Before he got mean.
The only reason he wasn’t going all-out in his snark was Gene. Timothy got damn lucky his man was right beside him.
“Because it could be dangerous. If someone is dumping bodies, you shouldn’t be in the woods alone with them. We’ll come with you.”
Callen actually looked relieved.
“Thank you.”
That was all he had to say. Ethan glanced back at Gene to alert him that they were getting out of there.
Yeah, he’d rather go help his brother deal with dead people than be here,IFthey were actually dead people. Bones in piles here on the rez could be deer and elk.
Or bear.
Freezing his ass off in a musty part of the reservation was a better night than sitting in his grandfather’s cabin to be put under his microscope.
It was as if the man was trying to piss him off, so he left and never came back.
Plus, Ethan knew the truth.
As for the bodies in question, if they were actual people, well, Callen wouldn’t be dealing with this for long.
The FBI would get jurisdiction.
“Babe?” he asked, forgetting to keep it non-personal in front of Timothy.
He glanced over.
“Yeah?” Gene asked.
Blackhawk clued him in.
“We’ll have to eat later. We’re heading out with Callen to assist.”
His brother touched his arm, feeling bad about pulling him away, even if leaving him here might be bloodshed. Timothy was bitchy tonight—more so than normal.
“I can handle it,” he offered.
Ethan was to the point, trying to get his brother to see the cold hard reality of it.
“How many‘bodies’?” he asked, going back into FBI mode, and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t feel good. “And are they full bodies or bones?”
Callen thought back to the conversation.
“Three full sets of remains—not just bones,” he asked. “Why are you asking that when I said there were three bodies?”
Ethan pointed out one thing.
“Less than three, the local cops would handle it. Three or more, it’s getting kicked to the FBI to help them out, specifically if it’s on Native land.”
He was aware.
They didn’t have the means to handle a case like this, nor would he want to. This was outside of Callen’s scope.
Ethan wasn’t done.
“We’re the FBI, and as for me taking it, our boss has a new rule. If you find the bodies, you work the case. That’s how Gene got us in trouble on vacation.”
