“See Ethan? The fear of being beat down by a smaller woman is motivating.”
Blackhawk laughed. He was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the size of the woman, and more just the woman in general.
It took eight long hours to clear the scene. The bodies were loaded, the remains marked and shipped and all the techs present and accounted for before departure. Wrapping it up for the night and heading back to FBI West was a welcomed event. There was still the autopsy to perform on the deputy, but at least in house they knew no one was going to get shot.
They dropped their things off in their offices, and Elizabeth did something she never did before. She took off her beloved boots, removed her socks, and slipped on flip flops. Yeah, she knew she was going into autopsy with open shoes, and she figured she’d sit on the table or let her husband give her a piggy back ride out. She wasn’t suffering in the boots any longer. If pregnancy was going to ruin her love of her shoes, she was going to be cranky and bitchy for the next eight months.
She met her husband in the lobby and took his hand. Since there was no one around at that time of the night, she didn’t see the harm of it. “Why are you staring at me,” she asked on the way down in the elevator.
“You're shorter, you're in flip flops, and I just happen to think your toenail polish is sexy,” he answered, putting his arm around her shoulders. “I happen to get excited by pink.”
“Hey, you know the touchy-feely and kissy-face rules.”
“No, the first is a new one, so I’m blissfully unaware, and I’m actually just holding you up, so you don’t fall over,” he said daring her to continue. “Where’s my brother?” he asked, as the elevator opened and his question was answered.
Whitefox stood against the wall holding coffee for all three of them.
“Hello, Callen. Speak of the devil.”
“Before either of you tell me not to do this, what would you do in my place?”
“Watch the autopsy,” they both answered, at the same time, being honest. They probably would.
He nodded, handing his brother coffee and Elizabeth tea.
She would have protested, except she was feeling shaky enough and was glad it was decaffeinated tea. “Let’s get this over with, because we have a long day tomorrow, and we all need some sack time.”
The three walked into autopsy, and Doctor Leonard was just gloving up. He too had coffee; obviously Whitefox had been in there already to see his deputy and say his final goodbyes before it began.
“Ready guys?” he asked, and then stared intently at Elizabeth. His face changed into one of concern. “Come here.”
“What,” she said, walking over to him, and he pulled off a glove and touched her forehead. “You feel a bit warm.”
“I’m fine.”
“You're pale. Your lips aren’t pink, plus you’re in flip flops. Are you dizzy?”
“She was earlier,” offered up Blackhawk to the ME. Now he was worried about his wife and child again.
Elizabeth glared at him, and she was going to have to talk to him about the rules of marriage and discussing private things with people they weren’t shacked up with.
“Are you pregnant?” he asked, checking her pulse.
“What?” She was caught off guard and didn’t know what to say. “Why would you ask me that?”
Was it that obvious to everyone looking at her?
“You're drinking tea, not coffee and you have the symptoms of anemia. I know for a fact from past experience you eat plenty of red meat. I’ve seen cattle stampede to escape you.”
Now Blackhawk looked panicked. “Is she going to be okay? Do I need to take her to a doctor?”
“Director Blackhawk, believe it or not, I am a doctor. That’s why I get the cushy digs and the awesome benefits. All your wife needs to do is get some blood work, change her diet, and pop some vitamin C and a prenatal,” he answered, as he re-gloved up.
“What kind of diet changes? I tried to get her to eat a salad, but she isn’t big on listening.”
“Guys, I’m right here. I don’t think I like this new game ‘what’s best for Lyzee’.” She hopped up on the slab to get up off the floor.
“She should remember to eat protein at every meal and increase her red meat consumption. Elizabeth should be fine with some vitamins.”
Now he had her attention. “Lookee there, Cowboy. I get to eat more red meat. Aren’t I just a lucky girl?”
Her husband still looked worried despite his wife trying to make light of it.
“Ethan, I’ll call the doctor tomorrow and get some blood work. Until then I’ll eat a burger at every meal.” Now she grinned. “Let’s just get this done okay?” She looked over at Doc, “Can we keep the pregnancy under wraps for obvious reasons?” She pointed at the cooler where all the deceased remains were being held.
“You bet, Lyzee,” he answered, prepping his tools. “Oh and congrats to you both.”
“Thanks Chris,” Ethan Blackhawk answered, grateful they had the best medical staff.
Doctor Leonard nodded. He was surprised the man used his first name. That was something new and maybe Blackhawk was mellowing.
“Can we get this started?” she inquired.
“Absolutely we can. Mr. Whitefox, would you like me to do the chest down portion with your deputy’s face covered?” he asked, not wanting the man to suffer. This would be hard enough as it was for him.
“No, I’m good,” Whitefox lied like a rug.
Doctor Leonard began the external exam. He spoke into the microphone dictating everything in long drawn out medical terms, and when he moved to the abdomen he found something and his tone changed. “I think I found part of the mystery as to why your deputy didn’t fight,” he said, measuring the size of the marks.
“Doc, what is it?” Elizabeth asked, yawning and trying to focus.
“There are tazer burns under his abdomen hair,” he pointed, showing them.
