“I was told to get on a plane, come here, meet some Elizabeth chic, and deal with four corpses wrapped like mummies. I’ve done all of that but the ‘meet Elizabeth’ part.”
“So, this is your first day on an FBI crime scene, but not working as a Fed.”
“Well, yeah, I guess that’s accurate.”
He would have slapped himself in the forehead, but what would be the point. Of course he was going to get a newbie anthro. Theirs was on vacation starting tomorrow. Callen knew that the minute his woman arrived, there was going to be an interesting conversation. Now, he only hoped the doctor in front of him survived.
Patience wasn’t Elizabeth’s virtue. She was going to lose her mind.
“You can study them. You can make notes on your tablet, but you can’t touch them. Am I making myself crystal clear?”
She stared at him like he was out of his mind. “Why am I here then? If I’m not allowed to actually touch them, then I can be in some lab, waiting for them to be dropped off. I’m not used to this kind of thing.”
He rolled his eyes. “Listen, you’re not to touch them. You’re an anthropologist, so that means you can probably tell me something from looking at the wrappings. How about we start there?” Callen offered, the mediator in him kicking in.
Jax got back down to her knees. “Okay, Director Whitefox. We can do this your way.” She began studying the carefully wrapped remains. “What I can tell you is that this is absolutely fascinating. These bodies were prepped for burial much like those of the ancient Egyptians. I can smell the frankincense from here.”
Heading to the one body, he got her attention. “This one really smells like it.
Following, she dropped down on her knees and leaned forward.
Callen prayed she didn't fall in on the body. In fact, he grabbed her by the back of her jeans, clinging to the belt. He didn't need to explain to Elizabeth why her anthro had been lying on the remains.
“Can’t I just peek inside this one? To an anthropologist, this is like Christmas morning. They’re my presents, and I really want to get inside.”
He wasn’t sure what the hell went on at her house for the holidays, but on a scene they didn't open corpses for shits and giggles- not working for the FBI, and certainly not for a holiday fun fest.
“Aww, let her open one. You have four,” stated the officer, trying to score babe points with the doctor.
Callen merely pointed at the man, giving him a look. It must have said it all. The man zipped it.
“No way! Not until the ME arrives. Then, you can talk to him about it. He’s likely going to want to transport them first.”
“Again, why am I here then? I could be in a sterile lab twiddling my thumbs.”
Yeah, apparently, he wasn’t that lucky.
Where his first instinct was to tell her why, he opted to do something that would save them grief later. He was going to contact Elizabeth and give her the heads up. It was shit like this that made her insane.
Pulling out his phone, he sent a message. Right about now, the team should be on the ground.
Or so he hoped.
There was one thing he was clear about. Gabe had struck again. The gift he gave them was going to be one hell of a handful. They had an overeager, newbie anthropologist, who wanted to run amuck on a crime scene.
Just great.
* * *
From the road markers, she could tell that they weren’t far from the Black Mountain Reservation. It bordered the town that the team would be staying in. From what she could visually assess, Devil’s Lake appeared to be a quiet place. There were shops, bars, and lots of skiing places. Obviously, this was a big resort town during the winter season.
Being spring and exceptionally warm, all the tourists had abandoned ship, which worked just fine for her. That meant fewer suspects to deal with. This assignment was going to be hard enough. Since the bodies were buried, most of their trace was going to be compromised.
They were starting at zero.
When her phone chimed, she glanced over at Tony riding beside her. He’d called shotgun before the ME could.
“Can you grab that, Tony? Read it to yourself first before you say anything out loud, just in case.” She was hoping it wasn’t going to be sexual, but Elizabeth knew Callen was a wild card. One never knew what he’d be throwing out. Tony would bust her, but Doctor Legend was questionable. She didn't need anyone going to HR and saying she forced them to read porn.
That made her snicker.
“What?”
“Just read it and if it’s clean, read it out loud.”
He did just that.
“You’re good. It’s about Director Rothschild’s anthropologist.” Then, he snickered.
“What did Callen say?”
‘Our anthro from Gabe is going to be a handful. She’s trying to unwrap the mummies before you get here. Hurry, I don’t know if I can keep her out of the holes! P.S. Today is her fourth day on the job. Congrats, momma! It’s a newbie.’
Zane voiced his displeasure from the back seat. “She can’t touch them. They’ve already been disturbed by the tribe. We’re going to have inconsistent trace all over the material. Our only hope is that the killer left something beneath. If she opens them, they’re contaminated.”
Yeah, she was well aware.
“We’re almost there, Doctor. Director Whitefox will hold her off for a few more minutes,” she reassured.
“I bet you wish you had your good old bone doctor here with you for the duration,” he teased.
Oh boy, didn't she?
“I swear I’m going to kill Gabe. When I get my hands on him, I’m going to skin him alive,” she muttered. Like it wasn’t bad enough that she had a new ME and head tech, but now she had a new anthropologist too? Elizabeth really hoped Callen was kidding about it being her fourth day on the job.
Well, hell!
