Divine Help 1a3x2d

Divine Help

Kerry Fowers

Copyright © 2016 Kerry Fowers

All rights reserved. No part(s) of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form, or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval systems without prior expressed written permission of the author of this book.

ISBN: 978-1-5356-0584-7

Table of Contents

Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Epilogue Preview of Book 2

PROLOGUE

May 28, 2005 Rachel Storm stepped out onto her front porch, quietly shutting the door behind her. She sat on her porch swing, sipping her cup of hot apple-and-cinnamon tea, one hand on her swollen belly. It was a cool but sunny fall morning in the small mountain town of Providence. Rachel heard chuckling as the screen door opened and turned to see her fiancé, Jacob Alexander, her out on the porch. She wore only her nightgown; her bare feet were curled beneath the hem to keep them warm. Jacob crossed his arms over his chest as he shivered in the cool mountain air. Being very pregnant, the cool breeze felt great to Rachel, since she was too warm most of the time. She was happy to see that he had learned to dress warmer, so she wouldn’t get too hot. The thermostat was turned down low enough in the house to ensure her comfort. Everything was done for her comfort as she entered the final stages of her pregnancy. She waved her hand, trying to get his attention. “Jake? Earth t’ Jake… Come in, Jake.” Coming out of his thoughts, Jacob smiled at Rachel. “Good morning, babe! Sorry, I just noticed the differences in our choice of clothing this morning. It makes me laugh.” Rachel giggled, looking from his sweatshirt to her own bare feet. “Aye, well, I’m too warm,” she said as she smiled and shrugged. “Anyway, good marnin’, sweetheart, how did ye sleep?” “Like a rock. How are you and the baby doing?” “We’re grand, Jake. Grand altogether.” He sat down next to her and kissed her lips tenderly. “How did I ever win your

love, Rachel?” “Oh, that question’s easily answered. Yer eyes stole me heart so naturally I had t’ give ye the rest of me.” He smiled and kissed her again. “Would you sing me one of your songs about Ireland? You know the one I love to hear you sing.” “Aye, Jake, I can do that.” She started to hum at first, and then began singing one of the most beautiful songs Jake had ever heard. He closed his eyes, allowing the gentle brogue in her voice to soothe him. His child was going to be the luckiest baby on earth. No other mother could have a voice more beautiful than his love’s. When the song finished, he opened his eyes and smiled. “You have the most beautiful voice in the whole world.” Her entire face turned a pretty shade of pink. “Thank ya,” she said. She was always self-conscious about her singing. “I need to go into town for some parts so I can fix the washing machine for you, sweetheart,” Jake said. “I shouldn’t be too long, and then we can finish what we started last night.” She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips, giving him a look that seemed to say, “you naughty boy.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “What? I’m talking about looking at the babyname book. What do you think I’m talking about? Oh, and I do like the name Isaac.” Rachel turned away, not wanting Jake to see her blush. She sipped her tea, and then laughed. Jake headed over to his Jeep and whistled for his dog, Thiago, before taking off for town.

***

In a neighboring city sat one of the federal penitentiaries. This particular penitentiary housed some of the most ruthless, most heinous fugitives known. One such fugitive held the title “The Butcher.” He had a reputation for the ability to take anyone out, even from behind bars, so people rarely crossed him. If they did, they knew that their life was in danger. A guard’s heavy footsteps approached the Butcher’s cell, and stopped long enough to take the next termination order as it ed through the bars. The note was then given to another guard and then taken to a secluded area in the back of the prison. This area had originally been drawn up as a place to store equipment, but it was never completed. The guard, Thomas Levente, waited for the arrival of the person who’d been hired to do the job. He found himself constantly checking to make sure that no one else was around. Thomas shivered as a bone-chilling wind blew past him. “I never should have gotten on the Butcher’s payroll.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely light the cigarette. “Dang, it’s too bloody cold out here to be doing this. If I get caught in the middle of all this, I’ll be put away for the rest of my life,” he said to himself as he puffed on his cigarette. “This is crazy!” He shook his head. “Standing alone out in the dark, when the Butcher’s wanting a cop’s family dead.” Thomas took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves and found that a strange scent lingered on the breeze. He tried to place what the scent was but couldn’t. When a man stepped out of the shadows and appeared in front of him, he instantly knew what the scent was. It smelled like fear, the fear that comes from doing business with people like this. “Don’t look so nervous. I could hear you shaking from a mile away.” The man laughed. The guard slipped the note to the Fist, who was a hit man the Butcher hired to complete termination orders. “The Butcher has given his next target.”

The Fist scanned the note and nodded his head as he read. “I see the Butcher is finally tired of this detective fouling up his plans. If I’d been in charge, I would’ve taken him out a long time ago. No matter, I’ll do it. The Butcher knows my fee.” Thomas took out a large manila envelope and handed it over. “The fee is all there, I assure you.” “I have no doubt. Tell him that the hit will be done by tomorrow.” The guard nodded, and then left, hoping that no one had seen the deal that had just gone down.

***

The Fist drove his black SUV up the canyon road heading to the small country town of Providence. Inside the SUV, he scanned some documents. Included was the picture and profile of the person he had been hired to kill. The picture was of a young woman in her late teens to early twenties, with long, fiery-red hair, green eyes, and fair skin. The file gave the current address of the young woman and included a note that read, “Make this one personal.” He reduced the vehicle’s speed just before he reached the address, and a four-door Jeep pulled out of the driveway of the house he was watching. As the Jeep ed, he noticed that only a male and a dog were inside. The man parked down the road from the house, pulled out a black case, and got out. He decided to come up behind the house through the woods. He continued through the woods until the house came into view. He opened the case, pulled out his .45 semi-automatic pistol, slid the magazine in, and headed to the house.

***

The young soon-to-be mother finished her tea and went inside to get ready for the day. She entered the kitchen, put her cup in the sink, and headed upstairs to take a shower. She walked into the bathroom, started the water, and returned to her bedroom to brush out all the tangles in her hair. A strange feeling came over her as she stepped into the room. She slowly scanned in the direction of her dresser, then along the wall until she reached her king-sized bed. As she stared at the bed, a small smile reached her lips. She ed when they’d picked out this bed, and all the love that had been made on it came flooding back to her. She dismissed the feeling as hormones and went over to her dresser, where her jewelry box sat, and started to undo her necklace. A man burst out of the closet, grabbed her, and threw her down on the bed, pointing his gun at her head. A paralyzing fear that she had never experienced before rose up inside Rachel. She tried not to show the panic that she felt as she looked up at the man. “Who are ye? What d’ ye want?”

***

The Fist stared into Rachel’s lifeless, terror-filled eyes, and his mouth formed into a grin. With a vicious pistol whipping, a brutal sexual assault, and a bullet through her skull, he was certain that he had fulfilled the Butcher’s request to make this job “personal.” He smiled. “The Butcher would be extremely pleased at just how personal I made it for this detective, but I hope this doesn’t come back to bite the Butcher in the end.” He shot Rachel a few more times, smiling as what blood was left drained from her body. He paused as the thought that he really should make this look like a random robbery gone badly entered his head. He took all the valuables and ransacked the whole house, hoping that would do the trick. He turned toward the front door and took a deep breath as the high from killing the woman filled his entire being. He headed back to his SUV, and sent a text message to the guard who’d given him the profile. “The job is done. And I made it extremely personal.” He got in and drove away.

Ten minutes later, Jake pulled into the driveway leading to his small twobedroom home. He jumped out of his Jeep, excited to see his wonderful woman and to feel the child she carried. He flung open the front door. “Rachel, I’m home, sweetheart!” He saw that the house had been ransacked. He frantically searched through the house, looking for her. “Rachel, where are you?” As he made his way upstairs, he heard the water running. He jogged up the remaining steps and rushed to the bathroom. The door sat ajar, but Rachel wasn’t there. Jake got an uneasy feeling as he reached into the shower to shut the water off. He pulled out his concealed semi-automatic pistol, and headed to the bedroom. Jake opened the door and stopped in his tracks. Rachel lay on the bed, in a puddle of blood. Jake let out a blood-curdling scream that brought Thiago running in to investigate. Pure rage ran through his body as he stared at her. Jake rushed to Rachel’s side. His fingers trembled as he tried to find a pulse. He first checked her wrist; there wasn’t one. He next checked her neck. He prayed that she would still be alive, knowing deep inside that she wasn’t. Rage and grief rushed like a river through him. All his training told him to secure the scene. He reached for the phone to call 911. “This is Detective Alexander, badge number 1369. My fiancée has been shot. I need a bus at Sixty-Three South Center Street, in Providence.” “Ten-four, Detective. Ambulance and police on the way.” Jacob ended the call, and then turned back to his wife. He gently caressed her check. “I’m sorry, my love. I should have been here.” The ambulance and the police arrived a few minutes later. The paramedics did what they could, but she was already gone. They strapped her to the gurney, taking her down the stairs and out to the ambulance. They shut the back doors and took off to the hospital.

The first responding officer taped off the crime scene and waited for the detectives and CSI to show up. The detectives arrived a few minutes after that. One of the detectives assigned to Rachel’s case walked up to him. “Jake, we’re so sorry to hear about your loss, but you know, we have to follow proper procedure. We’ll need to ask you a few questions.” Jake nodded. “I understand.” “Can you take us through what happened?” “I had gone to the store to get some parts to fix the washing machine. When I got back, I found that the house had been ransacked, so I ran upstairs to find Rachel. When I ran into the bedroom, I found her on the bed. She had been shot.” “What store did you go to? We will have to check out your story.” “Of course. I went to Ace Hardware in the middle of town.” “What time was that?” “It was around ten in the morning, I believe.” “That is all we need for right now,” the detective said. He then went and ed his partner, who was talking to the first responding officer.

***

He arrived at the hospital ten minutes later. Bursting through the door, he ran up to the nurse’s station. “My fiancée was just brought in.” “What’s her name, sir?” “Rachel. Rachel Storm,” he informed the nurse. “Just a moment.” The nurse entered the information into her computer. “Please

take a seat, and the doctor will be right out.” Jake sank into a chair in the waiting room, and lowered his head into his hands. He wished the doctors would be able to make everything right, but as his thoughts went back to how she’d looked, her pale skin against the pool of red, he realized that they wouldn’t have been able to bring her back. The doctor came out of the OR a couple of hours later, a fallen look on his face, which could only mean one thing… “I’m sorry, Detective, the damage was too extensive... We did all we could to save her…but she didn’t make it.” One word escaped Jacob’s lips. “Rachel.” The doctor wasn’t finished, though. Through the fog in his head, Jake heard the man’s voice. “We did an emergency C-section to try to save the baby, but it was too late.” The doctor was looking at the floor, seemingly unable to look at Jake. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “Both your wife and son are dead.” Alice, Jacob’s partner stood up and wrapped her arms around her partner. She held him in a warm embrace, which allowed his rough exterior to crumble. The tears flowed from him. He stood in the embrace for what felt like forever and just cried.

***

One of the detectives who’d been assigned Rachel’s case called Jake. “Detective Alexander.” “This is Detective Jay Butland. I’m one of the detectives assigned to your fiancée’s case. My partner and I were wondering if you were up to answering a few more questions.” Jake knew he had to answer their questions, but wasn’t sure if he could. New understanding came in the realization of how all the victims felt when he had to

question them in their time of grief. He would show them more empathy. “Of course. Where did you want to do it?” “We would like to conduct the interview here at the station.” “I’m on my way.” When he arrived, the detectives attempted to offer their condolences, but Jake turned a cold shoulder. The detectives both shrugged and decided to start the questioning. “Jake, did your fiancée have any enemies?” Jake looked down and then glanced up at them, despair filling his soul. “No. Of course not. She was loved by everyone.” Jake smiled. “She would go out of her way to help everyone she met. I don’t think her murder has anything to do with her.” “Why do you say that, Detective?” asked Detective Butland. “Well, I was investigating a person known only as the Butcher. He is wanted in over a dozen murders. He had a specific way he wanted his marks taken out.” “How?” “He had the mark shot four times. Once in the head and the other three in the chest. The same way my Rachel was killed.” “Are you sure? That’s not really that unheard of. A lot of people are trained to do both.” “Yeah, that’s true; however, there was one more thing that showed me that it was a hit done by a professional hired by the Butcher.” “You have my attention,” said Detective Butland. “The Butcher, or whomever he hired to do the hit, always leaves a message saying that it’s personal.” “So you found a message saying that it’s personal?”

Jacob sighed. “Yeah, and it made all of this personal, as if killing her wasn’t enough.” “What was the message?” “I can’t tell you… It’s just too painful. The medical examiner will find it.” “I understand. I wanted to be the one to tell you that your alibi checked out. You are no longer a suspect in your wife’s murder.”

***

Later that week, at the graveside service, a man whom no one recognized stood by a lone grave in a long trenchcoat, watching. Jacob remained long after everyone else had paid their respects. “I miss you so much, Rachel, and I’m so lost since you were taken from me, love.” A tear fell as Jacob turned away from the grave. “I’ll find who did this to you, my love, and they will pay with their lives. I promise.” The next day, Jacob returned to work and walked into Captain Castlemain’s office. The office was decorated with awards and plaques that had been given to the captain for his service in the military and on the force. “You wanted to see me, sir?” “Yes, please sit down.” Jacob sat in the chair facing the captain’s desk, knowing what was coming. “Jacob, how are you doing?” “About as well as I can, sir.” “You know we all have your back.” “I know. Thank you, sir.”

The captain ran his hand through his hair, the frustration getting to him. “Jake, you don’t have to call me sir, we’re friends.” Jake just nodded, and then sighed. “Jake, I have to put you on paid istrative leave until Rachel’s death is investigated by Internal Affairs. I’ll need your shield and firearm, please.” Jake stared at him, the anger building inside. “I’m sorry, but I have no choice, Jake. Please don’t make this any harder.” Jake took each item from its proper place on his belt and set them on the captain’s desk. “I need time away, anyway. You know how to get ahold of me, Captain.” Jake turned and left the office. Having a lot of pent-up frustration, he went to the gym to relieve some of it. He put his padded gloves on his taped fists and began working over a punching bag, hitting the bag harder and harder as the feelings of loss, rage, and frustration came to the surface. After an hour of Muay Thai boxing, he showered and returned home. There he packed all his clothes, climbed into his Jeep, and took off out of town. He drove and drove, no planned destination in mind, just feeling an urgent need to get lost. His mind continued to go back to the day his beloved Rachel was killed. He played the scene over and over. The moment he found her flashed in his mind’s eye, her body lying on the bed in a pool of blood. Rage exploded inside of him. Jake desperately needed to talk to someone. He pulled over, checked both ways, and then did a U-turn. He pulled out his phone and called his partner. “Hello?” “Alice…” “Jake, is that you?” The tears started to flow. “Yeah… Can I come over and talk?” “Of course. I’m here for you.”

“I’ll be there in a few.” “All right.” Five minutes later, Jake pulled into the driveway. He got out of the Jeep, walked up to the front door, and knocked. Alice opened the door. “Come on in.” Jake walked in and Alice could see the tears in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, “I’m so sorry, Jake.” “Thank you,” he said, barely audible. “Take a seat and I will get us something to drink.” He nodded and sat down on the couch. She handed him a cup. “It’s tea.” He took the cup. “Alice, I miss her so much. I’m not sure how I’m going to go on without her.” “I know you do. I also know you are strong enough to go on. She will always be with you, you just need to listen.” “The captain took my badge and gun.” “You will get them back.” “That’s just it, I don’t think I want them back.” “What do you mean?” “I can’t stay here. It hurts too bad.” “I understand. Do what you feel you need to, but always that I am here for you.” “Thank you for everything. I will call the captain and explain everything.”

“Good luck, Jake.” “Oh, one more thing. I need you to watch after Thiago. I need a completely new start and he will always remind me of Rachel, since he was our dog. And besides he will watch over you as well. “Of course I will. You know I love your dog.” Jake hugged his partner one last time, handed her the leash, gave Thiago one last hug and then left. He would deal with this on his own. He kept driving, trying to outrun the memory of that horrific day. As the miles and cities flew past him, he had time to think about what he needed to do. His promises to Rachel fueled his rage. This rage would help him find her killer and bring him to justice. He knew that his captain would never let him work the case, so he needed to figure out a way to get all this off his mind. The only thing he was sure of right now was that a change was needed. He drove across the land in search of a new place to call home. When the Jeep finally broke down, he found himself in a city called Avalon, and figured this was as good a place as any to start his life over. He found the nearest payphone that had a phone book and looked up the number to a garage and had it towed there. He spoke with the manager of the garage. “Would you happen to know where the closest, cheapest motel is?” “Yeah, there is a Motel 8 about a mile down the road. You can’t miss it.” “Thank you.” He gave the manager all the cash he had on him and left the garage. As Jake found the closest bus stop and sat down, his thoughts went back to the phone call he’d gotten got from the insurance company. “Is this Mr. Jacob Alexander?” “Yes, this is he.”

“This is Jordan Wells and I am from All City Insurance. I’m sorry about your loss, sir. The reason I am calling is you are the sole beneficiary of Rachel Storm’s life insurance plan. I would like to get together with you and discuss how you wanted to collect this money.” “I’m only going to say this once, so listen up. I do not want anything to do with that money. Do whatever you want with it. I do not want it.” Suddenly Jake felt a tap on his shoulder, causing him to come out of his thoughts. “Hey mister? The bus is about to leave.” “What?” asked Jake, a little confused as he looked up and saw a little boy about eight years old. “Your bus, it’s about to leave.” “Oh! Thanks!” Jake jumped up and ran after the bus. It stopped, and he got on it before it continued down the road. Jake found the Motel 8 he’d been told about. He planned on staying just for that night, and then to search for a more stable place to live in the morning. He walked up to the front desk to get a room when a whiff of perfume wafted past him. Two seconds of the smell sent his heart aching in his chest all over again. Of course he recognized the rare scent. Rachel had loved G’dartiste fragrance. A young woman moved past him. He only saw her out of the corner of his eye, but that small glance made him immediately think of Rachel. The way she walked, the way her hair moved when she moved a certain way. The stranger didn’t have the long, flowing red hair that Rachel did. A tear slowly rolled down his cheek. Jake took a deep breath, trying to calm himself enough to get a room for the night. He turned back to the counter just as the gentleman was about to tap him on the shoulder. “Sir, are you okay? Can I help you?” Jake couldn’t look up at the man behind the front desk. “Yes…” Jake tried to

force his mind from his painful memories to the task at hand. “I need…a room.” After giving the desk clerk his information, Jake got his room key and dragged himself up to the privacy he so desperately needed. He collapsed onto the bed, letting sleep finally overtake him. While he slept, he dreamed about Rachel. The dreams would start out in a wonderful place, but then the memories of her death intruded and turned his peaceful place into pain and anguish.

Chapter One

As the night gave way to another morning, Jacob went across the city in search of a place to call home. He found a small one-bedroom apartment he could afford and moved in. It would be here, alone, where he would fight the demons raging inside him. He tried to get settled in, but he just couldn’t bring himself to. He picked up his suitcase and threw it across the room, then collapsed onto the bed. The images of Rachel ran wild in his mind. He whispered to the memories. “If I was cold as the winter wind, I wouldn’t feel a thing, and I wouldn’t know the sting of the rain.” The tears started flowing. “I miss you so much, Rachel. I don’t even want to breathe because there is so much pain.” As the days ed, Jake found himself in a very dark place. As his stash of money started to dwindle, he decided he needed to find a way to continue paying his bills if he wanted to get his Jeep out of the shop. He walked through town looking for a place that was hiring. He walked past a jewelry store and decided this was as good a place to start as any. He entered it and asked if he could speak with the manager. A few minutes later, an older gentleman walked up to him. “Hello, I’m Mr. Rodgers and I am the manager here. How can I help you, sir?” “Hello sir, I noticed that you have no security.” “You are kind of correct. I do have security cameras so I don’t see the need for anything else.” “Well, sir, if I were you, I would hire at least one security guard. You see, the cameras can be disabled, but it if you had a security guard you would have another safety net.” “You have a good point, Mr…?”

“Alexander. Jacob Alexander.” Jake offered the man his hand. “Well, Mr. Alexander, you have made a good case and I would be a fool not to heed your advice. You wouldn’t happen to know of anyone who would be interested in providing security for me, would you?” Jacob smiled. “I think I know the perfect person for the job.” “Great. Can you start tomorrow, Jacob?” “Of course. Thank you, Mr. Rodgers.” He worked himself to the edge of exhaustion every day trying to banish the dreams, but no matter how hard he tried, the dreams invaded his sleep. Jake found himself at his old front door. He reached for the door handle when the door opened. He drew his gun by instinct alone and entered the house. He called out for Rachel and started searching for her. He reached the bedroom and found her dying all over again. He awoke screaming in a cold sweat. Jacob got dressed, headed out the door to clear his head, and walked to the local market. After picking up a map of the city, he stood at the corner and waited for the red light to change. Suddenly the sound of someone shouting caught Jake’s attention. Instinct kicked in and he scanned the area where the shouting came from. He heard a voice in his head. “Jake, look over there.” He turned and saw a young man running from the direction the yelling came from with a couple of bags in his arms. All his police training was yelling at him to do something, so he decided to intervene. Jake knew his timing had to be perfect as the man approached him. He wrapped his arms around the suspect, picked him up, and slammed him to the ground, sending cash flying everywhere. As the man struggled to remove Jake’s knee from the middle of his back, Jake just pressed harder. “You know, things would go better if you stopped struggling. You’re not going anywhere.” One of the bystanders called the cops. The police showed up, took statements, and thanked Jake for his help. He started toward his apartment but found himself in front of the café where he

and Rachel often ate. He wondered how he got here. This café was very far away from where he lived now. He walked into the café, looked around at the people talking amongst each other, and noticed that it was more crowded than usual. He took a deep breath and the smelled the wonderful food the café was known for. One of the waitresses approached him. “We have been expecting you. We have your regular table ready.” “You have been expecting me?” “Of course. Follow me.” The waitress smiled and led him to his regular table. Jake saw Rachel sitting there. He approached her, kissing her gently on the neck like he always did. As he sat down in front of her, she gave him a stern look. “And where have ye been, Jake? You’re late.” She tried to keep the stern look on her face, but when Jake smiled at her, she lost control and started laughing. She suddenly got serious. “There is something I need to talk to ye about, love.” “I’m listening.” He knew what she was going to say, but he needed her to keep talking, so he reached for her hand and stayed silent. “I know I left ye, and I’m very sorry about that, but ye have to move on. What ye’re doin’ to yerself is not good for ye. Ye need to rise above the pain and live yer life. It hurts me to see ye like this. Ye have to forgive yerself; there wasn’ anythin ye could’ve done to save me, Jake. Faith can still beat the odds. Forgiveness is the road to the redemption you seek. Always that, Jake.” Jake woke up to the ringing alarm. He reached over and hit the snooze button. Staggering out of bed, he went into the bathroom and splashed water on his face. The words from his love kept running through his head. One statement stood out from the others. “Faith can still beat the odds. Forgiveness is the road to the redemption you seek.” The alarm blared from across the room again, bringing him out of his contemplative state. He knew he had to make a plan so he could forgive himself and live his life the way Rachel would want him to. He would have the redemption he needed so badly.

He walked into the kitchen and saw all the bottles of booze that he had bought the night before. He knew Rachel wouldn’t have let him waste his money on booze, but she wasn’t here anymore. “I’m so lost without you, Rachel. I can’t do this without you.” As the feeling of loss threatened to overcome him and take him back into oblivion, a feeling of love and warmth overtook him and the feeling of loss became bearable. “I’m always with ye, Jake.” Tears streamed down his face as he felt the warmth of her touch once again, and for the first time in a week, he didn’t drown his sorrows in a drunken stupor. Jake stopped by the police department after getting a call from the detective working the robbery case. “Hey, Detective Sanderson, I’m here. What is so important that I had to come right down?” “Thank you for coming. We just have a few questions for you about the statement you gave earlier.” “Okay. What questions?” “Well, for starters, we checked your background––how come you didn’t let us know you are a police officer when you got into town?” “I’m not here on official police business, and I have had a lot on my mind.” “Then why are you here, Mr. Alexander?” Jacob looked down and then glanced up at the detective who was questioning him. “I’m trying to…” Jacob tried to push past the piercing, searing pain in his chest. “I’m looking for a place to start my life over and this seemed as good a place as any. Besides that, my Jeep broke down.” There was a knock at the door and the detective left the room.

***

“What did you find?” asked Detective Sanderson. “Detective Alexander was assigned to a special task force that went after offenders who were the worst of the worst. The task force was assigned to investigate a well-known mob leader by the name of “The Butcher.” Apparently, they were getting really close to having enough evidence to bring him down. As you know, crime bosses will do anything to fix that kind of problem. A few days before they were about to take down the rest of his crew, an assassin killed Detective Alexander’s family. That’s a good reason to want to start over.” “I agree. Thanks for the information.” Detective Sanderson went back into the room where Jake was sitting. “Sorry about the wait, Detective Alexander.” “It’s fine, Detective.” “We put in a call to your captain, and he explained what happened. We are sorry for your loss.” “Thanks.” “I also wanted to ask you if you’re serious about starting over here?” Jake just nodded. “We would be happy to give you a chance to work here if you’re interested. I can make a call to your captain on your behalf.” “Are you serious?” “We are, Jake. You have an impressive career so far. So what do you say?” “Of course I’m interested.” The detective handed Jake his card. “Come by the office later today. I’ll make the call to your captain and I should have an answer for you when you come

back in. If everything goes through, I’ll introduce you to the captain and get the paperwork filled out.” “Thank you, Detective. I’ll see you later today.” Jake shook the detective’s hand and headed to the nearest café that had free Wi-Fi. Jake pulled up what he could about the local police department. He wanted to learn everything he could before his interview later in the day. He then grabbed his cell phone and called up his old captain. “It’s Jake. How are you doing?” “Jake, it’s good to hear from you.” The captain sounded genuinely pleased to hear Jake’s voice. “It’s been a long time. How are you?” “Yeah, sorry you haven’t heard from me sooner.” Jake paused, trying to figure out exactly how to approach the topic with his former boss. Although he had been put on istrative leave after the death of his fiancée and his captain had told him to take as much time as he needed, he hadn’t called or spoken to any of his team. “I’m doing better though. Listen, I have a favor to ask of you.” “I’m listening, Jake.” “I’m sure Detective Sanderson told you where I’m at. I need a fresh start. I can’t come back, Captain. There is just too much pain there. I hope you can understand that. I have been offered the opportunity to transfer here. All I need is a recommendation from you, if that would be possible.” “I’ll send in a recommendation right away I’m just sorry to see you go. You are a great cop. I would welcome you back if you ever felt you could come back. I will let the chief know of your decision.” “Anything you can do would be great. Thank you, Captain.” Pushing the end button on his phone, Jake lowered his head into his hands, trying to force a growing headache away. Back at the police department he looked around, imagining himself seated at one of the desks in the homicide unit. It was one of the biggest precincts he had ever been in. It would definitely take some getting used to if he was given a job. As he walked past one of the desks, he ran his fingers along it, feeling the grain of

the wood. The thought of whoever was responsible for Rachel’s death being caught fueled his resolve. He walked up to the information desk. “I have an appointment with Detective Sanderson.” The officer at the information desk looked Jacob over. “Can I have your name?” “Jacob Alexander.” “Ah yes, Detective Sanderson is expecting you. Take a seat over there and I’ll let him know you’re here.” He pointed to a row of seats off to Jake’s left. Jacob thanked him, went over, and sat down in one of the chairs. He started watching all the activity that was going on. He pulled out a note that he always kept in his pocket. He clutched the note as tightly as he could as the memories of Rachel come flooding back. Rachel entered the room and sat down next to Jake. “How are ye doin, Jake?” “Tough day at work, but now that I am home, much better.” “I wanted you to know how proud I am of you, Jake. You didn’t give in to the pain and the booze. I have so much faith in you. You have always been able to overcome anything in your life and you can overcome this as well.” Jake suddenly felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He looked up and noticed that the detective was trying to get his attention. “Sorry, Detective.” “No worries. You looked like you were pretty deep in thought.” “You have no idea.” “Glad to see you made it, Jacob. Let’s go into my office.” “Please, take a seat.” He gestured to the ancient wooden chair near the door. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Jake, but I was on the phone with your old captain. He faxed me over a copy of your service record, and to tell you the

truth, I was very impressed.” “Thank you, sir.” “The captain is impressed as well. He is willing to take you on a probationary status.” “I’ll take whatever I can get, sir. Thank you again.” The detective handed him a paper. “Take this paper to HR and they will give you your badge, and then go to the gun locker and they will assign you a gun. Report to me. I’ll be your partner throughout your probation.” “Thanks again, Detective.” Jake took the paper and went to HR. “I was told to give this to you so I can get my badge.” “Of course, Detective Alexander. I will have that processed right away.” She took the paper from Jake. “It will take just a moment.” Jake nodded, seemingly deep in thought, not paying much attention. “Here you are, Detective.” She handed him his badge. “Thank you, Miss…?” He left the question in the air, hoping she would provide her name. “Robinson, but you can call me Claire.” “All right. Thank you, Claire.” He made his way over to the gun locker. “I need to pick up my gun.” Jake handed the officer the slip. Officer Hendricksen went to the back of the locker, grabbed the standard-issue gun, and handed it to Jake. “Here you are Detective, your Glock 9mm, three clips, and a box of ammo.” “Thank you, Officer Hendricksen. Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know where I could find Detective Sanderson, would you?”

“Yeah, he is right over there.” The officer pointed Jake in the right direction. Jake thanked the officer again and started the first day of his new life. After his shift ended and he got back to his apartment, he realized this was the only way he and his family would ever get justice for what had happened. He would have to bide his time until he found a way to get revenge on Rachel’s murderer, but he wouldn’t stop till he did.

Chapter Two

It took three years of hard work, dedication, and a spotless record to gain the trust of his new captain, but Jacob finally worked his way back up to a detective pay grade again. He was sitting at his new desk iring the sheen of the polish. No amount of wax could hide the nicks and chips of hard work, but at least the desk was all his. He took the picture of his beloved Rachel out of his wallet and placed it upside down in the bottom drawer. She would always be with him. He sat back in his chair as he reviewed the crime-scene photos of the homicide he had been assigned to. When the phone on his desk rang, Jacob answered it. “Detective Alexander.” A soft, seductive voice spoke slightly above a whisper. “Hello, Detective.” A smile slowly crept on the detective’s face as an image of his wife and stepson entered his mind. “Hello, babe, how are you doing?” “Wonderful, love. I have some exciting news for you, but I want to tell you in person. When are you off?” Jacob checked his watch. “Not until late. Sorry.” She sighed. “All right. Wake me when you get here.” “Of course. See you then.” As Jacob hung up the phone, his partner, Jaxon Strong, was still on the phone. Jacob pulled out a file and pretended to study it while watching her out of the corner of his eye. Jaxon was in her early twenties. She was a strikingly beautiful woman, five foot ten, with a slender build and long blond hair with red highlights. Just like Jake, she was a big-city transplant, a native New Yorker who had moved to Avalon City to get away from an estranged ex-husband. She had been on the police force for five years. She flashed the bluest eyes he’d ever seen in his direction as she

hung up her phone, and said, “Jacob, we need to go. There has been a murder downtown.” Jake grabbed his jacket and shrugged it over his shoulders. “Let’s go.” They both immediately stood up and headed for their car. Jake and Jaxon arrived downtown to find the media already in droves. As soon as they exited their car, they were approached by every media outlet in the city. Every reporter there was clamoring for an exclusive. They reached the yellow tape and were let under by the officer. As they approached the scene, they came upon the victim. There was a plastic sheet covering the body so the media couldn’t leak any information. Jacob knelt down and lifted the sheet so they could see who the victim was. They knew this one would be hard on everyone involved, considering the age of the victim. They looked off to the side where the crowd was gathering and saw that most of them had tears in their eyes. Crimes against children were always the hardest. Jax leaned over to Jake. “This doesn’t look good,” she whispered. Jacob nodded in agreement as they walked up to the officer at the scene. “Homicide. Detective Alexander.” He nodded in his partner’s direction. “Detective Strong. What do we have?” The cop cleared his throat. “Fifteen-year-old African-American female. Shot twice. Died on the scene. She lives around the corner.” “All right,” Jake said. “Have some uniformed officers start canvassing the neighborhood and surrounding area.” “Yes, sir.” The officer closed his notebook and placed it in his pocket before heading toward one of the uniforms working crowd control. Jacob bent down to one knee and had to look away for a moment because it all reminded him of Rachel and his son. Crimes involving children would never be easy for him. When he looked back, he studied the tiny form huddled on the ground. It took him a moment to realize he recognized the child sprawled out in such an undignified position. “This is Mayor Calloway’s adopted daughter, Melanie.”

“How do you know? We haven’t been able to identify her. The bullet did too much damage to her face.” “I recognized the scar on her left arm,” he said. “She got it when she broke her arm falling out of the tree in my backyard. My stepson and her play together all the time.” Jake watched the coroner place the young girl’s body in a black plastic bag and zip it closed. He didn’t know which was going to be the worst part of his day, telling the mayor his adopted child had been killed or telling his stepson he had lost his best friend. He motioned to his partner and they climbed into their car and headed to the mayor’s house. As they traveled, Jacob sighed. “This is the part of the job I dislike the most.” Jaxon nodded. “I agree with you on that one. This is the worst part of this job.” As Jacob drove, his thoughts turned to his own family. Jake pulled into the driveway of the mayor’s house. The horseshoe-shaped drive led to the overreaching front porch. The house looked like one of those Southern mansions, with the pillars in the front and the pull-through drive. He knew all too well what the mayor and his wife would soon be going through. Jaxon whistled. “Wow! That is exactly what I want my dream house to look like.” When Jake didn’t come back with one of his smart remarks, Jax turned to him. “Hey, you all right, Jake?” “What?” Jake focused on his partner, realizing he had been caught up in his own thoughts. “Oh, yeah, I’m all right. Just thinking too much. Let’s get this over with.” They got out of the car, walked up to the door, and knocked. The mayor’s wife, Noreen Calloway, answered the door. “Jacob!” she said, a smile on her face. “It’s been forever, how are you doing?” “We’re doing fine, Noreen.” “Good to hear. I trust the family is doing fine as well?”

“Yes, ma’am, they are. This is my partner, Detective Strong.” “Please come in. Hello, Detective Strong. Jake, you need to bring the family around more. How old is Kaleb?” “He’s eight now.” “Wow, they grow up fast. You really need to bring your family over for dinner sometime soon.” “We’ll do that, ma’am.” “So what brings you two here today?” “Well, we need to speak with both you and Mayor Calloway.” He could see the nervousness enter her eyes as she guided them to her husband’s home office. “Of course. May I ask what this has to do with?” “Well, Noreen, we need to speak to you and your husband about your daughter.” “What are you saying? Is Melanie all right?” “Ma’am, we really should be talking to both you and the mayor.” The realization of what the two detectives had just told her hit her like a ton of bricks. “Please, tell me what’s going on?” She turned toward the stairs. “HONEY, GET IN HERE NOW!” She dropped to her knees as her sobs racked her whole soul. The mayor started down the stairs. He saw his wife with a distraught look that told him something had happened. “What is going on here, Jake?” “Matthew, we need to talk,” Jake said. “Please take a seat,” the mayor said as he and his wife walked over to the couch in the mayor’s office, where Matthew sat down by her and took her hand. Jacob and Jaxon sat in the other two chairs that were in the room. “Now tell me, Jake. What’s going on?” Jake glanced out the window for a moment to gather his thoughts. It was a

beautiful day. Too bad it had to be ruined by this crime. “It’s your daughter, Melanie, sir. I’m so sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but she’s dead. I’m so sorry.” “No, it can’t be. You’re wrong. She will be home in a minute, you’ll see!” Mrs. Calloway screamed, and started to sob again. The mayor wrapped his arms around his distraught wife. His stare pierced Jake and riveted him to his seat. “You will find whoever did this, and bring them to justice.” “Yes, sir,” Jake said, more to find a way to break the stare than to reassure his friend. “We will do everything humanly possible to find your daughter’s killer.” Although the day had started out sunny, storm clouds had started to fill the sky. The rain only added to the despair in the hearts of the mayor and his wife.

Chapter Three

Megan pushed her long brown hair out of her face, trying to control the mess. Her hair seemed to reflect her mood, wild and excited. She wished she didn’t have to wait for the love of her life to return home. Megan replayed in her head over and over again how she would tell him her exciting news, then glanced over at the clock. 2:47.a.m. “Where could he have gone?” Megan started pacing back and forth in their bedroom, and then paused in front of the mirror to check how she looked. She knew he wouldn’t care, but she wanted everything to be perfect. I know I look good, I really don’t know why I fuss over what I look like, and besides, Jake loves me for me. She found herself checking in the mirror to see if she showed yet. She decided she’d better just settle down in a chair with a mug of hot chocolate. She sipped it, loving the warmth it gave her as she got lost in her dreams. They took her back through the wonderful three years they had shared together. Her mind went back to when they first met, and a smile came to her face. A noise startled her and she glanced up just in time to see the front door open and her lover walk in. He’d barely put his bag down before she rushed to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders and bombarding him with hugs and kisses. “Hello,” he said in between kisses. She smiled at him and said, “Do I have some news for you, sweetheart.” “Oh yeah?” he said. “Well then, do tell. Don’t keep me in the dark.” She got a flirtatious smile on her face. “Guess, sweetie.” “Umm, how about...you dyed your hair?”

She gave him a look. “Come on, Jake, be serious.” “Oh, okay. I’ll guess again. Umm, let’s see, you cut your hair?” She shook her head. Getting tired of this game, he blurted out another guess. “You’re pregnant?” She jumped up and down with excitement. She could hardly wait to answer him. “Yes, honey! We are going to have a baby!” “That’s wonderful, sweetheart,” he said as he smiled and opened his arms. She smiled back and threw her arms around his neck again and kissed him ionately. “Do you know how much I love you, Jake?” “I believe I do, and I love you too, Megan.” He picked her up as they continued to kiss, carried her to their bedroom, and gently laid her on their king-sized bed. “So, about this baby,” he asked after a few more rounds of kissing. “What would you like to have, a boy or a girl?” “Either one, Jake.” She smiled up at him. “What about you?” Jake went quiet for a moment, lost in his thoughts. I can’t believe how much my life has changed for the better since I lost Rachel and Isaac. A warm, loving feeling came over him. “Jake?” Megan prompted, gently. “What? Oh, sorry. Um, either. No. Better yet, how about both?” “How do I break this to you?” She was suddenly serious. “No on the twins.” Jake gazed into her beautiful blue eyes. “Where were we before I started this conversation?” “I believe we were here.” Her lips found his, quickly deepening the kiss.

***

A large, black-hooded form leaned up against a wall in a dark alley in downtown Avalon City. He looked up as the cars rolled down the street, just outside the darkness of the alley. He knew exactly what kind of young woman his employer liked. They weren’t hard to find. A door opened up at the back of a building, and the person who stumbled out was perfect. She was even laughing trying not to spill her drink. As he walked toward her, he saw that she fit the criteria even more perfectly than he’d originally thought. He slowed when she glanced in his direction. “Is someone there?” she asked. The man slipped further into the darkness, not saying a word, and just stared at her while he slowly made his way toward her. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” Her voice quivered with fear. “Who are you? Do I know you?” Still he said nothing. He knew the moment she decided to run, but it was too late. As she turned, he reached out and grabbed her long blond hair. “No! Stay away!” she screamed as she stumbled and fell to the ground. The glass fell from her hand, shattering on the pavement, its contents darkening the asphalt. The hooded form reached out to help her up. “I won’t hurt you,” he said with a deep, warm, soothing voice. “Here, let me help you up.” Tears stained her face. She looked up at the man and timidly reached for his hand. He grabbed her hand and pulled her from the ground. Before she had a chance to react, he spun her around and put his arms around her neck in a rear naked choke. “It hurts less if you don’t struggle,” he growled into her ear. As she started to fade into unconsciousness, he caught her just before she fell and held her like a loving father would hold his daughter. He caressed her hair as he soothed her. She tried to scream, but she didn’t have the breath or energy to

make any kind of sound. He carried her to the abandoned building across from the club. Once he got to the front door, he had the others drag her into the building, with one of the dark figures stationed by the door to keep watch. She came to a little, and as they dragged her to wherever they were going, she tried to figure out where she was, and if she could somehow get away, but when she saw the butts of the guns that were strapped to their hips, she decided that might be a bad idea. She didn’t want to die, so she screamed as loud as she could. “No one can hear your screams!” he said. “No one will ever find you! You are mine. I’ll never let you go!” screamed the hooded figure. He slapped the girl until she stopped screaming.

***

Harold, a middle-aged man with his wife in tow, moved as fast as he could through the Salt Lake City police station. He scanned the large room with various signs over each counter. Which one did he go to? An officer slipped a file back into a drawer while stifling a yawn. Harold rushed to the counter before the woman had an opportunity to get started on another project, making it easier to dismiss him and his wife. “Can I help you?” the officer at the information desk asked. “Whom do we talk to about a missing person?” “Take a seat and someone will be right with you.” The couple took a seat, and as they waited, Harold watched as other officers came and went, in and out of different rooms. Harold paced back and forth, wishing they would hurry up so they could help him find their daughter. A few minutes later, an officer walked up to them. “Hello. I’m Officer Smith. What can I do for you?”

