Wyler laughed at the comment. “I challenge you to keep up with these kids,” he stated. “You’ll be crying after twenty minutes.”
“I think I could survive.”
“Your son and Callen’s son flushed a toad. It clogged the toilet. The plunger broke the poor critter apart. We had pieces of toad floating…”
“Okay, you win,” he said. “Your grandkids are menaces to woodland creatures. It’s noted. How are they doing?”
“They like it here. They have fun in the tree house, plus it keeps them in one place.”
Ethan knew it hadn’t been there before. “Did Callen build it?” he asked.
“We did. He built the swing set for Cat, and it was one hot mess. I figured I should help if he’s going to dangle the kids twenty feet off the ground.”
He laughed.
“Good plan.”
“But you’re not calling to discuss that. What’s up? Again, who’s hurt?” he asked.
“No one. I just want to give you an update.”
“Uh oh. When I need an update on a case, it’s going to be bad, isn’t it?”
One could never tell.
“Bonnie is mocking Elizabeth.”
“I know. You should have seen the live news a few hours ago. That’s why I came up here. I need some peyote and to talk to the spirits.”
“Dad, no smoking that in front of the kids. I get that you’re taking a little walk on the dead side, but your sons were all about that when we were growing up. It might be genetic. Let’s not let the boys take that route.”
He laughed. “Yes, Dad. You caught me.”
Ethan got serious.
“I want you to watch those kids. Bonnie gave us a list of who she’s taking out. Already, she’s killed a lawyer and a nun so far. She’s going to be staking a doctor, a friend, an enemy, and then family.”
“Did we know them?” he asked.
Ethan told him about Chris Leonard’s brother-in-law, and then updated him on the deceased nun.
“That’s just all kinds of wrong. She’s a freaking sicko.”
Yeah, he was aware.
“That’s why I’m calling.”
Wyler got it.
“You’re worried about the kids when it comes to the family part on the list.”
BINGO.
His father got it.
“She’s sick enough that she’d take as many as she could and take them apart to watch Elizabeth bleed.”
That made him ill saying it.
Thinking it?
Yeah, it was that damn bad. Ethan knew all three of them would die if anything happened to one of their kids. It would be on them. This was their job. If it caused a child harm, they’d carry that guilt to early graves.
“I’ll keep them safe, Ethan.”
“I know the boys love running through the trees and hiding, but tell them their dads said that’s off limits for a while. No more playing Native cowboys and almost white Indians.”
“Can do, son.”
“And dad?”
“Watch your back too. If Bonnie was watching Elizabeth, she’ll know you’re vital to our lives. Three months ago, she did that interview for the DC Insider. She told them you kept our family going.”
He recalled.
It had touched his heart when he’d read it. Elizabeth had basically claimed him not as a father-in-law, but as her dad. She didn’t see the difference.
That was love.
“Son.”
“Dad, don’t make me walk onto a scene to find you dead. I’m just getting myself in control. If you get hurt…”
“I love you too.”
Sometimes, Ethan forgot to say it.
Not this time.
“I love you, Dad. Keep yourself safe.”
“I will. Watch your brother’s back, Ethan. He’s sometimes so busy watching Elizabeth’s assets that he doesn’t think about himself.”
Ethan was aware.
“I’ll call you later, Dad. Kiss all the kids for us, and tell them we love them. Kiss Mom too.”
“Oh, that I can do. Pregnant women are easier to catch.”
Ethan made a gagging noise. “Great. That’s going to stay in my mind for way too long.”
Wyler laughed. “Bye, son.”
Ethan hung up.
Now that their personal issues were covered, it was time for the business call. Dialing the US Marshals’ office, he waited to be connected to the man in charge.
Marcus Hunter and he went way back. In his younger days, as a special agent, they’d crossed paths.
The man was a decent guy, and one he trusted.
In DC, those kinds of people were few and far between. Marcus was incredibly trustworthy, and Ethan called him a friend.
When the man picked up, he greeted him.
“Deputy Director Blackhawk! What a pleasure. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
He laughed. “Marcus, knock it off. You saw me five days ago. We were golfing with the president.”
The man snorted. “Yeah, and you lost.”
Sue him.
Ethan had been distracted by his wife being gone, and toss in the little fact that his life had been falling apart. There was no way he could focus on golf. He only went because the President made it a meeting on the greens.
“Yeah, I suck at it. Natives have no business playing golf. That’s not our sport, Marcus.”
“On this occasion, I agree, but I’m thinking that this isn’t a social call, and more likely has something to do with Dakota Rakin.”
He laughed.
Clearly, the man knew his guy, and well.
“Yeah, it does.”
“What did he do now? How many people were hurt, and is he arrested?”
Well, that said it all.
“Did you watch the news?”
“Absolutely not. The world is going to hell in a handbasket. I’m avoiding it,” he teased.
“You’re funny. Seriously, the news?”
Marcus sighed. He’d been waiting for that call. “Yeah, I saw that Bonnie struck again in Damascus, and now here.”
