Well, more than he normally pissed people off.
“Want breakfast?” Elizabeth asked, pointing to the stacks of pancakes.
“Sure,” he said, taking a seat. “LaRue, fancy digs.”
Both men stared at him.
“What?”
“Oh, you know what,” Callen stated.
“You won’t let me call her Lyzbeth, honey, baby, or late at night, so cut me a break.”
Gabe pointed at him. “Son, don’t piss the Natives off in their own encampment. They won’t find your body.”
He had a point.
“Well, then let’s talk about work, shall we?” Dakota offered.
That worked for them.
“What do you have on the case?” Blackhawk asked, feeding the last piece of his pancakes to his wife. He had the overwhelming need to get some meat back on her bones.
You know, since he caused the weight loss.
“I have nothing, but my partner found something,” he stated. “Go ahead, Sarah.”
She began addressing it toward Gabe.
Elizabeth cleared her throat. “This isn’t his rodeo. How about you focus on me?” she asked.
“I just figured.”
Gabe laughed. “Like I’ve ever had any control in a room with two Blackhawks, a Whitefox, and my wife. Why start now?” he asked.
Elizabeth winked at him.
Sarah focused on Elizabeth. “I’ve been trying to pinpoint exactly how the first two victims connect.”
“Okay, and?” she asked, as Chris entered the room. He dropped a kiss to her head, and then hugged Amy.
She hugged him back, hoping she wouldn’t have to go through the apology again. It was hell.
“Chris, breakfast,” Elizabeth stated.
He grabbed a plate and sat.
“Continue,” Ethan offered.
Sarah did just that. “I have a common cell number that is tied to both of their personal cell phones.”
“Is that it?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes, and it called both Cannon, and the nun. That has to be something, right?”
Elizabeth weighed all the options.
“Okay, and that gives us a little tie.”
She smiled a cocky ass grin.
Immediately, Elizabeth put her in her place. “In my world, if you have that shit eatin’ grin, you’d better have something to make sure I’m impressed. I’ve booted people around the room for more than what you handed me.”
Chris laughed. “Yes, yes, she has.”
Elizabeth shoved some pancakes into his mouth. “Zip it, Newton, or you’re next.”
He chewed his food in amusement. Chris knew the truth. She was harmless.
“Well, I’m not done, Elizabeth. I actually tied it to someone.”
Okay, that was impressive.
Elizabeth stood up. “Who?”
“Tammy Beard. While she would call the nun, why would she call a lawyer across the country?”
Yeah, that was a damn good question.
One that she couldn’t answer.
“So, I did a deep search on her. When we found out she discovered the body, we didn’t run her, simply because she was an unlikely person. We took at face value that she was the poor woman who stumbled upon her employer—dead.”
“And she wasn’t?” Callen asked.
“Up to a year ago, Tammy Beard didn’t exist. She was dead. In fact, she’s an eighty-year-old found deceased in her home one year ago today. She died in some backwoods town in Salem, South Carolina.”
Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open.
“What?”
“Yeah, it’s at the top part of the state,” she began, giving Elizabeth a geography lesson.
“I know where it is, Sarah. I lived in Salem most of my life. I have a home there. I was more curious about the other part.”
She was surprised. “Which one?”
“A year ago?” she asked.
“Yeah, and up to then, she was living her life in her garden. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that we have someone masquerading as Tammy Beard.”
She was up and pacing.
“She was right under our noses,” Dakota stated. “Holy shit! We missed her by inches.”
Yeah, she was aware.
Elizabeth punched the wall.
It dented the sheet rock.
“Son of a bitch! Our forensic team blows,” she said, pulling out her phone. As soon as the call was answered, she didn’t hold back.
“Amir Hayden, how can I help you?”
Oh, she knew how.
“You told me Tammy Beard was in the system,” she said, as soon as Amir was on the line.
“She is. I sent you the reports. I know I’m new at this and only been doing this six months, but…she’s came up when I ran her. Why?”
“When did she go into the system?” Elizabeth asked, putting it on speaker.
There was typing.
“Five months ago, she was arrested for solicitation. She then punched a cop, and they charged her. Her court hearing is next week.”
Well, she was going to likely be a no show.
Ethan spoke, “They were testing out the credentials,” he offered. “They wanted to make Tammy Beard a legit, person and who better to try it with than other cops, making an arrest.”
She was irritated as hell.
But Amir didn’t deserve her anger.
They’d already accused him of murder on the last case. He was about to think Feds were nutty.
“Thanks, Amir.”
“Did I do something wrong, boss?” he asked. “Did I screw up?”
She sighed. “No, you did everything right. Keep running whatever trace you have, and second check it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he offered, and then hung up.
“She’s screwing with you,” Gabe said.
“Yeah, and Ethan and Callen sat in an ambulance with this nut job too. She’s got to be the one helping Bonnie.”
