End Game

by Rachel Dylan

  “So far there’s no claim of responsibility by any terrorist group,” Isabella said. “Don’t you think that if they were doing this to make a point, they would advertise it and plaster it all over social media?”

  Marco jotted down a couple of notes. “I do, but it’s still early. We’ll have to monitor social media for any claims of responsibility.”

  Bailey understood why Marco was being cautious on the terrorism angle, but she thought he was definitely barking up the wrong tree. “I understand why you’re exploring that option, but since our first vic is a civilian, I think that pokes holes in that theory. We have to determine if there’s any link between the two victims. And if there’s any chance this is the start of a spree or serial killing, we need to act fast before another dead body turns up. Only three days between the first two kills. That means we could be on the clock.”

  Marco tapped his pen on his notebook. “I get your train of thought and approach, and you’re most likely right. But given that Battle was an elite member of the SEALs, we can’t just accept everything at face value.”

  “But how do you explain the civilian connection? Rogers was the first murder. In serial killings, usually the first murder has special significance.” They couldn’t overlook that critical fact.

  Marco nodded. “I’m just trying to make sure we keep our eyes open.”

  “Have you alerted the other members of SEAL Team 8?” Bailey knew this was going to be tough news for those SEALs to hear.

  Isabella eagerly jumped in. “That’s in process. We’re going to interview his teammates and see if we can find any useful information.”

  Bailey thought through the scenarios. “If there is a connection, then don’t those SEALs need to be on high alert? If one of them was murdered because of a mission, then all of them could be at risk.”

  Marco nodded. “Yes. His platoon is stateside right now, stationed in Little Creek, Virginia.”

  “That’s a ways away. Why was Battle in the DC metro area?” Bailey asked.

  “Little Creek is just over three hours from Foggy Bottom,” Isabella said. “He could’ve made the trip for a number of reasons. There’s nothing suspicious about that, in my opinion.”

  “Do you think a person acting on his own could’ve taken down the SEAL?” Bailey asked. “And I say he because I think the probability of a female killer here, given everything we know and the physical capabilities of the victim, is very low.”

  “We can run simulations to help determine the most likely scenarios of how the attack played out,” Marco replied.

  Bailey thought of something else. “If these killings are not connected, then don’t we also have to consider the fact that this could be personal? Maybe he did something to tick someone off, or worse.”

  Marco leaned back in his chair. “Possible. Like I said, at this point, all theories are on the table.”

  Bailey felt like Marco was holding out on her. “So where do we start?”

  He rose from his seat. “We get all the files on the Rogers investigation from Arlington police and start our review, and then we bring in the other members of SEAL Team 8 and question them.”

  The next morning Marco took a sip of his coffee and watched the frown spread across Bailey’s lips.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “The preliminary ME report for Battle is so strikingly similar to Rogers, I just don’t see how we can say that the same person isn’t responsible. Add to that the time in between the killings— just three days.”

  After sleeping on it, Marco had come to the same conclusion. “I agree with you. If this was done because of any mission connection, then we’ve got bigger problems, because Rogers is a civilian.”

  “And we have no link yet between the two. The more probable theory is that we’re dealing with a cold-blooded killer who is still out there, waiting on his next victim. Time isn’t on our side here.”

  He nodded. “I know.” He flipped through the papers in front of him. “Rogers worked construction. I think we should talk to the last guy he worked for and see if that leads anywhere.”

  “Any progress on video footage?” Bailey asked.

  “The rookie is on it. I’ve tasked her with canvassing all area businesses for any video. She’ll gather that up, and then we’ll have it reviewed.”

  “Good. Maybe that will give us something to go on.”

  Marco wasn’t so sure. “Unless the killer is a pro and knew where to strike so he wouldn’t be caught on camera.”

  She gave him a slight smile. “A bit too early in the investigation for pessimism, isn’t it?”

  Now it was his turn to grin. “I prefer to be realistic, but yeah. I just don’t want us to get our hopes up that we’re going to catch the perp red-handed. I have a feeling it’s going to be a lot more complicated than that.”

  “Then we’ll tackle it one step at a time.”

  Maybe he had become too cynical. It was nice that Bailey was more upbeat about the whole thing. “Do you want to keep our noses in these papers any longer, or get out there and shake things up? Get some answers.”

  “I’d much rather be out in the field than stuck inside, but are you sure we’ve gone through everything in the files that we need to?”

  Marco shrugged. “The files will be here when we get back.”

  Bailey leaned back in her chair. “Hey, I’m all for fieldwork, but my training has shown me time and again the importance of details. Being an FBI agent often entails the mind-numbing work of reviewing documents and building a case. I’m sure your job is no different.”

  He chuckled. “I think we’ll get more of the answers we’re looking for if we find out who this Rogers guy really is. We’ll get all the info we could ever want on Battle from the Navy. Rogers is the wild card. If we can track down what Rogers was all about, then that will give us the best chance of seeing if there are any links between the two, and that in turn could help us know where to look to find the answers.”

