Hit Squad

"When things become personal, business always suffers."
-Paul Obrecht

The Hit Squad were a group of soldiers-for-hire that killed people for money, usually at the request of Mark Gabriel. Later on however, his wife Laura used their skills and expertise to kill people and frame her husband for the crimes. The squad was active during season twelve of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Paul Obrecht, the Hit Squad leader.

Background

The group was founded by Mark Gabriel, the president of Ceressus Logistics, in order to carry out hits in order to eliminate his competition. Mark appointed Paul as the leader of the team, which consisted of two additional hitmen to help with the killings and three cleaners to clean up the crime scenes after they are done. Their first victim was Stanley Merrill, who was the president of a rival military contractor. Merill previously threatened to end Mark's career. He was killed and his body was taken out of the office and they put it in a location where nobody could find it. They were later called in to steal a shipment of FMP90's which resulted in the death of a security guard named Emmett Clifton and Mark helped cover their tracks.

Season 12

Zippered

Four weeks after the robbery Mark called on the squad's services for a third time, this time to kill a witness in order to hide his illegal arms dealing. Authorities believed the target died of a heart attack, while the CSIs correctly suspected that he was murdered. After this, Laura Gabriel arranged to procure their services in preparation to leave her husband and even got a corrupt FBI agent named James McQuaid to help plan everything out.

Ms. Willows Regrets...

Laura's plan was put into motion when she had the squad kill the lawyer that Catherine had recommended to her, along with his two female employees, with the same stolen guns Mark had. They then clean the crime scene and arrange everything so that it appeared that nothing had happened. Afterwards, the squad took the bodies out and dump them in the woods, using irradiated hyde bugs to devour all the flesh on bodies and consequently remove any physical evidence. They then move quickly to Laura's cousin's house, where Paul kills the cousin and the cousin's husband, while Laura hides under the floor planks in wait for the CSIs.

After she is found, one hitwoman on the squad, named Sandra Pence, infiltrates the FBI protection detail with help from Agent McQauid. They wait until the rest of the squad ambushes the convoy and they kill all of the FBI agents. Then, they get Laura and McQuaid out of their car, to which Paul betrays Sandra and another hitman named Geoffrey Kruger, killing both and setting their bodies in the car, then setting the car on fire to incinerate the bodies beyond recognition. After this they hack into Catherine's email account and send a phony resignation letter to her boss and try to have her killed. Catherine is able to flee the scene, with the three cleaners-turned-hitmen in pursuit. D.B. comes to Catherine's rescue and drives away with the squad firing at them.

Willows in the Wind

Because Catherine escaped with her life, Agent McQuaid, who fired a warning shot to save her, was killed, his body was dumped nearby, and bugs were utilized to feed on his flesh. Afterwards, Paul decided to track Catherine down alone and eventually tracked her down to a motel where there was an active crime scene. After everyone left, he tried attacking Catherine again, but she was tipped off and escaped for a second time. Later, Mark Gabriel figures out that his wife set him up and pays Paul twice his salary to take the contract off his head and place one on his wife. Paul goes to her house and shoots through the shower, but didn't realize that he had been unintentionally set up by the LVPD and they take him and Laura into custody. Paul later confesses that Mark hired him, and as a result, Paul, Mark, and Laura are incarcerated for life.

Modus Operandi

The group's M.O. is to be clean, efficient and to never leave behind any evidence unless intended; not only do they wipe off all fingerprints and clean the scene with ethanol, but they also fill in any eventual bullet holes with plaster. When killing for Mark, Paul and his team leave absolutely no evidence behind and make sure that no one searching finds the body. When that's too suspicious, they make it look like a heart attack. When killing for Laura, they use P90s or silenced handguns for the kill, dump the bodies in places where the police will find them in a couple of hours, and use super-charged hide bugs to eat the bodies, leaving little physical evidence behind.

Known Members

• Paul Obrecht (leader; incarcerated)
• Mark Gabriel (hired the hitmen; incarcerated)
• Laura Gabriel (hired the hitmen; incarcerated)
• Sandra Pence (hitwoman; deceased)
• Geoffrey Kruger (hitman; deceased)
• Three unnamed cleaners/hitmen (statuses unknown)

Mutual Victims

• The following were targets of Mark Gabriel:
  • 2011:
    • Unspecified date and location: Stanley Merrill
    • November 9, unspecified location in Pakistan: Emmett Clifton
    • December 8, Las Vegas, Nevada: Lenny Wesson
    • Unspecified date, Las Vegas, Nevada: Laura Gabriel (attempted)
• The following were targets of Laura Gabriel:
  • 2012, Las Vegas, Nevada:
    • January 18: The law office shooting (three casualties):
      • Malcolm Turner (lawyer)
      • Julie Blanch (assistant)
      • Amelia Gross (receptionist)
    • January 19:
      • The first house shooting (two casualties):
        • Helen (Laura's cousin; tortured and killed)
        • Derek (Helen's husband; tortured and killed like Helen)
      • The convoy shooting (five casualties):
        • Three unnamed FBI agents
        • Sandra Pence (member)
        • Geoffrey Kruger (member)
    • January 20: The second house shooting (one casualty):
      • James McQuaid (killed for saving Catherine)
      • Catherine Willows (survived along with D.B.)
      • D.B. Russell
    • January 21: Mark Gabriel (intended to kill using Catherine's backup gun)

Trivia

• Ceressus Logistics appears to be inspired by the Blackwater military contractor business, whch came under fire for its mercenaries being found guilty of war crimes.

Appearances

• Season 12
  • Zippered
  • Ms. Willows Regrets
  • Willows in the Wind