Criminal Minds s17e01 Episode Script
Gold Star
1
Previously on
"Criminal Minds: Evolution"
LEWIS: Looks like there's been
an active killer up here
for decades. Some of the lab techs
are starting to call
this UnSub Sicarius.
PRENTISS: The UnSub gathered followers
that he's now activating.
This is a network.
You and Rebecca are so a thing.
- REBECCA: I'm under review.
- Can we talk about this at home?
I'm not going home.
ROSSI: 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.
[BOTH GRUNTING]
♪♪
GARCIA: Voit is live streaming.
Sharing it now.
PRENTISS: 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?
- ROSSI: 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.
[CHUCKLES]
♪♪
What the hell?
Bertoli, what happened?
KLEIN: Oh, my God.
That's a gunshot wound.
On the ground now.
Sweet mother of God.
What the hell happened, Bertoli?
Oh, my God.
♪♪
[IN DISTANCE] Talk. Talk to us.
[SOBS]
[IN DISTANCE] Get the medics in here!
[IN DISTANCE] What the hell?
♪♪
♪♪
You think he did it?
KLEIN: He's one of ours. Not a chance.
No way. I mean, right?
Kershaw just sent these over.
I've never seen anything like this.
PRENTISS: 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're gonna solve this?
♪♪
Yes.
All by yourself?
♪♪
PRENTISS: "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.
[LAUGHTER]
- No! No!
- Your face!
- That was great.
- Oh, what is wrong with you?
- I got it.
- Seriously. Seriously.
- No.
- Yes, seriously, that was great.
Um, but
- What is wrong with you?
- What is wrong with me?
- Yes.
- What about her?
- Oh, mine?
- Yeah.
I might have that
what I said tattooed to my body.
- Oh, I dare you.
- Oh, I 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.
We are doing this at my place next time
because I am picking the game.
Oh, come on. You are wasting
time right now. Let's go.
"To whom it may concern."
Uh, "To whom it may concern,
with sincere apologies,
the Department of Frisbee Golf
will no longer participate
with giant turds."
Oh. With that sailor mouth?
I am I am very disappointed.
I clearly had a sucky hand.
Oh, a sucky hand. We can
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.
- [LAUGHS]
- Alright, come on.
Dave hasn't gone yet.
ROSSI: If I must.
- Please. You must.
- Alright.
"To whom it may concern,
with sincere apologies,
the department of
- old man woodies "
- Oh. Yes?
" will no longer participate with
- that ass."
- Yes!
And we have a winner.
Oh. Oh. Okay.
- Ah! That's alright.
- To Dave.
- To Dave.
- To Dave. That was solid of you.
Oh, thank you for coming. Oh.
This was good.
You seem good.
I am.
- Happy birthday, kid.
- Okay.
- See you tomorrow.
- Hey, 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've got more vacation
time saved up than all of us.
It's time. Idle hands.
Alright, alright. 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.
[CAR ALARM CHIRPS]
NEWS ANCHOR: [ON RADIO]
Many are unsatisfied
with the answers, or lack thereof,
regarding the fatal shooting
of FBI Deputy Director Douglas
Bailey in Burney, California.
[CLICK, RADIO SHUTS OFF]
Ohh. 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?
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?
- You, too.
- Okay.
- Good night.
- Good night.
♪♪
[CELLPHONE CHIMES]
♪♪
[SHIVERS]
♪♪
Put it away.
- What No What?
- [CHUCKLES]
I'm just checking my text messages.
[SCOFFS] 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.
And then he put the party
face emoji and a cupcake.
And a book?
The hell is that about?
I-I don't even want to know.
- You do not want to know.
- I don't.
It's an inside joke, because one time,
I put a cookbook on
his junk right over there.
- Significant size cookbook.
- Okay!
I said I didn't want to know.
You were right the first time.
Okay. 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?
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 want to do that, right?
We talked about this.
I broke up with him. I am moving on.
Eyes on the prize. Mnh-mnh.
I don't I don't look back.
Mnh-mnh.
- Mm-hmm?
- Exactly.
Okay? Come on. Put it away.
Thank you.
Thank you, thank you.
♪♪
- Put it away!
- Okay. I just
I know. Okay.
I've 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.
One day, you look around, and
you 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.
Will get called in tonight?
Yeah. Just like us,
there's always another case.
