She made notes.
“She’s lucky that she didn't join them.”
Elizabeth was well aware. These two criminals were vicious. They shot a Fed. They wouldn’t think twice about taking a civilian out.
“Thank you, Deputy. Can you keep the media back? The last thing she needs is to be assaulted by flashing lights.”
He nodded and hustled away.
Before she could get to the door, the two agents were there.
“What do you have?” she asked.
“We have Cooper Douglas and his wife, Adeline. He was on the travel list, but we didn't have time to get to him. We were planning on tomorrow morning.”
She knew it wasn’t their fault.
These killers were on her last nerve.
“At least we know how they’re picking their victims. I need you to head out to the last two on the list.”
“What can we do?” Dakota asked.
When she turned, he and Delaney were standing there. Elizabeth hadn’t seen him after Callen was brought to his room. She was awash with emotions.
“You can take one, and my team can take another. I want you both to sit on them. If they leave, follow. If these killers were surprised, they aren’t going to strike tonight. There will be that adrenaline rush that they escaped. They’ll regroup.”
They all agreed.
“Ma’am, how’s Director Whitefox?” Johanna asked.
She took a deep breath. “He’s awake. They put him back together again. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that there’s no long term damage.”
She let it go at that.
Her team would figure it out. If she said the words, Elizabeth would start to cry.
“We wanted to stop by, but we figured you’d want us to keep working.”
“I do. We need to find this couple. I’ve had about enough of this jackassery and tomfoolery. When you start picking off my husbands, I get bitchy.”
Ethan patted her on the shoulder.
“You’re dismissed, Agents. Keep running those interviewees. I want anything you can find on any of them.”
They wouldn’t let her down.
Before she could head toward the door, there was a hand on her arm.
“Elizabeth, maybe you should find someone else to handle this,” Dakota said.
Delaney agreed. “You’re only human.”
“You’re too close on this one. Your husband was just shot. He nearly died.”
She turned to face him. “While I appreciate your concern, I’m fine. I have a job to do, and I’m going to handle it. I don’t have the luxury right now to back down and hide.”
“You’re marked. We saw the note.”
She shrugged. “I don’t kill easily. Others have tried. I’m like a fucking cat. I’ve got about six or seven lives left before my time is up. If Bonnie and Clyde think I’m going to bolt, they’re dead wrong. There’s a showdown coming, and I’m going to make sure they pay for all the death they passed around this holiday.”
Dakota didn't know what to say.
“If they want me, they’re going to have to work for it. If I keep moving, they have to keep moving. The odds are in my favor. If I go down, at least it was while I was fighting for justice.”
With that, she stormed off.
Ethan tried to keep his cool. This reminded him of the time she challenged a killer, and they nearly died trying to save Doctor Trudeaux from her crazed brother and stepmother.
“She’s going to get herself killed,” Dakota stated to Ethan. “You have to stop her.”
Yeah, the only problem with that was nothing but a squad of armor clad Marines could stop her.
She was pissed.
And she was out for payback.
.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Callen didn't want to talk to his father, but he couldn’t sleep. The meds had worn off, and he was still wide awake. What he really needed was an escape route.
He began praying the nurse would come in to offer up more drugs. He couldn’t get any more morphine from the pump, so until he could medicate, he was trapped with his dad.
He knew what was coming.
Callen could feel it hanging over them ominously.
This was going to be just as painful as being shot.
He was sure of it.
Wyler climbed onto the bed that Ethan had been using. When he got comfortable, he stared over at his son. “I want to say some things to you.”
“Well, I’m a captive audience,” he muttered, wishing he wasn’t on the fifth floor. He would have rather jumped than talked to anyone at that point.
“I need to ask you something.”
Callen waited for it.
“Were you sexually abused as a child?”
Well, it had gone from bad to worse. While he didn't want his father talking about his arm, he REALLY didn't want to talk about his past.
Well shit!
Jumping was sounding better and better.
“Callen?”
He didn't speak.
As far as he knew, no one had ratted him out. Together, as a couple, they made a pact not to tell Wyler. They didn't believe he could handle the truth.
“Dad.”
“Callen James, please just tell me the truth.”
“Why do you ask?”
“About a month ago, you were in the office talking on the phone. I think it was your therapist. You brought it up, and I didn't know how to approach it. Since we nearly lost you, I can’t hold it in anymore. I need to know the truth. As your father, I need you to be honest with me.”
Well, at least it wasn’t his brother or Elizabeth who betrayed him. It was his own stupidity for having a conversation in the house.
“Yes, Dad, I was.”
“By who?” he asked.
“It was Charlene’s boyfriend—the one she was with before she OD’d.”
“For how long?” Wyler asked.
“Quite a few years. When she wasn’t forgetting to feed me, she’d let her boyfriend use me. My reward was food.”
