“Who graduated from Harvard at fourteen,” Christina stated. “Although, I could have done it had my parents let me. All that talk about a social life.”
Well, in this case, Christina’s parents had done the right thing. She may be young and educated, but she was socially awkward and lonely.
“I didn’t have a social life,” Blue stated. “I studied, I went to school, and I became a doctor. I’m horrible with people. That’s why I like to draw. I can talk without talking.”
Chris liked her.
She was a kind person who clearly was struggling to be part of a group. He’d noticed that when he first met her.
“Well, thank you for what you did.”
“If you want her to take your kiddo on, I can ask her. She’d love to have Elizabeth’s children in her practice. I wasn’t kidding about that.”
“I can talk to her.”
“Well, then we’re even.”
“Why the FBI?” Christina asked, refusing to let it go. She was so damn curious.
Blue tied her red hair back and tried to answer that the best she could.
It wasn’t easy.
“I guess I wanted to help people, but being locked inside wasn’t exactly what I wanted either. I wanted to have fun, and the FBI is fun.”
“So you’re a scientist at heart. Want to be my best friend?” Christina asked.
Blue laughed. “I don’t have one, so okay. I didn’t realize that you walked up to someone and asked like that. I wish there was a manual. It’s tough being awkward.”
They didn’t get it.
She seemed perfectly fine to them.
Then again, they were nerds.
Birds of a feather…
“How do you not have one?” Christina asked.
“I don’t assimilate well. Once people find out that I’m smart, or that Mensa invited me to join, they get weirded out.”
“Not me,” Chrissy stated. “I like smart people. We nerds flock together,” she stated.
Chris laughed.
He’d been thinking that, and it proved he’d been right.
“Yeah, we do. If you ever need anything, let me know. I appreciate what you did for Bethe.”
“I do have some questions. If you can answer them, then that would be payment enough.”
Chris knew he should be studying the pictures that Elizabeth was sending, but he had to admit, he was fascinated. He didn’t know that they had another doctor among them.
This changed a lot.
She likely did an autopsy rotation in her residency. Now he could bounce things off of Tony and Blue.
It made their team even better.
“I’m ready. Shoot.”
“What’s Elizabeth really like? I mean, I worked with her on the Bonnie case…”
He stopped her.
“Don’t bring it up. It’s a sore point.”
“Really? Why? It’s not her fault.”
“Well, we know that, and hopefully, she knows it, but the media has been skewering her over it.”
She made a mental note.
“Okay, I won’t. Thank you for the warning.”
Christina raised her hand.
“Can I take this one?” she asked Chris.
He waved his hand.
“Have at it.”
“She’s fun to work with,” Chrissy said. “She’s tough—don’t get me wrong, but next to you, she’s the smartest person I know. No offense, Doc. You’re third.”
He laughed. “I’ve been coming in second to her for years. I’m good with it. She got the brains. I got the good looks.”
Christina giggled.
“Yes, yes, you did.”
He gave her a fist bump.
Blue scrunched up her nose.
“Wait! Is she really smart?” Blue asked.
“Yeah, people think she’s dumber than a box of Southern rocks, but that’s what she wants,” Chris said. “She’s like that cobra. It’s hood is down, but by the time you feel the teeth, you missed the signs. She didn’t get this division because she’s pretty. Elizabeth is like an enigma. You have two choices.”
“What?”
“You can be distracted by her looks, or you can be ready for the ass kicking she’s about to give you. People think she’s aesthetically pleasing, and they don’t look for that hair trigger.”
“She is pretty.”
“And that will get you killed. Call her hideous and a beast. She’ll like you more. I know. I dated her a long time.”
Blue lifted a brow. “Really? I thought she only dug Indians.”
Christina hushed her. “Native Americans. You will die a painful death.”
She made another mental note.
“Yeah, we were a couple for a little over a decade. Now she’s my best friend and my sister. We work better this way—trust me. I have jealousy issues. I have to be detached from that. I’d be worse than Callen.”
Christina laughed. “No one is that bad. He’s scary.”
Blue was learning from them.
“I’ve heard she’s badass.”
“She is,” they said together.
“What else?” Blue asked.
Johanna, who, up to that moment, had been sexting her husband, moved closer.
“Ahhhhh newbie orientation. I remember mine. It’s best to take notes.”
Blue wasn’t sure if she was serious so she dug out a pad and paper.
“I was kidding.”
“Poor social cues,” she stated.
Johanna got it. So, she adjusted how she’d share information.
“Well, the boss is kind,” she added. Since Elizabeth wasn’t there, she opted to jump in. “I’m Johanna Seaton,” Joey said, shaking Blue’s hand. “I’m going to be your temporary partner.”
She shook it. “It’s my pleasure and if I do something wrong, just tell me. I’m a fast learner.”
Johanna appreciated that.
“My husband is usually my partner, but he felt like paragliding, and that didn’t end well.”
Chris laughed.
“You told him no, didn’t you?”
