“Yes. I’d like to say we found something on him, but I have to tell you that there were so many heat fractures to the bones, that I can’t even begin to find what did him in. All I know is that it’s bigger than the head of a hammer, and smaller than a frying pan.”
Well, it was better than not knowing.
“What did the team find out about the blaze?” Callie asked, accepting the folder from the ME.
“This killer was trying to make it look like an accident. Is that the MO of your other killings?” he asked.
“Yeah, it is. Can you tell me more?”
Chris opened the second folder and flipped through the papers. “Meredith went over that place with a fine-tooth comb. She found some things that were suspicious. On the stove, where the fire started, there was a pan and likely a rag. We can’t be sure because it was so badly charred. On the rag was likely a catalyst to make the fire go crazy.”
“Okay,” she said, making notes.
“She checked with the fire marshal, and all the smoke detectors had been disabled. The batteries were hanging out.” Then he corrected himself, “Or what we suspect to be the batteries. They were pretty decimated.”
“So, the killer wanted to see this house burn to the ground. At first, we believed that the bullets were the deterrent to keep the firemen out, but now it is likely just a coincidence.”
“Yeah, we heard about that. They went off like fireworks on the Fourth of July.”
“It looks like the same killer. I really appreciate your help in all of this,” Callie stated.
Chris didn't mind in the least. It was quiet in the lab, and he missed getting into the middle of an assignment. “If there’s anything else I can do, please give me a call.”
She absolutely would.
“By the way, Elizabeth is waiting for you upstairs. She figured you’d hit me up first. I know she’s going to want a full report.”
Callie stood and shook his hand. “I’m ready for her,” she said.
That made Chris laugh. “You may be one of the few people on this planet who can say that with a straight face.”
She was well aware.
Waving goodbye, Callie headed up in the elevator. Her mind was racing over the information they had. With each victim, the water became more muddied. This killer was really trying to make this hard for them. With the fire, there was no trace and the perp likely knew that.
This was a dangerous game.
They needed to get this under control, and soon.
Once upstairs, she grabbed a cup of coffee before heading back to Elizabeth Blackhawk’s office. If she was going to make the drive back, it would take some caffeine to keep her awake.
Knocking on the doorframe, Callie waited to be invited in.
“Hey there, Doc. How are you?” Elizabeth asked, leaning back in her chair.
“I’m good. How are you and Charlie?”
Elizabeth patted her baby bump. “She’s doing really well. I have to say, she’s easy to handle.”
Callie laughed. “Yeah, until she comes out.”
“You bet. Then, you may have to write me a prescription for meds, and fast.”
“I can do that.” Callie paused before speaking. “Elizabeth, I really want to thank you for taking care of my parents and Susie. You didn't have to do it.”
“I did. Not only am I yours and Nate’s boss, but you’re my friend. I want to make sure you’re not distracted out in the field. I know you don’t often go out because of what happened in Raleigh.”
Callie would never forget that for the rest of her life. “Yeah, Quinn is a nervous wreck.”
“I bet.”
It was time to tell her boss and hope she didn't get yanked from this little ‘job’. “I’m pregnant.”
She grinned. “Yee haw, darlin’! Welcome to the club! It takes a crazy ass woman to have more than one kid!” she exclaimed, walking around the desk to hug her friend. “Congrats!”
Callie hugged her back. “You’re not going to pull me, are you?”
“Hell no! If I do, my men are going to try that shit on me. I wouldn’t want to risk it, but I want you to be safe, and that means putting on Kevlar. Do you hear?”
She nodded. Callie wasn’t going to play hero with her life. There was no way in hell she’d risk herself. After all, she had two children to raise.
“Deal.”
“Great,” Elizabeth said, heading back to her desk. “How about you tell me everything?”
That she could do. Callie began at the beginning and broke it down. She explained that her husband and brother were tracking down the ex-Bravo Ghost at that moment. When she was finished, Elizabeth Blackhawk dropped her booted heels to the corner of her desk.
“We’re really trying to fight an uphill battle on this one, Elizabeth. The trail has gone cold with the first three murders. I know Quinn and Nate are planning on digging into the personal lives of the dead Marines.”
“What do you hope to find?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
Elizabeth smiled. “You know I hate that phrase, right? It’s followed up with ‘nothing’.”
It made Callie laugh. “Yeah, I know. Okay, can I talk off the record?”
“You know you can,” she offered.
“I need a sounding board before I bounce this off my brother and Quinn.”
“Shoot,” Elizabeth offered.
“This all feels off to me. On the Marine base, I feel like we’re being watched. I really get this impression that Maura is being sabotaged. I just don’t know why.”
“So, you no longer think it’s Oracle?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“Is it?”
That made her laugh. “Well, without going into details, I don’t think it’s related. We’ve called Gabe Rothschild, and he’s run some work behind the scenes. He contacted Oracle, and she’s insistent that it doesn’t involve her.”
“So it’s a she?”
Elizabeth lifted a brow. “You know I just slipped. Don’t be a smart ass.”
