All the King's Henchmen

by Morgan Kelley

  Harmony wiped her eyes.

  “I took it, Elizabeth. I ran.”

  “You did the right thing,” she stated. “I would have done the same thing.”

  God!

  She hoped that was true.

  “It was six years ago, but it is pretty much still crystal clear. He deserved what he got, and you may not want me working this case. I don’t know if I can find justice for him. I’m trying, but I have this darkness in me,” she admitted.

  She was aware. Elizabeth could see it.

  “I think you should go home,” Elizabeth stated.

  Harmony knew she was screwed. This was exactly why she didn’t want anyone to know. This was why she wanted to keep it to herself.

  “Please don’t push me off this case. I don’t know if Marcus knows what happened, or not, but I wanted to work this. I need to see it through.”

  “Why?”

  “It dies with him. Now that he’s gone, I can let it go, Elizabeth. I can release it. He can’t hurt me anymore. Plus, I didn’t get justice for myself. I wasn’t strong enough then. I am strong enough now to get justice for anyone else he’s raped.”

  Elizabeth understood that, but right now, she had to do what was right for Harmony. The investigation was secondary. The person…that was her first concern.

  The victim ALWAYS came first.

  “Please,” she begged.

  “I’ll make you a deal.”

  Harmony listened, holding her breath.

  “You go home, call it a day, and regroup. Tomorrow, you can come back and start fresh. I know you didn’t have to tell me this. There was no freaking way I would have suspected. What you did took integrity to warn me, and it took courage. I appreciate that you did it for the investigation, and in front of them all.”

  Truthfully, she felt better.

  Harmony was able to shine a light on that horrible monster under her bed. The second she did, it wasn’t as scary. It wasn’t as horrifying.

  It gave her a little relief.

  “I had to do it. You needed to know who you were trying to get justice for in this case.”

  “Did you think it would change my mind?” she asked, hoping that wasn’t the case.

  “No, I was hoping you’d get him for me, and then I could forgive myself for being a coward and a chicken.”

  “You’re anything but, Harmony. You survived something horrible. You are a fighter to your core. He can’t take that from you. He can’t diminish that one truth.”

  She took a deep breath.

  “I feel better. Thank you.”

  “Go home, Harmony. We regroup to fight again tomorrow. You need some downtime to heal.”

  Harmony agreed.

  “I’ll be here tomorrow. I’m not running from him and his atrocities. I’ll fight.”

  She was glad.

  “I know. You’re strong. You are not his victim anymore, Harmony.”

  She wiped her eyes.

  “God! I’ve waited all these years to hear someone tell me that. Thank you for those words. I can’t tell you how much I needed them.”

  “For the record, we’ve known each other a while. You could have come to me at any time, and while he was alive, I would have fought for you. We would have brought him to justice.”

  She was aware.

  “Thank you for being my friend,” Harmony said. “I never realized how much I needed one.”

  She patted her shoulder.

  “I’m here if you need me. I promise.”

  Harmony was grateful for that, but for now, she was grateful to go home, get some quiet, and try to regroup. She felt a meltdown coming, and it wouldn’t be pretty.

  Leaving the morgue office, there was silence in the lab as the team worked. When they came out, everyone, who knew what was said, looked over.

  Neither woman answered their questioning looks. Instead, Harmony grabbed her bag, and she headed out of Autopsy One.

  “Is she okay?” Max asked, needing to know. He was worried about her.

  “No, but she will be.”

  “What can I do?” he inquired, keeping his voice low. There were still people who didn’t know, and he wanted to keep it that way for her.

  She smiled.

  Well, since he’d asked…

  Cupid pulled on her wings and got down to business. It was time for both people to heal.

  Max needed to see that love could fix his past, and Harmony needed to see that it was okay to trust someone to protect her.

  Being badass all of the time was exhausting.

  “She needs someone to take care of her. Go after her, get some lunch, and make sure she’s okay. We’ll cover for you. Right now, she’s rattled. Tomorrow, she’ll be better. Like an old wound, the scab is off. She’ll heal.”

  Max didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his things and was ready to do anything to help her. His heart ached at what she was carrying, and he wanted to protect her.

  “See you tomorrow,” he said.

  When Max was gone, Elizabeth knew she needed to get back in control of this case. She tried to refocus.

  Now, where had she left off?

  Oh, yeah, evidence.

  “Okay, Christina, dazzle me. What do you have? Make it good,” she stated. “I have to see Ethan next and for a profile. I need anything you have.”

  She picked up her notebook and flipped through it.

  “We have his blood work done. He was rocking out a high BAC and some nifty enhancements.”

  “Okay, what was his blood alcohol level?” she asked, going with that first.

  “Twice the sober limit. He was drunker than a skunk, and that was likely why he bled out so fast. Alcohol will thin the blood and slow clotting. Then again, that was a full-on destruction-fest, so it really didn’t matter.”

  No, that didn’t for the clotting, but it did matter for something else.

  “Well, that might explain why he didn’t fight back. Doctor Duncan, did he have any defensive wounds to any other part of his body?” she asked, giving the woman another chance to make a better first impression.

