Before anyone can make a comment, Garcia calls.
"Hello my loves!" she exclaims.
"Hey baby girl you got something for us?" Morgan asks.
"Of course! So I did some digging and I found that all three victims attended the same church!"
"That's good, anything else?"
"And one month ago they had this big scandal because the married pastor of the church ran off with another woman! And his son, twenty two year old Mitchell Sanders, was dating Wendy Adams, who dumped him a few days later and almost immediately got with another man, leading me to believe she was probably cheating on him," Garcia says.
"Any connections to the other victims besides the church?" Rossi asks.
"No, but I found that last year, Brian Jones had divorced his wife and then a few weeks later he was with a new woman."
"Mitchell must've assumed that he was being unfaithful as well then, and felt the need to punish him."
"And that's not all! Mitchell has an older brother who has a drug problem, so that may be why he chose to use them on his victims," she adds, noticeably omitting the type of drugs.
"Any idea where he may be?" Hotch asks.
"He could be on his family's property, because they have a lot of land, and a large barn and shed."
"Okay great work Garcia," Hotch says before hanging up.
"I think Mitchell may have chosen Kylie because of rejection, or at least a perceived one," Spencer starts,"All the unfaithfulness hurt him and he lashes out, but he wants to move on, and gets rejected, which leads him to abduct her."
Don't try to trick me.
I would never try to trick you.
You're a liar.
I'm not a liar.
Lying's a sin.
I'm not a liar.
This will be over quickly if you just confess your sins.
I'm not a sinner.
We're all sinners.
"Reid's right," Hotch says.
"But where would he go?" JJ asks.
"Like Garcia said, he may be on his own property, to give himself privacy," Rossi says.
"Then that's where we will look. Morgan and I will check out the shed, Rossi, JJ, and Prentiss will go to the barn," Hotch says as everyone starts to head out.
"What about me?" Spencer asks.
"You are staying here to figure out where else he could be in case we are wrong," Hotch says sternly. Spencer starts to protest but Hotch gives him a look and decides not to.
The team heads and Spencer thinks over the case, but is also angry for being stuck here on his first case back in the field.
I'm not weak. I'm not weak.
I don't give a damn whether you're weak or strong. Yell all you want, boy. Ain't no one gonna hear you where you are. Ahhhhhhhh!
Mitchell Sanders. Church goer.
His father, the pastor. Adulterer. Sinner.
Wendy Adams. Girlfriend. Cheater. Church goer. Sinner.
Brian Jones. Divorced. Remarried. Church goer.
Kylie Morris. Church goer. Rejector.
Church goers. Sinners.
I thought you wanted to be some kind of savior.
You're a sadist in a psychotic break. You won't stop killing. Your word's not true.
The other heathens are watching. Choose a sinner to die, and I'll say the name and address of the person to be saved.
I won't choose who gets slaughtered and have you leave their remains behind like a poacher.
Can you really see into my mind, boy? Can you see I'm not a liar?! Choose one to die, and save a life. Otherwise, they're all dead.8
And then it hits him. Mitchell took them to the church. He has Garcia send him the layout of it while he thinks. A place of importance for all of them, but he feels like they soiled it. Desecrated it. And he has to make it right by punishing them there. Make them repent and regret. The place his father preached morals and honesty, all the while cheating and lying.
Are you ready boy?
Ready for what?
My weakling son thinks God gave you to him for a reason. Let's see if we're both right.
The church has a large basement, and Garcia found that the doors to it have been barred for unknown reasons. Most people assumed it was for repairs or something. But Spencer knows that is where he's holding Kylie.
Tobias.
Sorry. I had to leave for a while.
You can leave again, and you can take me with you.
My father would be angry.
Not if he can't find us.
He always finds me.
If you tell me where we are, my friends will come, and they'll save us.
We can't be saved.
We can. We can. I promise. If you tell me where we are, I'll save us both.
Listen to me. It's not worth fighting. Tell me it doesn't make it better.
He texts Hotch and rushes out of the precinct, and gets in the SUV and drives to the church, sirens blaring. He also knows Hotch and the rest of them are going to be furious. He went against orders and went off to find the unsub alone, again. But Spencer has to do this, he needs to help. He's not weak, he's not useless, and he'll save her. The team will get there soon anyways and it'll be fine. And then he can move on finally. Yeah right.
Do you think you can defy me?
I don't know what he's talking about.
You're a liar! You're pitiful! Just like my son. This ends now. Confess your sins. Confess!
I haven't done anything. Tobias, help me.
He can't help you. He's weak.
Tobias.
Confess your sins.
No.
No? That's the devil vacating your body. He was a sinner.
You haven't proven that.
They all are in the end.
Hotch sees the text from Spencer.
"Dammit!" he exclaims.
"What?" Morgan asks.
"Reid figured it out, he's holding her at the church."
"Okay let's get the team and let the cops know, so we can all head over there," Morgan says, knowing why Hotch is pissed but hoping it's not true.
"Reid is headed there."
"Fuck."
Spencer arrives, and runs inside, finding the door to the basement and forcing his way in. Slowly he walks down the stairs, gun drawn and pointed forward, focused. He can do this, he's done before. He tries to ignore the memories flooding back, but he can't push them all away.
Then choose one to die.
What?
Your team members- choose one to die.
Kill me.
You said you weren't one of them.
I lied.
Your team has 6 other members.
Tell me who dies.
No.
Choose, and prove you'll do God's will.
No.
Choose.
I won't do it.
Life is a choice.
No.
Choose.
I... I choose... Aaron Hotchner.
He hears crying, and screaming, and yelling. He hears distant sirens, but keeps going until he sees them. Mitchell, hiding behind the girl who is tied to a chair, with a knife pressed against her throat.
"Don't come any closer or she's dead!" he screams.
Spencer keeps his gun trained on Mitchell and says,"Mitchell listen, what your father and girlfriend did was not right, but this isn't going to change anything. She didn't hurt you, so you don't need to hurt her because then you would be the sinner."
"She rejected me! She hurt me! And the others hurt me, and they lied, and they sinned! This is the punishment they deserve!"
"Mitchell please put the knife down, I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you but this is not the way to make it better. Just drop the knife and it'll be okay."
"No! You're lying to me too! Trying to hurt me too! Well you can't trick me again!"
I'm so sorry.
What are you sorry for, boy?
I sent her away.
Who?
My mom.
I couldn't... I couldn't help her.
Is that a confession?
I confess.
You know your bible.
Exodus 21:17. "And he that curseth his father or his mother... Shall surely be put to death.
Grab a shovel.
Spencer hears them entering the church, knows they'll be here soon.
"Please don't do this! This is not what God would ever want you to do. He wants you to love and forgive everyone. Including her and yourself," he says.
He sees Mitchell think about it, and sees his chance. But before anything can happen they both hear the footsteps above them getting closer and closer, and Spencer sees in his eyes that he's lost him.
"The sinners must be punished," Mitchell says, before beginning to drag that knife across her throat.
"No!"
I ought to bury you alive in there. Give you time to think about what you done.
I know what I've done.
Don't talk back to me. Dig. What are you stopping for? Dig faster!
I'm not strong enough.
You're all weak! Get out of there.
Only one bullet in that gun, boy!
Blam!