“We can’t have screw ups on this,” reminded Zane.
Yeah, she was well aware of that too.
“You get to be boss of the lab, Doctor. I want you all over the new head tech and the anthropologist.”
He didn't like that at all. “I can manage the tech, but the doctor too? I have four autopsies to perform. How am I supposed to do that and keep some woman from causing chaos?”
“Zane, welcome to my world. I keep over five hundred people from doing the same shit every day. You have to babysit ten. I suggest you micromanage them to death or sell your soul to the devil. You choose.”
Zane sputtered from the backseat.
He couldn’t believe this.
Tony found all of this incredibly amusing. The team was bunking down for some newbie apocalypse. He almost wished he wasn’t going on vacation after all.
This was going to be priceless.
* * *
Watching from the woods, he couldn’t believe this was happening. How the hell did anyone find the bodies? He’d placed them where no one would look. Who in their right mind would go traipsing around a reservation that big, just to stumble onto his bodies?
He was just lucky that he didn't get caught as he approached. Here, he planned on arriving to check on the latest victim. It had rained two days ago, and he wanted to assure she didn't rise to the surface through the mud.
Now, he’d discovered something far worse.
Someone had dug her up.
And the other three too!
Well, hell!
This wouldn’t do at all.
His secret spot was compromised, and now he needed to locate a new place to put the bodies. Obviously, he couldn’t use the wooded land anymore.
He’d have to take a break for a day or two until he found the perfect place.
All his hard work was ruined.
His bodies weren’t ready.
He wanted them to preserve for the next two or three decades, then he didn't care if they were found.
Now, the cops at the site were going to hack into them and ruin all his work.
I
t pissed him off.
His temper was flaring.
None of this was good.
Heading back through the cemetery, he found the exit through the busted wrought iron gate. He’d have to return to his work space to rethink it all. Once there, he would be able to calm down and think.
That had to be his priority.
He needed to pray.
Thinking about God calmed him down. This would be fine. It was a minor bump in the road. When he regrouped, he’d find a better plan and use it.
It was all about being patient and doing what God wanted done.
He could do that.
What choice did he have?
* * *
When they finally arrived on the scene, it was mass pandemonium. Callen was desperately trying to keep the Natives from poking at the bodies, and the woman with red hair from contaminating the holes.
The arriving team could hear it as they trekked through the woods. Once they walked into the clearing, everything stopped.
Good.
She hoped they all knew what was coming. Being a pain in the ass was one thing, but tormenting one of her men was entirely another.
“What the bloody hell is going on here?” she demanded. Immediately, her ME and anthropologist rushed to the holes, trying to get to the bodies before anymore trace was left on them.
Suddenly, they all began speaking at once.
Her patience was already running thin, especially when she noticed that Callen was rubbing his temples. He must have one hell of a migraine at this point.
Whistling, silence fell again.
Elizabeth pointed at the officers. “You and you,” she said, singling them out. “Thank you for your help, but we have this under control. Please step over there and let my techs get your DNA and fingerprints. Since you were standing right over the bodies with your hair loose, we need to isolate anything you may have left behind.”
They didn't look happy but before they could protest, she continued, “Unless you want to be arrested for homicide at some point in the future.”
That changed their minds pretty fast.
“You,” she said, pointing at the Native man beside Callen. “What’s your name and purpose here?”
He stared at her, startled. “I thought he was in charge?” stated Bruno Whitefeather, pointing at Callen.
“Are you kidding me? Who wants to be in charge of this clusterfuck? Look at his face. Right about now, he’s thanking his lucky stars that I’m here. Besides, I’m his boss, so you can answer the question for me.”
He looked over at the man. “Is she?”
Callen grinned. “Yeah, she’s my boss.” In more ways than one, but he kept that to himself.
It was good enough for him. The Native began spilling his guts, “My name is Bruno Whitefeather. I found the bodies and dug them up.”
First, Elizabeth pointed at Merry, and then her lab kit. “You also get to donate your DNA and fingerprints, Mr. Whitefeather. Since you were in the hole, there’s a good possibility that you left trace behind. Well, unless you’re the killer. If we find your trace beneath the wrappings, you’re screwed. If that’s the case, then you may want to start running now. I’ll give you a head start.”
He stared at her like she was crazy.
Callen tried not to laugh, but it was hard. In a matter of seconds, the chaos had slowed down.
God! He loved her.
The man hustled away, followed by the three others who were obviously scared shitless.
“You,” she pointed at the woman. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Doctor Jaxon Armstrong,” she said, walking toward her with her hand out.
Yeah, that wasn’t going to fly. “You’re the pain in his ass who wanted in the holes?”
It caught her off guard when the woman dismissed her greeting. “Uh, yeah?”
“Well, let me give you a quick lesson. This is the FBI, not some scavenger hunt in a third world nation. Before you tell me how many bodies you’ve dug up, let me tell you how many I've pulled from the ground. Let’s just round it off at thousands. We don’t touch the body until the ME gives his okay. Now, if they came up as bones, you’d get first crack at it. When they’re fleshy, it’s all Doctor Legend. What I need you to do now is repeat that, memorize it, and live it from here on out.”
