“What if your fellow rangers found out you were gay? Might be something to consider, jackass. Bet they’d be disgusted like I am at the thought of homos. They might not be eager to help out a queer.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Eye for an eye, detective.” Sorensterm smirked. “What if the captain finds out your connection to the latest victim? I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to know what I do.”
Mac shoved Sorensterm away and shook his head. “You can’t blackmail me with that. I told Billingsley this morning, and he’s keeping me on the case.”
Disappointment crossed Sorensterm’s face. Mac resisted the urge to do a small victory dance. He had scored one for his side.
“I see anything to make me think you’re queer, Guzman, I’ll let everyone in this department know.”
After delivering the threat, Sorensterm strolled off, and Mac’s pulse quickened. Shit ! He needed to trust the guys in his department would back him in any kind of play, yet if they knew he was gay, they could leave him in a situation where he’d be killed.
Mac couldn’t help but wonder what Sorensterm would do if he found out four of the seven men they regularly played poker with were gay. Of course, none of the other men were from their company. Most of them were from the DEA or some of the other federal agencies. The man would shit himself.
“Ready, Mac?” Billingsley asked as he walked from his office.
It seemed no one else had noticed the confrontation between Mac and Sorensterm.
“Yes, sir.”
* * * *
“I didn’t realize the bureau agreed to afternoon naps. Maybe I should come work with you.”
Tanner flipped Mac off but didn’t open his eyes immediately. He heard the chairs scrape on the floor and two grunts as Mac and Billingsley, Tanner assumed, sat. Rustling papers were the only noises for a moment before someone cleared his throat.
“Are you done meditating or whatever the hell you’re doing?”
He opened his eyes and rolled them at Mac. “I wasn’t meditating or sleeping for that matter.”
Billingsley frowned. “Then what were you doing?”
After pushing the pile of drawings toward Mac and the ranger captain, he stood and strolled over to the board. “I’ve been trying to figure out what symbol is etched into their breasts. It’s been hidden by the intricate design, but it’s there. I was trying to draw the designs to see if I can repeat it.”
MacLaughlin walked in and shook Billingsley’s hand. “Good to see you again, Captain. Is this everyone?”
“Yes. I’ll have Mac update the others at headquarters for now. When Agent Wallace has more, we’ll call a meeting of the entire task force for him to bring everyone up to speed.” Billingsley glanced at Tanner. “Well, are you ready to wow me, Agent Wallace?”
“I’m not sure what you’re expecting, Captain. What I tell you will probably be what your own profiler already found out during his examination of the scenes.”
“Maybe, or maybe you’ll have seen something he missed. I’d rather catch this asshole than worry about the feelings of the men working for me.” Billingsley shrugged. “You might be right as well. You might not see anything new, but you’ve only been looking for a couple of days. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Thank you.”
Mac stared at Tanner’s drawings like he was trying to see what Tanner talked about. Whether Mac believed him or not, Tanner didn’t care. His instincts screamed to look beneath the surface and find clues to the killer’s identity.
“The floor is yours, Tanner.” MacLaughlin gestured toward him.
Folding his arms over his chest, Tanner looked at the three men seated in the room. “I’ve gone over the pictures several times, looked at them from all the different angles available. I can tell you some basic things about the guy.”
He pointed to the photos, tracing the wounds with his finger. “You’re definitely looking for a male. Not just because a
“Are you threatening me?”
“Eye for an eye, detective.” Sorensterm smirked. “What if the captain finds out your connection to the latest victim? I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to know what I do.”
Mac shoved Sorensterm away and shook his head. “You can’t blackmail me with that. I told Billingsley this morning, and he’s keeping me on the case.”
Disappointment crossed Sorensterm’s face. Mac resisted the urge to do a small victory dance. He had scored one for his side.
“I see anything to make me think you’re queer, Guzman, I’ll let everyone in this department know.”
After delivering the threat, Sorensterm strolled off, and Mac’s pulse quickened. Shit ! He needed to trust the guys in his department would back him in any kind of play, yet if they knew he was gay, they could leave him in a situation where he’d be killed.
Mac couldn’t help but wonder what Sorensterm would do if he found out four of the seven men they regularly played poker with were gay. Of course, none of the other men were from their company. Most of them were from the DEA or some of the other federal agencies. The man would shit himself.
“Ready, Mac?” Billingsley asked as he walked from his office.
It seemed no one else had noticed the confrontation between Mac and Sorensterm.
“Yes, sir.”
* * * *
“I didn’t realize the bureau agreed to afternoon naps. Maybe I should come work with you.”
Tanner flipped Mac off but didn’t open his eyes immediately. He heard the chairs scrape on the floor and two grunts as Mac and Billingsley, Tanner assumed, sat. Rustling papers were the only noises for a moment before someone cleared his throat.
“Are you done meditating or whatever the hell you’re doing?”
He opened his eyes and rolled them at Mac. “I wasn’t meditating or sleeping for that matter.”
Billingsley frowned. “Then what were you doing?”
After pushing the pile of drawings toward Mac and the ranger captain, he stood and strolled over to the board. “I’ve been trying to figure out what symbol is etched into their breasts. It’s been hidden by the intricate design, but it’s there. I was trying to draw the designs to see if I can repeat it.”
MacLaughlin walked in and shook Billingsley’s hand. “Good to see you again, Captain. Is this everyone?”
“Yes. I’ll have Mac update the others at headquarters for now. When Agent Wallace has more, we’ll call a meeting of the entire task force for him to bring everyone up to speed.” Billingsley glanced at Tanner. “Well, are you ready to wow me, Agent Wallace?”
“I’m not sure what you’re expecting, Captain. What I tell you will probably be what your own profiler already found out during his examination of the scenes.”
“Maybe, or maybe you’ll have seen something he missed. I’d rather catch this asshole than worry about the feelings of the men working for me.” Billingsley shrugged. “You might be right as well. You might not see anything new, but you’ve only been looking for a couple of days. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Thank you.”
Mac stared at Tanner’s drawings like he was trying to see what Tanner talked about. Whether Mac believed him or not, Tanner didn’t care. His instincts screamed to look beneath the surface and find clues to the killer’s identity.
“The floor is yours, Tanner.” MacLaughlin gestured toward him.
Folding his arms over his chest, Tanner looked at the three men seated in the room. “I’ve gone over the pictures several times, looked at them from all the different angles available. I can tell you some basic things about the guy.”
He pointed to the photos, tracing the wounds with his finger. “You’re definitely looking for a male. Not just because a
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