Dark Obsessions: A Criminal Minds Story

Part 03

The BAU team sat around the conference room table, ready for their next case briefing. Agent Hotchner stood at the front of the room, a folder in his hands.

Rachel sat beside Reid who handed her a coffee.

"Good morning, everyone," Hotch began. "We have a new case. Four girls between the ages of 12 and 15 have gone missing in the past month. All from different states, all with similar physical features. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and petite frames."

He placed the folder on the table and flipped it open, revealing photos of the missing girls.

"Local law enforcement has found no connection between the cases, but we believe that these abductions are the work of a single unsub. The girls were likely targeted because of their physical similarities," Hotchner continued.

Agent Prentiss spoke up, "Do we have any leads on the unsub?"

Hotchner shook his head, "No, not yet. The local authorities have asked for our help in profiling the suspect and tracking him down. We leave for the first crime scene in two hours."

As the team stood up to leave the conference room, Agent Rachel Lynch lingered behind, staring at the photos of the missing girls. She felt a sense of unease wash over her, as if she had seen those faces before. She knew she had to be a part of this case, to help find the girls and bring the unsub to justice.

As the BAU team delved deeper into the investigation, they discovered that not only did the missing girls share similar physical features, but they also had similar family situations. All of the girls came from working-class families, with parents who struggled to make ends meet. Some of them were single-parent households, and others had parents who worked long hours and were not able to spend as much time with their children as they would have liked.

The team realized that the unsub may have been targeting these girls because they were vulnerable and potentially easier to abduct. They began to dig deeper into the family dynamics of the victims, looking for any clues that could lead them to the suspect.

Rachel Lynch was sitting at her desk, pouring over the details of the case. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar about the missing girls. As she studied their photos, a sense of unease washed over her.

Then she remembered something Reid said to her at the bar. When he was just enumerated some facts. She stood up and went to sit on Spencer's desk.

"Do you remember what you said about thinking of knowing someone when you actually don't?" Rachel asked him.

Spencer started talking about the phenomenon till something caught Rachel's attention. "Yes! That just that!"

"People tend to perceive others as more familiar than they actually are, particularly if they share some common characteristics or traits?", he looked at her confused. She signed for him to continue "People may feel like they know someone because they share the same hometown, went to the same school, or have a similar physical appearance."

Suddenly, it hit her. The girls reminded her of herself when she was their age. Rachel's heart began to race as she realized the implications of this realization. She knew what it was like to come from a working-class family, to feel vulnerable and scared. She knew that the trauma of her past had never fully left her, and now she was faced with a case that hit close to home.

Rachel took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She knew that she had to compartmentalize her feelings and focus on the investigation. But as she gathered her things and headed towards the conference room, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. This case was personal, and she was determined to do whatever it took to bring the unsub to justice and find closure for herself and the families of the victims.

Rachel Lynch had always been passionate about her job, but this case hit particularly close to home. As she delved deeper into the investigation, her interest quickly turned into an obsession. She found herself spending every spare moment analyzing the evidence and trying to piece together the puzzle.

She would stay up late at night, pouring over crime scene photos and witness statements, trying to find any clue that could lead them to the killer. She was consumed by the case, and it was beginning to take a toll on her mental health.

Her colleagues had started to notice the change in her behavior. She was distant, irritable, and seemed to be on edge all the time. Spencer had tried to talk to her about it, but she brushed him off, insisting that she was fine.

Despite her insistence that she was okay, Rachel's mind was in a constant state of turmoil. She was haunted by the faces of the missing children, and the thought of their suffering kept her up at night. She couldn't bear the idea that there might be other victims out there that they hadn't yet found.

As the case continued, Rachel's obsession with it only grew stronger. She spent all her free time researching and analyzing the evidence, even going so far as to start visiting the locations where the children had last been seen.

Her colleagues became increasingly concerned about her wellbeing, but Rachel was too caught up in her quest for justice to pay much attention. She was determined to catch the killer, no matter what the cost.

But as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, Rachel began to realize that her obsession was becoming dangerous. She was neglecting her own needs, both physical and emotional, and she was becoming more and more isolated from those around her.

Despite her growing fears, Rachel couldn't bring herself to step back from the case. She was too invested, too driven to let it go. But as the stakes grew higher and the clues became more elusive, she began to realize that her obsession might be leading her down a dangerous path.

Rachel's obsession with the case had become all-consuming. She had been working tirelessly, analyzing every piece of evidence and questioning every witness, but still, they had no solid leads.

Frustrated with the lack of progress, Rachel began to take risks.  She even started tailing potential suspects, hoping to catch them in the act.

Spencer had noticed the change in her behavior and was growing increasingly concerned. "Rachel, you can't keep doing this," he said one day as they sat in the break room. "You're putting yourself in danger."

"I have to do something," Rachel replied, her voice tinged with desperation. "We're not getting anywhere with this case, and I can't just sit around and wait for something to happen."

"I understand that," Spencer said, his tone soothing. "But you have to be careful. We don't know who we're dealing with here. They could be dangerous."

"I can take care of myself," Rachel replied stubbornly, but even she knew that it was a lie. She was so consumed by the case that she was blind to the risks she was taking.

It wasn't until Rachel found herself in a dark alleyway, face to face with a potential suspect, that she realized just how dangerous her obsession had become. The man had cornered her, and Rachel knew that she was in trouble.

But just as she was about to call for backup, the man suddenly bolted, disappearing into the night. Rachel stumbled back, her heart racing with fear and adrenaline.

It was then that she realized just how far she had gone in her quest for justice. She had put herself in danger, and it was only a matter of time before she got herself hurt.

Returning to the office the next day, Rachel knew that she needed to change her approach. She couldn't continue to take such reckless risks. It wasn't just her life on the line; it was also the lives of her colleagues and the potential victims they were trying to protect.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel decided to call Spencer. "Rachel? It's the middle of the night, are you okay?"

"I need your help," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I can't do this on my own anymore."

"Everything's fine Rachel", he tried to comfort her.

"Can you come over to my place please, I...I need someone"

"I'm on my way"