Criminal Minds s12e09 Episode Script

1 Rossi: Previously on "Criminal Minds" I was able to increase the budget to hire a new agent.
That's great.
Well, I made an offer.
I'm expecting a response tomorrow and my fingers are crossed it'll be a yes.
But I can tell you this agent's been with the bureau nearly 20 years, and we met on a case for Interpol.
Prentiss: Steven? You gotta be kidding.
Steven Walker.
How you been? Welcome aboard.
Really appreciate you helping out on these seminars, Steven.
Of course.
Agent Rossi's profiling class is what got me hooked my rookie year in the Bureau.
You got in your first year.
I never even heard of that.
I had to wait until my third.
I test well.
Ok, you don't have to be modest.
Do you know what I had to do to pry you away from the B.
A.
P.
? We're lucky to have you.
Well, I appreciate it.
Agent Rossi was a mentor when I was coming up, so I'm happy to be here.
He said you were one of the most naturally-gifted profilers he's ever seen.
By the way, you know what today is, right? Yes.
I wasn't gonna say anything.
Good plan.
I'll meet you up there.
Give me a minute.
[Muffled crying.]
Please [Crying.]
You ever seen brain matter and blood splattered together? It makes a pink mist.
Don't worry.
You won't even feel it.
Michael Lee Hill, FBI! Drop your weapon! I'll blow her head off.
Let her go, Michael.
- Back up.
- We can't do that.
Then she dies today.
You hear me?! No! Rossi: Congratulations.
You just sent agent Prentiss to the emergency room.
Hopefully, she pulls through.
You only take the shot if you are absolutely sure.
And trust me, you are rarely absolutely sure.
With the adrenaline, even the best can miss easy shots from time to time.
And a hail of bullets is never a good thing.
The point is to control the situation, and a shootout is one of the most uncontrollable situations there are.
Anyone else? Maybe speak to his mother issues, get him off balance.
I'll blow her head off.
No, you won't.
Your mother would be angry if you did.
You think she abandoned you but she didn't.
You don't know a damn thing.
We know your mother loves you.
Just let that girl go and see for yourself.
We could take you to her right now.
[Muffled crying.]
Liars! [Gunshot.]
[Gunshot.]
Wrong answer.
You just got the victim killed and lost the unsub.
Not exactly a win.
You're all regional coordinators with a few years on the job, and this is an advanced training seminar.
You gotta do better than that.
So what else? Well, the profile says he's narcissistic.
I mean, you should appeal to that.
Finally somebody's thinking.
Now I remember why I recommended you for this program, agent Clark.
I'll blow her head off.
You don't need her, Michael.
You're already a household name.
It's true.
I've hunted men like you all over the world.
You're the best we've ever seen.
Now, just let that girl go so you can tell your story.
[Crying.]
No! No! The takedown, as we call it, is an extremely fluid situation, you need to rely on your instincts, your training, and above all else, the profile.
It could save your life, not to mention your partner's, and the victim's.
That's why we work so hard to build it.
All right, that's all for today.
Let's do it.
Uh, excuse me, agent Rossi.
Uh, we heard it's your birthday, and in your book you said you like scotch, so we all got together and put in and We got you this.
Now, we know alcohol's not allowed on the premises, but we figured I don't celebrate my birthday, but thank you.
Ok? Well I'm sorry.
I say something wrong? It's not you.
Have any of you heard of Tommy Yates? The Womb Raider? Yeah, agent Rossi put him away.
He's one of the most prolific serial killers ever.
He's also one of the escaped convicts from that mass prison break last year.
He had something like 40 victims, right? 47 that were recovered, but he claims to have killed over 100.
He kidnapped his female victims, starved them for days, and then cut out their reproductive organs, hence the nickname.
I heard he took out their vocal chords, too.
He did, indeed.
But a few years back, after he was caught, he and Rossi made a deal.
Every year Yates agreed to give him another name and location of a victim he buried, but only one name a year and only on Rossi's birthday.
In exchange, Yates got transferred to the East Coast, where his death sentence got commuted to life without the possibility of parole.
Today is Rossi's first birthday since Yates escaped.
