Pledging to Die (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 11)

by Morgan Kelley

  “They were going to rape her,” he whispered, his bloody fingers slipping off her arm. “I couldn’t let them hurt her.”

  Elizabeth wanted to weep and scream at the same time. They’d been stupid, but again, she’d been there before herself. What person in love hadn’t?

  “I hear the ambulance crew,” stated Jason Blaise, looking worried.

  Elizabeth didn't move until one of them could take over keeping her agent’s head up. Once he was in good hands, she moved out of the way and let them do their job.

  Later, she’d do hers.

  Someone was going to get their ass handed to them.

  Broken ribs or not.

  The ride in the ambulance was excruciating.

  Brody simply wanted some meds to dull the terrible pain filling his body, but he wouldn’t take them. When they offered morphine, he refused.

  While they poked and prodded him, all he cared about was Joey.

  Every time he asked about her, they would shove the oxygen mask back over his face and tell him to stop talking. If he could feel his lower body, he would have crawled into her ambulance, instead of Ethan Blackhawk going with her.

  Now, Elizabeth was sitting beside him as the guys worked on him.

  “Boss…”

  “Shut up,” she ordered, not looking at him. “You’re a hot mess, Agent, and when they put you and your partner back together again, I’m going to enjoy kicking your ass.”

  “Please,” he begged, getting her attention. “It’s my fault.”

  She didn't want to feel bad for him. Elizabeth wanted to be angry.

  He could feel the pain meds being shoved into the IV in his hand. “Please.”

  He reached blindly for her hand. When he found her fingers, his closed over them. “Elizabeth, please.”

  She stared at him. “What, Agent?”

  More blood bubbled out from his nose, so she leaned down to hear him.

  “Call my dad. Tell him I’m okay but not to come. Then please get them to put Joey and I together. Please. I fucked up. I’m sorry.”

  He closed his eyes, and the heart monitor kept blinking.

  “Is he okay?” she asked, fearing the worst.

  The medic nodded, “He’s fine, Director. He’s just out from the morphine. He’ll wake up after they fix him up. He’s likely got a collapsed lung. If he’s lucky, it won’t’ be surgery.”

  When they parked in the ER bay, they pulled him out fast, rushing him through the doors.

  Elizabeth stood there as the second ambulance pulled up, doing the exact same thing with Johanna. She was still out, and the men transporting her looked just as harried.

  She wanted to be sick.

  When Ethan joined her, they watched the doors close. “Callen is helping the sheriff transport, and Merry is out at the scene gathering any evidence. They have the hypodermic, and by morning, they’ll have fingerprints. Then we can pin this on him.”

  She touched his arm. “We need to talk.”

  He didn't like the sound of that.

  “I’m going to be very mad, aren’t I?”

  “Yeah, Cowboy, you are.”

  “Just tell me.”

  So, she just laid it out for her husband. There was no point softening it, since he couldn’t kill the agents right now either. She told him about Johanna’s plan, Brody taking the blame, and Jason Blaise being their wing man in the stupid mission.

  “They went behind my back and did it anyway?” he asked incredulously. “I told them not to do this. No, I ordered them to not do this.”

  “Well, they didn't listen.”

  “They’re fired.”

  She could tell from the look on his face that Ethan wasn’t kidding. There were stress lines around his mouth, and his hair was pulled back. When it came down to running FBI West, he didn't bend the rules as much as she did. If he gave an order, he expected it to be followed. While he used to be cowboy with his own life, he didn't run his shop that way.

  The opposite was true.

  “I’m so damn mad!”

  It occurred to her that he looked so much older tonight, since he was carrying the weight of what happened on his shoulders.

  “We’re not firing them, Ethan.”

  He stared at her. “What? Who are you? I assumed that you’d have my back on this one. You love a good agent roasting.”

  She laughed, and it was the first genuine one she’d had since they arrived at that clearing to find their agents.

  “We have the frat boys dead to rights.” Then she told them about how Jason Blaise had recorded the com conversation. “He’s back at the hotel transcribing the report. If they admitted to doing this, or used each other’s names, we have them. Johanna, while a big idiot, did something right. If you think about it, we put her in this as the bait. She simply took it further than we were comfortable, and now she’s paying for it. Brody too. This ends here and now.”

  “We have to punish them, Elizabeth. If we let them off, that’s a sign that we won’t follow through. We can’t let that happen. They have to know when we lay down the law, we mean it.”

  She knew it.

  “They’re like our children, Ethan. You get mad, and then you get over it. We’ll desk them for a couple weeks, and then give them really shitty assignments like surveillance. If we make them sit in some smelly, piss filled alley, they’ll learn their lesson, and fast.”

  Ethan’s cheek twitched.

  “They’re good agents. We can’t flush their careers over this. We probably should, since they’re menaces, but don’t they remind you of someone?”

  “Yeah, us. That’s what I worry about. You and I don’t listen. Think about how many times we nearly died because of it.”

  She kissed him. “Let’s torture them for a while, and then we’ll really have fun.”

  He laughed. “I’m glad you love me.”

  “Yeah, you should be.”

  “I’m still pissed,” he stated. “This was bad.”

