Page 97 of Chaos has a Name (An FBI Romance/Thriller #66)

“I saw what we’ve done here. Recently, Gene and I inherited a company from Chris. We’re so rich it’s ridiculous. I want to be here to make all the people here feel valued. I saw this little child, and I remember being poor here.”

She knew he had a giant heart.

That wasn’t his issue.

It was navigating the damage that was.

“I can do so much here. My issue is that Elizabeth hates it here, and so does Callen. All they’ve said since being here is they can’t wait to leave. Chris has old memories here that hurt him too. What right do I have to ask this of them?”

She was curious.

“And Gene?”

He thought back.

“When we were younger, we had an amazing relationship—until we didn’t. Then, he always said he’d come here with me. I haven’t asked him, but I think he’d stay.”

Callie sighed.

“You already know the answer to this, Ethan. You need to just tell your partners your needs. You always hold them in, and it makes a mess. That’s Callie your friend, not Callie your shrink.”

He was curious.

“What does Callie my therapist say?”

That was easy.

“That if you want a healthy relationship, you sometimes have to trust and believe that you’re allowed to have what you need. You need to be there. Tell your family, and go from there. If they can’t be there, you can still see them, Ethan. You have the luxury of wealth to do that. So do they.”

He feared telling them.

There was still that little piece of them that whispered into his psyche that he was not worthy.

And that if he fractured the family, by dividing them between two cities, their marriage would crumble.

Elizabeth had Callen and Chris.

He had Gene.

What if it…broke.

If that was on him, he’d never recover. He lost Elizabeth once, and it had been devastating.

“If you can’t tell them, Ethan, and be honest, maybe you shouldn’t be there then. Maybe it’s you trying to escape something or this isn’t the right time. Until you can look into Elizabeth’s eyes and tell them what you need, you aren’t ready.”

He understood.

“Thank you for letting me talk it out,” he said.

She was curious.

“What are you going to do?”

That was a good question.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure.

What he did know, though, was he likely was going to fuck it up.

Like always.

The Blackhawk leopard didn’t change its spots.

* * * The Blackhawk Family * * *

Joseph Thunderfoot’s

Home

Thursday Mid-Morning

Ten A.M.

As they pulled up, it was clear that, they were going to at least have their interview. Someone was definitely home.

Outside, two Natives were sitting in the man’s yard, two beers in their hands.

Well, someone wanted to have a morning drink to cool off in the sun.

Early drinking seemed to be common today.

Then again, it had been two long days for her too. She could use a big glass of wine, some prescription meds, and chocolate.

All at once.

“We got lucky,” Rayna admitted. “That’s both of them together.”

That made this easier, and Elizabeth knew it.

Because she expected the exact same reception from these two men as she’d gotten in the bar, it was time to change it up.

Call it a hunch.

“Callen, you’re up again,” she said. “In fact, let’s try something,” she said.

That had his attention.

“You and Rayna handle it. Alone. Turn your com on, and we’ll listen,” she said. “If I have any questions, I’ll alert you on your earbud.”

Honestly, that was something he could absolutely get behind. The less she was out in the open, the better. Twice now, someone had nearly killed her, and that was making him twitchy.

What he wanted to do was send her back to DC, and handle this on his own. While he knew his wife was damn good at her job, this was the rez, and it was problematic for anyone not from there.

This proved it.

“We’ll keep security back by the vehicle, so be careful, okay?” she asked.

Gene tapped his vest.

“MATE, transfer call to Callen’s vest. Resume so Ethan and Axl can stay connected.”

Once he said her name, MATE popped into the vehicle, and was sitting in Gene’s lap.

Well, in him, since she was a hologram and non-corporeal.

“That isn’t something I like seeing,” Gene said. “We have seats available. I have a husband now, MATE. Sit in Callen’s lap.”

Ethan didn’t miss a beat. He was back with coffees, and he could see what Gene was talking about since the video was streaming from Callen’s vest.

“I’m good with it,” he said, busting his husband’s ass. “Have at him. He likes when I sit in his lap too.”

Gene laughed.

“Thanks, EJ,” Gene said, amused.

Elizabeth pointed.

“If we’re done playing ‘get fondled by the hologram’, can we get this done? I still have to bust balls at the morgue.”

They got it.

She was focused, and on a mission.

Getting out, security was already there, and stood by the vehicle, giving Callen space. Gryphen and Uriel were watching the two people who were drinking beer.

Alcohol and the cops could go either way.

As Rayna and Callen approached, the two men sighed.

“Here comes the goddamn cops,” Joseph said. “Can’t a guy have a beer on a lawn chair on a Thursday without having his balls busted?” he asked.

Rayna shrugged.

“I mean, you can. I’m not here to hassle you about that. You’re on your own property—more or less. Bottoms up,” she said.

Hearing that, they clinked their red cans off of each other, and took a sip.

Callen introduced himself.

“I’m Director Callen Whitefox.”

Oh, they knew who he was.

“I’m Joseph, and this is Oren. We get fresh food in the community center from your wife. We know who you are. We’ve heard about the Blackhawk boys all of our lives.”

Well, maybe this wouldn’t be hostile then.

One could hope.

“Two nights ago, you were at the bar,” he began. “You had drinks with Thomas Adsila.”

They nodded.

