The Killing Ground

“Fuck, Gray.” Matt said with a louder chuckle. “You get laid more than anyone I know. Least that explains the Houdini act on the phone calls.”

“Did you call to tell me that?” Jordan asked sarcastically. “Or is there a good reason you’ve been blowing up my phone all night?” Her fingers continued to stroke and the woman beside her moved against her, barely audible purrs escaping from her lips.

“Mitchell wants us…now.”

“Shit!” Jordan swore emphatically. Susan was not the person whose calls you wanted to ignore. Matt’s emphasis on now made the hairs stand up on the back of Jordan’s neck. She sat up quickly, pulling her hand away, her focus on the conversation. If the FBI Assistant Director in Charge wanted to see them at two o’clock in the morning, Jordan would bet money it was something big. “It can’t wait until morning?”

“Negative.” Matt responded, a note of irritation barely evident in his voice. He didn’t like getting called in the middle of the night any more than Jordan did. As Special Agents with the Chicago division of the FBI, they were used to working odd hours, but the late-night call from their boss was something new. “I’m supposed to track you down and get us both to headquarters pronto.”

Pronto meant yesterday, as far as Susan Mitchell was concerned. Jordan and Matt had learned early on not to cross her when she asked for something, which so far hadn’t been very often. Jordan swiveled around and rested her feet on the floor, ignoring the groans of protest behind her. “I’ll meet you there in fifteen.”

“Don’t be late.” Matt cautioned, knowing his partner’s weakness for naked women and her proclivity for tardiness.

“Worry about yourself, Matty.” Jordan ended the call before Matt could respond and stood up slowly. Her earlier arousal was doused minutes before, and the hand that snaked around her naked body did little more than irritate her. She shoved it away forcefully. “I gotta go.”

Minutes later, Jordan stepped out of her 370Z, the only other luxury she had allowed herself besides numerous encounters with beautiful women. She liked her cars as much as she liked her women, fast and dangerous. She glanced across the parking lot, noting that Matt’s car was already here parked close to Assistant Director Mitchell’s car. Shit! She figured he had probably called her from the parking lot anyway.

Jordan swiped her entry card and waited for the clearance check then pulled the heavy door open with a resigned sigh. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up again, and for the second time in only minutes, she felt an ominous chill course through her body. Jordan wouldn’t say she had a sixth sense, but years on the street had made her wary and had given her an uncanny ability to read a situation well before she found out what was actually going on. If she respected that instinct now, she would readily admit that what was going on at the moment was bad. Her suspicions were confirmed when she stepped into Susan Mitchell’s office and saw her red-rimmed eyes. She acknowledged her partner with a cursory nod then sat down across from her boss. “Assistant Director Mitchell.”

“Gray.” Susan said quietly. “I’m sorry to call you in so late, but this couldn’t wait.” Susan’s voice quivered uncharacteristically, and she cleared her throat several times before continuing. “It’s Julie. She’s…” Susan broke off abruptly, unable to continue.

“Oh, fuck.” Jordan murmured quietly. She and Susan weren’t exactly close, but they had formed a bond when they found out that both of them were lesbians. Julie Keppler was Susan’s partner. Julie was pregnant with their first baby, and Jordan’s immediate thought was that something had happened to the baby. On second thought, she knew it couldn’t be that or Susan would not have called her and especially not Matt into the office at this late hour. Her stomach wrenched violently when she realized with sick dread that whatever Susan was about to say was far worse.

Susan’s eyes locked on hers, and Jordan could see the hurt evident in them. “Julie is in the ICU at Mercy.”

“Oh, my God!” Matt leaned forward in his chair. “What happened?”

“Julie was attacked tonight.” Susan held a closed fist to her mouth and swallowed audibly. She raised apologetic eyes. “I’m sorry. I'm not usually such a mess.”

Jordan leaned forward, reached across the desk and put her hand on Susan’s arm. “Don’t tell us you’re sorry. You have every right to be upset. We’re here for you.”

“I know. Fuck, this is difficult. You know it is never this hard when it’s someone else. You know you learn how to disassociate yourself, but this, Julie. I don’t know how to disconnect.” Susan offered quietly, brushing away tears that welled anew in her swollen eyes. “Julie was attacked and raped.”

Jordan sank back in her chair. Suddenly, the feeling of Julie’s vulnerability slammed into her chest. “The baby?” She asked in a raspy voice.

Susan shook her head, unable to form the words.

Jordan stood up and went around the desk and against every rule of protocol, pulled Susan into her arms and hugged her fiercely. She waited while the tears fell and waited quietly, not offering empty words that everything would be all right, when right now nothing was okay. Everything was wrong.

Jordan waited and when Susan finally pulled away, her eyes were once again professionally guarded. She sat down and knew this time when she spoke, there would be no tears.

“Julie was attacked this evening.” Susan’s voice was even and monotone, belying her upset emotions, and her face was a carefully guarded mask devoid of any grief. “She was raped. Fortunately, someone happened by before her assailant could kill her. She’s lost a lot of blood. It's not looking good. The baby…our baby…” Susan stopped again, the pain evident in her voice. Jordan knew she was close to falling apart. However, after a moment, Susan continued gravely. “Right now we don’t know anything. If she…when she wakes up, I want you to take her statement.”

Jordan’s brow furrowed in confusion. “This isn’t exactly our jurisdiction. Chicago Investigative Services should be working the attack. You know how uptight they get when we play in their backyard.”

Susan pursed her lips. “This isn’t an official investigation. I’m asking you to work this on your own time.” She held up her hand to prevent protest. “I know it’s not ideal, but from what I gathered from our contact at the CIS, we’re looking at a serial killer. A killer they have not made any headway in apprehending. I don’t want this to get shelved. I want Julie’s attacker caught, and I need you guys to help…in an unofficial capacity.”

Jordan’s mind was working overtime. She stole a sideways glance at Matt. They had worked off the record cases before, even worked with the CIS in the past, but this time it was personal, and she wondered if Susan would keep an objective mind. They were bound to step on toes, and she wondered just how far they would have to push.

Susan handed Jordan a card. “This is the detective who is working point on this case. I want you both to make nice with the detective and glean whatever information you can get in addition to taking Julie’s statement.” Her fists clenched and the vein in her temple throbbed wildly, the only two signs that she was handling this in anything less than a professional capacity. “I need you two on this.”

Jordan caught Matt’s eye and she nodded slightly, sending him a silent message. What the fuck is she getting us involved in? She turned back to Susan, meeting her expectant eyes. “We’ll find him.” She hoped her words sounded more convincing to her boss than they did to her own ears.

“So what are you thinking?” Matt asked as he held the door for Jordan.

“I think we just got thrown into the lion’s den.” She ran a hand through her unruly brown hair and expelled a breath. “I’ve never seen Susan that out of control. This one isn’t going to get swept under the rug.”

Matt stared off somewhere in the night sky. He shoved his hands wordlessly into his pockets, waiting for Jordan to take the lead as she always did.

“I say we pay this detective a little surprise visit first thing in the morning.” The corner of her lip curled up into the semblance of a wicked grin. “I want to catch her off guard. She’s more likely to let something slip if she isn’t expecting us.”

Matt smiled. In the five years he and Jordan had worked together, he had grown to appreciate her sixth sense. It had helped them out of more than one tight spot, and he wasn’t about to start doubting it now. If Jordan wanted to make an early morning visit, then he was all for it. Besides, from the sound of things, they were going to need every advantage available.