Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Methods of Exchange ( AdventureGirl & Greeneyed23)

Christ, this day had gone from bad to worse and then to catastrophic. Three more dead, all three killed in the same manner and with the same caliber weapon. All this and the sun hadn’t even risen yet.

“Let’s go, Reed. You can ride with me. I’ll make sure someone takes care of your car,” she said to the man.

Emily was about to go when she turned back around and headed for Draven. She held out her hand and he accepted it gracefully for a quick shake. Holding the file folder up. “Thanks for this Mr. Draven. I’m sure it’s going to help out a great deal.” She headed for the door once more and paused to look back at him. “I think you got half of it right. You’re not a nut job though.” The corners of her mouth turned up into a hint of a smile and she gave him a nod. A moment later she was nearly jogging down the street to her car with her ear pressed up against her cell phone.

“Yes. I’m on my way. No, we’re going to the hotel first and then the Pentagon. Have them lock down the rooms. I want all surveillance footage from the entire night.” Emily reached the car and hit the button on the remote twice to unlock all the doors. She slipped into the driver’s seat and continued her conversation. “I want to know why Mrs. Braithwaite was in a hotel in a city that she lives in. I didn’t hear anything about any work being done to their house. Why was she there and who was she meeting? Right. Have the M.E. meet us there. I have Reed with me.”

Emily dropped the phone into her pocket and started the car. At the BAU she had received firsthand knowledge of serial killers and even they took a break for a few hours. “All hell is breaking loose, Reed,” she said and slid the file folder into the visor above the steering wheel. “I’m pretty sure more people have died trying to keep this thing a secret than keeping the JFK assassination under wraps.”

Putting the car into gear and easing it out onto the street. She would have to stop for coffee between the next two crime scenes. The woman had a feeling that she was going to be running on caffeine and adrenaline for the next couple of days.
 
Reed winced at the mention of JFK. He may not have been a lifelong Service agent but the blight still hit too close to home but he also said nothing letting it go. He did not respond to Emily's words at all thinking about what she had said and what he knew as she drove. He cradled his chin with his thumb while his forefinger rested along his chin and lips.

He had no real authority here as crime scenes and investigations were not really his job or his experience. But he was sure they would need his skills of making people dead at some point in the job.

"I don't drink coffee but there is a place just three blocks up. Mike is a caffeine addict." He had noted the subtle signs that indicated a coffee drinker and made the statement more on the fly than anything and pointed toward the sign of the coffee shop in question.

----

Outside the hotel the press had already gathered trying to badger the M.E. into giving them some information but he refused marching up toward the room with his assistant and equipment in tow. "Oh my poor dear. Why were you so far from home.'' Her clothing was immaculate and there was no overt sign of sexual assault or even any kind of sexual activity.

He had his assistant check and the shower had not recently been used nor had her hair been cleaned in some time due to the smell. after a few more simple tests he deduced that she had been killed prior to her husband without being assaulting in any way and according to her phone which a junior agent quickly checked trying to anticipate Agent Jacob's needs she had been on her way up to the room to see an old friend whose name they had but when contacted proved to be at home in bed. In Houston Texas.

Surveillance cameras at the hotel had no sign of the murder or the murderer though they had found Mrs. Braithwaite entering the hotel then going up and into the room where she had been killed. All of this and more was waiting for the arrival of the lead investigator and her new partner.
 
It took Emily less than four minutes to grab coffee from the place Reed had pointed out. Then she was back in the car and soon after, pulling up behind the coroner's truck and the other law enforcement vehicles that peppered the front of the hotel.

As soon as her door open she was accosted by reporters shouting ten questions at her at once. She held up her hand to let them know that she was not at liberty to speak about anything that was going on. Emily hated being in front of the press and she was glad that the DC bureau had a media consultant to handle interviews and statements.

She sipped her coffee on the elevator ride up to the floor that Mrs. Braithwaite had been found in. The ride was silent between her and Reed. Emily was trying to sort through the information overload she had going on in her brain.