“We need to report a missing person,” Harold said. “Our daughter has been missing for around twenty-four hours.” “All right. What is her name?” “Sarah McBride.” “How old is she?” “Twenty-two years old.” “When was the last time you heard from her?” Her mom’s eyes dropped sadly and she remarked, “We haven’t seen our daughter in a few years. She left home when she turned eighteen, but she does keep in .” “Yeah, only when she needs money,” mumbled Harold. “Harold!” Jean scolded. “She’s just fallen on hard times and needs our help.” “What she needs is some tough love, not you rushing out to fulfill her every whim.” The officer invited the couple to have a seat at a desk and continued gathering the pertinent information. After about forty minutes of questions and emotional answers, he said, “I’ll forward this to one of our detectives and he’ll be here to help you in a minute or two.” A little while later, a detective approached the desk. “Hello, I’m Detective Armstrong, and I’ll be working on your daughter’s case. When did you say you talked to Sarah last?” “Yesterday. She called us out of the blue. She said she wanted to talk with us in person, and asked us to meet her at a cafe in downtown Avalon.” “Which café did she want to meet at?” “That’s just it,” the woman said, looking forlornly at her husband. “She never said. We got disconnected right as she started to tell us. You have to help us find

her, you have to!” Sobbing, the woman buried herself in her husband’s chest. Harold’s arms protectively encircled his wife as his eyes met the face of the person in whom they were placing their trust. “We will do everything we can to help find your daughter, Mr. and Mrs. McBride.” Harold simply nodded at the detective. He held onto his wife and kissed her on the top of her head.

Chapter Four

Megan woke and stretched as she tried to work the kinks out of her body. The soreness was a good type of ache, the kind you can only get after a night of hot ion. It was a sensation she hadn’t felt for a long time. If last night was any indication of Jake’s feelings toward the baby, she needed to find a way to tell him good news like this more often. An alarm rang softly in the background, pulling Megan out of her daydreams and serving as a reminder that their son, Kaleb, needed to get up for school. She kissed Jake, and then whispered in his ear, “Honey, you need to get up for work.” She slipped out of bed and paused at one of the pictures hanging on the wall. The photo had been taken when they were at the beach last summer. Her heart swelled with the love she felt for her family. As she made her way to Kaleb’s bedroom, she hummed softly. She gently knocked, then opened the door. “Kaleb, sweetie, you need to get up.” “Just five more minutes, please?” he said in a soft, sleepy voice as he rolled over in his bed. “No extra minutes. You need to get up and get ready for school. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes. Please be ready for school by then, okay?” “Yes, Mommy.” “Your school clothes are on the end of the bed.”

***

Kaleb slowly got out of bed and stretched. He looked in his mirror and laughed at his messy brown hair. He ran his hands through his hair to mess it up more,

changed into his school clothes, and ran down the stairs. He hit the kitchen at full speed and jumped up into his chair for breakfast. “Good morning, Mommy!” “Good morning, sweetie. I see you did your hair. How did you sleep?” “Good, I d-d-dreamed about D-D-Daddy last night. It was awesome,” Kaleb said, trying not to stutter. Megan looked down lovingly at her son. “Really? Tell me all about it, sweetheart.” “Well, I d-d-dreamed that I was older, and D-D-Daddy and I were catching bad guys and helping people,” Kaleb said excitedly. “That’s wonderful, sweetie. Now eat your breakfast. You don’t want to be late.” “Okay, Mommy.” As Kaleb finished his breakfast, Jacob came down the stairs and gave his stepson a hug and a kiss. As he headed out the door, Kaleb yelled after him, “I had a d-ddream that I got to catch bad guys with you at work, D-D-Daddy.” “That’s awesome, Bubba. When you get older you can really help me.” Kaleb smiled, grabbed his school stuff, and headed out to the car with his mom to go to school.

***

Jacob arrived at work with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. He set his stuff down on his desk as Captain Williams shouted, “Alexander! Strong! In my office now!” “What’s up, Captain?” Jacob asked as they entered the office.

Captain Williams was a tall man, at just over six feet, and was in his early forties, although his graying hair made him look older. His commanding presence made others listen. Jake respected him for his twenty years of experience, and in the three years he’d been under his command had learned to carry himself with the same confident air. The captain was sitting at his desk, surrounded by piles of case files. He looked up. “I just received a call from the mayor. He needs you two at a meeting at City Hall in one hour. Don’t be late.”

***

Jake and Jaxon arrived at City Hall right on time. As they entered the room, they were greeted by the captain and a few others they didn’t know. Jaxon leaned over and whispered to Jake, “Hey. Who are these other people?” “Not sure, but they look important.” They took their seats around a long table as Captain Williams started the meeting. “Gentlemen and ladies, let me start by introducing everyone. I’m Captain Williams, and this is Mayor Calloway. Next to him, we have Deputy Mayor Max Rogers. Next to him is Judge Kameron Hunt, the youngest judge ever elected. “I have been authorized to form a new task force in charge of finding and arresting the most wanted fugitives in Utah. The mayor has asked that I assign my two best detectives to lead this new task force.” Jake turned to his partner and whispered sarcastically, “Well, I guess if we are the best, then we’ll just have to accept the assignment, right, Jaxon?” “I couldn’t agree more, Jacob, seeing how we are the best,” she retorted. “Yeah, yeah. If you two could bring your egos back in check, we have your first assignment.”

“By all means, Captain, please continue,” said Jacob with a smirk. Someone flipped the lights off and a projector turned on. “Here you see pictures of the top three people on the Most Wanted list. The first one is Marshall Clarke, AKA ‘The Fist.’ He has been in and out of prison for most of his adult life and is currently wanted on felony assault and murder charges in several states. Clarke is no stranger to the streets. He has multiple tattoos, and has also been known to himself with several gangs in the Salt Lake City area. He is from Philadelphia, moved here at a very young age, and ended up growing up on the rough side of town. He is five foot ten and two hundred thirty pounds, a white male, long brown hair, and a scruffy beard.” The slide changed, and two more pictures appeared on the screen. “These are Clarke’s known associates. The one on the left is Max LaRue, AKA ‘Mad Dog.’ Now, Mad Dog is a violent street thug that Marshall hired a few years ago. He needed eyes on the street. Who better than Max Mad Dog LaRue? He’s been in prison before, so he knows how the legal system works, which is another reason Marshall keeps him around. He is six foot four, two hundred eighty pounds, African-American male, dreadlocks, beard, and mustache. He has been previously incarcerated for many gang-related shootings, and is also the leader of the Dawg Pound, one of the biggest street gangs here in Avalon City. “The one on the right is Juan Vieira, AKA ‘The Mexican.’ He is five foot ten, two hundred thirty-five pounds, short brown hair, brown eyes, a scar over his right eye, and a tattoo of a devil on his left upper arm. This one is very sly. He’s also wanted in the questioning of some of the biggest hits in the country, but no one has been able to locate him, much less catch him. They get someone who will testify against him, and then somehow he gets to the witnesses and kills them, then disappears. We have received intelligence stating that he has some law enforcement on his payroll, which must be how he is getting the information on the witnesses. “Marshall has hired these two thugs, and in doing so, is now the head boss in the street gang and drug fronts. We need to get these dangerous fugitives off the street as soon as possible. In order to get Marshall behind bars, we need to get Mad Dog and the Mexican. I need you all to realize that this case takes precedence over any other cases.” As they left the meeting, Jake tapped Jax on the shoulder. “Hey Jax, why do you

think they want us to head this task force?” “Maybe they are tired of your ‘Robin Hood’ style of law enforcement. So they are giving you your own team and maybe you’ll see that this style doesn’t work.” Jax struggled as she tried to keep a straight face and burst out laughing. “Ha ha. Very funny, Jax, I would say it’s more of a Batman style. Let’s stop for a bite to eat.” “I’m all for that. Where do you want to go?” “I know just the place, and it’s right down the street from City Hall.”

Chapter Five

Megan dropped Kaleb off at school, and then headed to the mall and straight to the baby department of the first store. She reached out and touched the tiny little clothes, and one hand unknowingly found its way to her barely swelling belly. As she entered the next store, her cell jingled in her purse. A smile spread across her lips as she checked caller ID. “Hello, baby, how are you doing?” asked Megan. “Doing really good, sweetheart. What are you up to?” Megan giggled. “I’m wasting away my day looking at baby clothes. What about you? How’s work going?” “Well, I’m glad you asked. I had a meeting with the captain today.” “Oh yeah, what did he need you for?” She continued to look at baby clothes as Jake told her about his day. “That’s wonderful, sweetie. It does sound dangerous, though.” She tried not to let the fear she felt about his new job sound in her voice. “Yeah, but you know me. I thrive on danger.” “Yeah, that’s the problem. Please promise me you will be careful?” “You know I will. And the best part is that this new position is a promotion with a big pay raise.” “That’s wonderful news, my love. I’m so happy for you!” “I thought you would be. Well, I need to get back to work, sweetheart. I’ll see you tonight.” “All right, have a good day at work, honey. I love you.”

“Love you, too. Bye.” After hanging up, she continued to walk around the store, with a lot more to think about, not really paying attention to the clothes she had been looking at.

***

Sarah McBride wore a button-up shirt and a very short skirt. She found herself bound to the bed, gagged, and blindfolded. She tried to take deep breaths through her stuffy nose in the cold, musty room. She moved her head up, trying to get the blindfold to move far enough to look around the room. When she got the blindfold moved enough, she saw that the four walls were made of concrete. There was only one door and a small window. The only piece of furniture was the bed. She had a perfect view of the door. As the tears started to fall, she wondered if anyone even knew she had been missing, or even cared. She heard a door open and shut. She glanced over at her kidnapper and wanted to scream at him and beg for him not to hurt her, but the gag prevented anything but a small gurgle to escape. The mattress sagged under someone’s weight and she dared not move, fearing that whoever this was had been sent to kill her. Please God, help me get out of this. Somehow, this helped her deal a little better with what was happening. A hand grabbed hold of her arm, which startled her. She whimpered and started to cry as the person stroked her cheek. The warmth of the person’s hand contradicted the cold of the room. “Don’t worry, my dear, I won’t let anyone else touch you.” With one hand, he started undoing the buttons on her shirt, while his other hand moved up her leg, feeling her warm, smooth skin. He reached halfway down her

shirt when the door opened again and another figure walked in. “I told you I’m not to be bothered when I’m with Sarah!” he barked. Her eyes went wide with the realization that her captive knew her name. The figure that walked in whispered something to the other person. The evil presence next to Sarah on the bed leaned close and whispered into her ear, his hot breath making her cringe. “I’ll be back, my beauty.” Sarah heard the door close as they both exited the room.

***

The boss walked into another room, where Jermaine was tied up in a chair. He glared at Jermaine with utter contempt and found himself growling as he walked up and slapped him in the back of the head. “I told you not to betray me, Jermaine.” “I didn’t, sir, I promise.” “Quit lying to me, Jermaine. I know you talked to the police.” “I didn’t!” “You will tell me what you told them, and you will tell me now. You know what I do to people who betray me.” The leader pulled out a cigar clipper and placed Jermaine’s little finger in it. “No, please don’t. I didn’t say anything. I swear!” He tried to look away, but the guy behind him held his head in place so he could watch. The boss smiled as he clipped off Jermaine’s finger, and then yelled at him, “Tell me what I want to know!” As the blood dripped off his hand and onto the floor, he grimaced. “I didn’t tell

the cops anything, I swear!” The Fist grabbed his chin and held his head steady. “You’re not going to out till I get the information I want, and I’m growing impatient, Jermaine.” Juan Vieira dumped a large barrel of water over Jermaine’s head as the Fist continued to scream, “What did you tell them? Tell me now!” Juan handed a stun gun to the Fist and placed it against Jermaine’s chest, and then used it on him, still screaming at him, “Tell me what you told them!” As the smoke rose, the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Jermaine tried pleading, but nothing came out after being stunned. The Fist turned to Juan. “Get him to talk and then tell me what he says. I have some unfinished business that needs my attention. Use any means necessary.” “What if he dies?” “Then he dies.” He shrugged. “No big loss.” The Fist left the room and as the door closed, Jermaine screamed, “Make it stop. Please, Marshall, make it stop.”

Chapter Six

As soon as Jacob replaced the phone receiver, his intercom buzzed. “Detective Alexander,” said the communication officer. “There is an important call on line two. The caller claims to have information on someone named ‘The Fist.’” Jacob’s heart raced with adrenaline even though these cases never turned out to be this easy. Jaxon received the call. “Detective Strong,” she answered. “Yo, I’ve got info on the Fist’s crib. Interested?” The male’s voice sounded muffled over the line, as if trying to prevent anyone from listening in on the call, or to disguise it from her. “I’m listening.” She heard a car honking and muffled conversations other people were having in the background, so she knew he was calling from a public place. “I can’t talk on the phone. Meet me at the junkyard on Fifth and Monroe.” “Who is this?” Jax put her finger in her other ear so she could muffle out all the noise from everyone else working around her. “Ten a.m., don’t be late, and only you and Detective Alexander. If there are more cops, I don’t show.” Jax waved over Jacob and mouthed to him to give her a pad of paper. Jake slid a notepad to her so she could jot down any important information. She took down the address, the time they were to meet, and the fact that he was calling from a public phone. “Hey,” she started to say, but the line went dead before she could finish her sentence. She hung up the phone and turned to her partner. “We have a tip about the Fist.” She relayed the conversation to him.

“Where is he? Let’s go get him.” “Not that easy, partner. He wouldn’t give me the place.” “Why do informants do that? They insist on meeting to give information instead of just giving it over the phone?” Jaxon shrugged. “Let’s go get that information.” “Lead the way.” They got in the car and headed to where the meeting was going to take place. As they made their way, Jake turned to Jaxon. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this meeting.” “I agree. Something’s not right. It could be a trap.” “Let’s just hope the information this person has is worth all of this cloak-anddagger stuff.” “I guess we will find out when we get there.” Jacob checked his watch as they arrived at the designated place. “We’re five minutes early. Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary, Jaxon. There could be more than one. Let’s also have backup standing by just in case there are problems.” Jacob called for backup to be ready. They walked to the designated spot, and waited for the person to show. “This is not a very safe place to have a secret meeting, especially when we don’t know the person.” Jake took a deep breath, and looked around at all the piles of junk. “Have I ever told you how much I hate waiting, Jaxon?” “Yes, you have. You remind me of that fact every time we are on a stakeout.” Just then, a figure stepped out of the shadows beside them. “Are you alone?” “Yes, we are,” said Jake. “Now tell us what you know about the Fist.”

“The Fist is taking control over all the major crime families and street gangs. However, he has to answer to someone stronger than him. And that person could become the ultimate crime lord or kingpin in all of Avalon City. He has taken hits out on all the major crime bosses in the area, and has hired the best assassin to do the job.” Jax looked at the man in the face, memorizing his features. “Do you know who the assassin is?” “I don’t know his name. Heck, I don’t even know what he looks like.” “That’s pretty standard with assassins.” Jacob regarded the informant and saw that he was getting more and more nervous. “Can you tell us anything else?” The informant glanced around cautiously, back to the detectives, and then around the area again. “What is it?” Jacob asked. “I have already told you more than I should have, and my boss is going to kill me. I have to go. They’ll notice if I’m gone too long.” Jaxon offered her hand to the informant to shake. “Thanks for the information. It will help.” The informant looked around nervously again, and then shook her hand. Jacob handed him his card. “Call us if you anything else.” The informant took it slowly, and then walked back to his vehicle the two detectives hadn’t seen before and drove away. Jaxon noticed that Jake just seemed preoccupied. “Jacob, are you okay?” “Yeah, Jaxon, I’m all right.” He sighed and gazed off into space, running Rachel’s murder over and over in his mind, trying to figure out if he’d missed anything. “Thinking about Rachel again?”

Jacob nodded. “I know the Fist had something to do with her murder. I can feel that he did. I just can’t prove it yet. It’s so frustrating. I think I have a lead, and then it leads into nothing. Then what I think is some evidence turns out to be nothing as well.” Jake slammed the steering wheel with his fists in frustration. Jax placed her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get him, Jake, I promise. Now let’s get out of this junkyard. It’s giving me the creeps.” “Thanks, Jax.” Jake started the car, and they took off back to the office.

Chapter Seven

After a long day at work, Jacob headed to the Jeep for the drive home. With the events of the day still running through his mind, he wasn’t paying much attention to what was playing on the radio until a familiar tune came on and he quietly hummed along. Jacob only halfway listened to the words when the chorus began. For some reason he focused more on these words...and found himself singing along. “Here I am. Will you send me an angel? Here I am, in the land of the morning star.” Suddenly, emotion filled him as these simple words touched his heart. As he sang along, Jacob’s thoughts returned to his long-lost love and the son he would’ve had. A tear rolled down his face as he repeated the line “Here I am. Will you send me an angel?” As he reached home later that night, he dragged himself into the house, emotions running high. He sat down in his easy chair as the memories of Rachel flowed freely in his mind. He ed all the good times they’d shared. He decided that sleep was probably best, so he made his way up to his room. He ed Kaleb’s room and cracked open his door just to check on him. Seeing that he was fine, he went into his room and stopped to watch his beautiful wife sleep for a few moments. As Jacob succumbed to sleep, he started to dream. In this dream, he was running down a dark alley after a person who had just robbed a convenience store. While he was chasing the suspect, he saw a young woman’s blurry form. As he approached the young woman, she started to become clearer. Jacob noticed that she was in her late teens to early twenties, stood at five foot five, and had the body of someone who worked out, long, fire-red hair, and beautiful green eyes. As the young woman came into full view, he noticed that it was Rachel in a white gown. He abruptly stopped running and stared at her. “Rachel, is that you?” “Aye, love, ’tis.”

He reached out to take her hand as tears fell from his eyes. “You died! How can you be here?” “We are here to help ye, Jacob.” “We?” he asked, not breaking the lock he had on her gaze. “Rachel, I only see you.” “That’s because yer not lookin’ hard enough.” Just then, a small boy appeared beside Rachel. Jacob’s eyes moved from Rachel to the face of the boy. “Who is this little one?” A smile appeared on Rachel’s face as she slowly replied, “Ye know him, Jake. Just search yer feelings.” Jake stared at the little boy who stood before him and was suddenly filled with a love he thought he’d never know. “Isaac, is that you?” A huge smile broke across the little boy’s face, and he giggled as he ran to his father. “Of course ’tis, Dad,” said Isaac, who threw his arms around Jacob. Jacob embraced his son, and then pulled away, wanting to look at each detail. Before him was his five-year-old son, dressed in all white, with brown hair, bright-blue eyes, and a crooked smile that Jake recognized well. Rachel walked forward and placed a hand on the shoulders of both Jacob and Isaac. Jacob rose, lifting Isaac as he went, and they all embraced for a moment. Jacob set Isaac back down and turned toward Rachel. “Rachel, what did you mean when you said that you and Isaac are here to help me? Help me to do what?” “We are here to help ye find the person who killed us, Jake.” Jake’s head fell. “I’m so sorry that I haven’t found him. I’ve tried so hard. The trail has just gone cold.” Rachel reached over to Jacob’s chin and gently lifted his face, gazing into his

eyes. “Jacob, ye aren’t meant to do this alone. We are here to help, and others will be, too.” As emotion got the best of him, Jacob sobbed softly. “I miss you so much, Rachel. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t think about you and Isaac.” Rachel took both of his hands in hers and whispered softly, “We miss ye too, but we are ne’er far away. And, Jake,” she said, taking in his eyes, “’tis okay that you found someone else. I know how much ye worry ’bout that.” Rachel chuckled. “We had something to do with that as well. Ye and Megan need each other. Promise me that ye will stay close to them, Jake, to Megan, Kaleb, and Elizabeth. Be there for them.” Jake looked at Rachel curiously. “Elizabeth?” he whispered. “Yes, Jacob,” Rachel replied with a broad smile. “She is going to be such a beautiful, strong woman, just like ’er mother.” Jacob looked at Rachel curiously, and then realization hit him. “Elizabeth,” he repeated. “I’m going to have a daughter, Rachel?” Rachel smiled and nodded, then reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. “Isaac and I are in a better place, Jacob. We will always be yer family, and will be here to help ye, but ye have another family now, too. Please let them help ye as well. We have to go now, Jake.” “No, Rachel! Please don’t go. I need you both here with me,” Jake said as he reached out for her hand. “Jacob, , we are ne’er far away,” Rachel said as she placed a kiss on the back of his hand, and then let it go. She turned to her son. “Come now, Isaac.” Rachel reached for Isaac’s hand and they turned to walk away. Isaac glanced back for a moment to say, “I love ye, Daddy.” “I love you, too, Isaac,” Jake replied. That familiar, crooked smile broke across Isaac’s face as he waved goodbye. Megan woke up suddenly as she felt her husband stir. She found Jacob sitting up

in bed, tears streaming down his face, his hand reaching out for something. “What’s wrong, baby?” He dropped his hand down to his lap. “Oh, nothing,” he replied, as he wiped the tears away. “It was just a dream.” Megan reached over and touched a tear with her finger as it fell down Jacob’s check. “Tell me, baby. Please?” Jacob struggled with the decision of whether or not to tell his loving wife about his past. He wanted to so badly; he was just not sure he could. The pain was just too close to the surface, especially now because of the dream. Only one other person knew about his past. “I…I wish I could talk to you about this. Give me a little time to wrap my head around what is going on and then I promise I’ll tell you.” His wife sighed. “All right, as long as you promise. Just don’t forget the dream so you can tell me later.” Jake chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. This is one I can’t forget, no matter how hard I try.” Megan snuggled up to her husband and they both drifted off to sleep. As Jacob started to get dressed the next morning, he ed the pained look on Megan’s face when he told her he couldn’t tell her the dream. The pain wasn’t the kind that came from being hurt, but from feeling helpless. Jake decided to get some advice from the only other person who knew about his past…Jaxon. Jacob went to the station and found Jaxon at her desk. How could he bring up the subject he needed so desperately talk about?

***

As Megan started to clear off the table and got ready to do the breakfast dishes, she kept thinking about her husband’s dreams. They must be bad dreams, because he kept waking up all sweaty and breathing heavy. Megan really needed to talk to someone about all this, just so she could get her head around it. She decided that she would go talk to her best friend, so she called her on the phone and asked if she would meet her for lunch. Her friend Stephanie agreed, and they planned to meet each other at the small café in the city. Megan called her mother and made plans to have her watch Kaleb while she was gone. When Megan arrived her friend was waiting for her. “Hey, Meg, how are you?” “Hey, Steph, I’m okay. How are you doing?” “I’m good, thanks. So what did you need to talk about, sweetie?” “It’s about Jake. I’m worried about him. He has been having these dreams that cause him to wake up in the middle of the night. He won’t tell me about them. He says he will when he is ready.” They both ordered the daily special and continued their talk as soon as the waitress left their table. “Well, sweetie, you trust Jake, right?” Megan nodded. “Well then, I think you should just be patient and wait till he is ready. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.” Megan sighed and took a drink of her Mountain Dew. “I just wish there was something I could do to help him. I love him so much, and it hurts to see him this way.” “I know you do, sweetie. You could go talk to your bishop and ask him if he has any ideas of what you can do to help him.” “That is a really good idea. Thank you, Steph. You’re the best.”

Steph winked at Megan. “True, I am.” They laughed and finished their lunch while catching up on each other’s lives and things they were involved in. Then they got up, paid for their meal, and hugged before leaving the café. Megan returned home and thanked her mother for watching Kaleb. They hugged. Megan picked up the phone and called the bishop’s secretary to set up a time when she could see the bishop.

***

Jaxon glanced up from her computer and smiled. “Good morning, Jake. How are you?” Jake looked over at Jaxon. If he planned on getting anything done today, he needed to get this off his chest. “I need to talk to you about something.” She stood. “All right, Jake. Let’s go somewhere and we can talk.” They found a room that wasn’t being used and sat down facing each other. Jake took a deep breath. “It’s about my past, Jax. I had a dream about Rachel again.” “Was it the same dream you had before? The one about the murder?” “No, not exactly, Jax. It would probably be a little easier if I tell you about the dream I had, if you don’t mind.” “Go ahead,” she said as she crossed her legs. Jacob sat back in the chair and recounted the dream he’d had, and as he finished he looked at Jax. “You’re the only one who knows about Rachel, and about the dreams. So I had to come to you about the most recent one.”

Jax let out a deep breath. “That is pretty intense, Jake. What do you think about it?” “You are going to think I’m crazy, but I think it’s real. I believe that Rachel has come back to help me find her killer. I haven’t gotten anywhere on this case in a long time. At this point, I’m almost willing to try anything.” “Well, knowing how much you and Rachel loved each other, I do think it’s crazy, but if anyone could come back and help you, it would be her.” Jaxon looked at Jake. “You haven’t told Megan yet, have you?” Jake sighed. “No. I have tried a few times, but haven’t been able to. I need to, though. I owe her that much for putting up with me this whole time.” Jaxon smiled. “You will know when the time is right. Don’t rush into telling her. The time will come.” “I guess you’re right, but I hate not being able to tell her about it.” They hugged and got back to work trying to catch the scum of the city. As the day came to an end, Jake decided that he and Megan deserved a vacation. He glanced at the calendar and noticed that their wedding anniversary was a couple weeks away and decided to make plans to surprise her.

Chapter Eight

Sunday came without much excitement as Megan got ready for church like normal. Jake came into their bedroom. “You getting ready for church, Megan?” “Yeah I am. I really wish you would come though.” Jake took Megan into his arms. “I know you do, but I have a mountain of paperwork to get done at the office, so I think I’ll go there for a few hours. And you know I’m not into the whole religion thing anyway.” Megan sighed softly. “All right, Jake, I’ll see you when you get home. , my parents are coming over for lunch today. They will be over around two, okay?” Jake smiled and hugged his wife. “I’ll be there, I promise.” He kissed her neck. “Oh, before I forget, Jake, I’m meeting with the bishop today after church, so if I’m not home when you get home, that is why.” Jake nodded, then kissed his wife and headed for the office to work on the mountain of paperwork. Megan got into her car and headed off to church. Throughout the service she kept thinking about her husband and what he was going through. Megan went and sat by the bishop’s door after the meetings were done. A short time later, the door to the office opened and the bishop stepped out. “Hello, Megan, how is your day going?” “Oh, pretty well, Bishop. Thanks for asking.” “Come on in and we can talk.” The bishop motioned at a chair and Megan took a seat. “So, Megan, what do you want to talk about?”

“It’s about Jake. He is having a bunch of dreams that are causing him to wake up in a bad sort. He says that it’s just stress, but I think there is more to it than that. I want to help him, but I’m not sure what to do, and he won’t tell me about his dreams. He says he will tell me when he’s ready. I trust him, but I just feel so helpless. Is there anything I can do besides wait?” The bishop sat back for a few moments before answering. “Ask him if he’ll talk to me. Maybe I can get him to open up a bit. What do you think?” “I don’t think it would hurt anything. I’ll talk to Jake and see if he would meet with you. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.” Megan smiled, shook the bishop’s hand, and headed home to have a talk with her husband. How could she get him to meet the bishop? She walked through the door, put down her purse, checked the time, and noticed that the clock read just before one o’clock. Megan washed her hands and started preparing lunch for her family. About twenty minutes later, Jake walked in and saw Megan at the stove. He walked into the kitchen, wrapped his arms around her waist, and nestled his lips in the curve of her neck. Megan pressed into his embrace. “Whacha cooking, love?” “Well, I just put a roast in the oven, and now I’m just getting the potatoes ready. Just let me finish this and we can go sit on the couch.” “All right. I’ll be waiting, so don’t take too long, my dear.” Jake went and sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. A little while later, Megan came in and sat down next to him, placing her hand on his. “Love, can we talk for a minute?” “Of course we can, Meg. Just let me turn this game off. The 49ers are losing… again.” Jake took her hand and squeezed it gently. He clicked the television off. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Well, you when I told you that I was going to talk to the bishop today after church?” “Oh yeah, love. How did that go?” “The conversation went well, and it’s our conversation that I want to talk you about.” Megan took a deep breath and began. “I told the bishop how concerned about you I am and about the dreams you have been having. I know you said that you would tell me about them, and I believe you. I just feel so helpless when you wake up every morning in a cold sweat. So the bishop thought that maybe it would help if you talked to him about your dreams. He is a great man, Jake, and he has helped me many times and I trust him. And besides all that, he really wants to meet you. So what do you say?” Jake thought on this for a few moments, and then looked at his wife and smiled. “You really think meeting with him will help me work through these dreams?” She smiled back and nodded. “I really do.” He squeezed her hand again. “I don’t know if I can, Megan. You know I don’t trust many people.” “Please, Jake. I know it’s hard, but I also know that it can only help you. I trust the bishop completely. He won’t betray you, I promise. Please just give it a chance.” “Can I think about it for a little while?” Megan sat up, took hold of both of his hands, and looked him in the eyes. “Of course you can, sweetheart. I’ll go finish up dinner and then we can talk more about it, okay?” Jacob winked at her, and continued to think on her proposal. As Megan was finishing up dinner, Kaleb came down and sat next to his dad. “Whacha d-d-doin’, D-D-Dad?” “I’m trying to make a hard decision.”

“What about?” “Well, Bubba, Mommy wants me to talk to a friend of hers, and I don’t know if I can.” “How come, D-D-Daddy?” “Well, I’m kind of scared to talk about what she wants me to.” “You get scared?” “Yeah, I do,” said Jacob. “D-D-Do you what you told me to do when I get scared and I don’t know what to do, or I have a problem I can’t solve?” Jacob smiled. “What did I tell you?” “Well, D-D-Dad, you told me to go find someone to talk to about it. Sounds like Mommy found you someone to talk to.” Jake ruffled his hair. “How did you get so smart?” “You taught me.” He hugged Jacob. “Can I watch cartoons?” Jake turned the channel before returning to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen and watched his wife continue to prepare dinner. He walked up to her and pinched her butt playfully. She smacked his hand, and then winked at him. Jake looked into her eyes. “I know you are just trying to help me make sense of everything. I’ll go see him. Although I’m not sure how in-depth I’ll go into my dreams with him, so we will have to see. To tell you the truth, I have wanted to be able to talk to someone about this for a long time.” His wife gave him a quizzical look and he just smiled. “Anyone who has helped you as much as you say he has just might be able to help someone as stubborn as me. Set up the meeting, love.” Megan got a huge smile on her face and set up the time for next Sunday after

church.

Chapter Nine

The next week went by without much excitement. As Megan got ready for church, she noticed Jake putting his suit on and gave him one of her famous amused expressions. He returned her look. “What? I need to look my best if I’m meeting the bishop, right? And besides, I thought it would be better to just take one car, so I’m going with you to church.” They got to church, and went through all sacrament, Sunday school, and priesthood/relief society meetings. Jake felt very at home, which surprised him because he had never felt welcome at any church before. When church ended, they both sat by the bishop’s door. Megan took Jake’s hand. “I’m going to head for home and start dinner, okay?” “Are you sure? I’m sure we won’t be long.” “Yeah, I’m sure. Have a good conversation with the bishop and I’ll see you at home.” “All right. See ya later.” They kissed and Megan started for home while Jake waited for the bishop. The bishop opened the door. “Ah, you must be Jacob.” He offered his hand. “I’m Bishop Mann, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. Come on in and take a seat.” Jacob entered the office and sat down. “Thanks for meeting with me.” The bishop sat down at his desk. “How are you doing today, Jacob?” “Oh, I’m not doing too bad today. Just really busy with work.” The bishop nodded. “Ah, you are a police officer right?”

“Yes, I am.” “I understand why you’re busy, then. Anyway, your wonderful wife has asked if I would talk to you. She has been really worried about you, Jake. She mentioned dreams you have been having. Tell me about them if you can.” Jake struggled to know whether to tell him everything or just enough that he would know what was going on. He decided that he would be very general, no names, nothing personal. “I have been having some very vivid dreams lately about my past and a few people I once loved. The people in the dream die, and I can’t save them. They keep coming to me in all my dreams now.” He stopped for a moment, not sure of how much information he wanted to give into. He could feel the pain of everything trying to overwhelm him, and that was something he didn’t want to happen. Something Jake wasn’t expecting happened as he sat there, torn between explaining everything and not. A warm feeling of peace came over him, and the pain slowly lessened, until it was completely gone. A tear ran down his cheek. “The people in my dreams are from my past. Rachel and Isaac were my family, and they were taken from me. After the dreams wake me up, I feel this void inside me. I don’t know how to get rid of the dreams or fill the void. I hope that makes at least a little bit of sense.” Jacob finished his story. When he finished, the bishop sat back and studied Jake for a moment before speaking. “So what you are saying is you don’t feel whole, there is something missing?” Jake thought a moment. “That seems pretty close. I know I need to talk to Megan about this, but I just want to make sense of everything before I do.” “I understand that. I do have something that could help fill that void, but in order for me to tell you about it, you have to do a few things to prepare to get the answers you are seeking. Are you interested?” He eyed the bishop and saw only comion, then looked down at the floor,

trying to figure out what to do. “I’m interested, but I don’t trust easily. I need to know I can trust you before I can do anything.” “Understandable. May we have a word of prayer?” asked the bishop. “Not sure what that will do, but I guess that would be fine as long as I don’t have to say anything.” The bishop offered the prayer, and asked that the spirit of the Lord would help them know what to do to help Jake trust. After the prayer concluded, the bishop waited for Jake’s response. Jake looked up from the floor. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he finally was able to let go of the pain and trust someone to help him. “Tell me what I have to do about my problem.” “Good. I hoped you would say that, and these three things aren’t even hard to do. The first one is, I want you to come to church with your wife every Sunday for eight weeks. Not too hard, right?” Jacob smiled. “No, not too hard, and Megan will be excited.” “Good. Number two is, I want you and your family to read out of the scriptures every day. It doesn’t matter how much you read or what time you do it, as long as you do it every day.” “Sounds simple enough, Bishop.” “And number three is, pray with your family every morning and right before bed.” He awaited Jacob’s reaction. Jake took a deep breath. “This is all so different for me. For the longest time, I have done everything I could not to put religion in my life. I told myself I didn’t need it. For a while I believed it. That is, until I met Megan. Having her in my life started to change something in me. It was small at first, so I did everything I could to ignore it. I would throw up walls, hoping to keep it out. Megan only needed to look at me with that certain look she has. You probably know the one. Where she looks at you with a love that can melt the hardest heart.” The bishop smiled knowingly. “I know that look well.”

“The walls I put up, they crumbled. She knew it was only a matter of time, until I would give in and see things her way. If you’re right, Bishop, and doing these things will give me answers about my dreams, then I’ll do what you have asked.” “Wonderful, Jake. You have taken the first step. Let’s set up another meeting after you have completed the others and then I’ll tell you what you want to know. See? I told you they wouldn’t be hard.”

Chapter Ten

The weekend came without many problems. The plans were made, a babysitter found, and everything was a go for their much-needed vacation. “Are you sure Jaxon said it would be okay that she watches Kaleb while we are gone?” Jacob chuckled. “Of course, love. When I told her about what I decided to do, she practically begged me to let her watch Kaleb. And you know how much they like each other. They will be fine. Don’t worry. Now we’d better hurry or we will miss our flight.” Megan eyed her husband. “What do you have planned?” “It’s a surprise, my love. You will just have to wait and see.” She winked at him. “You can’t blame a girl for trying. Oh did you talk to the bishop about not attending church this week?” “Yes, and he is fine with everything.” As the couple checked in, Jake noticed someone who looked a little out of place. He whispered to his wife, “I think we are being watched. Maybe even followed.” “What do you want do about it?” “I need you to go to our gate and I’ll meet you there after I take care of this.” Megan hugged him. “Be careful, Jake.” “I always am. Don’t worry, I won’t be gone long.” Megan did what Jake asked her to. Jake slipped around a corner to double back so he could keep an eye on the

person he thought was watching them. After a while, Jake decided it was nothing and went to his wife. They boarded the airplane and took their seats. At the very last moment, another person boarded. The plane taxied out onto the runway, and took off for England. Megan glanced over at Jake and gave him her biggest and best puppy-dog look, pleading with him to tell her where they were going. Jake just laughed and shook his head. “Patience, my love. You will find out soon enough. Now put your headphones on and listen to the music. Oh, and , don’t look out the window, that will spoil the surprise.” After what seemed like forever, the plane finally started the descent, dropping lower and lower, and Megan’s excitement grew higher and higher. As the plane landed the pilot announced London, England as the destination. When Megan heard this, she almost squealed like a little schoolgirl. They departed the airplane, grabbed their bags, and hailed a cab. As they traveled through London, Megan and Jacob couldn’t take their eyes off the breathtaking scenery, especially all the castles. They reached their hotel, got the room key, and headed up to their room. When they got inside Jake took his wife in his arms. “Happy anniversary, my love!” “Oh, Jake, this is so wonderful. Thank you so much!” She wiped a tear from her eyes. “I have always wanted to visit England.” Jake and Megan spent the night in their room in what seemed like never-ending ion. They used the time to get to know each other again, and found out things about each other that they hadn’t known before. The next morning found the couple lying in each other’s arms. After a shower and a great breakfast, they got ready for the day. “So, my dear husband of mystery, what do you have planned for today?” “Well, my love, I know you have always wanted to see Stonehenge. I have

gotten a tour guide to take us there, and then after that…” He said with a smile, “We’ll see where it goes.” “Ooh, I like the sound of that. Maybe we should skip the Stonehenge thing?” She winked at him before giving him a ionate kiss. He kissed her back. “The tour guide is already here.”

***

A man walked into the room and saw his boss sitting at a huge table that sat in the middle of the room. He stood at the foot of the table, waiting for the boss to speak. His boss spoke without looking up. “What do you want?” “There is an important call for you.” He took the phone. “Have your men been watching Detective Alexander and his family?” “Yes, sir. They are planning on leaving the country. Looks like the detective and his wife are going on a vacation to England. The kid is staying with the detective’s partner, Detective Strong.” “Excellent. Follow the detective and his wife and take care of them as soon and the chance opens up. Have a tour to Stonehenge arranged for them to take. The tour guide has been replaced with your partner, and then you and the tour guide will have the perfect chance to take care of them. I want them dead by the beginning of the week. There can’t be any mistakes.” “They’ll be dead; I don’t make mistakes. Just make sure no one gets in the way. If they do there may be more than two people dead.” With that, the call ended and the boss went back to eating. They continued to watch the detective and his family.

***

Jake and Megan climbed into the waiting car where the driver waited and headed off to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World…Stonehenge. They arrived and were greeted by the tour guide. “Hello. My name is Michael, and I’ll be your tour guide today.” “Great.” Jake offered his hand. As they shook hands, Jake got a little confused. “The pamphlet said that Alison was going to be our tour guide. What happened to her?” The tour guide paused just a moment before he answered, hoping the couple didn’t notice it. “Um, she called in sick today so I’m taking over.” “So how long have you been conducting guided tours to Stonehenge, Michael?” “A few years.” Jacob eyed him suspiciously, but not wanting to concern his wife, he let it go. “All right. Lead the way.” They followed Michael, arm in arm, to Stonehenge, and the tour guide started to tell them about the history of the site. As the tour guide spoke, they stood in awe. Megan asked Michael, “Hey, would you take our picture?” “Of course. I would be happy to.” Megan and Jake moved together and Michael took a couple of pictures of them. Everything was fine until an uneasy feeling came over Jake. There was something about Michael. He was acting a little suspicious. Something about the whole thing just didn’t sit right. Michael continued to talk to them about Stonehenge and after Megan was done asking questions, they decided to go back to the visitor center to get something

for Kaleb. They got back into the car and headed back to the visitor center. The started for the doors of the visitor center, Jake noticed a van parked in front of the doors. Jake moved up by his wife and started looking over the area. As the sun shone on the visitor center, Jake saw a glint, just for a second. “Megan! Get down!” Jake yelled as he realized what it was, and grabbed his wife just before the shot rang out. They both ed what had just happened as they glanced over at the tour guide dead on the ground. Jake and his wife got behind one of the vehicles in the parking lot and waited. Another shot rang out, hitting the vehicle they used as cover. Megan looked over at her husband as tears formed in her eyes. “What is going on, Jake? Why is someone shooting at us?” “I don’t know. I’ll find them, and they will pay for this.” He looked back over to where the van was parked, and it had left. Jake took Megan’s hands and looked her in the eyes. “Stay here. I’m going to go check on Michael. Don’t move, okay, hun?” She nodded to Jake and got as low as she could. He looked at the windows of the visitor center and quickly figured out where the sniper would probably be. He pulled out his pistol and fired a couple shots so he could carefully make it across the remaining fifty feet to the front door of the visitor center. One he entered the building, he ran up the flight of stairs to the second level. Once he entered the upper level, he carefully started making his way to the room he figured the sniper would be in. Right outside the door, there was a fire hose and an axe. He broke the glass and took the axe. He put his ear up against the door, hoping the sniper had earplugs in so he didn’t hear him break the glass. He heard another gunshot and knew he was in the right spot. He figured he had one chance at taking out the sniper. He kicked the door in and threw the axe at the assassin. The assassin turned to look at what had made the noise, and before he could react, the axe embedded itself into his chest. Jacob ran to the sniper’s body and searched it for any ID to give a name to the face, or anything that could shed some light on what was going on. Jake grabbed

the wallet, a set of keys, and a radio, photographed everything with his cell phone, took the radio, and then went back to his wife. “We need to get out of here. Follow me, and stick close.” They made their way back to their car, turning every which way to make sure there was no one else there. They reached the car, slipped into it, and took off to their hotel. “Are you okay, Megan?” Jake asked as he drove to the hotel. Megan didn’t answer right away. “Megan, are you okay?” She finally realized that Jake was talking to her. “I think I’m okay, Jake.” “You’re going to call the police, right?” “I think it would be better if we keep this on the down low for right now.” “I trust your judgement, Jake.” They got to their hotel and headed up to their room, and breathed a sigh of relief. Megan rushed into his arms and cried. She spoke between sobs. “Why are they doing this?” “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I won’t lose another loved one. Not this time.” Jacob picked up the phone and started making calls to try and find out who did this. As Megan started to calm down and catch her breath, she thought about what Jake had just said, and mouthed the words, trying to figure out what he meant. She sat down on the bed, and possibilities of what he could have meant flooded through her mind. She needed to calm her mind, and the best way she knew to do that was to take a nice hot shower. She walked up to him and whispered in his ear, “I’m going to take a shower, and then we need to talk.”

