"To follow by faith alone is to follow blindly." -Benjamin Franklin
We were in Colorado this time. Reid, Prentiss, and I were going undercover in an isolated chruch community as child social workers.
The reason why we were investigating was that a 15 year old girl had called 911 reporting sexual abuse by the church's leader, Benjamin Cyrus.
We got out of the car and introduced ourselves. Benjamin pointed us to the school where the children were. I walked in with Prentiss and Reid.
We were just interviewing a 15 year old girl named Jessica about her relations with Benjamin Cyrus, who we learned was her husband, when a bunch of men with guns burst in.
They started patting us down.
"We just got a very strange call from a news reporter. Is there anything you want to tell me about a raid maybe?" Asked Benjamin. He looked at us and frowned. "They don't know."
I felt relief flow through me. They didn't know that we were federal agents. We were led into an underground tunnel. I was between Prentiss and Reid as I walked.
Benjamin gave instructions as the sound of gunshots rang out. I looked around at the room full of people.
"What's going on?" I asked Reid.
"I don't know, but we have to be calm."
Benjamin just kept on rambling about how God would protect everyone before he left again. I clasped my hands together.
Then, the gunshots stopped and a man said that the officers were pulling out. "Not for long," muttered Reid.
They cleared the people out of the room, leaving only Reid, Prentiss, and me. I sat down on the stone bench next to Emily and sighed.
"What are we going to do?" I asked.
Emily shrugged. "Wait it out."
I nodded and stared at my hands. I knew that the chance of my survival in this situation was lower than in the typical case.
We sat there for hours, until it was light outside. We still didn't have much of an idea of what was going on. When the sun rose, we were led to the chapel. I sat with Prentiss and Reid.
Rossi walked in with a box of supplies. He saw us and I saw a flicker of relief on his face. Then, he left and was gone.
We stood up and examined the room. "Look at Jessica's body language. The way she looks at him," said Emily.
"She literally worships him," I commented.
"There's no way she made that 911 call," said Reid.
After Cyrus had poured everyone wine, he stood at the pulpit and said, "We will be with him soon. We have all drank the poison together."
I looked at Prentiss, panicking. What were we supposed to do now? We couldn't stop the poison from killing everyone.
However, I studied Cyrus and realized he was bluffing. He wanted to see everyone's reactions. He wanted to see who actually believed.
Reid voiced my thoughts to Prentiss soon after. He was thinking the same thing.
We realized that it was just a stunt. Then, Cyrus admitted it. I sighed and folded my arms.
They took us back to the room with the benches. I sat down and ran my fingers through my hair. We had only been there a few minutes when Cyrus walked in.
"Which one of you is it?" he asked. He pulled out his gun. "Which one of you is the FBI agent?"
"What?" I asked.
"Why do you think one of us is an FBI agent?" asked Reid.
"God will forgive me for what I must do." Cyrus held the gun up to Reid's head.
"I- I don't know what you're talking about," said Reid.
"One of you does. Who is it?"
"Please don't shoot him," I said.
"Why not?"
"It's me," I said.
"No, she's lying, it's me, said Prentiss.
"Why would she lie?" asked Cyrus.
"Because she's my fiance," said Reid.
"I don't see a ring."
I looked at the ground. "We don't wear them while we're working," I said.
"Please, don't hurt her, she was only trying to help him. Its me you need to punish," said Prentiss.
I looked at Prentiss. Why hadn't she just let me take the fall? Cyrus dragged Prentiss out and I clasped my hands together as I tried to convey my sympathy and apology to her as I looked at her.
A few minutes later, Cyrus walked in and grabbed my hair. He started pulling me out of the room.
"What are you doing? She didn't do anything!" yelled Reid.
"She's a liar!" said Cyrus. He pulled me into a room and threw me onto the floor. He kicked me in the stomach.
"No! Please don't hurt me. He's my fiance, I was trying to protect him! I didn't think there was actually an agent!"
"I don't care if that man is your fiance, lying is a sin!" He kicked me again and I curled up. Then, he grabbed my hair and pulled me up. "Take this as a warning for the next time you think about lying to me, girl."
