WATCHING (43 page)

“
We
’
ll find Georgia. I know we will
.
”
Her fingers automatically tapped out a beat, so furious it echoed Hell
’
s heartbeat.
“
We will. We will. We will
.
”

“
I know
.
”
Hell smiled at her, not giving voice to the fear of what condition they
’
d find Georgia in when they found her.
“
Think about it for a few minutes, ok
?
”

“
What did the
little
boy say
?
”
Lorcan asked.

“
Big, like me. With yellow hair like his. Blonde. Said he was super strong. Picked Bellows up and tossed her into the wall. Ad
just
ing for the fact that Matthew has a child
’
s perception...Said he talked funny. So I am assuming some sort of accent.
Lie-ack
. Probably southern
.
”

Dan wrote on the white board while he summarized.
“
So...big like Hell, blonde like me. Strong
.
”

“
Big like Hell. Strong. Like Hell
.
”
Carrie parroted.
She crossed her arms around her waist
, eyes still trained on the computer screen
.
“
Blonde
like Dan.
Bad
. No, not bad.
Mad
, like going crazy
.
”

The four men turned to the girl who
’
d spoken absently, her eyes still on the screen. Hell
’
s brows rose as she repeated the words again. And then again in a stronger, louder voice.
“
Carrie, do you know who that is
?
”

“
Yes
.
..
”
Her whiskey brown eyes
blinked rapidly
. Her fingers drummed even louder against the desk.
She rocked slightly as she
struggled
to formulate her words.
“
He
has Georgia
.
”

Hell put one hand on her shoulder slowly, to redirect her attention to him and not on whatever it was she saw in her head.
With all she
’
d gone through the last few days, it was no wonder she struggled to put it into words. Communication was her weak point
and she was still so vulnerable. The bruises hadn
’
t even faded, yet, and they were asking her to recall it
.

“
Why won
’
t she spit it out
?
”
Lorcan demanded from right behind Hell.
Hell vaguely heard Fin pull the man aside and explain about Carrie
’
s condition.

“
Big,
”
Carrie said, so firmly
Hell jumped
.
“
Strong and spoke with a southern accent. He apologized
. Called me
little red
. Said
Hell
should know better and should take better care of his women
.
His arm was around my throat, his other hand on my body.
”
Her body shook, and Hell covered her shoulder with one hand as she
rocked
back and forth
.
“
He was rambling. Mad.
We fought, fell in the mud. But he was
strong!
Then he threw me over the cliff. Stephenson. Stephenson.
It was
Agent
Stephenson
, Hell
.
I didn
’
t put it together until now. I could smell him over the rain
; he smelled like Zeke. Same cologne. Same as Agent
Lorcan
’
s.
I don
’
t like it, now
.
Wish they
’
d change brands.
”

Carrie
’
s
struggle
was tangible, for all that she was a trained federal agent. She was young, inexperienced. She wouldn
’
t have stood a chance against a
n agent
like Stephenson.
“
Thank you, Carrie, I
’
ll get him.
And he will pay;
I promise
.
”
Hell
’
s rage choked his voice. Everyone there understood it.

Chapter
54

****
*

“
Stephenson
.
”
McLaughlin flipped the remote and had the man
’
s personnel jacket displayed on the screen of the private conference room they occupied, less than fifteen minutes later.
“
What do you know about him
?
”

It was Hell, McLaughlin, and Lorcan. Dennis had arrived five minutes earlier.
Carrie
wouldn
’
t be allowed to work directly on the case from that point on, due to the nature of her own encounters with Stephenson. And Hartlett was being interviewed about what he possibly knew by Agent Daviess and Dan.

When Hell thought of Carrie in the woods with a man they
’
d all trusted, when he thought of Stephenson bashing Compton and Bellows in the heads, when he thought of Stephenson taking Georgia from the home she shared with her preschooler, rage filled him. A burning anger that he reined in the best he could. Anger wouldn
’
t help him find Georgia
or
Stephenson.

“
I
’
ve worked with him for over ten years. Passed him on the promotion grid at least five years ago. He
’
s sloppy and out of shape. I haven
’
t seen him in the gym in years. I
’
m surprised he
’
s passed the physical requirements for the job. Average at his job performance
—
and his team is run the same way.
He was
good friends with Whiler, and that
’
s how he got the position,
”
Hell said. He hadn
’
t suspected Stephenson held a grudge in all the years they
’
d worked together. Why now?
Wouldn
’
t he have noticed?

“
He have access to the case
?
”
Lorcan asked.

“
We called his
—
and Brockman
’
s
—
units in as auxiliary. Had them waiting at the Minneapolis field office. He could have set the fire. Which originated in Dr. Bellows
’
room. And
could have
easily overpowered Carrie. And Compton
—
if
he had surprise on his side. He
’
s trained in hand-to-hand,
”
Hell said.
“
From what I remember, he injured his back several years ago. Had surgery and mentioned giving up the training. I seriously doubt he
’
s done much more with it since then. Seemed to go to seed quickly
.
”

“
And Ana, Georgia, and Carrie all rejected his attention at one time or another,
”
McLaughlin said. It wasn
’
t a question.

Hell looked at him.
“
When
?
”

“
The first week on the task force for Agent Sparks,
”
McLaughlin said.
“
Apparently, Stephenson had cornered her. Came on stronger than anyone liked. This was about two months after his live-in girlfriend, Agent Linda Shanks, was killed line-of-duty. Ana and Georgia walked right in on it. Took care of the situation. I walked in on them
.
”

“
Why wasn
’
t I told about this
?
”
Hell demanded.
He
’
d have spoken with Stephenson, made sure it wouldn
’
t happen again.

