Secret Deception (Jonathan Black's Love Story)

Chapter 26: Issues

"A bombing in Seattle? Where? When?" I asked shaking myself awake.
Jonny's arm tightened around me.
"King Street Station at 5:45 pacific time last night." Derek told me.
"Okay. What time is the jet taking off?"
"30 minutes but you know we'll wait for you."
"I'm bringing Jonathan because he's here but I can't get the others together that fast. I'll have them work out of the office."
"We can send the jet back for them."
"Okay. We'll be there soon."
I turned over to Jonny.
"Get up, baby. We have to go to Seattle." I said placing my hand on his chest.
"Why Seattle?" He murmured pulling me closer.
"Someone bombed the train station. Get dressed and pack a small bag, love. I'm gonna take a quick shower and I'll be ready." I said pulling gently out of his arms to get up and move to the bathroom.
"What about Cam and the others?" He called after me.
"They'll have the option to stay and work at the office here or take the next jet." I called back.
Five minutes later I was dressed in a simple black low cut top, slacks and a maroon sweater with my hair in a tight low bun. When I walked out of the bathroom Jonathan had dressed in black jeans and a white tshirt.
"Is this okay?" He asked when we caught my stare.
"Uh. Yeah. Bring that leather jacket. It gets cold in Seattle." I answered.
Fifteen minutes later I pulled up near the tarmac. Derek walked over to the car as we climbed out.
"Here." He said handing me my long chain necklace with a pocket watch pendant with the picture of a panda on it.
"You left this in your office."
"I always do."
"I know but I knew you wouldn't have time to get it."
"Thanks Derek." I said sliding the necklace over my head.
I turned to Jonathan who had both of our bags.
"Thank you baby." I said taking my bag from him.
"Ready to go?"
Jonathan nodded and placed his hand on my back as we walked toward the plane.
I sat against the window leaning my head against Jonathan's shoulder as he sat next to me with his arm around me.
"We discovered an estimated number of people in the train station at 3,767 from registered train tickets, passes and the stations employee schedule. But as of this morning we've only discovered 1,569 bodies and 315 injuried people in various degrees of severity." Derek began as soon as we were in the air.
"Roughly half." I muttered.
"Jonathan and I will go to the train station; search and rescue is still focusing their efforts on finding survivors so it's probably best we don't over crowd them. I'm a strong enough profiler that I can profile the scene while Jonathan observes. Derek and Spencer will handle victimology and the geographical profile and Emily and Jennifer will handle the media and public crisis relations." I said sitting up in my chair, letting Jonny's arm fall to my back and picking up a case file.
"If and when the rest of the Deception Unit arrive we'll integrated them in where we need them."
"Of course, Madame Director." Derek said obviously frustrated that I'd taken over the conversation.
"You called me. You asked me to come on this case. You know that when I am on a case it is my case. You don't like it you can go home when I send the jet back for the others." I reprimanded him offhandedly.
When we landed I walked to the driver's side of the SUV provided by my Seattle Field Office while Jonathan climbed into the passenger seat.     Derek stepped in front of me before I could open my door.
"Don't challenge me in front of the team." He hissed at me.
"Do not challenge me at all. Do not forget who you are speaking to, Agent Morgan." I hissed back.
"Back away from my car. Now."
Derek stepped back and I climbed into the car.
"Are you okay?" Jonny asked as I started the car.
"I'm fine. Derek just seems to have forgotten who signs his checks." I sighed as we drove off toward the train station.
Pulling up to the scene my mouth dropped open as I surveyed the devastation.
"Oh my God." Jonathan breathed quietly.
"This is the worst I've seen in a long time." I said stopping the car.
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked turning to him.
"Yeah. Let's go." He answered not taking his eyes off the scene on front of him.
As we approached the scene the acrid sulfuric smell assaulted our senses.
"What is that?" Jonathan asked.
"It's a combination of the sewage and whatever he used as his accelerant when he built the bomb."
"He? How do you know that?"
"I don't. Not for sure. A typical bomber is male." I answered making my way through the debris.
"Tell me what you see, Jonny."
"Destruction and pain."
"What does that tell you?"
"I'm not sure, Lexa. I can't think."
"That's okay, Jonny. The first one is always the hardest and this is a hell of a first scene.
"Typically a bombing of this size would indicate a terror attack but we need to figure out why Seattle; what message is the bomber sending?"
"Seattle is the birthplace of modern technology?" Jonathan said questioningly.
"That's true. Could be someone's against technological advances. It's still pretty early to tell." I sighed looking around taking in the sheer volume of devastation around us.
Jonathan and I found the head of the Seattle Field Office, James Combs. A tall, athletic man with fair skin curly brown hair and a think beard, brown eyes and thin eyebrows.
"Director Carter." He greeted me in a rough voice that grated on my nerves.
"Special Agent Combs." I answered shaking his outstretched hand.
"This is Jonathan Black. He's shadowing me."
James eyed Jonathan warily but said nothing.
"What have the bomb techs found?" I asked.
"We're not even sure where in the station the bomb went off."
"That depends on the bomber's motivations. If the plan was to kill as many people as possible I'd guess it went off on the second floor. It would cause the most structural damage to all three floors." Jonathan muttered.
"Well, considering that all the floors are one now, that doesn't do me a lot of good." Combs hissed.
"Watch yourself. We're here to help. If you'd rather handle it yourself, we'll leave." I scoffed at him.
"My apologies, Director."
"Who is the head of your bomb squad?" I asked.
"Hunter Bradley."
"I want to speak with him. Now."
"Yes, ma'am." A tall man with large muscles, stark white hair and grey eyes walked up to me.
"Hunter Bradley?" I asked shaking his hand.
"Yes, ma'am. How may I help you?"
"I want to discuss the scene with someone who isn't going to chew my partner's head off when he gives suggestions." I answered motioning to Jonny.
"Of course, ma'am. Since we last spoke with the BAU we found another group of bodies but we don't have a count on them yet."
"Any bomb fragments?"
"Some remnants of C4 which might have been all it was."
"How much C4 would it take to bring down a building like this?"
Agent Bradley paused.
"Not as much as you might think. Maybe two pounds. Less."
"Thank you, Agent. Come directly to me if you find anything else."
"Of course, Director."
Jonathan and I arrived at the office after the Deception Unit. We walked into the conference room to the sound of phones ringing.
"Alexia. 31 genealogists dropped dead in a cafe in Fircrest, Washington during a conference." Jennifer called to me.
"Director. There was a woman's body found decapitated at Jefferson County Airport." Derek called.
"Alex. Three firefighters were just found stabbed to death and displayed on the Chelan High School football field." Spencer ran up to tell me.