AN: Thanks for the reviews! They keep me going. Most of this chapter I went back and added after receiving the review from Daniela expressing interest in Reid being undercover. The review encouraged me to add more to this part of the story. Hope you enjoy!
The gate on concourse A in the Louisville International Airport was just about empty. A flight attendant stood at the desk, studying something on her computer screen in front of her. Above her, the message board indicated that Flight 2146 from Detroit, Illinois was due in to land at eleven twenty. That was twenty-one minutes from now.
In two seats near the back of the gate, an older couple sat, talking softly to one another. They weren't paying attention to anyone around them for which the tall, dark-haired man in the business suit in one corner was grateful for. SSA Aaron Hotchner was trying not to draw any attention as he talked quietly with Reid, as the two agent stood next to the wall as far away from the gate's desk as they could get.
Hotch watched as Reid subconsciously moved to tuck hair behind his ear that was no longer there, his long hair having been replaced with a regulation military haircut by Major Morgan the night before. Between the haircut and the jeans and polo shirt that the younger agent was currently dressed in, Hotch felt like he was looking at someone else.
~I wonder if his socks are still mismatched,~ Hotch absentmindedly wondered as he addressed the younger agent, going over the plans once again. The supervising agent realized process was probably more to try calming his own nerves than anything else, as the whole team had gone over everything several times before any of them had left the hotel this morning.
"Once the flight from Detroit arrives, you're to blend in with the crowd and head to baggage claims. Rossi is arranging for your bag to be added to that of the passenger's on that flight as we speak," Hotch said. The night before JJ and Emily had gone on a shopping trip to gather everything on the list of things that the cadets were suppose to bring to camp with them. "Get the bag and then head for the room where all the cadets will be gathering before heading over to the base. I'm going to be shadowing you the whole time, and will follow the bus to the base. Morgan is in position to take over once you enter in-processing."
"Got it," Reid said, crossing his arms across his midsection, while looking up at his boss.
"Reid, if you feel like you need to put an end to this for any reason, just give us the signal. No questions asked?"
Reid nodded. "It's going to fine. We've got everything planned out and Major Morgan did a thorough job on my background story. This is going to work."
Hotch got the distinct feeling that Reid was trying to reassure himself of that fact more than anything else. He reached out and rested a hand on the younger agents shoulder. "We've got your back," Hotch told him.
Reid nodded once again. As Hotch walked away, heading for a place where he could keep Reid in sight without looking too obvious, Reid walked the short distance to the window. Hotch picked up a newspaper from a shop and then found a seat at another gate where Reid was in view. The younger agent was still watching out the window. From his spot, Hotch couldn't see Reid's face and not for the first time wondered if this was such a good idea.
~He's an FBI agent. Like it or not, risk comes with the job and I can't act like an over-protective father when it comes to Reid,~ Hotch told himself, as he unfolded the paper. Holding the paper in front of him, the agent glanced over the top of the paper.
Hotch had been sitting there for no more than five minutes when his cell phone rang. Lowering the paper, he pulled his cell phone out and answered it.
"I gave the bag to the baggage crew. They'll add it to the baggage when they unload the plane," Rossi said after the two agents exchanged greetings. "I'm headed to the car, unless you want me in there."
"No. Two of us in the airport is more likely to arouse suspicion. We're probably being overly cautious anyway, as you pointed out when you reminded us that all of the incidents have happened on base. I doubt the UNSUB will change that pattern."
"Hey, I was just pointing out facts. I don't believe you can be overly cautious when it comes to the safety of a fellow agent."
"We stick to the plan."
"Got it," Rossi replied. "You know where I'll be waiting."
Hotch ended the call and put away his cell phone. He picked the paper up again, and looking over the top, checked on Reid. He had moved away from the window and was now sitting in a chair. Hotch watched the younger agent glance down at the digital watch he was wearing, something that Prentiss and JJ had picked up during the previous night's shopping trip.
