Chapter 1 A New Case

It was a little past two o'clock in the morning. The night had been dark because it was cloudy along with a new moon. The only source of lighting in the area had been from streetlights and the businesses in the area. For the most part of that evening it had been quiet.

The calm did not last long.

There was another light that formed that evening. A fire was burning in the distance. The fire had come alive and was eating away at the old building.

The light was tempered then by the wailing of sirens and the whirl of a helicopter.

The helicopter shown its light on the area around the building has the firetrucks descended upon the fire.

Clockwork-like training had set in immediately. The firefighters immediately rushed about on their assigned tasks. The cops that had arrived with them too began on their jobs.

This area was not overly active especially at this time of night.

In truth the job seemed routine. While all those involved new the daily dangers of their chosen professions, there was nothing that struck as strange this evening.

"Hey kid, keep that coming nice and easy." One of the fighters called to the other.

"Watch your own old man. I got this." The kid had called back.

The kid jumped when he heard the noise. At first he thought it was a board or something on the burning building that had broken. He ignored it.

The firefighters continued working.

The kid would have brushed it off if he hadn't heard the noise again.

That was when the others in the party had heard the noise as well.

Back up training had immediately kicked in.

The firefighters quickly moved to a covered position.

"Please tell me that was a stray or something." One of the firefighters yelled.

The cops on scene were quickly reacted to the incoming fire. They figured the position and called in for back-up.

The situation was different behind the fire truck.

"Hey kid, stay with me." The "old man" firefighter was calling to the young firefighter. "This ain't nothing. You got this. You're young."

The medic that was with the firefighters was working on the kid. He was used to smoke inhalation and burns and the like. The bullet wound was different.

The old man firefighter held the hand of the kid firefighter letting the medic work. He wasn't going to let this one go.

More cops and firefighters showed to put out the blaze and help locate the shooter.

CM***********************************************

At Quantico Virginia the weather was mildly warm and pleasant. It was a day to enjoy outside. That would not be the case for everyone

The BAU had received the text messages when they woke up that they had a case.

Dr. Spencer Reid rode the elevator up to the 6TH floor. There were several agents in the car as well. He ignored them just as much as they ignored him.

Reid wondered what the case would be. The text had said California so he had his go-bag with him. The general weather this time of year in California would be nice.

His thoughts were also on his time at Cal Tech. He had wondered how Morgan would react if he knew a piece of truth about his time there. During his time there, for a short period he did have a relationship with a girl. The girl in question could have easily been described as a princess.

Reid had not heard from her in years. He didn't even know where she was.

When he arrived at the round table, Hotchner, Prentiss, Morgan, J.J. and Garcia were already there. At least he beat Rossi in.

"Long night?" Morgan said teasingly.

"There was a lecture last night I was sitting in on." Reid explained. "The professor was offering a Q and A afterwards."

"Was she hot at least?" Morgan asked.

"Not really, he was sixty."

"Don't knock age there kid." Rossi said walking in.

"Garcia, start the briefing." Hotch said before the conversation went any further.

The team listened to Garcia has they watched the screen.

"There have been five fires in the last month in Northern California. When the firefighters responded someone started shooting at them." She showed a video of the last fire to the team. The building in the video was clearly old and was going up rather quickly in the inferno.

"The first time the fire was considered harassing. The trucks were hit, but none of the fighters were touched. The second time around one off the fighters was hit. The bullet only grazed, he was fine. The third time the bullet hit the firefighter. He was labeled as critical, but he made it. The fourth time there wasn't any injuries, only the trucks were hit."

"I take it that it got worse on the last one." Rossi said.

"It did," Garcia said. "The Un-Subs killed Firefighter Michael Sullivan. He just started to be a firefighter. He had only been with the company for a few months." It was clear that Garcia's heart was going out to firefighters.

"Shooting at firefighters." Morgan said. "That doesn't normally happen."

"How do we know if it was even the same person?"

"Forensics of the bullets was determined to be from the same gun." Garcia explained. "All the buildings had an accelerant around them. They were also in secluded areas. When it was determined where the shooter was coming from they couldn't find any brass at the sight."

"His schedule is completely erratic." Reid said looking at the dates. He has a gap of three days between the first and second fire. The third fire is the next day. Then there is over a week between the third and the forth. The fifth was three days."

"Which means that we have no idea when this Un-sub is going to strike next." Rossi said.

"Wheels up in thirty." Hotch said.

The team got up from the table and made their way to the jet.

After the jet took off the team looked over the file from the case.

"This Un-Sub does have a familiarity with the science of fires. He knew how to get the fire going before the fighters arrived. This might have initially started out with harassment." Reid said looking at the folder. "Then at some point the Un-sub escalated."

"This could also be an act of vengeance." Prentiss said.

"If it is then the firefighters are shot at random has surrogates. He could eventually go after the true object of his rage." Reid thought out loud.

"How is the local media handling all of this?" Morgan asked. "Usually firefighters do receive support from the public."

"The fire department is being close lipped." J.J. answered. "They have warned the neighboring community's firefighters and have warned other law enforcement in the area as well."

"I think it's odd that the fires weren't reported anonymously." Morgan said. "That wouldn't be part of someone who is out for revenge."

"One fire was called in by some kid, he was lost." Rossi added. "Right place, wrong time."

"Two of them were reported by patrol calls." Hotch added.

"If this Un-Sub is out to get firefighters, I wonder why wouldn't call it in?" Prentiss asked. "That would put them into position on his schedule."

Rossi considered this. "If the Un-Sub has that much patience in between fires, he would have it waiting for someone to call it in."

"That could also serve has a forensic countermeasure." Reid said.

"Make sense." Morgan acknowledged. "I mean after the second call in the fire department and the police would wise up."

"There is also the fact that he polices up his brace." Rossi added. "That does imply military or law enforcement.

Hotch contemplated what the team had said. "We don't have enough yet to know if this was a specific act of vengeance, the firefighters are nothing more than surrogates or if it is general rage. He will be unpredictable. At least he has a signature. Secluded building at night and he picks up his brass."

The team collectively knew that unpredictable Un-Subs were by nature harder to catch. They were though in agreement to the initial assessment.

"Prentiss, Reid, J.J. and I will go to the police station. Prentiss and I will talk to the officers involved in the cases. Reid, you will work on a geographic profile. Morgan and Rossi, I want you talk with the local firefighters. J.J. we need to keep this Un-Sub out of the press."