"Whatcha doing boy genius?"
"Just admiring the view."
"Oh really, you know most people have to pay to see this. Or at least take me out to dinner first."
"Actually, that painting behind you is an original Nicolas Poussin from either 1635 or 1636. Di...
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"If a manpad, a shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile were used, we're looking at a target acquisition range of six miles"
Rossi, Reid, Ivie and the head of incident command, Agent Hosswell all stood and or leaned against a small table with a map laid on it.
"Factor into that," Reid continued, "the plane's forward momentum as it's coming down and we're left with this area right here."
He used a short yellow pencil to draw a sort of large circle on the map.
"Manpads are cheap and plentiful on the black market." Rossi continued, "You can get one for a few hundred bucks"
"I thought only planes closer to the ground were vulnerable?" Agent Hoswell questioned.
"That's true." The youngest BAU member replied, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, "Most heat-seeking missiles have a maximum range of 20,000 feet. Large systems like the Buk, which took down Malaysia Air 17, are hard to get and require more of an expert handling."
The group stood for a minute, all thinking independently. Ivie perched on the edge of the table, careful not to crumple, rip or cover any important parts of the large map disguising itself as a tablecloth. Looking at everyone's faces, she tried to determine who would speak first. Rossi seemed a likely suspect and Hosswell just seemed, well, lost.
Then she turned her inquisitive gaze over to Spencer. Gently she looked over his features, trying to ascertain any inkling of a clue about what direction his mind was spinning. At that moment, she registered that he was looking back. Ivie noticed the light hazel specks in his eyes, a hot flush washed over her face as she moved her eyes back to the sprawling map laid out next to her. An awkward cough was heard before Reid's familiar voice filled the group's silence.
"You know, it's possible the plane was brought down to 20,000 feet to get it into manpad target range"
"That would mean a hijacker was on board." Hosswell inferenced.
"That could account for the missing thirteen minutes of communication." Rossi concurred.
Ivie spoke up, "But if there was a hijacker, surely they must have had at least one partner on the ground?"
"Guess who drew the short straw." Rossi remarked.
"Depends on if you believe suicide is the gateway to paradise or not." Reid replied.
So Hosswell posed the important question, "Has anyone been red-flagged on the passenger manifest?"
"Not yet." The BAU's eldedest responded.
"If a terrorist cell is responsible, this is just the beginning."
Silence fell in their corner of the room after Reid's statement, they were all aware coming into this situation that terrorism could be the reason but now it felt real, tangible.
