Criminal Minds

It's a beautiful day at Franklin Public Park in Des Plaines, Illinois. People are walking, biking, flying kites, and playing football with friends. They don't realize that they are being watched through the scope of a sniper rifle.

At the Firearms Training Facility in Quantico, Virginia, SSA Aaron Hotchner is coaching SSA Spencer Reid. Reid's shots are disappointing, missing the human outline entirely. Hotchner explains his experience with SWAT, and how they broke shots down into three steps: front site, controlled trigger-press, and follow-through. When prompted, Reid realizes that he didn't follow through - he came off the target in order to see where his shot landed. The young agent is nervous about his firearms qualification test the next morning - he barely passed his last one. Hotchner moves in front of Reid and, repeating the three steps, he puts one shot in the human outline's head. Repositioning his ear-protection, Reid steps up again, and shoots.

A teen-aged boy eludes his father's tackle in the park, and celebrates before turning to comment. His father is lying face down on the ground. The son claims he "isn't falling for it," and approaches his father suspiciously. When his father doesn't move, the son grows concerned and rolls him over, revealing a bloody wound on his father's stomach. The shooter moves the crosshairs from the boy's frightened face to a young man flying a kite. He lowers the weapon and takes aim at the young man's abdomen.

Reid's three shots have all ended up in the human outline's groin area, and Hotchner wonders, "Did Elle teach you that?" Reid is frustrated, knowing that if he fails his qualification, the FBI will take away his gun. Even though Hotchner claims a profiler isn't required to carry a gun, Reid knows Hotchner himself carries two weapons - one in his holster, and one at his ankle. Hotchner reaches down to pull out his back-up weapon and takes aim at the target again. He places three shots in the 5X area in the center of the target as Reid looks on. Putting away his guns, Hotchner reminds Reid of something Gideon told him when he joined the BAU, "You don't have to carry a gun to kill someone."

The shooter's crosshairs follow a young woman riding her bike through the park as SSA Reid fires his next shot.

Elle stops Gideon as he walks through the BAU bullpen area, telling him that Reid failed his firearms qualification test that morning. She and Gideon stare pointedly at Morgan as they discuss the fact that Reid will be embarrassed, and that the team should avoid talking about the situation. Morgan agrees with wide-eyed innocence. Reid walks dejectedly to his desk avoiding eye contact. Watching him, Morgan pulls something from his top desk drawer and hides it behind his back before approaching the young agent's desk. He leans over, "comforting" Reid, telling him that everyone is "here for you." Reid looks up at him skeptically. Morgan quickly drops a whistle around Reid's neck and tells him, "If you ever need anything, just blow on that." Reid snatches the cord from around his neck as Elle glares at Morgan.

Agent JJ Jareau enters the area and hands out files to each of the agents about the three shootings in Illinois. This is the third such shooting in three weeks in the area, and all of the shootings were from a distance. When Elle calls the shooter a "snipe" Morgan informs her that they don't use that word, for a variety of reasons. First, the public doesn't have much faith in the FBI's ability to catch these shooters, and because, Hotchner points out, snipers are professional marksmen. The FBI calls them LDSK - Long Distance Serial Killers. Unfortunately, the BAU has yet to catch an LDSK based on a profile.

The BAU team gathers in the conference room to discuss the case, and Hotchner explains that there have been three shootings within the last two weeks. All of the victims were shot in the abdomen, and all have survived except for Henry Sachs, a married father of three who was the first victim and was shot in a shopping center parking lot. Nine days later the next two victims were shot at a community center while they were playing basketball. The latest three victims were shot in the park. The sniper is using frangible rounds which shatter on impact so there is no ballistic evidence. JJ announces that all three victims from the park shooting will live, but one has an intact bullet lodged in his spine. Surgeons' opinions differ about the possibility of removing the bullet. Unfortunately, none of the victims saw anything. Morgan is concerned - without any ballistic evidence or an eye-witness report, the only thing they will have to go on is the profile.

"Nietzsche wrote, 'The irrationality of a thing is not an argument against its existence, rather, a condition of it.'"

