Detective Robert Goren surveyed the scene around him. The apartment resembled a tornado ripping through it. Books and papers scattered across the room. Furniture turned on it side, contents of shelves dumped and broken on the floor. Two kitchen chairs in the apartment's eat-in kitchen were broken, and the rods from one of them lay in the living room, covered in blood. Gaping holes in the drywall, along with the broken front door, spoke of rage. A lot of rage.

Goren walked through the apartment carefully, almost tiptoeing so as not to disturb any of the potential evidence that may be there. His partner, Detective Alex Eames, greeted him, "Evening, morning what ever time it is."

Goren nodded, and continued to survey the scene. "What is the status of Mrs. Renso?"

Eames frowned, "She's still in surgery. Her left leg was shattered in three places, plus they're trying to stop some internal bleeding." Shaking her head, "She's lucky that her husband found her shortly after the attack."

"Same MO?"

Eames nodded, "Officer Renso came off duty at 2 am, and found her at 2:30 am. This is the tenth attack on a police officer's family in the past two months."

Goren tilted his head and walked around the topple couch. "Mrs. Renso put up a fight. She tried to protect herself and her family."

"The Renso's have two girls, five and three. Both girls told us that once the attacker restrained Mrs. Renso, he tied them up and taped their mouths shut to keep them quiet."

"Were the kids harmed in any way?"

Shaking her head no "Only confined and kept quiet." Eames referred to her notes, "Both children say that a bad man broke the door and that Mommy screamed for them to hide in their room. Afterwards, the bad man came in and tied them like bank robbers."

"So the attacker, quickly took control of the Renso family, then he brutally beat her. Yet he was careful not to beat her to death. And he left the children alone. He wanted her alive for when her husband came home." Turning around, tilting his head as he examined the holes in the drywall further, "He is, ummm, he is declaring war on the NYPD."

"War of the NYPD?" disbelief filled her voice. "How do you figure that?"

"He's only attacking the families of police officers, yet he is getting information regarding the officer's schedule. He knew that Renso would be coming off duty at 2, so that when he got home, he would find his family."

Eames shook her head, "Give the guy credit, he knows where to hit the department where it hurts, at home."

Goren straighten up, "This guy is filled with rage. Rage against police officers." Looking at the destruction to the small apartment, he ran his hand through his hair to the base of his skull, "The next time he attacks, he may not be satisfied with beating the families, the next time, he may kill them."

Eames looked at the broken chair in the kitchen, and agreed.

Hours later. . .

Goren began pinning up the photos of the crime scenes on the corkboard in the small conference room. Standing at the back of the room, he surveyed his handiwork. Now the hard part, trying to figure out why these ten families were attacked. Was there a link between the ten officers, or was it just a strange coincidence? Every instinct screamed that these were connected somehow. All he had to do was find the connection.

Eames broke his concentration, opening the door to the conference room. Handing Goren a cup of coffee, "The Captain is having a squad meeting in five minutes. Mandatory."

Goren nodded, "I expected that after our briefing with him this morning." Crossing his arms over his chest, he studied the board again. What was the connection?

Noticing the gathering of the detectives, Eames piped up, "We'd better get over there."

Staring at the board, "Hmm, yes." Goren's eyes never left the board on the way out of the room.

Captain Danny Ross assessed his squad. He respected each member of his squad, even if he didn't when he first arrived here. Now, a threat faced all of them. A threat that could potentially destroy the individual detectives of his squad, and thus tear apart the squad. Clearing his throat, he began outlining the threat that Eames and Goren gave him this morning. The brass definitely wasn't happy, yet, they had no hesitation on have all captains in the NYPD to warn everyone on their squads about the menace to their families or those close to them.

Ross began to conclude his briefing, "Should anything happen, contact me right after the call to emergency services. Keep an eye out, dismissed." He motioned for Eames and Goren to follow him into his office. Shutting the behind the detectives, he didn't mince any words. "You should know that the brass upstairs are extremely anxious to find the perpetrator behind these crimes. And they want him or her found quickly."

Goren leaned back in his chair. "The perpetrator has a great deal of rage. Yet, he can control it enough not to kill his targets." Goren stood up, "There is some connection between each of the victims."

Ross looked surprised, "And that link is?"

Goren walked to the door, studding slightly, "I haven't found it yet." And Goren left Ross's office. Looking at his watch, he turned to Eames who had followed him out, "I have to run out for a short while."

Smirking slightly, "Got a hot lunch date?"

Goren reddened faintly, "I'll be back in a couple of hours, I've got something I need to take care of first."

Waving him on, Eames smiled. "Tell her I said 'Hi'."

Turning and looking at his partner, he started to say something, but changed his mind. Quietly he left the squad room and headed out of the elevators.