Chapter Text
Man lives in a world of meaning. To be interested in the public good we must be disinterested, that is, not interested in goods in which our personal selves are wrapped up.
George Herbert Mead
The BAU team were at their respective desks, catching up on the bureaucratic paperwork that comes with being a member of the FBI when J.J. came in like a whirlwind, quickly speaking and passing out files as she goes.
”We just got a request from the Memphis Police Department in Tennessee. They’ve got multiple murders that they think might be a hit with some others that we’ve seen.”
Reid quickly reads through the somewhat sparse details in the file about the killer: some with expert headshots but typically with a more up-close and personal kill, mostly male victims- all who weren’t shot through the head were castrated, and no obvious connections between the victims.
”His first known victim was a male, 36 years old. Given the professionalism of the kill, it’s likely that he has killed before. But, there’s a discrepancy between his kills. Some of his victims have defensive marks on them that indicate a struggle while a few were sedated and bound and another few were dead before they even knew what was happening.” Reid looked up at his teammates after giving his observations about the unsub’s unusual behavior.
Gideon continued scanning over the file in his own hand, giving the occasional thoughtful nod. Hotch looked up from his own file when Reid started to speak, a stoic but faintly proud look on his face. JJ was already whirlwinding back to her office to grab her go-bag, knowing that they would soon be taking off to Memphis. And Morgan had a proud-but-teasing look on his face, like the one an older brother would make toward his younger sibling.
When Hotch finished glancing over the details, he called for them to get ready and “wheels up in 20.”
On the plane, the others collaborate further, trying to figure out either more evidence or a profile. Reid, meanwhile, was on his own, thinking over the details of the case so far.
Victims from multiple states, no clear motive, no clear reasoning for why certain victims were killed which way.
Reid tuned back in just in time to hear Gideon say, “It’s likely that there are two or more unsubs, given the variety of methods.”
While Reid might agree, there was something nagging at him, something about that statement just didn’t sit quite right. “I don’t think it is multiple people. There’s something about this case that makes me think we’re looking for just one person. One factor is the fact there isn’t a geographical radius for his kills: he’s killed in multiple states with no distinct pattern or selectivity. He’s killed in California then the next victim is in Michigan. If there were multiple unsubs, it would make the timeframe of the murders further apart. The amount of time in between when the victims were found suggests that it’s just the one unsub traveling. Likely using his own vehicle.”
Reid looked back down at the few other details in the case file, despite the fact that he’s already memorized it. “And, while the kills seem to be quite different- the expert marksmanship, the messy mutualization, and the calm, almost cold indifference in the drugging- even with the victims that he tortured, there’s still that professionalism within the kill: he knew exactly where to cut or shoot to get the most pain without his victim bleeding out.”
Hotch joined in with his own thoughts. “He was prolonging it. Question is, was the torture sadistic or functional?”
Morgan chimed in as well, “This guy might be professional but there’s a lot of anger in how he killed some of his victims. That doesn’t fit with other mission-oriented killers’ profiles. He seems like an organized killer but he’s got too much anger to fit with the profile. And his victims are too spread out and unconnected to really fit anything other than a hitman, but if her were being paid, why torture his victims? Hitmen don’t need to torture to fullfil their contracts..”
The team kept conversing, going over various facts and theories and before too much longer, the plane touched down and the BAU were quickly on their way to the MPD’s headquarters.
Once at the MPD headquarters, the BAU quickly settled into the room allocated to them for their stay. Hotch and JJ quickly introduced themselves and the team to the Chief of Police Logan Harding before joining the others. As soon as Reid, Gideon, Morgan and Hotch got into the room, they started looking over the pictures of the latest crime scene and victims.
Three males, age range of late 20s to late 40s, varying ethnicities. One a clean headshot- no defensive wounds. One castrated after being bound- defensive wounds, bullet shots to the knees and shoulders. One castrated but not bound- defensive wounds, bullet shot to the hip.
The Chief of Police came into the room with two other men- Sargents- with barely any more information to add.
”Do these men have anything in common? A club they belong to, a favorite bar they frequent, a friend? Anything will help,” Hotch asked the men.
