A Criminal's Mind

Basement

After a few days of thinking and a few more classes of long awkward silences or odd glances, I decide to take Ford up on his offer to join him and his team in the Bureau's basement. Not the most glamorous office but if I don't have to deal with being asked to leave the room every five or ten minutes, I'll take it over the classrooms. Although, I'm not sure what a twenty four year old woman can do in the ways of interviewing mass killers, but I suppose that and all my other questions will be answered when I get down to the basement.

As I step into the elevator, I press the B button on the panel and wait for the giant machine to start up. As I get closer and closer to my desired floor, I grow more and more nervous, although I'm not sure why. As I step out I hear what sounds like three men on a recording, one of them is clearly Ford, but I haven't heard the other two men before. "Come on, kid. You don't expect us to buy your mercy horseshit," the first man on the tape speaks in a rather harsh tone to whomever they are interviewing.

"I think what Agent Tench means, is..." Ford begins in which his attempt to recover the interview before another voice cuts him off.

"I think I've had enough science for one day," the third man sounds as if he is no older than I am.

The machine clicks off, as it does I walk further into the room, my heels clicking on the cement floor. As I round a corner I see three people sitting at a table, surrounding a large tape recorder, Ford, an older gentleman and a woman. The older gentleman I have seen around the Bureau before, but the woman I have not. As I approach the group, Ford looks up, smiling when his eyes meet mine, "Ms. Freeman, I wasn't sure if you were going to take me up on my offer to join the team." He gets up and walks around the table as he speaks.

I shrug my shoulders, "well, I figure this would be a better use of my time then loitering in the hallways and spending tuition money to fail classes."

"I agree, but I'm still glad you decided to join us," Ford smiles.

"Not that I'm not happy we have someone else on the team, but can she stomach what we're doing here?" The older man stands from his chair and steps over to Ford and I, extending a hand once he gets to us, "Bill Tench."

I shake Tench's hand, "Nancy Freeman."

Tench smiles, "Nancy, that's my wife's name."

"Uh..." Ford begins, "Ms. Freeman is the student I was telling you about. The one who strives against the status quo."

"Well, I don't remember you telling me about anyone who fought the status quo, what I do remember is you telling me about a stubborn woman who wouldn't leave a classroom when trigger words were involved." Tench chuckles, trying to embarrass Ford.

Ford becomes a bit flustered, as I chuckle, "the way I see it, trigger words should only affect someone's education if they trigger the individual, not because of their gender."

Tench smiles, "I like her, already."

The woman, who was taking notes, finally stands and turns to me as well, "I have never heard someone outside of professional psychology know or understand the concept of an individual's trigger." She smiles, "Dr. Wendy Carr, it is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Freeman."

"It is nice to meet you as well, Dr. Carr."

"Please, call me Wendy."

I nod and smile, "of course."

Ford gestures back to the tape recorder, "well, should we hear it again?"

"Eventually, yes." Carr nods before looking over to me, explaining the case they are working on, "so there are two triggers, one right after the other for Rissell. Maybe trigger isn't the right word. Too facile."