Four hour after Emily and Morgan little discussion Garcia came running through the bullpen and went straight to Hotch office with a file in hand. The four agents there just looked at each other with questioning eyes, still no one said a word; they just waited for the bad news, because if Garcia was in Hotch´s office looking worry then definitely was bad news.
Almost ten minutes later Hotch and Garcia came out of the office.
"We have a case, conference room in ten." Was all Hotch said before knocking on Rossi´s office. Exactly ten minutes later the entire team was sitting in the conference room waiting for Penelope to begging the presentation of their next case.
"So I just got a called from the lead detective of this case asking for our help, he sounded worry and frustrated so I asked Hotch to get a look at the case and you can guess what he said because…well you know…we are here." During the short speech Garcia moved her hands in every direction possible, something she did when trying to explain something really fast but also trying to get everyone to understand her.
"They all sound that way." JJ said smiling at her, she knew what Garcia was trying to said because she had been, in many occasion, in her place.
"Yeah well he sounded really bad… not that the rest didn´t…but he was…well okay you´ll know what I mean when you see it and listen to what I´m going to said." She gave each one of them a copy of the files and began her presentation.
"In the past 3 weeks 3 girls had been abducted and killed in the state of Pennsylvania, specifically in the city of Pittsburgh." JJ hadn´t looked at the name of the city; she was reading the forensic report but when she heard Garcia said Pennsylvania her attention went straight to her friend.
"Wait Garcia did you just said Pittsburgh?" She asked her friend, the rest of the team stopped what they were doing and listen to her.
"Yes that´s what I said." The always so happy analyst was a little confuse for the question until it down on her. "Wait you are from Pennsylvania!" Now she was angry with herself, she as her best friend should have realize before of the place they were about to go.
"What is the name of the lead detective?" JJ knew she could just look at that part of the file but she wanted to hear it from her friend.
"Um… Detective Sam Oh…"
"Do you know him?" Morgan asked her.
"Yes, I know him." JJ said looking at her team. "He´s my cousin from my mother´s side of the family." Emily thought a little about her conversation with JJ about her family and hometown and she now remembered JJ saying something about a cousin, but she was going to mention it later to her.
Reid knew about Sam and so did the rest of the team, but he was the one who knew more about him (Hotch, Rossi and Morgan just knew JJ has a cousin named Sam, but nothing more beyond that, no last name or anything else), because JJ had told him all about her life in her hometown one day after Will´s death. They talked about a lot that day but specially about their time before the BAU. It was one of his favorite talks.
In the way she said it the team didn´t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Her tone was flat, it was the kind of tone she use for the press or when she wasn´t sure about something.
"It´s that a good thing or a bad thing?" Rossi asked finally.
"No, no, it´s good, don´t worry. We don´t always talk but we get along just fine." She smiled; it was a genuine smile so everyone relax, for now. "You can continue Garcia."
"Okay so as I was saying." She pressed a button and images of 3 women smiling popped in the screen. "Three women had been found dead in the past three weeks. Susan Andersen 35, she was a nurse, she was single and had no family. Amelia Rogers 36, she was a journalist, she was married and Kathy Savini 34, she was a teacher, she was married and had a 4 years old boy." Everyone thought about the kid, he was going to grow up without her mother because an insane asshole killed her.
"Where were they found?" Emily asked.
"All were found in different places, a park, behind a theater and near a river. All three of them had they eyes close, well more like glued together."
"The disposal site indicates that this UnSub wants them to be found." Reid spoke looking at the team. "He wants the people to know what he had done."
"The eyes may mean he doesn´t want them to see what he did. Garcia the eyes were glued before or after their death?" Morgan asked.
"According to the ME it was after they were killed. There is no sign of struggle."
"Maybe he doesn´t want to see their eyes or the way they looked at him?" Emily prompted in.
"All are good theories." Rossi said.
"We´ll continue on the plane, wheels up un 30." And with that the team was dismiss. "JJ, a word." Hotch said before leaving the room. She just looked at the rest of the team and smile. When she entered his office, he indicated the seat in front of his desk.
"JJ, I need to know if there´s going to be a problem with Detective Daniels?" The tone he used to ask her was the same of a father asking her child if something was bothering her. She knew he was going to ask something like this, it´s a logical question; he was family and the lead detective.