“Hell, yes, and he said, and I quote, ‘What could possibly go wrong, Joey,’?” she said, laughing. “All I know is we went to Hawaii to lay low, and he breaks his freaking leg. Nothing like propagating a paper trail.”
Chris laughed. “He was so damn proud. He was showing everyone his x-rays.”
She shook her head.
“Don’t encourage that jackassery.”
“How can you work with your husband?” Blue asked. “I thought we couldn’t be in relationships with people we are partnered up with.”
Johanna smiled. “Elizabeth Blackhawk.”
To them, it said it all.
She’d gone out on a limb for everyone there. She loved her team, and they loved her. Loyalty was a two-way street.
“Please buckle up,” the pilot said, closing the cockpit door.
They were going to land.
“Okay, Team. As soon as we hit the ground, we’re heading to the site. I’ll prep you in the vehicle.”
They did what the pilot said, and they got ready.
“Any more questions will have to wait, Blue. You’re going to have to learn on the fly like the rest of us.”
“Buckle up,” Joey said.
“I am.”
She laughed. “For the Elizabeth ride. You’re going to feel sick, be scared out of your mind, and want to puke. It’s all normal. The feeling should pass in…”
“NEVER,” Christina said, laughing.
That worried Blue.
What if she screwed up and the FBI didn’t want her? Then her adventure was over, and she’d have to go back to being a doctor.
Well, that sucked.
At least she had this case to prove her worth to the boss lady.
They were about to take on another crazy.
And from the pictures she’d seen on Chris’s tablet, this one might be the craziest of them all.
Boston
Bed and Breakfast
When the police arrived, they treated it like it was every other scene despite them being Feds and security. They were separated, and they were grilled like they’d all joined up and did that to the woman on the couch.
When the police detective actually asked her how long she’d know her security and Callen, she was done with the whole shit fest.
She was wasting time.
Losing daylight.
Yeah, she was going to burn this place down with her anger in about two seconds. Clearly, this man didn’t know she was the WRONG person to screw with on a good day—let alone a bad one.
While she got the whole ‘it’s our jurisdiction’ thing, she wasn’t going to be anyone’s verbal punching bag.
No ones.
“We didn’t kill her. We don’t have blood all over us, and you won’t find any in the room except for what’s on the naked, dead woman on the couch. On top of that, someone left me a note.”
That had to be about the sixth time she’d said that to the man, and still…he wasn’t getting it.
How hard was it to see that they weren’t killers?
“We see that, Mrs. Blackhawk. We have to investigate everyone. The person who finds it is usually the one who did the crime.”
This was unbelievable.
“It’s ‘whoever found her has the higher chance of being involved in the crime’,” she stated.
Both men stared at her.
“I found her.”
“We know, and that’s why you’re our top suspect. Well, you and Mr. Whitefox.”
She was going to hurt the man in about three seconds.
“So you think we did that to her? Do you have a freaking clue what I do for a living? I’m a Fed. I’m not only a Fed, but I chase killers who do shit like this. Occasionally, it ends up in my freaking lap.”
Or in this case, her couch.
“Detective?”
He’d told her his name before, but all she heard was ‘wha, wha, wha, wha, killer, guilty, you, wha, wha’.
“It’s Nealson,” he said. “Detective Tom Nealson, and this isn’t my first killing. I’ve been with the Boston PD for almost fifteen years.”
She stared at him.
Did he want a freaking award?
“Awesome. I’ll get you a fucking desk plaque that says that. Here’s a little newsflash, TOM. I’ve been with the FBI for almost twenty years. When you were beginning out as a beat cop, I was working as a Fed.”
“Oh, I know. We’ve crossed paths.”
She stared at him.
Had they?
Elizabeth had seen a lot of crime scenes. She’d chased a lot of criminals. If she knew him, she wasn’t sure where from, but she rarely forgot a face.
Rarely.
It did happen, but not that often.
“Great. We can have coffee and catch up. Right now, my ME is on his way. When he gets here…”
He cut her off.
“My partner and I are handling this,” he said, jerking his head toward the younger man. “He’s new, but he’s going to help me run this.”
Elizabeth was done.
She stood. The second she did, the older cop roughly pushed her back down. He actually put his hands on her.
Was he out of his mind?
She tried to place the face. Clearly, this was a personal thing. He was holding a grudge.
Elizabeth knew she’d never dated him, had sex with him, or hung out with him.
So what was left?
She stood.
Again, he shoved her, but this time harder.
“You don’t want to do that again,” she said, getting angry. “You don’t want to find yourself under arrest for battery on a federal agent, or a lady.”
He laughed.
“You may be the first, but the last is definitely bullshit.”
She stood again.
This time, when he reached for her, she grabbed his wrist, spun him, and shoved him right at his partner. In the process, she grabbed his gun.
The two men hit the floor, overturning a table.
When the door burst open, she was pointing a gun at the two men on the floor.
