Page 6 of For Blood

The piercing buzz of Morgan's phone shattered the moment of calm.Her muscles tensed instinctively, years of training kicking in.She hesitated, eyeing the device warily before reaching for it.The caller ID flashed "Mueller," and a knot formed in her stomach.

"Cross," she answered, her voice clipped and professional.

"Morning," Mueller's gruff tone crackled through the speaker."I need you and Greene to come into the office.We've got a new case, and it's one you'll want to hear about."

Morgan's eyes locked with Derik's, a silent conversation passing between them.Her mind raced, wondering what could be urgent enough to drag them in after their sleepless night.Was it Cordell?Had there been a break in the case?

"We'll be there," she replied, ending the call abruptly.

As she stood, the exhaustion hit her anew, her limbs heavy with the weight of disappointment and lack of sleep.But beneath it all, a familiar spark ignited.A new case.A fresh lead.It was purpose, something tangible to sink her teeth into.

"What do you think it is?"Derik asked, already shrugging on his jacket.

Morgan shook her head, running a hand through her tangled hair."No idea.But Mueller sounded...different.Tense."

She moved to grab her keys, her tattoos stark against her pale skin in the morning light.Skunk, sensing the shift in energy, barked excitedly, his tail wagging in a blur.

"Hold down the fort, buddy," Morgan said softly, scratching behind his ears.Her voice caught slightly, a wave of emotion threatening to break through.Skunk's unconditional love was a balm, a reminder of the simple joys she'd rediscovered since leaving prison.

As they headed for the door, Morgan's mind whirled.Whatever this new case was, it couldn't erase the ache of her father's absence, the lingering questions that haunted her.But it was something concrete, a problem she could tackle head-on.And right now, that was exactly what she needed.

***

The tension in Mueller's office hung thick in the air, as palpable as the smell of stale coffee and printer ink.Morgan's eyes immediately darted to the whiteboard, its surface a chaotic web of names, dates, and red string—all centered around Cordell.The failed sting operation stared back at her, a stark reminder of their recent setback.

Mueller sat behind his desk, his face a mask of grim determination.The lines around his eyes seemed deeper than usual, his mustache twitching slightly as he regarded Morgan and Derik.

"I know spirits are low after the Cordell sting," he said, his voice gruff but not unkind."But we've got work to do."

Morgan felt Derik shift beside her, his presence a steady anchor.She clenched her fists, the ink on her knuckles stretching with the movement."What's the situation?"she asked, her tone clipped.

Mueller's response was to slide a thick file across the desk."A new case just came in.It's...complicated."

With a raised eyebrow, Morgan reached for the file.As she flipped it open, her breath caught in her throat.Crime scene photos spilled out, stark and brutal.A middle-aged woman lay sprawled in what looked like a dimly lit parking garage, her body forming a grotesque X.A dark pool of blood spread beneath her, a stark contrast to the gray concrete.

Morgan's mind raced, cataloging details even as her stomach churned.The positioning seemed deliberate, almost ritualistic.She glanced at Derik, noting the tightness around his eyes.He'd seen it too.

"Who is she?"Morgan asked, her voice low.She couldn't shake the feeling that this case was going to be more than just another homicide.Mueller's tension, the deliberate staging of the body—it all pointed to something bigger.

As Mueller began to explain, Morgan found herself torn between two conflicting emotions.Part of her was eager for the distraction, grateful for a concrete problem to solve after the frustration of the woods and her father's absence.But another part of her couldn't help but wonder if this new case was somehow connected to the web of corruption she'd been fighting against.

She leaned forward, prepared to absorb every detail Mueller could provide.Whatever this case was, whatever it meant, she was ready to dive in headfirst.It was better than dwelling on unanswered questions and the ache of disappointment that still lingered from the morning's fruitless search.

Mueller's voice cut through Morgan's thoughts, his tone clipped and professional."Rachel Martinez," he began, sliding another photo across the desk."Forty-eight years old, a nurse at Dallas General.Found dead in the parking garage outside the hospital late last night."

Morgan's eyes narrowed as she studied the image.The woman's face was pale, frozen in an expression of shock.Her dark hair splayed out on the concrete, forming a halo around her head.

"Single stab wound to the side of the neck," Mueller continued."Severed vital arteries.Killed almost instantly."

Morgan's fingers traced the edge of the photo, her mind already piecing together the scene.The precision of the wound suggested someone who knew exactly what they were doing.Not a crime of passion, but something cold, calculated.

She looked up at Mueller, her brow furrowed."Okay, but why is this coming to us?This looks like a local homicide."The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications.After everything with Cordell, after the disappointment of the morning, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this case than met the eye.

Mueller's jaw tightened, the muscles working beneath his salt-and-pepper stubble."Ordinarily, you'd be right.But here's the twist: Rachel Martinez was a key witness in a cold case from 20 years ago.A murder."

At that, both Morgan and Derik's heads snapped up.Morgan felt a familiar surge of adrenaline, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten.Her mind raced, connecting dots that weren't quite there yet.A cold case.A key witness.And now, a murder that mirrored one from two decades ago.

"What aren't you telling us, Mueller?"Morgan pressed, leaning forward.She could feel Derik's presence beside her, solid and reassuring, but her focus was entirely on their superior."This isn't just about solving Martinez's murder, is it?"

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