  She closed the folder in front of her. “Or let us know if we have a deranged serial killer out there who just happened to pick these two men and is ready to strike again.” She paused. “But you’re in charge. We’ll do it your way. For now.”

  “Good.” He couldn’t help picking up on her skepticism, but he was determined to break open this case, and he didn’t think that would happen while knee-deep in paper work. He was more of the take-action type, and it was an approach that had served him well in his career.

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” she challenged him. She got up and walked toward the door.

  He got there before her and opened it. “After you.”

  “Thanks.”

  An hour later, they were pulling up to CXP Construction Management. Bailey exited the SUV, and he quickly caught up with her.

  “I guess we’ll see if Frank Haddad knows anything that could help us,” she said.

  A couple of men were outside smoking as they walked past. They entered the old, worn-down warehouse full of construction materials. A few men were milling around on the first floor.

  “Can you tell me where I can find Frank Haddad?” Marco asked one of them.

  The tall, dark-haired man with olive skin eyed him with skepticism. “Who’s looking for him?”

  Bailey took a step forward. “We just need to ask him some questions about one of his employees.”

  “You from ICE? Because if you are, I’ve got all my papers in order. All of my men are legal. Completely, one hundred percent, and I told you ICE guys that the last time you visited a month ago. I’m going to complain about harassment if you don’t stop.”

  “So you’re Frank?” Bailey asked softly.

  Marco watched as she continued to try to disarm the situation.

  “I am, but like I told you, I’m by the book, and I’m done with ICE. So you can get off my private property.”

  Marco spoke up. “We aren’t from ICE, so you can relax.”

  “FBI.” Bailey flashed her
badge.

  Marco decided to leave his connection to NCIS out of the conversation to avoid any confusion.

  “We just want to ask you about Michael Rogers.” She pulled a picture out of her bag and held it up.

  Frank bit his bottom lip. “Yeah. I know him.”

  “Rogers works for you?” Marco asked.

  Frank stared off to the side. “He did a little less than a year ago. Haven’t seen him since, though.”

  “Are you sure?” Bailey asked.

  Frank turned back to her. “Yeah. I can check my records and show you the last paycheck, if that would help.”

  She smiled. “Actually it would, thank you.”

  Bailey’s charm offensive seemed to be working. Marco usually preferred a tougher, more direct route, but everyone had their own way, and he appreciated that.

  Frank motioned to them. “Let’s go to my office.”

  They walked through the warehouse floor to the back right corner, where there was a small office with a couple of chairs, a desk, and some old file cabinets. The musty smell was even stronger in the office.

  “Let me see.” Frank pulled out a drawer, and it made a creaking sound. “I have everything in alphabetical order.” He seemed to take pride in his organizational efforts, even though they didn’t seem that great. After a minute of rummaging around, he pulled out a file. “This is everything I have on Rogers.”

  “Do you have a copy machine here?” Bailey asked.

  “I do, but it’s broken.”

  Bailey flipped through the small folder. “I can just take pictures with my phone. There aren’t that many pages. I don’t want to take your originals.”

  As Bailey got to work, Marco turned to Frank. “Tell me what you remember about Rogers.”

  Frank’s brown eyes met his. “He was a loner. Hard worker. Very strong. Definitely flew under the radar. But he only worked for me for about a year.”

  “Any coworkers he didn’t get along with? Skirmishes? Anything like that?” Marco asked.

  Frank shook his head. “I wouldn’t know. If it did happen, I didn’t hear about it. Like I said, I remember him being quiet. Really quiet.”

  Marco kept pushing. “What about vices? Gambling, addictions, anything?”

  Frank laughed. “’Bout all my guys have some type of vice, but I have no idea about Rogers specifically.”

  “Do you have guys here now who worked with him?”

  Frank crossed his arms. “Maybe just a couple. There’s high turnover in construction, as I’m sure you know.”

  Marco was going to get as much from this visit as possible. “We’d like to talk to them before we leave.”

  “Sure.” Frank paused. “If you don’t mind me asking, what type of trouble has Rogers gotten himself into?”

  Bailey handed Frank the folder. “He’s dead.”

  “Dead?” Frank’s voice cracked.

  “Murdered, actually,” Marco said.

  Frank’s face paled. “You can’t think I had anything to do with this!”

  “We don’t, unless there’s something you’re not telling us,” Bailey said. “But if you hold back on us, even one iota, you will move up on our suspect list.”

  The way Bailey expertly handled Frank was impressive—and all without raising her voice.

  Frank sank back in his grimy chair. “There were a few rumors.”

  Marco’s pulse thumped. Now maybe they were getting somewhere. “About what?”

  “Some of the guys thought Rogers was into something shady, but they didn’t know what. Like I said, he was a real lone wolf. Guys get to the site, and as they work, they talk and talk, and their imaginations go wild.”

  “What was the wildest rumor out there?” Bailey asked.

  Frank looked up at them. “I don’t believe it at all.”

  “You don’t have to believe it. Just tell us what you heard,” Marco nudged.

