Baby Market

The team is investigating a series of murders that seem out of place for the remote area, and they struggle to find out who is killing these young professional women and why.

Chapter 1

"Come on Reid you haven't even started your coffee and you never touched the pie. Finish up so we can get going!" Morgan swiveled the breakfast barstool around, resting his elbows on the counter leaning his back against the Formica edging.

Reid hunched over his coffee his mind somewhere else entirely.

"More coffee?" The waitress in the powder blue uniform asked, while holding a pot in her hand. Her name tag read Eileen and she tried to smile at them but it was a wary kind as she glanced once again at the gun on Morgan's belt.

Morgan looked over his shoulder and shook his head. She walked three steps away, keeping an eye on them. Morgan was beginning to feel like he was a bug under a magnifying glass. Everywhere he looked he caught the patrons and staff stealing glances at him. He resisted the urge to pull out his badge and shout FBI, ending the accusations in their tracks. He looked to his left yet again, at the back of the younger Agent sitting there, rehashing the case in his mind, ignoring Morgan's begging and pleading. "Tell me what is on your mind?" Morgan requested, even though they had rehashed this case over and over again. It was time to take a giant step back, and since the unsub has stopped killing at the moment they had time to think it through.

Reid ignored Morgan's question. He wasn't being rude, in actuality he never heard him. Something was nagging him and it played at the corners of his consciousness begging to be brought into the light. What am I missing? He asked himself again.

Finally Morgan had had enough, "I'm going to leave without you." He just got those words out when Reid bolted off the stool and ran to the door.

"Morgan, I know why they killed these women!" He shouted as he pushed the glass door open, disappearing out into the bright sun light.

The waitress stood with her mouth hanging open as Reid ran from the building. The diner went deathly quiet, all eyes on Morgan. "We're FBI." Morgan explained quietly as he opened his wallet and threw twenty dollars on the counter, "That should cover it." He went to the door and as he pushed it open, she yelled, "Your change?"

"Keep it!"

Morgan was already out the door when she said, "Doesn't he want me to wrap this up?"

Morgan knew he had left that woman more of a tip than his food had cost, and she didn't deserve it. Reid was already behind the wheel of the SUV with the engine running.

"You owe me ten dollars."

"That pie and coffee cost ten dollars?" Reid asked in disbelief.

"No but since you ran out so fast I was afraid you would leave me there, so I threw down a 20. You owe me ten dollars and an explanation!"