Wyler looked down at his hands, and then over at his son’s. They were the same. Callen had his thick, strong fingers. He also had his heart. Wyler knew that Callen was sensitive and gentle beneath the big bulk of Native strength.
He wanted to weep. Here, he’d failed his son.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Callen closed his eyes. “Because I didn't want to hurt you with it. I knew you’d feel horrible, and I love you too much to do that to you. I was also ashamed,” he stated. “I allowed it to happen to survive. When I was about to take my life, Granddad found me. He saved me.”
“I’m so sorry. I hate that my drinking caused you more harm. I hate that I let you down again and again.”
Callen patted him on the leg with his left hand. “I’m fine, Dad. It’s over.”
Wyler needed to know one thing.
“Is he dead?”
“Who?” Callen asked.
“The man who hurt you.”
“No, he’s alive, but Ethan handled him.”
“So everyone knew, and no one thought to tell me that my son was abused?”
Callen could feel the drugs kicking in.
Finally.
He could hide.
“It wasn’t their story to tell. It’s been mine, Dad, and until the last year, I wasn’t ready to bring it up. It took so many hours of therapy to be able to admit I was abused. Ethan and Elizabeth have been helping me work through it. If they told you, it would have damaged our relationship. I trusted them, and I didn't want you to know.”
Wyler was angry.
“I would have killed Charlene and that piece of filth to save you.”
He struggled to keep his eyes open. “I believe you. Granddad said the same thing.”
“I’m sorry, son. I’m so damn sorry I failed you. It won’t ever happen again. I swear.”
Callen’s tongue and mind went fuzzy.
&n
bsp; When his head lulled to the side, Wyler placed his hand on his youngest son’s cheek. He’d failed with so many things in his life, but this was his greatest regret.
Callen had been hurt.
Looking down at his boy’s arm, he gently ran his fingers over the burn-likes cars. Until that moment, he didn't realize that they were part of it. Until hearing the truth, he didn't see what was there before him.
His son had suffered because of him.
This was almost too much to bear.
When he looked over at the table, he saw his oldest son’s tablet. Ethan had left it in case of an emergency. There would never be one more than right now. He knew he probably shouldn’t do it, but he wanted to find this man.
He wanted him dead.
That would be the only way to heal his son. It would be the only way he could vanquish the demons in his eyes.
Doing the unthinkable, Wyler broke the law. He used government equipment to dig into his son’s past. It was wrong, but he didn't care what happened to him.
Wyler would face the consequences.
There was a scale to balance, and he was going to make it right.
One way or another.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Cooper Douglas’s
Home
They had to split up. They were running a few members short of a team. While Ethan sat to interview the hysterical daughter, Elizabeth and Chris Leonard stood over the dead.
It was quite possible that Ethan got the easier job. While Elizabeth hated dealing with hysterical people, these two victims were a mess.
She was beginning to think that it was so much better to see them in pieces.
“The killers definitely got interrupted,” Chris stated. He pointed at the blood under the bench. There were footsteps through it, and they raced from the bodies. “They left fast.”
Merry agreed. “See how it’s mostly the balls of their feet? They were getting the hell out of here.”
Elizabeth wasn’t surprised. People coming home would scare them. Still…she was surprised they didn't stand their ground.
She was going to have to talk to Ethan about this in their profile. Were they shifting their style?
If they did, there was a mess on the horizon. It made them harder to chase.
“He’s missing his man bits,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, and her wrists were slit. It appeared they started the process.” Chris focused on the woman’s body. “She was tasered a few times. That’s new.”
She crouched down in the blood to examine her injuries. “You’re right. Did she put up a fight?”
Chris pointed at her face. “It looks like it.”
Elizabeth added that to her notes. “The other women didn't look like this. They were scared to death, not beaten.”
“I need you to work up these autopsies ASAP, Chris. We don’t have time. They may have run out of here, but that’s going to piss someone off. If this doesn’t make them escalate, I’ll be shocked.”
“I have something,” stated Merry.
They focused on her. “I just found the dead man’s wallet. Inside, I found a business card.”
“Who does it belong to?”
She handed the bagged card over.
“Salvatore Boone? Why would the current victim, and the last one, know each other.”
“Small town?” Chris asked as they began bagging the bodies up.
“Yeah, I’m not buying that. I used to live in a small town too. When my dad died, he didn't have the mayor’s card in his wallet. This is just odd.”
Which meant they may just have a lead.
This might work to their advantage.
“Take her in. Merry, sweep for all it’s worth. I’m going to go see what Ethan’s been up to.”
Elizabeth headed his way. When she approached, the woman was clinging to him. When Elizabeth lifted a brow in question, he rolled his eyes.
“Ms. Tipton, this is Director Elizabeth Whitefox-Blackhawk. She’s running this investigation.”
“You mean you’re not in charge?” she asked, still holding onto Ethan, even when he tried to extricate himself from her grip.