“But who is she?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah, that’s the big question,” Dakota said. “Of course Bonnie is going to have a mystery in a mystery to really test you.”
Oh, she saw it now. It was clear.
“Bonnie has been planning this a while,” Callen offered. “To have her arrested, giving a fake ID, making sure it works out, and planting this five months ago…,” he stated.
“She’s upping her game,” Ethan stated. “This is a no holds barred grudge match.”
Yeah, she was aware, and they were yanking her damn chain.
Elizabeth took a deep breath.
She needed to think.
“Okay, Marshals, you’re going to have to take half the brunt of this. I need to figure out who this woman is. I suggest you start making calls to Tammy Beard’s family in Salem. If she died and they did an autopsy, maybe we can connect all of this.”
They hoped.
“What do you need me to do?” Gabe asked.
“Nothing yet. I have to figure out what she’s trying to do. She gave us that hair,” Elizabeth stated. “She wanted it found and run, and she wanted me to chase that lead. Only, I’m sticking with my gut.”
“And it says?” Chris asked, eating breakfast.
“I need to focus on the victims we have. We know she wanted me to play with the four she killed and left in dumpsters around DC, and now she’s tied two together with one person. I’m going to stay on track.”
Ethan agreed.
“She’s trying to screw with your process. It caught her last time, and this time, she can’t risk it. She’s going to easily toss this ‘Lizzie’ if the going gets tough.”
“Really?” she asked.
“She killed Clyde. She has no scruples. We have to figure out how to find her,” he stated. “Her partner is going to be the ONLY way to do that.”
Unfortunately, she agreed.
They were chasing a ghost.
Great.
Just as she was about to say more, Chris’s alarm went o
ff on his phone.
“That’s my home alarm,” he stated.
“The brownstone?” Elizabeth asked. “The one we used to live in?” she said, not caring who knew.
This was a new day, and she wasn’t pretending. Even though Dakota was giving her a look, she chose to ignore it.
“Yeah, let me see what’s going on,” he said, pulling up the camera inside the entryway.
That’s when he saw it.
“There’s blood.”
“Oh shit.”
“Call Tony,” she said, pointing at Callen. She had that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Why?” Gabe asked.
“The next person on the list is a doctor. If Chris is safely here with us, who is the only other doctor that Elizabeth really associates with,” Ethan offered.
Shit!
Her anthro!
They all waited as the phone continued to ring. Elizabeth began pacing and praying.
When he answered the phone, she relaxed.
“Hey, Lyzee, what’s up? It’s early. We were sleeping,” he stated.
“Stay inside,” she said. “Keep Jaxon with you, and don’t leave your house until you hear DIRECTLY from me. Clear?”
He heard the worry.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Bonnie. She just set off the alarm at Chris’s house. If we rush there, she might come after you. She’s tricky.”
He got it.
“We’ll be here.”
“Get your gun and don’t hesitate to shoot a brunette and blonde if they make a move on you.”
“Got it.”
Ethan stepped in. “I’m sending one of my security guys there to get you. When he comes to the door, ask him what color my tie is this morning. If he can’t answer, don’t let him in. It’s pink.”
“Okay, Ethan. Hurry. My wife is pregnant. I can’t risk her,” Tony said.
“We’ll get you back here. You’re to stay here. It’s safer at our home.”
“Thank you.”
Callen hung up.
“What now?” Dakota asked, shoving a pancake in his mouth. He had a feeling he wasn’t eating the rest of the day.
“Sarah, you head to the FBI building. Go with Gabe. I want you to find me something,” she said. “Since you found all of this, you have the magic researcher’s touch. You’re going to track down anything that can tie Bonnie and Lizzie to whoever is dead in that brownstone.”
“You’ll transmit me the ID?” she asked.
Yeah, unfortunately.
They were going to have to move fast.
Bonnie had struck again, and there was no doubt in her mind why she’d moved so fast.
The party.
The interview.
The cheap shots at her with the media.
Crap!
This was on her.
Sadly, she knew a few doctors. It was now about trying to figure out who was dead.
“Chris, get ready. We have a body.”
They headed out, leaving Livy and Amy behind.
“I want to be just like her when I grow up,” she admitted. “She’s badass.”
Livy agreed, but that still scared the shit out of her.
And she was always putting her life on the line.
Always.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Salem
South Carolina
When they landed, they made sure to steal the best ride they could find in that pathetic, hick town. This time, they were going to go flashy.
Why?
To confuse her.
The priority of being there was to get Elizabeth to lose track of the goal, mess with her mind, and then win.
It wasn’t about rushing.
It wasn’t about going off like a loose cannon.
No, they were going to stick to the plan as best they could. If they wanted to win, they had to cover their bases.
It was time.
“What’s next?” Lizzie asked.
“We get to our little hideout, and we get ready to take the next victim. I want to call him, and tell him that I want to see him.”
“Sex?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’ll catch him off guard, especially since I haven’t done the deed. Can you believe he thought I was a virgin?”
