The park was crowded and loud; women were pushing strollers, men were walking dogs, and children were screaming on the playground. Dr. Spencer Reid walked down the path, one hand on his satchel, the other pushing his sunglasses farther up his nose. It was bright today and he could feel a headache starting to knock on his skull. But it was warm and, despite the noise, there was a sense of calm in the air. He took a deep breath, held it, and released it slowly, trying to ignore the stabbing pain that was forming between his eyes.

His favorite bench wasn't far off, nestled next to the a few sets of tables and chairs that made a perfect place to play chess. There were a couple games currently going on, including one of his friends, a young Asian boy, destroying an elderly gentleman who was clearly in over his head. He smiled as he passed them but the boy didn't even look up, too focused on his upcoming victory.

As he neared his bench he saw a lone player, hat pulled down low, reading a book with a half-finished game in front of them. Every now and then they would look up and move a piece before returning to their book. He was curious but there was a book of his own calling his name. So, instead of investigating, he passed the lone player and sat down on his bench. He pulled the book from his satchel and began flying through it, soon getting so engrossed in the story that time flew by.

A vibration in his pocket yanked him from his story, just before he was able to finish. He frowned and pulled out his phone to read a message sent from J.J.

"Got a case. Presenting in 1 hour."

He sighed and slid the book back into his bag. Just before he stood up, he happened to glance over his shoulder at the lone player near him. They were holding a pawn in one hand and the book in the other, furiously looking from one to the other, before placing the pawn down, just to pick it back up. Curiosity peaked, Reid made his way over to the player and stood by the board, looking down at the oddest game he had ever seen.

The game board was solid wood, not the fake, laminated wood most boards were made of. The squares seemed painted on by hand, though they weren't in the traditional black and white; instead, they was red and white. But the color seemed faded in some areas and bright in others, not at all even. Overall, it looked like a child had colored them in. But the streaks seemed deliberate, definitely not something a child's hand could do. Ever more curious, Reid leaned in and saw something that was startlingly amazing.

Each square appeared to have different scenes painted into them with varying shades of either red or grey, so that the overall color of the square still remained red or white(ish), hence the seemingly uneven coloring. Some were forests, some were streams, and a few even looked like a small town, complete with buildings and a town square. There also seemed to be a set of train tracks running along the middle of the board.

Even the chess pieces were a bit odd. They were also in red and white but instead of traditional shapes, like bishops and rooks, the pieces seemed to be carved into different characters. A white knight, for example looked like it was covered in pots, pans, and other assorted items. Not only were the characters odd looking, but they were placed in odd positions. The red king was on its side, the twin white rooks, looking like fat boys, were staring each other down in the same square, and the white queen seemed to be everywhere at once, without even moving. Every single strange piece was in an equally strange position. Reid couldn't make heads or tails of the idea of the game.

"Ahem."

Reid looked up to see the lone player staring at him through a pair of dark sunglasses. He hadn't realized how long he had been staring. He blushed a bit out of embarrassment behind his sunglasses. With her head up Reid could tell that, under the hat and glasses, it was in fact a woman. Said woman smiled kindly at him

"That's a very… ahh… interesting game you have going there."

"Oh, it's not a game," she stated matter-of-factly, before turning to look at the board with what could have been puzzlement. "At least, not really."

"Then what exactly is it?"

"It's a recreation."

"Of?" The woman flashed the cover of her book at him. Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There stared back at him for a brief moment.

"I'm reading through it and, as I go, I'm moving the characters accordingly."

"Interesting."

"But I'm stuck. I can't figure out where Alice needs to go." She showed him the only pawn that wasn't white or red; it was bright blue with a shocked girl's face carved into it.

"Maybe I can help. May I see?"

The woman passed him the book. He glanced at the marked page for only a second then back to the board. He saw the problem in an instant. He picked up the white queen who was floating around the middle of the board. Then he plucked the pawn from her hand.

"See, the queen and Alice are supposed to be crossing this stream here at the fifth rank together. You had the queen at the sixth rank. So if you place them both," he put the pawn and queen side-by-side near a creak running along the middle of the board, "here, then it should follow the line."

The woman stared down at the board. "Well, at least until the queen turns into a sheep." She chuckled openly, flashing bright white teeth under the shade of her hat. Reid smiled back at her before closing the book and returning it to her. His phone vibrated again in his pocket and he knew it was J.J. wondering where he was. But this whole thing was too intriguing to leave just yet.