“Okay, so that explains why he didn’t have defensive wounds, so chances are he didn’t know his attacker,” she said from her spot on the table.
“People don’t generally die from a stun gun hit,” added Blackhawk. “Lyzee and I had to experience it first hand in training to see what it feels like. It hurts, but it isn’t likely to kill. It just freezes up all your muscles and incapacitates you.”
“Give me time, Agent Blackhawk. I’m sure I’ll find the answer to all your questions.” Doc Leonard pulled on glasses with magnifying lenses and continued to search the man’s body, looking for anything that seemed suspicious. When he got to the neck, he found the slight bruising and pointed it out. “Injection site,” he said, turning the deputy’s head to let the three see the marks.
“He’s not only changing up the women he kills, he’s escalated to men and how he kills,” added Blackhawk. “That shows he’s desperate and this probably wasn’t a premeditated attack.”
“We just defiled his burial ground, and the rains pulled all the bones to the surface. He may see that as the same thing. If that was his last stash of bones, what’s he going to do, Ethan?” she asked, needing a profile assessment.
“He’ll be unpredictable. As it looks now, he was shooting at us, and playing dress up before this grave was discovered. I can’t gauge what’s next. We’re playing his game now and by his rules.”
Whitefox spoke up. “Did he suffer?” He was still focused on his friend.
Doctor Leonard looked up at the man, and he saw the torment in his eyes. He did what any good doctor would do. Leonard leaned towards the softer side. “I say no. He was stunned and then received an injection.”
There was no way he could answer that without toxicology and an internal, but he did it for his friend and bosses. He could see the concern on her face for the man.
“Thank you, Doctor. If you don’t mind I’ll skip the internal. I don’t think I have the stomach for it after all,” he said, softly and turned to leave.
“We’ll be up, Callen,” Blackhawk said. “
As soon as it’s over.”
The man nodded and just kept walking. He heard all he needed to hear. The killer had taken the life of a friend, and he didn’t suffer. At least there was some solace in that little piece of information. Now he’d wait in his brother’s office until it was over.
Both agents watched him leave.
“Thank you, Doctor Leonard for giving him that peace,” said Blackhawk. He knew that the man couldn’t tell if he suffered or not, but he offered it up for his brother out of compassion.
“He’s hurting so why make it worse. Shall we continue?” he asked, as he pulled out the scalpel.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” answered Ethan, as he stood by his wife and worried about his brother. Losing someone you worked with was hard, but losing someone you loved was even harder. Now every instinct in Ethan screamed for him to guard his brother and wife.
The autopsy went relatively fast, as the man was in excellent shape. Post exam there were no other signs of foul play with the exception of the tazer marks and the injection site. His blood went to tox, and they just had to wait until at least morning.
Ethan Blackhawk and his wife found his brother crashed in his office. Whitefox was asleep and looked peaceful. He turned off the lights and escorted his wife to hers. They both were beyond exhausted. This job was demanding and brutal, and they both loved it.
Elizabeth paused at her desk. “I have ID on the girl we found in Callen’s living room. Her name is Caiti Hudson. Age twenty nine, worked as a waitress at a bar in Black Falls.” She pulled out the two photos. One from her driver’s license and one from the crime scene and taped them to the white board. “We’re still waiting on the partially decayed victim from the grave.”
Blackhawk was typing furiously on his smartphone.
“Email to Gabe?”
“Yeah, he left a message. He wanted an update, and to see how you were feeling.”
Elizabeth gave him complete credit. There was zero emotion in his voice. “Want to talk about it when you're done?”
“Yes I do.”
“Okay.” Elizabeth sat on her couch and kicked off her flip flops. “Come join me in bed, Cowboy,” she purred seductively, as she patted the couch, laughing. “I’m glad we’re directors here at FBI West.”
He wasn’t quite sure where she was going with this.
“Can you imagine trying to get us both comfortable at those pathetic desks the agents have or crashing in the lounge? We’re spoiled.”
“I’d sleep on the floor under my desk if it meant being beside you,” and it was the truth, he absolutely would. Blackhawk sent the email and joined his wife. “Please call the doctor tomorrow,” he said suddenly. “For me?”
“You so want to control freak it to death and make the call yourself,” she answered, teasing him. “Don’t you?” Now she was grinning. He was going to be just like Gabe. Her husband was going to try and run roughshod over her entire pregnancy. She could already tell.
Instead of pissing her off, it just made her feel loved and protected. It was his child she was carrying, and he had a right to be involved and maybe it would chill him out.
“Would that make you angry with me?” he inquired first. Yeah, he wanted to, and he planned on taking her to the doctor too. Every aspect of the pregnancy was something he wanted to be hands on with, and he could only hope it didn’t drive her crazy.
“Feel free and I don’t mind. But they make you fast before blood work, so get me a morning appointment. You know how bitchy I get without food.”
Now he did smile. “I think I can do that.” Ethan Blackhawk kissed her on the lips softly and let her lay against his body, much like he had when they napped there the other day. It felt like weeks ago since then.
“Then it’s all good, Cowboy,” she replied, running her hand over his chest, especially over the spot where she knew the tattoo lay. “What else are you thinking about?”
