Title: The Consanguine Mind
Category: TV Shows » Criminal Minds
Author: Pipsy
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Mystery/Angst
Published: 10-01-09, Updated: 11-25-09
Chapters: 10, Words: 52,258

(Yeah, that stuff up there is when this was originally published to , so obviously it's been a while and all the reviews are gone; not to seem narcissistic, but there were something like 230+ reviews before, and I only mention that because that's one thing readers check to see if a story is worth their time, as I'm sure you know! Also, I've removed most of my original author's notes.)

Disclaimer- see profile. I do not own "Criminal Minds", its characters, or recognizable storylines used in canon. I also make no profit whatsoever from this story or any other fanfic and no property infringement is intended.

Categories- Angst, hurt/comfort, mystery, suspense.

Author's Note- Because of my religious beliefs, I'm politically nuetral and this story is in no way meant to condone or promote nationalism and, therefor for the sake of my conscience, in my mind the BAU is not a government agency in this story or any other story. No offense is meant by this and please know I do appreciate the services of the government, police force, and FBI. :)

Warnings- mention of none-graphic physical and sexual abuse, mention of physical and sexual mutilation to victims.

The Consanguine Mind

Chapter 1- Murder

What would life be like
But for one small change?
Someone born a moment later,
Someone dies another day?
Would it seize all your happiness,
Or swallow all your pain?...

"The grave was discovered by a camper early Wednesday morning. Local authorities were notified." Hotch began to brief his team, handing out folders with what little information they had. "It wasn't until one of the CSIs searching the grounds found another grave that they began a wide-scale excavation of the area. The search revealed eight more graves, with thirteen more bodies. Total count of sixteen."

Morgan flipped open the folder, examining the photos of the corpses. "Any timeline on who was the first?" he asked.

Hotch shook his head. "The corner's still doing autopsies to determine the cause of death. Initial exams revealed most the men were mutilated with a knife or some other sharp object. Their hands were severed at the wrists and they were castrated, indicating our UnSub is a sexual sadist and most likely impotent. He's either seeking arousal by the mutilation or wrestling with a sexual crisis; homosexuality or abuse." he went on.

"Some of these remains are pretty decomposed." Prentiss noted.

J.J. nodded, examining the photos herself. "But these two aren't in that bad of a shape. They must have been the last." She turned to Hotch. "Has there been any ID on the victims yet?"

"Conformation's still coming through," he told her, "but these two are believed to be Amy and Steve Duresky, missing since the twenty-second of February."

Gideon, whose brow was crinkled in deep concentration, held up a vacation picture of the couple. They were standing on a beach with lazy smiles on their faces, wearing luau necklaces and holding tropical drinks. A boy and girl stood between them, both grinning.

"What about the children?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Jared and Kaley Duresky were at school when their parents disappeared. When they didn't come home that night, Kaley called their aunt and uncle. They've been staying with Julia and Thomas Saow ever since." Hotch answered. "The CPD is expecting us in Georgetown at eight, and the jet's warming. I hope you packed for warm weather. " he declared by way of dismissal.

Automatically, the team members stood, gathering the folders and hastily exiting to make their way to the landing pad.

Even with his dark glasses on, Morgan was squinting as he stepped from the jet into the daylight. The sheriff, as well as two deputies, were waiting outside the police headquarters. Following the rest of his team, he listened as introductions were made and then as Sheriff Hope began discussing the case, leading them inside.

The murders had shaken up more than a few of the locals and concern as to who the next target might be, as well as fear and suspicion in general, had his department being flooded with calls. There were also dozens of frantic families trying to find out if one their missing relatives might be a victim.

"We're rushing the coroner for results, but we haven't had a major serial killing in a decade, so we're a little out practice." Hope explained. "We're working on IDing the bodies as fast possible so we can inform their families."

Gideon nodded. "Knowing who they were will help us to determine why they were chosen."

"Since the murders are already public, I'd like to go on air and make a statement to calm down the people and to assure them that we're taking this investigation seriously." J.J. added as they wove through the crowded station. Indeed, dozens of people were flooding the room, panicked and hysterical- each one thinking they'd seen or heard something or sure that their sister or son was one of the victims.

The sheriff nodded. "I think that's a good idea." He opened a door to an office and showed them in. "If there's anything you need, tell me or one of my deputies, and we'll be sure to get it." he promised.

