Author's Note: Well it's good to see that no one is flaming me for what I just put poor Katherine through in the last chapter. Now really, how many saw that twist coming with Rachel? LOL In in earlier chapter Ghostwriter caught that Rachel was echoing the Angel Killer's words... hehe how close you were to that! We'll answer some questions here hopefully as Jason and Tom confront Rachel. Did Rachel willingly hide her brothers identity? Was is just a coincidence? Hmmm... Just have to read to find out. Anyone confused about the guys name... Tyler, Ethan, Logan... All the same guy.
Shoutouts: Jeremy Shane- As always, nice to hear from you and here's more!
Shievi- Jason's on his way, hopefully he finds her in time! (Don't forget my prologue. We're almost caught up with it)
Kelsey. Marie. Scott- Welcome back my dear! I'm glad to see you have enjoyed the chapters I've posted. I know no one saw Rachel coming. I got quite a few PM's saying it was Russ or Dell, but how many thought of the witness that I mentions TWICE in the beginning. LOL Or his connection to Rachel. That was fun to plan out. Hopefully you still have some fingernails left, here's the next chapter.
Ghostwriter- I think the Rachel thing threw a lot of people, but in an earlier review you were questioning Rachel echoing the 'Angel Killers' words from his run in with Kat in her car. Glad that you liked the last chapter. Hope that this one keeps the intensity high, since we're in the high action, high emotion part of the story. I've been looking forward to these last few chapters and the next few since the beginning of this story. Hope they live up to the hype in my own head LOL Enjoy!
AlexAlexander- I've been planning the connection between the Angel Killer and Rachel since the beginning. I enjoy a good twist to a story and this is mine. I dropped clues throughout the story that if you read back through knowing it's Rachel, you will understand them better now LOL I should take the time to mention that a few chapters back, the 'Angel Killer' made a call to someone and told them to meet him... that call was to Rachel, in case anyone hadn't already figured that out. Well here's the confrontation with Rachel, hope you enjoy it. I feel so bad for Tom :(
brankel1- Yes, shame on Rachel for betraying Kat and the rest of the team, and using poor poor Tom! Shame shame shame. Maybe she's got a good reason, or maybe not. Just have to read to find out. Tom and Jason are on their way, hopefully now they'll catch this guy. I don't think Kat's gonna be the one to get him, remember the prologue...
Jaina87- Thank you so much for adding this story to your alerts! I love to see that people are readying and enjoying my stuff, brightens my day to find that in my inbox!
HolyGhostWriter- Thanks for adding my story to your alerts! The day I got the message in my inbox I was having a really crummy day with my son, who just had his tonsils out. It really made my day much better to know I had another follower for this story. I'm not sure if I like this story or Affairs of Love more, but this one is much more massive and epic, I feel anyway LOL Thanks again!
Chapter 26
Jason and Tom landed in New York late in the morning, early technically back in Angel Grove. They took a taxi directly to the FBI headquarters. After flashing their badges, they were shown by security to the fifth floor where Kat's office was located. They walked into utter chaos as they stepped off the elevator. Agents were moving quickly around the room, some on phones, others with papers, and some just rushing around the room. Standing in the middle of the storm stood one man giving orders left and right.
"I want statements from every single one of her neighbors!... Get me security footage of the whole building for the whole night!... Find me something people! The clock is ticking!" Russ called out to random people.
"Russ! What's going on?" Jason asked as he and Tom weaved their way through the chaotic office toward him.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Russ was genuinely shocked to see the two PD officers standing there.
"We have new information on the case, something big." Jason answered.
"We know who our guy is!" Tom exclaimed.
"That's great!" Russ' eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store.
"Where's Kat?" Jason asked after he'd realized that he hadn't seen her around the office yet.
"That's..." Russ' voice died off as his face fell. Jason felt his heart freeze in his chest before it dropped to his toes.
"No!" Jason whispered as he took a step backwards.
"Where's Rachel?" Tom narrowed his eyes, his anger returning.
"Conference room with Dell." Russ gestured toward a large room with the blinds drawn.
