Page 21 of Ace of Spades
When Rand started to speak, Nate shook his head. They sat in silence, waiting for Alex to speak.
“He couldn’t save his mother, or sister, or maybe his wife ... although that last one doesn’t feel right. Anyway, he couldn’t save someone close to him, so he’s atoning?” Alex gave a little shake as he opened his eyes. “Which is why he’s cleansing them and then marrying them, if only symbolically. Then he sends them off to heaven.”
Taylor spread out the photos that had been taken before each victim was removed from the killer’s dumping ground. “Look at them. He’s made them brides. Their white dresses represent purity to him, and the wedding rings are symbolic. Marriage is a covenant based on religion. I think Alex is right. He believes he’s saving their souls.”
“We may find out differently, but my money’s on issues with his mother,” Alex said.
“Or he’s playing us, and it’s all just a game to him.” Nate believed Alex and Taylor were probably right, but they couldn’t get stuck on one theory and not consider all the possibilities.
“What do you want me to do?” Rand asked.
Rothmire stood. “I’ll leave you all to hash out assignments. Keep me updated.”
“Find any similar cases?” Nate asked Alex.
“Not yet, but I’m still looking.”
“Taylor, this afternoon, you and Josh can canvas the areas our victims worked, see if you can find anyone who saw them get in a car shortly before they disappeared. Maybe we can get a better description on the vehicle. Rand, you can give Alex a hand on the searches until Court gets back, and then we’ll put him on that.”
“We’re on it,” Rand said. “Anything else?”
“Not at the moment.” Alex, Rand, and Josh left, leaving him alone with Taylor. She lifted her arms in a lazy stretch. Involuntarily, his eyes strayed to her breasts, straining against her blouse. The woman was going to be the death of him.
Taylor hid a grin at seeing Nate swallow hard. She shouldn’t tease him, she supposed, but it was downright fun. “I need a workout before I head out with Josh. Meet you in the gym in fifteen?”
“Better not,” he muttered.
She stood, leaned across the table, and whispered, “Coward.” She knew exactly why he was refusing, and she also knew he couldn’t resist a challenge, so she walked out before he could respond. Lately, their workouts simmered with sexual tension ... Well, they always had, but that tension had been growing.
After dropping her files on her desk, she grabbed her tote bag, then headed for the gym that was conveniently located across the street. Almost all the agents were members, and fortunately, Rothmireencouraged them to work out. He liked having his agents fit and healthy and considered their gym time a part of their working day.
When Nate stepped onto the treadmill next to hers twenty minutes later, she didn’t gloat. Well, she did, but only to herself. They ran for five miles, and then headed for the heavy bags. Since Nate was obviously not in a talking mood, she left him to his thoughts while they did their best to punch their bags to death.
“Ready for some combat?” she asked thirty minutes later. Their martial-arts sessions were when things got hot and heavy between them. Krav Maga was a self-defense system that had been developed by the Israelis, a mix of aikido, judo, boxing, wrestling, and realistic fighting, focusing on real-world situations. She shouldn’t find it sexy, and she didn’t, except when she was going against Nate. And then ...
When she and Nate went at it, he had the strength and she had the technique. It was a battle between brawn and brain that somehow turned into a sexual dance every time they went up against each other. She had a theory about that. There was already off-the-charts chemistry—at least in her opinion—between them. Add aggression and adrenaline to the mix, and you had a potent brew.
She and Alex often trained together, as they were on a higher level than Nate and Court, and with him it was never sexual, which she found interesting. That told her it was because she and Nate had feelings for each other, even if he refused to admit it. With Alex, it was all about the technique, and she always learned something from him, as he was the best Krav Maga fighter she’d ever gone against. With Nate, it was like having sex with their clothes on. She grinned at that thought.
“What’s got you amused?” Nate said.
“You. Come on. I’m ready to put you on your ass.”
“In your dreams, tiger.”
He followed her to the private room they had reserved, both kicking off their shoes before they stepped onto the mat. “You’re the bad guy first,” she said. She pivoted, following his movements as he circled her.
Nate never came at her the same way in their sessions, always keeping her on her toes. Suddenly, he spun, kicking a foot out, doing his best to slice her legs out from under her. She did a flip, then rolled, coming up behind him and kicking the back of his knee. His leg buckled, but he managed to stay on his feet.
He faced her, narrowing his eyes. “What the hell was that?”
“Something I’ve been practicing.” She’d bought some gymnastic tapes almost a year ago and had been teaching herself some of the tricks that might prove useful. Today was the first time she’d felt ready to incorporate the moves into her training. She grinned. “Impressed?”
“Always,” he answered, and as she was preening he tackled her, taking her down to the mat.
“No fair. I wasn’t ready.”
“So the bad guy’s going to wait until you are?”
