She pondered it. “If anything, his biggest fault is that he’s young. He’s new to the team, but he’s a good Marine. He takes commands and follows through. I’ve never had a problem with either of them, ever.”
“What are their jobs on Bravo Ghost?” Quinn asked.
“Jayson is our water expert. If we have to get wet, he’s the one who takes the first plunge. We’re all excellent swimmers, but he’s more a fish than the rest. He likes to dive. Redmond is the shooter. If you need an impossible shot taken, he’s your man. I put him out front all the time because he’s steady and unbreakable.”
Callie was frustrated. There had to be something on both of them. They were going to have to dig for it. The killer wouldn’t have gone after Jayson unless there was something there.
It was a matter of finding it.
“Why do I feel like there’s more?” she asked, waiting for her brother to reassure her. In fact, Quinn was being silent and that scared her.
To death.
“Yesterday, coming out of the club, I was shot.”
That one sentence caused silence to befall the entire conversation. Quinn could actually hear the ticking of the kitchen clock, that’s how quiet it had gotten.
“What?” she asked, certain that she had heard him wrong.
“I exited the building and took a round to the chest. Fortunately, I was wearing a vest and it didn't penetrate, but this means the killer is escalating.”
Maura wanted to be sick.
And she just might be at any second. Her big brother could have died, and it would have been all her fault. She’d run right to them. Instead, Maura should have protected her family more.
She’d failed.
“The killer is coming unhinged,” stated Callie. “The perp bludgeoned Leroy Walker to death. The wounds to his face were done in anger. This killer wanted him to suffer. When you were shot at and missed, that had to be offensive to the mission. Since Quinn walked away, there’s going to be fallout.”
“He’s going to go shit nuts,” stated Quinn. “Since Jayson escaped, our only hope is that the killer isn't aware that it was another miss. If that gets out, the last to die is going to suffer.”
She wanted to puke.
Her family was dead center in this mess.
There was only one thing to do. Marines didn't abandon their team.
Maura had no choice.
“I’m coming back. If this wacko sees me, it may take the pressure of the last two members still alive, and you three. If he’s taking pot shots, we don’t have much time.”
Maura pictured Callie being shot and it made her sick to her stomach.
Yeah, there was no choice.
“Hell no! You’re not coming back here,” Quinn stated. “That’s the plan. You come out, one bullet to the brain, and you’re done. You keep your ass there and don’t move. That’s an order from your big brother.”
Maura was ready to do battle.
He may be bigger, older, and a cop, but she was still responsible for what was happening. No one took a bullet for her. She was her own shield.
“Do we have any suspects?” Luke asked, trying to defuse the fight that he could see brewing. Maura looked ready to go to war, and Quinn had one hell of a hot temper.
It was a volatile brew from both sides.
Callie spoke up, “I have a few suspects. I’m going to start interviews and digging around in the morning. You have to hang in there, Maura. Quinn is right. For now, we’re good.”
She refused to fight on the phone. She’d simply wait until the call was over and begin her trek out.
Alone.
She wasn’t risking Luke or the team back in civilization. How the hell could she live with that?
It wasn’t happening.
“Don’t you dare break from the plan, Maura,” stated Quinn. “We’re fine here, and Callie is going to call her bosses. You stay put.”
“We’ll get the last two Marines out,” stated Nate. “The Blackhawks will help us hide them until the killer is caught,” he promised. “Then we can focus on tracking the person who is after you. It’ll be okay, I promise.”
“Stay there. Am I clear?” Quinn stated again, waiting for his sister to give him her word.
“Yes. You’re crystal clear, Quinton.” Why argue. Maura already knew what her plan entailed. The second that phone was hung up, she was on the move. If need be, she’d stalk the stalker.
Quinn relaxed at her words. He believed she’d keep her word. If not, it then fell on the Fed with her. Quinn hoped Luke was ready.
“Be safe, you two,” Callie stated.
“I love you, squirt,” Quinn said, using her childhood nickname.
“I love you too, Quinn. Take care of your family until this is over.”
He heard the emotion. His sister was about to bolt.
“I will. Luke, do whatever you have to do. We’ll deal with the repercussions later, as a unit.”
The message was loud and clear. They were desperate and it called for a heavy hand.
When the call had ended, Luke watched her. It was obvious that Maura was overwhelmed with what was being dumped on her shoulders.
Tears filled her eyes.
Suddenly, she didn't look like a tough Marine anymore. Instead, she reminded him of a wounded, broken child.
His girl was going to fall apart, and Luke knew he’d promised to take care of her.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked, holding out his hand.
Maura watched him, her heart aching in her chest. Here stood a really kind man.
No, a gentle man.
A good one.
Someone who always kept his word.
Deep down, she knew he’d hold her up in this moment of weakness.
All she had to do was go to him.
Luke continued to hold out his hand, hoping she would take at least one step toward him.
If she did, he’d meet her the rest of the way. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for the woman who owned his heart. All she had to do was ask.
It was hers.
