Cry Me A River

Chapter 3 - Wheels Up

"It's nice to finally meet you sir," River laughed nervously and reached out to shake his hand. Hotch's hands practically engulfes hers as he shakes her hand back. To answer her own question from before, she subtly looked him up and down and found her answer. Yes, very much hot.

"You too," he hints at a smile and moves for her to take a seat. River sits down at the round table and tries to ignore the curious looks of her new teammates. 

"Okay crime fighters lets get started shall we," Garcia picks up the remote, "Andy Swan our beloved agent in the child sex crimes division has sent us a doozy today." Pictures of three young boys pop up on the screen. All red haired with blue eyes. "These three young boys have been missing for various amounts of time but recently because we found the bodies of the first two boys Daniel Marklee, and Ryan Porter buried in shallow graves about a mile from each other we have reason to believe that whoever took these two boys also has our most recent missing boy Mikey Craven."

"Red hair, blue eyes, and all about 6 to 9 years old that's very specific our unsub is definitely preferential," Reid added.

"Yes, and based on the times they went missing to the approximate time of death we have about 36 hours to find Mikey alive," Hotch looked at the screen and then back to the team. River noticed him subtly touch his stomach when he looked at the pictures. A curious peak into his file last night was all she had to make her profile on Aaron Hotchner but it told a story. Single dad, ex-wife killed by an unsub who nearly killed him and his son in the process. He touched his stomach when he looked at those boys because cases like this hit a nerve and those scars... are a reminder of what could've happened to his son. 

"I heard someone outside mention a ring...are we suspecting that this has something to do with trafficking?" River questioned.

Garcia made a face, "It's been a question but we don't have proof of it yet. That is what I'm going to be digging into while you guys are flying to the beautiful historic town of Savannah, Georgia."

Hotch threw the file down on the table, "Wheel's up in thirty."

.............................................................................

River wasn't sure she would ever get used to flying on a regular bases. She wasn't afraid of flying it's just that she had never been able to afford flying before she started with the FBI. Even the FBI didn't exactly pay big bucks but it was better than  being a waitress at a restaurant that mostly catered to rich white people who surprisingly - but not surprisingly - did not tip well. She sat next to Emily on the plane and across from Hotch who she couldn't help glancing up at every now and then. He was so serious and stoic she wondered what it took to make him really smile. His deep brown eyes looked up at her and she looked back down at her file...which was upside down. Looking back up towards him she could swear a hint of smirk was teasing at the corner of his lips. She slowly set her file down and tried to hide her embaressment. 

"So, River, how was graduation? I bet you're happy to finally be done," Emily looked over and smiled. Dammit, she definitely knew something was up - which of course she always did. Emily was probably the best profiler on the team but she would never admit it, unless of course Derek challenged her. Those two made a great team but River always wondered if the chemistry between them was always just friendly not that it mattered now I guess because Derek had a girlfriend and Emily for the most part was emotionally unavailable to men. 

"It was fine and yes I am so glad that it is finally over."

"Come on you can't tell me it was all that bad, you must've gotten a little FBI lovin' while you were stuck with all those guys," Derek teased. Yeah, no. River might've drunkenly made out with a few of them at a party or two but none of those boys were smart enough or clean enough to get much closer than that. You would think that Quantico would have higher standards but the FBI is still a boys club and god does is smell.

"No Derek, because I have standards that are far above frat guys even the FBI versions," she rolled her eyes and Derek laughed. 

"Hearing you guys talk like this makes me wish I was on a different plane," Rossi groaned. 

"Come one big money don't act like you couldn't have afforded it if we really bothered you that much," River teased. "Besides, would you rather us discuss your love life?" Rossi raised his hands in defeat and the rest of the team laughed. River was never interested in guys at the Academy but recently the FBI may have provided new prospects. River took another glance at her boss but this time he looked up and their eyes met. If River didn't know better she would say he even smiled. He was definitely the looker that she had heard about, which Derek always got credit for being the hot one, but something about Hotch was attractive in a whole different way. Tall, commanding, dark hair and dark eyes, he was certainly more of Rivers type. His eyes commanded hers and she couldn't look away, finally she managed to pull away her gaze when she heard Reid speak. 

"You know the strongest evidence that this could be a trafficking ring is the scattered comfort zone. These boys were all taken from different cities within Georgia that aren't near each other yet their bodies were found within the same mile radius. They could be picking up the kids all over Georgia.. but bringing them back to Savannah to sell them to who ever is killing them."

Reid had a good point, "If this isn't a trafficking ring could the unsub be traveling all that way in order to cover his tracks?" we meed 

"I don't know...that's a long way to transport a victim in your car especially a child without any help. I mean some of these cities are over 300 miles a part and even scared children won't sit quietly for that long," JJ added. JJ is right so what in the world is going on here?