Aboard the BAU jet, Hotchner fills in the team on the existing profile of an LDSK. They are always male, often with law enforcement or military backgrounds, and always contact the media to take credit for their kills or to relive them in some way. Gideon elaborates, explaining that all serial killers try to somehow relive their experiences, but they do so in different ways: some keep souvenirs, while some "revisit" the bodies. Both of these involve some contact with the victim - something that an LDSK doesn't have. Hotchner reminds the team that the Beltway Shooters left a tarot card at a shooting, and eventually contacted the media. Something is different about this shooter - he has not made any attempt to contact the media. "He will," remarks Hotchner. The "underkill" - the fact that this shooter does not kill his victims - is a unique signature. The question is foundational to their understanding of this unsub: is he intentionally wounding his victims, or is he aiming at the largest part of the target? "Specifically, does the unsub lack the skill to make the head shot, or simply the will to take it?"

Detective Calvin meets Hotchner, Morgan, and Reid at Franklin Park and shows them the orange cones that mark the victims' locations. Standing in the small parking lot, Hotchner judges that the shooter would have had a perfect vantage point from that location. Morgan and Reid discuss the possibility that the shooter is a sadist - intentionally wounding his victims. Sadists have a need to engage with their victims, and a powerful scope may allow the shooter some intimacy while keeping his distance.

Hospital Administrator Cheryl Marston ushers Gideon, JJ and Elle into a conference room at the hospital to meet with Dr. Erstadt and Dr. Landman who are arguing over a diagnosis. Gideon shakes hands with Dr. Erstadt, but Dr. Landman refuses - he is very careful of his hands. Dr. Erstadt shows Gideon X-rays of the five latest victims, explaining the extensive internal trauma caused by the shots. Pointing out the bullet lodged in one victim's spine, he tells the profiler that any attempt to remove it would cause irreparable damage. Dr. Landman vehemently disagrees, arrogantly stating "With the right surgeon there is no risk." Ms. Marston interrupts the continuing argument by asking Gideon about the significance of recovering the bullet. Gideon explains that determining the type of rifle used by the shooter will greatly assist them in developing the profile. Ms. Marston gives Dr. Landman approval to go ahead with the surgery.

Hotchner, Morgan, Reid and Det. Calvin have determined that a large handicapped space in the small park parking lot is suspicious. The handicapped symbol is freshly painted, and the space is a very long distance from the park building entrance. Hotchner observes that, by parking in this space, the shooter would have an excellent view of all three victims and the flagpole - wind direction and speed would have had a great impact on his aim. Clearly, the shooter came to the park before the shooting, decided this was his spot, and painted it with the handicapped symbol to assure that it was empty when he wanted to use it. This planning indicates that the shooter wanted to be able to leave the area quickly, so he did not have time to watch his victims suffer. The theory that the shooter is a sadist has already been proven wrong. When Det. Calvin asks the team how to describe the shooter, Hotchner responds, "a very smart, very resourceful, very paranoid sociopath."

Perusing the case files in a conference room at the hospital, Elle wonders why the shooter consistently targets his victims between 2:55 and 3:15 in the afternoons. Gideon explains that he is purposefully committing his crimes during police shift changes - second shift starts at 3:00 and first shift ends at 3:30. While theoretically this means there are twice as many officers on duty, the police ending their shifts are filling out reports, and the ones beginning shifts are being briefed in roll call. Very few people outside law enforcement would know that. Dr. Landman barges into the room and drops an evidence bag containing the bullet on the table in front of Gideon. He smugly tells Gideon that the patient will make a full recovery, of course. On the way out he winks at Elle who is underwhelmed. The bullet will be sent back to Garcia at Quantico.

At the Des Plaines Police Station, Morgan's cell phone rings. He smiles as he and Garcia exchange some playful banter, but quickly gets to the point - he wants to know about a possible geographic profile. Meanwhile, Hotchner and Reid tell Det. Calvin their theory that the unsub has intimate knowledge of law enforcement. He shot his last victims only 1/6th of a mile outside of her jurisdiction, knowing that crossing jurisdictional lines would make it that much more difficult for police departments to pool evidence. Det. Calvin is angry that they are suggesting one of her officers could be the shooter. She insists that the shooter's MO also matches someone with military experience. Morgan rejoins the group and tells them that, based on the bullet, the shooter is most likely a Marine Ranger, or someone else with specialized training. The bullet was 223 caliber, and was fired from an M-4 rifle - like an M-16 but with a shorter barrel making a long distance shot that much more difficult. This degree of skill proves their theory that the underkill was deliberate - and also indicates that this unsub is trying to prove just how clever and skillful he is. Morgan explains that Garcia cannot come up with a geographic profile as the shootings were not centered on one location. They will need more data, and that means more shootings. Unfortunately, Hotchner admits, they are liable to get their wish.

