"You want my help? Then beg for it."
"I don't beg. But by the time I'm done with you, you'll be the one on your knees begging for mercy."
[ 𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐱 𝐎𝐂 ]
[ 𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 ]
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"EVEREST, YOU HAVE A VISITOR." The prison warden says, eyeing the woman sitting in her jail cell. Ignoring his comment, she continues to play chess by herself, turning the board every turn.
"Did you hear me?" The guard, Frankie, asks while peeking through the bars.
"I'm not expecting anyone." She answers uninterestedly, moving a white pawn across the painted squares. She spent most of her free time sitting in front of a chessboard, manipulating the pieces around until she got what she wanted—the King cornered.
Frankie frowns at her response. While he understood the FBI's authority, there was no denying that he was afraid of Everest's wrath. Despite her silent presence in the prison, she had the respect of all her fellow inmates. No one dared to get in her way—and if they did, they'd regret it almost instantly.
Before Frankie could decide whether to listen to Everest or the FBI, he catches a glimpse of a few official-looking agents. He nods at Hotch, walking over to join them.
"Cell number 13." Frankie points them in the right direction. Hotch made the decision to have him and JJ interview the recruit, in case they needed to play 'good cop/bad cop'.
Stepping in front of the prison cell, Hotch was surprised to see a young woman that looked to be around JJ's age. Strauss never told them that this recruit was a woman—yet alone a young attractive woman.
He watches as she continues to play chess by herself, observing her through the bars. Her brown hair fell in loose waves, a stark contrast to the black prison jumpsuit she wore. Her eyes focused on the pieces, staring with a bright intensity. She was beautiful, no doubt about it, but her actions tainted her soul beyond redemption. Had she not been a murderer, Hotch would've asked her out on a date.
"It's impolite to stare." She says, eyes still trained on the chessboard. When Hotch realizes that she was referring to him, he steps closer to the bars.
"You turned down my offer for a meeting." Hotch reminds her. "I had no choice but to come here."
"Did someone hold a gun to your head and force you to come here?" She questions, moving a worn-down knight across the board.
"No, but—"
"Then you had a choice." She cuts him off, not paying him any attention. "Besides, you're wasting your time."
"Why is that?" Hotch asks, watching as she finishes her chess game. Tipping the white King chess piece over, she finally looks up to meet Hotch's eyes.
Studying his features, Everest stares at him as if he were the one in the cage. He was older than her, but she could tell that every worry line that decorated his face made him appear older than he actually was. The way he stood with such authority told her a lot about who he worked for.
