The Curse Of Eden

"Move."

On cue, the Ken, Alex, and Avery followed after Adam's lead into the house.

Tyler's words checked out and the phone used to give him the orders was indeed trackable.

It took them a day to be able to track down a signal which eventually led them to none other than Collette's childhood home.

The team, geared up and ready, moved stealthily as they infiltrated the property.

The flooring wailed occasionally under their heavyweights but most of the time it complied with their quietness.

Adam motioned for Avery and Alex to go upstairs while he and Ken made their way towards the basement where he suspected E would be.

He wanted to be the one facing him head-on.

Instantly, the team was divided, going their separate ways.

The darkness formed black shadows around their line of vision and the musty air was heavy on their lungs. Their hearts beat frantically, threatening to leave its place. It wasn't their first mission as such yet this one was different. Tonight will make all the difference.

Adam and Ken made their way down the stairs carefully, their guns on point, and ready to shoot.

With the little light they had from their flashlights, the two men looked around in the dark from side to side only to come out empty. They could almost hear the blood rushing through their veins from how quiet it was. Adam ticked his tongue in annoyance, angrily putting his weapon down.

"There's nothing here boss." Ken noted the obvious.

"I can see that West." Sarcasm dripped.

His eyes gazed around the vacant space, his eyes falling on the table that once nested the evidence box he and Collette took.

His eyebrows wrinkled closer as he noticed something resting on it. He reached for the phone lying atop the wooden furniture and pressed on the power button reviving it back to life.

"Adam, the phone had just been turned on again. He's on the premises." Elliot spoke through the earpiece.

Adam turned to look at his partner, swinging the phone back and forth in his hand.

"We just found our missing phone."

"Now where's its owner?" Ken finished in a matter of factly. "Let's take it to forensic, maybe they'll find a print."

Adam shook his head. "No, I'm sure they won't find anything. We're not working with a normal guy here." "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Adam was about to reply when the sound of footsteps descending the stairs turned their heads in its direction.

"The house is clear boss. There's no one upstairs." Alex informed.

"You guys found the phone?" Avery asked as she stepped closer. "Yeah just the phone." Ken turned from the girls back to Adam. "So? What do we do?"

Adam kept silent for a moment or two before finally speaking up.

"We'll keep it here."

"What?" Avery gaped out, the great as confused as her.

"Think about it. E must be using this phone all the time so he makes sure to remove any fingerprint like he always does. He didn't throw it away after communicating with Tyler so that means he'll be using it again. And that's when we catch him."

Adam turned around towards the table, placing the phone exactly how it was.

"Guys, someone's approaching the house. I can't really see a face though." Kristen spoke through the earpiece, notifying the whole crew.

Almost instantly we're they all up on guard once again and on the move up the stairs.

Thankful for the dusty, worn-out curtains that semi veiled the widows, Adam was able to hide and peek outside from behind them.

The rest of the team stood behind him ready.

The darkness didn't help with his vision. A moment passed as he seemed their newcomer out, trying to catch a face but only a double-take was enough for him to know who it was.

A breath left his mouth and his positive relaxed before taking fast, wide steps towards the door.

Collette gasped in shock with the sudden emerging of her husband and his team out of her childhood home.

"What are you doing here Collette?" The agitation in Adam's voice was evident. His senses were still riled up and he felt uneasy. Surely it wasn't his first such mission yet this was not a usual case and they all knew that. Collette slowly regained color in her face and her heart calmed down gradually.

"I.....erm..." She cleared her thoughts. "I just came by to have a little chat with Mrs. Jilles." His voice came out confident.

"At this hour? It's ten p.m."

"So?" Collette challenged, crossing her arms over her chest. "Since when did you tell me where or where not to go or had full control over what I do?"

"That's not the point Collette. There's a-"

"No Adam it is!" Collette cut him off. "I'm sitting there all alone in that damned house with nothing accompanying me but my messy thoughts. It's not my first time solving cases you know and it's not my first personal one."

"You remember very well the last time a case got personal what happened." Adam warned. "So if you think for one second that I won't do everything I can to protect you from then you don't know me yet."

Adam didn't wait for a reply as he angrily made his way to the car. His anger was confusing even to him. It wasn't a serious matter to argue about but ever since he knew about the direct involvement of Collette to the case he spent most of his days on edge.

"I needed someone to talk to and you weren't there Adam so what's the harm in meeting up with an old neighbor!" Collette yelled from behind him in frustration.

The team had already left for the cars when things got heated up between the Woods, giving them their space.

