WE FINALLY HAVE A LEAD. After two weeks of working the case with minimal success we finally were able to glean a few reliable tips from the public. It's been odd being in one place for so long. With the first couple cases our part was played and we could hand it over to the local departments within a couple of days. But according to everyone- its actually the opposite. They rarely are done with cases after a few days. Apparently its not unheard of to go an entire month before they are able to be sent back to Washington. Derek says the longest he's been on assignment was twelve weeks- and after that a unspoken cap was founded, if Hotch decides the team has expended all they can and the case still isn't progressing they leave their profiles in local law enforcement hands and maybe they will be asked to come back down the line.

Spencer and I had interviewed Bethany Dovons family, or the only family she had left- her mother and grandfather. I can still hear her mothers distressed sobs as we have to gently relay to her what we found. She hadn't even known her daughter Bethany was missing, she was supposed to be in a two year program to help her take control of her health and life.

'Prosperous Values' is what she called it. Prentiss and Morgan spent the past week researching the facility, interviewing past clients of theirs, gathering their business licenses and even combing through all of their IRS submitted documents- including the audit they received a few years back. It turns out it is a real place. Practically a commune where people pay to get aspects of their life adjusted to be more successful. They are put through an evaluation to expose their inner demons. For instance, if the person has anger issues, they are placed in a unit that has 'councilors' who focus on inner peace and tranquility.

Non of the personnel affiliated with the facility are licensed. When asked the most training they have done is a week long seminar, at the end of which they are given a 'certificate of completion'. Hotch and Rossi attended one a couple days ago, trying to find out about this organization after suspecting they are the link that connects all of the victims. The seminar is basically some religious mumbo-jumbo braided with becoming better sales people.

"Hey, we are matching today." I smile as Spencer comes into the hotels dining room, my conversation with Derek being interrupted as I come to that realization. I tug at my purple jacket to emphasize the point.

Spencer freezes, almost as if he isn't sure I'm speaking to him. But when his eyes scan his identical color purple buttoned shirt, it gives him the reassurance that I meant to talk to him.

"Would you look at that!" Derek stands from the table, shoving a piece of bacon in his mouth. "Pretty Girl and Pretty Boy." He claps Spencer on the shoulder, giving him a teasing smirk.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Spencer says dryly to Derek, rubbing his tired eyes as he moves to get a paper cup filled with terrible hotel coffee to pair with his blueberry muffin. "The color looks better on you. It kind of washes me out." He says quietly, so quietly I almost don't hear him from my seat, and I'm certain Derek didn't hear him as he stalked off to get another helping of breakfast on his plate.

Where exactly? Where exactly does it wash you out? I feel like he's definitely being too modest.

"I like purple on you. It brings out your dark eyes. It doesn't wash you out- who told you that? It's very..." I pause for a moment trying to think of the right word as he pulls out a chair at my table. "Distinguished."

"Actually, purple is notoriously known for symbolizing royalty and power."

"Really?" I already know the symbolism, but his excited facts bring me so much joy. I pop a small piece of fruit in my mouth to try to hide the smile on my face when I see his eyes light up.

Awe.

I know that look. He is going to rant.

"In the eighth century BC the port Tyre was known for manufacturing purple dye. Purple dye was prized for its persistence, because it became brighter with exposure to sunlight and weathering rather than fading like other colors did. To harvest it, dye-makers had to crack open the snail's shell, extract a purple-producing mucus and expose it to sunlight for a precise amount of time. It took as many as two hundred and fifty thousand mollusks to yield just one ounce of usable dye!" His hands gesture wildly as he continues. "It was actually so exceedingly valued and representative that when Roman Emperors adopted a purple tunic as the royal uniform, they forbid their citizens from wearing purple clothing under penalty of death!"

"Well, it looks nice on you." I say with a smile after his spiel slows to a stop. "I forbid whoever said purple 'washes you out' to never wear or even think of wearing the color again- under penalty of death of course."

"Sorry." He takes a drink of his coffee, staring at my nearly untouched plate.

Before I could ask why he is apologizing, JJ and Emily come into the dining hall.

"It's so early!" Emily groans as she sets her plate down, sitting in between Spencer and I. Can't argue with that, it is four thirty in the morning. It's honestly very concerning that the hotel has breakfast ready this early, or maybe it's just for our benefit.

"Hey don't complain, at least we get food this morning." JJ scolds her as she takes a seat too. "What did you get Nicolette?" She dosent even look up as she begins shoving eggs into her mouth.

