Can the missing be found?
"Anybody who has gone through a life-changing experience will tell you there is a different understanding of what is real and what is important, and when you are going through different moments, you can reflect and go, "I've been through worse."
~Delta Goodrem
"Sorry to call you all in the middle the night, but Minnesota needs our help. In the past month these three people have gone missing then found dead in their homes. The first victim Amanda Shaw, 25, Caucasian. Second victim John Wilson, 37, Caucasian. Third victim Iveena Rodgers, 41, African American," Garcia the bubbly blonde stated as three smiling faces appeared on the screen.
"We'll this guy certainly doesn't have a type, he's all over the place with age, gender, and race," Prentiss said.
"Are the killings at random?" JJ asked.
"Minnesota PD hasn't found a connection yet and neither have I."
"What's the cause of death?" Hotch asked.
"Oh yes, here's the icky part. They died because of mal nutrition and freezing to death. Then afterwards the Unsub guts them."
"How pleasant," Rossi commented.
"It says here that only the liver was missing?" Reid asks.
"Yes, and they had a large amount of some sort of drug inside them, but the ME still hasn't identified it yet."
"Do we know what he's doing with the livers?" Reid asked.
"No."
"Ok when we get there Rossi and Reid go to the ME's office and find out what you can. The rest of us will get set up. Wheels up in ten, you can sleep on the jet," Hotch said getting up.
Everyone slept most of the way to Minnesota. Prentiss woke up from her hours of slumber and stared out the window at the rising sun. The peach and cherry colors highlighted the marshmallow clouds. She twirled her silky brown hair between her fingers leaning her head on the glass. She wasn't in the mood for another case, it was Christmas time and murders always brought the mood down. Turing to the side she smiled seeing Reid, boy genius, curled up on the couch. Morgan laid back in the leather chair with his head phones gently wrapped around his head. JJ and Hotch knocked out with open files in their laps. And finally Rossi, the old profiler, sleeping in his usual upright position.
Prentiss looked down at the laptop in front of her hearing the usual binging. "Hey Garcia," she whispered.
"Oh did I wake you?" The analyst asked.
"No I was awake but everyone else is still asleep."
"Oh ok well I'll just tell you and you tell everyone else later."
"Sure lay it on me."
"Ok so there is no connection between these people at all. They never crossed paths, didn't work together, live near each other, or anything."
"That's going to make this guy much harder to find."
"Sorry kitten."
"Is that it?"
"Yeah and I got lonely. Being surrounded by screens all day isn't the most fun environment."
"Sorry Penn, but hey at least you're not out her chasing killers."
"Oh no, that is not for me. I leave that up for my crime fighters."
"Thanks," she laughed quietly. "Thanks Garcia."
"Adios my love."
When they got there they all bundled up in their warmest clothes. Stepping off the jet a wall of cold air smashed into their faces. Yes it was cold in D.C but this was three times worse. Off the stairs and onto the ice, trying not to slip, they made their way to the cars. Rossi and Reid immediately headed to the coroners office while everyone else went to the police station.
They walked into the small brick building. The Police station had the sad blue walls, and light brown carpet. Cubical s and desks huddled filled the center of the room. A few larger rooms lined the walls. Typical small town station.
"Chief Hanson?" JJ asked walking up to a group of officers.
"Yes, you must be the BAU. Agent Jareau, we talked on the phone."
"Yes, these are Agents Hotchner, Morgan, and Prentiss. Where can we set up?"
"Well we don't have much but a conference room."
"That'll be perfect."
"Ok right this way."
"Chief what have you got so far?" Hotch asked.
"Well we sent you most of what we had, but I do have two new suspects that I've been meaning to pick up."
"Ok we can go pick them up now if that's alright?"
"That would be great. My first suspect Josh Harris was one of the few people who saw each victim before they went missing. His alibi isn't tight and he has a history of aggravated assault. He lives no more than fifteen minutes from here. And my second suspect Dan Rodgers lives up the mountain. He's been suspicious and there have been complaints filed."
"What were the complaints?"
"Watching, following, that kind of stuff."
"So he stalked them?" Prentiss pitched in.
"Pretty much but he never did anything. He lives up the mountain a little ways from here."
"Morgan, Prentiss, you head up the mountain. Chief and I will head to Josh Harris', JJ stay here and start on a geological profile and catch Reid and Rossi up to speed when they get back."
