The Last Word- 2:9
Harita's POV
"Was that Emily Prentiss in your office?" I asked Hotch, once I met up with him walking towards the conference room.
"Yeah, she had the paperwork to join our team, but I didn't request a new member." Hotch answered. I smiled big.
"So, you gonna let her join?" I asked. Hotch looked skeptical. "Hotch, she could do a lot for this team. Plus, it would be nice to have her here. Please Aaron."
"I'll think about it." Hotch mouth was in a straight line, but I could tell that he was leaning towards letting her join. I silently cheered. Once we got into the conference room, I sat down in my seat.
"St. Louis is in trouble." JJ started.
"They've got two serial killers." Hotch added. I looked at Morgan and Spencer, and we all grimaced.
"The first killer abducts his victims from public places, dumps them in the woods. They consulted us months ago after the third murder." Gideon pointed to the map on the board.
"Well, now it might be up to 6." JJ corrected. "Ellen Carroll's been missing since yesterday. The first two victims were found near Mill Creek, in Mark Twain national forest."
"No wonder it takes days to find the bodies. The forest is 1.5 million acres and 78 thousand of that is wilderness." Spencer examined.
"That's over 7 trillion square yards and almost 4 hundred thousand square yards is wilderness. Sorry, I don't understand acres." I mumbled the last part, after looking at everyone staring at me.
"What's the story with these women?" Hotch asked, pointing to the other board with a whole new bunch of victims.
"Eight victims. All prostitutes. Latest is Marci Mitchell. She was killed last night with a. 44 magnum. All are tied to a serial shooter claiming responsibility. He's contacted Jim Meyers, a reporter at the Missouri Herald." JJ projected the letter onto the TV.
"So he's not getting the attention he thinks he deserves. He signs it as the 'Hollow Man', names himself for the press."
"Why Hollow Man? What, he feels empty inside or something?" Morgan asked.
"He uses hollow point bullets." JJ corrected. "No one even knew this guy existed until he sent this letter."
"Well, he's killed more victims, but look who he's chosen. Hundreds of victims go unnoticed because they're social outcasts." Hotch said.
"When Mill Creek kills, the Hollow Man shoots another prostitute." Spencer observed.
"So it's a competition. Reminds me of the sibling rivalry me and my step-sister had." I recalled.
"They've been killing independently of each other for a year now." Hotch stated.
"With each kill they're learning something... from the other." Gideon added.
…
*CUE INTRO*
(For one of the 'pictures' in the intro, imagine Harita fidgeting with a pen, looking at a map with her left eyebrow raised.)
…
"Elbert Hubbert once wrote: 'If men could only know each other, they would neither idolize nor hate.'"- SSA Jason Gideon.
…
"What's wrong?" JJ asked Spencer, who looked frustrated. We were on the jet, flying to St. Louis
"Did you know there are roughly 30 serial killers at large in the US at any given time? It's an incredibly rare occurrence to have them operating in the same city." Spencer stated.
"How many times has that happened?" JJ questioned.
"To my knowledge, three times. There was a guy killing at the same time as the Son of Sam. And then again in New Orleans, and most recently with the Phoenix murders."
"Serial shooters are typically loners. This guy likes to kill at night. His victims are prostitutes, so he may lack confidence with women or have poor social skills." Hotch said.
"There's no rape. The guy could be impotent." Morgan suggested.
"He's a wannabe tough guy." Gideon corrected.
"It's not hard to be tough holding a '44'." JJ stated.
"The gun gives him power and lets him maintain distance from the kill. This guy doesn't want to touch the bodies with his hands." Spencer noticed.
"Mill Creek killer." Gideon averted. "Hunts during the day, targets educated, middle-class women. He'd have to look and act like they do."
"The women died from blunt force head traumas. This guy wants to be close, he wants to feel the life leave their bodies. These guys are polar opposites." Spencer exclaimed.
"Just like their victims. They live in the same city but they're worlds apart. I'm gonna see if the shooter's victims have any families I can talk to." Hotch announced.
"I'll go with you." I added.
"That's a good idea. I'm already familiar with the Mill Creek case." Gideon stated.
"Reid, can you take a look at the letter for handwriting analysis and psycholinguistics?" Hotch ordered.
"Of course."
"Looks like I'm with you. I'll go have a talk with Ellen Carroll's husband." Morgan told Gideon.
"I'm meeting Jim Meyers, the reporter from the Missouri Herald." JJ said.
"Tell him not to write about the Hollow Man. If we want to draw the shooter out, the best way to do that is to act like he doesn't exist." Gideon instructed.
…
"Agents Hotchner, Harita, and Reid, FBI." Hotch held up his FBI badge to the slightly opened door.
"What do you want?" The woman asked.
"We'd like to talk to you." Hotch answered.
"Hold that badge up again." Hotch did as told, and the woman let us in. There was a small boy, around the age of 1, on the couch.
"We're here to talk to you about Marcie Mitchell." Hotch stated.
"I'm her mother." The woman responded.
"I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am."