Jake nodded and went back to his phone call. Megan went into the bathroom, undressed, and tried to relax in the hot water of the shower. A while later, she emerged from the shower and walked over to her husband. “Feel better?” Jake asked. “Yes, I do. Thanks, Jake. We need to talk.” “Okay. We can talk.” “What loved one did you lose?” “That’s a hard one to explain.” Jake took a deep breath, and then recounted what Rachel had told him in the dream, and what had happened at Stonehenge. He searched his wife’s face, noticing nothing but love and comion there, and decided he should probably tell her everything. He took a deep breath. “All right, love, but before I tell you the dream, I must tell you something else. This is an important part of my past, and I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you before now, but I actually haven’t told very many people at all. Something happened three years ago, before we met.” Jake noticed Megan’s expression change from concern to curiosity, so he continued telling his story. “I used to live in a small town up in the mountains called Providence. I had a job working for the local police department. I had a fiancée at that time. Her name was Rachel Storm.” He turned away as if he were reliving everything that had happened to him three years ago, and then continued speaking. “Rachel and I met about eight years ago, at a restaurant when I was in college.” He glanced at Meg and smiled quickly. “We didn’t hit it off immediately, mainly because I was a jock and she said she didn’t date jocks. I liked her so much that I quit the football team so that she would give me a chance. We dated for around four years before we decided to move in together. A few months later, she said that she was pregnant.” Jacob sighed to steady his nerves. Megan took his hands and he smiled at her as

he continued. “Everything was going wonderfully. We were deeply in love and we were going to have a family. We found out that we were going to have a boy, so we decided to name him Isaac. Being a detective at the police department, I was working on a case that was dealing with a hit that was spoiled. We got to the person before the hit man did, which sounds great…but…if you don’t get the assassin as well, bad things can happen.” Jake dropped his head again as the pain resurfaced. He shook off the emotion and cleared his throat. “One spring morning, I had the day off from work. I decided to head into town to get some parts for the washing machine. Rachel was in her seventh month of pregnancy, and didn’t feel like going into town that day. She wanted to stay home and relax, maybe work on the baby’s room a little.” Unable to contain his emotions any longer, tears began to stream down Jacob’s face. Megan gently squeezed his hand, which gave him encouragement to continue. Jake told her about searching through the house for Rachel. Suddenly, his emotion overtook him, and he began to sob uncontrollably again. Megan wrapped her arms around her husband and let him cry. After a few minutes, Jacob’s sobs began to ease. He looked up into her eyes, and saw his sadness reflected in them, but there was also sympathy and understanding. He continued on. “As I walked into the bedroom, I discovered the reason why she didn’t answer me when I called her name. I found my beautiful Rachel lying unconscious on the bed. She’d been beaten and raped…” His voice trailed off again. Through his sobs, he continued. “An ambulance came, picked her up, and drove her to the hospital….the doctors…they tried, but she died, Meg. And so did my boy. Someone killed them.” Jacob buried his head against his wife, who was also crying. As their emotions subsided, Jacob took his wife’s face in his hands. “I’m so sorry that I’d never told you this before. Please try to understand why. I wanted to. It’s just I was afraid that you might leave me if I told you.” His words were interrupted as Megan placed her lips against his. “Jacob, please don’t bother explaining. I understand. It’s okay.” She smiled at him. “Now, about

this dream of yours...” Jacob smiled lovingly at his wife, as his love for her increased tenfold. He reminded himself just how lucky he was to have her. She gave him an encouraging look, and he continued on. “In this dream, I was chasing a suspect that fled the scene of a robbery. As I continued after him, Rachel appeared. I stopped and turned my focus to her.” Jacob told her about what Rachel had said. “I was curious as to why she said ‘we’ and when I asked her about her choice of words, a little boy appeared before me. He was vaguely familiar to me, so I asked Rachel who he was. She told me that if I searched my feelings, I would know who he was. Suddenly, I knew…it was Isaac. My son.” His voice trailed off as he placed his hand over Megan’s barely swollen belly. Megan placed her hands over Jacob’s and looked at her husband’s face. “She talked about our baby, Jake?” Jake nodded and whispered one word. “Elizabeth.” Megan’s head jerked up at the sound of that word. “Jake, what did you just say?” “Elizabeth.” Megan gazed at him in astonishment. “Jacob…that was my grandmother’s name.” Megan gingerly rubbed her belly. “Elizabeth,” she said softly. Jacob looked at Megan. “After that, Rachel said they had to go, and they both disappeared. That’s when I woke up.” Megan, still a little overwhelmed by all the new information she’d received from her husband, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Jacob, I love you. Kaleb adores you. I know that you loved Rachel and Isaac… and I know that you love us, also. I’m so glad that you shared this part of your life with me. Please know that I’ll do whatever I can to you. We will get through this together.” A huge smile spread across Megan’s face as she said the name aloud again. “With Rachel and Isaac’s help, of course.”

As tears welled up in Jacob’s eyes again, he took her hand and smiled. “Thank you so much, my love, for being so understanding.” He wiped his eyes and walked over to his computer. “See this is why I always have my computer.” he winked at Megan. “Now, we have to find out who that tour guide really was. When I called the tour company that I hired him from, they had never heard of this Michael Person. He had to have been helping the people trying to kill us.” He grabbed the fake tour guide’s wallet and started going through it. He ran the name through all the law enforcement databases, hoping to get a hit. What he found when the search ended was something he’d never expected to find. He started scanning the information that came up on the screen. “I wasn’t expecting this to come up.” His wife looked at him, concerned, and grabbed his arm. “What’s wrong, Jake?” “This isn’t good. From what this says here, this Michael Person doesn’t exist. The real Michael Person died almost three years ago in a boating accident in Black County, Washington.” “So who investigated this accident, Jake?” “The Black County PD teamed up with the local sheriff’s office to do the investigation. There were four detectives on the case, two that investigated the yacht club, and two that looked into his family as well as his wife’s. I think the next thing we need to do is talk to the four detectives and get the whole story.” Jake smiled at his wife. “Haven’t you always wanted to go there?” Black County was located about a three-day drive from their home. They wanted to get there as fast as they could so they decided to get plane tickets back to the US. Megan smiled and grabbed the keys to the car. Since Megan had always wanted to go to England, she had done research on the traffic laws and such. They headed downstairs, checked out of their hotel, and headed for the airport. Jake called Jaxon and told her what happened and where they were headed. She told him that she would meet them there, after she dropped off Kaleb at Megan’s parents’ house. They could get a room and then find the detectives who were working the case. They hung up the phone and went to bed. They had a flight to catch early the next morning.

Chapter Eleven

The sniper’s commanding officer cautiously walked into an office in a high-rise building. He stopped a few feet in front of a desk that was placed in the middle of the room. A person shrouded in shadows looked up and met the man eye to eye. “What do you have to report?” The man swallowed hard and glanced down at the floor. “The sniper I hired failed, sir. He shot at them, but they got away.” The person at the desk nodded and waved for the man to continue. “The tour guide got in the way of his first shot, then he fired a few more, but by that time they were both hiding behind a part of the monument.” “So I’m to assume that the tour guide is dead and the actual targets are still alive? Is that what you are telling me? You are saying that a world-class assassin like yourself can’t kill a cop and his wife even when they are brought to you practically gift-wrapped?” The man looked up at the person sitting at the desk, and met the coldest, blackest eyes he had ever seen staring back at him. “Well, are you going to answer me?” The man continued to look at the ground, not sure what to say to the person, but knowing all too well what was about to happen. “I know I have failed you, but if you just give me another chance, I know I can get the job done.” The man just stared at him from across the desk. He pushed a button, two side doors opened, and two very large men walked out. “You have exactly two minutes to convince me why I should give you and your team of snipers a second chance. I don’t have to tell you what will happen if you don’t. Your time starts now.”

***

The plane touched down in Black County, Washington, and Jake and Megan exited and found Jaxon waiting for them at baggage claim. “Hey, let’s get going. I made reservations at a hotel not far from here.” They got into the car Jaxon had rented and headed over to the hotel. On the way there Jake had Jaxon fill them in on what was happening. “I have spoken with the Black County PD and they seem like they want to help. The sheriff’s office is another story. They won’t even take my calls, so I doubt they want us snooping around.” Jake chuckled. “Is that what we are doing? ‘Snooping around’?” They all laughed. “Leave the sheriff’s office to me. I’ll get them to help.” They got to their rooms, unpacked, and Jake started making assignments. “All right, this is what we are going to do. Megan, you get on the computer and see what you can find about the case and any info that got released to the press. Also look into Michael Person’s business and find out who is running the business now. Jax, you go and see what info the Black County PD has, and I’ll go get the sheriff’s office on our side. Let’s meet back here later.” They all agreed. Megan got on her laptop and started to research the case and what the local media was told about it. “Hey, before you two leave, come check this out.” Jax and Jake walked over to where Megan was working. “This is really weird. For some reason, the media wasn’t even told about the boat accident or anything. The only thing they were told was that he died.” Jake thought for a minute. “Good work, Meg. I don’t think this was an accident; otherwise the media would have covered the story. Someone got paid to keep

this under wraps. Let’s go find out.” The detectives headed to the local PD and sheriff’s office to see what help they could get. Jaxon pulled up in front of the Black County PD. She got out of her car and looked around. If she had learned anything, it was that you should always be aware of your surroundings. She took note of the people coming and going and everything that was happening. She entered the police station and walked up to the front desk. “I need to see the two detectives who were involved in the Michael Person case. Please.” The officer behind the desk looked her over. “And who are you?” She sighed and flashed her badge. “I’m Detective Strong, I called earlier.” “Oh, Detective, I didn’t realize it was you. They are waiting for you in their office down the hall. Go right in.” Jax was met by the detectives halfway down the hall. One of the detectives offered his hand. “Hello, I’m Detective Lopez, and this is my partner, Detective Brown.” Jax shook Detective Lopez’s hand and then did the same to the other detective. “Hello, I’m Detective Strong, and it’s a pleasure to meet both of you. Can we go somewhere private and talk?” “Of course. Right this way.” Detective Brown led them into a room and shut the door behind them. “What can we do for you, Detective Strong?” “Well, I’m hoping that you could fill me in on an old case the both of you worked?” She paused for a moment. “The Michael Person case.” “Ah, of course, Detective, the captain said to get you anything you needed. I’ll get it for you.” Detective Lopez got the file out of the file room and set it on the table in front of Jax.

“So, tell me about the details of this case.” “Well, a few years ago, a couple of teenage girls went missing in the woods just outside Black County. We searched those woods from one end to the other, but we could never find them. Soon the case went cold, and then a couple other teenage girls went missing from downtown Blackridge. That case went cold as well. We decided that these two cases were related, so we put them together. We just couldn’t figure out what happened to them. Then a call came in that could have given us a break in one of the cases. The caller stated that he knew where the girls had been taken, but that he would need protection. We told him to come in and we could talk about it.” “So what did he say when he came in?” “That’s the thing. He never came in and never gave his name. So we don’t know if he was killed or just got scared and decided meeting with us wasn’t worth his life. Anyway, we put this case on the back burner and moved on to other cases until about a month ago.” “What happened a month ago that changed things, Detective?” “Well, we got another tip on the case. The tip came from a guy named Michael Person. The name he gave sounded like it was fake so after I took the call and got all his information, I checked out the name. Any guesses on what I found?” “Let me guess. He isn’t really Michael Person, because the real Michael Person has been dead for about three years?” “He died in a car accident. He fell asleep at the wheel and his car went off a twenty-foot cliff.” Jaxon caught the fact that the info the detectives had wasn’t the same they had, so she decided to talk to Jake about that before bringing anything else up. She had a feeling that something about this wasn’t right. The detective looked at Jaxon, trying to gauge her reaction to what he’d said, and then continued. “Anyway, he said he had info on the four young girls that had disappeared. I got the call, so I told him to come in, and we would take the information he had, and he got here about ten minutes later. He told us that he knows where the girls are and who took them. He also told us they were being

held in a warehouse out by the docks, and gave us the address. I took his information in case we needed anything else and sent him on his way. Later, we went to the dock. None of the information he gave us panned out.” “Would you mind if my partner and I took a look around the dock?” “Go ahead, but you won’t find anything. Everything’s been completely checked and cleared.” “That’s okay. We will take our chances. Besides, I want to look around the docks anyway.” “Well, if you change your mind, we will be here.” “Thanks for all your help, guys. Oh, before I go, I did have one more question for you.” “Ask away.” “What did Mr. Person do for work?” Jax watched them very carefully, trying to read their faces. “He worked at the local steel mill. I believe he was one of the foremen there.” “So that would put his annual salary at about fifty thousand, right?” “Yeah, sounds about right.” Jax got up, thanked them again, went back out to her car, and then headed back to meet Jake.

***

Jake got to the sheriff’s office and walked in. “Excuse me, I’m Detective Alexander with the Avalon Police Department, and I need to speak with the detectives that worked on the Michael Person case.”

“All right. Give me a few minutes to look up which detectives worked on that particular case.” The man behind the desk went to the computer, typed in the case number, and waited for the computer to bring up the results. As the officer worked the computer, Jake took this time to look around the sheriff’s office. A few minutes ed and the officer looked up. “I’m sorry, Detective, but the two detectives that worked on that case died about five years ago.” “How did they die, Officer?” “Who did you say you were again?” Jake let out a sigh. “My name is Detective Jacob Alexander and I’m a detective with the Avalon Police Department.” “Why do you need this information?” “Well, for starters, I possibly have information that will help solve this case. So I ask you again, how did the detectives die?” The officer looked at Jake, and then back to the computer. “Well, it says here that it was an accident of some sort.” “I need everything you have about the accident, and exactly what happened to the detectives. I have reason to believe that this was no accident.” “You should probably talk to the captain about that. I’ll let him know what you need.” The officer went to the captain’s office. A few minutes later, the captain led him to an empty room. “What can I do for you Detective…Alexander, is it?” “Yes, sir. I needed to talk to the two detectives that worked the Michael Person case. I’m told they were killed. What happened?” Captain Harrison picked up the case file. “Well, Detective Johnson owned a yacht at the local dock. They were out on Johnson’s yacht when the thing just exploded. They were both killed. There wasn’t much left of the yacht, and only parts of their bodies were found. The local ME used dental records to make the identifications. Their funerals were a few days later. Foul play was suspected, of

course, and we had a few leads. The most promising lead was from a man going by the name of Michael Person, but we could never locate him.” “Could my partner and I get a copy of all the evidence that was collected at the scene? The DNA matches to the detectives and anything else that was found.” “I got paperwork from your captain stating that there is a connection to an open case you and your partner are working. I’ll have them sent to you. Is there anything else you need?” “I think that is all. I’ll call you if I need more. Thanks for all the information and help you have given me, sir.” “You are welcome, Detective. If you can help solve this case, it will be worth it. We would like to be kept up to speed on the case.” “Of course, sir.” They stood, shook hands, and Jake went out to his car and headed back to the hotel.

Chapter Twelve

Sarah was still bound hand and foot to the bed. The door opened with a squeak, and a moment later her captor pressed a large hunting knife to her throat. She lay very still, not saying a word, and tried her best to force the tears away. A husky voice whispered, “I told you I would come back, Sarah. Stay very still and say nothing and you won’t be killed.” Sarah knew in her heart what was about to happen and she closed her eyes in an attempt to find a safe place in her mind. A place where hopefully she wouldn’t feel anything that was about to happen to her. After her captor finished, he leaned down, his hot breath close to her ear, and seductively said, “You were wonderful, my dear, and you will learn to love me. Sarah, you are with me now. No one will come for you.” He climbed off of her, pulled his clothes back on, unbound her, and left. Once the door closed behind him, all the tears she had been holding back made their way down Sarah’s face. She removed the blindfold, and then lifted a hand to wipe at her eyes. When she did, she noticed that there were some clean clothes at the end of the bed. She took off the rest of her own tattered clothes and slid into the fresh ones. As she changed, she took stock of the room that was her prison. Her gaze settled on a small black box in the corner of the room. The red blinking light signaled the camera was recording. She moved across the room, and the camera followed. Chills skittered down her spine. Sarah jumped as the door opened again. A man walked in the room with some food and water, set it down by the bed, turned around, and walked out, not saying a word. Sarah eyed the food suspiciously as her stomach growled. She wondered how long it had been since she had eaten last.

She picked up the plate of food and smelled it. She wasn’t sure if it was the fact that she was so hungry, or if it really did smell as wonderful as she thought it did. She poked the food with her finger, and found herself wishing that someone had poisoned it.

***

Jaxon and Jacob returned to the hotel room, where Megan was waiting for them. “So, Detectives, how did the hunt go?” “We have a lot to discuss and make sense of. What did you find out, Jax?” “Something didn’t feel right about what they were telling me. I’m sure they were lying. I got them to let us go down to the dock and look around. I get the feeling someone doesn’t want us snooping around, though. What did you find out, Jake?” “Well, I got the captain to request them to give us the coroner’s report and anything else they had on the accident. They are going to get it sent to me. What about you, Meg? Did you find anything?” “I didn’t find too much, but I did call some of the people the detectives interviewed in the case, and they didn’t have anything new to add. So I decided to take a look at the city census and see if Michael Person ever lived in Black County. Struck out on that. So I did a state search and found out that there’s a Michael Person who lived in Tacoma. I wrote down the phone number and address for you. We should go talk to the families of the slain detectives as well. Oh, I did find out what this Michael Person did for a living. He worked as a stock trader of all things, so the money he had was all legal.” “That doesn’t make sense, because the detectives I spoke with said that Michael Persons work at the steel mill.” Jax said “Someone is lying to us, then.”

“Good job, everyone. I guess the next thing we need to do is go to the dock and see the accident. We will stop off and get lunch on our way.”

***

After Jaxon left the BD, Detective Lopez picked up the phone and called a number. Soon, someone answered, their voice distorted, “What?” “One of those nosy detectives from Avalon came here asking questions about the Michael Person case.” “Which one?” “The female.” “Well, what did you tell her? And I’d better like the answer you give me.” “I didn’t tell her anything. I just fed her a bunch of bull.” “You better not have told her anything. If you did, that will be the last mistake you’ll ever make.” “Umm…” The detective swallowed hard. “What? Did you think the rules didn’t apply to you, just because you are a cop?” “No, sir. Of course not, sir.” “Why am I surrounded by idiots? Who are supposed to be the best detectives in Black County?” “Umm, sir, there is one more thing.” “Great. This day just keeps getting better. Well, start talking. I don’t have all day.”

“The detectives are going to look around at the docks. So if your assassin cleaned up after himself, there shouldn’t be anything to link you to the crime.” “Well, this is most unfortunate. Keep me apprised of the situation as it progresses, and for both your sakes I hope this situation progresses like I want it to. You can handle that, can’t you?” “Yes sir, we will, and thank you, sir.” The phone line went dead as the detective blathered on. He realized there wasn’t anyone on the line anymore, and he placed it back on the hook. “The boss sounded extremely pissed that those detectives are even here in town.” The two detectives looked at each other. “So what are we supposed to do about them?” “Just watch them and keep the boss apprised of the situation. There’s nothing more we can do.” “That’s all? Just watch them? That sucks. I wanted something more…exciting.” “Heck, we’re lucky to still be alive after that last screw-up. And to think we recommended him. Let’s grab a beer and put this day behind us.” “I hear that.” They both headed out to the parking lot, got in their cars, and headed to the nearest bar.

***

Jake, Jax, and Megan headed to the dock where the yacht exploded. They walked in to find the dock supervisor in hopes of learning what he saw on that day.

Jake sent Megan and Jaxon out to the site of the explosion to see what they could find out. “I think I have a better idea, Jake.” A smile spread across Jaxon’s face. “I’m open to other ideas. Do tell.” “There are probably a lot of lonely men who have been out to sea for a long time in there. And I bet they haven’t seen a woman in a long time either, so I had the thought that I should go in and talk to the dock supervisor myself.” Jake nodded. “I like that idea. Go ahead, but be careful.” “I will, Jake, and if I’m not back in thirty minutes, you can send in backup.” She concealed her firearm, and then walked into the building and found a room full of sailors and dockhands. “Excuse me, gentlemen, I’m looking for the dock supervisor. Does anyone know where he or she is?” No one looked up from what they were doing, so Jax decided to take a different approach. She put a little seductive tone to her voice. “Can any of you kind gentlemen direct me to a gentleman named Michael Person?” “Who’s looking for him?” a man in the middle of the room asked. Jaxon had to make a quick decision. “I’m a lady friend of his, and I haven’t heard from him in a while, so I came looking for him. My name is Bambi.” “He was in his office last time I saw him. You can go on back, little lady.” She breathed a sigh of relief and headed back to the office. As soon as she got out of eyesight of the sailors, she unsnapped her holster and proceeded to check the door of the office. She entered the office, just in time to see someone dressed in black grab a stack of papers and head for the back door. Jaxon yelled at them, “Freeze!” The person turned and pulled a gun. Jaxon saw the gun and fired first, hitting the

dark figure in the shoulder, and effectively disarming them. The suspect grunted and rushed Jaxon. She smiled, braced herself, and waited for the right moment. She leveled him with a well-placed kick to the face. “If you don’t want this to be the dumbest thing you ever do, I suggest you don’t move another muscle.” Jaxon handcuffed the man, read him his rights, and then called Jake on her cell. “Jake, I have a suspect in custody. He pulled a gun on me so I had to disarm him. What’s your ETA?” “Give me ten minutes and we will be there to pick you and your prisoner up.” “All right. We will be around the back. I’m going to search the office really quick.” “Good work, Jax.” Jaxon walked back over where she’d left the handcuffed man. “You have a lot of explaining to do, my friend, and you had best not lie to me either.”

***

When Jake got to where Megan stood on the dock, he saw her surrounded by five drunken dock workers. Jake walked up to them. “Is there a problem here?” “This is none of your business, so get out of here.” Jake placed his arm on the shoulder of the man who did the talking. “Oh, but that is where you are wrong, my friend. See, this beautiful young woman is my wife. I suggest all of you leave before someone gets hurt.”

“You and whose army is going to make us?” “I don’t need an army to take care of any of you.” All four of the dockhands smiled, and the other three started to advance toward Jake. Two had baseball bats and one was carrying a knife. Jake put the man who had been speaking in a headlock. He then took out his sidearm and the other three men paused. Jake smiled. The first one came at Jake, baseball bat aimed at his head. Jake ducked the swing and then kicked the man just above the knee with his shin. The man fell away, clutching his broken knee. The next man swung, but Jake side-stepped the attack and the bat hit the ground instead. Jake swept his legs and he landed flat on his back, hitting the back of his head on the dock. The bat rolled away, and Megan bent down and picked it up. The final combatant came at Jake with a knife, stabbing and slashing at him. He waited till the combatant overextended, trying to stab him, and then simply blocked it by placing his forearm at the wrist of the person wielding the knife. Jake didn’t see that the man had two knives. He slashed at Jake’s midsection. He barely saw the slash out of the corner of his eye, in time to jump back. He wasn’t quite fast enough, as the blade came in , cutting him open. Jake growled and placed his hand on his stomach. He looked at the person who’d just sliced him, grabbed his hands, and twisted them till he dropped the knives. He kept hold of the person’s wrist and arm, and then threw him to the ground. Jake looked over just in time to see Megan take out the leader with the baseball bat. Jake laughed and walked over to his wife. “Are you all right?” “Yes.” She looked at Jake. “You’re bleeding!” Jake looked down at his stomach. “It’s just a scratch.” “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” “Thank you for coming to my rescue,” she said. She turned and smirked at the four dockhands lying on the dock moaning, and then looked at her husband. “Couldn’t you have just showed them your badge?” Jake laughed. “Of course I could have, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, they were trying to hurt you, and I can’t have that now, can I?” Megan smirked. “I suppose not, my love. I do appreciate it very much.” They made their way back to their car hand in hand. When they got there, Jaxon already had the prisoner locked up in the backseat. “What took you two so long to get up here?” They looked at each other. “We just ran into some old friends and got to talking. You know how we like to talk.” “I’m sure you two did. I’ve seen the way you talk, Jake.” Megan glanced in the backseat. “Who’s our guest?” “Oh, him? That’s just the one and only Mr. Michael Person.” “He’s the one that got killed while giving Jake and me a tour of Stonehenge, right? Hmm. He doesn’t look dead to me.” “I agree. That’s one of the things we are going to ask him about. Let’s get back to the hotel before someone starts asking why four of their dockhands were taken out.” Jaxon shook her head. “I know better than to ask questions.” They got back to the hotel and snuck their prisoner into the room. They handcuffed him to one of the only chairs in the room while they packed and got ready to transport him to the Avalon PD so they could interrogate him. Jaxon got on the phone and made arrangements to get their suspect to Avalon. “All right, the chief said to drive him there ourselves. He gave permission to rent a car and to put the charge on the force’s tab.”

When they got to Avalon they had an officer take Michael into one of the interrogation rooms. Jake and Jaxon entered the room where Michael was. “So your name is Michael Person, yes?” The man didn’t answer, so Jake repeated the question. Still no answer. “This says that your name is Michael A. Person and that you reside at 122 Black County Way, Blackridge, WA.” Jake held up the man’s driver’s license. “So, let’s start again. Your name is Michael Person, correct?” The man nodded his head. “See, that wasn’t so hard, now, was it?” “That was the easy part. Now for the hard part. Who was the man in England using your identity?” Jaxon waited for an answer and when she didn’t receive one, she got right up in his face. “Don’t make me repeat myself again, boy.” “Or what, huh? What are you going to do if I don’t? You’re just a woman. You don’t have the strength to do anything to me. You’re bound by the law anyway, so you can’t touch me.” “Oh, but that’s where you are wrong. See we’re both detectives and if we witness a crime being committed then we have every right to arrest you no matter where you are. You were seen by us taking documents from the dock office and you, my friend, don’t have authority to take documents from the office. We checked. So we have every right, in fact. We have to arrest you. Now, if you help us find out what’s going on here and you truthfully answer our questions, we may just forget what we saw…maybe. Think it over while I get something to drink.” Jacob left the room to get some sodas, while Jaxon continued the questioning. “So let’s start again. And this time, let’s not waste time, shall we? What’s your real name?” “Before I tell you my real name, I have to explain what’s going so everything makes sense. About a month ago, this guy came by the neighborhood and started recruiting some of us for some project he was doing. He said it paid really well and all we had to do was follow the instructions we’d been given. He also told us

that we couldn’t use our real names and that we would be given new ones that we would need to go by. He told us that all of our names would be Michael Person. I later found out that the names he had us use are so he knows what area we are working. So basically the name we were assigned would tell us what area we would be working in. When I got the envelope in the mail, there was a new driver’s license, social security card, the whole nine yards, and this new name on everything. In my package, it just said that I was supposed to go out and get a gun, then go to the dock and get papers on a certain shipment that came in by cargo boat. He also said that after we completed the job we weren’t supposed to use the name again until we got another job. Every time we got a package and finished a job, we were to mail the evidence of our success, and then a package would come with our payment.” “So what is your real name? And how many did the guy recruit from your neighborhood?” “Zander…Zander Radisson, and they hired about ten of us, I think. At least the day they picked me. I don’t know how long they were there recruiting people before or after me.” “Okay, Zander, do you know how many areas have a group like yours?” “I’m not sure. I heard that there are many groups. I only know three of them other than the one I use. There are Christian Smith, Anthony Armstrong, and Juan Vieira.” “What was that last name you said? Juan Vieira?” “Yeah, Juan Vieira. I’m sure you can guess where that one got used at.” “Yeah, I can. Little Mexico. Hmm…looks like we are headed to Little Mexico after we finish here.” Jax left the room and went to talk to Jake. “Jake, we have a problem. If Juan Vieira is involved with this it may go deeper than we had first thought. We need to find out how deep this does go so we know what we’re up against.” Jake thought about this for a moment. “That does indeed present a problem, Jax.

We will have to tell the captain about this. Why don’t you go back in there and see what else he has to tell us? I’ll you there shortly. I’m just finishing up in here.” “All right, Jake.” Jax made her way back into the room where Zander was being held. “So, Mr. Radisson, what do you know about the two detectives who were killed at the docks a few years ago?” “Only what I heard on the news and read in the paper. However, if I had to venture a guess as to what happened, I would say that they were getting too close to this area and they wanted them out of the way. I’m sure it was an accident like they said it was.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “So you don’t believe it wasn’t an accident?” “Of course not, but everyone is led to believe that because that is how the Leaders work. If they need anyone out of the way, it always looks like an accident or something. It’s their MO, as you cops would say.” “All right. What do you know about the four missing teenage girls?” “Ah, now there is something I do know about. The Leaders took those missing teenage girls and sold them on the black market. I had a job at one time to transport them to the pick-up point. When I got to the pick-up point, I recognized one of the men. It was Detective Lopez. The only reason I knew it was him is because he dated my sister a while back.” “What can you tell me about him?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Apparently he can be bought. He has a temper. That is for sure. I was late with a delivery once and he threatened to shoot me. He told me if I was ever late again, I would have a bullet in my temple.” He put two fingers to the side of his forehead. “He isn’t afraid of the law and thinks he can do anything and get away scot-free. He is someone I wouldn’t want to mess with. And the most important thing I know about him is that he isn’t a real detective. The Leaders pulled some strings to get him the documentations and job.” Jaxon checked her notes. “Do you know anything about his partner, Detective Brown?”

“I don’t. I didn’t even know he had one. You can assume that he isn’t a real detective either. He probably also got put in by the Leaders.” “Why are you helping us, Zander? Why give us all this information?” “Oh, I have my reasons. They killed someone I care about. And I want them to pay for the pain they caused me. This seemed like the best form of revenge. All I want is for them to go down, and I don’t even care if I go to prison in the process.” “Why didn’t you go to the police with this information?” “I couldn’t be sure who I could trust, and since you three are not from Black County, I figured I would take a chance and tell you the info I had. I did need to make sure you weren’t with my bosses.” Jake came back into the room and placed a photo in front of Zander. “Do you know this person? His name is also Michael Person.” Zander picked up the photo and looked at it for a few minutes, forcing the pain away, then put it down. “Yeah, I know him. He’s my brother, Zane. We’re twin brothers to be exact. He was never supposed to be involved. I made him promise me that he wouldn’t, but he always had to do what I did. What happened to him, Detective?” “He was our tour guide at Stonehenge. He was killed by a sniper that was trying to kill us. I’m sorry for your loss.” Zander looked up at the two detectives. “There is a way you can get close to the Leaders. I just got a package in the mail for my next assignment. I’m supposed to meet someone in the slums district of Avalon and bring him two more girls. The exchange is to be made at midnight tomorrow night. I wasn’t going to do it anymore. I planned on disappearing and never coming back to Avalon, but this way you can get closer to the Leaders, and just maybe bring an end to all of this. This is dangerous, but since you took care of those dockhands, I think you and your partner can handle this. However, there is one other thing you can do for me. My girlfriend got taken before I started in this, for lack of a better word, profession. Please find her and bring her back to me.” “We’ll try and find this woman of yours. What is her name?”

“Her name is Sydney. Thank you. There is one more thing I can offer. I have a friend at the place where the girls are taken. Tell him Zander sent you, and he will help you. My house isn’t far from here. Meet me there when you have her or news of where she is. Here are the directions to the pick-up point. Take care, Detectives, and I look forward to seeing you again.” Jake was texted that the DA was there to see him. “This will just take a moment.” Jake walked out of the room to where the DA was waiting for him. “I’ve been listening to everything and because of the information he has given us, we have decided that we’re not going to press charges, as long as he testifies.” “Great, I will let him know.” Jake walked back in to where Zander was and helped him stand, and then took off the handcuffs. “The DA has decided not to press charges, as long as you testify. You are free to go, Zander.”

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, Nathan made his way to the police station. He stopped and stared at the building and thought to himself. Should I get involved? Of course I should, Sarah would if the roles were reversed. Nathan approached the front desk. “I have some information on the Sarah McBride case. Whom do I need to talk to?” The officer at the desk gestured toward a row of chairs. “Please take a seat, sir, and I’ll get the detective.” He sat down and glanced around at all the police officers. He thought about what he needed to tell the police. Doubt again assailed him, and he almost left. Just as he was about to stand up and leave, Detective Armstrong walked up to him. “Hi, I’m Detective Armstrong. I hear you have information concerning Sarah McBride?” “Yes, sir, my name is Nathan and I’m…or I was Sarah’s boyfriend. She broke up with me the day before she went missing…told me that she never wanted to see me again. I heard that she was into some heavy stuff, so I decided to follow her around. I followed her to the club where she disappeared from. While at the club, this Mexican-looking guy walked up to her and started talking to her. I overheard him talking about her owing someone a bunch of money, and something about the price if she didn’t pay up. He got up to leave and as he turned toward me, I noticed that he was that Mexican dude on the Most Wanted. He looked right at me, so I got freaked out and left.” “So, let me get this straight. You followed your ex-girlfriend to the club, just to keep tabs on her, saw a wanted fugitive talking to her about owing a debt and the price if she didn’t pay up, and instead of calling the cops, you ran because you got scared?” The young man looked down at his feet. “Yes, sir.”

“Well, thank you for the information, you have been a big help…but you should’ve ed us sooner.” As the detective turned to leave, the young man asked, “Do you think Sarah is still alive?” Detective Armstrong turned back toward the young man. “Yes, I believe so.”

***

Jake, Jaxon, and Megan got into the van that would be used to make the delivery and headed to the slums district of Avalon City where the deal was set to go down. It took a couple of hours to get there. As they traveled, Jake ed the captain. “Captain, we are about to take down the people behind the human trafficking ring that the Mexican is in charge of. There is a possibility that the Fist will also be there. We need you to send us some backup so we have the manpower in this area.” “You trust this information you have, Jake?” “We don’t have much of a choice, Captain. We need to find those young women that were taken, and this is our best chance.” “All right. What do you need?” “We need a surveillance team and back-up for entry.” “Your back-up and the surveillance team will meet you there.” “All right everyone, it’s showtime. We’re where we’re supposed to be. Megan and Jax are in the van with a hood over their heads and tied up. I’ll be taking Zander’s place as the driver of the van. As soon as we have made and he inspects the cargo, we will follow him to where he is supposed to make the drop. Everyone understand what’s happening?”

A few minutes later, another van pulled up to the appointed place and flashed the lights twice. Jake returned the sign by flashing his lights twice. The person got out of the van, and Jake met him in the middle. “Do you have the cargo?” “Yep. Would you like to see them?” Jake asked, and the man nodded. “Right this way, then.” Jake took the man over to his van and opened the back door. The two women in the back were tied, with bags over their heads. The man checked them over. “They look good, and they should fetch a good price.” Jake shut the door. “Good. Where are you supposed to take the girls?” “That is none of your business. You are just supposed to deliver them to me. What happens after that doesn’t concern you.” “Actually, it does. The package I got in the mail says that I’m to accompany you to the drop-off site. Read it and weep.” The man took the note and read. “This doesn’t make sense. They have never done this before.” “You know they change things whenever they want. Just deal with it and let’s get this done. We can take my van.” The man nodded and got into the driver’s seat, and Jake got into the enger seat. They headed off to the other end of the city, to the docks. Jake sent a text to the captain telling him to keep the backup a good distance away so the driver didn’t see them, and that they were heading toward the docks. The captain sent some snipers to the area. The van came to a stop.

“All right, take the girls in that warehouse over then and then wait for me to come get you.” Jake nodded. “Just don’t take too long. This place gives me the creeps.” Jake led the girls to the warehouse. While they waited for the other man to come back, he untied Jax. The man who drove the van came in. “Bring the girls out, and follow me.” Jake pulled the two girls to a standing position. “You heard the man. Let’s go.” He took each girl by the arm and led them out to where the other man stood. They all went to one of the docks where a big cargo ship was docked. “Our is on the boat, and he’s ready to see the cargo he was promised.” “Lead the way. The girls and I are right behind you.” They boarded the vessel, and the man took them to the captain’s room. They walked into the room and saw a large man, about six foot six and three hundred pounds, sporting a goatee and long hair. You could tell by the weathered skin on his face that he had been in the shipping business for most of his life. “Here is the cargo you asked for, sir.” “Ah, very good. Bring them to the middle of the room so can I inspect them,” he said in a thick Russian accent. The man pushed the girls to the middle of the room and had them turn a complete circle. “Are they to your liking, sir?” “Yes, you have done well. Here are the photos to provide proof so you can get paid. The others will be pleased.” Jacob gave the signal, and the police converged on the ship with automatic weapons. The guards on the boat put up little resistance, thanks to the snipers who were positioned outside the ship. The ship’s captain heard the gunshots,

drew his pistol, and grabbed one of the women and pulled off the hood. “What is the meaning of this? You have betrayed me. You shall suffer for this outrage.” He pointed his gun at the driver of the van and shot him in the head, killing him before he hit the ground. Jake pulled out his pistol and dove for cover; he rose to one knee and pointed his gun at the captain. “You’re surrounded, so put down your weapon.” “You won’t take me alive. All of you back away, or I’ll shoot this woman.” To accentuate the point, he pushed the gun into the woman’s temple. The other woman, who was sitting on the floor, slipped a blade out of her pocket and proceeded to cut her bonds, hiding this from the captain’s view. “Come on. Let’s be smart about this. You won’t win. Give it up.” The woman on the floor slipped the bag off her head. The captain saw this out of the corner of his eye and made the mistake of turning his gun and attention to her. Jake took advantage of the captain’s mistake and fired one shot, hitting him in the shoulder. The captain stumbled, and his hostage took the opening, grabbed his arm, and flipped him over into a cross arm breaker, causing his to drop his gun. The rest of the police converged on rest of the guards and the captain, placing them in handcuffs. Jake walked up to Jax to check on her and the other officer. “You two okay?” “Yeah we’re good. Your plan seemed to have worked.” “Yeah, thanks to your fast thinking. Nice move by the way.” Jake turned to the rest of the officers. “Let’s get this scum back to the office. We have some interrogating to do.” They all arrived back at the police station and put all the men in separate rooms to be interrogated.

Jake and Jaxon entered the room where the captain was being held. “I told you that you wouldn’t win. Look what happened when you had to do it the hard way.” Jake tried unsuccessfully not to laugh. “Worst of all, you get your arm broken by a woman half your size. What would the others think?” Jake just shook his head. The captain smiled. “I won’t be here long enough for them to even miss me, Detectives.” “Don’t be so sure of that. We have enough on you to put you behind bars for a very long time. You have at least four kidnapping charges on you right now. I’m sure there are more we can find to charge you with. However, we’re willing to make a deal with you if you provide the location of the other girls and your partner’s location.” The captain thought for a few minutes. “Give me protection, and I’ll give you the information you need.” “That will depend on how valuable the information you give us is. If it’s worth it, then you’ll have your deal. Start talking, Captain.” “All right, detectives, the Leaders are all downtown in the government district on the corner of Main Street and Government Ave. They are on the top floor, but access is granted with a swipe card. The swipe card isn’t your only problem. The floor is divided into three rooms, and there are a bunch of guards. Once you get past the guards, the door to the room that the Leaders are in looks like a vault. You have to the eye scan, and then there is voice-print verification. And if you get through all of that, there are nine leaders. All of them carry automatic weapons.” “What are the names of the Leaders? I want all of them, including yours.” “I don’t know all of their names, but I can give you the names of the people I deal with personally. The Fist, Mad Dog, the Mexican, the Quill, and Napalm. One of the newest is Charles Bennett. Oh, then there is me. My name is Valdo Pachinko, or the Captain while doing business.” “So which one is in charge of the whole organization?”

