Original subtitles

Previously on Criminal Minds: Evolution…

Looks like there's been an active killer up here for decades.

Some of the lab techs are starting to call this unsub Sicarius.

The unsub gathered followers that he's now activating.

This is a network.

You and Rebecca are so a thing.

I'm under review.

Can we talk about this at home?

I'm not going home.

Tyler Green is our only lead on the most elusive killer in 15 years.

You didn't join that network, you infiltrated it.

He's my informant.

You have to break it off with him.

Elias Voit.

He knows we're getting close and he'll try to slip away again.

Your body count is up to 52.

I'm not taking any chances.

Voit is live streaming. Sharing it now.

We see it.

Help. Help.

Dave.

- This is Deputy Director Bailey. - Ready to make a deal?

I know you're not the man in charge,

but you're definitely the one who likes the Gold Star.

There's only two people who know about it.

Only you and me.

I have the right to remain silent.

Anything I say can and will be used against me in a court of law.

What the hell is Gold Star?

There are issues within the DOJ that I cannot and I will not talk to you about.

Even to save Rossi's life?

- I'm here! - Dave?

I'm alive!

We're just trying to understand what happened out there with Bailey.

His ego got the best of him.

That's definitely part of it.

What was not in the report?

Gold Star.

It's like there's a contest back there.

Who can make the world's shittiest coffee.

You should ease up on that.

Since when?

Doctor said acid's eating my teeth.

Then what's your poison?

Jasmine tea and honey.

Now I've seen everything.

Delicious. No more coffee. No more alcohol.

What the hell?

Bertoli, what happened?

Oh, my God. That's a gunshot wound.

On the ground, now.

Sweet mother of God.

What the hell happened, Bertoli?

Oh, my God.

Don, talk to us.

Get the medics in here!

What the hell?

You think he did it?

He's one of ours.

Not a chance.

No way.

I mean, right?

Kershaw just sent these over.

Never seen anything like this.

I have.

Who are you?

SSA Emily Prentiss.

FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit.

We didn't invite you in.

Have you checked his gun?

There is a bullet in the chamber with a five-pointed star laser-etched onto it.

It's our killer's calling card.

The real killer.

Now what? You gonna solve this?

Yes.

All by yourself?

"It's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned.

About how you can bury it.

Because the past claws its way out." Khaled Hosseini.

- This should be... - No!

That was great.

What is wrong with you?

- They got it. - Seriously. Seriously.

- No. - Yes, seriously.

That was great. Um…

- But... - Ooh. Oh.

- What is wrong with you? - What is wrong with me?

What about her?

Oh, mine? Yes.

I might have that, what I said, tattooed to my body.

Oh, I dare you.

- Oh. - Why... How dare you dare me?

Okay. Uh...

Tara, I feel like you've been holding out on us.

- What do you got? - Oh, God.

Whoever invented this game is truly awful.

- Truly inventive, you meant to say. - Mm-mmm. Mm-mmm. Mm-mmm.

We are doing this at my place next time because I am picking the game.

Come on. You are wasting time right now. Let's go.

To whom it may concern…

"To whom it may concern, with sincere apologies,

the Department of Frisbee Golf will no longer participate with

giant turds."

- Ooh. - With that sailor mouth?

- I am... I am very disappointed. - Terrible.

- I clearly had a sucky hand. - Oh! A sucky hand.

- We could do something with sucky hand. - There you go.

You can do a lot with a sucky hand.

Okay, unfortunately, Luke is still in the lead with queef lessons.

All right. Come on. Dave hasn't gone yet.

If I must.

- Please, you must. - All right.

"To whom it may concern, with sincere apologies, the Department of…

- Old Man Woodies"… - Yes?

…"will no longer participate with

dat ass."

- Yes. - And we have a winner.

Okay.

To Dave.

- To Dave. - That was solid of you.

Oh, thank... Thank you for coming.

Oh.

This was good.

You seem good.

I am.

- Happy birthday, kid. See you tomorrow. - 'Kay.

Listen, I know we're starting to sound like a broken record,

but there's no pressure on you to come in tomorrow.

