Chapter 2

Matt and Reid walked into the Tallahassee police substation. A man came out of his office and smiled at them. "Hey guys; I'm Detective Greg Garrison."

"Pleasure to meet you Detective," Matt smiled. "I'm Agent Matt Taylor, you contact at the BAU," he said, shaking Garrison's hand. "This is Dr. Reid," Matt gestured. Reid waved at him, forgoing the handshake.

Garrison looked at them. "I thought the BAU was a bigger team."

"We normally are," Matt said. "Do you have a conference room set up for us like Agent Garcia requested?"

Garrison smiled. "It's right over here," he gestured.

"We'll explain in there," Matt said.

Garrison led them into the conference room. Matt put down his go bag and deposited his brief case into a chair. Reid did the same with putting his messenger bag into a chair after shutting the door and putting his go bag down. "Detective, our entire team, including the Unit Chief and our senior profiler has reviewed this case. They agree with you that you have a serial killer who is dumping bodies in your jurisdiction."

"Here's the problem Detective," Reid said. "We can present our preliminary profile to your officers. But given the transient nature of both the victims and the unsub, we don't know how much its going to help."

Matt looked at the Garrison. "And no Detective, it's not because the victims are hobos. We feel the same way as you. Reid and I don't give a damn about how little they have. They are victims of a crime. We want this unsub as bad as you."

"It's just with the transient nature of this unsub and his victims, we don't have our normal ways of narrowing down our profile and helping you find this unsub," Reid said.

Matt smiled. "Unless of course you can get a force of over a hundred cops to patrol every rail line in that yard along with rail security. And two drones to cover with an aerial view. You get that; we'll get the whole team here."

Garrison looked at him. "Do you see what we're saying now Detective?" Matt asked.

"So you've got nothing for me?" Garrison growled.

"No Detective," Reid said, "But here's the thing. Matt and I have a working profile. And a possible angle to get a read on this unsub."

"Detective," Matt said. "The BAU is here to assist you on this case. But Detective, you've gotta work with us on what we've profiled. It's your case; you're the lead. We're just here to assist. It's just that profiling down to get a possible name of the unsub we don't feel is going to help due to the transient nature of the unsub."

Just then Matt's cell rang. He looked at the caller ID. "Em, you got something?"

"Yeah, we do."

"Give us a few minutes Prentiss," Matt said. "Reid and I just got in the door and meeting the lead. We haven't got my laptop set up yet."

"Give Garcia a holler when you do."

"Thanks Prentiss."

"She and JJ had to find something," Matt said, digging out his laptop looking at Reid. Reid nodded. Matt quickly hooked it up, got the Wi-F access password from Garrison and made the connection.

Garrison looked at Matt. "We've had two of our team members along with our team's technical analyst looking at railyard security footage."

Reid pulled out his cell. "Garcia, send what Prentiss and JJ found to Matt's laptop."

"Done boy wonder. BTW you're on speaker with them in the room," Garcia added.

"Hey guys," JJ said. "It's quick and we can't get facial ID on the unsub. But Garcia has worked her magic."

"Let's see it," Matt said.

"Guys, one of the pivoting security camera of the railyard caught the unsub briefly doing the tagging before the camera moved," Prentiss said.

Matt, Reid and Garrison looked at the video. "Here's the thing guys," Prentiss said. "Garcia was able to use her visual perspective software like she did with the terror cell in NYC."

"Reid and his math helped with all that," Garcia said. "Your unsub is five foot six at best."

Matt shook his head at Reid. "And can still beat the hell out of someone. Thank you all," Matt said, ending the call.

"You called it Cob. He's using a blitz attack on a 'bo that goes into his boxcar. That is some kind of rage," Reid said. "Our profile is right on."

"Matt here's my thing. Did you play football?" Matt nodded. "A five foot six guy can power down that deep of a blitz attack?" Reid asked.

"Trained right and has the build? Hell yes Doc," Matt said.

"But Matt, how does a 'bo keep up the physical build? Eating a meager portion of mulligan stew in a jungle along the tracks?"

Matt shook his head. "Damn Reid. He has to have some minor funding to eat better along the train lines."

"So when the hell do I and my officers hear this profile?" Garrison demanded.

"Detective, we're ready to give you our preliminary profile right now," Matt said. "And we're ready to work our asses off to get you a name. Do you understand that a name is not going to help you out in that transient world?"

"So what the hell are you going to do?" Garrison said.

"We're going to help you," Matt said. "That's why you called us in."

"First off," Reid said, "we just got a huge lead. With you and your officers helping us, Matt and I are going to work two angles to find this unsub."

"Which are?" Garrison asked.

"We'd like," Matt said, "with your help, to talk to the taggers around town. From a previous case the BAU worked, we know that taggers leave a signature on their artwork. We find a tagger that knows this unsub."

"Secondly, Matt and I talk to the 'bo's in the jungle and the bulls."

Garrison just shook his head at him. Matt and Reid layed out their profile.

Reid smiled at him. "Another case the BAU worked in northern California. The jungle is the camps the hobos have set up along railyards where they 'catch out', in their world, to hop another train after taking some down time. Bulls are railyard security. We go talk to them to see if we can build more on our profile," Reid smiled.

Garrison looked at the two in amazement. "How much shit has your team waded through?"

"You don't want to know," Matt said. "Honestly Detective, the bulls, railyard cops, need this description more than your men. But if I was you, I'd have a cruiser with two officers in it on stand-by at that railyard twenty-four seven. The railyard bulls are going to notice more than your officers. A quick back-up could catch this guy."

