Chapter 56

Hotch and Jimmy were able to find and question the shifter that Jimmy's uncle had found, but she had just flown in from the mainland and didn't even know about the killings. Morgan and most of the team profiled the latest scene, but they didn't find any clues to help them identify their killer. Rossi was the only one who had a profitable side trip; after his little jaunt to the local gun store, he was the proud owner of Tuarus Titanium, five shot, .45 Colt caliber revolver. Not only was the gun brand new, but its two inch barrel made it small and easy to conceal in the newly purchased ankle holster. If he was careful, no one would even know he had it. He had loaded it with the silver bullets before he even left the shop's parking lot, and he was back with the team before Hotch even knew he was gone.

When Hotch joined back up with them, they all went back to the police station to go over all of the evidence again. Even though their unsub was a shapeshifter, they still had a profile to work.

When Hotch caught Rossi grinning while staring at him for the second time, he knew something was up so he fixed the older man with his stare. "What have you done?"

Rossi tried to look innocent. "What?"

The team's quickly hidden grins made it obvious something was afoot, so he leaned closer to seasoned profiler.

Rossi instantly turned away from Hotch's penetrating eyes. "Damn it, Aaron. That shit's not fair!" he blurted out knowing that Hotch was about to compel him.

"Look at me, Dave," Hotch ordered in a whisper.

Rossi just shook his head as he focused on the file in his hand and reached up and scratched the front of his neck.

"David Michael," Hotch tried again with a little more of an edge in his voice.

Rossi's hand stilled at his neck and he slowly turned to the younger man. "What?"

Hotch started to smile thinking he had won, but when something in Rossi's hand reflected the light, he hissed and turned his head the other way.

Rossi's grin went from ear to ear as the shiny silver cross lying across his knuckles glistened. "You had something you wanted to say, Hotch?"

A low growl escaped the Unit Chief as everyone else tried to stifle laughter and pretended to concentrate on other things.

Rossi licked his lips triumphantly, put the cross back under his shirt, and leaned in close to the man he loved like a son. "How many times do I have to tell you, Aaron? You can't beat the master."

Hotch huffed and shoved Rossi away from him. "I hate you."

Rossi laughed. "I know, just as much as I hate you."

XXX

Once Hotch was in his hotel for the night, he called his wife and after hearing about the kids and such, she asked him what had happened that morning. He sighed and told her about how their newest victim had affected him.

She hummed as she considered it. "And you fed beforehand?"

"Yes. It was the worst it's ever been. Not even when we found all those victims in that basement was it that bad. I don't understand," he confessed.

Kahlan could hear the embarrassment seep into her husband's tone, and she sighed. "Damn, Aaron, stop being so hard on yourself. It was probably the freshest victim you've come across so far, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but. . . I don't know. . . It was like. . . Well. . ."

"What?"

He took a deep breath. "Maybe it also had something to do with the fact that he was close to the boys' age," he offered as his mind grasped for a logical reason.

"It was a boy?"

He sighed. "Yes. He was only twelve."

"I wonder. . ." she offered more to herself than him.

"What?"

"Is he your youngest victim, too?"

"Yes, but what would that matter? Blood is blood, well, except yours but. . ." He suddenly sucked in a breath as a thought hit him. "Actually, it did sort of remind me of you. Maybe that's it. Maybe that's why it affected me so badly."

"Me? How did he remind you of me?"

"Not you physically, but the smell of his blood reminded me of the taste of yours. I could actually taste the sweetness of it," he paused as a shudder ran through him and he swallowed thickly. "I'm not sure what it was about him but. . ."

"He was young," she cut in.

"Yes," he agreed wondering why she was mentioning that again.

"Maybe the younger the blood is the sweeter it is, you know, like lamb is sweeter than mutton or veal is sweeter than beef," she suggested.

He ran a hand down his face as he considered it. "They are also more tender than their older counterparts."

"Yeah, but I still don't like them. Just the thought of eating something that young turns my stom. . ."

"That's it," he exclaimed as he stood up.

"What's it?" she asked not following.

"Every one of the victims has gotten younger and younger. It must like the taste of the younger heart."

