Chapter 7
The discouraged BAU team huddled around a table in one of the many conference rooms off the main office.
"What now?" Morgan asked, throwing his file folder across the room. "We have zero leads! And it's been twenty-four hours."
Hotch lowered his head into his hands. "I failed her," he whispered. "I should have protected her."
Morgan glanced at him. "We all should have protected her," he said, gently squeezing Hotch's shoulder.
Reid rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on!" he said, obviously annoyed. "She's not dead!"
"That we know of," corrected Morgan.
"Since when do we give up?" Reid said, glaring at him. "A lead will turn up. Elle deserves at least a little hope that we might find her."
Hotch and Morgan said nothing. They hated to admit it, but they knew the kid was right.
Morgan sighed. "I should have done something the moment she got that package."
Hotch flipped through one of the folders. Suddenly he stopped, and his eyes lit up. "The package!" he said, grasping Morgan by the shoulders.
Morgan glanced at Reid, who shrugged.
Hotch practically ran from the room to Elle's desk. He rummaged through her trash can until he found the scraps of brown packing paper. "If it was delivered here, it would have to have a return address."
Morgan's tired face stretched into a grin. Maybe there was hope for Elle after all.
Hotch pulled out the paper. "If there's a return address, it should be right here." Hotch smiled in triumph. "Here. 816 Richards Avenue, Quantico."
Reid booted up his laptop at his desk. His fingers flew over the keyboard. Morgan bent over him, reading over his shoulder. Reid's face grew pale, and Morgan's mouth dropped open.
"What is it?" Hotch asked.
Reid didn't answer, but stared at the screen in horror. Morgan turned away and held his head in his hands.
"What is it?" Hotch asked again.
"It doesn't exist," Reid said hoarsely.
"What!" Hotch bent over Reid's shoulder. "It's got to!"
Reid tapped the screen with a shaking finger. "It doesn't, Hotch!"
"But it's just got to!"
Reidgrabbed Hotch by the shoulders and shook him gently. "It doesn't!" Hotch's tears flowed freely, and so did Reid's. "It's nowhere."