Callie grinned. “Sorry, but it’s rare for you to mess up like that.”
“Remind me to talk to you when you’re five months pregnant and your mind is a puddle of mush.”
Honestly, Callie couldn’t wait.
“So, how does Oracle know it’s not her?” she pushed.
“Nice try, but I’m slipping, not out of my damn mind,” she admitted.
“Well, if this has nothing to do with Oracle, could it be a side mission?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Not likely. We double checked. Maura hasn’t had that many other missions that would cause her whole team to be eradicated. Oracle would be it. We’re pretty sure it’s not that.”
“If that’s not the angle, we have to be on the right track,” Callie offered.
Elizabeth offered her opinion. “I don’t know how you work, Doctor, but when I’m out in the field I need a whiteboard to get my thoughts down.”
“Me too.”
“Honestly, I’d definitely start with the victims. A person only turns up dead for five reasons.”
Callie leaned forward. “And they are?”
“There is love, money, infidelity, wrong place at the wrong time, and old age.”
Elizabeth had a very good point.
“Start digging into their pasts and you might find that one thread that holds this all together. Then you can trace it back to the killer.”
“I hope you’re right. I feel like we’re hitting roadblock after roadblock.”
“That screams suspicious to me. Maybe it’s a Marine thing, or possibly it’s something far more nefarious—like guilt.”
“You may have a point. This has to be driving my brother crazy. He likes to be super organized.”
Speaking of the devil…
“How’s Nate handling this one?” she asked.
“That was random. He’s doing fine, why?” Callie asked suspiciously.
“I was just curious. He’s been wor
king at a satellite office for a while now. You wouldn’t happen to know if he’s interested in moving up the FBI food chain, would you?”
Callie thought about it. “Well, he’s very motivated when it comes to his job. He doesn’t make many personal attachments in his life, so I guess he’s good at being a boss.”
“Is that your opinion as his sister or a doctor?”
“Both. I will tell you that if you transfer him, you might as well make it a trip for two. Nate won’t go anywhere without Luke and vice versa. They’ve been a team for so long.”
“I’m not saying we’re transferring him. I’m just keeping my options open in case something comes up.”
What Elizabeth wasn’t saying was that she had a master plan, and at the center of it was Nathaniel Carter.
Oh, and Oracle.
“Thank you for allowing me to talk this out,” Callie said, standing.
“Are you driving back tonight?” Elizabeth asked, glancing down at her watch. It was already after seven. “You can stay at our place tonight, or crash in your office. We do it all the time.”
Callie appreciated the offer, but she was looking forward to the long trek. It would give her time to think. Besides, ten at night wasn’t that late.
Not yet anyway.
“I’ll be fine, Director, or should I call you Mom?” she teased.
“Hey! What’s one more mouth to feed? Our brood keeps getting bigger and bigger,” she admitted, and then realized something. “You’re not wearing a gun.”
“They are so last season,” she teased.
“You’re funny, Doctor. Now, mosey yourself out to my administrative assistant and get one.”
“What they say about you is true.”
“That I’m bossy, arrogant, crazy, and should be locked up in the loony bin?”
Callie laughed, heading out to the main area to do what she was told. “No, that you care about your people.”
Elizabeth winked at her. “I have my moments. You don’t generally drive me bat shit insane, so it’s not really an effort to mother hen you to death.”
That was good to know.
After heading out and requisitioning a firearm, Callie stopped at the elevator to hug her friend. “You stay safe too, Elizabeth. You don’t always put yourself in good positions.”
She snorted. “I’m so glad you didn't say that in front of Callen or Ethan. One of those smart asses would make a comment worthy of a slap. Then, I would have had to prove them wrong.”
“I’m sure it would have been funny either way.” Callie entered the elevator. “I’ll email you an update later,” she offered.
Elizabeth waved as the door closed in front of her. Immediately, she pulled out her phone and whipped out a text to her husband.
‘I think I found a solution to our Oracle problem-- at least temporarily. I’ll tell you about it when I get home.’
She waited for his reply.
‘Is it going to be painful and hurt?’
Elizabeth snickered.
‘Not for us, but Nathaniel Carter is going to either love us or want both of us dead.’
After hitting send, she headed back into her office to call Gabe back. They didn't have much time, and if they needed to handle the Oracle issue, it needed to be done soon.
What was coming was bigger than them all.
Now, it would be partially dumped into the lap of a man who was notoriously calm and collected.
Things were about to change.
In a big way.
Chapter Fifteen
I t had been a long day, but Maura and Luke didn't mind. After making dinner, they took a seat on the couch to relax. Being locked away in an old cabin was risky. With nothing to do, there was a good chance they would be bored out of their minds.
Yet, with each other’s company, that wasn’t happening.
When they found an old chess set in the storage shed out back, they began playing. So far, Maura was getting her ass kicked game after game.
“Are you letting me win?” Luke asked, trapping her king once more.
“No. I’m really bad at chess,” she admitted.
“How can someone be a master strategist for the military and not be good at chess?”