You heard from Emily? I thought
she was going to be here.
She is just burying herself in work.
Bailey's death really hit her hard.
I mean, obviously, none of what
happened was her fault, but
Wish we could convince her of that.
Thank you for coming to my party.
Can I offer anybody anything
to take home or ?
- Definitely not a book.
- Oh.
[CELLPHONE CHIMES]
♪♪
[CELLPHONE HUMS]
♪♪
So why'd this guy gouge Gwen's eyes?
The killer is punishing the survivor.
KLEIN: Poor bastard.
How many times has this happened?
Too many.
♪♪
- [BEEP]
- DEVICE: 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.
♪♪
[QUIETLY] He is going
to need some sleep.
Keep him on suicide watch.
I'll come back tomorrow.
Okay.
♪♪
♪♪
[SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE]
♪♪
♪♪
LEWIS: 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?
Oh, he's too proficient
to be self-taught.
Well, that would explain
why Bailey kept it a secret.
I mean, 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-all bets are off.
He's 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.
Alright. 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
♪♪
[SIGHS]
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,
but first, 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.
Oh, okay. That case has been flagged.
It 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?
♪♪
[GUARD SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[BUZZER]
♪♪
- MAN: Good. Clear.
- [BELL RINGS]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
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.
[BEEP]
This footage was logged two weeks ago.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Director. Wasn't expecting you.
I wanted to meet Sicarius.
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 the psychopath son
of a United States senator.
I had no idea he was
going to use it to chat
with wannabe serial killers
across the country.
When I found out
what he had gotten into,
he threatened me and my family.
Reeves had a lot of followers,
any one of whom would come
after me if I opened 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 going to say to that?
'Cause he wasn't
on your little Reddit page.
I was standing my ground.
The FBI's second in command paid
me a house call to shut me up.
I thought, shit, this isn't good.
So I protected my family,
and I shot Doug Bailey.
But 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
codenamed Gold Star.
♪♪
Case was need to know.
You knew. Bailey knew.
And what you weren't
expecting is that I knew, too.
And this is where it gets interesting,
because that's when you
transfer 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 talked to him?
Maybe.
I'm going to need more than a maybe.
I'm going to 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.
Okay, just keep telling yourself that.
Give me something I can use.
Maybe I'll think about it.
Pass.
We both know Gold Star
is going to kill again.
And when he does,
my price is going to go up
and up and up.
♪♪
David Rossi,
an FBI legend and
someone I-I looked up to,
he was stalking me and my family.
My wife, Sydney, she's the
the strongest woman I've ever known,
but when when he found
her in that market, she
♪♪
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 A.G. 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.
♪♪
- [BEEP]
- GARCIA: 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 the deal.
But he didn't follow through, did he?
Yes, he did. The Sicarius
charges are off the table.
[GRUNTS]
How is this happening?
The A.G. and Director
must think Gold Star
is a national security issue.
- ROSSI: Fuck!
- [DOOR SLAMS]
You want me to check on him?
Give him a minute.
LEWIS: I'll be right back.
♪♪
REBECCA: 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, now, 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.
[SCOFFS] Jesus.
This is just I should have
You should have what?
I should have known that
a couple who met at Al-Anon
would have boundary issues.
Oh, oh, 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.
Boun-da-ries.
♪♪
You know, I hate how
we ended. I really do.
But I thought we could be friends.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS, DOORS OPEN]
Me, too.
Except I don't ask my friends
to risk their job so I can do mine.
♪♪
VOIT: 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.
♪♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS]
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?
Alright.
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, or whatever it is
that's behind the
Director's deal is bullshit.
♪♪
♪♪
PRENTISS: 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 D.C.,
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.
These scenes,
they're efficient and bold,
albeit dramatic, to kill in such
uncontrolled environments.
It's very risky, very public.
He poses the bodies for shock value.
Maybe he sees himself as a messenger,
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.
Voit was full of shame.
He never wanted his family
to know what he'd done.
Yeah, this guy
has no remorse, no regret.
LEWIS: 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.
The initial crime scene
locations had security,
but he scrambled the feed.
PRENTISS: 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.
GARCIA: 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.
PRENTISS: Well, whatever it is,
it's buried.
Bertoli's catatonic,
but he's our only shot.
Dave, you and I
are going to 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.
PRENTISS: 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?
It explains the lack of forced entry.