I mean, you got more vacation time saved up than all of us.

It's time. Idle hands.

All right. All right. Sleep well.

Will do.

Yeah.

He seems good.

Yeah.

Too good, right?

Like maybe overcompensating for the trauma of being abducted by Elias Voit.

Yeah.

We should eat some cake.

Yeah. Yeah.

Many are unsatisfied with the answers, or lack thereof,

regarding the fatal shooting of the FBI deputy director Douglas Bailey

in Burney, California.

Conspiracy theories are brewing.

Good thing there's no pressure on you this week.

Or next.

This whole thing you do, it's diminishing returns, really.

I mean, sure, you may catch one.

But how many more are still out there?

And none of them will ever be as good as me.

Shut up!

Hey, you good?

Oh, y... yeah. I'm just warming up.

Yeah. It's cold out here, man.

Yeah, it sure is.

Drive safe, huh?

- Hey, you too. - Okay.

- Good night. - Good night.

- Put it away. - What? No. What?

I'm just checking my text messages.

Come on.

You know I know it's Tyler. And do you know how I know?

Because you get this glazed look over your face.

Oh, come on. It's really nothing.

He just said, "Happy birthday."

- Yeah, whatever. - And then he put the party face emoji,

and a cupcake...

- And a book? - Uh-huh.

What the hell is that ab... I don't even wanna know.

- Uh... You do not wanna know. - I don't.

It's an inside joke because one time, I put a cookbook on his junk.

- Right over there. Significant-sized... - Okay.

I said I didn't wanna know. You were right the first time.

Dissect this with me, just for a second. What do you think this means?

Is it just sort of, like, a simple happy birthday?

Just nothing.

Like, just a little cheeky?

Or does he mean it like he's thinking about me like that?

Oh, God. I'm doing it. I'm doing it. Why am I doing that?

Why am I trying to do the sexy secret code?

I don't wanna do that, right?

We talked about this. I broke up with him.

I am moving on. Eyes on the prize. Mm-mmm.

I don't... I don't look back. Mm-mmm.

Mm-hmm?

- Exactly. Okay? - Mm-hmm.

- Come on. Put it away. - Yeah.

Thank you, thank you.

Put it away.

Okay... I just... No.

Okay.

I have only seen Rebecca once since Bailey died.

It is killing me to know she's in the same building.

Ooh. Sorry.

You know, I always thought by the time we got

to be this age, all the bullshit would just go away.

- That is a lie, my friend. - Yeah.

It gets harder every year.

All your friends start pairing off like there's some kind of flood coming

and one day you look around and think, "Shit, did I miss it?"

Oh, come on.

I don't buy that.

You-re-You're awesome.

You're hot, you're...

A hot mess is the term that you are searching for.

Okay. Yeah. And guess what?

When you do meet Miss or Mr. Right, it's still work.

But it's worth it.

Yeah.

Will get called in tonight?

Yep. Just like us.

There's always another case.

Have you heard from Emily? I thought she was gonna be here.

She is just burying herself in work.

Bailey's death hit her hard.

I mean, obviously none of what happened was her fault, but…

Wish we could convince her of that.

Yeah.

Thank you for coming to my party.

Can I offer anybody anything to take home or…

Definitely not a book.

Oh!

So why'd this guy gouge Gwen's eyes?

The killer is punishing the survivor.

Poor bastard.

How many times has this happened?

Too many.

Recording ended.

Don.

My name is Emily. I'm here to help.

Can you tell me what happened?

May I see your hands?

Would that be okay?

No self-defense.

Thank you, Don.

He is gonna need some sleep.

Keep him on suicide watch.

I'll come back tomorrow.

Okay.

Hey.

Sorry it's so late.

What's going on?

We need to talk.

Okay, let me get this straight. Gold Star is a person?

Yes.

An unsub?

Based on the three cases I've found so far,

a seasoned one.

Jesus.

He's an expert at evading capture.

He kills in different jurisdictions, so they're hard to connect.

And he's leaving a calling card.

