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Autopsy was located next to the forensic labs, having a set of reinforced automated double-doors opening outside so bodies could be moved in directly from the coroner's vehicle. From within the building it was a door with biometric a lock that kept it secure, along with six floor's worth of fully trained FBI agents.

As with everything else within the building, it was as secured as could be achieve, which, Zee now knew, meant little against people who could wield magic. He wished he could find a way to reinforce the rank of his people with people who wielded magic, but Denton had made clear the church's view on magic within any law enforcement agencies.

He placed his hand on the plate by the door and his eye in front of the camera. Both did their thing and the door buzzed. He entered a surprisingly chilly room containing a desk and a couple of chairs, all utilitarian. A glass wall divided it from the autopsy room itself, where a seal in a lab coat was bobbing around a table with the body of a tapir on it. She paused, reached in and removed an organ, the liver, Zee thought, studied it, help it over the table next to the body, before placing it in a container.

Zee tapped the glass.

She smiled and motioned for him to enter.

"Doctor Gibson," He greeted her, his breath fogging. "Did you lower the temperature since the last time I came down?"

"No, it's still at a precise six degree Celsius," she answered, hint of an English accent in her words. "Keeps my patients comfortable while I work on them." She smiled. "And reminds me of home."

"You should provide jackets for anyone visiting."

"I thought Denverites were used to the cold."

"In the winter, certainly, not in late May." He motioned to the body.

"Am I too early for the interesting parts?"

"That was external." She closed folded the skin back in place showing the numerous slashes on the Tapir's body. "Cardinal Samuel of Marbury, born Samuel Ulsens, was killed from a knife through the heart, after he was viciously cut forty-eight times. If he hadn't been stabbed, I doubt he'd have lived long. Some of those cuts was deep whoever did this was very angry."

Zee looked at the chest, did a quick count. "There are twenty-five cuts, are the others on his back?"

"Some, but far too many are here." She pulled the cover off the lowered body and Zee winced at the way the man's cock and balls had been mutilated. "Yes, no one should be treated that way, and yes, it happened while he was alive. I'm not a psychologist, but I'd say the person who did this has suffered sexual violence."

"By this man?"

"That's not my department, sir, but it takes a special kind of determination to do this. I forwarded everything to Agent Bodenman Malhotra, he is the one to tell you the killer's mindset."

Zee nodded. "Determined is correct. The Cardinal was killed deep inside his home, which isn't listed. Was there anything unusual about the knife used? Was he drugged? Restrained?"

She read something off the table. "Blood work is in the queue, this say three days before they can get to it. The knife was quite sharp. There's no sign of tearing with any of the cuts. It's double-edged, and doesn't have a guard, or if it does, the blade is more than seventeen and a half centimeters long."

Zee tilted and ear and she indicated the wound over the heart.

"The blade went between the ribs, seventeen and a half centimeter. Based on the other cuts, the perpetrator was angry, they would have stabbed hard. The knife wasn't stopped by bone, so something else stopped it. I'd say a guard, or if it's a modern fold out knife, the handle itself, but there's no bruising, so either the hand, or they had enough self-control to stop before it went in any deeper. I scanned the wounds and the computer is working on rebuilding the blade. But the really interesting thing is this." She activated the wall and images of the tapir's back appeared. More cuts.

"Look at the right shoulder blade."

Zee frowned and approached the wall. Amidst the slashed were more deliberate cuts.

"If it wasn't for the facts it looks like they tried to obscure it, I would have said the killer did this to Samuel right before he expired."

"How can you tell?"

"There was sign they bleed when I got the body, but only a little, which means the heart stopped pumping not long after."

"That's a ten-inch patch of those, writing?"

"Good, I'm not crazy then. Yeah, it feels like it's writing doesn't it? The computer didn't match it to anything in its database, so I thought I was reaching."

"It's delicate work. Hardly the work of someone so angry he mutilates the body."

"Again, your husband is more qualified than me to tell you about that. He has these too. At this point, the good news is that if he'd done this before, we would have known about it. There's no cases of attacks matching this in the database."

