To Solve

Chapter 19: Empty Planet

"Hey! Morning, JJ. How was your–" Spencer greeted his colleague.

However, the blonde woman simply walked past him, straight towards Hotch's office.

"– Weekend?"

The young genius and his significant other watched as JJ walked into Hotch's office. They chatted for a moment before JJ called the team together.

There was a bomb threat for an unspecified urban area.

The first thing the agents did was listen to the phone call.

"I'm sorry, did you say a bomb, sir?"

"On a bus... In the city where it all began. Get my message out."

"Message? What message?"

"That this is only the beginning. Until it is brought back under control, people will die."

After that the Person ended the call and the recording stopped.

"In the last 20 minutes, virtually identical threat have been made to most of the coast-to-coast news networks in the country. It's the same information just slightly different words," reported JJ.

"So it's not a recorded message or script. Displays a measure of confidence."

"He could have easily just called one network. This guy obviously wants attention."

"It's typical behavior for a personal cause bomb. One bomb has a finite impact. It's just a small package. Make bunch of phone calls, that magnifies my explosion 100 times."

"We have the additional recorded calls being gathered for assessment."

"Networks say the calls came from a restricted number. Two have given limited permission to trap and trace the lines if we should need to," Garcia added.

"You got a news organization to agree to a trap and trace?" asked Hotch.

"Who could say 'no' to me?"

"This is not likely Al-Qaeda. They don't call unless they bomb something."

"At Homeland security's request, the networks are going to keep this quiet until we've assessed the situation."

"It doesn't feel like a hoax. His voice is calm, resigned. He's made his decision. He's committed to it."

"Plus he said: 'This is just the beginning' The beginning of what?" said Spencer.

"And he also said: 'Until it is brought back under control.' What's it? What is not under control?" asked Parker.

"He has to call back. And if this threat isn't followed by an event, no one will take any future calls seriously."

"So, we're going to tell the media to go ahead with the story?" Garcia wanted to know.

"Absolutely not."

"Threats like this, with an unspecified location will just cause tremendous panic," JJ explained to the technical analyst.

"Then, what are we gonna do?"

"Unfortunately, all we can do is wait."

~~~~

Robespierre wrote,

"Crime butchers innocence to secure a prize and innocence struggles with all its might against the attempts of crime".