She groaned her distaste. "Well, the heart is a muscle, and the muscles are meat."

"You are a genius, Babe."

She huffed. "Yeah, cause I bridged that gap. I was just trying to figure out why you had a problem."

"And in doing so you. . ."

"No. I just got you to talk through what you already knew."

He rolled his eyes knowing she would never take any credit. "Well, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now get to bed and use that amazing team of yours to figure out how to use that information against this son of a bitch."

He took a deep breath. "I will." He chuckled. "And for the first time on this case, I actually feel like we might be able to get ahead of it."

"You will, Hun, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, Babe. I love you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Aaron. I love you, too."

XXX

After sharing his new theory with the team after breakfast, they shared it with the locals and held a press conference so they could warn the public. After most people dispersed, Officer Schewel pulled Hotch to the side. "We can go out in the form of children and try to lure this monster out."

Hotch immediately started shaking his head. "No. We can. . ."

"It would be better for it to attack one of us than some innocent kid!"

Hotch took a patient breath. "But can't it sense you all? If it knows you are a shifter then. . ."

Jamie sighed. "Shit. I didn't think about that."

Hotch put a hand on the man's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. He knew the man just wanted to help but he wasn't trained to deal with serial killers let alone one who could shift forms. "You all can help us in a different way, though."

That perked him back up. "Anything."

"Members of your family can help keep watch at the parks and such," he paused as he locked eyes with the middle aged man. "In animal form, from a distance, they can help keep watch. With it being Saturday, that's where most of the kids will be, so we need the most help there."

Jamie started nodding. "Yes, Sir," he agreed and the left to go get it done.

Rossi huffed as he walked up behind Hotch. "You don't actually think it's going to attack at one of the parks."

Hotch took a deep breath. "No, but he wants to help protect his family and his community. I had to give him something to do."

"You never know, it might actually help. Maybe they will actually see this son of a bitch."

A deep sigh escaped the younger man. "Jamison didn't think Jimmy would be able to handle this thing and he's been trained as a cop. There's no way any of the rest of them could. I have to keep them safe, too."

Rossi pat him on the back. "You are a good man, Aaron."

Hotch's eyes cut to him. "I may agree with that when we actually have this thing."

Rossi nodded. "We're getting close. I can feel it."

XXX

By the time they were about done going over everything again, a call came in. Another body was found. A couple fishermen had the displeasure of finding a body floating along the rocky northwestern side of the Kaho'olawe Island. The ME had been dispatched, but it was obvious from the initial reports that the girl had been dead for a couple days at least. She was identified quickly, though, as a local 16 year old girl who had gone surfing two days before and had never returned.

"So it attacked her after William and before the twelve year old. That's supports Hotch's theory of it wanting younger and younger victims," Mack pointed out as they all looked over their tablets and the photos of their latest victim.

Hotch shook his head in disgust. "And if we don't stop this thing another family is going to lose one of its children."

When Hotch's had absently snapped the pen in his grip, JJ winced. "Come on Hotch. We'll get it."

Morgan started nodding. "Yeah, there's only one island left."

Hotch looked at him. "Yes, the biggest one, and with its terrain and foliage. . ." he trailed off as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We'll find this unsub like we always do," Reid injected as if it were fact.

And exasperating sigh escaped the Unit Chief. "Unless it has already struck there. There could be victims that we haven't even found yet."

Rossi snorted. "Fine!" He grabbed a file box off the floor, slammed it onto the table, and started shoving the case files into it. "Let's pack it up." They all looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Hotch thinks we're wasting our time, so let's just tuck our tails in between our legs and head back home like the losers we are."

Hotch's eyes narrowed as he looked at the older man and then he reached into the box and snatched a file back out of it. "I didn't say that."

Rossi put his arm around Hotch's shoulder and gave him a paternal squeeze as he smiled. "You didn't?"

Morgan and JJ shared a grin as Hotch took a deep breath. "No, I didn't." He turned to Reid. "Grab a map so we can figure out exactly where this thing is going to strike next," he ordered and then turned to the rest of the team. "And get the locals. We need to set up strategic surveillance points all over the island."

They all nodded and moved to carry out his instructions.