There were no signs of a struggle.
I mean, Bertoli's a big guy.
Why didn't he fight back?
Well, if someone pulls a gun
on my family, I'd comply.
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?
GARCIA: Ugh, I am j I am so ticked
that Voit knew about this Gold
Star gobbledygook before we did.
LEWIS: Well, we figured
he had something in the works.
- Now we know what.
- And what about his acolytes?
Well, either dormant or extinct.
And 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.
[SIGHS] God, to pull this off,
you'd have to be incredibly meticulous.
Perfect the M.O. and the ritual,
select a specific victim type.
But then last night,
he breaks from his pattern.
I mean, why kill a woman,
then leave a survivor?
- It's sadistic.
- 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?
[BUZZER, DOOR OPENS]
♪♪
Don?
It's Emily Prentiss. We met last night.
This is my colleague,
David Rossi. We're with the FBI.
♪♪
GWEN: Don? Don? Do something, please,
[ECHOING] Don, we're all
very sorry for your loss.
GWEN: Get your gun. He's gonna kill us.
[CRYING] Don.
But do you have any idea
who might have done this?
- GWEN: Don!
- [METAL CLANGS]
[DON WHIMPERS]
ROSSI: What is it?
[GWEN WHIMPERING INDISTINCTLY]
Don't let him do this, Don!
[GWEN SCREAMS]
[DON GRUNTING]
ROSSI: Easy. It's alright, Don.
Look, just
just get back in your seat.
- PRENTISS: Don?
- OFFICER: Come on, sit down.
[GUNSHOTS]
GWEN: Oh, my God! Please stop!
Come on, get back.
- PRENTISS: Don!
- [DOOR OPENS]
ROSSI: Don, stop.
We need backup!
PRENTISS: Don!
[MEN GRUNTING]
No.
Don, stop.
Don, Don.
Put the pistol down.
Just put it down.
Don?
- Don? No! No!
- Put it down! Don't, don't, don't!
[BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY]
♪♪
PRENTISS: 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
psy-ops training?
- How did you get there?
- Trauma-induced dissociation
can present in a
catatonic state like that,
but it's like he went into a
trance, but to protect himself.
Look, I can't believe
I'm going to say this,
but this is right
in Green's wheelhouse.
- Green?
- Yeah.
- 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?
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
I 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 curvevball.
Voit had to adjust.
And because he did, I'm still here.
So thank you.
And apology accepted.
Now
we need your help.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Don?
It's Emily Prentiss.
We met last night. This is my colleague.
We thought he was in a
trauma-induced dissociative state.
- How long was he like that?
- Over 12 hours before this.
[PEOPLE GRUNTING ON RECORDING]
He's been trained in close
quarter combat techniques.
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 reinforcements.
- Thank you, Tyler.
- My pleasure.
They are actually going
to 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 cats are my boyfriend.
Special is great.
- Hey, stop.
- What? I need to
TYLER: 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,
and 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.
But, look, I'm gonna be
around a bit, consulting.
So I'm just going to 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?
Uh, I let go of my past
to make room for my future.
Uh, onward we go.
He looked better up close.
I was worried, but still, I'm good.
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. Be safe.
Cats are my boyfriends.
[SIGHS]
♪♪
♪♪
[BELL RINGS, DOOR OPENS]
♪♪
The Director is expecting
you to give us something.
[SIGHS]
VOIT: The eyes are dramatic,
but it needs to be received
in order to be effective,
hence this Bertoli guy.
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 is why?
The 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?
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.
Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait a minute.
Voit knows why these people
were targeted, but we don't?
He's going to 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.
Yeah, 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?
Oy. You do not have barging privileges.
And we You just interrupted JJ.
Uh, 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 and trauma
Rebecca just told me that Voit says
these victims are connected
and that there's going to 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"
in 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.
GARCIA: 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.
GARCIA: Both targets are local.
Uh, 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 D.C.
Alright, I'm gonna call in
backup and meet them on-site.
I'm with you.
- Another police officer.
- Send us the coordinates.
- PRENTISS: Let's go.
- GARCIA: Done.
♪♪
I Excuse me.
SANCHEZ: My My family.
Look, I-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.
Together. I can help you.
Look, you don't have to do this.
We can work this out.
You don't have to do this!
Aah!
♪♪
[SANCHEZ GASPING]
♪♪
No. No!