“None of them, Detective. I haven’t given you the name of the one in charge. I was just getting to that. The Butcher is the main guy. However, no one, and I mean no one, has ever seen the Butcher, so taking him down is almost impossible.” “Almost is the key word. There might be a way.” “If you could catch more of the Leaders, their combined information may be able to tell you enough to lead you to the Butcher. That would be the only way to get even close to the guy.” “Thanks for the info. You will be held here until this is over, then we will see about your protection.” Jake and Jax left the interrogation room and filled in the task force and Captain Williams about what the Captain had told them. “We need to find every angle we can on the Leaders. Jaxon and I are going to start rounding up the that we know of. The rest of you start digging into their pasts. There has to be something we can use to get the information we need.”

Chapter Fourteen

Detective Armstrong headed back to his desk. Once there he reclined in his chair, wondering why he could never say no to money. He realized that he was in too deep to do anything about that now, so he picked up the phone and called the head detective on the new Most Wanted Task Force, Detective Jacob Alexander. Detective Alexander answered the phone. “Most Wanted Task Force.” “Detective Alexander?” “Yes. How can I help you?” “This is Detective Armstrong from the Missing Persons Unit and I think I might have a lead for you in one of the cases you’re working. If the information is correct, he is one of your most wanted. Sir, I…” “Excuse me for interrupting, Detective, but could we meet in person to discuss this information?” “Of course, sir. When and where would you like to meet?” “Meet me at Avalon PD, say in one hour?” “Sounds good, sir. See you then.” Detective Armstrong hung up the phone, sat back in his chair, and thought to himself. The Leaders better know what they are doing, ’cause I’m not going down for them. I better get the information I have on them together, just in case this goes south.

***

Jacob hung up the phone and turned to Jax. “A Detective Armstrong is coming in to give us some information on our case. He will be here in an hour.” Jaxon smiled. “Good. We may finally get a break in the case.” Detective Armstrong was shown in and told that Jake would be with him in a moment. Jake and Jax gathered their notebooks and walked over to the room where Detective Armstrong was waiting. As they started to enter the room where he waited, he whispered to Jaxon, “I don’t know that I trust this guy. Keep your guard up.” Jaxon looked into her partner’s eyes. “All right, Jake. You’re usually right about this stuff.” They entered the room. “You don’t mind if we record this, do you, Detective?” “Not at all.” Jaxon pressed the red button on the recorder and placed it on the table. “Good afternoon, Detective. Thanks for meeting us today.” “Thanks for taking the time to see me.” “So what information do you have for us?” Detective Armstrong reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad. “A young man came into the missing persons unit and said that he had some information about the Sarah McBride case we are working. We showed him some mugshots and he pointed out a white male by the name of Jermaine Silver. He said that they left together, and that was the last time she was ever seen. He also thought he saw the male pull a gun just before he left with the female, but wasn’t sure. I have the case file here if you would like to take a look.” Jacob took the file. “What is this young man’s name?” “His name is Nathan Caldwell. I don’t know how creditable this person is. You should probably check him out.”

“We sure will. Thank you for the info, Detective.” “You’re welcome. I hope it helps.” They shook hands, and Detective Armstrong left. “Something tells me he holding something back, I just don’t know what it is.” “You got that vibe too, huh, Jacob? Let’s pull up his file and see what comes up.” Jaxon typed a few things on her computer and Detective Armstrong’s file popped up. “Let’s see what we have here. Started his career in the SLC PD as a street cop, then made his way up to detective in vice here in Avalon.” “Did you know him when you were in vice, Jax?” “I knew of him, based on his reputation of being very extreme when it came to the interrogation of a suspect. This is interesting, Jacob,” she said pointing at the paper. “It says here that Jermaine Silver is one of his informants. Why would he say that his informant was the one who took her? That just doesn’t make sense?” “I’ve read Jermaine’s file. He isn’t into kidnapping. He’s a street thug who’s into selling drugs.” “Yeah. I busted him for possession before, when I was in vice.” “We will have to keep an eye on Armstrong.” “I agree, Jake.” “Jaxon, what do you say we take a little road trip in the morning and see what this Nathan Caldwell has to say?” “I think we should also find out where Jermaine really was that night.” “Jaxon, there’s something I need to do, so I’ll see you tomorrow morning, okay?” “All right, Jake, see you later.”

Jacob climbed into his Jeep and began to head out of town. The Jeep seemed to know the way down the familiar roads, and his thoughts started to wander. As he drove, he thought about Rachel and the new information coming in. A few hours later, Jacob found himself at a small cemetery. He parked the Jeep and took a deep breath. The reason for being here was to test a theory he had. He got out and slowly walked to a lone grave in one of the far corners. He knelt down and gingerly brushed away the leaves and loose grass scattered atop the headstone. As he stared at the grave, a solitary tear ran down his left cheek. With a heavy heart, Jacob ran his hand across the headstone, feeling the words etched in to the hard, cold stone. “Why did you have to leave?”

Rachel Storm & Isaac Alexander Lover, Mother, and Son July 23, 1983 – May 28, 2005 May 28, 2005 – May 28, 2005 My beloved family. I’ll avenge you!

Jacob looked up suddenly, feeling as though he was no longer alone, and found Rachel standing before him, looking as beautiful as ever. “I told ye that we would be here to help ye, Jake.” Jacob nodded. “Yes, you did, Rachel. Heaven knows I need all the help I can get. So where do we start?” Rachel lowered herself down to the ground beside Jake. She replied with a smile, “Well, ye aught t’ start with that detective who says ’e has some information for ye. But be careful, Jake, ’e may not be as ’e seems. ’E isn’t

telling ye everything.” “Rachel…” Jake trailed off. “I need to tell you something.” “Aye, Jacob, what do ye want t’ say?” “I never got to say goodbye.” Rachel smiled. “Oh, Jake, don’t trouble yer ’ead about that! We are ’ere now. I promise ye before we go, there will be time for goodbyes. But, Jake, there is so much to be done and now is not the time t’ worry ’bout that.” Jake looked back at Rachel and then turned back toward the grave, running his finger over her name again. When he looked back she was gone. He stood up, brushed the leaves and grass from his pants, and walked back to the Jeep…a little more bounce to his step than when he’d first arrived. Jake climbed into his Jeep and started the engine. He glanced one last time back toward that little corner of the cemetery, then put the Jeep into drive and headed back to the city.

Chapter Fifteen

Jacob and Jaxon drove to Nathan Caldwell’s house. When they knocked on the door, a woman in her early fifties answered the door. “Can I help you?” “Yes, ma’am. I’m Detective Alexander, and this is Detective Strong of the Avalon Police Department. We’re looking for Nathan Caldwell. Is he at home?” “What has he done?” “Nothing, ma’am. We just need to ask him a few questions.” “I guess it would be okay. Come in, and I’ll go get him.” They entered the house. “Thank you.” They looked around the room while they waited for Nathan. A young man came down the stairs. “Hello, officers.” “You’re Nathan Caldwell?” “Yes. My mother told me you had some questions for me?” “Have a seat. You and Sarah McBride were friends, correct?” “Yes, sir. We had been friends since high school, but after we graduated, she seemed to drift away. She started drinking heavily. I begged her to stop, but she wouldn’t, so I followed her to the club the night she went missing. “I didn’t let her see me because she would’ve been pissed, but I kept an eye on her. Everything was fine until she started talking to this tall Mexican dude. I heard what they were saying, and they were smiling. It was a civil conversation at first, but then it turned bad. He said that she owed a lot of money. The Mexican turned toward me for a moment and I saw what I thought was a gun, so I was going to go get her when they both stood up

“You’re sure the male you saw Sarah with was of Mexican descent?” Jacob asked while Jax wrote everything down. “Oh, yes, sir. I followed them out of the club. I watched them get into a limo. Later that night while I was watching the news, they were doing a news piece on Avalon City’s Most Wanted, and the Mexican I saw Sarah with was on that list. I’m sure of it.” Jacob whispered to Jaxon, “That’s not what Armstrong told us.” Jaxon nodded and continued to write in her notepad. “So, Nathan, is that what you told Detective Armstrong?” “Yep.” “You’re sure, Nathan?” “Yeah, I told him that she and that Mexican dude were together. I told him that he stood about five foot ten and maybe two hundred eighty pounds, give or take. He was wearing a very colorful button-up shirt and black slacks.” “Did you see anything else, Nathan? It doesn’t matter what it is. Anything can help us find her.” Nathan thought for a few moments. “Actually, there is one more thing. I did see the big Mexican dude talking to a couple other guys just before he walked up to Sarah. The two other guys left right after he started talking to her.” “What did these other two guys look like?” “They were white. I saw them shake the big Mexican’s hand. Other than that, I can’t tell you much. I really didn’t a very good look at them, because their backs were toward me the whole time.” “Thank you, Nathan. You have been a big help.” “Sir, are you going to find Sarah?” “We’re going to try, Nathan.”

“Thank you, sir.” Jacob nodded in response as they got up to leave. “Sounds like Armstrong might be on the other side. Perhaps on the Leaders’ payroll.” “Jake, drop me off at the station. I want to check something out on my computer.” “All right. I need to show Megan where Rachel is buried. I owe her that much because she has been so patient and ive.” “She loves you, and you love her.” Jacob smiled as he dropped Jaxon off at headquarters. Jacob pulled into his driveway, expecting Kaleb to run out of the house to meet him, but Kaleb didn’t appear. Jacob became concerned. He pulled his pistol and walked in the house. “Sweetheart, I’m home. Where is Kaleb?” “He’s at the neighbor’s house playing. Why, baby?” “Uh, just checking. He didn’t come out to meet me.” Seeing that everything was fine, Jake put his gun away and then put his gun belt in the usual spot. “Hey Meg, what are ya doing?” “Come into the kitchen and find out.” A little giggle escaped her lips. Jacob walked into the kitchen and found the answer to his question. His sweetheart stood at the oven making cookies, wearing only an apron. She turned around and smiled at her husband. “Like what you see, tiger?” Jacob stood there dumbfounded and just stared at Megan. “Well? Do you like what you see, Jake?” “I do indeed, my love.” He started to kiss her ionately, running his hands all over her body, feeling her curves and smooth skin.

Megan’s breathing increased as she started undoing Jacob’s shirt and led him into the family room. She playfully pushed him into the easy chair. A little while later as they lay in each other’s arms, Jacob gently tilted Megan’s chin so he could softly kiss her on the forehead. “There’s something I would like to show you.” “All right. Let me put some clothes on.” She stood up and headed upstairs to the bedroom. Jacob followed. As they traveled, Megan glanced down and saw a file folder beside Jacob. “So where are we headed to, baby?” “You my dream, right?” “Yes.” “Well, I thought that you and Kaleb would like to get to know Rachel and Isaac. I’m taking you to where they were buried.” Jacob handed her the folder. “What’s this?” “This will help you get to know them better.” “You seem different, Jake. In a good way.” She opened the folder. Inside were several newspaper clippings about the murder and the ongoing investigation. There was a picture of a young woman. Megan turned to Jacob. “She’s very beautiful.” “Yeah, she was.” She set the picture aside and read the copy of Rachel’s obituary. “So Rachel was originally from Ireland, huh?” “Yeah, she had the cutest Irish accent, but she was always trying to hide that. She wanted to sound like everyone else, but I told her to be herself and that I loved her accent. Her parents are still in Ireland. I email them once or twice a month.”

“How old were you when you met Rachel?” “I was twenty-four and she was nineteen. Her parents thought I was too old for her, but she didn’t care. She had always told her parents that age didn’t matter because she cared for me deeply, and that trumped age.” Jacob pulled up to the cemetery and stopped the Jeep. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Megan caught him, so she took his hand and smiled at him. They got Kaleb out of his seat and proceeded to walk to the grave. On one side of the headstone was etched a picture of a little boy praying, and on the other side, a female angel with her arms open. “The marker is very beautiful, Jacob.” Jacob only nodded as he stared down at the headstone. Megan put her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. Kaleb walked up to see what his parents were looking at. “What is that, D-D-Daddy?” Jacob struggled with what to tell his son, and glanced at Megan for help. Megan knelt down to talk to Kaleb. “Daddy’s friend died and this is where they buried her and her son.” “What was D-D-Daddy’s friend’s name, Mommy?” “Her name’s Rachel and the baby’s name is Isaac.” Kaleb looked up at his dad. “Sorry your friend and her baby d-d-died D-DDaddy.” Jacob picked up Kaleb and hugged him close. “Thanks, Bubba.” They stood there for a moment longer, and then walked back to the Jeep hand in hand and headed back into town. Megan turned to Jacob. “Is this the town you and Rachel lived in?” “No, but I knew I wouldn’t be going back to that town. I know the person who

keeps up this cemetery and he let me bury her here, since her family didn’t have the money to have to her body shipped back to Ireland. They wanted her to have a proper burial, so I told them that I would give her one here. There was a lot of paperwork involved, and I had to cash in a few favors, but it was important to me so I did what I had to.”

Chapter Sixteen

Jermaine stood out on a street corner, his right hand wrapped up with a bandage, a dried bloodstain where his little finger used to be. On the rough side of town, a small, white two-bedroom house, with several cars parked around it, stood on the same corner. He put a cigarette to his lips and took a drag as he reached into his pocket and took out a card. On the card was Detective Alexander’s number. “Stupid Leaders think they know everything and that the cops won’t ever catch them. I could take them down with just one call.” He looked at the card and then took another drag on his cigarette. Should I make the anonymous call to this Detective Alexander? He looked at his hand with the missing finger and let out a string of profanities before taking another drag.

***

In the house, the rest of the leaders, including the mastermind, the Butcher, all sat around a large table discussing how best to solve some problems that beset them. The Butcher began to speak. “Our eyes and ears in the police have brought some disturbing news. The Avalon City PD has made a new task force in charge of hunting down Avalon’s most wanted. And to make things worse, the person they got to head up this strike force is Jacob Alexander.” One of the others spoke up. “You are the one who wanted to make this whole thing personal with him.” The Butcher glared at the other man. “Watch your tongue, or I’ll cut it out!” he snarled. “We need to hasten our plan now that the cops have that new task force in place. And I think I know just the thing that will advance our position. Get me

the world’s best assassin. Price is no object here.” “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” One of the men got up from the table, walked over to a computer, and began searching the dark web for the assassin that would be best for what they needed. “I have found the perfect assassin for what we need. His name is Andrew Hammonds. White male, six feet, two hundred pounds, average looking, cleancut male except for his piercing ice-blue eyes. Weapon of choice is Chinese Acupoint-Hitting Needle. He is also trained in kung fu.” The leader milled this around in his head for a few minutes. “What the hell are Chinese Acupoint-Hitting Needles?” One of the Chinese associates spoke up. “A person trained in using those needles can render you immobile and unable to speak, but the person is very much aware of his surroundings, then he can kill you and you never so much as make a sound. And the best part is, no evidence that a crime was ever committed.” The leader smiled. “Perfect. Pay whatever he asks. And make sure you give him the targets before he gets here.” “All right, boss.” He pushed a few buttons on the computer. “He will be here in three days and expects half of his fee up front.” “Whatever you need to do to get him here!”

***

In a house on a Caribbean beach, Andrew Hammonds sat in a La-Z-Boy chair reading a local newspaper. As he read, he heard his computer tell him that he had a message in his private email. He entered multiple identification s and a fingerprint reader on his computer. Then the email popped up. “Got a job for you, pays very well, double your normal fee. Location is Avalon

City. Your targets are Detective Jacob Alexander and Detective Jaxon Strong.” He leaned back in his chair and considered the job. These are police officers. I’m going to need more than double my usual fee. He typed out a quick email. “I’ll need quadruple my normal fee. There is more than one target and both are cops. I’ll not accept any less.” He knew he would get the money. Because of the identity of the targets, they would be willing to pay anything. The hit man grinned widely as another email came through. “ accepted. Attached are the details of the hit.” Ah, twenty million dollars for a double target; sounds wonderful. He read through the file on both detectives, getting a feel for how he would do the hit. A few days later, a Delta international flight left the Caribbean on its way to the Avalon International Airport. While on the flight, Andrew opened his laptop, put his earphones in, and studied his assignment, memorizing the faces of the two homicide detectives he had been called on to deal with. Hmm, he mused. They may prove to be worthy adversaries. Looks like they are both trained in hand to hand combat and at least one form of martial arts. I do so love a challenge. The plane landed in Avalon later that day. He got a room without a view and started setting up his plan for how he would be killing the two homicide detectives.

***

After Jacob and his family got back into town, Jacob dropped them off at the house, and then headed to work. He found Jaxon on her computer. “Hey there, Jake, when did you get back into town?” “Just now. Find anything out about our friends on the Most Wanted list?”

“Sure did. So, the night that Sarah went missing wasn’t the first time she and Juan Vieira had been together. Apparently, they are both regulars in that club. I checked with the bartender, and she said that they come and go together regularly. Not only that, but she said that they have always had two other people with them. It gets better, Jacob; Juan was seen in that same club two nights ago with a different young woman.” Jacob looked at Jaxon. “Sounds like surveillance needs to be put on that club in case Juan comes back. Did you get a description of the new girl Juan was seen with?” Jaxon nodded. “The bartender, Eve is in with the sketch artist now.” “Good. Finally, we’re getting somewhere. We need to get a protection detail on Eve just in case there is more than one mole in the local PD. We need to find those other two people are that were with them. Let’s also get the phone records from Sarah’s and Juan’s phones, if we can.”

***

Later that night, Jaxon pulled into her driveway, put her car in the garage, and went into her home. She checked her messages, and then put some water on the stove to make a soothing glass of herbal tea. As she sipped her tea, she started to pore over the case that she and Jacob were working on. The phone rang. “Hello?” No one answered the other end, so she hung up the phone. The phone rang again. She answered, and still no one answered back. The phone rang again a third time, and when she picked it up, she heard breathing on the other end. “I can hear you breathing, I know who you are. What do you want?” she yelled into the phone before slamming the receiver down as her hands began trembling.

She picked up the phone, and tried to push the right buttons to call her sister. She could only hear the voicemail. “This is Karen, leave a message and I’ll call you back.” Jaxon hung up and called another number. A man answered the phone. “Hello?” Jaxon could barely talk without crying. “Jake…” “Jaxon, are you okay?” “Can…you come over?”

***

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.” Jacob hung up the phone, got up, and grabbed his coat. Megan looked up from the book she had her nose in. “What’s up, honey?” “Something happened to Jaxon. She was almost crying when she called me just now.” “That’s unlike her, Jake. You’d better go make sure she is okay.” “Thanks, Megs. I’ll be back later.” He kissed her and headed out the door. As Jaxon awaited Jacob’s arrival, she went into her bedroom, sat on her bed, and cried. “Where are you, Karen? I need you.” She heard Jacob pull up in the drive, so she got dressed quickly and headed out the door. Before Jake reached the door, it burst open, and Jaxon came flying out and into his arms, sobbing. “Jaxon? Are you okay?” Jaxon just sobbed in Jacob’s arms. When she finally composed herself, they walked into the house.

Jacob looked at Jaxon. “What’s wrong? I have never seen you this upset before.” She sat on the couch across from Jacob. “My ex, he found me…he called tonight, he never says a word, just breathes in the phone. He is the only person that I have ever been really afraid of. He almost killed me once, and so I moved across the country to here. I thought I got away from him, found somewhere he couldn’t find me, I even changed my name, and changed my appearance, but somehow he has found me.” She took a deep breath, and then continued. “When we were first dating, he acted kind and gentle, but all that changed when we got married. He decided that he didn’t like me voicing my opinion, so anytime I disagreed with him, he raised his hand to me.” The tears started flowing again as she continued. “I learned to keep my opinions to myself, but he didn’t stop there. He had to control all facets of my life. He wouldn’t let me go out, told me what to wear, and what to eat. Anytime he didn’t like what I cooked, he would hit me. In the bedroom, he would force me to have sex with him even when I didn’t want to. He even stopped me from seeing my family.” Jacob took both her hands to comfort her. “I’m so sorry, Jax.” She cracked a small, pathetic smile. “Jake, no one knows. I’m not even sure why I’m telling you now.” “Maybe because you needed to tell someone that you trust.” “Perhaps. Anyway, I took the beatings and the rapes for a while, and then one day it occurred to me that I shouldn’t live like that. I had people who were willing to help me. I just needed to reach out to them. So one day, when he came home, I told him that I was going leave him. He got this crazy look in his eyes that I had never seen before, and he grabbed me and screamed that if I was going to leave him, he would kill me. He hit me in the face and knocked me down to the ground. He pulled a knife and came at me. He kept saying that if he couldn’t have me, no one would. “I struggled to my feet and tried to defend myself, but he slashed at me with the knife.” She pulled up her tank top to reveal a scar on her stomach that ran from one side to the other. “After he slashed me, I fell to the ground, but managed to grab the phone. I hit the corner of the counter on my way down and that knocked me unconscious. It turned out that luck was on my side. He thought I was dead,

with the blood coming from my stomach and my head. He panicked, dropped the knife, and left. I woke up a bit later, still bleeding and disorientated. I tried to get up, but I fell. I saw the phone on the ground and managed to dial 911. I must have ed out, because the next thing I is waking up in the hospital with my family. A few days later, they released me, and we went straight to the police station to file a report, making sure that he could never hurt me again. “A few days after the divorce was final, I moved. I ended up in Oklahoma of all places. I lived there for a few months, and that’s when the calls started. At first, I didn’t think anything about them, but they never stopped and a strange truck kept following me. One day I saw who the driver was, so I called the cops and had him arrested. Then I moved again. That’s how I ended up here in Avalon.” The tears started again. “I’m so scared, Jake. I don’t know what to do!” They hugged again. Jake stood up and took Jaxon by the hand. “Go pack a bag. You’re going to stay at my place until I catch this guy.” Jaxon was about to protest when Jake put up his hand to stop her. “Megan won’t mind a bit, and Kaleb will be thrilled to have someone else to play with.” Jaxon smiled a little and went to pack a bag. Jacob called his wife and told her to make up the guest room. Jax came back into the room with her bags packed. “Thank you so much, Jacob. Are you sure Megan will be okay with this?” “Of course, Jax. I just called her to make sure. You will be safe with us, and I’m sure Megan will love the company.” Jacob took out his pad and a pen. “What is your ex’s name?” “His name is Charles Bennett.” “What was your name before you changed it?” Jaxon looked down as a tear fell. “Alicia Mays. I haven’t dared call my parents or anything, afraid that he would find me again. The worst part is that the police in New York didn’t do anything, didn’t even arrest him. That is why I became a

police officer, so I could make sure that what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else.” They got into the Jeep and headed to Jacob’s house, taking a different way there to make sure that no one was following them. They reached his house without any problems. As they entered the home, Megan greeted them both with a hug. “It’s good to see you again, Jaxon.” Jaxon smiled and returned the hug. “Thanks, Megan. Are you sure it’s okay that I stay here? I don’t want to intrude.” “Of course, Jaxon. You are always welcome here. I have set up the guest room.” Just then, Kaleb came into the room, saw Jaxon, and gave her a big bear hug. “Hi Jax, wanna see my new toys?” Jaxon smiled really big at Kaleb. “Sure, buddy, lead the way.” Kaleb led her into his room. While Jaxon was busy looking at the toys Kaleb was showing her, Jacob related her story to Megan. “She can stay as long as she needs to, love.” Jaxon came back into the room. “He is a real sweet boy. You two are lucky to have him.” “Thanks. Yes, we are very lucky. The room is all made up for you.” Jaxon smiled gratefully. “Thanks again. You both are true friends.” The three of them stayed up and talked for a while before heading to bed. Jaxon closed the door to her room and sat on the bed. The pain was way too close to the surface and she desperately needed to talk to the one person who could always help her calm down. She dialed a number on her cell. A woman answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Karen…” Jaxon started crying again. “Jax, are you okay? What’s wrong, sweetheart?” “Oh Karen, I’m so scared.” “Tell me what happened, sweetheart.” “My ex found me again.” “Oh no! Are you okay?” “I don’t know. I just need to see you. Can you come to me?” “Yeah, I just got home. Where are you at?” “I’m at my partner’s house. Don’t worry. He and his family are asleep.” “All right. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” “Okay, see ya when you get here. Go to the back door and I’ll let you in.” Ten minutes later, Jaxon eased the back door open, let her best friend in, and led her to her room. The moment Jaxon closed the door to her room, they embraced. They spent the night together talking, and Karen got up to leave before anyone else woke up. On her way out, she kissed Jaxon on the cheek. “Sleep well, sweetie.”

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning, instead of going to work, Jacob drove them to the martial arts dojo where he practiced his martial arts. “Where are we going, Jacob?” Jaxon asked. “We are going to the gym. I’m going to teach you how to defend yourself in case your ex somehow gets to you.” Jaxon started to protest. “Jake, I already know hand-to-hand combat. I was trained at the police academy, just like you were.” Jacob smiled. “That’s good, but what I and my teacher are going to teach you is much more effective. We are going to teach you to use your fear to your advantage.” Jaxon smiled and gave in, not having the energy to argue much. “All right, I’ll do it. Thank you so much, Jacob, for everything you and Megan have done for me.” “Everything you will need is in the backseat. Let’s go kick some butt.” They both walked into the gym. “Jaxon, this is my teacher, Master Lin. Master, this is Jaxon, my partner at work.” Master Lin bowed. “Nice to meet you, Jaxon.” She bowed in response. “Nice to meet you too, Master Lin.” “First, we are going to teach you how to strike. Let me see you throw a few punches.” Jaxon threw a few punches at the bag. “Not bad, but let’s see if we can get your jab crisper. Also, you need to keep your hands up when you punch. Let me show you what I mean.” Lin threw some very

sharp, crisp jabs. “Now you try.” Jaxon continued to throw punches at the bag. “Very good, keep going.” They continued to work on her punches for an hour or so. “Good job, Jaxon. You’re improving. Keep practicing. We’ll work on your kicks when I see the both of you again in two days.” Jaxon and Jacob nodded and bowed to Master Lin, and headed back home. When they got home, they showered, dressed, and headed for work. “Thanks for the workout. I needed it.” Jacob chuckled. “No problem. I could tell you needed to get some frustrations out, but the fun has just started.”

***

In a small two-bedroom apartment, Charles Bennett stood at the window. He took another drag on the cigarette he was smoking. Looking at the sunset always made it easier to think. There was just something about the beauty of the sunset. Charles picked up the phone and dialed a number. The call was answered by an answering machine. “This is Jaxon Strong. I’m not home right now…” He slammed down the phone and a few cuss words escaped his lips. “She has forced my hand, and she will regret that move.” The man calmed a bit as he thought about the situation. “Hmm. Maybe this will prove to be a good turn of events. Perhaps I can use this to my advantage.” Charles sat in the chair, took a puff from his pipe, and thought more about what his next move should be. He gathered up his surveillance equipment and went to where his van was parked. He got into his van and headed downtown to the

Avalon Police station to wait and watch for Jaxon. Soon after he arrived, he saw a dark-blue four-door Jeep pull into the parking lot. Jaxon and Jacob got out and headed into the building. “Looks like I’ll have to do a lot of surveillance in order to be able to get to her alone. Or perhaps I’ll have to get rid of him to get to her.”

***

Jaxon and Jacob entered their office and found the phone records of Juan and Sarah sitting on their desks. They scanned the phone records, and Jaxon was the first to speak. “It says here that Sarah and Juan were calling each other a long time before they were ever seen together in the club. We need to go back to the club and see if Sarah was seen with anyone else. There is a number on both phone records that doesn’t match any other number we have. Let’s get that number traced while we go to the club and have a talk with Eve again.” “Right behind you,” Jacob said as he grabbed his coat. “We can get something to eat on the way. I’m starved.” They reached the club, and as luck would have it, the same bartender Jaxon had previously spoken with was at the bar. They made their way to the counter. “Hello again, Eve.” “Oh, hello again, Detectives. What can I do for you this time?” “Well, you can start by telling us who else Sarah McBride has been seen with here.” “Hmm, let’s see.” The bartender started to think. One of the waitresses overheard the question and walked up to the detectives. “You’re looking for that young girl that got taken a few days ago, right? I watched it on the news. Very sad. I saw her in here a few weeks ago. She came

in with some white dude in a very expensive suit. I only them because he tipped me a fifty-dollar bill.” “Did you ever see her in here with this Mexican?” They showed her a picture. She thought for a minute. “Come to think of it, yeah, I did see her and that Mexican in here talking to that same white dude.” “Do you think you could describe this ‘white dude’ to a sketch artist?” The waitress nodded. “Good. You’ve been a big help. Thank you so much. Here. Take our card in case you think of anything else.” The young waitress turned to leave, then took one more look at Jacob, winked at him, and left. As Jake talked with some of the patrons in the bar, Jaxon’s phone rang. She answered it. It was the medical examiner, who revealed that she had new information on the murder of the mayor’s adopted daughter. When Jake got off the phone, Jax told Jake that the ME needed to see them about the mayor’s daughter. They’d found some evidence on the girl’s body. They jumped into the jeep and headed to the ME’s office. “What’s wrong, Jax? You’re being really quiet.” “Oh, nothing. Just thinking about stuff.” “Well, I’m a good listener if you need to talk.” “Thanks, Jake. Maybe later, okay?” “That’s fine. Let’s go see what they have for us.” They walked into the ME’s office and found the medical examiner waiting for them. “What do you have for us, Mack?”

“Well, I have all four bullets that killed that poor girl. She was shot four times in the chest and once in the head. The strange thing is that the head shot was the one that killed her and the other four shots were done after she died. The head shot was done with a bigger caliber gun, a .45. The other four shots were done with a .40.” Jaxon shook her head as she looked down at the young girl’s body. “It’s so sad that this girl was taken out in the prime of her life. It’s just not right. So, it was made to look like a hate crime, when it was actually a hit done by a professional. Also, there is evidence that she was raped repeatedly.” Jacob glanced down at the girl. “Have you gotten the rape kit back yet?” The ME shook his head. “No, but I’m expecting it any day now.” Jacob turned to Jaxon. “I guess he wanted to make this one personal as well.” He gazed off to the side as if lost in thought. Jaxon noticed him. “Jacob, are you all right?” He looked up at the ME. “I need that .45; I may know who killed this girl.” The ME handed over the bullet and Jake walked out. Jaxon hurried to catch up. “Hey, Jake, what was that all about?” “I think…” Jacob took a deep breath. “I think that the person who killed Melanie is the same person who killed Rachel. This murder is very similar to Rachel’s murder. Both were shot in the head with a .45 and were then shot multiple times in the chest using a different caliber gun. That is why I took the .45 bullet. I want to see if this bullet matches the one taken from Rachel.” They headed to the local CSI laboratory to check the ballistics. Jacob and Jaxon paced back and forth, anxiously waiting for the answer that Jacob already suspected and knew in his heart was coming. The lab tech glanced up from the comparison microscope and looked over at the two detectives.

“I have some results for you, Detectives. The bullet removed from Melanie does match the bullet you gave me.” Jacob took a deep breath. “So, you are saying that both bullets came from the same gun?” “Yes, sir. That is what I’m saying.” “You’re sure they came from the same gun?” “Yes, I’m sure. If you look in this microscope, you will see that the lands and grooves match on both bullets.” Jacob checked the microscope and then turned to Jaxon, moving so that she could confirm what he saw. She looked at her partner with an approving grin. “They’re a match.” “Now all we need is to find the gun and then we find the man who killed the mayor’s daughter and my family.”

Chapter Eighteen

Jacob and Jaxon decided to attend the candlelight vigil held for Melanie Calloway at the park near where she’d been murdered that night. They were hoping that someone would know something and come forward. Her friends from school and the neighborhood took turns speaking about the good that their friend was known for doing. A young girl walked up to the front of the crowd. “I would like to say something. Melanie and I were best friends, and I miss her every day. I that she would go out of her way to make friends with the kids who didn’t have any. She always said that she would want someone to do that for her if she didn’t have any friends.”

***

Standing a good distance away, a white male in a hat and trenchcoat watched the two detectives, being careful to stay out of view. The man made his way through the crowd and approached one of the young women. “Would you do a favor for me and take this note to those detectives over there?” He handed her the note and a fifty-dollar bill. “Are you serious? You’re giving me fifty dollars to give a note to one of those detectives?” “Yes. Are you interested?” “Of course I am.” She took the note and the fifty-dollar bill and walked over to the detectives. As everyone started to leave, both Jacob and Jaxon handed out cards with their numbers on them. “If any of you know anything about how she was killed or by

whom, please give us a call.” The young woman slipped Jacob the note and walked off.

***

Jacob unfolded the piece of paper and read it. Once he finished it, he drew his weapon and scanned the area. Jaxon saw Jacob pull his weapon, so she pulled hers as well. “What’s up, Jake?” Jacob handed Jaxon the note and continued to scan the area, looking for the young woman who’d given him the note. Jaxon read the note. “I’M WATCHING YOU. YOU CAN’T ESCAPE ME ALICIA.” As the two detectives searched the area, Jacob heard a soft voice, almost a whisper. “In the trees, Jake.” Jacob shook his head and then headed toward the trees, his weapon at the ready and Jaxon close behind. “Where are we going, Jake?” He thought about the question. “I thought I saw someone or something over here.” They reached the trees and found no one. “Jake, take a look at this.” Jaxon walked over to a low-hanging branch and found a ripped piece of cloth stuck on it. She pulled out a handkerchief, picked up the piece of cloth, and placed it in a bag. They called CSI to make a sweep of the area for any more evidence, and instructed them to call either Jacob or Jaxon if they found anything.

***

The morning after the vigil, there was a car parked along the street that Jacob had never seen before. He looked at it for a moment. “Jax, see that car across the street?” “Yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s a bit out of your price range, Jake.” “That car has never been there before, and I know what car all my neighbors drive.” Jaxon pulled out a notepad and copied down the license-plate number. Jake pulled out of his driveway and they headed to the gym for the next part of Jaxon’s training. “Today we will see if you have practiced what you learned. You will be sparring together. No kicks, Jacob, just punches.” Jacob nodded. “Yes, Master.” They both put on their sparring gear, and entered the ring. They bowed to Master Lin, then to each other. Lin looked at both of them and then shouted. “BEGIN!” They began circling the ring, feeling each other out. Jaxon stepped closer and threw a couple of jabs followed by a straight right hand, which Jacob easily blocked. “Pretty good, Jax. See if you can stop my advance.” Jacob stepped in and set up a right cross with a few jabs, followed by a left hook. Jaxon started to block the jabs while retreating a few steps. Jacob advanced as Jaxon retreated, throwing more punches. “Not bad at all. Here comes more.” They continued going back and forth; neither of them gained any true advantage

over the other. After about a half hour of going back and forth, Master Lin stopped them. “Very good, both of you. You both have improved. I’ll see you both back here in two days.” They all bowed, and then Jaxon and Jacob left and headed back to Jacob’s place to shower and get ready for work. “You did very well, Jaxon. I’m really impressed.” “Thanks, Jacob. That means a lot, coming from you.”

***

After Jacob and Jaxon left, Megan started on some housework. The doorbell rang. Megan went to the door and peeked through the eyehole to see who was there. A man with long brown hair, a beard, and a mustache was standing on the other side of the door. Something told her not to answer the door. She stepped away, her breath catching in her throat. She only managed to put a few feet between herself and the door before it flew open and the man burst in, wielding a gun. The man placed a finger to his lips. “Be still. Do not speak and no harm will come to you or your little one, for you are not the one I’m after.” He sat Megan and Kaleb down in a chair and waited for Jacob and Jaxon to arrive. As they sat there, Kaleb looked at his mommy. “What is going on, Mommy?” “Everything will be all right, sweetheart. Mommy won’t let anything happen to you.” Megan held Kaleb tight and prayed that Jacob would know what to do. As Jacob and Jaxon approached the house, Jacob noticed that that same car was still sitting along the street. He then noticed that the front door to his home had

been kicked in. He got on the radio, called in for backup, and told them to approach with caution. Jacob and Jaxon decided to play this as if they hadn’t noticed anything. Jacob sent Jaxon around to the back door, and he headed for the front. Jacob pushed the door open gently with his free hand while he pulled his gun with the other. Jaxon slipped her gun out of the holster, gently opening the back door, and quietly entered the house. Jacob kept his eyes moving as he went down the front hall, not looking at any one thing too long until he saw his wife and son sitting on a chair in the living room, a man holding them at gunpoint. Jacob saw Jaxon approaching and motioned for her to hold her position. Jacob took a step toward the living room, and shouted, “Police! Freeze, dirtbag!” The man holding Jacob’s family hostage turned toward him. “Ah, Detective Alexander, so good of you to us.” He looked around, seeming disappointed. “And where is Detective…what does she call herself now? Strong, is it? I’m sure she is around here somewhere, which, coincidentally, is the reason I’m here.” Jaxon stepped into the room and was shocked to see who it was that had Megan and Kaleb at gunpoint. “Ah, Alicia, or should I say Jaxon? So good to see you again. I saw you weren’t hiding the gift I gave you when you left me.” Jaxon clenched her fist, raised her gun, and pointed it toward the man. Jacob motioned for her to lower it. “That’s right, Alicia. Put your gun down before you hurt someone. At least you have learned to do as you’re told. My, my, you are still as beautiful as I you being.” Jacob glared at the man. “You must be Charles Bennett…the man I’m going to

beat half to death.” “That I am, Detective Alexander. That I am. But I’m not so sure you will get the chance to…what did you say? Beat me half to death?” Jaxon glared at her ex, and if a look could kill, he would have dropped dead right there. “This is just between you and me. Leave Megan and Kaleb out of this. Let them go and I’ll go wherever you want me to go. Just don’t hurt them.” Charles smiled a most devilish smile. “I’ll have to think about that for a moment. That is what I want, but having them, I could get so much more. Hmm. Decisions, decisions. What to do, what to do? I could shoot everyone and then leave the country. I could just take you and leave, then kill you later.” Jaxon continued to stare at him. “Or I could challenge you to fight and if I win, you leave and never come back. Of course, you are too much of a coward to do that.” Charles laughed. “I have made up my mind. You will come with me, or I’ll shoot everyone here, including the little one.” “All right. You got it. Just let Megan and Kaleb go, and I’ll go with you.” Jaxon started walking toward Charles, when Jacob’s dog Buff came into the room from being outside. Buff saw him and the gun pointed at his family. With a growl and a snarl, he went after him, sinking his teeth into Charles’s left hamstring, which caused him to cry out, moving his attention to the pain. Jaxon took this opportunity, grabbed Charles’s hand with the gun, and disarmed him while she slammed him to the ground. Then she got on top of him and started punching him and screaming at him. Jacob watched for a moment, and then finally pulled his partner off of Charles, calmed her down, then handcuffed him. Jaxon stared at him for a moment. “I guess you haven’t made up your mind after all.” “Buff! If he moves, kill him,” Jacob commanded. He then went over to his family and made sure that they were okay. They embraced each other while the police took Charles to the station and booked him.

Jacob looked at Jaxon. “That disarming technique you used on him was very well done.” Jaxon smiled. “Thanks. I learned from the best.” Buff walked up to his master and barked. Jacob laughed and scratched his fourlegged friend behind the ears. “Good boy, Buff. Good boy.”

Chapter Nineteen

Kitty Star paced back and forth on a street corner by the police station smoking a cigarette. Why should I get involved? I’m not even sure I know what I saw. She took a drag and began pacing again. I shouldn’t get involved; it’s none of my business anyway. She continued to pace back and forth and took yet another drag. Why should I risk my safety? I’m not a snitch. She put her cigarette out and walked into the police station. She stopped short of the front door to the police station, turned around, and walked away, muttering how they wouldn’t have believed her anyway, so why try.

***

A man ed Kitty on his way to the police station and thought to himself, I could use her, yes, she will do nicely. Hmm. He pretended to accidentally bump into the young woman, knocking her to the ground. He bent down to help her up. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there. Are you all right, miss? Are you hurt?” She looked up at the man. “I don’t think I’m hurt.” He smiled. “Good. What is your name?” “My name is Kitty. Kitty Star.” “Pleasure to meet you, Kitty. My name is Drew Hammonds.” “Pleasure to meet you, too.” “You must let me make this up to you. Are you free tomorrow night?” Kitty blushed “I…I don’t know…I think so.” She looked away, trying to hide the

redness in her cheeks. She handed him a card containing her phone number and address and smiled. “See you tomorrow night, Drew.” Kitty walked away smiling.

***

At the police station, Jacob and Jaxon sat at their desks. The phone rang and Jacob picked it up. “Homicide. Detective Alexander speaking.” A female’s voice came on the line. “I have some information on the murder of the mayor’s daughter. Meet me at the old abandoned warehouse off of California and Elm Street in two hours. Don’t be late and make sure you two come alone.” Jacob heard a click on the other end and then hung up the phone, confused. Jaxon looked at Jacob. “What’s wrong, Jake?” “The call I just got. Some woman told me that she had information on the mayor’s daughter’s case. She said to meet her at the old abandoned warehouse.” “Could be a setup, Jake, but we don’t have much to go on, either.” “Very true. We will just have to be careful. Let’s go get some lunch and head that way.” Jaxon nodded, grabbed her coat, and headed out the door. They drove toward the warehouse where they were supposed to meet the woman, and stopped at a local Chinese place on the way. They then continued to where the warehouse was located. While the detectives were waiting a few streets away, in the warehouse, a white male was making preparations for their arrival. He tested his recording of a female’s voice, placed the other people where he needed them for the ambush to work, and then waited in the shadows.

