Darkness Of Truth (An FBI/Romance Thriller~ Book 6) (26 page)

They weren’t telling him anything he didn't know. “I recall.”

“Yazzie didn’t tell us about the hide out.
Why is that?” Blackhawk was pissed. It gave the man an opportunity to sneak up on them or escape.

Rick actually appeared to be dumbfounded. “He didn’t tell you?
I don’t understand. He was well aware of it.”

Elizabeth was pissed now too. “Here’s what we’re going to do.
Everyone in this room, plus Yazzie, are heading back out there. I want to see what your officer has to say for himself. I want to catch the rat in the trap.”

Longtree agreed. “I don’t understand why he didn’t tell you. I mean, I know he’s
only an acquaintance, but still.” The man grabbed his keys. “I’ll grab him and meet you out there with him.”

“Don’t warn him, or I’ll be chewing your ass instead of his,” stated Elizabeth. “I may look the nicest out of the bun
ch, but let me assure you Chief; looks in this case are deceiving.”

The agents an
d Julian left the room together, and all of them were hoping the man didn't take her advice.

It was that kind of morning.

                                                 *   *   *

Tori met Mark at the coffee shop where they generally
came together to do business. He’d been her father’s lawyer and friend. When her dad died, he’d helped her with the estate paperwork. If Tori needed legal advice, this was the man she came to for assistance.

“Mark!” she shouted, running to the man and giving him a huge hug and kiss. “God! How’s everything!
I missed seeing you all!” she exclaimed, holding his hand.

The older man smiled. This woman was like a child to him. When her father died, he’d taken her under his wing. Larry would have wanted someone to look after her
and make sure she was safe.

“Do you have the papers and check?” she inquired
, practically bouncing.

He was concerned. “Are you sure you want to do this? You can still back out for twenty four hours. If something happens before tomorrow, you can have it stopped
with just a call.”

Tori laughed. “I found the man I’m going to
have my happily ever after with, and I swear you’d love him. He’s smart, funny and so damn kind. Julian saved me when I was going under, Mark. This never felt more right in all my life.”

“When you were going to marry Quinn, did it feel the same?” he asked, only because he was a father himself and knew all about young love.

Thinking about it, she kissed him on the cheek. “Now that I can look back on it objectively, I cared about Quinn,” she spoke of her fiancé, and while she’d never speak ill of the dead, the truth remained, “but what I feel for Julian is a zillion times deeper, more powerful and completely right. I don’t feel worried, rushed or trapped. I feel…” she began.

“Happy?” he hoped.

Tori actually giggled. “Yeah. I’m finally happy.”

He dropped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. “Then in your father’s absence
, I will tell you I trust your judgment. When will you be bringing him around to meet us and pass the test?”

Tori could feel her eyes filling with tears. “Dad would have loved him. He’s tough and bossy. I’ll bring him by soon. I promise.”

Mark snorted. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” They took their seats and ordered coffee. “Are you ready to do this, Sweetheart?” he inquired, softly.

“Yeah, nothing has ever
felt quite this right.”

             
                            *   *   *

Justin sat across the street in his truck hoping that the Tori didn’t look out the window. If she did, he was busted. It was hard to miss a giant black and chrome truck. Snapping more pictures, he swore there had to be a logical reason.

Yes, the man kissed and hugged her.

Yes, he had her against his side.

Justin just couldn’t believe this was what it seemed. Through the window he watched the woman his brother was in love with laughing and enjoying another man’s company.

The only good thing was it wasn’t her meeting him in a seedy hotel. Maybe Julian would chill out and see it for what it was; a woman having coffee with a man. For all he knew, this man could be an uncle or someone she served with in the war. Rarely were things what they appeared on the surface, and if he could get his brother to calm down, he’d see it too.

Pulling up the pictures, he hit send, praying his brother knew what the hell he was doing. This could blow up an
d cost him his heart either way. The last thing Justin wanted was to see his brother broken because of rash judgment.

                                          *   *   *

Standing in the man’s driveway, the agents waited for Yazzie and Chief Longtree to pull up. It wouldn’t be wrong to say they were each looking forward to hearing the man’s thoughts behind intentionally screwing with the FBI. If they could prove he was helping William Boyd escape, the man was going to jail on aiding and abetting.

As the cruiser pulled up, Julian’s phone started chiming and he stepped off to the side to read the incoming messages. He already knew who it would be from and what it was pertaining to. Glancing down at the pictures of a smiling Tori kissing another man, what was left of his heart shattered. He whipped out a text to Justin, telling him to head home.

He was done.

It was all he needed to see
to give him the strength to end what they fought so hard to build. Her choices destroyed them and this would all be on her. Seeing Tori in the arms of another man was simply too much for him to handle.

No
w he’d throw himself into work and move on. Tonight he’d toss her out of his life and forget she even existed. If there was one way to end their relationship, this was it. As far as Julian was concerned, it made it easier. The little voice in his head told him it was all lies, and he’d never recover, but he chose to ignore it and go with the anger that found a home in his heart. He struggled catch his breath. Losing Tori was hard, but ripping the Band-Aid off this fast would be cathartic.

She’d obviously never loved him.
What had he been thinking? This was a lesson he’d never forget as long as he lived.

Women couldn’t be trusted.