Aah! No, no, no!
[SCREAMING]
[BLADE SLICING, SANCHEZ GRUNTING]
[SIRENS WAILING]
ALVEZ: FBI! Let me see
your hands! Hands!
♪♪
♪♪
Carlyle's been dead for a long time.
Must have been Gold Star's first victim.
[SIRENS WAILING]
[SANCHEZ SCREAMING, MUFFLED]
[SANCHEZ GURGLES, COUGHS]
[MEN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
♪♪
MAN: Breaching! FBI!
- Living room, clear.
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
- PRENTISS: Get those restraints off.
- MAN: Check the back!
MAN #2: Get him on the floor quick!
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
Did Gold Star do this?
- Who is he? We need a name.
- [GASPS, GURGLES]
Sanchez, tell us who did this to you.
MAN: Jesus. His tongue's been cut out.
- Keep him alive.
- Stay with me.
- WOMAN: He's hemorrhaging.
- Sublingual artery's cut.
Energy on compressions.
Pulse is tachy.
He's losing a lot of blood.
ROSSI: Hang in there, Sanchez.
Come on. Stay with me.
[SANCHEZ WHEEZING,
MONITOR BEEPING RAPIDLY]
[GASPING LOUDLY]
- [FLATLINE]
- He's coding.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Sanchez was our last chance.
For now, but we'll think of something.
You want to 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 want to 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 going to go with that?
Let me tell you what's going to happen.
We aren't going to work
at cross-purposes anymore.
Alright, 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 want to 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 volunteered to make
catching him your top priority,
the BAU will work with Elias
Voit to make that happen.
- We will not.
- Oh, 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, uh, one more thing.
What's that?
Tyler Green, he has this background
in military psychological operations.
He 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 going to change our profile.
We have to ask fucking Elias
Voit's opinion on the matter.
ROSSI: 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,
when he thinks he's in charge.
It could be an admission or a slip-up.
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 going to save his ass.
Elias Voit is not getting out of prison.
Never.
Now, who wants first crack at him?
And not you.
[BUZZER, DOOR OPENS]
♪♪
♪♪
[BELL RINGS]
♪♪
[DOOR SHUTS]
Let's get started.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Previously on
"Criminal Minds: Evolution"
LEWIS: Looks like there's been
an active killer up here
for decades. Some of the lab techs
are starting to call
this UnSub Sicarius.
PRENTISS: The UnSub gathered followers
that he's now activating.
This is a network.
You and Rebecca are so a thing.
- REBECCA: I'm under review.
- Can we talk about this at home?
I'm not going home.
ROSSI: 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.
[BOTH GRUNTING]
♪♪
GARCIA: Voit is live streaming.
Sharing it now.
PRENTISS: 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?
- ROSSI: 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.
[CHUCKLES]
♪♪
What the hell?
Bertoli, what happened?
KLEIN: Oh, my God.
That's a gunshot wound.
On the ground now.
Sweet mother of God.
What the hell happened, Bertoli?
Oh, my God.
♪♪
[IN DISTANCE] Talk. Talk to us.
[SOBS]
[IN DISTANCE] Get the medics in here!
[IN DISTANCE] What the hell?
♪♪
♪♪
You think he did it?
KLEIN: He's one of ours. Not a chance.
No way. I mean, right?
Kershaw just sent these over.
I've never seen anything like this.
PRENTISS: 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're gonna solve this?
♪♪
Yes.
All by yourself?
♪♪
PRENTISS: "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.
[LAUGHTER]
- No! No!
- Your face!
- That was great.
- Oh, what is wrong with you?
- I got it.
- Seriously. Seriously.
- No.
- Yes, seriously, that was great.
Um, but
- What is wrong with you?
- What is wrong with me?
- Yes.
- What about her?
- Oh, mine?
- Yeah.
I might have that
what I said tattooed to my body.
- Oh, I dare you.
- Oh, I 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.
We are doing this at my place next time
because I am picking the game.
Oh, come on. You are wasting
time right now. Let's go.
"To whom it may concern."
Uh, "To whom it may concern,
with sincere apologies,
the Department of Frisbee Golf
will no longer participate
with giant turds."
Oh. With that sailor mouth?
I am I am very disappointed.
I clearly had a sucky hand.
Oh, a sucky hand. We can
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.
