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03| trafficked

"Why are ouching? You didn't get your ass beat"
Chapter three: trafficked
Season 1 Episode 3: Prey
*Trigger Warning*

The agents walked down the dirt path of the crime scene, which coincidentally was near the neighborhood where Madeline lived with her son. Zayn could see the tension in her shoulders.

"Relax, Mads. This isn't that close to you," he said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Easy for you to say. You don't live in the same neighborhood," she quickly replied, as decomposed bodies were being moved or examined.

Dana was at the scene, talking with some other agents, when she saw the duo approaching her.

"ERT already moved some bodies?" Zayn asked, looking at the empty graves that were sectioned off.

"The ones that were too badly decomposed. The M.E. is working with those," Dana replied, removing her gloves. "ERT sent pics of the rest. He brings them out here, assaults them, stabs them repeatedly, and buries them in pre-dug holes."

Zayn nodded. "Multiply by, what, 19?"

"Yep."

"We made nine turns to get here from where we parked. It's an out-of-the-way spot. He knows this area," Madeline said, walking forward to look at the woods that were now flooded with officers and agents. "He's spent time here. He's comfortable here. Too comfortable, actually."

"What do you mean 'too comfortable'?" Zayn asked, confused as Madeline stared at the grave.

"He buried his last victim without making sure she was dead. It's his first mistake," she said, turning to look at them.

"What does that tell you?" Dana asked the agent.

"He's smart. He's highly organized. It's the only way you kill and bury 18 victims without leaving a single witness."

♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧

Madeline and Zayn walked with the medical examiner after talking with Ruby, who had given them information on the living victim.

"The victims were killed over the last three years. The most recent was three to five weeks ago," he said, standing next to the body with his hands behind his back while Madeline and Zayn stood on the other side. "All were stabbed approximately 30 times with a five-inch partially serrated blade. All have a similar-sized section of skin flayed from the upper left chest, and they all show signs of being sex workers."

Madeline nodded. "Serial killers need to get their victims alone," she said, staring at the body.

"Easier to accomplish when they're prostitutes," Zayn said, looking at the doctor.