Chapter 2

Now:

9: 00 A.M. Dumfries, Virginia. October 30, 2007.

Since the drive to Dumfries' Police Station had only taken twelve minutes, taking the jet would have been a waste of time, time that they didn't have. Prentiss could see that Dumfries' Chief of Police and Captain were trying to keep a brave face as they made introduction, but she knew that the last nine days must have been hell for them. The case frustrated and scared her, and she'd only just known about it this morning. She was taken out of her musing as JJ introduced the team.

"Chief Forker, Captain Wards, I'm Agent Jennifer Jareau, Communications Liaison. You can call me JJ. We spoke earlier on the phone," said JJ as she shook hands with the Chief and the Captain. Turning to her team, she continued, "This is our Unit Chief, Senior Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, SSA David Rossi, SSA Derek Morgan, SSA Emily Prentiss, and Dr. Spencer Reid."

"If it is alright with you, Agent Prentiss and I would like to visit the crime scenes," said Morgan all business-like. "And if you could show Agent Rossi and Dr. Reid to where you kept the remains, it would be much appreciated."

"Of course," replied Chief Forker, "anything you need. Thank you so much for coming."

"No need to thank us; it's what we do," assured JJ. Because really, I should have caught this case earlier, even if we weren't invited in yet, she thought. It was her fault that the team just found out about it today. It was her job to keep an eye out for things like this. Dumfries was practically in their backyard, and she couldn't even keep it safe.

So deep was she in her thoughts that JJ missed Hotch's request for the victims' files, a whiteboard, and a place to set up their command center. She didn't even notice it when Chief Forker left with Prentiss and Morgan to the victims' homes or when Captain Wards led Reid and Rossi to the morgue. JJ didn't even hear Hotch the first he asked her to help him set up the command center.

"JJ," Hotch repeated.

"Hmm?" she replied at last as she turned to face him. "Sorry, I was just, you know, thinking."

As if he had read her mind, Hotch said, "JJ, it's not your fault. We had other cases. We were busy in Denver and Woodbridge before we caught this case."

"And on the way back from Woodbridge, we passed by Dumfries, Hotch. If I had known then, we would have been here five days earlier. We could have saved Blake Martin, Hunter Bradley, Jenna Tomson, and Elizabeth and Robert Jackson." Grief and regret were evident in her voice.

"We could still save Robert Jackson." He felt her pain, and it cut him deeply, but they couldn't afford to worry about the "what-ifs" with so many dead and possibly more coming.

"What are the chances he's even still alive, Hotch?" JJ exclaimed. "You saw what happened to the others. Robert Jackson is probably already dead and in pieces. And it's all on me, Hotch, me. It's my job to be on the look-out for this sort of things and make sure we get there to help before it's too late." All those bloods were on her hands, and she was never going to be able to cleanse herself of them no matter how much good she did.

"I need you to calm down, JJ." Hotch's voice cut through her thoughts. "What happened has already happened. We can't change any of that. Sure, we could have arrived five days earlier, and Blake Martin, Hunter Bradley, Jenna Tomson, and Elizabeth Jackson could still have been killed. We can't worry about "what-ifs" right now, but we can start looking for whoever did this. And we will find this Unsub, JJ. We will." There so much determination and drive in his voice that JJ couldn't help but believe that they would succeed in stopping this Unsub.

Looking at her boss, she gave him a bleak smile. "Thanks, Hotch. I'll try to keep a clearer head on this case," JJ said as she set about helping him set up their command center in one of the empty conference rooms.

xxxxxx

The Jacksons' Home

As they approached yellow crime scene tape in front of the creamy white house, Morgan wondered if maybe they would finally get lucky here and find some sort of clues that would lead them to the Unsub. The last four victims' apartments had been irritatingly spotless save for some sort of yellow powder near the doors and the bloody bedroom where Hunter Bradley was killed.

Searching around in the Jacksons' bedroom in vain looking for any sort of clues, Morgan turned to Prentiss, hoping she had better luck. Seeing Prentiss's expression that said otherwise, Morgan said at last, "Alright, so I'm the Unsub. How do I keep the husband under my control while I subdue and kill his wife, who unlike Hunter Bradley, was awake and put a fight?"

