As they looked into the interrogating room through the one way mirror. "I'm glad this is over." Richard said to Carson, with a sad tone in his voice.
Carson turned and looked at his boss with a poignant look on his face. The distress in his voice was hard to miss, he felt the same way; he always did after cases like this, which was practically every case. They never came out as winners, just satisfied to have put a stop to it.
The Behavioral Science Unit was an arm of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that dealt with serial killers and psychopathic behavior. They knew nightmares came true, the boogie man did exist, Halloween tricks or treats could be the death of the partier, and they lived realities that others wouldn't be able to bear.
"It never gets easier." Carson turned back to the serial killer wishing he had the power to do more than just arrest the shit head. "If only there was a way to stop them before the act." He had killed six families in the most gruesome of ways, leaving their bodies bloody and in pieces.
It's the kids that hit Carson hard; he hated it when the victims were children. "You know, they put you through all this training. Telling you what to expect and training you to expect the unexpected, how to read people and how to think like psychopaths but they never teach you how to handle how bad it screws you up."
"It's like throwing a child in the deep end of a pool and watching him struggle to swim," Doran said as he joined the duo, "but the parents aren't too far away just in case the child hasn't found his fins yet."
Carson chuckled, stepping back to give the old man some room, "So you and Richard are the parents?"
Running his hands over the sides of his jet black hair Richard protested, "Hey! I'm not that old!"
Carson knew he wasn't, but the job had aged him beyond his years.
Richard was taller than Doran but a few inches shorter than Carson. His light pink skin was the contrast color to his everyday dark suits. His dressing was ill influenced by the James Bond movies, the complete opposite of who he was, unlike Carson who stayed true to himself. He was always in jeans, a tee and a leather jacket. He believed in being comfortable if he was going to chase a suspect down, and a suit wasn't comfortable. He kept his kinky hair cut short and had a finely cut beard and moustache to frame his 'lady killer' smile like a perfect portrait Carson laughed at his insecurity, "I didn't say that! I just said you've been in this business longer than the rest of us." He turned and walked out of the room with a swagger in his step, the other two following close behind him. Once in the bright case room, he gave the room a quick sweep, out of habit. He smiled and bit his lower lip when his eyes came to a quick stop on Gwen's ass. His hands hadn't touched that for over a week. He had to fix that.
She turned to him, with a knowing smile, pushed her chest out slightly and widened her cleavage.
Carson's eyebrows popped up. Taking a moment to appreciate the effort, he went on with the sweep and ended on Audrey's furrowed brows and pressed lips. He chuckled and winked at her.
Doran punched him in the shoulder, "Don't let the white hair fool you kid, I can beat you in a boxing match any day."
Carson rolled his eyes. One win and the guy thought he was Muhammad Ali, "I'd never boxed in my life. I didn't know what I was doing."
Doran's smile deepened, "For the first thrashing, maybe, but not the second."
He groaned. He was supposed to be the muscle of the team, and an old man beat him, twice. "I want a rematch."
"You are on!"
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Kevin asked, with true concern in his voice. With a quick jerk of his head, he tossed his mop hair to the side.
Carson sighed. The genius of the group had an opinion on everything.
"Carson has been practicing and his sparring partners are twice your size... and younger. You can't afford to break a bone Doran." He said with a-matter-of-fact voice.
Carson flexing his muscles in exhibition, laughed.
"Thanks for your support kid. Then Gwen will be my champion." Doran said, walking out of the room with Gwen. She was tall, skinny, with a fire red bob cut that completely matched her personality.
"Oh no. Carson is my partner, we back each other up," she said, giving him a wink and a teasing smile.
Carson tried to escape the short round girl, with a wild imagination, mirrored by the different hair color she had every week, but he'd barely made it two steps when she pinched his ear and pulled him down.
"Please tell me you are not still sleeping with her?" she scolded, in a low harsh tone, "You know what will happen if Richard finds out?"
He kissed her forehead and looped her arm with his, "That's why he won't find out sweet cheeks."
"You are asking for trouble Carson, what, this job isn't exciting enough for you?"
"She's just a distraction and I'm her distraction. She and I don't have families. The rest of you do. Speaking of, did Paloma go home already?"
Audrey's face collapsed in sadness, "After a case like this, if you had children where would you be?"
Carson pulled her under his arm and held her tight, "That's why I don't have kids, but I do enjoy the practice, so, so very much."
Audrey punched him in his side playfully, with a laugh, "You are so full of yourself! You do know you're not that hot?"
He cocked an eyebrow at the statement. "Oh, is that why you're here with me instead of your computer geek boyfriend?" he asked, in a soft tone and a sweet titillating smile.
"I'm immune to that, lover boy, how else would our friendship work. Amin and I have a lot in common, we are both computer geeks and we love each other." She pulled away from him when they got to the car park, "You know, love, a word that is still very foreign to you."
Truth was she just wasn't his type. Maybe if she shed a few pounds... but even then he just wouldn't go there with her. She was his person.
"Very funny," he said, before he turned to the rest of the group, "So, who's going home and who's coming out with me?"
Richard was getting into his car, "My wife and son are waiting for me."
"I'm too old to go clubbing. I'm just going to have my glass of milk and go to bed early." Doran joked, as he walked away.
Audrey gave him a hug, "It's boyfriend time, sorry babe."
Carson couldn't believe he was asking this but, there was no one left to ask, "Kevin, what about you?"
"I have an online date with the internet gaming community. Thank you for asking though, I figured I'd be the last person you'd ask." Carson looked at him with a raised eyebrow and his smile shrunk, "And apparently I am."
Carson's lips rose in half a smile as he stared at Gwen lustfully, "Gwen, you got plans tonight?" Audrey looked at him with disapproval, but he didn't care. He didn't feel like being alone tonight and Gwen was the best distraction he could think of.
"Sorry partner," she said the word softly, "I have other plans."
Carson was a little disappointed but he knew what she meant. Someone else was occupying her bed tonight, which was good. This way, it would be easier to end their arrangement once he got bored.
"Why don't you go out tonight on your own, maybe meet someone?" Audrey hinted.
"Good night, guys." Carson said, laughing at Audrey and her moral compass. He was glad she always looked out for him, and sometimes kept him out of trouble, but Gwen was one subject they'd just have to agree to disagree on, at least until he got bored of her.
