AN: I don't own Criminal Minds. Or the memories Morgan has . . .sigh.
Chapter 9-Search
Morgan wasn't surprised that it was J.J. who met him at the airport. Garcia meant a lot to everyone on the team, but Morgan and J.J. were her best friends. J.J.'s eyes were red rimmed, and he knew she probably had to try nearly as hard as he did to keep it together. She hugged him, something they didn't do often. He heard her exhale a shaky breath. "Where are we?" He asked, almost scared to hear the answer.
J.J. stepped back and started walking to the car. "We called Lynch in—the lead Garcia was able to give the Chicago P.D. about Ford's known associates was good one—the guy, Martin Lowell, sang to the locals about how Ford blackmailed him into helping him out. Car, camera equipment, and spending money. That's how he was able to take the pictures he sent you. We've got Lynch digging farther into Ford's background, the families who kept kids at the cabin and into anything to do with The Company. We think it's likely he's using dirt he has on past acquaintances to get help. We're really hoping someone connected with him has property in the area."
As they climbed into the car, Morgan had to admit it was more than he had been expecting. He let J.J. see his fear—he had to get it out of his system before they got to the B.A.U. "He had Cindy for five years before we got him, J.J."
"Yeah, but we know who he is Morgan. That was something you didn't have before. You thought Cindy's stalker had committed suicide. We know Malcolm Ford has her. Every local police officer has his picture. We will find him."
"Did you guys make a decision on talking to the media?" Morgan asked. He knew releasing Ford's picture to the media would be a risky move since he had a hostage. If he felt threatened, he may simply kill Garcia and leave the area. Or leave with her. God, he hoped they had made that decision already. He couldn't make it. He wasn't entirely sure he could do any of this. But the alternative, doing nothing, really wasn't an option, either.
"We decided to hold off and see if we can get something from Lynch's search. It's not worth the risk right now. If we end up with nothing, we may have to go to the media. We don't have anything else to go on right now."
"Is Lynch keeping it together?" Derek asked. Garcia had been in a steady relationship with the man for four years before they had broken it off. Every single one of them stood to lose big if they couldn't find her.
"He's doing okay. He's not used to the intensity of the B.A.U., and it's harder because he knows her. But he'll get the job done." J.J. sighed. "You know, that's probably why he picked her. Whether he's going after you or going after us, she's integral."
He closed his eyes. His voice cracked. "Yeah, I know that. The team can only do what we do as fast as we do because she takes what we give her and narrows everything down to a manageable size. And she keeps us sane. When you guys broke it down, did you have a feeling which one it is? Me or the team, I mean?"
"I don't know. From what you said about the photos, he was watching all of us. Did you bring them?"
"Yeah, figured boy genius might see something we didn't."
"Good." She said. "The boys are safe by the way. Will has them on the third floor with a couple of other agents. They pitched a tent—camping at work is great fun. They think it's an adventure." She laughed just a bit. Then sobered. "Of course, we haven't told them what's going on. I don't want to have to tell Henry she's . . ."
"You won't." Morgan cut her off. "We have to find her J.J."
"So, anyway, we're leaning toward the theory that he's after you. It seemed like he intentionally drew you to Chicago. We think he wanted you to be helpless in those first hours. . ." She paused, and Morgan knew what she had been ready to say and had held back. The most important hours. Because the first hours after an abduction were the most important. Every hour she was gone, her chances went down. The nausea and the pressure in his chest became unbearable again, almost causing him to double over in the passenger seat. No, no, no. Keep it together, Morgan!
"So," Derek said, when he could breathe again, "if it's me he's after, what is his end game?"
"It's hard to tell, this early on. He may taunt you with photos of her, to make sure you know you are in control. We'll have to wait and see if he makes contact."
Morgan closed his eyes again. He did not want to do this. What had Penelope Garcia ever done to deserve being this man's pawn? But he knew the answer to that. She hadn't done anything. Most victims never do anything to bring on what happens. They just have terribly bad luck. Damn it, he didn't want her to be a victim. Not her.
He wanted to ask what they thought Ford would do to her. But he didn't. He couldn't. It was better not to know what they thought. They were rarely wrong, and he could not listen to them detailing what they expected him to do to her. He just couldn't do it.
They pulled into the parking garage at Quantico. A few minutes later, they exited the elevator and walked into the B.A.U. bullpen. As he walked, he saw her everywhere—little moments they had shared in every corner of this building. Next to the elevator, she had told him how she was worried that she would feel empty if she ever let herself be married. Over by the bookshelves, she had snapped at him not to call her sweetheart after being stuck with Gideon while he was injured. By the doors, she had first told him about meeting Battle, the man who had shot her. The pressure and the nausea were back again. He had to stop, lean against a wall and close his eyes. Just breathe. Keep it together.
When he opened his eyes again, they were all watching him—J.J., Reid, Rossi, Blake and Hotch. He stood up and walked over to them, perched on the edge of Reid's desk. "What now?" he asked.
"The pictures?" Reid asked. Morgan pulled them out of his bag and gave them to Reid. "There is a photo of Garcia in there that had to have been taken the Monday after Thanksgiving, when we left for San Diego. He's been watching us, or her at least, for two solid weeks."
Reid flipped through the pictures. "It makes sense for him to choose Garcia, even if he didn't single her out because of our emotional attachment to her. She's here when we're not, and she doesn't have the training that we do. He would have known, from following her, that she didn't carry a weapon. She was more accessible than the rest of us."
He stopped and tapped the picture with Jack and Henry. Morgan knew what he was thinking . . . at least Ford had left the kids out of this. That would have been horrible on a whole other level. "He could have gone after the kids," Reid said, "but I don't think that would have given him what he wants. Whether his ultimate target is the team as a whole, or you Morgan, he wants control." Reid looked up, met Morgan's eyes, then looked down at his shoes. It seemed that he was unwilling to be the one to say what needed to be said next.
Blake had no such problem. She had the least emotional attachment to Garcia, and to all of them. "He is going to want to control her like he controlled his past hostage. He will want to break her, probably by strangulation and sensory deprivation. By breaking her, taking her identity, he is probably hoping to hurt Morgan, to take away his control of things. He wants control of everyone for himself."
Before he could stop it, a pained sound escaped Morgan. Blake looked up, eyes wide. He wondered how she couldn't see how hard this was for him, if she didn't realize how important Garcia was in his life. He could hardly bare the look of pity in her eyes. So he closed his eyes and pressed his fingers into them. "Does Lynch have anything yet?" he asked, hoping to change the direction of the conversation.
"Yes, in fact, I think I do." Derek looked up to see Kevin Lynch, looking as geeky as never, striding toward them from Penelope's office. "One of Ford's known associates, an Ian McClellan, owns ten industrial properties in the surrounding area. Here's the list." He handed each of them a copy of paper.
"Good work." Hotch said. He scanned the list. "J.J., you and Reid take the first three. Rossi, Blake, the last three. Morgan, you and I will cover the four in the middle. Lynch, keep digging, just in case this ends up being nothing." Everyone gathered their things and headed out, glad to finally have something to go on.
Hotch stopped Morgan, put his hand on his shoulder. "I need to know you are going to keep it together."
Morgan closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and met Hotch's eyes. "I will. But you know how hard it is when someone you love is in danger."
Hotch nodded. "Tell me if it gets to be too much. Let's go."