Zee nodded. Except the scene was that of someone careful. "Was that writing made with the same knife? Or could we be looking at the work of a second person?"

She considered the screen, brought up a different set of pictures, a computer reconstruction of the wounds. She rotated them, studied them. "Different blades. The writing was made with something thinner, not as deep. If I had to make a guess I'd say a scalpel, rather than the seventeen-centimeter knife that did the rest. The hand was also steadier. So maybe you're right, the angry person could have someone calmer with them. Doesn't explain why slash over this work, but it explains the difference in knife work." She turned the screen off. "Physically those are the only thing worth noting."

"Thank you Doctor." Zee looked at the body.

"If I can ask, sir, isn't looking into this below your pay grade?"

He smiled. "Politics are just about where my pay grade is set, unfortunately. The Vatican arranged so we would take over the case form the police. And Director Patterson impressed on me he wanted to be kept in the loop. Which means I get to visit your cold little oasis."

She smiled back. "If it's any comfort, this place always benefits from a splash of color."

"Do you like?" he asked. He'd felt bold this morning and had put on the rose suit over the cerulean shirt and the golden tie.

"It's very much you, sir."

He beamed as he exited autopsy. He sent Marcus a message. "If I head down, will it be save to discuss the Cardinal's case? Something feel off about it, if you understand what I mean."

"I'll send the others away so we can have personal time. It won't help our reputation, but they'll respect that."

"Married couple do have the right to some nookie," Zee typed back. "I saw to it it was included in the Bureau's charter."

"Just get down here before the others come back to investigate my laughter."

The men Zee walked by as he approached the Brain Room game him knowing smiled and he happily returned them. Let them think he was getting laid during business hours. Being Special Agent in Charge had to come with its privilege.

The large room felt like it belonged on the set of a science fiction movie, with its large central table, glowing with multiple files and all the computer terminal around the room. Turn down the lighting, Zee thought, and Marcus would look like some evil scientist making world-conquering plans.

Marcus smiled at him, shattering even the thought of being an evil mastermind and Zee kissed him before his husband could say anything. Their antlers knocked together and Zee squealed in the kiss as Marcus grabbed his ass and squeezed.

"You know," Marcus whispered, "We could have sex instead of working. That's what the others think we're doing anyway."

"As tempting as you are making that, Hun," Zee replied, grinding against his husband's hard cock, "I was joking about the nookie clause. I don't mind people thinking we get up to all sort of inappropriate things within the Bureau's offices, but if any evidence of it were to be found--well, Director Patterson doesn't like me enough to overlook that."

"Not following in Denton's steps then?" Marcus licked Zee's muzzle before releasing him.

"I was never that much of a risk-taker." He indicated the table. "What can you tell?"

"Things don't add up." He shook pictures out among the digital stack on the table's display. The cardinal's body, front and back, handful of the room in which he was killed. "You have signs of someone enraged doing it, but with the care of someone who planned it carefully. The body is mutilated, except for the careful marks on his shoulder blade."

Zee's ears perked up at the term. "Marks?"

Marcus nodded and pulled a picture from a different folder. A bear, his chest covered in careful cuts, looking still fresh even if they didn't bleed. With the two side by side Zee saw the similarities.

"I want to meet with Fred Odingda so he can confirm, but I'm confident the cardinal was marked the same way Carmichael was."

"The bear was marked by Damian, who happens to be in the city. So you think he did this?"

Marcus shook his head. "The penmanship is different. And because of how the--" he looked around-- "magic of the marks work, there's no way to tell when it was done to him."

"I do not like this, Marcus. Not at all. This feels very much like last fall."

The red deer put his hand over Zee's. "But this time we are in the know. We can help keep Denton safe. He won't shut us out anymore. Any luck on figuring out where Denton's friend and his abductors are?"

Zee shook his head. He slotted his phone in one of the table's twelve slots and brought up a picture of the United States. Far too much red splotches were present for Zee's liking. Looking as such maps always chipped at his belief that people were inherently good, and the kind of violence he had to investigate was the aberration.

