Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Criminal Minds but my characters and the plot.
Author's Note: Hi guys! It's been a long time since I've posted but I've been kinda busy and kinda contracted a severe case of writer's block. So I couldn't come up with a title for this story, I thought I'd leave it in my readers' capable hands. If you all could please leave some suggestions, I guess we could make it work like a poll and vote for the best title. Thanks guys!
The children chased each other around the playground, giggling and shrieking delightedly. Kelly's curly pigtails bounced joyfully and shimmered like gold in the sunlight. She was dressed as a little girl should be: overall dress, pink t-shirt, lacy socks and running shoes. The teacher came out from the classroom and stood on the steps, calling the children inside. He stayed in his red truck, his arm propped on the open window. The sweltering heat of the blistering Texas sun was nearly suffocating, but he waited the three hours until the school bell rang. The children poured out of the schoolhouse. Kelly came out last, and he smiled.
~ F.B.I., Behavioral Analysis Unit
Quantico, Virginia
"Any plans for the night?" Emily Prentiss asked in general. The brunette was in dark blue jeans, a black, cashmere sweater, and black high heel boots. The dark man standing and stretching was in his usual navy blue t-shirt and black jeans while the young man in black-rimmed glasses was wearing khakis, a white button-down shirt, and his trademark sweater vest.
"Nah, I think I'm just gonna go home," Derek Morgan replied, shrugging on his black leather coat. Spencer Reid did the same with his khaki jacket, "Yeah, I think I'll head home, what about you?" Emily tried for a nonchalant look, "Nothing, just wondering." Morgan gave her a disbelieving glance and grinned, "Okay, Prentiss, spill, why're you so antsy today?"
"I am not," Emily denied. Reid watched his two friends banter and genuinely smiled. Their last case had been a long one. He shouldered his book bag and pushed in his chair, turning to leave.
JJ hurried down the hallway and down a few steps.
"Hey guys, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but another case just came up, I didn't get it until we got back."
"You heard her, meeting room, people." David Rossi had emerged from the seclusion of his office and headed to the aforementioned room. JJ stuck her head into Hotch's office to find him on the phone with his son. He held up a hand to signal to quiet her and nodded at the file in her hand to signal her to leave it. She shook her head, "We have a case, Hotch." He nodded, "I'll be there in a minute." JJ left, she understood how hard it was, she was the same way with Henry after all, but she had it easier knowing that Will was watching their son.
"Jack, I promise I'm okay and I'll be home soon, be a good boy and I'll see you then."
"Okay, I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, bud." Hotch waited for the dial tone before he sighed and hung up as well.
JJ got up as Hotch wordlessly sat down and hit the button on the projector controller, pictures of children under the age of 7 and crime scene photos flitted across the scene.
"There's been a string of kidnappings in a number of small towns off Interstate 45, the kidnapper demands ransom and the families pay in full, unmarked cash, nothing traceable. At the drop sites, the kidnapper leaves a DVD, addressed to the family; it's the victim's last words. The children's bodies are found days later. The local sheriff in the most recent town called and officially requested our help, the problem is, there's no airport in the town, so we'll have to drive about an hour."
"DVD of the victim's last words could indicate a sadistic component, or it could a sign of guilt."
"The unsub demands ransom for the victims, but doesn't intend to keep the victims in the first place, he's cold and calculated."
"Wheels up in 6," Hotch commanded, "hours." They all breathed a tired sigh of relief, "Go home and get some rest, we're gonna need it." Their go bags were already at their respective desks seeing as they'd just gotten back from another case not 4 hours ago, but they grabbed them and quickly headed home to switch out their clothes and actually sleep.
It was dark in the room and the only occupant was in the bed, sleeping soundly. A strange buzzing noise was coming from the nightstand.
She groaned and hazily grabbed for her incessantly ringing phone, "It's 3 in the morning, this better be good."
"You remember Trent Duvall?"
"Is this the same Duvall that worked with you before Mom got pregnant?"
"Good girl, you actually were listening to me. Anyway, he just called; they've got a case."