He dragged me by the hair and threw me onto the ground in the room with Spencer. He got off of the bench and crouched down next to me. He grabbed my hand and helped me up. "Hey, are you ok?"
I nodded. "I'm fine. I'll just have some bruises. Its really nothing."
Spence helped me up and hugged me. As we were hugging, he whispered in my ear. "We need to act a little more like we're engaged now."
I nodded. "Right."
There were still men with guns watching us. Another one walked in, speaking to Reid. "Benjamin wants to speak with you."
I took my hand away from his, mouthing, "Be careful."
I sat there, worried sick about Prentiss; sure that they would be punishing her worse than they did to me.
I put my head in my hands and rubbed my temples. My stomach hurt, probably from being kicked.
A while later, I was taken back up to the chapel. I stood next to Reid.
Then, Prentiss walked in. She looked awful. There was blood on her shirt. I whispered to her, "Why didn't you just let them believe it was me?"
She just shook her head. Reid leaned over to her. "I'm sorry."
Reid and I walked up to Cyrus after he released all of the people who failed the loyalty poison test. "I told her she shouldn't have lied to you like that," he said.
Cyrus nodded. "To both of us." He ignored me. I was taken back downstairs to the room.
Reid had established trust with Cyrus. Prentiss was hated by Cyrus. And I was somewhere in between. He didn't trust me completely, but I didn't think he hated me.
Then, someone walked into the room. "Your fiance wants you upstairs."
I nodded and followed him up to the main entryway. I saw Reid and hugged him. Then, I saw the bomb on the floor and took a deep breath.
Reid was looking at me and blinking. He was also tapping his fingers on his leg. I realized he was doing morse code.
R-E-S-C-U-E 3--A-M
I nodded and looked back at Cyrus. He and a few of his men were still setting up the bomb. Then, they realized that the FBI was coming and the stood by the door with their guns. Reid started frantically citing the bible to Cyrus and his men.
"Jeremiah 29:11- 'I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to bring you hope and a future.' Is blowing yourself up part of the prosperous future that God wants?" Reid said.
I would have joined in, but, I think that I, as a woman, would have better chances of survival if I just stayed quiet. Cyrus obviously had misogynistic views.
"You think you know the word better than I?" asked Cyrus.
"No, I'm just demonstrating that you can use the bible to manipulate anything," said Reid.
Cyrus looked to me and then back at Reid. "Your fiance can go. There's an escape out the basement."
I was about to protest when Reid gave me a look that said "Just go, I'll be ok."
I nodded and squeezed his hand before starting to walk towards the basement. But, when I heard Reid grunt in pain, I whipped around and saw Cyrus hitting him in the stomach with his gun.
I ran back to Reid, but Cyrus held his gun out to me. "Do you want it, too?" I held up my hands. Then, he put the gun down and got out a small plastic box with the button that could blow this place up. "No one had to follow. God could have stopped me."
Just then, police came into the room, shooting Cyrus and his men. Morgan was among them. "You alright?"
"We're fine. Where's Emily?" asked Reid.
"We got her out of here." Then, Jessica came in. "Sweetheart, come with me. We need to get you out of here. Come on," said Morgan.
Jessica picked up the box. "Run!" yelled Reid. He grabbed my hand. Morgan put his arm around us and we ran out of the building.
We had just gotten out of the doors when the place exploded. I coughed from all of the smoke and walked down the steps. Prentiss gave Reid and me a big hug.
On the plane, I sat down on the couch with my knees pulled to my chest. Prentiss came and sat down by me.
I looked over at her. "Why didn't you just let it be me?"
She sighed and shook her head. "I couldn't let you get hurt because I didn't speak up."
"And you think I don't feel the same way?"
"I would much rather it be me than either of you two."
"Again, I feel the same."
She shook her head and smiled. "It's ok, I've learned to take the pain."
I nodded and sighed, realizing there was no point to arguing with her. "Thank you, for taking the fall for me."
"Anytime."
I smiled and looked at her, still not fully understanding why she would put herself through all of that pain just for me. I wasn't anything special.
"Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it." -Ayn Rand.