Deep Dark Mire (An FBI Romance Thriller ~ book four) (9 page)

“I’m so sorry.” He absolutely was for dragging her into the center of this.

Elizabeth hugged him and took his face in the palms of her hands. “This isn't your fault, darlin’. Right now, I’m pissed at Desdemona for running headlong into this clusterfuck. This makes me seriously doubt her intelligence. The nutjob wanted her to do this, and she followed through and did exactly the worst possible thing. I get her sister is missing, but she could have come to us, and we already told her we’d help her solve it.”

“I’m furious with her too,” he admitted
, softly. Now, she had just risked his family, because there was no way Elizabeth would ever let him ride into this alone.

“Don’t worry
, Cal. We’ll get this taken care of as quickly as possible.” Elizabeth patted his cheek.

“I’ll go pack and be right back
.” Callen turned to walk away and stopped. “Elizabeth?” he spoke softly, once again unable to look in her eyes. “If you let anything happen to you while we’re there, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Elizabeth said nothing. All she could hope was that nothing would happen to any of them.

Now there was too much on the line.

As soon as he was gone, Elizabeth called Ginny and asked her to call up the jet and book her two rooms at a local hotel. Something told her that Callen was going to be
more than a little angry at Desdemona and would want his space. The lines of tension around his mouth were the dead giveaway.

There was only one thing left to do. It wasn’t official business, but when she called Gabe and told him what was going on, this fell under the favor he owed her.

She hoped.

On the third ring he answered his private phone. “What’s wrong, Lyzee?”

“Remember that favor that you owed me?”

He paused. It had been over seven months since she brought it up and he assumed the entire mess had worked itself out. “Yes.”

“Our ME has headed into the snake pit, to find her recently abducted sister. I think the stalker has upped the game. I know it’s not official business, but I have to get there fast.” She told him the rest, including about the note.

“Take the jet. I’ll cover it for you.”

“Thank you.”

“No one’s found the sister
’s body yet?” he asked, calmly. Gabe knew the woman he was talking to had to be worried. Elizabeth wouldn’t leave her child this fast to just go check on an abduction, unless she was expecting worst case scenario.

“No
t yet, Gabe, but I don’t have high hopes.”

“Tie it to the blown up Denali, and then you can officially make it FBI business, or find
me the body. Make it fit the criteria to call in the cavalry, and until then I’ll cover for you and Ethan as best I can.”

“Thank you, Gabe.”

“Watch your back, Lyzee, and make sure you come home safe.” Gabe Rothschild had a soft spot in his heart for both Elizabeth and Ethan Blackhawk, more so since he owed her one giant favor. The woman saved his wife, Livy, from a stalker and killer. She handled the situation, so he wouldn’t have to dirty his hands. This favor was nothing in the grand scheme of it all. He had his wife, five daughters and one son, thanks to the woman he called family.

“I will. I’ll email you later.” She said, running up the
stairs to hers and Ethan’s bedroom. Now she had to pack. Elizabeth grabbed her jeans, shorts, t-shirts, swimsuit, sneakers and boots. The weather was going to be hot, it was September in the bayou, and she might need the swimsuit if she had to wade into the swamp to look for a body. She hoped not, but she wasn’t risking her jeans, belt buckle and boots.

Quickly she changed, pulling on her standard FBI apparel and pulled her Glock from the gun safe in their room. Grabbing her magazine and holster
, Elizabeth popped it onto her hip and slid the gun into place. The old familiarity of it gave her a sense of relief against the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

It felt good to be
officially back on the job. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the assignment she wanted at that point, but she’d help Callen out no matter what. Then hand Desdemona her ass for committing professional suicide. Then ass kick her one more time for not coming to the family first with the problem, before doing something so boneheaded and now risking them all.

When she was done packing she headed down the hallway to her son’s nursery and quietly snuck in to kiss him goodbye. He was asleep on his back, thumb in his mouth and soothing himself by sucking gentl
y. “I love you, sweet little boy. Be good for daddy and granddad,” she whispered, kissing him on his chubby little cheek. “Mommy will be home soon.”

Elizabeth backed out of the room, her eyes filling with tears at the idea she had to leave him so soon. It was one thing to leave to go to work twenty minutes away, but this was hundreds of miles and it rattled
her.

Downstairs
, Wyler sat on the couch waiting for her.

“What’s happening?”

Elizabeth told him everything before Whitefox returned and could hear her. She broke down all the details and voiced her concern.

“You’ll keep my boy safe
and slap some sense into that woman?”

Elizabeth hugged the man when he stood and opened his arms. He’d taken a bullet to the chest to protect Timothy
, and they almost lost him way too soon.

“I will D
ad,” she answered. He was her surrogate father, since her own was stolen away almost two years ago. “I promise.”

He tipped her chin up to look him in the eyes. “You make sure you take care of you too, do you hear me Elizabeth?”

“I do and I will.”

Just then
, Callen walked in, and took in the scene. “Please stay here, Elizabeth. If anything happens to you…” He wasn’t able to finish that thought; it made his stomach roll sickly.

“Okay, I will if you will.”

His jaw ticked because he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He promised Desdemona he would help her, even though she broke her promise that didn’t give him the right to do the same. “Lyzee,” he started, trying to find the words.

“Then I guess you get to saddle up and be my new partner for this one.” Elizabeth offered him her most reassuring smile. “Callen, I’m back from maternity leave
. I haven’t forgotten everything I’ve learned. I think I can manage to find the ME, her sister and not get killed in the process. You men have very little faith in me and my crazy mad skills.”