"Is this going to be one of those where you guilt me into flying to God knows where because it's 'the one that got away'?" Nobody could blame her for being sarcastic; she was tired and jet-lagged after pulling an all-nighter to get back from Thailand.
"Not quite, this is more of a favor to a friend. Please?"
She rubbed at her eyes in an effort to keep herself awake, "Fine, fine, but I'm not dealing with this until I get some sleep." She didn't give him the chance to respond and hung up, turning her phone off and flopping onto her pillow, falling back asleep.
Hotch carried a sleeping Jack up to the little boy's room, thankful that he hadn't woken up earlier from his grandmother's loud ranting and raving. He knew that Haley's mother hated his guts, had always hated him, but since Haley's death, hating escalated to loathing. If he had a choice, Jessica Brooks and Jack's grandmother would be the last babysitters on earth he'd want for his son, but until he found a more permanent solution that was the way things would have to be done. He tucked Jack in and pulled the comforters to his chin.
Hotch spent the few hours he had asleep in the chair beside Jack's bed.
JJ got home, ready to turn deaf to the world, she unlocked the front door to her apartment and pushed it open and was greeted by the sight of her dozing fiancé and son on the couch. Henry was wide awake, Will holding him in his lap, "Mama!" Will started awake at the sudden exclamation and calmed when he saw JJ, "Hey."
"Hey yourself, I thought I told you not to wait up for me."
"I wasn't, Henry missed his mama though, he wouldn't sleep." JJ bent to take Henry from Will so he could stand, "Is that right, little man? I missed you guys too."
Morgan, Emily, and Reid decided to simply spend the night at Emily's place as it was closest and would allow them to obtain maximum rest time. It was also a relief for all of them to have some company. As JJ and Garcia remarked before, some images would haunt them for a while, this last case had reminded them all of some unpleasant times, and if truth be told, none of them really wanted to be alone for the night. The three of them made popcorn and Reid popped in a classic comedy into the DVD player. The three crashed on the couch and passed out not even five minutes into the movie.
The next morning dawned bright and early and the BAU was already buzzing quietly with activity. Hotch's unit was already in, gathered around Reid's desk and sipping coffee. Hotch walked towards his office and paused by the railing to tell them, "Wheels up in 10." They all headed out to the hanger to board the BAU jet and settled in as JJ handed out the case file.
"Baby girl, what else did you find?" Morgan looked through the case file and waited for Garcia to respond.
"So with JJ's criteria, I narrowed the search and in the past 2 years, there have been over 30 kidnappings across the western border, including the last 2 in Oak Grove, Texas."
"Thanks, Garcia."
"Garcia out." The computer intercom clicked off and they continued on, "The victimology… there is no victimology aside from their age range, not even sex preference."
"Uh, there is one more thing," JJ added awkwardly, "the last 2 victims all went to the same elementary school." The team looked at her, "Well, the town's population is 710." That explained a lot.
They landed in Tulane where two unmarked SUVs were waiting for them. Hotch and Rossi took one car while Morgan, Reid, JJ, and Emily took the other. They drove off to the tiny town.
They just hadn't realized how tiny.
When they got to Oak Grove, the sheriff was waiting for them outside the town.
She resisted the urge to open the window on account of all the dust and turned on the air condition, blaming her father for volunteering her without her consent. She sighed; it wasn't the first time, but it would be the last; she'd told her father as much. Up ahead, she saw 2 women and 4 men, all dressed professionally, and pulled up behind the 2 black SUVs and hopped out, knowing what would come next.
"Sheriff Duvall, Agent Jareau, we spoke on the phone. This is Special Agent Hotchner, Agent Rossi, Agent Prentiss, Agent Morgan, and Dr. Reid." Duvall solemnly shook hands with JJ and Hotch, "We're a small town here, nothing like this has ever happened before." They turned at the sound of footsteps crunching behind them and found a slight, petite woman coming to a stop.
"If it isn't Faith Lawe," Sheriff Duvall said warmly and in wonder.