  Elizabeth knew how to calm him down. “Once upon a time, there was a Native named,” she began, pausing to make up a name, “Bethan Elackhawk.”

  He started laughing.

  “He was so badass, that he was given the nickname ‘Cowboy’. When his boss asked him to do things, he did the exact opposite.”

  “And what happened to this Bethan Elackhawk?” he asked.

  “Had he listened to his boss, he never would have found the love of his life in a small backwoods town. Now he and Blizabeth Elackhawk, and Wallen Chitefox live happily ever after.”

  “There is something seriously wrong with you.”

  “Golly. You just noticed? Here I’ve been putting so much effort into it.”

  “Okay. I won’t fire his ass, but you’re handling this. You save them, so you raise them.”

  She snorted. “They’re not kittens in a bag that were saved from a river.”

  “They might as well be. You’re adopting more family. They’re like kids? Well, congrats! You’re their new momma bird.”

  “Shut up.”

  He laughed.

  “Brody wanted us to call his father, but to tell him not to come,” she stated.

  Blackhawk shrugged. “Well, consider this part of his punishment. His father’s been notified and is on his way.”

  Just then, her phone rang.

  “Yo, Chris. I’m a little busy. What’s up?” she asked.

  “We have another body. Campus security just called it in. They found her by a parking lot on the East end of campus.”

  She glanced over at her husband. “I’ll send Ethan. You’ll have to divide up the team and get both scenes done.”

  “I already have. I’m in route right now. I have Doctor Leape on the way in to help. With the sheer volume of bodies, I need a second set of eyes.”

  She heard him.

  This was getting crazy.

  “Call me when you get time of death,” she stated, on a hunch. “Okay. Will do.”

  With that,
he hung up.

  Ethan watched her. “Where am I going now?”

  “I need you to call Callen to pick you up. Chris got a call. We have another victim just outside a parking lot on the school campus.”

  He looked at his watch.

  “Jesus.”

  “Yeah, this killer sucks with the timing.”

  Blackhawk pointed out the obvious. “Unless that girl was there for a while, there’s no way any of the frat boys could have killed her. They were too busy kicking the shit out of our agents.”

  “They lucked out. They won’t get the chair.”

  Blackhawk pulled out his phone and began walking away. “Oh, by the way, Blizabeth Elackhawk,” he called.

  “Yes?”

  “If you let them off too easy, I’m going to be pissed. At least toss in some psychological torture for me.”

  She laughed.

  “Yee haw, Cowboy! That’s my favorite kind.”

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  When Callen picked him up, they hightailed it to the crime scene. As they got there, it was hard to miss that there were already a hell of a lot of people gathering. Being that this was right off the parking lot, there was really no way to keep them all back.

  When they saw the school reporter standing there, that was the least of their problems. Someone had called a local TV station, and they were desperately trying to get their attention.

  Yeah, this was bad.

  “Rock, paper, scissors?” Ethan asked, desperately hopping he wouldn’t lose. He didn't want to deal with the media.

  “Yup.”

  They did it, and Callen patted him on the shoulder, right before heading over to the ME and tech team.

  The victory was his.

  “What do you have?” he asked, ducking under the yellow crime tape.

  “Campus cops called the sheriff, who called the ME, who called me, and we’re neck deep in victims here.”

  Didn’t he know it?

  If Chris thought that was bad, they had the dubious job of solving this mess. While he was done after an autopsy, they had to find the lunatic doing this.

  “I really need a TOD, and then I’ll let you do your thing. Right now, Elizabeth has the frat boys in a tank, and we need to know if the killer struck at the same time.”

  Chris got it.

  This time, he wouldn’t even put up a fight.

  Pulling out his liver probe, he took a reading. When he did the math, he glanced up. “She’s been dead a little over an hour. It looks like your frat boys are in the clear.”

  “You made an arrest?” Doctor Leape asked, making notes for Doctor Leonard.

  “Yes, but not for these killings. Unfortunately for our killer, he didn't know that we were on the move. If he was trying to make them look bad, he screwed up. This body is what will clear the five men of murder,” Callen stated.

  Doctor Leape whistled. “I’ve lived here all my life until I went to med school. This is the first crime like this here. It used to be so quiet.”

  “It’ll go back to being peaceful again,” stated Chris. “Right after Elizabeth kicks someone’s ass.”

  “What’s missing?” Callen asked.

  “I thought you said TOD and that’s it?” Chris asked, riding Callen. It wasn’t often that they had a new director running the scene. While Ethan was playing with the media, Director Whitefox was playing boss.

  Chris loved screwing with his family.

  “Well, that’s okay. I’ll guess. From the hole in her abdomen, I’ll say her thyroid.”

  Chris stared at him openmouthed. “You have to be kidding me.”

  He shook his head, well aware of the man’s antics. He’d watched his woman in action, and he knew how to screw with the man. If he let Chris gain the upper hand, he’d never be able to control the mayhem.

  “What? I know I’m right. There’s that song.”

  Chris stared at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You know. The thyroid’s connected to the mandible, the mandible’s connected to tibia, the tibia’s connected to the…”

  “Stop. Just stop. You three are sick. Her twisted humor leached into two other people, and I have to stop it.”