"Aren't you the profiler?" I tease, giggling at my own joke that no one else thinks is funny. Spencer laughs a little too loudly, but I can tell he's just trying to make me feel better.

"Way too early, Cypher. Tell it again when we get caffeine all the way in us." Emily takes a drink of coffee before biting into her bagel. "Then I can not laugh for a second time."

Ouch. I'm going to make her laugh one of these days, its on my list of 'to do's'. But to be fair that list is only growing longer and longer. "I got waffles, and mixed fruit." I answer JJ. "Oh and tea." We eat, and drink in silence for a few minutes, everyone else to tired to bother making small talk. This case has been difficult on everyone, with so little to go on, it's hard to get an accurate profile. But with this new lead, one can hope we will be back home soon.

"We are expected at the station." Hotch says quickly as he passes our table. His announcement is followed by a loud groan from Emily as we follow after him. Derek and Rossi are already in the drivers seats of the two SUV's, ready to speed us over to the precinct.

When we arrive, we are finally told the new lead we had gotten in the godforsaken hours of the morning. It was an anonymous tip that 'Prosperous Values' outsources many of their paying customers to third party sites due to their bottom line.

"What if their category caused them to be casted out of the facility?" Prentiss muses as the team gathers together in the conference room of the police station. "Something not as easily rectified, or even frowned upon?"

"Could be." Rossi agrees. "Assuming they were all like the two identified victims, overweight, they could have been there to try to fix their relationship with food."

"Or they were there for a different reason, and the unsub thought they were focusing on the wrong issue. Or maybe rivalries formed and they were targeted?" I add. "I don't see much difference between this facility and a cult. Besides the fact people don't actually move in forever."

"Garcia." Hotch puts his phone on speaker so we can all hear our favorite cyber nerd. "Did Bethany Dovon, or Melissa Kahnn have any conflicts with anyone during their stay at Prosperous Values?"

"Checking, checking, checking," Penelope murmurs as she clicks against her keyboard. "Not any that's on record. But I wouldn't put faith in their record keeping, sir. Even for a wellness center they are very red flag-y."

"How so?"

"First, the paperwork on Melissa says she left on her own accord nine months after the pathologist says she was dead." She lets out a small gasp that gets all of our attention. "It says here, Bethany checked out of the place on August fifteenth... the same day she was reported missing."

"Wait." I turn to Spencer who wears the same look of confusion that I am feeling. "Her family didn't know she was missing?"

"So who made that report?" He voiced my thoughts.

"Garcia." Hotch turned to the phone.

"Already on it my pudding-cups. Okay, so it looks like the report was filed under the name- Kinsman Hill." She pauses for a moment, her keyboard never slowing its clicks. "Who happened to be 'councilor' at the one and only 'Prosperous Values' around the same time. And by the way this report is not at all where it should have been filed. Someone tried to bury this- not very well but they definitely tried."

"Morgan, Prentiss, I need you to interview him. Reid and Rossi, go down to Prosperous Values we need a list of their third party recruits and any other information on the victims. Cypher and Jaurue, we are going to deliver the profile." Hotch orders as he hangs up the phone.

Everyone immediately jumps at their task, excited that this small lead may actually turn into something. JJ gathers the officers into the conference room, as Aaron and I see the others off to their assignments.

"Alright everyone, this is what we have gathered on our unknown suspect-" Hotch starts us off once the assigned officers and detectives arrived. He commands the room just like he always does. "We believe this unsub to be a male in his late twenties to mid thirties. He is physically fit, and has the means of keeping someone concealed and confined for an extended period of time."

"We are not talking a few weeks here," JJ projects her voice across the room expertly. "We mean up to a year and a half. Look for those who have access to wearhouses, basements, bunkers, something secluded."

"We don't believe he necessarily 'took' his victims. We believe they went to him willingly, not knowing the danger he presented. He is too smart to just take someone at random, he will have extensive knowledge about each person, and be clever enough to use that knowledge to charm them into a false sense of security." I add, trying and failing to sound as confident as my counterparts.

"He is not a spontaneous killer. He is organizing, and mission oriented. He keeps his victims until they starve to death or until they succumb to complications related to starvation. Before they die we've found he injects them with adrenaline- just to prolong their suffering or to try to keep them alive longer, we don't know. With his track record he probably already has another victim with him." Hotch points out.

"He knows the area well, leading us to believe he may have been born here, and or has lived here for a large chunk of his life." JJ looks my way, leaving it up to me to deliver the rest of the profile.

