Dead Shall Speak (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 10) (14 page)

“More, Jaxon?” he offered, beginning to slide in and out of her. He was drowning in the sensation as he longed to make her scream his name.

Over the weeks of lovemaking, he found this was the position she loved best.

For him, it had a spectacular view.

“Yes, please!” she begged, as the heat began building. With each thrust into her body, Jaxon wanted to break apart beneath him.

Tony focused on the slide in and out of her body, watching his erection slick and swollen with need.

When she would push back against him, to take more, Tony wanted to erupt right there.

This was torture.

He hoped Jaxon was close, because he certainly was.

When her body shook, he reached around to massage her breasts, caging her pebbled nipples in his fingers. With dual pinches, he used their sensitivity to throw her over the edge. That taste of pleasure and pain being the catalyst to controlling her eruption.

With her scream of release, he had one of his own, but his was more a possessive growl.

The heat flushed, the room spun, and they both came with a ferocity never before felt.

Then, as they floated, silence fell.

When he could finally see straight, Tony realized he was leaning against her body. Pulling out of his fiancée, he swept Jaxon up into his arms to carry her to their bed.

Once there, she cuddled against him like always.

His heart melted.

“Tony?” she asked sleepily.

“Yeah, baby?” he replied.

“Two things,” she began. When he didn't say anything, she continued, “I love you too, and way to go, daddy!”

He started laughing at their little joke. She called him that whenever she wanted to be playful. Biting her ear, she yelped and then went silent.

There was no doubt that she’d tumbled into sleep, and now he would follow.

Love was pretty freaking amazing, and Tony was glad he found her. Nothing would stop them now.

Nothing.

                               *    *    *

Wednesday Morning

Like most days, there was the need for coffee to kick start the morning. When you were up half the night worrying, the only thing that would solve your problems was a hot cup of java.

Down in the breakfast nook of the hotel, they all got ready to start their day. The three doctors were there, enjoying a few croissants. As Ethan and Callen approached, they motioned toward them.

“Busy day today,” Chris said, stuffing a pastry in his mouth.

Ethan took his seat and stirred the black liquid with a red plastic stick. “Yes, we’re going to follow you in, make sure you’re set up, and then see what our agents dug up. I received some emails from them last night. They were working for quite a while.”

He loved that about their team. His wife had them so well trained, that they knew to give the investigators a head start in the morning. Plus, those two specific agents had screwed up the last case, missing the easy clues, which might have caught a killer sooner.

Their one mistake had nearly cost Tony his life. The ass chewing they got when they returned to FBI West had been epic.

“That’s great,” Jaxon said, eating a piece of her muffin. “I’ll be more than happy to help them out,” she stated, looking around. “Actually, where are they?”

Ethan found that odd. Generally, his team was prompt and punctual. Then again, with those two, they could be still working in their rooms.

Before Ethan could dial Agent Madden’s cell, there was a screech and the concierge was there at the breakfast room’s door.

“You better hurry! Two of your agents are in trouble!” Johnny Antonio shouted.

That was all it took. The entire room of Feds emptied out, racing from the building being led by Ethan and Callen. They slid to a stop outside when they found Agent Seaton’s nose bleeding, and Agent Madden kicking the hell out of some guy on the ground.

Quickly, Ethan jumped into the mêlée, avoiding the shouts and protests from the men surrounding the two agents. When he finally got Johanna off the man on the pavement, Callen stepped in to help the other agent up.

“I want her arrested!” the bleeding man shouted.

Agent Madden was breathing heavily and had blood on her starched white shirt.

“What the hell?” Blackhawk roared, unwilling to let this escalate any further. He expected nothing but sterling behavior from his team, and this didn't look like that at all. In fact, this was incredibly bad for everyone involved.

Callen was checking Broderick Seaton’s nose. It didn't appear to be broken.

The man on the ground got up, and he was furious. Immediately, he charged the woman who Blackhawk was holding back. Tony stepped in and knocked him back to the ground.

