Never Forgive, page 1
N E V E R
F O R G I V E
(A May Moore Suspense Thriller—Book Five)
B L A K E P I E R C E
Blake Pierce
Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising twenty four books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising sixteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising four books; of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising nine books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); and the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
Copyright © 2022 by Blake Pierce. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright Milosz_G used under license from Shutterstock.com.
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES
UNDONE (Book #1)
UNWANTED (Book #2)
UNHINGED (Book #3)
MAY MOORE SUSPENSE THRILLER
NEVER RUN (Book #1)
NEVER TELL (Book #2)
NEVER LIVE (Book #3)
NEVER HIDE (Book #4)
NEVER FORGIVE (Book #5)
NEVER AGAIN (Book #6)
PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES
THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)
THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)
THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)
THE GIRL HE WISHED (Book #4)
THE GIRL HE CROWNED (Book #5)
THE GIRL HE WATCHED (Book #6)
VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES
NO MERCY (Book #1)
NO PITY (Book #2)
NO FEAR (Book #3)
NO SLEEP (Book #4)
NO QUARTER (Book #5)
NO CHANCE (Book #6)
NO REFUGE (Book #7)
NO GRACE (Book #8)
NO ESCAPE (Book #9)
RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES
HER LAST WISH (Book #1)
HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)
HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)
HER LAST FEAR (Book #4)
HER LAST CHOICE (Book #5)
HER LAST BREATH (Book #6)
HER LAST MISTAKE (Book #7)
HER LAST DESIRE (Book #8)
AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES
CITY OF PREY (Book #1)
CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)
CITY OF BONES (Book #3)
CITY OF GHOSTS (Book #4)
CITY OF DEATH (Book #5)
CITY OF VICE (Book #6)
A YEAR IN EUROPE
A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)
DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)
VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)
A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)
ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)
GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)
GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)
GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)
GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)
GIRL ERASED (Book #6)
GIRL, FORSAKEN (Book #7)
GIRL, TRAPPED (Book #8)
GIRL, EXPENDABLE (Book #9)
GIRL, ESCAPED (Book #10)
GIRL, HIS (Book #11)
LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
ALREADY GONE (Book #1)
ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)
ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)
ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)
ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)
ALREADY TAKEN (Book #6)
ALREADY CHOSEN (Book #7)
ALREADY LOST (Book #8)
ALREADY HIS (Book #9)
EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES
MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)
DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)
CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)
MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)
CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)
MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)
ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES
LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)
LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)
LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)
LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)
LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)
LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)
LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)
LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)
LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)
LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)
LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)
LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)
LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)
LEFT TO LOATHE (Book #14)
LEFT TO HARM (Book #15)
LEFT TO RUIN (Book #16)
THE AU PAIR SERIES
ALMOST GONE (Book#1)
ALMOST LOST (Book #2)
ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)
ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES
FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)
FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)
FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)
FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)
FACE OF FURY (Book #5)
FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)
A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)
THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)
THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)
THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)
THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)
THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)
THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)
THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)
THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)
THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)
THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)
THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)
THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)
THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)
THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)
THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)
THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)
THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)
THE PERFECT COUPLE (Book #20)
THE PERFECT MURDER (Book #21)
THE PERFECT HUSBAND (Book #22)
THE PERFECT SCANDAL (Book #23)
THE PERFECT MASK (Book #24)
CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
NEXT DOOR (Book #1)
A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)
CUL DE SAC (Book #3)
SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)
HOMECOMING (Book #5)
TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)
KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES
IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)
IF SHE SAW (Book #2)
IF SHE RAN (Book #3)
IF SHE HID (Book #4)
IF SHE FLED (Book #5)
IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)
IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)
THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES
WATCHING (Book #1)
WAITING (Book #2)
LURING (Book #3)
TAKING (Book #4)
STALKING (Book #5)
KILLING (Book #6)
RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES
ONCE GONE (Book #1)
ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)
ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)
ONCE LURED (Book #4)
ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)
ONCE PINED (Book #6)
ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)
ONCE COLD (Book #8)
ONCE STALKED (Book #9)
ONCE LOST (Book #10)
ONCE BURIED (Book #11)
ONCE BOUND (Book #12)
ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)
ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)
ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)
ONCE MISSED (Book #16)
ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)
MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES
BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)
BEFORE HE SEES (Boo k #2)
BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)
BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)
BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)
BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)
BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)
BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)
BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)
BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)
BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)
BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)
BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)
BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)
AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES
CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)
CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)
CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)
CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)
CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)
CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)
KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES
A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)
A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)
A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)
A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)
A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)
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
EPILOGUE
PROLOGUE
Ryan Harris waited in the woods, gripping his gun. He was ready for the takedown. Behind him, he heard the muttered voices of his team, and further away, the race of an engine as a cruiser sped along the road.
Finally, thanks to the hard work of the local police team in the small town of Sunnybrook, Minnesota, they had tracked down the source of the online threats that the department had been receiving in the past few days.
