Just a note: Hey all. I hope everyone is enjoying this one. It's almost been writing itself. This chapter might get a little difficult for those of you very much in love with Reid and/or Morgan. Sorry. It seemed to work. Please...reviews are very appreciated. I would love to know what everyone is thinking of this so far.
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Reid: Hey, Hotch-I just got the toxicology report. Whatever he might have been injected with had left his system before he died.
Hotch: So he's not keeping them drugged. It was just a means of abduction.
Reid: I went back and took a look at the limbs that hadn't decomposed too badly and there are definite ligature marks.
Hotch: What about the parts that haven't been found?
Reid: It's possible that animals have taken them but it seems odd that only one or two parts of each are missing and no two bodies are missing the same parts.
Hotch: There's got to be something to this.
Reid: I'll go back over the reports.
Hotch: No, let Morgan do it. Get a fresh set of eyes on those reports. You work on a geographic profile. See if how the parts were clustered tells us anything about a comfort zone.
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Reid is standing at a large map of the dumping areas pushing pins in various places to indicate where the morbid discoveries had been made. He is alternating between pins and various colors of markers. Morgan is tilted back in a desk chair with his feet up on the desk and a folder open in front of his face.
Morgan: Aside from the fact that our unsub has almost enough parts to make a whole person, I've got nothing. Hell, maybe that's what he's doing.
Reid: That might be how he started or why he started but it's doubtful that's all it is now. That would mean he's almost done and you know as well as I do that he'll never be done until he's caught.
Morgan: Okay, genius, what do you have?
Reid: This area right here. Judging from the way parts were clustered and where there were the most found, this three mile square area looks to be the epicenter of the unsub's world. There's a handful of farms there and not much else. A lot of barns and space where no one would know what someone was up to.
Morgan: Looks like it's worth checking out. My eyes are crossing looking at these reports.
Reid: See what Garcia can dig up on the property owners in this area.
Garcia: What do you need?
Morgan: Whoa, Baby Girl, what's wrong?
Garcia: This case sucks! My screens are filled with bits and pieces of people. You guys are all scattered to the winds. I can't even begin to keep track of where you all are and everyone needs something different every minute.
Morgan: Slow down, sweetness. Take a deep breath. Reid thinks he's got an area narrowed down. There are only a few farms there. Could you look into it and see if anything pops with what little we know about the unsub?
Garcia: You know I can.
Morgan: That's my girl.
Garcia: Okay, I started with the description of the truck that Hotch got from that kid, Sean. Folks around there sure take "buy American" to heart. No one there owns a foreign made truck. About half are Chevy but only three fit into the age of the truck we're looking for. Two of those are dark blue. None are black.
Morgan: You are a goddess. I'm guessing you have names and addresses?
Garcia: Yes, and now you do too.
Morgan: Hey, Penelope, I just took a picture outside the building here. See if this helps.
Garcia looks at the picture filling the screens in her office and sees newly blossomed crocuses. She smiles.
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In a well lit and almost cheerful kitchen, Gary sits at a table with his feet chained to the floor. In front of him is a rather appetizing and well balanced meal. He is simply staring at it. The look on his face is completely vacant.
Unsub: You should eat, Tyler. You're so thin. See, I made your favorite. I have to go out for a while. Please try to eat. I love you, Tyler.
The front door closes and Gary begins to cry.
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Morgan and Reid drive out to the area to see if the unsub may, in fact, be there.
Morgan: You still mad at me, kid?
Reid: I never really was angry. Concerned about how the others would react maybe but never angry. I didn't exactly swear you to secrecy or anything.
Morgan: Good to know. So where are we going again?
Reid: We're going to visit a Stanley Karsten. It's right up here…next drive on the right. Should we wait until the rest of the team gets here?
Morgan: They're all over the place. We have a limited amount of time to save Gary if he's out here and by the time we could get everyone here, it could be too late. They all know where we are and will head here. Besides, we don't even know for sure he's out here.
Reid: I'm reasonably certain-
Morgan: And I've learned to take that seriously, that's why we're here. It's also why you need to stay with me. Don't go wandering off on your own. Don't take off your vest and, for God's sake, don't put your gun down.
Reid: Whatever, Morgan.
Morgan rolls his eyes. The two men walk up the driveway, each taking a side of the wide dirt path. Reid sees movement beyond the trees lining his side of the drive. He walks a few feet to take a closer look. His gun is drawn and he is highly alert but he does not see the man behind the tree with the syringe. The man plunges the needle into Reid's arm and Reid starts to fall. The man catches him and eases the young agent to the ground. Once Reid is lying on the ground, the unsub gently strokes his hair.
Stanley: Tyler, what are you doing outside? You just rest now, my love. I'll be right back.
Morgan is still walking the driveway and turns to ask Reid a question. He is naturally alarmed to see no sign of his colleague.
Morgan: Hey, Reid…. Where are you man?
A shot rings out and Morgan falls backward from the force, dropping his gun. He has been shot in the arm. As Morgan tries to reach for his weapon, a series of shots kick up the dirt around where Morgan is sitting on the ground. Morgan tries to shield himself from the gunshots and Stanley runs up holding a gun on Morgan. Stanley jabs a syringe into Morgan's arm rendering him unconscious.