Four days after arriving in Dallas, Hotchner knew they were handicapped when it came to the unsub they were after. He was well armed and familiar with the outlying areas of the city. There was only one thing left to do. "Make the call, Morgan."

"This is Caroline." She answered the phone groggily when it rang at three in the morning on Saturday.

"How fast can you be in Dallas?"

"Give me five minutes to get ready and I can be at the airport in about fifteen. What's going on, Derek?" She was awake and out of bed, dressing as he briefed her. "I'll track this guy all the way to Canada if I have to. I'll see you in a few hours."

"You know I love you." Derek smiled as he leaned against the police station wall.

"That's only because I'm bailing your butt out of a jam again."

He laughed. "You know it."

Three hours later, Derek showed her into a conference room where all six agents of the BAU were discussing the case. "Morgan briefed me on the way from the airport." She placed her rifle case in the corner and walked over to examine the photographs and maps strewn about the table. "It is very strange for a marksman of this caliber to change weapons more than I change outfits."

"And he's leaving them at the scene. That's what I don't understand." Hotch shook his head as he walked to the coffee maker.

"He's sending you a message." Caroline answered. "He's telling you that he can kill with anything. It's a bold move, but the guns are untraceable, so it's a safe move. He's targeting hikers because there are less people around to hear the shot, but also because it takes skill and timing to take out a moving target on varied terrain. When I was stationed here with the Marines, we would train in the woods for that exact reason. I'm just curious as to where he's getting all these firearms without raising a red flag." She pulled out her cell phone. "I have a friend at ATF who owes me a favor." Standing up, she walked outside.

"What's the word?" J.J. came up behind her as she hung up.

"There's a dealer on the western edge of the city, near the base, that is smack in the middle of an active ATF operation. She's allowing us to have first crack at him once they bust him, but it has to be now." At that moment when she walked back into the conference room, she was grateful she'd taken the promotion. "Here's the scoop, I'm going in to make a buy, and ATF is setting up that angle. Morgan is inside with me, Hotch and Gideon will be outside in the truck. Once the magic words are said, ATF bounces in and takes him down. ATF is only allowing us an hour with him, so ask your questions wisely. If he gives us anything, they'll put in a good word, but he's looking at the death penalty for what he's done."

"Let's do it." Hotch snapped everyone to attention, but blocked Caroline's path. "Agent James, make no mistake. This is a BAU case."

"It's still your case, Aaron. I'm just getting you a lead you can use. You called me in because you are up against some serious firepower and I've actually handled some of the weapons your unsub is using to kill these women. I'm not looking for glory, just a little faith."

"Looks like rain out there." Morgan spoke the code words as the pawn shop dealer approached him an hour later.

"It'll just be a passing shower." The dealer nodded and motioned for him to join him, but balked when he saw the woman joining them. "Hey, Buddy only told me about one, not two, and certainly not a woman."

"I'm the buyer, he's the bankroll." Caroline glared at the greasy-haired little punk. "You don't like it; we can take our business elsewhere." On cue, Morgan tapped the briefcase he was carrying and they began to walk out only to be called back in. "Good, now that that's out of the way. Let's get down to business."

"What sort of business are you looking to do?"

"What have you got?" Morgan asked.

"What do you need?"

"Heavy artillery that's untraceable." Caroline answered in a whisper.

"Follow me."

Criminals were so stupid, she thought to herself as he led them into a back room filled with wooden crates marked as Marine-issued. "I can get handguns at Wal-Mart, Charlie. I'm looking for something a little more serious." He just smirked at her and opened another crate. "I didn't even think they made these machine guns anymore." She reached into the box to pick one up, but the twit slapped her hand.

"Hey, you want us to buy; you let the lady inspect the merchandise." Morgan stepped closer. From what he could see, the weapons in the crate looked like something out of a bad Sylvester Stallone movie, but Caroline picked one up, checked the breech, and lined up a shot.

"Have you got the armor piercing rounds to go with these bad boys?" She questioned with a look of childish glee.

"Of course." Charlie threw open the crate to her left. "How much to do you want?"

