"Hey, where's Hotch?" Emily asks as she walks into the round table room.
"Budget meeting." JJ informs.
"Maybe he'll get us a raise." Derek says.
"They're cutting, not raising. I just hope they don't take the coffee." Rossi says.
"I'd quit." Spencer states making Bedelia quietly laugh.
"Oh, yeah. That'll save 'em, like, 50 bucks a week." Rossi jokes.
"He'll meet us on the plane." JJ says.
"Where are we going?" Emily asks.
"Last night, three decapitated heads were found in front of a sheriff's station in the small border town of Terlingua, Texas." JJ says.
"Three victims at once?" Rossi asks.
"Actually, they appear to be in different stages of decomposition." Spencer says.
"M.E. confirmed that one of the heads is a day or so old." JJ says. "The other two appear to have died a few months ago, but the wound edges suggest that they were decapitated recently."
"Dirt in their mouth, ears, and nose. At some point, these two heads were buried." Spencer says.
"And then dug up." Derek says.
"Okay, so why the sudden need to display them?" Emily asks.
"The need may not be so sudden." Penelope says, walking in. "Mexico, in 2009 alone, 10 heads in coolers, and the people belonging to these heads were killed just hours before they were found. Result of a battle between feuding drug cartels."
"DEA's not interested?" Derek asks.
"They asked us to take a look at it." JJ says. "Considering the different decomposition, this might not even be about drugs."
"Then what do we have?" Rossi asks.
"Well, the victims are two males, one female, so no gender preference." Emily says. "Staging the heads in front of a sheriff's station -- that's aggressive."
"All three victims are Hispanic." Derek says.
"And unidentified." JJ adds. "Terlingua has a large illegal population. It's made I.D.ing the victims that much harder."
"He might be trying to make some type of political statement." Derek says. "Volunteer border patrols do a lot of personal policing down there."
"Groups like the Minutemen prize law and order above everything else." Rossi says. "And those patrols serve their political agenda. Murder would be bad for their image."
"Staging the heads in front of a police station suggests that the unsub might be local." Emily says. "He'd have to have common knowledge about how to do something like that without being seen. So what we have is hundreds of miles of unincorporated desert and an endless supply of anonymous victims crossing the border every day."
"It's a serial killer's perfect storm." Derek says.
+++
"Explain this to me." Rossi says. "The unsub hunts along the U.S.-Mexico border. How big is that area?"
"Over 5,000 square miles of desert." Spencer answers.
"He could have gone undetected for years." Rossi says.
"So why announce himself?" Emily wonders.
"Something happened recently." Hotch says.
"What do we know about crime in Terlingua?" Rossi asks.
"It's a stop-over town. Immigrants stay only 24 hours before moving on, but that also makes them narco-trafficking hubs. Outside of immigration violations, most of the arrests are drug related." JJ says.
"That, my pretties, is an understatement." Penelope says. "Anyone familiar with the Lugo cartel out of Baja California? Their greatest hits -- the pun being inescapable -- include multiple brutal murders along with importing and distributing nearly two tons of cocaine and copious amounts of heroin between 1990 and 2009."
"Now, if we get in our BAU time machine, flash forward to now, a super cheap, highly addictive, and totally impure form of black tar heroin just showed up on the streets of Terlingua. And the DEA thinks the Lugo Cartel is directly responsible."
"So they're expanding their operation." Emily says.
"Which is often announced by a wave of violence." Derek says while he deals with a MP-5.
"The Lugo Cartel killed 2 DEA agents last year." Hotch says.
"We're going to need to watch our backs. To cartels, feds are fair game." Derek says. "There's even usually a bounty, so... we're going to bring in the toys."
"Be careful with those. I don't need broken MP-5s on our budget." Hotch warns.
"Guys, here's the thing. I don't think I technically have authorization to carry a weapon like that." Spencer says.
"You don't." Derek and Hotch state in unison.
"You know, we're going to have a victim pool that is extremely hesitant to talk to us." Emily says.
"Prentiss, you and Morgan start with the migrant community, see what inroads you can make. Stress that we're only there to catch a killer." Hotch says. "Rossi, Reid, Davis, the M.E. is waiting to show you the heads."
"Maybe they can tell us something." Rossi says.
+++
"Even if we could find a safe house, you really think someone who just crossed is gonna talk to us?" Sheriff Ruiz asks.
