Criminal Minds

A DEA SWAT team storms into a barricaded house. All is clear, but they had expected to find a meth lab and drug dealers. Instead, they find an escape tunnel and a Bomb/Chemical Dispersion Device.
In the Hotchner bedroom, Hotch is awakened by a phone call. He tells the caller he will be there in a few minutes. His wife, Haley, hears him mention terror alert, but he can't really tell her what is going on. As he prepares to leave, he remembers they were supposed to take their son Jack to have his photograph taken the next day. Hotchner tells Haley he will try to make it home that night, but that she should go anyway if he can't make it. Half dressed he grabs his gun out of the nightstand drawer and kisses her goodbye.
Garcia, Reid and Prentiss are already seated at a big round table as the others join them. JJ is standing in front of the big plasma screen display.
She explains Homeland Security suspects Al Qaida to be behind the dispersal device they found in Northern Virginia. They don't yet know which biochemical agent they are dealing with. JJ has a printed message that had been intercepted. Emily takes it from her and translates the Arabic into English reading from right to left. The others stare at her, amazed and impressed. She looks up, "I lived in several Middle Eastern countries growing up."
The message reads: "Our friends surprised us and eloped, we can no longer wait for the wedding as planned, we can deliver our gift at the next crescent."
Emily explains that Muslims sometimes use a lunar calendar. Eager to prove her capabilities to the new agent, Garcia quickly taps a few keys on her computer and reports, with a satisfied grin, that the next crescent moon is in two days.
After more investigation, cell phone records lead the team to Jind Allah. Two months previously, he had been captured while attempting to leave the USA airport using a forged Pakistani passport. He has been held as a ghost detainee in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba ever since. His name translates to Soldier of God. Gideon picks up that it is not likely his real name. Emily adds that he probably assumed it for the jihad. Jihad means "struggle" but extremists claim it means "holy war." Reid comments, "Yet the words 'holy' and 'war' never appear together in the Qur'an."
So far, the CIA interrogators at Guantanamo had not been unable to extract even his real name. Though, from past intercepts, they know he is a recruiter. He came into the United States to assemble the 'Omega Cell' -- a sleeper cell with an unknown mission. If the BAU can't break him we are looking at what could be the first attack on American soil since 9/11.
As Gideon packs his bag, he tells Hotchner they will leave in a few minutes. Hotchner suggests Gideon should take Prentiss with him to Guantanamo, but Gideon has his doubts. "I know nothing about her abilities. It's an interrogation, not a training exercise." Hotchner points out she is the only one on the team fluent in Arabic, and he seems to think she is prepared for anything. And indeed Prentiss is standing at her desk with her ready-bag packed and waiting with anticipation on her face. Gideon sees this and relents, "The car leaves in four minutes."
Dale Turner: Some of the best lessons in life are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom of the future.
On the plane, Gideon and Reid are playing a game of chess. Prentiss is seated nearby and interrupts, "I just want to let you know how much I appreciate..." Gideon cuts her off, telling her not to thank him. He comments this is not a favor; it's her job. Reid tries to change the subject by asking Gideon if he thinks the interrogation of Jind Allah will work in time. Gideon tells him, "Interrogation is the most dynamic of profiling." Prentiss blurts out that is not an answer, then quickly adds "sir." Gideon elaborates. Jind Allah has been locked up there for months and does not know the safe house was raided. We need to get him to talk about something... anything. His body movements and his language will give him away. Gideon lays out the plan. He will go in and interview him. Prentiss needs to listen to what Jind is saying, how he uses his words, to see if there is a subtext or ulterior meaning to them. Reid needs to watch for 'tells' and nonverbal micro-expressions, and note the changes in his behavior when Gideon challenges Jind Allah's belief systems to stress him. Gideon needs to get Jind to reveal something personal before he can determine when and where they plan to attack.
Glancing out the window, Gideon suddenly announces, "Game over," and buckles his seatbelt as the plane makes a very sharp turn tossing the chess board and everyone in the plane aside. As everyone straightens up again, Gideon explains the Guantanamo Bay runway is perpendicular to Cuban airspace. "They call it the Gitmo Twist." Reid eyes the fallen chessboard and pieces on the floor and says, "I was winning." Prentiss contradicts him. "Actually, he would have had you in three."
Meanwhile, Hotchner and Morgan have arrived at the raided cell location and are met by the leader of the DEA SWAT team, Agent Bonnie Ryan. Morgan then spots an old buddy, Agent Kenny Norwood.
At the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, Jind Allah is being dragged into an empty cell. He is shackled and handcuffed, wearing only briefs, and has several bruises on his body. Two guards remain in the room, standing on opposite sides of the man who is lying on the white tiled floor between them. He seems to be mumbling to himself very softly.
Gideon, Reid and Prentiss arrive and are met by the Intelligence Supervisor, Agent Andy Bingaman. He tells them a few days back Jind managed to talk to another detainee, who had been cooperating with the authorities, for three minutes while standing in the shower line. That night, the other detainee committed suicide.
Bingaman then takes them into a room with several security monitors so they can watch Jind's reactions on several screens. One shows a close-up of his hands, one has his upper body, and one shows the whole room. Prentiss notices Jind's mumbling to himself, and says that he is reciting the Qur'an from memory. Bingaman says, "In two months of interrogation that is all the CIA has been able to get out of him." Reid notices cuts and bruises underneath Jind's right eye. Agent Bingaman says although he controls access to the detainees, his protests about the CIA's interrogation methods are ignored. Gideon tells him to let the interrogation continue as normal. He will go in later and demand the guards stop harassing Jind. Bingaman wants to warn the CIA operatives, but Gideon stops him because it is better if their reaction is believable. He plans to use it to his advantage. The interrogation continues as Gideon explains further, "He needs to see me as a complete contrast from what he has learned to expect from his captors."