When the scream of sirens pulled up, the crowd slowly began to disburse.

Sheriff Carlton didn't look happy, and he immediately voiced his displeasure.

“What the fuck is going on?”

“I’m trying to find that out,” Ethan hissed, putting his team behind him. Despite the mess, he’d go to bat for them.

“She punched me in the face! I want her arrested!” the man on the ground stated.

“Shut up, Eugene,” the sheriff ordered.

It was obvious that they knew each other.

“Let me warn you, Ricky and Timmy, keep it zipped,” he demanded, pointing at the other two men. “I don’t want another word from any of you until I figure out what the hell is going on here!”

Agent Seaton spoke when Ethan pointed at him. “We came out with our coffee and found these three loitering by our cars. They were taunting us and wouldn’t let us get into the vehicle.”

Blackhawk listened, and apparently so did the sheriff, because he was glaring at the three men from his town.

Yeah, they were trouble.

Broderick Seaton continued, “We told them to move, or we were going to have to arrest them. Before we knew what was happening, he lurched at her and grabbed Johanna. By grabbing, I mean in a sexual way that was definitely crossing more than a few boundaries.”

They all looked at the man on the ground as he held his nose.

“I told him to get his hands off her breasts, or else.”

They focused on him.

“Then?” asked the sheriff, waiting for more details. There was a red flush creeping up his throat.

“He sucker punched me before I could kick the shit out of him. Once he knocked me down, my partner defended me. That’s when you all rushed outside. It happened in seconds.”

Ethan glanced down at the man on the ground. Already, his eye was swelling shut. She did more than defend, she was out for blood.

If Elizabeth was here, she’d be proud.

“I want her arrested. She physically assaulted me.”

“Johanna, did he grab you?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah, like a drunken date on prom night. I punched him, and he deserved it. If I manage to get past you, I’m kicking his balls into next week.”

The sheriff calmed them down. “You,” he ordered. “Get up and out of here,” he stated, pointing at Eugene Reyston. “Take your brothers with you and leave. If you don’t, you’re going to jail.”

“But she…”

He cut the bleeding man off. “You put your hands on a woman. That’s a big no-no. You’re lucky she didn't kill you for being a dick. Get out of here before I charge you with sexual assault.”

Ethan wasn’t happy.

Not in the least.

The man was letting the guy walk without even giving his agent a chance to press charges.

That pissed him off.

When the man and his brothers hauled ass out of there in their beat up truck, the sheriff turned to face the woman. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I apologize for what he did. Those boys are generally harmless, but they aren’t really good with outsiders or cops. You’re both, so they were trying to rile you up.”

Well, they did just that.

“I think you owe my people more than an apology, Sheriff. He grabbed her chest. That’s sexual assault. You and I both know that unwilling contact against a female has some serious charges to go along with it.”

“Do you want to press charges?” he asked Johanna.

“No, I want to rip his face off for touching me and punching my partner. He hit a Fed!”

Ethan picked up where she left off, “Yeah, and that too. You just let a man walk for two serious offenses. You didn't even give us a chance to do anything.”

The man tipped his hat back and stared at him. “Listen, I don’t come to your town and tell you how to run it, so don’t do it here. They’re harmless, but if you arrest them, it’s going to piss off every Indian hating person in this town.”

Immediately, the entire tech team answered, “Native American.”

Callen would have laughed if it wasn’t a serious moment. Elizabeth had trained them well.

“Whatever. I’m saving your ass. You don’t want to piss off everyone here, or I’ll be finding your ass in the swamp, likely in big meaty pieces.”

Ethan took a step forward. “Is that a threat, Sheriff? I feel like you’re trying to tell me something.”

The man laughed. “This is why people get pissed. Get your Native American panties out of a bunch and listen. You’re a guest here. Act like it. I’m sorry your girl got groped, but this isn't Washington. Down here, we have a different set of rules, and you need to abide by them.”

The entire tech team stared with open mouths. This man was walking a thin line.

