When she scanned the file, something caught her attention. “Interesting,” she muttered, getting out a notepad to make some comments.
“It seems your daddy was a preacher man,” Callie said to no one in particular. Sometimes, talking out loud helped her process some of the details.
Thank God no one was around to call her crazy.
After scanning more information, Callie found details on his mother. “You were home schooled and on your application to the Marines you put your biggest influence was your parents.”
That was fascinating.
They had a killer who was judging people sinners, and a man who was raised by a Baptist minister. Religion and sin went hand in hand.
Immediately, Callie shuddered. Her last run in with a trio of Baptist women almost ended badly.
Now, she hoped history didn't repeat itself.
Further scanning of the file, she found something interesting. Private Henry Lewis had a sister.
There was more.
She was dead. In fact, she had committed suicide.
Callie pulled out her tablet and searched the internet for any details that might be out there on her death. While the file didn't have specifics, the World Wide Web was a fount of useful information.
When she searched her name, one link popped up. It was a memorial post from the deceased girl’s friend. Apparently, the two were close.
As in very close.
They were girlfriends.
In the blog post, the other woman described the dead woman as her lover, best friend, and soul mate. She also went on to discuss why the girl had taken her life.
Apparently, her father didn't approve of her being gay.
Interesting.
Wasn’t that what they were dealing with now?
Callie was both fascinated and appalled by it. The idea that a parent would ostracize their own child, and it would then end in death, was hideous.
Then again, Callie wasn’t shocked. The religious people she had encountered were just as closed minded.
“You just moved up my list of suspects, Private,” Callie said to herself, closing the file.
To a profiler, Henry Lewis had all the arrows pointing at him. His personal life held all the markers that might have made the man act on his religious beliefs.
This was something to further ponder.
Callie knew she couldn’t dwell. While he had become her front runner, she knew that there were others to look at. Opening the next file, there was Sergeant Hartford staring back at her.
“What’s your story?” she asked, picking up her pen.
Scanning the details, she found that the man had once tried to get placed on Bravo Ghost.
It seemed he was pushed aside by another recruit.
A younger.
Faster.
Smarter one.
Sergeant Hartford had been beat out for the position by none other than Captain Jayson Woods.
“Ouch. That had to sting!” she said. “So, Joe, you lost out to a boy. Did that make you crazy?” Would it be enough to push him over the edge, making him a killer?
Callie leaned back in her chair and weighed all the possibilities. The man disliked them, he was hostile to the outside world, and he thought that the sun rose and set around Colonel Swift.
Yeah, he had the markers of an obsessed, angry man.
Maybe he decided to hold a wicked grudge against the man who showed him up. Since he was over looked, possibly he was trying to get his revenge.
It was a possibility.
“Looks like you and I will be having a meeting again, Sergeant,” stated Callie, closing the file.
With two good Marine suspects, she moved on to Stephanie Simpson.
After reading everything on her, Callie was curious, but something she saw immediately eliminated her from her list of suspects. Last year, the woman had vertebrae fused in her back. There was no way that she could do half the physical things that the killer had done. She wouldn’t have been able to climb the rocks with Christian Bleu, let alone met him at the top to kill him. Brick Brighton was a large man, and Stephanie wouldn’t have been able to strike him on the top of the head.
The HR contractor was small in stature and had physical limitations. Reaching the smoke detectors after taking out the man wasn’t feasible.
Not impossible, but for now she was moved down the list.
Pulling out the last file, Callie flipped through the pages of Bethany Harris’s life. It told a tale of backstabbing, nastiness, and the need to be the best at any cost.
To Callie, that didn't seem to fit the profile building in her head. The person killing these ‘sinners’ wasn’t out for glory.
Now if she could only figure out what the perp wanted? Callie was in over her head on this one. Picking up her cell, she knew the one person to call. Ethan Blackhawk was the gold standard in profiling, and now that he was back on his game, he would have an answer.
“Hello, Doctor. I was just about to call you,” he stated.
“I’ve hit a wall, and I need your insight.”
Ethan was more than happy to assist. “Tell me who your top suspects are and why. Then I’ll tell you what I have. Men and women profilers often have different perspectives when it comes down to it.”
Callie gave him everything she had. When she was finished, he finally spoke.
“It’s definitely a man. Your HR woman isn't a Marine. Your killer is avenging the corps. All he’s doing is cleaning up the sins. To him, these people have sullied what he believes to be pure. When you think of a Marine, you have a visual of what makes them the best.”
“Yes, they’re brave, strong, heroic, and rush toward danger to handle it,” Callie admitted.
“Exactly. While your female captain is a power-hungry bitch, she doesn’t give a shit about the image of the Marines. She’s myopically focused on one thing-herself.”
Callie saw where he was heading.
“In my opinion, you have someone who is taking being a Marine very serious. He’s angry that the uniform has been sullied.”
