CHAPTER TWO
Hotch walked into the conference room, he was happy to see that everyone was already there, well everyone except Morgan.
"What do we know so far people?" He asked.
"Well he was last seen a approximately eight thirty pm at Kino's Club" Reid offered.
"Garcia you were there, why don't you tell us what happened." Gideon asked kindly.
"Ok, well he told me he needed some air so he was just going to step out. I went and grabbed us some drinks like he asked me to. And I admit I was getting impatient not that it had been more than a few minutes, anyways I went to check on him.
I started to open the door when someone was slammed into the wall right next to it, so I only kept it open a crack. When they had moved away I opened it a bit more. I only saw two men dragging Derek away. I didn't get a good look at them I think they had masks on. But it was dark so I couldn't tell."
"And you didn't try and stop them?" Gideon asked.
"I...I didn't know what to do" She said desperately, trying to keep calm.
"It's ok, you did the right thing by informing us" Hotch said reassuringly. "I think we should release a missing persons report to the press along with a picture of him. Only local maybe someone else saw something that might be helpful. JJ" Hotch said, It was her job.
"I'm on it" she said leaving the room, only to return a few minutes later with some gear.
"What are you doing?" Hotch asked.
"I'm setting up here. I want to be here while you discuss what else were going to do." She sat her gear down and looked at Hotch daring him to send her away.
"Very well." He said.
"Garcia, I want you to see what you can find, see if other people have gone missing lately, if they are some how connected. I know It's a long shot but it's what we have to do right now. Hopefully this wasn't just a odd job kidnapping. We all know that it's rare for a string of kidnappings if there is one to be connected but lets hope for Derek's sake that it is. Hopefully there is a path. If there is we are going to find it." He said stubbornly. He walked over to a large map of the states and stuck a pushpin and Quantico Virginia.
CM - CM
"You darn right there's some things I need to know"
"First of all you need to know your not getting out of here. And no is going to find you."
Well that's a lousy thing to say Morgan thought.
"Where are we going?"
"We are going to our buyers." Robert stated plainly.
"What!" Morgan asked surprised. That was not the type of answer he expected.
"Tomorrow, when we get to go out for breakfast they will take you aside. They will take a picture of you. Then you get to eat breakfast. They will then upload that picture to a site. This site is full of bidders, who will bye you for lots and lots of money." Robert stopped, letting what he had just said sink in.
Morgan sighed and slumped against the wall, he looked over at Robert "What are they buying us for?" He asked.
"Whatever they want." He said his words full of disgust.
Morgan looked away "What a mess." He heard Robert shuffle away, closed his eyes and slipped into a deep troubled sleep.
CM - CM
"Sir, I think I found something."
"What is it Garcia" Hotch asked
"There have missing person reports starting all the way from all the way over in California to here in Virginia. If they are connected they seem to be traveling across the country."
"Good, that's a start. I want you to get the list of names and locations of those people."
"Yes sir" She quickly walked back to her office, thinking maybe just the faster she got the information the quicker they would find Derek.
CM - CM
He was awakened by a rough shove, when he opened his eyes he saw the silhouette of a tall figure. Light streaming in on both sides of him from the open door behind.
"Get up" He said.
"What?" Morgan asked groggily not quite awake yet.
"I said get up!" The man said grabbing Morgan by the collar and dragged him up. Morgan stumbled down the ramp, nearly tripping, but the man who was holding him kept him up.
He looked around; all the others were sitting at tables and eating already. There were men guarding them, they were all wearing masks, so as to be un-identifiable later on when these people were somewhere else.
The man marched him over to a tree and shoved him into a chair. Then he left leaving just Morgan and the cameraman.
"Say cheese" The man said from behind the camera and flashed a picture.
Morgan didn't waste any time he looked around to see how many guards were about, and more importantly that they weren't looking.
He lunged forward punching the man in the face; he heard a sickening crunch as he guessed could only be the man's nose breaking. He turned and started running into the trees, he could hear the man yelling something. He didn't have a specific location he was running to, since he didn't even know where they were. He was unprepared for the two men who stepped out from behind a couple of trees. Instead of changing his course he headed straight for one of the men, he jump flying into the man, knocking them both to the ground.
The other man quickly pulled Morgan off the man. He stood up and swung his fist at the mans face, but the man ducked out of the way. Something flew into him from behind, hands wrapping around him holding his arms to his side. He hit the ground with a loud thump, all the air leaving his lungs. He coughed, sucking in air trying to regulate a normal breathing pattern.
