#11 Meet Me in the Emerald Forest

Chapter 3 Clementine

I raked my hands through my hair in frustration, angrily yanking it up into a ponytail so it was out of my way as I paced back and forth in front of the glass board. Papers were spread out on a circle table in the middle of the room with files stacked up in the middle.

For a second, I was transported back to that day, seven years ago, when I sat face to face with a beast. The white wolf's haunting green eyes took over my vision like they so often did. Ever since that night, nightmares of seeing my parents' bodies plagued my sleep but one constant companion soothed my terrors; those haunting, forest green eyes.

“Earth to Clem.” Caleb’s voice made me jump and I spun around to glare at him.

“What did I tell you about sneaking up on me!” I snapped.

“I’ve been knocking for the last five minutes.” Caleb rolled his eyes at me as he walked through my office.

“Oh.” I grumbled and turned back towards the board.

“Anything new?” Caleb asked as he scanned the evidence board.

“No, nothing.” I was visibly irritated.

“Well, time to call it. We have a case.” Caleb said,

“Alright, let’s go.” I tossed the file in my hand down on the table and followed Caleb out of my office.

Down the hall was the round room where the rest of our team was already gathered. Aiden, our commanding officer, and Gabrielle, our tech guru, were standing on either side of the large screen that showcased pictures from the current case. Link, Liam, and Sofia were already seated around the large round table.

“Go ahead, Gabi, we’re ready to start.” Aiden said when Caleb and I took our seats.

Gabi flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and turned towards the large TV screen, touching the pictures to make them larger as she explained the case.

“This is the second home invasion this week in Dallas with no survivors and nothing stolen from the houses.” Gabi said as she zoomed in on the pictures of the scene, “Each family unit is the same. A father, mother, and a daughter under the age of twelve.”

“It looks like the father sustained the most torture.” Sofia said, swiping through the picture on her ipad.

“In both cases, the father is restrained to the kitchen chair with evidence of being beaten and stabbed. Cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head.” Gabi said, pulling up a copy of the medical examiner's report.

“And the mothers were both found on the living room sofa with evidence of s****l assault.” Liam observed, looking at his own tablet.

“What about the daughters?” I asked.

“The daughter in the first family was eight and the second family had a ten year old. Both were smothered with no signs of any other abuse.” Gabi pulled up the pictures of the daughters.

“Both houses were within the same suburb and the invasions happened at the exact same time two days apart.” Link was drawing on a map, already creating a geographical profile of the two cases.

“Which means we have 36 hours until the next invasion.” Aiden said, “We’re on the plane in twenty.” He added before leaving the room.

We all stood up to gather our go bags before meeting up on the private jet. It didn’t take long for us to reach Dallas and get started on the case. Aiden ordered himself and Caleb to head to the first crime scene while Sofia and Liam went to the second house. Link and myself jumped into one of the blacked out SUVs and drove to the police station. Gabi, our technical analyst, remained back at Quantico.

Link and I entered the station, and flagged down the sheriff.

“Sheriff Baskin, Special Agents Reign and Matthew. The rest of our team went to the crime scenes.” I said, introducing Link and myself.

The sheriff shook both of our hands before leading us to the room he had set up according to Gabi’s instructions.

“The parents of both the Harriet and Zinn couples are set up in the family room.” Sheriff Baskin said, “And we had all the files brought in here.”

“Thanks, Sheriff. I’ll speak to the parents shortly.” I offered the sheriff a smile before he nodded and left the room.

“I’m going to continue working on the geographical profile and our timeline.” Link said, walking towards the maps already hung up on some of the boards. I nodded and started shifting through the interview transcripts that they already conducted.

Of our seven team members, Link and I were the most alike. We were both among the youngest members to ever be invited to join the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virgina. Link was 26 and already had more PHds than I could ever imagine achieving. We were always the first to hit the paperwork in each case so we could make the initial profiles.

Liam Barrett is the human embodiment of a G.I. Joe action figure. Aiden Holmes is our commanding officer and the voice of reason for our team. Sofia Gomez is the second in command and the best at handling the media. When all of us lose our patience with the media circus, Sofia handles them with a commanding grace. Gabrielle Torris is our eye in the sky, and a bloodhound when it comes to research and background checks. Caleb Grant is my partner in the field and one of the best at communicating with parents, loved ones, and, above all, suspects.

And that’s my team. When I was 18 I left home to attend the University of Virginia and graduated at 22 with my Master’s degree in psychology with a focus on behavioral studies and forensic psychology. For 19 weeks, I attended the Hampton Police Academy where I was recruited to join the BAU as a profiler. I’ve been working and living in Quantico for the past three years now.

One might say that coming home to my parents murdered in my childhood home at 17-years-old was a titch traumatic. Their case going unsolved, along with the 14 others who were murdered that night, continues to destroy me to this day. That’s why I decided to go into law enforcement and that’s why I fight to solve their murder every single day.

