Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) Read online

Johanna Madden kept digging. “Her status has her as single. So, I don’t think she was dating anyone. If you look at her page, it’s mostly kittens, funny pictures, and then her updates. Apparently, she liked to run, shop, and get pedicures.”

  “Okay, well, we’re going to have to figure out why no one reported her missing,” added Elizabeth.

  “She was the last one,” Callen suggested. “Maybe they haven’t realized she’s gone yet.”

  Elizabeth was up and pacing. She really didn't want to be trapped inside doing reports all day. Time was ticking away, and now that they knew they had a watcher, she was scared shitless. Elizabeth wanted to get this closed before Ethan arrived.

  “Madden and Seaton, you’re going to stay here and dig up everything you can on the land and other victims. I want to know everything about them.”

  “Where are we going?” Callen asked.

  “You and I are going to hit up the school and Dixon Industries. Then, we’ll rally back here and work on the other two victims.”

  He was good with that. After what they just found out, he wasn’t leaving her alone for a second. “We also need to swing out to the Rez. I need to update the chief about the bodies. We’re going to have to search around. Maybe there’s more than four.”

  “Great. That’s just what we need,” she stated. Glancing at her two agents, she hated chaining them to the desk, but there wasn’t really a choice. “You’ll be in here all day. Order lunch, dig deep, and find me something. If you locate anything at all, call me.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” they said. Then, they got down to work.

  As they headed out, a deputy blocked their way. “Ma’am, I was wondering if you needed any help. I’m not really doing anything right now.”

  “How are you with detached penises and severed tongues?”

  He went pale. “Uh, never mind. I think I have some paperwork to do.” With that, Deputy Turner scurried away.

  Callen watched him leave. Before she could say a word, he slapped her on the ass. “That’s for being bad,” he teased.

  Elizabeth burst into laughter. “Saddle up my Native arm candy. We have one hell of a day ahead of us.”

  If this was how it was starting, Callen had no doubt.

  At least he had the sense to be nervous as hell.

  * * *

  He found her walking around the town. When he saw Jaxon across the street, his heart finally stopped pounding. She’d only gone for coffee. At least she hadn’t packed up and headed out.

  That helped him relax. Jogging across the street, Tony stopped beside her. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, genuinely worried for her.

  “Yeah, but I needed a break. I told you that I don’t like fleshy corpses.”

  Touching her arm, Tony decided to go for it, now that she was calmer. “I’m sorry if I upset you this morning,” he stated.

  It wasn’t what she expected him to say. “It’s fine.” How could she be mad at something so silly? It wasn’t his fault that the only attraction he felt toward her was instinctual.

  “No, it’s not. We were good this morning, and I said something that ruined that. I just don’t know what I did. I was trying to be logical.”

  It was obvious that he really didn't have a damn clue what he’d done. “Tony, you don’t tell a woman after kissing her, that it’s something that’s driven by instinct. That’s not going to make her want to ever do it again. It made me feel like you were obligated. Who wants to hear that?”

  Shit! He knew it!

  “What if I told you that I’m horrible with things like this? I didn't want you to freak out and run from me, so I tried to appeal to your logic. You know, doctor to doctor.”

  “Yeah, some things shouldn’t be logical,” she admitted, trying to shrug it off. “I get it. We’re scientists, but I’m also a woman. What you said stung a little.”

  Uh, make that a lot.

  “I’m sorry, Jaxon. I didn't mean to hurt you. Believe it or not, this is new for me.”

  She stared incredulously at him. How the hell could that be possible? Here stood a man, sexier than sin, and he didn't know it? Let alone, there weren’t women kicking in the door?

  How was that possible?

  “I learn from my mistakes. I can promise I won’t ever go with logical again. In fact, I can be absolutely illogical.” With that, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her mouth to his. In the middle of the street, he kissed her again.

  The heat shot through her, driving up her body temperature. In that moment, all thought stopped. Jaxon was trapped in the lip lock.

