Chapter 2
Elle stared out the window of the BAU's private jet. She could hear J.J. tapping away at her laptop, and Reid turning the pages of his latest genius book. Morgan sprawled on the seat across the small aisle, snoring his head off. Hotch sat next to her, lost in his thoughts.
Gideon watched her closely, studying her body language. He knew this case might send her over the edge, but Elle was invaluable to him and the team. Her expertise was going to be important on this one. "Elle."
She jumped, startled.
"Can I talk to you privately?"
She frowned slightly, but went to the front of the small jet with him. Hotch followed her with his eyes. J.J. and Reid exchanged glances and went back to their previous tasks.
Gideon stopped at the cockpit door. "Are you okay, Elle?" he asked in a low voice, the wrinkles on his face pronounced by the worry seen there. "You seemed…preoccupied at headquarters."
Elle looked him in the eye. "I'm fine. It's just this cold." She sneezed as if to punctuate the comment. Gideon's doubt was written all over his face. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Really, I'm fine."
"You know that if you ever want to talk, all of us will listen."
"Yes, I know." She turned to walk back to her seat and turned around again to face him. "And Gideon?" She smiled. "Thanks."
Late in the afternoon, the team arrived at the Dallas branch of the FBI. The air was hot and humid, and Morgan quickly shed his suit jacket. "Who knew it could get so hot down here?"
Elle nodded and pulled her brown hair into a ponytail.
A middle-aged woman in plain clothes ran out to meet them. "Oh, it's about time y'all showed up. I thought you'd never get here. You must be from the BA-what's-it-called, from the FBI. Did you have a good flight?"
"Well…" Reid never got to finish his statement.
"That's fabulous," the woman interrupted. "Now we have a room all ready for you. Just follow me and we'll get you set up." She grabbed J.J.'s hand and pulled her into the building as the poor agent desperately looked at her companions. Morgan stifled a snort, and Hotch even looked amused. Elle rolled her eyes impatiently.
The woman led them through cubicles and desks and a vast array of papers, and she talked the whole way. "I dunno too much about these cases, I'm only a secretary here. But I saw the pictures, and those poor girls. I'd hate to be in your line of work, 'cause it's bad enough just being around these people, seein' what happens around here. Nuthin' like this has happened to this area in a long time." She led them to an office at the far end of the precinct. "Here's the agent in charge." She knocked three times on the door and opened it. "Jamison, the BUA is here." She smiled at J.J. "Y'all have a nice day."
The man behind the desk was handsome, with salt-and-pepper hair. He looked like he hadn't had sleep in days. "Welcome to Texas." He stood and shook hands with Gideon. "I'm Special Agent Robert Jamison, and I'm in charge of this case. I hope Lori didn't talk your ears off too much."
"Oh, not at all," Hotch replied, glaring at the giggling Morgan.
"You all don't know how grateful I am to have you here." Jamison sank into his chair and rubbed his eyes. "This case is really starting to get to me."
Gideon sat in the only empty chair in the room. "How?"
Jamison paused for a long moment. "I have a daughter of my own. Sixteen years old."
"And you're putting yourself in the families' position," Reid interjected.
Jamison nodded and sighed. "Okay, down to business." He handed each of them a file folder. "Each girl was sixteen, and each was walking home from work. The coroners' reports are in there."
"We'll need to take a look at the crime scenes," Gideon said, flipping through the folder.
"I thought so." Jamison stood and grabbed his jacket. "Come with me."
Hotch turned to Elle. "Come with me. We'll talk to the families of the victims."
Gideon nodded.
Jamison motioned to an agent in the main office. "Agent McLean will take you."
Hotch grabbed Reid as he tried to follow Gideon. "No, you don't. You're coming with us."
