Heurism | Spencer Reid¹

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: THE LAST WORD

"Remember that all throughout history, there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they seemed invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Always."

     — Mahatma Gandhi.

—

An uneasy atmosphere hangs over us as we rendezvous back in the office the next morning. With the new media attention, this just got ten times more difficult. Pacing in front of the boards, Reid goes over the events, his brow furrowed in rare confusion. "So our plan to catch the Mill Creek Killer was ruined by the Hollow Man?" he repeats slowly.

"And now the Hollow Man's on a high," Hotch continues grimly. "He hasn't pulled the trigger since he took two victims yesterday. Is he satisfied or is he just getting started?"

"We'll find out." JJ makes her entrance with a newspaper in hand, passing it to him.

"'Hollow Man helps FBI find the Mill Creek Killer's victim.'"

I scoff, "'Helps'?"

Morgan is only too happy to join in with my frustration. As he sits on the edge of the desk beside us, he cracks his knuckles. "Nice. He's alerted the media and injected himself into the investigation."

"And he's getting the attention he's been craving," JJ mutters angrily.

"But if the shooter really wants to get the other guy arrested, he would've called us and not the media."

Rising from his perch, Morgan tries to distract himself by sorting through the files and pictures instead. "He must know the Mill Creek Killer needs to revisit the body."

"If he can't defile the woman again, the need will become so strong it could push him into a frenzy," Gideon reminds us.

"And if that happens, this guy's just a time bomb waiting to explode."

——————

An hour later, we find ourselves at a street corner cordoned off with tape, journalists snapping photos from all sides. The woman who he had tried to grab stands with us, shielded from the cameras by a police car. She stars at the ground, shaky hands playing with her water bottle. "At first, he seemed so normal."

"Was he handsome?" Gideon asks.

"Excuse me?"

I sigh, "It's relevant."

Glancing at me, she reluctantly nods. "Yeah, he was. Actually, that's why I stopped."

"When did his demeanour change?"

"After I refused to go to his car. He grabbed my arm so hard I thought that it would break." Embarrassed, she tucks a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "I don't know... I've been watching the news about all these women being abducted, and I just started screaming."

He smiles weakly. "You trusted your instincts. Because of that, you're still alive."

"Miss," Morgan begins, "there's a sketch artist here with us. He can create a pretty accurate rendition from your description of this man. Would you sit with him?"

"Absolutely."

Waving for an officer to come over and help, Gideon gives her one last word of comfort, "I'm glad you're all right."

The four of us head down the street, using the cars parked along the curb for cover. The flashing of cameras is incessant. I put on my sunglasses, cursing under my breath. Morgan hears, chuckling before his expression returns to a glower. "Well, he's becoming irrational and violent in public. That's exactly what the Hollow Man wanted him to do."