magnetic ◊ criminal minds

x.

x. mayhem
( season four, episode one )

LYRA and Rossi were anxiously watching the news at the NYPD command center. A car had exploded. Not just any car, but a black SUV. They were striking now. They had just figured it out too late. The doors opened, and in ran Reid. "David, Lyra! I heard on the radio. I tried the others, but-"

"The cell phone service is crashing," Rossi told him.

"A car bomb. Did they say where?"

"No," Lyra signed in response.

"Can you recall every site where the shootings occured?" Rossi asked.

"Uh, Hell's Kitchen, Murray Hill, Lower East Side, Chinatown," Reid listed.

"All right, if our profile is correct and all eight murders were tests to gauge response time, we're looking at eight suicide bombers who are about to hit every one of those locations. Now call Homeland Security. Tell them to pour troops into all of those sites."

"Actually, if we're correct, it'll be sixteen suicide bombers."

Lyra snapped her head over. "Sixteen?" she signed, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah, we predicted that they'll hit the second wave of emergency responders also."

The news reporter caught their attention. "Breaking news now. We are just getting an update. The bomb is now reported to have been inside an SUV. A black SUV parked just blocks from 26 Federal Plaza."

Rossi wasted no time grabbing the phone in front of him.

"Agent Rossi?" Garcia said over the phone, only Rossi able to hear her. "We heard there was some kind of explosion."

"Where are you?" Rossi asked.

"I just walked into the CCTV Command Post."

"Can you see anything?"

"I literally just walked through the door, sir."

"We got on the news it was an SUV that exploded. A black SUV within blocks of the Federal Plaza."

"Oh, god."

"Now do you have eyes there?"

"I- uh, yeah, yeah, I got like 300 cameras right there. Give me a sec."

"I'm here with Lehnsherr and Reid, but I don't know where anyone else is. And Garcia?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Find them," Rossi said before hanging up the phone.

♢

There was no news for the longest time. "These are stills from all the murder sites," Rossi said, looking at the board.

"Garcia had us on conference and the system crashed," Prentiss said, revealing her arrival and safety.

"Emily!" JJ said, safe as well.

"Oh, thank god you're alright. Where's Will?" Prentiss asked.

"He's stuck at the airport. As soon as I heard, I went straight to 26 Fed," JJ said. "They've evacuating the building. Where is everyone?"

"Morgan's all right, but there's no word from Hotch," Reid replied.

"The bomber!" Garcia said, getting on call with them. "The bomber! Derek's chasing after him."

"What?"

"The bomb. It was in Kate's SUV or under it. Hotch is out there with her. He seems okay, but she looks really hurt. He hasn't moved her."