"How did you do that?" Stepping out of the bar, JJ was still incredulous. These "militian" were notoriously hostile towards those within the federal system.
And Jack had not only gotten Harris Townsend to offer help, but judging from their earlier scene, they were practically on friendly terms.
The fact that the plump bartender had slipped him extra cranberry pies as he left was easier to understand — after all, he was charming.
"I'm universally loved." Jack said with a grin.
Actually, these people were quite easy to deal with. They could praise the local cuisine, criticize the federal governnt together, discuss their champions of "mutual aid," "autonomy," and "small economies," and appropriately express the complex emotions of being a mber of the federation regarding the tragedies of the 1990s.
Moreover, their arrival hadn't caused any trouble for the locals; on the contrary, it had a positive effect. They had helped the police find the missing persons and rescued a victim, which put Jack on the moral high ground from the start.
So, by verbally provoking them while simultaneously stating his own position and explaining that although his BAU team belonged to the FBI, they typically only arrested serial killers and other threats to everyone, and didn't participate in local versus federal conflicts.
These guys weren't well-educated and lacked theoretical guidance; even their understanding of certain issues was superficial. Just by venting their frustrations along with them and subtly expressing sympathy, he could easily win their favor.
Jack knew exactly how to shift his perspective to attract people with different leanings. Of course, the key was not to delve too deeply, otherwise it could backfire; after all, sotis heretics are more hateful than non-believers.
Seeing that Jack didn't intend to elaborate, JJ didn't press further. Instead, she lowered the sun visor on the passenger side and, using the small mirror, gently touched the bandage on her cheek.
"How is it? What did the doctor say?" Jack placed a stack of packed local food in the back seat, including a cranberry pie he'd gotten for free and several steaming steaks. Now they were driving to the police station, where Rossi and the others were waiting for them.
"The doctor said he used the smallest costic needle for the subcutaneous sutures, but the wound is a bit deep, so it's hard to avoid scarring."
JJ looked a little uncomfortable; after all, she was a girl, and who doesn't care about their appearance?
"Leave it to . As long as you keep it a secret from Emily and the others, I guarantee you'll be completely healed, and your skin will be as beautiful as Hannah's. I know you've been secretly asking about her beauty secrets." Jack said confidently.
JJ didn't seem surprised, nor did she seem jealous.
"Is this a special treatnt for being one of your girlfriends? That young city councilor from the Anderson family and your beautiful professor are both incredibly young."
"Hannah said it's because they both tried…"
"Screech!" Jack's steering wheel slipped, and the SUV's massive body drew a barely noticeable zigzag on the road.
"Damn it, what were you two talking about that day?"
He thought he had corrected Hannah's wild ideas. After they kicked him out of the car that day, weren't they going to have a serious conversation? How did they end up talking about this?
While Jack certainly didn't have the sa deep feelings for JJ as for Hannah, he didn't intend to be heartless either. After all, this girl was a typical traditional type, and could be quite assertive when she was serious.
He was, after all, caught between the two. Whatever, as long as they weren't actually physically separated.
"I know she was joking, but you really are mysterious, seemingly omnipotent, just like on that island. When everyone else was filled with fear, only you remained confident and fearless."
JJ paused here. "I've never experienced this feeling before, giving myself completely to a man, trusting him unconditionally, relying on him, believing he can lead out of this predicant."
"This doesn't align with my upbringing, but this feeling is truly wonderful, so I told myself I had to fight for it, even if the outco wasn't necessarily beautiful."
"So… what was the result?" Jack wanted to know.
"Ask your sweet Hannah." JJ gave him a playful eye roll, saying nothing, yet seemingly saying everything.
Jack didn't press further, simply reaching out to gently hold her hand. Humans are possessive and selfish creatures; he felt incredibly fortunate to have them willing to give so much.
As for the BAU, so had probably already noticed. After the crash, Emily had intentionally or unintentionally ntioned the "suspension bridge effect" to him and JJ, partly as a test, but also as a warning.
Ross had likely already guessed, but hadn't pointed it out.
Hotchner, a seasoned administrator, even if he hadn't noticed, should have spoken to both of them separately as a precaution after such a serious accident, but clearly he hadn't.
Since everyone was playing dumb, Jack wouldn't be foolish enough to expose them. He truly had an advantage, capable of handling many things simultaneously, so there was no need to worry about any dramatic incidents.
The two drove back to the police station. Jack's delivery service provided food, which pleased everyone and effectively soothed their sowhat low spirits.
As psychological profilers, they are more likely than ordinary people to reconstruct those brutal scenes in their minds, making it hard not to be moved. Of course, they can also more easily detach themselves from their emotions, but this takes ti.
The excellent quality steak and the cranberry pie lifted everyone's spirits considerably.
The killer's accomplice was still at large, and everyone naturally gathered together after the al to begin profiling this unknown suspect.
"He's a compliant partner; he was extrely dependent on and deeply revered Francis, but now that Francis is dead, he's beco very dangerous," Rossi stated first.
"So, if we push him to the brink, he might do the sa thing as Francis." Emily made an explosive gesture.
Just then, Garcia's video call ca in, and JJ transferred it to the computer.
"All those videotapes are sorted out and sent over. I checked every fra, and I didn't see any of his accomplices. He was only in charge of filming."
Garcia was pale, as if she had just experienced the most terrifying thing in her life.
"That's it. I've watched every single horrifying scene. Even Jack's little creations can't save now."