"What's this?" Another boy, around the age of 7, ran into the room.
"They're for me. Take your brother inside."
"Is this about mom?"
"I said inside." The woman sternly said. The older boy grabbed the younger one, and took him into the room. The younger child started crying, and I couldn't help but feel bad for him.
"Is it alright if I check on them?" I asked the woman. She gave me a small smile and nodded. I walked into the room and crouched down to the oldest child "Hey, do you mind if I take him?" The oldest child handed me the baby, I stood up and cradled him, shushing him to sleep. "What's your name?"
"Max." The oldest boy responded. "His name is Ryder. Yours?"
"I'm Harita. Those are pretty nice names. I had two sisters named Mahika and Analisa."
"Had?" Max asked.
"You know, for a kid your size, you're pretty observant. Both of them died when I was ten."
"Did it hurt? Once they were gone?"
"Yeah, it did. It took a long time for that feeling to go away, but I still miss them." There was a knock on the door, I turned around to see who it was. It was Hotch, signaling we had to go. I turned back around, handed Max Ryder, and crouched back down. "If you need anything, call this number, alright." I handed Max my card, and he nodded. I got up, and walked out the door.
"Any information?" I asked Hotch, once we got outside.
"Same thing."
...
"Two victims at once. That's a first for him. You think he went out looking to kill more than one woman or is it just happenstance?" Spencer asked. There was a new crime scene, with new victims. Hotch, Spencer and I went to check it out.
"He chose a different hunting ground. Yes, we're in an alley, but we're behind an expensive hotel in a nice neighborhood. You get a different class of prostitute, ones that don't walk the street alone." Hotch observed.
"He was looking for a challenge."
"The question is, what gave him the confidence to stray out of his comfort zone?" I asked, crouching down near the victims to examine them. "Make sure to run the newspaper for prints." I told one of the CSI guys.
"He displayed the newspaper between them. He took the time when he could've just tossed it aside." Spencer profiled.
"It's deliberate. He wants us to know he's angry." Hotch added.
"Angry enough to change his MO." I said.
…
"The Hollow Man uses simple statements, all first person. For example: 'I won't be ignored'. He's obviously tired of feeling this way. It's quite possible he has a job in solitude or one that he feels strips him of his identity. His job might require him to wear a uniform, something that shows absolutely no individuality. Or he may be overqualified for his menial job and feels that he doesn't get the respect that he necessarily deserves." Spencer said, starting to deliver the profile to the cops.
"But today he's killed two women, which tells us he's growing confident. This makes him unpredictable and dangerous. And because he has no physical contact with his victims, it's going to make him that much harder to catch." I added.
"We have more information on the Mill Creek killer because he spends a lot of time with his victims before and after his kills." Morgan stated.
"Because his victims willingly follow him in broad daylight, he appears harmless. He's most likely handsome." Gideon calculated.
"Handsome?" One of the cops asked.
"Yes. These women wouldn't follow an unattractive man. They just wouldn't."
"He's handsome, and he's got the social skills to trick his victims. Those who know him well, they'd be shocked to learn that he's the man that we're after." Morgan expressed.
"He's been able to get his victims away from family, friends. Obviously, this makes him feel powerful."
"If this guy is so smart, why would he risk driving his victims from the abduction site to the woods?" The detective questioned.
"Because of the ritual. It's become the most important thing to him. Dominates his thoughts. Woods provide the privacy he needs." Gideon answered.
"The Hollow Man is motivated by external pressures. This is a guy who simply wants attention. The Mill Creek killer, on the other hand, he's driven by internal forces. He's a sexually motivated offender. This makes him a lot more predictable but don't think for a second it makes him any easier to catch." Morgan dismissed.
…
"So our plan to catch the Mill Creek killer was ruined by the Hollow Man?" Spencer asked. Another victim, Meredith Dale went missing earlier today, and Morgan and Gideon found out where the body was going to be. They found the body, yet they hid, because we knew the Mill Creek killer comes back a second time. Only to find a random guy, with a note sent by the Hollow Man, ruining the original plan. Media got it all over the news.
"And now the Hollow Man is on a high. He hasn't pulled the trigger since he took two victims yesterday. Is he satisfied or is he just getting started?" Hotch questioned.
"We'll find out." JJ threw a newspaper on the table. I took it and read the title.
"'Hollow Man helps FBI find the Mill Creek killer's victim.'" I gagged.
"Nice. He alerted the media and injected himself into the investigation." Morgan grumbled.
"He's getting the attention he's been craving." JJ muttered.
"But if the shooter really wants to get the other guy arrested, he would've called us and not the media." Hotch profiled.
"He must know the Mill Creek killer needs to revisit the body." Morgan stated.
"If he can't defile the woman again, it'll become so strong, it could push him into a frenzy." Gideon profiled.
"And if that happens, this guy is just a time bomb waiting to explode."
…
"Mill Creek killer almost got another victim. Luckily, she screamed pretty loud, to alert everyone else. The witness got a good look at the Mill Creek killer." Hotch said, once he came into the room. "You know, if it's the Hollow Man's intention to force him into a frenzy, he's getting what he wants. He knew exactly where to find Meredith Dale's body. He figured out the route to the dump site the same way we did."
