Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) (57 page)

When he arrived, there were two people working behind the counter. They weren’t the two who were there when Ethan and Wyler had picked up the food.

“Where’s Tehila?” he asked.

“She and Simon cut out for the night.”

Ethan tried to process all of it. “Did anyone come in and buy food with a credit card?” he asked. “Is there a way you can check?”

The man actually laughed. “At this dive?”

He looked around for a security camera.

There were none.

“I can look it up in the register,” the young female offered. When she pulled up the tape, she searched for the charge. “We had one for forty three dollars about fifty minutes ago.”

“That was mine. What was right after it?”

“There was one two minutes later for twenty nine dollars and thirty cents.”

They’d been there.

Damn it!

He’d missed them by minutes.

That pissed him off.

“What now, boss?” Brody asked.

“We head back to the hospital. I have to wake my wife up and tell her that we missed the killers by minutes. She’s going to be pissed.”

“You didn't wake up Elizabeth?” Johanna asked, cringing at what would be coming for their other boss.

Someone was going to get an ass chewing, and if they were there, they’d be privy to it.

Well, crap.

This wasn’t good.

If Elizabeth Blackhawk was asleep and left behind, heads were going to roll.

                 
* * *  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *

Sunday Evening

Hospital

When he got back, she was already awake. As a matter of fact, so was Callen. They were sitting on the bed eating their dinner.

She was smiling until the two agents rolled in behind him. “Where were you?” she asked, glancing back and forth between the three of them.

Apparently, Wyler hadn’t told her where he rushed off to. This was going to suck.

“We had a hit on the credit cards. Bonnie and Clyde made a charge at the diner. I raced there to get them, but they were gone. They don’t have security.”

She stared at him, the fork halfway to her mouth. “So, you didn't wake me, and you missed them anyway?”

His face said it all.

As did his tense body language.

Elizabeth would have bitched up a storm had they been alone. She was lead, and this was her rodeo. Since he had people with him, she wouldn’t break him down in front of others. They were a team, and they had to hold it all together.

“Well, Cowboy, that happens.”

Everyone in the room stared at her like she had fifteen eyes and six heads.

Ethan didn't know if he’d gotten lucky or if this was some Christmas miracle. Either way, he was counting his blessings.

“There were two new people working, and I didn't get to ask Tehila and Simon if they saw anyone.”

She stopped eating.

“They weren’t there?”

“No.”

Elizabeth pointed at her agents. “Run them. I want everything, and you have ten minutes to do it.”

They dropped to the floor and whipped out their tablets. Her voice said it all.

“Doll.”

Ethan stared at her. “What?”

“The note that was left for me in the house after Callen was shot. It called me doll, right?”

He had to think back to it. Before he could speak, Johanna tossed him her tablet, so he could answer her question.

Ethan read it over to refresh his memory.

‘One down. You’re next. Be ready, doll.’

He still didn't get it.

“On that first day in the diner, what did Simon call her?”

“I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Doll.”

Ethan stared at her. “I call you baby, and Callen calls you angel. Hell, Dad calls you sweetheart. It could be a term of endearment. Lots of people might use it.”

She was well aware.

“Do you want to assume?”

He shook his head. “Hell no!”

Elizabeth hopped off the bed and began pacing. As her agents continued typing like their lives depended on it, Ethan’s phone chimed.

He glanced at it.

“It’s from Dakota. He’s calling in a scene.”

She was confused. “Wasn’t he sitting on a potential victim’s house?”

“Yes.”

She kissed Callen goodbye. “We’ll see you. Agents, you’re on dad and husband duty too. Watch their asses. If anyone puts holes in either one of them, I’m going to be your worst freaking nightmare.”

Callen laughed.

They didn't.

With that, she and Ethan raced out of there, calling their team.

The killers were moving fast.

This wasn’t good.

At all.

                 
* * *  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *

Percy Warffe’s

House

When they got there, no one was around. The Marshals’ vehicle was empty. Elizabeth assumed they were inside the building.

As the tech van pulled up behind them, she held up her hand. They were going to clear the house, and they needed their team to wait.

The last thing they needed was for Bonnie and Clyde to get their hands on them. She didn't put it past them. They were escalating with messages to her, more abuse to the female victims, and dropping bodies with no time in between. After being stopped in the act, they had to be pissed.

