Gideon got out of his car at the local hunting shop and walked over to see a deer in the back of a truck.
"You think this guy looks bad, you should see the driver. He needed 10 stitches" A teenager joked with Gideon.
"You better hurry, all the groups are filling up. You like the challenge of a bear, don't you?" The kid asked
"Actually, I prefer picking up my meat at a grocery store" Gideon explained
"Oh, you're one of those, huh? Better be careful out there because in 3 days it's going to get busy as hell up on our mountain" The kid explained
"Hunting season?" Gideon asked
"Yeah, ever since somebody wrote about us in some fancy travel magazine we've got loads of tourists migrating up here" The kid explained
"If I was going to take out an animal anywhere from 100 to 200 pounds what type of weapon would I use?" Gideon asked
"A shotgun and compound bow are the tops but buckshot can be a bit messy. I love arrows. It can completely penetrate the body of a small animal. It's the most effective kill" The kid explained
"Arrows" Gideon said before walking off and calling Hotch.
"Hotchner. Hold on a minute, I'll put you on speaker" Hotch said picking up the phone.
"Hunting season officially opens in 3 days. Does it look like the victim's wounds could be from an arrow?" Gideon asked
"Whatever punctured the organs had to be long enough to penetrate the chest and mimic a 22-calibre bullet, so, yeah, it's possible" Reid said
"I think these victims are being caught, taken to the woods and hunted like wild animals" Gideon explained
…
Gideon soon joined Lilith and Morgan at the crime scene and told them what they had discovered.
"Alright, let's give the profile" Morgan said as we gathered the rangers.
"We're looking for at least 2 offenders in good physical condition. You'd have to be fit to make it through this terrain" Gideon started
"And nobody would go that deep into the woods without backup" Morgan added
"Killing teams are like most partnerships, one weak, the other strong" Gideon said.
"These men haven't exhibited any sexual interest in their victims so they're either developmentally prepubescent or they could be related. Immediate relatives wouldn't discuss sexual encounters let alone perform them in front of each other. If they are related, they could have an us-versus-them mentality. Their bond will be unbreakable because it's all they know" Lilith explained
"Most hunters put animals out of their misery. The men we're looking for, they don't show any mercy" Gideon stated
"These guys take pleasure in watching their casualties die a slow death" Morgan added
"Every spring for the past 5 years, people have gone missing" Gideon said
"We think the killers wait for their prey to migrate through these woods" Morgan added
"Courtney Jacobs, Shane Everett, and Alex Harrison were all healthy, smart adults who survived for days by following their instincts" Lilith explained
"They found themselves in the middle of nowhere. They were either approached in a way that wasn't threatening... or the offenders waited for a moment of weakness. The perfect time to attack" Morgan added
"These particular hunters are very seasoned, they're very efficient. It's no surprise that they've chosen a weapon to be a compound bow. It requires the utmost precision and it provides them with a challenge every time" Gideon explained
"Like the trophy hunter, these men, they plan their killings with care. They decide the type of victims they want, how and where they want to kill them, and with what weapon" Morgan added
"Hunting is their sport. Humans are their targets" Lilith stated
"Use every hunter's instinct in your bodies. Good luck" Gideon finished
…
"Yeah, Garcia? If they were buying their weapons close to home, we need a list of hunting stores in Spokane county. Let me call you back" Hotch said seeing JJ walking over to him with a woman.
"You should hear this" JJ said
"The newspaper said the F.B.I. was here investigating those homicides. I didn't know where else to go when Bobbi didn't show up or call" The woman explained
"When was the last time you talked to her?" Hotch asked
"Yesterday. She was going to stay with me before this big job interview in Spokane. She was really excited about it. So, when she didn't show up, I knew in my gut that something was wrong. I was the one that convinced her to stay with me, and, now..." The woman cried
"This isn't your fault. Ok. Should we get some fresh air?" JJ asked and took her out of the room.
"She's only been missing since last night. You sure it's related?" Raymond asked
"I'm not going to wait to find out, I'm going to fax this to Gideon" Hotch said
"Bobby Baird's last 2 cell phone connections were both to 911. Looks like each call only lasted a couple of seconds before they dropped out. She was on highway 2" Garcia said to Hotch, Reid, JJ and Raymond once they walked into the office.
"It's a dead zone for cell phones" Raymond commented
"Any idea what the trouble was?" Hotch asked
"None, cruiser was dispatched to check it out but by the time he got there, there was no sign of her or her car. And speaking of vanishing vehicles, I'm still looking for Alex Harrison's" Garcia explained before handing up. The team continued to work through the files until Hotch's phone rang. It was Garcia.
''What have you got?" Hotch asked answering the phone.
"Uh, there are 3 stores outside Spokane that sell the exact type of arrows you were looking for. And before you ask, of course I've already sent the addresses to your handheld" Garcia explained
"Garcia? You're the man" Hotch joked
"Oh, no. You're the man" Garcia replied grinning
….
"It's been 3 days since they killed Alex Harrison. Why'd they take another victim so soon?" Lizzie asked as they read the file Hotch sent over.
"This is their hunting season" Gideon said
"Then they can't waste any time. Only 2 days before it gets crowded around here. They won't have any more privacy" Morgan explained
"If Bobbi Baird is their next victim, she could be on her way" Lilith said
"This is Evans; I need road blocks now" Lizzie said into the walkie talkie.
"We're standing in the middle of 3 million acres. She could be anywhere. We've only got 2 murder sites, miles apart. There's no pattern yet" Lizzie said looking out at the country.
"Both sites are low lying, they could be tracked from above" Morgan commented
"Maybe there are blinds built into the trees, or at least access to them" Lilith stated
"With good vantage points they could see their prey for miles" Gideon added. They continued to search for the next few hours but the sun started to go down.
"Still no sign of Bobby Baird. Search teams are in until morning" Lizzie explained walking over to the team.
"We're running out of time" Lilith said
"It's getting dark; I don't know what else we can do" Lizzie said worried
"Well, you never know how someone's going to react when they're forced into circumstances like these. If bobby's still alive, we just have to hope she's found a safe place for the night" Lilith explained
…..
Hotch and Reid went back to their hotel room for the night as JJ went to her own room.
"Reid, may I ask you a question?" Hotch asked as they laid in their bed neither of them sleeping.
"Sure" Reid replied confused that Hotch was asking.
"I have noticed that you and Lilith have been hanging out again… I know that it is helping you after your kidnapping but I need to know that you aren't going to hurt Lilith again. Haley was the one who saw stayed with Lilith the night you said those things to her and…" Hotch started to explain before trailing off, realizing he was rambling.
"Haley is worried that by me hanging with Lilith again I may say something mean like that and she will get hurt again" Reid concluded and Hotch nodded silently. Reid sat up and looked over at Hotch.
"Hotch, I'm not the same person I was when I said those things. I was struggling, a lot, but I am getting help now. Lilith and I have an understanding about what happened and if she is happy hanging out with me again that should be enough for Haley and you" Reid said calmly but with a hint of defensive tone.
"I didn't mean to offend you Reid, we just want what is best for both of you" Hotch apologised. Reid nodded, accepting his apology.
"So do I" Reid said laying back down.
….
