A/N: Do not own Criminal Minds (I'm lucky that I own my own mind)
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Reid and Morris were waiting at the airstrip when the BAU plane touched down. Morris was impressed with their usual mode of travel. The group deplaned and Reid made introductions. Hotch and Emily rode with Morris while Morgan and JJ rode with Reid. Morgan felt strange getting into the passenger side of the SUV and having Reid drive. Reid never drove back in Quantico, Morgan wondered why that was.
"So Reid, how is the little honey?"
"Oh Morgan, we're in the middle of what could possibly turn out to be a lot of murders all over the country, how did I know that would be the first thing you would ask."
"Just interested, my man, just interested."
"You're always interested in my love life Morgan, way too interested, but to answer your question, Colleen is fine."
Morgan was about to make some smart retort when he stopped himself. Wait! Junior didn't blush or look down or deny that Colleen was his honey. Something was different, Reid seemed, he didn't know if he could put his finger on it, more grown up. So instead of saying anything he just smiled.
Reid caught his friend's expression and he smiled as well. He was learning.
"So Reid," JJ began, "Fill us in on what's been going on down here."
Reid told them about the seminar, the skeleton being found leading to the situation they were now in. "I've got the whole group with me. I thought when we found the skeleton it would be educational for them to go through a crime scene and then everything just grew from there. Anyway, I told them that you guys were the best and that they could learn a lot from you and to ask questions. So remember to play nice Morgan."
"Doc, you wound me, have I ever not played nice with the local law enforcement?"
JJ was laughing uproariously in the back seat. "At least I know JJ will behave herself." Reid said, raising an eyebrow at her amusement. "Right JJ."
"You have nothing to worry about Reid."
They had arrived at the stationhouse and the others were waiting excitedly for the rest of the team. Reid said, "Sheriff Jake Moore and Deputy Greg Olinsky from Chaterville, Sheriff Kyle Rutherford and Deputies Roy Butterfield and Colleen Rutherford from Brookdale. He pointed to the members of the team as he said, Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, our unit chief, Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss, Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan and Special Agent Jennifer Jareau." Everyone exchanged greetings and handshakes.
Morgan said, "So this is the lovely Colleen, Reid said you were pretty but his description did not do you justice."
Colleen blushed and Reid was certain he was going to kill Morgan. "It's nice that he spoke of me, he's never mentioned you, what did you say your name was again." Everyone laughed and Morgan slapped Reid on the back and said "Man, I like this girl." Reid looked at Colleen and quietly nodded "Me too."
Hotch was eager to get started and wanted to be brought up to speed on the investigation so far. He looked at Gideon who shook his head and indicated Reid. "Ask Reid, he's the SAC."
"What's a sack?" Greg asked.
"It stands for special agent in charge." Hotch replied.
"Okay Reid, report please."
"We came out to Brookdale, as you know to hold a seminar on crime scene investigation. On the first day, a skeleton was found in the woods outside of Castleton. Thinking it would be a good educational opportunity for the group, we all went up to investigate. We got computer tech Garcia to help us put a face on our dead woman and sent flyers out around the state. We got a response from Detective Blair Moyer in Frankfurt regarding a missing woman from there. Agents Morgan and Prentiss were dispatched to Frankfurt to question certain individuals regarding the disappearance of Tracy Wilcox, who dental records proved was our dead body. Her injuries indicated that she was hit by a car. Agents Morgan and Prentiss' investigation revealed that Tracy had come here to help her grandmother who was suspicious after the death of her friend Thelma Fletcher. Both ladies' bodies were exhumed and revealed death due to potassium chloride induced heart attacks. Thelma Fletcher resided at the Bluegrass Valley Nursing Home and Deputy Rutherford and I talked to the administrator who said she will look into staffing from that day. I received the patient's chart with a court order and have sent it to Dr. Coleman at Quantico for assessment. It was noted by Dr. Coleman at autopsy that Thelma Fletcher's eyes had been removed. Upon being questioned about this Dr. Karen Price, administrator of Bluegrass Valley produced a consent form for organ donation signed by Thelma's sister however, Deputy Rutherford, while talking to one of the residents, discovered that Mrs. Fletcher had no family, we have not been able to get in touch with any individual with the name on the consent form. It appears that Mrs. Fletcher was murdered a couple of weeks before her eightieth birthday when her eyes would no longer be eligible for transplant. We are now investigating whether this is a widespread phenomenon involving the parent company of Bluegrass which is Lifelink Enterprises." Reid took a breath as he finished his report to his superior.
"Very good, Reid," Hotch replied. "What was your next move to be?"
"My next move, uh well I never, I mean after I called you I thought that I…"
"Reid."
"Okay, I would concentrate on the nursing home, bombarding it with personnel at all times of the day and night to try to catch them off guard. We also have to look more closely into Lifelink and find out exactly what is going on there. That's what I'd do Hotch."
"Good, any ideas on who is doing what?"
"Well, no I thought that you…"
"Reid, you know the most about this case, I'm watching and will jump in if you need help but go ahead, assign members as needed, even me."
He looked at Hotch, dumbstruck for a moment, then regained his composure and carried on. "Garcia, look into other nursing homes owned by Lifelink, find out if there are any suspicious deaths like Thelma Fletcher's. JJ can help especially if you have to talk to family members, you're good at that JJ. Also find out how many of the deaths resulted in eyes being procured for transplantation and if those eyes went to Lifelink owned clinics. Were the bodies buried by Lifelink funeral homes etc?" He stopped for a moment and looked at Hotch who nodded for him to continue.
"Morgan and Prentiss, go to Bluegrass Valley and talk to Karen Price again and to the staff. Colleen, uh, Deputy Rutherford thought that it might be beneficial to talk to some of the residents. She built up a rapport with a couple. I told her that I thought it was a good idea but that I did not want her going there alone without a member of the team with her for her protection. We don't know who is involved in this and who's getting antsy at the intrusion of law enforcement into the facility. Perhaps Colleen, I mean Deputy Rutherford, and Gideon could go together. It would be good to get the take on things inside the home from as many of us as possible and we know Gideon will ask questions I never thought of."
"That leaves me and Sheriff Ryder without an assignment, Reid."
"There was one other thing I was thinking about. I thought maybe someone should talk to the townspeople, I mean they have family and friends in the nursing home and perhaps they have mentioned something to a relative or a relative saw something that they didn't realize they saw. Probably they would open up to Morris because he's from here so you and he could be in charge of that end of it." Reid finished and looked at Hotch.
Hotch nodded his head, "Very good Reid, you seem to have all the avenues covered and I think your assignments make good sense so we shall go with that first thing in the morning." Gideon stood in the corner nodding his head, glad that Hotch was giving Reid the chance to prove himself.
Hotch got everyone's attention, "Okay everybody, let's go get something to eat and get settled in our rooms and we'll be ready to tackle our assignments in the morning. These three," he indicated Gideon, Reid and Garcia, "Still have a little drive ahead of them before they get to their accommodations so we'll call it a night and meet back here in the morning."
The team and the others started to file out of the stationhouse to their vehicles for the drive to their individual destinations. Reid came out and got into the SUV with Gideon and Garcia and drove off. John Hamil walked out of the shadow of the alleyway and watched the disappearing SUV, and said, his voice a high pitched whine "Special agent in charge, special agent in charge, we'll see how special you are."