I had to fight a mean case of writer's block, so instead of trying to force myself to grab my pen and notebook, I read.

If you guys are looking for some good scandinavian crime novels, I can recommend you check out Yrsa Sigurdardóttir from Iceland and Helene Tursten from Sweden. I've read them in norwegian, but I am almost certain they've been translated to english.


= Quantico, bullpen, 14.00 GMT-5 =

- "Got a case for us JJ?"

- "Nope, sorry Morgan. I only needed a break from all the paperwork and case files I have on my desk. There's just so much blood I can stand."

It was said in a smile but Morgan knew she was serious.

- "I don't envy your job JJ, you're the one on the team who sees the worst, day in and day out." he acquiesced gravely.

Wanting to break the suddenly heavy atmosphere, he winked at the blonde agent before sneakingly dropping the file he was reading on Prentiss's pile. Sadly for him, he hadn't been as stealthy as he thought.

- "Morgan, you drop one more of your files on my pile and I will have JJ shoot you." Emily told him without raising her eyes from the notepad she was writing on.

- "You wouldn't princess."

- "She would." JJ smirked. "In fact, she already asked me to do it 2 days ago when she caught you 'sharing' your files with Spence."

- "Huh, what JJ?"

- "Nothing, boy genius."

- "Judging by the slightly panicked tone of your voice, and the fact that JJ and Prentiss are laughing at you, I'd say they caught you dropping your files on either her desk or mine."

- "Erm...you noticed?"

- " I have an eidetic memory, Morgan. I noticed."

Emily cracked up at her desk when she saw Morgan's flabbergasted face and JJ high-fived Reid.

- "Conference room. Now."

- "Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good. Are you sure there was no case for us, Jay?"

- "Certain, Em. This one must have gone directly to Hotch."

- "And we all know what it means." Emily sighed.

- "A particularly nasty case." Morgan grimaced.


=Quantico, conference room, 14.15 GMT-5 =

As soon as everyone was seated, Hotch clicked on the remote.

- "Pittsburgh PD requested our help. They've had 2 murders in 8 days. The first victim is Michael Werner, 28, student at Pitt University. He was beaten to death. The second one is Gerard Nowak, 41, repeatedly drowned. He was working as a car mechanic."

- "How are they sure it's the same unsub?" Rossi asked the question which had crossed the other profilers' minds.

Clicking once more on the remote, Hotch brought up the the pictures of the bodies taken at the morgue, zooming on the victims' faces. "They both have swastikas carved on their foreheads."

- "Well that sure isn't a common signature." Emily remarked. "Did they have any ties to neo-nazi organisations? It would explain the swastikas."

- "The PD couldn't find anything pointing in this direction. So far they didn't find anything the 2 victims had in common. They're in the dark." Hotch looked around the table "Wheels up in 10."


= In the jet, 14.45 GMT-5 =

- "The unsub used 2 different Mos. Maybe he is trying to find the one he prefers."

- "Does it scream first-timer to you Morgan?" The crime scenes are spotless: no fibres, no hair, no blood, no skin, no DNA. Nothing."

- "Emily's right. He is incredibly organised and in control. I am almost certain he did this before." Reid mused "They didn't find any more bodies?"

- "None with our distinctive signature. And I doubt it's something he came up with only now."

- "I'm with JJ. We need to extend the search." Taking his phone from his belt, Morgan dialled Garcia's number. "Hello baby girl."

- "My chocolate god, how I miss thou. What can I do for you?"

- "Can you see if a body with a swastika was reported found in the state of Pennsylvania?"

- "Hasn't the PD already looked for this?"

- "No. Even if they had, they're not you, cupcake."

- "You, my dark love, are a charmer. Be still my heart."

JJ and Prentiss exchanged a look before rolling their eyes at the analyst's antics.

- "Zilch in the Keystone State."

- "Garcia, can you..."