A couple sitting at an outdoor cafe is enjoying a quiet conversation when a strange sound fills the air. Suddenly, the young woman begins to stand, complaining that she doesn't feel well, her face draining of blood. When she stands up the man notices a wet red spot on her dress just as two more shots are fired. One slams into the young man's abdomen, and the second hits another man as the patrons scatter and a young girl begins to scream.

At the crime scene, Gideon tells the other agents that the presence of the FBI will only escalate the situation - it is not surprising that the unsub has taken another three victims only 48 hours after his last shooting. This situation will only get worse; they must give a preliminary profile to local law enforcement. At the Des Plaines Police Station, JJ warns the listening officers that the profile is just that, preliminary, and it is not ready to be released to the public. Any premature release of the profile could result in someone's death. Hotchner steps forward to take charge and tells the officers exactly who they are looking for: a 30 to 40 year old man with some military experience. He drives a sedan large enough to conceal his activity, but not large enough to draw attention. He suffers from narcissistic and paranoid personality disorders, works out incessantly and is never without a weapon. He cannot empathize with others, blames every problem he has on people around him and has no friends. He is drawn to high-stakes jobs where he can prove his superiority to others, but he will have a history of frequent job changes. As Gideon watches with concern, Hotchner tells the officers that the unsub has an intimate knowledge of law enforcement evidenced by his timing his shootings between the 1st and 2nd shift changes. Immediately the atmosphere of the room changes as the officers react to the profilers' suspicions that the shooter is or has been a member of the Des Plaines Police Department. Officer Scott McCarty sarcastically wonders if the shooter is also driving a white van, but is promptly shut down by his commander, Sgt. Weigart. As the sergeant takes Hotchner, Jareau, and Det. Calvin into his office, the police officers mutter among themselves.

Hotchner asks Sgt. Weigart for permission to re-enact the park shootings during the 1st and 2nd shift change to better understand the shooter's MO. JJ explains that it might help them discover if any of the witnesses had the opportunity to see anything useful - something they might not even realize that they saw. Weigart agrees.

Walking past Gideon, Reid hesitates, and Gideon asks him how he is holding up. Reid is frustrated, believing that, without a gun on his belt he looks more like a teachers' assistant than an FBI Special Agent. Gideon confronts him, knowing that Reid is not worried about how he looks. Reid asks Gideon about the thought that Hotchner shared with him at the firearms range - that you don't need a gun to kill someone. Gideon reminds Reid that a profiler's most effective weapon is the ability to empathize - to humanize an unsub's victims and determine an accurate profile. When Reid dismisses this advice, Gideon gets annoyed and reminds Reid that the Footpath Killer had a shotgun to the back of Gideon's head, but Gideon is the one that survived.

Officers from the Des Plaines Police Department and some of the profilers take positions around Franklin Park to try to recreate the shooting, while JJ, Gideon, Sgt. Weigart, and Det. Calvin monitor from the Mobile Command Center van. Hotchner stands in the small parking lot and watches Elle and Morgan - they are standing near one of the orange cones that mark a victim's location. Elle pans her camera towards the parking lot, but cannot get a good view of car parked in the handicapped space. Reid and Morgan also carry cameras, and Reid has a clear view of the vehicle, but cannot see the rifle a police officer is aiming out of the trunk of the car. Inside the van, JJ watches a local news report on her monitor, and is appalled to find that a local news team is inside Franklin Park reporting on the police re-creation of the shooting that is taking place. Reporter John Jenkins tells his viewers that the shooter that has been terrorizing the community is a member of the Des Plaines Police Department. JJ confronts Sgt. Weigart - his men were the only ones who knew about the profile, one of them must have leaked the story. Det. Calvin cannot believe a police officer would leak this information - it would only make community members wary of police officers. Gideon notes that it gives the unsub exactly what he needs - contact with the media. The cop who leaked this story is a good suspect.

The four stalk down to the reporter's location at the entrance to the park and demand to know his source, but Jenkins isn't talking. Gideon yanks the reporter's arms behind his back and reaches for the detective's handcuffs as JJ informs Jenkins that the FBI has designated these shootings as an act of terrorism and he can be detained under the Patriot Act. Jenkins quickly tells the agents that he only has a telephone number for his contact. Hotchner contacts Garcia to find out the owner of the cell phone. She tells him that, if he allows her to dial the number, she can find out the cell phone owner's location as well.

