Strange Encounter - a Criminal Minds fic

Chapter 1

Penelope Garcia clicked the remote in her hand, and images of four young woman blinked up on the screen.

"Well folks, they say it's always sunny in Philadelphia but I'd say this is prettty gloomy." She said, sending more detailed photos to the screen at the front of the room.

"Four young woman, ranging from 20 to 29, have been found in their homes in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs over the past four weeks. No obvious overlap between the women other than the hunting grounds, but all four were moderate to low risk. Philadelphia police didn't think anything of it after the first two, but four is a lot even for a city that size in this time frame considering their risk factors."

"Cause of death?" JJ asked. They all noticed the women in the photos seemed relatively unmarked and tidy.

"Asphyxiation. All four of them have frighteningly evident handprints around their necks, prints have been ran through CODIS and, unsurprisingly since I am presenting this case to you lovely people, no match." Garcia replied, sending four new photos up to the screen. Four necks, ringed in dark black and blue, dotted with red spots where the unsubs fingertips had pressed.

"So he knew he wouldn't get caught and had the intention of making this personal. What makes them moderate to low and not just low?" Dr Spencer Reid mused to the group, flipping through the case files in front of him.

"They were all in their twenties, and they were all super sociable. Like, they maintained their jobs and relationships, but they all also enjoyed socializing, traveling, and partying according to their social media accounts. Lots of clubbing pictures and outfits even I envy." Garcia said, motioning toward her colorful purple-themed outfit.

"Garcia, tell the Philadelphia Police Chief we'll be there EOD. Their bodies were found over the past four weekends, which means we have approximately one week to find and catch this unsub. Wheels up in one hour." Hotch said to the group around the table, turning around and walking to his office.

"Phew, one whole hour before takeoff? Babygirl, one last lunch before we jet off?" Derek asked Garcia.

"Oh sweetie, you know it. Anyone else?"

JJ, Emily, and Rossi all said they'd join them, Spencer said he wanted to finish up some paperwork from their last case before leaving again for who knows how long.

Sitting at his desk, Spencer let out a long exhale. They had just got back the day before from a brutal 10 day case in Utah, and he had been looking forward to ordering Indian takeout and settling into his couch to rewatch Doctor Who over the next few days.

He shuffled some papers on his desk, then picked up his cell phone and dialed his moms number just to check in. "Hi mom, how are you? ... No, I know, I'm sorry it's been so long. We had a long case... I'm okay mom.. Yes I'm sleeping.." All of their conversations have been the same recently. He felt as if his life was just one continuous loop. Work, home, touch base with his mom.

He never was one for spontaneity, but even he had to admit his life was starting to get monotonous. He wished for something to come along and shake him by the shoulders. He'd never been one to venture outside of his comfort zone, but he recently he'd been experiencing a pang of desire. Having someone to talk to after a case, waiting up to see him when the jet landed.

Meeting people at the bars around Quantico after work had been something to get him by, a few casual relationships with no strings attached. But they had all fallen off and since the pandemic hit, he hadn't had the chance to meet anyone new outside of work. He threw his pen across his desk, not really focusing on the forms in front of him. Yeah, he was ready for something new to distract him. But the resident Boy Wonder better be careful what he wishes for.