“Great. Here I thought you’d be able to tell me who it is,” she said, laughing.
He joined in. “You of all people know that our jobs are about giving perspective. Now, you can take what I’ve said, what you’ve learned, plus your gut instinct and run with it.”
“Thanks, Yoda. I feel so much more enlightened.”
He was amused. “Ahhhh the doctor is schooled by her patient. Run with what you have, and try to piece it together. Years of doing this tells me that it’s definitely a man and he’s unhinged. Good luck, Doctor Gaines. May the force be with you.”
She stared laughing as the phone went dead. “Yeah, you’re not anything like you seem,” she stated to herself.
Well, Callie needed to do some interviews.
That meant leaving the house.
Yeah, it was a good thing Quinn wasn’t there. He would go shit nuts when he found out she was heading to the Marine base alone. It made her laugh. If she had a dollar for all the times she made him nervous, they could both retire.
“Okay, gentlemen. I hope you’re ready for me because I have some questions to ask you.”
With that, Callie headed off to get dressed, get into her gear, and go find a killer.
Hopefully before he struck again.
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
Luke had finally cooled down. It wasn’t like him to be this stirred up. The woman inside the cabin made him crazy, protective, and helplessly out of control.
Now, he needed to be logical and pray that Maura had come to her senses.
She was right.
He couldn’t lock her up there, no matter how much he longed to do just that. Instead, he was going to go with the old saying.
‘If you loved someone, set them free. If they return, they’re yours. If they don’t… it wasn’t meant to be.’
Now he had to wait and see what she’d do next. This was all going t
o be up to her, and if the fight was any indicator, he was screwed.
Walking inside, he found her still lying on the couch. This time, she lay facing the door as if waiting for him to return. The tears that made her cheeks red and raw, broke his heart.
He couldn’t hurt her anymore.
Instead, Luke opted to carry the pain for them both.
Taking the key from his pocket, he set her free. Instead of touching her, Luke backed away. “If you have to go, Maura, I understand. I just wish you’d trusted me enough to know what’s best for us. You may be in charge on the job, but when we’re together, I would have hoped you believed in me, even if it was just a little bit.”
She didn't speak.
“I’m your partner in this, even if I’m not in your heart. I would have died to keep you safe. Without a doubt, I would have laid my life down for you.”
When she sat up, he moved further away.
“This has always been your choice, Maura. It was yours the day you told me that you never wanted to see me again, and it was yours when you picked duty over love. I’ll live with what you choose, and I’ll even face your brother down for letting you do something dangerous. If anything happens to you, he’s going to kill me, but my life without you will be meaningless anyway.”
She listened to the words he was saying to her. They were said with nothing less than truth and love.
“Unlike you, I trust in your abilities. I believe in the woman and Marine you are, so go. You’re free, Maura. I’m setting you free. If you believe that you’re better off alone than at my side, I won’t stop you from walking away.”
She watched him turn his back to her. It was a sign that he trusted her. Maura got the meaning. He was giving her something so very valuable.
When he stopped, before heading out the door, Luke pulled his sidearm off his hip and laid it on her rucksack.
“If you’re going to go, at least take something to level the odds in your favor. I don’t need it. I’ll be fine on my own.”
His words made her heart quiver in her chest.
While she wanted to say something, the choke of emotions caught in her chest wouldn’t allow anything to slip out.
When the door opened and then closed, Luke didn't look back.
He wouldn’t.
Outside, he allowed it to close gently this time. Gone was the anger and in its place was pure unadulterated hurt. This was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. Letting Maura go twice was soul crushing, but fate had to be in control. For now, he had to look away and give her freedom.
When she was gone, there was no doubt.
His heartbreak would kill him.
Maura wanted to weep even more.
She knew that she’d damaged the man she loved. In anger, she let him believe that he wasn’t worth the fight, and that she’d choose her career over what they had begun to build. The words, the hurt, and the emotions in Luke’s eyes said it all.
His heart was broken too.
Maybe he was right. What if she wasn’t meant to fight the other battle? Instead, staying here with him was the war she needed to win.
After all, he had the short end of the stick.
From the beginning, Maura had made it clear that he wasn’t worthy. Not of her time, her love, or her willingness to trust him. While he stuck by her, fighting valiantly, Maura had selfishly only thought of her needs.
Not his.
Well, that had to change.
Yes, she was furious he handcuffed her to the couch, but it gave her time to see it from his perspective. The killer did want her to leave, and by giving in to the maniac, she was stealing something from Luke.
Love.
Peace.
Happiness.
No, she wouldn’t run. Instead, it was time to stay and fight. Luke had to be her priority, and she needed to stop control freaking it to death. Her brother was back in town, fighting for her, and she needed to let that play out.
Now, it was going to be about her heart.
Luke’s heart.
Their lives from here on out.