- [LAUGHS]
- Alright, come on.
Dave hasn't gone yet.
ROSSI: If I must.
- Please. You must.
- Alright.
"To whom it may concern,
with sincere apologies,
the department of
- old man woodies "
- Oh. Yes?
" will no longer participate with
- that ass."
- Yes!
And we have a winner.
Oh. Oh. Okay.
- Ah! That's alright.
- To Dave.
- To Dave.
- To Dave. That was solid of you.
Oh, thank you for coming. Oh.
This was good.
You seem good.
I am.
- Happy birthday, kid.
- Okay.
- See you tomorrow.
- Hey, 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've got more vacation
time saved up than all of us.
It's time. Idle hands.
Alright, alright. 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.
[CAR ALARM CHIRPS]
NEWS ANCHOR: [ON RADIO]
Many are unsatisfied
with the answers, or lack thereof,
regarding the fatal shooting
of FBI Deputy Director Douglas
Bailey in Burney, California.
[CLICK, RADIO SHUTS OFF]
Ohh. 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?
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?
- You, too.
- Okay.
- Good night.
- Good night.
♪♪
[CELLPHONE CHIMES]
♪♪
[SHIVERS]
♪♪
Put it away.
- What No What?
- [CHUCKLES]
I'm just checking my text messages.
[SCOFFS] 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.
And then he put the party
face emoji and a cupcake.
And a book?
The hell is that about?
I-I don't even want to know.
- You do not want to know.
- I don't.
It's an inside joke, because one time,
I put a cookbook on
his junk right over there.
- Significant size cookbook.
- Okay!
I said I didn't want to know.
You were right the first time.
Okay. 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?
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 want to do that, right?
We talked about this.
I broke up with him. I am moving on.
Eyes on the prize. Mnh-mnh.
I don't I don't look back.
Mnh-mnh.
- Mm-hmm?
- Exactly.
Okay? Come on. Put it away.
Thank you.
Thank you, thank you.
♪♪
- Put it away!
- Okay. I just
I know. Okay.
I've 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.
One day, you look around, and
you 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.
Will get called in tonight?
Yeah. Just like us,
there's always another case.
You heard from Emily? I thought
she was going to be here.
She is just burying herself in work.
Bailey's death really hit her hard.
I mean, obviously, none of what
happened was her fault, but
Wish we could convince her of that.
Thank you for coming to my party.
Can I offer anybody anything
to take home or ?
- Definitely not a book.
- Oh.
[CELLPHONE CHIMES]
♪♪
[CELLPHONE HUMS]
♪♪
So why'd this guy gouge Gwen's eyes?
The killer is punishing the survivor.
KLEIN: Poor bastard.
How many times has this happened?
Too many.
♪♪
- [BEEP]
- DEVICE: 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.
♪♪
[QUIETLY] He is going
to need some sleep.
Keep him on suicide watch.
I'll come back tomorrow.
Okay.
♪♪
♪♪
[SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE]
♪♪
♪♪
LEWIS: 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?
Oh, he's too proficient
to be self-taught.
Well, that would explain
why Bailey kept it a secret.
I mean, 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-all bets are off.
He's 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.
Alright. 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
♪♪
[SIGHS]
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,
but first, 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.
Oh, okay. That case has been flagged.
It 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?
♪♪
[GUARD SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[BUZZER]
♪♪
- MAN: Good. Clear.
- [BELL RINGS]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
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.
[BEEP]
This footage was logged two weeks ago.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Director. Wasn't expecting you.
I wanted to meet Sicarius.
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 the psychopath son
of a United States senator.
I had no idea he was
going to use it to chat
with wannabe serial killers
across the country.
When I found out
what he had gotten into,
he threatened me and my family.
Reeves had a lot of followers,
any one of whom would come
after me if I opened 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 going to say to that?
'Cause he wasn't
on your little Reddit page.
I was standing my ground.
The FBI's second in command paid
me a house call to shut me up.
I thought, shit, this isn't good.
So I protected my family,
and I shot Doug Bailey.
But 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
codenamed Gold Star.
♪♪
Case was need to know.
You knew. Bailey knew.
And what you weren't
expecting is that I knew, too.
And this is where it gets interesting,
because that's when you
transfer 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 talked to him?
Maybe.
I'm going to need more than a maybe.
I'm going to 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.