[Cell phone ringing.]
This is Rossi.
Man: Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, agent Rossi Happy birthday to you Sorry we couldn't have our annual sit-down.
There's still time.
Just tell me where you are.
Nice try.
But considering everything you've done for me, I figured I still owe you a present.
Her name is Jody Wilson.
Is Jody Wilson? What do you mean, is? Answer me.
I'm back, Dave.
And I'm feeling like my old self again.
Now, listen close and I'll tell you where you're gonna find her.
[Muffled crying.]
Rossi: "What madness is it to be expecting evil before it comes?" Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
Well, we have to wait for the coroner, but clearly her genitalia and reproductive organs have been mutilated.
Her vocal chords, too.
She looks to be about late 40s, early 50s.
That tracks.
I mean, all of his victims are right around his age.
Prentiss: And he buried her, too.
So if he sticks to his pattern, he'll most likely go after another woman soon.
He usually kills in twos, right? Alvez: So nothing's changed.
His M.
O.
's exactly the same.
Well, not exactly.
His first victim is usually high-risk.
Runaways, prostitutes But Jody Wilson is as low-risk as they come.
That's new.
Assuming that this is his first victim.
It is.
He would have told me otherwise.
Alvez, coordinate with the fugitive recovery team.
- I want a full-scale manhunt.
- Alright.
I'll contact the press to warn the public.
There's something else that's new, you know.
Yeah.
Now he's taunting me.
How how is that new? I mean, one name a year on your birthday.
Wasn't the whole deal a taunt? No.
That was about power and control.
This is about payback.
How can you be sure? I've been tracking that guy since '92.
He was aware of me then, but not once did he reach out before one of his kills.
As a matter of fact, whenever we got close, he went under.
So why start taunting you now? That's the million-dollar question.
But it definitely has to do with rapport and mutual respect built up over the years.
Mutual respect? You respect that monster? I used to think that they were all monsters, too.
But they're not.
They're just men, and occasionally women.
And not to respect the people I hunt would be like a soldier not respecting his enemy.
And that mistake costs lives.
But how do you know he felt the same way about you? This whole thing feels like disrespect.
Because he said as much.
Truth be told, I actually think he liked me.
Yates has no family and no friends.
Agent Rossi is the only real human connection he has to the world.
And I took advantage of that.
I wanted that rapport with him.
Sorry.
Sir, I know, I'm late, but I come bearing um, gifts, in the form of case files.
I have also sent you all digital copies, if you are of the millennial variety.
And since you're all here in official capacity, and since this seminar is considered on-the-job training, we're enlisting every one of you to help catch this guy.
So make sure you familiarize yourselves with all of this, and our technical analyst Penelope Garcia will help you in any way she can.
In the meantime, I want to ask about next steps.
What are they? I'd put a trace on the phone.
Way ahead of you.
He's probably using prepaid cell phones, which means we have to keep him on the line long enough to triangulate the signal.
What else? I'd like to see the official M.
E.
report on Jody Wilson.
I'd also like to know what the crime scene techs found out at the disposal site.
Yes.
We're waiting on those reports.
Go on.
Victimology on Jody Wilson.
Phone records, email, social media.
There's nothing.
Jody was merely analog.
I'd talk to her family and friends, get to really know who Jody Wilson was.
Very good.
Her mother Mae will be here in an hour.
In the meantime, get to work.
[Elevator bell dings.]
What are you two doing here? We thought we would help with the Mae Wilson interview.
Prentiss send you? I think she was just trying to utilize our skill sets.
Thanks.
But I got it.
And She's a little worried about you.
We all are.
We know what this case means to you.
I'm fine.
I don't need help.
I've personally spoken to the parents of every single one of Tommy Yates victims, and I'm not about to change that now.
Mrs.
Wilson? Uh-huh.
I'm SSA Rossi, but you can call me David.
I want to thank you for coming in.
Is there anything I could get you Water, coffee? No.
No.
Thank you.
Let me just say, I want to tell you how sorry I am for your loss.
And if there's anything that we can do, please don't hesitate to ask.
Thank you.
Now, are you ready to answer a few questions? Ok.
