Something New

Chapter Ten

Derek follows Chief Bailey through the halls of Grey-Sloan Memorial at a brisk pace. Before he knows it, she opens a door to a conference room full of people. Most of them in navy blue scrubs and white lab coats. The room is silent, and Derek takes in everyone for a moment.

There are only five people seated at the table. A blonde woman with blue eyes holding hands with a Latina, a tan male with bright blue eyes, and Cristina next to Alex. Bailey takes the one last remaining seat and Derek moves to the head of the room. 

"These are our board members, doctors Arizona Robbins, Callie Torres, Jackson Avery, and I'm sure you already know Cristina Yang and Alex Karev. Everyone else standing in here are department chiefs." Bailey introduces. Derek just nods, his eyes scanning the room. 

"SSA Derek Shepherd, FBI. I run a team of six people, including myself, who hunt down serial killers. We're highly trained profilers and vigorous agents. We've been here for about two months, trying to track down The Scarlet Killer." Derek pauses a moment, letting the news sink in. "We're getting closer every day, but that's not why I'm here talking to you right now. I'm sure you all know Dr. Meredith Grey, chief of general surgery."

Derek pauses again, this time focusing more on the facial expressions and body language of each person. His profiler training kicking in, he searches for any suspicious people or signs of guilt. A few people standing shift on their feet, and a man in the back blushes a bit. Derek makes mental notes of anything and everything.

"As of this morning, she is missing," He pauses again, this time to force back the lump growing in his throat. "And we believe she has been abducted by The Scarlet Killer."

Derek takes in the reactions of everyone in the room. Bailey closes her eyes and shakes her head. Cristina drops her gaze and blindly reaches out to Alex, who is frozen. It doesn't take a profiler to see the rage building up in the pediatric surgeon. Nothing comes across as out of the ordinary to Derek, everyone having genuine reactions of shock and horror.

"We've all seen the news, we know what this guy does to women...is he going to do that to Meredith?" A redhead woman asks, reaching a hand down to grab Jackson's and squeezing it.

"Yes." Is all he can answer. A sob escapes from Callie, who has moved closer to Arizona. 

"So she'll be dead in a week unless you find her?" Jackson speaks up.

"Yes," Derek confirms, fighting to keep his voice steady and conceal his emotions.

"Why?" Arizona asks. "Why did he take her?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. We have recently gotten new information, and we may have a break in the case."

"Bullshit!" Karev finally breaks, standing out of his seat and coming only inches from Derek, toe to toe. Instinctively, the FBI agent's hand reaches towards his hip, ready to draw his weapon at a moment's notice. Seeing this, Karev backs off a bit, but doesn't change his clenched fists and tightened jaw. "This is your fault." He growls, venom dripping from his tone. "You better fucking find her and bring her back alive." 

Alex storms out of the room, doctors parting to let him past, and he practically rips the door off its hinges. Cristina stands up and quickly goes out after him. Honestly, Derek had been expecting some reaction similar to what just happened from Alex.

Meredith had told him about her oldest friends, Alex and Cristina. Both of their first instincts had been anger, which didn't surprise anger. But when it finally hit them, it became horror and they broke down. Derek knew it probably wouldn't be long before Karev destroyed something or someone, but that wasn't his real concern at the moment.