𝓼𝓪𝓯𝓮 ➣ 𝓼. 𝓻𝓮𝓲𝓭

𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓽𝔂-𝓯𝓲𝓿𝓮

Once they got off the jet, everyone went their separate ways, Reid and Mara heading to where the dogs were found.

"The last dog was found in these bushes over here," Mara gestured to it. "The other dogs were found in a similar park not far away. Except for the one found in an alley about a mile from here."

Mara noticed the park was full of teenagers handing out with their friends. Not many kids, more teens doing homework or gossiping. "Reid, where did you hang out as a teenager?"

"Library, chemistry lab, library-"

"No, no, I'm talking about normals, non-genius teenage type of stuff," Mara asked as Reid shook his head. She gestured around. "Malls, coffee shops, parks."

"We passed a mall and two coffee shops on the way here," Reid said to her. "And a high school, too."

"That would explain why the UnSub's so impulsive, he might still be an adolescent."

Mara pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Garcia's number. "Hey, Garcia, I need you."

"Yes!" she cheered, making the two chuckle. "Your wish is my command, anything you need."

"I need you to widen your search for violent offenders in the area to juveniles." Mara said.

"Mhm, searching for bad boys," she said. "It's my specialty, I'll hit you with a list ASAP."

"Thank you, P."

"Of course!"

Reid had his hands shoved in his pocket as they made their way back to the truck, his eyes traveling from the different groups of teenagers. Some doing homework. Some making out.

Mara swung an arm around his shoulders, standing on her toes. "Why the long face, pretty boy?"

He gave her a closed-lip smile and she retracted her arm, narrowing her eyes. "What is it?"

"Everything about today is just bringing up bad memories," he said to her, his eyes glued to his feet. "The ball game, the different group of teenagers, this wasn't my childhood."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, it wasn't mine either," she replied. "It doesn't matter where you came from, you're at least ten times cooler than all of these people."

Reid rolled his eyes and nudged her, following her to the trucks. When they got back to the station, Morgan was telling JJ about Reid's horrific attempt of playing softball.

"I didn't even know the Bureau had a softball team," JJ said. "Since when do you play?"

"Since Morgan drafted me." Reid replied.

"Really? Why?" 

Mara shook her head. No one believed he could do it.

"Don't let the skinny geek thing fool you," Mara defended him. "I know the good doctor's deceptively athletic."

"Oh, it's deceptive, all right." Morgan teased him.

Reid mouthed a thank you before following JJ into the conference room. 

Reid was staring at the map on the board, trying to figure out the geographical profile when the detective working with them came in.

"Agent Hotchner, another woman's body was just found."

Morgan and Rossi volunteered to go. "That was quick."

The rest of the team went over possible theories and components of the profile while they waited to be updated on the new body.

"Suffocated and beaten," Morgan said from the other side of the phone. "He didn't kill her here, he dumped her. She took a heavy blow to the head. Bite marks. Different MO."

"So, he beats and suffocates his first victim and just dumps her," JJ said, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "But this one he clocks over the head, bites her, but he covers his tracks. That's a huge shift in MO."

"You think he's evolving?" Hotch asked.

"Well, that's a pretty rapid evolution," Mara nodded. "It might not even be the same guy."

"Well, it can't be a copycat," JJ replied. "The story literally just made the news."

"Yeah, but what about the plastic bag? He used that on both victims." Mara asked.

"Nothing about the second kill says young or impulsive." Hotch added.

"Guys, what if we're dealing with a team?" Reid suggested as everyone else connected the dots.

"Then they're feeding off each other," Hotch said. "This could turn into a spree real soon."

They all met back up at the station and just like that, another four hours later, another body was found. This time, they didn't bother hiding the bodies. No bite marks. But a blow to the head and beaten badly.

The only consistency was the suffocation. Mixing the two MO's suggests to the team that one half of their killing duo is older and dominant while the other half is young and submissive.

With this information, they were able to give the profile.

"Based on victim type and kill zone dynamics, we believe that we're looking for two white males, one significantly older than the other," Hotch started. "The younger UnSub we believe is an adolescent. He probably lives in the area, so odds are he's a student at a local high school. We think the older UnSub is in his late thirties to early forties."

"He's sophisticated, so he probably had violent criminal experience," Rossi said. "So you should be looking at ex-cons, and we can't rule out people who've had law enforcement training."

"The older one had access to teenagers, but somehow he didn't stick out," Mara stepped forward. "Which means he most likely lives or works near an area where young people congregate. Like a school, church, or community center."

"He's charismatic, the type of guy that a teen would easily trust," JJ said. "Maybe a teacher or a coach."

"Much like the DC snipers, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, this is a mentor/mentee relationship, where the old one is attempting to teach the young one to become a better killer," Reid explained. "This dynamic is rare, but the symbiotic nature of their mutual desires actually strengthens their affinity for one another."

"There's a chance they're related," Morgan said. "We should consider a father and son team, brothers, or possibly and uncle and nephew. But even if there is no biological connection, this relationship has all the hallmarks of their kind of bond."

"The younger one's probably looking for a father figure, trying to fill some emotional void," JJ said. "They prey on prostitutes, so put the word on the street to any of the working girls you may know."

"Given their combined appetites and the player-coach dynamic, these two are especially dangerous," Hotch finished. "Thank you."