Chapter 396: Arrogance, or Something Else? (Bonus Chapter 1)

Rossi looked somewhat helpless. "Alright, I'll find time to talk to her. Honestly, she reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger—ambitious, eager to make a name for herself, willing to do anything."

This time, Jack didn't mince words, "It's not the same. Some people are just blinded by the immediate rewards, while others… it's like they're being played by fate, mere pawns on a chessboard."

"Jeje didn't tell you, did she? Yesterday, she went to Moss's office and saw that she was already coming up with names for our suspect. Stuff like 'The Electrocution Killer,' 'The High Voltage Murderer,' or 'The Shock Treatment Executioner.' Did you do this kind of thing when you were younger? And do you think the media already knows something?"

Rossi's eyes widened in shock. "Jack, what are you implying?"

Jack shook his head, his voice steady. "I'm not implying anything. But if you keep letting Agent Moss run wild, she's going to cause trouble for herself—and for all of us."

"She's using you, Rossi. She's using the BAU."

Jack hadn't watched much of Criminal Minds, but it was clear that every member of the BAU had been affected in some way by staring into the abyss. That was a certainty.

That's why Jack had always tried to influence the team in his own way. Besides easing the tension with good food, he did everything he could to ensure the team stayed low-key, avoiding unnecessary attention.

According to his previous agreement with Rossi, any cases the BAU participated in would never be credited to the unit itself, only under the FBI's general identity. None of them, including Jeje, who handled public relations, ever appeared in the public eye.

This world was full of twisted individuals. Who knew when some fame-seeking psychopath, or someone who saw the BAU as a challenge, might emerge?

There's no such thing as a foolproof plan, and Jack didn't want a moment of carelessness to result in irreversible harm to those around him.

The role of a cursed lone wolf didn't suit him, and he didn't want his dear friends to become people like that.

Once they returned to Denver, Garcia had already organized the information on the three newly discovered female victims and sent it to Jeje.

The two evidence boards in the conference room were now filled, and Reid wheeled in two more, pinning up a map on one of them.

"Any insights from your map markers?" Jack handed Reid a cup of milk tea they had picked up along the way. Sometimes, sugar worked better than caffeine to stimulate the brain.

Reid shook his head. "The proximity principle tells us that killers usually don't go too far to abduct their victims. But this guy's different. The locations where he kidnapped them are spread across the entire state of Colorado, and the dump sites are even more scattered."

"I haven't found a clear pattern yet. The only significant location is the basement you visited, which suggests that after years of evading capture, he started targeting closer to home."

Jack, thinking about the long drive, smiled wryly. "If that's what he calls 'close,' then yeah, it's pretty close."

"The task force is now established. Let's review the victims' profiles so we can start a preliminary profile of the suspect," Hotchner called everyone together.

Reid pointed at the victims' photos on the evidence board as he spoke, "We've identified four victims so far, all Caucasian women, aged 30 to 40, well-educated, upper-middle-class professionals, and physically attractive."

"Have we determined the killer's cycle?" Jill Moss asked.

Emily nodded. "The gap between the first and second victims was a year. The third was ten months later, and the fourth came after seven months. The pace is speeding up, just like with most serial killers, where the cool-down period shortens after each kill."

"So, there are likely more bodies between these three victims and the real estate agent who was killed five years ago?" Jill Moss's eyes gleamed with a strange light.

"My estimate is at least 20 more," Reid answered.

"Then why did he stop five years ago?" Moss asked, confused.

Rossi, with a dark expression, shook his head. "There's no evidence that he ever stopped. It's more likely we just haven't found the bodies."

"Let's hope he stopped for some other reason, like being imprisoned for something else. That could explain why he fell behind on his warehouse payments. Otherwise..." Jack trailed off, looking at Reid.

"Remember that crematorium blueprint you found?"

Jack's words sent a chill through the room. If Reid estimated that there were at least 20 victims five years ago, how many could there be now? It was a chilling thought.

"Well done, everyone. Let me know if there's anything new," Jill Moss said before strutting away, her heels clicking loudly as she left the room.

"What's her deal? She does realize we don't work for her, right?" Emily almost exploded at Moss's behavior.

"Don't worry about her. The task force is about to gather for the briefing," Hotchner said, his face unreadable, while Rossi looked concerned.

Jack watched Moss leave, recalling her appearance and attire today. A thought occurred to him, and he walked over to Jeje, whispering a few words in her ear. Jeje nodded, grabbed a stack of papers, and followed after Moss.

Soon after, the conference room was packed with FBI agents from the local office and several surrounding states. The BAU team stood behind Hotchner, who had been entrusted with presenting all the information they had gathered.

"We currently have four victims," Hotchner began, "and the next step is to visit their families and friends. Since this investigation is limited to the FBI for now, we've brought all of you here instead of involving local law enforcement."

"The suspect is a white male, likely in his 40s, with a profession related to electrical work, possibly an electrician or power engineer."

"His job allows him access to the victims' homes or offices, giving him the opportunity to observe his targets at leisure."

"His targets are professional women, strong and independent, women who, in his eyes, are proud and unreachable. He captures them, strips away their façade of strength, tortures them, and forces them to crawl at his feet, begging in pain as they become objects for his twisted desires."

"We categorize this type as an 'anger-excitation' killer—a true sadist. The victims' suffering is his source of pleasure. His preferred method of torture is electrocution. Dr. Reid's handwriting analysis shows that the suspect becomes especially excited when describing this form of torture."

The chilling implications of Hotchner's words filled the room with a heavy silence.

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