Alexander and Strong pulled up to the warehouse and turned off their car. Jacob turned to Jaxon. “I have a really bad feeling about this. We need to be extremely careful. There could be a lot of people in this building or there could just be the female I talked to. There are too many variables. I just don’t like this.” Jaxon nodded and drew her weapon and the both of them made their way up to the warehouse. Jacob tested the handle of the door, which seemed to be unlocked. He slowly opened it just enough to be able to look inside. Very little light came in the building. The windows looked like they were boarded up, and what little light there was came from in between the boards. There was dust on the floor. Rust had started to show up on the old equipment as time and weather had started taking its toll. Jacob opened the door further and noticed a catwalk and a second level to this warehouse. “There’s a second level. This just got more dangerous. Call for backup, but tell them to approach silently.” Jaxon nodded and called dispatch to get backup. They entered the warehouse, weapons at the ready. They each scanned the area with their flashlights as they moved forward, looking around. Jaxon moved slowly up the stairs to the catwalk that led to the upper level. As she made her way through the upper level, she saw something move in the shadows. “Stop! Police!” Jaxon moved quickly toward the area where something had moved. She whispered into her radio, “Jacob, I saw someone or something up here!” “All right. I’ll be right there. Be careful!” Jacob started up the stairs to meet Jaxon.

He got to where Jaxon was and also saw something move in the shadows. He motioned toward Jaxon to follow his lead, and they moved quietly toward where they’d seen the motion. They continued, their flashlights leading the way, and noticed more movement. They shined their flashlights toward the movement and caught a fleeting glimpse of a uniformed black male. They closed in on him and noticed that he had been shot. Jaxon radioed for an ambulance as Jacob checked the man’s wounds. On further examination, Jacob noticed that the man’s uniform was the uniform of an armored transport officer. Jacob motioned for Jaxon to stay with the man while he checked out the rest of the warehouse. In the ading room, Jacob found the armored truck and its driver facedown beside it, a bullet wound in his head. He made his way around to the rear of the truck. He found the doors opened and all the cash removed. He radioed for CSI and started taping off the crime scene. As the CSI unit was dispatched, Jacob started looking around the crime scene. As he ed about the female he was supposed to be meeting, he started searching for her in the surrounding area. After he finished searching and didn’t find anyone, he figured she had probably gotten cold feet. He turned and looked at the armored truck and wondered what this had to do with the woman, if anything. Had they been set up? He motioned for Jax to him. She walked up to him. “What’s up?” “The woman we were supposed to meet here isn’t here, which begs the question, why is there an armored truck sitting in this warehouse? There has to be something else going on here.” “I agree, but what? This whole thing is sketchy to say the least.” “We need to find answers. I’m going to talk to the other guard. Why don’t you go search the truck.” Jaxon nodded and walked over to the truck and started searching the area. Jacob went over to where the paramedics were treating the other guard. “I need to ask him some questions.”

“Make it quick, we’re about to take him to the hospital to get checked out.” “My name is Detective Alexander. Tell me what happened?” “Well, we were on our route and we were at the last stop of the day. It was at an abandoned warehouse, so I called my dispatch, and confirmed the address. It was the correct address so I had gone into the establishment to make the delivery. It went smooth, which was surprising, but when I went back out to get in the truck it was surrounded by men with automatic weapons. They told me to get in the truck and to drive it here. Once we were here they made us get out of the truck. Once we did that, they shot the driver. I ran when they shot him and caught a bullet for my trouble. They must have been in a hurry ’cause they didn’t follow me. I’m not sure why they took the truck; we didn’t have much in the truck.” After he was done telling the story, Jacob realized they had been set up. He turned to head back and warn his partner, when there was a big explosion back where Jaxon was. “JAXON!” Jacob shouted. He started to run toward where she’d been, but a wall of fire and the heat of the flames kept him from getting too close. “NO!” he screamed as he sank to his knees, tears in his eyes.

Chapter Twenty

As the fire burned, a black full-sized Chevy van with tinted windows sped away. The van pulled into a commercialized part of town and stopped in front of another deserted warehouse. Two men jumped out of the front and a third opened the sliding door and pulled a woman, bound and gagged with a hood over her head, out of the car and into the building. Once inside, the men took the unconscious woman into a tiny room with cement walls and a small window and laid her on a waiting bed.

***

On an adjacent bed sat a second young woman. After the men left the room, the younger of the two women got up and checked on the other. She gently shook the other woman. The woman began to stir. She screamed. The younger woman tried to calm her down. “It’s okay… No one is here. You are safe now.” “Where am I? Who are you? What happened?” “My name is Sarah. What is yours?” Jaxon held her head in pain and whispered, “Jaxon, but my friends call me Jax...” “Well, Jax, we are under the protection of the Unknown. He keeps us here and rewards us for good behavior.” Jaxon looked up at Sarah with questions in her eyes. “Who is the Unknown?”

“The protector, Jaxon. The man who brought us here. He protects us from all others who would harm us.” “Who would harm us, Sarah?” Jaxon asked. “The Unknown says everyone, and I believe him. He showed us, and made us see that his way is the only way.” “How did he make you see? What did they do to you?” “He teaches us right from wrong. He takes care of us.” “I don’t understand, Sarah.” “Don’t worry, you will understand. They will make you understand. Once they give you the serum, you will understand. It makes everything clear.” “What is this serum they give you?” “It makes everything clear. It opens your eyes to the way of things.” “How long have you been here, Sarah?” She thought for a moment, and then looked at Jaxon. “I…” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. My eyes are open, and your eyes will be as well.” Jaxon bit her lip. “What is our reward, if we behave?” “He comes to visit us and sometimes he brings us playmates,” Sarah said, smiling. “Who are the playmates he brings?” “He sometimes lets the other girls who are here come and we can be together all day. I like being with them. It’s a lot better than being alone, like we are most of the time.” She giggled and moved back to her bed. “I bet they would like you too.” “Are those the only playmates?”

Sarah suddenly got very serious. “No, we don’t talk about the others. We’re not allowed. That is the punishment we get if we are bad. No, I can’t talk about them.” Jaxon sat on her bed, considering what Sarah had said. Jaxon walked over and sat next to Sarah. “Sarah, I need to talk to you. What this man is doing to you is wrong. You are just being used. We need to get you back to your family.” Sarah shook her head. “No, you don’t understand, he loves me and is keeping me safe. I can’t leave him. He is my family and he makes me happy. Why would I want to leave? I like being here. Look, this is my room, and now we get to share this room. He said he would be bringing me someone to stay to keep me company when he isn’t here, because I have been so good.” Jax decided that if Sarah was forthcoming, she might be willing to tell her the information she needed. She needed to find out more about what was going on so that she could use that information to get them out of this place. “Sarah, sweetie, how often does this man come to you?” “Whenever he has time to come. At least that’s what he says. I just wish he could come more; I get lonely in here. Which is probably why he brought you.” “Do you talk to him when he comes to visit you, Sarah? Or does he just reward you and then leave?” Sarah sat up on her bed, looking at Jax. “I get really lonely here all by myself, so when he comes to me, I ask him to stay and talk, and sometimes he does.” Jax started to feel more positive about their current situation and decided to keep asking questions. “So what do you and he talk about?” Sarah fidgeted. “Oh, you know. Normal stuff. He usually starts complaining about the people who work with him and how they are dumb and incompetent. Oh, and this one time he said he had to teach one of his people why they don’t betray him. It happened when I first got here. He was in here with me when one

of his people came in and said there was a situation that he needed to take care of. He doesn’t like to be disturbed when he is with me. So he left and went into the other room. Soon after he left, I heard a bunch of yelling, and then I heard screaming.” Jax moved closer to Sarah. “Tell me more, Sarah.” “Oh, I don’t know if I should. I have probably already said too much now.” “We are friends now, and friends tell each other everything.” Sarah smiled big and started talking again. “Then this other time, he was drunk. He gave me my reward and then he was saying something about an assassin he hired many years ago to kill some woman and her kid. That kind of scared me so I asked him to tell me more, but he wouldn’t say anything else. Oh, and when I first got here, he told me that there is no way out of here because he is one of only three people who have a key to the door.” “Who are the other two, Sarah?” Sarah’s eyes grew wide and she curled up into a ball. “His second in command, but he never comes in here…” Sarah trailed off and started to shake. Jax frowned and placed a hand on her shoulder. “What did he do to you?” she asked. Sarah whispered so softly that her words barely reached Jax’s ears. “He is the one who brought us here…” Sarah whimpered. “He told me what he would do to me if I ever tried to escape. He said he’d have his way with me and then kill me. Slowly. And I believe him.” Suddenly, the door burst open, and a big burly man rushed in, club in hand. “What are you two talking about? You know it’s lights out, so be quiet! And why aren’t you in the clothes you were given? Put them on NOW before I put them on you.” The man hit the bed with the club and turned to leave. Jax saw her opening, jumped up, and kicked the man in the back. The man didn’t fall. Instead, he turned and backhanded Jax, sending her sprawling to the ground. He smirked

and turned to leave the room. Sarah rushed over to Jax and helped her back up to the bed. “Are you okay, Jax? You really should change.” Jax rubbed her cheek and nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. Man, he has a hard slap. I would hate to feel his punch. I’m not about to do anything these monsters say.” As Sarah talked on, Jax’s thoughts wandered. There was only one thing on her mind: how to get them out of this mess. She knew that they needed Jacob’s help, but how would she get word to him? The next time I see that fat guy again, he is going to regret hitting me, that is for sure. Now all I need is a plan.

Chapter Twenty-One

Jacob stumbled into his home and fell into the nearest chair. Megan heard the door and rushed to his side. She took his hands. “Baby, are you okay? What happened?” Jacob started to shake. Megan squeezed Jake’s hands and looked into his eyes. “Tell me what’s happened, Jake. Please.” “Jax is…” Jacob searched for the words. Tears started to form in his eyes. “What’s going on, Jake? What happened to Jax? Is she okay?” He shook his head, not saying a word. Megan’s face dropped, and she cried with him. “I’m so sorry, babe.” Jacob finally gained enough control to relate the events to Megan about what had happened to Jax. They both cried. Just then, Kaleb entered the room and saw his parents crying. Kaleb got a concerned look and ran up to his parents. “W-w-what are you both crying about?” Megan looked at her son and motioned him over to them. “Bubba, we have something to tell you and you might not understand at first, so if you have any questions please ask, okay?” Kaleb nodded his head as he walked over to them. They both hugged him tight and had him sit down between them. Megan looked at Kaleb. “You us telling you about Daddy’s friend

who died a long time ago, right?” Kaleb nodded and crawled into his dad’s lap. Jacob smiled and wrapped his arms around his son. Jacob continued. “Mommy, Jax, and I were out trying to find out who killed Daddy’s friend, and there was an accident…and Jax…” Jacob struggled to find the words to explain to his son that one of their best friends had died. Megan saw her loving husband struggle and started to speak. “Kaleb, Jax is… gone, and she won’t be coming back.” Kaleb thought about what he was just told. He looked up at his parents. “She didn’t die like your friend, Daddy! My friend told me she wasn’t, Daddy.” Jacob stared. “What friend, Bubba?” He glanced over at Megan, who gave him a helpless shrug, not knowing what their son was talking about. Kaleb suddenly got excited. “H-h-he is right here, D-D-Daddy.” Kaleb pointed to his right side, as if another person were in the room. His parents stared in confusion. “Where, Bubba? I don’t see anyone,” said Jacob. Kaleb jumped out of his seat, walked a couple of steps, and pointed to the right. “Right here, D-D-Daddy.” Jacob and Megan stared at the empty space, a questioning gaze plastered on their faces. “We can’t see your friend, Bubba,” said Jacob. Kaleb laughed. “Of course not, D-D-Daddy, he is in-in-in...” He tried to think of the correct word to use. “Invisible, honey.” “Yeah, that.” Kaleb beamed. Jacob, intrigued by this, whispered to Megan, “Megs, we should ask him more

about his friend.” She nodded. “So, Kaleb, what is your friend’s name, and what does your friend look like?” Kaleb got an excited look on his face. “He is a little boy like me, D-D-Daddy. He has brown hair and blue eyes, and his smile’s not straight.” “What do you mean his smile isn’t straight?” “He looks like you, Dad, when you only half-smile. His name is umm…Isa…” “Isaac,” answered his dad, finishing his statement. “Do you really see him, Bubba?” “Yep, I do, D-D-Daddy. He comes to play with me when I get sad or hurt.” Megan looked at her husband in shock. “How did you know what his friend’s name was?” “He is…” Jacob sank back into his chair, and took a deep breath. Megan suddenly ed. “Your son is Bubba’s friend.” Jacob nodded, that same crooked grin on his face.

Chapter Twenty-Two

After the investigation had been concluded and after the funeral for Jaxon, Jacob returned to work. He was called into the captain’s office. “You wanted to see me, Captain?” “Yes, Jake. Please come in and take a seat.” He entered his boss’s office and sat as the captain shut the door. The captain sat down at his desk again and looked at Jake. “Have they made any headway in your late fiancée’s case, Jake?” Jacob looked down, ing what his son had told him. “No sir, not since linking the Calloway case and Rachel’s case together. It appears to have gone cold again. Whoever did this is gone now, sir.” Captain Williams looked his friend in the eyes. “Jake, I think now would be a good time to take some time off and get some things straight in your head. You have suffered a big loss. We all have, and I think it would do you some good.” Jacob looked up as if to interrupt him, but the captain lifted a hand to stop him. “This isn’t up for debate. I’m putting you on two months paid leave, and then after that, you have to see the department counselor, so use the time wisely, Jake.” He gave Jacob a reassuring smile. “I’m going to need your shield and firearm.” Jacob looked up. “What about the case?” “Don’t worry about that, Jake. I’ll assign someone to work the case.” Jacob knew that arguing wouldn’t help his case, so he placed his shield and firearm on the desk and walked out of the precinct. As he traveled home, his thoughts turned to Rachel and Isaac. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I have failed you and Isaac.”

Jacob continued driving, lost in his thoughts, but startled when he heard a voice. “Ye haven’t failed us, Jake. Everything will work out. Have patience, me dear.” He pulled into the driveway, slowly got out of his Jeep, and headed into the house. As he entered the house, Megan jumped, not expecting him to walk through the door. “You scared me, Jake!” She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “What’s wrong?” “Captain Williams has put me on two months paid leave so I have time to deal with Jaxon’s death.” Megan gave him a smile and a wink. “Look at it this way, Jake. You can help me with the housework. We can’t have you getting too bored.” Jakes laughed in spite of himself and hugged his wife. “That is for sure.” Jake, Megan, and Kaleb took the extra time to get closer as a family again, like they were before. They spent a lot of time in bed talking, getting to know each other again. They all mourned for Jax, except Kaleb, who seemed to know something Jake and Megan might have only considered. “Kaleb, can you come in here, please? Your dad and I would like to talk to you for a few minutes.” “Okay Mommy, I’m coming.” Kaleb came running into the room, jumped into his dad’s lap, and hugged him tight. “I like having you here, D-D-Daddy!” “I like being here too, buddy, but I’ll have to go back to work soon.” Megan took one of Kaleb’s hands and looked at him. “How are you doing, sweetheart?” Kaleb thought for a minute. “I’m fine, Mommy.” Megan smiled. “That’s good, sweetie. Kaleb, you do understand what happened to Jaxon, right? You know why she hasn’t been around lately?”

Kaleb fidgeted for a moment as he pondered the question. “You and D-D-Daddy said that she died in an ex-ex…” He looked up at his dad, trying to the word he used. Jake smiled. “Explosion, buddy.” “Yeah, that’s the word, explosion.” Kaleb got a confused look on his face. “But D-D-Daddy, Jax isn’t dead. My friend Isaac told me so. She is just missing.” A few moments of silence ed and Kaleb got more and more antsy. “Can I go play now, Mommy?” “Yes, sweetie, you can go play.” Kaleb happily jumped up and ran off to play. Jacob and Megan were left to ponder the insight that their son offered. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry I haven’t been around much for you and Kaleb. I promise that I will be from now on. This time off has shown me how much I have truly missed, and I don’t want to miss anything else.” Megan smiled as she took Jake’s hand. “Thank you! That means a lot to us, Jake. When we got married, I knew there would be nights I would spend alone, and I accepted that.” They smiled and embraced each other. After a few days of “alone” time, Jacob was ready to get back to work.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jacob entered his boss’s office to get his shield and weapon back and noticed a young woman waiting there. The captain looked up. “Ah, Jacob, please take a seat. This is your new partner, Detective Sophia Stuart from the downtown precinct.” Jacob glared at his captain. “Sir, with all due respect, I don’t want a new partner, nor do I need one. You know I don’t get along very well with people I don’t know.” Detective Stuart interjected by offering Jacob her hand. “I’m sorry for your loss, Detective Alexander. Losing a partner is really hard.” Jacob raised his eyebrow in curiosity and took her hand. “Thank you. May I speak with you…alone, sir?” The captain looked toward Sophia. “Gives us a few minutes. Go ahead and get set up. We will be right out.” Sophia walked out of the office. “Sir, I don’t need a new partner, and I don’t want one either.” The captain took off his glasses and rubbed his head. “You are aware that everyone here has to have a partner. That’s the way we roll here. Why are you so against getting a new partner anyway, Jake? I know you miss Jax. We all do.” “It’s not just that. Jax is still alive, sir. I know she is.” The captain looked up in utter shock. “What are you saying? You think Jax is still alive? Do you have proof?” Jake looked down. “No, sir. Well…none that you or anyone else would believe.” “You saw the explosion, Jake. You know that no one could have hoped to

survive it.” “Yeah, I know, sir. You know I wouldn’t make up something like that just to get out of getting a new partner if I didn’t know she was truly alive.” The captain nodded. “I know you wouldn’t, Jake, so if what you say is true, just work with her until we find out what happened to Jax. Oh, there is one more thing; the commissioner doesn’t want you working on Jax’s case. He says you only get one favor, and you have used it. You are too involved not to mention a conflict of interest. The best I can do is to have you kept in the loop. I’m sorry, Jake. There is nothing more I can do.” Jacob nodded in acceptance and went out to officially meet his new partner. He sat at his desk and started working on their case load. After a few moments of awkward silence, Sophia spoke up. “So, Jacob, tell me all about yourself. Are you married or single?” Jacob thought a moment before responding. “You are my partner, so we have to work together, but I don’t have to get to know you on a personal level. I’m not ready for that. All we can afford to think about right now is finding out who killed Rachel and Jaxon. Those are our only cases we work.” Jacob went back to his work. A few moments later, he heard a soft voice. You can trust her, Jake. You will need her to solve these cases. He turned back to his new partner with pleading eyes. “Can I trust you, Sophia?” Sophia looked at Jake. “You can trust me. I’m your partner, and partners trust each other. So what do you need me to do first?” Jake smiled. “I need you to take a look at the crime scene photos of Jax’s case.” “Sure, Jake, I can do that. I have a friend in the records department who owes me a favor. Anything in particular you want me to look for?” “See if you can find anything out of place or anything that will tell us if she is dead or alive for sure. There is something that just doesn’t feel right about Jax’s death. Don’t let anyone know you are looking into this. At least not yet. I have to know whom I can trust. They won’t let me near this case because I was her partner. I have to ask––how do you know the records clerk?”

“Oh, we were in SVU together until he got injured on the job, so now he is doing records.” Jake nodded as Sophia headed to the records room. When she arrived, she smiled and waved at the attending officer. “Hey, Clay, how are ya today?” Clay smiled. “Well, look what the cat dragged in. Detective Stuart, what can I do for you?” “Come on, Clay. Is that any way to greet an old friend?” “Sure is when you want something. And I know you want something.” Sophia scowled at him. “How do you know I want something? And besides, you owe me for covering for you. ?” “Yeah, Sophia, I . I just have to give you a hard time because you deserve it. What do you need?” “Since you are such a great friend, I was wondering if you could get me a copy of the Jaxon Strong case file.” Clay looked at her warily. “Isn’t that the case where the cop was caught in an explosion?” Sophia nodded. “I really shouldn’t since your new partner was partners with the cop in this case.” Sophia flashed a smile. “Yeah. That would be the one I need, and make sure everything is there.” Clay sighed. “I’ll get it for you. Hold on a minute. You know I could get fired for this?” Clay returned a few minutes later with a big box.

Sophia smiled. “Thanks, Clay. You’re a great friend, and we’re even now.” She picked up the box and carried it out to her car. As she was about to leave, her phone rang. She answered the phone and recognized Jacob’s voice on the other end. “Did you get everything?” “Yeah, I did, Jake. Did you want to get together and go over it?” “Yes. Let’s meet at six at my place, I’ll text you the address and we can see what we have.” “Six will work. See you then.” “Bye.” As Jake hung up the phone, he glanced over at the clock and sighed. It was time for his appointment with the department’s shrink. He arrived at the shrink’s office and knocked on the door, hoping no one would open it. Much to his dismay, the door opened. Later that night, Sophia arrived at Jake’s house. Megan opened the door and smiled. “You must be Sophia, Jake’s new partner. Jake told me you were coming. I’m Megan, Jake’s wife. Pleasure to meet you. Please come in.” Sophia smiled as she entered the home. Megan showed Sophia into the study. “Jake will be with you in a minute, Sophia. Would you like something to drink?” “Sure. That would be nice. Thank you.” Megan turned and walked into the kitchen to get drinks for everyone. A few minutes later, Jacob walked into the study. “Hey there, Sophia. Did you bring everything?” Sophia turned to face Jacob and nodded. “G’day Jake. Yeah, I got it all.”

“Great. Let’s get started. I hope you don’t mind, but I like to have my wife help me out with cases. She kind of has a knack for stuff like that.” “No worries, mate. I’m just glad you trust me enough to let me help.” They all sat down and started looking through the evidence. As they got going through all the crime scene pictures, Sophia noticed something that didn’t make sense. “Jake? Take a look at this picture of where the explosion happened and tell me what you see.” Jake took the photo and scanned over it, and then gave Sophia a confused look. “I don’t see anything. What am I supposed to be looking at?” “Look at the person in the van in the background, Jake.” Jake picked up a magnifying glass so he could take a closer look. Suddenly, he recognized the man in the driver’s seat of the van. Jake showed the picture to Megan and pointed out the man. Megan’s look turned to terror as she looked toward Kaleb’s bedroom. Sophia noticed the frightened look on Megan’s face. “You two know this person in the van?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jake nodded. “Yeah, we know him. That is Jax’s ex-husband, Charles Bennett. He found Jaxon, broke into my house, and held my family hostage until Jaxon and I were able to stop him. He must’ve gotten out somehow. I was supposed to have been told if and when he ever got out. Someone dropped the ball. Dang lawyers, finding loopholes in the law to get slime like that out of jail. We need to bring him in and question him on what he knows. He will know if Jax is still alive or not.” Jake grabbed his cell phone, called up the station, and asked to talk to one of the other detectives. After a few minutes he hung up the phone. Megan looked at Jake. “What’s that all about?” Jake smiled. “The detective I talked to has been bugging me for a ‘bigger’ case for a while now, so I told him to work on the Calloway case and bring me everything he finds out. All right, here is what we need to do first. Sophia, when you get to the office tomorrow, set up a tail on Charles Bennett. I want to know where he is going and what he is doing. This has to be off the books; they are to only you with what they find. Also, see if you can put a tap on his phone and pull his phone records. No one can know we are working on this case.” Sophia nodded. “What are you going to be doing?” “I’m taking a different angle. I’m going to continue working on Rachel’s case. The Calloway and Storm cases are related, and they may be related to Jax’s case. Charles Bennett is the key.” Jake turned to Megan. “Sweetheart, I need you to search the Internet for any information on Charles Bennett. Anything at all, no matter how small, okay?” Megan nodded and got to work as Jake turned to Sophia. “Let’s see what else we can find.” As they continued to look through the case files, Sophia looked up at Jake. “You

said that you think Rachel’s case and these other two are related?” Jake looked at her questioningly. “I’m starting to think so, why?” “Mind if I take a look at it? A fresh pair of eyes might find something you may have missed.” “Not at all, Sophia. Let me go get it.” Jake ran upstairs to the bedroom, grabbed the file, and came back down. “This is everything I have collected over the years.” He handed the file over and continued to work on the others. She started by reading the report filed by the detective assigned to the case. She noticed that everything was done exactly the way it should have been. EMS was dispatched to the scene. This was pretty standard, so she skipped over to Jacob’s phone records, which showed the call to 911. She read the statements that he made to the detectives, and that Jake had been cleared of all charges. “Jake, may I talk to you alone?” “Of course.” Jake kissed Megan. “We will be right back, Megs.” They went out into the other room to talk. “What’s up?” “I compared the crime scene photos and the official report and there are some things that just don’t mesh. You said that you found her on the bed?” “Yeah.” “Well, in the official report, it said that she was found on the floor. At first I just thought it was a mistake, but the photos show that the sheets on the bed were soaked in blood. There’s more. This report is missing a lot that should be there. It doesn’t have the ME’s report or the toxicology report. Do you know if an autopsy was done on her?” “I was told there was one done. I didn’t check, I just took the information as true.

This was the love of my life and my unborn son. My head was screaming at me to check and make sure, but the grief was so consuming that I didn’t confirm it.” Sophia looked at him, sympathy in her eyes, and said, “I understand and I am sorry for your loss.” Jake nodded. “I know. Thank you. Let’s just focus on these two cases. Hopefully we can get somewhere with these cases, and if we can figure out how these are related, then hopefully we can get both cases solved.” Sophia nodded in return. “I just thought I would talk to you about that alone so Megan doesn’t have anything else to worry about.” He gave her a reassuring wink. “Let’s get back to work.” They went back into the study and found Megan on the computer, deep in thought. Megan noticed them. “Oh good. Y’all are back. Check this out.” They came close so they could see the computer screen. “It says here that Charles Bennett is quite the entrepreneur. He owns quite a few corporations. One in particular caught my eye.” She pointed at one of the corporations on the screen. “Bennett Holdings Inc. It says here that this is a billion-dollar corporation that specializes in storage. They will store anything for a price, but they mostly have government contracts and very high-end clients. These other businesses are just fronts for illegal activities. Problem is, I can’t find out what from here. Anyway, check out some of these names.” Sophia whistled. “How did you find all that information?” Megan laughed. “I just hacked into Bennett’s computer system for his corporations. It wasn’t hard.” “I’m impressed.” “Thanks, but it really wasn’t anything special.” Jake smiled. “She is really good at working on a computer. She has helped me a lot with my cases.”

Jacob looked closer at some of the names. “There are some high-ranking government officials on this list that I have met throughout my years on the force. There are also some very rich people who have mob ties, though of course it’s never been proven.” A grin slowly appeared on his face as he read down the list. He stopped at a certain name. “Sophia, do you recognize this name?” Sophia looked at the name Jacob was pointing to. “Marshall Clarke. This does not bode well for our friend Charles Bennett. He keeps some less-than-reputable company, to say the least.” “Who is Marshall Clarke?” asked Megan, looking at the name they were pointing to. Jacob glanced at Megan. “He is number one on the Most Wanted list, and our task force has been commissioned to find him. To his crew, he is known as ‘The Fist,’ and that’s not just a cool nickname.” Sophia spoke up. “This is great. Now we know who we have to find in order to locate the Fist. If we find Charles Bennett, he should be able to tell us where the Fist is.” Megan glanced over at the clock. “How about we continue this over dinner? I’m starved. I know this great deli that has the best Philly cheesesteak subs you’ll ever taste, Sophia.” “Great idea, Megs. Why don’t you go get Kaleb while Sophia and I gather all this up?” Megan nodded and headed upstairs while Jake and Sophia started to stack the files. Kaleb came running down the stairs and jumped into his dad’s arms and gave him a big squeeze. He then noticed the woman in the room. Kaleb smiled at her. “Hi, I’m Kaleb. What is your name?” She smiled. “Hi, Kaleb. My name is Sophia, but you can call me Sophi.” Kaleb beamed up at her and gave her a big hug. Sophia froze for a moment, but then returned one of her own.

Sophia looked thoughtful, then spoke up. “How did you two meet?” Megan thought back on how they met. She lived in a little apartment on the campus of the University of Utah. As a young woman from Donalsonville, Georgia, she knew her life would never be the same. As she sat across from her boyfriend in the living room of our little apartment, she was in tears wondering how she was going to tell him that what had happened would change our lives forever. She just hoped and prayed that things would work out. She looked at her boyfriend and took a deep breath before speaking, and told him she had something she needed to talk to him about. She ed he looked at her slightly annoyed because he was always that way, and he never seemed to have time for her. He finally agreed to listen to what she had to say, but he only had five minutes to spare. She told him she would be quick. She had to take a deep breath and calm her nerves before she could speak. She told him that she was pregnant and that the baby was his. That wasn’t quite how she wanted to tell him, but she knew if she didn’t tell him now, she probably wouldn’t get another chance to. He stood there in utter shock and disbelief, and she could see that he was getting more and more upset by the minute. She silently prayed that he wouldn’t do anything to her or her baby. The anger rose higher inside of him. He screamed that the pregnancy was entirely her fault and that this was going to ruin his wonderful life he had planned for himself, and that this baby couldn’t be his. She told him that it took two to tango and that he needed to do the right thing and take responsibility for his child. He then said something she never thought he would ever say. She ed it word for word: he said that it was a good thing he didn’t have to stay or take responsibility because he was leaving her and the school. He planned on going back home and leaving her to raise their child on her own. A feeling of shock and dread came over her as the reality of what had just transpired started to sink in. She thought she would be with him always, but as he started to walk away, he stopped and looked at her one final time, then walked out the door, and she never saw him again. She fell to my knees as the tears freely started to flow. As she sobbed a feeling of love and peace overcame her as a sweet, soft voice whispered to her that everything would be okay and

that she would know true love. Soon the tears stopped and she felt as if a warm blanket had been wrapped around her, and she knew that all would be made right. She knew things would be hard, but she was determined to have this baby and give him or her the best future she could; she didn’t care if she had help or not. Her parents were bound and determined to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t soon forget. They refused to help her in anyway. So she would have to do it all on her own. As the months progressed, she decided that she couldn’t go to school and care for her son, who would be born soon. She went to school as long as she could and then dropped out so she could take care of my son, whose name would be Kaleb. Megan looked at Sophia, “Well I longed for a companion who would help me take care of my son and who would love me for me. I had Kaleb to take care of, so I went out looking for work, and a daycare. It took a few weeks to find a job. I saw that a local Italian restaurant had a help-wanted sign so I applied. The owner of the restaurant saw how much I was struggling so he gave me the job as his way of helping. “I was working one day when a very handsome man came in. I secretly hoped he would be placed in my section. He was sat in another section. As he tells the story, he whispered to the hostess and she smiled and let him move to my section. I walked up to him and introduced myself as his waitress. He looked up from the menu he held in his hand, but he wasn’t prepared for what he found when he looked into the eyes of ‘the most beautiful woman he had ever seen’–– at least that’s what he told me.” “When I walked in I was taken aback by her beauty that I forgot what I was going to order. I just sat there staring at the angel before me.” “I smiled for the first time since I’d been left alone. I asked him if he would like something to drink.” “He took a few minutes, but then his senses came back to him and he ordered a water to drink. I got him his water and asked him if he was ready to order. He said he was, but then asked me what my name was again, so I told him. He proceeded to flirt with me and to tell me how beautiful he thought my name was. He then finally ordered from the menu. Every time I walked to his table or by it,

he would flirt with me. Needless to say, it was hard to concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing. “Every time he came into the restaurant he insisted on sitting in my area so he could flirt with me. After a few weeks of this he finally asked me out, and then the rest is, as they say, history.” “I love your accent, Megan. So you are from Georgia then?” asked Sophia. Megan blushed a bit. “Thank you, I love yours as well. “What brought you all the way over here to Avalon?” “It’s a long story, but it does have a happy ending. For one thing, my parents and I made up so I moved here to be closer to them.” Sophia smiled. “I have time. Plus I like happy endings.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

All right. I wasn’t very old when my grandparents died so my parents, I moved to SLC, Utah, at age twenty as a junior to attend the pre-med program at the U of U. In my senior year, I got pregnant by my boyfriend who had no desire to be a father or a husband. So he decided to leave me to have the baby alone. So I decided to drop out of school to have my son, and raise him on my own.” She gave Kaleb a squeeze. After Jake and I dated for a while, I introduced him to Kaleb, and needless to say, they took to each other right away. I could see an instant father/son bond forming. We were married a year later and have been happily married ever since.” “What about you, Jake? What’s your story?” Sophia blushed a bit. “I’m sorry if I’m prying. I just find people’s histories fascinating.” Jacob laughed. “No worries. I don’t mind. I should start at the beginning.” Jacob began the story. “My fiancée Rachel and I lived in Providence, Utah. I moved there when I got hired on by the Logan Police Department. Rachel was from Ireland and left there to follow the American Dream. She got accepted to attend Utah State University, which is where she and I met.” Jacob found himself relating what had happened to Rachel and what brought him to Avalon City. This surprised him for the simple fact that it had taken him so long to tell his wife about what had happened. He thought about this for a few minutes and decided it was one of those kindred-spirit things. Sophia sat quietly taking everything in that her new partner was telling her. After he finished his life story, they sat in silence, eating their food and letting her digest what he had said. A short time later, Jake spoke again. “I have been meaning to ask you about your accent. Australian, right?” “Yes, Jacob. How did you know I was from Australia?”

“Rachel was from Ireland, so I started to notice accents a lot more.” Jacob smiled. “So now you have to have a turn to tell us about yourself.”

***

She nodded yes, and began to tell her new partner and his family––and hopefully new friends––her story. “Well, my dad hails from Australia, while my mum was from America. My parents also both died in a car accident when I was very young. I was raised by my grandparents, but we never could quite get along, so I started writing to my aunt who lives in America. I wanted to know more about who my mother was, and what she was like. I don’t much about her. I was always told that I could never do anything right. So because of the fact that I couldn’t do anything right in their eyes, I started to rebel. I wanted to get out of there so badly I did everything I could think of to get them to kick me out. I tried everything I could think of, and finally, when I turned fifteen, I found the one thing that took them over the edge.” She stopped at that point and pulled out a picture of a beautiful teenage girl, and handed it to Jake. She continued to tell her story as Jake looked at the picture, and he then ed it to Megan. “When I went to school, I hung out with a pretty rough crowd. There was a boy I had the biggest crush on. We started hanging out together a lot. I was only fifteen at the time. He was seventeen and his name was Tony. Of course, when he asked if I would be his girlfriend, I immediately said yes. One night he invited me to a party he was having at his parents’ house while they were out of town. I lied to my grandparents and told them that Tony’s parents would be home. “The night of the party came, and I wore this little black dress that Tony had bought for me the day before. Of course, my grandparents would have never let me leave the house in that dress, so I took it with me and changed at a nearby gas station. At the party, everyone started drinking, but I didn’t, I didn’t like the taste of beer and the like. As my boyfriend and I started dancing, he gave me a

Coke, or what he said was a Coke. It was laced with something that knocked me out. “I was basically raped. I ended up pregnant. As the baby grew inside me, I had a change of heart. I started to love the life that was growing inside me and soon started to regret my decision to have an abortion, so I decided to talk to my grandparents about keeping the child. Needless to say, my grandparents weren’t happy and wouldn’t go along with the idea of keeping the child. I talked to my aunt who lived in America, and she agreed to take me and the baby in and help care for us, so that is how I ended up in America. “My aunt and uncle took really good care of me and my baby and raised us as if we were their children. With their help, I finished high school and raised my baby. That picture I gave you is her. After high school, I vowed to do everything in my power to help girls who had been raped like I was, so I went into law enforcement. I attended the police academy as soon as I could after high school. I did patrol for a while, and as soon as there was an opening in the Special Victims Unit, I put in my transfer papers. I felt that was where my skills and ion were. I worked as a detective in SVU for almost ten years.” As she talked about her time in Special Victims, Jake noticed what looked like resentment and anger flash in her eyes. Jake looked over at Sophia and held up a finger. She nodded. He then turned to Kaleb. “Hey buddy, can you go play in your room?” “Yeah.” Kaleb jumped up and ran into his room. “During those ten years in SVU, I met my ex-husband, who I was married to for only a year. In that year, we had another daughter, whom we named Faith. Shortly after Faith was born he started becoming abusive to my oldest daughter, Samantha, who was ten years old. That is the one thing I’ll never tolerate, people abusing kids, and it was my worst fear come true. Especially the way he abused my daughter.” “That must’ve been hard for you and your daughter, Sophia.” “It was, Jake, but she is doing a lot better now. The counseling and family has really helped. After I learned about what happened, I filed for divorce and then went and watched as detectives in my unit arrested him, since it was a special

victim’s case. I can’t tell you how good that felt. After that happened to my daughter, I became obsessed and more and more ionate about my work. My captain was getting worried that I was getting lost in my work, so he had me transferred here. I really feel bad about marrying such an abusive person; I should have known better.” “Don’t beat yourself up over that. Sometimes when you think you really know someone, they show you their true colors and you find out you never really knew them at all. Look at it this way: things are better for you and your daughters are safe. Who knows how long it would have taken him to hurt your youngest daughter?” Megan smiled, looking at Kaleb. “Hey, Kaleb, would you like to have a new friend?” Kaleb look up at Megan. “I already have one, Mommy.” He pointed to Sophia. “She is my new friend, and Isaac wants to be her friend too. He told me.” Megan smiled. “I meant someone more your age, Kaleb.” Kaleb jumped up and down, excitement oozing out of him. “Yeah, Mommy. Who?” Sophia handed Kaleb a picture. “This is Faith, Kaleb, and she is my daughter.” Kaleb stared at the picture for a few minutes and then looked up at Sophia. “She looks like you, Sophi. She has your eyes.” He then looked at his mom. “Can Faith come over and play tomorrow? Huh? Can she, Mommy?” Megan smiled. “If it’s all right with Sophia, then it’s okay with me.” Sophia looked down at Kaleb. “I’ll talk to Faith and see what she says. Then I’ll have Faith call you, okay, Kaleb?” Kaleb nodded. She then looked at the time. “It’s getting late. I’d better go pick up Faith. It was really nice to meet you, Megan and Kaleb. I’ll see you all later.” “All right, Sophia, I’ll see you tomorrow at work then. We’d better get Kaleb to

bed as well, Megs.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sarah and Jax were asleep when the door to their prison slowly opened and a large, dark figure entered the room. “Both of you get up. It’s time for a shower and some clean clothes. We need to get you both ready for when he comes.” The large figure tapped Sarah with a club to wake her and then moved toward Jaxon. Jaxon saw the opening, sprang out of the bed with catlike reflexes, kicked the figure in the head, and watched him hit the ground in a crumpled heap. Sarah gasped in horror. “What are you doing, Jax? You are going to get us in trouble again, and then we will get punished.” Jaxon smirked. “I’m getting us out of here. Are you coming, or do I have to carry you?” Jaxon looked Sarah in the eyes. “I’m not going to live like this. I’m not a prisoner, and, Sarah, neither are you. So are you coming?” Sarah went and sat on her bed and pouted. “We’re going to get in trouble again, and you know it.” Jaxon walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulders. “Not if you do what I tell you to.” “We can’t, Jaxon. If they catch us, he will be disappointed in us and we will be disciplined. I’m not going, I don’t care what you say.” She crossed her arms and turned away from Jaxon. Jax searched for the right pressure point since Sarah wasn’t about to go willingly. She hit the pressure point and caused Sarah to lose consciousness. Jaxon left Sarah on the bed while she searched the figure on the ground. She found a key ring full of keys, a radio, and the club. She took the club and smiled, thinking to herself, Now just in case I run into that big one who hit me, I’ll be ready.

