Standard Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine. They belong to their respective networks and creators. The concept of the Recruitment Drive belongs to Afalstein and is used with his permission. This story is for entertainment purposes only (Hopefully) and not for profit.

Unfinished Business

Chapter 3: Bird in the Hand.

Jason Gideon had been in worse diners. The service was friendly, the food was good and the extra slice of pie was very nice. Maybe that's what Gideon liked about diners. Good, decent folk who treated everyone like a neighbor, even complete strangers. It was a frame of mind so diametrically opposite the world Gideon had spent most of his adult life in and therefore all the more precious. Gideon needed to see people like this. It was hope that there was still more good than evil in the hearts of man.

But today he was here to find a predator. Someone who saw the innocent only as prey. Gideon already knew a lot about the man he was looking for. His age would be no younger than sixty two. He would be a physically unimpressive build and stature. Even in his prime he would not have commanded the attention or presence of an alpha male. His victims had been girls with low self esteem so he was probably intimidated by assertive women. Hated them but was afraid of them. Probably raised in a house with a strong female presence. He knew the area well. Probably had not ventured more than fifty miles from home in his adult life. He had limited social skills. Not one to attract attention to himself. He was a coward seeking out the weakest prey he could find. The ones who would offer the least struggle. But it was not the killing he savored. He needed something else. He had kept Tara Barnett; his bird in a cage, until she died and now like a cruel child would need to find a replacement so he could feel the power of control and in the fear of his victim.

But still; in the end, he was a coward. Gideon hoped he could use this by letting the unsub know he was being hunted and by disrupting his world. Taking away his comfort zone and provoking him to react. Agent Triplett had told Gideon quite bluntly what he thought about this plan and privately, Gideon had to admit that had he come here alone, there was a very good chance his strategy might have backfired. However, that was the other advantage of his plan. Gideon had been so obvious that the unsub would not pay any notice to Triplett, who had years of training on how not to attract attention. Of course, if Jason were still in the BAU, Hotch would have had Morgan watching his back like a hawk if Gideon had tried something like this.

This thought brought a chuckle to Gideon's mind. He wondered what it would be like if his old team could meet his new family. Garcia and Skye competing for hacker supremacy. Reed endlessly talking shop with Fitz and Simmons. Prentiss and Melinda May would probably be debating their preferrence in side arms. Gideon shook his head. It was time to see if the unsub would rise to the bait.

Later...

The drive back to his old cabin would have been quite pleasant under other circumstances Gideon thought. Trip had rented a car that morning and had arrived hours ahead of him. And like the highly trained secret agent he was, had disappeared into the shadows, a silent sentinel. Meanwhile, Gideon went inside. Trip's PDA was sitting on the table with Skye's data Thankfully, Skye had gone back a few years earlier than Gideon had originally requested. Gideon made a note to ask Skye to cross check the names included with employment histories of the victims. That could wait until morning however.

Outside, Donnie Mallick watched the cabin closely. Why? Why after all this time had this man come back to Roanoke? Did it really matter? He was a threat. One that had to be removed. Donnie slowly unslung his rifle and took careful aim. As his finger moved to the trigger, he noticed an eerie quiet and a very loud click just behind his ear.

"Set it down. Nice and slow. " Antoine Triplett ordered in a calm but firm voice. "My boss likes it if Gideon didn't get shot or anything so if you so much as breath in a way I don't like, I'll drop you like a bad habit. Understand?"

Donnie nodded as he slowly lowered the rifle. Some might say he had no value for life but in fact he valued his own a great deal. His own death was unthinkable. He still owed the world one last bit of defiance. A final flip of the bird before they caged him.

"I still got my girls. Nothing you do changes that." He said as the man behind him kicked the rifle away.

"You don't get it do you?" Triplett told him. "Gideon came back because she was important. Her, not you. She'll always be remembered and you are going away forever and everyone is going to forget you ever existed. Chew on that." Triplett shoved him roughly toward the cabin.

"Got him Gideon!" Trip called. Now it's up to the boss to figure out what to do next.

Behavioral Analysis Unit, Quantico Virginia: Office of Penelope Garcia, 0905 hours Eastern Standard Time.

The phone rang just as Penelope set down her morning cup of herbal tea. She answered in her usual bouyant manner.

"Office of cyber miracles. Speak forth and let your pleas be heard!"

On the other end was the one voice she had not, could not have anticipated.

"Garcia! Good! Glad to see some things don't change. Is Hotch in?"

"Gideon! Oh! Uh! It's really you ah sir! Uh... I... Are you alright? Where are you? We..."

"Take a deep breath and relax Penelope. This is kind of important so I need to know. Is Hotch in?"

"Uh yes sir!"

"Good. Could you put me through to him?"

"Uh... Yes sir... "

"Good. Because this is official and important and I have some people he should meet..."