All the King's Henchmen

by Morgan Kelley

This?

  This was the worst possible thing that could happen in their careers. Killing an innocent person was bad.

  But this…?

  This was the end.

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

  Autopsy One

  Six Fifteen A.M

  When they arrived, they’d somehow managed to beat Gabe into the office. They knew when he finally showed up, it was going to be a nightmare.

  As they headed into Autopsy One, Chris was sitting there on one of the tables, and he looked worried.

  Immediately, he hopped down and headed toward his family.

  “I just happened to turn on the news. I’m sorry,” he said, hoping they wouldn't hate the messenger.

  He gave Ethan and Callen a hug hello, and then kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. She took his hand in hers and held it.

  Despite it all, they were in this together.

  Period.

  “How upset is he?”

  Ethan laughed sardonically.

  “Oh, somewhere between ‘you’re fired’ and ‘get the guillotine’,” he stated.

  Christina was the next one in, and when she unlocked the doors, she looked just as worried.

  “I got your text. It’s the news thing, isn’t it?” she asked, dropping her purse onto her workstation so she could pull on her lab jacket. “It’s chaos out there. The media is stirred up.”

  Oh, they were aware. They’d just walked through it on their way in, and Elizabeth had been their target of choice. They were going to be all over her.

  “Did you tell anyone?” Elizabeth asked. “I mean anyone, even your husband?”

  She shook her head.

  “Kane has been working nonstop on a case with Quinn. I haven’t even seen him. He’s been crashing at the precinct. I saw him two days ago when he came home to shower, have sex, and go back to work.”

  She stared directly into Elizabeth’s eyes, knowing that they were all under suspicion with this one. Her team was going to be the ones who carried the brunt of this leak. Christina didn’t want them to doubt her.

  “I swear on my own life, I didn’t leak this, Lyzee. Girlfriend Code. I wouldn't do you like that.”

  They believed her.

  Chrissy was loyal to a fault.

  Alex and Noah were in next, and they barely looked awake.

  “What’s up?” he asked. “What’s the emergency?” Alex inquired. “I was having a really good…”

  She pointed at the TV on the wall as it looped the same shitty footage. The mute was on, but the big, scrolling words told the tale.

  His eyes went big.

  “Oh, shit!”

  “Yeah, who leaked it?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Not me! Noah and I finished up here, we grabbed a beer, and we both went home, right?” he asked his partner.

  “I didn’t even tell my boyfriend. I made up some case about a hooker and whacked out John when he asked me what I was working on. I didn’t tell anyone.”

  And she believed them too.

  Doctor Duncan came in, and she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

  It was annoying on a good day.

  Today…

  NO.

  Just No.

  Elizabeth knew everyone in that room personally. They’d never betray them or ruin their careers. The last possible suspect was the newbie.

  The techs didn’t know who was on the slab. Everyone in that room at that moment did.

  It was time to see if she’d ratted them out.

  “What’s up?” she asked, as they all stood there.

  “Someone leaked the information on the case. Maybe you noticed the freaking horde of media outside.”

  She held up her earbuds.

  “I walked to work. I had these in as I strolled right past them. I didn’t know…”

  Elizabeth pointed at the TV.

  Dalia read it, and she gasped.

  Then she seemed to get it.

  “Hey! You can bust my balls about how I don’t autopsy like your ME, but you can’t pin this on me! You said secrecy, and I didn’t tell anyone. I don’t have a significant other. I went home to my cat, we had dinner, and then bed. I didn’t say anything to anyone.”

  She believed her.

  That eliminated all of them.

  There was only one long shot left.

  “Did the techs hear something?” she asked. “Did everyone secure their notes?”

  Christina shook her head.

  “It couldn’t be them. I sent them home before anything came out that MIGHT give them a chance to speculate. We had nothing, and I was the one who collected the trace last night from the hooker. They never knew about the hooker. Only those of us who were there knew.”

  Yeah, and the killer knew.

  Shit.

  This person was a total douchebag. Elizabeth was getting it now.

  They’d been set up.

  Just then, Max and Harmony walked in. He was in his customary suit, and she was wearing all black with her blonde hair in a ponytail.

  “Why do you look pissed? What happened?” she asked. “What’s going on up front? We had to come in the back by the body entrance.”

  They all pointed up at the TV.

  She watched.

  Then whistled.

  “Did you say anything to anyone?” Ethan asked her. Other than them in the room, Gabe knew, and Marcus knew.

  The list was short.

  Someone had to do it.

  “Uh, no. I didn’t know there was a hooker. You sent me home, remember? Plus, Max was with me.”

  He blushed.

  That told them everything they needed to know about what the two of them had been doing.

  Okay, so they were probably way too busy to be informing a reporter of what had gone down.

  Before she could say anything, because she believed she had it figured out, Gabe burst into the room, and he was like a deadly storm.

  He was pissed.

  In fact, Elizabeth hadn’t seen him this angry in…EVER, and that was saying a lot. In all of the years he’d been her boss, she’d pissed him off MANY times.