Hotch thanked him and then the sheriff left. They began setting up immediately, tacking up the photos of the victims and crime scene and the reports in the files. Gideon began giving instructions- J.J. was to talk to the press as soon as possible, Garcia would search for any similar murders in the country, as well as supply them with a list of violent felons living in the area, and Hotch and Prentiss would deal with some of the traffic in the office to see if any of the people there had something credible. Gideon and Morgan were to go to the crime scene to examine it themselves.

...

"The victims are almost equally proportioned male to female." Morgan noted, flipping through the coroner's reports in the car while Gideon drove. "Seven men, nine women, all middle-aged, and over half are paired off."

Gideon nodded. "Couples." he agreed. "Martha and Evan Gail and Susan and Howard Plathard were both middle-class citizens with off-and-on jobs and children under the age of seventeen."

"He seems to treat the women differently." Morgan noted. "Whatever killed them isn't obvious."

Gideon shook his head. "But not all of them. Some of them are mutilated like the men, and some of the men don't have a mark on them." he corrected.

Intrigued, Morgan looked up to the old profiler, baffled. "Why the inconsistency? Most UnSubs stick to killing their victims in a certain way; they don't break pattern."

It was true- and it would definitely tell them something very important about their UnSub- but Gideon didn't know the answer to that yet. "The act of taking women and mutilating their genitals as well makes it less likely that the killings were for sexual release- he wouldn't do it to both of them if that was the case. But, on the other hand, if it was because he was abused at some point- why only some of them?" he mused aloud, driving pensively down the road. They left the pavement and entered onto dirt.

"It doesn't add up." Morgan agreed.

"To our UnSub it does." Gideon stated. "We just have to figure out how."

The crime scene was in the middle of a forest, one of the reasons the bodies had gone undiscovered for so long. By now, the area was trampled from feet and torn up by the unearthed graves, police tape cordoning off the area, although most of its former attention was gone. There were still half a dozen CSIs working and gathering evidence, but the hundreds of people that had swarmed the graves had dispersed throughout the days.

All the better for Gideon and Morgan to look around and get a feel for what the area meant to the UnSub.

"The nearest town is ten miles away. There's a river that runs a half-mile from here, which attracts campers, and a small inn two miles east." Morgan told the senior agent. He'd been studying the geography in the car, getting his bearings as he took in the minute details of the woods and surrounding towns.

"Sure privacy." Gideon stated with soft approval, coming around to one of the now-empty graves. "From the depth, it's clear he never wanted the bodies to be found. Whatever the motive, it wasn't to make a statement or to get attention."

Morgan stared down into the rich soil, never quite feeling easy when he considered the last moments of those that had filled them. He glanced at a photo, then held it up for Gideon to see. It showed a couple lying next to each other in the grave, the woman's arms folded upon her chest.

"Look at the way she's positioned." Morgan said, pointing to the arms. "If he never meant for the bodies to be found, then there's another reason for her arms being crossed like that." he noted.

"It's respect. " Gideon said, circling the oval hole. "By folding the arms, he gives her something back, some dignity in her death." He didn't comment on how twisted the logic was- with a serial killer, logic was always perverse.

Going around the pit, they stopped at another grave. "But he didn't give all his victims that respect. Four of the women had their arms crossed, but only two of the men." he concluded.

"Do you think it's revenge?" Morgan asked.

Gideon sighed, unsure but knowing it was a possibility. And a waste. "Maybe."

Abandoning the graves, his gaze swept over the surrounding land. "The bodies were dumped over a period of time- years. So he must know this area well enough to be able to find it again whenever he needs to, in varying weather conditions. With so many dumps, he's certainly local." he surmised.

"The question is," Morgan went on, "how local? With a small town like Georgetown, everyone knows everyone- it might just make our job easier."

Gideon shook his head. "He comes here often, but I doubt he lives in the immediate area. He's smarter than that."

Morgan wasn't about to ask how Gideon knew that- the older agent had a keen ability to automatically see into the minds of UnSubs. Accepting the suggestion as fact, they moved on.

"So he drops off the bodies, buries them…" Morgan took another look around the forest. "If I was him, camping would be a good cover."

Gideon nodded. "Then we need to find out if there's anyone that comes here frequently to camp."

It still wasn't much, but it was more than they'd had an hour ago.

Morgan's phone rang and he picked it up. It was Hotch. A moment later, he hung up, then turned to Gideon. "They've IDd three more victims. Their families are being informed. Hotch wants us for the interviews." he reported.

Without hesitance, Gideon started out of the crime scene. "Maybe they can give us some insight on what made them so deserving of our UnSub's attention." he said, entering the car.

Morgan followed, slamming the door shut, and dust kicked up from the dirt road as they disappeared under the bows of the tall and mighty trees.