ABLOCATE ▇▇▇▇ VOLUME TWO
━━ ❛ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 ❜

chapter no. 036!

❝ LIED TO ALL OF YOU. ❞
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﹙ MAY 5TH, 2014 ﹚

     IT HAD ALL HAPPENED SO SUDDENLY WITH NO FOREWARNING. In hindsight, no one could piece together what exactly happened. Everything had been normal. She seemed perfectly fine and normal that day. Not a comment, expression, behavior, action, or hair had been out of place. There had been no indicator that what happened would've happened.

     Nothing.

     The day had been like any other for whenever the team returned from a case. After landing, SSA Spencer Reid and Caralyn Valentine took the Metro to their usual stop, got off at the station closest to their apartment complex, and stopped by Reid's favorite coffee shop, Petit Café. Each of them paid for their own small cups of black coffee with five-dollar bills, left a tip, and could be seen leaving by the owner.

     From there, the two returned to their complex building, laughing at literature puns and tossing their finished coffee in a nearby trash can. It was a simple Friday night. Given the time, not a soul was in sight, and everything was serene.

     As they walked, Spencer shared one literature pun after the next. Cara laughed the entire way with a rare but contagious smile on her face. Every so often, their hands would brush, but neither of them did a thing. They continued on their way into the deep of the night, laughing to themselves.

     Once they had entered their apartment complex, they walked up the stairs slowly, talking in quiet voices. Reid's neighbor, Mrs. Maddox, greeted them with a smile and wave, for she'd just taken out her trash. They smiled and waved back. The conversation came to a pause when they reached Valentine's apartment door.

     Everything that evening had played out the way it ordinarily did up until that moment. Well, aside from the constant back-and-forth puns and giggles.

     Cara Valentine never smiled, at least not genuinely or fully. The only witness to ever catch a glimpse of such a sight had been none other than Spencer Reid, and he saw it for one last time that night.

    The blonde had pressed a kiss to his cheek before moving toward her door. She unlocked it, maintaining eye contact with him. After stepping over the threshold into her humble abode, she said, 'Goodnight, Spen,' giving Reid a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes before closing the door. It'd been the first smile since they landed that wasn't natural. Finally, the door shut, and Spencer was left standing dumbfounded in the hallway for a full minute before retreating to his own apartment.

     And that was the last time anyone had seen Cara Valentine.

     "Please state your name and rank for the record," SES Mateo Cruz said, leaning forward and pressing one of the speaker's many black buttons. Regaining his posture, he stared expectantly at the man before him.

     "You can't be serious. Come on, man!" Derek Morgan snapped, throwing his hands up.

     Drawing in a deep breath, Cruz gave him a pointed look. "Say your name and rank for the record," he repeated.

     Rolling his eyes, Morgan sighed. "Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan for the F.B.I.'S Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia."

     "And how long have you known ex-convict Caralyn Valentine?" Cruz asked, sitting across from him.

     "Six months," Morgan said, placing his hands in his lap.

     Picking up a pen from the long, cherrywood table, Cruz clicked it twice before placing it back down. "In your own words, how would you describe the work she had done on the team so far?" he questioned, raising his eyes to meet the next agent's.

     "Impeccable. For a woman who'd never had a proper job before, let alone interacted much with society and regular citizens, she performed the job with ease and in a cordial manner. All of us were quite impressed," Alex Blake responded, brushing away a strand of hair.

     Cruz nodded. "How would you describe Valentine's recent behavior? Has she seemed on edge or jaded? More emotional than normal? Reticent?"

     Shaking her head, Blake remained stoic. "Valentine was behaving normally. However, she was already reserved, very impassive, quiet, and difficult to read. Growing up, she was trained in interrogation, lying, and manipulative methods. Factor in the environment she was immersed in and what was required of her— she learned to be emotionless. The closest I'd ever seen her resemble any type of forthright emotion, aside from amusement, was when she was asked to be in the interrogation room with former Red Scorpions co-leader Joseph Arthur," she explained, folding her hands together.

     "So, would it be acceptable to state that there was nothing odd with her behavior at work and out of?" Cruz followed up, clearing his throat as he avoided the woman's stare.

     "Yes," JJ responded, setting her arms on the table. "She was quieter than usual, but that's all."

     Cruz pushed himself up and out of his chair and moved around the conference room again. "What were the relationships Valentine formed like?" he asked, glancing over at the blonde.

     Furrowing her brows, she looked at the man, perplexed. "Are you insinuating that someone on this team is behind what happened?" she retorted.

     "No. We know no one on the team was behind this. However, you and SSA Morgan were the only two to initially object to Caralyn Valentine being assigned to the team. I'm just curious about your relationship with her and what the other ones she formed looked like," Cruz clarified, coming to a stop a few feet away from where JJ sat.

     "We objected because she was a criminal—"

     "Was? Do you now believe she isn't?"

     Drawing in a sharp breath, JJ kept her composure. "People change. Grow. Valentine changed. Do I believe for the better? Yes. She understands others and genuinely wants to help, though she'd never admit it. Valentine isn't the same woman I initially met at the end of October," she admitted.

     "Despite this change, is it possible for her to have gotten in contact with anyone from the Red Scorpions? Members that have yet to be caught? Members presently in prison or the Founding Fathers?" Cruz pressed, narrowing his eyes at the man before him.