Finally, she made up her mind. Maura rushed to him, going into his arms. Then, she did something she rarely ever did in all her life.
Maura Gaines wept like a baby. She was going to betray her brother’s trust and the man she loved.
All she could do is hope one day they’d forgive her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
C allista Gaines picked up her phone and made the call. Waking the big bosses up in the middle of the night was a crapshoot. If it wasn’t justified, there would be hell to pay. If she didn't do it, and they found out, there would a shit fest.
It came down to trusting her gut, and the woman she now called friend.
Over the last few months, they’d grown closer as Callie helped put Elizabeth’s family back together again. After Ethan’s abduction, they had fallen apart.
With therapy and some listening, her bosses were on the mend.
As the phone rang, her husband patted her reassuringly on the back. He completely understood.
No one wanted to bother their boss in the middle of the night.
On the second ring, Ethan’s sleepy voice came over the phone. “Director Blackhawk,” he muttered.
“It’s Doctor Carter. I have a problem,” she stated.
That had his attention. No sane agent called him in the middle of the night unless it was all going to hell in a hand basket.
“What do you have? Is it Oracle related?”
Callie understood his concerns. After her last call to Elizabeth, she was sure the Blackhawks were on alert over the entire situation.
“No, it’s Marine related.”
“Let me put you on speaker. Elizabeth is going to want to hear this,” Ethan offered. “Callen’s also here.”
Then, Elizabeth’s voice came over the phone. She sounded wide-awake and alert. Callie wasn’t surprised. She suspected that her boss wasn’t human.
Elizabeth was titanium and
appeared to handle anything thrown at her.
Ahhh, to only be her in this moment.
“What’s up, Doc?” she asked, waiting for the woman to begin. “I know, or at least I hope and pray that you’re not waking us up to just say hello.”
“No, we had another Marine attacked. He managed to get away and is now on the run.”
“So, your killer is coming apart at the seams?” Elizabeth asked. “This makes two misses and some escalating violent tendencies. I saw the ME report from Doctor Leonard.”
Callie wasn’t surprised. “The killer is losing it.”
Ethan had to agree. “It’s definitely signs of escalation. When a perp gets wild, it means he or she is losing control of the situation. They’ll start to screw up, and that can work to your advantage.”
Yeah, if they didn't mind a few dead men along the way until they caught the maniac.
“Why don’t you tell us all about it?” Elizabeth offered. If her employees needed a two in the morning confab, so be it. This was the element of the beast.
“The lunatic went after Captain Jayson Woods, running him off the road. Right after it happened, Major Gaines got a text from him. His vehicle is in a pond.”
“We need it,” stated Elizabeth. “That could be a plethora of evidence.”
Callie agreed, “Agent Mars said the same thing. Can you get a team to go retrieve it? Someone’s taking shots at my husband, and I don’t want to have him standing out in the middle of a field wearing a target.”
“Hey!” Quinn objected. “If the killer is losing it, then we’re all at risk here. I’m not the only one. In Jayson’s text, he said not to trust the Feds. That’s you two, not me.”
Ethan happened to agree that all of them should watch their backs. “Send us the name of the pond and location. I’ll get my techs to go out and pull it from the water. They’ll go over it with a fine-tooth comb.”
That was one thing off their shoulders.
Now, they could cross it off their list.
“We also have another concern,” Nate said, finally speaking up.
“Ahhh, if it isn't my favorite director,” stated Elizabeth. “I was wondering if you were going to say anything, Nathaniel.”
He swallowed.
Nate didn't know why, but the woman scared the hell out of him. It might have something to do with the things he’d heard about her, or the mistakes he’d made--like calling her ‘sugar’. How was he to know that the model-esque woman was one of the head Feds?
Lesson learned.
“Yes, Director. I’m here.”
“Tell me what you need, Nathaniel,” Elizabeth stated.
“We have a minor concern about the safety of the information being housed on our tablets.”
“What about it?” she asked.
“Is it possible that they were hacked?”
Elizabeth was pretty sure their system was secure. “We had yours pass coded when you started this case. Once you came across Oracle, you pretty much got your security level bumped.”
“Did you tag the files to have a tech alerted if someone accessed them?”
Ethan spoke up, “I did. There are only five passwords that won’t trigger an alarm-- yours, Callie’s, ours, and then the big man’s, Gabriel Rothschild. Had someone attempted, we would have been alerted.”
“Look at you being all sneaky and underhanded,” stated Elizabeth. “It’s why we work so well together,” she offered.
Blackhawk laughed. “Yeah, that’s why.”
“So, then it couldn’t be an FBI leak,” Callie stated. “It has to be someone inside that base. I wish we had more proof on who it could be.”
“Do you need help with the profile?” he asked.
“Yes! If you wouldn’t mind,” Callie replied.
Ethan was easy to work with. “Send me all your files. I’ll start on them right now.”
“I’m sorry, Director. I hate waking you up at two in the morning.”
He laughed. “We have three kids and one on the way. In fact, Callen acts like a child, so make that four and one on the way.”
