Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) (27 page)

“Oh, boy.”

Yeah, he could say that again.

 
                               *     *     *

He got bored looking for a place to bury his next victim. For now, he wanted to just take him and let the chips fall where they may.

While he was enacting his revenge, then he’d figure it all out. Maybe this one would be left in a crypt in the cemetery. After all, he knew where there were some available ones.

They’d been built and bought, but never to be used. They were close to where he did his secret work. The more and more he thought about it, he decided to really switch it up. While the FBI looked on the Native lands, he’d take it to a place they’d never think to search.

Yeah, that’s what he’d do.

Sitting in the dark, he watched the man who needed to suffer for what he’d done.

God had told him he was the one.

Now, it was all about taking him.

Every night, he’d take
that dog for a walk. If anything, it was laughable. His girlfriend owned that joke of a pooch, but the poor guy was saddled with it. Oh well, he wasn’t afraid of it in the least. In fact, he’d kick the little rat across the grass.

Then, it hit him.

On second thought, the dog could join him.

Waiting in the trees, where he’d hidden the tarp to
use for transport, he noticed the man moving closer. When the next sinner was just past the location, he jumped out, using the hammer to knock him out. The crunch of bones filled the air as the sick thud called to him on some level.

This was God’s enactment of punishment.

There would be no mercy.

Not now. Not ever.

By morning, this sinner would be in his place, and no one would be any wiser. Glancing down at the yapping dog, he grabbed it and violently twisted its neck. The popping of bones told the tale, just as the barking ended.

The fury rat lay dead now too.

Finally
, it was time to wrap them up. As he prepared to roll them up, the man moaned in pain.

This wouldn’t do.

With repetitive swings of the hammer, his victim was bludgeoned over and over again.

The anger was there.

The hate was evident.

There was no compassion or mercy.

With one more strike, done in the haze of violence, he went too far and ended his life.

“Oh, well,” the killer muttered, wrapping him up. “It saves me a step later.”

Dragging him to his truck, he hefted the man up. Closing the gate, he went off to do the Lord’s work.

One sin at a time.

~ Chapter Seven ~

Tuesday Late Afternoon

They pulled into the parking spot in front of the meeting house. Granted, Elizabeth’s mood was much brighter now than after talking to Wade Dixon, but Callen was still worried.

Oh, not that she would
still be feeling guilty.

But that she would bury him in
a Native mess.

When it came to people, the woman he loved was an enigma.
Often, she was taken for face value and judged solely on that. Yet there was so much more to Elizabeth. It was only a matter of getting to know her.

“I can feel your tension from here,” she stated, patting him on the arm. “You need to chill out. I’ll behave.”

“Lyzee, I’m sorry,” he began, but she cut him off.

“Cal, I get it. You work hard at your job. I won’t stir up the Natives. We have enough on our plate, but I do need personal interviews with the two men who were caught with Kaylee Bain. If you can get me those, I’ll be more than happy.”

He ran his fingers down her cheek. “If you promise to be a good girl, maybe there will be a surprise for you when we get back to the cabin.”

Leaning over, she stopped with her lips almost touching his before she spoke, “What kind of surprise, love monkey?”

“One that will get you all hot and bothered, right before it gets you in the mood for sex,” he promised, hoping his brother arrived in time. While she’d crawl all over him at the drop of a hat, Callen actually missed his brother. When they had sex, it was a million times hotter.

“I’m going to be very good, just to get my prize,” she whispered, running her fingers up his white button down shirt and to his neck. Once there, she pulled him closer to share
a kiss.

Heat flooded him as her mouth
expertly worked over his. His woman knew the exact way to stir him up and make him run hot. Just as he was falling into the mating of mouths, she began to pull away with his lip between her teeth.

“Lyzee,” he muttered, his heart pounding and his body as tight as the string on a bow. “You’re wicked.”

Her laughter filled the vehicle. “You bring it out in me, Callen,” she stated, staring into his eyes. “Don’t forget to arrange those interviews, if you don’t mind.”

It took everything he had to focus on her words. She was so close to him that he could smell her perfume and taste her on his lips.

“Yes, ma’am,” he stated, as she hopped out of the Navigator. His eyes tracked her until she stopped in front of the vehicle. Yeah, he couldn’t wait to get her out of those jeans. Ethan better come though.

Joining her, he headed into the building.

Once inside, Elizabeth looked around. It was decorated in traditional Native colors. There were murals on the walls, depicting some battles that the tribe’s ancestors had survived against the pillaging white man.

Waiting for them was the chief and beside him stood another man.

“We were just finishing up,” he said, shaking Callen’s hand. “This is the head of the council, Red Darkeagle. He insisted on meeting with you, Director Whitefox.”

Callen shook hi
s hand and pointed at his woman who was checking out the giant mural. “This is my partner, Director Elizabeth Blackhawk.”

She immediately turned, offering them her hand in greeting. “That’s absolutely stunning,” she offered. “In fact, it’s fantastic.”