Gideon's interruption of the interrogation is not appreciated, especially when he says it is time they showed the man some respect. The guards angrily leave the room, and Gideon gives Jind an orange jumpsuit worn by detainees. He then apologizes for the treatment he has suffered. He asks Jind if he wouldn't mind if Gideon spends some time with him, which has a visible effect. Jind stops his recitation and lets Gideon explain what he is doing there. "Studying human behavior is what I do." Reid and Prentiss watch on the monitor, while Reid is taking notes.
Hotchner and Morgan are still searching the cell location. Morgan finds a shoebox containing some papers, which he takes it out and shows to Ryan and Hotchner. "This looks like a list of chemicals." He calls Garcia to check it out.
Back at Gitmo, Gideon says to Jind, "I'd like to believe, with greater understanding, one day there will be a peaceful resolution of our differences. I don't know what you have done or what you planed to do, but unlike the other detainees here you have the intelligence, the education to convey the nuances of your culture."
Morgan gets a call back from Garcia, who tells him the list appears to be the chemicals needed to weaponize anthrax. That news travels to Guantanamo, where Reid relates a few facts on anthrax. Only 2 grams of purified spores is enough to kill 25 million people!
Gideon is still trying to start a conversation with Jind. When Jind replies using the Arabic phrase, "Gayed Giden," Prentiss thinks she knows where he is from. He is from Egypt, Cairo possibly, or could be Yemeni. She makes a judgment call and gives this information to Gideon who is wearing an earpiece. Egyptians pronounce "J" sounds as a "G." Gideon is able to work this information into the conversation, which appears to impress Jind. "In two minutes, you know more about me than those thugs found out in two months." The two men continue their discussion as they one another up. Gideon admits his worst enemy is ignorance, and tries to get Jind to tell him his. Then Gideon stands up and starts to leave the room. Jind asks if they are through already, Gideon replies that is not the case. He is leaving because the sun is about to set, which is prayer time for Muslims. He even points out the direction of Mecca to Jind and has a prayer rug and water bowl brought in for him.
Garcia is sitting at her computer watching as text scrolls rapidly across her screen as JJ comes in to check on her. The NSA is rerouting all their message chatter to the FBI for language analysis. JJ tells her to cross-reference "gift" with "wedding allusions" to be consistent with the code of the previous message. They get a few hits.
"It rained all over the wedding, the gift is waiting in the barn. The wedding will now be held at Vincent's barn off Lincoln, Annandale. Wrap the gift for delivery." JJ calls Hotchner with this information, and he organizes another raid at what they believe is the second cell location.
Back in the interrogation room, Jind still does not trust Gideon. When Gideon offers him water, Jind asks Gideon to drink some first, and then finally accepts it. Gideon asks him to explain something. "How can you ignore the fact that Mohammed preached passivity? Do no violence." Jind replies that Mohammed's later message from Medina was perfectly clear. "When violence come upon you, you must fight back with violence." Reid tells Gideon that statement does not come from the Qur'an. Jind and Gideon discuss faith, and Gideon points out the difference. "How is it that my faith would allow you to live and worship as you please, and yours would take my life and snuff it out?" When Jind tries to argue, Gideon cuts him off saying, "One billion Muslims manage to practice their faith in peace."
Jind does not respond to this and changes the subject by giving Gideon an answer to a previous question about his childhood. He said it was a happy one until one day a bomb killed half his family when he was eight. That day he swore his life to vengeance for Allah. Reid calls Garcia to verify the bombing. Gideon informs Jind it is for that reason those who are holding him can never let him go, and his only hope is to tell Gideon his story, so one day he can share his struggle with the world.
Morgan, Hotchner and the DEA team have arrived at the second safe house. When Gideon lets Jind know that they have raided the second location and found nothing, his body language changes. Reid notices something is wrong and tells Gideon who call Hotchner and orders the team out of the house immediately. It's a trap. A huge explosion follows.
JJ and Garcia are working on the anthrax. There are no American labs that reported missing anthrax, so JJ suggests looking for a foreign lab. Then she notices the news of the explosion on a monitor with the headline crawl: Annandale, Virginia, Gas Main Explosion. Garcia panics and calls Morgan in tears. She is relieved when he answers his phone, but is saddened to learn the explosion had killed Kenny, Morgan's friend on the DEA SWAT team. Gideon tells Jind one of his men died, what do you say to his parents? Jind responds, "I'd say, where were you to mourn when my son was killed." So now Emily figures out that it was his son that had been killed. Reid confirms this is true by watching his behavior. Earlier when he was lying about the bombing – Garcia did not find any records – he did not seem to have to control himself like he had to now. Reid has Garcia look for a more recent bombing and she finds it. A few years ago in Cairo, the government blames Hezbollah, but word on the street is that it was a joint USA-Israeli strike that went astray. "Your ghost detainee's name is Jamal Abazza."
Back in the interrogation room, Jind tells Gideon that it appears there will be no peaceful resolution to their differences after all. Gideon tells him it's time for his prayers and asks if he can talk with him again tomorrow. Jamalagrees.
Garcia learns Jamal had been a volunteer Imam in a U.S. prison a few years previously. The CIA had been looking for foreign cell members, but this means he has probably recruited home-grown terrorists - American citizens who didn't fit in with other prison groups and had a reason for hating the government.
Gideon, Prentiss and Reid tell the CIA agents at Gitmo everything they know, but are met by an inflexible, "We have protocols we have to follow," from the CIA agents. Gideon is able to convince them to cooperate and work together as one team.
Suddenly, Garcia is flooded with a massive amount of new information being submitted from the CIA databases.
Cooperation.
Gideon enters the interrogation room again and makes small talk with Jamal.
Gideon, "We get comfort from our prayers."