“Has anyone found him yet?” Oren asked, curiously.

Callen was driving this bus, so he went there.

“We have remains, but ID hasn’t been locked down yet. We have questions regarding your time together in hopes of figuring out what happened to him—if that is him.”

They both sat there.

“Well, ask. You and your family got us doctors who actually give a shit, so we can at least answer you,” Joseph admitted. “You should have brought your pretty wife. She’s nice to look at. No offense, Chief.”

Rayna laughed.

Oh, well, little did they know she didn’t give two shits what they thought about her. She only cared about keeping the attention of a certain Archangel, and she could feel him watching her.

Instead of debating his wife’s attractiveness, Callen went there.

“What happened before and after he left to walk home? Was Lewis Redrock’s party still going on at the time?” Callen asked.

Oren thought about it.

“Well, the partying was going on when I left,” he stated.

“I was gone before Thomas. My baby momma was blowing up my phone about child support. I had to drop money off for her to shut her up. It wasn’t like I was going to drink the money away.

Who knew kids were so goddamn expensive,” he said, burping.

From the vehicle, Elizabeth was watching on a tablet, and it wasn’t lost on her that the two men were much more at ease with the two full-Natives.

And also that Oren Skye wasn’t exactly a catch, now was he?

Callen continued.

“Okay, so you left, and then Thomas left,” he said. “Did anyone follow him?” he asked.

Joseph considered it.

“Everyone left after him. The bar cleared out minutes later. The Stormchasers kicked everyone out. They were pissy because as usual, Thomas cut out right before the bar closed so he could skip out on his tab. They called him to see where his money was, and he told them he’d pay yesterday. That’s what got the party shut down.”

That was pretty much what Roland had said at their last interview—sort of. Someone was predictable, and that made it easier for a killer to stalk them.

So many people didn’t realize how vital it was to change your routine.

“Did he walk?” Rayna asked. “Or was he driving drunk?”

The man laughed.

“He was walking drunk. Ever since you got his license suspended, his sister wouldn’t let him drive. She swore she’d scalp him. If she thinks he’s going drinking, she takes his keys after work, and holds onto them.”

That was probably a good plan.

Honestly.

Callen went next, keeping them going.

“Did anyone bother him at the bar?”

Both men shook their heads.

“Nah. Everyone loved Thomas. He was a fun drunk. Oh, he’d fuck up your car, but because he was puking in the back, not being mean. He is a good dude,” Joseph admitted.

Both Callen and Rayna were wearing coms in their ear. They could hear Elizabeth.

“Ask if he was seeing anyone,” she stated.

Rayna took that one.

“Who was Thomas shacking up with?” she asked.

Both men laughed like there was a joke.

“He already slept with everyone on the reservation, so no woman was getting on that ride,” Oren admitted. “Well, he slept with everyone except you.”

Well, that was never happening then, or now because he was someone’s snack.

From her peripheral, she saw Caspian move, and he didn’t look happy. It was clear they were listening too.

Elizabeth had one last question.

“CJ, ask about The Hollow.”

Since his wife wanted to know, he went there.

“Have either of you heard about The Hollow?” he asked.

Oren looked befuddled by the question.

“What’s that?” Oren asked.

Joseph looked just as equally confused.

“Is that something we should know about?” he asked. “We’re just one beer in, so we’re not drunk yet, but I’ve never heard of that before. I think I’d remember that. It sounds spooky.”

That told them all they needed to know.

This was a dead end.

The men were in their forties, and may not have had family that taught them about it. It seemed that unless you had elders here who were privy to it, the younger generations wouldn’t know.

Callen only knew because of Timothy, not his own father, Wyler.

“Ask if he mentioned anyone came to see him, or talked to him before he went missing,” Elizabeth said. “As if he felt like he was being threatened.”

Callen relayed it.

The men thought about it.

“Roland called him for his money. He pretty much said he’d ban his ass from the bar if he didn’t pay up. That was a big threat.”

Yeah, and not the kind she was looking at, either.

“I’m done,” Elizabeth said. “Let’s head into the office. I need some forensics,” she said, pulling her own com out of her ear and connecting it back to the vest to keep charging.

Gene was to the point.

“I don’t like how we’re not getting any good leads,” he said.

She was aware.

“I’ll give this a week,” she stated, so only the people in the ride could hear her.

That was her, Takoda, Gene, and Ivan. “If we can’t solve it we’re out of here.

I’ll cold case it, and put it on the back burner until next summer.

I can’t risk a trail of bodies by staying here.

We can work it from there, giving Tony time to do his bone thing. ”

That was surprising.

And not like her.

At.

All.

That told them everything they needed to know about how she was feeling by being there.

Oh, and it wasn’t good.

That was for damn sure.

“Really, Mom?” Takoda asked. “You’re going to take a hit to your record?”

Hell.

Yes.

To get the hell home?

She’d take a hit to the goddamn face at this point.

“Absolutely,” she admitted. “We’ll get everyone out of here,” she said. “I stand by what I said about the reservation. It’s nice to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live here. This place tests your mental health every second of the day.”

And that said it all.

For the first time, in all of the time either man knew her, or Takoda had been her son, Elizabeth Blackhawk was going to give up.

And that was shocking.

The chaos had gotten to her.

Finally.