𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐧 |~𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚎𝚒𝚍~|

Chapter Seven

"Evil brings men together." -Aristotle

A few months had passed, and I was back in the conference room, staring at pictures of a severed arm and torso. 

"1996: The ribcage of a male was found in the Desert Rose National Park. It was never identified. This morning, the remains of two victims were found in exactly the same area." 

Our newest member, Emily Prentiss spoke. "Well, one year later is cause for concern, but ten years? That could be a coincidence."

Reid walked in and place a file on the table. "It would be, if the unidentified male wasn't missing a right rib bone."

"And the torso found this morning is missing exactly the same bone," stated Hotch.

"Both of them seem to be surgically removed, and the advanced rate of decomposition on the male means he died far before the female," said Reid.

"Oh, uh, Katherine Hale," said JJ. "They found a bracelet on her wrist. She ran away about two weeks ago from her small Colorado town."

"The unsub's crossing state lines. He's mobile," said Hotch.

"And bold. He's going out of his comfort zone," I said, twirling my pencil around in my fingers. 

"If the remains are related to the same killer, where's he been for 10 years?" asked Morgan. 

Gideon walked in. "Killing. Unsolved case files going back 30 years. Every case, the victimology is the same. The unwanted. This box is just the tip of the iceberg. 13 cases spanning 30 years. Same MO. Right rib bone is missing. It's him, Hotch, it's the same killer." 

I started looking through files and tuned out the conversation a little. Gideon was right, all the victims fit the MO. 

Several hours later, I found myself walking into the police station in Golconda, Nevada with Reid and Prentiss. 

"Is it just me or do you get the feeling that we're not welcome here?" asked Reid.

"No, it's not us, it's what we represent. Governments not all that popular out here," said Prentiss. 

My attention turned to a woman who was yelling and screaming. She was being dragged out of the cell. She yelled at us as the officers dragged her by. 

She grabbed onto Reid's coat. "He's coming. He's coming back and there's nothing you can do about it. Do you hear me? Nothing! Nothing!" 

The officers pulled her away and I brushed Reid's coat off. Emily gave her a whistle that she dropped and she went back into her cell, blowing the whistle. 

"A physco with a whistle... That's not too weird," said Reid. I laughed. 

We got settled in and before I knew it, Hotch, Morgan, and Gideon were back at the station, giving the profile. 

We established roadblocks around the town. 

Reid, Prentiss, Gideon, and I went to interview the woman in the cell. Her name was Jane. 

Prentiss walked up to her, indicating her whistle. "That's very pretty. Did you make it?"

She held it up. "It's a gift." 

"Oh," said Emily, taking it. "What happened to you?"

Jane was hesitant before she started telling her story. "My car broke down. The engine went out on me and... you know, in those days, they didn't have cell phones, so I tried to fix it myself. Then, I felt a presence. And then everything went white. I was in a spaceship, and I could see myself. It was like time was suspended, I could feel everything. There were strange maps on the walls, diagrams of all the stars. I was cold. And the alien, he did things to me. He touched me. And he stroked my hair. He drew lines all over my body. And the whole time he was standing there, smiling down at me. And then I looked in his eyes, and I wasn't afraid anymore. I don't know why."