End Game

by Rachel Dylan

  “We don’t know,” Marco said. “Hopefully we can work together as needed.”

  “I’m all about getting this right,” Jay said.

  “COD?” Izzy asked, figuring it was as good a time as any for her to jump in.

  Jay turned toward her. “Gunshot wound to the head. Kill shot. I’d say by a sniper.”

  She frowned.

  “What’s wrong, Agent Cole?” Jay asked.

  She hesitated a moment, but Marco gave her a nod. “Our suspect in the two murders we’re working is a Navy SEAL.”

  Jay’s light brown eyes widened. “What? No one told me that part. I only heard about the victim.”

  “The thing is, we think there’s a possibility he was set up,” Marco said.

  “So what’s the rub?” Jay asked. “This COD is different than yours.”

  “Our suspect is not just a SEAL. He’s a sniper,” Bailey answered.

  Jay let out a low whistle. “Seems like you need to figure out where your sniper was this evening, and pronto.”

  Marco pulled out his cell. “On it.” He walked away, leaving Jay with Izzy and Bailey.

  “What makes you think the sniper was set up?” Jay asked Bailey.

  She looked down at the body and then turned her attention toward him. “Both men were stabbed, and the simulations we’ve been able to run make it look like it most likely had to have been done by two people. Our second victim was a very large Navy SEAL in top physical condition.”

  “What if the attacker was another trained SEAL, though?” Jay asked.

  Izzy wanted to answer, but she let Bailey take the lead.

  “It’s not impossible, but we looked at the simulation and included both men’s physical specifications. It’s a much more plausible scenario with two attackers.”

  Jay stepped back from the body. “And do you have any leads on motive for the setup?”

  Bailey nodded to Izzy, giving her the opening. “Not yet. We’re also struggling to find a link between the two victims, but we haven’t given up yet.”

  Jay frowned. “The more I hear, the less I like it.”

  “Then you can probably understand why we want to include you on this,” Bailey said.

  “Completely. Sounds like we have a lot of work to do.”

  Marco came back, his face red. “Kappen’s lawyer hasn’t heard from him today. She’s waiting on a call back from him.” He ran a hand through his unruly dark hair. “I hope we didn’t make a mistake by letting him go. If so, he could be long gone by now.”

  CHAPTER

  EIGHT

  Early the next morning, it was all hands on deck in the NCIS war room. Bailey was surrounded by Marco, Izzy, and Army CID agent Jay Graves. She was impressed by Jay so far. He’d been more than willing to collaborate and work with them instead of trying to take his case and run it in isolation. They had a solid team of people who wanted to get to the truth, and she was convinced they could do it.

  “We need to divide and conquer,” Marco said.

  Jay nodded. “Agreed. Also, for everyone’s benefit, we have a positive ID on our victim. Army Ranger P. J. Wexford. His family has been notified.”

  “Married?” Bailey asked.

  Jay shook his head. “No, but both his parents are still alive, and he has a brother.” He looked at Marco. “I think I need to take a trip down to Fort Benning in Georgia. That’s where Wexford was based.”

  “Good,” Marco said. “How about you take the rookie with you?”

  “Works for me. Why don’t we pack up and get transport?” Jay stood.

  Marco agreed. “The sooner the better. Bailey and I will stay here and keep working from this end.”

  Jay and Izzy gathered up their things and left Bailey and Marco alone in the war room.

  “What’s our plan?” Marco asked her.

  “I’m going through these phone records today. Trying to find any linkages.”

  He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Did you sleep any last night?”

  She laughed. “Do I look that bad?” She almost feared what his answer would be. She had learned quickly that Marco had no problem speaking his mind.

  He shook his head but kept his hand on her shoulder. “Bailey, I don’t think you could ever look bad, but you do look tired.”

  She hadn’t been expecting that response. It hit her that she cared how he saw her. Could she be crushing on him? She thought she’d successfully kept any budding feelings in check, but right now she was acutely aware that Marco’s hand lingered an extra moment on her shoulder before he moved away.

  The feelings bubbling up inside scared her. Thinking he was cute was one thing, but developing any real connection to him was another matter. Marco was in a high-risk profession much like her own. The idea of starting to care about someone only to lose them was too much for her to think about. Loss was something she knew all too well, and the best way she’d found to protect herself was by not letting a man near her heart.

  “Yeah, sleep isn’t coming easily these days,” she said. “I just lie in bed and keep running through the case. I can’t be a part of convicting an innocent man.”

  “I feel the same way, but no matter what our feelings are, we can’t ignore the evidence in front of us. And right now, that evidence says that Tobias Kappen killed two people in cold blood, and we can’t rule out a third victim.”

  She looked into his eyes. “And you know as well as I do that people can be framed. We just have to figure out why and who.” That was one of the many questions keeping her up at night.

  Marco took a seat beside her. “At times like this, do you wish you were Kappen’s attorney instead of an FBI agent?”

  She considered his question. “You know, I do have those moments, but one of the reasons I love being an FBI agent is the chance to forward the cause of justice. I think, in the bigger picture, I get to do that more in my current role—by catching real bad guys and helping put them away. The issue here is that I don’t think Kappen is a bad guy, and that’s what has my stomach churning.”

