weakness.
Breathing out slowly, I closed my eyes as it took every ounce in me to utter the word, "Arizona."
It was tensely silent before someone cleared their throat. "Where in Arizona?" Hotch asked, sharing silent stares with Morgan and Rossi.
Opening my eyes, I shrugged, growing enervated. "I'm not certain of the exact location, but I do know that it's somewhere in the middle of Flagstaff, Safford, Yuma, and Yucca. I wasn't supposed to know the exact location until they came and got me."
Hotch crossed his arms. "And how were they going to get you if you're in here?" he asked cryptically, and I tilted my head. He asks too many questions.
"I don't know the details. All I was told is that two men stayed behind to get me out discretely. My escape is the next plan. However, I highly doubt it's going to happen now―"
"It won't." Dr. Reid said suddenly, cutting me off, and I looked over at him.
Looking over at the doctor, the blonde frowned. "Spence..." she said slowly, and I took a step forward. I could sense the apprehension.
"She has the right to know. It wasn't only addressed to us," he said, shaking his head.
They sent them something. "What did they leave you?" I asked, and all eyes snapped away from Dr. Reid.
Morgan breathed in steadily before making eye contact with me, "A note."
"Show it to me," I said, and Morgan left the room; the door shutting the door behind him.
The room was frozen in silence as my mind was racing wildly. My stomach was twisting itself in knots as everyone waited for the dark-skinned agent to return. Sweeping my eyes around the small group, I bit back a frown. I don't like this. I don't like how I feel around these people. I don't like how they make me feel. My gaze soon landed on the brown-haired man, and I felt my heart stop for the world's smallest second. I don't like how he made me feel.
The door reopened and I looked away from Dr. Reid quickly. "Red on Surrey Six, killer nowhere on Whalley Street." Morgan read from the paper he held in his hands, and I tilted my head. "Where were we? Ross is away nearly ticking time until Cara's sleeping sweet, count on me." Son of a bitch. My posture straightened and I felt my body tense up. "No one to save Alex from evil." Morgan finished right as I had walked forward and taken the slip from his hands. Turning my back to everyone, my eyes scanned the paper hastily.
No no no...
Owen Sánchez, one out of the three leaders of the Red Scorpions, wrote the sentences on the paper—which was clearly faxed over. I recognized the handwriting.
"Why is my name on that note, Cara?" the brown-haired woman asked, but my gaze remained fixated on the words. "Cara?"
I rested my head against the wall as Morgan began repeating himself, "Red on Surrey Six, killer nowhere on Whalley Street. Where were we? Ross is away nearly ticking time until Cara's sleeping sweet, count on me. No one to save Alex from evil." I shut my eyes and pressed my lips together firmly. "What do those words mean, Cara?"
A deep sigh tumbled out of my lips before I could stop it and someone walked up from behind me slowly. "Do you need a minute?" A voice asked softly, and I nodded. "Can you guys step out for a minute? I want to talk to Cara," Dr. Reid said, and I could feel the hesitancy in the room. After thirty-one seconds of silence, the others filed out, the door shutting once more.
The room stayed silent for exactly two minutes before he spoke again. "W-What do those words mean? I know they mean something based on your body language and reaction to when Morgan read the letter." Dr. Reid said nervously, and I let out a quiet and even breath, trying to keep myself calm.
"One of the leaders—" I started, clearing my throat, "—Owen—wrote this. It's a code that the Red Scorpions are to only use in high-risk scenarios. The words are a code."
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𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗗 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗢𝗩
THE WORDS HAD TO BE SOME SORT OF CODE. The way they flowed together without making any logical sense wasn't done by accident. The Red Scorpions were careful and precise with every action they made; these words meant something and Cara Valentine knew that. Spencer knew that she knew that.
"Where were we? Ross is away nearly ticking time until Cara's sleeping sweet, count on me." Morgan continued reading, watching as the blonde in front of him stood up straight, her body tensing up. "No one to save Alex from evil," he finished, raising his brows as the last words left his mouth and she snatched the paper from his hands. Turning her back to the team, her eyes scanned the paper hastily.
Everyone was perplexed yet intrigued by the note, but one person who took special interest was the one whose name was contained within it. Alex Blake. This whole case dealt with the Red Scorpions and Cara Valentine; she wasn't connected to it in any way. So, why was she mentioned?
