Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) (4 page)

It terrified him to leave her alone.

Lately, he’d been sticking close to home.

When his boss summoned him, there was no doubt in his mind why. Doctor Callista Gaines had just submitted a report on his therapy. Now, Gabe would want to
make sure that there was no bullshit being tossed around.

This was going to be a test
.

If his director was crackers, he couldn’t be running the second largest FBI hub in the world.
Ethan saw it coming a mile away, and this was one exam he didn't plan on failing.

There was too much at stake.

When he arrived, he deposited his things at the hotel and headed right over to Quantico. Once at his boss’s office, the meetings began.

At first
, it was the basic stuff that Gabe always talked about. It would range from the office management to cost expenditures. It was like he forgot that Ethan was one of the best profilers the FBI had on staff. He was trying not to be insulted. If he couldn’t see through this charade, he shouldn’t keep his job.

“Just ask, Gabe,” Ethan
finally said, as he was done waiting for the question to be brought up.

“Are you insane?”

Blackhawk laughed. Gabriel Rothschild was one of the power players in the government. He and Elizabeth went way back. As a part of his circle, he wasn’t surprised that was how he phrased it. For a while, he wondered the same thing.

“No, I’m not crazy. I’m sure Doctor Gaines assured you of that, or you would have yanked my clearance and had me escorted out of the office.”

“Are you kidding me? Your wife would have gone shit nuts and taken hostages. I’m smarter than that,” he teased. It did him good to see Ethan Blackhawk was back.

He could picture that in his head. It was hard not to laugh at the visual
. “Hell yeah, she would have,” Ethan agreed.

Gabe got serious. “I know what the report told me, but I also know you’re incredibly smart. You can bullshit your way around
an evaluation. I want the truth from friend to friend.”

He suspected as much. “You could have done this over the phone,” he offered.
“I won’t lie to you, Gabe. We go way back and that means something.”

“Yeah, but then
I couldn’t see your eyes. I know you, son. While we’re face to face, you can’t hide anything. Besides, this isn't all about you. We have some other issues to deal with too. You’re just my first priority right now, Director.”

He laughed. “Okay, Gabe. Do your worst.”

“Are you able to handle the job?” he asked, leaning forward. Before him sat the gold standard in profiling, and to lose him would be devastating. Ethan Blackhawk was the one who trained the up and coming profilers. Yet, none had even come close to meeting his skill level.

He was born to play in the mind
s of madmen.

“Yes, I am. When we were in Salem, we had some rough
spots. I have some anger issues but with Doctor Gaines’s help, I’m working through them. I appreciate you sending her to FBI West.”

“For my family, I don’t mind.”

Ethan decided to tell Gabe the news, since Elizabeth didn't drop the bomb yet. “We’re expecting again.”

Gabe grinned as he jumped out of his seat. He was around the desk and hugging his friend.

It caught Ethan off guard. This was new. The ‘Dragon Slayer’ wasn’t one to hug it out.

Maybe he had lost his mind.

“You tell Lyzee that I’m so damn happy for her. You have to be thrilled. Is the baby yours or Callen’s?”

“
This one is mine, and I’m over the moon. We just found out that we’re having a girl but keep it quiet, or she’ll kick your ass.”

He laughed before returning to his seat. “Yeah, I’m well aware. It looks like you’re keeping your promise of giving me a run for my money. Although, you had help so that’s cheating.”

Ethan laughed. “I’m only two behind now. I’ll catch up.” Or so he hoped. His wife seemed pretty adamant that this was the end of the baby making. Now, if he could change her mind, he would. As far as he was concerned, there was more room in his tribe. Who knew he’d love kids? Now, he only wished that he’d met his wife years earlier. They could have a brood by now.

“I’m so happy for you!
I can’t believe that Livy doesn’t know!”

“
Elizabeth wanted you to tell her. It’s not something you do over the phone, and my wife figured she’d toss you a bone for being so protective the last few months.”

He didn't mind in the least. “I’m proud of you, Ethan. You came back against something which the strongest don’t survive.”

There was no doubt in his mind why he made it. His wife and brother were the only reasons. Not once did they ever give up on him. Even in his darkest moments, when he had given up, they stood for him.

Without them, he’d be dead.

Ethan’s phone chimed, but he opted to ignore it. He could tell it was Callen. If it was an emergency, he’d call.

“Your report from the doctor said you’re all in therapy together. How’s that working?”

Blackhawk laughed. “It’s weird. I don’t like talking about my sex life, but it’s helping us heal. I trust Doctor Gaines. She’s genuinely a nice woman.”

He agreed. “Yeah, please tell me she blushes when you three start up.
I’ve known Callista for a while, and she’s hard to rattle.”

Ethan
grinned wickedly. “She doesn’t, but there are moments when Elizabeth gets her going. They’ve become close, so she considers her fair game. You know Lyzee only busts those she loves the most.”

Gabe knew that for a fact.

“I want to talk about your anger issues.”

Ethan tensed. This was something he was working very hard on. He knew he was prone to outbursts of rage, and it wasn’t easy to keep them locked away.

But he was trying.

“What can I do to help you?
I have to be honest. I got a report from the tech you shit-canned. She complained that you were unfair and playing favorites in the field.”

He went dead serious. “When have I ever
done that, Gabe? That woman wasn’t doing the job. She was over her head and flailing around like a fish out of water. When she told me she couldn’t do it, she was done. If I didn't drop the ax, you think Lyzee would have been kinder? In fact, she’s the tech who ignored Elizabeth’s warning and fell into the underwater sinkhole. My wife had to save her ass.”

