The Agent's Temptation

8. Inheritance

Hotch replayed the audio of your conversation with JJ and Emily.
They both said when they asked for your permission to record you had nodded even before they finished asking you.

"I think she's not completely here," JJ had told him with a frown. "A part of her is still there."

Hotch had thanked them and sent JJ to the media, to start preparing for a statement while he stayed back with the team. Emily had gone in to check in on you several times but every time she did you looked better, and then worse, better then worse.

"She's unstable," Emily said sitting down on the table where the rest of the team was. "I don't blame her."
"It's a very interesting tactic the unsub used." Reid said. "It seems as if he starts kind and gentle and then breaks through and triggers the memory of a traumatic event in his victim's life."
"And then he's there to pick up the pieces after he breaks them." Morgan said shaking his head. "And when he puts them back together it is in his image."
"It's almost like he's the guardian, punisher and hero," Rossi added with a sigh.

Hotch replayed the part where you described the people watching and cheering as Adam humiliated you.
"These people who follow him, truly believe he's there to save them. That she deserved to be punished publicly."

"How in the world did he manage to get over 20 people to follow him in four to five weeks?" Morgan asked. "Cult leaders are charismatic and profiles of their own but I've never seen one that managed to gather such a crowd in little time."

"Maybe he didn't do it in these four weeks," Emily stated. "Maybe they've been with him much longer."
"So you think he gathered his followers first and then kidnapped the young women?" Rossi asked.

"Perhaps it's even deeper than that," Reid said sitting up. "We've seen this in multiple cult cases in America and in history. Cult members follow their leaders until the very end. What if the leaders this unsub has aren't directly his?"

"You're saying they were passed down to him?" Morgan asked.
"It's possible," Reid said with a small left elbow shrug. "Emily said that there have been kidnappings of 5 young women every decade for the past 30 years."
"Adam's position was probably inherited, from Father to son." Rossi added,
"But if this has been going on for 30 years... why reach out now?" Emily pushed.

"Because he's doing something different," Hotch said, finally speaking up.
He paused the recording and pushed the phone away from him. He had been hearing your statement for far too long and the more he listened to it the more he got a pain in his chest.
Your voice sounded strong and defiant but he could hear your fear.

He stood and took a folder with pictures in it. "I'd like to speak with her, I have some questions."
Emily stood immediately. "I'll go ask her if it's ok."

Hotch raised an eyebrow at Emily.
She looked at him straight in the eyes with a grim expression. "Hotch, she was kidnapped and kept tied in a basement for three days, she suffered from sexual abuse not long ago, the unsub brought that pain and memory back by publicly humiliating her in front of a large group; men included."

Morgan nodded. "A man is probably the last person she'd want to see right now."

Hotch frowned and the team believed it was because he was being told to stand back so Emily tried to alleviate the tension. "I'll just go talk to her, prepare her. Then I'll come back."

And so she left and Hotch stayed standing. He held the folder in his hands, going through the questions he was to ask you. Like with every other case, he had to be careful to not overwhelm the victim but still get information.
Yet with you, hearing your voice sound so scared but determined to help did something to him.
"Everything alright Hotch?" Morgan asked.

Hotch nodded and turned to them.
" Morgan, when Emily gets back I'd like you both to canvass the area where she was dropped off and work with the Estes Park police and rangers to start a search party looking for said cabin, large family and cross. Rossi, Reid I'd like you to look into the police data base and registry to see how many Adams we can find and their pictures. Call Garcia to check across state lines. Start with New Mexico, and the rest of the bordering states.

Everyone nodded and got up to start their assigned tasks but Rossi stood by the door for a moment. He looked at Hotch carefully.
"What is it?" Hotch asked.
Rossi shook his head slightly and gave him a small smile. "Nothing."
And then he left.

Emily walked back in after a couple of minutes. "Y/N is going to the restroom to get changed. Don't worry, her clothes are being put in evidence and JJ took care of taking any DNA from her under her nails, hair and body."

"What else?" Hotch asked.
"She's still shaken up, but an officer is bringing her breakfast so she should be a bit more stable when you talk to her. Just give her 20 minutes."
Hotch nodded and Emily dismissed herself to join Morgan.

Hotch watched the clock carefully; counting down every minute until he reached 20. Then he fixed his jacket, tried to clear his mind and head into the room where you were being held.

He was determined to find the unsub, and to help you. But deep down, what he wanted to do above all was look at your face again.

He had thought about it all night; he didn't know why. But he was anxious to look into your eyes again.

****

A/N: Thank you so much to those of you reading! It means a lot that you've spent time giving my story a chance.
However, I've tried adding pictures to the top of my chapters (where I'm given the option to) and it only appears on my editing end; not the reader preview.

Please let me know if you can see it and if you can't, how I might fix the problem. Thank you <3