SSA Aaron Hotchner is stepping down from his Unit Chief position for a 6-month period due to an assignment in overseas. To his temporary replacement comes SSA Alexandra Barnes, Chief of the Child Abductions Unit. Both Hotchner and Barnes have their...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~~~
His POV I am in my office, reviewing new cases when Zoe runs in, almost breaking the door down.
"She is crazy. She is so stupid!" she says pissed
"Who? Lexie?" I ask
"She is going after Welker, alone" she announces
"What?" I get up from my seat
"Apparently, he called her and she got a location. But she didn't tell me where before she knocked me out in her office and disappeared" she explains.
I call Lexie as I rush to Garcia's office and Zoe follows me. The call goes straight to voicemail.
"How long ago?" I ask Zoe as I call Lexie again
"15 to 20 minutes maybe? I didn't check the time before she punched me" she answers.
I almost knock down Garcia's door "Where is she?!" I demand
"Sir, I am so sorry. She ordered me to--"
"Where did you trace that call?" I repeat.
Before she could speak, my phone starts ringing. I look hoping it's her, but I don't recognize the number.
I pick up "Hotchner"
"Agent Hotchner, hello. This is Sergeant Larsen". Why is her ex-fiance calling me NOW?
"Sergeant, I'm in a bit of a rush right now so if you could--"
"Does that include Lexie?"
"Why are you asking me this?"
"My officers reported to a car accident. A black SUV, federal plates, and a black range rover. They run the plates of the range rover and found it was stolen yesterday. But they found guns and Lexie's badge in the SUV"
"Is she hurt?" I ask immediately
"That's the thing, we don't know. Non of the drivers are there. They informed me that there is blood in both car seats, so they are collecting samples. I'm heading there right now and I've tried calling her but I can't reach her. That's why I called you"
"Send me the address and I'll meet you there" I say and I hung up.
Garcia turns to me "I tracked the phone call to a motel 15 miles from here, the address is on your phone, sir"
"I can cover that while you check the accident scene" Zoe suggests
"No, you're in his target list too. You should stay here"
"I'm not leaving her out there with him again!" she insists.
I motion to follow me back to the bullpen. I gather everyone in the conference room and we close the blinds.
"I wouldn't be calling you in here if I didn't think this was important, but I won't force you to work on this if you don't want to" I prepare them
"Hotch, what's wrong?" Morgan asks
"Lexie is missing. The quick recap is that Welker called her, she went after him but her car was involved in an accident and now she is nowhere to be found" I explain
"Where do you want us?" Emily asks.
No one is leaving. "I have two locations. Morgan, Prentiss and Zoe cover the motel where the call was tracked. Dave and I will check the accident scene. On our way, I'll call the director in order to get access to the files of his old case. Reid and JJ, I want you to go through them and give me everything you can. Garcia search hospitals, police stations, cameras, and anything else that might explain where she could be. Questions?". No one speaks and we all go our separate ways.
Dave drove while I was having the call with the director. I convinced him to give us access to the old case files but he wouldn't enable Lexie's tracker device, unless we were sure that she is missing.
I sent Anderson to check if somehow she made it home after the accident but he just texted me that the apartment is empty.
"There is a possibility that she's ok" Dave says
"Don't do that now. I don't want to hear it" I cut him off
"Ok. Then what is your theory?" he asks
"He called her to work her up, he knew she was going to go after him with or without company, so he met her halfway. Why else would both of the drivers be missing right now? But I'm sure you already thought of that" I explain. He doesn't answer because he knows that I'm right.
We get to the crash scene and my stomach drops. The SUV she was driving has been T-boned by the Range Rover. Thankfully, it is from the passenger's side but the SUV is a mess.
"Agents" Larsen greets us as we get closer
"Anything new?" I ask
"Unfortunately no. They swiped both cars for prints and the blood found. We're still waiting for the results" he informs us
"How much blood?" I ask
"You can see for yourselves" he replies letting us go closer.
There is blood on the driver's window, where she probably hit her head on impact, on the deflated airbags and steering wheel. It isn't much but that kind of impact should have left her unconscious.
I hear steps approaching "Garcia is sending us security footage from a jewelry store a few meters away. It doesn't show the crash but it shows both cars" Dave informs me as he hands me the tablet.
At 10:20, there is the Range Rover going towards the scene of the accident. The windows are tinted. At 11:02, Lexie's SUV passes towards the same direction.
"The Range Rover was parked in the alley opposite to the accident from 10:30 until the accident. Garcia is looking now for a second car that they could've fled in" he says.
"He called her at 10:45 from the motel" I remember
"Would someone like him have help?" he wonders
"Not if it wasn't necessary. And he'll probably dispose the help once he has what he wants"
"Could it be an inmate he met?"
"It could..." I answer
"I'll get Garcia on it too" he replies and walks away to make the call.
That moment my phone rings too. Morgan. "We just got to the motel. He left something for us" he says
"What?" I ask, scared for the answer
"An unknown body. Male, 30's. Shot execution style by the door. But there is blood on the bed, and a little box on top of it. We opened it and we think it's her tracking device, Hotch"
"Fuck..." I rub my forehead "How long ago were they there?"
"Witness says a guy matching Welker's description left about 10 minutes ago. But they didn't see what way he went after that or any vehicle he could have"
10 minutes... He was quick. He knew exactly where her tracker was and where to cut in order to get it out.