"So, can you play regularly as well?"

The woman looked back up at him. Or, at least, he thought she did but he couldn't tell behind her glasses. She smiled again, though this one seemed a bit wicked. Slowly, she pulled off her glasses and placed them on the table. Her eyes, one bright blue and one bright green, definitely had a wicked gleam in them.

"Why? Do you want to try me?"

Reid removed his own glasses and smiled, though he didn't quite know why. Something in the woman's mischievous grin was contagious. Quickly, he glanced at his watch. There was still plenty of time for a game before he needed to be back and Quantico. There might even be time to grab some coffee before he returned. He pulled out the opposite chair and eased into it while the woman cleared and reset the board. Alice, being an extra pawn, went to the side and watched over match.

Reid had thought the game would be quick. It wasn't until twenty minutes flew by, with the pieces left on the board few and far between, that he began to realize that maybe he had miscalculated his opponent's skill by just a bit. Just a little bit. Time trudged on and the collection of captured pieces on either side were steadily growing until Reid was left staring at the board, awestruck.

Somehow the woman had backed him into a corner and he was barely able to protect his queen, let alone strike a counterattack. Moving to the left would expose his queen completely. Moving forward would mean sacrificing his last rook, which would then expose his queen as well. There was no moving back. No moving left. He was stuck.

The woman stared at him as he stared in wonder at the board. His face screamed that he wasn't used to losing. As he reached for his rook, she smiled. He knew the game was over but he was still going to fight to the end, exhaust all possibilities, and do everything he could to stay in it, just in case the outcome were to change. He was just like she imagined he would be. She smiled softly, her face pink with happiness.

Reid moved his rook the only way he could. Now all he could do was wait for her to make the inevitable move to take his piece before, on the next turn, taking his queen. She hesitated, her hand hovering over a knight shaped like a unicorn, before moving to a pawn on the far side of the board and shifting it instead. Reid stared at her, confused.

Had she not seen the rook moving into position? Had she not known that her knight could have taken his rook and later his queen, thus ending the game? How could someone, who was clearly so good, make such a rookie mistake? Not only that, but moving that particular pawn exposed her own queen to be taken by his remaining knight. Clearly he had overestimated her.

With a swift swish he flicked away her queen and clinked down his knight in its place.

"Checkmate."

Semi sighing, semi laughing, the woman leaned back in her chair, giving Reid a slow clap of approval. Then she removed her hat, silvery-platinum hair tumbling down from where she had tucked it up. She absently ran her fingers through it, smiling to herself as she looked over the board.

"Good game, Mr.…" She faded off, leaving the open-ended statement hanging in the air.

"Oh, it's Doctor, actually. Doctor Spencer Reid."

"Doctor Spencer Reid. I'm Rose. Just Rose." She extended a hand across the table but Reid avoided it. She gave him a quizzical look.

"Sorry. It's just… I'm not really one for hand shaking."

"Oh I see." Rose went quiet for a moment before smiling and rising from her chair. "Well then, we will just have to do it this way. Come on. Get up! Up! Up!"

Confused, Reid scuttled to get out of his chair. Rose pointed to the spot of path in front of her and Reid stood where she had ordered like a loyal dog. She smiled at his puzzled expression. It was just too cute.

"Now, I'll curtsy and you bow. Simple yet effective. Ready?" Reid nodded more out of courtesy than actual understanding. Rose chuckled under her breath. "Good. Here we go."

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Then Rose smiled as sweet as sugar and dipped into a low curtsy, hands acting like they were holding up a dress even though she was wearing jeans. Reid responded with a low bow of his own just as his phone vibrated again in his pocket. But it seemed louder than usual.

He reached for it as Rose reached into her own pocket and pulled out her own buzzing phone. When she answered, her demeanor completely shifted. Gone was her sweet smile and in its place was a look of contempt and cold calculation. She mumbled into the phone in a hushed tone so quiet Reid couldn't hear a word. The phone call lasted only for a moment before she snapped it closed and took a deep breath.

"Sorry about that, Doctor, but I've got to be on my way." She smiled at him again, the sugary grin in place as strongly as if it never had disappeared. Reid stumbled over his words and waved his phone at her awkwardly.

"Oh, me too. But do you need any help packing up the board?" He reached for the pieces and ended up knocking over his queen with his fumbling fingers. Rose snickered into her hand.

