KATHARINE STOOD NEXT TO EMILY WITH HER ARMS CROSSED LOOSELY OVER HER CHEST, overviewing the people that had been gathered in front of them. It was time to deliver the profile and if Katharine was going to be honest, she had no idea what she was doing.

"Because the locations hit are not symbolically significant, we believe that these attacks are personal," Hotch started their briefing session with the geographic location.

Emily went next. "Understanding the significance of these locations will be the key to identifying him."

"This personal element strongly indicates a home-grown terrorist," Rossi explained.

"Like the Amerithrax case, we believe this is someone from the science or defense community," Derek said, glancing over at Katharine to make sure she was okay. She gave him a subtle thumbs-up, letting him know that she had a handle on the situation. After all, this wasn't the first time she'd gone up in front of a crowd of government officials.

"That's why you're here. We think you may know him. He may be one of us," Hotch glanced at Katharine as well, although his look told her that he wanted her to try to present the next line of information.

Katharine tilted her head slightly. She had proved herself as an agent and as a negotiator. It was time for her to prove herself as a profiler as well.

"These home-grown terrorists are myopic zealots," she said. "Ideologues that believe that their work is of the greatest importance."

She glanced back over at Hotch who looked less tense than he had the moment beforehand. She took that as an indicator that she was on the right track.

"He may have preached about the threat of an attack on America," Rossi said next and like a well-rehearsed play, Derek took up the next line.

"His coworkers would describe him as histrionic, paranoid, secretive."

One of the government agents, or the Suits, as Katharine liked to call them, stepped forward. "All due respect, but that's a little vague."

The General nodded, agreeing with what the Suit was saying. He turned it into his own question, "What are we supposed to do with something that generic?"

Hotch pursed his lips slightly, giving Katharine a bitch please, kind of vibe. "Sir, we're not finished yet. He may have logged excess hours at work in the past weeks preparing for the attack."

Emily crossed her arms. "We believe he's taken the full dosage of anthrax vaccines over the recommended 18-month schedule and had yearly boosters."

"This guy has his own workspace where he can make his product in privacy. He also has access to large, expensive, Industrial-grade equipment at work," Katharine said, lacing her fingers together. It was all she could do to prevent herself from fidgeting or showing signs of her being anxious.

"He's written about the threats of anthrax attacks, published papers," Rossi said. "Yet he feels no one is listening. And that angers him."

Derek looked around the group that consisted mainly of men. "Now, he may have recently experienced some sort of professional humiliation, Like be demoted or fired. Now, that would have been his trigger, The moment he decided to go rogue."

"And he may have betrayed his loved ones to his cause," Hotch took his turn. "He may be recently separated or divorced.

"This is somebody who knows every detail of the 2001 anthrax attack and has talked about what that suspect did right or wrong," Emily said.

"He's watching the news very closely to see how the country reacts," Derek added.

"Please share this with your departments," Hotch concluded. "Thank you."

Once everyone started to disperse and talk amongst themselves, Derek made his way to Katharine's side. He set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "How are you feeling?"

Katharine shrugged, putting her hand over his and giving it a squeeze back.

"I'm feeling okay," she said. "A little nauseous but that's expected."

Derek jokingly put his hand to her forehead. "You feeling okay? Need a medic?"

Katharine laughed and elbowed him in his side. "You're really funny, Derek Morgan."

He rubbed his side, acting as if she had hurt him really bad. She shook her head. If she really wanted to do any damage, she would have aimed for the face. She'd broken his nose one before, who was to say she couldn't do it again.

"Uh oh," he joked. "Full name, what'd I do wrong?"

Then, a man approached the two of them. He was one of the Suits that had listened to them deliver the profile. The air of professionalism that hung around him sobered Katharine and Derek right up, making them remember that they were here to do their jobs.

The man wrung his hands out in front of himself before saying, "There's something I think you should see."

Katharine turned her head to look at her cousin, who kept his gaze intently on the man in front of them.

Oh boy.

WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF BEING IN THE ROOM, Katharine deduced that she really should not have been in the same room as General Lee Whitworth. Between the uneasy glances at her and the way he kept on shifting his weight from one side to the other, she deduced that he was definitely uncomfortable around her or at least had something he wanted to say.

The man that approached her and Derek revealed himself to be Jack Summers, a government agent, though he proved himself to be a little more useful than the rest of the Suits that had attended their briefing. He stood at six feet, neatly groomed like most Suits, and most importantly, he had information that would help them get deeper into the case. He had placed himself in front of a television set with a tape in the player and a remote in his hand.

"January '02," he said. "Classified hearing with the subcommittee on defense and homeland security."

The general wave at the paused video. "Dr. Lawrence Nichols. He used to work at the institute. He left in '02."

Summers sent Whitworth a look of disdain. "He didn't leave. He was forced out."

He hit play on the recording and the people on tape came to life. The imaging was grainy but it was clear enough for Katharine to make out what was happening.

"Five people died. If you ask me, we're lucky it was just five. We're lucky that whoever sent these letters used cheap porous envelopes and not a crop duster. America's enemies are capable of wiping out entire cities. And we are woefully unprepared," Nichols lectured.

Senator Baylor was opposite him. He was reviewing the case, the proposal, that Nichols was making. "I'm looking at your proposal," he had said.

"Yes, sir. Every household needs gas masks and a two-month supply of Cipro for each resident. Every major city needs hospitals with biosafety decontamination capabilities."

