Chapter Eleven

Rebecca bent next to the body. The young girl was blonde, petite, but physically fit. The knife wounds would prove to be the same, and her eyes had been obliterated as well as her legs spread in a provocative manner.

"He cut your security alarm, sprayed black paint over the monitor," Sheriff Deerwolf told her. "Forensics think she died between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 this morning."

Rebecca stopped a crime scene guy, "You have extra gloves?"

The guy opened a case large enough to carry a minivan and fished out a pair.

"Thanks." She told him. She became aware that the rain was no longer beating down on her, and she looked up to see Dr. Reid holding an umbrella over her.

She nodded her thanks and turned back to the victim.

"What is it, Rebecca?" It was Aaron. He had sent JJ out to handle the press that were arriving by the truckload.

Rebecca didn't look up, but picked up the young girls hand.

"Bec?" David bent to join her.

"No defense wounds." She told him.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"Ten years ago there were no defense wounds on any of the...victims. Now, with these recent murders - no defense wounds."

David nodded, "We profiled that the victims either knew him or.."

Rebecca stood, looked at the team, "He doesn't pose a threat."

"What are you getting at?" Aaron asked.

Rebecca needed to look at the evidence board, she needed to pull the files she had on the case ten years ago.

"Let's go inside, get out of this," she glanced at the sky which showed no signs of stopping its relentless downpour, "I need to look at the old case files."

Deerwolf remained outside, insuring his twenty minutes of fame with the press, while the rest of the team followed her in.

Rebecca unlocked a filing cabinet and began pulling file after file out.

David stepped up behind her and whispered, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

She closed the file drawer and swept the five files she pulled off the top, "Yes, David. This time I'm ready."

The team settled into seats as Rebecca handed Morgan, Prentiss, Reid and JJ her files. She tossed the fifth file in the center of the table.

Prentiss looked up at her as she passed by, "Ugh, you're wearing some new accessories today, aren't you?"

Rebecca winked at her and Emily smiled.

"Ten years ago, I was a profiler with the Bureau." Rebecca began.

Morgan's head snapped up, "Get out of town!" he exclaimed to no one.

Rebecca pointed to the file in the middle of the table. "Then Magnolia Ridge was a private residence. The owner," she took a deep breath, "the owner opened up the trails around the Ridge to hikers and the locals. Her plan had been to turn Magnolia Ridge into a B&B."

Morgan pulled a photo from his file, "When did the killings start?"

"While renovating the area, workers uncovered skeletal remains." Rebecca continued, but David had moved to stand next to her.

"Remains?" JJ asked.

"Yes." David answered. "The historical society determined that during the excavation a burial site had been uncovered."

Rebecca walked over to a map, Aaron had posted to the evidence board yesterday, "This is the area the burial site was found." She pointed out the area, "At first some of the local Native Americans in this region were convinced it was a sacred burial ground."

"Were?" Reid asked.

"The Historical Society, working with the forensic lab determined it was more likely a mass grave of yellow fever victims. Still it did stir some resentment in the town."

"Why?"

It was Morgan. Rebecca pushed what she'd seen in his file out of her mind. A child had suffered abuse, but the man in front of her was strong and secure.

"Colbert County has for centuries been believed as the place where the great chiefs of the Mound Builders Tribe lived." Reid began, "The chief's governed fortified towns and villages'. They lived in temples atop large earthen mounds overlooking their tribe. Upon the chiefs death their temples were destroyed and a layer of earth would be added to the mound of his successor. Your social standing was solely dependent on how high your temple was. This particular area, however they buried their dead in the mounds."

"You mean your home was built on the top of your dead people?" JJ was stunned.

"Yes," Rebecca answered. "And not just any dead, your home was built on top of your family. It was their way of keeping the spirits of their relatives with them."

"How prominent is this culture today? "

Rebecca shook her head, "That was part of the problem ten years ago. The Mound Builder's are an extent culture now. The Preservation for Indian Culture and Customs, were adamant about the preservation of the mounds discovered on the Ridge, but when the test confirmed that the skeletal remains were Caucasian and not Native American, the whole thing just died. "

"It was afterwards that the killings began." David told them.

Rebecca held his eyes for a moment before she turned to the team. "Because the Ridge was where most of the mounds were discovered, the first bodies were always found around Magnolia Ridge. The last..."she paused, "the last body was found on the steps. Just like the one we had this morning."

Emily had picked up the folder in the middle, "Oh my god, the last victim."

All eyes turned to her.

Emily looked up at Rebecca.

"The last victim was your sister."