  “What the bloody hell has been going on?” he raged. “You were supposed to keep this under wraps. This is now on every single news station, and they are running this story! The vice president is shitting bricks all over DC, and all of our heads are on the chopping block!” he said, walking back and forth, glaring at all of them.

  Yeah, he was pissed.

  “All of this incompetence. All of this…”

  “Hey!” Elizabeth stated as Ethan was opening his mouth. “This is on me. It’s my team, and IF they did this, direct your anger at me. I’ll own it.”

  “Good. You’re suspended for fucking this up! I can’t believe this!”

  There was a group gasp as they all were shocked that Gabe had pulled her from the game.

  “Pardon me?” she asked.

  “You heard me! This is your team, and you are right! Someone fucked up, and someone has to pay for it. Welcome to the world of running a shitshow!”

  Ethan opened his mouth, and she stopped him. While she knew he’d go to war for her, over this…it wouldn’t be good. Gabe was making it personal.

  He’d never shred an agent in front of a room full of people. He was out of control. There was no doubt in her mind that if Ethan said a word, he’d tear into him too.

  Well, this time, she’d protect him.

  “I can take the hit to my record, Ethan. We knew it might happen. Don’t blemish yours. It’s fine,” she stated.

  “Baby.”

  She pulled off her badge and gun and handed them to Ethan.

  “Take good care of her. I’ll get her back again. This isn’t over,” she said, already aware what had gone down. This wasn’t her first day at the rodeo, and she would be back. “Thank you for all of your help,” she said to the team.

  Then, she walked out the door, letting it swing closed behind her.


  “We’ll reevaluate this team and find someone else to lead it,” Gabe stated, losing even more of his cool. The way she walked pissed him off.

  He wanted to be mad.

  Chris coughed.

  “I’m coming down with a cold. See you later,” he said, heading after her. “If she goes, I go. You have an autopsy waiting.”

  Then he was gone.

  Oh, well, it was far from over.

  Callen didn’t care if Gabe was family. You didn’t dress down someone’s leader in front of the soldiers. That was tacky, wrong, and not to be tolerated.

  Callen didn’t need this nightmare.

  “I have another job, and my boss isn’t a bag of dicks,” he said, walking out of there after Chris.

  “Jesus Christ! All of the rats are abandoning ship!” Gabe raged.

  Ethan’s phone chimed.

  He pulled it out of his pocket, and it was from his wife. She was giving him the heads-up.

  ‘I sent Chris home last night. He never did the autopsy, Ethan. Give the next investigator the heads-up. The killer leaked it. We don’t have the weapon. We didn’t even begin for the day. I’ll see you later. I love you.’

  And it hit him.

  Holy shit!

  She was right.

  “I can’t believe this!” Gabe raged, walking back and forth between Christina and the new ME.

  He was red.

  Ethan knew he was about to get even redder as soon as he schooled the man for his wife.

  It was time.

  “Are you done?” Ethan asked.

  “NO! I’m pissed. How the hell can you be so bloody calm? I know she’s your wife…”

  He stopped him.

  Despite that, he would tear her a new one if she was guilty of something, but she wasn’t. Ethan had to be the objective one since his partner wasn’t.

  Gabe was missing it.

  They all had—except for the woman accused of screwing it up.

  “Well, no one here leaked it,” he stated. “In fact, aren’t you going to ask what hooker?” he asked.

  Gabe paused.

  It just hit him.

  “I’m assuming there’s a hooker,” he stated. “There is one, correct?” he asked,

  Oh, there was.

  Only, he hadn’t known until his ride over in the car when Elizabeth told him about it. See, no one knew but the people who worked the scene.

  Callen.

  Chris.

  Dalia.

  Christina.

  Oh, and his wife. Security knew, but that was it. He’d been updated, and Gabe never had since they were keeping everything on paper and not with their electronics.

  “Yeah, what hooker?” he finally asked.

  “The one they found late yesterday. The one that only the team knew about. Gabe, ask about the autopsy.”

  He was getting that feeling.

  “What about the autopsy?”

  “They didn’t do it yet.”

  Gabe stared at him.

  “The news said there was a metal baton as the murder weapon,” he stated.

  “You worked the field once. What does that tell you when we don’t have the murder weapon, but the media does?”

  Oh, shit.

  He’d screwed-up.

  “The killer leaked it.”

  Ethan nodded.

  “Whoever did this wanted the ONE person who could catch this person off of their game, and you just shitcanned her. Good job. Way to stay calm under pressure, and way to go to bat for your fucking team.”

  The remaining people cringed at his tone.

  “Are you leaving too?” he asked.

  “No, I have a job to do. You just fired my director in charge of the Violent Crimes Unit. I have to find a replacement.”

  Okay, he didn’t, but it was time for Gabe to worry.

  Ethan pointed at the ME.

  “Doctor Duncan, begin the autopsy, Christina, keep working the trace, and I’ll go manage this mess. Again, we keep it quiet.”

  They would absolutely do as he asked—especially after this mess.

  “Oh, and Gabe?” he asked before leaving.

  “Yes?”

  “Show him the body.”