"We'll take it all." Morgan said the code phrase and drew his weapon as the doors were suddenly broken down with their backup. "FBI! Get on the ground and put you hands behind your head."

"I'm glad I caught you." Morgan placed his hand on Caroline's shoulder as she picked up her bags two hours later. "The unsub took J.J. hostage. I hope you brought your tools."

"How did it happen?" She dropped her luggage back into the SUV and slammed the rear hatch closed before jumping into the passenger seat.

"The guy came walking in off the street in a Marine uniform looking for the FBI agents working on the case. A rookie cop directed him to J.J. since she was the only one left in the building. The unsub drew a weapon, put it to her head, and now he has Agent Jarreau as his human shield." Morgan slammed the Suburban into gear. Caroline was the best sniper he'd ever worked with and that moment all he wanted was for her put one round into the guy's head.

"Agent James, I need you on the roof." Hotch pointed to an adjacent building. "You have my permission to take the shot when you have it."

"Maybe I can talk him out. Send me in there. I'm a Marine, I speak his language."

Hotchner glared at her. "When did a direct order become a debate, Agent James?"

Unbuttoning her blouse, she pulled out her dog tags. "Since I wear these and you don't, Agent Hotchner. This lunatic may just let her go if I give him a direct order. He seems to want to be a Marine, so let's treat him like a Marine. I am still a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corp. I might be able to get him to release J.J. without putting her at risk by firing through a plate glass window."

Hotchner rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Alright, but if this goes south…" he let the threat fade, he knew she was right.

"I said no one comes in!" The unsub screamed at the door.

"Gunnery Sergeant, I am Lieutenant Colonel James, and I am coming in." She gave her best drill instructor glare and opened the door to the squad room.

"You don't look like no Marine I've ever seen."

Caroline pulled out her dog tags again. "That's because I am working as an FBI agent now."

"So you're a weekend warrior?" He said, alluding to her reserve status.

"That's enough! I was active until five years ago. Where were you when the world stopped turning? Me? I was being deployed to Afghanistan for six months, so don't talk to me about being a real Marine, Maggot! You are just a disgrace to that uniform. Now, let the woman go! Real Marines do not need woman as their shields. Am I understood, Maggot!" She screamed at him as she moved in closer, her training showing through, and her nerves turning back to steel as her head hoped it would work.

"Ma'am, Yes, Ma'am!" He let the blonde go and she ran out of the room.

"Now, lay down your arms." He kept the nine millimeter trained on her. "I said drop your weapon, Maggot!" She moved closer, still holding his eyes as she drew her weapon. "Drop it or I drop you!" He finally complied when she pressed her service pistol against his forehead. Every muscle in her body wanted to pull that trigger, but she fought it. "Get down on your knees, remove your uniform shirt, and put your hands behind your head." He just stared blankly at her. "Do it, Maggot!" She screamed at him as her back up arrived. He still didn't comply and she reached out and grabbed the ribbons off of his chest. "This will be the last time you disgrace that uniform. Am I understood?" Then she watched Hotchner put the cuffs on him. "Wait! Take that shirt off of him. There is press out there and this maggot is not a Marine!" She tried to rip the shirt off of him, but Morgan held her back. "He is not a Marine! He is a disgrace to the uniform! He is not a Marine!" They led the unsub out of the room. "I watched good men die honoring that uniform and now the FBI is allowing the American people to see a man in a Marine uniform being arrested. He is not a Marine!"

"I know, but we can't show a half-naked man being arrested." Morgan spoke in a low calm voice, but it didn't seem to calm her.

"Don't you think that would be better than showing someone dishonoring all the men and women who fight for this country?" She glared at him and broke free from his grasp. "Let go of me. I'm fine."

As they watched her storm out of the room, Reid made a move to follow her, but Morgan caught his arm. "Let her go, Kid. Right now, she doesn't need you or me. She needs to be by herself to decompress."

"You aren't worried about her?"

"I'm terrified, Reid, but right now, anyone in her path is just going to aggravate things. Just let her calm down and she'll talk to you when she's ready."