Chapter Sixteen #6
Honestly, Jaxon looked happy, healthy, and most importantly, safe. That was all he could ask. Well, that and that his nephew and niece were safe with his own kids. A big brother had to do what a big brother had to do.
“I’m glad I got to see you,” he said, reaching into his pocket for a little Jade elephant. For his whole life, he’d been giving her little elephants.
At his offering, she took it and smiled brightly at him.
“I love you, Jagger.”
Oh, well, he had a couple ladies in his life, and his sister was right there next to Maura, Dianna, and the little girl his wife was carrying.
“I love you too, Honey.”
As she hugged her sister-in-law, Jagger pointed at Tony to get his attention.
“You. Get over here.”
Because Tony was Tony, the man ran at him too, and everyone laughed—especially when he jumped on him and wrapped his legs around his waist.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked Tony, as he expected to be swung around just like his wife.
Only, it was so damn hard not to laugh.
Deep down, he loved the nut who married his sister. He was a good, kind, man who loved Jaxon with his whole being and was a good dad to his kids. That went a long way for him.
“What? You missed me, too. I know you did.”
Finally breaking, Jagger laughed and shoved the man off of his body.
“You’re insane.”
Yeah, well, tell them something they didn’t know.
Not far away, Elizabeth was sitting on a table, sipping some coffee as she prepared herself for what was coming.
“Hey,” Maura said, heading her way, “You good, Boo?” she asked. “You look like someone rode you hard and put you away wet—not in the fun way either.”
She laughed.
Elizabeth wasn’t, but that was neither here nor there. She had a job to do.
“I will be when we find this guy,” she admitted. “I want to end this, so everyone can move on.”
Because she was in Elizabeth clothes and not hunting attire, Maura handed her a bag.
“We brought you gear,” she said. “When you’re dressed, we’re heading out,” she added, hugging Chris next.
Jagger was to the point.
“Leave your gun and badge. We brought guns for you. They’re unmarked,” he said, holding up a carry-on that was packed with things she’d need.
That worked for her.
Heading toward Chris’ office, she went to go get changed. As soon as she was in the room, Chris knew what he needed to do.
“MATE, alert Callen and Ethan that Elizabeth is going to be heading out with Gene in a few. Tell them we’re in the morgue.”
MATE chimed, and he knew that it would be handled.
He then went over to a duffle bag that was stuffed full of cash in case his wife needed it.
They didn’t know how long The Hunters would be out there doing this. If they were lucky, it would be short, sweet, and to the point.
They had healing to do as a family.
When he passed it to Jagger, he tried to not take it.
“No, bro, this is on us.”
He stopped them.
“She might need some cash. Just take it in case. You might need to buy someone off. It’s good to have assets on hand.”
Everyone in the room was listening, and that was why they only had the people they trusted.
Chrissy.
Tony and Jaxon.
Security.
He finally relented and took it.
“We’ll make sure she gets it when we’re done. We’re not anticipating this taking long. It’s straightforward from our end. Once we isolate the main target, we’ll get it done.”
That was what they hoped.
“Just make sure she’s safe,” Chris said, feeling so much better that his wife had access to cash.
Jagger put it by the guns.
“She looks bad,” Jagger admitted.
That was when Chris sighed.
“It’s been rough here. We’re on the cusp of self-destruction with the help of sabotage from a nutbag. When this is done, we’re all going to need a break.”
Yeah, so they’d heard from Gene.
Clearly, this was definitely going so far south. She’d looked bad a few days ago, but now, it was so much worse. Elizabeth didn’t look like she’d slept, and for that matter, neither did Gene.
Her husband had to know one thing. Keeping his voice low, he went there.
“Will you take care of her?” Chris asked. “Above everything else, including handling Devon Slater, we need her safe and protected.”
That was a no-brainer.
Maura nodded.
“Don’t worry. We’ll make sure she’s safe.
We have our leads, and we’re going to work through them to get the dude.
I know you’re nervous about this going down in the daylight, but it’s actually safer.
The bad guys we hunt play at night. They sleep in their holes during the day.
This gives us an advantage to be out in the daylight. ”
That did help.
A little.
Chris knew she was with family, but it was still difficult to let her do this. There was no doubt it damaged her heart and soul. While his wife fought for justice, she was a gentle soul with a big heart beneath it.
Plus, he knew the Marines were good people. He had faith in them, and his wife.
Still though…
Chris was to the point.
“MAKE. HIM. BLEED,” he said. “He dug up her parents, and I take that personally. Charlie LaRue was my dad too.”