Why would Voit use that intel against Bailey?

And why would Bailey keep any of this a secret from us?

I mean, catching guys like this is our bread and butter.

In another life,

I worked a Joint Task Force on international terrorism.

Something about Gold Star leaving these bullets behind

reminds me of those playing cards troops would leave on dead terrorists.

Declaring, "We did this."

- So you think he's government-trained? - He's too proficient to be self-taught.

That would explain why Bailey kept it a secret.

That would be national security.

Because Gold Star isn't taking orders anymore.

You have a working profile?

I thought I did, but after tonight, a-a-all bets are off.

He strayed.

He killed the loved one of a presumed target.

He had been mission-oriented and methodical,

but now it seems like some emotional response is driving him.

All right. Listen, given what happened to Bailey,

I know you've been trying to protect the rest of the team,

but if Gold Star is an active unsub…

Sorry to wake you up, Garcia.

Hi, hi, hi. There you are. Are you okay?

Yeah, thanks. And I'm sorry I missed your birthday.

I'll make it up to you. I need your help.

Here we go.

Help is on the way.

Go.

A police officer walked into his precinct in Bristow, Virginia

carrying his wife's dead body.

I need personnel files, any relevant cases he was working.

He was targeted for a reason.

Targeted? So he didn't do it?

No. The name is Don Bertoli.

Bertoli.

Okay. That case has been flagged.

Looks like a request for a federal file was approved an hour ago.

- What? - It came from the DOJ.

Oh.

Oh, Rebecca Wilson requested it.

Wait. Rebecca?

Yeah. And... Okay, this doesn't make any sense.

It looks like she got approval to forward that file

to an e-mail account that is managed by a federal prison in Virginia.

Stoneward Penitentiary.

Who the hell's Rebecca consulting in a Virginia supermax?

One for block UG-438.

Gate clear.

Rare to get a 911 call from Emily.

Yeah, a little too early after the night we had.

Yeah, some of us didn't sleep.

Good book, I hope.

What's wrong?

We just found out that Elias Voit was transferred two weeks ago

from Seattle to Virginia.

Before that, he spent some time on the ninth floor.

Of this building?

He was here?

Who the hell approved that transfer?

Whoever it was wanted to hide it

'cause I traded sleep for spelunking in the name of justice.

This thing was buried deeper than Voit's containers.

This footage was logged two weeks ago.

Director, I wasn't expecting you.

I wanted to meet Sicarius.

I mean, you're a little late. Benjamin Reeves confessed and then…

That's not what the BAU thinks.

Yeah, well, the BAU can't accept that I made a mistake.

A mistake?

I created a communications network

for a psychopath son of a United States senator.

I had no idea he was gonna use it

to chat with wannabe serial killers across the country.

When I found out what I had gotten into, he threatened me and my family.

Reeves had a lot of followers,

any one of whom could come after me if I open my mouth,

so… I didn't.

Wow. That's... That's really good, Elias.

The way it just rolled out of your mouth, like you believe it.

Imagine me on the stand.

Mm-hmm. And when my best AUSA asks

why you shot Deputy Director Douglas Bailey in the head,

what are you gonna say to that?

'Cause he wasn't on your little Reddit page.

I was standing my ground.

The FBI second in command paid me a house call to shut me up.

I thought, "This isn't good."

So I protected my family and I shot Doug Bailey.

You didn't fly me across the country to talk about that.

No, you flew me across the country

to talk about why Bailey was paying me that house call.

What do you think you know?

I know that not long ago you answered the bat signal.

Homicide victim with no eyes. His name was Gerald Fulton.

I don't know if that name does or does not mean something to you.

But what did mean something to you was that the killer's calling card

was a message.

And so began the secret investigation

into who the government code-named Gold Star.

Case was need-to-know, you knew, Bailey knew,

and what you weren't expecting is that I knew too.

This is where it gets interesting,

because that's when you transferred me from Seattle out here

to help you stop the spread of a contagion.

You talked to Gold Star?

Maybe.

Your communication network connected hundreds of people.

You talk to him?

Maybe.