“Very well, Sheriff, but I warn you. You’re walking that thin line too. If you cross it again, I’ll not only have your ass in a sling, I’ll surgically remove your ‘good ol’ boy’ mentality. It’ll be painful, and you won’t like it. While I may be ‘Indian’ I’ve played the game a long time. I’m not worried about some pricks who want to screw with me.”

The man said nothing. He popped a piece of gum in his mouth and narrowed his eyes.

“Maybe prick was an understatement. Would you like me to use a better word for you? How about bigoted hillbilly redneck?”

They all stared.

“Have a good day, Director,” Sheriff Carlton stated, turning on his heel. “Don’t bitch later that I didn't warn you about what could happen. This is on you.”

Ethan turned and faced his team. “Get ready to head into the morgue. We have work to do.” He picked up Johanna’s hand and looked at her knuckles. “Get Merry to clean these. You never know what kind of ‘hick’ related infection you’ll catch. There isn't a vaccine to protect you against stupid.”

With that, Ethan headed toward his Denali. When he got to the door, he glanced over his shoulder and none of them missed the look on his face.

Ethan Blackhawk was pissed.

“Callen, run the sheriff. I want to know everything about him. He’s pissed off the wrong Fed.”

No one doubted that.

No one.

~ Chapter Four ~

When they pulled into the morgue, Ethan was waiting for them. He was in his vest and typing furiously on his phone. Since they knew him well enough, no one made a peep.

It was rare to see him show anger in the workplace. That was more Elizabeth’s thing. His icy silence was worrisome to the entire team.

Following them in, he headed to the office attached to the morgue. Inside, he found Agents Seaton and Madden there with Doctor Armstrong.

Before he could tell them what he wanted, his female agent spoke up, “Sir, this is all my fault. Please don’t be upset with my partner. He’s got some sick and twisted need to be chivalrous. If anything, it’s irritating but harmless.”

“Hey!” Broderick Seaton objected.

He waited for his agent to continue.

“I shouldn’t have struck the man, and if you want to put me on administrative leave, I completely understand. Just don’t punish Brody.”

Ethan leaned against the wall. “Agent, if your partner didn't come to your rescue, I’d be more pissed off. By definition, a partner is supposed to have your back. He did his job. I’m not going to punish him.”

Brody Seaton was up out of his seat. “She didn't do anything either. Joey was just reacting.”

“Sit, Agent!”

When the man hesitated, Ethan wanted to smile. His wife was right. This job was fifty percent cop and fifty percent babysitter. “I said sit, Agent Seaton.”

The man listened when his partner touched his arm.

Blackhawk didn't miss it. Yeah, there was something there. “Johanna is the victim here. I’m not going to punish or discipline her. I will say that next time, you get the man in cuffs, not beat his face in with your fists. There’s a difference between taking down a bad guy and taking out an idiot, and you need to learn it.”

She nodded. “I’m sorry, sir.”

Blackhawk let it go. They had too much to worry about at that point.

“How about we discuss what you found out on our potential victims. We’re putting this behind us and moving forward. Right now, we can’t waste the time or afford the distraction.”

Jaxon loved watching the Feds work. Their interactions were anthropologically fascinating. It was like a civilization all moving together as one. When they had run out of the hotel earlier, the men in charge didn't hesitate to step in front of their team to keep them safe.

It was a natural order of hierarchy, and she loved watching it happen. It made her think of one big family.

“We found some news articles, boss,” stated Johanna, trying to keep her partner calm. She was touched that he had jumped in to save her, but she didn't need a hero, especially one who was her partner.

She had been taking care of herself a long time, and now wasn’t going to be any different.

“Like what?”

“We came across an online news story about a woman who disappeared. Her family reported her missing, but they didn't have anything to go on. There were no clues. All they came up with was that she was walking to work and just vanished.”

“What’s her name?” Ethan asked.

“Ruth Hildebrant,” Agent Seaton offered.

His partner continued, “But the only issue is that we don’t have any pictures of her. She didn't drive and never applied for a state ID.”