Though he hadn't read anything on the pages opened in front of him, Hotch flipped the pages of the paper and continued to pretend to read. Every so often glancing at his watch or the gate where Reid was waiting. More people had arrived at the gate, presumably for the next flight that would be leaving from there. Though the added people made it harder to keep an eye on his fellow agent they were also a blessing. The more people in the area, the easier it would be for Reid to slip in among the disembarking passengers when the flight came in.
The announcement of the arriving flight caused Hotch to look up from his newspaper. Reid was still sitting. Flipping another page of the paper, Hotch continued to peer over the top of it. Soon, people began to filter into the airport. Some of the disembarking passengers headed right for their destination, travel via the airport a normal routine for them. Others stopped, and looked around the area, looking for where they had to go. Those transferring to another flight double checked their ticket and then headed for the closest board to tell them where their connecting flight would be departing from.
In the midst of all of this, Reid casually got to his feet. Blending in with the crowd, the FBI agent looked around the area, as if he was looking to see what direction he had to take. After a few moments, he started walking toward the baggage claim area with other passengers from the supposed flight he had used to get to Louisville, Kentucky.
Hotch waited a few moments before casually folding up the paper and getting to his feet. Tucking the paper under one arm, he picked up the briefcase he had brought along with him to the airport. Trying to look like any other businessman using the airport to get where he needed to be, Agent Aaron Hotchner walked in the direction of baggage claim, casually keeping the shaved head of his fellow agent in sight.
Looking up from the report he was trying to fill out, the army officer looked toward his superior's office. Major Morgan was inside with one of the FBI agents who had been on base the last few days. Everyone at the MP headquarters knew why the FBI were on base. They were looking into the unfortunate incidents that had been occurring on base. Everyone also knew that they weren't getting far in their investigation.
~That's because there is nothing to concretely connect the incidents, though the last two had been a bit sloppy. That poor girl had been an unfortunate accident. Luckily she would make a complete recovery. Unfortunate, but necessary. Private Rex Jones had to pay for what he had done. Those MP's at Fort Hunter Ligget had been bumbling idiots. They had missed something in their investigation which meant their had been no justice for Anthony. Well, Anthony will get his justice. I saw to that. Unfortunately, I couldn't control the investigation here and those looking into this incident hadn't been quite as careless as those at Ligget had been. No matter, they won't find anything else, not even with their so called reinforcements, though I've got to admit having them here is helping ease the public fears. If the FBI presence kept people both on and off the base from panicking then their presence was tolerable.~
He watched as Major Morgan attached the MP brassard to the left arm of the agent''s uniform.
~Despite the BDUs he still doesn't quite look like he belongs. He isn't one of us.~
In the office, Agent Derek Morgan looked toward the window. The army officer who had been watching quickly looked back down at the paper in front of him. He went back to the report. He wanted to get this out of the way as he had been putting it off for the last couple of days. If he didn't turn it in soon, Major Morgan would come looking for it. He was just about finished when he heard footsteps approaching. Looking up he saw the agent who had been in Morgan's office walking toward him. The agent stopped in front of his desk.
"Can I help you?"
"Captain Phillips, Major Morgan want you to drive me over to where the cadets are going to be doing in-processing," Agent Morgan said.
"Of course," the Captain responded, putting together the papers of the report. Looked like he wasn't quite going to get it finished. He put a paperclip on the stack of papers, and tucked it away in the top drawer. "Are you ready?" he asked getting to his feet.
"Lead the way," Morgan said, waving a hand in the direction of the door.
Reid finally spotted the bag that Emily and JJ had bought the night before. He waited while it came around the carousel to where he was waiting, people pressed close to him on either side. The agent just wanted to get a hold of the bag and get out of the crowded baggage claim area.
The bag came around and Reid grabbed the strap. With the bag in hand, he turned and moved away from the baggage carousel, his spot immediately being taken by another person. Though he knew exactly where he needed to go, the undercover agent pretended to look around for the direction he needed to head. He didn't want to appear like he knew the area.
