Page 6 of Let Her Live

Mark's face fell, and Fiona felt a pang of guilt. But she knew that this was the right decision. She had to focus on her career, and she couldn't let anyone hold her back.

And if there was a case that needed her expertise in entomology—then there was no way she'd pass it up. Whatever it was, she was going to give it her all.

CHAPTER THREE

After finishing packing, Fiona left her apartment and headed straight to the airport. As she weaved through the crowds, she was struck by the realization that she had no idea what the case was about. All she knew was that her expertise in entomology was essential for the team and that she was going to be working alongside Jake.

Finally, she spotted Jake standing by the gate. A look of concern was etched on his face.She had seen him around since their kiss, but they hadn't worked an official case together since, nor had they spoken about it. Fiona's face burned just seeing him; he really was handsome, with his tall stature and short, spiked brown hair and warm brown eyes that always looked at her with such a welcome feeling. But when he spotted her, the look of urgency on his face told her that this was not going to be a leisurely plane ride—not that she'd expect anything else, working alongside Jake. Her life had never been more dangerous—and thrilling—since she met him.

"Red—I'm glad you're here," Jake said, jogging over to her. She dragged her suitcase toward him, noting that he had some small luggage with him as well, small enough to put in the overhead compartment on the plane.

"Hey," she said, breathless, trying to keep the drama with Mark out of her mind. "What's going on? The chief said you'd explain everything when I got here."

"Our plane's about to board. Come on, let's head to our seats first." He gently touched the small of her back, and Fiona's face burned. Jake seemed to realize what he'd done and pulled his hand away. For a moment, she saw redness on his face too.

She couldn't forget that Jake had been the one to initiate the kiss with her. Being a lifelong lab girl with an affinity for bugs and science, she'd never considered that someone like Jake—a jockish type—would be attracted to her. It still made her head spin.

As they boarded the plane, Fiona couldn't help but feel a wave of excitement wash over her. This was her chance to prove herself as a valuable member of the team and perhaps even catch the eye of some of the higher-ups at the bureau. She followed Jake to their seats, trying not to think about the way his hand had felt on her back. Jake helped her put her luggage overhead, and they got into their seats.

"Okay," he said as they got settled in. He pulled a file folder out from his side pack and put it on his lap but kept it close. His eyes met hers. "So here's the deal.We're going to Florida."

Fiona's jaw nearly dropped. "Florida?" It wasn't exactly a short flight.

"Well, you were specially requested," Jake said with a glint in his eye, a slight smile on his lips.

Fiona blushed. "I was?"

"Yeah." He flipped open the folder and handed it to her.

On it were many details about several men who'd been found tied to trees in the Florida Everglades. There were extensive forensic reports, which Fiona skimmed eagerly, but a note that the multitude of insects and other wildlife had wreaked havoc on the crime scenes, and extracting evidence had been hard. They were even struggling to identify the latest man due to the severe decomposition.

"They want someone who knows bugs," Jake said. "We're pretty far, but I guess the chief spoke about you to one of the superiors over there, so when they had this case, they called him and asked for you."

Fiona felt a thrill of excitement run through her. This was it—this was the case that could make her career. And it was all because of her expertise in entomology.

"What do we know so far?" she asked, scanning through the details in the folder.

Jake leaned over, his shoulder brushing against hers. "Not much, unfortunately. The victims have all been tied to trees, and their throats have been slit. There are signs of torture and mutilation, but nothing concrete yet. What we do know is that the killer is moving fast and has left the local police—and FBI—completely baffled.”

Fiona felt a shiver run down her spine. This was a brutal and gruesome crime—but she knew that the more information they could gather, the better chance they had of catching the killer.

"And the insects?" she asked.

Jake nodded. "They've been a real issue. The humidity and wildlife in the Everglades make it difficult to extract solid evidence—but with your expertise, we might have a chance."

Fiona felt a sense of purpose. This was why she had joined the FBI. To use her skills to help bring justice and closure to victims and their families. And if this case was as difficult as it sounded, then she knew that she was going to have to be at her best.

She looked over at Jake, and their eyes met again. This time, there was no mistaking the spark between them. Fiona could feel the tension building between them, and she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they were to work together again on more cases like this.

For now, she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand. They had a job to do, and it was a job that she was more than qualified to handle.

"We'll need to be careful," she said, closing the folder and tucking it away. "If the insects have destroyed evidence, then we'll have to be extra vigilant in piecing together the clues. I'll need access to the crime scene myself."

Jake nodded in agreement. "I'm trusting you to take the lead on the forensic aspect. I've got your back every step of the way."

Fiona could feel the thrill of excitement building inside of her. This was what she had trained for, what she had worked so hard to achieve. If Chief Whittaker had spoken of her, and another chief in Florida wanted her there specifically, then that was a lot of trust and faith they had in her. She couldn't let them down.

They settled into their seats, ready for the long flight ahead. But as the plane took off, Fiona couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. These crimes felt meticulous, careful, and, to be quite frank, barbaric. The way the men had been hung up in the trees like that, after clearly suffering such horrible deaths, spoke of someone truly evil.

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