"Ah--I was just about to knock!" she exclaimed. "The chief said I could find you here."

  "Oh, hey Fiona," Jake said, confused. What was she doing here?

  Lauren came up behind him. "We were just on our way out, Ms. Red," Lauren said.

  "Did you find a suspect?" Fiona asked, eyes bright.

  Jake nodded. "We think we might have someone, so we’re going to talk to him now.”

  Fiona smiled, and Jake could tell that she was just as excited as they were. It was refreshing to see how much she clearly cared about her work. But before they could leave, Fiona's face turned serious.

  "I want to come with you," she said firmly. "I know I'm not an official agent, but I can help out in any way I can." She looked at them both pleadingly, her eyes begging for them to say yes.

  Jake could hardly believe what he’d just heard. She wanted to come with them? Where did this come from? Jake and Lauren exchanged a look. This case was dangerous and not something Fiona should be involved in, but at the same time, Jake couldn't deny that Fiona had been an invaluable asset so far--and that if it weren't for her, they may have never even found this lead in the first place.

  If she wanted to come along, Jake hoped she had a good reason.

  “Why?” he asked her. “What do you think you can do there?”

  "I know the type of conditions these bugs need to thrive in," Fiona said. "If you can get me into the suspect’s home, I might be able to spot something valuable."

  Jake nodded, thinking it over. That made sense. In fact, it could even be a good idea. Risky, but then again, this entire case was.

  But then Lauren said, "It's probably not a good idea. Don't you think, Tucker?”

  Fiona deflated. Maybe Lauren was right, but at the same time, if Fiona could come, she might be able to spot what they needed to see to confirm if their suspect was right. Jake couldn’t deny that she was valuable. They owed a lot of their casework to Fiona so far.

  Jake took a deep breath. "Fiona, if you really want to come, we won't stop you," he said finally. "But please understand that this could be dangerous. Stay out of the way if things get dicey."

  Fiona's face lit up in a smile as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, absolutely!" she said. "I can do that."

  He nodded, hoping she’d take his warning seriously. “In that case, let’s go.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Jake glanced in his rear-view mirror as he drove, catching a glimpse of Fiona in the backseat, nervously watching the world outside. Meanwhile, Lauren was quiet in the passenger seat, and Jake got the strong sense she didn't like that Fiona was coming along. But she hadn't said a hard 'no,' and she had asked him for his opinion, and in all honesty, he didn't see the harm in Fiona tagging along if she could be an asset. Both Jake and Lauren were experienced agents; he was very confident they could protect her, should anything go awry.

  The morning sky was a cloudless blue, painted with streaks of pink and orange as the sun began to rise. The light gently illuminated the streets of downtown Portland, glimmering off the glass windows of the high-rises and reflecting off the steel sides of the buildings. Lee Jordan lived on the outskirts of the city, in a small home in a quiet suburb outside of Portland. Lauren had the files open on her lap, reading them as Jake drove them all toward their destination.

  "Learn anything else about the guy, Lauren?" Jake asked.

  She glanced at him sharply before she re-focused on the papers.

  "It looks like he's been arrested twice before, both for assault," she said. "Most recently, he served a six-month sentence in jail."

  Jake frowned at the information. It didn't take much to put two and two together; they were probably looking at a serial offender. He glanced in his rear-view mirror again, catching Fiona's eye.

  She had remained silent during their conversation, but Jake could tell from her expression that she was just as worried about what they might find when they reached their destination as he and Lauren were. He hoped that whatever evidence they found would be enough to put Lee Jordan away for good--if he was their guy.

  "So, tell me about the librarian stuff," Jake said. "Any information on why this was his preferred career?"

  Lauren shook her head. "Not much," she said. "But it looks like he worked in libraries for the majority of his life. It was the only steady job he had ever held, and it seemed to keep him out of trouble. He was always good at finding information and researching, so maybe that's why he chose this career path."

  Fiona suddenly stirred from her seat, looking more animated than before.

  "It could also be because librarians get access to a wealth of knowledge," she said. "Being in a library allows you to get access to books and information that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to find--which could be very helpful for someone who is trying to stay one step ahead of the law."

  Jake nodded in agreement, impressed by Fiona's insight. This girl really did have good energy.

  The sun slowly rose higher in the sky as they drove. The air was fresh and clean, carrying with it the smell of pine trees and freshly mowed grass. Jake switched on the radio, filling the car with a soft melody that seemed to lighten the mood, despite their mission ahead.

  The car pulled away from the city, passing through the suburbs and small towns that surrounded Portland. The streets were mostly empty this early in the morning, with only a few people out walking their dogs or jogging. The scenery changed as they drove further away from the city, and soon they found themselves driving on a winding road lined by trees. Jake could feel the tension in the air; they were getting closer to their destination with every passing mile.

  The car eventually pulled into a small suburban neighborhood, lined with neat rows of single-story homes with well-manicured lawns. Jake slowed the car to a stop in front of one of the houses--Lee Jordan's home. He glanced over his shoulder at Fiona, who had gone oddly quiet during the drive.

  "You ready?" he said softly.

  Her face was pale, but she nodded slowly before she looked out her window, taking in the scene before her.

  "Yes," she said finally. "Let's do this."

  Jake gave her an encouraging smile before he opened his door and stepped out of the car, Lauren and Fiona following close behind him. He could feel their anticipation as they approached the house; it seemed like anything could happen inside those walls, and Jake was determined that this would be their chance to find out if Lee Jordan was their guy, after all.

