Pledging to Die (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 11) (40 page)

To say that Archy Saba was stirred up would be an understatement. When Callen arrived at the sheriff’s vehicle, the student was pounding on the windows and shouting.

Callen wanted to laugh, especially since the boy wasn’t in trouble. They only needed to see what he planned on posting in the next day’s paper.

While he doubted that he was being held prisoner, in actuality, he was only going to be asked a few simple questions.

Someone liked drama.

That was for sure.

When Callen opened the door, the man jumped up, ready to bolt. Shoving him back into the seat, he pointed ominously at him. “Listen up! Behave, and you’re on your way. Act like a fool, and you’ll be calling your mommy for bail money.”

That shut him up.

“Now what the hell did you see?”

He stared at him. “You want me to tell you? You lock me up in a car, you have my cell phone and camera stolen, and now you want me to talk? Are you insane?”

Callen reached around his back and found his handcuffs. Holding them on one finger, he dangled them in front of the boy’s face. “You’re a weasel, Archy. You’ve been sneaking around, so I know you saw something. When we pulled up, you were furiously typing on your smartphone.”

He tried not to look over, but he did. On the hood was the man’s gear.

“Sit.”

Callen grabbed it, and then returned to stand in front of the young reporter. “What’s the passcode?”

He said nothing.

“Tell me, or this goes back to the lab with me, and we’ll hack it. Then you’ll never see it again. I bet all your information is in here. I know I live out of mine.”

He rattled it off.

Whitefox wasn’t surprised that he caved.

First, Callen went into his photos and sent them to his work phone. Then, he deleted them from the memory. Along with that, he opened up his notepad and started reading.

When he finally looked up, Callen was impressed—just not for good reasons.

“You’ve been following the cop.”

Archy shrugged. “Well, he’s been at all three scenes, and that’s suspicious. I’ve been trying to find that girl, the one who found the first two bodies, but she’s been inside all night. When I saw him sneaking around the building…”

“Patrolling,” Callen corrected. “Cops patrol. Criminals sneak.”

He continued, “I saw him, and I followed. He went right to that storm drain, looked around, and then climbed in. Next thing I know, he’s pulling a body out. He drops her on the grass, and then calls it in.”

“Okay, and that makes him guilty how?”

“He was at all three scenes. You’re supposed to be a Fed. You should see this one a mile away.”

Callen laughed. “We don’t have crystal balls, son. We have to find evidence. You’re starting a witch hunt in the school paper. You need to knock it off.”

“Or?” he asked.

“Or I’m going to have to bust your balls until you cry like a baby. You’re getting in our way. You’re making this harder than it has to be.”

“What if I backed off? What’s in it for me?”

Callen hated reporters as much as the next Fed, but this kid amused him. He was trying to negotiate with the FBI.

That took guts.

Oh, and so much stupidity.

“If you cut us a break and let us do our job, maybe you’ll get a one-on-one with the lead investigator.”

“Is that the babe? I was in the psych class, and she’s smoking hot. She made all my teacher fantasies so much more vivid.”

“Yeah, my wife does that for me too.”

He turned red. “Uh…”

“So, turn off the babe fantasies. She’s the mother of my children.” Callen couldn’t be mad. After all, Elizabeth was hot, and she did play the sole lead role in all his sexed up daydreams.

“Drop the investigation, and we’ll see what we can do. If I see you checking out her ass, I’m going to kick yours. There’s your warning.”

With that, he deleted everything off his phone before handing it back.

Archy Saba hopped out of the car, eagerly taking back his property. When he checked the photos, he was pissed.

“Hey! You screwed me over! Those were for tomorrow’s paper.”

Callen grinned as he headed back to talk to his partners.

He was well aware.

The kid needed to learn a hard lesson.

The FBI didn't screw around.

Oh, and they really hated reporters.

Chapter Thirteen

Once back at the frat house, Brody noticed it was business as usual. The men were rushing around as they prepared for that evening’s party.

There were kegs being brought in, and the furniture was being moved around. Apparently, they were expecting it to be a big one.

“Hey, Brody!” Sutton stated. “That was a long run.”

He shrugged. “I didn't just run. I went by that girl’s dorm. Something is going on over there. I wanted to make sure she was safe.”

“Awww… isn’t that sweet,” stated Arman from the doorway. “Lover boy is checking up on the one who got away.”

Brody flipped him off. “Don’t be a dick, okay? I couldn’t bag her, so let’s move on. Tonight’s a new night.”

Sutton patted him on the back. “Yeah, it is!”

