The Intelligence Control and Analysis Program

Chapter 9

"So, Agent Hotchner, he—he looks at the man and asks, 'That couldn't be caused by normal wear and tear, could it?'"

Morgan threw his head back laughing, and Genius dissolved into hysterics, both of them stopping just long enough to look at Hotch and then start laughing all over again.

"Wear and tear, Hotch?" Morgan pressed a hand to his aching stomach. "It was a cut with a knife!"

Genius nearly snorted, covering his mouth with his device-free hand. "I haven't been around cars for twelve years, and even I knew that wasn't wear and tear!"

Hotch glared at them disparagingly. "I was covering my bases."

Morgan and Genius both started laughing again, though not quite as raucously, and then Genius put his headphones in. He curled up, nestling into Morgan's side with a mumble. "Bases..." Genius giggled and then fell silent, sighing contentedly.

Morgan draped an arm around the kid and put his own headphones back where they belonged, directing another grin at Hotch. Oddly, he didn't mind the close contact with Genius.

Morgan figured it was just something he had gotten used to. Genius loved to be touched—also odd, because in another life, Morgan could see Genius shying away from physical intimacy of any kind, even handshakes and tight quarters—but with the occasional exception of a panic attack, Genius loved to be touched and held and close to people.

Morgan wasn't exactly a touchy-feely kind of guy, but there was something so innocent and pure about the way Genius tried to, for lack of a better word, cuddle other adults. Besides, after twelve years of isolation... after growing up thinking only mothers handed out hugs... how could Morgan tell him no?

"Morgan."

Morgan pulled his headset down around his neck and looked at Hotch expectantly.

"Do you need a day off to recover?"

Morgan immediately knew where the conversation was going, and he shook his head. "Nope. I'll be ready to roll as soon as we land."

Hotch nodded slightly and looked over the legal pad in front of him. "I need to go home and shower, and then I'm spending a few hours with Jack at Jessica's house. JJ, you're going home for the afternoon, and then you're meeting me at VA FedWaste at six, correct?"

JJ nodded, looking through her phone as she spoke. "I am also expecting a call from Chief West sometime today. She's in a meeting until four, and she wasn't certain when she would be able to get in touch with me after that."

Hotch looked back at his notes, scratching down a few things before continuing. "Emily, you said you were going to look into employment records at MSD?"

Emily nodded from her seat on the plane, a legal pad sitting in front of her as well. "ICAP was established in '88, and Evans was only their driver for the past five years. Hopefully, I'll be able to find other drivers and, if they're still around, talk to them about the shipments they ran."

Rossi rolled his shoulders and tapped Hotch's legal pad. "Put me down for working from home. Someone has to do the reports for this case while you're running all over God's creation chasing leads." He twisted the cap off his water bottle and took a drink. "I'll be getting some features installed in my guest rooms, too. We're gonna need a place for these geniuses to stay, and our boy might not need to be under lock and key, but I doubt we can say that for all the geniuses we'll come across."

"Hey," Emily stopped writing and looked across the plane. "Mind if I come over? We can tag-team the research and report-writing."

"Only if you let me cook for you." Rossi grinned and raised his water bottle as if it were a wine glass.