Well, that said it all.
Someone who defiled graves was a sick fuck.
When the ME, who they knew was incredibly calm and gentle, said those words, there was no doubt it was a shitshow going down. It was obvious that the man was done with the bullshit.
“Gotcha, Doc.”
When the morgue doors opened, in came Ethan and Callen, followed by more security.
As soon as they saw her, the Marines saluted the Major, since she was the highest-ranking Marine in the room.
So, even though she was out of uniform, she saluted back. It was a tough habit to break.
“Hey, guys,” she said. “I’m sorry that Jet was killed,” she stated, giving them her condolences. “He was a fine Marine, and a good man.”
They all appreciated that.
Only, Ivan didn’t mince words. He couldn’t save Jet, but he could save the woman he considered his sister.
Already, he was off to the races with exactly what they assumed he’d lead with today—despite her telling him she’d fire his ass in a heartbeat.
Well, then, she couldn’t stop him, now could she?
“I want to go with you.”
Gene sighed.
“When will you stop being crazy?” he asked. “She already told you she’d fire your ass and send you back to DC to be reassigned. Now is NOT the time to mess with her,” Gene stated. “She is a woman on the edge.”
Ivan shrugged.
Fuck that.
He’d take the reassignment, and her anger. The last thing he wanted was to see her hurt.
“She’s my responsibility. I should be there with her. You’re not a Marine. I am.”
Maura defused it when Gene rolled his eyes.
“Maybe having you there will get her hurt. She cares more about all of you than herself. You’ll be a distraction, Ivan. As for Gene not being a Marine, he’s worked with us.”
He pointed at Gene.
“Again, NOT A MARINE.”
That actually made Gene laugh.
“My dude, you might think that I’m just Ethan’s sexy bed bear, but I was LITERALLY one of them. I was a Hunter. I’m going because I’ve done this before. You’re not a better Hunter than I am. You’re just a better Marine.”
He didn’t care.
“I’m accustomed to protecting her. You’re not. You focus on other things,” he stated, glancing over at Ethan.
And that got him a slap on the back of the head from Callen.
“Don’t piss people off, Ivan. You just managed to risk your job and make Ethan and Gene bitchy. I have to be here with them, and I’m not tolerating that.”
There seemed to be a lot of that going around.
Callen continued.
“Gene is going because he’s been there before, and he can watch Elizabeth with a different perspective. When the shit goes down, you’d be fighting, but he’d grab her and cover.”
Ivan would do that too.
Only, Maura shook her head.
“Denied, Captain. Let it go. Elizabeth picked her team. Take that up with her, if you dare. I wouldn’t suggest it if she already told you she’d fire you. There’s a time to poke the bear, and now is not that time.”
Well, maybe he would.
He was crazy like that.
When the door to the new Autopsy One opened again, in came Caspian. He looked like shit, but that was understandable. The man was hurting, and they’d all do anything to help him through this.
Gene had told The Hunters what had happened to his girlfriend when he’d spoken to them after they got off the flight, and they all felt horrible for the Marine.
“I heard over our vests that The Hunters were here,” he stated.
Immediately, they went there.
Maura hugged him.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Caspian. We’ll get justice for you and your lady. I promise.”
He hoped so.
Only, he had other things to handle before they headed out. The main one being a difficult conversation with his once mom.
He pointed at the room.
“Is she in there?” he asked.
Chris nodded.
“Go ahead.”
The man headed that way, and Jagger had some fun for a change.
“Man. He’s going to see her getting dressed.”
The second he said it, Ethan had to grab onto the back of Callen’s pants so that he didn’t follow. Was it to kick the man’s ass or see their woman naked?
He wasn’t sure.
With Callen, it could go either way.
Hell!
With Callen, it often went both ways.
What Ethan did know was the chucklefucks were chucklefucking.
“Just worry about her well-being,” Ethan said. “That’s our main concern. Do what’s best for her.”
They would.
“Don’t worry about that. She’s safe,” Maura reassured the men standing there. She understood their worries, as Marines and husbands. “She’s our friend and family too.”
For the most part, this was the Elizabeth show, but Maura still had final say, since this was her team.
“Zayn is going to be on personal protection duty. If we need sharpshooting, she’ll be up high with him. Gene is going to be all over her for the rest of the time. She’ll be fine.”
Jagger also reassured them.
“We know our directive, and we will do everything in our power to safeguard the asset.”
Well, that helped.
Only, Ethan didn’t mince words.