EXT. -- FEDERAL BUILDING – EARLY MORNING – WIDEANGLE ESTABLISHING SHOT
TITLE OVERLAY: B. A. U. HEADQUARTERS –36 HOURS EARLIER
JAREAU sits at her desk, ruthlessly flipping through files. One lone photograph sits amidst the files, that of a blond male infant.
TELEPHONE rings. JAREAU answers as we cut to:
INT. -- CONNOR'S GYM – EARLY MORNING
PRENTISS works out, we see her first on the treadmill then montage between the rowing machines, then she's taking laps in a long pool. She ignores the interested looks of several male patrons loitering near the pool.
CELL PHONE rings. Prentiss hurriedly grabs it from the edge of the pool where she'd sat it, and answers.
PRENTISS
Prentiss. (BEAT) Hi, Jay. (BEAT) How soon? (BEAT) Damn,
I was at least hoping for a shower so the chlorine doesn't turn
my hair green, or purple. (BEAT) Yeah, I'll be right in.
INT. SPENCER REID'S LIVING ROOM – EARLY MORNING
We see REID intently studying a chess board.
REID
Knight to E-5
He moves the appropriate black piece, before turning the board. He moves the white piece next.
REID
Queen…(BEAT) Check. (BEAT) Now what?
TELEPHONE rings.
INT. B.A.U. CONFERENCE ROOM –MORNING
HOTCHNER waits with GENERAL HAMMON and DET. ALLAN WINSLOW. ERIN STRAUSS, Hotchner's Boss, also occupies a chair.
JAREAU is the first one in, followed quickly by DAVID ROSSI,PENOLOPE GARCIA, and DEREK MORGAN. EMILY PRENTISS and SPENCER REID are the last to enter the room. PRENTISS'S hair is wet and she's dressed in a t-shirt, not her usual attire. Introductions are made as the team settles around the table.
HOTCHNER
JJ, you want to fill us in on why we are here?
JAREAU
Early this morning, Detective Winslow was contacted by a man claiming to be the Chess Master.
The Chess Master claims to be responsible for at least eight deaths in the Colorado wilderness.
ROSSI
Chess plays into this?
JAREAU
The locals seem to think so.
PRENTISS
What interest does the military have in this?
PRENTISS looks toward the General. The rest of the team follows her lead.
GENERAL HAMMON
We have a…(BEAT) training base in the area where more than
half the bodies were found, Agent…Prentiss, wasn't it?
PRENTISS nods.
PRENTISS
Any indication that the base plays a specific role in the crimes?
DET. WINSLOW
Nothing we can say for certain. But this…base…it's not easily accessible to the
general public. You have to know it's there to be able to find it.
MORGAN
And not many do, I take it?
GENERAL HAMMON
No. Even in the military you have to have special clearance to get in.
ROSSI
How close were the bodies to the base?
DET. WINSLOW
The closest was thirty feet from the (BEAT) entrance.
PRENTISS
So how is this the BAU's jurisdiction?
HOTCHNER
I reviewed the case and found this.
HOTCHNER nods at JAREAU, who clicks the remote to the widescreen.
HOTCHNER
These were carved into the stomach or back of each victim.
PRENTISS
They're definitely crude, but I've seen symbols like that before.
REID
Online chess sites use those symbols in 2 dimensional games, to represent the
different pieces, King, Queen, Bishop, Rook, Knight, and Pawn. They're
representations of the standard shape of the original chess pieces.
PRENTISS
Been practicing online, Reid? Is that cut black?
DET. WINSLOW
Black ink, ma'am. On half the other pieces, White-out correction fluid.
MORGAN
Common household items that can be purchased in almost every retail joint in the country.
ROSSI
How many were white and how many black?
DET WINSLOW
Five black, three white.
ROSSI
I'm not a chess player. Emily, how many pieces for each side?
PRENTISS
Sixteen. Eight pawns, two of each for Bishops, Rooks, and Knights. One king and one queen.
ROSSI
So if this guy is recreating a chess game, he'll try for thirty-two bodies.
Of the eight bodies what were there…denominations?
DET WINSLOW
What pieces were they, you mean? All pawns.
PRENTISS
And white's winning.
HOTCHNER
There's been no helpful forensic evidence, correct?
DET WINSLOW
No fibers, no DNA, no fingerprints. Other than the ink and White–out, nothing.
MORGAN
And all had the same causes of death?
DET WINSLOW
Throats slit, after what appears to be hours—if not days—of torture.
Mostly what appears to be psychological, mixed with maybe ten percent physical.
HOTCHNER
The victims have anything in common?
DET WINSLOW
All were in their twenties and thirties. All in relatively excellent physical shape.
Most were of professional occupations, two were doctors, one lawyer,
a college professor, a geologist, a painter, a forester, and a cop.
ROSSI
Genders?
DET WINSLOW
Five men, three women. Two disappeared at the same time—the doctors.
Married couple. One black piece, one white. The other six were within two months of
each other. Most were local, or had good reason to be in that particular area.
The cop, Ashley Martin, was a personal friend of mine who lived in the area. She was the last victim.
ROSSI
We're sorry for your loss, Detective. Is there anything else to go on?
DET WINSLOW
No. That's it, all we've been able to pull up in the last two months and we've
been scraping the bottom of the barrel just to get that.
GENERAL HAMMON
You also have to understand that because of the…nature…of the base,
it must be strictly kept confidential. Even once this bastard is caught.
ERIN STRAUSS
The Bureau understands completely, and SSA Hotchner and his team will cooperate fully.
STRAUSS looks toward Hotchner and the team with a significant look. HOTCHNER doesn't look happy at the edict. He turns toward his people.
HOTCHNER
Wheels up in twenty. Let's stop this guy as fast as we can.
PRENTISS
Before he completes the game.