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|| CHAPTER 1: FIRST IMPRESSION ||
"I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong." - Lemony Snicket
The elevator ride was quiet. Most would find the silence uncomfortable but, I understood better than most silence allows you time to observe and get to know your client or in this case your boss. I was standing to the back of the elevator holding six case files in my arms, while Strauss stood to the side of me. Strauss's blonde hair was pulled slightly pinned back leaving her face open to be observed. Her blue eyes were clear, and her face was relaxed and focused. To the untrained eye she looked like the cool, calm Section Chief. I having dealt with hangover friends many times in my high school/college years could clearly see that Strauss was dealing with the after effects of a night of drinking.
"Agent."
I slightly stood up straighter at being addressed, "Ma'am?"
"You've looked over the cases I've sent you?" She asked looking up at me.
"Yes, ma'am." I handed her the file in my hand, "the BAU is needed immediately."
"Hm." She proceeded to look through the file. "What made you pick this case over the others?"
"The other cases were easy to sort out. Gang involvement for several of them, two murder/suicides, and one case I transferred to White Collar Unit due to the nature of the case."
"Well, I agree with your assessment." She closed the file and handed back to me, "Have you called Omaha Field Office?"
"Yes, I contacted Agents Beeks and told him that the BAU will look over the case."
"Good." The elevator dinged, and slide open to reveal the BAU floor. The clear glass door with the NCAVC seal was big, intimidating and made me feel completely out of my element.
I followed after Chief Strauss, she opened the glass door into a bullpen hair that two staircases leading to higher level that seemed to have two offices and a large conference or meeting place of some sort. I followed her up one set of stairs into the first office, the door was open slightly and had the name AARON HOTCHNER in gold font on the door.
Strauss simply walked into the room, causing the two men in the room both older than myself, to halt their conversation as they looked up at her. I assumed the white male sitting behind the large desk was Aaron Hotchner, my new boss, and the Unit Chief while the man of Italian descent was one of my new colleagues.
"Agent Hotchner, I would like you to meet your new Communication Director/Media Liaison in the field, Agent Codie Kane." So I was right score one for me. I lifted my hand and gave a wave from behind Strauss.
The two men seemed surprised to see me here. They can't think that a team can run without a media liaison right? Or did Strauss not tell them of my move to their team.
"A new Communication Director?" Agent Hotchner asked confusion was seeping into his tone despite his face not really giving anything away.
"That's right, since Agent Jareau has left for the Pentagon I thought it best to bring in an agent that can step up and take her place."
"We've already handled that situation Garcia and myself will be splitting the position."
Strauss gave a sound of disagreement, "Agent Garcia is better suited for the job she was hired a Technical Analyst not Communication Director. And the workload is way too much for you to handle by yourself, you need someone with experience. Not someone you need to train."
Agent Hotchner's face seemed to turn cold, "I'm guessing there isn't a choice in the matter is there."
"No there is not." I felt like I was watching a tennis match, a very intense tennis match, as I turned back and forth between Chief Strauss and Agent Hotchner.
"Agent."
I turned my attention back to Strauss, "Ma'am?"
"I leave you to discuss the case, if you have any issues you know where to contact me." She looked up at me once again, her eyes piercing.
"Yes ma'am." I nodded.
Just as briskly as she entered the office she was gone, I turned my attention back to my new boss who didn't seem happy about my addition to this team.
"So what case was she talking about?" questioned the Italian man in the chair.
"This case, sir." I said handing them both files, "The Omaha field office has called us in. The lead agent on the case, believes the same man who killed the Bennett family last night, killed another family the Archers the previous night. Due to the violence and lack of time in between murders, he thinks this could only be the beginning."
Agent Hotchner, looked up from the case file, "Dave, gather the team in the conference area."
The man, Dave, got up nodded his head me and walked out the door.
Agent Hotchner then turned his attention to me, I felt a slight shiver run down my spine, "Agent Kane correct?"
