by Sarah Markel
“He keeps saying that once we confess our sins, he will return us to our parents,” Gabby chimed in, “but we haven’t been able to give him the right answer yet.”
Melissa didn’t reply. She sat in the dark silence, rubbing her thumb over Piper’s hand and letting the girl’s proximity ease her nerves.
“Someone will find us, right Piper?” she finally asked, her voice thick and hopeful.
“Yes, honey, someone will find us. If not, we will figure out how to get out of here ourselves,” Piper promised.
Chapter 14
Three days later, the town was abuzz with news of Melissa’s disappearance. The Falls City Police Department issued a mandatory curfew, requiring all children under the age of eighteen to be in the care of a guardian or other responsible adult by no later than six o’clock.
Fear and concern was palpable among the residents of the town, and the kids were unusually subdued.
The School Board, at the behest of SSA Frost and the FBI, closed the elementary and high school until further notice. Not one parent complained about the closure, and many offered their help in doing another sweep of the town.
Max and Dani were instructed by SSA Frost to assist with the search, but to start questioning the residents more directly.
“Use Dani as an excuse for your persistence. Let them think you are concerned about your daughter’s safety. This town is very protective of its youth, and the parents will do whatever they can to put your mind at ease.” Frost explained during the progress meeting at the house.
“Dani,” Frost said, directing her attention to the younger woman, “You’re going to break curfew for the next few days. We need to figure out where those girls are, and we need to do it fast. There’s no telling what is happening to them, and the town is getting ready to riot.”
“Wait a minute,” Max protested, “You want to use my wife as bait?”
“Max, Dani is our best bet,” Cordy said, “We have scoured this town looking for those girls. We’ve raided condemned buildings, checked every vacant basement in town, and even searched the surrounding towns. There is no trace of those kids.”
“No,” Max said firmly, pinning Frost and Weston with an icy glare, “You said it yourself; we have no idea what is happening to those girls. I’m not going to let you put Dani in a situation like that. I want to find them as much as you do, but not at the expense of my wife’s safety.”
“Max,” Dani cut in, placing a hand on Max’s arm, “sweetheart, this is part of the job and you know it. I am fully capable of defending myself if I need to. Frost and Weston are right; we need to solve this case.”
Undeterred, Max pulled her arm away from Dani’s hand. “I’m not letting you do it, Dani. We have no idea how the girls were taken. I have no doubt you can hold your own in a physical fight, babe. But what if the abductor is using chemicals to knock the girls out? What if he’s using a stun-gun? You won’t be able to defend yourself against that.”
“You aren’t going to let me?” Dani asked, fisting her hands on her hips, “You aren’t my mother, Max, and you can’t stop me from doing anything I choose to do. I’ll wear the blue bug when I’m out. That will give anyone in the van full audio and visual of my surroundings. They’ll be able to pinpoint my location if something goes down.”
“Dammit, Daniela,” Max growled, “stop fighting me on this! I don’t want to see you get hurt!”
“It’s not your choice, Mackenzie!” Dani shot back angrily. The others in the room stayed quiet as the couple argued.
Max clamped her lips together and screamed against them, fisting her hands in her hair. She and Dani had never argued about the requirements of their jobs before, but then again, Dani had never been intentionally put in a dangerous situation.
In their past undercover assignments, Max or another agent was put in the position of luring out their target. Max was starting to get an idea of what her wife must go through when she went undercover, and she didn’t like it.
“Please, baby,” Max pleaded, once her temper tantrum subsided, “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“If something is going to happen, Max, it’s going to happen. I knew what I was signing up for when I joined the Bureau. What I didn’t sign up for, was a wife who thinks she can control what I do.”
Without another word, Dani spun on her heel and stormed up the stairs. Max started after her, but the sound of the bedroom door as it slammed shut stopped her. Irritated, she turned back to the others.
“Well, I guess we better get a plan together, before Dani goes rogue,” she said with a resigned sigh as she dropped into a chair.
“Max,” Agent Harrison said, “I know you probably don’t want my opinion, but I’m going to give it to you anyway. Dani is an adult. She knows what she’s capable of, and she understands the risks involved in working UC. I get that you are worried about her safety, but you can’t get involved like that. All you’re going to do is give the bosses a reason to separate you.”
Max dropped her gaze and studied her fingers. She hated to admit that Harrison was right. When they’d first become engaged, Max and Dani had to fight to keep their SSA from transferring Dani to a different department.
Because of her seniority, Max’s position as a profiler had not been threatened. She had several years of service on her partner, and an established reputation.
Dani, who had only been with the Bureau for three years, had also made a name for herself. Unfortunately, the argument was made that Dani’s superior hearing would be better utilized in the surveillance van.
Before their wedding, both women had successfully convinced the BAU Director that they should both remain part of the team. While Dani’s ears would undoubtedly be an asset to surveillance, they would also serve as an invaluable tool in the field. The Director gave them one chance to prove themselves, and the women had done so with flying colors.
Max clenched her fists and stood from the table. “You’re right, Harrison,” she said through gritted teeth, “I don’t want your opinion.” With that, she stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
The rest of the group exchanged a look, but no one spoke. “Well,” Cordy said, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, “I think that went well, don’t you Oakley?”
