PSYCHOPATHY; criminal minds [S. Reid]

Chapter twenty-one//Finally, a Lead

WITH GARCIA ON THE PHONE, JJ PACED BY ONE OF THE DESKS IN THE STATION. Penelope Garcia had been given the task of keeping watch on her monitors in case Lillia was able to push the button. If she did, her location would get sent to Garcia's computers and herself and the rest of the team would be able to track the young Doctor.

"Anything, Garcia?" JJ asked for the 100th time, her fingers rubbing her forehead and creating creases.

"Nothing." Penelope sighed in return, again, for the 100th time. The two blondes had been going back and forth like that for the last 20 minutes or so, waiting on edge for something to come through.

JJ sat herself down with an exasperated huff and threw her head back with her hands dragging down her face.

The entire team had been on edge, especially since they were told they may have to leave without a new lead. Now that they had that lead, their anxieties had only grown and never had they wished this would be the lead they got.

Spencer was undoubtedly the most panicked. His leg bounced and his hands fiddled nervously whilst he searched Lillia's apartment with the others.

"Oh! Oh! Oh my god!" Garcia's voice rather excitedly shouted over the phone.

JJ jumped to her feet, leaning over the phone. "What?" She asked the other woman.

"It's Lillia! She's pressed the button." Garcia's widened eyes followed the screen, the little red dot flashing and moving as Lillia did.

"I'm going to call Hotch." JJ voiced her thought out loud as her phone began to ring and Hotch shortly answered, announcing himself to be on speaker with the rest of the team.

They all stood around Hotch, waiting impatiently.

"Go on, Garcia." JJ told her, ushering her to provide the team with information on Lillia's whereabouts.

Garcia sighed. "Lillia's at the farm in Williamsport."

Emily Prentiss looked between the different members of her group. "Surely this gives us good reason to go there. Finally take Daniel Butcher down."

"It does." Hotch nodded. "Morgan, call Williamsport police, explain what's going on and that we're on our way there." Derek nodded, calling the police chief as he and the team all headed for the SUVs again.

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Lillia's POV

The house was clearly old. Floorboards were lifting and the wallpaper was peeling, the ceiling above us falling down with debris collecting in my hair as I followed Daniel through the house.

He pushed open a door at the top of the stairs, stairs that felt as though they'd collapse under me. The room was better preserved than the rest of the house. The walls were the painted a light yellow, photos were put in small frames around the room and a bed was made in the middle, although the duvet and pillow cases looked mouldy and lacked colour.

Daniel, who stood by the door and held it open, looked at me with a smile on his lips but his eyes looked dead. "I tidied up your bedroom." He said, making me look from the decor to him, nervousness coursing through me.

His smile dropped, my expression clearly showing my inside emotions. "Dont you like it?!" He asked, sounding rather pissed.

Daniel was getting triggered, getting riled up. His hands clenched and his jaw visibly hardened. His eyebrows narrowed and his frown matched the emotion in his eyes.

"I-I love it." I allowed my face to relax and forced a smile. My lips still trembled, my eyes flossing over and making it hard to see.

He sighed, his small smile reappearing. "Good." He said. Daniel held his hand out, gesturing to the bed and ushering me to go over and sit on it.

I did as told and, first, sat on the edge. The bed wasn't comfortable in the slightest. I could feel every spring in the mattress and there was cushion to it.

"Sit back." Daniel ordered, fluffing one of the pillows behind me. I glanced back at him before following his orders and pulling back the duvet.

I almost yelped and flinched back at the sight under the blanket. The mattress was covered in mould, holes and stains.

Nervously and reluctantly, I slid myself under the duvet and rested my back against the pillows as Daniel tucked me in.

"Stay here. I'll go get you some books." And with that, Daniel's feet hurriedly walked to another room upstairs. I could hear which direction he went in almost perfectly from the creaks in the floorboards.

With Daniel out of the room, I took my chance and clambered out of the bed and rushed to the door. Both of my hands gripped around the doorknob but I was having no luck, the door was locked.

I turned back around to face the room, my eyes scanning it for something I could use but those types of resources were lacking in a child's bedroom.

So focused on looking around the room and rummaging through drawers for something to open the door with, I hadn't heard the floorboards creaking again as Daniel made his way back.

The floor was now covered in things that I'd pulled out from drawers and the closet, mainly old distressed clothes but also a couple of toys with missing eyes or limbs and knotted hair.

My entire body snapped around to face the door as it slammed shut, my heart stopping, making me flinch hard. I now stood facing off with a very angry Daniel.

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