Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too was a gift." -Mary Oliver
Hotch's POV
A throughout the plane ride, Morgan was looking at Gwen, trying to figure her out. Morgan was a good person, but he did not trust very easily. Then again, no of us did. We deal with the worst of humanity, and we put our lives into each other's hands. Without trust, and by that I mean trusting everyone on this team, the team will fall apart. Granted I get Morgan, an agent just came here without experience, but Gwen is not going to betray this team. She is an only child, so whoever she works with, she sees them as family. All I can do is hope that she ends up loving the team, and the team loves her.
The team got off the plane, and got into the SVUs that were waiting for us. Morgan drove one, I drove the other. In my car, I had Gwen, Dave, and Blake. Morgan had Reid, and JJ in his car. We drove in a caravan, I led, and Morgan followed. Rossi was sitting shotgun, and Gwen had a map on her lap, and talked me to the station.
The team pulled in, and walked into the station. We all had our go bags, and the case files. Reid walked to the map, and started a geographical profile. Gwen joined him, and he started to teach her how to form the geographical profile. I walked up to the sheriff, Rossi and JJ next to me.
"Hello Sheriff Wikes, I am SSA Aaron Hotchner, this is SSA David Rossi, and this is SSA Jenifer Jareau. Over at the board we have SSA Dr. Reid, and beside him we have SA Dr. White. At the coffee machine, we have SSA Derek Morgan, and SSA Dr. Blake. We are here to help with this case, you are still in control of the investigation," I introduced myself to the sheriff, and I shook his hand. Rossi and JJ both shook his hand after me. Reid and Gwen just waved, and continued to work, Morgan and Blake nodded.
"Thank y'all for coming, you have all the resources that you need, as long as we have it," Wikes told me. I nodded.
"He is most likely a local, we have the comfort zone down to 10 square miles, which most likely means he has a car," Reid perked up, he had somehow gotten a hold of like thirty dry erase markers.
"Where did you get all those, Reid?" Morgan asked.
"Gwen had them in her go bag, and when I commented that I needed more colors, she grabbed them," Reid responded, while smiling at Gwen. I looked at Gwen, who looked happy but also kinda embarrassed at being called out like that.
"He is most likely white, given the majority of this town is white," Morgan commented.
"He is most likely educated, since the abductions left no witnesses," Blake pointed out.
" Based on the age of the girls, he is most likely late teens to early twenties. The girls must have felt they could trust him," Gwen commented, and I noticed her flinching a little bit.
"White, can I talk to you?" I asked. We always went by our last names in the field. She nodded, and walked towards me. "Are you ok, I noticed you flinch a little bit."
"Yeah, it is just these girls are the same age as I was, I was just thinking, what if this the guy that held me? Is that crazy?" She asked. "I mean, I was his only prey, so he only got ten years. What if he got out on parole, was well behaved, and then moved here?"
"I will have Garcia check people that live in the town, see if this is the same guy, if so, he perfected his MO somehow," I commented, she just nodded. I figured she needed a hug, but we were on a case, so I figured the most tactile person here should comfort her. "Hey Morgan, come here for a sec will you?" I asked. Morgan came over quickly, and almost as if on instinct, Gwen hugged him. He looked a little concerned.
"Just comfort her, I've got to call Garcia," I whispered. Morgan just nodded, and started to stroke her hair, like a brother would comfort his younger sister. I called our tech analyst.
"Penelope Garcia, what can I do you for?" she answered.
"I need you to look up a name for me please, Damien Hernandez," I almost ordered her.
"He went to jail for kidnapping in 1995, he got out in 2005, stayed in North Carolina until four years ago, and now he lives in, oh lord, Nome Alaska," She answered.
" Has he done anything since he got here?" I asked.
"No, if he has it hasn't been caught or documented," She replied
"Alright, thanks," I hung up. I looked over to see Morgan holding Gwen by her shoulders, and talking to her.
"Sheriff, do you know of Damien Hernandez?" I asked softly.
"Yeah, he moved here four years ago, he owns a coffee and book shop, called The Busy Bean. It is a school girl's favorite place to study," The sheriff answered.
"Where is it?" I asked.
"Right in the middle of the shopping center that all three girls were seen at before they went missing," Wikes commented with a downcast look.
"Morgan, Rossi, we are going to pay someone a visit, Reid, keep Gwen company," I ordered. Reid nodded.
"Who are we going to visit?" Morgan asked.
"Dave, do you remember Damien Hernandez?" I asked, as we put on our bulletproof vests.
"That scumbag?" Dave asked.
"He lives here now, and owns a coffee shop in the shopping center the girls went missing at," I stated.
"Who is he?" Morgan asked.
"The guy that kidnapped Gwen when she was eleven," Rossi answered, and for the rest of the ride, Morgan silently fumed.
When we got to the shopping center, I led, Morgan followed, and Rossi had our backs. We moved as a well oiled machine. I walked up to the coffee shop, and saw the bastard at the counter. All three of us pulled out our guns, and pointed them at him.
"Damein Hernandez, we need you to come with us," I ordered. He nodded, and closed his shop.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you," Morgan stated, as he cuffed Hernandez.
Morgan and Rossi led him to the car, and I hopped into the driver's seat, Morgan and Rossi in the back with our suspect. I drove the car back to the station, and texted Reid to keep Gwen away from the interview rooms, and the back door. He sent me back a thumbs up. We brought Hernandez to the interrogation rooms, and we handcuffed him to the table. Once that was done, I left to find Reid and Gwen. I found them at the break table, Gwen had a mug of tea, and Reid had a huge cup of coffee.
"Hey Hotch, did you know that this 'kid' takes a fourth of a cup of sugar in his coffee, that is more sugar than is in a sprite?" Gwen pointed out while laughing. Reid threw a paper ball at her.
"Gwen, we have a suspect in custody, you know him. We have Damien Hernandez in the interrogation room, and I would like if you were in on the interview with me, not only for you to learn, but also, it might make him talk," I told her.
"Ok, do you want me to wear a short sleeved shirt, to feed his over inflated ego?" She asked, and I nodded. She went to the bathroom and changed into a white t-shirt, jeans, and platform sandals. I recognized that outfit, it was what she was wearing when he took her.
"Good idea Gwen, I complemented. She smiled.
"Let's talk to this son of a bitch," Gwen growled. I almost smiled at that.