She pointed at the back window, almost out of view. It was partially blocked by a tree. “When we sealed it up, that window blind was down.”
“Are you sure?” Callen asked.
“Yes,” she replied, putting down her toast. Charlie would have to wait for food. Elizabeth had a sneaking suspicion that they were about to head out.
Blackhawk peered over her shoulder at the window.
“He’s not going to sashay himself to the door, hoping to shoot Jaxon, guys. He’s going to lie in wait until someone comes thought the door.”
That made both men sick because they were pretty sure who was planning on doing just that.
“Elizabeth!” Whitefox blurted, hoping he could stop her, but it was too late.
She was already moving toward her gear and pulling her shirt off. She was going to catch this asshole once and for all. While she wasn’t a big fan of God, she believed his perversion of it was a sin in itself.
Callen and Ethan were right behind her, unwilling to let their pregnant woman go at it alone.
“What’s the plan?” Ethan asked, hoping Elizabeth was wrong. In such close quarters, one of them could get shot. He didn't want any of them entering a cabin where a sociopath was lying in wait.
“We’re going to sneak in and take him out in cuffs. Then, we’re getting the hell out of Devil’s Lake.”
Neither man looked happy about the plan.
Elizabeth glanced over as they slipped into their Kevlar. “It’ll be okay. I promise,” she reassured. “He’ll never suspect we’ll be onto him and searching the cabin.”
Still, they looked worried.
“How often am I wrong when it comes to things like this?” she asked, hoping they’d lighten up. This was the easy part. They’d done the sleuthing, and now it was time to reap the reward- one crazy fruit loop behind bars.
Neither of her partners spoke. The only thing they could do was check their guns and hope at all three of them would be going home alive.
* * *
He was getting impatient and didn't know what to do. As he hid in the bedroom, his greatest hope was to see her drive up and park her car outside. Peeking out the window, his heart dropped.
Oh, she wasn’t coming, but he had just caught sight of an FBI agent heading his way. The blue jacket with the gold lettering gave him away.
Thank God he looked outside!
This was his sign.
God wanted him to escape. Had he not looked out, he would have been caught or killed.
Racing through the cabin, he knew there were only seconds to get out the back door and into the safety of the woods. Once there, he could make his way to his car, and then to his home base.
He needed to pray for guidance.
As he jumped from the porch and headed into the reservation, he began mumbling a prayer. Reaching into his pocket, his beloved rosary was gone.
Oh God!
NO!
He almost had the compulsion to go back for it. Without it, he couldn’t do his prayers and keep his connection with God. That rosary was important.
It had been his mother’s.
Then, fight versus flight kicked in, and the man continued to run for it.
He’d find it again. After all, how could they find something so small in the vast woods? Odds were in his favor, and he wouldn’t give up hope.
God would take care of him.
He needed to believe.
The FBI winning would take a miracle, and that wouldn’t happen, since God was clearly on his side.
* * *
Callen took the back, but before he could round the corner, his peripheral caught a man making a break for it. Whispering into his com, he alerted his partners.
“He’s wearing a gray hoodie, black pants, and boots. He just entered the woods behind the house. The killer is spooked and on the run.”
Both Blackhawks came racing around the house, moving toward the woods with their guns drawn. Callen put out his arm, making them stop.
“Listen,” he whispered. “He’s not far ahead.”
They could hear him crashing through the woods like a wild animal, struggling to get away. It was perfect. It was about time he was the one being stalked like prey.
Justice was coming.
Before she could speak, Elizabeth spotted it. On the ground, she saw a rosary with blue beads. Picking it up, she pocketed it for the time being. “He’s scared.”
“He should be,” Callen said, as they moved into the woods. They could hear him up ahead as he flailed around, trying to get his bearings.
“We need to split up,” Elizabeth said, moving left. “If we can box him in, then we can take him in alive.”
“Yeah, that’s a horrible idea,” hissed Callen. When he saw his brother wasn’t saying anything, he lifted a brow.
“If I were him, I’d be scared shitless if Tex was tracking me through the woods. She’ll be okay,” Blackhawk offered, despite the sickness welling up in his gut.
They all made their move.
“Watch your backs,” came her voice over the com.
They followed the trail he was leaving until they could pinpoint his exact location. From the erratic footprints, it appeared that he was down in a ravine.
Both men got down low to peer over the side. Their killer was indeed down there, struggling to climb out. Unfortunately for him, the wet earth was making it hell.
He’d climb two feet up and slide back down again.
Just as Ethan was going to tell him to freeze, he saw the unthinkable. His wife was down there, getting ready to face the killer. Okay, while he told Callen she’d be alright, he never expected her to be down there that close to the nutjob.
Holy shit!
He was going to kill her himself.
“Hey, Wally, how’s it feel to be running away from the Feds?” she asked, holding her Glock in her hand.
At the sound of her voice, he spun, scared out of his mind.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. You’ve been a very bad angel, Wally, what am I supposed to do with you?”