  Frank leaned forward across the desk. “Okay, I’m just the messenger here. That’s it. I don’t have anything to support this.”

  “It’s okay, Frank. Go ahead,” Bailey said.

  “All right. The rumor was that Rogers could’ve been some type of killer for hire.”

  Marco was starting to think this was even messier than he had imagined.

  “And to be clear, you didn’t think that rumor had any truth to it?” Bailey asked.

  Frank threw up his hands. “Guys have vivid imaginations on a work site. I doubt it, but since you told me to tell you everything, there you have it.”

  “Thank you,” Bailey said. “Point us to the guys who knew Rogers, and then we’ll get out of your hair.”

  They followed Frank out of the office and back into the main warehouse area. “Those two in the corner, unpacking those boxes. Those are the only guys here right now. The rest of the crew on-site are new.”

  Bailey pulled out a card. “If you can think of anything else that might help us, then please give me a call. We appreciate your help.” She gave him a warm smile that easily melted Frank’s rough exterior, and he headed back to his office.

  “That was quite impressive, Agent Ryan,” Marco told her. “You had him eating out of the palm of your hand.”

  Bailey looked up at him. “I find being nice usually gets you a lot more information than trying to drop the hammer.”

  He smiled. “I’m more of a hammer-dropping kind of guy, but you’re on a roll, so why don’t you take the lead with these guys?”

  “Sure.”

  Marco watched as Bailey strode confidently over to the two men. He estimated that they were in their forties or early fifties.

  “Gentlemen, I need a minute of your time.”

  At the sound of Bailey’s feminine voice, the two men stopped their conversation and turned their attention to her. Fully.

  Immediately Marco felt his protective instincts kick in, and he moved closer to her. He knew Bailey was a seasoned FBI agent and was more than capable of taking care of herself, but he also had her back completely.

  “What do you want?” one of the men asked in a gruff tone.

  But it didn’t appear to faze Bailey. “You worked with Michael Rogers, correct? What do you know about him?”

  “Who are you?” the man asked.

  “Law enforcement,” Marco responded. “We’ve already talked to Frank, and we hope we can get your cooperation here.”

  “Rogers was bad news,” the other man said.

  “Why do you say that?” Bailey asked.

  “You couldn’t read him. It was like you were talking to a blank piece of paper, but I’m telling you there was ice in his veins. That’s one of the reasons he got his reputation for being a contract killer.”

  “And do you believe any of that?” Bailey asked. “Just because someone is a loner doesn’t mean they’re a killer.”

  “True enough,” the first man said. “But there was something different about him. It was like he was trying to be invisible. He would pop up when you least expected it, then”—he snapped his fingers—“the next moment he’d be gone. I just don’t trust men like that. What’s he done?”

  She looked at Marco, and he responded. “Rogers has been murdered.”

  The shorter of the two men whistled. “Well, maybe we weren’t too far off. He was up to something, I tell you.”

  “But you don’t have anything more to go on than your suspicions?” Bailey asked.

  They both shook their heads. “Nah. It was more of a gut feeling than anything.”

  The other man looked down. “And I wouldn’t have wanted him dead. He always treated me all right. It’s just that men that quiet make me nervous. I always worry about what they’re hiding.”

  Bailey gave each of them her card and thanked them before she and Marco exited the warehouse.

  “That was a lot more than we bargained for,” Bailey said.

  He patted her on the shoulder. “Told you we had to get our head out of the sand. Those stacks of papers would never have told us what
we just learned.”

  “True, but the stacks of paper, as you call them, do hold valuable intel of a different kind. We have to use all the resources at our disposal.”

  They were quiet for a few steps, both lost in their thoughts. “Who is this elusive Rogers? Could his killing be a coincidence?” Marco wondered.

  “I’m not a fan of coincidences.”

  Marco wasn’t either.

  CHAPTER

  THREE

  The next afternoon Bailey sat beside Marco in one of the NCIS interrogation rooms. Isabella was observing from the next room. Marco had said it would be a good learning experience for the rookie.

  After the interesting day they’d had yesterday, getting the lowdown on Rogers, now it was time to turn to the SEAL element of the investigation. They’d made their way through multiple interviews, and this was the last one of the day.

  The SEAL who sat across from them was all business.

  “Lieutenant Alvarez, how long have you led this platoon?” Marco asked.

  “A little over a year, sir,” he responded calmly.

  Bailey was content to let Marco take the lead for this interview. They had switched back and forth with the others. The SEAL team leader’s dark eyes met hers, and then moved back to Marco.

  “Do you know if Battle had any enemies?” Marco asked.

  Alvarez looked down and then back up. “If you’re asking if anyone would want to kill him, yes. There are plenty of whack jobs out there who would love to kill a Navy SEAL. But if you’re asking if I knew if anyone had a personal beef against him, well, it’s no secret that sometimes SEALs get into it with each other, but that’s to be expected. I might have witnessed a few skirmishes with team members, but I didn’t see anything that would explain what happened here.”