"Regarding the budget you propose for this operation--"

Nichols cut him off, "Anything short of 50 billion would be grossly negligent."

"Dr. Nichols, you've got to realize how unrealistic that is."

"Unrealistic?" Nichols questioned, visibly outraged. The doctor was passionate about this topic, Katharine realized. And for good reason too.

"We can't justify spending that kind of money on an attack that may not happen," the Senator argued.

"You people are in denial!"

"Doing this would incite fear and panic among the public."

Dr. Nichols stood up from his seat. "This country should be panicked! We should live in utter fear of being attacked!"

"Dr. Nichols, please sit down."

"I will not sit down. We live in a time of war and WMD proliferation. If you continue to be blind to our lack of preparedness, then Americans will die, and I will have no problem in pointing the blame at you!"

Summers stopped the recording. "Committee said he was becoming unstable, fanatical."

Rossi nodded his head slightly. "Which is why they removed him from Fort Detrick."

"And railroaded from other prominent positions," Summers added on.

"Dr. Nichols is well-respected in our community," the General defended. "He believes in preparedness, not proliferation."

Derek sent a sideways glance at Katharine. She shrugged, glancing over at the General who hadn't stopped giving Katharine anxious looks since she sat down. Under any other circumstances, she'd find the attention and semi-obvious fear flattering but right now, it was just downright annoying.

"Well, he obviously felt like people weren't listening," Derek said. "Maybe he was just trying to prove a point."

"He had access," Summers said. "Lost a prominent job, got divorced. Fits your profile."

Hotch crossed his arms. "We need to bring him in."

Katharine turned her head as Emily walked in through the door, looking like she had news. Which she did. "He works for a company called Bio-Design Technology."

The general stepped forward, a look of confusion on his face. "We subcontract them. They don't work with anthrax. They deal primarily with the flu."

Hotch turned to his team. Katharine stood from the seat she had taken up residence in and grabbed her blazer that she had draped over one of the arms.

"Dave, you and Prentiss go to his office," he ordered. "Morgans, pull Reid from the hospital and go to his home."

Katharine grabbed her go-bag from where she dropped it on the floor. She shoved the jacket into the open bag before zipping it up and throwing it over her shoulder. She spared a glance over at the General, who turned his head to avoid making eye contact with her.

She rolled her eyes and turned her shoulder, following her cousin out of the room.

"ALL RIGHT, KEEP ME POSTED," Derek ended his conversation. He returned to profiling Dr. Nichols with Katharine and Spencer. "This guy just had people over for a charity event last month."

Spencer turned to face the cousins. "We should probably take a look around anyway."

Katharine nodded and walked toward the front of the house.. She took the time to observe the garden that the doctor kept up. In her opinion, it all looked a little too green and lively for someone who would be planning an anthrax attack. It was too orderly... too neat.

Derek's cell phone rang and he stopped to answer it as Katharine and Spencer decided to venture further into the property. They stepped into the house, and Katharine shivered as she stepped directly under a vent blasting cool air. She looked around, staying near the door in case Derek called for them when she heard the shattering of glass come from behind her.

She whipped around with her hand on her gun when she spotted the shattered test tube on the floor. The yellow triangle of warning that labeled the once put together container stuck out to her like a sore thumb. Katharine looked up at Spencer in panic.

"Oh fuck," she cursed under her breath as she heard her cousin calling out for her and the boy genius.

Spencer rushed past her in a flurry, sliding the glass door shut as Derek slammed up against the divider.

"Morgan, get--get back!" Spencer warned. "Get back! Get out of here!"

"What are you doing?" Derek asked, clearly panicking. Katharine rushed over to where the glass had broken, trying to decide whether or not she should clean it up or leave it be. "What's wrong?"

"No, don't!" she heard Spencer protest as she pulled a broom from a supply closet, having decided that keeping the bacteria out in the open wouldn't do anyone any good.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked, becoming frantic.

"Believe me, get back," Spencer pleaded, keeping the door closed between the two of them.

"Reid, open the door!" Derek demanded.

Katharine came back to the glass, gritting her teeth but ultimately knowing what she had to do. Her cousin wouldn't stop banging on the door and there were more important things to do than to panic.

"Derek, stop," she inflicted her power on him. She watched as he froze, eyes widening in panic when he realized he couldn't physically move. His hand stayed where it landed against the glass door as if something was actually keeping him there. She took in a shaky breath, hating every second that she had her cousin under her control. "Step away from the door."

And just like that, Derek took a step back. There was a look of disbelief and betrayal written across his face that reminded Katharine of the reason why she didn't use her ability on the people she knew and trusted. To be forced to do something against their will, to have no say. Hell, she could have ordered him to off himself right then and there and he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.

"Go call Hotch," she commanded. That was her last order to him before she relinquished any power she had over him. He looked at her, probably scared out of his mind, before turning and whipping out his phone again. She didn't bother looking at Spencer for his reaction. It was always the same.

She wiped under her nose to make sure it hadn't started to bleed. It had been a while since she'd used her ability of persuasion and everyone knew that disuse led to the weakening of the ability. If they ranked her now, she'd most likely appear as yellow rather than orange like she usually was.

Katharine turned away from the glass door, smoothing out her shirt as she walked past the man that was trapped in here with her.

"We've got work to do."