Jamal, "We?"

Gideon, "Human beings."
This seems to disturb Jamal.
Jamal, "You placed us on the same level. Here I am thought of as less than human."

Gideon, "And in your jihad I am."

Jamal, "What do you really want from me?"

Gideon, "I want to understand you. It's almost time for your mid-day prayers. May I return later?"
Garcia and JJ finally get a hit on the anthrax. Genamune, a Dutch biotech firm reported they may have had a security breech and they may be missing up to 20 grams of lab-grade anthrax. Enough to kill a quarter billion people!
Gideon, Reid and Prentiss observe Jamal on the monitors. He seems to be much calmer so his body language is harder to read. Prentiss has her doubts, but Reid tells her he has been with Gideon long enough to trust him.
JJ utters a wish for a centralized database, but Garcia tells her to dream on. She does get a hit: André Janssen, who now lives under a Muslim name, and listed a Virginia address on his US Customs form. She calls Morgan and Hotchner to give them these new details.
They raid the house (not booby-trapped this time) and find five dead men, all shot in the head execution- They also find anthrax residue on scene and some backpack tags, but everything else is gone. They are too late.
On the freeway, a white van is seen taking the exit to McLean, Virginia.
Gideon enters the interrogation room again and asks Jamal if he is finished. He introduces Reid to him, and asks him if they can talk. Jamal replies with a humorous tone that yes, he does have a little time.
Gideon, "A joke. We are making progress."
Gideon goes straight to the heart of the matter.
Gideon, "Is there no way for this jihad to end?"