Walking back up to Hotchner's location, Det. Calvin is surprised that Gideon hasn't pulled his agents out of the park just in case the unsub is there, targeting them. Gideon knows that, if the unsub is watching, pulling agents out of the park will alert him to their suspicions, and he could start shooting. Garcia, working frantically, finds that the cell phone belongs to the Des Plaines Police Department, and the cell phone is in Franklin Park right now.

The crosshairs of a sniper rifle frame first Reid and then Elle.

Finally Garcia locates the particular officer who uses that cell phone - it is Scott McCarty, and McCarty is currently lying in the trunk of a sedan pointing a sniper rifle out of the back - he is "playing" the unsub in their re-creation.

Inside the trunk, McCarty's cell phone rings. He moves the rifle for a moment to look at the screen of his phone. Seeing "Incoming Call Unknown" he closes the phone and places his eye back to the scope, tightening his finger around the trigger and revealing a USMC tattoo on his right forearm. Elle is centered in the crosshairs.

Hotchner and Det. Calvin enter the Mobile Command Center van and tell Sgt. Weigart that McCarty is the leak; Weigart is not surprised. Sgt. Weigart immediately radios for a SWAT team to rendezvous at the park, telling them that they "need to come heavy." Hotchner reminds him that they don't know that McCarty is the shooter, they only know that he leaked the information to the press. Sgt. Weigart doesn't want to take any chances with the lives of his men.

Still watching Elle through the scope, McCarty sees the agent take a call on her cell phone. Quickly aiming his rifle at JJ, he notices that JJ is also talking on her cell phone. McCarty impatiently lays down his weapon and asks for a report on the situation through his radio. No one responds. Five SWAT team members in full gear slide up on either side of the sedan where McCarty is waiting. One man pulls the pin on a gas canister and slides under the rear of the car. Clouds of smoke erupt, cutting off any view of the park from the trunk of the car. Elle moves to a secure location behind a tree and Morgan tackles Reid, eventually pulling him from the line of fire. Sgt. Weigart, aiming his weapon at the trunk, demands that McCarty throw out his weapon and show his hands. McCarty tries to explain, but Sgt. Weigart says, "Don't make me give the order!" McCarty tosses out the rifle and his side-arm, and slowly opens the trunk. A SWAT member pushes him down from behind and secures McCarty's hands behind his back before the officers march him off. Surrounded by police officers, McCarty numbly walks along until one single shot pierces the air and takes McCarty cleanly between the eyes. Reacting instantly, all of the agents and officers take cover, trying to determine the origin of the shot. They do not see the green sedan's license plate swing back into place, concealing a gap just large enough for a sniper rifle.

Reactions to the death of Scott McCarty show on every face as the team reunites with Det. Calvin at the Des Plaines Police Department. Det. Calvin explains to JJ that Sgt. Weigart chose McCarty to spend all afternoon in the trunk of a car playing the unsub to punish him for his outburst at the profile briefing. The unsub probably found out about the reenactment from overhearing cops talking about the situation - they were pissed off about the BAU's claim that the shooter had law enforcement experiences, and, as, as Morgan puts it, "Cops talk. Pissed off cops talk loud." Gideon tries to get the team re-focused on the case by recapping what has just occurred: the unsub stopped wounding civilians and killed a police officer - he's gone "off script." The other agents, still too close to the police officer's death, cannot understand the change in the behavior, but Gideon knows the answer: the unsub could not allow anyone to believe that McCarty was the killer - he would not let anyone else take credit for his work. He also reminds the team that, if a killer has no contact with his victims he will contact the media - but this killer didn't contact the media, so it logically follows that he has some kind of contact with his victims. Even as Morgan gets the word from Garcia that the crime scenes are triangulated on two locations, the team realizes there is only one type of place the unsub would be sure to meet his victims - two local hospitals.

In the car on the way to the hospital, Gideon and Reid explain the concept of "Hero Homicide" to Det. Calvin. Reid mentions Richard Angelo, a hospital nurse who injected toxins into patients so that he could help revive them. He killed 25 people, and attacked many more that he was able to save. The profile describes these killers as arrogant, conceited, and egotistical. When Det. Calvin jokes that the description sounds like every surgeon she's ever met, Gideon remembers Dr. Landman - his attitude, how he wouldn't shake hands, his insistence on his ability to perform the dangerous surgery. Gideon calls Hotchner to advise that the team will start with Landman. He tells Det. Calvin to have the police maintain a discreet perimeter around the hospital as Hotchner drives off to check out the surgeon's car.