I'm gonna need more than a maybe. I'm gonna need a yes or no.

Well, I need a computer.

Get the fuck out of here.

A computer in your hands is more dangerous than a loaded gun.

Last chance.

Give me his location.

Okay, you can't give me a computer. Fine.

But what I can give you, Director,

is why Gold Star kills.

And not even the BAU can give you that.

Enlighten me.

For free?

This is not a negotiation.

Oh, yeah. Just keep telling yourself that.

Give me something I can use. Maybe I'll think about it.

Pass.

We both know Gold Star is gonna kill again.

And when he does, my price is gonna go up, and up, and up.

David Rossi, an FBI legend,

someone I-I-I looked up to, and he was stalking me and my family.

My wife, Sydney, she's the strongest woman I've ever known.

But when... When he found her in that market, sh...

And yes, Miss AUSA, burying him in a bunker was an overreaction,

but I... I was under extreme duress.

Go ahead and put me on trial. It only takes one juror.

If you provide the bureau with actionable information

that leads to the apprehension and conviction of Gold Star,

the DOJ is prepared to offer you a deal.

You could plead guilty to the abduction of a federal agent

which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, eligible for parole in five.

It's a nice offer, but it's incomplete.

The BAU, they're building a case

that I'm the worst serial killer they've ever seen.

The offer's the offer.

Well, then there's no deal.

Which means you are going to waste a whole lot of taxpayer money trying

to prove their side when there is no DNA.

Nothing.

The AG herself closed the case when Benjamin Reeves confessed.

So,

you're going to agree that I'm never charged as Sicarius,

and I'll tell you everything I know.

And that's it.

He can do that?

Just agree to work with a prolific killer?

We can't prove he's Sicarius.

We knew Voit would have a backup plan. This was it.

What the hell is Gold Star?

When you were boots on the ground,

Voit was taunting Bailey about always getting a gold star.

The way he said it, it meant something to Bailey.

It's why he insisted on joining you all in California.

And why he went inside without us?

Once Voit lured Bailey out to California, his suspicions were confirmed

and then Gold Star became his bargaining chip.

So what is it?

My theory is Gold Star is a killer trained by the government.

Could be Rangers, could be SEAL team, could be the agency.

None will ever admit it.

Assassins are machines.

It's their job to kill.

Why did he become an assassin? That's what we need to profile.

Yeah, and also why didn't the director ask us for help?

We've profiled the super impossible before.

He didn't want our eyes on it.

You think he's hiding something?

- Really? Like what? - I don't know.

But he was desperate enough to try to make a deal.

But he didn't follow through, did he?

Yes, he did. The Sicarius charges are off the table.

How is this happening?

The AG and director must think Gold Star is a national security issue.

Fuck!

Do you want me to check on him?

Give him a minute.

I'll be right back.

I got your text. What's up?

Really?

Tara, I'm pulled in a million directions.

How have I disappointed you this time?

The deal the director made with Voit. Did you have any part in that?

Are you the one debriefing Voit?

Because, what... The director, he made the deal,

but he wouldn't want to get his hands any dirtier, would he?

I'm under orders not to discuss any of this.

Oh, stop that. Stop it. This is me.

You really have more faith in Voit than the BAU?

I'm just doing my job.

Yeah, well, at the expense of common sense?

Do you really think you can trust a psychopathic serial killer

more than you can trust us?

Well, at least he didn't lie to me.

Jesus.

This is ju... I should've...

You should have what?

I should have known that a couple who met at Al-Anon would have boundary issues.

That's why you're willing to let Elias Voit out of prison? Boundaries.

No. It's why you can't accept that I have a duty

that includes handling sensitive information.

Boundaries.

You know, I hate how we ended, I really do.

But I thought we could be friends.

Me too. Except, I don't ask my friends to risk their job, so I can do mine.

You wrote, "The element of surprise is underrated.

Life would not be life without curveballs."

You won't get away with it.

With what?

Trading secrets for your freedom.

It's not a guarantee, Dave.

It's only if my intel gets him apprehended.

So you and I are in a race.