“Dakota wants to help.”
Marcus didn’t say anything.
That silence spoke volumes to Blackhawk. It also made him worry.
“What?”
“He’s borderline obsessed. He’s focused solely on her, and it’s going to get him killed.”
Ethan didn’t disagree at all.
He could see the signs. As a workaholic, himself, it was easy to see that.
“I don’t know him as well as you do. What are the risks of letting him play this game?” Ethan asked. “I can’t risk the rest of the team for him.”
Marcus got that. Ethan worked with his wife and brother, and that had to worry him. If he did, and Dakota was there to potentially risk them, he’d be wary too.
Dakota Rakin, while an excellent marksman, a decent guy, and decorated ex-soldier, he was on a collision course with himself.
It was clear to see.
So, Marcus shared with his friend.
“Last time, when he was abducted and he watched his partner die, I think it did something to him. Honestly, Ethan, he’s not the same man he once was.”
“Explain.”
“He’s colder, harder, and he’d kill Bonnie before letting her get brought in.”
Well, Ethan didn’t have a problem with that. While he was all about justice, and balancing the scales, he knew the simple truth.
Bonnie was a menace.
If there was going to be a killer who could escape her way out of jail, it would be her. In order for the world and his family to be safe, she needed to be put down like a rabid dog.
His wife was the woman for the job.
And it looked like Dakota was the man for the job. Ethan knew what his directive was involving Bonnie, and this might just make it easier.
Maybe.
“I think that him being involved might push him over the edge,” stated Marcus.
Ethan was torn.
<
br /> Use him and catch Bonnie or bench him, and risk the chance that she could escape again.
It was a tough call.
So, he opted to give it a shot.
“Do you have anyone else on the team who can do the job for him? Is he your expert on her case? I’ll take anyone, at this point, who knows how to track her.”
Marcus sighed. “I’m sorry, Ethan.”
That was all he needed to hear.
It looked like this man was it. Blackhawk’s mind was made up. Dakota was going to play the role fate had handed him.
“I’ve already warned him, Ethan. If he tracks her and loses her, it’s on him. He’s so hell bent on catching her, he’s losing his edge as an officer of the law.”
Ethan got it.
When cops went bad, they generally went really bad. Mercenaries, rogue, and even killers.
He’d known a few.
“Dakota is damaged goods, Ethan. It’s use him at your own risk.”
He got the warning, but this could work to their advantage. As the Deputy Director of the FBI, he had to worry about a lot.
His people.
Paperwork.
His family.
Also on that list were the cases. While he liked being above the rules on most things, Bonnie had garnered attention.
From higher up.
“Marcus, I may not have a choice. If he’s the only one you have that’s knowledgeable on Bonnie…?”
“Sarah should be up to speed. He’s training her. Why don’t you use her and send him back? He’s a hot mess, Ethan. I have to deal with him, but you don’t. Sarah is by the books.”
Ethan began laughing.
“What? She’s young, but she’s still a good agent,” Marcus offered.
Ethan hated to break it to him. She wasn’t as ‘by the books’ as he thought.
“Between us?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Not director to director?”
“Absolutely. We’ve been friends a long time. I know I trust you. I hope it’s reciprocal.”
It was.
Both men knew the cold hard reality of their positions. They sometimes had to do the distasteful in order to get the job done.
Like now.
Ethan was willing to use Dakota Rakin, even knowing what he knew. Sometimes, the job forced you to do things like this.
It was life.
“Spill it, Blackhawk.”
He did.
“Your by the books trainee and her off the rails mentor are having a sexual relationship. I know that people can work with their partners. I do, but I also know that she’s fixated on him, and he’s fixated on Bonnie.”
“I’ll break his legs.”
Ethan laughed. “You can’t. You said it was between us, so you’re stuck keeping your promise.”
“Son of a bitch!”
Ethan reassured him. “I tell you what. I’ll keep an eye on him, and if I see that he’s slipping, a danger to himself, or the team, I’ll send him back. Okay?”
Marcus relaxed.
There was no way Blackhawk would let his wife be put in danger by the man, so he could let it unfold.
“If he loses his edge, send him back.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry. I will.”
“See you for golf on Sunday?” he asked. “Or are you passing it off to Gabe?”
“I’m free from that nightmare. I don’t have to hit a ball with a stick for the president’s amusement anymore. Gabe gets to take that one for our team.”
Marcus laughed.
“Some guys have all the luck.”
And he realized he did.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Hoover Building
Autopsy One
Once Dakota and Sarah had finally arrived on the scene, the team was still working to pull evidence from the victim’s home. The tech vans were there, and they were milling about to get the job done.
That had given him hope that they weren’t too late.
Wrong.
As Dakota scoured the scene, there was no sign of Elizabeth anywhere, and that pissed him off.
One of the techs on the scene informed him that they’d already headed out, and if he wanted to find them then to head into the Hoover building, and that they’d be cleared there.
It seemed like a waste of time.