"Why is my name on that note, Cara?" Blake asked, but the latter's gaze remained fixated on the note. Furrowing his brows, the brown-haired man couldn't help but notice how her hands were slightly shaking. The words were bothering her. She knows what they mean. "Cara?" Blake questioned again, glancing at JJ. In response, Cara rested her head against the grey wall, not bothering to acknowledge the woman's presence.
"Red on Surrey Six, killer nowhere on Whalley Street. Where were we? Ross is away nearly ticking time until Cara's sleeping sweet, count on me. No one to save Alex from evil. What do those words mean, Cara?" Morgan asked, crossing his arms as he pressed his lips together.
Wait... Cara's demeanor and behavior were different when she was talking solely to Spencer. If he could get the others to leave, he might be able to get her to confide in him. He wanted her to confide in him.
Walking up behind her slowly, Spencer gulped. "Do you need a minute?" he asked softly, and to his surprise, she nodded. "Can you guys step out? I want to talk to Cara." Everyone's head turned towards him. Hotch gave him a questioning look, his eyes hard and still as he took in what one of his best agents was asking them to do. Rossi, Blake, and JJ all raised an eyebrow while Morgan simply stared at the good doctor, the corners of his lips tempted to unfold into a small smirk. Pretty Boy liked this girl. Finally nodding, Hotch signaled for the others to follow behind him silently.
After the door closed, neither one of them spoke until the brown-haired man cleared his throat, growing nervous. "W-What do those words mean? I know they mean something based on your body language and reaction when Morgan read the letter." He was rambling, a nervous habit that was triggered in awkward situations or when he was talking to a girl, alone. And right now, he was speaking to one that he was beginning to develop an interest, for she was intriguing in every way possible to him.
"One of the leaders—Owen—wrote this. It's a code that the Red Scorpions are to only use in high-risk scenarios. The words are a code." Cara spoke; her soft, yet rough, voice catching his attention. From where he stood behind her, he could see the outline of the note shaking, and he frowned. Despite being known for being awkward and uncomfortable with physical touch, he didn't hesitate in placing his, also, shaky hand on her shoulder; attempting to provide her some sort of comfort.
The moment his hand touched her shoulder, Spencer watched with surprise as her body relaxed at his touch. "What does the code say?" he asked, furrowing his brows.
Cara turned around and looked up at him with those ocean eyes that he'd been tempted to dive into since the moment he saw them, and he held his breath. "I trust you. Do you trust me, Dr. Reid?" she asked, an innocent brow raising as they maintained eye-contact.
He was hesitant to answer. He didn't trust many people outside of his team and mom, but, for some reason he couldn't identify, he felt as if he could trust her. "I do, and you can call me Spencer." The words rolled off his tongue smoothly and the corners of her lips tugged up slightly.
"Spencer, I can show you what the code says, but I'm going to need a computer. It can't have a desktop camera or speakers—that way it's impossible for anyone to listen or watch. Also, a notebook or whiteboard—anything that can be written on." Cara said, her voice strong and assertive as she listed off her demands. Spencer's cheeks burned slightly at the way she'd said his name and his lips were lifted slightly. "I promise you, I'm not going to do anything reckless or irresponsible."
"I believe you." The doctor's words rang true. From what he was able to observe, the blonde showed no tells of dishonesty and her eyes were staring into his cautiously. He could tell by the small shine in the abyss of her eyes that she actually trusted him, maybe not fully, but enough. "I'll be right back, okay?" Cara nodded and Spencer left the room, the door closing behind him.
At the sound of his entrance, everyone looked up from where'd they been staring at the floor in the hallway, waiting until it was time to go back inside. "Kid, what the hell was that?" Rossi asked, gesturing to the closed door.
"Cara acts differently around me than she does with you guys. I thought I could use that to find out what those sentences meant. She trusts me and I think we should trust her." Spencer explained, rocking back on his heels.
"Spence, she's a murderer and is involved in a very well-known drug trafficking gang. Not to mention the daughter of one of the Founding Fathers of the said gang. How do you know we can trust anything she says?" JJ asked, staring at her best friend; bewildered by the connection he had somehow made with Cara Valentine within only a handful of hours.
Spencer sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Earlier today, when I was interrogating her, I saw her face. I saw the change in her eyes the moment the Red Scorpions started watching. Her eyes were filled with nothing but pure fear. Cara's terrified of them and what they will do to her now. She needs our help and is willing to tell us some of what she knows—which she has already done a great job at so far. I trust her. If you don't, that's fine, but at least trust me on this. Please."
Slowly nodding his head, Hotch crossed his arms as he took into consideration what the brown-haired man had said. "Okay. What did she tell you?"