Wicked Game

Note: All conversations through phone or computer are italicized.

Chapter 1

Hotchner drives into the office listening to an old song he always liked.

Chris Isaak, Wicked game:

The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you

It's strange what desire will make foolish people do

I never dreamed that I'd need somebody like you...

Hotch stays in his car to listen to the end of the song before getting out and heading inside to work. He greets people as he makes his way to his office. J.J. runs into him on the way.

"Hey Hotch. There is an agent Rios in your office waiting for you."

"Thanks J.J. Any news more on the Kendal case?"

"They think they wrapped it up and won't be needing our input after all."

"Good. I will see you later."

He enters his office and sees his old friend. "Rios, how are you? How is the field office in Georgia?"

"Good, good Hoch. I am so sorry I have not been in contact for a few years, you know how life tends to get away from us when it comes to time. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was to hear about your wife and now I'm coming up here to get some input from you."

"What is the problem?"

"We got a case of an abducted woman 6 months ago. The woman is wealthy 61 years old and just disappeared from a high end store in a mall in Atlanta. Her driver was waiting for her and she never showed up."

"Ransom demands?"

"None. No credit used no suspicious lovers or ex-husbands and no trouble with money."

"No reason for making herself disappear and no bitter rivalry with children or grandchildren?"

"No."

"I don't know how much help we can be without a body."

"That is just it, we just heard the discovery of two bodies, one in Florida and one in Georgia. Ours was found in Florida and we just found another missing woman from Florida in Georgia."

"Body dumps, and you think they are connected?"

"Yes, ours was missing exactly 6 months before the woman from Florida. Both woman were held somewhere and well taken care of until their deaths. They were sexually assaulted and strangled by their captor."

"So, you believe there may be a serial killer on the loose and we need to profile the killer. Any DNA found on the bodies?"

"No, they were cleaned and here are the photos. Neither women had issues with their husbands or any lovers."

Hotch takes the files and opens. "Attack from their own peer group and men their own age seems unlikely."

"Yes, we already checked into all known associates and these women were wealthy. They did not spend much time beyond luxury vacations and clubs. Neither had any political affiliations, and were born into their wealthy lifestyles and married accordingly."

"They seem placed almost lovingly. Well dressed and wrapped from the elements in blankets to protect them. This is an act of love. Whoever took these women, fancied himself in love with them. We need to determine how long he kept them, well cared for and alive, before the assault and murder."

"Are you thinking Psycho? A little Anthony Perkins?"

"Perhaps, but there is a sexual element here. This is not just pleasing the mother figure or desire for acceptance. This goes beyond that. Perhaps anililagnia, an attraction or sexual desire for woman older than him."

"I take it you are interested."

"I will take this to my team and we will go over any other missing persons cases that are similar. Thanks for bringing this to me Rios. Are you staying in town tonight?"

"No I am afraid I have to get back. I will get the place ready for you in case you want to come see the scene."

"Thank you and I will be in touch."

The two men shake hands and Rios heads out the door. Hotch gathers the files and sends a message to Garcia to have everyone assemble.

"Ok people, this case has been brought to my attention and our ideas are wanted for a friend of mine, agent Rios from the Atlanta branch. Garcia."

"Yes, well I did a search into the ladies background. Here are the ladies in question. Number one is Janice Field and number two Mary Jones, both these lovely ladies are in their early sixties but you could barely tell that from looking at them. Both had plastic surgery and look no older than 50. Both love gardening and are very well off."

Rossi speaks up next. "So wealth is the attractor, but no ransom was demanded. Garcia do you have any video of the women. I would be interested in seeing their personal behaviour… speech patterns attitudes, how they act around others."

"Rossi are you trying to determine if they are arrogant or bitchy women?" J.J. asks.

"No, but their nature if similar, that is the attractor. One of these women is fit, dark haired and the other is grey and softer in features. I'm not being sexist I just want to know if they act similar or have other similar interests."

"There is something to be said for men that are attracted to powerful women. Garcia one of those photos shows the second victim is in a business suit. If we are dealing with an unsub with perhaps a case of anililagnia, an attraction or sexual desire for older woman. He may also like dominating and powerful women" Reid explains.

"I agree with Reid and Garcia if you can find video of our two victims that would be helpful. Rossi is right, the powerful well to do woman may be the motivator for this unsub. Morgan can you go over the forensic reports with Reid and try to determine how long these women were held before assaulted, killed and dumped. J.J. can you and Garcia see if there are any other missing persons reports that are similar."

The team dispersed for a few hours to continue their research.

Garcia squeals excitedly. "Oh, oh my. I think I found one J.J. and she is local. Baltimore area a woman disappeared two years ago. No body found and her husband was a suspect but died of cancer within a year of her disappearance."

"I will send the message out to the rest and meet in ten."