~At least I don't feel quite as naked now that I've got the bag,~ Reid thought as he followed the signs that had been put up to direct the cadets to the room they were gathering in. He had felt weird all morning what with the new haircut, not having his messenger bag, or his gun. Morgan's words of the night before still echoed in his head - "you look like a shorn sheep". ~That's exactly what I feel like,~ Reid thought, as he caught himself reaching to tuck hair behind his ear that was no longer there.
He didn't see Hotch as he walked through the airport and he resisted the urge to look around for him. His boss had assured him that he would keep watch on him while he was in the airport and Reid knew that was exactly what he would do.
Reaching the room, Reid found that a few cadets had already joined the sergeants that were there to check people in as the arrived at the airport.
"Name?" a Lieutenant with a clipboard asked, as Reid entered the room.
"Spencer Martin, sir," Reid replied, without missing a beat. He had gone over the information for his alias that Major Morgan and Garcia had put together several times last night and this morning. He was glad that they had decided not to change his first name, as it seemed more natural.
The officer checked off something on the clipboard and then looked back at Reid. "Put your bag in the pile with the others," he said pointing to an area on the side where some bags had already been placed. "Then just hang out until we give you further instructions. We'll be transporting cadets to the base as soon as we get enough to fill a bus."
"Yes, Sir," Reid replied, glancing at the lieutenant's name tag. The black letters on the uniform identified him as Crothers.
Reid walked into the room and over to the pile of bags, trying to recall if Crothers had been one of the people whom he had looked through their files. As he went through the names, he determined that Lt. Crothers must have been on the list Penelope had gone through. Dropping his bag with the others, he headed for one corner of the room. Reaching it, he turned and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in front of him. From his position he began surveying the room. Started learning what he could about the people that he was going to be with. He started with the army personnel handling check-in, whom could technically be suspects.
More cadets filed into the room as other flights landed at Louisville International Airport. Reid took to watching them as they came into the room. More than once, he found Lt. Crothers looking in his direction. He wasn't sure what it was, but something about the lieutenant's gaze was making him uneasy. He was watching another group come in when he noticed someone approaching him out of the corner of his eye. Looking away from the entrance, he focused on the approaching person.
"Hi. Ned Fergenson," the guy said, holding out his hand.
"Spencer Martin," Reid replied, shaking his hand.
"I can't wait until we get to base, though the first day is fairly boring as there is all sorts of administrative stuff to do. I've got three older siblings, all of them military though only two have gone through ROTC. What about you?"
"Only child. Not to sure what I've gotten myself into."
"Where school are you from?"
"Chardon State College."
"Where is that?"
"Nebraska. A friend of mine at school has been in the Army ROTC program since he started. He's been trying to get me involved and I finally gave in, so here I am."
Before either of them could say anything else, Sgt. Crothers called for everyone's attention. He began reading off names for the first bus to the base.
Agent Dave Rossi glanced down at the clock. He had been sitting in the car for an hour. Off to his left he could see the buses being used to transport the cadets to the base. Military personnel had just recently started bringing bags out and loading them into the back of the bus. He had considered calling Hotch for an update but had decided against it. When there was something to report, Hotch would call him.
Rossi glanced back toward the airport as his cell phone rang. He picked it up.
"Rossi, here."
"The first group of cadets are on their way to the bus. Reid is with them."
"Copy that," Rossi replied, keeping his gaze on the airport. He picked up the pair of binoculars that were sitting on the passenger seat. As the group of cadets walked out of the airport, Rossi scanned the group. He located Reid in about the middle of the pack. "I have visual," Rossi informed Hotch.
"I'm on my way out. Keep him in sight until he gets on that bus."
Rossi nodded as Hotch ended the call, even though the other agent couldn't see the gesture from inside the airport. Through the binoculars, Rossi watched as Reid boarded the bus. From his vantage point he couldn't really see the inside of the bus and quickly lost track of him. At least they knew for sure he was on the bus.
