"A man who does not think for himself does not think at all" Oscar Wilde
3. Progress
Tuesday is different.
She doesn't wake up to the sound of her alarm screaming to her sound sensitive ears, instead she rises at half six when the sun is beginning to say hello to a new day. For once she isn't tired either, a rare event in itself. She lies in her bed and watches the sun creep along her still body until she is fully bathed in LA sunlight. It's then she decides to get up, stretches, then heads towards the shower. The water is warm and she lets it stream down her face, her muscles completely relaxed. For a few minutes she allows herself to be Emily, just Emily. Not Prentiss, not Supervisory Special Agent Prentiss, not the ambassador's daughter. And as the water trickles through her hair, down her shoulders and back, she realises how easy it could be to convince herself she is just Emily, just here on a holiday rather than another case. For a minute she can return to being the girl in the garden who played hide and seek, who hung around with anybody she could find, who learnt to be independent. But as time progresses and the water cools it's as if Reality, in a cold liquid, begins slithering down her, she isn't Emily, not anymore. She's SSA Emily Prentiss.
She meets the others downstairs and they head from breakfast, the progress from yesterday, she remembers, was next to none. They arrived at the station jet lagged at seven in the morning when most cops were starting the new day. By the time they'd been brief on the case and visited the crime scene they were exhausted and at five called it a night. As they sit down to breakfast more refreshed Hotch, who Emily wonders if he ever sleeps, tells them what to do. "Rossi and Morgan go and to the morgue and look at the victims, JJ you interview the rest of the victims families and see if their any similarities between the men, Prentiss and I will do victimology and a geographical profile" she wants to tell Hotch that travelling as a child and speaking various languages does not automatically make her an expert on maps. Still she agrees and as she sips her coffee starts day dreaming that Reid will somehow walk into the hotel and take the responsibility away from her. She has no such luck and finds herself, an hour later, in the police conference room staring helplessly at a map of LA, or part of a map of LA, searching it desperately to see if it was the right one.
The cold air of the morgue is beautiful and, for a minute, David Rossi ignores the fact that they're here to visit dead bodies and, instead, imagines he's walking in a park on a cool day, where the sun is shining, trees are swaying, an attractive blonde bends over- "Rossi, man, we're here" silently cursing Morgan, Rossi walks into uncomfortably cold morticians room. They find him just washing up after looking at the last body "Mr Fitzgerald?" the Coroner turns "We're with the FBI I'm Agent Morgan, this is Agent Rossi, we want to see the victims recently beaten to death."
"Ah, yes I was told the FBI was involved" the Coroner says, he's a small man of about thirty, balding with glasses and has the distinct air of someone much older than their age. Morgan and Rossi walk to the table "This is Robert Mason, found yesterday but I suspect you already know that" he has an awkward manner, as if he never really learned how to act around others so choose an occupation in which reduced living human contact.
"Did you find anything unusual about the body, any marks that didn't seem to fit?" Rossi asks, he glances at the body of the beaten man, his skin is covered in a blanket of bold, violent colours.
"No, the men, all of the men, were beaten to death in the same manner. The bruising" he points to the almost black splotches on Mason's torso and face "are rather peculiar. The men were taken out from a blow to the back of the head that appears to be done by a blunt object, yet the killer then seemed to beat the victims, as you can tell from the arms, with general debris from the alley."
"Are all the other victims similar to this?" Morgan asks.
"Yes, they all have the same blow to the head first, then the beating with what appears to be objects that he could have found in any backstreet alley, bin lids, glass bottles, broken crockery..." The Coroner says.
"So the unsub took them out from behind and beat them once they were unconscious" Rossi says, thinking quickly "He's organised, comes with a weapon and an intent but why use the other objects, why not just use the initial weapon?" muses Rossi.
"I have no idea" Morgan says, "Were there any other similarities between the victims, other than the manner of death?" Rossi looks around the dark room, despite the cool air he's never liked morgues.
"Yes, uh, you've probably already been informed that they were members of gangs?" the coroners says, suddenly becoming animated.