"Okidoki my dear, I will meet you there. I am just looking into something else."

The rest of the team enters the meeting room as Penelope rushes in and clicks the screen.

"OK, I found something interesting ladies and gentleman. There may have been a kidnapping of a mature woman in Arlington an hour ago from a luxury hotel."

"Do we have any images of the woman Garcia?" Morgan asks.

"Ask and you shall receive." A poor security image of a petite older woman at the front desk in a dark coloured suit with short white hair appears.

Rossi speaks up. "This woman is in a position of power. Her suit is impeccable and her expression from what I can make out is serious. She is not here for vacation. Who are the men behind her, they look like bodyguards and tightly wound by the way they stand."

"I agree, but the footage is being disrupted for some reason. It is not a very clear image of anyone of them. What is wrong with their security feed?" Hotch says, "Garcia what is the information on this woman."

"Well that is the weird thing. I can't get any information. The feed is good earlier that day but something was interrupting things around that time of the day."

"What do you mean can't? Surely a police report was filed?" Reid asks.

"No none. This hit an alert for a period of roughly 4 minutes and 54 seconds on the FBI feed starting at 7:53. Then it mysteriously disappeared."

Morgan frowns. "How is that possible?"

Hotch looks at them all. "I don't know but let's move back to the victims that we do know about first. I will place a call while you brief them on the Baltimore victim, Angela Smith."

Garcia brings up another image of a well dressed woman around 60. "Angela Smith is the heiress to a grocery store chain and disappeared two years ago. Her body was never discovered. She has a sister, also wealthy and recently widowed nearby by the name of Laurel Dunn. She was interviewed along with one of her sons, a Max Dunn who is a lawyer, about the family tragedy."

"Disgruntled heirs?" Rossi asks.

"Not apparently from what I see in the interview." J.J answers.

"I think it is becoming more and more likely that this is a case of anililagnia if these cases are at all connected." Reid adds.

Hotch sighs and looks at the clock. "Tomorrow we will begin again. J.J., Morgan I would like you to go and interview the sister if possible, tomorrow morning before you come in. Reid, you and Garcia look into the mystery of the missing FBI report and check all other channels, CIA, homeland and local police reports. There has to be one somewhere. It has been a long day, tomorrow we will start at it again."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They all leave to go home but Penelope and Reid who cannot resist a mystery stay later to dig deeper.

Garcia taps away at her keyboard. "Wait...wait...I've got something, a doorman at the hotel. He was the one that called 911. I have the recording but there were no cars sent, no record of police involvement. This is very strange. How could that be?"

Reid looks at her computer as the sound of the 911 call echoes in the room.

911- what is the nature of your emergency?

A lady has disappeared from the lobby restrooms. The men with her are running through the lobby shouting.

Where are you calling from?

The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon city. She is one of our guests, arrived yesterday.

Do you have any details on the woman.

She is very short...maybe five feet...short white hair...very professionally dressed. I saw her earlier she is very attractive...in her sixties...very blue eyes. The men with her...family I think...but they could be working with her.

We will send units…

"That is where it ends and no cars were sent. The lobby employee's shift ended and he left twenty minutes later and that was that. How is it possible?" Garcia asks.

"I don't know? You will have to find out why the FBI alert was cancelled."

"I am trying and that is the confusing part. It is like it was diverted, expertly from outside the FBI. There is nothing on the line for other agencies. This cannot be involved with the case we are working on, can it?"

"Only if the woman is actually missing, she definitely fits the profile of attractive older woman with the trappings of wealth and power."

"I hope she is alright. We will go and look for her won't we?"

"Yes, but if you want to see if she is back. Tap into their security system and see if you can find her."

Garcia begins her magic and pulls up imagery of the day before. "Look. Here is a better shot of them outside the building, she is with two men. Oh my, the blonde one is gorgeous. He helps her out of the car. The other man has a brief case."

"Look at the way they look for the cameras. She is a very handsome woman. Perhaps the blonde man is her son." Reid says.

"Well they avoid the cameras inside. There are no good images of any of them. Look, what do you make of the body language?"

"I'm not sure. I think perhaps they are lovers. He has a protective posture the other man is close to her also but stiff and more uncomfortable. A person who works for them? Is there any other footage?"

"No. Nowhere. That is weird there is a gap, any and all other images are disrupted or not clear like the ones earlier. I don't know what to think, this is a mystery, but not necessarily the one we are working on. I still need to work on the FBI alert thingamajig. I mean there is no way an alert just disappears. Sure they get cancelled and then that is sent out immediately after, but this, this is just plain weird."

"Perhaps then we should leave it until tomorrow and deal with it fresh in the morning."

Dr. Reid walks Garcia to her car.

"Goodnight Garcia."

"Goodnight my dear."