Disclaimer: I still don't own Criminal Minds or Supernatual.
A/N: On my honor, Anna had nothing to do with the sudden rash of arson in Layson. She just couldn't sleep and got up early to eat pie. Also, I know that my calander leaves a lot to be desired in terms of RL accuracy. This is an Alternate Universe, and the full moon is when I say there's a full moon, so there! Oh, and Anna says bad words.
They arrived at the police station and found a hive of activity, Hotch stopped one of the officers, "What's going on?" He asked.
"You need to speak to Detective Bower," the man said, "over there." He pointed to one of the knots of people.
Derek glanced over at Anna, who was watching the different groups as if fascinated at the buzz of activity. "Ah, Agent Hotchner," Detective Bower said, "I was just about to call you. We may have another body."
"All this for a body," Anna mused.
Bower shot her a long look, then turned back to Hotch, "Things went crazy around here about half an hour ago. First, we get a call from one of the local cemeteries. Someone was committing grave desecration last night. Two graves were dug up and burned. Then we were told about an abandon house going up in flames. Then we found the body. The officer on scene said that there were similar markings to the other bodies."
"Morgan, Spencer, Campbell," Hotchner said, "go to the scene and see what you can find out."
"Right," Derek said, he glanced at Spencer who nodded.
Anna was looking at Det. Bower, her head tilted, "Do you have those fires often?" She asked. "The ones at the grave site?"
"Third time this year," Det. Bower replied.
"Campbell," Hotchner said, "now is not the time."
"Right," Anna said, she smiled brightly at him.
"Here is the address and directions," Bower said, accepting paper form one of the officers around him.
"Thank you," Derek said. He pointedly hooked a hand over Anna's elbow, "let's go."
Anna walked beside him obediently, but as soon as they were outside the precinct she pulled away from him pointedly, "Something's going on," she said.
"What do you mean?" Derek asked.
"Three salt'n'burns?" Anna replied, "That doesn't happen without a serious problem. Something that big, people would talk. I would have been warned when I called Bobby. Hell, Sam and Dean would have been on my ass."
"What are you thinking," Derek asked.
"Someone thinks they've got a ghost problem," Anna said, "and they don't know enough to figure out who the ghost is." She sighed as they approached the SUV, "I hate amateurs."
"Is there such a thing as a professional ghost hunter?" Reid asked.
"Shotgun," Anna called as she opened the passenger side door, "and I plead the fifth, Doctor Reid."
"Why would you plead the fifth?" Reid said, sliding into the backseat, "There is no such thing as ghosts. There is no scientific proof, no recordings, and no definitive research."
Anna scoffed loudly as she fastened her seatbelt, "Just because it hasn't been printed in a magazine doesn't mean there's no proof, Doctor. Mainstream science doesn't want to admit that there are things that can't be quantified and explained and are willing to ridicule anyone who might challenge that."
"Name one thing that science denies but is real," Derek said.
"One," Anna said, "let me think. I want a good one." She stared out the window as they pulled out.
"Um," Reid said, "how did I wind up in the backseat?"
Anna snorted, "I called shotgun," she said, "and then I kept talking and moving so that you didn't have a chance to object." Her tone was smug, "I used to pull that over on Dean all the time when we were kids."
"Was that something that happened often?" Derek asked.
"We moved a lot," Anna said, "sometimes, we'd spend days on the road. We always made Sammy ride in back and then we'd fight over the front seat. At least, we did until Sam hit his growth spurt. After that, making him ride in the back was just mean."
"Why?" Reid asked.
"Sam is six foot, five inches," Anna replied, "and we grew up in a sixty-seven Chevy Impala. There wasn't much of a backseat. When we were fifteen, Bobby got the Beast from a ten car pileup. I fell in love with her the first time I saw her. Dad would sometimes help me, but Bobby and I did most of the work. I've been driving her since I was seventeen."
"You are talking about your SUV, aren't you?" Derek asked.
"That's my girl," Anna agreed.
"She has an interesting paint job," Derek agreed.
"It's custom," Anna replied. "Do you want me to navigate, Agent Morgan?"
"Only if you drop the 'agent'," Derek replied, handing over the directions.
"I'll try," Anna replied. Derek glanced in the rear mirror to see Reid watching them, his lips pressed together. "So, what do we know about this body," Anna asked, "is it fresh?"