Maura was making her stand. It was time to go talk to the man she loved. Hopefully, he would forgive her for being stubborn, cruel, and vicious.
Maybe she could fix them yet. What she wanted more in life was a chance to have happiness, and it had to be with Lucas Mars.
He was her path to redemption.
As she stood from the couch, her phone chimed.
Damn!
Maura didn't want to answer it. What she wanted to do was look away and run toward the man she loved.
Yet, she knew that wouldn’t happen. Okay, she needed to take baby steps.
Picking it up, she saw the text from Jayson.
‘Safe house is compromised. I don’t feel comfortable going in. Something feels off. I’m scared. I need help. Is your location safe? Advise.”
Her heart ached for this man too.
Well, it looked like it would be the more the merrier. Looking at her watch, she typed up the text with her coordinates. If Jayson came there, then she could keep an eye on him. She was sure it was a compromise Luke would agree to. She’d remain by his side, and together they could watch over one of her team.
Then, she remembered what she had planned on doing. Shutting down her phone, Maura didn't wait for a reply. Now, she needed to heal Luke and rebuild what she’d selfishly torn down.
Heading toward the door, she only prayed it wasn’t too late. She wanted his love back.
Maura needed it for the rest of her life.
The commitment began here and now.
She swore on her life.
It was time to trust someone else for a change, and the man outside had never given her any reason not to. This time, it was going to be different.
She was going to be a new woman.
One who could love and be normal.
Everything was about to change.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
M eredith Peyton directed her team around the lake. Divers were there, hooking the bumper of the submerged vehicle up to the tow truck. She was determined to get that beast out of the water, even if it was the last thing she did.
There was no way in hell she was telling her boss that she had failed. Being FBI West’s head lab tech meant having a great deal of responsibility. Now, she was out in the field with their trust and needed to get the job done.
As she signaled the tow truck driver, that the divers had completed the hookup, she watched, keeping her fingers crossed that nothing would go wrong.
When the motor squealed and strained under the weight of the F-150, she really thought it wasn’t going to happen.
Then, as if God in heaven smiled down on her, it gave way from the muck and mire.
The truck was slowly pulled from its watery grave.
“We have it, Merry!” another tech yelled.
When she glanced over, she saw the two agents Elizabeth had sent to babysit the team. They were heading her way.
“What can we do to help?” asked Agent Seaton.
Meredith pointed toward the tree line. “The boss said the Marine took off on foot. They don’t believe the killer knew that he failed. See if you can pick up a trail. We need to locate a second set of prints or tire tracks. It might help Doctor Gaines and Director Carter figure out who’s doing this.”
Agent Madden led her partner away, heading for the trees. Now, Meredith could focus on the truck. As she pulled on a pair of gloves, she got to work. Many times, it would only take a single chip of paint from the other vehicle to help her match the car that caused it.
She was hoping that would be the case.
“Get me tire tracks, foot print castings, and no one touches the inside of the truck until we get it back to FBI West. The bosses want this one done fast and right. Let’s make them happy campers.”
The techs scrambled.
Everyone wanted to do just that. A mad Elizabeth was a bad idea.
No one wanted to set off t
hat wrath.
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
Nine A.M.
Redmond Churchill’s
Safe House
Pulling up to the house, everything was eerily quiet. The sun was hidden behind the gray overcast sky. It made the old farmhouse appear to cast creepy shadows.
“I feel like something is off,” stated Quinn, pulling his sidearm. He’d already been shot once, and he wasn’t playing any games. He was well aware that the killer would be aiming higher next time. Frankly, he wanted to see his next child born. “My gut is going nuts.”
Nate was feeling the exact same thing.
“Yeah, I’m with you,” Nate replied, reaching for his gun too. “Marines! Your transportation is here!” he shouted, keeping his back to Quinn’s as they both scanned the area. There was no way they weren’t covering their flank when it came to two skittish Marines who were being hunted.
That was dangerous.
After calling again, the house remained quiet.
“Do you think they’re hiding or bugged out?” Nate asked, not able to detect a single sound. In fact, in the cool morning air, any one hiding would have their breath give them away.
Quinn listened to the silence of the farm. There wasn’t even a stray cat to be found.
It set him on edge.
“They knew we were coming. If they’re here, I guarantee that they’re watching us from behind the lens of a scope. Maybe we should holster our weapons.”
Nate took the chance and put his away. “Marines! Your major has sent us for pick up!” he called one more time.
Again, when no one replied, he was worried. “I can’t believe I’m going to even suggest this, but we have to look around.”
Quinn returned his weapon to his hip and tried to come up with a plan. “Okay, how about we clear around the house first, then the barn, and finally the house?”
“Works for me,” Nate admitted. “Stay out of the woods. Redmond admitted that he had booby-trapped the place. If you get hurt, my sister is going to skin my ass.”
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