Arman grinned. “Oh, I have a feeling it’s going to be epic. We have booze, the babes are coming, and you’re going to get your sex on with some nubile freshman sorority sister. That should make you forget about her.”

“Who?” he asked, playing the game.

“Exactly.”

“What do you need help with?” he asked, trying to play the part. The only problem was he didn't want to be there. He was worried about Joey, and what he was supposed to do that night with some drunken sorority sister.

“I think the DJ is going to be dragging his shit in through the kitchen. Can you help him out?” Arman asked.

“Yeah, I can,” Brody offered, more than happy to escape their presence. Really, he didn't want to talk to anyone at that moment.

As soon as he was out of the room, Arman glared at the other man. “Don’t get attached to him. As soon as we figure out what the hell he’s doing here, we’re taking care of it.”

Sutton crossed his arms over his chest. “Listen, you’re over the edge about this. You heard him. He didn't lie. He was over at the dorm. Is it possible that Garrick is over exaggerating the situation?”

“Yeah, you’re an idiot, Sutton. Grow up.”

With that, he headed down to the basement to make sure everything was setup. While Broderick Seaton was upstairs with the girl, they were going to get their party on.

Well, some of them.

Nels would take a pass at the festivities to keep an eye on the man. That worked for him.

As far as he was concerned, he didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him.

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

The pressure was on, and he wanted out of the entire mess. Now that the girl was found, he was screwed.

She held the key to his mistake, and as soon as they checked her body, they were going to find his ‘deposit’.

He was scared shitless.

Everything was collapsing around him.

While he knew it was all for a good cause, in the end, it still had the potential to take them all down.

He hated what was happening.

He was going to jail.

As he paced the room, he opted to make one call, hoping he wouldn’t have to go through with that evening’s plans. If he could just back away, then maybe he could get some time and fix this mess.

It was his only hope.

When the phone was answered, the voice was angry, and it was all directed at him.

He wasn’t surprised.

“Why are you calling me?”

“I need to talk about tonight,” he said.

“Shhhhhh. Are you out of your fucking mind? We don’t talk about it. You get the girl, you do your job, and we call it a night.”

“The FBI… they’re getting close. They’re starting to interrogate people,” he whined.

“Listen. This is a perfect setup. We’re going to be fine. You have to trust me. You didn't have a problem doing it before. Now you’re having second thoughts?”

“I had sex with two of them after I took them.”

There was silence on the other end.

“You’re a moron.”

“I couldn’t help it. They were so…”

“Fix your shit! You risked all this and for what? You’re in so much trouble, and I’m not going down with you. Do you hear me? This was perfect, and now it’s all jacked up. Thanks.”

With that, the phone went dead.

He began pacing the room, unsure what to do. It all started out so different. Yes, he was killing, but there was a reason. Now, it was a mess.

He would take this last girl, and he was done.

There would be no more bloodshed from him.

He couldn’t do it.

He was too weak.

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

Saturday Mid-Morning

Now that the scene had been cleared, Elizabeth and her men headed into the small town. For now, they needed to eat and grab some coffee. There was no way they’d make it a full day without something to keep them fueled up.

Ethan spotted a café, and they pulled in. At least there’d be a few minutes of peace and quiet before they had to dive back in. As they sat down, Elizabeth took a minute to watch the TV that was tuned in to the local news.

When she saw her face, Ethan’s, and also Callen’s, she didn't need to hear the reporter to know what was beings said.

“We’re screwed,” she stated, leaning back in the booth to close her eyes. It wasn’t so much the killer that now had their back to the wall, but Gabe’s situation.

“Oh boy,” stated Callen, seeing the recorded feed from the crime scene. It appeared that someone else had taken some videos of them.

There was one particular one which they kept looping. The speculation was apparently making the media wild.

She stared at Callen. “And that’s why I told you no kissy-face in the field. Now we have the media spreading that I’m divorcing Ethan to marry you.”

Blackhawk grinned. At least this time he didn't have anything to do with this one.

“I’m sorry. I didn't mean…”

She patted his hand. “It’s okay. I’m sorry. This isn't your fault. I’m just in a bitch of a mood.”

Ethan watched his brother. It was clear, from the look on his face that it bothered Callen that he always felt like they had to keep their part of the relationship silent, but that was just the element of the beast.

There was nothing they could do about it.

“Hey, don’t stress it,” Ethan reassured. “This will blow over. Remember when they figured out we all lived in the same house? That went on for a little while, and then it died off. This will too.”

“I didn't think a simple kiss would stir them up. I don’t want them thinking…I don’t want them saying…”

Shit!

This sucked.