Rossi heard a knock on the window to his right and turned to see Hotch standing there. Rossi hit the button to unlock the doors and Hotch got into the SUV.
"Reid's on the bus. Even with the binoculars I lost him when he got inside."
"We figured as much," Hotch replied from the passenger seat.
The two agents fell silent as the cadets finished boarding the bus. Once everyone was on-board, the bus pulled away from the curb. Rossi started the SUV and started following at a discreet distance. Thanks to the size of the bus, he was able to allow a few vehicles to get in between the SUV and the bus.
In the passenger seat, Hotch had his cell phone out.
"Morgan," came the familiar reply after two rings.
"The bus with Reid on it is on its way to the base. We're following. Are you in position?"
"Yeah, I'll be ready when they get here. I'm already in the building where they'll be doing in-processing"
"Okay. Rossi and I will keep watch until he enters the building. After that its your show."
"Understood," Morgan replied, before disconnecting the call.
Hotch leaned back in the seat, his eyes on the bus a few cars ahead of them. He could only hope that the rest of this undercover assignment would go as smoothly as it had began.
Reaching the base, Rossi had no choice but to get right behind the bus. After the bus went through, he showed his FBI credentials to the guard at the gate, who after a brief glance at it, waved them through.
Sgt. Eric Sullivan walked into the building where the cadet in-processing would begin shortly. It felt like deja vu and in a way it was. Three weeks ago, he had gone through this exact process with the first wave of cadets of the summer. He hadn't been expecting to go through this again this summer but he understood the importance of the assignment he had taken on.
Cadet Magunsen and Cadet Warden had not been in the platoon he had been a drill sergeant for but he had known both of them. Cadet Warden had been the ideal candidate for a cadet. Sgt. Sullivan had been sure he was going to make a good officer some day. Cadet Magunsen hadn't been quite as adept at the things the cadet were doing as Warden had been. It was clear to everyone involved with the battalion that she had quite a few fears when it came to the tasks they were doing but she had been trying hard. Maybe she wouldn't have ever contracted but Sgt. Sullivan along with her own drill sergeants had been hoping that completing basic camp would have given her a boost of self-confidence that she could put to use in whatever she did choose to pursue.
That wasn't going to happen now, though at least Cadet Magunsen was going to get a chance to go home. The base hospital was releasing her tomorrow, and she'd get to go home with her parents. That was more than could be said for Cadet Warden, who's parents had arrived on base just hours ago to claim the body.
Six other cadets from their battalion had chosen to go home over the last couple of days. Three others had been taken home by concerned parents and they were about to find out how many didn't show up in this next wave of cadets. He couldn't blame them for being scared given what had happened. They needed to catch the person behind this before the mood on the base deteriorated more.
As Sgt. Sullivan stepped into the building, he spotted his old high school buddy Derek Morgan standing off to the side. He was dressed in army BDU's, with the MP arm band visible. It had been his suggestion that the FBI agents that were keeping an eye on their undercover agent dress like the base MPs to arouse less suspicion. With the increased MP presence on the base, especially surrounding the cadets, people were less likely to think twice about seeing them. Sullivan walked past him without acknowledging his friend's presence. They both had a job to do right now.
It was twenty minutes later when the first of the cadets arrived. As they filed into the building, from his spot at the station he was assigned to, he kept an eye on the college kids entering. He spotted Cadet Martin, aka SSA Reid, about midway in the group. In the jeans, polo shirt and sneakers he looked nothing like an FBI agent, which was probably a good thing. From this point on, SSA Reid's safety was his number one priority. Though he was suppose to report any suspicious activity by any other military personnel to either one of the other FBI agents or Major Morgan, keeping an eye on the behavior of the soldiers on base was what the agents of the BAU were on base for.
~I just hope they can find whoever is behind these deaths before anything else happens,~ Sgt. Sullivan thought as the cadets started to make their way through the stations.