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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
Wanting to find comfort in a stranger?
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The following morning, they were informed they had found the third victim. Like the others, the body of Danielle Matthews had been found in an alley behind a local grocery store. Her body had looked like the others—beaten beyond recognition, but they knew it was her, she was still wearing the same clothes as the day she went missing. This only turned the heat up on Daniel Emerson. Now that he had disposed of his trophies, he would be in the search for more; and they had to catch him before he was given the chance.

Penelope had managed to get in touch with one of Daniel's friends who had told her he was going 'on the prowl' later that night and that's how they got confirmation that he would be attending The Firefly Lounge again that night—and they knew what he looked like. The only issue was that it was a crowded nightclub and if they led a SWAT team inside, then they would be putting a lot of innocent people in harms way. So, they had to come up with some kind of other plan.

                  "So, his type is blondes in their mid to late twenties," Morgan was saying as they sat huddled around the table. Time was ticking until the opening time of the club and they had been anticipating it all day—and tension was high, "Can't we use that to lure him out? Get him out of the club and have SWAT waiting for him." He suggested, looking around the table for their opinions.

                 "I mean, it could work. We send in someone that's just his type, have her leave with him and then have the SWAT team get him outside the club." Rossi said, nodding his head in agreement with the plan.

                 "Okay, sure. But who's gonna be willing to try and seduce a serial killer?" Lizzie pondered aloud, looking at the faces of her teammates. No one said anything, just stared back at her blank stare. Emily gave her a hopeful smile and Lizzie's lips parted in realisation, "Oh, no. No! I am not being the bait for a psychopath! That was not in the job description!" She exclaimed, gesturing frantically with her hands.

                   Spencer nodded firmly, "I'm with Lizzie on this one. It's too big of a risk." He said, making Lizzie give him a grateful look from down the table. Lizzie would do just about anything for her job—but the last thing she wanted to do was try to seduce a serial killer who hated women. Capturing them was one thing, but being that close, pretending to be interested. It was enough to send shivers down her spine and make her feel sick to her stomach.

                 "You got any other ideas, pretty boy?" Morgan suggested, throwing his hands up, "Lizzie is exactly his type—and she can handle herself." He insisted.

                  "I—I don't doubt that. I just think it's too dangerous." Spencer stuttered, as if he was in total disbelief the team were even suggesting something so reckless.

                   "This might be our only chance, Reid." Rossi reminded him and Lizzie sighed heavily. She knew he was right. They didn't have time to try and come up with another plan to safely arrest Daniel—this could be their only chance at getting him without putting others in harms way.

                   "Liz," Hotch said her name with authority from the head of the table. His face was stoic, showing no emotion. Lizzie turned to look at her father with a pleading stare, "No one is forcing you to do this. If you don't feel comfortable, we can think of something else. We still have some time." He assured her, allowing her to make the choice herself. As much as he wanted to be a father to her, he knew it was no use in their situation. Lizzie was a grown woman and when he had allowed her to stay on the team, he promised himself he wouldn't stand in her way.

                   Lizzie looked around the impatient faces of her teammates, gnawing on her bottom lip. She threw her hands up, "Okay, I'll do it," At her words, Spencer got out of his seat so fast it fell over from behind him as he stormed out of the office. Lizzie sighed heavily, "But don't expect me to be happy about it. I just want to catch this bastard." She said, giving a firm nod.

                    "We'll be with you the whole time, Liz." Emily promised her, offering a supportive smile.

                     Lizzie looked down at her, returning the smile, though it was small, "I know."

                Lizzie had got dressed for the occasion. Detective Clarke had gone back to her own apartment a few blocks back to retrieve some dresses for her to choose between. In the end, Lizzie had gone for what she thought would catch their UnSub's eyes the most. A skin-tight red dress with spaghetti straps that hugged her figure down to her hips where it then flowed out to her knees. She kept on her knee-high black boots with a small heel—they were nice enough to wear but also agile enough that she could fight or run if needed; that's why she wore them pretty much all of the time.

                  Lizzie stood in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. She had took her hair down and gave it a good shake, allowing her natural waves to get free. She had layered her eyelids with some extra eyeliner, making the green pop even more. She fixed her hair one last time, coated on some red-tainted lipgloss and left the bathroom to meet her team who were waiting for her in the foyer.

               Upon stepping out, all heads turned to her. Morgan gave her a nod, "You clean up good, princess." He complimented, offering her a fist pump that she returned, though her stomach was in knots.

               "I only wish the occasion was different." She told him as her father approached her, holding a smaller gun in his hands—the one he usually wore around his ankle in case his other gun was ever out of reach.

                "Here, take this," He offered and she gladly took it, bending over to attach it to the strap around her thigh, "Only use it if you need to." Lizzie nodded her head, tightening the strap and then letting the dress fall back down against her legs, hiding where the gun was strapped to.

                  "You're gonna be fine, Liz," Her father promised her, staring down at her with those intense eyes of his, "And we're gonna be right there with you the whole time. You've got this." He assured her and she nodded along with him as Joe approached.

                  "You sure about this?" He asked her and Lizzie inhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders back, trying to appear braver than she felt. Something about going face to face with a serial killer made her want to throw up. It was different from the other times she had encountered them, she had been there as Agent Hotchner with the FBI. But this time, she was just Lizzie, a girl a man was going to meet at a bar with the intent of murder.

                 "I'm sure." She told him.

                 He caught her elbow before she could pass him, "Hey, maybe after all of this we could go for a coffee?" He suggested, his blue eyes smiling ever so slightly, giving her something to look forward to.

                Lizzie couldn't help it, she glanced over her shoulder when she felt Spencer's gaze burning into her bare back and her eyes locked onto his for a moment before she turned back to Joe. She put a smile on her face, "Yeah. That would be great." She agreed, giving his arm a squeeze before the group left the department.

                 Morgan and Emily were the only two dressed casually. They were going to be undercover in the club to keep an eye on Lizzie, whilst everyone else was wearing their tactical gear with the intent of leading the SWAT team.

                 As Lizzie got into the SUV, her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. Her knee rattled anxiously as she stared straight ahead out the windshield, her jaw tight. She was snapped back to reality when something warm wrapped over her bare knee. She turned her head, looking down to see that Spencer's had was on her knee from where he sat in the backseat beside her. He wasn't giving it a squeeze or holding on tight but it was just enough for her to know that he was there with her—that he was as nervous about it all as she was. When she looked at him, he was already staring at her with an intense look in his eyes, like he wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.

              In the end, the silence between them stayed until the end of the journey. Hotch pulled the SUV onto the kerb down the street from the club that already had a queue of eager people lined up, having no clue they would be sharing the same space as a serial killer. Lizzie got out of the SUV, the warmth of Spencer's hand leaving her knee as she went around the SUV to the drivers side window where her father was.

                  He rolled the window down and reached his hand out, taking both of Lizzie's in his, "You've got this, kiddo," He assured her, earning a firm nod on her behalf, "Let's go get this bastard." Lizzie gave her father a smile before turning away and walking onto the sidewalk, rolling her shoulders back as she went.

                  "Lizzie, wait!" The voice of Spencer called out behind her as he took off his tactical vest and tossed it in the car, leaving the door open as he jogged towards her whistle she turned to face him. He stopped in front of her, going silent as if he hadn't planned what else he would say to her after getting out of the car, "I—I just wanted to say. I—"

                   "I know. Me too," Lizzie spoke over him, cutting off his feeble attempt at an apology. She offered him a soft smile, tilting her head, "I'll see you on the other side, Spence." She said, giving his arm a light touch before turning her back and walking towards the entrance of the club.

                  She pulled her phone out of her purse, showing the bouncer the VIP pass on her phone that Penelope had faked for her. The bald man gave her a nod and she headed on inside, entering the clammy club that had music pounding through speakers and smoke blasting from machines and lights spinning from the ceilings. She crossed the dance floor that was already overflowing, being a popular club. She headed straight for the bar, planning on getting a drink to calm her nerves. She waited a good five minutes, staring out into the crowds for the face of their UnSub before she was finally served. She went for something fruity—different from what she would usually drink. But she wasn't supposed to be herself, she was playing the role of a clueless girl on a night out alone.

                Lizzie sipped on the sweet drink, her tastebuds tingling at the taste. She finished it quickly before her gaze locked on Morgan's who was passing through the dance floor. He gave her a supportive smile and she returned it weakly, relieved to see his face, "You see him?" Lizzie asked quietly into the comms that was tucked into her ear, beneath her hair, going unnoticed.

                 "Nothing yet. Stay put." Emily's voice responded over comms and Lizzie sighed, turning to the bartender and holding her finger up, requesting another drink. She took it happily from his hands the moment he offered it, raising it to her lips.

                 "Easy on the liquor, princess. We need your head in the game." Morgan's voice said in her ear and Lizzie looked around, her eyes scanning the crowd of unsuspecting people.

                 "Trust me, handsome. My heads in the game." She said with determination. The sooner they found the son of a bitch, the sooner she could get out of the dress that was making it hard to breathe in and away from the psychotic UnSub they were searching for.

                  "Got him," Came Emily's voice and Lizzie's heart skipped a beat, "In the booth on the far right corner. White T-shirt. Drinking a beer." Lizzie's eyes followed Emily's description and she found him. He was sitting in the booth, his blue eyes hungrily scanning the crowd for his next victim. Lizzie felt herself grow in rage as she stared at him. How had that man killed so many women?

                   "Time to make your move, princess." Morgan said and Lizzie finished her drink before turning to the bartender, asking for another one and a bottle of the beer Daniel was drinking.

                 She crossed the floor, speaking to herself in her head as she went. You've got this, Lizzie. You've got this, she told herself as she approached him. She gave herself a good shake, putting her best smile on her face—coming so naturally no one would ever suspect her stomach to be in knots. She reached his table and settled the bottle down, his eyes landing on her hands wrapped around the neck of the bottle before travelling up every curve of her body until eventually, meeting her eyes. Once he took in her face, he began grinning at her.

                 "You were looking lonely over here so I thought I'd give you some company," She began saying, her voice coming out velvety with not a single shake. She gestured to the seat opposite him, "May I?"