They both laughed.
“You are an excellent actress!” she admitted.
It was a role Bonnie did well.
Ask Clyde.
He’d never seen his death coming.
“If he’ll see me today, then we take him ASAP. That crime scene won’t hold her off long. She’s going to start putting things together, like Tammy doesn’t exist.”
She grinned.
“Awww, too bad. She still won’t find me, Bonnie. We buried this easily. Our backs are covered, and you know it.”
Thankfully, yes.
“The game is afoot!” she exclaimed, and it was. It was time to make her pay.
Oh, and their victim too.
For Bonnie and Lizzie, they were about to have fun.
The last three victims were there, and then Elizabeth would be the final one.
This was a long time coming.
That bitch was about to pay.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Christopher Leonard’s
Brownstone
When they got there, they suited up outside the building. Chances were, Bonnie was watching them. If that were the case, Elizabeth wanted to give her one hell of a show.
There was no doubt the woman was enjoying every second of this.
It was one hell of a horse and pony show that she had to follow through, but it wasn’t over. While Bonnie watched them, she had someone tracking her new partner in crime.
It would work out.
She had to have faith.
For now, it was time to get this moving. They needed that doctor’s identity.
Elizabeth began handing out directives as she ran it.
“Dakota, you stay out here with Chris.”
She didn’t even get to say anything else when he erupted.
“Bullshit! My job is to go through doors,” he stated. “I’m going to do just that. You’re in my area of expertise now. US Marshals kick the doors in.”
He was a moron.
Why did he have to fight her non-freaking-stop?
“I can’t leave Chris out here alone,” she said, as they waited for the team to arrive.
“I’ll be okay,” he offered.
“Yeah, no. We know a doctor is next, and all we’ve seen is blood. I am NOT allowing you to sit here wearing a bull’s-eye, my friend. For all I know, this is a trap. Bonnie has studied me. She knows you’re my shadow.”
She had a point.
Then, Chris had an idea.
“I can go in with you. I’ll keep my hand on your back like we once did. Remember?”
Ethan lifted a brow. “Elizabeth,” he offered.
Yeah, she knew how dangerous that was, but what choice did she have? Dakota wouldn’t do as she asked, and there was no doubt he’d sneak away, leaving Chris alone to do what he thought was best.
He was stubborn like that.
Clearly.
Well, that left one option.
“Chris, you’re with me.”
She reached down and pulled the spare piece from her ankle holster. “Don’t shoot me in the ass, or they will NEVER let you live it down—if they don’t kill you first.”
He grinned as he checked out her ass.
“So inappropriate, Doctor,” she stated.
If it bothered either Ethan or Callen, neither man let on.
Blackhawk was wary. He had only ever been in there once, and Callen, to his knowledge, never. “We need the layout. Talk to us, Chris.”
That he could do. It was nice to be helpful.
“There’s three ways into my home. The front door, the back door, and there’s a balcony with a set of metal stairs t
hat lead to a patio on the second floor. It’s only accessible if you jump that six-foot wooden fence.”
They made mental notes.
“When you go in the back door, you’re in the kitchen. In front of it is the dining room, and then the living room. It’s not quite shotgun. There are stairs blocking the view straight through, and an office off to the right. We saw the blood in the foyer. That’s obstructed by a wall and a coat closet.”
“Ethan and Callen, while I would take either of you in with me, I’m going to babysit.”
“Hey!” Chris objected.
So, Elizabeth was going in the front. That answered their question, and scared them all at once.
Shit.
Still, they let her run it.
Chris continued, “Upstairs, you have three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The stairs are easily accessible, but we’ll be at them first.”
Dakota made notes.
This was his thing.
He’d be okay.
“Elizabeth knows the way in from the front since she came home to this place every night,” Chris stated, mentally crossing that off his list.
Dakota couldn’t help it.
“Did you two really live together?” Dakota asked, velcroing into his vest.
“Yeah, before you and I dated. We were a couple.”
“For how long?” he asked.
She got out her yellow shades and slipped them on. When she had to focus, they helped her see everything.
“A little over eleven years. Why?”
He whistled.
“So basically, he was husband number one, and this is two and three?” he asked, pointing at her husbands.
Elizabeth went to object.
Ethan handled it. “Yes, it is like that. She was his first, we are her last, and you…you were the rebound. Now that we’re all acquainted, shall we go?” he asked.
There was no animosity in his statement, only amusement at the look on the US Marshal’s face.
“Ouch.”
Chris laughed.
Elizabeth tucked an earbud in her ear, and handed Chris one. “You stay behind me no matter what until we’re in that foyer.”
He nodded. “Yes, boss.”
He was in work mode.
The team split up. All three men headed toward the wooden fence, and Callen boosted Dakota over. When he landed, he helped Ethan up, and his brother straddled the fence to pull him up.
Revenge has Come (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 19) Page 41
