memento vivere - supernatural & criminal minds

chapter 19

Chapter 19
Monsters and Men

“Good God,” Jude whispered, but he had no part in this. Every inch of the conference room table was covered in files. Dozens of victims, if not hundreds. She met Hotch’s stoic expression over the carnage and saw the equally full evidence board behind him.

“We have a lot to cover, so please take a seat,” Hotch gestured to the table. This seemed to stir the rest of the frozen team and they slowly found their seats. Jude cradled her coffee mug in her lap with nowhere else to put it.

“Hibbing, Minnesota,” JJ began, clicking to the first slide on the TV. “With a population of just over 16,000, it has more missing persons cases per capita than anywhere else in the state. Some of them are filed as runaways, but the majority are abductions. The local police have been following a common signature for years, as in generations of officers have worked on it.”

“At least two abductions a year,” Spencer read from the scroll-like list of dates and victims, “one every six months. Like clockwork, except for the most recent abductions. Two people were taken in the span of a few days.”

“Correct.” Hotch was still standing with his hands stiffly folded behind his back. There was yet another stack of files occupying his usual seat. “Always at night, always in populated areas like apartment complexes or bar parking lots. The victims’ cars go missing the same night or the next day.”

“Trophies,” Jude chimed in, leaning back in her chair to read the witness report in Elle’s hand.

Hotch nodded. “The local police have done everything they can, but they felt that they wouldn’t make any more progress without our input. The good news is we have a lot of evidence to work with, and the bad news is we have a lot of evidence to work with. Wheels up in twenty.”

Jude collected her very thick copy of the general case file and joined Spencer where he was waiting by the door. “This’ll be some nice light reading for the jet,” she remarked as they walked back to their desks.

“Oh, I already finished it,” Spencer said, sliding the file into his messenger bag.

“I envy you.” Jude tucked the file under her arm and bent to retrieve her duffel bag. Her phone buzzed on her desk and she nearly hit her head springing up to grab it. “Dean? Is everything okay?”

“No, Sam’s gone.”

“I’m sorry?” Jude fumbled to get her bag on her shoulder and strode quickly from the bullpen. 

“We were going over a case at some bar and he stepped out while I was in the bathroom,” Dean rushed out, panic seeping through the speaker. Sam was his little brother, his responsibility. This was the worst-case scenario - one of them, at least. “I was in there for maybe five minutes and when I came out, he’d just vanished.”

Morgan passed by and gave Jude a questioning look. She waved him on. “Look, Dean, I wish I could help right this second but I’m about to get on the jet for a case and-”

“Jude, the case we’re working on is a series of abductions. I’m worried Sam got snatched by whatever we’re hunting.”

Jude froze, staring down at the case file in her hand. “You’re not in Hibbing, Minnesota, are you?”

“Yeah, how the hell did you know that?”

“Cause that’s where my team is headed. Dean, I don’t think this is your kind of job.”

Urgency sharpened his voice, “I’m not leaving until I find Sam.” 

“I'd never ask that of you,” Jude sighed, closing her eyes to focus on him. “Just steer clear of the sheriff’s department. That’s where we’ll be and I’m probably the only FBI agent who won’t arrest you. Keep me posted if you find anything new, I’ll do the same.”