Deep Dark Mire (An FBI Romance Thriller ~ book four)

by Kelley, Morgan

  Elizabeth started laughing. “I’m screwed. You plan on using this the rest of our lives.”

  “I’d be more worried about the pictures the techs took of you in just the cutoffs and bikini top. They are going to be on the internet by nightfall, as soon as they get reception to upload them to all the social media outlets. I can see it now. ‘Hot FBI babe in the swamp’ looking for corpses. Your badge hung in just the right spot.”

  “What?” Now he had her attention. “They were taking pictures?”

  Whitefox laughed. “I can’t blame them. I would have too, but I know better.” He patted her on the ass and walked away, supremely happy to finally catch her off guard.

  Elizabeth whistled. Everyone looked except Whitefox. “I will be confiscating phones immediately. If anyone has pictures of me on it, consider yourself not leaving this swamp alive,” she stated, and watched the three techs scramble.

  “You better have deleted and not emailed, boys. Or you’ll be having a talk with Director Blackhawk. You know him right? Big scary Native man that is very fond of his wife and mother of his child.”

  Whitefox laughed even harder as the men both looked scared shitless.

  He loved working with Elizabeth a great deal. There just was never a boring day.

  Tuesday Mid-Morning

  Ethan opted to take his wife’s rental car instead of one of the FBI vehicles. It smelled like her perfume, and he liked feeling like she was close by, and not out in the middle of an alligator infested swamp. If she played nice with local law enforcement officers, he would have insisted that she took the safer assignment and he’d be there in her place.

  Now Blackhawk just needed to trust that his brother would have his partner’s back and take care of his wife like she was his own. Then he nearly laughed, because that was probably what was happening.

  Callen was crazy in love with Elizabeth, and it was blatantly obvious to everyone who watched him. That now including the ex-fiancée, who was sitting silently beside him at that very moment. Ethan noticed that her hand was bare of the family ring, and he made a mental note to confiscate it and place it in the family safe back home with its matching mate.

  “Callen dumped me,” she said, suddenly.

  Well bloody hell, this was going to be very uncomfortable. Ethan didn’t do heart to heart talks very well, because he wasn’t a ‘share emotions’ kind of guy. His brother was the sensitive one. He was the problem solver.

  “I’m aware, Doctor Adare. I spoke to Elizabeth last night.” At her name, he noticed she flinched visibly.

  “Callen told me he’s in love with her and always will be.”

  Blackhawk didn’t know if she was telling him to piss him off or just continuing the conversation. She wasn’t telling him anything that he wasn’t aware of and Ethan could have just as easily pointed out that his wife loved him right back.

  “I don’t think I can go back after all this is done. I may sell the house and everything in it. Please have Callen have his stuff out.” Desdemona liked her house, but she couldn’t live there and just know what happened next door. Or to work with the three of them it was just too painful.

  “His things are already out.”

  Of course they were. Desdemona was sure they helped him too, in his hurry to purge his life of her. Damn Elizabeth and the rest of the Blackhawk family.

  “Are you giving me your notification that you’re quitting?” he asked, calmly. “If you want a letter of recommendation, I will gladly give it, despite the lying, the slapping and the general belligerent behavior on your behalf.”

  Her head snapped over and she glared at him.

  Blackhawk gave Desdemona credit. She said nothing, but her eyes said it all. There was no love lost now between her and any of them now. He made a mental note to file the paperwork for her discharge.

  Blackhawk’s phone beeped, alerting him he had a message.

  ‘Call me when you’re free.’

  Elizabeth wouldn’t just text him randomly, unless there was a situation that needed his attention. He hit speed dial and it started ringing.

  “Ethan, long story short, I may lose you. We’re still out in the swamp and the reception sucks, but we have an issue.”

  “What is it?” he asked, being cautious of what he said in the confines of the vehicle.

  “Are you on speaker?”

  “No, go ahead.”

  “We definitely have two bodies,” she said, then started breaking it down for him. She told him about Desdemona’s mother and then the fact that the bones fit the profile. “I want to ship the skull back for facial reconstruction.”