Whoever gets to Gold Star first wins.

Hey.

You could have told me sooner.

- I just saw that footage myself. - Okay.

But you've been looking into Gold Star since Bailey's funeral.

I think Gold Star got Bailey killed,

and I couldn't risk involving you until I knew more.

Come on! Bailey's death isn't on you.

I know.

And when was the last time you slept?

When's the last time you went to mandated trauma therapy?

All right. We have each other's back. Always have.

But you told me, a while ago, this burden isn't mine alone.

Well, back at you.

We have to find Gold Star before Voit does.

Yes, we do. And whatever it is that's behind the director's deal is bullshit.

When Bailey died, I started looking for anything involving a gold star,

and I found something in Annapolis.

Gerald Fulton, 38, an analyst for the Naltek Security Group.

Although it appeared to be a one-off, the violence was worthy of our consult.

But we didn't get the call, the director did.

Gold Star seems to have a compulsion to leave behind a calling card.

It's a five-point star etched into a bullet casing.

What's that say about his motivation?

And why enucleate?

Well, I wondered the same thing.

So I did a search within a 100-mile radius of DC,

and that's when I found Arturo Mendez, 27, mechanical engineer.

Bullet casing was found in Mendez's gun.

And that got me wondering,

why would a mechanical engineer even bother carrying a gun to work?

Then I found Sean Riggs, 35,

insurance salesman, Gold Star casing in his gun.

Look, these scenes, they're efficient and bold,

albeit dramatic, to kill in such uncontrolled environments.

It's very risky, very public. Poses the bodies for shock value.

Maybe he sees himself as a messenger who wants to instill fear.

Well, attacking in the open shows confidence.

Voit's arrogant, but he killed and buried his victims in the dark, hid his secrets.

And Voit was full of shame. He never wanted his family to know what he'd done.

Yet this guy has no remorse. No regret.

Okay, so maybe Gold Star is the exact opposite of Voit.

No family, no ties, no one to hold him accountable.

No one to stop him from killing again and again.

Uh... The initial crime scene locations had security, but he scrambled the feed.

Gold Star has been trained to think of everything.

We need to get inside his mind. Starting with why these victims? Why now?

Three men, three jurisdictions, three different occupations,

but all of the victims carried guns.

Okay. If that wasn't enough, here's the curveball.

Last night's victim, Gwen Bertoli, 41.

She was a departure in every way, first to be killed in her own home.

Gwen was a nail technician. She was married to Police Officer Don Bertoli.

Guess what was found in his police-issued firearm.

Gwen's also the first woman Gold Star's killed.

Yeah, but this isn't just about killing her.

I mean, it's clearly about punishing the husband.

Mental suffering took priority.

Well, whatever it is, it's buried.

Bertoli is catatonic, but he's our only shot.

Dave, you and I are gonna go talk to him.

JJ, Luke, dig into Gwen Bertoli's crime scene photos.

Penelope, Tara, can you find out everything the director told Rebecca

to share with Voit?

I hate to admit it, but he's way ahead of us.

That son of a bitch talked to this guy, didn't he? On his network.

Even if he did, he'd never admit it.

If we don't find Gold Star first, Voit gets away with everything.

Well, this Gold Star didn't break any windows or force his way in.

What if the Bertolis knew him?

Explains the lack of forced entry.

There were no signs of a struggle.

I mean, Bertoli is a big guy. Why didn't he fight back?

Well, if someone pulls a gun on my family, I'd comply.

- Yeah. - He also zip-tied them but cut them loose.

He wasn't afraid they'd run.

Why sit them down at all?

I mean, it's dramatic and risky to spend so much time there.

He had them face one another.

He rendered Don powerless and forced him to watch.

That's a really brutal punishment.

Why?

I'm j...

I am so ticked that Voit knew about this Gold Star gobbledygook

before we did.

Well, we figured he had something in the works.

Now we know what.

And what about his acolytes?

Well, either dormant or extinct.

I mean, he convinced all the guys with kill kits to off themselves.

He had so much control.

He lives for this shit.

