Broken Circle

Chapter 6: Flight

The team sat in their usual positions on the plane, waiting for take off. Ria still had not shown up yet, and there were only ten more minutes before they left. Hotch glances down at his watch, annoyed that Ria had failed to show up. But just as he started to give the OK to the pilot and ground crew, the sound of a rather irate woman reached their ears.

"…I don't give a damn as to what your protocol is! I am currently an official member of the Bureau, thus making me entitled to the few amenities that are provided. Don't go telling me that I can't keep my car in a secure location, because I know damn well I can."

The sounds of Ria's tirade filter through the cabin, echoing in an almost disturbing manner. Hotch exits the plane, hoping to find a rational explanation for the scene below.

"Is there a problem?"

Ria spins around to face Hotch, her blue eyes glinting dangerously. Her tone is curt as she responds, "This man sees it fit to deny me a secure parking location for my car. I have no where else to park it because I have no current residence, and all of my belongings are packed away in aforementioned car."

Hotch bites his lip, pleading patience. The accused man, a young agent hopelessly dedicated to protocol, steps forward to defend his position.

"Sir, she's not a real agent. By the regulations of the Bureau, she cannot keep her vehicle on our property."

A growl of annoyance nearly escapes Hotch's throat. "Ms. O'Connor-Garcia is consulting with the BAU on our current case. Director Caswell just finished the necessary paperwork for her this morning. Ms. O'Connor-Garcia is protected by all by-laws of the Bureau while she works for it. Do I make this clear for you, Agent?"

The younger man backs down immediately. He's heard the stories about what happens to people who get on the wrong side of the BAU members, especially Agent Hotchner. "Yes, Sir. Absolutely clear. I'll get her car moved immediately."

"You can return my keys to my sister, Penelope Garcia." Ria turns away, picking up her bright lime green duffle bag and boards the plane. With an aggravated shove, she stuffs the bag into a compartment and slumps into an available seat. Muttering to herself, she pulls out the case file from her briefcase. She then kicks off her heels so that she can tuck her feet underneath her as she sits. Finally comfortable, she withdraws an electric blue fuzzy pen, which had been discreetly filched from Penny's office. Opening the file, Ria begins to make notes in the obnoxiously bright blue ink.

The rest of the team watches in silence, unsure of how to draw Ria into the fold. Prentiss looks at her with a discernable frown of distain, reluctant to form a working relationship with someone she viewed as questionable. JJ had other thoughts however. As one of Penelope's best friends, she wanted to get to know Ria better. The men were less sure of how to approach her. Ria had an assertiveness that made even Morgan hesitant.

"I'm excited to go to Salem," Reid says out of the blue.

Morgan turns to face him, an eyebrow quirked in question.

"It's home of the first witch trials in America, and full of rich history stemming from that period. There are ghost tours that I would dearly love to go on."

Gideon smiled to himself. Here was a bit of the old Reid coming back to them. Ever since the encounter with Raphael-Tobias-Charles Hankel, Reid had been a mere shadow of himself. The fatherly nature in Gideon ached to see Reid suffer, but knew no direct way in which to help him.

"What are our logistics after landing?" Ria asks the team. In her lap, the file is covered scrawled notes. Her demeanor is soft, looking completely at ease as she ponders the case and all associated information.

JJ pulls a sheet of paper from her folder, and begins to describe an order of events. "We're being met at Logan airport by the Salem police. We then have about an hour drive out to Salem…"

Morgan looked puzzled. "Salem doesn't have an airport?"

"It's a small costal town in Massachusetts. Why would it?" JJ's response was a little harsher than she had intended, but it was the truth. Shaking off the bitchy edge to her voice, she continued with the logistics. "Once we get to Salem, we pretty much have the run to do what we want. For lack of any "proper" hotels, the Bureau was forced to place us in a bed and breakfast." She says this last bit with a sardonic twist of her lips. Lately, the Bureau had been setting them up in hell-hole hotels to save on expenses. "That's about it. We've basically got free run." She puts the logistics sheet away, and opens the floor for other voices.