  “You think you're right?” he asked.

  “I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach, and it’s not a good feeling either. Callen is pretty stirred up too. I want to keep all the information regarding the second body from Doctor Adare. I’ve already told the tech team to keep it silent. I think if we’re wrong it’ll be a hard blow to swallow, and if we’re right same deal. We need to move her into the bed and breakfast. If that’s her mom and sister, she’s next.”

  “You're too kind.”

  Elizabeth heard the blasé tone and knew she had to be right there. “Is she busting balls over Cal?” she asked, dropping her voice.

  “Yes, you know how it is.”

  Elizabeth felt bad for her husband. Ethan didn’t really do girl drama very well. She was low maintenance, so the bullshit wasn’t something he was accustomed to facing daily. If she had an issue she’d just beat it out of them and then let it go. “Uncomfortable?”

  Blackhawk laughed. “Yeah, you better believe it. You owe me one.”

  Now she was laughing. “You’re breaking up sexy. I have to get out of this cesspool and soon. “Oh, by the way, honey, there was an incident with this water moccasin, me accidentally slicing Callen’s wrist and me having to take my top off. I love you.”

  That had his attention. “Elizabeth! Are you guys okay?”

  Desdemona jumped in the seat beside him at the tone of his voice. Ethan Blackhawk didn’t yell often.

  Elizabeth was breaking up and laughing at the same time. “I’ll tell you when we meet up.”

  Then she was gone.

  “Are they okay?” asked Desdemona concerned. Was it too much to hope Elizabeth was swallowed by a gator? Yeah, that was petty of her, but a girl could hope and dream.

  “Yeah, I think she was just trying to torment me.” He hoped at least. They pulled into the sheriff’s station and parked. “I’ll handle Sheriff Denton. Just stay calm and don’t lose it.”

  She looked over at him. “I rarely lose it, Director. I’m a trained professional and not a child.”

  Blackhawk didn’t like the tone. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I must have gotten you confused with the woman that got drunk and slapped her boss, my wife, and then proceeded to punch my brother too.”

  It was a direct hit and registered.

  “I’ll say nothing.”

  Blackhawk walked into the office, lifted his sunglasses and looked around. There was one deputy, and then an office. “Excuse me. I need to speak to Sheriff Louis Denton.”

  “Sheriff, there’s a man out here to see you,” he yelled into the office.

  “Okay, coming.”

  Blackhawk stood, saying nothing. When the man emerged he waited calmly until he came over. “Sheriff, I’m Director Ethan Blackhawk of the FBI.” He held out his hand and greeted him pleasantly or at least tried. “I’m here regarding the disappearance of Cordelia Adare over two weeks ago.”

  “You’re a little late Director. We had a woman here just the other day, about yay tall,” he held up his hand to his nose. “Pretty thing with a really great body and hot as hell. She tried to get the report, and she couldn’t get it out of me. But you have a nice day regardless.” Denton was laughing, as he turned around.

  Few things could push Ethan Blackhawk over the edge. He’d handled racist comments about his heritage without flinching, comments about him being nothing
more than an ‘Indian’, but his wife was his hot button.

  “Thank you for confirming that my WIFE is attractive and hot, but I was already aware. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled that you find her to be acceptable. After all, it’s so important in our line of work that the local law finds us sexy,” he said, sarcastically and then had the man’s attention.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just,” he started and was cut off.

  “I’m here to notify you that we found two bodies, and we’re claiming jurisdiction on them as of right now. One we believe to be Cordelia Adare, and the other to be unknown.” This was the tricky part of not eluding to the fact it could be Desdemona’s mother.

  “I don’t think so, Director.”

  “Oh, I do. Add to that I’m claiming it because there’s a stalker involved that blew up FBI property in the process. It’s our issue now that it crossed state lines. Then you can toss in that the bodies were discovered on Native American land. We now are leading this investigation.”

  The man said nothing.