Red Darkeagle spoke, “It’s not often an outsider can appreciate our art. It was done by one of our local painters. His work can be found in the village shops if you want to take some home with you. Everyone should have a little piece of Native culture with them. After all, we started it all.”

She glanced back over at him. “Our home has plenty of Native homage in it. I happen to own a beautiful warbonnet.”

The men stared at her.

Callen stepped in
before assumptions were made. “Elizabeth is my partner in and out of the field. My very Native grandfather was a shaman and loved her very much. When he passed on, he gifted it to her.”

The men softened.

“She’s also the mother of our little Natives and carrying another of our children.”

Elizabeth went to Callen’s side
to wrap her arm around his hips. “I also speak the tribe’s language. Does that get me into this interview?”

Chief Molala began laughing. “Yes, it absolutely does, Elizabeth.”

She let it go that he dropped the director title. This was for Callen. Today, she was going to play nice with the Natives. If it worked on the sheriff and his men, it just might have merit in this situation too.

Inside the room, they all took their seats.

“What have you found?” Red Darkeagle asked. “We would like resolution to this, and soon,” he stated.

Elizabeth normally would have jumped in, but true to her word, she left it up to Callen. This was more field testing at
its finest. She knew what was coming, Native or not.

They weren’t going to be happy at all.

“All four victims are from the local town. We’re currently trying to figure out why your land was used for these murders. Once we do, we’ll be able to tell you more.”

“Do you think this person has desecrated more of our
reservation?” he asked, staring at Elizabeth.

“We don’t know, sir, but we’d like to find out.”

They started speaking in rapid Native. It was a different language than what Elizabeth and Callen spoke, but some of the words were similar.

Yeah, they weren’t happy in the least. They didn't want outsiders traipsing around the woods, digging holes
all over the place.

“How do you plan on doing that?” asked Chief Molala.
“It doesn’t please us that you want to rip up our forests. They are a source of pride for us.”

Callen took over, knowing they weren’t going to like his suggestion. “We need to have our tech team search the woods. We have a ground penetrating radar machine they can use.”

Where the idea of outsiders wandering around didn't please them, the radar did. It was less intrusive.

“We wouldn’t think of digging up your land,” she offered. “We understand how connected you are to it and won’t desecrate it.”

“It’s already had that done to it, so you can see our reason for hesitation. Someone not of this tribe has buried bodies on it.”

Callen hated to be the bearer of
bad news, but they didn't know that for sure. It absolutely could have been someone in the tribe. After all, who would know the area better than a Native?

This
gave Callen the perfect opportunity to bring up Elizabeth’s request.

“We happen to have two individuals we need to talk to
about some things we’ve discovered.”

“Who?” asked the chief
.

“Your
Officer Brewster and Bruno Whitefeather.”

They looked confused
by the mention of these particular men’s names. “Why them?”

Elizabeth let Callen continue. So far, he was doing a damn good job. The Natives may be restless, but they were
staying calm.

“They were arrested in a bar, of
f the reservation, for solicitation. The hooker they tried to pick up is now one of our victims. As you can see, we need to ask them what happened. They may have seen someone harassing Kaylee Bain.”

The men once more conferred in their language.

Callen glanced over, knowing this had to be driving Elizabeth insane. Despite that, she was serenely looking around at the art. She was going to get a big wet kiss when they were out of there.

“We can allow that to happen, but you’ll do it here, not in your outsider police station. Can we agree to that
, mediator?”

Maybe he should have conferred with Elizabeth, but he knew that was as good as they were going to get in this deal. Technically, they could block them.

“Deal,” he said, offering his hand as a sign of promise from one Native man to the other.

“Only, we have one other condition,” stated Red Darkeagle.

Callen’s hand remained out, as he waited to hear this. “Yes?”

“She does the interviews.”

Elizabeth almost wanted to do cartwheels. Oh, if they though she was going to be the easy one, they had another thing coming. Callen looked appalled, but he couldn’t back out of it. It wasn’t like she planned on stirring them up, but she could get even for all the ass pats and chauvinistic comments he’d thrown out since she got pregnant.

Oh yes, karma was
about to hand him his ass.

“I’m okay with that, Callen,” she said demurely.

The shit was going to hit the fan, and he knew it. Once she got her claws in those two men, she was going to have them as a snack.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Chief,” he tried to sway the man. If he was smart, he’d listen.

“We just think that a softer touch might be warranted. Your Elizabeth looks to be perfect to do the interviews. You may watch, but she will be the one who talks to them.”

She grinned at him like the very full cat who just snacked on a cage full of helpless, hapless canaries.

Well, shit!

“You’ll take it easy on our people, won’t you, Elizabeth?” Chief Molala asked, smiling at her.

It was obvious what the man thought about women. Oh, she was going to show them how sweet she could be.

Callen wanted to warn the man that he was baiting a very pregnant
Tyrannosaurus Lyz. Someone was bound to get killed in the carnage.