"No Hotch. As I said before, we haven´t talk in a while because of our jobs and other things that had happened, but we really get along and we also respect each other´s work. I promised there won´t be any problem." What convinced Hotch, more than the words and the tone she used, was the sincerity in her eyes, he still could see something else in them but he knew it was something personal so he did not ask her. He respected her and if she said there was not going to be a problem he believed her.
"Okay good." He smiled. "Now let´s get ready to leave." Before she went out the door he called her. "You know if anything bothers you or if you want to talk you can tell me, okay?" She smiled.
"Thanks Hotch, I know." And she left. After Will´s death the team became more protective of her and Henry, but always respecting her boundaries, the same way it happened with Hotch after Haley died or Reid after Maeve. The team was her family and she loved them for all they have done for her and for each other.
…
They knew the fly to Pennsylvania was going to be a short one so they wasted no time and began going over the profile as soon as they were settle on the plane.
Hotch was the first one to talk "What do we have?" He asked his team.
"He is a sadist. He obtains pleasure from the pain he inflicts on each victim." Morgan said.
"He´s escalating in this aspect, each victim has had different kinds of wounds and more severe each time. He has gone from hitting, to cutting and electrocuting them." Emily continued.
"He also seems organize. He doesn´t leave much evidence that can identified him. To have a time frame of a week to get his next victim means he has to stalk them or maybe he knows them. "
"I think Reid´s right about the stalking part; a week is a lot of time for someone to know their typical routines and know went to strike." Rossi looked at Reid.
"The eyes are the things that has me thinking." JJ said. "Why glued them if they are already dead? It´s not like they can recognize him." It was a question that was hanging in everyone´s minds.
"Garcia?" Hotch called her. From the monitor on their table a blond colorful Garcia appeared.
"What can I do for my favorite profilers?"
"I need you to dig in the life of these 3 women. I need you to find something that links them together at some point in their life."
"On my way boss…" but before she could continued a noise was heard. "Another girl has gone missing." She said with sad eyes.
"When and who?" Emily asked her.
"Jenna Green 35, she is a social worker and was reported missing today. Her coworkers where the ones that reported her, apparently she has no family in the area."
"Guys, if he took her before the time established with the previews victims, it means…"
"He is escalating." What Emily and Morgan said had them all worried, because now they had less time to find Jenna, and if they failed doing just that so will the next victim.
"Okay everyone." Hotch voice broke the team of their thoughts. "When we land we´ll get to the Hotel and then to the police station. Once there Reid, I want you to work in the geographical profile, Emily and Morgan you two will go to the ME, JJ I want you to go and talk with the families, Rossi and I will go to the last crime scene."
Everyone nodded but before they could go and sit in their previews sits Morgan asked the one question JJ didn´t want to answer again, because she knew this time she would have to add more to the little they knew.
"JJ, are you sure this detective won´t be a problem?"
She closed her eyes for a second and then looked at everyone. The team now was looking at her, even Garcia. Maybe telling them everything wasn´t a bad idea, maybe it would make her feel better and in some way she felt like she own them the truth. She has felt this way since what happened with Hastings, like she own the team more. She´s never say anything about these feelings, because she knew what they were going to say. You don´t own us anything. It´s okay. We understand. It was a constant thought in her mine; just one person in the team knew about but says nothing, Reid.
"When I applied for the FBI Sam got mad at me." She began.
"Why?" Garcia asked, she thought she has said it low enough for no one to hear but they did.
"He got mad because he thought I was leaving him and everyone else behind. He knew I wanted to get out of there, but I think he was hoping after college I would reconsider my original idea and stay."
"So he got mad?" Morgan asked, he was kind of angry with the guy now.
"Yeah, but then he called me and apologies. Our discussion was kind of ugly so our relationship was never the same." The team had questioning looks in their eyes now. "Sam, Rosaline and I…we grew up together, he was like the brother we never had." Now she was looking down.
Now the team understood a little bit more why she talked in a flat tone about him before. It was because she didn´t know how to feel about the situation right now.
"We have talk after that, not much but some and we have a good relationship now."
"JJ, I´m sorry. I didn´t want to bring back bad memories." Morgan apologized, he felt horrible now.
"It´s alright Derek. I was going to tell you guys at some point and you just gave me the perfect excuse." She smiled at him.
Hotch noticing the awkward silent and decided to interfere.
"We´ll be landing in no time. Go get ready with everything we have to do once we land." He looked at JJ and noticed she was looking at him with a grateful smile, a smile he returned.
So what do you think? Did you guys like it? Something you what me to add? Review please so I can know :)