CHAPTER 2
BAU Headquarters, 31st September, Quantico
Jennifer Jareau arrived into the quiet room at the BAU Headquarters. This was rare for her as that meant that she must be the first one here today. So far, she met only handful of people just finishing their night shift. But then it was only 7 AM. Still early enough in the morning for most of the people to be working. So, she went to her desk to put down her bag and take off her jacket.
'Morning!' said voice behind her. 'What are you doing here so early JJ? Usually, I manage to have a cup of coffee before anyone else arrives,' said David Rossi walking towards her from the direction of his office. JJ partly turned around towards him with smile on her face as she started unzipping her jacket.
'Morning to you too! I thought I'm the first one at work today. I didn't know that you were already here,' she said while turning her attention back to her hand to put the jacket properly over the chair backrest and rest of her things on the table.
'Well, I need to deal with the stack of paperwork, which appeared on my table while we were away,' Rossi replied. Then he added as an afterthought, 'You still didn't answer my question though.'
'I was taking Henry and Will's parents to the airport. They are going for a week trip to California. So, I figured if I'm already awake, I can come here and catch up on some paperwork,' she spoke while shrugging her shoulders. Looking up at him with mischievous smile she added, 'Apparently it is popular idea today.'
David chuckled at her quip as he stood near her desk. So typical, he thought, we don't get out of here most of the week, but she still comes earlier instead of relaxing at home.
JJ directed her attention back to her desk and started to organise files at the top but after few seconds she stopped and fully turned to David.
'So, were you saying that you haven't had coffee yet? Me neither,' JJ said.
'Let's go then! And today since you are here so early the coffee is on me! God knows we have been away from this place less than 11 hours - and that is awful in my opinion - especially after the long case we solved so caffeine is needed. Follow me, please,' said David exaggerating the word please while walking in the direction of the lift.
Chuckling at his behaviour JJ caught up with Rossi just as he pressed the button to call the elevator. Both stood there and waited in comfortable silence still not fully awake to make more of general conversation or continue in the previous one. After minute or so doors opened, and Aaron Hotchner strode out.
He stopped after seeing two members of his team standing before him. His face was set in stern look as he looked both agents directly into eyes and curtly said, 'Morning JJ. Morning David.'
'Good morning, Aaron!' replied David in quite a cheerful tone to his old friend.
But before JJ could utter one word, their boss was already walking away towards his office. Both agents gazed after his retreating figure, one with mild surprise on her face, until he disappeared out of their sight.
'Wow. Somebody doesn't look happy at all today,' muttered JJ while she entered the lift.
Rossi followed her with thoughtful expression on his face and pressed the ground level button, where cafeteria was situated. He was waiting for the doors to close before he slightly turned to JJ and said, 'Don't take it personally. Emily didn't tell him that she was planning to leave until the last possible moment. Now he is one team member short and getting questioned from above what is the reason for the unexpected last-minute resignation of agent Prentiss.'
'I know,' JJ nodded, 'but she has had more than one good reason. Besides Shaun looks like a nice guy. After what she has been through in her life, she deserves happiness. Even if that means moving from here to Montana because of his work and family.'
David hummed in agreement. Also, he thought, Emily have wanted to start her own family for a while. For that reason, change of job and place will do her good. Here she has too many memories and not all of them are happy ones.
Before he managed to articulate his thoughts out loud, the lift doors opened. Because he didn't want to share his idea about their former colleague's decision in open space, where anybody could overhear, Rossi stepped out of the elevator after JJ and together they headed towards the cafeteria. When they walked through the opened glass door, they spotted their colleagues, Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid, who were already waiting besides the counter for their morning brews.
'Morning guys! Everyone is here quite early today. What is happening?' said JJ with smile on her face as her and David were nearing them.
'Morning!' followed from Rossi and Morgan simultaneously right after JJ spoke. Afterwards, both agents chuckled at their blonde colleague bewilderment at the simple fact that sometimes people come to work early.
Just then Spencer's and Morgan's order was done so they could finally take their anticipated first sip of the brown liquid. This prompted Rossi to also go to the counter and order 2 cups of coffee he and JJ came here for.
In meantime, Spencer turned to JJ with his drink in hand and said, 'It is not so unusual as you think. Statistically by 5:30 AM one in five people is awake, which would be, for example, in Virginia approximately 1.707 million people.' He paused for a second and waited for her reaction before hastily adding, 'And good morning to you too.'
During the following silence JJ, Morgan and Rossi looked at each other and shared an amused look saying it all. Over the years they've quite gotten used to getting random facts from Reid even about the simplest things. Spencer was simply Spencer.
In next few minutes all four agents were nursing their coffees. Together they went into the lift with intention to reach their desks and go through the never-ending amount of paperwork.
However, before the lift doors closed Penelope Garcia appeared from behind the corner hurrying on her high heels towards the elevator and shouted, 'Hold that door, please!'
Reacting to her call David pushed against the closing doors and waited for her to enter the lift before again pressing the button of their floor. As the elevator started to move Garcia rearranged her askew glasses and turned to her colleagues.
'Greetings my fellow crime fighters!' she said sounding slightly out of breath after her rush to get into the lift.
'Good morning to you too!' replied Rossi with amusement colouring his voice.
Only Garcia would call them crime fighters, he thought.
Another two good morning were heard from JJ and Reid. Only Derek took his time as he had to firstly swallow mouthful of coffee.
'Hello baby girl! Why the rush to get here this morning? Is everything alright?' he asked sounding bit concerned.
After the last question all special agents turned to look at Garcia waiting for her answer as it was really unusual for her to be at work so early in the day. Since it was common knowledge that she was not a morning person.