"They always say serial killers make the best profilers." Reid muttered.
"Yeah, but this guy's dead-on."
"Yeah."
"Well, the headline doesn't mention the shooter at all. JJ talked to Jim Meyers, the reporter, asked him not to respond to the letter, he doesn't, and then the guy goes out and shoots two more women. In a better part of town. What gives him this confidence? And what's the significance of the paper at the scene?" I questioned.
"We know he wants to be newsworthy. He could've just tossed it aside. Instead, he displayed it. There's something he wants us to look at. There's definitely something in the paper." Hotch stated.
"I figured it out." Spencer exclaimed.
"What is it?" Hotch asked.
"They're talking in the classifieds section."
…
"Classifieds, code names. This feels like an old spy movie." The detective mumbled. We gathered everyone else to tell them what Reid discovered.
"It's low-tech, simple, but very effective. They've been doing this for months, and nobody ever knew it." Morgan replied.
"This is the first one that I found. The references are what made me suspicious. 'Sunny, are you an artist too? I'd love to see your work sometime. Holden.'" Spencer read.
"Sunny? Holden?" The detective asked.
"They're characters from Catcher in the Rye." Hotch answered.
"Widely accepted as a loved book of sociopaths." Spencer added. "Mark David Chapman quoted it after killing John Lennon."
"Deranged minds identify with Holden's alienation and detachment."
"I found the initial contact. It ran in the paper unchanged for months. 'We have different tastes, but I can appreciate your art. Sunny.'" Spencer recited.
"Sunny's the Hollow Man. He initiated contact." I said.
"What's he getting out of it?" The detective questioned.
"A mentor. Offered admiration and respect. In return, he gains encouragement and confidence." Gideon answered.
"But when the Hollow Man remained unnoticed by the press, he resented his mentor and turned it into a rivalry." Hotch profiled.
"Hollow man became jealous. They were both killers, but they weren't seen in the same playing field. What else did you find?" Morgan asked.
"'An overwhelming area and you never get lost?' Then the answer to this question. 'I do my research. It's not so random when you know the area. I like cottonwood in SGC.'" Spencer read.
"SGC? He's talking about Saltgrass Cove. He told him how to find Meredith Dale."
"Why?" The detective asked.
"Teaching his student a lesson." I answered.
"We understand their relationship. Let's use it against them."
…
"How's it going in here?" Morgan asked, returning from his call with Garcia.
"Reid's trying to imitate the Hollow Man's language patterns to send a message to the Mill Creek killer. He's offering condolences on losing Meredith Dale." I replied.
"If he can't get to Meredith Dale, he's gonna need a body. He's gonna need it real soon." Morgan mumbled.
"You guys worried that the hollow man's going to ruin our plan again?" The detective asked.
"He wants the Mill Creek killer to get caught. The pupil's trying to kill the teacher." Gideon answered.
"Hope you're close, Reid. You have less than an hour to meet the deadline." JJ answered.
…
Morgan and Gideon went to go and plant a trap for the Mill Creek killer, setting up another victim, while JJ and I were sitting with Reid.
"Finished." Reid announced.
"Read it out loud." I ordered.
"'Dear Holden, they say imitation is the highest form of flattery. Since you were almost in harm's way, I thought I'd share some art. Should make you feel better. Here's my gift to you. Sunny.'"
"Sounds good, all we have to do is wait." JJ said.
…
And soon enough, we got the guy.
"I've alerted all news outlets that we'll be holding a press conference in 10 minutes." JJ stated.
"And you have the script?" Gideon asked.
"Right here." JJ held up the file.
"Be sure to say exactly those words. The wording's important, JJ." Hotch warmed.
"Relax. It's not my first party, boys." JJ reassured.
"Gideon, we don't have much on Mill Creek, especially if he says he stumbled on the body." Hotch grumbled.
"So what are we going to do?" I asked.
"I'll go try and do my job." Gideon responded. He walked over to the interrogation room.
...
"Where is he? I want to see him right now." A guy yelled, barging into the station. I looked up from the case file and saw a man, holding a gun to another officer. I pulled out my gun, along with everyone else, and pointed it at the man. Pretty sure he was the Hollow Man. Looks like the press conference worked. "You tell him the Hollow Man's here. He told you to say those things about me, didn't he? He told you to use those words." Suddenly, the unsub faltered, and he put the gun down. Morgan went and tackled him, arresting him. I turned around to see the Mill Creek killer looking at the comotion, through the window.
"Get him out of here." Hotch ordered the officers, who took the unsub.
"I'm no less elegant than he is. I'm no copycat. I left you the newspaper! I gave you the Mill Creek killer! What else do I have to do?" The unsub yelled.
"Go! Get him out of here!" Morgan shouted.
…
"Mahatma Gandhi once said: 'Remember that all through history there have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible... but in the end, they always fall. Always.'"- SSA Aaron Hotchner.