I mean, look at him now. He's locked up, and he still found a way to get control.

Whether he knows Gold Star or not,

he convinced the director that he's of immense value,

and that's all that matters.

God, to pull this off, you'd have to be incredibly meticulous.

You'd perfect the MO and the rituals, select a specific victim type.

But then last night, he breaks from his pattern.

I mean, why kill a woman and then leave a survivor?

It's sadistic.

Well, yeah, like the other ones weren't.

Sure, but he put those other men out of their misery.

He wanted Bertoli to keep suffering.

Maybe he knew something, 'cause we've got three dead dudes

and a woman married to a guy

who might have had a secret that's so gigantically huge, it got her killed.

So what is that secret?

Well, it's all here. We just have to keep digging.

Bertoli's wife is murdered in front of him,

but he doesn't call 911, instead he walks three miles.

Well, he's in shock. He hasn't even talked yet.

Barely blinks.

Probably couldn't drive, and so he walked to a safe place.

Carrying dead weight all that way could be training or learned behavior.

So you're thinking shit gets sideways.

He's got to get back to base camp.

Did Bertoli serve?

It's not in his file,

but a three-mile walk carrying his dead wife's body, and no one saw him?

Don? It's Emily Prentiss. We met last night.

This is my colleague, David Rossi. We're with the FBI.

Don? Don? Just talk to me, please.

Don, we're all very sorry for your loss.

Get your gun. He's gonna kill us.

Help!

But do you have any idea who might've done this?

Don!

W-What is it?

Don't let him do this. Don't let him kill me.

Easy.

It's all right, Don.

Look, just get back in your seat.

- Don. - Come on. Sit down.

Please! Oh, my God, please, Don.

Come on. Get back.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa! - Don!

Don, stop!

We need backup!

Don!

Don, stop!

Don, Don, put the pistol down.

- Just put it down. - Don.

- Put it do... Don't. Don't. Don't! - Don, no! No!

No!

Did Bertoli say anything?

Not a word.

He's more than a grieving husband.

Something's bugging me. He never called 911.

Instead, he walked three miles carrying his dead wife.

Somehow he wasn't spotted.

I'm thinking he knew to stay off the main roads, avoid detection.

Like he was on a mission.

Well, he's definitely highly trained.

What if it's more specifically psyops training?

How did you get there?

Trauma-induced dissociation can present in a catatonic state like that.

It's like he went into a trance, but to protect himself.

Look, I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but this is right in Green's wheelhouse.

- Green? - Yeah.

- Like, as in Tyler Green? - We can't ask him.

He compromised an investigation.

Which the director tore up when he made Voit's deal.

If Tyler has any insight, I say we take it.

Dave, any objections?

Penelope?

Never thought that I'd see any of you again.

I'm sorry for everything.

I was so focused on catching Voit...

I was just like you once. I thought I could do it all by myself.

But you can't.

The funny thing though, you going rogue

saved me.

Really?

Well, showing up like you did was stupid and reckless.

Don't do that.

But it was also a curveball.

Voit had to adjust, and because he did, I'm still here.

So, thank you.

And apology accepted.

Now, we need your help.

Don? It's Emily Prentiss.

We met last night. This is my colleague, David Rossi…

We thought he was in a trauma-induced dissociative state.

- How long was he like that? - Over 12 hours before this.

He's been trained in close-quarter combat techniques.

No!

We were thinking the same, but there's no military record.

He didn't need to serve.

We also can't find any connection between Bertoli and the earlier victims.

Would you take a look?

Maybe tell us if we're missing something?

We know you have contacts that could prove valuable.

I might.

If you've cut ties, just say the word.

Let me take a look. Might not need to call for reinforcements.

- Thank you, Tyler. - Pleasure.

They are actually gonna have him consult. Why didn't you keep your trap shut?

Our biggest lead just killed himself.

If it's BAU versus Voit in the race to find Gold Star,

Voit is way ahead of us.

- We need a secret weapon. - Yeah.

He looks tired. Wonder if he's sleeping.

I look good, right? I'm great.

I've made affirmations. Here are some.