"Yes sir." I swallowed softly.
"I expect a great deal from you since you've been added to this team without my knowledge, nor consent. The agent who held that position before you was extremely good at her job, and I won't expect anything less from you. Understood Agent."
I felt my eyes narrow at his words, it felt like he was looking down on me, "Crystal...sir."
"Then follow me, it's time to present the case to the team." He grabbed the case file off his desk, and walked out of the room in a hurried walk toward the conference room.
I breathed in through my nose to calm myself, and went after him.
Entering into the conference room I met the curious eyes of five new people plus the man from earlier 'Dave'.
"Everyone, I would like you to meet Agent Codie Kane. She will be our new Communication Director/Media Liaison."
"Agent Kane, this SSA David Rossi" the Italian man from earlier didn't smile but gave a nod of acknowledgement.
"SSA Derek Morgan" an African American man will a large build, shaved head, and facial hair gave me nod of acknowledgement as well but I could see in his brown eyes that he wasn't very happy.
"SSA Emily Prentiss" a woman with black hair and pale skin smiled at me from her seat at the table - while she was smiling, her eyes said she was confused on my appearance.
"Our technical analysist Penelope Garcia" so this the woman who tried to get the job and wasn't experienced that Strauss mentioned, the woman in question was wearing flamboyant colors that didn't scream FBI agent, but then again, I didn't dress like one either so who was I to judge.
"And Dr. Spencer Reid" the last man in the room was lean not bulky like Morgan he seemed to be more brain then brawn. He had short brown hair that seemed to make him even younger, if I had to guess I would say he was around my age, he looked like a college student or student professor not an FBI agent, and he had innocent brown eyes.
"Hello," I said giving a small smile that didn't show my teeth.
"Agent Kane has a case for us. Agent?"
"Yes sir." I proceeded to hand the files in question to all those siting at the table, including Garcia. "Last night all four members of the Bennett family were killed in their home in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Jake and Sandra Benett, and their two children Sammy age 11 and Kayla age 9."
"Just one family?" Agent Prentiss asked looking through the file.
"Unfortunately no, Agent Beeks of the Omaha Field Office told me of family killed across the state line in Nebraska. The Archers, the entire family like the Benetts were all killed in their homes. He thinks it's the same offender." I said holding the open file with hand while looking at the agents siting down.
"Well the M.O. is consistent, both mothers died due to severe blunt-force trama, the fathers suffered multiple stab wounds." Agent Morgan said accessing the files.
Agent Rossi then chimed, "The children were all strangled." I turned away feeling disgusted that someone could ever hurt a child like that. "Violence only in the kids' rooms, but no sexual abuse on any of the children. That's odd."
"More odd then that is the fact that the Mr. Bennett wasn't just stabbed he was mutilated." I said closing the file with a snap.
"His chest was opened, organs disturbed, intestines removed." Rossi continued looking over the file.
Garcia finally spoke up, "That's awesome. Could we please leave the gross part of the conversation for the plane?"
I bit my lip trying to hide a smile, she reminded me of Quinn a little bit.
"The father of the Archer family had multiple stab wounds but no dissection." Dr. Reid said his voice fit him so well, it sounded so knowledgeable while at the same time awkward like he was still going through puberty.
"So he went from picquerism to this overnight?" Agent Prentiss asked in shock.
"Two families in 2 days. He's on a spree." Rossi concluded.
"Agent Kane," Agent Hotchner said.
"Yes sir?" The other agent's eyes were all on me, I felt like I was back in high school. On display for the judgement of my peers.
"Do you have a go bag ready?"
"Yes I do sir." Glad I had a bag packed in my car.
"Then wheels up in 30." Agent Hotchner said getting up from the desk. That seemed to have been the signal for everyone to get up and leave.
As I was collecting the files laid out on the table, I heard Prentiss call Morgan's name about something. But knowing I had a lot to do before we even left on the plane I ignored their conversation and left the room.