"We need to talk." Tom said. Russ nodded and grabbed Kale before leading the two officers to the conference room.
"Tom!" Rachel grinned as she rushed over to him. Her brown eyes a combination of joy at seeing him and sadness at Kat's disappearance. She threw her arms around his neck, but he stiffened at her touch. She pulled back when she realized he was not going to hug her back. "Tom, what's wrong?"
"How long have you known, Rachel?" Tom whispered. The others in the room barely heard what he'd said. Rachel took a step back as if he'd punched her.
"Known what?" She asked.
"About Ethan." Jason cut in as he slapped the paper with Ethan's picture onto the table.
"Ethan?" Rachel shook her head. "I don't..."
"Don't lie Rachel!" Jason barked as he took a step closer to her. Dell rushed out of his seat and stepped in between Jason and the frightened brunette.
"Back off Scott." Dell crossed his arms and drew himself up to full height. He towered over Jason, but Jason wouldn't back down as they glared at each other.
"Tell them Rachel!" Tom ordered. "Tell them about Tyler!"
"Tyler? I thought you were asking about Ethan?" Kale raised an eyebrow. "I'm lost."
"Ethan and Tyler are the same person." Jason scowled, not looking away from Dell's intense gaze.
"Tell them Rachel!" Tom repeated with a little more heat.
Dell turned away from Jason and looked at Rachel. "What's going on Rach?"
"I... He... I..." Rachel stammered unable to form a sentence as she looked from gaze to gaze. She finally fell to her knees in tears. "Tyler's my brother!"
"Huh? What?" Kale had a bewildered look on his face.
"Fill us in Jason." Russ crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at Rachel.
"We're looking for Tyler Jacobson, also known as Ethan Dean..." Jason started.
"Dean? I know that name... Why do I know that name?" Dell pondered aloud.
"He was... was the witness from... from the Jericho murder." Rachel hiccuped through her tears.
"Holy shit!" Kale slapped a hand over his mouth as his dark eyes widened.
"The one Hillard decked?" Dell asked in shock.
"He's your brother?" Russ asked Rachel.
"I didn't know it was him at first." Rachel tried to explain. "I was helping Katherine finish the paperwork for the case when I noticed his alias as Tyler Jacobson. I hadn't seen my brother since I was thirteen."
"Lose track of each other?" Dell raised an eyebrow.
"I was adopted and moved to Ohio, he stayed in Florida." Rachel cried. She stared and the ground, unable to move, her soft brown hair falling over her tanned face.
"You're adopted? I didn't know that." Kale remarked.
"Tyler promised to take care of me after our mother died!" Rachel's tears fell harder. "But they took me away anyway, he didn't keep his promise!"
"You're mother is dead then?" Tom asked in a cold tone. "The reports we found, you and your brother said she fled town."
"She's dead!" Rachel's head snapped up to look at Tom, fire burning in her eyes. "And she deserved much worse than that!"
"Did you kill her Rachel?" Jason asked. Dell looked up at him like he was crazy for even thinking Rachel was capable of that.
"Not me." Rachel shook her head. "Tyler did it." She suddenly recoiled, horror etched into her eyes. Shocked that she'd revealed the secret she'd been carrying for twenty years. "Oh! Tyler I'm so sorry!"
Russ slowly knelt beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Rachel, you need to tell us everything. Kat's life is depending on it. Tell us everything you know about your brother."
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Kale snapped, anger evident on his face.
"I thought I could help him!" Rachel wailed as the tears started fresh. "You don't know what he went through for me! He needed help! Help I thought I could give!"
"Rachel! If you knew who he was..." Russ started, but Rachel cut him off.
"I swear I didn't know he was the 'Angel Killer'. I knew he had a thing for Katherine after the Jericho case, but I just thought it was an unhealthy obsession. Something that I could help him with. I swear I didn't know until recently!"
"When?... When did you know?" Dell cut in.
"When he turned up in Angel Grove." Rachel said quietly. "He said he was there for work, but I knew it was a lie. Director Burns never authorized for him to be there. He wasn't on assignment."
"Wait! Director Burns?" Kale gasped.