Why the hell weren’t they there?
That was suspicious.
It felt like he was being jacked around by the Feds, and that didn’t work for him.
In fact, it pissed him off.
So, they got back into their ride, and headed for the Hoover building.
On their way there, his temper brewed. Was he being kicked off the Bonnie case? Were they yanking his damn chain?
All of this had achieved one thing.
Dakota now had a chip on his shoulder.
And it was huge.
Once they arrived at the office, Dakota and his partner were cleared by security, but they were ONLY given access to the basement morgue.
That made him angry.
This, to him, was proof they were messing with him.
Dakota knew he was going to blow his top if one more person jacked with him.
As he keyed in the visitor code he was given at the door, the morgue was opened. Heading in, he saw techs, Chris Leonard, but no Blackhawks.
“Where the fuck is she?”
Chris looked up in shock at his tone, and the way he was referencing the only person who could have stirred him up this much.
“Pardon?” Chris asked.
“Elizabeth! She’s yanking my chain. She disappeared off the scene, and now I’m being directed everywhere but where she is. If this is a game…”
Chris opened his mouth, but the man continued his profanity-laden tirade.
“Dakota,” Sarah warned.
He ignored her.
Instead, he was going to take matters into his own hands. He stormed right at the ME.
“If you’re going to help her stall, I’ll…”
“You’ll do what?” Elizabeth asked from Chris’s office door. “I know you’re not in our house, verbally abusing my team,” she stated. “If that’s what’s going on, heads are going to roll. In this room, only two people can bust chops. Me, and the man you were just about to put your damn hands on!”
Elizabeth didn’t berate anyone, and she certainly wasn’t going to listen to this man aim his anger at Chris—who did nothing.
He headed her way.
“Call Ethan,” Chris whispered to Tony. This didn’t look good. Dakota Rakin was going to get his ass handed to him and he’d deserved it.
“Why are you not at the scene?” he asked, pointing his finger into her chest.
Elizabeth stared down at it.
Then up at him.
“I suggest you remove your finger and take three steps back, my friend. If you don’t, I’m going to kick your ass, and you won’t like it. Remember when you put your hands on me the last time? Ethan schooled you. I won’t be as nice.”
He didn’t move.
“You left the scene. You said we could help, but this isn’t being open and forthright.”
She sipped the coffee she’d absconded from Chris’s office.
“You’re close to crossing a dangerous line, Dakota,” she stated.
Callen was leaning against the wall, and he didn’t look happy. Elizabeth knew she couldn’t let the man go too far. Callen would kill him.
She could see his face and the way his body rippled in anger.
Yeah, someone was going to hurt.
“Why are you evading me?” he asked, poking her chest again.
“Techs, leave,” Chris said, seeing that look in Elizabeth’s eyes. She didn’t look amused.
At all.
“Why are you threatening my ME and still putting your hands on me?” she asked.
“I want an answer.”
Elizabeth put her coffee down and stood
toe to toe with Dakota. “Move your finger.”
“Or?”
She went to move around him, and he grabbed her arm.
It was the one she’d just had out of the cast. The second his fingers came in contact, Callen stood straighter in preparation for a fight.
Only, it wasn’t him that moved into action.
Elizabeth twisted Dakota’s hand, putting him into a finger lock. She dropped him to his knees as she held his arm behind his back.
Sarah Valley pulled her gun, but it wasn’t fast enough. Elizabeth grabbed Dakota’s since it was closer, and they were both pointing firearms at each other.
“I suggest you re-holster that, ASAP!” Elizabeth warned. “That move could cost you your job.”
Sarah did just that when Dakota gave her the signal with his free hand.
“Don’t you ever put your hands on me,” Elizabeth ordered Dakota. “I am not your property, and you are not welcome to do it. No means no, Dakota.”
Ethan rushed in, carrying his cell phone. He’d just gotten off the phone with Marcus Hunter, only to get a disturbing call from Doctor Magnus.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked.
“I was just showing Dakota what happens when he doesn’t address a lady the right way,” she admitted.
He looked around.
Somehow, he figured there was more involved.
“What happened?” he asked Callen.
“He put his hands on our wife.”
It was said with such animosity. Callen was not thrilled at all. There was no way he was going to protect the man. He hoped Ethan tossed him off this case.
Immediately.
“Elizabeth, care to elaborate?”
“He poked me in the chest and grabbed my arm. He didn’t hurt me.”
She wouldn’t lie to her husband, but she didn’t bring up his partner’s dumbass move. The only reason she didn’t was because her finger hadn’t been on the trigger. She’d only been protecting her partner.
That was the first thing they taught you.
“Can I get up?” Dakota asked, still in an armlock.
Chris began laughing.
“What?” he asked when they all looked at him.
He pulled out his wallet and held up a fifty. “I say Callen kills him.”
Tony was in.
“No way. Ethan is going to do that low voice thing when his eyes go all cold. He’s going to hurt him.”
Ethan ignored them.
Revenge has Come (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 19) Page 29