  “So, I’m OFFICIALLY requesting the missing person report and any follow-up paperwork that you have stating what measures your department took to find the missing woman.”

  Sheriff Louis Denton crossed his arms. “Where exactly did you find the bodies?”

  Blackhawk grinned his famous smile that always put people at ease, right before he struck. “Well since you’ve been so forthcoming and helpful I will tell you that we found them in a swamp.”

  “This whole town is a swamp.”

  “Exactly.” And then Ethan went in for the kill for his comments about his wife. “Here it only took my people three days to find not one body, but two, and your department who is based here still had nothing. Hey! I bet the pretty thing with the great body, and who is hot as hell, is just really good at her job. We’re transporting to your local ME facility. We hear you no longer have one on staff, and we’re commandeering it under federal jurisdiction.”

  “This is complete and total bullshit.”

  “Oh, your day is going to get worse shortly. I’m going to tell my co-director and partner what you said, and then let her chew you up and have you as a snack. Hope your medical is paid up. You might want to look into supplemental insurance for long term disability. She’s hell on pompous jackwagons that think she’s just a piece of ass.”

  Blackhawk dropped his glasses back on his face and turned to leave. “I don’t need that copy of the report. I’m sure it’s blank. Consider this your ‘official’ FBI notification. My team’s on the ground and my wife is about to stir up Cypress Grove to find a killer. Have a good day, Sheriff Denton.”

  Blackhawk strolled out with Desdemona beside him.

  “I really want to be there when the body gets brought in,” she said. “I need to see if it’s my sister.”

  “We both know that’s not happening Doctor Adare. You know what the victim’s going to look like after two weeks in the heat. “Give the team a few hours to get you the ID, and then you can see her if it’s a match. As family, you have a right to see the body.”

  Desdemona didn’t like the answer, but she understood why they were road blocking her now. “Okay.”

  “Pack up your things and move to the bed and breakfast and possibly I’ll let you help in the lab.”

  “I’m fine out at the house,” but she knew her grand'mere was going back out to look for roots today, and she’d be alone. God, she wished Callen was still in love with her and there right now. Desdemona could use a friend.

  “If you don’t comply, you don’t assist. It’s the end of discussion. I’ll spend the next part of my day making sure you’re kept out by an armed guard if need be. Maybe Elizabeth would like the job, seeing you already got your shot in and she owes you one.”

  Desdemona knew he’d do it. Ethan did what he said, and meant what he threw out there. Director Blackhawk wasn’t one who would bullshit without absolute follow-up. “What do you need?”

  “Something of your sisters with DNA that we can use to get do a comparison,” Ethan looked up in the rearview mirror, only to see that they had company. Obviously, the sheriff really wanted the bodies the tech team found.

  “Back at my grand'mere’s house there’s a hairbrush in her room, and a toothbrush.” Desdemona hoped it wasn’t her sister, but what was she supposed to do? This was life, and she understood death.

  “We’ll run it against your DNA too on file at FBI West.”

  Desdemona didn’t know if she should say anything. “I don’t know who my dad is, and I can’t be sure if Cordelia and I had the same father. My mom wouldn’t tell us.”

  “Does your grandmother know?” he asked, glancing over at her.

  “I don’t know. Grand'mere won’t talk about it.”

  “We’re going to lay low until the team removes the bodies. The sheriff sicked a tail on us to lead them there, and I need to buy them some time.” He pulled into a coffee shop. “Let’s go get a drink, Doctor Adare.”

  “Okay, Director.” Desdemona followed him into the coffee shop and looked around. Everyone stared, and gratefully it wasn’t at her this time. It could have something to do with the giant man beside her in the very expensive clothing and sunglasses. Or the fact he wasn’t wearing his suit jacket, and clipped to his hip was his gun and shiny FBI badge, face out for the world to see.

  Blackhawk ordered them both coffee and sauntered to the table closest to the window. He pulled out his phone, calling his wife.

  “Hey Cowboy this is really bad timing. I’m ass deep in swamp water and trying to not get some funky water borne illness or leeches in really inconvenient places,” she said, laughing when her team started snickering.

