A/N: Enjoy the update! Thank you to all my new favorites and followers. Don't give up on me even when it takes me time to get another chapter out.
- O -
"What have we got?" Hotch asked, walking into the room.
"Case-wise or Reid-wise?" Prentiss replied.
"Let's start with the case."
The team was gathered in the conference room of the San Diego Police department. Rossi and Morgan were going over notes at the table, their papers slowly encroaching on Garcia's territory where she was busily typing away on her laptop. Prentiss and JJ stood in front of the whiteboard where print-outs were taped in neat rows.
Reid was barely visible standing alone in a dark corner.
"We still don't know how our unsub is picking his victims," Morgan said.
"Or what he's doing with the organs he steals," Rossi added.
Garcia held up a hand. "And before the speculation starts, I'm going to cut you off."
"Have you found anything?" Hotch asked the technical analyst.
"Besides a new argument for why I should get a raise? No. But if the guy is selling organs on the black market then he is making more money than I'll ever see working for the bureau. Thus, my point for why the government should pay us more."
Hotch ignore her comment. "Have any sellers listed all of the organs missing from our victims?"
Garcia began tapping away at her keyboard again. "Not really, sir. It seems like most sellers specialize. They are really good at obtaining kidneys or livers or please don't make me go on."
"Keep searching," Hotch said. "What else do we have."
The team looked around, waiting for someone to answer Hotch's question. All the while they could feel the guilt and shame over neglecting the case due to their need to help Reid.
Then a quiet voice came from the darkest corner of the room.
"He knows what he's doing when he carves out the organs. Look for someone with medical training."
"Medical training, so a surgeon?" Garcia asked.
"Most likely," the voice in the corner responded. "He'll need the proper tools for what he is doing. He'll be upper-middle class, at a minimum. Paying for equipment and education isn't cheap."
"That doesn't narrow it down a whole lot," Rossi said.
"We're still missing something," JJ put in.
The team fell silent until Hotch took charge again.
"We'll keep working until we have a complete profile. In the meantime, what do we have on Reid?"
"Good news," Emily said. "My contact was able to give me instructions and a list of...ingredients." She hesitated, looking uncomfortable. "Penelope, are you still logged into that black market site?"
"Oh boy," Garcia said. "Something tells me this is about to get expensive."
"It doesn't matter," Rossi interrupted. "Whatever it takes, I'm paying."
"What are we looking for?" Garcia asked. "Forbidden incense? Cursed daggers?"
"Body parts," Emily said.
That caught the team's attention. Soon they were all exchanging looks of worry and disgust. Everyone kept waiting for someone to pull the plug on the plan.
"Please stop this now."
This time Reid's voice didn't come from the corner. He stood among the group and they all saw him clearly.
"If you're caught buying body parts on the black market, you won't just lose your jobs. You will all go to jail. I'm not worth that."
"Spence," JJ said, "We would risk anything to get you back."
"I wish you wouldn't."
Garcia had stopped typing and was looking around for instructions on what to do next.
"What we need might not even be available," Morgan said. "Penelope is careful. There is no harm in looking, right?"
"I'm using my personal equipment and logged in under a false IP address. Not even the FBI could find me right now." Garcia spoke with pride but as soon as Hotch looked her way she cowered. "I would never do this under different circumstances."
"It's fine, Garcia," Hotch said. He turned to Prentiss. "What are we looking for?"
Prentiss pulled out her phone and began to read. "Vital organs. Heart, lungs—"
"Kidneys? Liver?" Rossi finished.
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
Rossi pointed at the evidence board. "Could our unsub have a similar motive?"
The whole team realized the truth at the same time. They stared at the board, reading the list of organs missing from the victims. None of them had any doubt what their unsub was up to.
"How did we miss this?" JJ said in disbelief.
"That's what we've been missing," Morgan said. "His motive. He's trying to perform the same ritual we are."
"It just became vital that we solve this case," Hotch said. "We need to get to the unsub before he can bring back whoever he lost."
"Why is that, sir?" Garcia asked. "Do you think they could be bringing back someone dangerous?"
"We'll never know," Hotch said. "He will never get to perform his ritual. We are doing it instead."
"You mean, we're going to use the stolen organs from the victims to bring back Reid?" Morgan asked.
"Better us than the unsub," Hotch said.
No one argued, not because they agreed, but because they couldn't think of a way to disagree.
"What organs is the unsub missing?" Morgan asked. "He can't have completed his list yet."
"He hasn't," Emily said. "He still needs stomach, bowels, brain, and eyes."
"So, we're looking at four more victims," JJ said. "Is this really something we can condone?"
"We aren't letting him have any more victims," Hotch said. "We'll use what he already has and purchase the rest. That means we need to stop the unsub before he can take another victim. All of our focus should be on victimology."
With the new information in hand, Hotch divided up the team into new assignments. Soon the room was empty save for Hotch. Even Garcia had left to clear her mind.
Hotch closed the door to the conference room and turned to his youngest team member.
"Whether you like it or not, we are carrying through with this plan."
"I understand that you feel you need to try this," Reid said. "I wish there was another way."
"If Prentiss's ritual can bring you back for even one more day, it will all be worth it. I don't want this team falling apart."
Reid looked down. "If you can prepare the ritual and it accomplishes its goal, I will not complain."
"Good. Let's stop the unsub and bring you back."