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Prentiss turned to face Morgan. With her hands on her hips, she casted a searching look around the room before suggesting, "Umm...I don't. I would need a partner for that. My partner would keep Robert Jackson under control while I deal with the wife." Her voice cleared and her tone turned hopeful as she came to that realization.

"A team would explain the change in victimology and them getting around without anyone seeing. One to keep a lookout and the other to do the deed," chided Morgan, excited that they were finally making process with the case.

"Let's regroup and see what the rest of the team found. We're done here anyway," said Prentiss as she headed downstairs with Morgan right behind her.

xxxxxx

Dumfries Morgue

"-Now if you gents could just follow me through here," called Captain Wards as she led Reid and Rossi through the double door into to the city's morgue.

Inside, the three were greeted by the sight a rotund middle-aged man with kind face and thinning hair in a white lab coat. He was standing next the body of a young woman with even-paler-than-normal skin and red-burgundy hair that had turned dull since her death. Seeing his visitors, the man turned to greet them. " G'd Morning, Captain Wards, gentlemen."

"Dr. Woody," acknowledged Captain Wards. Gesturing to two men behind her, she continued, "This is Agent Rossi and Dr Reid. Would you show them the remains?" Upon seeing the doctor's confirmation, she turned back to the two agents. "Now, if you could excuse me, I have to get back out there. See you gents later then. Dr. Woody." Nodding to each man, she disappeared through the double doors.

Turning to Rossi and Reid, Dr. Woody gave them a weak smile as he gestured to the four body bags and the one other body in the room. "There isn't much to show you for the remains of Trey Baxter, Lauren Abbott, Blake Martin, and Jenna Tomson. They are all in bits and pieces." Moving to unzip the nearest body bag next him, the doctor stepped back as Reid and Rossi took their turn to examine the bloody bits. "The most I can tell you," Woody continued, "is that most of the mutilations, dismemberments, and dissections occurred antemortem, while the victims were still alive. I'm sorry, agents, but given the state of the remains, there isn't much I can tell you."

Reid's face paled while Rossi puffed out a sigh of frustration. "Well, what can you tell us about the bodies of Hunter Bradley and Elizabeth Jackson?"

Moving to stand in the area between the two autopsy tables that held the remains of Hunter Bradley and Elizabeth Jackson, Woody began, "Unlike Elizabeth Jackson, the only wound on Hunter Bradley is the throat slit that killed him." The doctor paused to indicated the wound in question. "The carotid arteries and the trachea were severed in one swift cut."

"So whoever did this felt no reservation or hesitation?" asked Reid.

Woody nodded as he continued, " It's a practiced hand, swift and efficient."

"That means Hunter Bradley wasn't the first person the Unsub killed that way. There could be other victims out there killed the same way, with their throat slit wide open." How many more victims of this Unsub have we missed, wondered Rossi. "And Elizabeth Jackson?" He turned to indicate to the body on the other side of him.

"She had defensive wounds on both of her arms." Lifting first the lifeless woman's limp left arm and then her right, the doctor indicated to the black and blue bruises that covered her arms. "I was able to retrieve some skin from under her fingernails, but the only thing that came back was a match to her husband."

"Robert Jackson?" questioned Reid. "She fought her husband?"

"I don't know if that was who she fought, but that was the only foreign DNA I was able to retrieve. The throat slit that killed Elizabeth Jackson though was identical to that of Hunter Bradley. A single and efficient cut that show no sign of hesitation, severing the carotid arteries and the trachea."

Reid traded a glance with Rossi before he replied, "Thank you, Dr. Woody. I think that is all we need for now." He then turned to leave with Rossi right behind him after the older agent had thank the doctor.

Falling into steps with his partner, Rossi asked, "So what are you thinking? That Robert Jackson might not be a victim after all?"

"Well, I don't know, Rossi," replied Reid as he put his hands in his pockets. Turning his face to Rossi, he continued, "If it was Robert, then he has to be some cruel monster because Elizabeth was his wife, and the knife wound showed no signs of hesitation. Plus, why kill her? She doesn't fit the profile of other female victims."

Twisting the ring on his right hand, Rossi thought for a moment before continuing, "You're right. She doesn't fit with the other female victims, but her husband does with the other male victims."

As the two exited into the sunlit parking lot, Reid commented, "Yeah, I think he was the intended target here, and Elizabeth Jackson was collateral damage just like Hunter Bradley."

