Chapter Two:

Aaron Hotchner and his team were immediately dispatched to the scene. Aboard the plane Garcia briefed them on the current case. "Well look at all of those handsome faces, all ready to catch some criminals. We have two very brutal murders on our hands. They were both stabbed repeatedly with a knife." she said.

"Any victimology"? Hotch asked.

"None apparent." Garcia replied. "Though I think the first victim was a target of choice and the second was incidental. Anyway, these were not the first, that's why they had us show up right away."

"What else about the kills." asked Rossi. "Was there a sexual aspect?"

"Nope, everyone fully clothed." Garcia said. "Though there was a bit of thievery."

"What was stolen?" asked Reid.

"Dry foods. Basic electronics. Nothing fancy."

"Local law enforcement is aware we are arriving?" Hotch asked.

"Indeed they are." Garcia said. "I am told that one of them is looking forward to working with the FBI, even if he is is not happy about the circumstances."

"Good to know."

After the plane landed, the agents drove into town. This town was small and isolated, though not to the extent of the one from the Mill Man case.

The agents split up, with Hotch and Reid going to the scene. It was a small apartment complex. Three officers were speaking just outside the door. One of them looked up, approached him, and extended a hand. "Officer Ryan Sherwood. I am in charge of this investigation."

"SSA Aaron Hotchner." Hotch said as he shook the man's hand.

"Your reputation precedes you Agent Hotchner. I've heard a lot about you and the BAU."

Sherwood lead Hotch and Reid into the building. "We've found two bodies. One in the lift, the other in a flat."

Hotch walked over to the elevator, which was shut down and had police tape in front of the open door. The body was removed, but the bloodstains on the floor and walls made it clear what happened. Reid looked down at one splatter. "Check this out." he said.

"What's up?" Hotch replied.

"The way the blood hit the floor. It looks different from the rest."

"What are you suggesting?" asked Hotch.

"It's not the victim's blood, it's the killer's." Reid said.

"That a good break." said Sherwood. "But the local labs will take awhile to process it."

"Quantico can handle it." Hotch replied. "But we will need to have it delivered there, and that will take time too."

"And there's no guarantee we'll have a match." Reid added.

Meanwhile Morgan, Rossi and Jareau visited the morgue to see the bodies. The coroner was standing over the body, and next to him was a well dressed man. "These are the FBI Agents." said the coronar. He motioned to the man next to him. "This is the apartment manager."

The agents shook the hands of both men. "How do you know the victim?" Jareau asked.

"He was the apartment's Security Guard for years." the manager replied. "Everyone liked him. He made us all feel safe."

"Anything else about him?" asked Rossi.

"Yeah, he was a former cop. Resigned to get a job here. Before that we had a big crime problem. He really cleaned things up."

"I'm sorry for your loss." said Jareau.

"If it makes you feel any better." the coroner added. "The bruises on his hands make it clear he died fighting fiercely."

"He was always a bit headstrong for his own good." said the manager. "I was worried something like this would happen."

Morgan picked up his phone and spoke for a bit. He then put it back down. "Guys, Reid just blood samples that he thinks is from the killer."

"But the guard did not have a knife." said the manager.

"It's possible he may have briefly controlled the killer's knife." suggested Jareau.

The coroner looked at his notes "But their were no cuts on the victim's hands, only bruises."

"So why would the killer bleed if he wasn't cut." asked Rossi.

Meanwhile Officer Sherwood lead Hotch and Reid to the apartment where the first murder took place. "This is it."

Reid inspected the door handle. "No use." Sherwood stated. "Already dusted it, found nothing."

"That's not what I am looking for." said "Reid. "How did the killer gain access."

"Based off where you said the body was found, it probably wasn't a ruse." suggested Hotch.

"There are small scratches." said Reid. "I think it was picked."

The three of them stepped into the apartment. "So as I said before." said Sherwood." "The body was found over their."

Reid and Hotch looked around noticed spaces on the shelves. Hotch pulled up his phone. "Garcia, does this man have social media."

"Got a Facebook." she replied.

"Any photos of the apartment?" Hotch asked. "If so bring them up."

Soon the agents received text messages of pictures. They went around comparing the photos to the apartment's current state.

"I noticed some movies and video games missing." Reid said.

"So that means we might be looking at a younger perp." Hotch replied.

"Also non perishable foods."

"Means he might live on his own, but how?"

Back at the morgue, the coroner showed the second body to the BAU. "This one, unfortunately, did not put up much of a fight." he said. "They are three knife wounds, each one deeper than the last."

"So the victim was surprised." said Rossi. "The killer get his first wound, then gets a second one putting the victim to the ground."

"And then he gives him a final blow to the heart." added Jareau.

"Which suggests experience, the way he knew where to stab." concluded Morgan.

"As our police told you." the coroner said. "These are not the first."

As Hotch and Reid were leaving the apartment building Reid suddenly stopped. "When I was on the balcony I saw something down below."

"Worth a shot." said Hotch.

The two of them walked over the area below the balcony. They looked and saw the grass looked flattened. "So what is this?" Reid asked.

"I don't know." said Hotch. "Probably a coincidence."

"Maybe, but how could have the killer fought such a brutal fight with all the stuff he was carrying?"