"Uh, Garcia, there's a jar of blueberry jam at the very bottom of the office fridge. That's for you to use as an ergency 'redy' while we're not around." Jack was clearly prepared.
Garcia imdiately put on a pitiful expression. "Oh, baby, you've really hurt my feelings. Blueberry jam is my boyfriend's favorite, not mine. You've got it wrong."
"Ahem~" Jack coughed lightly, glancing hesitantly at the others.
"That's not for you to eat, it's for you to spread on your face. Use so on your date tonight, and you'll get a cute little puppy."
"Wow, that's a brilliant idea! You're such a good friend!" Garcia perked up almost instantly.
"I'm off to my date after work, the rest is up to you guys." She hung up the video call abruptly.
"Why would blueberry jam give Garcia a pet?" Even the brilliant encyclopedia student, Dr. Reid, couldn't figure it out.
"You'd better not know." Emily shuddered, as if so unsettling image flashed before her eyes.
Everyone looked at Jack as if he were a strange alien, wanting to crack open his head to see what was inside and why he would prepare such bizarre "ergency supplies" for Garcia.
"She's been a little overweight lately, we can't let her relax by eating desserts all the ti," Jack explained dryly.
After a brief mont of banter, JJ opened the video, and everyone gathered to analyze it.
As Garcia had said, the video was bloody and terrifying, chilling to the bone.
Francis in the video was a psychopath, excitedly using the torture instrunts to cruelly abuse his victims.
Everyone fell silent; the room was filled with the screams and pleas of the victims, and the killer's clichéd pronouncents, emanating from the speakers.
Everyone watched all the videos on fast-forward, trying to suppress their emotions and use rational thinking to analyze the information revealed in the videos.
"He only fild Francis; the cara rarely lingered on the victim." Reid broke the silence in the room.
Emily nodded in agreent. "He seed more concerned with Francis than the tortured victim."
"Because he's a 'giver.'" Jack explained, clarifying everyone's doubts.
"Notice the cara language; the cara angles indicate where his gaze is focused. The focus is almost always on Francis, as if he's caressing Francis's body."
JJ replayed a scene, and sure enough, Francis was shirtless, performing sadistic acts, muttering incessantly, but the cara skipped over the victim, lingering on him for a long ti.
"So he tore those videotapes not to destroy evidence, but out of jealousy." Rossi suddenly realized.
"He treated Francis like a lover, willingly accepting his enslavent, cleaning his house, tidying up, kidnapping girls, burying corpses, and even planting roses."
Hotchner picked up his phone directly. "Those roses were bought. Emily even found the tag on the newest rose bush. I'll contact the sheriff imdiately; we need to mobilize manpower to investigate all the nurseries selling rose seedlings in the vicinity."
The next morning, good news and bad news arrived simultaneously. Emily discovered the identity of Francis's accomplice: Henry Foster, who worked at a garden center. The shop owner provided his address.
Emily and Reid imdiately rushed to Henry Foster's dilapidated RV, but it was too late.
By the ti they arrived, Henry Foster had already packed his things and disappeared without a trace. anwhile, the local sheriff urgently contacted Hotchner; another victim had appeared.
Before 10 a.m., Henry Foster appeared at a gas station, kidnapped a young woman who was refueling, forced her at gunpoint into the trunk, and then drove away.
"I just checked his place. He destroyed everything related to his identity — photos, docunts — burned them all in the oven. Even the few photos he had were ruined; he burned off his face with cigarette butts, both childhood and adult photos."
Reid and Emily arrived at the gas station and t up with the others, reporting their findings rapidly to Rossi and Hotchner.
"Why?" Hotchner raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Henry Foster was the weaker party in their relationship. He not only followed Francis's orders but also tried to understand and accept the ideas and concepts Francis instilled in him." Reid explained.
"So he destroyed everything from his past; it's a denial of his own personality."
anwhile, on the other side, the rather elderly gas station owner, carrying a shotgun, angrily recounted the events to JJ and the others.
"I swear I could have shot. No one has ever managed to ss with before."
"But I was afraid of hurting her. I watched him shove her into the trunk, and the car got blocked by the gas pump while turning."
"Yeah, I can imagine the scene. That bastard was so lucky."
Jack agreed, carefully taking the shotgun, which looked older than the woman, from the older woman and handing it to the officer beside him.
"Is this the man you saw?" JJ handed over a photo, the only one they had so far of Henry Foster, a photo of an employee provided by the garden center owner.
"No." The older woman's answer was surprising.
"Did you see his face clearly?" JJ asked suspiciously.
"Of course. Co with , I have security caras in my store." The older woman led everyone into the gas station's vending area without hesitation.
A thin white male appeared on the computer screen, with a bandage on his face. He looked sowhat like the man in the photo, but instead of blond hair, he had brown hair and a mustache.
"He looks like Francis Goring!" JJ exclaid in surprise.
"Or rather, Henry Foster's version of Francis." Rossi and Hotchner exchanged a glance, seemingly already knowing the answer.
"He just walked in like that, bought beer and pumpkin seeds, then went back to his car, that brown pickup truck outside. I knew sothing was off about this guy, so I got my things ready."
The shopkeeper was still going on and on. The group exchanged glances, then, without any sense of loyalty, abandoned Jack and turned to leave. A sowhat dazed Reid was dragged away by Hotchner, who grabbed his shoulder.
[A/n: I may sound stupid, but is the most delicious dish a Ching Chong has ever eaten is sweet and sour [dish na], like every thing he made was like this before I changed.]
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