  “Yes, Director Blackhawk. It looks like he put his hands up to defend himself. He has wounds to the palms of his hands and wrists.”

  That was better.

  Finally, it looked like the new ME was on the same page with her.

  “Thank you,” she stated. “So, Christina, what were those ‘enhancements’?” she asked, already knowing what she was going to say. If the wife said he couldn’t get it up…there was going to be that famous, little-blue, man pill.

  “We have our favorite suspect, Viagra. He was loaded up with it. His blood, what was left of it, puts it at three times the dose limit. Let’s just say that whoever cut off his dick didn’t have to search for it. He was saluting the world.”

  Yeah, that was a gross picture. Elizabeth, after what she’d just learned, would rather see the dismembered one. It was what she’d love to have done to the man.

  “Well, the man liked to party.”

  She left it at that.

  “Chris, wrap it up with Doctor Duncan. We are off to see the Wizard.”

  He laughed.

  “Ahhhhh, the pictures in my head, Dorothy. You be careful. The Wizard is a dangerous man.”

  She snorted.

  “He’s a pussycat.”

  They all found that funny. Ethan was anything but that to everyone but her. When it came to his wife, he was tame and sweet.

  Motioning toward Callen, they grabbed their things, the copies of the information that Christina had made for them, and then they headed out.

  When she was gone, the new ME was desperate to know if she’d really screwed it up.

  “Is she that tough on everyone?” Dalia asked, keeping her voice low.

  Chris smiled at the question. Oh, if this woman only knew the half of it. She’d taken it easy on her because she liked her. Elizabeth was mellowing in her old age.

  “Yep,” he said, leaving it at that.

&nbs
p; “She rode you too?” Dalia asked curiously. Her goal was to be just as good at the man beside her. In their circles, he had quite the reputation.

  “Ehhhh…”

  Dalia didn’t get it. How did he escape her wrath?

  “Then she doesn’t ride everyone like that?” she asked again.

  Oh, she’d ridden him, all right, but not the way she was thinking. It made Chris smile.

  “I was the exception to the rule, Doctor Duncan,” he finally admitted. Oh, she’d been tough, but it was hard to be that tough on someone you were sleeping with for all those years.

  Christina clued her in.

  “That was her love muffin numero uno. Doctor Leonard tamed the savage beast all those years ago. They were an item.”

  “OH,” she stated, her eyes going huge.

  He laughed.

  That was furthest from the truth.

  No one tamed Elizabeth Blackhawk.

  NO ONE.

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  The loose ends needed to be handled.

  She was one of them.

  Because of her greed and willingness to allow that man to degrade her, she had to die.

  Plus, she likely ran her mouth, and with his death, that was going to be one hell of a problem.

  Yeah, she had to be put down like the rabid animal she was. She was vile.

  Clearly, he was a pig and had no standards.

  He was a blight on the presidency, and it was done—except for the trail he’d left.

  That had to be handled.

  Now, it was time to clean up.

  The address for her pigsty was well-known. God knew she’d been dropped off and picked up there. Heading to her door, the bell was rung, and there were the heel clicks of a woman ready to go out and start working the street.

  What a whore.

  She deserved this.

  She’d partaken in the depravity.

  “Carla! I’m coming! It’s early. What the hell are you thinking? There are no good tricks this early. Let’s at least have lunch!”

  She pulled the door open.

  Before she could say anything, she was knocked back, and onto the floor. The door was closed and locked as she began the fight for her life.

  It was too late.

  She knew too much.

  And now, like him, she was dead.

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  Ethan Blackhawk’s

  Office

  When they arrived at his office, he was on a call and motioned them into his personal workspace. He sat behind his big mahogany desk, his shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, tattoos peeking out, and his hair was down.

  She couldn’t help herself. Seeing him that relaxed, that sexy, and that in charge made her absolutely insane. Her husband was a very attractive man, and she wanted to spend some time cuddled up to that hotness.

  So, she moseyed herself over to him and dropped into her husband’s lap.

  He didn’t stop her.

  In fact, he welcomed her by wrapping his free arm around her and giving her a squeeze.

  “I get that, Mr. Vice President.”

  There was a pause.

  “Well, maybe you shouldn’t have had the shit kicked out of her. I am sure Madam First Lady is upset. I just don’t think you can ban Elizabeth from the White House during an active investigation. You can’t retract your approval for someone to talk to Alfie and Ms. Blackett.”

  He listened.

  All the while, Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

  Yeah, someone was being a dick, and while running the country.

  Been there.

  Done that.

  Look how that ended…

  “Oh, well, if that’s how you feel, check out my press conference tonight at five.”

  Blackhawk hung up the phone without another word to the man. He was done screwing around.

  Speaking of which…

  “Hey, sexy lady. Come to this lap often?” he asked, wrapping both arms around her now that he was phone-free.

  “Not nearly enough,” she admitted.

  “Well, what are you going to do about it?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

  Oh, she knew.

  Elizabeth gave him a kiss. It was deep, it was full, and it spoke of how she felt about him.

  This man rocked her world.

  Blackhawk held on as she controlled the kiss, making sure to drive him absolutely wild with just her body touching his. It was the best moment of his day so far.

  When she set his mouth free, Ethan blinked a few times to clear the lust fog.

  “Well, that never gets old.”

  His brother happened to agree.

  “Tell me about it,” he said, grinning as he leaned down to kiss him.

  “Wow, I’m getting some lip action today,” Ethan admitted. “Aren’t I the lucky one?” he asked.

  Both Elizabeth and Callen knew the pressure he was under. With the vice president riding him, the least he deserved was some kisses from his spouses.

  “Are you busy?” she asked, playing with his pinstriped tie.

  “I’m never too busy for the people I love,” he admitted. “You come first.”

  Ginny popped her head into the room.

  “Uh, Mr. B, the vice president is on line two, sir. He’s cursing up a storm and threatening to come over here. What would you like me to do with him?”

  “Drop kick him off of a cliff and then record the whole thing so I can watch in the privacy of my bed with my spouses.”

  She laughed.

  “Oh, well, that sounds like fun and all, but I’m thinking it won’t go over well,” she stated. “I kinda want to make it to my wedding next week.”

  He laughed.

  “Well, in that case, tell him I’m busy in a meeting and will get back to him.”

  Ginny grinned.

  “A meeting, right…”

  She closed the door.

  “You have sex in your office one time…,” he began, as she and Callen each held up three fingers. “Okay, you have sex in your office three times, and you don’t ever get to forget it.”

  She snorted.

  It was her fondest memory.

  “Have you met your new secretary yet?” Elizabeth asked. “You know…so I can come here and fornicate when she’s temping for Ginny. I like consistency.”

  He was well aware.

  “No, not yet. They’ll send him or her up from the pool. I’m sure you’ll have fun breaking her.”

  She snorted.

  Yeah, not ‘breaking her in’, but simply breaking her.

  “Probably.”

  “Why don’t you tell me why you’re all cuddly and lovey-dovey?” he asked, enjoying every second of it. He knew what was coming.

  His death.

  His wife was going to kill him once she found out about Marcus and what he knew.

  “I thought we could make out.”

  He laughed.

  “Or?” Ethan asked.

  “You could rock my world with a profile on this lunatic. I know you’re thinking about it. When you’re doing a profile, you let your hair down,” she said, twisting some of the long lengths in her fingers. “You also roll up those sleeves and show off some ink. It is sexy as hell.”

  “Oh, do tell,” he said, enjoying how she was flirting.

  “Talk cuckoo to me, Deputy Director Sexy.”

  Well, since he was done working on her profile.

  “There’s a rage there that’s going to be deep-seated in some trauma. People don’t kill just to kill,” Ethan said, as she listened from his lap.

  “I’m with you so far,” she stated as Callen made notes from where he leaned against his brother’s desk.

  “This wasn’t premeditated. There was no weapon, and the items used were found there. I’m willing to bet our killer lost it.”

  “You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.”

  Oh, he was aware. />
  “Baby, you have one body. That does not a profile make,” he admitted, “and you know it.”

  She was aware.

  “Go with your gut.”

  “My gut says the wife, but that’s because I know some wives could be strong and angry.”

  She grinned.

  “Yeah, like you.”

  That made Callen laugh.

  “Oh, you have no idea. She’s pissed to all hell and back,” he admitted.

  That had his attention.

  “Why?”

  She told him about Harmony and her rape. Then, she shared everything they’d learned about the hookers, the backseat limo blowjobs from the Secret Service hussy, and how the First Lady knew about his infidelity. Oh, and how she caught him raping a senator. Then, for good measure, she added in that Alfie and Tiegan had a meltdown with the president in tow.

  “Jesus.”

  “Yeah, so want to revamp that profile?” she asked.

  “Sex makes the world go around and causes most of the shit we wade through,” he stated. “Go with sex as your motive since there’s a lot of it going on.”

  “Male or female?” she asked once more.

  “Female based on anger, and male based on what was done to the body. You’re vicious, but you’re succinct when you maim someone. With you, it’s one shot and you’re done.”

  She was aware.

  “This person was PISSED with a capital P.”

  “Why the pillowcase over the head?” she asked.

  “You know, I thought at first it was so the killer didn’t have to look at the president as the deed was done, but this was a party. This was a place where blood splatter would be seen. I think it was to cut back on it.”

  “So clothes wouldn’t get ruined?” Callen asked.

  “Unless this was the side piece he was meeting to get laid. If she was naked, she could have showered and redressed.”

  “And we’ll never know because the scene…”

  “Yep. I sent techs there to check, not telling them what happened. I told them it was part of a test.”

  “Nothing?”

  He shook his head.

  “They scrubbed it.”

  Damn them.

  “Okay, so we know someone was angry, and they didn’t premeditate it since a lamp wasn’t the easiest thing to kill someone with…did the lamp survive?” she asked.