Frost chuckled. “Oh, yeah. It went much better than it would have between me and Stormie.”
Cordy nodded. “Same. Jenica would have probably resorted to violence.”
Frost nodded knowingly, eliciting a laugh from the men. “This is why I don’t date women,” Young muttered, “they’re so violent and emotional.”
Frost and Cordy slowly turned their heads to stare at the man. Cordy’s hands fisted on her hips and Frost’s hand fluttered to her throat.
“Did he just,” Frost raised her other hand and pretended to sniff back tears, “did he just call us emotional?”
Cordy nodded somberly and pulled Frost into her arms. “Shh, it’s alright Oakley. He’s just a man. He doesn’t know what he’s saying. We’ll sick the wives on him after we solve this case, okay?”
Frost sniffed and nodded against Cordy’s shoulder. “Can we watch?” she asked.
Cordy nodded again and the women looked at Young with evil grins.
“Want to make a bet on which wife makes him cry first?” Frost’s eyes gleamed with amusement as Young’s face paled.
“I don’t know,” Cordy said, scratching her chin in thought, “Stormie is more intimidating, but Jenica has a sadistic side.”
Young glanced at Harrison, frowning when he noticed the man’s amused expression. “Where’s my backup, dude?”
Harrison raised his hands and stepped back. “Oh no, bro. I do date women, and I have learned when to simply shut up and say yes, ma’am. You’re on your own, buddy.”
Young reluctantly shifted his attention back to the terrifyingly wide smiles on the women’s faces. “Alright, truce. I was wrong. Just please d
on’t send in your wives. I have enough trouble dealing with Max and Dani. I don’t need more women who want to kick my ass.”
Cordy and Frost laughed loudly. “Then don’t generalize women,” Cordy said, stepping forward to clap the man on the back.
“Now, let’s get this op worked out. I have a feeling we are going to end up with a divorce on our hands if we don’t close this case quickly.”
***
Several hours later, Max lie awake, staring up at the dark ceiling.
After she’d stormed upstairs, Frost and the others had stuck around for another hour. She’d gone back downstairs to lock up behind them, accepting the written plan proposal that Frost and Cordy had come up with. She promised to discuss it with Dani, and call Frost in the morning with any questions or concerns.
Dani was lying on her side, with her back to Max. She had gone straight to bed when she’d come upstairs earlier. She was too upset by Max’s comments to speak to the woman, so she’d changed into a pair of thin cotton shorts and climbed into the bed. She made it a point to face the window and hadn’t even acknowledged Max when she came to bed.
Max knew Dani was angry with her, but as she entered the room and noticed her wife facing the window, she didn’t really care. Max was protective of Dani, and always had been.
When she’d spoken her vows to that room full of friends, colleagues, and family, Max had sworn to protect Dani from whatever harm may threaten her.
She had tried to get Dani’s attention a few times over the past two hours, but Dani seemed intent on ignoring her. Being rebuffed by the woman she loved more than life itself made Max’s heart stutter.
The couple had endured their share of arguments, but they had never gone to bed angry before. Max’s mind had begun to question her stance on the situation, forcing the woman to try and see things from Dani’s point of view.
Max envisioned herself in Dani’s position. She thought about how she would react if Dani had forbidden her from doing her job, or anything else for that matter. Max had always been a dominant woman, in every aspect of her life.
She’d grown up with parents who encouraged her to take control of any situation and never let anyone else dictate her actions.
Max had carried that encouragement into her adult life and done well for herself, both personally and professionally. Now, Max was questioning the approach she had used her whole life.
“Dani?” Max asked, her eyes never leaving the ceiling. Dani grunted but didn’t respond.
“Baby, I’m sorry for earlier. I never should have said what I did. It’s not my place to tell you what you can and can’t do.”
“You’re damn right it’s not,” Dani replied flatly, “I’ve never been so presumptuous as to give or deny you permission for anything, Max. Even when I know you could be in danger.”
Dani shifted onto her back and joined Max in her perusal of the ceiling. “I get that you’re worried about me, I do. Don’t you think I worry about your safety? Didn’t it cross your mind that I might object to some of the situations our work puts you in?”
Max’s heart sank when Dani’s voice quivered. She started to reply, but was cut off when Dani continued speaking.
“Do you know how many UC ops we’ve worked together? twenty-eight,” she went on, not waiting for Max’s answer, “Twenty-eight cases since I joined the BAU. That’s twenty-eight times that you have been put in a situation that could have been dangerous.”
“You’ve been assaulted, injured, and nearly killed. Yet, not once have I ever stepped in and said you couldn’t do your job because I’m afraid you might get hurt.”
“The last case? When Phillips stood over the bed with that hatchet, a million devastating things flashed through my mind. What if he swung anyway? What if he put up a fight and you got hit with that blade or caught in Young and Harrison’s crossfire? I worry every time you are in the field that I might be burying you before the day is out.”
Dani turned her head then and saw tears leaking from Max’s eyes into her hair. The tears proved to Dani that Max understood.