"That's why Detective, Matt and I are going to give our profile to them first. And then go to the jungle and talk to the 'bo's. After it gets dark, you can help us out on the street with the taggers."

Matt looked at Reid and shook his head, pulling out his cell. "Hotch; it's Matt. Call railyard security to get every one of their bulls in for Reid and me to present our findings. The profile won't do them any good. But the description and the tagging might."

"Got it Matt," Hotch said.

Garrison shook his head. "When do you two plan on sleeping tonight?"

Reid sadly smiled. "When we're working cases, sleep is a luxury."

Garrison looked at them shaking his head.

"We'll keep you in the loop Detective," Matt smiled at Garrison. "Go home and spend some time with your family before we head out tonight."

"Thanks guys," Garrison smiled. "I'll update my guys on what you're doing if that's okay?"

"Go for it," Matt smiled. "Tell them we hope to have more tomorrow to fill them in."

"And I'll get the patrol sergeants to assign a squad at the railyard," Garrison said. Matt and Reid nodded at him heading out the door.

Getting to the Bureau SUV, Reid looked at Matt. "Is there a chance I get to drive?" he asked with a sly smile.

"Not on my watch," Matt smiled, climbing into the driver's side. Reid laughed, getting in.

On the way to the railyard, Reid's cell buzzed. "Hey Tara," Reid smiled.

"Reid, it's Tara. Put me on speaker."

"What you got?" Reid asked.

"Guys," Tara said, "your hunch on the autopsies paid off. Each of the victims had traces of Mississippi river algae in their airways."

"So….?" Matt asked.

"Matt, the railyard in Memphis is right along the Mississippi River." JJ said and paused. "When it was seventy degrees there where the techs figured out that victim number two got killed. The one with the most decomp."

"Victim number three showed the next biggest amount of decomp," Tara said. "The coroner techs said it was in the forties in Memphis at the approximate time of kill. So it preserved the body a bit more."

"The last three victims felt the cold snap that hit Memphis," Tara added.

"And getting into a fight with a 'bo in the boxcar would make them breathe in heavily the air around them as they were fighting for their lives," Matt deduced. Reid nodded.

"Thank you both," Reid smiled.

"JJ, get this to Hotch," Matt said. "Have him get the rail company security to allow Garcia to track where the trains in the Tallahassee railyard are that make the run to and from Memphis. This could be huge. Get on it."

"Done Cob," JJ and Tara said.

"And hey," Reid said. "We've now got Tallahassee and Memphis connection. It isn't much. But have Garcia check it out as well."

"Already on it Spence," JJ said.

"Yes you all are," Reid smiled. "Thank you."

Matt and Reid pulled into the railyard by the security office. As Matt got out, his cell rang. "Hey Dave," Matt smiled. "You're on speaker."

"The Tallahassee and Memphis connection is a good lead guys. But don't back off the rest of your plan." Reid looked at Matt.

"Dave," Matt smiled at Reid. "We get it. It's not our first case. You're right; the lead is huge. But part of Reid's and my job is to put a complete profile together. Until we can figure out the tagger angle, our profile is incomplete. Doc and I won't accept that."

"Rock on my boys," Rossi said. Reid looked at Matt with his smile.

"Yes mom," Matt said, ending the call.

Matt and Reid walked into the railyard office. They saw twelve men, most of whom looked like people they wouldn't work with. "This is all of you?" Matt asked, showing his credentials.

"Come on man," one said, "we're glorified scarecrows and nothing more."

"Not the first time we've heard that," Reid commented.

Matt introduced the two of them as Reid handed out the picture that Garcia captured from the security footage. "We know it's not much guys. But we do know he's five foot six."

"Do not underestimate him," Reid said. "This is a psychopath that has killed five 'bo's bigger than him. If you spot him, do not approach him. Detective Garrison of the Tallahassee PD has assigned a squad car to sit outside of the railyard. You see this man, you call 911."

Matt looked at the group. "Do you know where the rail cars come from in the yard?" They all shook their head. "That's OK. But there's a Memphis connection to this guy. Our supervisor is working with the rail companies to see if our technical analyst can pinpoint the boxcars that came from Memphis. If she finds that information, can you help us?"

"Agent, I'm Keith. I'm sorta the foreman around here. And hell yes, if your analyst can tell us a track and what quadrant it's in, we can find it."

"Quadrant?" Matt asked.

Keith walked to a map of the railyard. He pointed to a track. "This is track ten. It runs through the entire yard." He pointed at the red outlines on the map. "This is how we bulls break down the quadrants doing our patrols."

"Mind if we take a picture of that?" Matt asked. Keith nodded his head. Matt snapped the picture and sent it to Garcia. "This is a huge help for us," Matt smiled.

"How so Agent?" Keith asked.

"If our technical analyst can get into you rail car tracking system along with security video, this map helps her track down our unsub," Reid said. "We can alert you and have more police presence here in a more precise area rather than the whole rail yard."

"Like Dr. Reid said you call 911 if you see this man," Matt added. "Do not take him on. And when the cops show up, they could use your help. But for God's sake, don't use those shotguns you carry. None of us want to pull buckshot out of our asses." The rail cops all smiled. "Just be our eyes and ears and let law enforcement handle this."

"You'll be here?" Keith asked.

"Yes we will," Matt said. "Now – tell us where the jungle is. The 'bo's can help us too."

Keith pointed out the window. "Two hundred yards that way; you can't miss it with the smell."

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