So when was the last time you saw Jody? Would you say that you two had a close relationship? Was Jody a drinker, or maybe do any drugs that you know of? Is there anyone you know who would want to hurt Jody? No.
Jody has always been sweet.
Had her mood changed recently? Yes, she was happy lately.
Lately? Was she not usually happy? Well, Jody's not the outgoing type.
She never had very many friends.
She never got married.
A few months ago she met someone.
Who? Johnny.
Nice guy.
When they came to visit, he brought me flowers.
Do you happen to know Johnny's last name? Because we probably should talk to him.
Ohh.
I'm sorry.
My brain's not as sharp as it used to be.
I only saw him once.
She was so happy.
Why would somebody do this to her? Why? [Crying.]
This is the man we think took Jody.
And the reasons why are very complicated.
Do you recognize him? That's Johnny.
Prentiss: This guy is an escaped convict, face all over the news, cops everywhere looking for him, what does he do? He settles down and finds a girlfriend.
And we profiled Yates as an introvert with limited social skills.
How does a guy like that find a girlfriend? Jody Wilson was an introvert with limited social skills, too.
They were perfect for each other.
Jody Wilson's SUV was just discovered outside of Richmond.
He must have abandoned it.
Probably stole another one.
That's actually a really good guess, because her savings account was just emptied, too.
Richmond.
He's moving south.
Is that the M.
E.
report? Yeah.
And the cause of death is exactly what you think it would be.
What about stomach contents? Partially digested eggs, bacon, and Ok.
Ok.
If I'd wanted to know, I would have read it myself.
He didn't starve her? Let me see that.
It may have been because he didn't have time.
He is on the run.
But he did have time.
Jody Wilson was his girlfriend.
He's had weeks.
JJ: I'm curious why he suddenly tried to be intimate with women.
He hates women.
His childhood was a living hell.
And he spent the better part of his adulthood as a serial killer.
What if he just wanted to be normal for once? So he's trying to achieve some kind of idealized fantasy, like playing house.
And then when he realized he would never fulfill that fantasy, he killed the woman who made him think he could.
So what's Yates next move? He'll find another victim.
[Cell phone ringing.]
I was wondering when you might call.
Hiya, Dave.
We, uh, found Jody's SUV, you know.
We're gonna find you soon, too.
Promises, promises.
I, um, got a question for you, Tommy.
Shoot.
I mean, you didn't really think you'd have any kind of normal life with Jody, did you? I mean, come on.
Huh.
Guess that's something we got in common.
Joy, Kai, Hayden.
You don't actually think you could have a normal life, do you? You stay the hell away from my family.
Nah.
Me and you are the same that way.
What's that saying? "Be careful hunting monsters, lest you become one yourself.
" I swear to God, Yates, if anything happens to them Ah.
Ain't that sweet.
Papa Bear's protective.
That's good.
Family's important, right? Better enjoy 'em while you can.
Never know how much time you have left.
Ah.
Enough with the small talk.
I just called to tell you I've gone and done it again, Dave.
She told me her name is Amber.
Funny, 'cause her license says Regina Franklin.
She'll be buried at Patapsco State Park, where the river bend meets Route 40, right near a great big old tree.
I'll take her gag off so you can hear her.
Regina, screaming: No! No! No! JJ: First he heads south toward Richmond, and then he bounces back up north to Baltimore.
Which way is he heading? Hopefully the roadblocks will keep him hemmed in.
Man: Agents, over here, please! Oh, damn it, how'd they find out already? My gut says Yates told them.
What, you think he wants attention? He didn't profile as narcissistic.
No.
He wants to humiliate me.
I'll handle them.
You guys check out the crime scene.
Excuse me, agent.
Can you confirm that this is the work of the Womb Raider? No, I cannot.
And let me be clear.
"Womb Raider" is a nickname you gave him.
His real name is Tommy Yates.
And I call him "murderer.
" Her name is Regina Franklin.
26-year-old prostitute and meth addict.
She was originally from Tampa but moved to Baltimore after she dropped out of her senior year of high school.
The M.
E.
found 37 stab wounds to her genitalia and lower abdomen, 10 to the throat.
But Yates is usually more surgical than that.
Why so sloppy? Good catch.
We think it's because he gave us his exact location, he had to move fast because he knew we were coming.
She had defensive wounds.
Yes.
The M.
E.
believes that she tried to fight back at some point, probably when he first grabbed her.
She also had someone else's blood on her, enough to run a sample through CODIS and we were able to confirm that it belongs to Yates.
Excuse me.
Sorry.
I was listening to your conversation with Yates and I heard something.
Yates: Family's important, right? Better enjoy them while you can.
You never know how much time you got left.
Clearly he's threatening me and my family.
That's what I thought, too, but listen again.
Yates: Family's important, right? Better enjoy them while you can.
You never know how much time you got left.
He doesn't sound very threatening.
He sounds sad.
Exactly.
So what are you thinking? "You never know how much time you got left.
" Maybe he wasn't talking about you.
Maybe he was talking about himself.
We need to talk to the M.
E.
And I want to see Yates prison medical records.
It might be time to deliver the profile.
Tommy Yates removes his victims' reproductive organs because he hates the fact that he was even born.
His latest victim is 26 years old.
Now, that's a departure for him.
Historically his victims have been right around the same age he is.
This shift is about availability.
Regina was a prostitute, a drug addict.
She was an easy target.
And he needs easy targets, now more than ever before.
Luckily, the coroner recovered a recent sample of his blood, and when we had it tested, we found out that Yates has cancer.
Prentiss: We're not sure what type, but we know he's a smoker, and his grandmother died from lung cancer.
Alvez: So now we think his victim's age no longer matters.
Walker: And he's definitely got transportation, probably a van or a truck and probably stolen.
Lewis: In the past, he typically moved from high-risk lifestyle victims to low-risk, so he may be about to up his game somehow.
He used to starve and hold his victims for days.
He seems to have skipped that step with the last two.
We believe that because Yates is sick and feels that he's running out of time.
Unfortunately, that sentiment could push him towards some kind of a spree.
JJ: He may want to kill as many people as he can before he goes out himself.
[Yates coughing.]
Lewis: When serial killers know their death is imminent, they typically either feel the urge to confess or they try to go out with a bang, so they can go down in history.
His killing again, Yates seems to be leaning toward the latter.
So we think he may try to do that somehow through me.
[Knock on door.]
Yeah? All right.
Look, if you need anything, you just call me, ok? I love you, too.
Hey.
[Sighs.]
Hey.
Everything quiet on the home front? No.
My daughter and my grandson are sleeping in the safe house, and her mother, well, she never loved the perks of this job to begin with.
You should go home and get some rest.
Is this you being the compassionate boss? No, this is me being the compassionate friend.
You keep burning the candle at both ends, there won't be much of you left.
Wait a minute.
I say that.
What, are you using my sayings against me? I am.
And it's true.
That's why it's a good saying.
Go get some rest.
No case was solved in a day.
And that's another one.
I know.
What do you want? I learned from the best.
Look, I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine.
Really.
All right.
What's for dinner? I'm buying.
Ohh Don't make that face.
I'm starving, and I know you haven't eaten.
Ok.
I'll get a meatball sandwich from Riggio's.
They don't deliver this late.
Oh, they do for me.
Hey.
Need a ride? It's 100.
50 if you want something quick.
Can I have one of them cigarettes? Definitely.
Thanks.
I'm glad they're not mentholated.
Keep going straight.
[Coughing.]
You ok? [Continues coughing, wheezing.]
You need some water or something? No.
No.
I'm fine.
[Coughing.]
You don't look fine.
[Coughing.]
These damn things'll kill ya.
[Coughing.]
Hand me that bag, please.
[Coughing.]
I'm gonna need you to cooperate.
And be very quiet while I call a friend of mine.
Ok? Please Ok? Please Yates: This one's not carrying I.
D.
, but she says her name's Brandi, with an "I.
" Rossi: You don't need to keep doing this.
You've got my attention.
Yates: You know what? I think I'll take my time with her old school.
You deserve that.
You know what else? You're never gonna find her.
[Brandi crying and screaming.]
Please! Agent Rossi, it's been two days since you got that call.
What do you think? Is she still alive? I think there's a chance, yes.
And he did say, "I think I'll take my time with her Old school.
" That probably means he's gonna starve her before he kills her, just like he used to.
But why now is he just giving you the victim's name but not the location of where he's going to bury her? We think that's a sadistic attempt to mentally torture Agent Rossi.
Walker: It's also Yates way of staying connected.
The relationship with Agent Rossi must validate him somehow.
So what's our next move? We're in what I call a tweener.
We've scoured every report, exhausted every resource, turned every stone.
What, so now we wait? Well, we're on high alert.
The manhunt is still active, so we're not exactly waiting.
But every investigation, at this point, requires patience.
But most of all, focus.
Because all the answers aren't all out there.
Most are right here.
And that's the job.
That's why we get into the mind of the killer.
And if you can't get into your own head, you're never gonna get into someone else's.
And the way we do that is we need a process, and we've all got one.
I play the trombone.
I go to the shooting range.
Meditation.
Jigsaw puzzles.
I even know a guy who likes to box to find his zen.
So what do you do? Me? I cook.
Always the same dish.
Spaghetti alla carbonara.
My grandmother's specialty.
The prep work, it relaxes me.
Something about the smell reminds me of my childhood.
And because I've done it so many times, the process has become second nature.
Like Yates and his process.
Cooking, if you will, is my ritual.
And then I sit and eat, but in my head, I'm having dinner with the unsub, whoever that might be.
See, to get the right answers, first you gotta ask the right questions.
How do you like it? Delicious.
What is that, bacon? Pancetta.
Never heard of it.
Not big on manners, are you? My grandma was into manners.
Always hated that bitch.
I get it.
She starved you, beat you, made you wear dresses.
You know, she used to sit on me, too.
Can you imagine, that fat cow sitting on a kid? And all that time, you must have wondered about your mother.
But most of all, you wondered how she could die while she was giving you life.
Always hated that bitch, too.
Yeah.
That's the thing that always makes you snap.
That hate is what feeds your compulsion.
Fancy talk.
But you still don't know where to find me.
Tick tock.
The one thing I really want to know is, what changed in prison? You tell me.
No more hunting, no more killing.
No more being one step ahead of us.
Drove me crazy.
But not for long.
Because that's when you came up with the deal, the birthday visits.
That's how you tried to get your power back.
This is old news.
Only thing that matters is where I am right now.
Because you know I won't be able to wait long.
But sooner or later Mmm.
And since I'm revealing all of my vices, I also have a fondness for cigars.
It's a rare indulgence I allow myself.
A habit forged in the crucible of the jungles of Vietnam during wartime.
It helps me think.
Usually it's an Opus X.
But if they ever lift that Cuban embargo, I might expand my horizons.
Yates: Got a light? [Coughing.]
How sick are you? It's all relative.
Cancer.
It's gonna get ugly.
Especially without treatment.
Even with treatment.
You think I don't know that? Of course you do.
That's what this is all about Not going quietly into the night.
But why all of this focus on me? I mean, I would understand you going back to killing, but why am I so special? I bet you'd like to know, wouldn't you? The obvious answer is, you want payback.
Yes, that is indeed obvious.
I took away your ritual and stole all of your power.
I locked you up and threw away the key.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
But the irony of it is, I may be the only person in your life who truly made you feel special.
So, what is it that you want? To make history.
I was being obvious.
You don't need me to make history.
This is personal.
Interesting.
You already have bodies out there that I'll never find.
So why do you need to torture me with these new ones? Because you're dying.
You don't want to be forgotten.
You need me to remember.
So, what I need to know is what are you gonna do next? The suspense is killing me.
You'll go back to what you know.
That's why you're starving her again.
Go on.
Then when she's good and weak, you'll cut out her reproductive organs and vocal chords as usual, and then you'll bury her.
But you won't tell me where.
Come on! This is bush league.
That's the best you got? The rookies in your class could do better than this.
Where are you gonna bury her, Yates? Someplace you'll never find her.
Yeah.
You said that already.
But to get to me, to really get to me, where would you put her? Hmm Garcia, I think I know where he may be going.
