Maraya Torres

Lost Cause

I was sitting in my cell. I was lucky enough to have my own room since my juvey was maximum security and I was a "risk" to other inmates... You throw a spoon at one person! I was laying on my back on the very uncomfortable bed, my arms crossed over my stomach as I stared up at the ceiling. Everyone had tried to visit me but I refused to see anyone. Not even Nick.

I was humming to myself as I tried to tune out the other inmates screaming to be let out. Since I was in maximum security I was in with all the real psychos. None of them understood that screaming to be let out won't actually work.

"Torres." I heard the voice of the guard I usually deal with. Ellie Clanfield. Such a bitch. "There's two people here to see you."

"You know the deal, Clanfield. I don't wanna talk to anyone." I responded, not taking my eyes off of the ceiling.

"They're from the FBI, kid. Says new evidence has arrived on behalf of your case. In favour of you." When I didn't respond she kept talking. "I'm not particularly fond of you but I recommend you go see them."

I sighed. "Don't you mean NCIS, not FBI." 

"No, I know what I mean. They're FBI." Clanfield informed me.

I rolled my eyes and stood up from my bed, she unlocked my cell and escorted me to visitation where I had never been before. I sat down and took the phone off the wall, on the other side was two men. I raised my eyebrows. "Can I help you, gentlemen?"

"Maraya Torres? I'm Agent Morgan, this is Dr Spencer Reid. We're from the BAU. Behavioural analysis unit." Morgan spoke.

"Okay?" I stated after a few seconds.

"Director Vance called us in to help you. Now, to help you we really need to know what happed that day." Spencer encouraged.

I clicked my tongue. "I was in an alley when that guy tried to grab me. I made a break for it, didn't wanna fight him. I'm fast, faster than him anyways. I ran around a corner when I got tired, I picked up a rock just in case. When he ran around the corner I tripped him and hit his head with the rock. I checked his pulse, he was alive. Then I ran again." I explained, like I had many times.

"Josef Freeman was around that corner for ten seconds. There's no forensic evidence... How did you end up in here, sweetheart?" Morgan pushed.

"Look around, Agent Morgan. There's not a single white kid in here. They're all Asian, Hispanic, Black... Ethnic minorities. There's something going on with the judges, man. I'm not even in here on self defence. I'm here on a second degree murder charge. When I'm eighteen I'll be trialled again, they're going to find me guilty... The judge said I could be put to death... They don't give that kinda punishment to innocent girls. They think I'm guilty. There's no changing their mind on that. I'm a lost cause." I responded.

"We've helped many children just like you, Maraya. We're going to help you out of here." Spencer smiled.

"Have any of them been in a maximum security juvenile detention for a murder that they did not commit?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Well... No. But they have been in situations beyond their control. And we got them out of it." Spencer comforted.

I nodded. "Just... Tell my dad that I love him. And I'm sorry."

"You could tell him that yourself, sweetheart. If you let him see you." Morgan suggested.

I shook my head. "I don't want him to see me like this."

"Well, you'll be out of here soon enough. You can tell him face to face then." Spencer nodded. I was about to put the phone down when I heard Spencer say something else. "Wait, why are you sorry?"

I made eye contact with him through the glass and I realisation spread across his face but before he could say anything I put the phone down and walked away.

I was sat in the cafeteria, the two girls I had made deals with made eye contact with me. We nodded at each other and then they broke out in a fight. They started hitting each other, really letting one another have at it. Things escalated when other girls tried to help the girls that they were friends with. I slipped back and swiped a guard's key card while he ran to help stop the fighting. SWAT team ran in through a door and when the last man entered I slipped out the hallway.

I kept my head down as I passed distracted guards and pulled the fire alarm when I passed it. Guards started running inmates out, to get away from this imaginary fire. While the guards took the prisoners right to the yard, I slipped left towards an exit. I used the card to open a couple doors. I got to the lobby where I started heading towards the exit.

Once I hit the car park I ran as fast as I could. I did however notice Spencer and Morgan talking and leaning against a car. It was like they were looking for someone. I panicked when I made eye contact with Spencer. Morgan noticed Spencer looking at me and he too looked in my direction. That's when I bolted. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. They tried chasing me but I had been outrunning men like them for a while.

I was running along the road. The juvey was in the middle of nowhere, just surrounded by cornfields. I used this to my advantage, since I was small I ran into the cornfields and ran through the grass. After five minutes of running I sat down since I knew they wouldn't be able to catch me. I heard them talking.

"Reid, how did we lose her?" Morgan complained.

"She's used to running. If she wants to hide she will. The probability of us catching up to her was shockingly low as is. We gotta go back and tell Hotchner and alert her father." Spencer said.

"It'll be dark soon. We can't just leave her out here, she'll freeze to death." Morgan argued.

"We have no idea where she is, Morgan. By the time a SWAT team got here she could be miles away. The best thing we can do now is go back and put out a BOLO. She's smart, she knows her way to the city. She wouldn't wait out here. We will find her but not like this... Derek, I don't like it either but we have to do what's best." Spencer argued.

So that was his first name. Derek.

"Alright, fine. But I don't like this. She's only a little girl." Morgan pointed out and I heard them walking away. Finally.