The elevator opened to a flurry of activity. Police officers were milling about while personnel from the medical examiner's office and the CSI unit were busy bagging and tagging. The woman weaved through the crowd and eventually made it to the room. The smell was unmistakable. Mrs. Braithwaite had been dead several hours at least. Emily stepped into the room and the coroner's assistant was already headed in her direction.

"Agent Jacobs, I had hoped we wouldn't be seeing each other again so soon or at least not without a drink in our hands," he said with a charming grin.

It wasn't the first time that the coroner's assistant had hit on her. In fact, it was becoming a little bothersome, but this probably wasn't the place to address it. She had work to do. Emily ignored him and went right for his boss.

"Looks like we have a pattern forming here, Agent Jacobs," the medical examiner said. "No signs of sexual trauma. No defensive wounds that I can see. Looks like she was standing here in front of the glass, turned around and was cut up like swiss cheese."

The man peeled the latex gloves from his hands and dropped them into a biohazard bag. "I'm on my way over to the next party. I guess I'll see you there," the coroner said.

Emily pushed her hands into her pockets and looked down at the body. The woman was attractive and very put together except for the bullet holes in her head and body. The single thought that kept going through Emily's mind was - what could all of these people know that would be important enough to kill them.

The woman turned to Reed and narrowed her eyes a little. Her voice was hushed, but there was an edge to it. "You did stuff like this? I mean, if you were ordered to gun down a man's wife in a hotel room, you did it without question?"
 
"No."

Reed was staring at the body in shock. He had seen much. He had seen women executed and had balked at the orders not to interfere and still had those moments that he had failed on his conscience, but he had never shot an unarmed woman.

"I killed enemies of our nation. Not housewives. And Constance was a remarkable woman. And the most peaceful I have ever met." Constance was another rarity. A truly kind and loving woman who detested violence but did not blame the soldiers and others who used it to defend her and her nation. She had raised her children and helped raised her grandchildren while maintaining her home and marriage with class and exquisite form. She was the darling of the social scene and never had a cross word to say about anyone. The Secret Service adored her. She would actually listen to them even breaking an engagement when she could to help them do their jobs and always remembered every thing about every agent. her sister the First Lady was cut from the exact same mold and it was hard for Reed and his peers to decide who they liked more.

Now he stayed at her and shook his head. "Constance Agatha Xavier Braithwaite. She deserved better than this."

He looked up at Emily his green eyes full of fire. "No Agent Jacobs I never gunned innocent women. I don't give a damn what she found out or they thought she found out!! No one deserves this!!" he pointed at the body and shook his head then went into the bedroom to look around his shoulders and neck tense as he searched for answers that were not there.

The agents looked at the broad shoulders then at Emily and wisely left the room after helping the ME and his assistant put the body into the wrap then bagged her and placed her on the gurney to wheel her down to the truck before going to the Pentagon for their duel pickup.

Once everyone had gone Reed sighed looking at Emily. "I am sorry Agent Jacobs. I've lost men. And women. But never as a Secret Service agent and never a innocent civilian. Constance and her sister Harriet are...were...they are friends. Well as much as friends as an agent and a protectee can be. What more can we do here?" He was not trying to hide behind professionalism as this was not his job, just trying to get past the loss. He knew the First Family had been informed of the loss and he hoped they would be alright.
 
Emily stared at him as he spoke. Her hands tucked into the pockets of her pants. Studying him as he spoke. He was more emotional than she expected a Secret Service Agent to be. Sure, they probably do become quite attached to their assignments and she was sure that some even moved with their assignments after the person’s political career was over, but he seemed very invested in this woman. Maybe he knew more than he was letting on.

“No need to apologize Agent Reed. I didn’t take offense to your answer. But the question needed to be asked. I’d like to know what types of things that you and your crew did. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow evening to discuss it. Right now, we should probably head over to the second crime scene. It’s been a long night,” she said with a soft sigh. Four people dead and she hadn’t even been to bed yet.

Emily grabbed the coffee cup. The contents were already cold, but she drank it anyhow. It would provide her with enough energy to get through the next gruesome scene. She hadn’t even seen it and already imagined it was as bad, if not worse, than the first two. The woman just wanted to get the preliminary investigation of the sites finished. She would have a good deal of reading to do with the file she had in her car along with the evidence examination that was probably piled in her email right now.
 
