Shooting Stars, Weeping Galaxy

Save Me

                                                                         Save Me

"The morning will come again. No darkness, no season is eternal."

Spring Day-BTS

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Quantico, Virginia

Emily Prentiss stepped off the elevator yawning as she took a long sip from her coffee cup. She hated days like this when the BAU wasn't out in the field working on an active case. It meant spending the day chained to her desk getting caught up on files and other paperwork.

As she pushed through the glass doors into the bullpen of the F.B.I. 's Behavioral Analysis Unit her expression brightened at the sight of Dr. Spencer Reid already at his desk. Knowing the young genius as she did Emily would bet money that Spencer was already caught up on all his paperwork so he could lend a helping hand.

Giving the tall stack of files on her desk a dark glare Emily tossed her bag in a drawer flopping into her chair. Leaning forward she stared hard at Spencer who was very not busy reading one of his many books.

"The answer is no, Emily...I will not help you catch up on your files." Spencer said as his finger skimmed the book page without looking up.

As Emily leaned further over her desk to plead her case with the genius Derek Morgan walked over giving her a grim smile.

"Don't bother...I already asked and pretty boy here turned me down flat, Emily."

Marking his page in the book Spencer Reid looked over his friends and fellow agents with a little grin.

"Sorry guys...Hotch's orders. Everyone works on their own files today."

Emily looked up towards the office of Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner frowning a little when she saw the closed door and drawn blinds. She looked back at Derek tilting her head in question but the man only shrugged. Emily turned to Spencer with a raised eyebrow since it was obvious of the three agents he had gotten to work before them.

"Not sure but the Director and two government officials as well as what looked to be a foreign dignitary all marched into Hotch's office about forty-five minutes ago. Then Rossi got called in right before you got here, Emily." Reid answered her unspoken question.

The door to Hotch's office abruptly opened and the man himself stepped out. He gazed around the bullpen before his eyes fell on Emily, Derek and Spencer.

"Everyone to the ready room now." Hotch ordered.

A good fifteen minutes passed before the rest of the team arrived to work and were told of the meeting.

Matt, Luke, JJ and Tara questioned Reid, Derek and Emily as they all took their places around the table waiting on Hotch and Rossi to join them but no one had any answers. Penelope Garcia rushed into the room looking upset and a little teary-eyed which caused some confusion.

There was no time to question the technical analyst as Rossi and Hotch entered the room followed by three men.

Hotch began speaking as Rossi joined the team at the table.

"This is Patrick Gardner with the State Department, Simon Williams with Homeland Security and Kim Hyun-Shik from the South Korean Embassy. We have been asked to help with a situation that could have global implications."

Hotch introduced the team to their visitors.

"You already know David Rossi. The rest of the team is SSA Emily Prentiss, SSA Derek Morgan, Dr. Spencer Reid, Dr. Tara Lewis, SSA Jennifer Jareau, SSA Luke Alvez and SSA Matt Simmons." Hotch spoke indicating each member of the team before turning to Penelope. "This is our Technical Analyst, Penelope Garcia...she will bring the team up to speed."

"Global implications?" Derek asked before Penelope could begin. "Are we talking about a terrorist attack?"

"There is a large group numbering in the millions who would consider this an act of terror." Penelope replied as she pointed the remote at the television screen in the ready room.

All the team was confused except for Rossi when a music video began playing on the screen. Seven young Asian men danced enthusiastically through several scenes singing in what Spencer Reid and Matt Simmons immediately recognized as Korean.

"This is Bangtan Sonyeondan known more commonly as BTS. They are a South Korean group doing a world stadium tour starting here in the United States. BTS is Kim Seokjin, Kim Namjoon, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook. Since 2017 their worldwide popularity has grown exponentially and they have been making great strides in the U.S. music industry and appearing on several American awards shows and so on. I, myself, am an ARMY and am totally devastated right now." Penelope went on her eyes tearing up and voice breaking.

"Garcia..." Hotch growled.

Straightening up she whispered, "Sorry sir..." before continuing on.

"Thirty-six hours ago after returning to their hotel following their L.A. show all members of BTS disappeared. Between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. the hotel where the group was, experienced technical problems with their security cameras. This was at the same time they were receiving their regular overnight laundry and kitchen deliveries so there were a large number of delivery and repair personnel coming in and out of the hotel. Because of the late hour hotel management didn't bother to inform guests about the security issue. It wasn't until the next morning when BTS's manager went to get them for an early morning radio interview that they discovered they were missing."

"So the hotel doesn't have any footage from any of the exits in the building?" JJ asked.

Penelope piped up excitingly, "That is what the hotel thought at first until the kitchen manager came forward. He had suspected that some of the staff was stealing and using one of the smaller delivery docks to load up their own personal vehicles so he secretly installed a camera. The police are fairly certain that the camera caught the kidnapping but they couldn't make any kind of I.D., not of any of the members of BTS or the kidnappers."

Pointing the remote back at the screen Penelope pulled up the footage. Not HD, it was a grainy black and white shot of an inconspicuous service truck backed up to the dock. The time code on the screen read 2:15 a.m. as three laundry carts were loaded into the truck by several dark figures.

"There are seven members of BTS and the carts could easily hold two or more bodies." Reid said thinking out loud. "Has their manager received any demands yet?"

"That is the reason the South Korean government reached out to the State Department as soon as they were made aware of the situation, not just the fact that their citizens were taken on American soil." Hotch nodded to Penelope.

She again pointed the remote at the screen. An enlarged picture showed a white index card with a message that read.

Shining stars bright in Heaven's sky

Far too beautiful and pure for mere mortal eyes

Their fragile wings torn asunder by this dying Earth

To a safe place they go where darkness cannot taint them

Seek them no more for none are worthy

"No demand...whoever took them has no intention of giving BTS back. It reads as if they have placed themselves in the role of protector." Emily stated.

Hotch looked around the table at the team then nodded to the three officials in the room.

"That is why we are headed to L.A. Wheels up in thirty."

To Be Continued