Chapter 1
JJ stood waiting for everyone to sit in the round table room.
"We have a serial Arsonist here in D.C. We have had 7 fires over the last month, all spread around Washington. We have 27 victims including our latest fire, which killed a family of 5." JJ paused and flicked through the crime scene photographs of the latest scene. "The UnSub blocks the internal house doors with wedges. The accelerant used burns very hot and produces thick black smoke. The fire department said if they could get out of the room they were trapped in, they didn't stand a chance without breathing apparatus. The police and fire department believe he isolates the water and electrical supplies before he enters the house. The interesting thing is not one 911 call had been received from inside the property's. All but two deaths have been from smoke inhalation. The M.E has found no signs of the victims being restrained." JJ finished feeling a little nauseous
"I would have thought some one would have called 911 from their cell phone." Rossi suggested
"Do you think he used a jammer. Stopping the family's calling 911 would allow the fire to establish its self, making sure the fire dept had a more difficult time extinguishing the fire and ensuring they die from smoke inhalation." Reid asked
Hotch looked around the table.
"We need to check out the first responders to each fire. We could be looking at some form of hero complex, "Hotch suggested
"They try and save the victims to get all the plaudits. Not murder them." Emily suggested.
Hotch nodded at Emily. " Dave you and Me are going to the morgue to see the latest victims. Morgan you and Emily go to the house and profile what you can. Reid you stay here with JJ and get set up and start the geographic profile." He details the team off
EJ
Morgan and Emily stood outside the burnt out remains of the Scott's family two storey house. Emily knelt down and looked through the flower cards left outside the yellow tape.
"Nothing out of place, all the cards seem to be from neighbours." Emily smiled
Morgan handed his partner a hard hat and they both entered the house. The smell of burning still hung around in the air. A horrendous smell hit both agents as they walked closer to the stairs, human flesh and fat lingered to remind them 5 people lost their lives here over night.
"Thankfully they all died from smoke inhalation before they were engulfed by the flames." Morgan told Emily
The two agents diligently searched the house for clues that could help them with the profile. The fire investigation officer passed the agents an evidence bag containing wedges the arsonist had jammed the doors shut with.
"Did they have any chance of betting out?" Emily asked the fire investigator
"No! The smoke would have caused unconscious within a few minutes, without breathing apparatus five minutes maximum. The smoke is so dense without training you could be crawling in circles." He sighed "whom ever sets these fire's is no amateur."
Garcia had already checked out Captain Michael 'shepp' Shepherd the fire investigation officer for the District of Columbia fire and emergency medical services. He had no red flags that she had found.
"I know you have already checked me out Agents, first responders are always prime suspects in these types of arson. Did I check out?" Shepp smiled
Morgan smiled and nodded at the fire captain
"Yeah you checked out. A department legend." Smiled Emily.
EJ
Hotch and Rossi stood in front of the five occupied tables in the morgue. The family of five had died in their own home five hours earlier. They had been systematically trapped in their own home, the UnSub took time setting the fires and jamming doors making escape almost impossible the fire captains report tells us. The team believed he might watch the fire grow inside the house dressed in his own personal fire gear and breathing apparatus only leaving when he has too. He leaves the smoke detectors operation so it adds to the fear of his targets.
The mother and Father can hear their children scream unable to reach them. The UnSub got great satisfaction listening to them slowly suffocate from the intense smoke from the fire. He used a special gel accelerant he had designed himself, designed to burn hotter and produce thick choking black smoke to help disorient anyone who managed to escape from their room.
"Agents, all five died from smoke inhalation, I have sent samples of their lung tissue to the lab to confirm it's the same accelerant as the other 6 fires. Please catch this sick bastard before I get more of his kills on my morgue tables." The M.E told the agents
"We will do our best." Hotch replied, needing to leave the smell was atrocious as the bodies were still a little warm.
EJ
Hotch took several deep breaths as he stood in the fresh air outside the morgue.
"27 victims and still going strong. They are not your normal arsonist Dave. Each fire they are refining their technique. I think they are building up to some form of spectacular closing fire with multiple casualty's." Hotch tells Rossi
"I think your right Aaron. We need to find them soon before they get to their deadly end game." He agreed
EJ
Assembled in the DCFD arson unit the team waited for Garcia, Reid and JJ to appear on the screen.
Garcia looked at the team "we have one extremely sick puppy here, I would just like to tell everyone. I am going to need some serious unicorn hugs after we catch this freak." Shivered Garcia
"What do we have?" Hotch asked
"Whom ever set these fires knowns what they are doing, and most probably is a trained fire fighter." Cringed Captain Shepherd
"Technically savvy, owns his own bunker gear and breathing apparatus." Emily shared
Hotch nodded "Garcia I need locations were people can buy fire fighting equipment? List of failed fire fighters that got cut from training and any disgruntled fire fighters let go." Hotch asked
"Here is our initial profile-
White Male aged 21-37
Abused as a child most probably by fire
Poor self confidence always needing reassurance
Competent, but doesn't shine at work
Fantasised about becoming a fire fighter possibly failed to join the service or failed training
Fascinated by any type of fire
Set many small fires as a child to gain confidence and hone his skills
This is only preliminary and will change as we discover more.