When Hotch saw Rossi's smug smile, he rolled his eyes. "I don't think we are wasting our time."

The older man's smile grew. "I know. I just thought you needed reminded that we will solve this thing."

Hotch stood up tall, squared his shoulders, and nodded once. "Thank you."

Rossi chuckled. "Any time, Aaron. One of my main jobs in life is to keep you straight."

Hotch shoved him towards the door. "Shut up, Dave."

XXX

With nothing else to do at the station, Hotch had the team head out to the Hawaii Island and split up to go check on the surveillance sites. Once they landed, Morgan leaned in close to Rossi as they walked towards the SUVs. Hotch was busy on the phone with Detective Iona, so he thought Hotch wouldn't be able to hear them. "Is Hotch going to tell Jimmy and them to come here?"

Rossi shook his head. "No. He wants them safe."

A disgusted snort left Morgan as he shook his head. "I don't want anyone hurt, you know that, Rossi, but maybe they could help."

Rossi glance at him out of the corner of his eyes and then smiled. "Just because Hotch didn't tell them doesn't mean they don't know." He had already text Jamison Schewel, the shapeshifter patriarch.

Morgan chuckled as he elbowed the older man. "I love you, Man."

Rossi nodded as his grin widened. "Everyone does."

XXX

As Hotch drove down the street after dropping JJ and Morgan off with a team of locals, he heard Morgan yell his name before he even reached the end of the block. His eyes searched his rearview mirror and his stomach tightened when he saw a young woman crying and frantically waving her arms about. Hotch knew only one thing could make a woman that upset. Her kid's missing.

He whipped a U-turn right in front of traffic as Rossi cussed under his breath. Hotch wasn't sure he was cussing Hotch's driving skills or the fact that another victim may be in the hands of the monster, but he hit the gas and then slammed on his brakes in front of his teammates.

Morgan met him on the sidewalk. "Mrs. Kehele's daughter has disappeared from the backyard."

Hotch hid the wince that wanted to show.

"Please! You must find her!" the crying woman yelled to the newcomers.

"You're sure she didn't just leave the yard. Maybe she went to play with friends," a local officer tried.

The woman shook her head. "No! Lana never leaves the yard! She would never. . ."

She paused as an officer stepped onto the sidewalk a little further down the street. He was shaking his head and the woman's cries increased tenfold. "What?" Rossi asked the obviously shaken man.

"There's a dog. . ." He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "I think it was our guy."

"Is it a large white dog?" the woman asked hoping it wasn't.

The officer nodded.

"That's Kiko, Lana's dog. He never leaves her side!"

Hotch pushed the distraught woman towards JJ. "Stay with her," he ordered and JJ nodded as she pulled the woman into a hug as Hotch moved away from them with everyone else following. He turned to a sergeant. "Get your men and start a grid search." The man nodded and moved back towards the cruisers as Hotch turned to another local. "Get some dogs, get the helicopter, we need to find this girl now."

That man nodded and took off running, as Hotch pulled Rossi and Morgan away a few steps. "I'm going to start searching, you. . ."

Rossi and Morgan both started shaking their heads immediately. "No, Hotch. If this thing just took her then it's still in the area!" Morgan asserted.

"I know. That why I have. . . "

"Not alone you're not!" Rossi insisted.

Hotch sighed and looked at him. "I can handle it. I don't need to be worried about you two. . ."

Rossi grabbed him by the shoulders. "Drop it, Aaron! Either we all go or you are not!"

"We're wasting time. That thing could be. . ."

"Then stop being so damn stubborn and listen to your elders!"

Hotch went to open his mouth again, saw the determined looks on both of their faces and then snorted. "Then let's go," he half growled and turned on his heel and headed towards the lush forest that surrounded the woman's house.

Morgan and Rossi both jumped to keep up with him.

Hotch glanced back at them and mentally smiled. As soon as we're away from everyone, they won't be able to keep up with me.

Morgan pulled on Rossi's arm as they moved after their Unit Chief. He cleaned as close as he could and whispered, "You have those bullets and that pistol, right?"

Rossi only nodded and scrambled to closer to Hotch.