The two Sargents looked at each other, went over to the board, looked at the victims faces and names before looking at each other again. The slightly older of the two pointed at the headshot victim- Matthew Cole, born in 1978- and looked at the BAU team. “He’s a drug dealer. Caught him selling to some teens a couple times,” he pointed to the bound victim- Thomas Gardner, born in 1995, “He got picked up for multiple cases of rape. He particularly liked kids. And the last guy,” he moved to pointing at the final victim on the board- Roberto Gonzales, born 1998, “was also a bit of a serial rapist. He went after the prostitutes and people down on their luck.”
Hotch gave Morgan a look that he knew meant that Garcia needed to be contacted. Gideon thanked the Sargents and Chief, and got back to looking through the case details with the new information informing some of their unsub’s actions and possible motivations.
Morgan pulled out his phone and called up Garcia. “You have reached the supreme gatherer of digital information. What do you wish to see?” Garcia answered with her usual sense of humour.
”Hey Babycakes, I need you to see if the victims all had a criminal record. We just found out that the three here had records ranging from dealing to kids to raping them. Can you see if the others follow that?” Morgan asked with a smile, enjoying the brief levity that teasing Garcia brings before the reality of the case facts bring him right back down.
”You’ve asked the right gal for the job. I’ll see what I can dig up.” The sound of her fingers flying over the keyboard immediately started filling the receiver. With a quick goodbye, Morgan hung up. “Garcia is on it, she’ll get us all the information she can dig up on the other victims.”
With nearly all that can be done without going to the crime scene, Gideon assembled himself and Morgan to check it out, JJ to coordinate with the media and the MPD, leaving Reid and Hotch to continue looking over the evidence.
The crime scene, though clear of the bodies and most everything else, was still a grizzly sight. Blood coated most surfaces in the room. The room looked less like the smoke-stained yellow of the rest of the building and more like it was painted a grim oxidised red. The blood even reached up to the ceiling at some spots.
”Matthew Cole was seated right here,” Gideon gestured to the wooden chair positioned in front of the broken window but facing the center of the room. He followed this gesture up by looking through the window where the next closest building high enough to get the right angle was over 1000 meters away. “Our guy is a skilled sniper to have been able to make this shot.”
Morgan followed this train of thought by placing himself by where the second victim was found- the center of the room, seemingly carelessly tossed aside. “Thomas Garder was placed here. He was likely killed last, giving the unsub the time he would have needed to be as thorough as he was. And the last guy, Roberto Gonzales, was found over here.” Morgan moved over to the blood smear leading towards the door. “He was trying to escape.”
Morgan looked around at the scene, picturing it in his mind, getting into the mind of their unsub. “Ok. I set up a perch on a high building over 1000 meters away, meaning I’m comfortable with heights and confident in my ability. I’m trained. I probably watched this building for a while, see who goes in and what they do. I’m patient when waiting for my opportunity. When Cole sat in front of the window, I saw my chance, I took the shot.”
Without evidence, Morgan struggled a bit to see how the unsub could’ve gotten from his perch to the crime scene so quickly. “I somehow made it over here quickly enough to not give my other victims the time to run, and without being seen by any cameras in the immediate area. I’ve got training in stealth. I come in through the window, shattering it as I did, leaving no DNA behind. I’m athletic and likely armored.”
Turning towards the door, Morgan continued. “Gonzales started trying to run, as did Gardner. I shoot Gonzales in the hip, satisfied that would immobilize him enough, and shoot Gardner in the knees and shoulders in quick succession, rendering him unable of even crawling. I have multiple firearms and enough training in them that I can make nonlethal shots if need be.”
He stood over the blood smear near the door, looking down at it. “I see Gonzales start to drag himself towards the door. I can’t have that so I go over to him after quickly but efficiently binding Gardner’s wrists and ankles. Gonzales tries to fight back but is no match for me. I’m physically stronger than him. I castrate Gonzales, let him know why before killing him, leaving him where he is.”
Morgan turned towards the largest collection of blood stains. “Now, with the others taken care of, I can focus my full attention on Gardner. I torture him for a long time, but no one hears his screams.” Morgan glances down at the autopsy report and photos of the victim. “I slit his voice box but avoid his veins, rendering him mute but alive. I have medical knowledge.”
