An Emblematic Woman ● S. Reid | ✓

44~ The Rape Kit

Russo

The heel of my shoe clicked anxiously on the cell floor. My arms were crossed over my chest as I stared directly ahead, not at anything in particular. I was fuming from the court hearing this morning; fuming, and embarrassed too. That court marshal brought up things that I wouldn't even tell my own mother! I was dressed in my nice skirt and sweater, as my attorney put it: I had to look appealing to the jury. Yeah, a jury made up of fifteen chauvinistic male officers.

"Russo! You got visitors!" the jail guard shouted. The door to my cell suddenly slid open, and Reid, JJ, and Morgan came in. I exhaled with relief.

"Oh, am I ever to see you guys. Am I getting out of here?" I asked them.

"Hotch and Rossi are working on it right now. They're not going to get away with this," JJ replied.

"How'd the trial go today?" Reid asked as they sat down. I scowled and grunted.

"They asked me how wide I open my mouth during oral sex in front of fifteen male army officers. How do you think it went?" I replied.

"That bad, huh?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah. Not like my ditch-pig of a lawyer did anything to stop it. Obviously, appointed by the base. They made me look like a tramp," I replied.

"If Hotch and Rossi play their cards right, you can go home tonight. And then we can make Sharrick look like a fool in the morning," Reid said.

"They should be charging Rand. This is all his fault," I said.

"They have no proof that he was involved, though," JJ replied.

"Screw proof. He berated me back on base and now here! He sent Sharrick after me! He dumped me in a room with no food or water for three days, and he lost my rape kit! He's just as guilty as any of them are!" I exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do," Morgan sighed.

"Maybe there is," Reid said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" JJ asked him.

"You said that Rand kept you for three days with no food or water?" he asked me.

"Yeah,"

"That's unlawful imprisonment," he said.

"With a five year max penalty," Morgan said.

"Not if we can tie him to conspiracy and treason too," he said.

"What're you thinking, Genius?" I asked him.

"If we find that rape kit, and prove that Rand hid it away for his own gain, we got him linked," he replied.

"Great, one problem though. We don't know where it is," JJ said. I sighed and shook my head.

"Rand has properties all over the country and in Europe. He could've went to Iceland and threw it into a volcano," I said.

"I don't know, taking something like that out of the country would be hard. Doubtful it would get past American or European customs," Morgan said.

"So, then it still must be in the country," JJ said. I had an idea.

"Paula Rand was the CEO for Battle-Tested. He would've trusted her enough to get rid of it," I said. JJ's phone rang out.

"It's Hotch," she picked it up, "Yup...we're here right now...that's great, good job. We'll bring her back," then she hung up, "You're cleared to go," A wave of relief washed over me.

"Thank God," I praised as we stood up.

"Dr. Carter is getting up on the stand tomorrow. She's gonna tell the grand jury your side. We have to find Paula Rand," Reid said.

"That only gives us twelve hours, that's not a lot of time," Morgan said.

"I guess we'll have to work fast,"

Morgan

Reid took Kennedy back to the BAU, while JJ and I drove to the Rand's hotel. Just as we pulled up, we saw Paula Rand coming out of the hotel, pulling a suitcase behind her, and a town car was waiting.

"I don't like this," JJ said as we parked.

"She can't leave, she's a material witness," we jumped out of the car and ran over.

"Paula Rand!" I shouted at her. She turned at the call of her name, then lit up.

"Agents. Come to see me off? Jeremy thought it would be good for me to stay in our cabin in Scranton. It's lovely up there this time of season," she said.

"We need you to come with us," JJ told her.

"What on earth for? I haven't done anything wrong," she said.

"Just tell us where you put the rape kit," I said.

"What would I want with a rape kit? Those things are absolutely nasty!" she exclaimed.

"Where did your husband tell you to hide it?" JJ asked her.

"Honestly, this is not the time. I'm gonna be late for my flight. If you have any more questions, you can contact my lawyers," then she got into the town car. Before she could roll up her window, I peaked in.

"You're husband condoned the rape and assault of a female officer, obstruction of justice is a fellany," I told her. She looked at me and gave me a smug grin.

"Well, good thing I haven't committed a crime. Good day, Agent Morgan," she rolled up the window and the car sped away.

"She knows where that kit is," JJ said.

"A cabin in Scranton? Nobody would go to Scranton without a good reason," I said.

"I'll call the Scranton Bureau, they'll have an agent watch her," she said.

"I still don't like it. We need that kit, whether it's in Scranton, Canada, or Russia," I was angry now, we were gonna nail Rand's ass nine hard ways to Sunday.

Russo

My knees were crossed together so I could stop them from knocking. Dr. Carter was up on the witness stand next, and even though I knew she was gonna tell the jury what that bastard did to me. I was just glad that the hearing 32 was over, and I wouldn't have to face any more berating questions on the stand.

"So, as chief medical officer for the National Guard, you examined military personnel and Americans living in the area," Patricia Carol was having her go with Dr. Carter.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied politely.

"Including Kennedy Russo?" she asked.

"That's correct,"

"Dr. Carter, you examined Agent Russo 72 hours after the assault," she said.

"I-I can't speak to the length of time," the doctor said suddenly. That came as a surprise, that wasn't what she told the others, and it's certainly not how I remember it.

"But you do recall the details of your rape exam?" Patricia asked her, seeming taken off guard by her response as well.

"We're talking about events that happened ten years ago, and I examined thousands of patients between that time, let alone in Texas," she replied. I knew Dr. Carter, she was a smart cookie, and she wasn't one to forget stuff like this. Patricia began to look upset as she approached the stand.

"Dr. Carter, Agent Hotchner interviewed you himself. You told him that you recalled the exam, that you remembered specific details of the rape kit. Isn't that true?" she asked her. Dr. Carter looked at Patricia, then she looked at the defense side. I followed her gaze, seeing Daniel trying to hide the growing smile of enthusiasm from his face. I smelled a rat.

"Yes ma'am. But I realize now that I may've been confusing the details with facts from other cases," she replied. Everybody sitting in my row looked at her life she was talking a foreign language. My dad looked the most disappointed of all.

"You do realize you're under oath here, don't you?" Patricia asked her.

"Yes I do,"