Okay, just keep telling yourself that.
Give me something I can use.
Maybe I'll think about it.
Pass.
We both know Gold Star
is going to kill again.
And when he does,
my price is going to go up
and up and up.
♪♪
David Rossi,
an FBI legend and
someone I-I looked up to,
he was stalking me and my family.
My wife, Sydney, she's the
the strongest woman I've ever known,
but when when he found
her in that market, she
♪♪
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 A.G. 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.
♪♪
- [BEEP]
- GARCIA: 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 the deal.
But he didn't follow through, did he?
Yes, he did. The Sicarius
charges are off the table.
[GRUNTS]
How is this happening?
The A.G. and Director
must think Gold Star
is a national security issue.
- ROSSI: Fuck!
- [DOOR SLAMS]
You want me to check on him?
Give him a minute.
LEWIS: I'll be right back.
♪♪
REBECCA: 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, now, 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.
[SCOFFS] Jesus.
This is just I should have
You should have what?
I should have known that
a couple who met at Al-Anon
would have boundary issues.
Oh, oh, 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.
Boun-da-ries.
♪♪
You know, I hate how
we ended. I really do.
But I thought we could be friends.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS, DOORS OPEN]
Me, too.
Except I don't ask my friends
to risk their job so I can do mine.
♪♪
VOIT: 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.
♪♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS]
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?
Alright.
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, or whatever it is
that's behind the
Director's deal is bullshit.
♪♪
♪♪
PRENTISS: 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 D.C.,
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.
These scenes,
they're efficient and bold,
albeit dramatic, to kill in such
uncontrolled environments.
It's very risky, very public.
He poses the bodies for shock value.
Maybe he sees himself as a messenger,
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.
Voit was full of shame.
He never wanted his family
to know what he'd done.
Yeah, this guy
has no remorse, no regret.
LEWIS: 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.
The initial crime scene
locations had security,
but he scrambled the feed.
PRENTISS: 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.
GARCIA: 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.
PRENTISS: Well, whatever it is,
it's buried.
Bertoli's catatonic,
but he's our only shot.
Dave, you and I
are going to 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.
PRENTISS: 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?
It explains the lack of forced entry.
There were no signs of a struggle.
I mean, Bertoli's a big guy.
Why didn't he fight back?
Well, if someone pulls a gun
on my family, I'd comply.
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?
GARCIA: Ugh, I am j I am so ticked
that Voit knew about this Gold
Star gobbledygook before we did.
LEWIS: Well, we figured
he had something in the works.
- Now we know what.
- And what about his acolytes?
Well, either dormant or extinct.
And 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.
[SIGHS] God, to pull this off,
you'd have to be incredibly meticulous.
Perfect the M.O. and the ritual,
select a specific victim type.
But then last night,
he breaks from his pattern.
I mean, why kill a woman,
then leave a survivor?
- It's sadistic.
- 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?
[BUZZER, DOOR OPENS]
♪♪
Don?
It's Emily Prentiss. We met last night.
This is my colleague,
David Rossi. We're with the FBI.
♪♪
GWEN: Don? Don? Do something, please,
[ECHOING] Don, we're all
very sorry for your loss.
GWEN: Get your gun. He's gonna kill us.
[CRYING] Don.
But do you have any idea
who might have done this?
- GWEN: Don!
- [METAL CLANGS]
[DON WHIMPERS]
ROSSI: What is it?
[GWEN WHIMPERING INDISTINCTLY]
Don't let him do this, Don!
[GWEN SCREAMS]
[DON GRUNTING]
ROSSI: Easy. It's alright, Don.
Look, just
just get back in your seat.
- PRENTISS: Don?
- OFFICER: Come on, sit down.
[GUNSHOTS]
GWEN: Oh, my God! Please stop!
Come on, get back.
- PRENTISS: Don!
- [DOOR OPENS]
ROSSI: Don, stop.
We need backup!
PRENTISS: Don!
[MEN GRUNTING]
No.
Don, stop.
Don, Don.
Put the pistol down.
Just put it down.
Don?
- Don? No! No!
- Put it down! Don't, don't, don't!
[BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY]
♪♪
PRENTISS: 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
psy-ops training?
- How did you get there?
- Trauma-induced dissociation
can present in a
catatonic state like that,
but it's like he went into a
trance, but to protect himself.