“We’re partners,” Elizabeth stated. “For now, I need to ask you a few questions.”
She used the tissues in her hand as she wept and waved her arms. “Okay, but you have to find who killed my dad and Adeline. I’ll never forget what I saw in there. How do I get that out of my head?”
There was no answer for that. What she saw was one of those things you couldn’t unsee. It stuck with you for life.
“We’ll find them, but first we have to ask you some questions. Is that okay?”
She nodded as she wiped furiously at her tears.
“What did your dad do for a living?” she asked.
“He owns an oil company.”
She stared at the woman, struggling to figure out why this woman was bugging her. “I’m sorry, but why do you look familiar?” Elizabeth asked.
She sniffled. “You probably saw me on TV. I used to be a child actress. I was on a bunch of shows until I got older. Then I did Broadway.”
Now she got it. Recognition dawned. “Yeah, you were on that oatmeal commercial—the one with the blonde kid.”
Lottie Tipton gave her a watery smile. “Yeah, that was me. That was my big break into the business.”
At least Elizabeth wasn’t losing her mind. The second she saw the woman, she had that feeling.
“How did your father meet his wife? She’s considerably younger than him,” Elizabeth asked, pushing on with the questions.
“Yes, she is. I actually introduced them. I met Addy when I was working. She was the sweetest woman, and I really loved her. I introduced her to my dad, and they married not long after. We all lived here together.”
“And there were no issues?”
“No,” she said, wiping her blue eyes. “They were away, and I was supposed to go with them, but I haven’t been feeling well. So, I went to a holistic retreat the last two weeks instead. When my chakras are off, I can’t focus.”
Elizabeth fought to not be sarcastic. After all, the woman just lost her father and stepmother.
“Did you book this trip through Sunshine Travel?”
She shook her head.
“No, I did it online.”
Well, that explained why she wasn’t dead.
Before Elizabeth could continue, Lottie broke out in sobs.
“WHO KILLED MY DAD?” The tears continued, and Ethan was trapped against the onslaught of weeping.
“Was anyone bothering your father?” Elizabeth asked, forging ahead. She knew they didn't have much time. At some point, Lottie Tipton would shut down.
All victims did.
“Not that I know. I pretty much came and went as I saw fit. I travel for a great deal of parties and promotions.”
“Are you currently working on anything?”
She shook her head. “I wish. I’m still in negotiations for some jobs. They won’t be finalized until the new year.”
“Did your father know Salvatore Boone?”
Lottie struggled to place the name as she blew her nose. “I don’t think so. Who is that?”
“The mayor…”
She closed her eyes. “I think I saw him on the news. My dad didn't really do much with politicians. He had people in his company who handled all that.”
“Now that his wife and he are dead, are you’re going to be rich?”
Yes, she went there.
“Actually, I won’t be. My father left everything to some environmental charities. He had an oil spill a decade ago, and that’s when he decided to make amends. He was a good man. Why would someone kill him and Addy? I don’t get it.”
Then she looked horrified.
“Oh God! Am I in danger? Will they come back for me next?”
Her head whipped around wildly.
“Can you stay and keep me safe?” she asked Ethan, as she practica
lly crawled up his body.
Elizabeth let her husband field this one. She was pretty sure he knew she wasn’t thrilled.
“Trust me, you won’t be safe with me around.”
She looked confused. “Why?”
“Your hand is in my lap, and she’s my wife. Maybe you can set me free?”
They girl yanked her hand away pretty fast.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
Apparently.
“Is there anyone else you can think of who might want to hurt your family?”
She focused on it.
“The only other person who might is Effron. The last time he did Addy and I, she tore him a new one. He called her a bitch.”
Now Elizabeth was confused. “Did? As in sex? Your stepmother was having an affair, and you were sharing a man?”
The woman stared at her. “Eww. No. I’m talking our hair. He’s our hairdresser. That’s the only time we shared men.”
She closed her eyes, praying for control. Elizabeth hated fluff brains. Now she was glad she got the corpses. At least they didn't try to molest her husband.
“Is there somewhere you can stay where you’ll be safe?” Elizabeth asked.
“I have a friend who will let me crash there. As long as you think I’ll be safe.”
“You will be.”
She looked relieved.
“Can I go pack a bag and get out of here?”
“Sure. Go ahead. You have to take a tech with you,” she stated. “Think of it as protection.”
Ethan whistled, and one of the techs came running. “Keep your eye on her, okay?”
The tech nodded and followed.
They watched them head up the giant staircase. When she was gone, Elizabeth shook her head. “My brain is mush. She’s got the IQ of a doormat.”
He agreed. “I feel bad for her. She did come home to this.”
Yeah, he had a point.
She wouldn’t wish this on anyone.
“What now?” he asked.
“Well, in the morning, we need to look up the mayor’s secretary. It’s the weekend, and right before Christmas, so we’ll have to catch her at home.”
Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) Page 40