"He works here?" Russ stood up from Rachel. "The bastard has been right under our noses the while fucking time!"
"That's how he knew every step you guys took in the case and how he knew when Kat went on vacation to Angel Grove." Jason commented. "Sneaky sonofabitch!"
"Where is he now?" Dell pressed.
"I... I don't know." Rachel shook her head.
"Stop protecting him!" Tom shouted.
"I don't know!" Rachel shouted back.
Jason moved slowly in front of her and knelt down. He placed his hand under her chin and gently forced her to look at him. "Talk to us Rachel." He said in a calm, soothing voice. He kept his anger locked up, and focused on remaining calm. "Please, tell us everything you know about him. Please Rachel, I can't lose Kat. I love her... Please, talk." Rachel searched his midnight eyes, and her heart broke at the desperation she saw there.
"He didn't report to work this morning so I checked his status. Director Burns approved his assignment yesterday, he's undercover right now. Agent Harvey Logan."
Dell was at his computer before anyone could tell him, already bringing up Agent Logan's file. "He's supposedly working the Jefferson case right now." Dell reported. "He's supposed to report into his handler tonight!"
"Phone or personal contact?" Russ questioned.
"It's initial meeting, in person!" Dell cheered. "So long as he doesn't risk blowing his cover, he'll stick to schedule."
"Call his handler and bring them into our circle. Keep a lid on this information, so long as Logan doesn't get wind of this we can spring a trap tonight." Russ ordered. Kale nodded and went to place the call. Russ turned his attention back to Rachel. "I'm sorry about this Rach." Russ took hold of her bicep and pulled her to her feet before taking her arms behind her back. "Rachel Dawson, you are under arrest for aiding and abiding a dangerous criminal and obstruction of justice. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
Jason watched sadly as Russ slipped handcuffs onto Rachel's slender wrists. He glanced at Tom, who was quietly wiping a single tear away from his cheek. He'd finally learned to love someone for more than a night, Jason knew he really did love Rachel, then he was betrayed by the only woman to get under his skin. She had betrayed all of them. By keeping silent, she'd signed Katherine's death sentence...
No! She's not dead! Jason told himself. Hang on Kat! I'm coming for you!
XXXXXXXXXX
Kat awoke to soft nibbles on her neck. Still half asleep she rolled her head more to the side to give her lover easier access to her neck. She felt the bed shift as her lover repositioned himself and wrapped strong arms around her waist. He pulled her nude form flush against his broad chest. "Mmm Jason." She moaned sleepily.
The loving attention suddenly stopped, she felt a warm breath on her ear. "Wrong guy, Snowflake." Tyler whispered, mocking her with her nickname from Jason.
Kat's eyes shot open as she remembered where she was. Tyler must have released her from her restraints sometime in the night after she'd passed out. She was lying on her side, under the covers, spooning with the psycho. She was sore and felt weak as she tried to scramble away from him. He laughed at her attempts and pulled her tighter against him.
"You really don't want to run away, do you?" He said in an eerily calm voice, sending chills down her spine. "You were so receptive a moment ago. Just close your eyes and relax. I can be a great lover, Katherine."
"Please don't." She whimpered.
"Close. Your. Eyes." He ordered, stressing each word. Kat reluctantly obeyed and felt his hands roam her body in feather soft caresses, just like Jason did to her. He rolled her to her back. "Keep your eyes closed Katherine." His soft lips pressed against her collarbone, just like Jason did to her. His fingers gently tangled into her hair, just like Jason... He was trying to act just like Jason and to her horror he was succeeding. Kat's body began to betray her mind as she involuntarily responded to the familiar yet foreign attentions he was lavishing on her.
"No!" She whispered as he began to snake a hand between their bodies.
"You say 'no', but your body is saying 'yes'." He laughed.
"Please Tyler, don't" She cried softly.
"I'm sorry Katherine." He said, a hint of sadness edged into his voice. "I have to have you."
He took her yet again. Kat didn't cry out, but silent tears rolled down her lovely face and fell to the soft pillow beneath her head. Come find me Jason, I need you!