By the time the team had regrouped back at the station, it was high noon. Hotch and JJ had already filled up the whiteboard with pictures of the victims and of the crime scenes and any key information. Lunch in the form of take-outs were delivered by a young woman as the team gathered around their temporary round table.

The first pair up to share their findings so far was Hotch and JJ as everyone else got situated in their spots and with their meals. There wasn't much new information the two who had stayed behind at the station could offer since their victims had ran in different social circles and didn't know each other except for the two roommates. None of the victims had any prior criminal records except for a few speeding tickets here and there.

Rossi and Reid recounted their visit to the morgue next and gave their teammates an overview of the state of the remains. JJ and Prentiss paled as they heard just exactly how mutilated the remains of Trey Baxter, Lauren Abbott, Blake Martin, and Jenna Tomson were. Rossi and Reid also brought up the possibility of there being more victims who were killed the same way Hunter Bradley and Elizabeth Jackson were. That information was quickly relayed to their technical analyst, Penelope Garcia, along with the request for her to run a nationwide search for possible victims. The two agents who had visited the morgue also told the team about presence of Robert Jackson's skin under his wife's fingernails as the only foreign DNA found on her, and while the idea that he was her attacker was dismissed due to the high likelihood that he too was a victim, the team kept that possibility in the back of their minds just in case.

Morgan and Prentiss were last to share their findings as they reported that the yellow powder found at each of the crime scenes came back as sulfur. The two also offered up their theory that they might be dealing with a team of Unsubs given the Unsub's previous need to subdue multiple victims at the same time. With that being one of their best leads so far aside from the possibility of earlier victims, the team set about continuing to learn more about the victims in Dumfries and to find out if there were any connections between them. They also prepared to interview the families and friends of the victims again later that afternoon.

xxxxxx

11:30 P.M.

The humming of a car engine could be heard as a pair of headlights appeared on the deserted highway. Under the light of the waning gibbous moon, a black Chevy Impala made its way toward Dumfries, Virginia.

"So I've been waiting since Maple Springs. Got something to tell me?" Dean Winchester questioned as he turned to face his brother.

Looking up from the newspaper he was reading, Sam Winchester shifted in the passenger seat. "Umm... It's not your birthday?" he asked, confused.

Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Dean answered with a clip, " No."

"Happy Purim? Dude, I have no idea what you're talking about," Sam feigned as he switched the flashlight he was holding to his right hand.

Dean clenched his teeth. "There's a bullet missing from the Colt," he stated, clearly aggravated. "Wanna tell me how that happened? I know it wasn't me, so unless you were shooting at some incredibly evil cans –"

"Dean," Sam interrupted, not really wanting to have this conversation.

"You went after her, didn't you? The Crossroads Demon, after I told you not to." The needle in the Impala's speedometer edged up just a little bit closer to the 65mph marker, evidence of Dean's rising temper.

"Yeah, well," Sam replied nonchalantly. His tone clearly indicating exactly what he thought of Dean's order on that.

"You could have gotten yourself killed," Dean continued, not happy with his brother's blatant disregard for his say in what was clearly a closed topic.

"I didn't," Sam countered as he turned his attention back to the newspaper in his lap.

Ignoring his brother's short answer, Dean continued, "And you shot her."

"She was a smart ass." He was no way going to apologize for killing the despiteful demon and possibly saving some poor sob from selling his soul.

Giving Sam a glance, Dean continued with a hint of hope in his voice, "So what, does that mean I'm out of my deal?"

"Don't you think I might have mentioned that little fact, Dean?" If killing the Crossroads Demon had resulted in Dean getting out of his deal, Sam would have gladly share the news with his brother even if it meant Dean giving him grief about taking unnecessary risks. "No, Someone else holds the contract."

"Who?" asked Dean as he guided the Impala to continue following VA-234 S.

"She wouldn't say," Sam replied impatiently. He wished Dean would just drop it already.

"Well, we should find out who," Dean pushed. "Of course, our best lead would be the Crossroads Demon. Oh wait a minute," he said; his voice colored with sarcasm.

"It's not funny," gritted Sam. His grip on the flashlight he was using to read the newspaper tightened.

"No, it's not. It was a stupid freakin' risk, and you shouldn't have done it!" He knew yelling at Sam wasn't going to do any good, but damn it! He was going to keep his brother safe!

