Resurrection Day Chapter 7

The cold night air sent shivers through his weakened body as he lay on the concrete.  The bright red neon light made him squint as he looked around for someone to help him.  There was always people coming and going from the ER but not tonight it was almost like a ghost town.  He had no choice but to close his eyes and wait; Anderson had dragged him from the basement and then drove to the hospital with him in the back seat of his car.  He had to give it to the man, he’d planned every thing perfectly, Neil Butcher, one of the last victim’s wallet was shoved in Morgan’s pant pocket before he sped out of the parking lot out of sight.

Anderson was elated he had beaten the great invincible agent Derek Morgan and he was close to beating them all.  He was giddy as he sped through the city; they’d underestimated him only seeing him when they needed some menial task done otherwise he was invisible.

Home of Derek Morgan –

The team stood outside far from the ongoing investigation of the local police department.  The forensics team was busy combing every inch of the home that Derek had owned and occupied for the last eight years.  The Bureau chief had already sent word by the detective in charge that they were to stay away from the case.  So, they watched from the sidewalk as officers moved in and out of the house.

“So what are we going to do?”  Reid said breaking the silence.

“What can we do? We’ve been ordered to stay off the case.” Hotch added irritated.

“These guys don’t care about finding Morgan, we can’t just stand around! I don’t give a rat’s ass what the bureau chief says!” Rossi yelled.

Hotch had no intentions on standing around but he knew they had to be careful and their next move had to be the right one or they’d all be looking for work and Morgan would be dead.

“Hotch, you were a victim of the Reaper’s you know him better than anyone else.”  JJ began.  “What’s his next move?”

“Anderson has gone through great lengths to copy the Reaper’s M.O. but he doesn’t have the skills or the resources the Reaper had.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he knows he can’t use the FBI resources or he’ll be caught. His computer skills are limited at best, so being able to move around without being found like the Reaper is out of the question.”

“Okay, so…” Rossi started.

“As much as he wants to be like the Reaper, he wants to stand out on his own too.”

“So what are you saying?”

“He’s not going to take the time the Reaper took to torment us he’s looking to go out quickly and with a bang.”

“So do you think he’s already killed Morgan?”

“No not yet but he’s running out of time.”

Hotch quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Garcia.

“Hotch! Please tell me you found him!”

“No Garcia, I’m sorry we didn’t.”

He could hear her voice hitch on the other end. She was trying so hard not to let him hear her crying but he heard that too.

“Garcia, I need you to call all the local hospitals; start with the closest ones to Morgan’s home and work your way out.  He didn’t have a lot of time so he has to be close.”

“O-Okay…I’m on it!”

“…And Garcia…”

“Yes, Hotch?”

“Hurry!”

Potomac General Hospital –

It had been an unusually quiet evening, which was very seldom the case in the Emergency Room.  All Carlos wanted was a cigarette and a few moments of piece away from his fellow nurses.  That was the bad thing about slow nights it gave the others too much time to talk about boyfriends, babies and bills.  He had no use for any of it and he’d had his fill.  The cool air felt like heaven and the first drag on the long brown cigarette between lips almost made him giddy.

Then he saw him laying on the ground near the flagpole on the edge of the handicap parking spaces.  If it weren’t for the fact that he’d moved into the light he wouldn’t have seen him at all.  Carlos dropped the lit cigarette on the ground and rushed over to the form hoping it was just some drunk who’d managed to find his way from the nearby alley across the street…as he got closer he knew it was much more than that.

“Hold on! You’re going to be okay!”

Carlos placed his hand slowly on the man’s shoulder to keep him from moving.

“Help me!”

His voice was barely audible.  Carlos noticed the blood…so much blood the man’s shirt was drenched and the ground around him was wet with his blood.

“Don’t move, okay, don’t move! I’m going to get help!”

The team was headed back to the office when Hotch’s phone rang.

“What did you find, Garcia?”

“I may have something! No one by the name of Derek Morgan has been admitted to any hospitals within a hundred miles but there was a man who was just admitted to the ER at Potomac General that fits Morgan’s description but his I.D. says, ‘Neil Butcher’.”

“Neil Butcher?” Reid shouted.

“Yes, why?”

“That’s the name of our last victim.”

“Thanks Garcia!”

Hotch quickly turned the SUV around and sped off in the opposite direction toward Potomac General Hospital.

BAU Headquarters, Quantico, VA –

Garcia began shutting down her computers there was no way in hell she was going to sit here waiting to hear news on Morgan.  She needed to be there.  Her hands shook as she moved around the room on autopilot.  He had to be okay she had to be able to yell at him about getting himself hurt and making her worry and…

She was pulled from her frantic activity by a light knock on the door.  She didn’t have time for visits she kept working to power down her equipment but the knock sounded again except this time it was louder. 

“Come In!” She shouted.

She didn’t turn around as the door opened throwing things into her large bag and folding up her laptop.

“I’m sorry but I really don’t have time to chat! I have to leave…”

“Hello, Penelope.”

The familiar voice stilled her busy flutter turning to meet the wide grin of the last person she ever expected to see.

“Miss me?”