Jaxon moved back over to where Sarah was lying, threw her over her shoulder, and moved over to the open door. She leaned out the door as best she could, and noticed that no one was in the hall. She slowly crept into the hall and headed down it for what seemed like forever. She set Sarah down and rested for a moment. She ed her training, and started to control her breathing. After a few minutes, she put Sarah back over her shoulder and started back down the hall. She had to stop and rest a few more times before they came to a door. She stopped at the door and leaned Sarah up against the wall while she listened at the door. She didn’t hear anything so she slowly opened the door. She found a staircase going up. She placed Sarah back on her shoulder and headed up the stairs slowly. She thought about dragging her up the stairs, but dismissed that idea. She struggled, each step harder than the last one. She was dripping with sweat when she finally got to the top of the staircase and found another door. She listened carefully at that door as well and, not hearing anything, slowly opened it and peeked out of the doorway, hoping no one was right there. Not seeing anyone, she slowly slipped out of the doorway and looked around, trying to decide where to go next. She chose to go right and headed down the hallway. There were three doors down this hallway. Jaxon leaned Sarah against the wall, wiped the sweat from her eyes, and went to check the doors. She put her ear up to the first door and listened carefully, and then checked the other two doors. She sighed in frustration, not knowing which door to choose, and then she ed what she had learned. She quieted her mind and concentrated on where to go next. As she calmed herself and slowed her breathing a voice came to her, telling her to take the door at the end of the hall. She pulled Sarah back over her shoulder. It was taking more and more strength to even get her up. She really needed to find the way out and fast, before she wouldn’t be able to carry her anymore. She started toward the door at the end of the hall, not knowing why or where the voice came from. She slowly opened the door. She entered a courtyard and scanned the surrounding area. She saw a few more building, like the one she just left and directly in front of her

was the main gate, the only thing that stood between them and freedom. As she looked closer, she saw that there were guards at the gate and around the compound, and realized that escape wasn’t going to be easy and that it was going to take some time. She went back into the building, found an empty room, and laid Sarah down on the floor. Jax turned the radio on and started to listen to the guards, trying to find the right time to make for the gate. Suddenly she heard the outside door open and someone walk in. She grabbed the club and opened the door just enough to see down the hall. A big, burly guard made his way down the hall right for them; she stood ready with the club, hoping he would just walk by. As fate or Jax’s bad luck would have it, Sarah groaned right as the guard got to the room. Jax went back over to Sarah to quiet her, hoping the guard hadn’t heard her. Jax whispered in Sarah’s ear, “Sarah, you have to be quiet!” Sarah continued to whimper, so she slipped her hand over Sarah’s mouth. Suddenly a voice came from the radio. “HQ, this is Alpha 4, come in.” “This is HQ. Go ahead, Alpha 4.” “There are noises coming from one of the rooms down here. Please advise, HQ.” “Stand by, Alpha 4.” The radio went dead for a few moments, but before Jax could wonder why, the radio came back to life. “There are no reports of authorized activity in that sector. Proceed with caution, and report your findings.” “Yes, sir!” The guard paused at the door, turned his flashlight on, and tried the doorknob. With flashlight in one hand and a club in the other, he slowly pushed the door open, entered the room, and scanned it from one side to the other. He saw something not quite right, and started toward the direction the movement came from.

“Come out with your hands up!” yelled the guard. Jaxon rushed out of the darkness, swinging the club toward the guard’s head. Her eyes went wide with fear when she realized her mistake, but she was too far into the swing to stop it. The guard saw the club just in time and caught it with one hand, effectively stopping it from connecting. He then grabbed ahold of her by her belt with his free hand and threw her into the far wall. She hit the wall with tremendous force and crumpled to the ground. As she struggled to get to her feet, the guard stomped her in the back, knocking her to the ground again. As her vision started to fade, she realized that the guard was the same guard who’d hit her the first time. Then her vision turned black as she succumbed to unconsciousness. “Alpha 4 to HQ. Come in, HQ.” “This is HQ. Go ahead Alpha 4.” “I found the two prisoners trying to escape. Please advise. Over.” “Are they still alive, Alpha 4?” “Affirmative, HQ, they are both still alive. One of them has been injured during the struggle.” “Take them back to their room, and he’ll be there shortly. HQ out.” The guard easily picked up Jax and took her back to the room, then grabbed Sarah and returned her to the room. By the time the guard had returned them back to their room, the Fist and another man dressed in a white med coat were already there waiting. He looked at the guard and motioned for him to lay the girls down on the beds. The guard did as he was commanded, and then the Fist grabbed the guard by the throat and pushed him up against the wall. The Fist then drew a sword and placed it against his throat. The man with the sword looked at the guard, fury burning in his eyes. “How did this happen?”

The guard stammered a bit before answering. “The cop knocked out the guard who went to get them ready to see you. She took his radio, keys, and club, then snuck out and made it almost all the way out of the building. The other one made some noise. So I went in to investigate. The cop came at me swinging the club at my head, so I had to defend myself.” The man’s fury increased. He spoke through gritted teeth. “What did you do to her?” The guard’s eyes widened. “I…um…I caught the club she was swinging at me, and then instinct took over, and before I could stop myself, I threw her against the far wall and she crumpled to the floor.” “Is that all that you did? Don’t lie to me!” The point of the sword moved closer to the guard’s throat. “I…I also put my foot into her back, when she started to get back up.” The man looked over his shoulder. “Doctor, make sure they are both okay. Do whatever you have to.” The doctor checked Sarah out and found that she was physically fine. He then proceeded to look over Jax, discovering that she was bleeding from when her head hit the wall. “The cop will need some stitches to close up the wound on her head, but otherwise she will be okay. She doesn’t appear to have any broken bones; she is a tough one. She will be really sore when she wakes up.” The doctor started sewing up the wound on Jax’s head. The Fist turned back to the guard. “I’ll deal with you later. Leave before I change my mind and deal you with right now.” The guard left the room and the man turned back to the two women. “Are you done, doctor?” The doctor nodded. “Yes, sir, I’m leaving.” He collected his things and left the room.

The man sat on the edge of the bed Jaxon was lying on and stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry you were hurt, my dear. I promised nothing would happen to you, and I didn’t keep my promise. However, you did try to escape, so you will have to be punished for that.” He pulled out his knife and began to cut her clothes off. He laid the clothes that she refused to put on before on the bed and then handcuffed her to the bed. He put his knife down and gently moved the hair away from her face, wanting to look at her, kissing her neck and lips as he had his way with her. He unlocked the handcuffs, placed the other clothes on her, and then handcuffed her back to the bed. He whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry about the handcuffs, my dear, but you did try to escape.” He got up to leave the room, and paused in the doorway, looking back. “I promise no one else will hurt you, and the one who has will pay dearly for it.” With that said, he left the room and locked the door behind him. He grabbed his radio. “Alpha 4, come to my office right now!” “Yes, sir. Right away, sir. Without delay!” The guard arrived at the office and knocked lightly on the door. He slowly opened the door, walked into the office, and saw the boss sitting behind his desk. “Please come in and take a seat, Alpha 4.” The guard walked forward and sat in the chair in front of the boss’s desk, wondering what was about to happen to him. He knew he’d screwed up. He scanned the room and saw that the boss’s bodyguards all had smiles on their faces, which wasn’t good for him. He swallowed hard, knowing he wasn’t going to make it out of this unscathed.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

As Jax lay there unconscious, she started to dream. Suddenly, she was back with Jacob and all the other cops she had known on the force. In fact, the whole police force was there. They were all sitting around in full dress uniforms at some kind of function. Jax moved to get a closer look and realized they were all at a funeral. She went to look to see whose funeral it was when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw a young woman dressed all in white. She recognized her bright red hair and green eyes. “Rachel, is that you?” Rachel smiled at Jax. “Aye, Jax, it is.” Something drew Jax’s eyes down and she saw a little boy as well. “This must be Isaac. I have heard so much about you both.” Rachel smiled at her again. “No, Jax, ye ain’t dead, far from it, actually.” Jax breathed a sigh of relief. “I must be dreaming, then.” “Aye, ye are dreaming, Jax, but this is no random dream. We have come to help ye.” “How are you going to help?” “When the time comes we will be here to help ye get out of here. The time is not yet, however. Ye must endure this a little longer. Ye have to give Jake time to convince everyone you aren’t dead so they can find ye and help ye and Sarah get out of here. Ye have to take care of Sarah. Ye can’t do this alone. We will be here for ye, to help ye be strong and to keep ye safe.” “So everyone thinks I’m dead.” “Aye, Jax, they do. Well, everyone but Jake, Megan, and Kaleb.”

Isaac took Jax’s hand and pulled. “I told Kaleb that ye aren’t dead and he told me dad.” Jax kneeled down and embraced Isaac. “Thank you, sweetie.” Isaac smiled and hugged Jax back. “You’re welcome.” “We must go now, Jax. Never lose faith. Yer friends will find ye.” Rachel and Jax embraced, and suddenly Jax woke up and found herself handcuffed to the bed, but despite that, she felt a renewed hope for the future and the situation she and Sarah found themselves in. Jax looked over at Sarah sleeping. “We will get out of this, Sarah. Jake will find us.” She noticed that the clothes she’d had on before were gone and new ones had replaced them. She could pretty much guess what had happened to her. She did her best not to let it affect her, but a tear did run down her cheek. She then heard a soft whimper as Sarah started coming to. “Ugh, what happened?” asked Sarah as she struggled to a sitting position. She tried to collect her thoughts and looked over to where Jax was lying, handcuffed to the bed. She groggily got to her feet and moved to Jax’s side. “Jax, are you okay? Why are you handcuffed to your bed? What has happened?” Jax looked into Sarah’s eyes. “Yeah, I’m okay, except for a really bad headache. And to answer your other questions, I’m handcuffed to the bed because I knocked you out and tried to escape this hell with you on my shoulder. We were almost free of this place, when we were caught and I got wounded in the process, hence the headache.” “See, I told you we would get into trouble if you tried to escape. You need to listen to me more.” Sarah gently placed her hand on Jax’s cheek, and got a sad look on her face. “You could have gotten killed, Jax, and then I would have to be alone again. I hate being alone. You have to promise me that you won’t try anything else like this. I need you here, Jax.”

The tears started to fall from Sarah’s eyes as she lay down next to Jax and placed her head on her shoulder. Jax did her best to place her arm around Sarah to comfort her.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Sophia headed downstairs to where the gym and the locker rooms were. She decided to work out with Jake; that way they could talk without being overheard by anyone. As she watched him for a few minutes she realized how muscular and in shape he really was. She also noticed a tattoo of some Chinese characters on his upper right arm. “G’day, Jake. How are you this morning?” Jake turned around and saw Sophia. “Oh hey there, Sophia. I’m good. How are you?” “I’m good, thanks. Mind if I you?” “Not at all, Soph, there are more gloves over there on that shelf behind you.” Sophia turned and looked at Jake. “So how is this done?” she said with a sarcastic tone. Jake laughed had her step up to the bag and had her throw a few punches. They took turns punching on the bag for a while before Jake spoke up. “Soph, I noticed you have a tattoo on your lower back. Who is Isaac?” Sophia sat down in a nearby chair to catch her breath. “He is my brother, and I had his name tattooed so I would never forget him. He and I were as close as a brother and sister could be. We did everything together when we were little.” She went quiet for a moment. “He was with my parents…in the car when the drunk driver hit them. He died at the scene. Even though he was older, we were best friends, and he let me follow him around and hang out with him and his friends.” The memories made her chuckle. “He even let me help him build a tree house in

the big gum tree behind our house. When the other kids wanted to put a ‘no girls allowed’ sign on the tree house, he said that I was one of the boys and that if they had a problem with it, they could leave.” She wiped the tears away as quickly as she could manage. “I guess we should get back to our workout.” “I want to show you something first.” He walked over to her and turned so she could see the upper part of his right arm. “See this tattoo, Sophia? This tattoo says Isaac as well, but this is Gaelic, or Celtic.” She traced her hand over the tattoo, and then she ed. “Your son’s name is Isaac as well, right?” Jacob smiled. “We both lost an Isaac who was dear to us. Your brother, and my son. You know, I don’t think it was just chance that brought us together. I think we were meant to be friends. I think we are meant to help each other through the pain. That is what friends are for.” Sophia nodded. “I agree with you, Jake. Oh, Jake, I found the address to one of Charles Bennett’s corporations. We can go check it out at lunch, since you really aren’t supposed to be working on this case.” She winked at him. Suddenly Jake’s cell phone rang. He answered, told them they could be there soon, and hung up the phone. Sophia looked at him. “Who was that, if you don’t mind my asking?” “You that other detective I put on the Calloway case, right?” She nodded. “Yeah, I do. Making any progress on that case yet?” “Well, that was him on the phone. Turns out there was a break in the case, and he wants to meet us at the CSI lab in about thirty minutes.” They arrived at the CSI lab, where the detective waited for them. Jacob and Sophia shook his hand.

“What do you have for us, Detective?” asked Jacob. “Well, we thought before that this was a hate crime, considering how brutal the scene was, but that isn’t the case. It was just made to look that way.” “Yeah, we figured that part out. Do you have anything new?” “Of course I do. I wouldn’t have called you down here if I didn’t. I was reading the ME’s report and saw that there was a small puncture mark on her neck. I believe that is how they subdued her. When your girlfriend was killed, did the ME find one on her as well?” Jake looked at Sophia with concern. “Actually, there was. They didn’t think it mattered so they didn’t pursue that avenue. Detective, what did the toxicology report say?” “Glad you asked. This is where things get interesting. They didn’t find any substances in her system. It didn’t make sense to me at first, but then I was looking at a picture of the positioning of the puncture mark, and it looked familiar to me.” “My grandfather practiced acupuncture. He tried to teach me. I learned a little bit about it and I believe someone who has the same skills placed a needle used for acupuncture there to immobilize her. This person knows what he or she is doing.” Sophia thought for a minute. “Sounds like the same MO and style, from what I have read.” “We need to go back to the mayor and find out who his enemies are. We need to connect these cases concretely, Sophia.” The detectives arrived at the mayor’s office and knocked on the door. “Detectives, come in please. Please take a seat. What can I do for you?” Jake spoke up first. “Sir, we have a few more questions for you. Through your time as mayor, have you made any enemies, sir?” The mayor got a questioning look. “I’m in a public office, of course I have

enemies. But what does that have to do with my daughter’s death?” Sophia looked the mayor square in the eyes. “Well, Mayor, the death of your daughter wasn’t gang or hate related.” “Then what was it, Detectives?” She measured the truth of the mayor’s reaction, and then continued. “It was a professional hit, sir. She was targeted because she is your daughter. Her race had nothing to do with the hit.” “Where did you get this information, Detectives?” asked the mayor. “From the coroner and CSI, sir. I can only tell you that two guns were used. One was the kill shot; the other was to make it look like a hate crime. The bullets are being examined. We are hoping we will get a match.” Jacob spoke up again. “So, we have to ask you again, who has something against you or your family? Did you make any enemies?” The mayor looked down. “I…I don’t know. I don’t think I have made any enemies. I can’t think of anyone.” Jacob took out a picture of Charles Bennett and handed it to the mayor. “Sir, do you know this man?” He looked at the picture. “Yes, I know him. That is Charles Bennett, one of my biggest ers. Or at least he was.” “What do you mean by was?” “Well, Detective, Charles Bennett is a man of wealth and prestige. He likes a certain lifestyle. Because he was my biggest er, I helped him be able to live that lifestyle. One night, he came to my house and asked me if I could help him out of some trouble he was in. Apparently when he was younger, he got involved in some shady deals with some less-than-reputable people. I told him that I couldn’t help him. Needless to say, he was very angered by that and said that if I didn’t help him, I would regret it. After that, he stopped ing me in my campaign and I had to find other avenues of revenue… Do you think he had something to do with my daughter’s death?”

“Yes, we do. He has been keeping some very interesting company as of late. We also have him linked at the very least to another murder and kidnapping. We can’t tell you much more because the cases are still open.” “Well, Detectives, you have my and anything else you need.” “Thank you, sir. We will find who killed your daughter. If you think of anything that would be of help, please call us.” “Wait a minute, Detectives, I may have something for you.” He pulled out his cell phone and called up his office. He talked to his secretary for a few moments, waited for a moment, spoke to her again, and then ended the call. He walked over to the detectives and handed Jake a small piece of paper. “This is the number I used to get in touch with Mr. Bennett, but I never gave you this number, Detectives. Oh, and if someone were to, oh, I don’t know, call him because they needed some certain illegal contraband shipped out of the country quietly, that person could probably get a meeting with Mr. Bennett. Especially if that contraband were, say, drugs, money, or guns. Now if you will excuse me, I have a lot to take care of today.” “Of course, Mayor, and thanks again for your help.” The detectives left the mayor’s house. “This is the break we have been waiting for, Jake. If we do this right, we can charge Mr. Bennett with smuggling and then get him to roll on the bigger fish he had dealings with.” Jake smiled. “We will run this by the captain when we get back and see if we can get an undercover operation going on. We have to move quickly, though. He can’t slip away this time.” She smiled warmly. “We will get him this time.” “You better believe we will! And there isn’t anything he can do about it. Let’s go get him.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jake and Sophia got back to the station and knocked on the captain’s door. “Yes, Detectives, what can I do for you?” Jacob looked at the captain with a new fire in his eyes. “Well, sir, we finally have a break in the Melanie Calloway case. We talked to CSI and the ME, and they have evidence that it’s not a hate crime or gang related. As you’ve probably read, the shot that killed her was a high-caliber sniper rifle, which was the first shot. The rest of them were done with a .40 caliber handgun used to make it look like a random hate crime. They shot her with the handgun after she was already dead. Also, where she was found wasn’t the original crime scene; she was placed there after she was killed.” Sophia looked at the captain. “So when we got this information, we went and interviewed the mayor again.” They filled the captain in about Charles Bennett and what he’d done for the mayor. “Captain,” Jake continued, “we need to set up an undercover operation so we can nab him. Since Sophia is new to the task force, I think she would do excellent in setting up the deal with Charles Bennett. She goes in, gets it all set up, we get the information we need, and then we go in and arrest him.” The captain nodded. “I like it. How many people do you need, Jake?” “Four or five. We can set up some around the area, and a few in the van with me.” “Great. Get set up and use whatever you need to get the job done.” “Thanks, Captain. We will keep you in the loop.” Jake and Sophia left the captain’s office and returned to their desks.

Jake looked up at Sophia. “Why don’t you set up the meeting with Charles while I get the task force ready?” Sophia nodded and dialed the number the mayor had given them. A male voice answered. “This is Mr. Bennett.” Sophia put her accent on as thick as she dared. “G’day, Mr. Bennett. I hear you are the man to talk to if I need some…how d’you say, merchandise shipped out of the country?” “I’m listening. Go on.” “Well, ya see Mr. Bennett, the people I work for have this shipment of automatic weapons that I need to get out of the US before ATF finds it and puts my clients away for the rest of their lives, if you catch my meaning, sir.” “I think I understand, miss…” “My name isn’t important. What is important is how much my clients are willing to pay to get this shipment out of the country.” “And what are they willing to pay?” “They will discuss that along with the details of the shipment and where we need it to go. I just set up the meetings. And if all goes well, we may work with you more.” “All right. Tell your clients to meet me tomorrow at eight p.m. at this address.” “All right, Jake, here is what’s going down. We have arranged to have the ‘clients’ meet Charles Bennett at this address. We have him right where we want him.” “Sophia, I have the task force ready. Let’s go check out this building he wants to meet in and find a place to set up.” Later the next day, the task force set up the surveillance truck across the street from the meeting point, and set officers and detectives in the ading rooms. Jacob set everything up in one of the ading rooms, and then waited

for the moment they could all go in and arrest Charles Bennett. Jacob went to check in on Sophia and the other detectives. “How are you doing, Sophia? You ready to go?” She nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am. I haven’t dressed up this nice is a very long time.” She chuckled nervously as she smoothed her hands over her strapless red dress. “You look great, Sophia. Don’t worry. You will do fine, and you have three of the best detectives on the force flanking your every move.” She smiled, thankful for the words of encouragement. The time came and Jacob sent in three detectives and Sophia to make the deal. “Sophia, can you hear me?” “Yeah, Jake. Sounds good.” “Camera looks good too, Sophia. Be careful. If he suspects that anything’s wrong, he will do anything to get away. That goes for all of you. Keep your eyes and ears open. Stay alert. All right, here we go, everyone.” Sophia, flanked by the three other detectives posing as bodyguards, knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing two males standing behind it. Jacob spoke into the microphone so Sophia and the three other detectives could hear. “Looks like Charles has security as well. Boys, when the time comes, make sure you take them out.” Sophia spoke in her Australian accent. “Your boss is expecting us.” A voice was heard from inside the room. “Let them through, but check them for weapons.” One of them went to check Sophia; she hit his hand away and glared at him. “No one touches me. Try it again and you will regret it, rat-bag.” The man gave her a weird look and then looked at his boss, who waved it off.

“Let them in. It’s okay.” The man nodded. “Yes, sir!” The guards stood aside as the four of them entered the room; the door closed behind them. Charles smiled. “I’m so happy to see that you are here, my dear. I hoped I would be able to meet you.” Sophia smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Bennett.” “Please take a seat and we can talk about what services I can offer you.” Sophia took a seat and winked at Charles. “So, my dear, you have a shipment of automatic weapons you need discreetly moved out of the country?” “That is why I ed you, Charles… May I call you Charles?” He nodded. “Someone with your beauty can call me anything.” She stroked his ego. “I hear you are the best at what you do.” He smiled. “You are a charmer, aren’t you, my dear? My fee for these services is five hundred thousand up front, plus ten percent of what you make on the deal.” She nodded. “Sounds reasonable.” She turned to one of the men behind her, and he set two briefcases on the desk. “There is two hundred fifty thousand in each case.” Charles took out a folder full of documents and began writing. “So where would you like this shipment sent?” Sophia chuckled. “Home, of course.” They continued filling out the paperwork that was needed for a few more minutes, and then they both stood. “Well, my dear, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you. The shipment

should arrive at the destination in three days.” They shook hands. “Charles, you have made my life easier. I believe this will be the start of a beautiful relationship.” The door burst open and police swarmed the room. The three detectives acting as bodyguards took Charles’s security into custody. Jacob entered the room with his pistol raised and looked straight at him. “Well, well, Charles, looks like you are in a lot of trouble…again. And this time you won’t get out.” Jacob smirked as he brought Charles Bennett to a standing position and cuffed him. “Charles Bennett, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them?” “Yes, I understand. You will be hearing from my lawyer.” “I’m sure we will.” Jacob placed him in the back of a police cruiser. He gathered the task force together and congratulated them on a job well done. Charles was transported to the police station for interrogation. He was placed in interrogation room one and waited for whoever was going to question him. Five minutes later his lawyer showed up and was escorted into the interrogation room to await the detectives. Jacob and Sophia watched him behind the two-way glass, and Jake smiled. “Soph, would you like to me in interrogating him?” “Jake, I would love to, mate.” Jake grabbed the files and they both went into the interrogation room. When Charles saw who entered the room with Jacob, he laughed in spite of himself. It was the woman he just got done doing business with. Sophia smiled at Charles. “Surprised, wanker? “No, I just had a feeling you were too good to be true.”

Well, you should have trusted your feeling then. We got you on smuggling charges, amongst other charges, so you’d better start talking.” “I’m not saying anything to any of you, not a single word.” Jacob leaned in very close to Charles. “You had better start talking or you’re going away for a very long time. We have you on a lot of charges, and that means you aren’t ever going to see the light of day again, or we will just let some information leak that you did help us and I’m sure that the company you keep won’t be too pleased to hear that. I’ll make sure of that. On the other hand, work with us, tell us what you know, and the sentence will be a lot less and your friends won’t know you helped us.” Charles leaned back and thought about what the detectives had told him. “All right. I’ll talk, but you have to protect me. If they find out I helped you, I’m a dead man.” Jake placed a picture of Melanie in front of him. “Why did you have the mayor’s daughter killed?” Charles’s attorney turned to him. “Don’t say anything.” Charles laughed and brushed off his lawyer. “I’m not the one who says who gets killed and who doesn’t. I just give the jobs to the people who do the killing. I get the orders and then I give it to whomever they have hired to do the hit.” “Give us the name of who orders the hits, or you are going down for this hit and all the others, Mr. Bennett. As you know, that is some serious time. You would never see the outside of a prison cell.” The lawyer leaned over and whispered to Charles for a few moments. “You want the name? Fine. I’ll give you all the names, but first you have to promise you will protect me from these people.” Jake laughed. “It always makes me laugh when the criminals we bring in here want protection from the people they have been working for. Wouldn’t it have been easier just to have not gotten involved?” Jake’s expression grew very serious. “All depends on the validity of what you tell us. Give us all the names and the details behind the hits, and we will talk.”

“The person that killed the mayor’s daughter is known as Napalm. His real name is Andrew Hammonds. His signature will tell you that it’s him. There will be a small puncture hole in her neck, very small, not easily seen, but it is there. He uses hitting needles to incapacitate his victims.” Charles eyed Jacob. “I see my ex-wife isn’t here, Detective. Where is she?” With rage in his eyes, Jacob got right up in Charles’s face. “Maybe I judged you wrong, Charles. Maybe you aren’t a coward after all. You have a lot of guts asking me that. Of course, you already know the answer. You had her killed, or you killed her yourself so she wouldn’t be able to testify at your trial, you...” He moved away from Charles before he did something he would regret…maybe. Charles tried to put on a look of shock. “I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about.” Jacob moved back in front of Charles and slammed a picture of the scene with a red circle around the driver of the van down in front of him. “Tell me this isn’t you in your van at the crime scene just after the explosion. Go ahead, tell me more lies and see where that gets you.” Charles smirked. “That isn’t me, Detective.” Jacob gave his own smirk and tossed another picture at Charles. “I would look again if I were you.” He looked at the second picture and tried to hide the look of dread that appeared on his face, but the detectives saw it all the same, if only for a moment. “Okay, Detective, you got me. That is me. However, I’m just driving the van. I was just told to park there and wait until they came back. They threw something in the back and said to head back to where the boss was.” Sophia spoke up. “Who are they? Who was with you in the van, Charles? And you’d better not be lying to us, you bloody wanker!” Charles began to sweat. “Just some hired hands, I swear.” “Who gave you the order to have the van there? Who’s giving out the orders now, Charles?”

He swallowed hard. “The boss is. I don’t know him, and I have never met him before. All I know is that the boss is known as ‘The Butcher.’ The orders come via text message. Everyone’s orders come that way. After the job is done, we text the number back saying it’s done. I just do what I’m told. It’s safer that way.” “For whom? What did they place in the back? You had to have seen who it was.” He looked around and swallowed again. “It was a woman. I don’t know who it was. They had a bag over her head, and she was tied up.” Jacob cut in. “So the explosion was just a distraction so they could grab the woman and no one would be any the wiser.” Charles nodded. “Yes, Detective.” The captain opened the door and motioned for the two detectives to him outside. Jacob eyed Charles. “Don’t get too comfortable. We will be back.” They ed the captain outside the room. “Jake, do you believe anything he is saying?” “Yes, Captain, for the most part I do, but there is something he isn’t telling us. Is there any chance that the woman they took could have been Jax, and that she could still be alive?” “Jake, we need to get back in there and get him to tell us where he took that woman.” They both went back into the room. “All right, Charles. Time to get serious. Where did you take the woman? Think hard. Your protection depends on the answer you give. You’d better not lie to me.” “We were told to take her to an abandoned warehouse. Someone would be there to take her, and then we were just supposed to leave. I can show you where the location is, but I can’t guarantee she is still there.”

“You’d better hope she is… We’ll be back, and you’d better hope you are right about this or you will regret ever being born.” “I already do, Detective, I already do.”

Chapter Thirty

Jacob and Sophia led a team of police to the abandoned warehouse, where they searched from top to bottom, hoping to find anything that would tell them anything about the case and woman who was taken. They sent the other officers to the top floor and had them work their way down while they worked from the bottom floor up. They made their way into the building and started looking around. They searched through the building, checked every inch, and found nothing. Jacob kicked the closest thing to him. “Dang it! I know she is still alive. We need to get back and question Charles more. He has to know more than he is saying, and he is going to tell me.” They all headed back to the station. Sophia and Jake entered interrogation room one, where Charles was still seated at the table. Jake eyed him with utter contempt and malice. Jacob got within inches of Charles and stared him straight in the eyes. “You’d better hope she is still alive, Charles. You’d better hope and pray she’s…” Just then, Charles’s cell phone went off. Jacob grabbed the phone before Charles could. “Ah, what do we have here?” “Uh, it’s nothing, Detective, just my mom texting me to see if I’m okay.” “Shut up, Charles, you coward. Your mom doesn’t even like you. I asked her.” Jacob opened the phone and checked the text messages. “Looks like we have a text from the boss saying there is another hit that needs to take place. It’s time for you to work for us, Charles. If you ever want to see the light of day again, you will help us.” Charles slowly nodded. “What do you want me to do, Detective?”

“We want you to set up this hit just like you would any other hit. Who do you hire?” “Depends on who the target is and how they want the target taken out.” “How do you find that information out?” “I have to call in and get the details.” Jake tossed the phone to Charles. “Then you had better call in and get the details about the next hit. Oh, and we will be monitoring, so no funny stuff, capisce? Put the phone on loudspeaker.” “Yeah. I got it, Detective.” Charles put the phone on loudspeaker and dialed the number. “Punch in the security code to continue.” Charles punched in the security code and the voice continued, “Please enter the job code you received in the previous text.” He entered the job code and the voice continued, “A text has been sent to your phone containing the rest of the information for the job you have entered.” The call ended, and the text message alert sounded. Jacob grabbed the phone and retrieved the text message. “The text information states that the next target is the mayor himself. Also says here that he wants it done quietly and without a lot of mess to clean up, and wants it done ASAP.” Charles started to nod his head. “Ah. The boss must want Napalm to do it. He is skilled in kung fu and what are known as hitting needles. He can immobilize you in a second, or he can stop your heart or make you suffocate in a matter of seconds. Not a man I would want to mess with.” “Yeah, we know all about Napalm. We also know his real name is Andrew Hammonds. Make the call, Charles, and set it up.”

A man entered the room, took the phone from Jake, and set it up so they could hear the conversation and trace the call. The phone was given back to Charles. He hit one of the preset numbers, and the phone started to ring. A male answered the phone. “Hello?” “Encryption code one-one-three.” He waited for a moment and then continued, “The boss needs you for another job, Napalm. He needs Mayor Calloway taken care of. He has chosen you to do this because he needs it handled quietly. The details are being sent to your phone. Text this number when you are finished with the job. The boss wants no mistakes, so make sure it’s done right. As soon as possible. You will be paid your normal fee upon completion of the job.” A few minutes ed, and Napalm spoke again. “It will be done tonight at the mayor’s house. I’ll let you know when it’s done.” The line went dead, and Charles set the phone down and started to speak. “So you have the approximate time and place. What happens to me now?” Jacob looked at Charles. “Well, when we catch him, and we will, and he gives us the information we want, you will get the protection you want. For now, you will be in the holding cell. If he doesn’t, you both go down for this. It’s that simple.” Jacob and Sophia left the room. They got their teams ready and headed over to the mayor’s house.

Chapter Thirty-One

They reached the mayor’s house and knocked on the door. “Hello, Detectives, what’s going on?” Jacob spoke. “Mayor, we have some intelligence that says you are the next target and that it’s going to happen tonight. That’s why we are here, sir. We are going to catch the assassin before he can get to you, sir.” “Do whatever you need to do, Detective. You have unlimited access to whatever you need. Just make sure you get this guy.” The detectives entered the house and started setting up the operation. They placed officers around the house and neighborhood. They told the mayor and his family not to change any of their normal activities, and to just ignore the police around them. Night fell, and the police got ready to nab the killer before he could strike again. In the wee hours of the morning, the sliding glass door at the back of the house slid open, and a dark figure crept in and shut the door behind him. He searched the house and found the mayor and his wife in their bedroom, seemingly fast asleep. He slipped to the side of the bed where the mayor was sleeping, and paralyzed him with a small needle, then used another to hit just the right spot so that the mayor would suffocate in his sleep. He pulled back the sheet to ire his handiwork, but found a forensics dummy where the mayor should have been. Suddenly, light flooded the room and officers swarmed in with weapons raised. Jake came up from behind and put his gun to the guy’s head. “Give me a reason, that’s all I need. Give me a freaking reason to pull this trigger!”

***

Andrew Hammonds gave up easily. He placed his hands on his head after dropping his hitting needles, and sank to his knees as Jake placed the handcuffs on his wrists. Once he was subdued, he was placed into the back of a patrol car and taken to the station for questioning. Jake and Sophia entered the room where Andrew was waiting. Jake placed some pictures of the mayor and his daughter on the table in front of Andrew. “We know who you are, Napalm––or should I say Andrew Hammonds? Who hired you to take out the mayor and his daughter?” Andrew didn’t say a word, just stared at the detectives. Jake walked over to Andrew’s side of the table and whispered into his ear. “You are going down for about half a dozen murders, so if you want to see the outside world ever again, you’d better start talking.” Andrew looked up at Jake and smiled. “You don’t have anything on me, Detective. I don’t even know who these people are, except what you told me about them. I have never seen them before.” Jake just smiled. “Ah, so you think we don’t? Take a listen to this.” Jake played him back the conversation he’d had with Charles. “We have you for the attempted murder of the mayor, and your MO matches that of the murder of the mayor’s daughter, and another we are currently looking at. So we have you on that one as well. That will get you two life sentences, and possibly a third, so you’d better give us information we can use if you want a deal to keep the death penalty off the table.” Andrew grinned. “I’m glad it’s you that I’m talking to, Detective Alexander, because I do have some information that you might find useful.” “I’m listening…”

“Well, I have information on the whereabouts of one Jaxon Strong. Does that name mean anything to you, Detective?” Jake started to ask where she was, but Andrew stopped him with an upraised hand. “Not so fast, Detective. First things first, I want immunity and protection, before I give any information.” “You know as well as I do that you’re not going to get anything, much less immunity, until you give us the information. I will tell you right now that it will be a cold day before you get immunity. If the information you give up pans out, we will talk about protection and/or taking the death penalty.” “I guess I don’t have any other choice but to trust you. The information I have is earth-shattering; at least to you it will be.” He laughed and then continued. “Your old partner, Jaxon Strong? She is still alive, or at least was when I saw her last. The explosion was a diversion. She was kidnapped and taken to my boss. You see, my boss fancies himself somewhat of a romantic type, and loves the females. He saw Jaxon on the nightly news quite a number of times, and decided that he had to have her. What the boss wants, the boss gets. “So he had her watched and after a couple of months, he decided when and where we were to grab her. He asked me to do the job, but not to kill her. I brought along one of the explosive techs the boss keeps around and had him rig up a bomb that would do just enough to make it look as if she was killed in the blast. I was told that a van would be there to transport her. The van took us to an empty warehouse, where I was told to get on a plane that was waiting for us. I delivered her to the boss, picked up the money he owed me for my services, and then left.” “Can you show us where you delivered her?” A hint of hope entered Jacob’s eyes. “I should be able to show it to you on a map, if you have one. After I show you, do we have a deal?” “Not until we check it out. If we find her, then you might get what we discussed.” Jacob handed Andrew the map, and he marked the route he’d taken to where his boss was located. Jake and Sophia then left to gather their forces. Sophia turned to Jake. “We are going to need a small army to get in there, Jake.”

“I agree. Let’s go tell the captain what we have and hopefully we can get the small army we need. We should keep the mayor informed as well. We found his daughter’s killer.” “We should also have the district attorney in on this as well. Let’s go talk to the captain and get the ball rolling, mate.” They entered the captain’s office and saw that the mayor and the DA were already there, so they started to fill them in on the plan. “Napalm has proof that Jaxon is still alive.” The room fell into a shocked silence. The district attorney was the first to speak. “Are you sure he is telling the truth about Jaxon being alive?” “He knew everything about the case, including things only law enforcement knew about. He was ordered to kidnap him. He has agreed to show us where they took her, but he wants a few things for himself.” “Let me guess. He wants immunity and protection from these animals?” The mayor spoke up. “You can’t give him that. He has to be punished for what he did to my little girl.” Jacob turned to the mayor. “Sir, I know how you feel. He will not be getting immunity, but if we are to get all these criminals off the street, we do have to make some sort of deal with some of them to get the ones calling the shots. I’m sure you understand.” “I understand, and as long as he doesn’t get immunity and pays for what he has done, I know my wife will too. She is going to be really upset if she finds out that our daughter’s killer won’t be getting the death penalty, but she will be okay.” The DA spoke up. “He will be locked up for the rest of his life. There is nothing for you and your wife to worry about, Mayor.” “All right, everyone.” Everyone turned to Jacob. “Here is what needs to happen. We are going to need a small army to get in where they are holding Jaxon. If everything goes our way, we will get a lot of these people off the streets and

hopefully make this a safer place for the rest of us. Captain, we will need SWAT on this one.” The captain nodded. “You got anything you need, Jacob. I’ll make the call to the SWAT commander and let him know what’s going on. I’m leaving you in charge, Jake. Let’s just hope she is still alive when we get there.” They all left the captain’s office and prepared for the mission ahead. The captain found Jake and Sophia getting ready. “There you two are. Here is the address where you are to meet SWAT. Go ahead and take a few more officers with you. Go and bring her back, Jake.” Jacob nodded. Jacob and the other officers waited for SWAT to get into position before they entered the compound. Jacob got word that the snipers were in position and the rest of the SWAT team was ready to go in with them. Jacob gave the order to the snipers to take out the guards on the lookout towers. They make their way to the front gate; one of the SWAT officers cut the lock off and opened it. They all fanned out and started searching for Jaxon. Jacob and Sophia headed to the main building with several SWAT officers. They entered the building, weapons drawn, and started searching it floor by floor, arresting the opposition as they went. Jacob and Sophia headed to the basement while the others made their way to the upper levels.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Jaxon sat up in bed, startled out of a deep sleep by the commotion coming from the hall. She jumped out of bed and went over and listened at the door, trying to figure out what was going on. Jaxon felt a hand on her shoulder; she turned and saw the figure of Rachel standing behind her. Jaxon smiled. “Rachel, you’re back.” Rachel grinned back. “Aye, I am. I have come to tell ye that Jake is here. He has come to rescue ye, and there are some things I need ye to do. There will be three guards that are going to come in here. Ye need to take them out before Jake gets here, or they will get the drop on him and the others.” Just then, Jaxon heard the lock on her door being unbolted, and she rushed over to the door and hid to the side of it. The door started to open. Jax waited until the first guard entered the room. She grabbed his arm, snapped it at the elbow, and stole his gun. With a quick hit to the head, she knocked him unconscious and then hurried to drag him out of the doorway and waited for the second guard to arrive. The second guard arrived soon after, drawn to the room to investigate his companion’s sudden silence. Jaxon delivered a blow to his chest and another to his face, smirking in satisfaction as she looked into the familiar eyes of the man who had struck her before. As Jax dragged the second guard away from the doorway, she grinned, loving the feeling of getting payback. She searched the bodies, taking a club and a radio. She stood up just in time to see a hammer flying at her head. She got her weapon up to block the blow that would have surly knocked her out at the very least, if not killed her. She lowered herself while swinging at the guard’s knees, scoring a direct hit, breaking both of them, causing him to fall in a heap. She then dropped her club and knocked the guard out with a simple kick to the head.

She walked over to the bed where Sarah was still asleep, and gently nudged her. “Sarah.” She waited for a moment or two, and then nudged her again. “Sarah! Wake up! You have to get up, we are leaving this place.” Sarah opened her eyes, slowly getting up. “What are you talking about, Jax? Leaving? Why?” she asked as she tried to get the cobwebs out of her head. “My friends are here and they are going to take us home. Come on. Let’s go.” Jax took Sarah’s hand and led her to the door. Sarah jumped with a start when she noticed the two guards that were on the floor unconscious. Jax looked in Sarah’s eyes. “I had to knock them out. They were in my way. Trust me, Sarah. We need to get out of here. It’s better for both of us if we do. This is no way to live.” Sarah nodded, still half asleep, and followed Jax. As they exited the room, Jax saw Jacob and Sophia coming down the hall. She called out to Jacob. Jacob ran to her and they embraced, tears streaming down both their faces. “Jax, are you all right?” “Yeah, Jake, we are okay. Took you long enough.” Jake chuckled. “Yeah…sorry, Jax. Who is this with you?” “Oh, this is Sarah, the one we have been looking for.” “Great. It took me so long because everyone thought you were dead. I had to convince them that you were still alive before we could come and get you. They wouldn’t let me work your case, so Sophia helped. We figured out that all of these cases are related. So is Rachel’s. We just can’t quite prove it yet.” “You mind filling me in later, Jake? Right now we need to get out of here.” “Oh. I’m sorry, Jax.” Jake motioned one of the other officers over. “Take Jax and Sarah out of here, and we will you soon. There is just one more person Sophia and I have to find.” Jake turned to Jax. “Yes, Jax, we will be careful.”