"Yes" Rossi says, slightly unnerved at the man's eccentricity.
"The men belonged to three separate gangs, each with a tattoo on their upper arm" the Coroner points to Mason's right arm, revealing a black Phoenix "Mason, Marshall and Scott have Phoenixes, Smith and Davies have a cross" he says, walking to the draws and opening various ones revealing different tattoo's "And Daniels, Evans, Taylor and Morris have sharks."
"How many gangs are in the area?" Morgan asks.
"I'm not sure, the Police Chief will know" he says apologetically.
"Alright, thank you for your time" Rossi says, the Coroner smiles awkwardly and they leave the room. "Morgues always creep my out" Rossi confesses when they're walking up the steps to the car park.
"Then why get a job that requires almost weekly visits to one?" Morgan pries.
"The bodies don't disturb me, it's just the atmosphere" Rossi deflects, wanting Morgan to focus on the case. When they get back to the SUV they begin analysing.
"If the unsub knew what gangs the victims belonged to then perhaps the men were targeted specifically?"
"We can ask Hotch and Emily when we get back to the station" Rossi says, wondering if there is a blatant connection between the victims then how it was possible that they missed it. They drive the rest of the way in silence, lost in their own speculations.
As JJ and Officer Matthews walk closer to the house she's surprised to find it middle class. Not to stereotype things but she hardly suspected that Robert Mason would be rich, or at least have parents who were reasonably well off. She would have arrived yesterday but they lived so far out that once all the other interviews were done Hotch had called her and told her to go to the hotel. They walk up to the door, knock and wait. It isn't as humid in the neighbourhood and the fresh smell of flowers is beautiful in comparison to exhaust fumes. The door opens to a man and woman JJ suspects to be in their early fifties at least. "Mr and Mrs Mason?" she asks, they nod "I'm Jennifer Jareau with the FBI and this is Officer Matthews, I was hoping you could answer some questions about your son Robert for us" she says, the man shakes his head and walks away, Mrs Mason stays.
"Benjamin won't have anything to do with Robert, I don't mind answering questions" Mrs Mason says wearily. She leads them into an impressive lounge, a mantle, flat screen TV, various ornaments and photo frames, none of Robert JJ notes. "Please sit down" she says and they comply.
"Did you keep in contact with your son Mrs Mason?" although JJ feels she already knows.
"Five years ago Robert fell out with his father and they didn't speak after that, I tried to stay in touch with him every now and then but it was difficult." she sounded tired, as though this is a story she has to repeat often.
"Would you mind telling us what they argued about?" prompts JJ.
"Ben wanted Robert to go to college, he passed his exams top of the class, but Robert, for some reason, decided to get a job and move in with his girlfriend Tanya. They had a big fight about it, Ben said Tanya was dangerous but Robert didn't seem to care, it was as if he wanted that sort of life" she says.
"What sort of life?" JJ asks.
"Tanya is a pole dancer. Robert could have went to Harvard but instead he chose to join a gang and live in a dead end neighbourhood, it doesn't make any sense. I thought it was just a phase, he wanted to relieve some of the pressure on him and that he'd be over it soon but he never left" Mrs Mason shakes her head and JJ suddenly has an intense feeling of pity.
"How was Robert as a person?" JJ asks.
"He was smart, sensible but he had an awful temper and could be arrogant come to think about it. He was a relaxed sort of person, fun loving but I imagine he changed of course."
"What makes you say that?" JJ asks.
"I don't imagine the life he was choosing was one of jokes and fun and games, do you? I just wish things had played out differently" she says.
"I'm sorry for your loss Mrs Mason and we are trying to find the person who did this" JJ says, Mrs Mason nods and JJ inwardly sighs, knowing as always that it's never much of a consolation.
They exit the house and get back into the car, JJ sighs at the list of victims families wondering why the police department took so long to call them in.