Sadly Reed really did not know anything more than he had said. The murder upset him because not only was she a friend but she was also under Secret Service protection. This was a failure of his entire agency. Twice in twelve hours.

He walked with Emily shaking his head. Once in her car he sighed. "I can't tell you everything. Hell I can barely tell you anything. But if Mike is right then we faced something like what you looking for in Somalia and a few other places. They are expert marksmen, no idea if they have women on the team, they have impossibly good intelligence backup and the best weapons available. They use explosives, knives, and guns like artists. There were twelve of us and... Emily I have master ratings with every weapon that fires projectiles, holds an edge, or cause blunt force trauma. So do my men. We fight as teams. I had three fire teams with me for the operation..."

He stared off into the distance for a long moment before speaking on.

"We cleared that whole ship in three minutes. We were on the main deck examining the burned remains of the crew and their cargo when shots were fired. We dropped took cover and returned fire. We were under fire for a full three minutes and we did not hit a one. At least we did not kill any of them. They defeated our flanking maneuvers and we theirs. We simply could not break through. Finally their helo arrived and they left. I counted carefully. Eight people held off my twelve for three minutes. I've been in full battles that were not so even. Whatever these people are they are dangerous. We tracked the helo to the mainland. I know for a fact it was none of the groups like the SEALs. I met Mike when trying to figure out who they were. Those bastards retired three of my men. And I took a bullet here." He touched his left arm in the thick bicep.

"So if Mike is right we have to be very careful. And these murders seem to be something right up their alley. Expert, brutal, and untraceable." he looked at her wondering how she would respond.
 
Emily stared out the windshield of the car with both hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. She was not naïve. There were things her government did to protect its citizens that would most likely imprison those same citizens for doing something similar. It was ironic really. The woman had always thought that the training she received was top-notch, but paled severely in comparison to the training received by the man sitting next to her.

Silence filled the car and she didn’t even look at him. This was a lot of information to process. Pushing the key into the ignition and a moment later the car was moving. It was a good thing her brain had an autopilot switch because that’s what was driving. The rest of it was mulling over everything that had happened this evening.

Serial killers were a walk in the park next to these guys. At least you could narrow down the reasons for those killings – mommy issues, daddy issues or just plain psychotic. Those could be explained by chemical imbalances in the brain or the environment in which someone was raised. These guys though, these guys killed for money or worse yet, under the pretense of protecting their respective companies. Would she really think differently if she had been raised in their countries?

The car finally came to a stop in front of the pentagon where several vehicles were already gathered. Emily was tired and she was certain that it was noticeable. It wasn’t a physical weariness, but a psychological weight she was carrying around with her. When she stepped from the car a few more strands of her chestnut hair had worked free from the ponytail holder and now framed her face in a peaceful sweep. Tugging down her sweater and heading inside without a word.
 
Reed followed her to the crime scene silently. He could easily see that Emily wanted to be alone with her thoughts and he was not one to interrupt.

When they reached the crime scene Reed was a bit surprised when the assistant ME grabbed him and forced to him to put on gloves but he did not argue though he did ask. "Why do I need gloves? Im no crime scene investigator."

"You have been very well behaved about not touching anything but my boss said that you need gloves anyway. For safety's sake. Also he wants you to touch these two."

"But-"
"Ah Agent Talbot join me."
"Uh...yes doctor."

Reed crouched beside the ME who showed him the marks on the body then asked. "What do you think these are?"

Reed blinked but then pointed at the bullet holes. "Well those are clearly the bullet holes from our weapon of interest. The wrists were bound and the faces are damaged making me think they were beaten and likely questioned...but other than..oh forgive me but this one was choked quite severely before death...." He gestured at the marks as he spoke.

"Very well done Agent Reed. You may not be a crime scene investigator but you do quite a bit of practical experience that serves you well. You are absolutely correct. Whatever these people knew they were brutally assaulted and coerced into revealing it then they were killed for it. Their blood has completely drained making me think that these two were the first two killed hours before Mrs. Braithwaite, who was killed at least two hours before her husband."