                Daniel rose a thick-dark eyebrow and gestured with his hand, "Please," Lizzie slipped into the seat opposite him, making sure to take her time crossing one leg over the other, purposely drawing his attention to them. He licked his lips, looking back up at her as he offered his hand, "I'm Daniel." He introduced and Lizzie took his hand, caressing it in hers.

                  "Lizzie—I'm new to town so I don't really know anyone and I saw you sitting here alone and I thought we could get to know one another—unless, of course, you're with someone?" She made sure to keep a clueless and innocent essence to the way that she spoke and how she looked at him, pulling him in further.

                 "I'm not with anyone. And if I was, I'm certainly not now," He told her with a smirk, trying to flatter let. Lizzie let out a laugh, as if she was blushing at his words, "So, you've no friends? You're here alone?" Only the friends with guns, you bastard, Lizzie thought to herself.

               "No, I'm alone—that's crazy, isn't it? Going to a club on my own?" She said, covering her hand with her face, playing it out bashfully.

                "I don't think it's crazy," Daniel told her, "What's crazy is the guys in here aren't all over you. I mean, look at you, you're beautiful." Lizzie giggled at his words whilst holding back the urge to pull the gun from her thigh and shoot him right in the crotch.

               "I've got to admit, I don't usually do this kind of thing," She confessed, looking at him shyly, "But I recently broke it off with my boyfriend and I guess I'm just, uh, I don't know—it's silly, I guess." She shook her head, diverting her gaze.

                "Wanting to find comfort in a stranger?" Daniel filled in for her, almost sincerely and Lizzie looked up, meeting his gaze.

               "Yeah. Exactly." She agreed, continued to hold eye contact with him.

               He leaned across the table, reaching out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and it took everything in Lizzie not to lose the eye contact, "Do you want to get out of here, Lizzie?" He asked her in a low voice, his nose touching hers.

               Lizzie made sure to make it look like she was pondering it for a moment before she stood up and held her hand out to him. Daniel grinned and took her hand, interlocking his fingers in hers and Lizzie led him through the crowded dance floor, her eyes momentarily connecting with Emily's as she passed. They slipped out the back door, Lizzie leading the way. The moment they were in the alley, Daniel shoved her up against the wall and buried his face into her neck, breathing her in and she shivered out of disgust.

                  His hands gripped her hips before trailing down to her thighs. He pulled back, staring into her eyes, "Let's just get rid of this, shall we?" Lizzie's gaze suddenly hardened when his hand grasped the gun on her thigh and he unhooked it. She made a move at him but he pushed her back against the wall, shaking his head at her before tossing the gun to the concrete, "You think I'm stupid, huh?" His voice immediately changed from how he had previously spoke to her, coming out more as a growl.

                  Lizzie laughed in his face, "Yeah, I do, actually."

                 "Daniel Emerson! Step away from her and put your hands in the air!" Came the voice of her father, sending a wave of relief through her body that was short lived when Daniel crouched down, grabbing the gun before yanking her away from the wall.

                  He wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her into him as he put the gun to her head, "Get back or I'll shoot her!" Daniel barked, holding her so tightly she struggled to breathe.

                 Hotch had his gun pointed at him, unblinking. On each side of him was Rossi and Spencer, also aiming their firearms and behind them was the SWAT team, "Let her go and we can talk about this," Hotch said in a calm voice, "You don't have to shoot her."

                 "I'll fucking do it!" Daniel yelled, shoving the gun more forcefully against Lizzie's head who made sure to show no fear towards him and to try and keep her head out of the way of his—in case they had to shoot.

                 "Daniel, put the gun down!" Rossi ordered him, his finger on the edge of the trigger.

                "There's no way out, Daniel. We've got you surrounded." Spencer added, his voice more cautious.

                Daniel's eyes flickered back and forth, taking in the multiple firearms aimed at him and then his eyes landed on the side door that was still open. Immediately realising what he was thinking, Rossi yelled, "Don't even think about it, son!" But it was too late.

              Daniel made a quick run for the door, dragging Lizzie with him. The SWAT let off a few shots, hitting the metal door and Hotch immediately grabbed the one at the front by the vest, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! He has one of ours!" He yelled at him, loosing his cool and shoving him backwards as the gunfire ceased. One of ours. Mine. My daughter. Hotch thought to himself.

               Daniel dragged Lizzie through the club as she kicked and yelled at him the entire time, not a single soul noticing the situation. Daniel took her to another exit, shoving her outside. He momentarily let her go to open the door of a truck and Lizzie took that as her moment. She swung at him, punching him hard across the face, knocking him into the car. But when she tried to run by him, he levelled the gun at her face and clicked the safety off, stopping her in her tracks.

                 Lizzie stared down the barrel of the gun, unblinking, "Don't move, bitch," He then whacked her across the face with the gun, knocking her out cold in seconds. Her body slipped to the ground and he grabbed her, pushing her into the backseat of the car. He reached into her ear, pulling at the comms before putting it to his lips, "Come get her you son of a bitches."

( authors note )

             lizzie, u silly goose.

              — taylor xx