Callen wanted to be sick. Yeah, he really freaking hated Devil’s Lake.
“Most likely. He’ll stick with how he kills, but who he takes might be escalated. We may be playing a whole new game. He was sticking to sins before, but this could push him over the edge. We just walked into his ‘home’ and took his most cherished possessions. We have his Jesus, Mary, and all his tools,” he said, pointing toward the shelf. “And we found his safe place.”
Elizabeth began weighing it all in his mind.
“We don’t have much time, Lyzee. Think of this as a tit for tat game. He killed, we found his hole, and now…”
She glanced up at the men in her life. “You aren’t to leave my side. I’m going to have the team double up. They’ll be safe in the hotel, and Tony is with Jaxon, but neither of you are to wander away.”
They started laughing.
“Us?” asked Ethan.
She wasn’t even messing around with this one. “Listen. If he’s watching us, he knows who’s running it. In fact, I want Callen out of that suit and back into normal clothes. You’re not to draw attention to yourselves.”
“And you?” Callen asked, getting angry. “Will you be wearing the bull’s-eye, Lyzee?”
“Fuck no! But if I am, you two have to watch my back. I need to get the interviews done today, and we have to move on.”
Callen tried to breath. When Ethan put his hand on his shoulder, it offered him reassurance.
“Okay, so, we found his base. What’s he going to do now, Cowboy?” she asked, hoping he could give her something.
Ethan focused on the surroundings. “He’s going to find a new place. He won’t come back, because he’s smart enough to know it’s been compromised.”
“Where would he go?”
“It’ll have to be private and secluded. He won’t risk getting caught. This is his mission from God. I don’t know how he found this place, but he’s going to want to go somewhere peaceful. His primary mission is going to be to carry on.”
“Could he use his own home?”
Ethan thought about it. “It’s going to depend on how far he is into this fantasy of his. In his mind, he really must believe he’s one of God’s angels. Look at the location. He’s bringing justice and death in the midst of the cemetery. The glass windows tell the story of one of God’s fallen.”
Callen spoke up, “The one tile had the hand of god. It was his right hand. He’s doing God’s work and thinks he’s pretty high up there on the Almighty’s list.”
She closed her eyes. “Tonight, I need the whiteboard. I’m going to have to start piecing this together.”
Ethan would try and help her.
“How much danger is Jaxon in?” she asked.
“I think that’s going to depend on how much he thinks she saw. If he believed that she was out cold, she might have a fighting chance. In his mind, if he even believes that she may be able to ruin his plan, he’s going to make an attempt at her.”
“Shit,” she muttered.
“You know that Tony can’t defend her, right? He’s just an anthropologist,” Ethan said. When it came to their doctors, none were really adept in the defense department.
Elizabeth was torn. If she placed one of the men in her life over with them, she was painting the bull’s-eye on them now too. Then again, it was possible Jaxon wasn’t the target, she was.
Shit!
Shit!
Shit!
This was one hell of a mess.
“One of you is going to have to play watch dog. At night, someone needs to go over there and play babysitter. I can go, if you both want.” Yeah, she knew the response that was going to get. It wasn’t going to be pretty either.
“I’ll go,” Ethan offered.
“No, I’ll go,” stated Callen.
“How about you switch it up?” she offered. “Tony may not like someone crashing there, but what choice does he have?”
“I’ll take tonight,” stated Callen. “I’m a little better at keeping people at ease. Tony will need a dose of humor. Besides, Ethan has to do the profile for you. Just send me the abridged version, and I’ll catch up.”
Ethan was appreciative of his brother’s sacrifice. His willingness was one of the reasons they could share Elizabeth. Each man had her well-being in mind, not their own.
“Why do you look confused, Elizabeth?” asked Blackhawk. The look on her face was troubling.
“There is something that’s driving me absolutely insane, and I can’t quite put my finger on it,” she said.
“Talk it out. It might help you,” he offered.
“Okay. So, he hits Jaxon on the back of the skull. She said she fell, and from the blood trace we know where. Then, he opens the marble top and pushed her down the steps.”
They were with her so far.
“He closes her in and escapes, but then how did he get back in here to tie her up? There was no way he would risk getting caught.”
“You’ve got a point. He’s a watcher. It would mean that he would want to do the deed and escape. Dragging her all the way over here to tie her up would take time. The lid would be open. If he watched her come in, then he knew Tony wasn’t far behind.”
“I questioned the grounds crew. They didn't notice anyone, but they weren’t exactly looking for someone. They work in a cemetery. People mill around all the time, and they may not be focused on one person.”
“So, he came back?” she asked, not seeing how it was possible.
“Maybe he did,” Callen offered. “Tony was in a panic. When we pulled up, he was running around like a madman, screaming for her.”
Ethan saw where she was taking it. “If he came back, he had to open the lid and go back down.”
“I can see him opening it, but would he have time to hit the tiles in the right order to close it, then race into the closing space? That would have to be done pretty damn fast. The top opened quickly, and I’m guessing it would have closed at the same speed too.”
