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19
His agents were safely tucked into the dormitory rooms at the academy, and now Jefferson Cole was in his car, headed to pick up his oldest daughter, Stephanie—no matter what she said.
He’d sent his wife, Lisa, and his younger kids out of town to stay with friends. Ronnie Jameson was a retired SWAT team member who had promised to keep them safe. But Stephanie was still here. She lived alone in a small apartment in Georgetown and had a job nearby at Miller’s Boat House. He’d called her this morning and said he was coming to pick her up when the shop closed, insisting she move in with him until the UNSUB was caught. He’d also told her he didn’t want her going to work for a while. But she’d ignored him on both counts. Stephanie wanted to be independent, and it was clear that desire battled against any concern for personal safety. Still, he intended to talk her into either staying with him or letting him drive her to Ronnie’s.
Jeff realized he was probably being overly cautious. The UNSUB was targeting profilers, and as a unit chief, he didn’t actually work cases. His job was to oversee those who did. However, his friend Della Williams, chief over BAU 2, was worried about his well-being. Tomorrow, after meeting with his team, he’d talk with his section chief. If he decided Jeff should hunker down in the dorms at the academy too, he’d have no choice. And if by then he’d convinced Stephanie to stay with him, he’d have a better chance to convince her to go to Ronnie’s, which he preferred. He was pretty sure the last thing she wanted was to stay at the academy.
When Stephanie was little, all she wanted was to grow up and work for the “BFI.” When she was four, she finally got it right. It saddened him and Lisa a little. They’d found her mistake cute. When Steph turned sixteen, she informed her parents that the last thing she wanted was to be a part of law enforcement. She had a crush on some boy who’d convinced her those who protected America weren’t worthy of respect. The way she used to look at her dad with admiration slowly faded. They got along all right. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t spend time together. It was just ... different, and it hurt him. More than he could say.
He’d texted her several times that afternoon to tell her he would be there at eight, but she hadn’t responded. He was tired. Hopefully, she would be waiting for him.
He’d reached the road that led to the boat shop and started to turn, but then his phone buzzed. He’d turned off his old phone and bought this one so he could text with his family. The UNSUB had no way of obtaining this number.
The screen told him it was Stephanie, so he pulled over, then picked up the phone. Maybe she’d gone home early.
Alex lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was saved from asking Kaely to keep a light on because the light poles outside the dorms gave enough illumination to make her feel safe. Thankfully, Kaely didn’t try to close the curtains. Alex couldn’t help but remember John Davis had left the curtains open at his hotel and had played right into the killer’s hands. The academy was much safer, but still, she wondered if it would be better to close the drapes and leave the bathroom light on. She pushed the thought from her mind. Guards were posted everywhere. No one was outside the window.
So should she quit using Kaely’s method of profiling? She found it intriguing. Logan wanted her to stop, but that confused her. Why could Kaely do it and she couldn’t? No matter what Logan said, Kaely was a great role model. She was smart and the best profiler Alex had ever encountered. But something Logan once told her echoed in her thoughts: “God has a plan for your life, Alex. You’re unique. Find the path He has for you.” Tonight he’d said basically the same thing. Although it sounded right, she wasn’t sure how to find her own path. Like she’d told Logan, she’d never had a role model. Was it really so wrong of her to choose Kaely as someone to emulate? His protestations bothered her. She was grateful for his friendship and that he’d led her to God, but it was still her life. She had to make the final decision. Besides, the image she saw and the voice she heard had probably been just her imagination.
Her jumbled thoughts fought against the weariness in her body. As she began to drift off to sleep, she admitted to herself that she wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to follow God’s plan, but why hadn’t He shown it to her? Did He really know her personally? Was she important to Him?
Almost immediately, she saw herself standing in a garden, at the entrance to a maze. As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed a woman’s figure ahead of her. Alex began to run after her, calling for her to stop. The woman appeared almost ghostly. Her features were shadowy, and she was surrounded by mist. Every time Alex caught sight of her, she disappeared around another corner of the maze.
Alex began to cry out to the woman, begging her to stop. To wait for her to catch up. She was afraid of getting lost, unable to find her way out. As she ran, she realized the sun was going down. She would be abandoned in this place. Lost and in the dark. The thought terrified her.
Her legs began to burn with the effort of trying to keep up with the wraithlike woman. The air became heavy, and Alex could barely breathe. She was falling behind. Where had the woman gone? Suddenly, she couldn’t see anything. She reached out to touch the bushes that made up the maze, but it seemed as if they went on and on in a straight line. How could she find the exit in the dark? Her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest from fear.
Alex finally stopped, and the blackness began to envelope her. She took a deep gulp of air, causing her chest to ache in the process. With what she knew was her last breath, she choked out the words, “Save me, God!”
Almost immediately, a small beam of light caught her eye. She fell to her knees and began to crawl toward it. Little by little the air grew lighter, and she could finally breathe freely. She struggled to get to her feet as strength began to flow through her body. She heard a voice saying, “When you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice in your ears telling you to walk this way.”
Alex began to repeat the words over and over as she ran toward the light. She suddenly found herself outside the maze, with the sun shining down on her. She began to thank God over and over for rescuing her, but the next voice she heard wasn’t God’s. It was a woman’s voice.
“Alex,” she said. “Alex, wake up.”
Alex opened her eyes to find Kaely standing over her, a look of concern on her face. Alex forced herself to sit up.
“What ... what’s wrong? Did I wake you up?”
Kaely sat down on the side of the narrow bed. She chuckled lightly. “You were thanking God for saving you. I kind of hated to wake you up, but you were getting pretty loud. These walls are thin. I was afraid you’d wake someone up.”
“I was having a really strange dream. I’m sorry. I had no idea I was having it out loud.”
Kaely smiled. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t want to keep you up.”
Kaely shook her head. “Nonsense. I wasn’t sleeping anyway. I’m just lying in bed, thinking about the case.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
Kaely got up. “I think they have hot chocolate in the food court. It’s just a powder, but I’m game if you are. Want some?”
“Yeah. That sounds good.”
“I’ll be right back.”
When Kaely walked out the door, leaving it slightly ajar, Alex wondered if she was doing the right thing sharing her dream. Should she keep it to herself? She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Of course, it was too late to ask herself that question now. She’d committed to discussing it with Kaely. She didn’t like the way she’d felt lately. Small and childish. Maybe Logan was right. Maybe she just needed to get her act together.
