Psychosis

Chapter 20- Psycho's Circus

Isabel looked around at the faces of her teammates after revealing her plan to catch the non-monster Unsub, each one looking different. Two of the men looked skeptical, the other two men looked confused. One of the women looked proud, and the other two women looked worried. What were they worried about? Isabel knew what she was doing. She could get not only the women out to safety but the Unsub and herself out, as well. It would be too easy. Or would it? At the Circian Academy, she had trained to apprehend monsters, not men that were just confused about reality. For the first time in a long time, she doubted her skill. Would she be able to do it? She banished the thought, and looked up, making eye contact with the leader of the team. She could and would do it. She was sure of it.

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"Are you sure you can do it?" Hotch asked Ciara, and, looking at the ground, she nodded. Akilah wasn't sure if Ciara could really do it, and while she was proud of Ciara for coming up with a plan all by herself, she was worried about her. She was planning something that might get her killed if Errol Alvin came to that. Either that, or she might get taken as well, and then the team would have to go and get her. Or she might succeed. Were they willing to take that chance?

"I was at UNO for a semester. I took generals at that time, which included psychology. I was at the top of my class. He'll take me in a heartbeat," Ciara assured, but Akilah wasn't quite sure that was what Hotch wanted to know. What he wanted to know was if she could handle everything after, and Akilah wasn't quite sure if she could.

"That's not what I meant," Hotch said, and Ciara nodded.

"I'm pretty sure I can do it. I mean, I know I can. Yeah, I know I can. I will. I'm gonna do something right for once and get those women to safety," Ciara said. While everyone else missed it, Akilah caught the "for once". She shook her head and mentally sighed, knowing full well what Ciara thought of herself. Akilah still didn't know why she did, or who may have caused her to think that way. She had always thought that way, or at least she had as long as Akilah had known her, even in the Academy.

Everyone slowly came around, and while Ciara continued to look down, she stood up just a little taller at coming up with a plan everyone agreed with. If only Akilah agreed with it. She didn't want to see Ciara get hurt. She wanted to suggest going instead of Ciara, but she realized she couldn't for two reasons. First of all, she was not at the top of her psychology class. She was around the middle somewhere, and Errol had to know that somehow. Second, if Ciara was to succeed, it would do a number for her self-esteem. It might even give her a sense of worth, and Akilah wasn't about to take that away from her.

Akilah watched as Ciara, under JJ and Prentiss's guidance, suited herself up with hidden microphones. JJ and Prentiss would have done it for her, but Ciara, for whatever reason, was absolutely against human contact. Another thing that Ciara had never told Akilah the reason for. Hotch wanted to put a bullet-proof vest on her, but Ciara refused, saying that would give her away. She wanted to look like just another citizen. Anything else would give away the plan. JJ and Prentiss looked over their handiwork, done with Ciara's hands, and decided it was good enough. JJ announced she was ready.

Akilah, Reid, and Morgan drove her to the drop point, a couple of blocks away from Errol's house. As soon as Ciara was out of the vehicle, they drove another block away, so they would be there when Ciara got back out with the women. They tuned into the station that would bring back the feed from her microphones and started listening only to the sound of her Converse hitting the concrete sidewalk, until Hotch spoke up, which came in, as well.