  Callen started laughing. “Spill it, Doc, and I won’t tell her you’re messing with her favorite Native.”

  “I’m telling Ethan.”

  He laughed more. “Go ahead. They all know the truth.”

  Chris grimaced. “Her uterus and ovaries were taken, okay?”

  Callen made notes. “Now, was that so damn hard, Chris? You could just learn to play nice and save yourself some time.”

  “She’s made you just like her.”

  “Yee haw, ME.”

  The other doctor watched them curiously. He wasn’t sure if this was normal, or out of the ordinary.

  “Get a rush on this one,” Callen stated.

  “Hey! I have a victim at the morgue that she gave me until tomorrow to complete. You can get this one after that.”

  Whitefox shook his head. “Sorry, Doctor Leonard, but it’s after twelve right now. It’s technically Sunday, and I bet as soon as she’s done watching over our agents, she’s going to be heading your way.”

  “Well shit.”

  Time must had gotten away from him.

  “You have two bodies, and two ME’s. This sounds like a no brainer to me,” Callen said, heading toward his brother. “You should divide and conquer.”

  “You used to be the nice one!” Chris shouted, getting a laugh from his one boss.

  “Is it always like this around here?” Doctor Leape asked, fascinated.

  “Yeah, pretty much. Why do you ask?”

  “This town is pretty damn boring. I was thinking of expanding my horizons.”

  He stared at him. “And that means?”

  “I might just apply to work for the FBI. Hey! Maybe we could share a lab together. We could be besties.”

  Chris bit his tongue.

  Seriously?

  Could the universe hate him more?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sunday Morning

  By the time the doctors checked both agents out, Elizabeth Blackhawk had worn a path in the ER room floor. She was irritated at herself, her agents, and the frat boys.

  They’d come close to killing Johanna Madden and Broderick Seaton.

  Damn close.

  Anymore Xanax, and they would have overdosed Johanna right into a comma. As soon as the doctors began working on her, they were pretty sure she’d be okay.

  Well, that was over six hours ago.

  Now, she was waiting for news from Brody’s doctor. He had a few broken ribs and a punctured lung. Fortunately for him, it was small, and he narrowly escaped having to have a tube inserted.

  At that moment, they were getting them stabilized to be placed in a room, but there was no peace. She was pissed, riled, and edgy as hell. Not only had her agents disobeyed, but they could have both died.

  This was one hell of a mess.

  When a panicked man entered, looking around like he was lost, Elizabeth knew exactly who he was. This had to be Broderick’s father. There were similarities.

  “Mr. Seaton?” she called, crossing the room to catch him before he hit the nurses’ desk. The least she could do was try and help him.

  “Yes, are you a doctor?”

  She tapped the badge on her hip after lifting her blazer. “No, I’m your son’s boss.” Elizabeth made the introductions before leading him toward a set of chairs.

  “Is he okay?” he asked, running his hand through the same chestnut colored hair his son had.

  She told him everything she knew. “I’m waiting on the doctor too. He should be out shortly.”

  He looked sick. “My wife died a few years ago. Brody is all I have left. I know we’ve had our bumpy moments, but I love my boy,” he stated.

  “Well, he’s getting the best care. I promise.”

  The man sat beside her.
“Who did this to my son?”

  She told him the entire thing, just leaving out the names of the suspects. They’d be in the news soon enough, and she didn’t know what this man was capable of in his anger.

  One never knew.

  “His partner is hurt?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Yeah, they both got the shit kicked out of them. The doctors are working on her back there too.”

  “The last time I spoke to Brody, he told me that he was dating someone. Is she here? I’d like to meet her. Like I said, my boy and I don’t get along. If I’m going to get an introduction, this is the only way it’s going to happen.”

  This put her in a sticky predicament.

  Then again, they broke the rules, so why the hell not? Maybe this would teach them a lesson.

  “Johanna Madden is his partner and girlfriend.”

  “Oh, no! Is she going to be okay?”

  “Yes, but it was touch and go for a while.”

  He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, there was laughter there.

  Elizabeth was pretty sure that nothing she stated was remotely entertaining. “Did I miss a private joke?”

  “Let me explain. My wife and I weren’t exactly law abiding citizens. It’s just funny that my boy, who watched me break the law every day, is not only a Fed, but is dating one. That’s funny as hell to me.”

  “Are we talking murder or…” she asked, pointing to the badge to give him a reminder.

  He snorted, patting her on the leg. “Hell no. I was a bookie. That’s about it. I ran numbers with the best of them. In fact, I taught Brody how to do it, and he had a knack. I really thought he’d follow in my footsteps, but he was stubborn.”

  Elizabeth was amused.

  A psych evaluation only went so far, and apparently the man beside her wasn’t too bad, since their background check never pulled anything up on him.

  As she was about to make a comment, the doors opened and a doctor came out.

  “Director, your agents are ready to go up to a room. Johanna Madden is stabilized, and she’s awake, and Broderick Seaton is sedated and pumped full of pain meds.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.”

  “I’ll have the nurse escort you up to their rooms.”