  Marco tapped his pen on the table. “And now we have to figure out how Wexford fits in.”

  “Do you think Kappen’s going to have an alibi this time?” she asked.

  “If he fled, we’re going to be in a serious mess. And it will tell me that we might have discounted the psychological angle too much. I’m still waiting to hear back from Lexi.”

  “Kappen didn’t flee.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because SEALs don’t cut and run.” Of that much she was certain.

  Marco quirked an eyebrow. “Even if they are still struggling with PTSD? Kappen’s a sniper. That means he’s taken a lot of lives in his career. Sometimes that is just too much for any man, no matter his strength.”

  “I know,” she said quietly.

  “You sure seem to have a lot of confidence in him.”

  She wanted to push Marco. “Admit it. This third murder only decreases the chances it’s him.”

  “Gunned down by a sniper rifle? I don’t know. You could argue just the opposite: It seals his guilt.”

  Bailey shook her head. “I disagree, but let’s get back to it and see what else we can find.”

  They sat at the large table, poring over documents for several hours. As she continued to scour the phone logs, Bailey had to reread the document in front of her a few times. She highlighted several call entries in bright yellow.

  “Marco,” she said loudly.

  He looked up from his stack of papers. “You have something?”

  “Yes.” This could be the break they were looking for. “You’re not going to believe this.”

  He stood and came around to her side of the table to sit beside her. “Tell me.”

  She slid the highlighted pages in front of him. “Battle and Rogers knew each other. These phone records show that they called each other at least three times over the past four months.”

  “How did Izzy miss this?” Marco’s ele
vated voice was filled with frustration.

  “Cut her some slack, Marco. I think she ran an electronic search. Sometimes, depending on how the data is stored, there can be misses. That’s why I wanted to double-check the hard copies. Remember, that’s why we have a team—to make sure we cover all our bases.”

  Marco ran his hand through his hair. “So Battle and Rogers were communicating, but about what? And how do they even know each other?”

  “That’s what we need to find out.”

  “And you didn’t see anything showing that Kappen called or was called by either man?” Marco asked.

  “Nothing.” Bailey groaned. “Maybe Battle and Rogers got into trouble together and were killed for it. We need to take a harder look at their financials. Maybe there’s some sort of gambling debt angle or something like that.”

  “But why frame Kappen? If this was an organized crime hit, they usually don’t care about these things as long as they can’t be directly connected to the murder.”

  Bailey didn’t have an answer to that. Nor did she have answers for the million other questions floating around her overworked brain.

  When Lexi finally got ahold of Tobias, she had chewed him out for making her sweat out the night. Now, a couple of hours later, she was meeting him in person at a diner. He claimed he had to drive from the base back up to DC, but she was suspicious. After everything she’d done so far, sticking her neck out for him, he’d better not be lying to her.

  “Do you realize how much trouble you’re in right now?” She looked right into his blue eyes.

  He hung his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

  “I don’t need apologies. I need the truth. Now.” She picked up her coffee mug and took a big drink.

  “I was on base until I drove up here to meet you. The reason I didn’t answer your calls is because I was assisting in an extensive training exercise, and we weren’t allowed to have our phones with us. After the training was over, I completely crashed. I wasn’t purposely evading you. I hope you realize I wouldn’t do that.”

  His explanation made her feel a little better. “Just to be clear, last night between the hours of seven and eleven p.m. you were still on base?” She’d expanded the range a bit to make sure she had the full picture.

  “Yes. I didn’t leave until I came here today. You can verify that through the base entrance and exit records.”

  If that was true, it would be the best news she’d heard in a long time, but she wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. “Can anyone else verify your whereabouts?”

  He shook his head. “Probably not. I was alone at my place on base.”

  It was time to break the news. “There’s been another murder. This time an Army Ranger. And he was shot by a sniper.”

  Tobias shook his head. “It wasn’t me. That much I promise you, and this time I can prove where I was.”

  “I’ll talk to base security right away.” This might just be what she needed to clear his name once and for all. “I’ve also got to call NCIS. They’ve been hassling me.”

  “At least now maybe this thing can be over. Right?”

  “If we can get the information from the base showing you were there, it will go a long way toward making the case for your innocence.”

  She needed to start making phone calls ASAP.

  “Why did Lexi call you instead of returning my call?” Marco asked Bailey that evening.

  Bailey smirked. “I don’t think she likes you very much.”

  He shook his head. “She thinks she can bond with you.”

  She smiled. “She thinks she can reason with me.”

  Marco threw up his hands. “And I’m not reasonable? Look at me. I wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  “Remember the last interrogation?” The comeback rolled off her tongue, but it was all lighthearted. Marco was just giving her a hard time. He knew full well that he’d been the bad cop. She almost thought he was flirting with her.

  “So what did Lexi say?”

  “That she’s gathering evidence that will clear Kappen of the third murder.” Bailey hoped Lexi would come through.

  “Sounds like he finally has an alibi.”