Thank you" Hotch told the assembled group
Rossi looked at JJ on the screen. "JJ how do you feel about giving a press conference? We brief the press the arsonist is female, saying a male would be incapable of such finesse. It should piss him off enough to contact us via the help line. He would want to correct us. We should be able to open up dialogue with him." He suggested
JJ nodded "give me two hours and I can get it arranged." She smiled
EJ
Andrew Clark stood in the house satisfied with his work after checking he had spread his gel accelerant everywhere he wanted. He dragged the bound and gagged woman on the floor to the back door. He covered the nanny with the Gel and smiled he had placed the boy and girl in their rooms and locked them in. He had hammered wedges under the doors.
"You should have been more careful whom you worked for, you are a very pretty woman." He laughed massaging his gel into her long hair.
He checked his fire gear was fastened correctly and his mask from his breathing apparatus was fastened. He conducted a face seal check to confirm his mask was ok.
"Time to light the fire." He laughed picking up his blow torch
He was pulled from his thoughts by the ringing of the house phone
"Hi there this is the Jareau household, we are not in at the moment, leave a message at the beep and we will get back to you." He smiled as he listened
"Sorry Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer Jareau there is no we any more. You shouldn't have said all those things about me live on the television. Time to pay for your discourtesy." He snarled at the Phone.
Flashback News conference
"Good morning, I am Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer Jareau. The Behavioural Analyst Unit has been invited in to help the police with apprehending the active arsonist, who has already been responsible for 27 deaths. The UnSub or unknown subject, rigs the house making it hard to escape from the fires he has set. The DC fire department has asked that you consider taking a hammer or other implement capable of smashing your way through doors, that he has jammed shut into your bed room. Cover yourself in a blanket to help protect yourself. Check your water valves and lock them. The UnSub shuts water and electrical supplies off before he starts his fires. We believe whom ever sets these fires is incapable of sexual relief without watching the fire. We believe this UnSub to be a female, this is unusual, but the intricate execution can only be a female. A male arsonist is just not capable of such finesse. I will not be taking any questions now, I will call a further press conference when we have more to inform you about." JJ gave her well practiced media smile and about turned and walked away. The Media flinging questions to her retreating back
JJ walked into the conference room to a small round of applause. She bowed and took her seat
"Well done Blondie, that should have gotten his attention and hopefully get him to contact us." Morgan smiled
"Good job JJ, brief the tip line on what to look out for." Hotch asked
"Yeah, I hate this part of my job." She moaned walking out to help man the tip line.
Unbeknownst to the BAU team they had most certainly got his attention.
End Flashback
With a roar he ignited the gel surrounding the doors to the children's bed room's, he continued around the 1st floor with his blow torch.
" Crash! Crash! Help!"
He ran down stairs to see the back door smashed and the nanny missing rope spread across the floor.
"Shit! Shit!" He started to panic, Andrew was not good at planning on the fly, that's why the fire department terminated his employment. He was dangerous when things needed out of the box thinking.
He quickly ignited areas on his way out the back door, he flung his lighted blow torch at the nanny who now felt safe talking to the next door neighbour. The torch hit her left ankle causing it to ignite. The flames started spreading up her leg and waist. Without fear the neighbour pushed Becky to the floor and started trying to extinguish the growing flames. His hands burnt he was loosing his battle until his 15 year old daughter brought the garden hose over and sprayed her father and Becky. With the help of his quick thinking daughter the flames were out.
"911, what's your emergency."
"Fire, my neighbours house is on fire, we think it was that arsonist that's all over the news. My neighbour is in the FBI, she was the FBI agent on the news. We need ambulances too, my dad is burnt and Becky the nanny has a badly burnt leg. Hurry!" Screamed a vary upset daughter.
"We are 1 minute out."
Two fire trucks had been returning after filling up with gas and noticed the smoke.
The two fire trucks pulled up and the fire fighters started their well rehearsed actions.
"Hatcher, Thomas ground floor search. Pitchman your with me we'll search the first floor. Truck 71 set up three lines ready." Shouted the fire Captain donning her breathing apparatus mask.
EJ
"Let me go Derek Morgan or I swear, let me go you bastard!" Screamed JJ as Morgan had JJ wrapped in his arms lifted of the floor stopping her from running into her burning house.
The 911 dispatchers had managed to contact Hotch and inform him of the incident. Morgan had pushed an extremely shocked JJ into his SUV and flipped his siren and lights on and drove like a lunatic to get to his friends home.
"Oh…." Is all JJ managed as she looked at her house fully engulfed in flames. "Where are the kids?" She slung her door open and started sprinting towards her house until Derek grabbed her.
Two SUV's screeched to a halt besides the fighting JJ and the remaining BAU team members all jump out and surround the still fighting JJ.
JJ is sobbing. Lost in time, a mother who thinks her little angels are gone.
Suddenly "I heave found a boy and girl still alive" came over the radio "Pitchman! Take the boy I'll bring the young girl."
"Thank god!" JJ managed before she burst into tears
The first fire fighter carried Henry Jareau out of the burning house just as flames erupted out the door. Suddenly a figure rushed through the flames.
"Where is Addison?" JJ screamed
Then the fire Captain opened her bunker coat to reveal a petrified young lady clinging to her body.
" what's your name beautiful?" She asked
"Addison and I am 5 years old. Thank you. Your burnt." The very polite girl smiled
"Nice to meet you Addison, my name is Emily, Emily Prentiss. Let's get you checked out by the Paramedics."