“What the hell?” Callen stated, rushing in once he heard the ruckus. He’d like to say this wasn’t what he pictured, but it was.
Elizabeth was pointing a gun at someone.
Yeah, that seemed about right.
“He shoved me twice and tried for a third. I warned him. His partner just happened to be in the way.”
Callen pulled the older man up. He pointed at the younger cop. “If you pull that sidearm, you’re going to jail or the morgue. I’m not even kidding.”
Detective Maximus Chase didn’t argue. “Okay.”
“Have a seat, boys,” she said, unloading Tom’s gun. When she discharged the magazine, she handed him back the gun.
NOT the magazine.
“You’re going to be arrested,” he warned.
“Callen, dial the boss.”
“Ethan or Gabe?”
“Gabriel Rothschild.”
At his name, both men showed fear. They likely heard about him, saw him in action, or had been in his crosshairs at some point.
Good.
Let the neutering begin.
Callen made the call, getting the big boss man on his tablet. When his face popped onto the screen, Callen didn’t give him a chance to speak.
The room had the potential to go nuclear with Elizabeth being at the epicenter.
He was doing the two cops a huge favor.
“Gabe, I wouldn’t bother you, but two Boston cops just tried to manhandle my partner. Would you like to handle it?”
He laughed. “Turn it.”
Callen did.
“I don’t know your names, and you had better hope I don’t find them out. My team is on the ground. The ME will be there in under five minutes, your police commissioner has been notified, and as of this moment, the FBI is taking over.”
“On what grounds?” Detective Tom Nealson asked.
“Elizabeth, how many victims do you have?”
“Two.”
“Good enough for me. Detectives, head the hell home, call it a day, and if you put your hands on her, I’m not responsible if she kicks your ass or pulls the trigger. At your age, Detective, you should know better.”
The man looked uneasy.
“Which one put his hands on you, Elizabeth?”
“The grouchy old one holding the empty gun,” she said, watching the two men.
“From one grouchy, old man to another…get the hell out!”
The man grabbed his magazine from her and headed out in a huff.
The FBI Director stopped the younger cop.
“Who are you?” Gabe asked.
“Detective Max Chase.”
“How long have you been in homicide?” Gabe asked, watching the man for any signs that he was going to blow smoke up his ass.
“A month.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
Perfect.
“He’s going to be your police liaison,” Gabe said, dropping the bomb.
And here came the nuclear holocaust.
Elizabeth stared at him.
“WHAT?” she asked, not sure she heard him right. There was no freaking way he’d just told her…
“Yes, he’s going to help. In fact, you should have an email, Max, from your boss. I don’t mean your precinct boss, but your commissioner.”
He pulled out his phone.
The man read it.
“I’m attached to this investigation until it’s concluded,” he offered.
“Yeah, your boss wanted one of you to be on our team. Clearly, I can’t let the grouchy old man be near her, or there will be another homicide.”
“Gabe!”
This reminded her of a previous case there.
He held up his hand. “That’s the d
eal I made, Elizabeth. They get a cop on the inside, and you get free reign over it all.”
She didn’t like it, but at least, it wasn’t the cranky older one. Besides, she was growing accustomed to newbies.
Her life was filthy with them.
“Okay. Deal.”
“Now, your ME should be at the door. Play nice with the cops, Elizabeth, or Ethan will be doing paperwork here—NOT there.”
She got it.
If she gave them shit, Gabe, the sadistic bastard, would yank her husband, and he’d be profiling from the office.
“I read you.”
He smiled.
At least he had one way to control her. It might help at a later date.
“Good. Now, if you’re done with me, I have some things to handle.”
“Talk to you later,” she offered.
When he hung up, Elizabeth looked around. “Where’s my security guy?” she asked the cop.
“My partner had him taken to the precinct to be interviewed. He thinks he was part of it. No one crossed his path, and he had access to the security footage and the building.”
“WHAT?” She looked around. “I was supposed to interview my own people first!”
“Well, how is it possible that he didn’t notice someone carrying a whole body into the building?”
She knew Ivan wasn’t going to be part of the problem.
“This is pissing me off.”
“Want me to get him?” Callen asked.
At that very moment, someone called in from the doorway. It was another cop, and this time, he was letting them know they had company.
“The FBI rolled up. They have a van,” he shouted. “What do you want me to do?”
“Let them in,” Detective Chase stated.
“Okay, Cal, let’s get our shit handled. I want to figure out who the hell left me a dead body, strung up like a marionette. As for Ivan, let’s send Blue. She’s going to be out of her element for a few minutes anyway.”
He agreed.
“Let’s start a case.”
Yeah, and who knew what else was coming?
When Chris walked in, he was carrying his medical kit, and a rolling suitcase for her.
The second he saw her, he went to her side.
“Clothes delivery for a Director Blackhawk. Your Sherpa has delivered.”
“I don’t seem to have any cash on me. Can I pay him off with a kiss?”
Discarded by Fate Page 10
