{Emily's POV}
"Okay everyone I wanted you looking everywhere. If you even pick up on a different scent follow it. I don't want to leave this trail without any evidence! Am I understood?" I called out and they agents tightened their grips on their guns.
"Yes, Chief." They spoke and I fought the urge to flinch at the title.
I signaled for us to disperse and we all did so. Different groups went different ways and I lead the biggest. We have to find something. Tanner can't be gone...he just can't.
Wesley walked beside with me with a depressed expression. He's been wearing himself out the past nights looking everywhere and staying up to go back over trails. He's blaming everything on himself and he's starting to shut himself off from us. This was what I was afraid of.
"What about through there?" I asked pointing to a field and he shook his head.
"I've already been that way. Through there is where the warehouse was that we first saw. We've checked it three times now. They're too smart. They've already moved locations. They knew we were onto them."
I wanted to growl in frustration.
"Okay then we'll go this way." I mumbled walking down a path with knee high weeds.
"Emily?"
"Hm?"
"Do you'll think we'll find him?" Wesley asked and I couldn't find it in myself to say yes or no and he realized that nodding softly.
"We can only hope." I replied and kept walking.
As I took a step forward my boot came down and I heard a crunch and I held my fist up quickly making everyone halt.
Slowly, I looked down and removed my boot and there it laid: Tanner's phone.
"His phone!" I yelled quickly scooping down and picking it up.
Brian soon came into view and took it from my hands eagerly. He looked it over and sighed.
"It smashed...but I might be able to get some things off it back at the station," He met my eyes. "This might be a new start. Get all the groups in this area...he was near." Brian mumbled looking around and in that moment...it felt that we were ants in a huge forest waiting to be killed.
I always just felt off in these woods.
***
"It's just so weird...he went back for his phone but he never got it." Claire said and I made a 'what' face.
"He was attacked...obviously he didn't get it." I said and she sighed.
"Im just saying. There's no blood or anything around it. We don't know that he was attacked." She said and I raised a brow.
"What are you hinting at Claire?" I asked and she thought her words over before replying with a shrug.
"I just feel we're not getting the whole story...that's all." She mumbled and a minute later Brian walked in.
"Anything?" I asked sitting up in my chair of the Claire's hotel room.
"Nothing yet...i've got to do a couple more things before I can try anything on the phone." I nodded and he looked to be in thought.
"What?"
"I just...I'm worried. It's been days and usually the killer stages someone right after he kills them and I just-"
"Brian, breathe." I said and get took in a deep breath.
"If and I'm only saying if...he's...gone...this killer is planning on something big. He's wanting to get his message across, Em. And that terrifies me. I can't see someone that's like my brother get strung up by a noose or something, I just can't." He said and Claire stood up walking over to him and placed a hand on the side of his face.
"Hey...it's okay. We'll find him." She tried to reassure but his looks didn't falter.
I knew the two shared similar mindsets. They both though this was over and Tanner was gone or worse, dead.
I gritted my teeth thinking of everything I could get my mind set on. I replayed everything over and my eyes widened as I sat up.
"The Chief..." I trailed off and their eyes snapped to meet mine.
"The Chief...before he...um he was saying he interviewed the guy that was at every crime scene. He said he figured something out that changed the whole case, but that was all I got from him before the...killer came. Chief didn't write it down anywhere and the video tape from the session just vanished. They knew the Chief would find out and they knew we'd get them. We have to find that man again. We have to find where he went after." I spoke and Brian nodded.
"We have to find him before they do. If he knew something and it helped our investigation and he spoke up. He's the next target." He explained.
"We need to start now." Claire said grabbing her keys.
"Lets go to the station." She mumbled.
***
"Anything new today?" Oliver asked as we walked through the doors of his home.
"We found Tanner's phone. Brian thinks he can maybe get something off it." I replied.
"That's good, right?"
"I hope so."
"Goddess, I'm just so stressed, Oliver." I mumbled placing my hands over my face holding back the tears.
"Hey...hey, baby." He cooed placing his hands around my wrist bring my hands from my face so I would look at him.
"What's on your mind?"
"What's not? Brian and Claire think Tanner is dead. Wesley is detaching himself from us and becoming closed off and distant because he's blaming Tanner's disappearance all on himself and i'm losing my mind." I spoke and I didn't notice I was crying until Oliver's thumb swept off a traitor tear from my cheek.
"Everything will be okay. You can do this and i'll help anyway I possibly can. I can't stand to see you hurting." He spoke softly as I sniffled.
"Come take a bath. You need to unwind for the night." He said taking my hand and I nodded letting him lead me upstairs and to his room.
"I'll get some hot water running for you." He spoke and I nodded kicking off my shoes and shrugged off the blazer I was wearing.
I untucked my shirt from my dress pants and pulled my hair up into a messy bun.
"It's ready." Oliver announced and I let out a sigh and followed him into the bathroom to see the tub full with steaming water and bubbles.
Goddess I think I love this man.
"If you'll change and get in, I'll come back and ease some tension in your shoulders." He said and I couldn't help but smile.
"Are you offering to massage my shoulders?" I asked and he winked in response walking to the door and shutting it behind him.
I unbuttoned my pants letting them fall to the floor and pulled my shirt over my head and stripped myself from my undergarments then slid into the hot, steaming water.
I sighed in relief already feeling my body start to relax.
A knock was at the door, "You in yet?"
"Yes." I called out and he opened it.
Thank the Goddess for the bubbles covering everything up, well at least until a little under my collarbone.
"Im going to sit behind you." He said and I nodded watching him do so.
He was was wearing a t-shirt and some short instead of the suit he was wearing moments ago. The way he sat on top of the tub behind me and leaned against the wall was perfect for him to access my shoulders and not getting anything went but his lower legs as he put them on either side of me. I could do this every night.
I couldn't help but moan as he started working on my shoulders.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you... You're only covered by bubbles and I'm not scared to pop them." He spoke in a husky voice and a small laugh escaped me.
"You're the one who offered to release some tension." I teased and a small growl escaped him.
"I can show you how I would really love to release some tension." He suggested playfully and I snorted.
"In your dreams, pretty boy. Take me out first." I shot back and heard him laugh.
"I think I can manage that." He said and I was about to reply when I heard the phone ringing.
"Who calls the house phone anymore?" He asked confused but nonetheless got out and went over to where it sat in the bathroom before answering it.
"Hello? Oh, why are you calling on here? Oh, we're in the bathroom...I guess we didn't hear your calls on our cells. Yeah, put her through and i'll let her speak to Emily." Oliver spoke and my brows furrowed confused.
"That was my beta, Claire was trying to get in touch...he's putting her call through." Oliver spoke to me and I nodded and he picked up the whole receiver and walked it as far as it would go and handed me the phone.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Em! This is our chance. I know I said that baiting was never a good idea, but Brian and I was talking... they wanted me before...they'll want me again. I think we should bait me. Wesley is leading two groups out tomorrow on a new piece of land to investigate, so this killer—whoever they are—won't be anywhere near them. They'll have to leave if they're there and we'll be waiting. Get Oliver to come with. We keep it small. Only me, you, him, and Brian. This way they won't see what was coming. I can't sit around any longer and do nothing."
My heart was beating frantically as I glanced at Oliver nervously.
"Are you sure? This could be dangerous."
"Im sure...I have to do this. I have to know why they want me." She said and I sighed.
"Okay."
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Sorry I forgot to publish this chapter last night!!!!
comment if their are grammar errors...i have yet to edit this chapter :)