Garcia faxes Morgan the results of her background check on Dr. Landman and he reads off the facts to the agents as they sit around the conference table. Landman attended MP school in the army, ended up as a doctor with special forces, and has been bouncing around from hospital to hospital since his discharge in 2001. When he asks about possibly stressful situations in Landman's immediate past, Administrator Marston tells Gideon that he was passed over for Chief of Surgery just last month. Morgan rushes off to get a warrant to search Landman's house, hoping to find the weapon there.

Gideon finds Landman in an exam room, checking x-rays. The surgeon arrogantly tells Gideon that he is too busy to speak with him and that he should make an appointment. Turning to confront Gideon, Landman sees Reid, JJ, and Elle watching the interview through the exam room window and realizes that the FBI considers him a suspect. As Landman continues to verbally fence with Gideon, never answering a question directly, Hotchner approaches the other agents outside the exam room. He tells them that Landman drives a red two-seat Maserati - if he's the shooter he must have another vehicle. Gideon asks Landman if he knows anyone who fits the profile of a "Hero Homicide" shooter - someone who covets the power of God. Landman forcefully explains that, in the operating room, he is God to his patients. At the time of the shooting of Scott McCarty, Landman claims he was with someone else who thinks of him as God - Dr. Hannah Pate. He dares the team to ask her: she's in the ER right now. Hotchner grabs Reid and heads down the hallway to check the surgeon's alibi.

On their way towards the ER, Hotchner tells Reid that he doesn't think Landman is the one they're looking for. Richard Angelo, and others involved in "Hero Homicides," wanted to be thought special because, in their everyday lives they were anything but. Dr. Landman is already a hero to his patients. In the emergency room, Hotchner shows his ID to Nurse Phillip Dowd, and the nurse goes off to find Dr. Pate as Reid and Hotchner continue their discussion. Hotchner reviews the motivations for "Hero Homicide": power, excitement, and respect. Landman already has respect, and the power and excitement come as he races the clock trying to save a life in the operating room. It also doesn't make any sense for him to shoot three people at once since he can only operate on them one at a time. The two agents glance around them at the busy ER noticing men and women bleeding, crying, and the staff hurrying to try to help them. Suddenly they realize that it would be the staff of the hospital emergency rooms having to deal with three shooting victims at once that would be considered the real heroes. Reid notes that ERs run on the same shift schedules as police officers and the shooter could easily have contact with his victims if he worked in the emergency room.

Hotchner begins dialing his cell phone but another nurse tells him that he cannot use his phone inside the hospital. Hotchner and Reid quietly take the woman aside, identify themselves, and tell her about the type of man they are looking for.

Joining Elle and JJ outside the exam room, Gideon explains that, while Dr. Landman has a terrible narcissistic personality disorder, he is not the shooter.

Nurse Phillip Dowd nods to five police officers who are making their way down the hospital hallway in order to seal off the hospital. His mind seems to be racing as he changes direction, looking for an exit. He stops as he sees another phalanx of officers through the open doors at the end of a corridor ahead of him. Dowd quickly heads into the locker room and takes his keys out of his pocket. He pulls a large black duffel bag out of his locker and removes his lab coat, revealing an Army Ranger tattoo on his left arm.

Hotchner is still speaking quietly to the nurse in the emergency room. He asks her to think about the people she works with in the ER - he's looking for someone vain, rude, who works out a lot, and blames others for his mistakes. As the list of characteristics goes on, the nurse's eyes open wide in realization - this is an exact description of Phillip Dowd. He works in the ER, and he picks up shifts at the other hospital as well. Trying to calm the panicking nurse, Hotchner asks her to look around and try to spot Dowd. The nurse doesn't see him. Hotchner tells Reid to tell Gideon what they've discovered. Reid starts down the hallway and sees Dowd turn the corner approaching him. Before Reid can react, Dowd takes a rifle from beneath his lab coat and hits Reid across the face, knocking him to the floor. Dowd, now wearing a black shirt and an army vest, quickly aims at a security guard, and holds him as a shield as he shoots out the electrical box, plunging the ER into semi-darkness. At the sound of the gunfire, Hotchner pulls his weapon, and Gideon and the team run towards the emergency room area. Hotchner and Dowd face each other, weapons aimed, the security guard standing between them.