As they moved into the house, she had her com open. “Tell me about this house,” she whispered to Chris Leonard. He was typing away in the van for her while the two agents babysat.

“It’s owned by Percy Warffe. He’s a local teacher, and has been at the school for a long time.”

Elizabeth focused on the front steps. The welcome mat was askew and there was blood on the wood.

“We have signs of a struggle,” she stated. “Something went down here.”

Ethan was around back. He didn't want to split up, but they couldn’t let them run.

“Elizabeth, you shoot first and question it later with these two. Got me?” he muttered into the live com. He didn't care who heard them.

She smiled at the tone in his voice. “Yes, dear. Just keep out of my way. I wouldn’t want to put a bullet in that sexy ass of yours.”

The sarcasm was crystal clear.

Chris snorted.

“Elizabeth!” he hissed, pushing open the back door. Glancing in, he didn't see anyone.

As he moved through the mud room, he paused to check out his space.

He smelled blood.

Lots of it.

“Elizabeth, boot the door. I’m in. Someone bled out in here.”

There was something definitely wrong. If the two Marshals were inside, they wouldn’t be hiding in the house. “Dakota! Delaney!” he called.

No reply.

His skin crawled.

This was bad.

As he moved into the dark kitchen, he could only see the room thanks to the moon shining off the snow.

It felt off.

Ethan heard the telltale crash of the door. There was no doubt that his wife was now inside too.

“Dakota!” she called. “Delaney! FBI! Are you in here?”

She got no reply either.

As they moved toward each other, something became increasingly clear.

Bad shit happened here.

Then they saw it.

On the dining room table, and floor, there were all the appendages and body parts lined up. They’d taken them apart only to line them back up. It looked like some sick exhibit in a twisted macabre museum.

“Jesus,” she muttered as the two heads were there.

They were watching them from the grips of death.

“Hit the lights,” she said, as Ethan did it.

When they went on, she got ready to call for their team.

“Uh, Lyzee?” Ethan began.

When she turned, she saw what he was staring at. There was blood on the walls, and beneath it on the buffet was a phone.

“That’s Dakota’s cell.” He could tell by the camouflage case protecting it.

She focused on the blood before realizing that it was something more than sick art.

There was a message.

As her eyes adjusted to the wallpaper behind it, she struggled to read it.

‘They were dumb. They fell right into our hands. By the time you get this, we’ll be starting the next round. You lose this game, Elizabeth Blackhawk.

It’s over.

See you next year.’

This was bad.

Bonnie and Clyde had two Federal employees. Time was ticking, and their lives depended on it.

Chapter Nineteen

It was her screaming that woke him up. He found himself bound to a table in the middle of a small cabin. He already knew what was happening in the next room.

Delaney was being tortured.

He struggled to get free. Had he been able to do it all over again, he would have called for backup. He’d broken the rules, and that meant one thing.

They were going to die.

The ultimate price would be paid. They were going to lose everything.

The harder he struggled against the ties, the tighter they became. He wasn’t going to get free.

There was just no way.

When the door opened, the screams continued. A pixie like blonde headed his way. She was smiling serenely, and he knew who she was.

“Bonnie,” he hissed. “You’re not going to get away with this.”

She laughed as she hopped up onto the table beside him. When her fingers began moving across his body, he struggled to get away from her touch.

She was sick.

Her beauty was only skin deep.

The screams from the other room horrified him.

“What’s he doing to her?” he asked, not sure if she’d actually tell him.

“Oh, he’s raping her. Unfortunately, she’s putting up a fight. When it comes to him, it’s best to just let him do it. It’s far shorter. He likes when they fight. Most men do, don’t they?”

“Let me save you,” he said, trying to gain her trust. “I know he’s had to hurt you. He’s a monster.”

She laughed. “Yes, he is, but then so am I, Marshal. You’ve chased me for a while, and you didn't know who I was, did you?”

He didn't say anything.

There was begging from the next room. “Now he’s bleeding her. He’s slit her wrists, and she’s watching her blood run from her body. By the time she’s nearly dead, he’ll rape her again. He likes it like that. All that blood turns him right on.”

He fought, the ties cutting into his wrists, making them bleed.

“I’ll work on you in a minute, but first, we have to get you ready.”