Callen saw where they were heading with it. “If he closed the lid and tied her up, then he would have to hide.”
All three of them stared at each other, and then their surroundings. If the killer was down there, he wouldn’t have had time to escape.
Immediately, they pulled their guns. There were enough dark corners to bed down in and lay low.
“Ethan, get the techs out of here,” she whispered, motioning toward Callen to follow her.
He didn't hesitate. In fact, he moved so close to her side, she barely could move.
Elizabeth gave him a look.
From her peripheral, she could see Ethan moving toward the other side of the enclosed space. The room had to be build hundreds of years ago.
“How old is Saint Mary’s?” she asked.
Callen wasn’t going to pull out his phone and check. He was too busy keeping her safe. If anyone were to jump out, he was going to put his body between them and Elizabeth.
“Old,” stated Ethan. “I think there was a stone on the front of the church. Maybe it said the early eighteen hundreds?”
“So that means this cemetery is just as old, if not older. What if there’s some secret hiding spot down here?” she asked.
Ethan began pulling on the wood ledges which held all the killer’s tools. With a flashlight that he absconded from a tech, he stared around at the floor.
“Which direction is the church?” Elizabeth asked, trying to get her bearings.
Callen thought about it. “I believe toward Ethan. We’re facing the reservation.”
“You two may want to come over here,” he offered. “I think I found something.”
“What?” she asked, closing the space between them.
“One of these things doesn’t belong here. Anyone want to guess?” he asked, shining the light down onto the floor and back up again. The carved out wall held a bookshelf, but behind the jars and frankincense it appeared to be wood, not stone.
“It’s a door,” she said, holsteri
ng her Glock. “It’s hidden in plain sight.”
The three of them began moving the jars, hoping one would trigger something. When that didn't work, she whistled. Meredith stuck her head down into the opening. “Yeah, boss?”
“I need a crowbar, and fast.”
“We better move the jars. I don’t want them to break. The last thing I want is to have to go back to the cabin tonight smelling like this shit,” stated Ethan.
“Good, because I happen to like your cologne,” she said, waiting for her tech to return.
When she raced down the stairs, she had another request. “I need gloves too. Once we go through that door, you and the agents get down here. Make sure it doesn’t close. Who the hell knows where it leads.”
“Yes, boss,” she said, handing her gloves from her pocket.
“Print that door and all the glass bottles,” she said, gloving up. Both men did the exact same thing before they began transferring the glass from the shelf to the countertop. When they were done, Ethan took the crowbar.
“You have better aim, Tex. I’ll pry it open, and you shoot the killer if he’s waiting to hack out my heart,” he said.
Even though he was kidding, it still made her sick.
Watching the wall, she waited until Ethan got into place. With the tip of the crowbar, he wedged it into the back of the shelving and put all of his weight into it. When he couldn’t get it to budge, Callen holstered his gun and joined him. Together, they pulled, and then pushed until they heard a snap.
Well, the mechanism was never going to be the same again. If you were going to defile a nutjob’s hidey hole, you might as well go all the way and trash the place.
Cautiously, they pulled the door open. Elizabeth held her flashlight and gun as she headed toward it. It was pitch black and at that moment, she wished she was wearing her vest.
“Be careful,” hissed Ethan, grabbing his gun before following. It wasn’t a wide space and there was no way to grab her and pull her behind his body. All he could think about was Charlie and his wife.
His heart pounded as he prayed for their safety.
Elizabeth followed the darkened path. As her flashlight scanned the area, she could tell they were walking downhill. It made sense. The cemetery was higher up than the church. She could feel the temperature getting cooler.
“Shit! This is one hell of a tunnel,” Callen muttered from behind his brother.
“They used to dig for coal in these areas,” she said. “In fact, there are old abandoned gold mines too.”
They continued along until the path got smaller and smaller. At one point, only Elizabeth could get through. Ethan and Callen’s shoulders were too wide.
“We’re turning back,” stated Ethan.
Elizabeth chose to ignore him and continue on. There was no way in hell she wasn’t finding where this ended up. It told her too much about her killer.
“Lyzee!” Callen called, almost in a panic when she kept sliding forward.
“I’ll call you when I get to the end,” she said, crouching down. “We need to know where this ends up. It could mean finding the killer and getting the hell out of Devil’s Lake.”
They hated that she was right.
“Please be safe,” Ethan said, backing up. “Let’s go, Callen,” he said, pushing his brother backward. “We need to get the hell out of here and find her.”
They raced back through the darkened tunnel. When they ran through the opening, both agents pulled their guns.
“Where’s the boss?” Johanna asked, holstering her weapon.
Her guess was as good as theirs.
All Ethan knew was he needed to head out to the fresh air to wait for her call.
“She kept following it. I need you two to guard that passageway if she calls for help. Come on, Callen,” he ordered.
The men headed out, racing down the hill to try and trace their path above ground.
“She’s going to be the death of me,” Blackhawk muttered.
Unfortunately, Callen couldn’t disagree. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
~ Chapter Fourteen ~
Thursday Afternoon
Getting Jaxon back to the cabin was his only goal. Once there, she’d be safe, and he could face the turmoil brewing in his gut. It was hard not to be all screwed up over this.
