Valentía (Spencer Reid Slow Burn)

A Real Rain

Summary: The BAU travels to New York City to investigate a series of murders that appear to have been committed by a vigilante who is exacting revenge on other criminals who have been released by the justice system.

Warning: Murder, Mention of pedophilia, Schizophrenia, Delusions, Vigilante, My interpretation of the victims, Talk of death penalty, Talk of philosophy, Underaged drinking

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." — Martin Luther King Junior

Hotch showed them a picture of a man's driver's license and showed them the man's body outside his cab.

"Walter Derbin, age fifty-two. His body was found in his cab in East Harlem. He was blindfolded and shot once in the chest. Death was caused by a knife stabbed through his ear. The UnSub broke off the handle with the blade lodged in his brain."

"It's the same signature as two other murders." JJ said and she showed a picture of a woman, "Rachel Holman, twenty-four, found in her apartment three weeks ago on the Lower East Side." Then she showed a picture of another man, "And Kaveh Surrani, thirty. Police found him two weeks later inside his painting studio in Hell's Kitchen."

"Different locations, different victimology." Hotch stated, "It's possible we're looking for someone who will hunt indiscriminately."

"NYPD have any leads?" Elle asked.

"Guy's a ghost." Hotch shook his head.

"He kills at night. There's no witnesses." JJ said.

"Is the NYPD feeling the strain?" Gideon asked.

"Well, they've withheld details so the press hasn't sniffed out a link between the murders." JJ said.

"With no discernible victim patterns, a killer's practically impossible to stop." Morgan said.

"Did you know the original Zodiac Killer actually continually changed his victims? Young, old, men, women, white, black." Spencer said.

"Exactly. And he killed for 30 years without ever being caught." Gideon said.

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W. H. Auden said, "Murder is unique in that it abolishes the party it injures. So that society must take the place of the victim and, on his behalf, demand atonement or grant forgiveness."

"This is not how I planned to spend a few days home in New York." Elle said.

"I'd kill for an afternoon at Barney's and dinner at Il Cantinori."

"That sounds incredibly boring." Zoe deadpanned. Zarah would've loved it but Zoe always hated shopping.

"I'm looking forward to seeing New York." Spencer said.

Morgan and Zoe looked at him.

"You've never been to New York?" Morgan asked.

"We've never had an UnSub there." Spencer said.

"I thought you were going to talk to Reid about taking some vacation time." Hotch said to Gideon.

"What's vacation time?" Gideon deadpanned.

"Reid, it's a one-hour flight." Morgan said.

"Back before the BAU had a jet, we'd take road trips and New York was always our favorite because there was so much to see. Zarah always would spend like twelve hours shopping."