"Baby girl forever.

My cat's my boyfriend. Special is great."

Hey. Stop.

- What? I need to keep... - Hey.

Hey.

Hey, Tyler.

Wow. You know, I was just thinking about you.

I was just thinking about that time that you lied to all of our faces.

You took the law into your own hands.

Do you remember that? That was...

That was crazy. How'd that work out for you?

I got it. Message received.

Look, gonna be around a bit. Consulting.

So, I'm just gonna dive head first into the awkwardness

and say I'm happy to see you again.

You, not so much.

What? Me?

Oh, you are missing out.

Okay. What do I need?

"I let go of my past to make room for my future."

Uh… "Onward we go."

He looked better up close. I'm not as worried.

Still, I'm gonna...

I broke up with him.

"We can exist in the same space.

I am great."

Oh. Hey, Luke. Thank you for that.

- You're welcome. - Okay.

"Healthy is safe. My cat's my boyfriend. Special is great."

The director is expecting you to give us something.

The eyes are dramatic,

but it needs to be received in order to be effective.

Hence this… Bertoli guy.

He took his life a few hours ago.

Let me guess, an officer's gun?

Yeah. Alphas don't like to lose control.

So Gold Star knew that when Bertoli was out of his catatonic state,

he'd off himself.

But he wanted to make him suffer first.

Mm-hmm.

Question's why?

BAU, they live for that.

They like to take the whole-child approach to figuring it out, you know?

Sort of a 360-degree view of the killer's upbringing,

how they were neglected, abused, all that.

So, I will save you 359 degrees and get you exactly where you need to be.

These killings and the fallout, they're all about vengeance.

For what? The victims aren't connected.

Sure they are.

Gold Star has a list of targets.

There's going to be one more, then he'll go underground.

Wait, what?

That's what Voit said about the pattern. He said there's one more like the rest,

and then that's it. He won't tell me anything else.

One more like the rest?

Voit's Yoda now?

Did he tell you how the victims are connected?

No.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute.

Voit knows why these people are targeted, but we don't.

He's gonna have to do way better than that if he wants credit.

Is-Is Gold Star on a mission?

I don't know.

That's all I can give you right now. I shouldn't even be talking to you.

Wait.

Why are you doing this?

Maybe I hate what I'm doing.

Maybe I want to help you catch Gold Star

so that that son of a bitch, Voit, rots in prison for the rest of his life.

Or maybe…

I don't know. Maybe I have boundary issues.

What if Gold Star had them face one another

because he wanted Don Bertoli to confess something?

And Don was too ashamed to say it in front of his wife.

He could have had a secret life, a sin from the past or...

The worst possible thing happened to Don Bertoli,

but he still didn't come clean to either of you. He was silent, right?

Oi, you do not have barging privileges and we... You just interrupted JJ.

Sorry, JJ.

Bertoli being all comatose-like reminded me of what it was like after a mission,

I'd shut down.

Didn't know it then, but pretty sure it's this loop of shame, trauma...

Rebecca just told me that Voit says these victims are connected

and that there's gonna be one more before Gold Star goes underground.

The victims are connected how?

- Voit's not saying. - That tracks.

Look, I found something strange in all of the victims' financial records,

something I've seen before in counterintelligence.

Each one of them has a record of a third-party escrow account

tied to a foreign bank.

There are no currency transaction reports to trace,

but it is exactly the kind of offshore account that's used to pay mechanics

and bang and burn operations.

Give me that.

You're talking about things like sabotage or assassination.

Or in this case, being paid to take out Gold Star.

I think these victims were a strike team and Gold Star wants revenge.

Damn it. He's right.

I can't see where the money's coming from, but there are two names, not one.

Okay. So Voit's lying to Rebecca.

Or he's setting us up.

Both targets are local. Trevor Carlyle and Isaac Sanchez.

One of them has to be able to identify Gold Star.

We need to get them into protective custody right now.

Carlyle is in Southeast DC.

I'm gonna call in backup and meet them on site.

I'm with you.

Another police officer.

- Send us the coordinates. Let's go. - Done.