He entered a command an only eleven of the blotches remained. "Knowing they started in Nevada, I've been able to narrow the trail they took to reach Miami. Based on what you told me of their profile, I've had the computer look for stash of bodies of six or more and--"

"Zee, you know I'm not certain of that. I only had one phone call with one of their sons. That isn't enough to build a complete picture."

Zee smiled at his husband. "If anyone could pull every detail out of one person, it's you. And an incomplete picture is better than none at all. You did say they were used to being in power, and they'd look to experience that rush when they could, and that they'd go overboard when they finally did it."

Marcus nodded. "You don't want to heard the things Arnold told me they did to him and his brothers. I'm amazed that man didn't breakdown when telling me. They are two very sick individuals."

"Which give me a possible trail, from Nevada, to Arizona, then east through Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and finally Florida, where we know for certain they were." Another command and three new splotches appeared. One in Georgia, one in Tennessee and the third in Illinois. "Those were over the last week. According to the police records the bodies were relatively fresh when they were found, so if it's them they are moving faster."

"If, it's them?"

"Hun, I'm torn between being worried about all three being them, and what it means for what they are planning that they are now killing every few days, and being scared that there is more than those two committing these kind of atrocities. Knowing that actual power can be gained from committing murder is putting a new slant on serial killers that I do no like."

"They're clearly heading North."

"Along the I75, then the I65. This last stash of bodies was found in a barn outside Mount Vernon, in Illinois."

"Do you think Denton sent then running? Tom was quick to have people act in Miami after that phone call."

Zee tilted an ear. "You are asking me for an evaluation on someone's state of mind? Dear, are you looking to woo me into agreeing to have sex with you?"

"Hardly," Marcus smile. "If I want that I'll just bend you over the table. You're the tracker. What do you see?"

"Sweet talker." Zee gave his husband a peck on the muzzle and looked at the map. "They are running, but not scared. Maybe Miami triggered something, but they are acting with thought and planning."

"So the question is what is their plan."

"I--" Zee's phone rang. The table showed the call as coming from central communication in Langley. "Special Agent in Charge Malhotra Bodenman speaking."

"Special Agent," a man said, "I have Sheriff Bates out of Lamar Colorado who needs to speak with the you."

"Transfer him." Zee looked at Marcus dread filling him. "Sheriff, I am Special Agent in Charge Zikabar Malhotra Bodenman, how can I help you?"

"One of my deputies found half a dozen bodies in a barn, strung up and bleed out. I need someone better qualified than I am to handle this."

Marcus hugged him.

"I'll arrange for someone to be there within the hour, cordon the barn off and do what you can to keep the media from finding out, please."

"Sure thing."

Zee looked at the map. "They're in Colorado." Marcus's body against his helped with the shaking. "I was right, this is going to be Fall all over again."

"Shush, it's okay, we're going to help him with this."

Zee nodded and pulled himself together. He had things to do. "Let Denton know. I need to find out who's closest to Lamar. Inform the local authorities to be on the lookout for the twins, but not to engage. With all the killing they've done, there's no telling how powerful they are."

He took his phone out of the table. "Marcus, we--"

"We'll stop them, love. Remember that. We stop the bad guys. And with this we're going to have Denton and his friend's help. If they are in your territory, they are not getting out."

Zee smiled, feeling better. "They are not getting out. I need to go," He said, not moving.

"You do." Marcus pushed him lightly, and it was all Zee needed. He'd been Zikabar, worried friend. Now he was Zikabar, Special Agent in Charge.

He put his phone to his ear as he left the Brain Room. "Mister Mortis," he greeted the pangolin when he answered, "I can't make this an official job, but I would appreciate it if you discretely peeked into Carinal of Marbury's death. I believe you will find something there that falls under your purview."

"What are we looking for?"

"I'm afraid I can't say, but I think you'll know it when you see it."

"Alright, sir, we'll get right on it."

That was one thing taken cared of, now to go stop two sociopath before they caused Denton any undo trouble.