Morgan looked up at Gideon, finished with his assessment. “This guy is intelligent and has been at this for a long time. He’s trained in multiple firearms, stealth, and torture. He’s strong. Gideon, it’s starting to look like we’re looking for someone in SpecOps. This is all things they would learn and would be proficient in.”
Gideon, having seen Morgan run through the evidence, slowly nods. “If he is SpecOps, that will make things much more complicated. Right now, let’s go with the assumption that he isn’t but inform the others.”
Morgan and Gideon quickly headed back to the police headquarters and let everyone else know about their theory. Garcia called Morgan back, having pulled her usual technological wisardry.
”Alright, so, these guys knew each other. They were in a gang run by Black Mask in Gotham. I looked a bit into the other victims that look familiar and guess what?” Garcia paused for only a moment before continuing, not giving enough time for anyone to say anything. “They were also in Black Mask’s gang with similar rap sheets. Oh! They all had rap sheets. The mildest thing I could find on any of them was ‘Armed Assault’ and ‘Possession with Intent to Sell’. And considering the people our guy seems to be protecting, it was likely to a kid. Speaking of, I dug around in Gotham’s police database to see if they had anything like this and just hadn’t called us in, and I found a treasure trove. Black Mask’s gang has been struggling against the Red Hood’s gang for the past couple of years.”
Reid spoke up, “The Red Hood notoriously protects the prostitutes and children in Crime Alley, formally known as Park Row. Despite the fact that he had a rather brutal hostile takeover of the other gangs in the area, there hasn’t been any civilian casualties from the man himself, nor his gang to the best of their ability. Given the statistics of gang warfare, it’s likely there were some civilians caught in the crossfire. The Red Hood has been shown to be highly intelligent, highly trained in multiple styles of combat, seems to favor hand guns but is proficient in other weapons, and has a personal sort of grudge against Roman Sionis- alias Black Mask.”
The team took that information and slotted it into what the evidence told them. Everything fit. The Red Hood would be skilled and motivated enough to hunt these men down across the country.
”Garcia, are there any more of Sionis’ men that the Red Hood would likely go after outside of Gotham?” Hotch asked. “Given how motivated the Red Hood seems to be, he would likely try to take out all of Sionis’ men while he’s outside of Gotham before returning and leaving us unable to follow.
Typing filled the receiver, sounding loud in the quiet room with only the sounds from the rest of the police headquarters to break the silence.
“Four are in St. Louis and another four are in Salt Lake City.”
The team collectively inwardly grimaced. It was a coin toss to see which group their unsub would go after. They barely had any information on the man himself, only his motives, which would have to be the determining factor for which city they go to. Which group has the worst offenders.
Hotch spoke up again, “Garcia, which group has a pedofile?”
”One second… both. The group in St. Louis has two pedofiles, one drug dealer and one serial rapist. The group in Salt Lake City has one pedofile, two serial rapists and one child murderer.”
With that information now in hand, the BAU had to try to figure out what the Red Hood would prioritize: one child murderer or two pedofiles.
Reid hesitantly spoke up after thinking over the choices. “I think he would probably go after the group in Salt Lake City. He seems to value children and their innocence and lives nearly above everything else. He’s most brutal when there are children involved so it makes sense that he would want them to live for as long as possible. I don’t think he would be able to resist going after both a child murderer and rapist.”
Gideon thought it was solid reasoning but wanted Reid to give a little more reasoning why he didn’t think the Red Hood would go after the group in St. Louis. “The group in St. Louis has two pedofiles. Why do you think he wouldn’t go after them first?”
Reid looked at Gideon and saw the encouragement in his body language. “As bad as it sounds, if the kids are raped, they’re most likely still alive. They can heal. But if they’re dead, there’s no healing from that. If I were fiercely protective of children, I would go after the major threats towards their survival first and deal with the others afterwards.”
Gideon gave Reid a small, proud smile before flicking his eyes to Hotch who had his usual stoick expression but pride showing in his body language.
”Alright. Looks like we’re heading to Salt Lake City. Wheels up in 15,” Hotch commanded.