"I shouldn't have done it?" Sam retorted, pissed that Dean would think that he was just going let his brother die without doing everything he could to stop it. "You're my brother, Dean. No matter what you do, I'm gonna try and save you. And I'm sure as hell not gonna apologize for it!"

Letting his words hang in the air, Sam turned away from his brother and back to the newspaper in front of him.

Deciding that now would be a good time to end this conversation and change the topic, Dean started, "So … tell me about this job?" He felt bad pushing Sam into this conversation and then avoiding it, but no way was he going to have a chick flick moment with his brother.

Sam snorted. It was just like Dean to not be all "touchy-feely" like he would call it. Focusing back on the story he was just reading, Sam began, "Six unexplainable disturbing murders occurred in Dumfries, Virginia in the last nine days, and one victim still missing. Police has no idea how the intruder is able to get into the victims' home undetected. One man is still missing; his wife was killed yesterday when he was taken."

"Now, are you sure that this is our kind of crazy and not the human kind?" Dean asked as he led the Impala to take a left onto Van Buren Road. He could never understand crazy humans. Crazy killer monsters and demons he could deal with fine. He had been dealing with them since Mom was killed. Crazy killer humans like the Benders on the other hand...well, they were just too crazy for him.

"I'm pretty sure it's our kind of crazy, Dean. These people were taken from their homes with no signs of forced entries. It's like they just disappeared, and then their remains showed up three days later in trash bags." Flipping through some of his other notes, Sam continued, "And about a week before the killings, there were all these signs. Odd weather patterns. Local crop failures. Electrical storms."

"All the signs of a demon coming to town. So why weren't we called on this earlier?" God, he hated demons, and he hated being one step behind them even more.

"Well, the disappearances and killings started on the 21st, and we were dealing with Snow White in Maple Springs around that time. Bobby called another hunter who said he was going to take care of it; only he got delayed by a haunting in Maryland." Call him a hypocrite, but Sam hated arrogant hunters who didn't ask for help until it was too late. They were almost as destructive as any of the monsters they took down. He agreed with Dean; they should have been called on this earlier. And even if they were tied up with that fairy tale haunting, Bobby should have taken care of this demon himself instead of trusting some stranger to do it.

"Fine, we can't cry over spilled milk," Dean grunted as he turned right onto Old Stage Road. "We're here now. What else does that paper you've been hugging say?"

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother before answering, "The local police called in the Feds today. Which is bad for us because we're still on the FBI's Most Wanted list. The good news is that the locals won't think of it for a second if two more FBI agents show up asking them questions. We'll blend right in with the crowd." Maybe having the Feds around wouldn't be so bad after all, thought Sam.

"Does it say who the Feds are?" It was best to be prepared and to know who their supposed colleagues might. It wouldn't do at all for them to be waving around FBI badges only to find out at the last second that they would have to be "partners" with Henriksen. Yeah, the crazy Special Agent would probably kill the Winchester brothers right there and then.

"Umm...the paper said that the BAU came into town this morning." Sam nearly missed his brother's shocked expression as he continued, "Now, the BAU stands for the Beha-"

"Behavioral Analysis Unit, yeah, I know who they are," Dean interrupted, ignoring the weird look Sam gave him. "We can't go in posing as Feds. The BAU is a close-knit unit of six Special Agents. They all know each other, and they introduce themselves to the locals as a team. They'll be able spot us as fakes a mile away."

"Well, alright then. We can go in as Homeland Security," suggested Sam as the Impala made a left onto the parking lot of Days Inn Dumfries. "And you want to tell me what you know here?"

"No, not Homeland Security. We need to keep a low profile. Reporters, we'll pose as reporters. We're technically not breaking any laws pretending to be reporters." Dean answered as he got out of the Impala. "Let's go check in. We can start snooping around tomorrow before we meet up with Bobby when he gets to town. I'm tired, and that was a long drive. Let's go, Sammy," said Dean as he headed toward the reception area, choosing to ignore Sam's second question.

xxxxxx

AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited the last chapter, specifically Namewinka, Guest #2, Guest # 3, Guest # 4, limiodarhab, and bokaormur since I can't PM you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much. Don't be shy to leave a comment or review in the box below! :D

Minor grammatical revision: 1/19/17