"Well, there's a good chance that last night's victim didn't cross alone." Hotch says. "Someone may be missing him."
"If last night's illegals are still at safe houses, we can find the route they used and we'll know the unsub's hunting grounds." Spencer says.
"The whole point of a safe house is it's a secret." Ruiz says. "If I could find them, I'd shut them down."
"All right, if it's a first stop, we should start with homes that are closest to the border." Hotch says.
"I could pull land deeds. Might take a while." Ruiz says as Hotch puts his phone on the table, it on speaker.
"We've got something faster." Rossi says.
"Garcia." Hotch calls.
"Sir." She replies.
"We're looking for illegal immigrant safe houses in Terlingua." Hotch says.
"Mm-hmm. What are the parameters?" She asks.
"Start with homeowners and renters with criminal records."
"Uh-huh. That's a start. Give me more."
"Morgan said they're always moving. Look for homes with short term leases." Rossi says.
"And spikes in utilities." Spencer adds. "If they're housing illegals, there'll be a higher usage of power and water."
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh." Penelope says. "I'm crossing with all Texas utility companies." She says. "And I have 3. And I just sent the addresses to your phones."
"Thanks, Garcia." Hotch says, hanging up.
"If you're looking for a gift to get me, one of her would be greatly appreciated." Ruiz says.
We're pretty sure they broke the mold." Rossi says.
+++
It's the next day and the team get to the station.
"Where are all the deputies?" Rossi asks.
"Maybe they found another head." Spencer suggests.
"No, the sheriff would have contacted us." Hotch says. "Have you heard from her this morning?" He asks JJ.
"No, sir, I wasn't expecting to, though." She says.
"JJ, come with me." Hotch says, the two going into the station.
+++
They get to where Boyd found the sheriff's body. Derek, Hotch, and Rossi go over while Spencer, Bedelia, and Emily inspect her car.
"Is it her?" Spencer asks.
"What's left of her." Rossi says.
"Is there anything in the car?" Hotch asks.
"Nothing that would indicate where she was headed last night." Emily says. "There's no books, no log."
"Her body is mutilated in exactly the way that Omar Morales, the drug trafficker, said he would mutilate a body." Hotch says.
"We did profile the unsub would be someone close to the investigation." Spencer says.
"But only Ruiz and I heard him say it." Hotch says.
"So Omar looks good for this?" Rossi asks.
"Except why would he kill the one person in town who didn't think he was the unsub?" Hotch questions.
"Garcia says there's no activity on the sheriff's cell past 9 P.M." JJ says, walking over.
"Does anybody remember who was at the station last night when we arrived?" Hotch asks.
"The station?" JJ asks.
"The sheriff's body was mutilated exactly the way the drug trafficker said he would do it." Emily says.
"Oh no, all of it? The tongue, too?" JJ asks.
"You heard that?" Hotch asks.
"Yeah. I was at the window when you were talking to him." JJ says. "There was a speaker on the wall."
"Was anybody else there?" Spencer asks.
"Yeah, Deputy Boyd." JJ says.
"Deputy Gannon, where's Deputy Boyd?" Hotch asks.
"Him and Gentry went to pick him up." Gannon answers.
"Pick up who?" Hotch asks.
"Omar Morales." Gannon says.
+++
They're on the way to where Gentry and Boyd went to get Omar.
"Gentry. Gentry, this is Agent Prentiss. If he's near you, please don't say anything. We think the unsub may be Deputy Boyd." She tells him. "Gentry, are you there?"
+++
They got to where Omar is only to find him, Gentry, and two other guys dead.
"We profiled him as a hunter." Emily says.
"Well, now he's the hunted." Rossi says.
"He'll go someplace he feels safe." Derek says.
"Someplace he knows he can control." Spencer says.
"Home?" Rossi asks.
"No, I think a preplanned location." Hotch says.
"Sir, I've got him. He's heading northbound." Penelope says.
"Interstate?" Derek asks.
"No, he is not on a road at all. He's driving through the desert." Penelope states.
"Keep tracking him, Garcia." Hotch tells her.
"He's running." JJ says.
"Not home for sure." Gannon says. "He lives in a trailer out west of town."
"So where's he running to?" Rossi questions.
"Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, Davis -- deputy, you take them to his house, see what you can find." Hotch instructs. "I need your radio." He tells Gannon who gives him the radio.
+++
They get to the trailer and Derek opens the door, walking in first. When Bedelia walks in, she immediately recoils.
"Ugh!" She exclaims, covering her nose and mouth with her hand.
"Oh, God." Emily coughs.
"Well, we're definitely in the right place." Derek says.
"Just breathe through your nose like normal. Smell is the weakest sense. In a few more minutes, you won't even notice it." Spencer says.
"What about the taste?" Emily asks.
"I think that's in your head." Spencer says.
"All right, spread out. Let's find out where this guy's headed here." Derek says.
~ ~ ~
"Oh, God." Bedelia hears Emily say. "I found where the source of that smell is coming from."
"I don't wanna know." Bedelia says, continuing to look ROUND THE KITCHEN WHILE dEREK GOES TO eMILY.
"Well, this is where he decapitated them." Derek says.
"Guys, come look at this." Spencer calls. He grabs Bedelia's arm, dragging her over to him.
"I'm ready for that smell weakness to kick in anytime, Reid." Emily says.
"Yeah, so am I." Bedelia says.
Derek and Emily walk down the hall and to them.
"Listen. "Golden Harvest Grain and Feed suffered another setback today in a ruling over the death of foreman Fred Boyd."" Spencer reads one of the newspaper clippings.
""Boyd survived by his son Ronald."" Derek reads.
"Didn't the last victim's child say that he saw the sun when he crossed?" Spencer asks, pointing to the sun that's painted on the doors of Golden Harvest.
"Yeah." Emily nods.
"Golden Harvest, that's out north of town." Gannon says.
+++
"Hotch, there's an old grain and feed barn north of town called Golden Harvest." Emily says as she, Derek, Bedelia, and Gannon walk out of the trailer. "Boyd's father was killed there. Garcia's searching for an exact address right now." She says as she, Bedelia, and Derek walk over to where Spencer is standing.
"Okay, right. We'll see you there." Emily hangs up.
"His victims." Spencer nods, the three turning to find the patches of dirt for where Boyd buried the victims.
"Reid, I want you to stay with the crime scene, all right?" Derek tells him and he nods.
"I'll call the state and local bureau officers. They'll be here as soon as they can." Emily says.
~ ~ ~
Emily is driving and Derek is in the passenger seat, holding the MP-5 while Bedelia is in the backseat. Emily speeds up to Golden Harvest and Hotch and Rossi are hiding behind a machine while having a shoot out with Boyd.
Boyd rides out on an ATV, still shooting.
"Prentiss, look out!" Derek calls.
"I got him, I got him." Emily says. Boyd shoots at them making Bedelia duck behind Derek's seat, covering her head.
Derek starts shooting the gun through the windshield. Bedelia groans at the loud noise and covers her ears. Derek continues to shoot until Boyd falls off the ATV and Emily stops the car.
Derek gets out, still aiming his gun at where Boyd is lying down, just in case.
"You all right?" Hotch asks, him and Rossi also aiming their guns at Boyd.
"Yeah!" Derek answers.
"No!" Bedelia and Emily both answer as they get out of the car.
"Are you out of your mind?" Emily asks Derek. "You blew out my eardrum."
"What did you want me to do? He was coming right at us." Derek says.
"I told you I had him." Emily says.
"He was shooting at us, Emily." Derek says.
"Well, you could have given me a heads up." Emily says.
"Yeah." Bedelia agrees.
"The loaded up MP-5 and the lunatic shooting at us wasn't enough? Come on." Derek says.
Bedelia smacks him over the head.
+++
"The state's sending out a crime scene team." Hotch says.
"It's going to be hard to identify the bodies without missing persons reports." Rossi says.
"I called that advocate, Richard Corral. He's contacting families with missing relatives. He's gonna try and get some DNA." Emily says.
"That'll help." Hotch says.
"This is a mess." Derek says.
"It would have been a bigger mess without Sheriff Ruiz. And it would still be happening." Hotch says.
"Did she have any family?" Emily asks.
"I already have Garcia checking into it." JJ says.
"I'm going to call Brooklyn homicide, talk to some of the guys I know there. They'll honor her shield." Hotch says.
"That's good. An ex-NYPD detective would like that." Derek says.
"Let's go home." Hotch says.