     At Cruz's hidden message, Spencer stiffened. "No," he responded, shaking his head adamantly.

     Raising his eyebrows, Cruz tilted his head. "You answered that awfully quickly," he noted.

     "You would too if you knew Cara Valentine," the doctor said flatly.

     Looking down at his feet, Cruz squeezed his eyes shut momentarily. He knew her. That's what made this so tricky. "I'm going to ask this again: Is it possible for Valentine to have gotten in contact with anyone from the Red Scorpions?" he echoed, snapping his gaze to meet the technical analyst.

     "No. Well, yes. I guess. Technically, b-but she wouldn't," Penelope stuttered, her eyes flickering from him to the table in front of her and then back to him.

     "What do you mean by "technically"? I was under the impression that the F.B.I. had tech explicitly designed to prevent her from any attempt at communication with individuals outside of the F.B.I. and your team," Cruz said, leaning against the side of the table.

     Penelope took a deep breath, clutching onto the fabric of her dress as her anxiety heightened. "They did. I d-did, but someone could have easily contacted her through letter mail or something. All I know is that the devices we gave Rose were airtight. They were designed so no one could access them," she choked out, biting the inside of her cheek.

     "Wasn't any mail she received run through the F.B.I. before she ever touched it?" he double-checked. She nodded. "Is there any other way you think they could have reached out to her?"

     "Well, sure," Rossi shrugged, glancing up. "There are a million ways if you think hard enough, but Valentine wouldn't engage with them without telling one of us. It's part of the contract she signed. She's obligated to tell the F.B.I."

     Cruz shook his head as he made his way back around the table with a throaty laugh. "Dave, you and I know contracts can be bent or undermined. Valentine is clever. Sneaky. Manipulative. A professional liar and, as your team puts it, a lie detector. She could have easily lied to all of you and been fraternizing with the enemy behind your backs, and you would have never known," he pointed out, sitting down in his seat.

     "I'd like to believe that she's grown to trust us as a team and would inform us if the Red Scorpions ever attempted to make contact," Rossi said indifferently, locking eyes with the man across from him.

     "You'd like to believe... but aren't certain. That doesn't settle well with me, Aaron," Cruz sighed, washing his gaze over the room as the Unit Chief stared at him with a firm expression.

     "That's my answer, Cruz. Take it or leave it," Hotch snapped, growing irritated. They were wasting precious time by conducting these interviews.

     Narrowing his eyes, Cruz leaned forward. "I'm not taking it. Your entire team, and quite frankly, the entire F.B.I., is on the line here. If I cannot accumulate an adequate report of Cara Valentine's recent behavior and actions, the scrutiny the federal government will be under from British Columbia, Canada, and its law enforcement will be nothing compared to the media and existing associates of the Red Scorpions," Cruz snapped back, his right hand forming a fist.

     "My team and I have told you everything we know— everything we have observed of Cara Valentine. She was quieter and more anxious after the news of Joseph and Farell but behaved in the manner she always does. There was nothing amiss." Hotch insisted.

     Cruz huffed. "Aaron, I need more than that."

     "Matt, there is nothing more. Operation Azrael doesn't contain any helpful insight. We don't have anything," the Unit Chief said exasperatedly. There wasn't a single clue left behind indicating where she'd gone.

     Pinching the bridge of his nose, Cruz sighed. "Look," he began, dropping his hand. "A previously highly ranked drug trafficker and daughter of one of the co-creators of the Red Scorpions has gone missing. From your unit. Your team. The team that I am in charge of overseeing. If we cannot track her down, I promise you, you and I will be out of a job with law enforcement. Permanently. I don't like being the bad guy, but my career is on the line too. We need to bring Cara Valentine in, and we need to do it now."

𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆  ───  ❪ CRIMINAL MINDS ❫
act two:     𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝙳 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚂𝚂,      ²
╱ ✹     ▬▬     ❛ © CARDIIAC     2023. ❜
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𓄹 ━━━ 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓!  ࿐ ໋₊ ˖

     hey everyone!! i hope you all enjoyed the thirty-sixth chapter!

     VOLUME TWO has OFFICIALLY begun! WELCOME!!

     IMPORTANT: this chapter takes place three days after the previous chapter. so cara went missing on may 2, 2014.

     i wrote this chapter in a different fashion than any other chapter i've written before, but i really like it. i hope you all did as well!

     i also want to mention that the rest of this story will be written in the third person pov. i prefer writing in the third person so much more than the first, and i made the mistake of writing in the first person when i initially began this book. however, i am strictly writing in the third person for the rest of this book. it will help with particular scenes i have written and work a lot better when going into details that the characters don't know.

     the entire back half of this book is so good, and i'm so proud of myself and the story i've created here. i can't wait for you all the see what's in store.

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˒⠀𝑹𝑬𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹. . . ▬⠀⤸

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to comment on this story. It means a lot and helps the story be spread to a broader audience &&& allows me to grow as an author. All I ask is that people vote on each chapter, please. As a creator, it takes time to write and develop stories. Especially ones such as this that take a while to write and dedicate time to. So please, vote on every chapter. It means a lot more than I could ever express.

Don't forget to vote & comment!

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˒⠀𝑪𝑶𝑷𝒀𝑹𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻. . . ▬⠀⤸

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