"No," Reid said looking at a folder he'd brought with them. "He's a hermit, and every month a local grocery store brings by a standing order. The delivery man has a key to his house, but says the back door was forced open when he got there. The hermit has been dead for a while."
"Lovely," Anna murmured, "I love the smell of corpses in the morning. Turn right up ahead." She glanced out the window, "I'm worried about these fires, Morgan. There's something wrong." She dug her cell phone from her pocket. "I love cell phones," she said.
"What are you doing?" Derek asked.
"I'm sending Sam a text, he can look on the internet to see what he can find out. If it's pertinent, I'll pass it back to the cops." Anna glanced at Derek, "Sam's one of the best researchers I've ever known. I'm good, but Sam is better. It's part of the reason that he got through pre-Law like he did."
"Your brother is pre-Law?" Reid asked.
"Yup," Anna replied, "full ride to Stanford. He probably would have gotten the same for Law if he hadn't of missed his interview."
"Why did he miss his interview?" Reid said.
"Because of Jess," Anna said softly, "it should have been yesterday."
"Oh," Reid said.
Anna was silent, except for giving directions, for the rest of the ride. Reid and Derek followed her example. They arrived at the house just as the coroner was removing the body. Anna scrambled out of the SUV and hurried over, Derek slid out and watched her curiously. "Excuse me," she said, "Doctor Frasier?"
"Yes, Miss?" The coroner said.
"I'm with the BAU, Anna Campbell," Anna said, holding up her badge, "I was wondering if you can confirm or deny a theory of mine about time of death."
"What do you mean?" The coroner asked.
"I just want to know if the TOD could be correlated with the new moon on October 7," Anna said, she held out a card, "I don't need to know now, but if you could possibly let me know what you find out."
The coroner took the card and put it in his jacket pocket, "Of course, Agent Campbell. I can tell you from the preliminary examination, your date isn't that far off the mark."
"Thank you," Anna said, she turned and walked back over to the SUV.
"What was that about?" Derek asked as he led the way to the house.
"The dates were off," Anna replied, "the three bodies found previously were all linked to a moon. Gehrig died when the moon was waxing crescent, Marks at first quarter, and Shovess at waxing gibbous. The ritual closest suited required a first sacrifice on the new moon. If this hermit has a time of death at the new moon, then I can confirm the ritual, which will tell us a few things about the unsub."
"Can I help you?" A plainclothes asked, coming out of the house.
"I'm Agent Derek Morgan," Derek said, "FBI," he held up his badge. "These are Agents Anna Campbell and Doctor Spencer Reid. We came to see the crime scene, to confirm if it's our serial killer."
"It is," the man said, "damn Satanic cults."
"It's not a Satanic cult," Anna snapped, as she followed Derek and Reid into the house. "Just because there it's a ritual slaying doesn't mean it's someone trying to free Lucifer."
"How do you know that?" The officer asked, following them.
"Because I'm an expert in the occult," Anna replied, "and this is a pagan ritual." She turned away from the officer and took a good look at the crime scene. "Brigit's corset," she said, looking around at the numerous symbols painted on the walls in blood, "what the hell was he trying to do, bathe in the shit?"
Derek glanced at the younger Agent, and noticed that she was standing stoically, her eyes looking around the room with seeming calm. Her left hand was clenching and unclenching around her phone, and her right was plucking at her collar. She wasn't half as calm as she was pretending to be. "Anna," he said.
Anna looked over at him, her green eyes a little wider than they had been, "Sir?"
"Don't touch anything, and don't leave the property, ok?" Derek said.
"Yeah," Anna agreed, "sure." She took a few steps away and began to study the symbols. One of the crime scene techs was nearby, taking pictures. "Excuse me," she said, turning to him, "but are you taking pictures of all the symbols?"
"Yes ma'am," the man said.
Anna smiled at him, "Think I could get copies? I'm with the BAU."
"Sure thing," the man replied.
Derek shook his head and turned to the officer, "I don't believe I caught your name?" He offered.
"Detective Jesper," the man said, "I apologize."
"Ever seen anything like this?" Derek asked, glancing around again.
"No sir," Jesper replied, "I moved here from Oak Hollow, it's fifty miles from here and about two-thirds the size of Layson. My wife, she got a job here."
"Well," Derek said, "why don't you show me the rest of the house, walk me through what you've found."
"Right away." Jesper said, eager to get away from the living room.