Reed stared at the doctor then looked at the bodies. "Who are they?" The assistant looked up from his portable fingerprint identifier kit. "Ensigns Katherine Wallace and Thomas Greeley. Satellite Imagery Specialists."

Reed cocked his head looking around then say the two name tags on two different desks. "Agent Jacobs..." He pointed. The woman was an expert in Asia, specifically Central Asia such as China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Cashmere and India. The man was an African expert chiefly a Central Africa expert such as Cameroon, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.
 
Emily stared at the images on the ID badges and then at the faces that were attached to the bodies on the floor. It was hard to believe that they belonged to the same individuals. Both had been beaten so badly that they were hardly recognizable. Of course, there would be other ways to ensure that these were the two individuals that the ME assumed they were.

This case was starting to get as murky as Lake Erie and almost as odorous. She started to look around their desk areas. There was a fair amount of blood spatter on the computer monitors as well as their desks. Bloody handprints were on the edge of the desk and Emily was certain that they would be matched to the victims. Whoever these guys were, they weren’t stupid enough to leave their own prints behind.

It felt like they were moving back in time. What she thought was the first killing had become the last. And this last killing was now the first. But her main question would be, why were these two not discovered until now? If Braithwaithe was killed at approximately 10:00 p.m., that would put the time of death of his wife around 8:00 p.m. and the death of the specialists at about 6:00 p.m.

Now Emily was no special operative of the Pentagon, but someone should have been in here with these two over the span of the last ten hours. The crime scene surely didn’t have to wait until 3:00 a.m. to be discovered by the cleaning crew.

“I’m going to look for someone in charge around here, Reed. Something isn’t adding up,” she said as her feet were already headed for the door.
 
He stopped her. "Hang on Emily...Doctor were they captured here?"
"Why do you ask Agent Talbot?"

Reed cocked his head then answered. "I have difficulty believing no one was in this room until they were found."
"Very good agent. And yes. I do not think they were captured while at work here."
"Reasons?"
"For one they are both in full uniform, jackets included, but they do not have cell phones, not sure why."
"I am. They do not allow cell phones past certain points, and never past keypad locks. Not even the President can carry one there."
"That would explain it."

Reed turned to Emily. "Now let's go find your authority figure. And find out which checkpoint has their phones. The Service has...connections with the wireless services throughout the country. We should be able to find something."

"Oh and I think everyone connected to the investigation in specific and the case in general should wear body armor and add as much as possible. Something is bugging my danger sense."
 
Emily followed Reed from the chamber of horrors. She wasn't quite sure where he was leading. This was her first visit to the Pentagon and it was nothing more than a labyrinth to her. The woman was running on empty and needed to sleep. Though if she knew herself at all, it was most likely that she would lay in bed, staring at the ceiling for the next four hours while her brain worked to pick apart everything she had learned about these murders.

Reed was right about the extra protection. "Call it in. I'll back you up with your recommendation if you need it," she told him as they passed through a set of doors that led to an area that looked more like offices rather than the tactical war rooms they had just come from.

Emily pulled her cell phone out and punched in a few numbers. She wanted to give Lincoln an update and figured it would be at least a few minutes before Reed was able to rustle up one of the people in charge here. Emily was midway through her report when her attention was caught by a stunning woman dressed in a crisp red business suit. Her hair was pulled back in a severe bun and she had the aire of authority. Emily hurried her goodbye and dropped the phone in her pocket.

The woman spoke as though she were addressing a room full of people. "My name is Greta Largo and I'm one of the senior officials here. You have some questions for me, agents?"
 
Reed did not know Greta and the investigation was Emily's so he kept his mouth shut but her attire and her manner warned him to be very careful around this woman. He could not be sure but he suspected she was very dangerous. He did not have his phone but sensing he was not really needed for this he went to a wall phone and called out ordering the extra protection and the heightening of security in every building that dealt in national security information on the planet. The people that held such information were to also begin taking extra precautions including wearing body armor.

While he spoke to his associates in the Service he watched Greta and Emily wondering what was to happen during and after this meeting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom