Hotch sits on the arm of the sofa. "So, what are we thinking?"

Reid raises an eyebrow, "Most definitely an avenging angel on a mission."

Morgan nods. "Only problem is so far I see nothing to link the two that were killed together so we can't guess how he's choosing his victims."

"I agree with both of those statements," Hotch nods. "Unless Garcia comes up with a link in their financials or their backgrounds we can't get ahead of this unsub."

"What about someone affected by rape and murder?" JJ suggests.

"What do you mean, Jayje?" Morgan asks.

"Well, like a family member of someone who was raped and murdered who did not get justice for their loved one," she explains.

Hotch nods. "Possible." He nods towards the laptop on the table. "Get Garcia on the line." Reid hits the button that brings up Garcia.

"What intelligence can I impart to you my flying squirrels?"

Hotch grins. "You can remind me when your last drug test was."

Garcia grins. "I'll pee in a cup momentarily, sir."

The entire team bursts out laughing as Hotch rolls his eyes. "Why do I set myself up for it?" Garcia just winks at him. "Garcia, we need you to run a search on unsolved rape-murders in the greater Portland area. Go back 5 years."

"On it, sir. And I have finished the financial runs on the two victims as well as the 'this is their life' on their backgrounds."

"Excellent, Garcia. We'll let you know what we need next."

"Perfect. Zookeeper out!"

Hotch grins and shakes his head. "Okay, with that working, what else are we thinking."

"It seems strange to me that the rapist's body was left at his mother's house but so far the murderer's body is missing. Was it hidden on purpose or what? Is the unsub looking to make his kills someplace significant or are they places of opportunity that give him time to complete whatever ritual he has to complete?"

"Good question," Emily says, looking down at the autopsy summary of victim 1. "Rossi, you and I will go talk to the M.E. to see what he has to say. Morgan, JJ go speak with the mother of victim 1 and then- -"

Emily suddenly blushes and gets quiet. She slowly looks up to see everyone looking at her in amusement, even Hotch. He raises an eyebrow at her, a twinkle in his eyes.

"No, really, go on, Boss."

Emily shakes her head, chuckling. "Sorry, Hotch. Guess I have to get used to being that cog in the machine again and not the key in the engine."

He nods. "Understandable and no offense taken. As it is, I agree with your assignments so far. To continue, Morgan, JJ then talk to the fiancé of victim 2. Reid, you and I will head to the precinct. Get a geographic profile going. I know it will be thin with just two victims but maybe something will pop. After that, start looking for connects in the financials." Reid nods. "I'll get with the detectives and see what they are hearing from the press and even other criminals. If word has gotten out in the underworld of an avenging angel there will be plenty of nervous crooks. Rossi, Emily, when you're done at the M.E.'s office, head to the package store where the body parts were mailed from. I know the police have interviewed the clerks and pulled the security tapes but maybe you can elicit more information."

Emily nods. "Will do."

Hotch stands. "Let's hit the ground running and stop this man before he strikes again."

JJ frowns. "Uh, what exactly are the chances of that?" she asks curiously.

Hotch sighs. "Slim to none unless we get a lucky break. Expect more bodies but hope for the best."

JJ nods. "I thought so." Hotch goes back to his seat. JJ sighs and looks at her more experienced teammates. "What kind of lucky break could stop him?"

"Friend or family member outs him," Reid suggests. "Or he is caught in the act. Or his next victim gets away."

"So chance in a million type moments," JJ concludes. She opens the folder in front of her. "Here's hoping we win the lottery."

Rossi stands and pats her on the shoulder. "Here, here, kid."

Rossi heads back to his seat at the front as the rest of the team starts to prepare for their initial assignments.

Emily extends her hand to the older man in the green scrubs. "Dr. Meade? I'm SSA Emily Prentiss, this is SSA David Rossi. We're here to talk to you about 2 of your recent guests."

Dr. Meade slowly nods. "I can guess which two." After shaking both of their hands he runs his hand through his gray, neatly trimmed hair. "Damnedest thing I've seen in many years. First time I've performed an autopsy on hands with no body. Scarily, I've done body with no hands before."

Rossi nods. "I can't imagine it gets any easier to see from your side of the case than on ours. We've read the autopsy summaries but we'd like to get your impressions and opinions on them, too. You know, the things that can't make it into an official report."

Meade nods. "I get that. Well, let me start by saying unofficially this bastard is a sick fuck."

Emily chuckles. "Yeah, we tend to hear that a lot. And we always agree."

