The Element of Surprise

Lucky - Part 4

Derek kicks down the door and we enter the house while holding formation. Morgan goes left, Rossi right, while Emily and I search the kitchen. I hold my gun at eye-level, maneuvering along the wall and checking every corner and hallway for any signs of Feylinn. What we find in the kitchen, however, leaves me cold and nauseous.

It looks like a slaughterhouse with gargantuan pots on the stove and butchery equipment standing around. There's even a sausage filler bolted to a wooden surface in the far corner of the room, leaving me with disturbing images of what this monster shoves in it to eat later.

"Clear," Emily calls to the rest of the team, referring to the kitchen.

Three officers had checked the house upstairs while we covered the first floor, thus also pronouncing it clear of any victims, bodies, or unsubs. But in the complete and utter silence of the house, we suddenly hear the faintest sound of music coming from the hallway. Detective Jordan presses his ear against the door and gives us the signal that there is indeed something on the other side.

Derek takes the lead with Rossi at his back and opens the door, holding his flashlight up with his gun to light the way down a narrow, wooden staircase. I stick close to the senior agent since I'm wedged between him and Prentiss. His cologne instantly fills my senses, making it hard to focus on being alert. The lower we descent into the basement, the louder the music gets - old-fashioned vinyl music that would've been soothing if not for the current dilemma.

At the bottom of the stairs, we're met with three door, on to the left, one to the right, and one straight ahead. Rossi takes the latter and I choose to cover him while Emily and JJ takes the door on the left, and Derek and Detective Jordan the door on the right.

Rossi gives the signal and JJ opens her door. Instantly, I'm hit with a gush of icy air. To everyone's horror, the left door leads to a freezer room with at least six more bodies in it - but no Feylinn. Which means there are only two doors left for him to hide behind.

Exchanging a look with the senior agent, he gives a single nod and I throw open our door, sweeping inside with my gun. There is a single cage in the room with a woman tied to a bed in it, "Sheryl Timmons?"

She utters a sob at the sight of us, "Y-yes."

"Is Tracey Lambert here?" I ask, referring to the girl who went missing at the public restroom in the forest.

The woman shakes her head, "No..."

From the freezer room next door, JJ calls Detective Jordan to identify the bodies with the goal of finding Tracey. While they're taking care of that, I kick down the cage's door and set to work of untying Sheryl. JJ briefly informs us that Tracey isn't among the bodies in the freezer and that's when Derek busts open the last door.

"FBI! Don't move!" He orders and I know they've found Feylinn.

The moment I cut through the last rope, Sheryl bursts out crying and just about flings herself at me. Holding onto her, I rock us back and forth in an attempt to comfort her, "It's alright, Mrs Timmons, you're safe now. Your husband's at the police station, he's waiting for you. You're safe."

Although she's safe and alive, meaning that I kept my promise to Mr Timmons, my stomach clenches. Tracey Lambert is still missing and since we're dealing with a cannibal who only keeps his victims alive for three days at the most, the chances are small that we'll find her.

An officer comes to take Sheryl off my hands, stating that an ambulance just arrived at the scene to take her to the hospital where her husband is waiting. Once she left the basement, Derek and Detective Jordan escort a very naked and enthralled Feylinn past me. He doesn't make eye contact with anyone and continues staring ahead of him as they lead him up the stairs. I shiver, feeling the chill in the air his presence brings.