“You’d better be.” Jake laughed. “You and Sarah go with the officer and get checked out.” The officer led them out while Jake, Sophia, and the rest of the officers searched the rest of the buildings. They arrived at what looked like a big room that took up one whole floor. At the far end of the room, there was a large computer system with multiple monitors so that the person or persons sitting there would have access to all the security and all the dealings that went on. There were guards set up at specific places so that the entire room and everyone in it would be protected by these guards. The guards were armed with Uzis and AK-47s. An upper floor ran the perimeter of the room, leaving the center open. In this upper level were lab areas, where people were working on the next big drug to introduce to the public. There were also guards on this level, along with a large office-type area where the leaders of this outfit did their business. Jake raised his hand and counted down from three. The officer with the battering ram got ready to break down the doors. The door burst open, and the officers rushed in, weapons raised. “Police! Get down on the ground! Put the weapons down!” The police continued filing in and the guards inside began shooting. The police returned fire, everyone searching for cover as bullets flew in every direction. The people on the upper level started destroying the drugs and whatever else they could as the shooting continued. Bullets flew everywhere. Soon people started dropping. Police and SWAT gained the advantage as the gunfight continued. The Fist attempted to make a hasty retreat. He fired a few more rounds at the police, pushed one of his men into the line of fire, and took off toward the exit. In the midst of the people and the gunfire, Jacob noticed the man attempting to

flee. He yelled to Sophia. “Sophia! The Fist is getting away. Let’s go stop him. Come with me.” He pointed to a few SWAT officers next to him. “Cover us. We are going after the Fist. He isn’t going to get away this time.” The SWAT officers nodded and started shooting at the remaining guards, giving Jacob and Sophia the cover they needed. The rest of the guards saw their boss leave so they stopped shooting and laid down their guns. One of them shouted at the cops, “We give up, don’t shoot. We give up!” The Fist headed for the stairs to the upper level. Jacob and Sophia came around the corner. “Hold it right there, Fist! We have the whole building surrounded. You won’t escape this time.” “Try and catch me, Detectives.” He fired a few shots at them as he ran up the stairs. Jacob and Sophia took cover, the bullets barely missing them. As they came to the top of the stairs, they stopped and scanned the area. Jacob motioned to Sophia that they should split up. Jacob went to the left while Sophia took the right. They slowly made their way through the upper level, searching for the Fist. Sophia started making her way around some huge crates, being careful not to miss anything. She faintly heard a strange noise a little ways in front of her. She made her way in the direction she thought the noise was coming from. She heard it again, and she listened closer. It seemed as if it was coming from inside the wall. She placed her ear up against the wall where the sound seemed to be coming from. She started feeling around the wall. She pushed on one of the bricks and it slid back and to the side, revealing a secret room.

She grabbed her flashlight and slowly walked into the dark room, scanning as she went. She looked over at the back wall and found a young girl, no more than eight years old, dressed in nothing but rags, huddled in the corner. Sophia took a tentative step closer to the young girl and she shied away, whimpering. Sophia stopped and whispered, “Its okay, love, don’t worry. I won’t hurt you, sweetheart. Shh, it’s okay, darling. No one will hurt you anymore. My name is Sophia, I’m a police officer, and I’m here to take you home. Give me your hand, darling.” The little girl hesitantly reached for the detective’s hand. They touched hands, and the little girl rushed out, wrapping her arms around the detective. She started to cry. Sophia whispered in the radio, “Jacob, come in. This is Sophia.” “Go ahead, Soph, what’s up?” “I ran into a…a complication. I think you should come here. I’m in the southwest corner of the upper level.” “Are you okay, Soph?” “Yes, I’m fine. Just get over here.” “On my way, hold tight.” Jacob arrived a few minutes later. “This is a complication, Soph. You need to get her out of here. I’ll continue looking for the Fist.” “You sure, Jake? We can call for someone else to come get her.” The little girl held on to Sophia more tightly. “No, you go. Looks like she trusts you. It will be better for her if you stay with her. Go. I can take care of Marshall.”

Sophia nodded in agreement. “All right, but you be careful. Marshall isn’t the type of person you take lightly.” “Agreed. Now go. I’ll be fine.” Sophia started for the door while Jacob covered them.

Chapter Thirty-Three

As soon as they were out of sight, Jacob continued his hunt for Marshall. He paused a moment. He closed his eyes, started to think about Rachel and Isaac, and whispered, “I need your help, Rachel.” When he opened his eyes, Rachel and Isaac were standing in front of him. Jacob smiled. “You’re both here!” Rachel and Isaac both smiled back. “Aye, Jake, we are. How can we help ye?” “I’m looking for a suspect that fled up here. There isn’t any other way out of here, so he has to be up here somewhere. I just can’t find him, and I wondered if you could help me out with that?” “Aye, Jake, we can do that. The suspect, Marshall, as you call him, is still in the building. We will take ye to him, but we have to hurry.” “Then let’s get going.” All three of them took off toward where Marshall was. “How many are in there, Rachel?” Isaac piped up. “I’ll check.” “Be careful, Son.” “I will, Dad, be right back.” Isaac slipped into the room, looked around, and then came back out. “Just him, Dad. Go get him!” Jacob softly chuckled, and then opened the door and peeked in. At first he did see Marshall in the room. He then saw him kneeling down and doing something. Jacob made his way into the room and over to where he was.

He got within his range and smiled. “I got you, Marshall, give it up! And you said I wouldn’t be able to catch you.” Marshall laughed and turned to face Jacob. “You only think you did. I have rigged this building to explode, and all I have to do is hit this button.” “Easy, Marshall. Let’s not do anything rash. Just put it down and we can talk about this.” “What is there to talk about? Even if I give up and come with you, I’ll never see the light of day again. When you have done the things I have, you know that if you are ever caught, they will never let you see anyone again. So I figure if I’m going down, I’m going to take as many other people as I can.” “You’re wrong, Marshall. You will get a fair trial. That I can promise you. That is, if you put down the detonator.” As Jacob tried to talk Marshall into giving up, Jacob heard Rachel’s voice in his head. Marshall’s not going to give up; you are going to have to take out the detonator. Shoot it with your pistol. You can hit it cleanly. He took a second to make sure he’d heard what he thought he did, and then said one last thing to Marshall. “Well I guess I’ll just have to make the decision for you, since you can’t make the decision yourself.” He then fired a single shot toward Marshall. The gun was fired, and a moment later, the detonator in Marshall’s hand exploded, sending shrapnel into his hand. Marshall screamed in agony, and Jacob took advantage and kicked him in the chest, sending Marshall sprawling, and then tackled him, hitting the ground with a resounding thud. Jacob planted his knee into Marshall’s back, and placed him under arrest. Jacob radioed to the team. “I have Marshall. He is in custody, although he is going to need to be looked at by EMTs; had to rough him up a bit.” “Medics already en route, Jake. ETA is fifteen minutes.”

Jacob clipped his radio back onto his belt, pulled Marshall to a standing position, and led him out of the building. The next day, Jake and his family arrived at the hospital with a small gift for Jax. Jake gently knocked on the door to Jax’s room, and a few moments later, he heard a soft voice telling him to come in. They slowly opened the door. “Hey there, Jax. How are you feeling?” Jax smiled. “Hey, Jake. I’m pretty sore, but I’m okay.” Kaleb ran up to Jax and gave her a big hug, then smiled at her. “Hi, Jax!” Jax grinned even bigger. “How is my little man doing?” “I’m doing good, Jax. I’m glad you are still alive.” He climbed up and lay down next to Jax. They made small talk for a while, and then Jake leaned over and whispered in Megan’s ear. Megan nodded. “Hey Kaleb, let’s go get some chocolate milk, okay?” “Okay, Mommy. I’ll be right back, okay Jax?” “All right, sweetie, I’ll be here.” Megan and Kaleb left the room and Jake sat down next to Jax. Jake took Jax’s hand and looked into her eyes. “I really don’t want to have to do this, but there are some questions I need to ask you, Jax.” She nodded. “I know, procedures, it’s all right. Go ahead and ask, Jake.” Jake nodded. “What happened? I need as many details as you can give me.” Jax took a deep breath before beginning to relate what had happened. “What I is, there was an explosion and I was knocked unconscious from the blast. I just before I went unconscious, I saw someone approaching me, and then everything went black. The next thing I is waking up in a dark room. Once I was fully awake, I noticed there was a young woman with

me. She said her name was Sarah.” She continued to tell her story, including everything that Sarah had told her about the people who held them captive. “Did Sarah tell you that there was another little girl help captive there?” Jax blinked in shock. “She didn’t, Jake. I don’t know if she knew about her or not. I’ll ask her, though. Do you know her name?” “I don’t. I haven’t talked to Sophia since we rescued her, and she is the only one the little girl will even look at, much less talk to. I need to get back to the station. I’ll ask her then and give you a ring, okay?” “All right, Jake. Thank you for coming and rescuing me. It means the world to me.” “It wasn’t a problem. I had to come get you. You mean too much to this family. I’m just sorry we didn’t get to you sooner.” Jax took hold of Jake’s hand and squeezed. “It’s okay, Jake. I know you got to me as soon as you could.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

A middle-aged man carrying a briefcase made his way into an elevator and pushed the button for the top floor. As the elevator made its way to the top floor the man began to sweat a little. He rubbed his palms together. He took a deep breath. The elevator stopped at the top floor, and the doors opened. He pushed the door-close button, inserted a key into a keyhole and turned it, hit the topfloor button again, and the elevator began to move once more. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The man stepped out, more sure of himself with every step. The floor this man got out on was one big office. In this office, all over the walls, there were shelves and shelves of books. In the middle of the office, there was a large desk. The man walked up to the desk, leaned over, and started to talk to the person sitting at the desk. The man swallowed hard and waited for the one behind the desk to react. The person behind the desk grabbed the man by the arm, pulled him closer, and whispered in his ear. The man nodded, and walked away.

***

After the man left, the person in the chair picked up the phone and made a few calls. Later that day, a meeting took place. The white female sitting at the head of the table stood up and brought the meeting to order. “The Butcher isn’t happy about what’s been going on the past couple of months. The cops have gotten too close. We have lost too many people in our corporation. The Butcher has asked that I come here and fix the problems. I have called this meeting with all the department heads so we can get things done, and

done right. We have lost a lot in the last few months, and who is to blame? “Each of you will have to pick up the slack, sell more drugs, and kill anyone who gets in our way. Marshall and Andrew got sloppy and made mistakes, and the police took advantage of it. You will not make the same mistakes. “The Butcher is going to start cracking down on every one of you. I was also told to set an example of what will happen should any of you screw up.” The young lady pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and pointed it at the person at the table who was highest in command, smiled, and shot him in the head. She loved the terror on all the others’ faces. “Now you see how serious the Butcher is. Get to work, all of you, and someone clean up this mess, NOW!” Everyone left except for the two men standing behind the young woman. She turned and whispered to one of the men. The man nodded and left through the open door. She turned and began to walk around the room, talking to no one in particular. “Why am I surrounded by stupid people? I mean, how hard is it to do what you’re told to do?” She suddenly stopped and turned to the man by the door. “I need you to kill the detectives that are messing everything up, and don’t come back until it’s done. Take whatever you need. Just get it done. I’m tired of them messing everything up.” The man smiled and nodded. “It will be done.”

***

Sophia was at the police station, just finishing up the last of the paperwork on the Marshall case. She sat back in her chair and rubbed her temples. She gingerly got up, stretched the kinks out, and turned in all the paperwork.

She got in her car and headed down to the local hangout. She walked in, took a seat at the bar, ordered a drink, and then sat back and tried to relax. The bartender handed her the drink and she moved to a seat in the corner, not wanting to be disturbed. She sipped on her drink as she watched the other people around her. She noticed a man at the bar watching her. She paid no heed to it, and continued to try and relax. As soon as her glass was empty, the waitress placed another drink on her table. “Compliments from the gentleman over there at the bar,” said the waitress. She pointed him out to her and left to help other customers. Sophia gave him a nod and a smile and went back to sipping her drink. He kept looking at her, and after a few minutes, he decided to take things into his own hands. “Hey, do you always drink alone, or is it just tonight?” She jumped, startled by the man. “Um, what did you say?” He laughed. “I was asking if you always drink alone. So, do you?” She gave the gentleman a confused look. “Do I what?” “Always drink alone.” She looked down, not wanting him to see her blush. “Sorry. Yeah, I do. Most of the time, anyway.” “May I sit?” “Oh, sorry, yes. Please sit.” The man chuckled and winked, sitting across the table from her. He offered Sophia his hand. “Hi, I’m Jack.” “Hi, Jack, I’m Sophia.” She took his hand in a firm handshake. “Nice handshake, tells me a lot about you.” She smirked at him. “Oh, really, so what did it tell you about me?”

“Well, you are a strong woman, someone who doesn’t take crap from anyone. You do what you want no matter what others think. You have had your fair share of pain in your life, and because of that you are a much stronger woman.” He finished what he was saying and watched for her expression and response. Sophia blushed and smiled again, taking a sip of her drink. “So I’m right?” Sophia scowled. “I’m going to let you think whatever you want, but yeah, you are pretty close.” They talked and laughed together for the rest of the night. “I’m sorry, Jack, it’s getting late, and I have work in the morning, so we are going to have to call it a night. I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you.” “You are most welcome, Sophia. I had a good time as well.” He took out a pen, scribbled something on a napkin, and handed it to her. “My number. Give me a call sometime.” Sophia took a napkin, wrote her number on it, and handed it to Jack. He smiled and slipped the napkin into his pocket. “Allow me the pleasure of walking you to your car.” She smiled and nodded. “I’d like that. Thank you.” They grabbed their coats and headed out the door. They continued to talk as they made their way to her car. “Well, this is my car. Again, I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you.” “My pleasure. Will I be able to see you again?” Sophia smiled coyly. “We’ll see.” She got into her car and drove off toward home.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The next morning, at the police station, Sophia found herself unable to concentrate on what she needed to get done. Jacob noticed. “What’s on your mind, Soph?” Sophia looked up. “Huh? Oh, sorry, Jake, what were you saying?” Jacob just laughed and shook his head. “You must have had some night last night, Soph. I’ve never seen you this distracted.” Sophia blushed a little. “Yeah, sorry about that. Last night was… interesting.” “How is the little girl we found? What’s her name?” Sophia looked down. “I don’t know what her name is.” “Did you check the fingerprint database?” “She hasn’t told me. I didn’t want to find out her name that way. I want her to trust me enough to tell me her name. I’m not going to push her, though. I’m sure she will talk when she is ready. Thank you, Jake, for letting her stay with us. My girls have kind of gotten attached to her.” Jake smiled. “You are very welcome, Soph. How is she coping with everything?” “Oh, as good as can be expected. Sometimes she wakes up screaming, but she won’t tell me what she is dreaming. She just cries until she falls asleep again. I feel so bad for her. Who knows what happened to her while she was there.” Jake nodded. “What did the doctor say when she examined her?” “She said that she is in pretty good health, a little dehydrated. They put an IV in her and let me take her home a couple of hours later. I have my oldest daughter, Samantha, staying home to keep an eye on her while I’m at work. Which

reminds me, I need to call and check up on them. I have been calling her Rayne till she tells me what her real name is. I had to call her something, and Faith seems to like that one for her. I tried a few other names, but she seemed to respond to that one the best.” Sophia took out her cell and dialed her home number. “Hey, it’s me. How is Rayne doing?” She nodded a few times. “Okay, good, I’ll be home as soon as I can tonight, okay? Are you sure you and Rayne are doing okay?” She nodded a few more times. “All right, thank you so much, sweetie, for all you do. I’ll talk to you later. I love you! Bye.” “How are they doing, Soph?” “Rayne has been sleeping most of the day. She is still having the dreams. I just wish I was there for her more.” “I know you do, which is why you are going home. We need to get all the information we can from her, and you are the only one who can. We at least need to get her name.” “Are you sure, Jake?” He smiled and nodded. “Yes. Now get going. I’m going to stop by Jax’s place and see if she or Sarah has any more information, and see how they are doing. We will meet back up later, okay?” Sophia jumped up, grabbed her coat, and rushed out the door. She got to her apartment and rushed in. She got home just in time to hear Rayne wake up screaming. She hurried into her room, wrapped her arms around her, and held her tight, whispering in her ear that no one would ever hurt her again. Sophia started to cry. “I wish I could make everything better for you, sweetie. I wish you would talk to me. At least tell me your name?” A few moments later, she heard a soft voice. “She likes the name Rayne, Mom.” Sophia looked up to see her youngest daughter standing in the room.

“How do you know, sweetie?” She walked over to them and softly said. “She told me. We talk all the time.” Sophia smiled. “What else has she told you, sweetie?” Faith got up on the bed with them. “Well, she said that she doesn’t have a name, and that she is really glad you found her and gave her a name. She is sorry she wakes up screaming. She is just so scared. She also said that she loves you because no one has been so nice to her.” Sophia took her daughter’s hands in hers. “Do you think you could do something for me, sweetie?” “Sure, Mommy. What do you need me to do?” Sophia whispered into her ear and then looked at her. Faith smiled and nodded her head. Faith took Rayne’s hand gently and whispered into Rayne’s ear, and then Rayne whispered back to Faith. Faith smiled up at her mom. “Rayne said that she will tell you all she knows. I told her that she can trust you and that she can hold your hand if she needs to.” “That is fine, sweetie. Good night.” “Good night mama.” She got up and went into her own room. Sophia turned her attention to Rayne and smiled. “Go ahead, love, take your time.” Rayne took a deep breath and squeezed Faith’s hand. “My mom, she was what I keep dreaming about. She was there with me in that place. She had me there. My mom was the first one taken and made to stay there. She was the boss’s first woman.” Sophia spoke up. “So do you know what happened to your mom?” Rayne nodded and continued telling her story. “A woman, I don’t know her name, told me later when I got to meet her what really happened to my mom. She told me that when my mom was first there she was the boss’s favorite. She

got pregnant by him when she first got there. He was not happy so she tried to hide it from him for as long as she could, but eventually he started to notice that her belly was getting bigger. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy about it at all. In fact he was so mad that he locked her up in a room and didn’t let her out till my birth.” As Rayne continued telling her story, Sophia texted Jake the information as she got it. “As time ed and it got closer to when she would give birth, the boss got more and more mad and it eventually turned into hate. Then as the hate grew within him, he grew to despise all that she was and stood for. So when the day came and my mother gave birth to me, and all was said and done, he kept my mother and me in that same room until he decided what to do with us both. We were made to stay in that room for years, barely having enough to eat and drink. He finally came into the room one day, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her out of the room. I tried to hold on to her, but he pushed me down and left the room with my mother.” Rayne wiped her eyes with the tissue Sophia gave her and then kept telling the story. “That was the last time I saw my mother. She never named me; she just called me her tiny angel. Eventually he allowed Sarah to check in on me once in a while, but that was a long time after he took my mother. Then you came and rescued me. I feel so safe with you. I love you all.” The tears flowed as she wrapped her arms around Sophia and hugged her tight.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Jacob finished up some paperwork and headed over to Jaxon’s house. He knocked on the door and Sarah answered. “Oh hey, Detective Alexander, how are you?” Jake chuckled. “Sarah, call me Jake.” Sarah laughed. “All right, Jake, come on in. Jax will be happy to see you.” Sarah walked over to the stairs and hollered up, “Jax, Jake is here!” “All right, Sarah, I’ll be right down.” A few minutes later, Jax came down the stairs and gave Jake a big hug. “What’s up, Jake?” “Just came by to check on you both, and to ask Sarah a few questions. We have a break in the case and just needed to run a few things by her.” “Sure thing, Jake. Are you up to that, Sarah?” Sarah nodded, and all three of them sat down at the table. “So, Sarah, how long were you kept at the complex before we came and got you and Jax?” “Truthfully, I don’t know. I was keeping track, but then I stopped caring because I didn’t think anyone was going to find me.” “When Sophia and I were rounding up the last of the suspects we found a little eight-year-old girl in one of the back rooms there. Do you know anything about her?” Sarah looked shocked. “That girl is still alive? I’m glad to hear you found her. Is she okay?”

Jake nodded. “Yeah, she is doing well. She was a little dehydrated when we found her, but she is doing well now.” “Good. I’m really glad to hear it. It’s really sad what happened to her and her mother.” Jax looked at Sarah. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?” Sarah took Jax’s hand and looked at her. “I was told the child had died right before they brought you. I didn’t think there was any reason to tell you. And besides, the boss didn’t let anyone talk about it. If you did, that was the end of you.” “I think I need to have another talk with Marshall.” Sarah looked over at Jake. “May I ask you a question, Jake?” “Of course, Sarah, ask away.” “How did you know to ask me about the little girl?” “Rayne told me you told her about what happened to her mother.” Sarah perked up at the mention of her name. “So she does have a name. Every time I was told to go and check on her, I asked her what her name was, but she never told me. In fact, she never said a word to me.” “My partner, Sophia, took the little one to her house to keep her safe, and her youngest daughter Faith named her Rayne. Faith is the one who got her to talk. Rayne said that her mother never named her, just called her ‘her little angel.’” “I’m glad she is being looked after.” Sarah paused. “Do you think she would let me see her?” “I’m not sure. I’ll call Soph and ask her if it would be okay. So how are you two doing?” Jax looked at Sarah, then back to Jake. “We are hanging in there, taking one day at a time.”

“Have you seen your family yet, Sarah?” Sarah looked down before answering. “I haven’t yet, Jake, and I just can’t. I tried to go back home. I did call them and I told them that I was alive. I have just been gone for so long, I couldn’t bring myself to go home. I don’t even consider them family anymore. I mean, I didn’t think I would ever get away from that awful place. Jax is the only one I consider family. She was there for me, and she is the only one who knows what I have been through.” Jake nodded. “I understand where you are coming from, Sarah. When someone I loved was taken from me, I didn’t know if I could ever feel at home anywhere, or with anyone. ever again. I hope you give them at least a chance someday. But don’t rush it, it will all come eventually.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Captain Williams sat back in his chair, finally finished with what seemed to be an endless pile of paperwork. He took a sip of his coffee. The phone rang. “Captain Williams.” A voice with a Southern accent started talking. “James Williams. Long time no see there, hun.” James sat at his desk, silent for a moment before answering. “Rene? Is that you?” “Yes, love, it’s me. I’m so happy you me.” “How could I not? We had a great time together.” “I’m in town for a little while visiting an old friend. I was wondering if you wanted to get breakfast tomorrow, hun.” James checked his calendar. “I would love to, Rene. Where would you like to go?” She laughed. “This is your town. You pick.” “All right. I know this little café just down the street from the station. How about nine in the morning?” “Sounds perfect. See you then.” The next morning, Captain Williams arrived at the café, found a seat, and waited for his longtime friend. A few minutes later, a young woman entered the café, her long blond hair moving with the light breeze that blew in from outside. The scent of her perfume floated through the open door. Her hips swayed as she walked through the door, showing off her athletic shape.

James saw Rene, smiled, and waved her over to where he was sitting. He stood and offered her a chair. “It’s good to see you again, Rene.” She smiled back at him. “Good to see you again too, James.” The waitress came up to the table, and they ordered breakfast. As they waited for their food, they started catching up, reminiscing about old times and where their lives had gone. “So what news did you bring me, James?” He looked into her eyes. “I really hate waiting to hear from you. You really should let me call you.” “You know that’s not how this works.” “Well, Rene––that is what you are going by now, yes?” She nodded, and then winked. “Yeah, for now.” “Good enough. I have to say that if Marshall and Charles would have done their job right, my job would be a lot easier right now.” She chuckled. “Well, it’s hard to find decent help, much less good help. Oh, that is why I hired you.” She got serious. “You are good at what you do, but don’t let that go to your head. You still answer to me. You know what you need to do. We can’t have your detectives messing things up; they are getting way too close. You need to fix it.” “If your boys would have taken care of Jax like they should have, I wouldn’t have half the problems I do. Where do you find these people, anyway?” “All right, James. Point taken. What do you need from me to get the job done?” “I need more men that can get the job done and not ask questions. I’ll also need some weapons.” “I think I have just the people who could help you with your problems. Namely

your detectives.” “Oh, do you, now? Well then, do tell, my friend.” Rene smiled. “Let me make a few calls, and I’ll let you know.” James nodded. “Just don’t take too long. I need to get this mess cleaned up before the wrong people start snooping more than they already are.” They went their separate ways. “Hey, it’s me. I need a big favor. Can we meet somewhere? I have a big problem I need your help with… Make sure you’re not late.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Sophia and Jacob looked up as the captain walked in. Sophia gave him a smile. “G’day, sir. How are ya?” The captain just smirked back at Sophia, went into his office, and shut the door behind him. “Hmm, I wonder what that was all about?” “We probably don’t want to know.” They both laughed and went back to what they were doing. A few minutes later, Jacob looked up. “I keep thinking about the raid and how relatively easy it was.” “Personally, Jake, an easy raid is a good raid. Don’t you think?” “I would normally agree with you, but something just doesn’t seem right, like it was too easy.” “What do you mean, Jake?” “Well, think about it for a minute; the resistance wasn’t all that hard to overcome, and the suspects…I would have thought they would have fought back a little harder than they were.” Sophia nodded. “You’re not going where I think you are going, are you, Jake?” Jake looked at Sophia with a knowing look. “I don’t think Marshall is the main boss. I mean, if he were the main boss, he wouldn’t have given up so easy. You could see the fear in him eyes, but he was willing to do anything not to get caught. He is more afraid of someone else than he is of us.” Sophia nodded. “I see where you’re going with this, but if he isn’t the head boss,

who is? None of the other scum we have caught is the leader that is for sure.” “I would agree with you. There is still someone we haven’t found out about who is running everything. We need to talk to Marshall again. I don’t think he has told us everything he knows.” “Well, let’s get him back in here.” Jake nodded and called in to have Marshall brought in from central lockup. They placed Marshall in one of the interrogation rooms to await Jake and Sophia. Jake and Sophia watched him behind the two-way glass, making him uncomfortable for a while before they started questioning him. They entered the room, and Sophia sat across the table from Marshall. She paused a moment before she started speaking. “We told you that if you didn’t tell us everything, we would be back. We know you aren’t the head boss.” Marshall stammered as he tried to talk. “What are you talking about? Of course I am. I’m the head boss.” Jacob leaned in close to him. “Don’t make us laugh. You aren’t the boss of anything. It was way too easy capturing you and all your associates. Who is your boss, Marshall?” “I swear to you that I’m the head boss, Detective.” “Don’t waste our time, Marshall. We know you aren’t. You gave up everything way too quickly.” The look on Marshall’s face suddenly changed from a look of compliance to one of contempt. “I should be in charge! I at least know when and where to push. The boss doesn’t have the ears in this city to own it.” “And you do, Marshall? I don’t think so.” Marshall glared at the detectives. “So what if I don’t? It doesn’t matter. You’ll never find him, much less take him off the street. Trust me, many people have tried, and all have failed.”

“True enough, but he hasn’t met me and my detectives yet. And when he does, he will rue the day he came to this town. Mark my words.” Marshall laughed. “You actually think you are going to catch him? However, you have intrigued me. How do you think you are going to accomplish this, pray tell?” The two detectives got right up in Marshall’s face. “You are going to help us. That’s how.” “What makes you think I’m going to help you, or that I even want to help you?” “Quite simply, if you want to be alive to see your day in court and have the death penalty off the table, you will do everything in your power to help us. I have a lot of pull in the corrections system. The warden is a personal friend of mine. I could have him let it slip that you are the worst kind of scum, and then you would be lucky to make it a week. That is, if you actually make it there. There are a lot of other cops that would relish the chance to have five minutes alone with you, if you catch my meaning.” Sophia got close enough to whisper, “This deal ends if we walk out that door and you haven’t agreed. You have about five seconds to make up your mind.” The detectives waited five seconds, and then headed for the door. “All right, all right, I’ll help you, but I want protection.” The two detectives stopped and walked back to the table where Marshall was sitting. “Now that’s more like it. Now of course, your protection hangs on what you have to tell us. If what you tell us leads to the arrest of everyone involved, you will have your protection.” “All right, the main boss over all the crime in the city isn’t who you think. You have been looking at all the wrong people. Everyone you have been turning the heat up on are only local bosses. To end this whole thing, you need to look internationally. Now, before you get any ideas, I have never seen the head boss before, but I did hear a name. It’s always said in whispers and hushed tones. The Butcher. Lives somewhere on an island or something like that.”

“Come on, Marshall, you can do better than that…” “I’m not done yet. From where you are, the Butcher is untouchable. You will have to make the Butcher come to you. And that, Detective, is easier said than done. However, I believe I have a way to get the Butcher to come to you. All you have to do is arrest all the local crime bosses and keep them off the streets for a while, and the Butcher will have no choice but to come here and run things until suitable replacements can be found. Of course, you will have to find out who they all are. There is always one or two that slips through the cracks.” “So what is the Butcher’s real name, Marshall?” “I don’t know. As I said before, all I have ever heard is the Butcher. I have personally never even seen him.” “Who has seen him, Marshall? I want names.” “No one has seen him, ever. That’s why you have never heard of him before.” “That’s where you are wrong. How do you think we have managed to catch you and the other leaders? My partner and I have known about the existence of the Butcher for some time. We also knew the name of the Butcher. I just needed to know how much you knew. Doesn’t sound like you are very high on the food chain, now does it? Now then––how do the crime lords communicate with this Butcher?” “The Butcher uses video chat via an encrypted Internet connection, but is always in the shadows and uses a voice changer so no one even knows what he sounds like, either.” “Wow, this Butcher is either very smart or very paranoid. But regardless of which one, he is a coward. For your sake, Marshall, you’d better hope we take him down.” The two detectives left the interrogation room and ed the task force. “All right, this is what we are going to do. We are going to arrest all of the leaders, bring them in, and get them to tell us everything they know. Then we will get this so-called Butcher. The captain has given us the location of the that he knows of, so it’s up to us to get the rest of them. We will split

up and take them down, and then we will get the information we need. Each team will have two detectives and four SWAT officers. Good luck.” Jacob divided his team up into groups of two with a small SWAT army with them and sent them on their way. “Sophia, I need you to lead one of the other teams. I know we are partners, but I have brought in someone who knows a lot about the leaders.” Just then, Jaxon Strong entered the room. Everyone in the room stood in shock for a moment before starting up a cheer. Jaxon was received with welcomebacks and high-fives. “Detective Johnson will be teamed up with Sophia. You all have your assignments. Let’s get to it.” Everyone left the room except for Sophia and Jacob. “We need to talk, Jake.” “All right. I’ll see you at the car, Jaxon.” Jax nodded and headed for the car. “All right, what is it, Sophia?” “Are you sure Jaxon should be involved in this, after all she has been through?” “I understand where you are coming from, Sophia. Jax has been through a lot, but she is the one who approached me about getting involved. She has information that has been invaluable to this operation. We would have never gotten this far without her.” “Does the captain know about this, Jake?” Jake smiled. “Of course he does, and he signed off on it.” Sophia returned the smile. “Good. Let’s get this scum off the streets.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

All the teams headed out to get the leaders they were assigned to arrest. Team Alpha, consisting of Jacob, Jaxon, and their four SWAT officers, headed off to Little Mexico to get the Mexican, Juan Vieira. When they got to Little Mexico, Jaxon’s informant met them at the meeting place. The informant handed them a map showing the way to the home of Juan Vieira and all the information they needed to take him down. Jaxon thanked her informant and she left. “All right, team, this is all we need to take him down. You are sure about this info, Jax?” “Oh yeah, I trust my informant, she wouldn’t let me down. Plus she knows what I would do to her if she did.” “That’s good enough for me; let’s get ready to go.” They made their plan for how to get Juan out of Little Mexico. Jax assigned one of the snipers on their team across the street from the place Juan was said to be in. The other sniper was set up around the back of the target building in case Juan made a run for it out the back. They were ordered not to kill Juan, but his guards they were to take out as soon as they could. Jake and one of the SWAT agents would take the front; Jax and the other SWAT agent would take the back. They agreed on the plans and all the paperwork had been done. Their orders were clear, they were to take out any resistance and to get Juan anyway necessary. They made any last minutes corrections and got into place. They arrived at a big mansion with pillars and plenty of windows. “Everyone radio check.” “Sniper one ready and in position.” “Sniper two ready and in position, sir.” “Jaxon and SWAT in position.” “Snipers, take out your targets.”

The two guards keeping watch at the front door all of a sudden dropped dead from bullets to their heads. All the guards, as soon as they ed a window, were taken out. Soon Jaxon and Jake heard over the radio that all the guards had been taken out and the way was clear. “That’s our cue, Jax, let’s go get him.” “Jake, he should be in his bedroom, which is the whole top floor, according to the map we were given.” “Copy, Jax. Make sure you clear every room, and be careful.” Jake and the SWAT officer with him crept into the house by the front door. They entered the house and saw a large staircase in front of them with rooms off to the left and right. Jake motioned to the officer and they headed off to the room at the left. They slowly entered the room and checked to see if anyone was there. They found some of the house help, told them to leave the house, and then moved on to the room off to the right of the main door. As they entered the room to the right, the window just inside shattered as a bullet went through it and struck a guard who’d entered the room from a rear door. They both turned to where the bullet had gone and saw a guard slump down as the life slipped from him. They slipped to the open doorway at the back of the room. They found a hallway with rooms on both sides. They took a deep breath and started checking the rooms one at a time. They found out quickly that these rooms housed the consorts who entertained the Mexican’s guests. Jakes told all of them to leave the house for their safety. They quietly left the complex. The hallway led back to the room at the left, so they went back to the stairs and started to make their way up the stairs to the next floor. There were double doors at the top of the stairs. They checked the doorknob and found that it was unlocked and slowly opened the door. As they opened it, gunshots riddled the door and the two detectives had to take cover. The door fell apart from the automatic-weapons fire as the police returned fire. Jake radioed to the SWAT snipers to start taking out some of the gunmen. The snipers took out a few so the detectives could enter the room. Jake motioned for Jax to follow him into the room; she nodded and waited for him to give the signal. He counted down from three, and then they entered the room, shooting their way in. Then, seeing some cover, they jumped behind it.

Jake motioned to Jax to cover him while he got closer. Jax nodded and counted to three, and then started firing at the suspects. Jake made his move and ran to some cover that was closer and to the left. When he got there, he started to fire at them too. As Jacob fired at them, Jax went to the right to get closer as the SWAT officer fired from the original area. After a few more moments of gunfire, Jacob shouted out, “AD, drop your weapons, get down on the ground, you are surrounded!” A few seconds later, the sound of automatic weapons dropping to the ground could be heard. The two detectives and SWAT officers advanced toward the middle of the room, where the gunfire was taking place, and started arresting the gunmen. Jake took one of the gunmen into another room to interrogate him once the building had been secured. “Where is the Mexican?” “He left right before you got here, said he has some unfinished business he had to take care of.” “What was his unfinished business he had to take care of?” “He didn’t say.” “You’d better hope he said, ’cause if he didn’t you can be charged with everything and you will never see the light of day again.” “All right, he may have said something about going down to the docks to take care of someone who crossed him.” “Let’s get going, see if we can’t catch him in the act. Jax, radio headquarters and get some backup to meet us at the docks.” Jax radioed their headquarters and requested backup to meet them at the docks. “All right, Jake, backup will meet us there.”

Chapter Forty

Sophia and her team reached the area where Max LaRue was rumored to be. Max LaRue was known to own most of the warehouse district––at least, according to the people he employed to guard it. Unfortunately, there was no way to know which warehouse Mad Dog was in, so they were going to have to search every one of them. She split her team up so there were five officers going into each warehouse. Sophia and her partner Detective Johnson and three SWAT officers headed to the first warehouse. She sent two of the SWAT officers over to the dock and two more of them around the back of the warehouse, while the two detectives and the SWAT officer took the front. Sophia and her partner went to the door at the front of the warehouse. She checked the door and found that it was unlocked. Her partner got ready to enter as she turned the doorknob and opened the door. As the door opened, Detective Johnson entered the warehouse with his automatic weapon at the ready. He cleared the entryway so Sophia could enter. They started clearing the ground level, and then they headed to the upper level. Each warehouse was cleared this way until they all got to the last one. “Well, looks like this is the last warehouse––Mad Dog has to be in this one. Everyone knows where they need to be. Let’s go get him.” The police surrounded the warehouse and Sophia took her team and entered the warehouse. The snipers took positions around the warehouse and were given the signal to start taking out the guards to make entry easier. After the snipers gave the all-clear, Sophia and her team started with the lower level first, clearing each part of the warehouse. While on the lower level, they came across what looked to be a door that had been barred shut. They removed the bars, but found the door locked. Without a key, the biggest cop there kicked the door, hoping to get it opened. After a few well-placed kicks, the door swung open. As they shined their flashlight into the room, they saw around a half dozen young girls huddled in the corner. Sophia and her partner entered the room, and the girls shied away from them. “It’s okay, we are the police. All of you are safe now.”

One of the girls spoke up. “We just want to go home. They took us away from our families, and we just want to see them again.” “How long have you girls been here?” The girl who spoke looked down for a moment. “I’m…not sure how long, it’s different for everyone here. I have been here for about a year…I think. Some of the girls have been here longer. They take us away, when we are sold, and we never see them again.” The young girl started shaking. “No more talking, no more talking.” The detective placed her arm around the young girl and told her that it would be okay and that they were safe now. She had one of the officers lead the girls out to safety and the rest of them set off to go after Mad Dog. They finished the bottom floor, and then started up the stairs to the upper level. They got to the top level and Mad Dog was standing with one of the girls, pointing a gun at her head. “Ah, Detective Stuart, so glad you could make it.” Sophia got a stunned look on her face as the person she was in charge of capturing called her by name. “How do you know my name?” Mad Dog laughed, getting the response he was looking for. “I know a lot more than you think, Detective.” Mad Dog looked at Detective Johnson. “This isn’t your partner, Detective. I don’t see Jacob with you. Has he already replaced you? I have to it, I was hoping that Jacob would have been with you. I so wanted to see the look on his face when I shoot you in the head, with him knowing he can’t do anything about it. Life does throw a curveball sometimes. So tell me, Sophia, where is Jacob? Why isn’t he here with you to try and take me down?” “He is busy taking down the scum you call friends with a friend of his that knows you all too well. He trusts that I’ll be able to take you down. You are a coward and nothing more.” Mad Dog thought for a moment. “This could only mean one thing––Jaxon must be back on the force. Hmm, this is an interesting turn of events. I wonder if the Butcher knows about this. Well, enough small talk, Detectives, please put down your weapons and slide them toward me.”

“Since you asked us so nicely, we will give you a chance to give up. We won’t ask again. Drop your gun, and let the girl go.” As the detectives and Mad Dog battled back and forth, Mad Dog slowly started to move toward the window, not knowing about the snipers who were placed around the building. When Mad Dog got to the window, with his back to it, the sniper outside saw the opportunity and took the shot, hitting Mad Dog in the shoulder. He stumbled, allowing the girl to get away from him. Sophia charged Mad Dog and leveled him with a kick to the head, sending him sprawling to the ground. “We told you that we wouldn’t give you another chance to surrender to us, mate. You should have taken it. You just had to do it the hard way, didn’t you? Take him away!” Sophia walked over to where the girl was to make sure she was okay. After making sure she was, they made their way back to the police station with Mad Dog.

Chapter Forty-One

Jacob and Jaxon arrived at the docks just in time to see the Mexican sailing away on his yacht. The Mexican waved at them as he departed from the dock. The two detectives raced to the police boat at the dock and took off after him. As they chased after the Mexican, Jax radioed for help from the Coast Guard. Jake took the radio, turned on the loudspeaker, and told the Mexican to stop the boat and turn off the engine, but he just kept running. The Coast Guard set up so they could get him stopped. They tried to get him to steer his boat into the trap they had set up. However, the Mexican was smarter than the police gave him credit for. He saw the trap for what it was, and made a break for the open ocean. “We need to catch him before he makes it out to the open ocean. If he gets there, it will almost be impossible to catch him.” “I agree, Jax. We need more people to help trap him.” He turned to the officer navigating the boat. “Keep following him; Jax and I are going to take the Wave Runners and see if we can help box him in.” The officer nodded. “Yes, sir. Be careful.” Jake nodded to the officer and then looked at Jax. “Let’s go. You ready for this?” Jax just laughed. “I was born ready. I have always wanted to do this.” They got on their personal jet skis and made sure their radios worked, and gave the sign that they were ready. The navigator pulled the lever that released the watercrafts and they sped off in pursuit. The Mexican saw the addition of more officers after him. He ordered his men to start taking out as many of them as they could. A few of them got automatic weapons and started firing on Jake and Jaxon as they started getting closer. The two detectives started swerving, trying to avoid the automatic-weapons fire while keeping the fleeing boat in sight.

“We need to get that weapons fire to stop before someone gets killed.” Jake fired his weapon, but to no avail. “There is just too much firepower on that boat. I can’t even get a clear shot.” All of a sudden, Jax had an idea. “Jake, we need Rachel and Isaac’s help. They are the only ones that can get on that boat. I’m sure they can do something to get them to stop firing.” Jake looked at Jax and nodded. “That just might be the edge we need. I’ll try to get them to help.” Jake started concentrating, trying to picture Rachel in his head. Then he started to whisper, “Rachel, Isaac, we need your help. Please help us so no one else gets killed.” A few moments later, Jake heard Rachel’s voice in his mind. How can we help ye, Jake? What do ye need us to do? “If you can, we need the weapons fire coming from the boat stopped so we can stop them. There is just too much; we can’t even get close to the boat.” Aye, we will see what we can do, love. Be prepared to move when the moment arises; I’m not sure how long we can make this last. “We’ll be ready, Rachel.” Jake turned to Jax to tell her what had happened, and just at that moment, one of the Mexican’s men got a lucky shot and hit Jax’s watercraft. “Jax!” Jacob yelled as the watercraft exploded. He knew he had to continue the pursuit. He radioed the boat. “I need you to break off pursuit and check on Detective Strong and make sure she is alive I’ll continue the pursuit.” He continued to follow the boat at a safe distance, hoping they would take him to their headquarters, and waited for the signal from Rachel and Isaac.