"No, no that's quite alright. You go on. I took it out by myself and I can put it back by myself too."

Reid nodded and turned to walk away.

"Doctor Reid!"

Stopping in his tracks, he turned and gave her a questioning smile.

"Have a good day, okay?" Rose's face was too serious, making Reid feel a bit uncomfortable. But he smiled anyway and gave her a wave.

"You too." With that, Reid turned and made his way out of the park, leaving Rose to stare at his receding back.

"Hey kid, you're late," Derek Morgan stated across the round table of the conference room. Reid apologized and sat in his place, picking up a case file as he went. J.J. stared at him for a moment before turning to look at the screen behind her.

Three photos of women were lined up side-by-side on the screen. One brunette, one blonde, and one redhead. All smiling and all happy. However, underneath each photo was one a bit different than the one above it. Instead of smiling girls, the photos below showed three bodies leaning over stumps or large boulders. The heads were on the ground, staring up at the sky with the blank, foggy eyes of those who have passed on.

"These are Barbara Johns, Sarah Kay, and Amanda Black. They were all murdered within a three month period, with exactly one month separating each kill. Each were also found in different parks and forests surrounding Luray, Virginia."

"Luray? That's not too far from here, right?" Asked Emily Prentiss.

"About 84.5 miles." Stated Reid.

"Each victim was found with their hands bound and the only bruising being faintly on their upper arms," continued J.J.

Aaron Hotchner studied his own case file.

"No other signs of physical or sexual assault?"

"Not that the coroner could find." She turned back to the screen. "It was reported that the decapitation of each victim was swift and done in most likely one stroke."

"He's had practice," thought Prentiss aloud.

"What about the girls? What connects them?" Asked David Rossi, flipping through the photos of the files before him.

"Nothing substantial yet." J.J. pointed to the brunette. "Barbara was a preacher's daughter. Member of her church choir, leader of the local youth group, and a major volunteer on any days she had the time." She moved her finger to the blonde. "Sarah was valedictorian, state volleyball champion, and on a full ride to Vanderbilt University. Amanda, on the other hand," she shifted to the redhead, "was from a broken home, in and out of juvie, and her stepfather reported that she would constantly sneak out to party with her friends. Three different personalities, three different girls. They didn't even go to the same high school. The only thing connecting them are their ages. Barbara was 19, Sarah was 18, and Amanda had just turned 19."

"So its age that sets this unsub off," Rossi commented. "He doesn't care about looks or personality. He just seems to want a young girl."

"Well, I don't know if you would call it 'setting off'. I mean, there's no physical or sexual abuse. And the kill isn't emotionally connected at all. The way the bodies are leaning over the stumps like that almost makes it look like…" Morgan wandered off, staring at the photos.

"An execution." Hotchner rose out of his chair and picked up his files. "We'll drive since its close. We leave in 45 minutes."

With that the team began to collect their things and leave the room. Morgan was the first one out the door only to run into a sprinting Kevin Lynch, sending him stumbling backward.

"Whoa there. What's the rush?"

Kevin sucked in air, trying to slow down his breathing enough to speak. "Sorry but I really need to go. Penelope needs me." He tried to slide by Morgan only to have a large hand slap onto his shoulder.

"Garcia? What's wrong with Garcia?"

"Well, its…" He was stopped by Hotchner pushing past Morgan, who bumped into him, to get into the hallway.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I was trying to explain-" Kevin glanced at his watch. "Listen, I really have to get back. Just come with me if you want."

Kevin turned and hustled back down the hallway, Morgan and the rest of the team hot on his heels.

"So what's wrong with Garcia?"

"She's being attacked."

"Attacked!?" The panic rose in Morgan's voice but Kevin didn't answer. Instead he just focused on moving ahead, ignoring all of Morgan's demanding questions. Finally they reached the door to Garcia's office. Kevin creaked it open and the sound of pounding keys and not-so-quiet curses filled the air.

Garcia was flying around the room on her wheelie chair, a hurricane of bright colors and colorful words. Every now and then her fingers would make a mad dash across the keyboard but her eyes never left her many screens. Hotchner was the first in the room.

"What's happening, Garcia?" She didn't even turn to acknowledge him, just continued pounding away at the keys. "Garcia." Nothing. "Garcia." Nothing. "Penelope!"

"What!" She whirled on him, her face tight with fury. He was unfazed. Once she recognized who it was, her face immediately softened but the fury was still there, just better controlled. "Sorry, sir, but this isn't the best time." She turned back to the computers.

