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𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧
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𝟴:𝟭𝟰 𝗮𝗺
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐓𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐍 the jet was cozy, Cady noted as she boarded, with the cabin temperature-controlled and confined. As she entered, she noticed on either side of her, two pairs of single beige-leather seats, each facing in towards the small tables that separated them. At the far end, a set of four seats; two pairs facing each other with a larger table between. Ultimately, Cady settled for the couch on the far left, strapped for choice as the team seemed to populate the booth at the end of the plane. She had been second-last to board, with Hotch behind her, telling her to sit wherever she liked.
He was perched on the console-cabinet beside her, the polished red-brown wood matching that of the rest of the interior. Rossi and Dr Reid were at opposite window seats, with Morgan next to Reid and Emily next to Rossi. JJ had sat with Cady during the ascent, before standing and directing the team to the small tv screen behind her, their folders spread out over the table they populated.
"Mesa P.D. has reported five homicides since January that they believe are linked," JJ began, "with the fifth body found early this morning. They think she had been dumped last night, with a sixth victim abducted soon after."
"Six victims in six months?" Rossi questioned, flicking through the photos in the files before them. "Why are we only being called in now?"
"Mesa thought they could handle it, until the latest victim, Sophie Rogers," JJ pointed her remote to the screen on the wall behind her, now filled with the image of a smiling blonde, "went for a run at 8 o'clock last night and never came home."
"Twelve hours ago?" Morgan looked up. "Is there enough for a missing persons case yet?"
"Given the circumstances," Hotch reminded the team, looking up from his copy of the file that he was holding, "it's understandable that everybody is on edge."
"Still, why now?" Rossi reiterated, looking again to JJ. "Why us?"
"Sophie's uncle is the Chief of Police," she concluded, "Hank Rogers. They don't think her abduction is a coincidence."
Reid was rapidly skimming the file. "The UnSub sent letters?" he questioned, pulling photocopies of handwritten notes from the folder and arranging them on the table to compare.
JJ nodded. "After each victim is abducted, a letter is received, along with," the screen changed to an evidence photo, "polaroids. The victims are held for a month before being killed in staged car accidents, then another girl is taken and the cycle continues."
"Car accidents?" Morgan repeated.
"The victims have all been found in unregistered cars, absolutely totalled," JJ said, nodding. "One of the girls had to be identified by dental records, she was burned so badly when the car exploded."
