„Hey, JJ! Want some coffee too?"

Without saying a word, the blond agent rushed up to Hotch's bureau.

"JJ?" Emily watched her colleague in astonishment, as suddenly the second mug was taken out of her hands.

"Nice job, agent Prentiss. What did you bugger up that you now try to corrupt us with coffee? You know you got to pour in two kilos of sugar for Reid!" Agent Morgan, appeared late but in a good mood as every morning, laughed. However, he quickly put the coffee back into her hands as he saw her shocked face. "Emily, what's wrong?"

Reid, who had ignored Morgan till now turned around. His glance followed his colleague's up to Hotch's door.

"Is something wrong with Hotch?"

"JJ ignored me", Emily murmured in bewilderment. The men looked at each other, unsure what to think. "Emily…" Morgan started, but she interrupted him, "JJ's rushed up to Hotch some moments ago and totally ignored me!"

Morgan shrugged. "Probably it's an urgent case." He sighed and grabbed his emergency bag from beneath his desk. "Be prepared for another long, long flight, guys!"

Reid, who now had taken the mug from Emily – and, as was to be expected, poured spoons ful of sugar into it – grinned, but he noticed that Prentiss's eyes had not left the door.

Lost in thoughts Emily stared at the grey plastic. Something was wrong, she knew it. Something was terribly wrong.

"Hotch, you need to see this!" For the first time in her career, JJ didn't knock before she entered a bureau. The tall man inside was talking on the phone. Surpised, he looked at the young woman and then motioned her to wait.

"Yes, of course, Chief Strauss", he said. "That's exactly what I was talking about. I'll hand you the files myself right this evening."

JJ stared at her boss, clearly trying to hypnotize him so he would end the call. Hotch's eyebrows went up, but he knew his media liaison too well. She would not act like this if she had no reason.

"Right, Erin. I'll call you if anything happens." He hung up.

"Sit down, JJ. What's up?"

JJ stayed afoot, one single file in her shaking hands. "This…this has come from Fayetteville an hour ago. Just have a look at it."

Hotch skimmed over the pages. "Murdered couples and single persons whose photographs are now in the internet." He looked up. "I guess the IP-address couldn't be found?"

"Yes, it has." JJ took a deep breath. "They don't need us to find out who the UnSub is, Hotch. They need us to get him…forever." She swallowed.

Hotch had become very earnest. "JJ…"

"I know, Hotch", the blonde woman interrupted, tears forming in her eyes. Her voice started to shake as well, as panic flooded her mind. "I know that this is insane. I know that it must not be and that no one of us should do this case, but…"

"He's dead, JJ. Reid shot him. I'm sorry there's a copycat killer, but that is no problem of ours."

"Hotch..."

"Do you want to tell the team that a dead psycho has returned from death? Do you want to tell Reid he can't handle a gun? Besides, this method doesn't fit our profile. Do we have any other cases, JJ?"

His voice had some final steel in it. JJ lowered her glance. When she spoke again her voice was calm and gentle, as always when she was speaking to a grieving family.

"Hotch, I would like to forget this as much as you or anyone else here. No, truth be told: I would like to forget this more than you or anyone else here can imagine. Believe me. But the IP-address was clear, as was the picture. The crime scene, the calls right before the killing, this justice talk…it all fits. I know, it were films before, but maybe he knows now that we're on his heels and he's got not enough time. We know him. I don't know how this could happen but I know that didn't want to wait at the cemetery till the hearse arrived. And I didn't check any death notes either."

Hotch sighed. His eyes lost focus as he hesitantly compared his memories with JJ's.

After what seemed an eternity, he nodded.

"Tell Rossi I need to see him. I don't want to confront the team with this as long as it's not absolutely necessary. We'll fly to Fayetteville and you'll come with us. Give the others a case of their own, preferably at the other border of the state."

"Okay, Hotch". Relieved JJ left the bureau.

Hotch reread the file. It totally went against his mind to cheat on his team, but it was for the best.

"Reid", he murmured, lost in thoughts, "why couldn't you just aim on his head?"

He closed his eyes, but the name was already buried deep inside his brain, deep and red and as dangerous as the first time that he had chased him.

Tobias Hankel.