Callen shook his head.
“Okay, I’m ready.” He hugged his father goodbye “Kiss CJ for me and tell him I love him.”

Elizabeth handed him the keys to her SUV. “T
ake my car Dad; you know how Ethan is about safety.”

The man laughed. “I never thought the day would come that I’d be driving my grandson around in a luxury vehicle
. Talk about a dream come true. I wonder if I can get a deer in the back…”

Elizabeth laughed. “
Please don’t! That’s my ride. Take you’re your son’s Mustang for that little adventure. Hang the damn legs out the trunk or strap it to the hood.”

Wyler chuckled and
kissed her on the forehead. “Both of you be safe!”

Something bad was brewing; he could feel it in the winds.

“Callen, did you pack your swim trunks?” asked Elizabeth, walking out the back door to load their things into his truck parked in Desdemona’s driveway.

“No why?”

“In case we have to swim with the gators in the swamp.”

Whitefox blanched
at the idea that he was dragging his brother’s wife into gator infested water to find a woman who lied and had no sense of self-preservation. “Terrific. This entire day is getting better by the moment.”

                                *   *   *

Elizabeth and Callen rolled into FBI West to get their information before the flight. It was a five minute drive to the airport, and they were on standby until the jet was ready. Walking in, both had serious looks on their faces, as they were met by Ginny holding the dossier for them.

“Boss, I booked two rooms in a bed and breakfast in the town. There really isn't anything in Cypress Grove along the lines of a hotel, and this was the best accommodations that I could come up
within driving distance to Desdemona’s family address.”

Elizabeth took the papers she held out to her. “We need this kept quiet Ginny. If anyone asks, Callen isn't officially back yet, and I’m on maternity leave until Monday.”

The woman nodded. “I have all the supplies that Mr. B wanted me to get ready. He’s on the phone with Mr. Rothschild.”

“Supplies?” asked Whitefox.

Ginny pointed past them to the chair. There sat the two Kevlar vests and four boxes of re-load bullets for both Glocks, along with replacement magazines.

“I need one tactical shotgun.” Now she looked over at her brother-in-law. “Do you want a scope for your Glock?”

“Are we going into a warzone?” he asked, trying to be funny, but not buying it himself.

Elizabeth looked serious. “The closest FBI office is one hundred miles away from Cypress Grove. Once we go in, we’re on our own. There isn't backup to come in for us.”

“I really wish you’d stay here.” Now his heart was pounding in his chest. Of all the people in the world he’d risk, Elizabeth wasn’t even on the list, for a myriad of reasons.

“Good luck with that,” came his brother’s voice from behind them.

Both turned to see him holding papers in his hand. “The jet is ready. Gabe cleared it and the pilot is going to keep this off the logs, until you can make it FBI business. We can’t both go MIA and not have it suspicious, so I’m in house until you can make it official. Once that happens, I can come in and bring anyone else I need with me.”

Elizabeth nodded. “I need a favor.”

He lifted an eyebrow, unable to imagine what she’d ask.

“We’re about to trudge into a swamp in Indian country to find a missing woman. I’d feel better if I had a little more back up. Can you call in Julian Littlemoon?”

“To be your partner or track Desdemona’s sister?” While he was okay with his brother being close to his wife, he wasn’t okay with the other Native man doing the same thing.

“No one’s partnering up with her but me,” interjected Whitefox. Both men shared a look about what wasn’t going to be happening, and that was Julian Littlemoon ogling Elizabeth.

“Okay, down boys. How about we get the man to say he’ll help, and then we can see who has a bigger set when we get there?”

Whitefox snorted.

“Let’s go into the office for a minute,” he suggested. “Ginny, get the driver ready to take them to the airport and two cups of coffee to go. They’re going to be in the air until about seven tonight.”

“Yes boss.”

Both Elizabeth and Callen Whitefox followed him into the office. When he closed and locked the door, they knew it wasn’t going to be official business.

This was personal.

“Get in and try to talk Desdemona into leaving. The last place she needs to be is in the middle of the stalker’s playground. Tell her whatever it takes. I don’t care if you have to use the job as an excuse, Elizabeth.”

“Okay.”

Whitefox flinched.

“Cal, I don’t want your fiancée to get herself taken out by a nutjob. I’d rather scare her home so Elizabeth and you can handle this alone. Let’s face it, Desdemona
being there is a distraction for you. If you're distracted you’re not watching Lyzee’s back. Then my wife is on her own, or Julian Littlemoon is watching her.” That he let go because both men knew how that wasn’t a good option on either count.

“I won’t let anything happen to her.” He meant it. Nothing was touching Elizabeth. If it came down to it then he’d stand in front of both women.

“The stalker, if he took Desdemona’s sister, wants her there, and we need to take away what he wants. If she won’t leave, then we move to plan B.”

“Plan B?”

Elizabeth laughed. “I knock her unconscious and we abduct her.”

Whitefox
wasn’t sure if she was serious or not. This was Elizabeth saying it. “Please tell me that you’re joking.”

Blackhawk patted him on the back. “She’s yanking your chain
, Cal. If we could just knock women out and abduct them to get them to do what we want, don’t you think I’d have tried that already with hers truly?”

“Good point.”

“Get me evidence and we’ll call in the FBI. Until then, just vest up and watch out for the gators.”

Elizabeth snickered.

“Why is she laughing?” Blackhawk asked, paranoid that his wife found man eating monsters funny.

“She already said the same thing and told me to bring the swim trunks in case we had to go in the water.”

Now he was staring at his wife. “You don’t have gator appropriate swim wear, Elizabeth.” And now he was a nervous wreck and for a very good reason.