"Umm... as they've said, he is organized, and skilled. If this was to be aired, I have no doubts he would be watching the broadcast." I clear my throat, attempting to keep my mask in tact despite the heavy eyes of a dozen officers focused on me. "Which is why we have decided to not release our profile to the media until it becomes absolutely necessary. His method of killing makes us think he will have an obsessive type personality. He will have allowed his obsessions with the body, and physical health to be apparent, so much so that he would willingly would let his relationships and secular work suffer." I look over at Aaron after I had finished.

He gives me a small nod before dismissing the officers, the corner of his lips tipping into a resemblance of a smile.
••••

Over five hours later, I get a text from Penelope saying the DNA results finally came back on the remains against Marsha Hatlyn. It was a ninety-nine point seven precent maternal match.

Her son Trevor was one of the victims. Part of me is saddened by that fact. The woman had to go years to get answers. Years of begging the people who are supposed to serve and protect their community for help- only to be made out as insane. The other part of me is glad that she finally has closure now. She will finally be able to give her son a proper send off whether that be through burial or cremation- at least she will be able too, after his body is released from the department.

I've gotten short updates from Garcia over the past few hours. I think she feels bad for me. Sitting out isn't great. But its given me time to work on the 'extra assignment' Strauss so graciously bestowed upon me, Ive been copying and translating in the hours where I'm not needed on the case. Two whole weeks and I still have so much left to go. The only good thing is at least I have something to show for myself. Something important and confidential to hand over that will slowly add to my release.

Apparently the man that filed the missing persons report was a friend Bethany had made while at the facility. He had gotten concerned when she randomly dropped out of the program, and didn't return his calls or show up at her house. They were both in the third party group that is supposed to help with anxiety.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, the vibrations sending a cold shiver of uncertainty down my spine. Hesitantly I grab it.

"Hey there, sunshine." Derek responds after I accepted the call. There are police sirens and shouting coming from his end as well.

"Morgan? What happened? Is everyone okay?" My voice raises with worry and anticipation towards the end of my sentence. Both JJ, and Aaron had gone to meet up with them. So as far as I know, anyone on the team besides Penelope and I could be in danger.

"We are bringing someone in. It's our guy, he was a life coach or whatever they want to call themselves at that wellness center. Only he wasn't part of the actual facility- he was part of the outsourced help. He fits our profile. Judge expedited our search warrant, and we discovered some files he was keeping on the people he coached- including Bethany, Melissa, and Trevor. But we need to find the identity of the fourth body and get him to give out the location where he is keeping his new victim." His breathing slows a bit, and the background noise changes to a more quieter setting. "Can you have Sanders prepare an interrogation room?"

"Yeah. Yeah of course." I pause for a moment, taking in the new information. "Right away."

"You're the best, munchkin." He chuckles. "You and I are going to interrogate him, so get your mind right."

"Wait, what?" I hold the phone closer to my ear, trying to be sure I heard him right. "Why do you want me in the interrogation room? You know Ive never actually done that before right?"

"Don't worry, sunshine, it's easy. You've done interviews before, right? Well its just like that but instead of niceties, breaking bad news, and gathering new information, you're the aggressor, force them to face the facts and land a confession of you're lucky." A loud slamming of a car door gives him slight pause. "Basically its twenty questions-- but in this case life and death. So practice your stern voice and get ready to tango this freak down to pound town."

"I-" I have to stifle a confused giggle. "Have no idea what that means, but okay. Its got to be similar to negotiating with like... a sociopath.. or something, right? Building a rapport, feeling them out, trying to relate. I can do that. Yeah. I can do that." Negotiating is something I can do. Walking on egg shells, finding an angle, striking when they least expect it and ducking before you get caught in their cross fire. "Although you still didn't answer why you want me of all people as your secondary."

"Fitness is important to him." He responds simply, "I'm a god of muscle, a specimen of perfect health, and you- I don't know, you're thin and you are the only one that actually drinks water."

I scoff. "Okay, I'll have you know Derek Morgan-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" He cuts me off. "Your on speakerphone pretty girl."

"I'm curious now." Emily's voice comes through next. "So is Reid here. I can tell." Before anymore could be said, the call is cut off, and I quickly leave the room to let Detective Sanders know about their upcoming arrival.

It took no more then five minutes for the team, along with a majority of the officers to arrive back to the precinct. Hotch and Prentiss take a shackled man straight into the interrogation room as Derek approaches me to talk strategy.