It seemed impossible that such violent and diabolical threats had originated from this humble wooden cabin, about two hundred yards into the forest. But clearly it was not impossible. Ryan could see the tall spire of a signal booster on the far side of the cabin’s roof, and a couple of solar panels also. Whoever lived here was well connected, hooked up to the online world.
Police had discovered that the cabin was owned by a man named Marc Sudbury, but not much was known about him. He lived off the grid and had no close relatives or employers in the area. But Ryan had seen old ID photos of him. The man was tall, bearded, with an intelligent gleam in his eyes and, Ryan thought, a shifty-looking face. It was likely that Marc had sent these threats, but with so little information on him, it was also possible that someone else was using his cabin. The identity of the criminal would only be confirmed in the takedown.
Now, that was just a minute away. Ryan had a breathless feeling that time had telescoped, and was now concentrated into these next few intense moments.
The threats had first arrived three days ago from an anonymous and untraceable email address. Since then, the IT department had been working around the clock to isolate the source, and identify the IP address, which had been harder than it looked. At first, the criminal had used the dark web to send the emails, promising death, destruction, and annihilation to the local police, addressed to the deputy in charge.
“You are nothing more than criminals yourselves. You deserve to suffer and I will sabotage your vehicles to make sure you do.”
“You and the team are going to end your days in fire; I will make sure of it.”
“Shouldn’t you be scared to set foot outside your police department? Because I’ll be waiting, and I have you in my sights.”
The IT department had tried a new tactic yesterday. They’d sent back taunting emails in reply, hoping to rile him and that in his anger, he would make a mistake. And Ryan felt amped that the tactic had worked. Yesterday afternoon, they’d sent an email at three-thirty p.m. He’d made a mistake, and had used the normal internet to send an angry and violent response to that email, instead of the dark web.
The reply had been sent at five p.m., which had given them the lead they needed in order to find where he had been at that time. The teams had been on it immediately, tracking the IP address. In the small hours of the morning they’d identified the cabin. And now, early in the morning, with the sun not even up yet, they had come back for the raid.
There was a light on in the cabin and he could see the flicker of a computer screen through the curtain, hearing music and voices. Clearly, the man who’d emailed them yesterday afternoon was awake and at home, confident in his anonymity.
"We're on the eastern border," the cops radioed from the car that had circled around to the far side of the forest, looking to block Sudbury if he exited that side.
"We're behind you and ready," the three cops behind him confirmed, breathlessly.
Not bad work, Ryan thought, for a team of small-town cops in Tamarack County, Minnesota. But it wasn't over yet.
It wouldn’t be over until they had successfully entered the criminal’s headquarters, which Ryan sized up as a strong, but weathered-looking building, approximately fifteen by twenty feet in size, with a wooden porch on the side facing the nearest tree.
A thin curl of smoke was issuing from the chimney, indicating that the criminal had built an old-fashioned fire for warmth, while using modern technology to deliver his threats. And so far, Ryan hoped, he had no idea that the team was surrounding his home base, ready for the raid.
That could change, and fast. They needed to get in there as soon as possible, before Sudbury realized they were there and prepared himself to meet them. Ryan had no doubt that he would be armed and dangerous. The element of surprise was critical.
The takedown would be the riskiest part of this so-far seamless operation. He needed to use speed and aggression.
"Go around the back," Ryan instructed two of the police following him.
He had realized Sudbury was clever and cunning. If he knew they were closing in, he could easily evade them, double back, slip away. Ryan wasn't going to let that happen. The back of the cabin needed to be guarded.
And then, he and his partner would have to get ready for the most dangerous maneuver they had yet attempted.
"We're going to storm the door. Be ready. Weapons drawn. The fugitive may be armed.”
He looked at the cabin, which looked peaceful and innocent. A light inside, a fire in the hearth. He imagined the man seated at a wooden table, with a laptop open, issuing his threats. Would he be a fundamentalist, a doomsday scenario follower with an aptitude for IT? Ryan didn’t know. As yet, his motives were unknown.
Even though he didn’t think they had been seen, he kept his gun ready, moving forward as quickly as he could. He didn't want to be caught in the open if Sudbury had a gun and chose to fire upon them through a window.
Ryan felt glad of the Kevlar vest he wore; that would at least protect his center mass, the biggest target. And they were not going to hesitate. If he was armed, if he was holding a weapon, if he was even reaching for a weapon, then he would die.
"We're going in," he muttered to his team, glancing around, glad to see nods of agreement and that every officer looked as committed as he was to the takedown.
The plan was simple. He would charge the door and kick it in. He would rush into the cabin, followed by the three officers behind him. They would storm the interior and tackle Sudbury – or whoever was using his cabin – and take the man down before he had a chance to respond or fight back. They would arrest him, take him in, raid the cabin, and seize the device, or devices, he’d used to send the threats.
He looked around one last time. He had the support of all his team.
They were ready.
He was ready.
"Cover me," he said, and his team nodded.
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