“I’m Andrew.”
“There’s another sin to add to the list. You just lied. Tsk tsk, Wally.”
He looked scared.
Elizabeth was far from done. “You should pray about it. Maybe if you confess your sins, God will forgive you,” she offered. Then, she knew what would push him over the edge. “Where’s your rosary?”
Walter dug instinctually in his pocket, and then remembered the cold hard reality. It was back in the grass. His only connection to God was gone.
She saw the panic. “Oh, that’s right. I have it.”
Walter Dennison glanced up and saw it dangling from her fingers. Immediately, there was anger. The fury washed across his face, distorting his features.
“Give it back!”
“First, I have a few questions. Why did you do it, Wally? Huh? Did it piss you off that Andy was a godly man and didn't like his brother dipping his dick in young girls? Was it because you were flawed and needed to start over?”
He stepped toward her, his fist clenched.
Ethan and Callen wanted to be sick. She was baiting a nutjob. What the hell was she thinking?”
“I’m Andy.”
She tsked again, waiting for him to move closer. When he did, she holstered her gun, holding the man’s rosary in her hands. “Why all those people, Wally? What did they ever do to you?”
“They were sinners. God told me to handle it.”
She shook her head. “You’re a sick man, Wally, and you’re going to jail. If you think I’ll kill you and send you to your perceived God, you’re out of luck.” That was her warning to the men in her life. She wanted to take him in alive. All Elizabeth could do was hope that they’d cover her if the man went wild and over powered her.
“Give me my rosary.”
With her fingers, she tugged on it, snapping it so easily in her hands. From the silver chain, all the tiny blue beads and cross fell to t
he dirt at her feet.
He stared at her in horror.
When she moved her boot to crush them beneath her feet, Elizabeth saw the intent. She was betting he’d charge her, forgetting about the gun, instead wanting to hurt her.
Then, she’d kick the shit out of the wackjob.
When he saw her boot move to defile his holy relic, he saw red. Rushing at her, all he could think was to take her life too. She had to die for ruining God’s plan.
Ethan and Callen lifted their guns, ready to take a shot. Before they could, Elizabeth stepped out of his way, grabbing the gun sticking out of his pocket. When she had it tucked into the back of her pants, safely away from the killer, she was ready.
Both men at the top of the ravine relaxed. At least Elizabeth wasn’t going to get shot. Sliding down the slope, they moved closer as the mêlée began.
Walter Dennison approached Elizabeth again, this time, his fingers bunched into claws, ready to scratch out her eyes. Instead, she used her fist to sucker punch him right in the face. When he went down, and then got up again, she knew that he was hopped up on crazy and adrenaline.
There was only one way to take the wind from his sails.
As he rushed her, Elizabeth booted him in the balls. With an anguished howl of pain, she enjoyed watching him hit the ground.
“Not feeling so holy now, are you?” she asked him, as he curled up into a whimpering ball at her feet.
“For future reference, Walter, cowboy boots and the nut sack won’t ever be friends. It’s definitely not a good combination.” Cuffing him, she stood up.
When the men in her life approached, they didn't look happy.
“Come on. He’s barely able to determine between reality and fantasy. He wasn’t going to hurt me.”
“I’m shocked you didn't kill him,” Callen said.
She didn't have to think about it. “While his God believed in shedding blood for the sake of religion, I don’t. He’s incompetent, and will likely be a drain on the taxpayers, but I’m not killing him and sending him to hell. He should live a very long time, hopped up on drugs that make him nothing more than a pile of useless flesh at a facility. That’s the best torture for him.”
“How very judge, jury, and non-executioner of you, Elizabeth,” stated Blackhawk, yanking Walter Dennison to his feet.
“This just proves that I don’t shoot first and consider the consequences later. Think of it as a form of Darwinism. I’m evolving. You two should be scared out of your damn minds.”
The men laughed.
Suddenly, she became serious. “Can you take care of him? I want to go tell Tony it’s over. I got my buddy justice, and he deserves to know.”
Blackhawk grinned at her. “Yeah, we’ll take him in, Tex. After all, you fought him. It only seems fair.”
“He fights worse than Callen. That was hardly a challenge.”
“HEY!” he objected, laughing.
“Just make sure the captain of the S.S. Crazy gets to prison for me,” she said, walking away.
Both men watched her, grinning.
“She’s pretty damn funny,” Callen said with pride. Their woman did the right thing on this one. Elizabeth Blackhawk was changing, and in his eyes, it was all for the good.
Ethan couldn’t agree more. “I am too, but let’s keep that our secret or it’ll go to her head.”
Walter Dennison moaned and began praying to God.
“Yeah, he’s forsaken you,” Blackhawk stated. “Apparently, you’re out of your freaking mind.”
Callen shook his head and grinned. “Let’s get him booked in. I want to get the hell out of Devil’s Lake, and soon.”
“Amen, Callen. Amen.”
There was a miracle.
Their team survived a lot the last week and remained intact.