It was common in the backwoods to do just that. Along with not living by the rules, this was a poor rural community. They valued anonymity. Blackhawk didn't doubt that she was part of that.

“Okay, so we’ll scour the year book of all the schools nearby,” he offered.

“We already tried. She was homeschooled. We can get you the address of her family, and you can stop in for a visit. They might have an updated photo we can use.”

This wasn’t looking good. If she didn't go to school, her family likely stayed to themselves. That probably meant that they weren’t going to have dentals or medical records.

Well, shit.

He was between a rock and a hard place.

Yes, he wanted to stop in and see them, but he didn't want to give them false hope that their child was found, or hurt them by delivering the bad news.

Jaxon raised her hand. “Director?”

He glanced over, fighting not to roll his eyes at her insistence of getting their attention that way. “Yes?”

“What if I had a way to obtain a pretty close likeness of her face, but it would take some time?”

He stared at her, intrigued at the conversation. “How much time, and does it involve spells, Voodoo, or witchcraft?”

Everyone laughed but the doctor. Obviously, she couldn’t tell by his dead serious face and tone that he was kidding.

“Uh, I wouldn’t be using any of those things, and you could have the girl’s face by tomorrow at the latest.”

That had his attention. From everything he’d learned about the woman in front of him, she was good at her job. Now he was curious to see what angle she was playing.

“Tell me more.”

“If you can get me the skull, I can reconstruct her face. I hate doing it, because I prefer to see them as bones, but I can add markers and clay and bring her back to life.”

This was an interesting little tidbit. Ethan had no idea that she had skills as a forensic artist. He assumed she was only an anthropologist.

His mistake.

“Seriously?” he asked.

“Yes. My mother was an art teacher before she met my father. We had tutors, but she taught us to paint, sculpt, and draw.”

Ethan was just handed a little break, and he could pass that on to the family. If this woman could pull it off, they would have their first victim’s face.

“Come with me,” he said, heading back into the morgue room. “Keep digging,” he ordered his agents.

Once inside, Chris Leonard was already working on the last woman with the most flesh, and Doctor Magnus was examining the bones of their first victim.

Ethan knew this was going to be the hard part. Chris was very protective of his remains. He didn't like anyone touching them, since they were still people to him. When he stared at him over his glasses, he already knew something was up.

“Uh oh. What now?”

“I need that skull.”

Chris put his scalpel down as he waited for the punchline to the joke. Surely, it was coming.

“Doctor Armstrong has just informed us that she has the skill to do a forensic facial reconstruction. Our first victim doesn’t have enough for DNA and there are no photos online. I don’t want to go charging into her family’s house with false hope.”

“No.”

“Chris, you know I wouldn’t be asking unless I was out of options.”

Tony turned to face the man he considered a brother. They’d served side by side in the trenches of the FBI. They were a family, and like he’d adopted Chris’s wife, Tony was hoping for the same thing.

“You know how I feel about this. That’s not something to mess with. That’s someone’s loved one. We don’t even know if she can pull it off.”

Jaxon said nothing. She had no doubt what she could pull off, if given the chance.

If there was one thing that Ethan had learned over the last year, it was that Chris was very passionate about the dead. They mattered to him.

“Chris, please?” Tony asked, hoping his friend wouldn’t let him down. From here on out, Jaxon would come first. “She’s a damn good anthropologist, and she’d never allow anything to happen to our victim.”

“Her name is Ruth, and I can give her back to her family,” Jaxon offered, touched that Tony would come to her rescue.

Chris saw the emotion in his friend’s eyes, and he understood.

The line was drawn. This had the potential of coming between them if he didn't bend.

“Okay, but she works in here. If at any time she compromises the victim’s skull, she’s done.”

It was the best they were going to get.

Tony grinned wickedly as he picked their victim’s skull off the table. “I’ll help apply the markers,” he offered.