'Our section chief wanted me to come today as early as possible. We are going to upgrade our firewall soon and there is lots to do. Also, a few police departments sent yesterday and today in the morning cases asking for our help. So, I will need to put together all the relevant files of each one and send them to Cruz. Then he can assign them to different teams,' said Garcia while self-consciously pushing her glasses a little bit up her nose with all the attention on her.
'That's quite a lot of work,' JJ frowned, 'Were you doing this for Strauss as well?' she asked still a bit taken back by the amount of documents Matt wanted Penelope to go through.
Garcia nodded and said, 'Yeah. It just looks like an enormous workload, but it is mainly the firewall upgrade, which will take most of my time and energy.'
'We will have a new case soon then' Reid commented just as the chime indicated that they reached their floor.
All his colleagues made sounds of agreement although some didn't sound exactly happy about the prospect of a new case so soon. However, moving with their drinks towards their desks each one was quickly lost in their thoughts. Only Garcia didn't follow them and turned to the right walking along the corridor into her 'office'. This was busy day for her. So, her mind was already going through all the changes she will need to do in their system to prepare it for the upgrade. But cases came first.
One hour later...
Aaron Hotchner was sitting in his office and in front of him lay opened file containing their new case. After he read through the information contained inside, he understood why the Section Chief Cruz wanted his team to take this case. The killer was evolving relatively fast, and no big progress has been made by the current FBI agents and local police officers. For that reason, 10 minutes ago, he sent a message to Garcia to prepare relevant information for the briefing so his team can meet and get acquainted with the situation as soon as possible. Instead of just waiting he decided in the meantime to make arrangements concerning Jack for the next few days - just in case he will be away for a longer time.
Few minutes after he finished the call Garcia sent him a text that everything was ready and the rest of his team was already informed about the upcoming meeting. Aaron signed resignedly, got up and walked out of his office to join others, who were already entering the briefing room.
The monsters never sleep, he thought, another case in few hours since resolving the last one. At least, Ema was happy to look after Jack for few hours every day this week.
When Aaron arrived into the briefing room, he gave Garcia nod of acknowledgement together with a permission to start acquainting the team with the summary of what they knew about the case until now. After he sat down everyone around the table turned their heads towards Penelope as she took her place before agents or tablets lying in front of them. Using the remote to put relevant information up onto the big screen she started about the case.
'Okay. So, Rochester Police Department asked two weeks ago FBI for help with at that time two murders. The first victim, Abigail Clark, age 24 was killed three weeks ago and left in back street near the public library. The second victim, Adam Kurger, age 35 was killed six days later. He was found in Genesee Valley Park. Both victims were repeatedly stabbed in various body areas. Also, both have a note pinned to their clothes,' Garcia reported.
All agents looked at their tablets and into the enclosed paper files to study the damage done to the two bodies and photos of the papers left on crime scenes.
'Both notes contain terms and definitions used in systematic study of language. This is very specific and unusual MO,' commented Reid in thoughtful voice while still focusing on the pictures.
'And look at the bodies. That's quite brutal,' Morgan said observing the photos taken by the pathologist and policemen at crime scenes. 'Although, it looks like the first time the killer was hesitant or maybe even panicked. First victim has ten stab wounds and few small lacerations. That's less than in case of Adam Kurger,' he added.
'Yes, maybe you are right. But it is more like the unsub was just warming up as there is more of overall damage done to their second victim ranging from small cuts to deep gashes. Also, based on the report Abigail Clark died quickly from massive blood loss due to the last stab rupturing her spleen but Adam Kurger was bleeding for a longer time,' reacted David to Derek's observation.
JJ hummed in agreement and said, 'Besides stabbing is personal. The killer was close to them and the whole experience was more visceral.' Then she turned to look at Garcia and asked, 'Did they find anything our victims have in common? Work, maybe?'
'Not yet. Abigail was studying Language, Media and communication course at the local university and Adam was working part-time in tourist information centre,' read Garcia from her tablet.
'You said two murders at that time,' stated Reid putting more emphasis at the last three words.
Everyone's head shot up and their attention turned back to Penelope.
'Yes, you are right. Since then, another two bodies were found, Victor Brass age 18 and Natalia Verne age 40,' answered Garcia while clicking the remote to show the photos. 'Victor was discovered over week ago in Maplewood Park near the Genesee River and Natalia was found just yesterday behind the Lambert Conservatory. And here it gets more darker and bloodier. Both bodies have multiple stab wounds. But I mean really a lot. The coroner counted over 23 stab wounds and more than 15 deep lacerations on each victim,' grimaced Garcia.
After saying this she put her tablet down and added with shudder, 'It is really awful and bloody so I will let you have look by yourself. The photos are on your screens.'
'Oh my god,' murmured JJ. 'This is intense. It looks like he needs to see their pain and suffering. Based on the reports all were inflicted antemortem. That's quite a typical behaviour for sadist.'
'Also, you would need to have a good knowledge about human anatomy to inflict so many wounds while not making your victims to suffer almost instant fatal blood loss,' added Reid after examining the positions of the each wound on the unsub's last two victims.
Following Reid's observation David added, 'So considering that all places, where the victims were found, didn't have blood all over them - and it's written here that some of the wounds were bleeding heavily - they are just dumping sites and the unsub murdered them somewhere else.'
'Whoever done this is getting more violent as with each victim he is getting better at prolonging their suffering. The difference in numbers of wounds between the first and the last victim is large,' said Morgan with JJ nodding along during his speech.
'The killer is definitely evolving fast. We need to act quickly,' concluded Hotch while closing his folder. 'Wheels up in 30,' he added and stood up to prepare for the journey. Others followed his example.