She glanced up at him. “Well, last I looked, my men weren’t little plastic horses. Captain Woods can move in all directions, not just diagonally, and Sergeant Archer could take more than one step at a time. It’s not really the same thing.”
Luke was amused and started laughing.
“You pictured it, didn't you?” she asked.
“Yeah, I did.” Luke could hear the sadness in her voice. “Want to call my partner up and see what they’ve found?” He hoped it would take her mind off the other problems that were plaguing her heart. While he wanted her to know they weren’t coming to an end, he didn't like stressing her out over it.
She was a planner.
He wasn’t.
“I’d like that a lot. I hate not being involved. I feel like I’m sitting on my ass doing nothing.”
“Well, it’s a really nice ass,” he began.
Maura punched him. “Dial.”
“Okay! Geez, you don’t pull your punches, do you?” he asked, rubbing his arm.
“I just did.”
He stared at her. “Then I don’t think I want to piss you off, Major.”
Maura snorted as he pulled out his phone and made the call. Immediately, it was answered by a frantic Quinn.
“Is my sister okay?”
Maura wasn’t surprised. Her big brother was notorious for being overprotective of his two little sisters. Quinn wasn’t the oldest brother, but he was still over the top when it came to making sure they were safe.
“I’m fine, Quinton. We’re just calling to check in.”
“Thank God. You better keep her safe, Luke,” Quinn demanded.
“Oh, I’m keeping her very safe,” he replied lecherously.
When Quinn began sputtering, Maura found that funny as hell.
Nate’s voice came over the line, trying to keep the man beside him from freaking out. He knew how he felt, especially since not long ago it was Callie who needed to be protected from a horny male. “How are you two doing? Are you getting bored yet?” he asked.
“No, we’ve found lots of fun things to do together,” stated Luke, tormenting the detective as much as possible. When he began wiggling his eyebrows at Maura, she started laughing.
“What? I hope you’re kidding me,” stated Quinn. “You better not be touching my sister.”
“What are you going to do?” he asked. “Dust her for fingerprints? Thank God I’ve been wearing gloves.”
There was a frustrated sound from the phone, causing all of them to laugh. Finally, Nate changed the subject. He was the one who was going to have to listen to Quinn bitch and moan the rest of the night.
“I suppose you want an update.”
“Yeah,” stated Luke. “What’s going on in civilization?”
They started breaking down the whole day’s events, and how Callie was at FBI West getting the autopsy results from the ME.
“No more deaths?” asked Luke.
“We haven’t been called in for any yet,” Nate offered. He imagined it had to be hard on Maura. These were her men, and she had to feel responsible for them, all the while having her hands tied.
“We’re beginning to piece it together,” Quinn offered. “We have a couple of good suspects.”
This would be a perfect time to ask Maura about them. So, Nate went with it.
“Can we talk for a minute, Maura?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“We need your perspective on Sergeant Leroy Walker. What can you tell us about him, and why did you end up removing him from your team?”
She hadn’t thought about him for a while. He’d been gone for a year or so. “He wasn’t a good fit for working with me.”
Quinn knew his sister well enough that he could tell she was keeping it clean. “
How did you really feel about him?”
“He was a chauvinist pig who I was more than happy to boot from my team. When you look up the word asshole, there is his smiling face. If he thought about work as much as his dick, he’d be a general.”
Nate laughed. “Yeah, we got that about him.”
“No matter what I did, said, or ordered, he’d go out of his way to question it. That was the initial problem. Then, it only got worse. He’d make sexually-laden comments, and it started to stir up the men.”
“Want me to go back and kick his ass?” Quinn asked, willing to hurt the man. He recalled the comments about his sister and was more than game.
“No. I’m used to the way men treat women in the military. I’m a high-ranking woman in a man’s field. I can handle the comments. What I couldn’t handle was how it was stirring up the team. He was seeing someone, and his sex life was becoming team fodder. It was distracting in the field. He’d make comments and rile everyone up.”
“He seemed demeaning with his comments,” Nate said.
“Oh, he was. That was why I busted and booted him. I had no time for bullshit like that. The last thing I needed was him hitting on Orac…” She stopped. “Never mind.”
Luke jumped in, trying to cover for her. “I hope you slapped him around a little anyway,” he stated.
The men heard the comment she made and let it go. They knew enough that they shouldn’t go there and compromise her duty to keep it secret.
“I muscled him around a little bit for girls everywhere,” Quinn stated.
Maura chimed in, “You know, someone called me a girl the other day, and I was forced to kick his ass.”
He grinned at her, running his fingers across her cheek and lower lip. “I loved every second of it.”
Maura felt her temperature rise. Yeah, it had been some pretty spectacular sex.
“I’m going to kill you, Luke,” Quinn warned ominously. “As soon as I see you, I’m going to hurt you like only an angry brother can.”
He wasn’t surprised and opted to let it go. He’d take a beat down any day to be with Maura. It was well worth it.
Nate continued with the questioning, “How about Bethany Harris? What’s your opinion on her, Maura?”
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