***

Rachel and Isaac appeared on the boat taking the Mexican out to the open ocean. Rachel whispered to Isaac, “We need to get them to stop shooting at Jake. Do you have any ideas, love?” A smile appeared on Isaac’s ghostly face, “I think I do, Mum.” He whispered in her ear. She nodded as the idea came together. They set off to do what they needed to. Rachel walked up to one of the guards on the boat, gently blew on the back of his neck, and sent a cold chill down his back. The guard jumped, startled by the cold chill, and turned around, looking for what had caused it. The guard saw nothing, shrugged, and went back to his work. Rachel was pleased with how well this was working and, with a slight smile, whispered the name of the guard in his ear, with the same cold chill. The guard jumped around, hoping to catch whoever was doing this to him. Again, he saw nothing, but heard a slight sound that sounded a little like a laugh. The guard followed what he thought was laughter around the corner and saw two other guards laughing at a joke one of them had told. The guard was about to walk back to his post. Rachel saw her opportunity and entered the guard’s body. She then walked up to the other two guards who were laughing. “What do you two think you are doing?” “Nothing,” one of them said. “That’s the problem. You should be at your posts.” “We were just taking a break.” “Well, your breaks are over. Now get back to work.” “We’re going.” The two guards turned to go back to work, when Rachel made the guard she was in control of push the other two guards over the railing.

Rachel looked overboard at the two figures in the water, and smiled. “Well, that’s two down; let’s see what other fun I can find.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Isaac left Rachel and found his way to the engine room of the boat. He stepped into the room and saw a few of the crew. He looked for the one who seemed to be in charge. A small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. He walked up to one who looked like he was in charge and entered his body. He started banging on some of the equipment. The other of the crew stopped what they were doing and started to watch the one banging on the equipment. “What are you doing, sir?” Isaac turned to the men. “If all else fails, percussion repair.” He started hitting the equipment harder and harder. This started to freak out the men in the engine room. “Sir, you’re making things worse.” Isaac made the man turn to the other men. “Don’t tell me what I’m doing; I’m in charge here. In fact, you are all fired! Get off the boat now!” he roared. “Sir, you can’t fire us, only the captain can.” “Is that so? Well then, I will just have to get rid of you some other way.” Isaac made the man start swinging the wrench he had in his hand at the other men. He laughed as he chased them out of the engine room and across the deck, until they had no choice but to jump over the side of the ship. He left the man, but not before he sent him overboard as well. “Now to find Mum.” Just then Rachel walked up to her son. “I see you took out the ones in this room.” “Yeah, and I had a lot of fun doing it.” Rachel smiled. “Good. Now, let’s see if we can get this bucket of bolts to stop.”

Rachel and Isaac started sending objects at the engine, trying to get the engine to stop. Rachel used all her power and made a long metal bar float up, and aimed it at the middle of the engine. Rachel looked at Isaac. “Hopefully we can get enough power behind this that we can impale the engine and that should stop the boat.” Before she sent it into the engine, she spoke to Jake. Jake, love, we have secured the boat, and we are ready to stop it when ye give the signal. “All right, Rachel; good work, you two. I have one more thing I need Isaac to do. Isaac, I need you to search the whole ship and see if there are any innocent people on board and then let me know.” “All right, Dad, I can do that.” Isaac left Rachel and went to check the ship. He came back about ten minutes later. “Dad, there are three young girls in one of the rooms on the top deck and one of them looks hurt.” “All right, Isaac, thanks. You have done a great job, but we are going to have to change the plans just a little bit. Looks like he is heading to an island that you should be able to see here in the next few minutes. As soon as that island is in view, I want you to blow the engine, then go and be with the girls until I get there, okay?” “Aye, love, we can do that. Oh, and be careful, Jake. The Mexican will resort to anything to get away. He is very dangerous.” “I will, Rachel and Isaac... I’m proud of you, Son.” “Thanks, Dad.” A few minutes later, the island came into view, and right on cue, the boat lurched ahead, and then sputtered to a stop. Jake smiled and brought his watercraft up alongside the boat and climbed the ladder up to the main deck. He drew his weapon and slowly began going through the main deck. Jake took the first set of stairs he found up to the top deck to look for the young girls and for the Mexican.

Chapter Forty-Three

Rachel and Isaac got to the room where the three girls were being kept. They ed through the door without being seen. They talked amongst each other, trying to decide how to go about protecting them and at the same time not scare them. They decided to have Isaac appear to the youngest girl and then to the others. Isaac walked over to the corner where the youngest girl was sitting and slowly appeared to her as an angel. The girl’s eyes grew big and she cupped her hands over her mouth, not wanting the guards to come back. Isaac looked at the young girl with blond hair and freckles and spoke to her quietly. “Hi, my name is Isaac. What’s your name?” The little girl looked up to him and whispered, “Grace.” “Are you hurt, Grace?” The little girl shook her head no, and then looked over at one of the other girls and pointed. “She is, though. The bad men hurt her.” “Well, Grace, my mom and I are here to protect you, and my dad is coming to rescue you and to stop the bad men, so you and the others are safe now.” Grace looked at Isaac with a confused look and asked, “Where is your mom?” “She is here with us.” Isaac pointed over at the doorway as Rachel slowly appeared to her as an angel. “Her name is Rachel, but you can call her Mom too if you want.” Isaac and Rachel appeared to the three girls and let them know that everything would be okay. They told them that they would be safe and to wait until Jake could get to them. They promised the girls that they would stay with them always.

***

Jake got to the first door on the top deck and slowly opened it. In the room, he found a big oak table that had some maps spread out and other little trinkets on it. On the walls, there were pictures of ocean scenes and a picture of the ship. Jake left that room and headed to the next one. With nothing of importance in that room, he went to the next one. He continued to search room after room for the girls. He opened the last door before going to the other side of the ship, and finally found the three girls. He entered the room and saw Rachel and Isaac sitting with the three scared girls. He knelt down next to the one who was hurt and tended to her wounds as best he could. He turned to Rachel. “I need you and Isaac to watch for the Coast Guard. When they get here, lead the girls out to them.” One of the girls walked up to Jake. “You are the police?” Jake nodded. “You are going to take care of the bad men?” Jake nodded again. “Then you will need this.” She handed Jake a map of the ship and pointed to the room that the bad men were in. Jake looked at the map and thanked the little girl. Jake looked at Rachel and Isaac once more and then headed off to the place where the Mexican was hiding. Jake got to the place that was marked on the map. He checked his ammo and then tested the door to see if it was locked. The door was unlocked and he gently started to open it when he heard the Mexican speaking to someone over the radio. “I don’t know why the ship stopped... Yes, I have sent a crew to check it out... Yes, I know how important the cargo is...I’ll get it to you as soon as I get the ship moving again... Well, if you want it so bad, come get it yourself... Yes,

the cargo is still alive...I know how to do my job... All right, Butcher, I’ll…” The Mexican hung up the radio and said something to the man beside him in Spanish, and then the man ran off, barely missing Jake, who had to hide in the shadows so he wouldn’t be found. Jake decided that he couldn’t wait for backup and that he had to face him or he would never get the answers he needed. Jake stayed hidden in the dark room and decided to talk to him first before showing him where he was. “So you do take orders from someone. I didn’t think you were the head boss.” The Mexican didn’t even turn around. “Ah, Detective Alexander, so good of you to us. So it was you who stopped the boat, although I don’t know how you did it.” “Let’s just say that I had help and leave it at that. Give it up, you can’t win. Your boat will be surrounded any minute.” Jake stepped out of the shadows, gun drawn. “Let’s talk for a few minutes. How you answer my questions determines if I shoot you or if you are taken alive.” “Doesn’t sound like I have much of a choice now, does it, Detective? Very well, ask your questions, but know that I may not have all the answers. However, I do know who does.” “I know you are a member of ‘The Leaders,’ and I know they are the ones who had Rachel killed.” “It’s possible; we have had a lot of people killed.” “Let me refresh your memory...” Jake recalled the day when Rachel and her unborn son were murdered and the events that led up to this moment. While Jake was telling the gruesome details of the murder, a smile came to the face of the Mexican as he fondly ed that one. “Ah, I do this Rachel you are referring to. She was a very beautiful woman. I really enjoyed watching her, watching her every move.” The Mexican heard the familiar click of a gun being loaded. “Now, now, Detective, you won’t get any answers if you kill me.”

“You will keep talking if you know what’s good for you.” “I thought so. Anyway, we hired an assassin to do this one for us. Actually, it was your fault, Jacob; you were getting too close, and we couldn’t let that happen. You had arrested certain people and so we decided that a message should be sent to you, a message that you wouldn’t soon forget, Detective. I see you haven’t forgotten. We decided that killing a detective would bring unwanted attention to us, so we settled for the next best thing...your family. We sent the most ruthless assassin we could find. The boss wanted the message to be very personal. The assassin just smiled and said that making things personal was what he did. And I must it, he didn’t disappoint. I heard he raped her, no?” The Mexican turned and faced Jake; he put his hands up in the air and looked Jake in the eyes. He saw the hatred burning in his eyes from the endless torture that he had gone through. “I see the hatred burning in your eyes, Detective. Might I give you someone worthy of that hate? I can give you the Butcher.” “And why should I believe you? Why would you give up your boss?” “That is a simple question. The answer is just as simple. The Butcher is getting out of control. Her lust for power is going to get us all killed, and I personally don’t have any desire to die.” Jake was shocked by what the Mexican said. “You said ‘her.’ The Butcher is a woman?” “Yes, she is, and a very attractive one I might add. You didn’t know this? What am I saying––of course you didn’t. I’m the only one who actually knew that. I’m sure you were wondering how I know this. Well, let’s just say she likes Mexicans. The other reason is I don’t like to be played. She is planning on killing me if I don’t deliver the cargo.” “You mean the girls in the room on the other side of the ship.” “Ah, so you found them, which means they most likely aren’t even on the ship anymore, which presents a problem for me.” “I may be able to fix that problem for you, but I’ll need to know all you can tell me about the Butcher, and then I’ll arrest her and you will no longer have a problem.”

“Sounds interesting. I’ll tell you all I know about her. First of all, her name is Nicole, or Nicky De Luca. She first entered the Leaders as one of the Leader’s concubines. She found out a lot of information from sleeping with them–– information on hits, and what law enforcement agencies are in league with them. She used this info to blackmail him. She wanted to be one of the main of the Leaders, and they gave it to her so she wouldn’t give all the information she knew to the police. They knew she had a lot of from all the law enforcement agencies that were with them and they couldn’t afford to lose their . “As soon as she was given a little authority, she killed her lover so she could have his authority as well. That is how she became the kingpin of the leaders. She knows no mercy, Detective...and neither do I.” The Mexican pulled out a weapon and just before he got a shot off, Jake shot at him, striking him between the eyes. Jake walked up to the body of the Mexican, looking down at him. “That was your downfall.” Jake radioed to the Coast Guard. “Coast Guard, this is Detective Alexander. Go ahead and board the ship. I also need a small ship waiting for me. I have some unfinished business to take care of. I also killed the Mexican.” “Ten-four, Detective.” Jake searched the body of the Mexican and found a picture of a beautiful brunette woman in camo pants and a white tank top, and a map of the island that they were near. He took the picture hoping that the woman in the picture was the Butcher, and headed to the island. He reached the island and checked the map. He saw that the map showed exactly where the Butcher’s hideout was. As he made his way to the hideout, he watched where he stepped, looking for landmines or anything other traps that might await him. The hideout came into view, so he decided to increase his pace. That decision almost cost him dearly, as he looked down just in time to see a mine he was about to step on. He berated himself for being careless and slowed his pace again. He reached the outer edge of the area where the hideout was and ducked behind a large rock just

as a guard made his way toward where he was. The guard stopped just in front of the rock. Jake snuck around the back of the guard, grabbed him around the throat, and dragged him behind the rock. Jake made sure the unconscious guard was completely hidden by the rock, grabbed the guard’s radio, and then continued to the hideout. Jake got to a door and checked the handle. It was locked. He smirked at the lock and brought out his picks and soon had the door unlocked and opened. He slipped in and went on the hunt.

***

Jax surfaced as she coughed up water and tried to figure out what had just happened. A few moments later, the Coast Guard boat pulled up beside her and helped her in. She sat in the boat trying to catch her breath as her lungs burned and her ribs ached. “You all right, Detective?” asked one of the officers on the boat. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. What happened? Where is Jake?” “He went on ahead and told us to circle back around and pick you up. Last time we saw him he was about to catch up to the boat we were pursuing.” “Then what are we sitting here for? Let’s go help him.” “You’re hurt, Detective, we really should get you to shore.” She looked at the officer who was talking. “Look, my partner is out there and outnumbered. I’m going after him, with or without you. You choose.” “All right. We will bring you along.” The boat sped toward the last known direction they’d been headed in. They soon

came up on the boat. Smoke was billowing out of it. They pulled up alongside the boat and boarded it with weapons at the ready. They searched the boat, finding the girls in one of the rooms. One of the officers stayed with them as the others went to look for Jake and the Mexican. They found the body of the Mexican lying dead on the deck of the boat, but so sign of Jake anywhere. Jax looked out at the immense ocean and wondered where her partner could be. Where are you, Jake? she thought to herself. Where could you be? She closed her eyes to think. A few moments later, she heard a soft voice in her head. Jake is on the island and needs yer help. A smile found its way onto her face and she went and found the officers. “I’m going to find my partner. I believe he has gone to that island to search for the Butcher, and that’s where I’m going. I need you two to stay with the girls. Call in the Calvary and get CSI here to process this crime scene.” “All right, Detective.” They’d learned from the last time not to argue with her. Jax ran over to the side of the boat, and as she descended the ladder, she yelled up, “I’m taking your boat!”

Chapter Forty-Four

Nicky De Luca was looking out to sea with her telescope when the ship with her cargo exploded. At that moment, she knew the law was coming after her. She could only hope that Juan had slowed them down enough that she could make her escape. Nicky went to her command center and started the process of destroying all the information. She would have to start her criminal empire over again, but that would be the safest way for her to escape. She would have to find a new council of leaders anyway, so why not start from scratch? She continued to dump the hard drives of all the computers; she picked up a radio and told all the guards to check in. All the guards checked in but one. She tried that guard again. The request was answered, but not by the guard. It was Jake who was on the other end of the radio. “Butcher? Are you there?” “Who is this? I demand you answer me right now,” demanded Nicky. “I don’t believe you are in a position to make any demands. The Mexican, or should I say Juan, is dead. Everyone else has betrayed you. You are alone and I want you to know that I’m coming for you. As for who I am? Well, you will just have to wait and see.” Jake crushed the radio and continued his search for the Butcher.

***

The closer Jax got to the island, the bigger it got. Jax sighed and hoped that she would somehow know where to go to find Jake. She got to the island, stopped the boat, and started her search. She stared at the forest in front of her, wondering which way to go. A voice softly told her the way to go to find Jake. She shrugged and plunged into the jungle.

The same voice told her to watch where she stepped because there were landmines everywhere. After about twenty minutes of slow progress, the hideout came into view. “Wow, that thing is huge.” She stopped to catch her breath for a moment, and then continued on her way. She found the rock the guard was lying behind. She checked his pulse. Seeing that the guard was still alive, she decided she’d best get moving again. She got to the hideout, and what she found was not simply a hideout, but a mansion. There were two levels, and the front porch had marble columns leading up to the huge double doors. Jax gave a low whistle and decided that the front doors might not be the best idea. She went around to the back of the building and found a not-so-conspicuous door. She slipped through the door and found herself in a kitchen of sorts. She searched through the room and grabbed a few kitchen knives, knowing she might need something if she needed to fight someone close quarters. She was about to move on to another room when the door to the kitchen began to open. She slipped into the pantry, knife at the ready to take out whomever it was. A guard walked in, scanned the room, and then began searching the room thoroughly. Jax cracked open the door and saw the guard, slipped out of the pantry, snuck up behind him, and subdued him as quietly as she could. She searched the guard and found a ring of keys and a radio. She then continued searching for her partner, and for the Butcher.

***

The Butcher stood in utter silence for a few minutes as the reality of the situation sank in. She went to her desk and pressed a button that called her personal guards to her side. When they came to her side, she dismissed them, telling them that this fight she would go into alone. They bowed and departed from her. She then went to a glass case, opened the door, and retrieved her most prized possession, a katana she had gotten when she was in Eastern Asia. She removed the sword from the scabbard and swung it a few times. “Let him come, he will rue the day he came after me!” She started pacing back and forth as she awaited the arrival of her enemy.

As she paced back and forth across the room, the doorknob started to turn. She caught sight of the doorknob out of the corner of her eye. She turned toward the door as it opened. Jake slipped into the room and saw that the Butcher was alone. She looked at Jake. “Glad you found your way here. Now you will die.” She lifted her sword and started closing the gap between them. Jake pulled his pistol and pointed it at the Butcher. “Stop right there, Nicky. Drop the sword or I’ll put a bullet through you.” Nicky lowered her sword and smiled. “I have a proposition for you. If you will just permit me to explain it to you, I’m sure you will go for it.” Jake eyed Nicky suspiciously. “Go ahead. You have two minutes to convince me not to just kill you right here.” She clapped her hands. “You made the right decision, Jake. See, I know a lot about you. I know that you have been trained to use a katana. I also have been trained to use one. My proposal is this: I toss you a sword, and we duel to the death. This is something I know you want; after all, it was my company that had your Fiancée –oh, what was her name?” Jake spoke Rachel’s name through gritted teeth. “Yes, Rachel, that was it. If you agree with my proposal, you will have the vengeance you seek. So what do you say––do we have a deal?” It only took Jake a few seconds to figure out what he should do. He looked Nicky in the eye and said, “Of course you have a deal. Let’s get this over with.” Nicky tossed him a sword and they began to circle the room. Nicky struck first with a slash chest high, which was easily blocked by Jake, who followed up with an upward slash that Nicky had to take a few steps back to avoid. Nicky crouched down with her sword in just the right position to defend any strike from Jake and to attack with ease. She grinned at Jake and then performed a running slash at the right side of Jake’s body. Jake deflected the slash with his own sword, spun, and then swiped at Nicky’s lower back. He connected with his strike, sending Nicky stumbling forward.

Nicky gave Jake a sneer and said, “Lucky strike, Jake, and that will be your last.” Both Nicky and Jake went for an overhead strike and their swords clashed. Their swords clashed together over and over as each one tried to get the upper hand. Both Jake and Nicky had extensive training with swords, and it showed. Again, their swords clashed together and both of them tried to overpower the other one. Finally, Jake started to overpower Nicky, and then at the last moment swept Nicky’s legs and sent her crashing to the ground. She ended up dropping her sword when she hit the ground. Jake placed the tip of his sword against Nicky’s throat. “Yield to me, Butcher.” Nicky started to laugh. “You think you have won, Jake? You are sadly mistaken. You can’t possibly beat me.” Jake raised his sword high enough to get the power he wanted behind the deathblow he was about to inflict on Nicky. She saw the thrust coming and was able to grab her sword just in time to deflect the thrust. Nicky rolled to her left and then did a nip-up and was on her feet once again, ready to end this fight. Nicky’s anger had now turned to rage. As she started to use it against Jake, he was thrown off his game by her newfound rage and the added strength it gave her. She screamed and charged Jake, attempting to impale her sword deep in his chest. He brought up his sword to block the strike but had to sidestep as well to make sure he wasn’t killed. She kept slashing and thrusting in rapid succession, trying to overwhelm her advisory. Jake expended a lot more energy defending all the strikes coming his way than he would have liked. He decided to try locking swords again to see if he could get the upper hand once again, but this time his strength failed him, and Nicky forced Jake’s sword to the side and delivered a strong knee to the gut, and then spun and swept his legs, sending him crashing to the ground. Nicky kicked Jake’s sword away from his reach and got an evil grin on her face. “I’m going to take great pleasure in ending your life.” Nicky started the downward thrust to end his life. Jax came bursting through the door just in time. She threw the knife she had in her hand at Nicky, hitting her in the shoulder and saving Jake’s life.

Jake kicked her feet out from under her, sending her to the ground. He got to his feet and stood over the Butcher. He knelt down and pulled the knife out, and then handcuffed her. Jax ed him, and together they pulled the Butcher to her feet and led her out to where the boat was waiting. “You both won’t get away with this. I’ll be out of prison by tomorrow, and then I’ll make sure you two and your families will never be safe.” Jax turned to Nicky. “Are you threatening our families?” Nicky sneered at Jax. “What do you think?” Jax looked down, laughed, and said, “That’s what I thought.” She then punched Nicky in same shoulder she’d been stabbed in. Nicky lost her balance and almost went down because of the pain. She would have gone down, but Jake still had ahold of her. Nicky turned to Jake. “This is abuse. I demand you turn her in when we get back.” Jake just laughed. “I have no idea what you are talking about. All I heard was you threatening our families. I must have gotten something in my eye because I never saw Jax hit you.” Once they got their prisoner secured, Jake turned to Jax. “Thank you for saving my life, Jax. I would have been killed if you hadn’t shown up when you did.” “You are welcome. I can’t take all the credit; I did have some help.” Jake gave Jax a quizzical look. She just smiled. “Rachel guided me to you.” Jake smiled at this and started the boat so they could get back and book the Butcher. Jax radioed in and found out that the girls and the other Coast Guard officers were safely rescued and that the boat was towed in. She was also told that one of the girls kept telling them that they had been kept safe by two angels. Jax and Jake just smiled and ended the call.

Jax grabbed at her side and tried to take a deep breath. “I think I need to sit down before I fall down.” She made her way to the closest thing she could sit on and sat down. “You okay, Jax?” questioned Jake. “Yeah, I should be okay, just cracked a few ribs when my jet ski exploded.” They got to port and after they tied up the boat, a few police officers went on board and took the prisoner while Jake helped Jax off the boat and over to where the EMTs were. They lifted her shirt and taped her up as well as they could and released her. Jake helped Jax up and they walked off together as partners. Jake arrived home after writing up his report at the office. He walked into his home, and all of a sudden was attacked by a little boy and his loving wife.

Chapter Forty-Five

A few weeks later, Jake found himself getting ready for church with his loving wife and son. They got to the church a few minutes before it started. Jake actually found that he enjoyed being at church, although he wasn’t sure if it was actually the church itself or if it was just because he got to be with his loving wife. He decided that it was a little bit of both. After the last meeting ended, they got ready to leave. As they were getting Kaleb’s coat on him, the bishop stopped Jake and told him that he would like to speak with him for a few minutes. Jake looked to Megan for approval; she just smiled and nodded. Jake and the bishop went into his office and sat down. “So, Jake, I hear you had a rough week a few weeks ago.” “Yeah, I did; it was pretty brutal, Bishop.” “Glad you survived it. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about what we talked about before. I wanted to know how that was going.” “Well, Bishop, I have come to some decisions in the last couple of weeks. The first is that, despite all that has happened now and in my past, I have found at least a little closure on some of the things in my past. Megan knows everything now, and that has taken off some undue pressure. And the void I talked to you about...isn’t as deep.” As the bishop listened to Jake talk, a smile slowly made its way onto his face. The smile wasn’t missed by Jake. Jake stopped talking for a few moments and looked into the eyes of the bishop. “You knew this would happen, didn’t you? You knew if I did everything you asked me to, I would find all the answers I was looking for on my own.” The bishop laughed. “Well, Jake, sometimes people just need to find answers on their own. They just need an idea of where to start looking. Oh, and yes, Detective, guilty as charged.”

Jake and the bishop continued to talk for a few more minutes. Then they shook hands and Jake walked out of the office. As Jake and Megan walked with Kaleb in tow to the car, Megan looked at her husband. “Something is different about you, Jake. Your eyes are more peaceful; you look like you are more at peace.” Jake smiled and placed his arm around Megan. “I guess I’m more at peace. I found some closure when we took down the Leaders. Although there is still a lot to do––but for now I’m good.” The three of them headed for their home. When they got there, there was an envelope hanging on the door. Jake picked it up and took it into the house. He went into his home office to get a letter opener and opened the envelope. Inside it, there was a picture of him and Jaxon sitting on the boat. Jake turned the picture over, and on the back there was a note that said, “You may have taken me down, but when I get out, and I will get out, you and your partner will pay. Keep everyone you love close. I could be anywhere. You will taste my revenge!” Megan walked into the office. “What’s in the envelope, babe?” “Oh, it’s nothing, just information about a new case.” Jake started thinking about the picture and the message on it. Not if you taste my revenge first! “Hey, would you and Kaleb come visit Rachel and Isaac with me? It’s something I need to do.” “Of course we would.” They all got into the Jeep and headed off down the road. They got to Jaxon’s home and he asked them to wait in the Jeep while he went to get Jaxon. He got to Jaxon’s door and knocked on it. Jax answered the door.

“Hey, Jake, let me get my keys and we can go.” She grabbed her keys, yelled to Sarah that she would be back in a little while, and headed out the door. Jaxon jumped into the backseat with Kaleb and they hugged. Jake pulled into the cemetery where Rachel and Isaac were laid to rest. They all got out and went to their graves. A moment later, Rachel and Isaac appeared and saw that all their friends and family were there. “Hello everyone, what brings ye all here?” Jake looked at Rachel, a small tear in his eye. “We just wanted to say thank you for all the help you have given us. It was the difference maker.” Megan walked up to Rachel. “Thank you for keeping Jake safe. Heaven knows he needs a guardian angel to watch over him.” Jaxon walked up to Rachel next. “Thank you for helping Sarah and I get through all that happened to us. She wanted to be here, but she has a major final at school she needs to study for. We would have never made it if it weren’t for your help.” Kaleb walked up to Isaac and smiled. “Thanks for being my friend, Isaac, and for helping me not be scared.” Rachel choked back tears. “Thank ye all for coming, and doing this. It means a lot to both of us. We will always be here t’ help any of ye if ye ever need us. We consider ye all family.” Jake’s phone rang as they were talking. He excused himself so he could take the call. “This is Detective Alexander.” Jake hung up the phone and returned to the get-together. He looked over his family and smiled. Life at that moment was perfect.

Epilogue

Two Years Later Jacob Alexander arrived at home to find all was well. His wife, Megan, was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and their son Kaleb was in his room doing his homework. Their daughter Elizabeth, or Liz for short, was in the living room playing with her dolls. It had been eighteen months since Liz had ed the family. Jacob was plagued with the thought that if the Butcher ever escaped his family would never be safe. The friends and family in his life helped whenever they could. His dreams still haunted him most every night. He couldn’t help but feel responsible for his partner Jaxon Strong’s decision to retire from the police force. With everything that had happened to her, he couldn’t blame her for her decision. He still kept in with her and visited her whenever he could. He walked into the kitchen and gave his wife a hug and kiss before going into the living room to play with his daughter, who seemed to have her daddy wrapped around her little finger. She saw her dad, got up, and ran into his arms. He had decided that this right here was the best part of his day. Megan walked in, saw her husband playing with their daughter, and smiled. She snuck over to the table and got the camera, and snapped a picture of them playing together. She looked at the picture and decided to take a few more. They both laughed at the faces their daughter made at the camera, and then they all sat down for dinner. A few hours after dinner, they put their children to bed and then sat down in the living room to relax before they headed to bed. They put in a movie, grabbed some popcorn, and sat together. They got about an hour into the movie when they heard some noises coming from upstairs. Jake got up to go check out what the noises were. He got to Kaleb’s room and, as slowly and quietly as he could, opened the door. He peeked into the room and saw Kaleb’s bed empty. On instinct, he pushed the door open and ran into the room. Jake then rushed to his daughter’s room and opened the door to find that she was missing as well. He ran down the stairs and found that four men in black hoods had entered his

home and taken his family hostage. He pointed his pistol at the four men, who all had guns pointed at his family. Without a word, he lowered his gun and eyed the four men with utter contempt. “What do you want with my family?” The one who had his gun pointed at him laughed and said, “It’s not what we want. You have brought this all on yourself. You have forced the Master’s hand. And now we are forced to expedite the plans we had set. We were content with the capture of the rest of the Leaders, but now that you and the police have caught the Butcher and put her away for the rest of her life, you have forced us to have to take care of the problem. The problem of which I speak being you, of course.” The man laughed again. “We have been hired to take out you and your family. The Master told us to be careful and that it wouldn’t be easy to complete this job. Doesn’t seem too difficult to me, what about you guys?” The others laughed. “Oh, and then we are to move on to your partner and that woman who lives with her, what’s her name. Sarah, that’s it. We take pride in our work.” “You won’t get away with this.” One of the other men smirked. “You don’t get it, do you? We already got away with it once before. You that one, don’t you? I see it in your eyes and it still haunts you to this day. Oh, by the way, we will get away with it this time as well. The scene has been staged to look like a simple robbery gone bad. With no fingerprints or trace evidence, the case will go cold soon enough, and it and you will be forgotten.” The men forced all four of the family onto their knees. “It will be brief, but the Master wants you to watch your family die, and then we are to kill you.” Suddenly, and in the most heinous and callous way, the first man fired his weapon, killing Megan instantly. Blood started to pool beneath her as her spirit and life slipped away. Then the second gun went off, killing Kaleb. Jacob screamed in pure rage as his family was being murdered right in front of him. The third gun went off and their beautiful daughter fell limply to the ground. “You could have stopped all of this from happening. You should have stopped chasing the Butcher, but no, you were so obsessed with finding out who killed your long-lost love Rachel. Now you are going to pay for your obsession. Give her our best when you see her again.” With that said, the fourth gun fired and

Jake’s world went dark. The leader took out his phone and pressed a few numbers on the keypad and a number was dialed. “It’s done…I’ll give you the proof when we come in to collect… Thank you, it was a pleasure doing business with you.” He hung up the phone and turned to the other three. “Now, on to the other business; who is next on the list?” One of the other men pulled out a piece of paper, unfolded it, and scanned down it. “Looks like a female named Jaxon Strong, ex-partner of the detective we just killed, then on to his current partner. Here is the address.”

***

Jaxon was suddenly awakened from a dream that had plagued her since she’d been saved by her best friend and ex-partner, Jacob Alexander. She rolled over to check the time. The clock with its soft blue glow said three in the morning. She let out a sigh and knew she wasn’t going to get back to sleep. She slipped out of bed, got dressed in her workout clothes, and left a note for Sarah that said she had gone for a run. She had promised Sarah when she first came to live with Jax that she would never leave her alone and that any time she was going to leave she would leave a note. She wished that Sarah wouldn’t have such bad dreams, but considering what had happened to the both of them, Jaxon understood completely. She had her own demons she had to deal with. She opened the door, placed her iPod on her armband, turned it on, and started on her run. Just like on all her other runs, the details of the dream kept running through her head with every step she took. She dreamed that instead of Jacob rescuing her, the Butcher came instead and slaughtered Sarah in front of her. Somehow, the Butcher found out that she and Sarah had a relationship and used that against her and Jacob. Jaxon stopped running, the tears blurring her vision. She wiped her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. It was at these moments that Jaxon realized that she needed Sarah as much as Sarah needed her. They both helped each other through the pain. She knew that the pain couldn’t last forever, even though sometimes

she wasn’t so sure. The tears slowly subsided and she finished her run. Jaxon arrived at her home, unlocked the door, and walked in. She tossed her keys on the table, headed to the fridge, and got a bottle of water. She walked into her bathroom and started running the water for a bath. She removed her workout clothes and slipped into the hot water. She sighed contentedly and slowly closed her eyes. As she was in the bath, she heard a noise. She opened her eyes, sat up, and listened a little more closely. She didn’t hear anything else so she started to relax again, when she heard the noise again. “Sarah, is that you, sweetie?” After listening for a good few minutes and hearing nothing, she closed her eyes again, when she heard it again. This time she decided to get out and check out the noise. She slipped her bathrobe on, grabbed the gun she kept near the bath, and slowly opened the door. Jaxon tiptoed out into the hall and proceeded down the hall to the next room. Just before she opened the door, she heard the noise coming from the living room downstairs. She slowly made her way down the stairs. As she reached the living room she saw two men, all in black, and Sarah tied up in a chair. One of the men in black spoke first. “If you are smart, Jaxon, you will drop the gun and us.” To her horror, she saw that one of the men had a gun pointed at Sarah. Jaxon slowly lowered her gun, walked over to where Sarah was tied up, and grabbed her hand in hers. “I’m here. Why are you here? What do you want?” The leader of the group simply laughed, and then his stare went cold. “We are here because you and she are still alive. And as for what we want, well, it’s not what we want; we are just here to do a job. It’s all about what the Master wants, and he wants you both dead, so that is why we are here.” The one who had his pistol aimed at Sarah shot once, and Jaxon screamed as Sarah’s limp body fell over in the chair she was tied to. The tears flowed down her cheeks as she looked at Sarah. She turned a murderous glare toward the leader, who simply laughed. “That is

the reaction we were wanting. And now, my dear, it is time for you to Sarah.” Through her tears she softly but firmly spoke. “You won’t get away with this. Jacob will make you pay dearly for this.” “Oh, but that is where you are wrong. You see, we just came from Jacob’s home, and he is in no position to help you, seeing how we killed him first. And don’t think that his new partner Sophia will do anything either. She knows nothing being here or what we have done; at least not yet. We can’t leave any witnesses, as you well know.” With that said, the leader pulled out his pistol and shot Jaxon, dropping her where she stood. He then took out his phone and dialed the same number. “Target number two is complete. Advising team three to proceed on to target number three. The next call you get will be when all the targets have been completed.” “Very good; you and your team have proved very useful. Your payment will be waiting for you. Goodbye.” The line went dead, as dead as Jake, Jaxon, and their families.

***

Jaxon awoke in a cold sweat screaming Jacob’s name. She tried to get her bearings as she reached for the gun she kept close to her bed.

THE END

PREVIEW OF BOOK 2 DIVINE VERDICT THE TRIAL OF THE BUTCHER

Prologue Simon Kane entered the Avalon Federal Prison like he owned the place. He walked up to the front desk and announced that he was there to see his client, the Butcher. The officer behind the desk asked him to take a seat while they got the prisoner. He was shown to the visitor’s room and asked to take a seat. After the officer left, he took out the files and waited for the Butcher. A few minutes later, the Butcher was led into the room, handcuffed and shackled. She was sat, and then the officers left the room. Simon spoke first. “How are you doing?” The Butcher’s eyes grew dark and dangerous. “How do you think I’m doing, you shmuck?” Simon swallowed hard, and then looked back at Nicky. “I have your defense all ready to go. You shouldn’t have to spend a day in prison. We have everything in place.” “Good. Did you my ‘family,’ like I told you to?” Simon nodded. “They know what to do.” “At least you did that right. I swear, I don’t know why I pay you so much.” Simon looked down and thought to himself, If it wasn’t for me, you would have been rotting in prison a long time ago. He closed up the files, dismissed himself, and headed back to his office. As he got to his car, he hoped that Nicky believed the crap he’d just fed her. He spoke to himself. “I need to get a new employer. It will be a cold day in heck if she actually believes that she will get off scot-free.”

***

Out in California, there was an up-and-coming ADA named Ashaki Kingston. She was a beautiful young African woman, tall and slender, but very strong for her size. In the eyes of her boyfriend Aaron, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the best ADA the state had ever seen. She took the cases no one else wanted. Ashaki was on her way home when Aaron called her up. She answered the phone. “Hey babe, I was just leaving the office, what’s up?” “I have some great news. How about we meet for dinner so I can tell you?” “Sounds good, where would you like to meet, Aaron?” “How about at the place we met, in, say, fifteen minutes?” “See ya then.” Ashaki hung up the phone and headed to the deli where they’d first met. As she drove there, she couldn’t help but think back on the day they’d met and how he had swept her off her feet. Out in the darkness of the night, she walked into the nearest café and sat down, happy just to be out of the rain. It had rained all day long and she was cold and wet. There was a man in the café that caught her eye. He called with a voice that she would never forget. He was a vision she couldn’t believe. He came up and wrapped his arms around her, told that he would never leave and that he cared about her. He took her to places that she had never been. After that day, they were with each other as often as they could. A smile found its way onto her face as she pulled up to the deli. She walked inside and found that Aaron had gotten them a table. She walked up to him, and a few minutes later, the waitress walked up and took their order. They looked at each other in silence for a moment before Ashaki broke the ice. “So what is this great news you have to tell me?” He glanced down at the table for a moment as he collected his thoughts. “I have been offered a really good job. It pays really well, and I would be a fool not to accept it.” “That is wonderful, I’m so proud of you. Your hard work has paid off.” She smiled at him and then watched the excitement leave his eyes, and she knew

something was wrong. “What’s wrong, Aaron?” “Well, there is one more thing I need to tell you about this job.” He took a deep breath. “The job isn’t around here; in fact it’s in a completely different state.” She looked down so he wouldn’t see the tear slowly making its way down her cheek. “So you are going to take this job, aren’t you?” “Yes, I have to. It’s what I have always wanted to do. I was hoping you would come with me. There are law firms there who would be lucky to have you.” She looked up at him. “You know I can’t leave. I’m the ADA. I’m needed here.” “I guess this is where we part ways then, Ashy. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but we both have a lot riding on our careers.” A tear found its way down his cheek. “Do you think we will ever see each other again?” She dropped her head and spoke so softly that Aaron had to strain to hear her. “If this is what you want, then it’s okay. Will we ever see each other again? The love we had only knows. If it’s special enough, then we will choose one another. If it’s not, then this is the end.” They parted ways with one last kiss, never to see each other again. Ashaki continued trying cases and doing her best as the ADA, when one day, a few years after she’d had her heart broken by the man who, she’d realized afterward, was the love of her life, she received a call from her brother, who was a police detective. “Hey sis, how are ya doing?” “Busy, but doing good, Manu, what’s up?” “I got a call from my good friend Jaxon Strong; you her, don’t you?” “Yeah, I do. How is she doing?” “She is doing well. Anyway, she was telling me that her partner wants me to transfer to his department so we can be on a team he’s putting together.” “That’s wonderful news; are you going to take him up on his offer?” “Yeah, I am. My career here is going nowhere, and this will be a great chance to

jump-start it.” He paused a moment. “Ashy, there is one more thing. Jaxon was telling me that there is an ADA position open and she asked if I thought you would be interested in it. I told her I would talk to you about it and get back to her. She says the position is yours if you want it.” “Um, I don’t know what to say. Can I have time to think about it?” “How much time were you thinking about needing?” “Just a day, Manny, please?” “That should be fine, Ashy. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She hung up the phone, totally blown away by what had just happened. She decided to go to the gym and work out while she thought about the offer that had just been presented to her.She finished her workout and headed to the showers. As she soaked in the hot spray of the shower, she ran the offer through her head one more time. She had been thinking about leaving California for a while now; maybe this was the opportunity she needed to leave. She left the gym and headed to her office to call her brother. She got to her office, and there was a note stating that her boss needed to speak to her as soon as she got back. She knocked on her boss’s door and he signaled her to come in and take a seat. He hung up the phone, and then looked at Ashaki before he spoke. “Thanks for coming in. There is something I need to speak to you about, Ashaki.” “All right, and then there is something I need to speak with you about as well.” He nods. “Well, Ashaki, you have served this office with dignity and I’m very proud of you. However, as the country is still in financial hardship, it affects everyone and no one is exempt from it, not even us. This is why I have called you in. I’m sorry but I’m going to have to cut your hours.” “Well, then I should tell you what I needed to talk to you about. I got a call from my brother this morning and he was telling me that he had a job offer in another state. He plans on taking it, and he told me that his friend who gave him the job wants me to come and be their new ADA. There is a big trial coming up, and he wants the best. So if it’s all the same, I would like to transfer to the Avalon office without quitting here first. I’m pretty much guaranteed this position.”

He looked at her and smiled. “I’m so happy for you, Ashaki; that will be a wonderful boost to your career. Of course I’ll let you transfer. I’ll draw up the papers right now and have them on your desk by lunchtime. I really didn’t want to have to cut your hours, and now I won’t have to. However, I’m sad to lose such a wonderful lawyer and person from this office. You have my blessing.” “What about my cases, sir?” “Finish the one you are currently working, give me the rest of them, and I’ll distribute them around the office.” She smiled her dazzling smile. “Thank you again, sir.” She left his office and went back to her office so she could call her brother. She called her brother on his cell. “Manny, I have made my decision.” “Well, out with it, don’t keep me in suspense here.” She laughed. “I have decided to take the offer. I talked to my boss and he has agreed to let me transfer to the Avalon office. I just have to finish the case I’m working right now and then I can transfer.” “That is awesome, Sis; we are going to have a blast working together.” “Speaking of having a blast, didn’t you date Jaxon for a while?” “Yes, and how is that any business of yours?” “I just think you and Jax should get back together. I have never seen you as happy as you were when you with her. Just an observation.”

***

Simon dialed Captain Williams. “Is everything on your end ready to go?” “Yes, I have everything under control. Jacob and his team doesn’t know that I’m involved in everything, and I aim to keep it that way.”

“How are you going to keep them from finding out, Captain?” “I have my ways, Simon, have no fear.” “It’s not me asking. He asked me to check up on you, and after all, it was the Butcher who recruited you, and look what happened to her.” “I’m a lot smarter than she is, so, like I said before, I have everything under control.” “Just make sure you keep it that way. I’ll you again, when he needs you to do more.” Simon hung up the phone. “I swear, if it wasn’t for me, this whole thing would fall apart. I need to get paid more…”