“Max, honey, we both know what our job entails, but we do it anyway. We want to make the streets a safer place for people, and sometimes we have to take on the burden of danger. I’m not a little girl, sweetheart.”
“I don’t need a mother to guide me through life and protect me from the evil in the world. What I need is a partner. I need my wife to treat me as her equal, not coddle and shelter me from the boogie-man.”
Dani watched Max’s expression as her words sunk in. Max, heartbroken that Dani didn’t feel like an equal in their marriage, slowly turned her head to meet Dani’s eyes.
She expected to find anger and disdain in those baby-blues, and was elated to see only love and devotion.
“I’m sorry, Dani,” Max said, her voice thick with regret, “You will always be my equal. I let my emotions get the better of me and I treated you like a teenager, instead of the fully capable woman that you are. I know you can handle yourself, babe, and I can’t even put into words how remorseful I am for overstepping like that.”
Dani smiled softly and rolled onto her side, facing Max. She brushed her lips lightly over Max’s temple. “I know you’re sorry, Max. I don’t need you to be sorry, honey, I need you to trust me. Those girls need us to find them.”
“If the only way to do that is for me to be abducted, then so be it. Melissa is my friend, whether I planned for her to be or not. I can’t let her suffer because you are afraid that something will happen.”
Max shifted to her side and pulled Dani close. She kissed Dani softly and tucked a strand of long red hair behind Dani’s ear.
“Just promise me one thing,” she whispered, her fingers trailing lovingly over Dani’s cheekbone, “Promise me you will bring my wife home in one piece.”
Dani smiled and traced Max’s lips with her thumb. “I can’t promise one piece, Max, but I can promise I will come home to you. I will always come home to you, one way or another.”
Chapter 15
The next evening, Dani applied the finishing touches to her makeup and waited for Agent Frost’s approval. Frost gave the younger Agent a thorough once over and nodded.
The Agents had spent the day speaking with the chatty residents of town about the newest disappearance. Max, the newest resident of town, spoke to the parents of the other missing girls at the press conference held by Lieutenant Weston.
She hadn’t been able to glean anything of importance, but her careful inspection of their body language did reveal that the parents of those girls were terrified. Dani was right. It was time to put an end to whatever game someone was playing with the girls of this town.
“Alright, Agents, it’s game time,” Frost said, addressing the rest of the room. Max, Young, and Harrison were seated at the dining table. Cordy Weston and SSA Cross stood off to one side, and two other Detectives from the FCPD stood at attention across from them.
“The witnesses have placed each of the girls near the Lasco house prior to their abductions. Tonight, Agent Prescott is going to sneak around the Lasco property to see what she can find. We’ve already cleared the house, multiple times, and found no trace of the girls. It could be that our UNSUB is using that location as a grab point.”
“Dani, I want you to be vigilant of your surroundings. Make sure you get the face of anyone you run across on camera. The kidnapper may be someone you’ve spent time with, so don’t let your guard down. The profile states the kidnapper is a young man in his twenties. Now, keep in mind that we have very little evidence to support this theory.”
Frost paused until she got an acknowledgement of understanding from each of the group members. It killed her that she’d been unable to produce a more detailed profile of their suspect.
“The profile is very basic, using general commonalities with others who have been apprehended for similar crimes. Put your ears to work, Agent Prescott. We will have our eyes on you the entire time, but you will notice things that
we won’t. If you hear anything suspicious, relay it to us immediately.”
Dani nodded and affixed the blue hearing aid into her ear. She would have the phone on her as well, but if the kidnapper got to her and confiscated it, hopefully she would still have a line of communication.
“What if the UNSUB grabs her and removes the bug? It’s a given that he probably won’t let her keep the phone, but what if he takes the bug, too.” Max kept her attention on Dani as she spoke to Agent Frost. Her heart was pounding in her chest and anxiety was threatening to have her in tears.
“It’s possible that may happen,” Agent Frost said, “and if it does, we will move in immediately. It’s not ideal; we would like to get a visual on the girls before we infiltrate, but if the line of communication is compromised we’ll move. Does anyone have any questions?”
Everyone shook their head and Agent Frost made a motion with her hand. Each of the team members moved quickly to take their positions, each leaving the house a few moments after the other. Agents Young and Harrison climbed into Young’s car and headed toward the van’s new parking spot.
Max had spoken with the owners of the small store in town and asked if the van could be stowed in the small vacant patch of gravel beside the store. She’d explained that the van belonged to her brother and had broken down.
Her brother could fix it, she explained, but was waiting for a part that was needed. The owner agreed to store the van, and even agreed not to call the police if she noticed Agent Young climbing into and out of the back. Max had told the woman that Young was sleeping in the van while he waited for the part.
The two detectives were to station themselves inconspicuously at each of the parks and report back once Dani had finished her canvas and left safely. Dani was going to start at the Upper Park and scout the area, noting any unusual activity she might spot.
Frost was certain the parks were inconsequential, but didn’t want to leave anything to chance. The parks were a favorite hangout for the teens in town, and it was better to eliminate the parks as abduction sites, rather than assume that they were safe.
