[Criminal Minds] years before love

There is no doubt that this is indeed a church.

Even though it had been burned and collapsed, only the remaining frame and the ground were scorched black, and the cross that was once hung high fell to the ground and cracked into several pieces.But when Hotch walked into the wreckage, he still clearly felt that this is a church with a long history and countless believers who once prayed devoutly.

Of course, various religions are always accompanied by radical opponents, and a huge city like New York is of course full of various contradictions.

It wasn't even in his own childhood that he didn't fantasize about the building being on fire so that he didn't need to be tortured.

And now he was standing here, still haunted by a weird sense of discomfort, lightning-like pain running through his back, of course—it was much better than before.

Hotch shook his head slightly, exhaled, and whispered, "I'm just looking for the one who ruined you."

There was no answer, and of course there would be no answer, and the discomfort did not abate. Hotch walked among the ruins.According to the photos, the Madonna statue about [-] centimeters high was placed directly in front of these tables and chairs, and there was a dark scorching mark underneath, which the forensic personnel believed was undoubtedly the source of the fire.

Hotch squatted down and observed the ground carefully, but found no trace of the so-called combustion accelerant, but the ground was covered with a fine layer of burnt carbon ash. Hotch touched it with his hand, and it seemed that it was just a product of ordinary wood after it was completely burned. .

But even if Hotch didn't study this specifically, it's clear that the open space is impossible to ignite. Even if the church has a wooden floor, there must have been something here that could raise the temperature until it ignited the not-so-dry wood. .

This is a well-prepared crime.

But it's hard for Hotch to say if it really stems from a hatred of the beliefs the church represents.

In religion, fire is a very subtle existence. It distinguishes truth from hypocrisy and cleanses sins.It was once used to identify so-called witches, and many people believed that in the end, the fire of the Holy Spirit would cleanse the entire world.

If it is this kind of extreme religious arsonist, similar to the so-called vigilante serial killers, they often think that they are the voice of God in the world. Obviously, they will never choose an empty house, let alone clean a house. old church.

Unless they think there's a sin here.

Hotch certainly knows how much evil lurks in those seemingly sacred places, but usually, it's not the buildings themselves that are being targeted.

At the same time, they don't need to practice in various empty rooms, and they don't care whether the people they oppose will be injured. It can even be said that they need those people to pay the price.

Unless they are well-organized and have other purposes.And that's what the local police are worried about.

Of course, he could just as well be a simple arsonist, and that would be bad.

Fire is an extension of power and a tool of destruction. It can cause far more damage than ordinary weapons.When enveloped by the temperature brought by the flames, a large number of people are terrified by this, and the arsonist feels the satisfaction of manipulation from it.

Strictly speaking, it is not uncommon for empty houses to catch fire.Loitering teenagers can indeed cause such fires, and some areas may even turn a blind eye to them. Abandoned houses may provide a place for various crimes, but when they burn down, the government can easily deal with them.

But such teenage arsonists rarely form such a pattern, and they may begin with the weeds behind the house, revel in the excitement of the flames, and end up causing more and more serious fire casualties.But it's almost unlikely there will be any sign in the form of arson, and that's far from part of their quest.

A combination of the two, a young man who is mentally disturbed, has extreme feelings for religion, and is obsessed with flames?

very possible.Also very difficult to trace.

Or, is it really organized crime?

What Hotch wonders is whether he walked into this church suddenly one night, or whether he belongs here in the first place.

"Hi..." Hotch suddenly heard movement behind him, and a young male voice sounded vaguely behind him.

Before he could think about it, he had already pulled out the gun in his ankle and turned around to stand up. The rapid movement accompanied by the sudden severe pain made him dizzy for a while.

Fortunately, the other party seemed to be just a passing boy. When he saw the gun, he immediately raised his hands and took a few steps back, "I, I, I just... saw you here for a long time, are you a policeman?"

Hotch narrowed his eyes and looked at the man in front of him, with messy hair, some old short sleeves, and a few scratched, worn-out jeans.He smiled and slowly put away the gun, "Yes, I'm a police officer. What about you?"

"Me? I... I'm John Hart."

"John, do you want to help?"

"No, I didn't—help? Yes, yes, I wanted to."