Hotch then takes up the flow of logistical discussion, but from a different angle. "Once we're in Salem, we're going to drop of our bags and hit this thing running. Room assignments are as follows: Reid and Morgan, Gideon and me, and the three girls." He gives a quick glance about the cabin, just to get a reading on how everyone feels about the room assignments. Seeing to imminent problems he continues: "Alright, now the fun part: first day job assignments. JJ, I want you and Reid at the station setting up our base. Prentiss, take Morgan with you to the morgue. Take pictures and get all the evidence you can from that body. Ria, you'll come with me and Gideon to the scene."

Morgan gives a slight groan of annoyance at not being able to see the scene immediately, but stifles it quickly when he catches Hotch's disapproving glare. There would be other chances to see the scene, he was sure of it.

"Emily," Ria says gently, knowing the older woman's obvious dislike of her, "when you're done with the evidence from the morgue, I'd like to take a look at it. It could provide me with some useful information about the ritual." The entire proposal has a definitive by-your-leave tone.

"…sure…" Emily replies, slightly thrown off by the gentle tone. "I'll get you copies to you as soon as I can."

JJ had to admit to herself that Ria's proposal was smooth. There was a grace in the subtle way she softened Emily's vice towards her. After always being the one to lure people into complacency, JJ liked being able to watch such manipulation at work once and a while. It provides her with an opportunity to learn new tricks.

Morgan turns away from the window and looks Ria squarely in the face. "What do you expect to get from the scene? Don't you need a scene with a recently performed ritual?"

Ria shakes her head, causing her hair to fall in front of her face. Absently, she tucks it behind her ears before answering. "A fresh scene isn't necessary, but it sure would be helpful," she admits. "I'm hoping to get a better sense of the space itself. Apart from the ringstones, I need to see if there are any other reasons why that particular space was chosen as the ritual site."

"The ringstones aren't necessary?" JJ voices a question that all were thinking.

Ria gives JJ a soft smile. "That's a common misconception, stemming from a variety of sources: neo-Druids flocking to Stonehenge; popular representation of dancing naked under a full moon within the ring; even the Roman histories on the Druids in Ireland. All of these sources created the notion and no one has bothered to fix it. In actuality, any location will suffice, if prepared properly." She gestures to the table where Reid and Gideon sit at their usual game of chess. "Even that table could be used for a ritual."

Reid leans closer, eager to increase his store of knowledge. He had never ventured towards this subject matter in his studies. At the time, he had considered it useless and fantastical. But here was a young woman who made it her life study. Seeing the glow of excitement in Ria's eyes made him see the intriguing nature of this subject and was enticed to learn more.

Ria continued, encouraged by the rapt attention of her audience. It was rare that people actually listened to her when she spoke of this material. "Once I've seen the space, I'll be able to draw more substantial conclusions about the ritual and the unsub."

While glancing out the window, Gideon says, "You'll soon have your chance; we're landing."

When they deplaned, the crisp spring air of New England caressed their faces with welcoming breezes. It was early afternoon, leaving them with plenty of sunlight for their task. The lush green of spring lifted their spirits, drawing them away from their morbid task. The entire team basks in the moment, before they are addressed by a man of middle years.

"The BAU team, I'm guessing?"

"Agent Hotchner," Hotch says, offering a hand. "And Agents Gideon, Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, Jareau, and O'Connor-Garcia." He gestures widely behind him to the others.

"John Douglass, Salem police. Glad to have you on this. We've got two SUVs waiting, so climb in and settle back for the ride."

The ride out to Salem is quite and uneventful. Each of the team members sat with their own thoughts, wishing that they could take a vacation, even just for a little while. Ria sat by a window, drinking in the landscape and glimpses of the powerful Atlantic Ocean. It was a pity that just tranquility had been destroyed by such a vicious crime.