As the two went over to a spare table to dig out the things they’d need from the tech kits, Ethan focused on his ME. “What do you have for me to start working? My agents gave me Ruth’s name, but they haven’t found anything on victims two and three yet.”

“Our tech team pulled some trace, but as to who it belongs to, that’s going to remain up in the air. It could have been the killer, or the dig team. They weren’t wearing gloves and most didn't have their hair pulled back when they were working.”

That was just great.

This was going to be a bog of evidence to process. Meredith was going to be busy.

“I’m going to start pulling DNA and running it soon, sir,” Merry offered. “We’re getting everyone who worked on the site done first. It’ll only put us behind a little bit.”

He was glad to hear that.

“We’re going to head out for a while, so I need you to be in charge, Chris. Lock the doors and tell the team no one goes in or out of here without a buddy. I don’t like what happened today, and I don’t want to risk our people.”

He understood. “Will you be taking the same precautions, Director?”

“We’re going to try. Callen and I are going to head out and dig up some information,” he stated, motioning toward the door. When his brother followed, they made sure it was locked up before they got into the Denali.

“Really, where are we going?” Callen asked.

“To the local eatery.”

Callen stared at him. “You’re hungry after standing in autopsy? The smell alone was enough to pickle my innards. This has to be a first for you.”

“No, I’ve got something else on my mind. We’re not looking for food,” he stated, dropping on his sunglasses. “We’re searching for gossip. Where’s the best place to find it?”

“At a diner with a potentially nosey waitress?”

Blackhawk nodded. “You’re learning.”

Yeah, he really was.

                               *    *    *

Oracle was making her bat shit insane. Chasing the woman down was almost as hard as running a full FBI office. Avalon was stealthy and sneaky.

One minute she’d be sitting there, Elizabeth would get a coffee, and POOF! She was gone. Soon, she was going to suggest putting a bell on her to make their lives easier. Elizabeth wondered if Gabe would mind if they lo-jacked the president’s BFF.

If Jagger was smart, while she was gone, he’d do just that. At the least, keep her trapped by duct taping her to a chair. At this point, Elizabeth wouldn’t say no to that option either.

When she finally found the woman, she was on one of the balconies. Below her was the Marine swimming in the pool. Once more, it made Elizabeth edgy.

For a blind lady, she was doing a good job checking out the nearly naked man below.

“Nice view,” Elizabeth stated, referring to the near naked Marine, not the swampy surroundings.

Avalon turned toward her, lines of confusion etched into her pale face. “He doesn’t know that his father is still alive, does he?”

That caught Elizabeth off guard.

Damn her and this bullshit!

What the fuck was going on?

Yeah, this was one cat that couldn’t be let out of the bag.

“No, and he’s not going to. If you let that spill, that’s going to be one hell of a mess.”

Yeah, and the US Marshals would be burning her body in effigy at their main office as they danced around some sand circle to curse her.

“If he asks…”

“Avalon, his father was a bad man. Jagger and his sister are happier now not knowing. Let them have that peace until they need to know the truth. That’s all I’m asking. I don’t give a fuck about the marshals, or the man in question. I don’t want two people’s lives tossed upside down over a heartless bastard.”

She paused, tipping her head to the side.

That simple motion creeped Elizabeth out. It was very reminiscent of a broken doll from some horror movie, as she appeared to look through Elizabeth’s body.

Like she was searching.

Seeking.

“Deal, unless he asks. I don’t lie.”

“You better learn how to, and fast. As a woman, we need to have that skill in our repertoire when it comes to the men in our lives,” she joked.

When she looked confused, Elizabeth had to ask, “You’ve never been with a man?”

She shook her head. That wasn’t necessarily the truth. There was that man in her one dream. He was the one she was waiting to find her.

“Holy shit! We have a lot to talk about. I’m heading out soon, but I’ll fill you in on as much as possible.”

“Like a crash course?” Avalon asked, taking the offered hand being held out to her.

“Yes, just like that.”

Avalon let Elizabeth lead her away. “Can we start with how you manage to balance two men?”