Dowd warns Hotchner that his rifle is set on full automatic, so Hotchner had better kill him with the first shot or many other people are going to die. Hotchner lays his gun down on a table nearby. Dowd forces the guard, Keith, to his knees and keeps his rifle trained on Hotchner before reaching for the agent's weapon. Never looking away from Hotchner's face, Dowd orders Reid back beside Hotchner, and orders the older agent to take his partner's gun. Dowd doesn't believe it when Hotchner tells him that Reid is unarmed, but Reid's nervous demeanor and empty belt convince him. Dowd hands Keith three pairs of flexi-cuffs, and has him bind Hotchner, Reid, and himself before striking Keith with the stock of his rifle and knocking him unconscious.

Reid is quick to follow Dowd's orders to kneel down on the ground, but Hotchner stares rebelliously at the shooter before slowly lowering himself into a chair. "Now, what kind of FBI Agent doesn't carry a gun," Dowd taunts Reid. Reid begins explaining that he is a profiler and he knew enough about Dowd to track him down. Hotchner hisses at Reid to shut up, and Reid looks away, embarrassed. Dowd encourages Reid to go on, to tell him what he's "figured out." Hotchner joins in the taunting, calling Reid a "genius," and warning him that Dowd will shoot him if he gets anything wrong. Confused, Reid remains silent. Turning to Hotchner, Dowd demands that he tell him everything he's figured out about Dowd - his background, his plan, and what he's going to do next. Hotchner describes Dowd's "exploits" in an off-hand manner, almost as if he harbors some respect for the shooter's cleverness and skill. Hotchner also tells Dowd that he knows he's planning to "go down in a hail of bullets."

In the hospital hallways, local police and SWAT members are gearing up. In a corner by themselves, Morgan fills in the rest of the team on Dowd's background: he went to Army Ranger school, was dishonorably discharged, joined the Arlington PD for 9 months before they kicked him out, and afterward got his nursing license and has been moving from hospital to hospital ever since.

"I know you're the smartest guy in every room you've ever been in but no one's ever known it. People feel threatened by you and try to sabotage you every chance they get. You're not a bad person, you helped save all of your victims afterward. The first guy wasn't your fault. . ." Hotchner continues to speak rapidly, holding eye contact with Phillip Dowd as Reid looks on. Dowd is fascinated, lowering his weapon to explain that it took the EMTs thirteen minutes to get to his first victim - it wasn't his fault he died. Suddenly, Hotchner advises Dowd to barricade the door, and to let him and Reid do it. Dowd is skeptical, suspecting Hotchner is trying to signal someone outside, but Hotchner tells him that the police and agents already knew Dowd was in the ER, and that he was armed when they sent Hotchner and Reid in. Reid cringes as Dowd puts his weapon back to his shoulder and aims at Hotchner, but the moment passes, and Dowd admits that the barricade is a good idea. "But why would you want to help me?" he wonders.

Dowd quotes Hotchner's words back to him: "You said they knew I was in here." Hotchner hesitates, glancing away, and denies saying it. Dowd insists, telling Reid that Hotchner seems to want to help him, even if he doesn't realize it. Telling Hotchner he'll shoot him if he leaves anything out, Dowd demands that the agent explain the real situation to Reid, including everything he's thinking. Hotchner glares at Dowd and spits the words out of his mouth: "They knew he was in here, they knew he was armed and dangerous, and they knew he would fight to the last round. And they sent me in here with an unarmed kid who can't shoot his way out of a wet paper bag." Dowd is almost gleeful at Hotchner's recitation. "They set you up." Reid looks over at Hotchner in disbelief as the agent agrees with Dowd: "Exactly. And they're probably laughing about it right now." Hotchner doesn't exactly want to help Dowd, but he knows that the police are dying for an excuse to come in with guns blazing to get revenge for the cop Dowd killed. The agent insists that many people are going to die in the crossfire, and he wants to make it as difficult as possible for the police to get in.

