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CHAPTER THREE ( original sin )
"GETON YOUR KNEES."
Natalie's handcuffs clasped around the wrists of the man beneath her, and she'd rarely felt as much satisfaction as she did right then.
Derek stepped in to escort him to the police car, and she allowed it without putting up a fight. The chase had lasted longer than she wanted to admit, and as proud as she was for catching the guy, pride didn't have the ability to cure asthma.
The loud puff of her inhaler was only a little bit embarrassing. Natalie had gotten used to ignoring it, after a while.
"Nice save," she felt JJ pat her on the back, which unintentionally forced a haggard cough from her lungs. JJ flinched at the sound. "Oh, geez, sorry."
Natalie shot her a weak smile, coughing once more before stuffing her inhaler back into the pocket of her cargo pants. At any opportunity to wear something more comfortable than her typical trousers, she took it, especially in the sweltering heat of Miami.
(The deep pockets were a bonus.)
"Hopefully we can connect him to the others. Everything we have on the first two is circumstantial."
JJ shook her head, as if any other outcome would be ridiculous. "We'll get him. Rossi and Morgan are searching the house now, I'm sure they'll find something."
Natalie's gaze drifted down the quiet street towards the two-story suburban home, perfectly ordinary if not for the flashing blue and red lights infiltrating through the windows.
It had been years since she'd trusted the mowed lawns and picket fences to be indicators of innocence. As a kid, she'd walk for miles until she saw them, envious of the normalcy and unremarkable nature of the people who who were lucky enough to be born into it.
At the time, she believed that the pureness of a home was reflected on those who lived inside of it.
A monster's home would look like the monster, right?
Of course, she knew better, now.
"He killed three kids, Jen."
As she spoke, Natalie felt the breath leave her lungs for an entirely different reason than the chase. She indelicately wiped her hands against the fabric on her thighs, the same hands that touched the killer only minutes prior.
With a shaky exhale, JJ gently ran a hand over her stomach, and Natalie knew it was nothing more than a subconscious urge. She did it every time they worked a case involving kids.
Nobody ever mentioned it. They all had their things.
"We'll get him."
The words were said with such assurance that Natalie didn't dare to doubt the woman, let alone voice her concerns. Instead, she swiftly changed the topic, sensing the drop in her friend's mood from a mile away.