Look, I can't believe
I'm going to say this,
but this is right
in Green's wheelhouse.
- Green?
- Yeah.
- 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?
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
I 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 curvevball.
Voit had to adjust.
And because he did, I'm still here.
So thank you.
And apology accepted.
Now
we need your help.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Don?
It's Emily Prentiss.
We met last night. This is my colleague.
We thought he was in a
trauma-induced dissociative state.
- How long was he like that?
- Over 12 hours before this.
[PEOPLE GRUNTING ON RECORDING]
He's been trained in close
quarter combat techniques.
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 reinforcements.
- Thank you, Tyler.
- My pleasure.
They are actually going
to 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 cats are my boyfriend.
Special is great.
- Hey, stop.
- What? I need to
TYLER: 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,
and 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.
But, look, I'm gonna be
around a bit, consulting.
So I'm just going to 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?
Uh, I let go of my past
to make room for my future.
Uh, onward we go.
He looked better up close.
I was worried, but still, I'm good.
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. Be safe.
Cats are my boyfriends.
[SIGHS]
♪♪
♪♪
[BELL RINGS, DOOR OPENS]
♪♪
The Director is expecting
you to give us something.
[SIGHS]
VOIT: The eyes are dramatic,
but it needs to be received
in order to be effective,
hence this Bertoli guy.
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 is why?
The 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?
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.
Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait a minute.
Voit knows why these people
were targeted, but we don't?
He's going to 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.
Yeah, 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?
Oy. You do not have barging privileges.
And we You just interrupted JJ.
Uh, 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 and trauma
Rebecca just told me that Voit says
these victims are connected
and that there's going to 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"
in 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.
GARCIA: 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.
GARCIA: Both targets are local.
Uh, 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 D.C.
Alright, I'm gonna call in
backup and meet them on-site.
I'm with you.
- Another police officer.
- Send us the coordinates.
- PRENTISS: Let's go.
- GARCIA: Done.
♪♪
I Excuse me.
SANCHEZ: My My family.
Look, I-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.
Together. I can help you.
Look, you don't have to do this.
We can work this out.
You don't have to do this!
Aah!
♪♪
[SANCHEZ GASPING]
♪♪
No. No!
Aah! No, no, no!
[SCREAMING]
[BLADE SLICING, SANCHEZ GRUNTING]
[SIRENS WAILING]
ALVEZ: FBI! Let me see
your hands! Hands!
♪♪
♪♪
Carlyle's been dead for a long time.
Must have been Gold Star's first victim.
[SIRENS WAILING]
[SANCHEZ SCREAMING, MUFFLED]
[SANCHEZ GURGLES, COUGHS]
[MEN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
♪♪
MAN: Breaching! FBI!
- Living room, clear.
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
- PRENTISS: Get those restraints off.
- MAN: Check the back!
MAN #2: Get him on the floor quick!
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
Did Gold Star do this?
- Who is he? We need a name.
- [GASPS, GURGLES]
Sanchez, tell us who did this to you.
MAN: Jesus. His tongue's been cut out.
- Keep him alive.
- Stay with me.
- WOMAN: He's hemorrhaging.
- Sublingual artery's cut.
Energy on compressions.
Pulse is tachy.
He's losing a lot of blood.
ROSSI: Hang in there, Sanchez.
Come on. Stay with me.
[SANCHEZ WHEEZING,
MONITOR BEEPING RAPIDLY]
[GASPING LOUDLY]
- [FLATLINE]
- He's coding.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Sanchez was our last chance.
For now, but we'll think of something.
You want to 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 want to 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 going to go with that?
Let me tell you what's going to happen.
We aren't going to work
at cross-purposes anymore.
Alright, 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 want to 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 volunteered to make
catching him your top priority,
the BAU will work with Elias
Voit to make that happen.
- We will not.
- Oh, 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, uh, one more thing.
What's that?
Tyler Green, he has this background
in military psychological operations.
He 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 going to change our profile.
We have to ask fucking Elias
Voit's opinion on the matter.
ROSSI: 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,
when he thinks he's in charge.
It could be an admission or a slip-up.
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 going to save his ass.
Elias Voit is not getting out of prison.
Never.
Now, who wants first crack at him?
And not you.
[BUZZER, DOOR OPENS]
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[BELL RINGS]
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[DOOR SHUTS]
Let's get started.
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