Gideon takes Sgt. Weigart aside as the officer makes his final preparations to storm the ER. He begs Weigart to wait before sending in his teams. Gideon tells the sergeant that Agent Hotchner is very experienced, and that he will be focusing all of his profiling expertise on Dowd to try to gain his trust. Once Hotchner has made that kind of connection with Dowd he will be able to end this peacefully, but only if Weigart gives him the time to do it. Weigart tightly reminds Gideon that a cop is dead. Gideon calmly insists that Weigart will only be playing into Dowd's hands by attacking him - making himself a martyr falling to police gunfire. "How are your unarmed men going to stop him?" asks Weigart. "They're not unarmed," explains Gideon, "they have his profile." Weigart gives them three minutes.

Hotchner continues to set the mood in the dark emergency room, asking Dowd if he wants to know why the FBI took away Reid's gun. Reid glances at Hotchner, and then keeps his eyes down, humiliated in front of this unsub. Hotchner tells Dowd that Reid failed his qualification, even after Hotchner had been using his own free time to coach him. Dowd snickers, and tells Hotchner how the people at his workplace also have it in for him, undermining him constantly. Hotchner suggests that Dowd place the people who've wronged him next to the barricade - they are more likely to be shot by the officers who burst in, killing Dowd's enemies, and ruining the lives of the police officers as well. "You are one sick dude," Dowd commends Hotchner. "How do you think I found you?" Hotchner responds.

The SWAT teams move towards the barricaded doors to the ER. Elle, JJ, Morgan, and Gideon can do nothing except look on, powerless.

Dowd has moved all of the hostages against the doors to the ER. He stands at a right angle to the doors, facing Hotchner and Reid. Hotchner asks Dowd for one more favor - the chance to "kick the snot" out of Reid for getting him into this situation. Dowd happily agrees, and watches as Hotchner stands and pushes Reid onto the floor, fiercely kicking him in the stomach over and over again as he repeats, "It's front site, trigger press, follow through!" Reid groans in pain with each kick, until he can finally grab Hotchner's leg. Tearing his leg from Reid's grasp, Hotchner turns towards Dowd as Reid lies on his side away from Dowd, his body curled into a ball.

The SWAT teams are in position, waiting for the order.

Dowd, looking on Hotchner with respect, asks him if he feels better. Hotchner moves away from Reid back towards the desk and notes, "I think he got the message." Smiling, Dowd looks down at Reid, and his eyes are suddenly drawn to Hotchner's leg - the one Reid had been grasping. Hotchner's pant leg is askew, revealing an empty ankle holster. Even as all humor leaves Dowd's face and his eyes snap back to Hotchner's cold glare - even as he lifts his rifle to his shoulder - Reid, in one movement, turns, sites Hotchner's second gun on Dowd's forehead, presses the trigger, and follows through.

Weigart hears the shot and yells for his men to go in, but Hotchner is already at the door, identifying himself as a federal agent, and advising the officers that all is clear. Gideon and the team rush towards the ER, abandoning Phillip Dowd's file on a nearby chair.

"Shakespeare wrote, 'Nothing is so common as the wish to be remarkable.'"

Leaning against the open rear door of an ambulance, Reid watches two attendants wheel away the covered body of Phillip Dowd. Hotchner walks towards him and asks him if he's all right. When Hotchner commends him on his shot, Reid sarcastically remarks, "I was aiming for his leg." Hotchner, chagrined at his tactics to get Dowd's trust, explains that he wouldn't have kept kicking Reid, but he wanted to make sure Reid understood the plan. Reid understood. "Well, I hope I didn't hurt you too badly," Hotchner apologizes. Reid reminds him that he was a 12-year-old child prodigy in the Las Vegas public schools - implying that he's been hurt worse, physically and psychologically. When Reid holds out Hotchner's gun, Hotchner smiles and pats him on the shoulder, telling Reid to keep it - that he clearly passed his qualification. Reid stands and puts Hotchner's gun in his pocket. Walking away from the ambulance he sees Morgan approaching, and flips Morgan's whistle back at him. Morgan looks at Reid's retreating back and smiles.

Most of the BAU team is asleep on the jet later that night, as Reid sits staring out the window. Gideon takes the seat opposite the young agent and asks him how he is doing. Reid tells Gideon that he was right; it doesn't take a gun to kill someone. "But it helps." Reid is disturbed that he doesn't feel bad about killing Phillip Dowd - taking a life should affect him - he should feel something. Gideon reassures him, telling him that this will affect him sooner or later, and, when it does, Reid has to remember three things: he did what he had to do, a lot of good people are alive because of what he did, and Gideon is proud of him. Reid leans back against the seat and turns his gaze back to the darkness outside the window.