They were making progress… Then they weren't… Then they thought they were making progress again… Then they realise it's the wrong map. The conference room is littered with maps of various parts of LA, not one of them the part they're looking for. "I give up, we need Reid" Prentiss says, "Have you had any word from him?" she asks Hotch, Hotch shakes his head.
"Nothing" he says, looking at the map, not wanting to give up but knowing that the piece of paper has beaten them. He walks out of the room and asks an officer to help them with the maps, when he finds the right one they get started on the profile.
"Ok Robert Mason was found in Hunter's Square, thought to be killed in an alley off Charleston Street" Hotch finds the places on the map.
"They're only three streets away" he mutters.
"Damien Marshall was found in a park near Bank Street, thought to be killed in an alley off that" Prentiss says, and watches as Hotch finds the places on the map. When all the victims are placed they observe the board.
"There's no clear pattern" Hotch says.
"But look at where they're killed and where they're dumped. He would wait until they were in an alley and kill them before placing them in a obvious site."
"He wants recognition for what he's done, but he isn't brave enough to kill the men in the light" Hotch summarises.
"So he's intelligent and attention seeking" Prentiss says, "But he takes the victims when they're in dark alleys, although lack of light wouldn't be a bonus, they would be on their guard there."
"Maybe the unsub enjoys the hunt, sees it as more dangerous but still safe" Hotch says, they sit down and look at the files. Rossi and Morgan return as they're reading them.
"The men were all attacked from behind and each belonged to three of the four gangs in the area" Morgan says.
"Does that mean the fourth gang members are in danger?" Hotch asks, wishing they had names, no matter how stupid they would have been.
"I don't think so, what if this is a member who wanted to kill off rivals?" Prentiss asks.
"No, the unsub attacked from behind but dumped the bodies in obvious places, he wants attention but he's scared of a head on confrontation, but leaving Robert Mason in the middle of a square and Damien Marshall in a park suggests he's getting more confident. Anyone who wants attention that badly probably isn't in a gang but wants to prove himself" Hotch says. Morgan and Rossi sit, "What did you find at the morgue?" Hotch asks.
"The victims were attacked from behind with a baseball bat but then when unconscious were attacked with random objects like dustbin lids and glass bottles" Rossi says.
"Maybe the unsub wants to hurt the men but knows he doesn't have enough time to torture them so he improvises" Hotch suggests.
"Or maybe he wants to have power over them but knows in reality he isn't strong enough to overpower them while conscious" Prentiss suggests.
"Why doesn't he kidnap them then?" Morgan asks.
"He probably doesn't have the means, he's most likely as poor as everyone else" Rossi says.
"Guys, I interviewed the families of the victims, they had different backgrounds but all of the men were overconfident to the point of arrogance and short tempered" JJ says, wearily stepping into the conference room.
"What if the unsub's a narcissist" Morgan theories, he remembers someone suggesting it earlier but at the time they never took it that seriously "If the men are arrogant he might not be able to be in a close proximity to them."
"That's a bit extreme though, the unsub already attacks his victims from behind and the victims can't be random, what if all the victims at one point had a conflict with the unsub. It would explain why they were targeted, show he's a narcissist and that he's physically weak" Prentiss suggests, Hotch nods.
"A narcissist wouldn't be able to work in a gang very well, his sense of himself would put him in conflict with the leaders but his physical weakness would make him unable to participate in a fight." Rossi says, they sit back and think about the profile, assessing what holes there might be.
"Do we know the gangs in the area?" Morgan asks.
"I was told by Carmichael that there are four main gangs, they identify themselves depending on their tattoos" she walks over to the map "The one west of Hunter's Square have phoenix tattoos, the one's South have crosses, the ones East have sharks and the ones North have snakes."
"None of the victims had snake tattoo's" Morgan says.
"Maybe the unsub feels loyal to this particular gang, maybe he couldn't join them but feels connected to them" Rossi says.
"That's uncommon of a narcissist, they only care about themselves" Hotch says.
"Unless, maybe a close family member is in a gang, like an older brother or something" Prentiss says. Hotch stands and walks out to Carmichael, she had been so focused in her work that Prentiss had forgotten the heat which hit her violently. The air became humid again and her desire for a cup of coffee diminished. When they see Hotch returning they stand up.
