48This is my first ever fan fic so be kind! I've tried to keep the characterization as realistic as possible. The Story is set in the first season with Elle. Currently Gideon is "away" for this case because I feel like he's a difficult character to write but that may change later in the story, because I can't see how he wouldn't show up when an agent of his is in trouble.
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal minds or any of the criminal minds characters.
It started off like any other friday at the BAU. Elle Greenaway was pretending to work at her desk as she contemplated how to slip some of her files to Reid. The task had been a lot more complicated since she admitted to Reid she did so but it was almost a game between them now.
Dr. Spencer Reid, to his credit, was actually behaving fairly normal that morning, reading at a "normal" pace rather than his usual break neck speed. Although that in itself was not quite normal. Glancing down at her watch Elle guessed that he had been reading the same page for the last 5 minutes. "Hey Reid" she spoke, startling Reid out of his revelry, "You okay?"
Reid frowned at her for a second before replying. "Yah I'm fine". Seeing Elle about to open her mouth he continued, "Just thinking". Elle breifly considered pressing the matter further but quickly shrugged it off, figuring she was bound to get little else from the youngest member of their tream. Maybe she would mention it to Morgan later and see if he could get more from the elusive genius.
Speaking of which Derek Morgan walked into the bullpen just then, his close cropped hair still damp from his morning workout. Before either agent could so much as greet the man Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner, aka Hotch, stepped out of his office with a sharp "BAU team in the conference room".
Any good natured banter dropped away as the agents prepared themselves for the next in the parade of horrors they faced daily. Entering the conference room Elle saw Communications Liaison Jennifer Jareau, aka JJ, waiting next to the monitor ready to present. It looked like they were all accounted for except... "Where's Gideon?" asked Reid.
JJ was clearing her throat to answer when Hotch came up behind them. " Gideon decided to sit this one out" he answered. Ignoring the "drop-it" look Hotch was giving him Reid continued to press. "But why would he?".
"Reid we can talk about it later." Hotch interrupted, "Right now we need to focus on the case.". That was the end of it. "Take it away JJ".
JJ pressed a button on the remote she carried and in an instant images of a quiet little town filled the screen. "This is Camden, a small town in Maine. Population just under 5000. Last night the Bureau received a call from Camden PD asking for BAU assistance after discovering a hotel room that may have been the scene of a horrific murder."
Hotch quickly interrupted, "May have?"
"Yes, may have" JJ continued the briefing. "When locals arrived on the scene they found blood but no body."
Morgan settled back in his chair with his arms crossed, an annoyed look on his face. "Why is this a BAU case?"
"I was just getting to that" JJ snapped at him. She was slightly annoyed by all the interruptions. "This is a BAU case because the first officer on scene found this" JJ pressed a button on the remote again and suddenly a horrific image filled the screen, one that made even the seasoned profilers gasp.
On the screen in front of them there was blood. Just blood, everywhere. It seemed like someone had gone to great lengths to paint the hotel room red with blood. Ceiling, floor, wall, everything was covered. The rest of the team, all 4 profilers in the room at that moment, just sat staring at the blood.
"Without knowing the exact dimensions of the room its hard to know for sure but given that an adult male body contains an average of 5 - 6 quartzs of blood the probabilities say we are looking at the entire volume from at least 6 people, maybe more." Reid spouted.
It was JJ who dared to ask the question that was on the everyone's mind. "How many more?" Reid shot her a piercing stare before simply replying "A lot more".
The room fell silent as the team digested what Reid had just said. Elle shifted uncomfortably in her seat while Reid fidgeted with his pen. It was finally Morgan who broke the silence. "How do we know he hasn't just been drawing the blood of one individual repeatedly over time?"
It was Agent Hotchner who answered before Reid got the chance. "Blood types", he told them while flipping through the file. "The preliminary blood work on scene has identified 3 different blood types so far, meaning at least 3 different contributors. At least 3 potential victims."
"Besides", Elle broke in, "You don't paint a hotel room red with blood unless you are sending a message. The only question now is what exactly is that message."
"Here I am" suggested Reid, "Catch me if you can".
The profilers glanced around the room, gauging each others' reactions before Hotch announced their imminent departure. "It seems like we're going to Maine then. Wheels up in 30".
I wanted to have more written before I put it up but I wanted to see what people thought so please review.