Change My Mind ~ Criminal Minds (Aaron Hotchner x OC)

57.0: Some People Come Back

A/N: Continuation of 6x24 Supply & Demand

TRIGGER WARNINGS: TALKS AND MENTIONS OF HUMAN TRAFICKING, THE WHOLE CHAPTER IS A TRIGGER WARNING

"In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that's the way new leaves grow."
― Amit Ray

The team was sitting in the conference room, Rossi looked over at Swan. "I thought traffickers concentrated in port cities?"

"International ones do, unfortunately, domestic traffickers abduct all over the country." Swan answered as she stood by the board, Reid was looking down at his file. "It doesn't seem like they stay in one location long after an abduction, proficient in their work and transportation."

"They move quickly and efficiently, my guess was they have a nondescript car and until this morning that was just a theory."

"They've lost their driver now, so they're trafficking's in jeopardy." Reid stated and Rossi sat back in his seat, "It's all about survival for them, they'll move out tonight now that they've been discovered." Hotch shook his head, "They've got customers and victims lined up, they don't want to lose the money."

"Their locations hasn't been compromised yet, they'll most likely stay there until they feel unsafe." Crystal stated as she took a sip of her tea, Swan sighed. "Who knows where they're gonna end up if we don't catch them, they'll disappear all over again and I'll be back at square one."

Morgan looked over at her, "Based on Reid's theory, we need to see if Renee had been to any clubs before she disappeared."

"She went to local clubs, she'd report back if anyone suspicious approached her, we followed the leads but nothing panned out."

Morgan raised an eyebrow, "What was the last club?"

"Scotty's in Georgetown," Swan looked at the team nervously, "If those people find out she's an agent, she's dead." Swan stated and Crystal hummed, "Then we just need to find her before they find out, she's a trained Agent and I'm sure she'll hold out until help gets there."

Crystal was looking at a file and looked up when she realized no one was talking, "What?" Swan smiled at her, "Are you sure you don't want to transfer over? I could use an Agent like you who's cool-headed and can be rational." Garcia quickly shook her head and hugged Crystal, "You can't take her."

"Thank you for the offer Agent Swan, but I'm very sure that this is where I want to stay." Crystal stated as she patted Garcia's head in reassurance, Hotch's lips twitched and Rossi chuckled. "Trying to take our Agents are you Andi?"

"Just offering Dave." Swan shrugged and Crystal smiled as she looked down at her file after Garcia let her go, Crystal wouldn't leave this job for any other.

This is my dream, I'm here to stay with this job and team.

___

Crystal sighed as she continued to look at the files, "We're missing something that's right in front of us." Morgan nodded, "We need a new perspective, maybe we're looking at this wrong.

Hotch looked at the team, "We need to look at this from the leader's point of view, they're able to control a big, efficient group with no hiccups until now so this group requires a strong leader." Morgan shrugged, "Money and fear will do wonders as persuasion."

"The leader is in charge of some unstable personalities." Swan stated and Rossi raised an eyebrow, "Do you have some theories?"

"I always just thought he led through fear, this guy can blackmail his whole team and not one of them tries to turn on him or overpower him." Swan answered and Reid looked down at his file, "Look at the progression of this network, they started abducting victims for sex and then adapted to killing."