“
Because
Carrie
didn
’
t want you to know. We agreed to keep it between the four of us. I think she was more than embarrassed, Hellbrook. She was honestly
unsettled
. Even though he
’
d obviously not meant to scare her,
”
McLaughlin said.
“
And we thought he
’
d gotten the message. I don
’
t know how or when Ana or Georgia rejected him
—
but I can call Ana
.
”

“
If they did, even at all. It might have only occurred in his head,
”
Dennis pointed out.
“
More likely a grudge against me for giving him his transfer papers this morning. So how are we going to find this son of a bitch? He
’
s smart, we can guess he
’
s got her someplace that
’
ll be hard to find. And he
’
s had the training to hide her
.
”

“
I don
’
t think any of it had much planning,
”
Hell said.
“
Cutting my tires, spur of the moment. Attacking in the woods. Spur of the moment. And Carrie said he apologized,
before
she went over the edge of the cliff. And the fire, we can
’
t one hundred percent say he set it yet or not. Although, I think he did. In Dr. Bellows
’
room
.
”

“
Any particular reason why your team would be targeted
?
”
Lorcan asked.
“
You do something specific
?
”

“
Not that I can think of. The CCU has always worked in conjunction with Stephenson
’
s team,
”
Hell said.
“
I always thought we had a decent working relationship. I
’
d call him in when his team was needed. He always did the job, albeit not always to the same caliber I hold my own team to
.
”

“
I
’
ll have Armitage and Angel review the man
’
s properties and his family background, look for where he may have taken her. Of course, if he wanted her found, wouldn
’
t he have made it easier for you to identify him
?
”
McLaughlin asked.

Hell
’
s eyes remained on the screen, where a copy of Stephenson
’
s Bureau stats were displayed, next to Georgia
’
s. He swallowed. He
’
d never expected one of his people to become a case. Especially her.
“
He
’
ll do one of two things
—
he
’
ll set it up so that we find her, and he leads Hellbrook into a trap,
”
McLaughlin argued,
“
Or
...
he
’
ll kill her and leave her body somewhere for Hellbrook to find
.
”

“
She
’
ll be calm. Methodical. She
’
ll weigh her options
.
”
Hell said, softly.
“
Stephenson will have a fight on his hands, and I don
’
t know if he knows exactly how much of one. Georgia would have
gone
quietly to get him away from her friend and her son, knowing I was on my way and would find them. She was protecting them
.
”

“
So what triggered this bastard
?
”
Lorcan asked.

“
I don
’
t know,
”
Hell said.
“
And at this point, I don
’
t care. I want to find him, find her, and rip him to pieces
.
”

“
I think we may know
.
”
Agent Daviess stood in Hell
’
s door. Hartlett stood between her and Dan.

“
Go ahead,
”
Hell said.
“
What do you know
?
”

“
I was there, when Unit Chief Stephenson asked the medical examiner out for coffee. She told him no. Then a few minutes later she left with you, sir
.
”
He nodded at Edward Dennis. The agent was young, and it was apparent the situation made him extremely nervous.
“
He seemed
off
, different, this case. I don
’
t know. Jittery
.
”

“
Drugs
?
”
Hell asked.
Coffee
not
copy
.
So it hadn
’
t been Georgia specifically. Stephenson had targeted the medical examiner. So why take Georgia?

“
No. I don
’
t think so. He was angry, I think. That she turned him down,
”
Hartlett continued.
“
But not in a rage. Then..
.
”

“
Go on, son,
”
Dennis said.
“
We need everything you know
.
”

“
He changed when Agent Shanks died. And there was the IA inquest. But he really liked the medical examiner, I think. He watched her,
”
the younger agent said.
“
All the time we were in South Dakota. I think it was because she kind of looked like Linda, Agent Shanks, I mean
.
”

“
How
?
”
Dan asked.

“
Same hair color, and I think the same eye color. And Linda was about her height, too. And quiet. A real nice lady. She even made us cookies once
.
”

“
What happened the day she died
?
”
Hell asked. Stephenson
’
s team was not a part of his division when the woman had died. He
’
d never met her, just seen her a few times in the elevators. Not enough to even know her name.
“
And what was his role in her death
?
”

“
He made the decision to enter the scene before it was fully secured,
”
Dennis explained.
“
From what I understand, Linda Shanks got caught in the cross-fire. There was some question as to whether it was friendly fire that actually killed her
.
”

Hartlett hesitated.
“
That was inconclusive, sir
.
”

“
Your opinion, Hartlett
?
”
Dan asked.

The younger agent obviously didn
’
t want to say anything against his unit chief.

“
Hartlett? You understand that Stephenson attacked someone this evening, and that he has my daughter somewhere only God knows where
?
”
Dennis leveled a look at him.

“
I think it was Chief Stephenson
’
s gun that fired first
.
”
Hartlett
nearly
whispered the words.
“
And I think that
’
s driven him over the edge. I think he was confusing Linda with the medical examiner and when she told him no this afternoon, he kind of snapped. He
’
s always been a good chief, he has. But I think he knows..
.
”

“
Thank you, son
.
”
Dennis grabbed Hartlett
’
s shoulder.
“
You
’
ve been a big help. Why don
’
t you accompany Agent Daviess back to the bullpen and see if you can help isolate some of his favorite places
?
”