"Yes sir."
"Uh Agent Prentiss the mountain is tricky to get up, so I called a good friend of mine who is very experienced. He should be here any minute."
"Oh thank you. Hey Morgan Chief has someone who is going to take us up the mountain," she called back.
"Ok when do we leave?"
"Any minute."
About ten minutes later Prentiss and Morgan heard a loud honk come from outside. "Looks like our ride is here," Morgan shrugged grabbing his things. Bracing themselves from the cold the opened the door and hurried out. Emily got there first calling shotgun.
"Hi I'm Jack," the diver said.
"Agent Prentiss," Emily said shaking his hand. "This is my partner Agent Morgan."
"Nice to meet you," Morgan said reaching his hand up.
"So chief tells me that you need to be taken up the mountain?"
"Yes we need to question a suspect," Morgan said.
"Who?"
"Dan Rodgers," said Prentiss.
"Oh yeah he's a real creep."
"We've been told. So how long does it take to get up there?"
"Well considering were he lives and this weather... probably about an hour."
"Oh wow, we better get going than."
Half an hour later they were still driving up the mountain. Emily set her case file down when her phone ran. Digging into her pocket a picture of Hotch appeared on her phone. "Hello?"
"Prentiss we're at Josh Harris' house."
"Got anything?"
"Yeah, a dead body."
"Harris' or another victim?"
"Harris, it looks like he OD'ed on heroin."
"Well does it look like he could have been the Unsub?"
"Not at all. His place is a mess. Drugs are everywhere. He's unorganized, there's no way this guy could have pulled off three murders without anyone knowing about it."
"Ok thanks Hotch."
"What about you, got anything?"
"No we're still in the car. Apparently it takes about an hour to get there."
"Alright, call me when you get there."
"Will do," she said and hung up.
"Is everything ok?" Morgan asked.
"Harris is dead; he OD'ed and Hotch doesn't think he could have pulled any of this off by the looks of it."
"Ok well let's just hope Rodgers can give us something."
"Don't worry we are almost there, the turn is right up the road. It's hard to tell where it is at times with all this snow. It makes everything look the same."
"D.C's not any better, snow wise. The buildings help you find your way," Morgan commented.
"I would like to thank you both."
"For what?"
"For doing this job. I know I wouldn't be able to, I'm just glad there are people out there like you who do."
"Yeah well I'm just glad I'm still able to do it," Morgan laughed.
"Oh damn that was my turn, sorry guys."
"It's cool man."
"I'm going to have to keep going, there's a place to turn around up here."
He hid behind a few trees and waited for them to pass. He had known the FBI was coming to investigate the current murders. He wasn't about to sit around and wait to be caught. He decided that it was time to have some fun and no one would suspect a thing.
Jack had his eyes glued on the icy road ahead of him. Morgan and Prentiss had their faces buried in the case files and reports. Not looking up and to the right, none of them saw the truck speeding towards them. At the last second Emily pushed her bangs behind her ear, and saw the truck feet away. Before she could say anything the trucks bumper collided with her door.
Rossi and Reid were finally able to meet with the Medical Examiner. "Thank you for meeting with us," Rossi said.
"No problem, sorry it took so long."
"What do have for us?"
"Well all three victims have almost the same wounds. They all have ligature marks on their wrists, ankles, and neck, most likely from a small chain."
"Their livers were missing?" Rossi asked.
"Yes," she comforted
"These cuts seem pretty clean," Rossi said pulling up the sheet.
"Yes surprisingly."
"Surprisingly?"
"Yes the liver is very tricky to remove mostly because it's covered by your ribcage."
"So would he have to have medical training for something like this?"
"Well it's not perfect, it's still pretty sloppy, but he would have to have some. See this here," she asked pointing to some black smudges around the cut.
"What is that?" Reid asked.
"Ink."
"Ink?"
"Yes it was as if he drew the lines where he would cut, like a surgeon."
"Was that the cause of death?"
"Not for the women, they froze to death. Hypothermia from the inside out, from eating the snow."
"And for John?"
"He was still live when his live was removed."
"Have you identified the drug they were injected with?"
"No. Our equipment isn't as advanced as others so we've sent it to another location. I'm still waiting on the results. We will call you when it comes in."
"Thank you."
"No problem."
Here's the first chapter, please review and tell me what you think.