  What could she do but kiss him back?

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she fell into the embrace, allowing her mouth to meet his in the seductive kiss.

  There they stood, in the middle of Devil’s Lake, making out while people stared, yet neither cared.

  Slowly, he pulled away. “See? I can be without logic too. Now that I know you prefer that, I won’t think again. I swear.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, I see that,” Jax stated. If that was how the man apologized, she could let the little slip up go. He kissed like a pro.

  “Am I forgiven?”

  Handing him her coffee, she started walking back toward the sheriff’s station, her brain still fried from the kiss.

  At her silence, Tony let out a breath before taking a sip. He narrowly bit the bullet on this one. Jaxon could have really buried him, but she didn't.

  “Yes, Doctor Magnus. I do believe all is forgiven.”

  Now, they could get back to work.

  Shit!

  He forgot about that.

  Grabbing her arm, Tony stopped her on the sidewalk. “Uh, we have to talk. When you rushed out, it could have gotten you killed. Elizabeth doesn’t like when one of us storms out of there unless there’s an actual fire.”

  She stared at him. “Is it prison?”

  He looked at her like she was crazy. “No, she’s the boss, and honestly, she likes to make sure we’re okay. She’s like the big mother bird, and we’re her chicks.”

  “I don’t get it. I don’t need a mother at work.”

  He tried to explain it. “When there’s a killer running around, Elizabeth likes to keep a line on where we are. Unfortunately, we’ve had members of the team go missing and die. You can leave when you need to, but she’d prefer you have a cool head at the time. When you’re not focused, someone can sneak up on you and take your life.”

  Okay, Jaxon could see the reasoning behind that. “I’m sorry, but I’m not used to being bossed around. When I’m on a dig, I’m generally in charge of it all.”

  “I get that, Jax, but you’re not on a dig. This is the FBI, and we have rules and regulations. When someone tells you to do something, and they out rank you, you do it.”

  “Like the military?”

  He nodded. “Elizabeth and Ethan are the generals. Below them is Callen. Under him you’ll find Doctor Leonard and myself. You and Zane are the bottom of the pecking order. It won’t be that way forever, but you have to earn your stripes. Besides, if you think she’s hard to work for, you haven’t been under Gabriel Rothschild for long. They call him the ‘Dragon Slayer’ for a reason. I’ve worked under both, and trust me, Elizabeth is a pleasure cruise.”

  She understood what he was telling her. “Thank you for standing up for me in there when she asked about my past. I know why you did it, and I appreciate it,” she offered, going up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

  “Are you calmer now?” he asked, his heart hammering in his chest.

  “I think so.”

  “Good. We have to get back to work. As soon as the autopsies are done, we have four sets of remains that need to be stripped of flesh.”

  This was probably her favorite part. “I love beetles.”

  Tony grinned. Just that one sentence said it all. It was quite possible that he had met his soul mate.

  Now, all he had to do was not screw it up.

  Yeah, he was a dead man.

/>   * * *

  Standing in front of the address, they stared at the building. Elizabeth couldn’t believe it. The school, in which Walter Dennison worked, was a Catholic one.

  There were nuns and uniforms everywhere.

  She couldn’t imagine having to run around in strict uniforms every day. Been there and done that.

  “What?”

  “I’m not big on nuns,” she stated, getting his attention.

  Callen looked down at her. “You’re not afraid of getting struck down by God, but a nun in a habit scares you?” He started laughing at the absurdity of that.

  “What? Hey! I’ll have you know that before my dad moved us to Salem, I went to Catholic school. Let’s just say I ran into quite a few nuns that had it in for me. Apparently, even then, I cursed like a sailor and was strong willed.”

  “Yeah, thanks for that update. It’s good to know where our daughters will get it from,” Callen teased. “Don’t worry. I won’t let the big mean nuns get you.” He was amused. Until that moment, he wasn’t sure what religion Elizabeth had been raised. She was an equal opportunity offender, shunning them all.