“It isn't assignment related. I’m thinking about our jobs.”
“Shoot, I’m ready Director Blackhawk.”
He’d had been thinking about this a lot lately. “Know how we have to hire a supervisor in the lab and also a Liaison for the Native American community?”
“Yeah?”
“How do you feel about promoting Christina?” he asked, cautiously.
“That’s fine,” she yawned and couldn’t miss that he was still filled with some stress. “Really it’s fine.” Like or hate Christina, she was damn good at her job.
“Okay, well I want to hire my brother to fill the liaison position.”
Elizabeth looked up at him, wondering if he thought she was going to object. “I’m fine with that, Ethan. If Gabe clears it then I think it’s a good idea.”
“I don’t want to be Liaison when this is over. Frankly I’m ready to be out of the field, as soon as possible.” Something like doubt washed over him, and then he shoved it down deep.
“You and me both.” Elizabeth lied to her husband. “I just want to wake up, come to the office, and control the minions to death.” But deep down inside, she didn’t believe that in the least. She liked being in the field. There was the feeling of life, as she was working the field. Deep down, there was a sneaking suspicion that her life wouldn’t be complete if she gave it up. Now, there was just convincing her husband without him losing his mind.
Blackhawk laughed. “Yeah, they love you for it too.”
“Hey, someone has to do it,” she said. “Seriously, hire him, and if he can pass the testing in Quantico add him to the staff. Your brother’s smart, easy going, and calm like you. Callen has enough common sense to do the job. Oh and there is that he’s Native. I certainly can’t do it. I’m, greatly misunderstood,” she said, laughing.
“Oh yeah that kid today will never be the same.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “Then he shouldn’t have screwed with my people. I get testy when observers judge our jobs. Our tech team is the finest ever assembled.”
“I heard them whispering when you walked away. They now think you're the best thing in the world. Looks like I need to up my game to be the favorite one again.”
“Walk around half-naked, and the women will vote for you.”
Blackhawk laughed and didn’t even go there with the comment. “We did a pretty good job of assembling them.”
“We did, Mr. Blackhawk. Now if we could just get them all hired and sit our asses in our offices- most of the time.”
“Will you miss it?” he asked, thinking about not being out in the field.
“Yeah, I will.”
“Me too,” he admitted it. “Except for the part where someone keeps trying to kill my wife,” he answered, brusquely.
“No one’s shot at me on this one, Ethan. I have a feeling that this is a personal thing. I just need to figure out how, and then who this guy is before he strikes again.”
“You will,” he reassured her. Blackhawk trusted her completely. Elizabeth was really good at piecing together little details. “Are we going to be able to stay out of the field?” he knew his wife, and she ran head first into trouble. Not away from it.
“I can lie to you or be honest. Which do you want?”
“Truth, Lyzee.”
“I wouldn’t bet we stay out of the field long. We work well together, but I only have so much time left before I’m fat and wobbly.”
He kissed her on the head, relieved that she too was addicted to field work. “I can’t wait until you’re fat and wobbly.”
“Really?” That surprised her.
“Yeah, then you’ll be easier to catch and have my way with you.”
Elizabeth snorted. “Figures it had to do with sex, Mr. Blackhawk. Let’s try to crash a few hours. It’s already a new day, and we have a long one coming.”
“Sweet dreams Lyzee,” he said, sliding down onto the couch with the comfortable weight of his wife lying on his body.
“Always, Ethan,” she whispered and then slept.
* * *
Outside the man’s little house, he stood. There was a card in his gloved hand and smile on his face. This was the man that started it all, and made him the legacy he would become.
Soon, he would get rid of the other brothers and step in as the last son- the most prized one. It was all starting to come into play. The father must pay for his sins by losing the sons he didn’t deserve. Then he could come forward and make them forget about their loss.
He placed the card delicately on the rail of the porch and peeked into the window. There stood the trophy he desired. All he had to do was just grab it and run.
The next woman would be found dead with his arrows. There wouldn’t be one or two, but enough to make her look like a sick pincushion.
First, he would stalk her for the thrill of the hunt and then he would tie her to the tree like the others, and use her for target practice. He would aim for her heart and kill two birds with one stone. After all, the older brother would feel his own heart being torn apart when he found her.
He opened the door, reached in, and stole the quiver that was his intended prize. Now it was time to wait for the next woman, and bide his time. It was all falling together nicely. The third son shall be the only son before long.
Cain was about to kill two Abels and rewrite the story.
Victory was so close he could taste it, and it tasted like sweet vengeance to the long invisible son.
~ Chapter Fifteen ~
Monday morning
Callen sat up with a start, his heart racing and his chest tight in fear. He had just had a nightmare that beat them all, and he managed to pull away just in time. He ran his hands over his face, and looked around trying figure out where he had fallen asleep. No brother or sister-in-law, they were probably crashed on Elizabeth’s couch. Desperately, his body begged for caffeine and to escape sleep.
As he wandered out to the lobby, he could hear the typing and the receptionist talking on the phone. It had to be business hours now, and soon FBI West would be busy. He’d noticed that there were agents returning from assignments and milling around.
Sacred Burial Grounds (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 2)) Page 37