"Carmichael's just gathering his men and we'll give the profile in five" Hotch says, his face as grim as ever and Prentiss notes, with a fascinating curiosity that he appears slightly nervous.
"Should I set up a press conference?" JJ asks.
"I don't think it would get the message across, the people being targeted by the unsub probably don't watch the news that often" Hotch says and Prentiss feels slightly sorry for JJ who goes to get herself a cup of coffee.
In five minutes time Morgan finds himself standing in front of the police officers, waiting to give the profile. He feels oddly tired, that in mind he hasn't had a vacation in awhile and although he's been to Los Angeles before the sun always wears him out. "We believe the person you are looking for is male and between the ages of twenty and forty" Hotch says and suddenly the room springs into animation.
"He'll be arrogant and narcissistic however he is not physically imposing" interjects Prentiss.
"Because of this he won't get along with others and the vicious way he attacks his victims suggests he wants to torture them but doesn't have the means, he is most likely unemployed" continues Rossi, watching as the police officers quickly take notes.
"We've been told that there are four gangs in the area, a member of each of the gangs but the one North off Hunter's Square has been targeted, this causes us to believe that he is close to that gang in particular and maybe has a sibling who is a member" Hotch says, Morgan inwardly sighs, show time.
"The killings suggest that he wants to prove himself by killing them with various weapons. As the men were attacked with a baseball bat first it suggests that these men were targeted. We think that these men represent someone in the unsub's past who beat him or humiliated him, his narcissistic personality would not allow himself to let this go. However the initial blow to the back of the head also suggests he is too weak to take them out from the front."
"You need to look out for men between the ages of twenty and forty. The unsub will be proud and have a very high sense of himself even if he doesn't look remarkable in the slightest, he will probably have a scrawny build and appear weak. He may belong or feel incredibly loyal to the gang North of Hunter's Square but he may not, they could just be the next target. Thank you for your time" the policemen disperse and Morgan walks towards Hotch.
"Agent Hotchner" they turn to face Carmichael.
"What are the chances that this unsub is loyal to a specific gang?" he asks.
"We think it's very likely but at this stage we don't want to rule out anything" Hotch says.
"We know that the gangs tend to meeting during the day before going out at night, we know they somtimes meet Martin Sandersons flat which is about a mile from Hunter's Square. You said the unsub wouldn't be a gang member but he might like to hang out with them none the less" they watch Hotch deliberate for a few moments.
"Hotch I think it's a good idea, it's definitely something and if the unsub strikes again while the men are in custody the we know it's not them" Rossi encourages.
"Alright, we'll go" Hotch says and walks with Carmichael to set everything up. Morgan's oddly excited, there's something he likes about raids, he thinks it's the adrenaline rush and the thought of the unknown.
As they make their way into the cars heading North, Morgan feels the rush of adrenaline intensify as he's reminded how much he loves his job.
I'm sorry for how late this chapter is, I've been running behind and I've just got the best Spock lookalike hair cut ever (unintentional obviously) so I will be hiding indoors for the next few days or weeks :P. To those who have reviewed, alerted and favourited thank you so much and I'm sorry I haven't had the time to personally thank you, to be honest I've forgotten if I had done that or not. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this chapter, Reid is up next as well as all the other POV's mixed together. Hopefully everything will be a lot clearer. Until then live long and prosper young Jedi's *with tears in eyes* my trekkie father would be proud :P. I apologise for any grammar and spelling mistakes and I hope you all enjoy. I really hope this case makes sense actually as I tend to avoid them like the plague. Just one more thing the reason I never gave any names for the gangs, as frustrating as it may be, is this is something comepletely alien to me and it's difficult for a country bumpkin to come up with gang names, the closest we have to gangs are sheep and cows living in the same field, yup that is truly living life in the fast lane.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story is purely for fun, although whether it is sadistic or not on Reid's part is open for debate.