Gabe knew his friend.
This part of the conversation was just a test to see if he’d explode. He was satisfied. “I trust your judgment. Now, once more, what can I do to help with the anger?”

Blackhawk thought about it. “
There’s nothing anyone can do. Right now, it’s about me staying focused on work and doing my job. I’ve found that the more normal the day, the better I am in rough situations. Elizabeth and Callen help me though the rest.”

For the longest time, Gabe honestly believed that Ethan would be lost to the emotions. Doctor Gaines was just about ready to pull the
plug on his career, but Gabe wanted to give Ethan the benefit of the doubt.

He deserved it.

After all, he gave the FBI his life as a profiler and was a good man. Elizabeth wouldn’t have fallen for anyone who wasn’t sterling in her book.

“I noticed that Callen has been sticking close,” Gabe offered.

“Yeah, he has, but as you can see, he’s out in the field right now. We’re back and as strong as ever, Gabe. I wish I could give you more to reassure you, but it’s all I have right now.”

It would do. Not once did he sense a lie or falsehood. Ethan Blackhawk was playing straight with him, and that meant everything to Gabe.

“What else did you call me here for?” Ethan asked, hoping to change the subject. As much as he was proud of his recovery, the idea of talking about it still went against his nature. Ethan cherished his privacy.

Especially when it came to his personal life.

“I guess we can get down to business. I think that the old Ethan is back and in control again.”

Just then,
Blackhawk’s phone rang. Glancing down, he knew he needed to take it. A text and a call from Callen within so short a time frame was likely an emergency.

“Go ahead,” Gabe offered, leaning back. It would allow him the opportunity to watch his director in action. After all, he was responsible for the man.

“Cal, what’s up? It better be important. I’m in a meeting,” he said.

“Ethan, we have a big problem. The Natives dug up some unmarked graves on their land
, and we have four bodies.”

Blackhawk glanced up at his boss and knew he needed to let him in on it. After all, he was the head honcho. Putting it on speaker, he placed it on the desk.

“Cal, Gabe is here with me. How about you start at the beginning? What’s going on there?”

There wasn’t a
ny hesitation. Callen began sharing all the details. He began with the bodies, telling them about the smell and concluding with the way they were buried outside the church cemetery wall. When he finished, Callen waited for some insight into what to do.

“That’s
really bizarre,” Gabe admitted.

“Yeah, but what’s worse is
that they’re wrapped up like mummies. There are little strips of fabric tied around the bodies and knotted in place.”

“Can you send a picture?” Ethan asked, hoping he was still there.

Callen pulled his tablet out of his messenger bag and took some shots of the first hole. Then, he transmitted it, hoping Ethan and Gabe would give him a jumping off point. He’d never seen mummies in the field before.

It was freaking him out
.

“Check your email. It should be arriving
,” he suggested.

Before long,
Gabe’s beeped. Ethan moved around the desk to examine the pictures. When they opened, neither man could believe it. They indeed did have mummies.

“I didn't get any closer,” stated Callen. “I didn't want to ruin any
more evidence.”

The two men studied
the hastily taken pictures. “You have a killer,” Gabe finally admitted. “Are you going to be able to handle that, Callen?” he asked. While he had the utmost assurance in Elizabeth and Ethan, their partner was a little of a wild card yet. He was damn good at being a liaison, but his field skills had yet to be tested alone.

“Well, I can lie and say yes, but I’ve already got four bodies
, and they’ve been compromised by the men who dug them up. I may need some help on this one.”

Ethan agreed. “This is a huge show to run. I don’t think he should do it
by himself. Who knows how many more bodies are scattered all over that place?” In his gut, he knew what that meant. While he didn't like the idea of Elizabeth in the field, he was more wary about her being at home alone. After all, Patrick Parrish had stalked them to their sanctuary. Who was to say that someone else wasn’t doing the same thing? While he was trapped at Quantico for the next couple of days, he wanted to make sure his wife was protected. His father was an okay watchdog, but Callen would be an even better choice. Like him, the man would throw himself in front of a train for their woman.

Gabe thought about it.

As his boss pondered it, Ethan began saying a silent prayer. Callen had proved his ability to watch over their wife. If anything, he’d earned his trust.

“Are you both okay with Elizabeth going in to help?” Gabe asked. “She
’s pregnant and just finished a case less than a month ago. I don’t want to force her into the field if you both think she’s too stressed.”

That omission alone from Gabe was startling. He wasn’t the ‘Dragon Slayer’ for nothing. The man took no prisoners and didn't really give a rat’s ass if you were worried.
His motto was,
‘Do your job or find another one’
.

No excuses were
tolerated.

Callen thought about it. “I’m scared shitless whenever she’s in the field, but that’s the element of the beast with her.”

Ethan agreed. His wife was a wild card at any given moment. “I’d rather her be with one of us than home alone. I trust Wyler, but he’s a sixty year old man. What exactly can he do to keep her safe? He’s busy running roughshod over our kids.”

Gabe thought about it. “Since your office is above production, your paperwork is all in
, and you’re making me look good, I say bring her in. I happen to have an anthropologist who specializes in bodies being dug up. She did a stint in Egypt and will get a kick out of this one.”

Both men paused. It wasn’t like Gabe to be this easy going. There had to be a catch.
This was like the calm right before the storm capsized your boat, killing everyone onboard.

“Why don’t we use our own a
nthro?” asked Callen.

Ethan
already knew the answer to that. “Tony is on vacation starting tomorrow. He’s been working non-stop for the last nine months. This is the first vacation he’s requested, and we can’t ask him to cancel his trip. Let me rephrase that. I won’t ask him to.”