A/N: Thanks for reading! Another thing, I don't own Criminal Minds. I own Haley and all of my other original characters. Please review because I love to hear feedback from my readers!

Two

"Good God," said a female police officer who had flanked the BAU team on their way up to the top of the Mound. From what Reid had heard, Haley was in that green tent at the base of the hill, but duty first, he had to see this.

The team stopped once they saw the site. Yeah, it was ten times worse than the descriptions in the police report and the pictures in the folder, they always were. Blood was everywhere, smeared so thickly into the grass that JJ swore she saw chunks of flesh in there as well. The symbols painted were those that she didn't recognize. She had no clue, and they were placed so particularly around the circle. The center of the circle was where the gore was thickest, the body having been removed, it left a stain in the dead blades of grass and an eerie wet look to the healthy grass.

JJ squeezed Reid's shoulder from beside him as she continued down the hill to a small mob of press. Spencer smiled. She was so good at her job.

Hotch began to talk to the Chief of Police that was already there, surveying the scene. Reid didn't care to listen as he looked begrudgingly at his crutches. Only three more weeks in those things and he'd be fine. He hated the crutches with all of his heart. They made him slow, and seem to just be a deficiency to the team. They were a symbol of his temporary handicap.

"Hey, Dr. Hobalong!" Morgan cried from his position with Emily near one of the corners of the mound.

Spencer disliked the new nick name, but it was temporary, he reminded himself of this as he hobbled toward the others and was handed a pair of latex gloves.

Emily stood up and gave the paper to him. A leaf of college-ruled notebook paper with strange symbols scrawled in black ink. "Can you read that?" Emily asked.

Reid turned it over, maybe they were giving it to him sideways, or upside down, but no dice. "No, I don't know what language that is."

Morgan looked at the sheet in despair. "Well damn," he muttered.

"We can find someone else," Emily said hopefully.

"Someone else, what?" Haley asked as she crested the hill, looking very dirty from the dig that day. She brightened at the sight of her brother. "What's going on?"

Emily gave her latex gloves as she was given the paper with the strange language scrawled onto it. Haley's eyes flashed with recognition. "This is Unyææshæötká." She received strange looks from all present. "Mingo," she said. "I can translate for you, if you want. But I'm a little rusty."

"Oh, yeah, I need to brush up on my Mingo as well. I've been meaning to lately," Emily rolled her eyes.

"Of course one of the Reids would know a language called Mingo," Morgan smiled.

Haley rolled her eyes before she began to read the sheet of paper. "Illihifóoska hasna onka. Hasi ootàmmi hitòkla ittíllawwi wasaawòoka…"

"Yeah?" Morgan asked.

"You're all close to the approach of death," she said, still looking at the paper. "Two sunrises and the same of your number will be gone."

"They're communicating with the authorities," Emily murmured.

"Albeit strangely. It's like they wanted one of the excavation team to be pulled into this," Reid said, taking the paper and turning it over in his hand, as though Haley had missed anything. "What would possess someone to learn this language unless they were heavily involved with the culture?"

"Perhaps Mississippian themselves?" Morgan suggested. "A group or mafia set of Mississippian Indians?"

"Plausible," Emily nodded. "Haley, stay up here; there might be another note."

Haley sighed. "Emily, you know I'd love to, but there's this pot down at the tent that I was cleaning up and translating so-"

"We need you, Baby Doll," Morgan grinned at her as she frowned at him. Of course he pulled out the nicknames. That's how he always got her.

This reminded her… "Penelope not coming?"

"She's on her way," Morgan beamed. He was so in love with her it was cute, seeing such a man nearly crippled at the mention of such a woman. "What's the deal with the pot?"

Haley held her finger to her lips. "Secret, secret," she taunted. JJ sauntered up behind Haley and hugged her. "Long time, no see, Haley. I love the hair," she smiled.

"Oh," Haley said, twisting a strand of her newly short hair. Before, it was almost halfway down her back, now it was a little longer than her brother's length, only well maintained. "Yeah, well, it was getting in my way a lot, so, you know, hack it off." She hated when the conversation focused around her; it stemmed from a deeply rooted fear of being taunted seeded in pre-kindergarten when she realized that most other girls didn't know how many chromosomes the human genome was supposed to contain. She constantly changed the subject when it did come to her in any respect.

Spencer empathized, promptly switching gears to the subject of where they were going to eat that night and asking what restaurants had a good menu. His little sister animatedly spoke of her new apartment and how just down the street was a nice little grille. Spencer relaxed once he saw she had.

Haley brightened when Hotch and Rossi came toward their group. "What's going on, Hotch?" Morgan asked, instantly flipping from friend to agent mode like someone had pressed a button.

"Well, we already know most of what's going on," Hotch said, sounding slightly resentful.

"Did they know about this?" Emily showed him the paper.

"Yes, Evidence has had yet to come down and mark everything," Rossi rolled his eyes. "You'd think that with such a small town you'd have people begging to be part of this."

"That's what it would appear to be, huh," Emily put her hand on her hip, lowering her sunglasses with the other. "I think they're scared."

"There's a psychotic killer on the loose. I'm kind of scared, too," Haley said in disbelief, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no, I mean, reluctant to really figure out who's doing this. The locals seem to not want anything to do with it," she pontificated further.

"Are you suggesting that the town already knows what's behind this?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah," she came to the resolution that Morgan had, "I am."

--

The next morning on the mound, Haley could be seen telling Reid about all of their findings, about who did what and how and why it was done. Of course, her brother was eating it up. Anything to expand his knowledge and make his sister happy was top in his list of priorities.

JJ smiled up at the duo and she laughed with Penelope, also watching. She had flown in late last night and gone ahead to her and Morgan's room without telling the rest of the team. The tear filled reunion had been held that morning. Now she had set up a camp in the tent running through old town news articles for any type of native club or organization. She had a few hits, but nothing to raise question about.

She wondered what kind of luck Emily and Morgan were having with local interrogations, or how Hotch and Rossi were handling things at the Police Department.

Penelope nudged her as a group of men with press badges barged into the tent. JJ sighed. "Boys, boys, please! There isn't any photography allowed in here," JJ muttered as she lead the heckling men outside of the green tent.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with the town showing no sign of want to reveal who was behind the recent murders, but completely and totally indicating that they knew who was the driving force.

--

It was the day of the second sunrise, and the team was on edge. Having made no real advancement as to the discovery of the culprits, they had only the profile and a map of a comfort area to go by.

Emily gave a reassuring nod to Hotch and he sighed. It was time to give the profile.

--

Two hours had passed since JJ saw Haley and Spence go out to the car and she grew worried. "Pen," she whispered, for no apparent reason other than not to draw attention to her panic. "Have you seen Spencer and Haley?"

"Not lately, I figured they might be on the mound," she said, her eyes growing wide. JJ never grew concerned unless there was concern to be had. "But they couldn't have been gone this long, right? Aw, Jayj, is it not safe to go outside anymore?"

JJ said nothing, but started to shake her head in belief as she patted Morgan on the shoulder as an indication to follow her. Penelope came in hot pursuit, Hotch and Rossi in tow.

The team burst into the bright sunlight of the parking lot looking ready for a throw down, only to find the lot hopelessly, disturbingly, and despairingly devoid of Reid and Haley.

JJ screamed in a mix of horror, disgust, and rage.