“You’re crazy!” he hissed.

She slapped him. “I am not. I know what I’m doing. I just hate men. I hate them all. You included.”

He struggled as her hand slid down his torso to his jeans. As they flipped them open, his heart started pounding in his chest.

“NO! Stop!”

She laughed. When he fought, she was amused. “Time to get you ready,” she stated, pulling out a bottle pills. “I won’t waste my time on getting you hard, Marshal,” she said, when he fought her touch. “I’ll just make sure I drug you up. Two of these, and you’ll be hard for hours. When I cut your dick off, you’ll bleed out.”

He couldn’t believe this was how he was going to die.

“I’ll enjoy taking your control away, and then I’ll make you bleed for me.”

Dakota closed his eyes, when he heard the hiss of the Taser, he knew what was coming next. When she yanked down his jeans, and hit him in the leg with it, the world went blank.

Again.

                 
* * *  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *

One Hour Later

She was pissed.

It wasn’t necessarily at her team, but at the whole thing in general. Not only was Bonnie and Clyde dicking with them, they were falling for it.

Now, they were all in the morgue, and she knew they were out of time. Even the sheriff and his deputies were there, eager to help find the two Marshals. The last thing they needed was for the killers to take them out.

Elizabeth couldn’t let them die.

“Chris, we don’t have much time left. We need to start working on this and fast. Tell me what you can about the victims.”

He pulled open the body bag and the sheriff gasped. “That’s Noland and Gail Graves.”

They all looked over.

“It’s not Percy Warffe?” she asked.

He stared at her. “Hell no! He’s the reverend at the local church. I go there. I’d know.”

She closed her eyes. “It’s Sunday. Did they have services today?”

“Yes. There are always services on the Sunday before a holiday and especially Christmas.”

“So they took them today. Why?”

No one spoke up.

Elizabeth kicked a table. “Someone give me something. We have ten dead bodies, and all I know is that someone likes killing people who aren’t morally right. Now Bonnie and Clyde have two Federal officers. Let’s get something.”

“There are blonde hairs all over them,” stated Merry. “It looks like they didn't care.”

That was a start. “Compare them, Merry. Are you done with what I asked for earlier?”

“I’m almost there, ma’am. I’m starting Cooper Douglas’s personal space. Give me some time.”

“We have plenty of that, but Dakota and Delaney have very little.”

Brody spoke up, “I ran Tehila and Simon like you asked,” he stated. “While they both have pasts, none of them coincide with the killer’s sprees. In fact, Simon was locked away in Florida during the last set of killings.”

She sighed.

They were so close.

“They’re screwing with you, Elizabeth,” Ethan stated. “You’re part of the game. Bonnie and Clyde want you off balance.”

“They’re doing a damn good job.”

“They shot Callen not to take you out, but to mess with you. Clear your head, look at the evidence, and use what I gave you. Forget about the time crunch and do what you do!”

“Ethan, tell me everything again,” she said, hopping up onto an empty morgue table. As she lay down on it, she glanced over toward the other Feds before he could start. “I want you to keep working team. Brody, I need you to be ready to give me everything on Irish Castro and her boyfriend Rick Goldberg.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He went back to work.

Ethan wanted to be sick. He hated that she was lounging on a morgue slab, but he understood that she’d want to stare at the blank ceiling as she thought it out.

“Okay, we know that on the outside, Clyde is the leader, but we’ve learned a few things. Bonnie isn't big on men. She’s likely doping them up with Viagra and raping them.”

The sheriff looked appalled.

“You can do that?”

Chris glanced over. “Yes. It’s possible. The Viagra sends the blood to the lower member, and it engorges. Once that happens…”

She stopped him. “Chris, I’m sure the sheriff knows how a dick gets stiff. If he doesn’t, that’s not our problem.”

“She’s right. I have one, so I’m familiar.”

Chris would have laughed if she wasn’t dead serious. This wasn’t the time to push his luck. Lives hung in the balance, and she wouldn’t find it funny.

Elizabeth got into the zone.

“We think that it’s about sex. She uses herself to lure men in. She always wants that control, and her body gives that to her. She’s totally manipulative and keeps Clyde in check the same way she gets the others.”

They all agreed.

“It’s gotta lead back to the sex. Sheriff,” she said. “Why that church? Who goes there?”