“Cal, I don’t think they’re thinking anything,” stated Ethan, sympathizing with his brother. “It was a kiss to her forehead—not a full on lip lock. That might be a little messier if they caught you mauling her like a hornball. It’s okay.”

“Yeah, Ethan’s right,” she stated, as the waitress came over with a pot of coffee. At that moment, she wanted to go full on kissy-face with the woman.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“PLEASE.”

The men stared at her like she was a crazed junkie.

“Whatcha having?” she asked, staring down at her notepad. When she looked up, her face said it all. “Holy shit! You’re the Feds on the TV. We don’t get celebrities in here.”

So much for wanting the coffee and staying low key, as they took a few minutes to regroup. At the word ‘celebrity’, people began staring.

Elizabeth was at the end of her rope for stupidity, and this woman was about to get it both barrels. When she opened her mouth, Ethan kissed her.

She was so caught off guard that she didn't know what to do.

Instead, Callen ordered them breakfast while her mouth was being occupied. They didn't need any more attention, and Elizabeth going nuclear would be just that.

When the woman was gone, Ethan broke the kiss. Granted, it was mostly one sided, but he didn't mind—in the least.

“I swear to God, I’m going to hurt you and that pricy suit of yours,” she stated. “When I get scissors, I’m going to hack the shit out of it. Wait and see.”

Blackhawk wasn’t worried. “You can’t kill civilians. We have enough of a mess. You think the patrons of this place won’t be calling the local news to tell them how badass Elizabeth Blackhawk started a brawl for no reason?”

She hated that he was right.

“Talk it out, Elizabeth. You might feel better,” Callen offered. That always helped him.

She took their hands in hers under the table, joining them together.

“I’m worried about Gabe. I know you’re both pissed at him for the Oracle BS, but he’s family. I can’t help but worry. This is so far out of my control that I don’t know what to do with it.”

Callen sipped his coffee as he tried to come up with a solution to their problem. “Why don’t we pay the president a little visit and go from there? Maybe you can calmly convince him to leave Gabe alone.”

There was that.

Plus, she really needed to see if he’d arranged for an interview with Doctor Levitz.

“Okay.”

They each stared at her. “Really?” they said in unison. Could it really be that easy?

“Yeah. You’re both right. I have to handle this another way. I can’t stop the media, but I can make someone miserable, and that someone is the president of this university. This man has been jacking with our investigation from the beginning. If we played this our way, we could have it taken care of and be on our way home. I have to rework our strategy. It’ll be one to level the man in our way.”

Blackhawk laughed. “Good to see you took something away from what Callen suggested. I didn't think it would be this, but okay.”

She stared at him.

“You know—more flies with honey than insults and physical abuse tends to work best.”

She laughed. “How unoriginal.”

The waitress headed over with breakfast, placing it down in front of them. As she opened her mouth to speak, Elizabeth pointed with her fork. “If you say one word that’s related to me or the job we’re here doing, I’m going to pluck off your eyebrows and then draw them back in with blood—yours—not mine.”

She stared at her.

“Shoo!”

That seemed to work.

Callen grinned. “Ah, I love when she’s all riled up like this. There’s nothing that makes me happier.”

Feeling better, she ran her fingers up his thigh, intentionally brushing his lower anatomy with her hand.

“Except maybe that.”

She laughed. “Thank you for being mine,” she stated, knowing that the men in her life were really good at defusing the Elizabeth bomb right before it was going to go off.

“The pleasure is all ours,” stated Whitefox.

Ethan agreed. “Hell yeah, it is.”

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

In the president’s office, there was this air of tension surrounding them. While his administrative assistant wasn’t in, the man himself was running the place, and from the stress lines etched into his face, he wasn’t happy.

When they arrived, he was talking to someone on the board of trustees. The second he saw them, he looked about ready to kill.

“I’ll handle it,” he promised, hanging up the phone. “What the hell is going on?” he asked, standing from his assistant’s desk. “I got a call this morning, telling me that someone was found dead on campus, and then I saw the news.”

Elizabeth took a seat, crossing her boots at the ankles. “Yeah, it seems that someone found the missing victim.”

“I’m aware. Did you see the paper’s headline?” he asked, turning the computer screen on the desk to face them.

‘Missing sorority sister found. One more victim to the campus killer. There is no end in sight.’

“That was one of the trustees, and he’s not happy. He wants this handled, and fast.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Gee, and we don’t? We could have it taken care of if you would have stopped tying our hands over the whole ‘keep it quiet’ thing. They wanted us here, and you’re using Gabe to slow us down, so I’ve come up with a solution. I’m calling the media, and I’m going to come out and tell them everything.”