  Doctor Duncan rolled her out and unzipped the bag. The pillowcase was stuck to the damaged flesh of her body. Ethan hadn’t been lying.

  “In case you didn’t believe us, there’s your proof. Next time, have faith in your people. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  He pointed at Noah and Alex.

  “You both have some time before you head out to do the interviews with Alfie Steiner and Tiegan Blackett. Do some research and figure out who this mysterious lead was given to this morning. I’m going to personally head there and shake them down.”

  He focused on the others.

  They still looked shell-shocked that Gabe had flipped his shit, and Elizabeth hadn’t.

  It was going to be one of those days.

  “Harmony and Max, Doctor Duncan will do the autopsy, and you’ll help out. We’re down three more people. We have to all pitch in.”

  “Okay, Director,” Harmony stated.

  “I’m in,” Max offered.

  Yeah, because that was what a team did. They had each other’s backs.

  Gabe could take a lesson.

  Ethan headed for the door, Gabe behind him. Out in the hall, he grabbed his arm.

  “Ethan.”

  He stopped him.

  “I tolerated that outburst in there because you are my boss and I wouldn’t degrade you in front of subordinates like you just did to Elizabeth. Frankly, you deserve it.”

  He was aware.

  “As my friend, and as Elizabeth’s friend, I will tell you that you didn’t even give her a chance to explain. You raced in there, screaming at her like some asshole. What happened to having her back as she saved the White House from their screwup?”

  Gabe got it.

  “That was Deputy Director Blackhawk. Now, you get Ethan. If you ever fucking talk to my wife like that again, Gabe, I’m going to kick your ass so hard and long, you’re going to wish I’d never been born. I would NEVER curse at your wife, and God knows it’s been hard at times. Your daughter nearly destroyed our marriage, your wife put her hands on mine, and I never raised my tone. Learn how to be a better person. I’m disappointed in you.”

  With that, he headed away.

  Gabe had screwed-up.

  Big time.

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

  Heading down to the cafeteria, she needed to get some coffee and something that would fuel her up. Elizabeth was hungry, tired, and feeling…mean.

  It had taken everything she had not to lose her damn mind in that morgue. The man had some balls to talk to anyone that way. Still, she managed to swallow it.

  Elizabeth was no fool.

  She knew that Gabe had played right into the killer’s plan. This was intentional. The FBI, who was investigating a very public killing, was now divided and a mess.

  Yeah, this was the desired outcome.

  As she contemplated food or coffee, she saw Chris heading her way.

  “Can I buy a pretty woman some breakfast?” he asked, slipping his arm around her waist and giving her a kiss even as people stared.

  Honestly, she was glad not to be alone.

  “Always,” she stated. “You know how I love some cafeteria food in the morning. It sets the day.”

  He laughed.

  Yeah, like an ass chewing in the morgue did.

  “Good. I need some carbs. It’s been a bad morning. Don’t stop me. If you don’t tell the woman I love, I’ll be good the rest of the day.”

  She laughed.

  Oh, she wouldn’t stop him. Elizabeth was too irritated to go there.

  “Yeah, so far this morning, it’s sucked. Eat whatever you want. I’m not going to say jack.”

  He went serious.

  “You kept calm. I’m proud of you,” he said, as they
stood in line. “For the record, that was all kinds of wrong in the dressing down department. He shouldn’t have ripped your head off in a room full of people.”

  She laughed.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m not angry about that.”

  “What are you upset at?” he asked.

  “That this killer thinks we’re stupid, and that we’re being played. We aren’t dealing with a genius,” she stated. “I’m accustomed to Gabe flipping his shit on me. There’s a lot on the line with this one. I get it.”

  She was a better person than him.

  “Plus, I know what’s going to happen.”

  “What?”

  “He’s about to eat crow. He’ll figure it out. I told Ethan about the autopsy not being done. Gabe is going to feel bad.”

  Good.

  He deserved it.

  As they stood there, Callen headed up behind them.

  “I need something greasy,” he stated. “I’m always hungry when I’m angry.”

  Yeah, Chris was too. He’d rushed out of the house when he saw the news.

  “Congrats on not losing it. Had we bet on it, I would have put money on you making him cry.”

  She laughed.

  Yeah, her too.

  Only, there was another reason why she didn’t do it.

  “I had to keep calm,” she stated. “Yesterday, I flipped out at Ethan, and it was not cool. Today, I wanted to punch a man I respect in the balls. That’s a firing offense. I had to reel it in.”

  Callen laughed.

  “Uh, you think?”

  She ordered a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit.

  Chris stared at her in horror.

  “Uh, out of all of the food here, you picked wallpaper paste?” he asked incredulously. “If you think that’s going to stop me, then…?”

  “Hey, eat what you want. I like oatmeal.”

  “Oh, I will, and no one likes oatmeal. That’s insane. You might be calm on the outside, but you’re a mess on the inside. I can tell.”

  He ordered pancakes.

  And syrup.

  And bacon.

  Callen joined him in the caloric-fest of sugary delights. Together, they would work as a family and crash as one. No one was bringing up her suspension, and truthfully, the two men were still waiting for her to blow.