Fingertips | Spencer Reid

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
2.030 words

QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: what's your favourite hobby?

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"Okay everyone, this one is going to be tough: we're dealing with kids" JJ spoke as she handed out the files "10 kids in 5 weeks have been kidnapped, 4 of them killed and mutilated. Body parts have been sent to the families along with a picture of the state of the body"

"Shit..." was Derek's first response upon seeing the pictures "No letters or notes? Just the picture and..." he cleared his throat.

Cases dealing with children were always difficult, but Derek definitely took it personal even though he didn't have kids himself.

"Nothing. Box, body member, picture... all have been processed looking for prints"

"It says here that the only prints found were from other missing kids... and the box has the ones from whoever delivered the package- the mailman" Reid read out loud "He probably forced the other kids to hold down the victim as he cut off whichever body part he had decided on"

"He has a lot of kids at a time" Emily concluded "It's some sort of psychological torture: the others know what's coming for them"

"Why have we only been called now? 5 weeks is a long time. And 10 kids?" Rossi asked looking at Hotch.

"Two reasons: the kids were kidnapped from different States -no one thought they were related because of this and the fact that the police are not obligated to inform to other jurisdictions-. And the second one, the Unsub only started sending body parts these past couple of days" JJ answered Rossi's question.

"He's kept the kids for over a month only to kill them recently?" Reid looked down at the files "He enjoys torturing the parents more than the kids... Do the families have anything in common?"

"Nothing so far" Garcia spoke still typing on her laptop "The ages of the children go from 6 to 11 years old"

"Old enough to understand what is going on... old enough to know that if they don't follow the rules, they will be punished" Emily commented "No wonder people thought they weren't related: one kidnapping in Seattle, two in Texas, two in Ohio, one in New York, then two in California... there doesn't seem to be a pattern as to where he goes"

"He's also not sending the body parts in the actual order that he took the children" Rossi pointed out "Who was the last family that received a package?"

"The Goldberg's, in Michigan. Their son was kidnapped 5 weeks ago, seems to be one of the first ones who disappeared"

"Let's go to them first. We can't divide this team into so many states: we'll have to keep contact with the different departments in each location. JJ contact them and get Garcia complete access to their systems: we need to know as much as possible about each of the cases. Wheels up in twenty" Hotch gave the orders before walking out of the room to gather his own things.

"Why do we always get fucked up cases on Mondays?" Morgan asked to no one in particular rolling his head back.

His eyes flew over to Garcia, who was reading something on her computer with a shocked expression. He could also sense some curiosity in her eyes, which wasn't a typical thing to see.

"Everything okay?" he took her out of the trance.

"Uh- Yes, all good" she spoke rapidly "Well- no, not good, because we have a lot of kids missing and a whole lot others dead. But- I'm- yeah" he looked at the woman with narrowed eyes: she was definitely hiding something.