  “Just giving you a heads up. Sheriff has been notified and he set a deputy on me to find the bodies. I’m holed up at a coffee shop. You’re probably going to have someone staking out the tech vans when you come out of the swamp.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Thanks Ethan. Just so you know, next time you get the gators and swamp.”

  “Deal, and Desdemona has agreed to move into the bed and breakfast for the time being.”

  Elizabeth was surprised, but then she glanced over at Whitefox. Her bet was she was going to try and get him to change his mind. “Callen doesn’t want back on that train, and I tend to agree.”

  Blackhawk got it. “Hand your phone to Julian.” He waited until the man came on the line. “I have another assignment for you if you're interested.”

  “If it involves a swamp, then no freaking way.”

  “I need a body guard.”

  He didn’t think twice. “Hell yeah I’m in.” He figured he’d be guarding Elizabeth Blackhawk’s body, and he’d seen her in a bikini top. He’d stand in a swamp to do that any day or on his head on shards of glass.

  Blackhawk looked at the phone. That was easy. “Okay, Doctor Adare needs company round the clock.” The woman didn’t look happy, and he wasn’t sure if it was because he just got her a babysitter or because it wasn’t Callen.

  “Damn, it’s not Elizabeth.”

  Blackhawk lifted a brow. “Uh, not my wife, no. Why? Does she need a body guard?”

  Julian started laughing. “Oh yeah she does,” he said, handing the phone back.

  “Ethan?” asked Elizabeth.

  “Why does Julian want to guard your body?” he inquired, needed to know. “Other than the aesthetic reasons?” He knew it was going to piss him off, but as husband he was obligated to ask.

  “Ethan, you’re breaking up.”

  Elizabeth hung up the phone and started laughing, and then pointed at Littlemoon. “You’re first on my ass kicking list as soon as I get my cowboy boots back on,” she said, holding her side of the body bag.

  “I so can’t wait,” he snickered and earned a dirty look from Whitefox.

  “You’re going to be waiting until hell freezes over, Julian,” muttered Callen. “She’s not kicking your ass, I am.

  It only made him laugh more.<
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  ~ Chapter Nine ~

  Tuesday Afternoon

  The team stopped at the edge of the swamp and true to Blackhawk’s warning, they had company. Jonathan Delray was sitting in his patrol car, watching their tech van like a hawk. Now Elizabeth needed to find a way to distract him.

  “I can shoot him,” offered Whitefox, grinning.

  “We need to get these bodies past him and to the van. I don’t see how we’re going to pull this off,” added Doctor Leonard. “Unless,” he looked over at Elizabeth. “Hey, Miss Kitty?”

  “Oh Jesus Christ,” she muttered and knew where he was going with it. “Seriously Chris?”

  “News flash! You’re the only one in a bikini top, and I’m betting if you walked into the yard without your vest and guns he’d think you were coming from behind the house laying in the sun.”

  Whitefox was horrified and intrigued to see if she’d do it for a myriad of reasons, mostly because he was fascinated to see her in action.

  “Hell no! Callen can shoot him.”

  Doctor Tony Magnus looked at Doctor Chris Leonard and knew what button to push, because they knew her so well. “We dare you.”

  They had her and knew it. Elizabeth didn’t know whether to laugh or punch them both. “Guys!”

  “Is Elizabeth Blackhawk, dare taker extraordinaire, afraid of a little old deputy? Maybe you think you can’t get his attention.” Chris Leonard taunted her, and had all the techs snickering. “You are getting older. Maybe you can’t be Miss Kitty anymore.”

  “Lyzee, you don’t have to do this,” interjected Whitefox, knowing they were baiting her.

  “I can’t believe this week! Okay, but first we make a little promise that no one tells Ethan about this, or he’ll lose his damn mind. Deal?”

  Christina laughed. “What do we get for our silence?” she snickered, enjoying herself.

  Elizabeth pointed at her. “I do your yearly evaluations. You want your damn jobs or you want to be the new janitorial staff in the daycare?”