Chapter 43

After spending the day making over Kahlan, Hotch went to work the next day and Garcia tapped on his window and pointed to a folder in her hand, he nodded and held up a finger to let her know he would be right there. When he got to the conference room, and saw all the smiles on the teams' faces, he frowned. "Don't we have a case?"

"Oh yeah, we do, but I'm still looking at it as a little vacation," Morgan put in as he grinned even more.

"Vacation?" Hotch asked as he took his seat and brought his tablet to life. He frowned some more as he read. There were four victims so far. "How is this a vacation?"

"Well, it's not. . . it's horrible," Garcia started and then brought up the first photos on the screen.

"True, but it's where we're going. How awesome is that? I was just telling Will this morning that it was getting too cold already," JJ put in as she scooted closer to the table.

"The average daily temperature is in the mid-eighties throughout October," Reid pointed out.

Hotch frowned even more as he looked around the table.

Rossi snorted and shoved his tablet over to Hotch. "The people asking for our help, Aaron, are the Hawaiian State Police Department."

"Hawaii?" Hotch asked as he looked at the team, they had never been to Hawaii. Normally a team from the west coast went there just because they were closer. "Why us?"

Rossi shrugged. "Apparently someone asked for us personally."

Garcia nodded. "Agent Garrett knows the Hawaiian State DA and suggested that you all be the ones to work this case, so he asked for us."

Hotch nodded. "Alright. What do we know?"

"Well, it's not just the main isle of Hawaii," Garcia pointed out and then started to present the case.

Someone was attacking and killing people. So far only one victim had been found on each of the four biggest islands, but the locals had nothing besides four bodies: no evidence, no suspects, no connections between victims, no motives, no nothing. In fact, the only reason they were even sure the victims were connected was because each of the victims were missing their hearts.

Once Garcia was done, Hotch took a deep breath. "Alright. We'll figure out our plan of attack once we're airborne." He stood up. "And make sure you're packed appropriately."

Garcia whined. "I so wish I was going with you for this."

Hotch glanced at her and then bit back a smile. "Maybe you should go with us. I've heard cell coverage is spotty at best on some of the islands. You could get us connected with the satellite phones and such and then make sure we stay connected with the mainland from the hotel."

Garcia's eyes grew as she looked at him. "Oh, Sir, are you serious?"

He looked at his watch. "How fast can you be ready?"

"I have to call Puddin, I need to set up something for Doddle Bug, I. . ."

"Call Cindi. She'd love to watch him," Rossi put in with a grin.

"You have an hour. If you're not to the jet by then, we'll take off without you," Hotch told her and then looked to the rest of the team. "You all might need to run and get different clothes, too."

Not even twenty minutes later, Hotch looked up to when he heard a familiar heartbeat and saw Kahlan walking through the bullpen. He took a deep breath and watched her come to his office with a small suitcase. Is she trying to go on our case with us? He stood up and met her at the door with a quick kiss. "Hey, Babe."

She gave him a smile and handed him the bag. "Pen text me as soon as she found out where you all were going, so I packed you some more appropriate clothes."

"Oh, thank you, I thought maybe you were wanting to go with us," he joked as he moved to his go bag.

She laughed. "Nah. I've been to Hawaii a few times." She sighed as some old memory came back to her and then smiled. "And the sunsets are amazing!" She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a large bottle and handed it to him.

"What's this?"

"It's the best sunblock on the planet. It blocks about ninety-seven percent of UVA and UBV rays. It's what spec ops units use in the desert."

He nodded as he took it.

"With the sunshine you're going to be facing there, Aaron, you have to put that on any exposed skin."

"Alright."

"And not just once in the morning when you're getting ready, every four hours that you're outside."

"Ok."

"I mean it, Aaron. It's probably going to be really uncomfortable for you with you not being used to it because it's already fall here. I wish there was something else, but. . ."

He went to her and put his hands on her waist and locked eyes with her. "I'll be fine."

She sighed. "I know. I'm just. . ."

"Worried," he finished for her with a smile. "But don't be."

She rolled her eyes. "I also packed you a few shirts that are long sleeve but are so light that they shouldn't be hot. They also have sunscreen built into them."

He put his hand on the side of her face. "Stop. I'll be fine."

She shook her head. "You know it makes you uncomfortable, Aaron, but you have no idea what over exposure will do to you."

He sighed. "And any damage it might do to me during the day will heal come nighttime."

She nodded. "I know. I also put a few extra bags in a spare lockbox. With you being so far away. . ."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "Stop worrying. I got this."

She took a deep breath as her eyes searched his. "Alright."

He gave her a smile. "Yeah?"

She drooped. "Not really, but I'll pretend not to be if it makes you feel better."

He laughed and then took her face in gentle hands. "I love you."

That made a genuine smile come to her face. "And I love you."

He leaned down and kissed her and then pulled away enough to look her in the eyes again. "I'll call tonight, but remember it's a six hour difference so it will probably to be pretty late."

She nodded as she pulled away from him. "I'll have the kids text you before they go to bed."