- "Extend the search to the whole East Coast? My babies are already searching, boss man."

- "Extend to the entire country if you still come up empty."

- "Will do sir. Anything else?"

- "Not for now, Garcia."

- "Peace to you, my lovely crime-fighters. PG, over and out!"

- "We have no evidence, no suspects, no leads, nothing to build our profile on as our vics have nothing in common, except that they're now both dead and have been branded. If our unsub sticks to his pattern of killing every 4th day, we will find a third body today." Rossi summarized what they had, or rather not have, so far.

- "Ugh, why do I have the feeling this case is really going to suck." Emily half-sighed, half-snorted.

Morgan nodded at her, before all the profilers turned their attentions to the file once again. The jet was silent for long minutes, they were all so focused on the case, trying to find even the tiniest piece of information which could have escaped them earlier. They were so absorbed in the task that the beep coming from the laptop on the table surprised them and JJ almost dropped her mug of coffee on the floor.

- "Oh my god Penelope! Heart attack, much?"

- "Sorry kitten, I take it you weren't expecting a call from my office of supreme genius." Garcia wasn't looking apologetic at all. "As you requested boss man, I searched into national databases but didn't find anything in any of the 50 states. So I took the liberty to look at alive victims, in case our sicko failed at his attempt and once again, nothing. Either he is just starting or the victims haven't been found yet. I'm sorry."

- "It's not your fault. Thank you Garcia."

- "You're welcome, my raven-haired princess. Keep me posted."

- "Will do."

For long seconds, no one spoke. JJ broke the silence.

- "Do we really think Michael and Gerard are his first victims?"

- "Honestly? I doubt it. The Mos are different, yes, which usually indicates a killer trying to find his style but it doesn't fit with the general impression given by the crime scenes."

- "I agree with Rossi." Reid said "Michael Werner was was finishing his PhD in political sciences, was a basketball player and lived on campus. He was young, healthy, in shape and was killed in his dorm room. Yet, no one saw or heard anything, and the room was spotless. The unsub must have known there was a party in the dorm that night, that Michael wouldn't assist it and that there would be enough noise and movements for him to go unnoticed. The body was found the next day by his professor who was worried about him because he didn't show up at his class. After knocking without receiving an answer, he tried the doorknob and the door unlocked. Our second victim, the car mechanic, was also a strong, healthy man. And yet, the unsub succeeded in drowning him several times, before staging the body on the hood of a car so he would be the first thing his colleagues would see when coming to work in the morning. He choses high-risks victims, in places where he could be easily discovered or interrupted at any time. Still, all you can see when you look at the scenes is how controlled and organised the unsub was. There are definitely more victims before these 2."

- "So how come Garcia haven't found them?" a slightly doubtful Morgan asked. "Could it be because he never marked them?"

- "A man like him... No, he would have used the swastika as a signature since his very first crime." Reid's statement was assured.

- "Where are they then? What are we missing?" Morgan was frustrated, and so were the other profilers. They hated feeling helpless.

The pilot's voice cracked in the speakers "Agents, we're landing in Pittsburgh in 5 minutes. Please regain your seats and fasten your seatbelts."


= Pittsburgh Airport, tarmac, 16.00 GMT-5 =

- "I'm detective Ryan Jones. Thank you for coming. You must be Agent Hotchner?"

- "I am. These are SSA Rossi, Jareau, Prentiss, Morgan, and Dr Reid. Thank you for calling us."

- "Another body was found 10 minutes ago. Do you wanna stop at your hotel before going to the precinct?"

- "The hotel can wait. Can you drive us to the crime scene right away?"

- "Sure thing, Agent Hotchner. 3 of you can come in the SUV with me, the other 3 will have to ride with lieutenant Alex Rojas."

Hotch, Reid and Rossi hopped in with the detective; JJ, Prentiss and Morgan rode with the lieutenant. All 6 agents were steeling themselves for the crime scene they were on their way to discover.