JJ pondered, "So Barnes' first four victims weren't tortured?"
"No," Reed shook his head. "He was a typical power-reassurance rapist. According to the first four victims' testimonies, during the assaults, he only asked questions like, 'Does it feel good?' and 'Is it big enough?'"
"So you're guessing there's another killer?" Jack began to understand. This is how most cases are typically solved.
Multiple leads are pursued simultaneously, corroborating each other during the investigation process. It's like that movie, "The Wandering Earth" from the past life, where with ample manpower and resources, saturation rescue is the way to go.
Case solving is the same. The BAU team has abundant resources. Jack even dared to guess that even if they and Reed's team had no progress, the crime lab would yield results; they just needed time.
However, this would likely mean an increase in the number of victims.
Reed, unaware of Jack's thoughts, continued to explain their earlier findings.
"Garcia found the name Floyd Henson, the owner of the mountaintop cabins, in Barnes' rape case files. He was also a suspect at the time."
"Then we discovered that his biological mother died of alcoholism when he was two, and his father married a sex worker who died six months ago. Floyd Henson inherited this motel."
Chief Brunner, standing nearby, was amazed at how the BAU's psychological profile of the suspect matched reality, his admiration and excitement palpable.
JJ nodded, running through all the clues in her mind before speaking again.
"The timeline matches perfectly. Released from prison a year ago, behaved for a few months, then his inner beast couldn't be contained, raped and killed a woman, and cleverly found a scapegoat to evade justice."
"After his father's death, he acquired a hidden crime scene, gained absolute control, and could leisurely select his victims."
"Alright, let's see what the officers have found. Hopefully, the evidence here is sufficient."
Rossi, seeing Hotchner and Emily just arriving, walked over to greet them.
His face didn't look good, obviously from the sleepless night. The old guy, in his 60s, still working so hard despite his wealth, clearly had a special reason.
Jack often saw him holding a string of beads deep in thought, guessing it might be related to some unsolved case, likely a driving force behind his push to form this task force.
Officers found a wealth of evidence in Floyd Henson's room and the secret room at the back—victims' underwear, assault videos, some valuables, etc.
To avoid arousing suspicion, Floyd Henson hadn't installed hidden cameras in the specially modified cabin because he had a better option.
After subduing the victims, he would tie the husbands to a chair fixed to the floor, facing the bed where he assaulted the female victims.
He placed a tripod and camera to capture both the chair and the bed, making it clear that watching the husbands' expressions of utter despair was one of Henson's perverted pleasures.
"I'm definitely putting roadside motels on my never-do list." Emily looked nauseated after watching a few tapes.
Seeing Reed's confused look, Emily raised an eyebrow and added, "A list of things I'll never do in my life?"
"There's such a list?" Reed asked, seemingly hearing about it for the first time.
"Don't you have one?" Jack elbowed him, and Rossi chuckled nearby.
"Remember to give me your hidden recorders. I need to organize the recordings as evidence." Reed earnestly told Jack and JJ, unaware he was being teased.
"By the way, Dr. Reed, I need to discuss something with you. Garcia contributed the most this time. I want to make some panda-shaped puddings for her. Since you also contributed a lot, would milk chocolate mousse suit your taste?" Jack draped an arm over Reed's shoulder, leading him aside, seriously discussing what seemed like an important matter.
Emily walked over to JJ, giving her a secretive look, and the two women began chatting softly.
Rossi, smiling at these energetic young people, seemed to shed much of his fatigue.
"The scenery here is actually quite beautiful, isn't it?" Hotchner joined Rossi, standing side by side.
Rossi nodded. "I hope it stays this beautiful."
"You assigned Jack the most likely location because you thought he could handle the suspect easily? You know I also spent time in SWAT."
Hotchner's tone was calm, as if stating something unrelated to him.
"You didn't oppose it at the time, did you?" Rossi smiled, as if he had predicted Hotchner would figure it out.
Indeed, the last trace of resentment on Hotchner's face faded, replaced by a self-deprecating expression.
"He made me believe him at that moment, saying he needed just a second. The moment I fired, I regretted it, thinking I was dead for sure."
"But then... I don't know how he did it. He just stood up easily, casually like he was target shooting, almost without aiming."
"He shot a bullet into a 10-inch observation window from 40 yards away, then picked up his coffee and took another sip like it was nothing."
"I admit, I was jealous. Even in my youth, I couldn't do what he did."
Hotchner confessed to Rossi with a bitter smile.
"Welcome back to being human, Hotch." Rossi's smile widened.
"They're all excellent young people, not just Jack and Reed. Emily and JJ are equally outstanding, and there may be even better young people joining in the future."
"I chose you to lead this team, hoping you can help create a space where they can fully utilize their talents, free from political manipulation and bureaucratic red tape."
This conversation between Rossi and Hotchner was just for them. The young people they mentioned were unaware, each lost in their thoughts.
After finishing the case, they had a good night's rest in Nevada before driving back to Los Angeles. There was still a lot of work to do, from a mountain of paperwork to potentially years-long court proceedings.
As the team solved more cases, their daily workload was bound to increase.
Regarding JJ's name, some readers find it awkward to change it to JJ, but we can't use JJ anymore; otherwise, I'd constantly have to request unblocking. Please decide between Jennifer and JJ, and feel free to leave your suggestions.
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Read Ahead
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