I'm using it.

I have a family.

Look, I can help you. Let me help you out of this.

Me and you, we can work through this together.

Let me help you. Together and... I can help you.

Look, you don't have to do this.

We can work this out.

You don't have to do this!

No, no.

FBI! Let me see your hands!

Hands!

Carlyle's been dead for a long time.

Must have been Gold Star's first victim.

Breach it!

FBI!

- Living room clear! - Bedrooms clear.

Get those restraints off.

- Get the back! - Get him on the floor. Quick!

- Bathroom's clear. - All clear, top floor!

Did Gold Star do this?

Who is he? We need a name.

Sanchez, tell us who did this to you.

Jesus, his tongue's been cut out.

Keep him alive. Stay with me.

He's hemorrhaging.

Sublingual artery's cut.

NG on compressions.

Pulse is tachy.

He's losing a lot of blood.

Hang in there, Sanchez.

Come on. Stay with me.

He's coding.

Sanchez was our last chance.

For now. But we'll think of something.

You wanna tell me what the hell's going on?

Great question.

All due respect, sir, you never should have made that deal with Elias Voit.

He has intel to capture someone who doesn't wanna be found.

And how does he have this intel?

Look, you use every tool in the box to get the job done.

I know you have an issue with him.

- Hey, he tried to kill me. - But he didn't.

You're gonna go with that?

Let me tell you what's gonna happen.

We aren't gonna work at cross-purposes anymore.

All right, good. Well, you take the deal with Voit off of the table,

and we'll make Gold Star our top priority.

Tell you what, I'll take you up on half of that suggestion.

You wanna guess which half?

Gold Star is that much of a political liability?

That man, whatever his real name is,

has proven himself to be a clear and present danger.

So, since you volunteer to make catching him your top priority,

the BAU will work with Elias Voit to make that happen.

- We will not. - You most certainly will.

We will not rely on help from a serial killer to build our profile.

We will resign before that happens.

Fine with me.

Pro tip, Emily,

don't threaten me with the very thing that makes my life easier.

Sir.

Uh... That's fair, Director. We'll cooperate.

Smart choice.

Rebecca Wilson will liaise just to grease the wheels between the FBI and DOJ.

Fine. Oh, oh. One more thing.

What's that?

Tyler Green. He has this background in military psychological operations.

It could be useful in a case like this. We'd like to add him on as a consultant.

- Tyler Green? - Mm-hmm.

No badge, no gun.

No problem.

I don't say good luck 'cause I don't believe in it.

Just get me results.

You of all people, work with Voit?

I have a plan.

I can't say I like the idea.

Yeah, but we don't have any other leads.

He didn't even leave his calling card tonight.

He's completed his mission. He's done sending messages.

Maybe, maybe not. According to the police report,

Isaac Sanchez's badge is nowhere to be found.

Okay. So he didn't leave a Gold Star tonight. He took one.

It's gonna change our profile.

And we have to ask fucking Elias Voit's opinion on the matter.

Yes, we do. But here's the rub.

Back in '89, the FBI asked Ted Bundy about the Green River murders.

Bundy accidentally admitted in details about his own murders

that he hadn't admitted to before.

So you think we might be able to get Voit to incriminate himself?

It won't make a difference to the director.

The deal's on the table already, no matter what.

True. But I've spent more time with Voit than any of you.

His weakness is his hubris. That's when he makes a mistake,

w-when he thinks he's in charge.

It could be an admission, uh... a slipup.

What we need is something that pushes him into violence,

that we know is just below the surface.

So the more time we spend with Voit,

the more opportunity we have to get under his skin.

Get ammunition that we can use against him.

Exactly. We already know he's Sicarius. We just have to prove it to the world.

So, we need to use this case to bring the monster out to the director,

to the attorney general.

Hey, I'll post it on YouTube myself. I don't give a fuck.

The point is, when it happens,

there's no deal in the world that's gonna save his ass.

Elias Voit is not getting out of prison. Never.

- Mmm. - Now, who wants first crack at him?

And not you.

Let's get started.