The Agent's Temptation

4. Estes

Hotch looked around the area where he and Rossi parked.
Morgan and Reid came up behind them.
"Did you know that The Shining was actually not filmed here in Estes Park like the book was set?" Reid said looking up at the grand, historic hotel that inspired Stephen King. It was a couple of roads down and up a mountain.

"I don't particularly enjoy the movie." Morgan said.

"There have been so many theories about the impact that the filming had on the actors. Did you know-"
Reid was cut off by Hotch who gave him a look.

"Ok. We can talk about it later," Reid said under his breath.

"Do we have an exact location of where the women were spotted?" Rossi asked.
"Right across the street there; coming out of the Safeway."
All four men looked across the street to where they saw happy tourists, families and campers walking by laughing and chatting.
"There are many people here, it would be easy to blend." Morgan said. "Especially with all the tourists."
"Yes, but not enough for a group of women in pastel clothing, heads down and walking in a group is something to go unnoticed," Hotch said.
"People will notice anything that doesn't fit the status quo." Rossi finished.

Hotch looked around, eyes quickly scanning the crowd for anyone in pastel colors, heads down, walking in groups. But there was no one.
Not even her.

***
Rossi and Hotch walked around the grocery store, asking employees about the women but they didn't have much to go off of.
Not until they spoke to one of the deli butchers; William Harrison.
"How many women did you see Mr. Harris?"
"4 I think. They had some kids with them too," he said, scratching his bald head. "The kids we're young, around 5 years old."
"Was there a man with them?" Rossi asked.
"No, just the women. They did act strange though."
"As in?" Hotch pressed.
"Well we had a long line. We usually do with all the campers trying to buy meat to grill, but when the women's number was called, they didn't come at all."
"What do you mean?"
"I called them up, ready to take their order but they refused to look me in the eye. They didn't speak to me or even walk up to me. But as soon as my coworker, Linda, was available they ran to her instead."
Rossi furrowed his eyebrows. "Were they scared of you?"
"I don't think so?" Mr. Harrison said confused. "They looked shaken, or self conscious. They were looking around, as if they were looking for someone."
"Was anyone following them?" Hotch pressed. "Any person guiding them, towering over them or even watching?"
Mr. Harrison shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm sorry."

Rossi held up the pictures of the four missing women. "And you're sure these are the women?"

"Yes. They looked...different though. Thinner, no makeup and no smiles. It was them, just slightly different."
"Thank you," Rossi said, beginning to walk away.

But Hotch pulled out another picture from his pocket. "What about her?"
Mr. Harrison looked at your picture carefully but shook his head again. "I'm sorry agents, I haven't seen that young lady either."
Hotch's stomach dropped a little. "That's fine, thank you for your help. Please reach out if you see or hear anything else."

As they walked out the store Rossi spoke up. "I didn't know you were carrying her picture."
"I thought it'd be useful to show it too." Hotch replied.
"We don't want to give it away that we know she's missing and connected to these other women. That could throw our suspect off track and do something out of impulse."
Hotch didn't say anything. He knew he was right.

Morgan and Reid walked up to them, shaking their heads.
"Nothing helpful came up," Morgan said. "The small town stores said they did see them a couple of times but no one else. They didn't say anything, simply purchased their things and left."
"What did they buy?" Hotch asked.
"Women's shoes, simple white tennis shoes. White socks of all sizes and kid's clothes. Ranging from toddler to teenager," Reid said. "A few kids were with them but a cashier said that the children didn't look anything like the women."
"Which would make sense since the kids are not theirs." Rossi stated.
In that moment, his phone rang and he picked up, Emily and JJ on the other line.
Hotch had sent them to Denver to talk to your friends and family.

Hotch looked around him again.
If this large "family" traveled in groups, dressed simply or even drove a trailer or RV around, they fit right into the crowd. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
And in the moment they didn't even have a description of the actual unsub, just sightings of the woman he kidnapped.

"Emily said that Y/N left home at 1pm the day she went missing. That she took the light rail to downtown Denver, texted her family when she got off at Union Station and then told her friends that she was 10 minutes from the restaurant they were meeting at." Rossi said.
"And in those 10 minutes the unsub followed her and kidnapped her? In broad daylight?" Morgan asked.
"He's highly organized," Reid started. "For him to know where she was going and follow is one thing, but he kidnapped her as if already knowing the path she was going to take."
"He must have known of her plans somehow and went to scope out the place beforehand." Morgan said, nodding his head. "He knew what corner she'd turn, where to hide, when to attack and how to go unnoticed."

Hotch looked at your picture again along with the four young women.
"So we know how he plans his attacks and who he chooses and why. But somehow, he's managed to convince these four women to submit to whatever idea or dream he's conjured."

"The hard part is going to be convincing them to leave him. And even more, to tie him to the previous kidnappings years ago if his large "family" defends him," Rossi added.

"Our only hope is the latest victim," Hotch said, looking at your photo again. "If she's able to resist him enough to give us time to find her, then we'll have a shot at putting all of this together."