Meade grins. "I bet you do. You know, I followed a case in Seattle with a guy and his sister killing Santa's. Was that your team that solved that one?"

Rossi nods. "We helped the locals with it, yes, but it was a joint effort on the takedown."

Meade chuckles. "Very diplomatically put, Agent Rossi." He gestures and starts to walk down the hall. "Come down to my office. I have the full files pulled and waiting for you."

"What about the bodies and hands?" Emily asks.

"First victim and his hands are gone. The hands for victim 2 are in cold storage until his body appears."

"Can we see them before we look at your findings?"

Meade raises an eyebrow. "Suit yourself. This way."

He leads them into the autopsy suite. He goes to the wall of drawers and pulls one out from memory. Rossi and Emily step up on either side of the drawer and look at the two hands lying there like macabre statues. They study the cut patterns on the wrists. Rossi looks up at Meade.

"Hacksaw?"

Meade nods. "Yes. Though the initial cuts into the skin were done with a scalpel or similar sharp, thin blade. He switched to the hacksaw when he hit bone."

Emily frowns. "Any reason he wouldn't use the hacksaw the whole time?"

Meade shakes his head. "Cuts were done post-mortem so it wasn't to inflict undue pain or fear. Only thing I can think is he wants to maintain the edge of the blades as long as he can. Using the scalpel to cut through ligaments and tendons would create an easier path for the saw but, to be honest, it wouldn't prolong the life of that blade for a significant time."

Emily nods. "But…what about…a surgeon? Are these the types of incisions and cuts a surgeon would make during an amputation?"

Meade shrugs. "Not exactly like a surgeon but, come to think of it, someone watching one of those reality shows or documentaries might think this is how it's done."

"So a wannabe doctor," Rossi states.

"Or a failed doctor," Emily points out. "Maybe someone who flunked out of med school or had to drop out due to a crime that rocked his or her world."

Rossi nods. "Good thought. We'll get Garcia checking those records. Won't be a short list."

"I know. But maybe she can get an initial list and then we can go back and narrow it down if needed when we gather more information."

Rossi nods then looks at Meade. "I think we've seen enough here. Let's go take a look at your official findings."

By the time they leave an hour later Rossi and Emily are no closer to narrowing down a profile based on the medical findings. Sadly, they would need more bodies to expand their initial ideas. And that is not an acceptable option.

Morgan taps on the door of a home in a middle class neighborhood in Portland. The only sign that someone had been murdered here is a stray strip of crime scene tape in the garden. JJ stares as it ruffles a bit in the breeze as if taunting the agents about what it knows that they don't.

When the door opens she turns her attention to the man behind the screen door. Their files tell them Albert Peroles, Sr. is only 53 years old. Had she not known that JJ would have pegged him as closer to 70.

"Mr. Peroles? I'm Derek Morgan, this is Jennifer Jareau of the FBI. We'd like to talk to you about your son."

"He's dead. What more needs to be said?"

"We want to find who killed him, sir," Morgan explains.

The man's eyes narrow. "That boy was trouble from the day he was born. His mother always tried to help him; get him let off with warnings. He cost me my marriage and is driving his mother into an early grave. Best damn thing that ever happened to this family is that sick fuck being killed. So, Agent Morgan, if you find the man that murdered my son, you tell him I'll buy him a beer."

The man shuts the door in their faces. Morgan and JJ exchange a look then go back to their SUV. They lean against it, studying the house.

"We need to speak to the mother," JJ states.

Morgan nods. "Yep. But it won't happen while the father is home." He thinks a minute. "Let me call Hotch. Maybe we can get a unit to watch the house. If Peroles leaves they can let us know and we can get back out here to talk to her."

JJ nods, continuing to watch the house as Morgan makes the call. JJ bites her lip a minute as she thinks about what little they had just learned. As Morgan hangs up she looks at him.

"His mother tried to get him out of trouble all the time. Was dumping the body here a way to punish her for that?"

Morgan thinks a second then nods. "Could be. We need to see if the parents of victim 2 let the law take its toll on their son. If they did it would help us explain why there's no second body."

"But does it help us find the unsub?"

Morgan blows out a breath. "No. But it could help us convict him if this pattern holds."

"But only if we find him first. Truth is, the public loves an avenging angel," JJ says sadly.

"Yes, yes they do. Especially in cases like this where it looks like the law has failed to protect the public." He sees a patrol car pull up across the street. "Let me go talk to this guy and we can get over to the home of victim #2."

JJ nods and gets into the SUV. She can't help but wonder if one of her kids did something wrong would she have the guts to let them pay for it…or would she be like Mrs. Peroles and try to get them off? Her mind says she'd let the law work but her heart says no way in hell would she let her kids end up in the system.