"So I was thinking," I start, meeting Hotch, Prentiss, Spencer and Morgan in the hallway.

"Thats dangerous." Emily remarks, almost like a joke. Is she trying to make a joke?

"But I thought-"
"You thought? Look where that got you. You don't need to think for yourself, babe. You just need to do exactly what I tell you do to— I will think for you. Your thoughts aren't good for you. They are dangerous. Awe look at you, such a pathetic little sight. You wouldn't be in this position if you had just followed my orders now would you?"

If she was trying to lighten the mood, it didn't work. His condescending words echoing through my head, triggered by her two simple words. That was the last time I took matters into my own hands, refusing to play by the rules. And that cost me dearly.

"Nicolette? You still with us?" Aarons voice brings me back to the precent, and I quickly try to shake away the memory.

"Right- um... I was... the unsub he was a councilor/life coach for 'Prosperous Values' right? But not just any councilor/life coach he was part of their outreach program that handled the over fill of clients." I continue. "But Melissa wasn't part of that overfill. She paid to stay at the main facility, right?"

"Right... I don't see what you're getting at Cypher."

"Well then why did she even have contact with the unsub? She filed a complaint against him, so he must have been working with her in some way." I try to explain.

"Theoretically speaking- the two shouldn't have even crossed paths." Spencer agrees.

"Exactly, but I was going over what Rossi was telling me about the 'seminar' you guys attended, Hotch. The one their employees attend to be quote unquote 'qualified'. He said there was a lot of advice on sales tactics." Aaron nods, conforming what Rossi had said.

"Wait.." Spencer chimes in again, bottom lip drawn between teeth. You can practically see the wheels spinning in his brain. "Are you suggesting he gave them a sales pitch? That would-- OH!" he pauses, eyes widening as he finally pieces together what I'm saying. "That would-"

"Get them to go along willingly." I nod. "Maybe they'd want to get the true experience they had missed out on. And if he was a good enough salesman... he could get them to essentially abduct themselves. Not realizing its not apart of the program until it's too late." I glance at their pondering faces, all doubt about my theory fizzling away as Spencer seems to whole heartedly agree.

"He held them for so long. Its- its brilliant actually." He turns to Hotch who is still thinking it over. "How do you keep a prisoner from escaping?"

"Ensure they never realized they are imprisoned." I finish, looking up to see Spencer grinning. This crazy case making just a little more sense.

Aaron sends out Rossi, Spencer, and Prentiss back out to the dump site. Ordering them to utilize all available officers to do a grid search around the area. Where ever he is keeping his new victim it's likely not far from where he would get rid of the bodies.

"Some top notch thinking there, Cypher." Derek smirks after the other left. "I only expect last minute rambling realizations from boy-wonnder."

"Why thank you, Morgan." I mirror his expression. "A pity we are the only two, especially since there's six other profilers on the team with access to the same information on the case- but hey I guess that's just the burden we bare."

He gasps in mock pain, clutching his chest. "I think our unsub has stewed long enough. You be good cop, I'll be bad cop." He suggests.

"He is mission oriented." I remind him. "Won't work with him?"

"Right." He crosses his arms. "Common ground then. Try to make it seem like we would have done the same thing. Empathize with him. Make light of the severity, offer him a deal, he may cave."

"Negotiation." I breathe, looking up at him.

"Negotiation." He agrees with a smile as we walk to the interrogation room. "But you stick to observation, only chime in if it's necessary. It's better to say nothing than to say the wrong thing."

"Why am I in the room with you if I'm not allowed to interrogate?" I ask, disappointment evident in my voice. This could be good practice for when I'll need to negotiate terms.

"Patience, sunshine. I didn't say you weren't allowed, just don't feel you need to jump in guns ablazin' alright? This is your first interrogation after all." He gives me wink as he rests his hand to the door knob. "Ready?"

I nod.

Sam Uda, our unsub handcuffed to the table is tall, and very thin. A sweat band is on one of his wrists above the hand cuff, that and his running shoes are already painting him to fit the profile a little more.

"Sam Uda." Morgan takes a seat across from him. "I'm Agent Derek Morgan, and this is Dr. Cypher. We are with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit." I almost cringe at that, I really need to start introducing myself so people stop using that title. Instead I simply give him a nod as I lean against the wall by the two way mirror.

He says nothing. Keeping his eyes locked forward, refusing to look at us in a small stubborn protest.

Let the negotiations begin.