JJ started the charge into another case, "OK, Franklin park, Des Plaines, yesterday afternoon. 3 victims shot at distance. It's the third such shooting in 2 weeks."

"A sniper?" Elle questioned, flipping through the case file.

"We don't use that word." Morgan said.

Elle looked at Reid and Hadrian confused, "Why not?"

"The public perception is that the fbi doesn't have an exemplary record with snipers." JJ explained.

"Besides, a sniper is a professional marksman. These guys aren't snipers." Hotch said his stoic expression still in place.

"What do we call 'em then?" Elle asked.

"LDSK" Reid started, "Long distance serial killers." Hadrian finished.

"How many of these guys have we caught using a profile?" Elle asked cautiously.

"None," Gideon said, as melodramatically as possible it seemed.

~ Conference room ~

Hotch further explained the case, his monotone almost reassuring to the rest of the team."2 weeks, 3 shooting incidents, 6 victims, all shot in the abdomen. First and only fatality, Henry Sachs, married, father of 3, was shot in a shopping center parking lot. 9 days later, Doug Miller and Kevin Parks were playing basketball at a community center. Franklin Park, 4 days later, Jerry Middleton, Kate Murray, and Tim Reilly. Des plaines police have found no link between any of the victims."

"Ballistics?" Hadrian asked his focus set on the victims and their injuries.

"He's using frangible rounds, which fragment on impact, making ballistics comparisons impossible." Hotch explained gravely, as usual, and glanced at the faces of the victims.

JJ tried to offer some positivism, "The good news is that all the park victims are gonna make it. The bad new is that none of them saw anything. However, one of the patients does have an intact bullet lodged in his spine."

"What's the prognosis?" Reid asked already formulating the right diagnosis in his mind

"There's a disagreement among surgical staff as to whether they can remove the slug without paralyzing the patient." JJ responded

"Well, without a useful witness or a solid piece of forensic evidence…" Derek trailed off.

"The profile's all we'll have." Hotch responded

"LDSK's are so rare, the BAU hasn't been able to build a standard profile. Here's what they do know: They're always male, and they frequently have law enforcement or military experience, and they always contact the police or the media." Reid said after prodding from Hadrian to speak up.

"To take credit or relive the experience?" Elle asked.

"Both. All serial killers attempt to relive the ecstasy they get from their killings. Some use souvenirs taken from the victims, and others return to the dump site to interact with the body. Both modes require contact with the victim, contact which, by definition, long distance serial killers don't have." Hadrian responded, the lack of inflictions in his voice startling Reid.

This wasn't the Harry that he knew.

"The beltway shooters left a tarot card at one of their crime scenes. Later they called a tip hotline, which ultimately led to their capture." Hotch said, if he noticed Reid's paranoia he didn't notice it.

"But our unsub hasn't contacted anybody," Morgan said.

"He will," Hotch

"Until he does, what do we have?" JJ asked out loud.

"Sometimes it's not what the unsub does that reveals the profile. Sometimes it is what they do not do." Gideon said, his previous experience in the field coming in handy.

Reid pointed out, "He doesn't kill his victim."

"Underkill's a unique signature," Gideon said, agreeing with the younger agent.

"The question is, does he shoot them in the stomach intentionally just to wound them, or is he just aiming at the biggest part of the target?" Hotch questioned, "Specifically, does the unsub lack the skill to make the head shot, or simply the will to take it?"

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