So this is my first wandering into writing Criminal Minds, although I've certainly read enough of it. But I love the show, so I thought I would try it. I'm just a little worried about characterization.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. That would be CBS and ABC.

Need

Freehold, New Jersey

Heels tapped on the sidewalk as she walked to her car. Her fingers fumbled for her car keys, buried deep in the bottom of her purse where she dropped them. Strands of hair got in her eyes as she bent her head to look, walking faster.

"Are you all right?"

Her head whipped around; adrenaline spiked as narrowed eyes scanned the lot.

"Jesus!" She pressed a hand to her heart. "You trying to give me a heart attack?" Taking a deep breath, she waved the inquiry off. "I'm good. Just paranoid, you know."

Her fingers curled around the cool metal of her car keys and she pulled them out to unlock her car when the blow to her head knocked her to the ground.

Harsh breathing filled the air as the body was dragged closer to the light.

A dark figure straddled the still body, carefully unbuttoning the shirt. Shifting through a bag, gloved fingers pulled out a quill. The tip pressed against the blood, filling the shaft.

Blood etched across the woman's body in words.

Chloe cried silently, trying to suppress the sighs and sobs. She didn't want to wake Zoë with her crying and desperately wished that she could get up and wander the halls of the family manor.

But that life was far behind her now and she had no where to go to calm the storm in her heart and mind…

FBI Headquarters

JJ brought up four pictures on the screen.

"Four bodies?" Morgan asked. "They had four bodies before they called us in?"

"The last two bodies were extremely close together. Information on the fourth murder was faxed this morning.

"The victims are George Matthews, Casey Kline, Joseph Block and Danielle Lear. All the victims were found without their shirts, although the women still had their bras on."

"What is covering them?"

JJ zoomed in. "Writing. Each of the victims was found covered in writing that was done in their own blood."

Reid squinted. "Christopher slammed his fist against the tile wall, feeling some of them come lose. One flew up and scratched his cheek. He hit the wall, over and over, until the tiles fell to the floor."

"All of the victims were found in the parking lot of the local mall, Freehold Raceway. George Matthews was found nearly six weeks ago; Casey Kline was three weeks ago and Joseph Block was three days ago and Danielle Lear was last night.

"At every scene, police have found a quill."

"A quill?" Prentiss frowned.

"Quills were used as writing implements before dip pens were invented. They are usually the primary flight feathers discarded by birds when they molt, usually geese. Although swan, crow, eagle, owl and hawk feathers are also used. The hollow shaft acts as a reservoir and ink flows to the tip, although the writer would have to refill the quill often."

"Thanks for the lesson, Reid," Morgan leaned back in his chair. "And the unsub used the victims' blood for ink."

"The average adult has ten pints of blood in their body."

"Why the writing?" Rossi asked. "Are they connected?"

"They appear to be," JJ said. "Each… tale seems to focus on one character but others are mentioned. The one that Spence read about Christopher mentions Chloe, who is written about on Danielle."

"And why these people? What is their connection?" Prentiss sighed.

"They all work in the mall."

Hotch shook his head. "It's a big mall. There has to be more than that." He gathered up his files. "Wheels up."

Words are a lens to focus one's mind.--Ayn Rand