AN: This is my first attempt at a mystery. This is a case based fic which is rated M due to sexual discussions and at least one sex scene. There will also eventually be humor. Please review. No flames.
"You can have and be all the things you want to be. Just do it over a lifetime." Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Chapter 1
The sun was setting in Quantico, Virginia as Prentiss, Garcia, Rossi, Hotch, Morgan, and JJ all carrying their go bags boarded the team jet on a cool cloudless Saturday evening. Rossi and Hotch sat down beside each other facing the doorway and luggage rack with Prentiss and Morgan across from them. Garcia and JJ faced the other four with the seat beside JJ closest to the door empty for Reid.
"Reid has two minutes before he is late." A tense Hotch said as they finished getting settled in their seats seconds before Reid breathless from running boarded the aircraft carrying his go bag and messenger bag.
"I cancelled a date." Morgan said sounding uncharacteristically irritated with his young colleague's near tardiness.
"I was just walking in the door of my apartment with groceries when Hotch called." Reid explained.
"Groceries, what do you need with groceries? We're away 75% of the time." Prentiss asked incredulously.
"Yea but I needed a few basic things like orange juice, eggs, and cheese for the 25% of the time I am home. I wasn't planning on cooking. I didn't get any bread or fresh vegetables." Reid replied
"Cooking? Who said anything about you cooking? Next you'll be trying to convince us you were getting ready for a hot date with some sweet young thing. Sorry sugar but we know you better than that." Garcia teased.
"I'm sure we would all rather still be at home. I'm sorry to cut short everyone's weekend but our help has been requested with an interstate murder spree. We are on our way tonight to Boston where the first murder took place. I have asked Garcia to join us due to the distances involved and no obvious connections between the three victims. We will rely heavily on your help, Garcia. As we move from one city to another and gain more information from our interviews, I'm hopeful that information will allow you to refine your searches and get us the answers we need. We rarely use the jet as a mobile office but that is what I think will be required to solve this particular case." Hotch explained
"What do we know Hotch?" Rossi asked as Garcia opened up her laptop and began working.
"All three victims were shot once in the forehead. Forensics has confirmed the same unregistered gun was used in all the murders. The victims were all shot in or near their homes." Hotch began
"In or near?" Reid asked still slightly breathless as he took an empty seat next to JJ after stowing his go bag in the luggage rack.
"Yes the first victim, the Boston victim, was found dead in the driveway of his suburban home about 10pm by a man walking his dog before bed. The victim's wife who is a classical dancer was at work when her husband was found. The coroner put his death at about 8pm. She arrived at work before 7pm. The second victim, in Atlanta, was found dead in his kitchen by his wife who had been sleeping upstairs. She found him about 4am. The time of death was about 9pm." Hotch said
"So the unsub used a silencer." Morgan stated.
"Yes, the third victim was murdered in his bed while his wife was in the shower. The time of death was about 9pm" Hotch continued.
"He is escalating, becoming bolder, less concerned about the wife witnessing the murder." JJ stated.
"Preliminary reports indicate none of the women heard or saw anything. Nothing was stolen or disturbed in any of the houses. The murders appear to be in and out executions. The victims were married men in their 30's or 40's. I've already given Garcia the names so she can start on background checks on the way to Boston. The murders have been at 5 day intervals. The last kill was just over twenty four hours ago. Given the distances I doubt the victims were random so finding the connection between the three men is our first priority"
"Feels like mob hits, do we know what their occupations were?" Rossi asked
"A fortune 500 human relations manager, a Jamaican born construction foreman and a Chinese language professor, Garcia will be looking at criminal records and debts among other things." Hotch replied
"So we have four days before the next kill" Morgan said
"Yes the first murder was in Boston 11 days ago, the second murder was in Atlanta six days ago and then the last murder was yesterday in Oklahoma City. That's why I wanted to get started tonight. We'll let Garcia work on full background checks which will hopefully result in a possible connection tonight. I want to work quickly. I'm hoping we can interview everyone we need to in Boston and Atlanta tomorrow and spend tomorrow night in Oklahoma City. The clock is ticking. I would like to have our preliminary interviews finished and be leaving Oklahoma City by noon on Monday. By then we will be down to about 56 hours," Hotch said
"And between now and then we will need to figure out exactly where we need to be going when we leave Oklahoma City." Rossi said
"Yes" Hotch replied