“Hey!” Callen Whitefox objected, breaking his silence.
“Anyway, sleep is overrated. We’ll all catch up when we’re dead.”
“Amen,” stated Elizabeth. “Now get us the information, and we’ll start helping you work through it.”
Callie was grateful.
“Can we pull the Marines who are in danger?” Quinn asked, hoping he could get Maura transported out too.
Elizabeth thought about it. “If we go through military channels, they’re going to send in a team to extract them.”
They waited for it.
“The closest team would be Alpha Phantom,” Elizabeth stated, letting them put it together for themselves.
“That won’t work. We don’t know who to trust,” Quinn stated.
“Well, then we have only one other option,” Elizabeth offered. “We keep it quiet and get them out on our own. We can house them in an FBI safe house. You and Nathaniel will have to get to the one Marine and transport him out. The same is true for your sister and the one who went under.”
“Maura is with Luke,” stated Nate. “She’ll be safe. There’s no way the killer can track her to that cabin. No one knows the location but Agent Mars.”
“Then you need to have her contact her men and warn them that they’re getting taken in. See if they can meet up, and you can extract them at the same time. They may feel safer if they’re together. After all, they are a band of brothers.”
“Good point,” Quinn stated. “We’ll contact Maura right away.”
“Send your files,” Blackhawk reminded them.
Nate was already transferring them. “You should have them arriving now,” he said, hitting send.
“Got them.”
“Good luck,” Elizabeth stated. “Watch your backs, and no one get hurt. Ethan hates paperwork.”
“Yeah, more than anything else.”
With that, they hung up and got to work. Next call would be the hard part. Maura was going to have to get her men to trust the FBI. This would prove the type of leader she was.
Yeah, this was going to be interesting.
When Maura finally heard the plan, she was skeptical. How was she supposed to talk Jayson and Redmond in now? They were spooked, especially the man who almost died being run off the road.
Could she blame him?
If she was in their shoes, there was no way she’d come out of her hiding spot to get killed. They were safer away from her and she knew it.
This killer wanted her in the worst way, and there was no chance of it ending until someone was dead.
Now, she only had to hope it wouldn’t be her.
Glancing over at Luke, he was watching her. Oh, how she had been so wrong about him when they first met. The beach blond hair and the baby blue eyes were deceiving. She had honestly believed that he was harmless.
He was far from that!
She was trapped in his web of love.
Maura was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She was so close to breaking that she didn't know if anyone, Luke included, could put her back together again.
How would she go back to her life now that most of her team was destroyed?
Where she wanted to fall back on the easy familiarity, she couldn’t.
It was impossible.
So much had changed.
Finally, she decided to do it. “What do you need me to send, Quinn?” she asked, hoping it wouldn’t get her men killed. Jayson Woods had to be wrong. Maura had to believe in the people she called family, and the man beside her.
“We need them to come together and be ready for a pickup,” Nate stated. “Quinn and I will be personally transporting them. So, reassure them that they’ll be safe. We just need them to get together. It’ll cut down on the time.”
She sighed. “Okay. I’ll handle the texts and get back to you,” she offered, disconnecting the call.
“Wh
at’s wrong?” asked Luke, sensing her trepidation.
“I don’t know if they’ll do it. Jayson nearly died. He’s not going to trust easily. Getting him to come in is going to be tough.”
Luke believed in her skill. “You’re the boss. Don’t give them a choice. Make them rendezvous for pickup.”
He had a very valid point.
She was the boss, and they would listen to her. “Okay. I guess it’s worth a try.”
“It is.”
“What could possibly happen?” she asked, hoping Luke would calm her nerves.
“Don’t worry, Maura. They need to come in. If I know Elizabeth Blackhawk, she’ll put them in her office and sit on them herself. Trust me. Once we get them in, they’ll be safe.”
She did believe in him, or she wouldn’t be here. If there wasn’t that faith, Maura would have been in the wind. It was easier to stay safe when you’re on your own.
Picking up her phone, she sent the text to both men. This time, there’d be no code. She didn't want either of them to miss something. It could result in their lives.
‘The FBI is bringing you in. You need to rendezvous at a safe spot together. My brother will be picking you up personally. Where are you, Red and Jay?’
Now came the hard part. They would have to wait.
Minutes seemed like hours. With each tick of the wall clock, Maura believed she’d go crazy
Finally, Private Redmond Churchill replied first.
‘I’m at my grandmother’s farmhouse. So far, it’s quiet. I set up basic alarms to trip anyone up who came to the house. I should be safe until rendezvous. Where are you, Jay?’
Once more, Maura waited until her other man replied. If he didn't, they couldn’t pick him up. It would just be Redmond getting rescued from this lunatic.
Then, the text came.
‘Send coordinates. Are we sure the FBI can be trusted? I will tell you my ETA to arrival. I’m on foot. Can we trust ‘Big Brother’?’
Maura knew that her men were skittish normally, when it came to trusting anyone, but she had to make them believe she would have their back.
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