  “My mom was Catholic. She made me go to a private school. Charlie didn't give a shit where I went, as long as I got a decent education,” she said, and then suddenly covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. “I’m screwed.”

  He laughed, leading her to the door. “How about I lead this one? You just stand there and look sexy.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah, I’ll do that,” she answered. Elizabeth grinned when Callen wasn’t looking. Little did he know, this was exactly what she planned. They needed to get him up to speed in the field. Yeah, nuns creeped her out, but she wasn’t afraid of them, unless they had dead eyes and were carrying snakes.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Mmmmm hmmmmm.” So far, he didn't suspect a thing.

  At the locked door, they held up their badges for the camera before hitting the buzzer. Before long, they were met by a nun.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I’m Director Callen Whitefox and this is my partner Director Elizabeth Blackhawk, Sister. We’re here to discuss an assignment we’re working. Can we talk with whoever is in charge of the school?”

  “Certainly,” she offered, leading them to the office. “I’m the principal, but you can call me Sister Grace.”

  They took a seat in her office as she closed the door.

  “Can I offer you coffee or tea?”

  Callen declined. “No thank you, Sister Grace. We really just need to ask you some questions about one of your employees.”

  She sat and folded her hands in her lap. “Who?”

  Elizabeth pulled out her tablet and held up the photo of Walter Dennison’s driver’s license.

  Meanwhile, Callen continued, “Do you know this man?”

  The flush crept up her throat, or at least to the part that was visible beneath her habit.

  “Yes, and he’s banned from here for being a pervert and breaking the law. I hope to never see him again.”

  They understood her anger. “Well, you won’t have that problem,” Callen began, “He’s dead.”

  “What?” She began crossing herself and holding the rosary at her hip.

  “Did he take his own life? I know he went missing, but we hoped that the police would find him and make him pay.”

  “No, Sister, he was murdered.”

  Elizabeth nudged him, signaling it was time to show the nun his photograph.

  “Can you look at this and tell us if the picture is indeed him?” Callen asked. “It’s a morgue picture, but I can assure you that it’s just his face.”

  The nun nodded.

  When Elizabeth turned it around, Sister Grace stared at him. “Yes, that’s Wally. When we hired him, he was a godsend. He came highly recommended from Father William Dowell. We never saw this mess coming. Since it happened, I’ve been cleaning up a disaster. Our parents are in an outrage, threatening to pull their children out of our school.”

  “What did he do exactly?” Callen asked.

  “He was caught in the girls’ showers after a lacrosse game having sex with a child.”

  “How old was this student?” Callen asked.

  The nun didn't look pleased. “She is a senior and eighteen, but that doesn’t matter. She was one of his players on the team. The girl swore that she came onto him, trying to take the blame, but we here at Saint Mary of the Sacred Heart have rules.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “We called the police and reported it. Before they could arrest him, he was gone. I just assumed that he ran for Mexico. How long has he been dead?” she asked.

  “The day you called the police, he was killed. We just recently found the body. Is it possible that the girl’s father killed him?” asked Callen. He knew if some coach put his hands on Cat or Charlie, they’d be dead too.

  “It’s not possible. The young girl, who was caught with him, is a ward of the state. We offer so many scholarships to lower income students. They stay here on campus to earn their education. We like to pull the recipients from foster care. We feel it makes a big difference in their lives.”

  Well, that took care of that angle.

  “I think that’s all, Sister,” stated Callen.

  Elizabeth dropped her hand onto his arm. “Sister, I do have another question, if you don’t mind.”

  “Certainly.”

  “You said he came highly recommended. Can you tell us where he worked before this?”

  “Oh, he still had a job while he was coaching. Wally was the musical director at the parish. He was the organist at the church which Father William Dowell runs.”