Elizabeth crossed her arms as the men approached. “Chief Longtree, we’re so glad you could join us today. We want to re-examine the entire property,” she stated, pulling out her Kevlar. It just barely fit over her baby bump. “We’re going to suit up, you know in case William Boyd has a hiding place. No one wants to get shot and killed. Imagine the hell that would cause if someone in the FBI lost their life because they were lied to about a suspect.”

All three of them looked over at Officer
Garrett Yazzie. He had the decency to look chagrined.

“Anything yo
u want to tell the agents?” inquired Longtree taking the Kevlar from one of the men.

He shrugged
, almost like it didn't matter. “Yeah, I knew about the hideout. Why should I rat him out if he isn’t a criminal? He’s stealing food because the outsiders have made our lives hell.”

When he pointed at Elizabeth, she
’d had enough.

“Oh, I see. You’re telling me I don’t fit in because I’m not
Native? That it was my ancestors that hurt the indigenous people and are still trying to put them down. Do you see who I rolled up in her with?” she asked, pointing at the men in her life. “I’m married to them. I gave birth to one, and am carrying another Native child right now. You have some balls to accusing me of stealing food from Indians. I’m supplying food for a one as we speak!”

Both men grinned
, knowing that the level had just been upped to seek and destroy. This was going to be entertaining to watch.

Then Elizabeth really let him have it in
their language. At one time, Julian told her their dialect was basically the same and she was counting on that. She dropped some serious profanity and told him off big time.

Blackhawk started laughing and whispered to his brother. “I didn't know she could curse that well in Native. That’s some crazy mad linguistic skills.”

The other man was impressed. It was perfect elocution of words you’d hear on a ship coming from sailors. In fact, Elizabeth managed to drop the F bomb as a noun, verb, adverb and adjective. It was impressive.

When she was able to take
a breath and finish her tirade, the deputy stood there with his mouth wide open and staring at her in awe. It was obvious that he wasn’t expecting it at all.

“The next time you point at me and classify me uncaring outsider, I will take that damn hand, break it off at the wrist and slap the shit out of you with it.”

Ethan and Callen both began laughing at the visual.

“That
’s why she won the warbonnet in our bet, Cal. I don’t think Wyler could whip out that kind of profanity and he’s been speaking it for almost sixty years.”

After that verbal take down, he’d willingly admit that she deserved to win. Now he had another problem. Her fiery temper turned him right on.

Elizabeth rolled her shoulder and stared at Rick. Her tirade was over, and she was now prepared to work. “You get the reverse bigoted jackass. If I have to look at him, I may drop kick him across the country for shits and giggles.”

Rick simply nodded, impressed by the ass chewing
from the outsider. His mother couldn’t even use the words as creatively.

“
I’ll take Callen and sweep the section over there,” she glanced over at her husband. “Can you take Julian over to the bunker and let him see if he can pick something up?”

“After that
outburst, I’m afraid not to,” Blackhawk said, grinning.

She winked at him
, grinning salaciously

As t
hey broke into groups and started the search, Callen protectively stood beside her, his hand on her lower back. “Sweetheart that was the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a while- so very hot. I didn't think you could use such language that colorfully.”

Elizabeth snorted. “You said that last night about the sex too,” she whispered. Then she paused suddenly, causing him to go for his weapon.

“What?” he scanned, trying to detect what put her on alert. He’d seen the look on her face before.

“Do you smell that?” she asked, searching the area
and looking for a body.

Callen wasn’t sure what she was talking about. He smelled perfume, cologne and something else.

Elizabeth could recognize the smell a mile away. “We have blood.”

Then he recognized it. “Ethan! Julian! Get over here,” he yelled, calling for back up.

Both men ran around the corner of the house, Ethan’s gun was drawn as he searched for his wife and brother. “What’s wrong?” he shouted back in a panic.

Elizabeth pointed off to the far side of the property line. “Blood and a fire. Does it look familiar to anyone but me?
”

Now everyone drew their weapon
, creeping towards the ash filled burn marks.

“Looks like our killer had to improvise and find a new location
since we invaded his,” stated Callen. “When we found his other ritual space, he had to move.”

Elizabeth pulled out her phone
, dialing the tech team. When Chris answered on the second ring, he sounded frazzled.

“I’m trying the best I can to get the chemical!”

It caught her off guard, because it was rare he was prone to crazed outburst. “What?”

The stress in his voice was evident. “The tox samples came back again, and I can’t figure out what the hell was all over the flesh. As soon as I get the answers, you get them.”

She was torn between snapping back and laughing at him. “Chris, I’m not calling you to ride your ass about that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he apologized
. “What do you need?” Now he was feeling like an idiot for snarling at his pregnant boss.

“We found another possible ritual site and blood. I need a tech team here to sweep for evidence.”

He got excited. “We found carbon in the substance. Protect that extinguished fire. No one is to touch it until Christina gets there!” he demanded, hoping that would be the key to finding what was driving him insane.

“I’ll transmit the directions to your phone. Saddle up my death loving comp
adre. We have a scene to process.”

Chris disconnected the call.

“I want to see this bunker he has hidden. If he’s around here, he’ll be underground, literally.” Elizabeth started towards the location of the shooting, last time they were there.

Julian stood by her side
, pointing out the general area. “Here it is. Now that I know its basic location, I can see it. When I first looked over here it felt off and unnatural, but I didn't see what he’d hidden.”