Spread out all over my office were the files from all 16 people murdered that night and I worked on the case every chance I got, as did the rest of my team. They were my ultimate support system and proof that family is so much more than blood.

Back to the case at hand. I interviewed the parents of our four victims and then returned to the boardroom to meet up with the others who had just gotten back from the crime scenes. 12 hours passed and we were no closer to identifying the unknown subject or the next house to be hit.

I groaned loudly and threw a stapler at the evidence board. Commander Aiden c****d an eyebrow at me and I just rolled my eyes,

“I know, I know. Take a break.” I grumbled in an irritated tone as I walked out of the room. I heard the sheriff ask my team if I was okay.

“Home invasions are her trigger.” Caleb answered before I was out of hearing range.

I continued grumbling to myself as I poured a cup of, what was going to undoubtedly be, terrible coffee. I dumped a pound of creamer and sugar into the brown liquid in hopes of spicing up the bland favor.

Everyone had a trigger, it was unavoidable. Caleb had a younger brother who committed suicide as a teenager so he was bothered by any cases with teens or suicide. Sofia and Adian were parents so they were set off by cases with kids. Liam has six sisters so forget about him keeping calm when women are being abused. Gabi despised anyone who hides behind computer screens. And Link became uncharacteristically hostile at the mention of bullies. Of course, for me, it was the home invasions and family annihilators that ruffled my feathers.

“You good?” Caleb interrupted my brooding with his stupid grin.

“Not if we can’t figure this s**t out.” I snapped and Caleb laughed at me.

“Come on, Link thinks he has the next house narrowed down to a few blocks.” Caleb nodded his head back towards the boardroom and I followed after him.

Link had the geographical profile narrowed down to a ten block radius within the neighborhood the other houses were located. We all hit the streets to canvas and interview neighbors. Plain clothes officers and unmarked police cars were stationed up and down the blocks as the 36 hour mark crept closer. Caleb and I were standing in the first grid block containing six houses.

Damn these suburbs for cramping so many houses that all looked exactly the same into such a small living space. Hell, you could use one garage door opener on half these houses for an easy break in.

“Agents, we have a suspicious car circling the block. A green Honda.” One of the police officers said over the radio. By now, it was well after dark and we were all a little on edge.

“Copy that.” I radioed back as did the rest of my team set up in other gridblocks.

A few minutes later, the sound of a car engine had me sinking further back into the shadows to avoid being seen. Caleb was still in eyesight and he nodded in my direction.

“We’ve got the car in gridblock one.” I whispered into the radio before pulling out my weapon and steading my breathing.

The car pulled up to the second house on my side of the street and cut the engine. A male exited both the passenger and driver’s side of the car. They were both tall and skinny, dressed in dark clothing and ski masks. They each had a hood pulled over their head and face. They seemed to know what they were doing, proving our theory right that they scoped out the houses before breaking in.

Before the men could approach the door, Caleb and I stepped out from the shadows and raised our weapons, aiming them at the intruders.

“FBI, get down on the ground!” Caleb shouted. Both the men froze and turned in Caleb’s direction, “Get down, now!” Caleb called out again.

The sound of people running and cars screeching filled the street as the rest of the force and our agents arrived on the scene.

“Reign!” Someone shouted at me but, before I had time to react, I was being thrown through the air.

There was a third man in the car, a watchman, who we didn’t see nor account for in the profile. He had gotten out of the car and fired his weapon at me. The first two bullets got me in the cavalier vest, but the third sank into my shoulder and had me crashing to the ground with such force that my head bounced off the sidewalk and broke open.

I groaned and rolled over, all manner of shouting going on around me. Suddenly, Caleb was hovering over top of me.

“Clem!” He yelled in my face and I glared at him.

“You’re loud.” I mumbled as Caleb started wrestling with my jacket.

He pulled the standard issue FBI coat from my chest so he could inspect me for injuries. His hand grazed over the vest and I winced when he touched the bullets, my chest and ribs definitely bruised or maybe even broken. His hand went up to my shoulder and I hissed in pain as he gripped it strongly.

“f**k, Caleb!” I cried out and he chuckled,

“No thanks, Clem, I don't see you that way.”

“God damn it, I hate you.” I tried to kick him but my body was in too much pain.

“Stop moving, I’m trying to keep your ass from bleeding out.” Caleb chastised me.

“My ass is fine, it’s my shoulder that feels like hell.” I sassed him.

Caleb shook his head at me and took off his own jacket, using the hand not gripping my shoulder to press the fabric to my head.

“You’re bleeding from your head, too, probably a concussion.” He said, mostly to himself.

“That explains why there’s three of you right now.” I groaned.

“How do I look in 3D?” Caleb grinned.

“Just as stupid and ugly as you look in 2D.”

“You’re mean when you’re shot.” He said and I winked at him.

The ambulance arrived then and two EMTs took over my care. They heaved me into an ambulance and, at some point on the way to the hospital, I lost consciousness.