Maybe there was a God after all…
* * *
She was supposed to go to the hospital first, but she got sidetracked. Instead, Elizabeth headed to the church. Inside, she found Father Dowell there working.
“Hello, Director. I see you brought your gun inside the house of the Lord. I guess you’re here to arrest me.”
She shook her head. “No, actually, I’m here to apologize for being hard on you. We caught the killer, and I feel bad for being rude. Sometimes, we have to do things that we don’t always see as right in order to get the best outcome.”
“Really? You came to apologize?”
She laughed. “Nah, I just wanted to gloat in front of God.”
The priest laughed as he patted her on the shoulder. “Who’s the killer?”
Elizabeth told him the entire thing, and when his eyes went big, she was glad he didn't have anything to do with it. In all honesty, she liked him.
He was one of the best priests she’s ever encountered.
Plus, one of the few she respected.
When she was done telling the tale, she turned to leave. “One thing, Director,” he began.
“Yes?”
“Has it really been thirty years since your last confession?” he asked.
“Yep. The day my mother died, I stopped believing in God. After all, who takes a good person away from her child, just because it’s his plan?”
Her dislike for religion now made sense, but he wasn’t willing to let it go. “Want to try it one more time? Maybe you can call it one for the road?”
Her instinct was right. This priest was a very good man. “Father, you don’t want to know what’s in here,” she said, pointing to her brain.
“Sure I do. It might lift a little weight off your shoulders. What do you have to lose?”
“My bad ass street cred.”
Despite her cursing in church, he laughed. “Come on. I’m betting you’re tougher than that. You, of all people, would want to face down God in his own house.”
He had a point. “Okay, Father, but don’t say I didn't warn you,” she stated, following him.
“There’s nothing you can tell me that I haven’t heard a million times before,” he reassured.
This time, she laughed. “Don’t bet on it.”
When Elizabeth was done, she walked out of the confessional, feeling a little better. When she heard the door behind her, and turned to look at the priest, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“I told you, Father. Ask and ye shall receive.”
He crossed himself and stared at her.
Elizabeth stared up at the giant crucifix above the door. “Score one for the mortal sinner.”
Out in the Navigator, she put on her sunglasses as she began laughing. Sometimes, secrets were best left unsaid for a reason.
This was proof of that.
Pulling away, Elizabeth focused on what mattered most- her family, her friendships, and the insatiable need to find justice for the victims who had no voice.
God would have to wait.
Life was for the living, and she had no regrets.
None whatsoever.
* * *
At the Hospital
Tony was awake and lying there. When Elizabeth walked in, there was no doubt he was in pain. Her poor friend was suffering, and she wanted to offer him some peace.
Sitting, she told him all about it.
Now, he’d have justice.
“I hurt, Elizabeth,” he finally said, his hand over his heart.
“I know, Tony,” she said, taking his fingers in hers. “Many years ago, a very good friend of mine told me something. He informed me that when it was darkest, I could rely on my friends to get me through.”
“That was me. I told you that right after Ray was killed.”
She kissed him on the forehead. “I know, and I’m giving it back to you. For all these years, I’ve carried it as a talisman to keep me safe, and now it’s your turn. All I’m asking is for you to get better and trust me to do what I’m promising. I’ll take care of everything for you. Have I ever let my friends down?”
“No, you haven’t.”
“Then give me this,
and you just focus on healing your physical wounds. I’ve got your back.”
For the first time in hours, Tony Magnus had hope. Elizabeth was a pit bull when it came to her friends, and he knew it. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for the people she loved.
“If you want, I can go hunt her down and kick her ass for you,” she teased.
It made more tears fill his eyes. Soon, they began falling.
“I just want her back, Lyzee,” he whispered. “Just get her back for me, so I can live again.”
“Okay, Tony.” Sliding onto the bed, she held her arms open, and he slowly moved into them. While he mourned for love, she held him against her body. Sometimes you had to fight the world for your friends, and sometimes you just had to hold them up when they were weak.
Either way, she’d keep her word.
This was far from over.
Come hell or high water, Tony Magnus would get love back.
It was only a matter of time, and working out the small details.
In the end, love conquered all.
~ Epilogue ~
Two Weeks Later
The last few days had gone by in a whirlwind.
After returning home from Devil’s Lake, the entire family had to regroup. Wyler moved into the house from his above the garage apartment, so Tony could be moved in.
Transporting him had been the easy part. It was his destroyed heart that was the major problem. His gunshot wound was healed, and he’d become part of their family-more so than before.
You learned a lot about a person when they lived in your home. Before, they knew he was funny, but what shocked them was his incredibly fragile heart. Obviously, his tough childhood had forced him to build walls to keep him safe. As soon as he was inundated with their kids, the truth had come out.
Tony Magnus was a very gentle man.
Now, the walls were crumbling. For the first time in his life, it appeared that he trusted someone other than himself and best buddy Chris Leonard. He began opening up and sharing the real man beneath the jokester.
Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) Page 51