“A lot of people.”

Hopping up, she used the clear board that local ME would use to make notes. Quickly, Elizabeth scribbled all the victims’ names on the white board in order.

Maximillian Schneider

Lily Schneider

Christian Bourdain

Ann Kong

Salvatore Boone

Lina Dotson

Cooper Douglas

Adeline Douglas

Nolan Graves

Gail Graves

“Who on that list goes to that church?”

He scanned the names and tried to recognize someone. “I don’t see why this matters.”

“It’s important because our killer is hurting men. She’s raping them, and that means someone on that list led to the reverend’s death. It’s all connected.”

He studied it. “The only people I’ve ever seen at the church are Adeline Douglas and the Graves. She would show up on Sundays when there was confession.”

Interesting.

“Brody, Irish Castro said she went to church. Was it that one?” she asked.

He searched social media. When he found her, he scanned her profile. “No. She’s Baptist. That’s a Catholic church.”

“Do the same for Rick Goldberg.”

It took a few minutes. “No, his church is the same as hers.”

“It won’t be them. Cross them off the list.”

Chris glanced up. “Are you sure? Church goers and church killers go hand in hand. They might be fanatical.”

Ethan saw it from her point. “It’s a game. Think of it like chess. This is a challenge. What looks to be obvious is not going to be the answer. Think manipulation. This crime spree was a long time coming.”

She stared at the board.

“Everyone think. I need you on your game. Keep working the details. It’s in there. I know it is.”

They really hoped she was right.

If not, they were going to get a new set of bodies, and Bonnie and Clyde would be in the wind.

Again.

                 
* * *  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *

She stood above him. While he was out, she stripped him. She didn't get to drug him yet, but since he was coming back around, she’d have to zap him again.

As he moaned, she climbed up on the table to straddle his body.

“Have you ever been violated, Marshal Rakin? I’m not talking about identity theft or anything like that. I’m talking about someone you love and trust destroying you.”

“Yes,” he muttered, trying to focus.

His body was jittery and his thoughts were scrambled. He wasn’t sure how many shots to the body he could handle with the Taser.

“Tell me about you?” she asked, running her hands across his naked torso. “Are you in a relationship?”

He couldn’t believe he was going to bare his soul to a crazy, but he needed more time.

Dak had to stall.

If he could just hold out, there was always the possibility that the FBI would find them. The saddest part was the woman who broke him now had to save him.

He was screwed.

“No, I’m not.”

“Who hurt you, Marshal?”

“It’s Dakota. I have a name. Even if you kill me, I have one. I also have a family, and they’ll mourn. Why are you doing this?”

“When I was a young girl, I was abused by someone. They hurt me, and I’m just getting even.”

“You’ve killed over thirty people. They never touched you.”

She laughed. “Oh, that wasn’t me. That was Clyde. He’s cuckoo. The man’s nuttier than a box full of brittle. He’s killing people just because he likes the blood.”

“But why the couples?”

“I point him in the direction. Like your gun, you point and pull the trigger. I do the same. He goes off, and I just have to sit by and watch.”

“You’re having sex with him.”

She paused. “Actually, I’m biding my time. You see, he responds to that. All men do. They like pretty young things, but once we get older, we’re discarded. Men toss us away without a second thought. They abandon the gift we’ve given them.”

Well, that explained why they were leaving wrapped head-filled boxes.

“It sucks to be pushed aside for someone else, especially after you’ve given them everything.”

He didn't speak. Dakota wanted her to keep going. This might give him some time.

“I've found that with sex, I can either enjoy it, which I don’t anymore, or I can use it as a weapon. I let him use my body, In return, I get muscle to gather my victims. I wish I could say he had a master plan, but he didn't. It was mine all along.”

Dakota began planning his escape.

“Where’s my partner?”

“She’s dead. I just left that room. He was still having sex with her. She didn't last long. The women are generally stronger than the men. We’re unbreakable, Dakota. That’s why I’ll survive this.”

He hoped she was lying.

“Why Elizabeth Blackhawk?”

“Oh, I enjoy playing against smart people. She’s a killer. I can see it in her eyes. She’s cold, calculated, and she’s a worthy opponent. When you want to make a name for yourself, you pick the best. She’s that and so much more. When we meet, she’ll be a worthy adversary.”