Ken, Avery, and Alex were standing by the girl's car when Adam approached with Collette following behind. She didn't want to meet or talk with anyone anymore.

The trio separated as Alex and Avery mounted their car while Ken gladly took Adam and Collette in his.

The rise was heavily quite and the road back to the Woods' house felt like a long journey to the other side of the state.

Once they reached the house, Collette wasted no time in getting out of the vehicle, slamming the door rather harshly behind her.

Adam sighed, placing a hand over his face as he felt a building headache through his temples.

"You okay Adam."

"I don't know what's wrong. I'm so on edge lately and she's being very careless."

"She's not a child Adam. She's the famous Collette Woods who helped the FBI solve the hardest of cases."

"And that's what's driving me crazy!" Adam almost exclaimed in frustration. "Knowing that she's constantly in danger. That I..."

Ken placed a comforting hand on his friend and partner's shoulder.

"How about we get you something to drink. It'll clear your mind."

"Come inside. I might just have the perfect thing." Adam invited. "Plus, things might worsen up if I left."

"You know it wasn't your fault right?" Ken spoke as they chugged down their third can of beer.

Adam twirled the contents of his half-filled can.

"There was nothing any of you two could've done."

"I know." The detective sighed. "She blames herself for what happened and I blame myself for not being able to protect her. It's a mess." "But you two came out fine at the end."

Adam gave his friend a balant look.

"The girl died Ken and Collette lost her job. Even if it was her choice. She wasn't fine ever since."

"And you got overly protective that it's suffocating Adam. Shit happens but you can't let the past control you."

Adam sighed yet again. He couldn't argue with what his friend was saying yet he couldn't feel it settle well inside of him.

"Let's just change the subject." Adam finished the rest of his can in one gulp before reaching for the fourth.

"You didn't tell me what happened with the old lady."

"Ah yes." Adam scrolled through his memory as he relayed the flashback to his friend.

< Mrs. Jilles opened the door, standing short in comparison to Adam who covered almost the whole entrance.

"I knew you'd be coming back soon detective." The elderly noted as she looked up at Adam.

"I need to ask you a couple of questions if that's okay with you."

"And I've been waiting seventeen years to answer them."

The elderly stepped inside the house, allowing Adam to follow after her. He sat on the same side he and Collette used the previous visit. "Would you prefer tea or coffee detective?"

"Erm..just water please."

Blake Jilles disappeared into the kitchen and it only took her a second or not to be out again but with a glass of cold water in hand. Adam took a respectful sip then placed in on the coffee table in front of him.

"Mrs. Jilles, I know that you've been the Patricks' neighbor for a very long time. I want you to tell me everything you remember."

"Yea. I remember the very first day they moved here. They were a jolly family those three and honestly a part of me envied Laura for having her husband with her." Blake let out a humorless laugh at the memory. "Were you close to Laura?"

"We weren't best friends honestly detective. Each of us had her own crowded matters. But we spoke. We only had each other at the time to share our gossip. They seemed like the perfect family. That is......" Blake paused but Adam let out no sound urging her to continue.

Blake sighed. "Until something happened to Dean. He changed all of a sudden."

"Do you recall when exactly did that happen?"

"It was forth months into their moving. He suddenly quit his job and started preventing Laura and Collette from leaving the house. Collette went to school less and I almost never saw Laura."

She bent closer to Adam, who in return bent a little forward towards the old lady.

"You know sometimes I even heard muffled screams and cries coming from inside the house."

Adam retracted back to his former position. "And why didn't you call the police?" His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes accusing.

He never understood why people sometimes choose to ignore helping others when they know quite well that they're being hurt.

"I did." Blake answered, she too returning to her former position.

Her answer took Adam by surprise.

"And the police did in fact come." She continued. "But they couldn't hold anything against him. Laura herself told the officers that everything was alright. I heard it all."

Adam was speechless, the only thought running through his mind was how scared and traumatized they were to not even have the courage to ask for help.

"And then this happened." Blake lifted her sleeve, displaying the vicious scar that traveled along her arm.

Adam's eyes bulged and his breath got caught in his throat as the scenario of what must've happened played in his mind.

"He did this?"

"After the police left, he came to...warn me. Said that I was asking for worldly help. From sinners who'll just burn in hell just like me and that I shouldn't come near his family again." "And you didn't."

"I'm a single mother detective. I wanted nothing but to provide my son with a better life."

Adam turned his gaze away. He understood but that didn't mean he wasn't angry. He never knew about all this. He was oblivious about a huge part of his wife's life and that broke a piece of his heart. >