His Watchful Eye

Chapter 3- Meeting the Team

   The following morning, Georgia was ushered by David Traeger into an open conference room. There was a round glass table in the center of the room with black swivel chairs positioned around it. Along the wall were various cork boards with pictures of children and a few rolling glass panes covered with notes in various colors of marker.

Motioning for her to take a seat, Trager sat down in one of the chairs. They were the only two people in the room, and they sat in silence for several moments.

"We are a little early, the rest of the team should be here shortly. Just remember; be open with these people. They are your new family." Traeger offered her a reassuring smile. Somehow it seemed that all the formality of the day before had vanished. While his appearance was still unimpeachable, his demeanor was much softer and kinder than before.

Before long a clamour of mingled voices could be heard in the hallway. Several agents began to file into the room and take their places in the chairs around the table. Directly to her left a tall dark haired man sat down. When he flashed her a self-assured smile, she couldn't help but notice his piercing hazel eyes. Though she had intended to give a first impression of control and stoicism, his smile put her at ease, and she felt the corners of her mouth rebel and offer him a smile in return.

After each chair had an occupant, Traeger stood to his feet and addressed the group. "I want to introduce you all to our newest recruit, Georgia Hannon. Please stand up, Hannon."

Georgia stood to her feet, and a wave of trepidation swept over her. Having so many eyes on her was a very unnerving sensation. When her eyes once again met those of her neighbor to her left, his reassuring smile managed to erase her anxiety.

"Hannon transferred to our unit from the Cyber Crimes division, and I think her skills will be a great asset to our team. Don't worry, T.J., your job is safe." This was directed at the young man to Georgia's right.

Everyone at the table chuckled at Traeger's last comment.

"I want each of you to go around the room and introduce yourselves...Macklin, you can start."

The blond haired, green eyed man next to Traeger cleared his throat. He looked to be the oldest person at the table, though he couldn't have been more than forty. His green eyes held a compassionate look and his voice was a deep baritone. "I'm Andrew Macklin. Been with this unit for over eight years. If you have any questions, feel free to ask...I'm an open book."

Next up was a petite, red headed girl that couldn't be over twenty-five years old. Her curly red locks were tied in a pony tail, and Georgia detected a shrewish look in her brown eyes. "I'm Lyla Mulaney." Her voice was haughty. "I work as a public relations person. I mainly deal with the victim's families and the media."

"My name is Carter Laribee." The words were spoken by a very tall and muscular African American man. "I've been on the team for two years; if you need anything, let me know."

"It's so good to meet you, Georgia. I'm Colin Beckner." This came from the dark haired man to her left. His eyes flashed with kindness and confidence, and for some strange reason Georgia felt that she would definitely need to keep her guard up around him. The look in his eyes made her feel like she could tell him anything, and that fact alone terrified her to her very core. She had gone a good share of her life keeping people at a distance. Now that she was on her way to finding Henry, she could not tear down her walls and allow someone to sabotage her. Whatever he had said about himself was completely lost on her, as she did her best to mentally distance herself from this person who was cracking through her protective layers without even trying.

"I'm T.J." The young man to her right wore dark, plastic framed glasses, and his black hair was expertly styled. He definitely emitted a hipster vibe with his well-trimmed beard and plaid shirt. Georgia instantly knew that she had found an ally when he spoke. "I'm the computer tech here. I don't go out in the field much, but I'm always here to help. I guess if you were in the Cyber Crimes unit, you won't be needing me for anything." He cast his eyes down to the floor.

"I'm sure that I will need your help." Georgia felt bad for the young man who obviously felt threatened by her. "You could probably teach me a thing or two."

When she saw a small smile curve his lips, she felt much better. She didn't want to rub any of these people the wrong way; after all, she did have to pretend they were a family. At least until she was able to find her son.

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At the end of the day, Georgia slung her purse over the back of a kitchen chair and let an exhausted sigh escape her lips. Traeger had thought that the best course of action today would be just to get to know each other. This was all a part of his 'family' idea she was sure, but it had drained her of every bit of energy. In all honesty, she would rather walk through a den of lions wearing a ham suit than have to be that social again.

An introvert by nature, Georgia loathed the feeling of vulnerablilty that went along with opening up to new people. Everyone on the team, exculding the red head, had been very accomodating and friendly, but Heny and her personal mission were never absent from her thoughts.

As much as she decided she couldn't stand Lyla, or Mulaney, as she was called, she thought she would like Andrew Macklin. He was a family man with a wife and three children of his own, and reminded her in a small way of her own father...before he had left, of course.

While Laribee was nice enough, she felt that he might be a little too stuck on himself for his own good. Who could blame him though? He was a good looking guy, and he obviously knew it.

Most of her time was spent with T.J. talking about computers. Georgia desperately wanted to have T.J. as an ally; with his skills, he might be able to help her track down Henry when the time came. Yes, he could be just the friend she needed.

After spending the day with her new 'family', it became even clearer to her that she needed to keep her distance from Colin Beckner. There was just something about him that made her feel safe, and if she had learned anything in life it was that people were not to be trusted. Even though she had given him the cold shoulder more than once, he never seemed to lose his smile. How could he be so frustrating? Rolling her eyes, she flopped down on the couch and let her mind wander.

Chuckling to herself, she remembered how Mulaney had very obviously thrown herself at Colin. The way she had not so subtily rested her hand on his arm and leaned close to him was an almost embarassing spectacle. Beckner had simply shrugged her hand off and walked away without giving her the time of day. Poor Mulaney, she was just a kid, but she was clearly hurt by the rejection. As much as she hated to admit it, Georgia had completely enjoyed watching what happened between the two of them. It was clear to her that Mulaney wouldn't give up easily, and she hoped there would be popcorn handy the next time the red head put on such an exhibition. She looked forward to the entertainment another conversation between the pair would provide.

Georgia was looking forward to tomorrow. They would actually be working on a case, and she would be able to see how everything worked in this new 'family' of hers. Inwardly she allowed herself to hope that whatever case they might be working would bring her a step closer to finding her own missing child.