Please We're here.
Alright.
Have a seat, everyone.
Thank you for coming in on such short notice.
But, uh, last night, technically this morning, we've made some headway on the case and we were able to locate Tommy Yates.
Yes! Because Agent Rossi himself became essential to Yates M.
O.
, we knew he wouldn't go far.
In fact, quite the opposite.
Yates figured the best way to get to me was to, uh, bury a victim I knew about right under my nose.
Walker: We reviewed all the transcripts of every conversation agent Rossi ever had with Yates.
To build rapport and earn his trust, I, uh, I told him certain things about me.
Some I made up.
Some were true.
For example, the name of the park I like to walk in.
We covered the park and the areas surrounding the base, even the playground across the street from a restaurant agent Rossi told Yates about.
That's when I realized that none of these places were close enough.
I was headed to the office when it hit me.
[Coughing.]
[Grunting.]
[Coughing.]
[Whimpering.]
[Grunting.]
[Knife snaps open.]
Let her go, Yates! I was hoping I might run into you, Dave.
Well, this is my land.
And I remembered you like trees.
Right there's the biggest one I got.
Beautiful piece of property.
6 acres you said, right? Let her go, Yates.
It's all over.
Tell you what.
How about you just let me go die in peace and we forget this whole thing.
You know I can't do that.
So why don't you just put the knife down, I'll take you in, we'll both have a good night's sleep.
See Here's the thing.
I'm not going back to jail.
I'm not gonna die in there.
But the problem is, if you shoot me, you save her, but then I can't tell you where I buried all those other girls over the years.
Let her go.
But if you don't shoot me, I'm gonna kill her.
Yates! I told you, I'm not going back.
[Brandi sobbing.]
Brandi's real name is Stephanie Wetherbee.
She was a runaway from Philadelphia who hadn't seen her family in over 10 years.
So we found her mother and fixed that.
Oh, baby.
We found Regina Franklin's parents in Tampa.
I offered to fly down and talk to them personally, but apparently her mother has a cousin who lives here, so we flew them up instead.
Some cases end well and you can forget about them.
But some some become a part of who you are.
This job is going to change you.
And not only that, it's going to show you who you really are.
And sometimes that's not easy to see.
And that's why not everybody can do this job.
And that's why we train like we do.
Because lives depend upon it.
Now, agents Prentiss and Walker were kind enough to, um, hold on to this for me.
I owe you all an apology.
'Cause this was a very thoughtful gift.
And what I should have done was say thank you.
So to make up for it, I'm inviting you all to my home tonight for dinner.
7:30 sharp.
Now, I've got a few minutes before I have to go in and debrief.
Are there any questions? Excuse me.
Agent Rossi, do you have a second? Agent Clark, what can I do for you? Um, I want to say thank you, sir.
Um, but I'm leaving the program.
Why? You're one of the most promising young coordinators we have.
Thank you, sir.
That means a lot.
Um But I just got engaged and I can't bring that insanity home.
I mean, that Yates case.
I'm sorry, but I just don't have to deal with it the way you have.
It takes time to build those skills.
That's just it, sir.
I don't know if I want those skills.
I just can't have this become my life.
I hope you understand.
I want to say thank you, though, agent Rossi, for everything.
It's been an honor.
Good luck.
Thanks.
[Knock on door.]
You all right? Yeah.
I heard about agent Clark.
It's a shame.
I liked him, too.
I never told you this, but the first case I worked after I took your class It, uh, well, it went sideways.
I had a team of people operating in deep cover inside a cell in Belgium, and We lost them, all 3 of them.
My profile was off.
But we got the cell.
They were planning to bomb a soccer match, and it would have been a catastrophe.
I never heard about that.
Joint taskforce with the CIA.
They kept it quiet.
You can't blame yourself, you know.
Those deep cover agents, they volunteered.
I don't.
At least not anymore.
And that's because of you.
We save lives, and that's all that matters.
And every life we save, it's a win.
You taught me that.
"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.
" Marcus Tullius Cicero.
And a lot of people are living because of you.
I hope you never forget that.
Now, come on.
You gotta cook for a bunch of young agents.
And I'm starving.