After the USPS creates a penpal pairing program, Elizabeth Mills is encouraged by her friends to sign up and talk to someone new. Spencer Reid, bored with only getting bills and advertisements in his mailbox signs up for a penpal.
The two get paire...
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Spencer was panicking. Despite having the exact same thing happen to him, he was petrified. Even though Hankel was a killer, he was at least kind in some regards while holding Spencer hostage, giving him some form of mercy through the drugs, even though he struggled long after. This unsub had shown no indication of any form of mercy. The attacks were brutal, and said brutality had rapidly escalated from his first to most recent victim. Even Spencer had no idea what would happen to Elizabeth at this rate.
Sitting around a table discussing the killers psychology felt pointless for the first time in his life. He wanted to be out there, looking for her, despite knowing that it was too rash of a decision.
And that word 'Zugzwang', it unsettled him. In the context of their phone calls or letters it would have been perfectly innocuous, however seeing it, written down in such a situation, he knew what it meant. She'd done so on purpose. Elizabeth would have had no idea if it would have helped, and based on what the officers had said, they likely wouldn't have even looked into it, just assumed it was the ramblings of a shut in and moved on.
What's worse is they had no idea where she could be. The unsub had easy means of travel and had gone along the coast for girls, which ruled out no one considering most coastal towns relied on both tourism and exports, so even an outsider looked normal, so did a large vehicle, van or truck.
From where they were standing both everything and nothing looked suspicious. Every little thing could be passed off as a random passer by or worker.
Plus with the lack of mistakes this guy was making, at this rate, unless someone saw something and came forward, they'd be stuck until a body, her body, turned up, and then they'd have to hope that the bastard made a mistake.
"Spencer, do you have any theories?"
"Huh?" He looked up to find the table staring at him.
"Do you have any theories?" Hotch asked again, lighter in tone this time.
"No."
Derek stood up. "Spencer, come with me."
"Why?"
"Just come, please."
Spencer stood up and followed Derek out of the room, and through the watching eyes of the police forces of several different towns, all of whom had been on the other, now connected cases.
"Where are we going?"
"We are going on a walk and we're going to talk."
The cool sea breeze hit them as they slowly began walking down the street. Spencer knew that Derek was doing this in hopes of getting his brain working, though he knew that the minor distraction wouldn't stop his spiralling.
