What if Hotch had a sister no one knew about? What happens when she joins the BAU & her big brother is her boss? She's the new baby of the team at 23 years old. Will she find new friends on this job? Will the team accept her as she has one major dif...
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Chapter 60 The Rockies
A few weeks later we were back at work and the power was back on. Our next case was in the Rockies. There was a lower base camp but one of us would have to take a horse up the trail to the ranger's station. Horseback was the only way to get there. "I'm going Aaron. None of you know how to ride a horse and none of you have been camping or hiking on a six inch wide mountain trail. I sure as hell don't have time to teach you or the others or make sure your asses get there alive. I can get up there in a day or two and radio information down to you."
"Lea, the temperature can drop to 40 below up there at night, it's January!" Aaron argued.
"It can also do that in April, what's your point?" I asked.
"Lea," Spencer said softly, pleading with me.
"I've hiked the northern reaches of Russia alone in the dead of winter with no supplies. Walking up the mountain with a horse will be cake," I said.
"You shouldn't go alone," Morgan said.
"How many mountains have you scaled? How low of temperatures have you survived? Have you ever ridden a horse in the dark up a narrow rocky trail before?" I asked annoyed.
"No," Morgan answered.
"Then taking someone will only slow me down and give the killer a chance to get away. I go alone as soon as I can get a horse and pack when the plane lands. End of story." I went back to my seat and put my headphones on. I knew everyone was unhappy with my decision but it was the right one. The case involved someone hunting humans up in the mountains; mainly hikers who got lost in the winter storms who were foolish enough to think that they could conquer the mountain. Humans were such foolish creatures.
I reviewed the file; the victims were all male, ages 20-35, white. Not too many women would hike up a mountain at this time of year. Spencer came to sit in front of me as I looked at how the victims were killed. He was using a 22 shot gun, common enough in these parts. It wasn't terribly great for distance, but effective. "Lea?" Spencer signed pushing the file down so I would have to look at him. "Why are you insisting on going alone?"
"There's more chance you and the team will die trying to get up that mountain instead of risking injury trying to find the killer. Go where you are useful. Isn't that how a team works, I can go up that mountain so I can get the information down, but right now helicopters can't get up there with all the storms coming in. So work with the police, I'll work with the rangers and together we'll get this thing solved." He just nodded. I knew I had been blunt but sometimes that was the best way. I had to get my point across, I didn't want to lose my friends.