"You about ready, Aaron?" Rossi asked as he came through the door and then smiled when he saw Kahlan. "Hey, Kiddo."

She went to him and kissed his cheek. "Hey, Dave."

Rossi looked back and forth between the Hotchners and frowned. "Is everything alright?"

Hotch nodded. "Yes. Kahlan just thought I needed some extra supplies with where we're going."

"Oh," he smiled at her again. "Don't worry. I'll keep his ass in line."

She giggled. "You better." She went to her husband and gave him a quick kiss. "Talk to you tonight," she started and then moved to give Rossi another kiss. "And be safe," she demanded of both of them and then turned to the door.

"We will be," Rossi assured her and she nodded and left.

Rossi fixed Hotch with a serious look. "So you have everything you need?"

Hotch sighed as he grabbed both of his bags. "Yes, Dad."

Rossi chuckled and followed him out.

XXX

After the over ten hour flight, the team stepped off the jet into paradise. JJ, the first one off, stood and leaned her face towards the sky. "Oh magnificent sun, I love you."

Garcia laughed as she stepped up next to her. "Maybe, if we get the case solved really quickly, Mon Capitan will let us stay another day or so just to take in some rays."

Morgan laughed as he put an arm around both of the girls. "What do you care? You can set up next to the pool if you want."

Garcia's brows rose above the rim of her yellow glasses. "You think I could?"

Mack laughed. "As long as you do your job, who cares where you do it from?"

"Just remember, over exposure to the sun has been linked to several different types of. . ."

JJ pulled away from Morgan and fixed Reid with a deadly look that stopped the words in his throat. "Do not ruin this for us!"

Hotch winced and a hiss left him as soon as he stepped onto the first stair.

"I told you to put some of that sunscreen on before we landed," Rossi told him as he pulled him by the scruff of his collar back into the jet. "Kahlan gave you that shit for a reason, Aaron. Don't make me call her and tell her."

Hotch held up his hand quickly. "Alright. I'll put some on!" he agreed as he moved back to the seats and sat his bags down and dug out the bottle.

Rossi shook his head. "The damn pilot told us it was sunny and eighty-two degrees. What did you expect?"

"Shut up, Dave," Hotch insisted as he rubbed some of the lotion on his face and hands. They had tried to get him to change out of his suit, but they had a meeting with the Hawaiian DA and Police Chief scheduled first and there was no way he was going into that meeting looking anything but his best.

Once he was done, he put the bottle back away and grabbed his bags.

Rossi grinned at him and motioned for him to go first. "Come on, we better get out of here before the girls want to set up lounge chairs right here on the airstrip."

Hotch nodded, put on his sunglasses, and headed down the stairs. He held back the moan that wanted to escape as soon as he was fully in the sun and he took a deep breath and called on his added strength to get him through.

XXX

After their meeting with the officials, Hotch and the team headed to the Honolulu Police Department where a conference room was waiting for them with everything that they had on the case. A tall, Hawaiian native man stepped up and introduced himself. "I'm Detective Ahe Iona. Thank you all for coming."

Hotch shook hands with the man as he introduced himself and his team.

"Sorry there isn't a whole lot to start you all off, but I guess that shows how much we really need your help," the detective told them as he gestured to the white board with nothing more than victim pictures, names, and locations of deaths. "I do have the ME reports now, though, so I thought you'd want to start with those."

"Thank you, Detective," Hotch offered as he took the file from him and opened it.

"When you're ready to head out, I have a boat and a chopper standing by to take you to the other islands. Just let me know," he told them. "And the victim's families will be here within the hour," he added and then left them as he shut the door behind him.

Hotch winced as he read the report and then passed it off to Rossi. "Their hearts were ripped out while the victims were still alive."

Mack's face scrunched up in disgust. "Were there any drugs in their systems?"

Rossi shook his head as he passed the report to Reid. "Toc screens were negative on all victims."

Garcia flopped down in one of the chairs. "So they were kicking and screaming all the while that he. . . Oh God!"

Morgan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave it a tender squeeze. "Maybe they were passed out, Baby Girl," he offered and the whole team knew he was just saying that to help relieve her stress.

Hotch looked at the colorful tech and had to bite back a sigh. "Morgan, you and Mack can take Garcia to the hotel and then check out the scene here on this island and also the one on Kauai. Reid, JJ, I want you two to start on victimology and the geographical profile and interview the families when they get here. Rossi and I will head to Maui and the Hawaii Island to check out those scenes."

They all nodded and got busy.

When Hotch was on his way back out of the station, he stopped so suddenly that Rossi ran into him. "What the hell, Hotch?"

Hotch took a deep breath and his eyes searched the station around him.

"Aaron?" Rossi asked in a quiet whisper as he leaned in closer to Hotch.

Hotch licked his lips and then swallowed as his eyes searched some more. "There's something here," he uttered.

Rossi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Hotch moved closer to the door and into a corner. "There is something here that's not human."

Rossi's eyes shot open and he wanted to turn and look around, but he fought against it. "How do you know?"

"Because I can hear it's heart, and it's definitely not human!" Hotch insisted.