He was in love, and the woman was going to leave him. This was all new to him, and he didn't know what to do.
As he pulled up to the cabin, he raced around to help her out. While he was pretty sure she could walk, he wasn’t going to take the chance.
Scooping her up in his arms, Tony refused to let go. He was angry inside. Part of it was due to the killer doing this to her, and also because she was willing to toss them away. It hurt that after what they shared, Jaxon felt nothing.
Then again, it was only one night.
Why was he surprised?
He had always suspected that there was something about him that generally repelled women. Hadn’t he learned that years ago? In his heart lived that scary realization. That was why he didn't put himself out there and have more than a few one night stands. Never before had he risked his heart. Yet now, it was on the line.
In fact, everything was.
Once inside, he gently laid her on the couch. He wanted to rage around the room, but he couldn’t.
He wouldn’t.
If she didn't feel anything for him, how was he supposed to make her?
“You’re mad,” she said, staring at him.
Tony said nothing.
“What did I do?”
He wanted to tell her his heart was breaking. Tony longed to whisper the truth to get it off his shoulders. Logic held him back. Deep down, Tony knew it was crazy. There was no way he could be in love after one night together.
It was impossible.
It was insane.
Then, he recalled how his buddy Chris fell in love at first sight. After meeting Cyra for the first time, he declared he was going to marry her. It took a year, but he kept his word.
Now, he had that last tenuous thread to hold onto.
“Tony?”
He couldn’t handle it. All the emotion was welling up in him. It was about to burst free from him.
“Yes, I’m mad.”
“At me?”
“No.” He lied. Jaxon had hurt enough today, and she didn't need this too.
“Want to talk about it?” she offered, pushing off the couch to go to him. The minute she touched him, Tony moved away.
Her heart ached.
“Okay, then I’ll go take a shower. I want to wash my hair,” she said, the hurt filling her.
He stared out the window, trying not to let the anger out. It wouldn’t do them any good. Hurting her wasn’t going to take his pain away.
Deep down, Tony knew if they had more time, he could make her change her mind. If he was just given a few weeks, he could woo, romance, and show her how he felt.
All he needed was a chance.
One lousy shot.
As she walked away, the tears filled her eyes. He was pushing her away, and Jaxon didn't know why. After her shower, she’d climb into her bed and get some sleep. Maybe when she woke up, it would all be back to normal again.
As the bathroom door closed, Tony took a deep breath. This was new territory for him, and he didn't know how to navigate it. What he wanted was a manual and a clear direction. With his life, it had always been so simple. Learn, implement, and keep going. Now, a wrench had been thrown into the works.
He was madly in love with a woman who didn't feel the same about him.
How the hell was he going to recover from that?
Sadly, he knew the truth. He’d go on, but his heart wouldn’t.
It was already lost.
* * *
Callen ignored the call coming into his phone. He recognized the number, and it wasn’t Elizabeth. Chief Molala was going to have to wait. Yes, they’d missed their meeting, but something had come up.
H
e’d have to understand and reschedule, or he could kiss his ass. Right now, his biggest worry was keeping Ethan calm and finding Elizabeth.
At that point, she’d been out of contact for eight minutes.
Ethan was starting to resemble a stressed wolf who was missing his mate. At any second, he was ready to pounce. First came the pacing, then the glances at his watch, and now the red flush was working its way up his neck.
Yeah, he was going to blow.
It wasn’t like he could blame him. Callen was right behind him and about to lose his damn mind too.
“She’s okay, bro. You gotta relax.”
Ethan couldn’t. His heart was pounding, and he swore he was going to get a head full of gray hair at any second. His woman was amazing but terrifying at the same time.
“Hey there, sexy Indians. Did anyone miss me?” she asked, walking from around the corner of the church.
“Elizabeth!” Ethan shouted, pulling her into his arms as he began checking her for injuries.
“Cowboy, you know I love a good mid-day grope, but really? I don’t know how appropriate it is next to a church and in a cemetery? That’s kinda kinky. I didn't know you had it in you,” she teased.
All the fear washed away as his hand rested on her belly. “You scared the hell out of us. If I was ahead of you, then there was no way in hell you would have been going through there.”
She had no doubt. Squeezing Callen’s hand, she offered some reassurance to the other man. “You both need to trust me a tad bit more. I’m not going to get jumped in a tiny passageway.”
Callen was glad she was safe. “Well, where did it lead?” he asked curiously. After all this, he was dying to know. Now that she was safe, they needed another piece of the puzzle.
“Well, boys, that little journey led me to the boiler room in the church. There is a coal chute right beside the furnace. It seems that it’s been there a long time.”
Ethan finally let her go. “Okay, so the killer tied up Jaxon, and then escaped from the underground space.”
Elizabeth grinned. “Taking Jaxon was a big mistake,” she said. “When he did that, he left us a few important clues. While the local law might not have picked up on it, I have. This isn't my first crazy train rodeo.”
Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) Page 35