"Sometimes it really sucks to know what we know," she mumbles as Morgan gets in and drives them to the next stop on their list.

Reid steps back from his map and sighs. Not surprisingly, the only place the two known victims share is the local lock-up. Peroles very rarely held a job. Victim 2 Marvin Tildes worked in construction which left big gaps in his employment history between jobs. But neither man had ever applied for public assistance.

"What put you two in the unsubs sight?" Reid questions as if the map would answer him. He pulls out his phone. "Garcia, is there a local crime beat or magazine?"

Garcia wheels to a different computer and starts to type. "In the local paper they do list crimes of significant nature and, who good call Reid, both of our victims appeared in them."

"On the same day?"

"No, one week apart."

"Exactly 1 week?" He pushes.

"Yes. Both crimes appeared on a Wednesday."

Reid nods. "Good. Can you pull up yesterday's crime beat? It's a long shot but it's worth a look."

"Got it, Boy Wonder, and it's on its way to you now."

"Perfect. Thanks, Garcia." Hotch walks in as Reid starts to type.

"What do you have?"

"Maybe something maybe nothing." Reid tells Hotch about the thin lead. Hotch nods.

"Run with it for now. Maybe we can get ahead of this guy."

Reid nods and starts to scan the list of crimes for ones that might attract the attention of the unsub.

Emily shakes the hand of the store manager, who looks extremely nervous.

"Look, Agent, I swear we didn't know what he was sending. I told the cops that, too. We don't look in the boxes just ship them, you know?"

Rossi nods. "We understand. Did it seem odd that they were mailing something to a local police station?"

"No!" The man is agitated and nervous. "Heck, I didn't take the package but if I had I would have just assumed they were mailing evidence and didn't want to be caught up in a case. It just isn't our job to question why, man, we just mail the shit!"

Emily had been studying his actions. Her eyes narrow. "He's been back, hasn't he? He warned you not to say anything to us, right?" The man blushes but doesn't answer. She steps into his personal space. "Look, just answer yes or no: did he threaten you somehow?"

The man wages a war within himself before answering. "Sort of. I mean, he didn't really threaten me just told me that if I kept my mouth shut I would be helping society. All I could think was if I did talk my hands would be mailed to my family or something." He sighs and stares at the ceiling. "I'm sorry…I was…scared. What the hell is he going to do to me?"

"Hopefully nothing," Rossi says. "We'll get someone to keep an eye on you until he's caught."

"Right. Sure. In all the TV shows the witness is promised that and then ends up a floater."

"That's TV. This is real life and it's a lot more boring than you would believe," Emily tells him, her thoughts briefly flashing to the task force she had been on and some of the cases the team had solved. Well…it's sometimes more boring than TV would have you believe.

Rossi steps away to call the precinct to arrange protection for the manager. Emily stares at the man.

"Please, you were up close to him at least once: is there anything more you can tell us about his looks, his mannerisms, anything?"

The man thinks a second then shakes his head. "It was dark when he approached me."
Emily rolls her eyes. "He approached you last night?"

The man nods. "As I was getting in my car. He just…appeared out of nowhere. Like a ghost. His voice was gravelly but I think he was making it that way. It was…scary. I tried to turn towards him but he said not to. He told me to keep quiet and I'd help society."

"Did he levy a threat against you?"

The man looks down in shame. "He didn't have to. I was so fucking scared I just swore I wouldn't say anything to anyone."

Emily nods. "I understand and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But promise me if he shows up again you will call us."

The man blanches. "Is…Is that a possibility?"

"A slim one. He knows we know about this store so he will probably go somewhere else next time. But just in case," she hands him her card, "call me if he shows up."

The man nods. Rossi walks back over. "A unit will be here when you close for the night and will follow you home. They'll also come when the store opens. Be vigilant and trust your instincts."

The man just nods rapidly, his pulse beating a steady rhythm in testament to his fear. Emily and Rossi step outside.

"We need to see what other stores around here have security cameras and which ones see the street parking."

"Yep. I'll call Hotch and tell him about this potential lead."

Rossi nods and leads the way to the first business they need to speak with.

"Mrs. Tildes? I'm SSA Jareau, this is SSA Morgan with the FBI. We have a few questions for you about Marvin."

"Marvin is dead and good riddance, Agents."

JJ studies the nicely dressed woman. The clothes and mannerisms speak to someone who cares about the world around her and her appearance in that world.