The two men weren't taking any chances now, they quickly hauled him up twisting his arms behind his back and shoving him towards the camp.
When they got back the two men forced him to his knees. The man from earlier walked over, holding a red stained tissue to his nose.
He punched Morgan across the face, knocking him to the ground.
The man than kicked him in the side, just for the sake of it.
"Watch the merchandise" Morgan said holding his side. There was most definitely going to be a bruise.
"Try to run again, and I'll kill you!" The man said angrily. Take him back to the trailer, and don't give him any food" He ordered.
CM – CM
"Hotch" Garcia said standing in the doorway holding a piece of paper.
"Yes" He answered looking back from the board he was staring at.
"I have that list of names you asked for" She said holding the paper up.
"Good, just read them out slowly" He grabbed a box of pushpins.
"We have a Sandra Miller from Clifton Forge Virginia.
Kevin Nix from Owingsville Kentucky.
Max Start from Frankfort Kentucky.
Keina Sway from Mount Vernon Illinois.
Ryan Christensen from Warrenton Missouri…"
CM – CM
The gnawing pain in his stomach burned like a fire, consuming him from the inside. Whenever his stomach grumbled he noticed people glancing at him, some in sympathy, some just looked at him expressionless.
"You should not have tried to run" Morgan looked over to see Robert sitting beside him.
"Seemed like a good idea at the time." Morgan answered with a small chuckle.
"It was a dum idea." Robert said bluntly.
"Thanks I know that now. I didn't know they had people on the perimeter. You could of told me as much." Morgan said.
"I told you, you would not get away.
"So, do you only get food once a day? Morgan asked changing the subject.
"Oh no, we'll get to eat in the evening to." Robert answered happily.
"Good, because I'm starving" Derek mentioned.
"I can imagine." Robert said, "I never got you name"
"Derek. Derek Morgan" He answered
"So what do you do?" Morgan asked, "Like what was you job" He added when Robert gave him a questioning look.
"Oh, I was a contractor. And what did you do?" He asked
Morgan looked at him warily he didn't think it would be a good idea to announce he was a F.B.I. agent.
"Come on, who am I going to tell." Robert urged.
He supposed he was right, he didn't see a reason one of these people would give that information to their kidnappers. Even if they did find out he didn't know if it would make a difference.
"I'm and F.B.I. agent"
"Oh very interesting" Robert said to himself. "Very interesting" He repeated in a slightly menacing way.
Morgan wasn't sure it had been such a good idea anymore.
CM – CM
"So they've traveled all the way from California to Virginia, Why?" Gideon said mostly to himself.
"So were guessing that they were only traveling across one shot, which means we don't know where they are going now. Once again were searching for a needle in a haystack." Reid said, a quick flash of hopelessness crossing his face.
"We need a press conference, we need to make it public maybe something will come up if more people know." Hotch announced.
"With the amount of people who have been reported kidnapped, they must be traveling in a large vehicle, possibly a semi trailer, or a caravan of vehicles, possibly the latter. And they would not want these people to be seen by someone else." Said Hotch.
"They are most likely still in Virginia, so urge people to be on the lookout for anything suspicious, like a large group of people that don't seem to fit together." Gideon added to the list. JJ's list.
She stopped writing and looked up "Anything else?" she asked, "Because you know this is kind of vague."
"As long as no one else is kidnapped then this is hwhat we have to work with. We don't know what direction to point in yet." Hotch hated feeling do useless.
"Ok, I'll set up a tip line, you never know someone may see something." She said, she looked over her notebook again then asked, "Do you want it announced that he's F.B.I., maybe someone will…
"No" Gideon said before she could say anything else. "It might make them feel pressured, and more vulnerable. It's possible that if he's still alive, it could greatly shorten his time, for his part in what they're were planning."
JJ nodded and left.
CM – CM
The man was sitting on a bar stool, enjoying his time off from watching those stinky prisoners.
He looked up at the TV to see what was on, and almost choked when he read the headline of the six O'clock news.
"Turn it up" He sputtered.
"It is believed that they are still here in Virginia. So please keep your eyes open, especially for any unusual large groups of people. The F.B.I. believe that they may be transporting these people in a large vehicle, such as a trailer.
Also astoundingly it has been reported that they have an F.B.I agent among those kidnapped. A warning to any person responsible for this, his comrades are searching relentlessly for him, there is no doubt that they will find him.
And now we go to the sports with…
"Oh crap" the man said running out the door.
TBC…