"What is going on?" He tried again.

"Well, right now I have some brave little soul trying to slip into my programming. And they're good. Very good. But I'm better." Random things flashed across her screen that made no sense to anyone else but her eyes followed them like a hawk spotting its prey.

"How did they get in?" But Garcia wasn't listening anymore. Her mind was completely focused on the battle at hand. So, instead, Hotchner turned to Kevin and raised an eyebrow.

"A while ago, we shut down the system to do some mandatory checks and they must have seen that the defenses were still a bit weak when we started it back up. It takes a while for everything to completely run perfectly when it comes back online, you know. Anyway, they slipped in and are trying to worm their way further. Penelope caught them and is trying to push them back out. She's been at it for a solid 20 minutes. It shouldn't take too much longer. They don't seem that good. Probably just a kid who didn't know what they were really getting into."

"No one ever does when it comes to our Garcia." Laughed J.J.

"NO!" Shrieked Garcia. She flew to her feet and stared at the screen in front of her with horror and defeat. "NO!" Kevin hurried across the room to her and stared at the screen as well, only to have his mouth hang open in shock. The rest of the team quickly followed.

"What? What's going on?" Prentiss asked with worry.

"He… he got in." Garcia's voice shook. "He got through."

"Well, can't you get him back out?" Asked Reid, staring at the screens too, trying to make sense of all the code. Garcia didn't answer. Seconds later, a new set of code flashed onto the screen. Garcia screamed and Kevin cursed. Morgan gripped Garcia's shoulders and tried to get her to look at him.

"Mama, come on Mama, look at me. You can get them out. I know you can."

But Garcia didn't even glance his way. She just shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she looked at the code.

"No, she can't. No one can. He's there to stay." Said Kevin in a deadpan voice.

"What do you mean," demanded Hotchner. Kevin pointed to a string of numbers at the end of the code.

"See this? There's only one hacker in the world that uses this strip of code."

"The Phoenix," mumbled Garcia absently. Kevin nodded. Hotchner didn't look impressed so Kevin explained.

"This strip of code was specifically designed to destroy. It burns through everything: files, code, hard drive, everything. Not only on the computer it attacks, but every computer attached, meaning the hacker's computer as well. The code eats through everything, like fire."

"So this hacker is destroying his own computer? How is that good?" Asked Reid, confused.

"Any other hacker would be burned and many others have been, trying to repeat the Phoenix's code. But only the Phoenix can make it through the flames. He rises from the ashes, metaphorically speaking, with whatever he came for and then he leaves, leaving the victim's computer in ruins. That's why Garcia can't push him out. The code's already in her computer. It's probably already burning through her hard drive."

"Everything I built. Everything I made. Gone." Garcia's voice sounded hollow and distant, teary eyes fading into foggy pools.

"He is moving," pointed out Reid, indicating different things popping up on the screen. Garcia hurried back the computer and watched in shock.

"What's he doing?" Asked Prentiss.

"He's going through my files. He's looking for something." The number of things popping onto the screen began to increase in speed and number. More and more files were opened and more and more documents were rifled through. This went on for a couple minutes before it started to slow down. Then things stopped and after a moment, the current case file appeared on the screen. There was another pause, then the file was gone. Then the screen cleared, as if nothing had happened. Garcia stared agape before her fingers began to fly rapidly across the keys.

"No way. No way!" She turned to her team, tears spilling from her eyes. "It's still there. It's still intact."

"He didn't burn it?" Kevin joined her at the keyboard. "What happened? Did the code not work?" Garcia started a desperate kind of laugh at the back of her throat.

"I don't know. But it's still there." She continued attacking the keyboard. "Wait…" There was a pause. "Some things are gone." Hotchner joined to two and leaned a hand on the desk, staring at the screens with them.

"Can you find out what he took?" Garcia nodded and attacked the keyboard in a hurry. There was a moment of silence before her eyes went wide. "What?"

She turned to look at the rest of the team behind her.

"He took today's case file."

"Is that all?" Asked Rossi, who had mainly just stood in the back of the room, watching the events unfold. Garcia shook her head. "Well? What else?" Garcia rung her hands uncomfortably.

"He took…" She stared at them, "everything the system had on Doctor Spencer Reid."

Reid looked shocked and pointed a finger at himself. "Me?"

Garcia nodded.