The case
The sunbeams were barely touching the surface Quantico, when JJ walked with a fast pace in the cold building. She was late, something very out of character for her. She had a hard time sleeping last night, and almost missed Garcia's call about another case. She heard her own footsteps echoing in the hallway.
When she reached the conference room, all the members of her team were already there. Everybody sat on the chairs, their eyelids heavy.
Reid looked like he hadn't even combed his hair yet.
Their heads turned around when the blonde agent walked in. Rossi raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry I'm late" she apologized.
"Morning" groaned Derek.
"Yeah, morning" she replied.
Derek handed her a coffee and give her a look that said 'you'll gonna need this'.
She smiled back in gratitude.
"Alright my lovelies, I know everybody is really tired but settle in because this is going to be a crazy ride" their beloved tech analyst was as always a bit hyper.
The screen in front of them lit up and gruesome pictures appeared of young, blonde women tied up and with their throats cut.
"These are the pictures of young Katarina Mills, Jennifer Long, Loraine Davis and Cyndi Peyton. All found dead within the last 4 months in their hometown in Alaska . All appear to been taken hostage a day or two in which they've been sexually assaulted, murdered and dumped in mostly abundant places. They have been taken mostly at night, within a couple weeks from in each other. There are no known connections between them and the CSI team couldn't find any DNA or valuable traces from their killer. Last night a possible fourth victim was taken; Miranda Benton."
A picture of a blonde woman, late twenties, begin thirties appeared on the screen.
JJ felt a knot in her stomach from the waterfall of Garcia's words. She saw the pictures of the women, their blonde hair partially covering their faces, a red mark on the throat.
"So we got a serial killer that abducts and kills quickly. Apparently quite efficiently as well. So this Unsub must have had experience in organizing and executing crimes. Were there any reports of comparable sexual assaults or abuse?" Rossi asked.
"Sadly yes, I looked at reports from the last 5 years but I have to say nothing really popped out. There were 2 reports from women against their husbands and 3 reports of women but none of them resemble the victims we have now. None of them had blonde hair, and 2 of the victims were already in their forties. Also 3 of the men that have been accused are now in prison" Penelope answered.
"So either the Unsub isn't from around there and we much search in nearby area's for any similar reports or this Unsub kept under the radar for a very long time" Hotch said.
"You mean that there are possible victims out there that haven't reported their assault?" JJ asked with her pokerface on.
"That's possible" Hotch nodded.
"Garcia, can you tell us a little bit more about the town?" Reid asked.
"Well you remember the last time we went to Alaska?" Garcia certainly hadn't forgotten, it was there that she saw a man dying in her arms. The image still haunted her sometimes. "The small town, surrounded by woods and water, cold, and which we could only reach by seaplane, we had no reception..."
The team simultaneously gave her a nod. Yeah, they'd remembered, it was the one-way-in- no-way-out town.
"Well picture that, only than bigger" Garcia showed them some photo's of the town.
"What can you tell us about the latest victim?" JJ asked, avoiding to say Miranda's name out loud.
"Yes Miranda Benton, 29 years old" the picture of Miranda reappeared on the screen, she smiled for the camera, her blue eyes piercing in JJ's face "she was possibly abducted last night. Her husband Jeremy Benton reported her missing this morning, claiming that she never came home after a girls night at a friend's house. She works in the local store where she sells fruit and vegetables. Parents are both diseased and she has no siblings. Her husband claims they have a good marriage and it's very unlike Miranda to stay away or not check in."
Rossi stared at the picture.
"Well" he said slowly "if this Unsub has Miranda we've got a couple of days to find her."
"Then we better get going" Hotch added "wheels up in 20."
