Chapter 1: A NEW CASE
1 week earlier
Reid walked into the briefing room followed by Morgan at 9:00 on a Tuesday morning. Everyone else was already there; JJ, Blake, Hotch, Rossi and Garcia. Morgan and Reid sat down in the remaining two seats at the round table and picked up their tablets, quickly beginning to scan the case file.
Reid notices a woman also sitting at the table, dressed in black combat trousers, black boots that stop at her knees and a white long sleeved top. She looked younger than Reid, and he was surprised by that.
"Hey guys. I'm just going to introduce to you Mackenzie Evans. She was the one who came to us about the case, so I'll let her take it away and explain everything," Garcia said waving a hand towards the mystery woman.
The woman stands up and exchanges places with Garcia at the front by the television screens. She had a tall skinny frame though by the way she held herself she shouldn't be underestimated. When she finally set up the slideshow she straightened up a bit and took a deep breath. The entire team took this into account because the breath was shaky and nervous. They couldn't help it. They were profilers.
"Hi, my name is Mackenzie Evans, just as your tech analyst, Agent Garcia, just said," Evans began with a heavy English accent. "I work for the Arizona police force and I have a case to present to you that you will hopefully take. Although most of the cases you receive you have no idea who the killer is. The thing is we do."
"Then why do you need us?" Hotch interrupted.
"Because despite our best efforts we are un-able to track her down. Every time we feel that we are closing in she disappears and then a couple of weeks or days later another body shows up. Also, most of us are emotionally attached to the case and those who are not, are trying to keep the people who are supported."
"You said a lot of people in the team who are working this case are attached to this case. How many? Why?" Reid asked.
"The killer, Shannon Larson, went to high school with a lot of us. We didn't think she was that type of person. She was so calm and un-like her killings. I've got the worst of it because Shannon and I went to college together and even enlisted in the army together." Mackenzie said. "It's incredibly hard for us to be asking for help but here we are. Will you help us find Shannon before anyone else gets hurt?"
"Of course. So who are the victims?" Hotch said.
"Two females, two males, a police officer and a teenage boy. Each connected by being heavily tortured and finished off by a slit throat."
"And how long are the victims held for?" Blake asked.
"The time varies per victim. She is highly unpredictable," Mackenzie replied flatly.
"Alright, we'll finish briefing on the plane. Wheels up in thirty," Hotch said.
Everybody started getting up and began to leave the conference room, leaving Mackenzie standing alone by the TV screen. Mackenzie gave a sigh of relief. They were going to help them. There were going to help catch Shannon. All she needed to do was keep the time when they were enlisted together secret and the events that occurred hidden. The case depended on it.