  “Which would clear him of murder number three and provide more ammunition that he was framed for the first two.”

  “But then we’re back at square one with absolutely zero suspects.”

  That didn’t seem like a good alternative either, but at least they wouldn’t be going after an innocent man. “We now know there’s a connection between Battle and Rogers. I think at the end of the day, we’re going to find all three men knew each other.”

  Marco leaned in. “We also have to consider that murder number three is completely unconnected.”

  Bailey knew he was right, but it was unlikely. “I think the chances of that are low, but I get your point. Which is why I’m focusing on connecting the dots between Wexford and the other two men.”

  Marco looked down at his watch. “We worked another long one, but at least I feel like we’re making progress. If we can clear Kappen, even if it’s just for murder number three, that would be helpful.”

  Bailey stretched her arms above her head and yawned. “Are we calling it a day?”

  “Yeah. I’m beat. I think your insomnia has worn off on me.” He grinned and gave her arm a light punch.

  Yeah, definitely flirting. She felt like an idiot, unsure how to respond, but she also wasn’t sure if this was just Marco’s way. His outgoing and playful personality shined through. She took the easy way out and didn’t respond directly.

  They said their good-nights and agreed to meet tomorrow at seven thirty to get started. Bailey was a morning person, so that wouldn’t be a problem for her.

  It was already eight o’clock, but she’d skipped her run for a couple of days, and she refused to let that keep happening. She told herself that she’d run tonight, but first she had to make the hour commute home. At least at this later hour, traffic was more manageable.

  As she drove, she thought back to her interactions with Marco. She didn’t know how she felt about him, but she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that she was attracted to him. Lord, I’m scared to open up to him. What if I get hurt?

  And what if she was misreading him completely and he wasn’t interested in her? She knew she’d never be the one to make the first move. They had a case that needed their full attention, but one day this case would be over.

  Her psychoanalysis was starting to tire her. Why do I have to be so messed up about this, God?

  Her faith had ultimately gotten stronger after her parents’ deaths, but it had taken years to get to where she was now. She didn’t know what the Lord had in store for her life beyond feeling like she was in the right place as an FBI agent. In the romance department, though, she wasn’t sure. She’d been on a date here or there, but her time and energy were focused on her job, and the spare time she did have, she poured into her friendships with Viv and Layla.

  She pulled into her assigned parking spot in her apartment complex’s garage. After sitting in the car for an hour, she was more ready than ever for a run. I’ll be glad I did it in the morning.

  Bailey grabbed her small purse and workbag and stepped out of her black Durango. She closed the door and turned around, but she was immediately thrown against the SUV, her back connecting hard against the vehicle. She let out a surprised scream at the unexpected physical contact.

  A large man with a black ski mask and piercing blue eyes grabbed her neck and squeezed.

  Lord, please help me.

  She’d been trained in hand-to-hand combat and advanced self-defense techniques at Quantico, but she was momentarily paralyzed with fear and wondered if she was about to die.

  As her attacker tightened his grip on her neck, her survival instincts finally kicked in—along with her training.

  Not today.

  Bailey jammed her knee up—hard—making contact with her attacker’s abdomen, which caused him to
loosen his grip. She had two choices: go for her gun or keep fighting. In a split-second decision, she shoved him away from her and started to go for her side arm. A weapon was always preferable when you were weaker.

  But her assailant was faster. He picked her up and slammed her down on the concrete garage floor. Her head pounded and her ears rang from the impact. One more punch to the face, and she was barely conscious. She heard herself cry out. Her eyes squeezed shut in pain. Lord, please, I need you now.

  Bailey opened her eyes, expecting to see the attacker coming in for the kill, but instead she saw nothing. He was gone. She rolled to her right and saw he’d taken her purse and workbag.

  She racked her brain, thinking about what was in her workbag. She’d brought home some copies of the phone records in case she wasn’t able to sleep. Plus her handwritten notes about the case were in her notebook.

  Pain radiated through her entire body. Thankfully her phone was in her jacket pocket and not in her purse. She dialed for help.

  When Marco got the text from Bailey that she was being held at the hospital overnight for observation, there was no way he was going to sit at home. He made the drive and arrived at the Arlington-area hospital to search for her. Flashing a smile and his credentials certainly helped get cooperation from the duty nurse.

  Marco arrived at room 314 and heard a set of distinctly female voices. The door was open, but he still knocked gently before poking his head in. He saw two women at Bailey’s bedside.

  “Marco. I told you that you didn’t have to come. It’s after midnight,” Bailey said.

  He walked over to the other side of her bed. “Are you all right? What happened?” There was a fresh bruise on the side of her face, and her neck was red. Seeing that made him seethe.

  He glanced over at the other women.

  “Marco, these are my friends Vivian Steele and Layla Karam.”

  Vivian, a pretty brunette with big hazel eyes, offered her hand. Then he turned and shook Layla’s hand. The petite, dark-haired woman with olive skin and chocolate-colored eyes was striking. “Wish we were meeting under different circumstances,” he said.

  “Us too,” Vivian said.