"Ma'am, we are doing what we can to find the man that killed him and- -"

"I understand what you are doing. I just don't care. We washed our hands of him long ago. You can only handle a broken heart so many times before you just give up. We knew it was only a matter of time before he killed someone or someone killed him. Turns out it was both of those scenarios. Now we can live in peace, not having to worry about when the call will come."

JJ sighs. "So can I assume you all didn't have much contact with him or his fiancé before he was killed?"

"Haven't talked to him in over 2 years. Didn't even know she existed. Considering his past 'relationships' if you can call them that she is probably a trampy whore no better than him."

"I see. Is there…anything you can tell us that could help us find his killer?" JJ asks pointlessly.

"Only that when you find the person who did it I'd like to help with their defense fund. He did for the world what the police haven't: made it safer from people like Marvin."

"Right. Well, thank you for your time," JJ says, ending the interview.

In the SUV she glances at Morgan. "Have you ever seen a woman so…so cold before?"

Morgan nods. "Yeah, I have."

"Damn. I mean, the father of the reverend in New York had written off his son but you could see in his eyes there was a still a hint of care. But this woman…she's really just cut him out of her heart. I don't understand how a mother could do that."

Morgan reaches over and takes her hand. "And I hope you never find out," he says sincerely.

JJ manages a smile. "Thanks."

He puts the SUV in gear and goes off to try to interview the fiancé of Tildes.

It is 5 PST before Rossi and Emily show up at the police station. They sit in the parking lot as Hotch addresses a crowd of reporters.

"I know the unsub, meaning unknown subject, sent each of you a letter trying to justify his actions. Bear in mind, regardless of what he thinks he is a murderer. This country's law system does not condone vigilante justice. Rest assured the Portland Police Department has done everything they can to find this individual and arrest him. If the public has any idea who this man is we encourage them to call so that we can stop him before anyone else is killed. Thank you."

He turns and walks back into the building as reporters start to hurl questions at him. Rossi and Emily wait until the reporters accept they will get nothing more and start to disperse. As they make their way into the building a woman jogs up to them.

"I know you! You're that agent that stopped that bomber in front of the Capital!" she says to Emily.

Emily blushes. "Excuse me, ma'am. I need to get inside."

"Any chance I can interview you and- -"

"No," Emily states forcefully and continues into the building.

The reporter doesn't take the not so subtle hint and follows. "But it will be a great piece! How a woman was able to stop- -"

Emily spins towards her. "The terrorists were stopped by a team, not an individual. Don't ever forget that."

The woman tries to follow but Emily walks into the conference room the team is using and shuts the door in the lady's face. Rossi grins at her.

"Welcome to my world, kid."

Emily grunts. "You can keep it."

Rossi just chuckles. He sees Hotch studying the two agents and gives him a nod that says he'll explain later. Emily sits down and pulls out her laptop to start getting her notes in order.

"He was a GOOD man!" the woman screams through her tears.

JJ nods and pats her on the back. "I understand. I can't imagine the pain you are feeling."

"He took care of me and never meant to hurt nobody. He ain't like they saying!"

"I'm sure he wasn't," JJ agrees as she rolls her eyes at Morgan.

He fights a grin as he sits forward in his chair. "Ms. McGhee, did he mention anyone that had him concerned? Maybe that had followed him or accosted him at any time?"

"No. Nothing like that. Only person he didn't like was that scum of a defense lawyer he was assigned. Bastard basically said Marv should just plead guilty and go to jail. But that ain't right!"

Morgan nods. "I see. So he didn't kill a man?"

"Of course he did! But that bastard grabbed my ass! Marv was just protecting me! He was always defending me. He was a real gentleman!"

"I'm sure he was," Morgan says kindly. He hands her his card. "If you think of anything that can help us find who did this please give me a call."

She nods. "Thanks. You're nice." The agents stand to leave but she stops them. "Hey, maybe you can help me some."

Morgan nods. "I can try."

"Marv had, like, $100 on him when he died. Any chance you can get that for me? Marv would want me to have it."

JJ has to turn her head to hide her grin. Morgan takes a quick breath. "Uh, the police have all his things in custody as part of the case. I'm afraid that includes the money."

McGhee's lips pout. "Bummer."

Morgan just nods and follows JJ out of the house. In the SUV JJ looks at him and starts to chuckle. "Guess you're not as helpful as she thought you'd be."

He grins. "Yeah. Bummer."

They make their way to the precinct to catch up with the others and start to weed through leads and case files. Though the team works until nearly 9 PST (midnight their time) they are no closer to a profile when they call it a night than they had been when they started.