Jax glanced over her shoulder at the two men. One of them immediately caught her attention.
Elizabeth noticed her gaze had settled on Doctor Magnus. “No, the ME is the Native wearing the hazmat suit. The other gentleman is my beloved anthropologist. He’s going to be babysitting you today. So, if you have a question, ask him. Again, keep your hands off the mummies until the ME gives you the okay, or it’ll be your hands they dig up next.”
She stared at her openmouthed. “Are you really in charge of this scene?” she asked, befuddled. In all her life, she’d never met anyone like her. Before she spoke, the pixie cut and bright blue eyes were deceiving. The woman looked like some model. Once she spoke, she reminded her more of a pissed off drill sergeant.
Elizabeth noticed she looked offended. Yeah, she had a newsflash for the newbie.
This was only the beginning.
“Go! Get to work.”
Callen moved to her side to give her a fist bump. “You’re definitely my badass angel. I would be completely lost without you. How you strolled in here and handled this makes me all hot and bothered.”
She winked at him. Digging a bottle of Tylenol out of her bag, she dumped a few in his hand. “Here you go, handsome. Bottoms up.”
“Bless you.”
“Director,” called Doctor Legend. “Can you tell me more about the scene? It’s obvious that the bodies have been moved,” he stated.
Callen broke it down for him, telling the ME all about what he was told. From the looks of it, the man wasn’t happy.
Tony let his field partner get to work. Glancing over at the redhead, he tried not to stare. She had the prettiest blue eyes he’d ever seen in his entire life. “Doctor Armstrong, why don’t we go get suited up? Then, we can assist the ME when he needs us,” he suggested, trying to get her out of Elizabeth’s line of sight. It was only a matter of time before someone got angry. While they were accustomed to the boss, newbies weren’t. The Blackhawks liked their scenes run a certain way, and it would take time to get the new doctor up to speed.
The woman followed him. When they were out of ear shot, she finally spoke, offering the man her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Doctor Magnus. I’ve read some of your work in the journals. They’re amazing studies.”
He had to think about what she was saying. Beautiful women never said that to him. This might be a first. “Really?”
She smiled up at him. “Yes. I loved the piece you did on the taphonomic analysis of the Anasazi skeletal remains. It was one of my favorites.”
Now, he stared at her, repeating himself. “Really?” Yeah, this definitely was a first. A part of him wanted to believe he had fallen asleep on the Jet and was still there.
Jaxon laughed at the look on his face. It was hard not to notice how handsome he was. “Yes, I swear.”
His heart skipped in his chest. “Have you ever been published, Doctor?” he asked, handing her a suit.
“No, I haven’t. That’s not really my thing. I tried to do a couple of papers but being stuck in an office nearly killed me. I’m more a burial rat. I’ve spent the last ten years unearthing bodies.”
Yeah, what she left out was that she was working for the government to find the victims of atrocities all over the world. How did one put that on their resume or admit it out loud?
She couldn’t help but be enthusiastic to work on something that didn't involve tons of dead women and children.
Tony helped her zip up. When he lifted her hair with his fingers, he was having a hard time focusing. In all his life, he’d never seen a color that rich before. In fact, the silky slide through his fingers was enthralling too.
He almost wa
nted to sniff her. Even surrounded by death, the scent of flowers wafted around him.
“Let me give you a little hint about Elizabeth Blackhawk. She’s the best boss in the world, but she doesn’t take bullshit. It’s going to take you a few hours to prove you’re good at your job.”
Yeah, she got that.
Apparently, the woman didn't like her already.
“She’s really cranky. Director Rothschild said she was the best, but I didn't expect her to come out swinging. When she walked onto the scene, I actually thought that she looked sweet.”
He laughed at that. It wasn’t the first time a newbie had made that exact mistake. Elizabeth liked to catch people off guard, and first impressions did just that. “She is, once you get to know her, but like any good soldier in the war against criminals, you have to do your time in boot camp. Consider this your first day of hazing. I can promise that it gets better.”
She didn't mind as long as there was a light at the end of the tunnel. In life, that’s how she got through many things.
Tony pulled on his own suit. When she moved to stand behind him to help him zip up, his body tensed. Her one palm was on his back, and warmth radiated through him. He’d never felt anything like that before in his life.
It was amazing.
“Thank you for your help. I have a feeling I’m going to need it,” she admitted.
Already, Tony liked her. “You’ll be fine, Doctor. Our boss comes on strong, but it’s just her nature. You don’t want to work a scene with anyone but the best, and she’s it.”
“I take it you’ve worked with her a while, Doctor Magnus,” she stated.
He nodded. “You can call me Tony. I’m not big on formality, especially while I work,” he offered. “The title doesn’t mean anything here. They do,” he admitted, pointing at the bodies.
His words offered her peace, so she smiled up at him. “I would really like it if you called me Jax,” she admitted. “I’m definitely not big on formality.”
Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) Page 6