Jind, "The jihad will end when Allah wills it to end."

Gideon, "And when will you know that it is Allah's will?"

Jind, "When the jihad ends."
This is going nowhere.
Gideon tells him he has been lying to him and tells him that his colleagues have been watching his body language on a monitor. Reid confirms and tells him some of what he knows.
Jind, "I'd say you were more than a bit successful." Gideon takes over, "But we did not learn where your cell has planed an anthrax attack at the new crescent moon tonight." Jamal denies knowledge of such an event, but Gideon contradicts him and uses his real name. Then Gideon stops talking and puts his finger to the listening device in his ear. He looks very shocked and defeated and whispers, "Are you sure?"
Without saying a word Gideon leaves the room, with Reid following behind, and Jamal goes back to reciting the Qur'an. Suddenly, he is interrupted as Gideon swings open the metal cell door revealing a TV monitor showing the report of a terrorist anthrax attack. Gideon's voice is full of emotion as he asks Jamal how he could do such a thing.
Gideon, "You have perverted your faith to justify murder."

Jamal, "Now we are finally chatting, Gideon."

Gideon, "You accused Americans of being puppeteers of the third world, yet you used your own people's faith tonight to make them dance for you."

"Why is it that those who claim to be the strongest believers in this war always manipulate other people to die for them?"
Jamal retorts, "Does your President go into battle himself, or does he send your children?"

Gideon, "Tonight all those innocent people…"

Jamal, "There is no such thing, they were infidels. They spread American policies over the entire world."
Both Reid and Prentiss watch as things begin to unravel.
Gideon, "They never hurt you!"

Jamal, "They hurt me by existing! The infidels will fall at the hands of the righteous, and that is when the jihad will end. America has learned nothing from the past, what has happened tonight will affect your economy for years like September 11 affected air travel. And maybe the next time a giant shopping center opens people will think twice before going..."
Although he had not finished his rant, everyone rushes out of the room. Reid phones Garcia, "You can shut down the video feed now, thanks." Jamal is aggravated that they so rudely left him, then someone opens the blinds in the other room and the realization hits him. "Has the sun not set yet?" Reid, in an uncharacteristically harsh tone says, "No," and leaves the room.
Prentiss phones the details through to Quantico. The attack is planned for the Grand Opening of a shopping mall today, not long after sunset. JJ informs Hotchner and Morgan that the USA Mall in McLean, Virginia, is the target.
An overhead shot of the mall shows it is already very busy. Hotchner and Morgan are on their way to the mall, followed by the DEA team. Hotchner expresses concern that his wife and son are at the mall, but does not want to breech security. Morgan tells him to forget about security and make the call. He tries, but he is unable to reach her. The tension mounts.
When they arrive at the mall, they locate the white van with a dead security guard inside. On the security monitors Hotchner can see four men on the east-end of the roof, near the air vents. Morgan and the DEA climb up to the roof - fully masked – they surprise the terrorists who begin shooting. The team returns fire, killing three of the men before they can release the anthrax. Morgan then chases the fourth terrorist across the roof and shoots him, sending him crashing through the glass skylight, and landing on the mall floor below. This is the only "excitement" the mall visitors will ever know occurred that day.
A shot of the crescent moon segues to the Hotchner home where Haley is watching a news report on television about a robbery attempt at the USA Mall. Hotchner rushes into the room and hugs his family. Haley has no idea what really happened, and Hotchner can't say anything other than to agree with her that it was a good thing she had canceled the photo appointment.
The rest of the team returns home.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: In order to learn the most important lessons in life, one must each day surmount a fear.
On the jet back to Quantico, Reid and Gideon are playing chess. Prentiss asks Gideon about the case and he explains that showing Jind an actual clock would never have fooled him. He knew he'd have to convince Jamal of the passage of time by supplying allusions of time, moving up his prayers.
Gideon tells them from the moment he saw Jamal, he knew he was too smart to have had that cell phone registered in his name. He planned it so he would know when someone was on to him.
"We won this round, but you heard him. 'Jihad never ends.'" Gideon checkmates Reid, who quits and walks away to take a nap, leaving Gideon and Prentiss alone.
Gideon, "Prentiss, do you play?"

Her reply, "Yes sir. I play."

[recap written by highwaykind and WriterJim]