Defender of the People ch8

"Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go where you go and live where you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." –The Book of Ruth

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"Garcia, I need everything you have on a Gabi Finn," said Sandra.

"Who is that?" asked Garcia as she began typing away.

"She's the woman who was murdered today. The one who the police thought had something to do with our case."

"And does she?"

"She may. What do you have?"

"Well, I have here that she was a college dropout. Twenty six years old and she dropped out six years ago, right before graduation. She was about to get her AA," said Garcia. "Looks like she dropped out because she found out she was pregnant and went off the grid. She didn't surface again until four years ago when her son Garret was taken by CPS."

"We need more, Garcia," said Sandra.

"I'm working on it," said Garcia. "I'll call you or Hotch if I find anything else of note. Garcia, out."

"She's working on it, Prentiss."

"I figured. What now?"

"Lets go back to the station. We can share what we know."

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Seaver was really getting on Abby's nerves. Abby knew that while she and Reid were working, they couldn't act like they were together. But it was getting to be extremely difficult. Seaver was gravitating to Reid, and hitting on him too. And poor Reid didn't know how to handle it. Abby was just beginning to get him to act more manly (at least at home. At the office, poor Reid was emasculated by all the guys there, especially Morgan.), and this thing with Seaver was starting to undo it all. And as of right now, there was nothing Abby could do about it. Nothing substantial, anyway. Abby nudged her way between Reid and Seaver and grasped his hand instead.

The three agents looked down at the once proud body of Senator Harriet Dylan, lying on the ground in the middle of a park. The body was stiff as a board, and lying straight on her back on the pavement. The right arm, minus the hand, was positioned over her heart. The left sleeve of Dylan's once immaculate shirt was cut open to reveal the cut, this time in the shape of a number six.

Abby pulled out her phone. "Hotch, was there a number carved into Wheatley's arm?"

"Yes, the number two."

"Dylan has six carved into her arm, but I think the M.O.'s the same," said Abby. "Right hand cut off, number carved into the left bicep, throat slit, and the cuts around the throat and wrist are ragged."

"That's the same thing. Take pictures and come back to the police station. We need to all share the information we got," said Hotch.

"Will do."

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Sandra and Prentiss arrived back at the police station before the rest of the team. As they came in, Director Bellamy approached Prentiss again.

"Not now, Warren. I need to work the case," said Prentiss, shrugging off her father and walking into the conference room with Morgan, JJ, Todd and Levin. They took a seat and waited a short time for the rest of the team to show up. They all walked in. Director Bellamy followed shortly after.

"Prentiss, go talk to Director Bellamy," said Hotch. "He says he won't leave until you talk with him."

Prentiss got up reluctantly, and followed the Director into an empty room.

"What do you want? The senators need our help!"

"The senators can wait. I need to tell you something important."

Prentiss crossed her arms and tapped her foot once.

"I'm just going to say this once. You have a sister."

"I have a what?"

"A sister."

"And you choose now to tell me this? I'm not sure I believe you."

"I can talk to you when you're done with the case. Right now, the case has a higher priority."

"Well, then just let me ask you this. Why haven't I heard about this before?"

"Three reasons. One, because every time your mother would try to tell you, she'd chicken out at the end; two, because you keep rebuffing my attempts to make contact; and three, I didn't know until last week." Director Bellamy crossed his arms. "Go."

Prentiss turned and walked back to the conference room where Sandra was sharing what information they'd garnered back at the crime scene.

"…and the message was scrawled in the closet in her blood," said Sandra. "The M.O. didn't fit with the case, but seeing the message convinced the two of us that they were related." Sandra sat down, having shared all, even her and Prentiss' thoughts about the message.

Hotch and Rossi shared their observations, then Abby, Reid and Seaver. Only JJ had anything to report.

"The dumpsites were at a park, but not one that people frequent. The police found them pretty quickly," said JJ. "I talked to one of the officers on the case, and he told me that the police were always called soon after time of death. The TOD for Wheatley was four o'clock in the morning, the police were called and the body found at five. Same with Dylan, but they were two days apart. If you figure in about ten minutes to load the body in the car, thirty to drive from where they're being held, and then a five minute response time, we're looking at a four forty five time of discovery.

"It's very surprising," continued JJ, "that the media hasn't caught wind of this yet."

"It is. Why do you think they haven't, everyone?" asked Hotch.

"Maybe they're being paid off," suggested Rossi.

"Or they simply haven't seen anything yet," said Reid.

"But they'll certainly have noticed the police presence," said JJ.

"Which isn't higher than normal," said Todd.

"It's late. Try and get some sleep," said Hotch. "Meet back here at seven tomorrow morning. Besides, we'll all function better when we've gotten some sleep."

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"Please! Don't do this!"

"I'm sorry, Senator, but it's far too late for me to make concessions." And the blade was brought down on the senator's wrist amid a shower of blood, a bloodcurdling scream and a satisfied, sinister chuckle.

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"There are forces in life working for you and against you. One must distinguish the beneficial forces from the malevolent ones and choose correctly between them." –Abdul Kalam, President of India