Written for the "Chess" prompt on a list of 64 random ones I was given.

I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All ideas presented here are my own.

King's pawn to 's pawn to C3.

A classic opening; the young, horribly awkward genius falling under the wing of the scarred, street-smart older man.

Bishop to B4. Knight to F3.

Piece after piece joins the fray, marching across the board one by one to do battle.

King's side castle. Protect the ruler at all costs.

They work case after case, the young man coming to look up to his mentor more and more, respecting the kindness under the gruff exterior.

Knight to D6.

A fork. A favourite tactic, to set up the trap so subtly that they walk right into it, leaving them to choose between two painful options—lose a murderer, or lose a lot of innocent children.

Queen to C5.

The grizzled old lion finally takes the field when his woman is murdered, hunting the man amidst the piles of bodies the killer has left in his wake. The endgame is fast and brutal, one piece falling after another, so few saved while the death toll rises…

Check.

The opponent queen is finally down, and the threatened piece safe… but at what cost?

Things go on for a while before the last straw. Then it all breaks down, the man's beliefs and motivations shattering to dust and leaving a barren desert in their wake.

Mate.

He seals the envelope, knowing all too well what they will feel when the letter is found, but unable to feel any more.

The Nevada road is blessedly silent as it rises up to meet him.