Oisin Magee opened his door to a young teenager holding a bag of groceries. He greeted him with a grin as he was handed the paper bag.
"Here you go, Mr. Magee. I'll see you again next week." He held out his hand as Oisin pulled money from his pocket.
"Hey, tell Martin that I'll be there later tonight and I'll need a pack of smokes."
"You bet. Thank you, Mr. Magee."
Oisin shut the door and emerged a few hours later. He looked up to the pitch black sky and was happy that there was no chance of rain. He buttoned his coat and headed out.
He was a seasoned man with a touch of grey running through the sides of his hair. He appeared older than he was from living a hard life of crime. The few people he passed on the street were sure to move to the other side of the road. The others would stand still and say good evening as if he were their strict headmaster in a boarding school.
He turned the corner to see Martin waiting for him with a pack of cigarettes. Martin promptly removed one from the new package and had a lighter ready for him. Oisin took the smoke in his mouth then tussled Martin's hair before he continued on his way.
He moved through a dark and quiet street when he had the sudden urge to stop. He didn't usually have the hairs on the back of his head stand up, at least not or a few years, but something made him feel… off. He turned around then back again. He shrugged the feeling off as being paranoid then continued.
Oisin stopped dead in his tracks as he heard it. His name was whispered by his ear. He pulled his gun as he whipped around but still found no one. "Whoever you are, I am in no mood for games. And since you know my name, then I'm sure you know what I would do to you when I get my hands on you." He paused for a moment, then being confident the trickster had finished, he continued.
After a few steps forward a man moved out in his path a few meters away. "Who the hell are you?" Oisin demanded with a slight chuckle of confidence.
"Oisin," The man said back cool as a cucumber.
"I'm not interested in your games!" Oisin was showing his frustration.
"Oisin," the man in black stated again.
Oisin pulled his gun and pointed at him. "I don't think you know who you're messing with, mate." Oisin then noticed the cold eyes staring into him.
The man pulled the knife from inside his coat and held it out in his hand. "I want your head, Oisin." He stated calmly to Oisin's disbelief. He then blitzed toward him holding the knife out like a samurai warrior.
Oisin fired the trigger as the man grew closer. Bullets flew through the air yet he wasn't slowed down and slashed the knife as the last bullet left the barrel of the gun.
The team gathered at their temporary headquarters with Clyde Easter leading the meeting.
"Where's JJ and Prentiss?" Morgan asked.
"I sent them to the scene, they will be calling shortly," Hotch informed.
"Another one?" Alex asked.
"Yes, but this one is different," Easter informed as he passed out ready-made folders with pictures and information on the latest victim.
The group looked through the paperwork given. "What's so different about this one?" Garcia asked as she noticed a person decapitated like the past victims.
"That's Oisin," Reid announced.
"Who?" Morgan looked to him.
"He was one of Casey Ward's lieutenants. He only served a few years in prison. He ended up getting a deal and has been basically living in retirement ever since," Reid explained.
Hotch answered his cell phone, put it on speaker, then placed it on the table. "We're all here, Prentiss. Do you have an update?"
"Yes, this victim is different than the others," she called out over the speaker.
"Now where have I heard that before?" Rossi sassed.
"In what way?" Hotch asked Prentiss while ignoring his friend.
"The scene was staged. With the past victims, the decapitated head remained where it fell. With this one, his head was picked up and placed on the wall, as if on display," Prentiss informed.
"Well, that's one way to send a message," Rossi quipped. "But what message is that?"
"This could have been the target he's been after all along, and finally reached his endgame," JJ surmised.
"Does he have any connection to the past victims?" Hotch asked Garcia as she frantically clicked on her laptop.
"None that I am seeing," she responded.
Rossi turned his attention to Easter. "What kind of life has he been living since he's been out of prison?"
"I brought Inspector O'Donnell here who has been more than familiar with these criminals," Easter motioned for him to approach.
"Oisin has been living high on the hog, as you Americans might say. Everyone knows who he is. There are those who fear him and those who try to curry favor with him," O'Donnell stated.
"He was the most feared from the gang," Reid started. "Casey Ward wasn't about violence, he saw what he did as a business. But when business wasn't going the way he wanted it to go, that's when Oisin would step in. He disemboweled a man and left him on the floor to bleed to death in his own intestines while everyone continued to play cards. A complete psychopath."
"So, was the UnSub after Oisin the entire time and we just witnessed his grand finale or is he just getting warmed up?" Rossi questioned.
"Oisin's business did have an effect on a lot of people in this area," O'Donnell added. "I wouldn't be surprised if this were all about revenge."
"Garcia, look into all the known victims of the gang, especially any deaths or injuries caused by Oisin. See if we can narrow down a list of suspects," Hotch started. "But now the profile has definitely changed."
"In what way?" Easter asked.
"Targeting a man who was involved in a gang that had a powerful hold on the people in this community, a violent man who was known for being extreme. We might not be looking at a victim," Hotch looked down at the pictures.
"If he wasn't a victim, then what?" O'Donnell asked.
"The new crime boss," Rossi spoke up. "Out with the old, in with the new. The head on display tells you that this victim was special. He is saying 'look what I did… don't mess with me.' The UnSub could very well be Colm showing everyone that he is the new king around here."
"Might not just be Colm," Alex jumped in. "Dougal is very capable of this degree of terror."
"Am I the only person concerned about the obvious?" Morgan's eyebrows crossed. "Reid and Alex are undercover working with these people every day. How do we know that they aren't next on this UnSub's list?"
"I can take care of myself," Alex stated.
"That isn't in question," Hotch turned to the group, "everyone will need to be extremely vigilant on this one." He looked specifically to Reid and Alex, "if things are going sideways, don't play the hero, get out of there as soon as possible."