  Callen glanced over as she made notes. Somehow, he was beginning to believe his woman wasn’t afraid of nuns at all. It appeared the fear was gone.

  Interesting…

  “Can you tell me where to find Father Dowell?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Oh, that’s easy, dear. You head toward the Black Mountain reservation. The church sits alongside it.”

  “You mean the large one with that really old cemetery?” Callen asked, finding that interesting.

  “Yes, he’s in charge of it.”

  Elizabeth stood and held out her hand. “Thank you, Sister, for your time. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate it.”

  The nun followed them out. “If you need any more help, please feel free to come find me. I’d be more than happy to assist.”

  Once outside, Callen stared at her. “You’re not really afraid of nuns, are you?”

  She started laughing. “Hell no, Cal! I’ve faced down killers. You think she scared me?”

  He needed to know. “Why did you lie to me then?” Already, the hurt was evident in his voice. He could hear it himself.

  She patted his cheek. “Darlin’, I needed to know that if I’m not in the field with you, that you can run an investigation. You asked good questions. Had I told you what Ethan and I needed to do, you would have been nervous. Now, you were under pressure to keep your woman safe. That brings out the best in you men. Think of it as a pop quiz of sorts.”

  He shook his head. “You are unbelievable. I always hated pop quizzes.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Come on. You’re not mad. As your boss, I’m required to evaluate you.”

  “Did I pass?”

  “You still have the oral exam later,” she teased, hoping to lighten his mood.

  Yanking her toward him, he plundered her mouth like a man dying of hunger. When Callen finally surfaced, he was chewing her gum. “Well?”

  “Hell yeah, you did. I give you an A plus.”

  He could live with that. “Okay, we should focus for a second,” he stated. “We have a dead man who was recommended for a job by a priest, and he used to work for the parish right next to where we found the four bodies. Does that seem odd to you?”

  That didn't even come close to cutting it. “Whenever religion is involved, it’s always goin
g to be weird to me. I don’t get the whole ‘sitting in a church and praying to statues’ thing.”

  “Well, what’s next?”

  “Dixon industries, and then we head to the Rez. I want to snoop around a cemetery. We can wander around after dark,” she teased. “Ever make out with a girl in a graveyard?”

  The laughter filled his eyes. “You’re such a freak,” he stated, dropping his sunglasses onto his face.

  “Who are you kidding? You love every damn second of it.”

  Hell yeah, he did.

  ~ Chapter Six ~

  Whether he liked it or not, Ethan had a personal escort to the airport. Gabriel Rothschild knew that he needed to get in the air, so he opted to continue the new division discussion on the road.

  Once Oracle was up and running, they could relax but until then, Gabe needed to find just the right person to take care of business. It wasn’t going to be easy. This new FBI division was going to need a tough boss.

  Oh, and it had to be kept completely top secret. Once the military handed off the operation, there could be no leaks.

  Who better to trust than the Blackhawks? When he had first hired them to run FBI West, they’d leapfrogged over countless small division directors to get their position. At first, there was quite a bit of blowback and calls of favoritism. Yet, by the end of the first year, they’d proved they were more than competent to do the job.

  Team Blackhawk had the highest closure rates in the bureau, and in fact, they even kicked his team’s ass each and every quarter. If he didn't know them personally, he’d be worried for his job. Being family, he knew they were the best option for the position.

  Even with this on the horizon, Gabe hated the idea of losing them at FBI West. Then again, if they’d take Oracle, there was no doubt that the new project would be a success.

  Now, the only problem was convincing them.

  It wasn’t looking good at all.

  “Are you sure that you and Lyzee aren’t interested in taking it?” Gabe asked, one more time.

  Ethan checked his bags as he waited to get his ticket. “Gabe, you know that we pretty much take everything that you toss at us. Killers, maniacs, and a countless supply of fruit loops, but I can tell you right now, she won’t go for it. The second she hears about it, Elizabeth will call it balderdash, poppycock, and hooey. I think you know that.”