Rossi questions his actions in the aftermath of a near-death struggle with a serial killer who appears to have outsmarted the BAU.

The team search for multiple serial killers. One who removes women's faces and another who cuts up men's torsos. J.J. and Spencer are still reeling after her admission. J.J.'s life is put in danger.

JJ is in the hospital clinging to life having been seriously wounded in Everett Lynch and his daughter Grace Lynch's successful escape from custody. Besides Will, Reid is standing vigil at the hospital, he who is angry at himself for not realizing sooner that JJ was in trouble. If JJ doesn't make it, Reid will not only lose arguably his best friend, but he and she will not have been able to clear the air about the strain that has existed between the two of them since their previous case. Reid is also torn in two different directions emotionally as he is called by the facility where he recently moved his mother, they wanting him to come right away. With the Lynches, the team knows they they have disrupted Everett's plans - he a highly organized man - and thus Everett and Grace will be working on the fly. The team believes they have to find any connection that either Everett and/or Grace would have in the DC area for that support they need, including financial, to go off the grid. If Prentiss is able to speak to JJ about the shooting, they may get another piece to what is happening with Everett and Grace. Also working for them is the fact that they still have Roberta in custody, who, despite being a criminal in her own right, would probably want to protect Grace at all cost, perhaps even at Everett's expense.

It has been a year since Rossi nearly died at the hands of Everett Lynch, a.k.a. "The Chameleon," and he has developed some new theories, with inspiration from his former partner, Jason Gideon. The BAU team sets out on an epic hunt to capture Lynch.