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Plans

"Hey Reid…What are you doing for Halloween this year." Emily asked.

Reid looked up from his file, a smile overtaking his face. It was the first one she'd seen since JJ had left the team. "JJ and Will got an invitation to some fancy masquerade ball at the Pentagon. It's the first party her boss invited her to and she didn't think it wise to say no. She doesn't want to go though. She said it was the first Halloween that Henry could really participate in so she's bummed."

Morgan laughed from his desk. "Did you just say bummed?"

"I've heard you say it. It's acceptable slang for someone that's mildly depressed." Reid retorted.

"Oh really," Morgan said, "Thank you professor, for the enlightening explanation."

Emily smirked at Morgan. "Oh leave him alone Morgan." She chided.

"I'm just teasing you kid." Morgan said.

"I know and I don't care because Garcia and I are taking Henry trick or treating at the mall." Reid informed him excitedly.

"Why are you so happy to be spending Halloween with a two year old?" Morgan asked perplexed.

"Because afterward, we get to baby sit Henry at JJ's where there's a big screen television."

Emily and Morgan only stared at their brilliant young friend.

"What's so great about that?" Emily finally asked when Reid didn't seem to be forthcoming with more details about his Halloween festivities.

Reid rolled his eyes and spoke slowly as though explaining a problem in complex calculus to someone that didn't speak English. "It's great because cable's showing the original "Night of the Living Dead," and "Halloween."

"Don't you think those movies are too violent for Henry?" Emily asked, giving Morgan a sly wink.

"He'll be sleeping," Reid said confidently.

"Only if you don't let him OD on sugar," Emily said as Morgan laughed.

"I'm not going to let him OD on sugar," Reid retorted. "What kind of a godfather do you think I am?"

"Don't sound so offended kid." Morgan interjected. "Emily has a very good point."

"Why are you worried about my Halloween?" Reid asked his friend.

"I don't care… Emily's the one that wanted to know. I only joined in the conversation because your chatter's distracting me."

Reid picked up his file again. "I'm sorry I distracted you." He opened it and buried his face inside.

"No need to get offended kid." Morgan said happily.

"I'm not offended, but now I'm the one's that distracted." Reid said from behind his file.

"I need everyone in the conference room now." Hotch said from the upper walkway just as Emily opened her mouth to respond to Reid's assurance that he wasn't offended.

"Great… I hope we get back in time for Halloween." Reid lamented.

Morgan smiled and shook his head. "We've still got three days man. Keep your shirt on."

Reid ignored him and headed for the upper walkway with Emily right behind him. It still seemed weird to him that Hotch would present their cases instead of JJ. Change was a part of life he knew, but he didn't like this change very much at all. They were supposed to stay together and fight the good fight together. It didn't make any sense that they couldn't stay together. It wasn't logical because they're all the best. The best should work together.

Hotch and Garcia followed Emily, Reid and Morgan into the conference room. Rossi entered last behind them and shut the door. They all took their places at the table as Hotch began to speak.

The crime scene photographs made Garcia gasp, but she didn't speak.

"Wow…" Emily said. "Is that all they found?"

"The victim is Justin Bailey. He's the first in several brutal murders committed since the first day of this month. The sexton found his head on top of the wall surrounding Sleeping Pines Cemetery. He thought the head was an early Halloween prank until he got close. The rest of his dismembered body was on the ground behind the head.

"His heart was removed." Reid said. "Could be some kind of symbolic act." He continued, "Or a ritual. Did you know that the heart was the only organ left in the body when the Ancient Egyptians performed mummification? If the organ was accidentally removed, they would wrap it in linen and return it to the body cavity."

"Then I guess our un-sub isn't into ancient mummification rites." Rossi guessed.

Everyone but Hotch smiled a little. "Seven days later a care taker at Greensboro City Cemetery found another body at the rear exit with the same type of dismemberment. The young man's name is Gary Davis."

Hotch pushed the button on his remote and new photographs came up on the screen. "The same kind of mutilation as the first body." Rossi said. "It looks like they've both been tortured."

"Yes…" Hotch agreed. "The first victim suffered bruising to his torso and cutting wounds to his extremities. The coroner's report indicated that he was alive for the torture and when the un-sub cut into his chest to remove the heart."

"A week after that, at St Anne's church, Father Andrew found the body of Kenneth Perry, this time on the steps of Church. The locals don't know if this is because the un-sub has some kind of religious fixation or if it's because the un-sub knew the police were watching the entrances to all the cemeteries around Greensboro. Last night, the body of Carl LaSalle was found on the front steps of Saint Peter's church."

Reid studied his file so intensely he nearly forgot that everyone in the room with him. "It looks like the heart was removed and the bodies dismembered with a level of skill."

"Could be a doctor or a medical student?" Rossi postulated.

"Garcia… Check into the backgrounds of the victims and find out if they saw the same doctor at any point." Hotch asked. "So far the Greensboro PD hasn't been able to find a link between these men."

"Except that they all look very much alike." Emily said flicking her eyes over to Reid.

The three men were tall, very thin and very good-looking. "Yes… He definitely has a type." Rossi said.

"Was there any sign of sexual assault?" Morgan asked as he flicked through his copy of the file.

"No," Hotch responded.

"Except for possible piquerism." Reid interjected. "All of the men were stabbed in the torso to varying degrees."

"The un-sub is escalating in violence, but his cooling off period is consistent, which is odd." Reid said rubbing the knuckles of his right hand across his jaw.

"This means we have six days before he grabs someone else." Hotch said picking up his folder. "Wheels up in an hour." He said leaving the room.

CMCMCMCM

Her cell phone rang impatiently. She looked at the caller ID and decided she couldn't ignore this call. "Hello Mama," She answered.

"I haven't seen you for weeks baby. Where have you been?"

"I've been studying mother. Medical school isn't easy." She snapped.

"You don't have to take that tone with me." Her mother retorted.

"I'm sorry… I'll call you this weekend. I promise."

She heard her mother sigh exasperatedly. "Why don't we go have lunch together? I want to see you."

"Alright mother, I promise we'll get together soon."

"I hope so honey. I'm very worried about you."

She picked up the framed photograph that always stood next to her desk. The two of them had been so happy together and they would be happy again.

"You don't have to worry about me mama. I'm okay, really."

"I'll feel better when I can see it for myself. Why don't you come over here and I'll -"

"No!" She snapped. "I'm alright," she said more calmly. "I promise I'm fine. Please believe me."

"I'm your mother. I worry about you."

She put the photograph down on the desk and sighed quietly. "Mama, I'm really very busy. I have to go now."

"I love you."

"I love you to mama. I'll call you soon and we'll get together."

She shut the phone and reached over to finger the picture. "She doesn't understand." She whispered. "Don't worry… I'll always love you. We'll be together soon."

She picked up the small bag made from goatskin. She shook it, chanted a few words, let several silver coins, and boned fall to the ground. She smiled at the pattern on her hardwood floor with in her protected circle. It seemed that the Gods were looking favorably on her quest. Another chance would present itself very soon.