  He knocked on the door and waited, his heart racing as he heard a faint shuffling from inside. The door opened slowly, revealing a man in his mid-thirties with short brown hair and glasses. His eyes were wide and scared, as if he were expecting them to find something incriminating within the walls of his home. He had timid posture and eyes hidden beneath glasses. It was hard to imagine this guy surviving a prison cell, but the first time he'd been arrested hadn't stopped him from assaulting two more women after that. It all felt like a failure.

  "Mr. Lee Jordan?" Jake said, holding up his badge. "I'm Agent Jake Tucker with the FBI, and this is my partner, Agent Lauren Price." He then gestured to Fiona. "And this is forensic specialist Fiona Red, who is joining us today. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?"

  "W-what is this about?" Lee managed.

  "Please, if you can let us in, we'll explain," Jake said.

  Lee swallowed before he allowed them into his home. It smelled of paper and dust, and there were books everywhere. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and each one was crammed full of books of all shapes and sizes. There were stacks of paper and old magazines scattered across the floor, and thick layers of dust coated every surface. The only light in the room came from a single window that let in a faint, illuminated hue.

  Jake shot Fiona a look. She nodded back at him, as if she understood. Her job here was to scope out any sign of booklice or anything that pointed to him being the killer.

  Lee led them into the living room, which was just as cluttered and filled with books as the rest of the house. There were two worn couches facing each other in the center of the room, and a small coffee table between them. A few lamps lit up the corners, providing just enough light to make out their surroundings. In one corner was a piano covered in dust, and in another sat an old armchair with its stuffing coming out from the sides. The walls were lined with paintings that looked like they had been passed down for generations, and a large window let in natural light from outside.

  "Please," Lee said softly as he gestured for them to sit down on the couches. "Make yourselves comfortable."

  Jake nodded before he took a seat on one of the couches while Lauren sat next to him. Fiona stood off to the side, her eyes scanning every corner of the room for possible evidence.

  "You certainly have a lot of books," Jake commented.

  "Well, I am a librarian," Lee said. "Books are my passion."

  "And do you keep some in the basement as well?" Jake asked.

  Lee glanced at a door across the room. That must have been it--the basement. Fiona seemed to notice his cue too, as she looked at the basement door.

  "I mean, I have some in boxes," Lee said. "Why? What's going on? Why does the FBI care about my books?"

  "We're just asking questions," Lauren said. "We understand you have a criminal record, Mr. Jordan. You've assaulted women before."

  Sweat gleaned on Lee’s forehead, his face growing nervous. "I... well, that was a long time ago."

  "Not that long ago," Jake said. "You served six months last year."

  "It was a misunderstanding, that's all," Lee said. "Honestly, I've been keeping my nose clean."

  Lee shifted uncomfortably in his seat before looking away from them. He started to fidget with his hands, avoiding eye contact as if he were hiding something. Jake's suspicions mounted, and this suddenly got very real. The feeling of potential danger became palpable.

  Suddenly, Lee sprang up from his chair and made a break for the back door. He moved so fast, it caught even Jake--and Lauren--off-guard. Jake went to dive after him, but he stumbled over a box of books. Shit! He had to catch him, he had to--

  Jake's eyes widened as Fiona stuck her leg out as Lee ran past her. Fiona squealed as Lee tripped over her leg, causing him to fly forward, face-first onto the floor. Fiona backed away, shock all over her face, as if even she was surprised by what she'd done. Lauren jumped in and tackled Lee, pinning him to the ground and pulling out her handcuffs.

  "Shit, Fiona," Jake said, still in shock and impressed by what she'd done. "You reacted fast. You caught him."

  Fiona's face was beet red, her hair frazzled. "I, um--I just... I didn't want him to get away."

  Lauren slapped the cuffs on Lee and dragged him to his feet. "Good job, Fiona," she said. "Let's get this bastard down to HQ."

  "Stop! You're making a mistake!" Lee yelled.

  But it was too late. Lauren had already dragged him out of the room, leaving Jake and Fiona alone in the house. Jake was still in shock that Fiona had managed to trip up Lee like that, and so quickly. He hadn’t expected such lightning-fast reflexes from her.

  "Wow," he said. "You sure showed him."

  Fiona smiled, her cheeks still flushed from the adrenaline rush. She nodded before looking toward the basement door.

  "Let's go check it out," she said.

  Jake nodded before leading them down to the basement.

  The basement was dark and full of books. It seemed like Lee had been packing them up to send off to an auction house or something, as there were boxes everywhere filled with old books and manuscripts. Jake ran his hands along the spines of some of the books, feeling the age and wisdom radiating from each one. He could feel a thrill of excitement coming over him as he looked around at all these hidden treasures that he'd never get to read.

  Fiona, too, seemed amazed by the sheer number and variety of books in the room. She walked around, marveling at how many different titles were crammed into this small space. She even picked up an old leather-bound book and flipped through it before setting it back down on a shelf.

  "What do you think?" Jake asked her, looking around the room.

  "I think this is the perfect place for booklice to hide," Fiona commented. Jake noted that it was hot and muggy down here, too.

  Fiona turned on a flashlight on her phone, and Jake watched as she moved over to the wall and peeled back some wallpaper.

  "Look!" she exclaimed. As the wallpaper shifted, Jake could see behind it was a small colony of insects, scurrying about in the darkness. Fiona smiled triumphantly as she looked at them. Apparently, bringing her along had been the right choice. She had found something that even he hadn't noticed--something from deep within this hidden library.

  But what did this mean? Was Lee Jordan truly the killer? Jake didn’t spot any deep freezers or anything, but here were the bugs.

  Fiona continued to examine the booklice with her flashlight. "They are able to survive in such dark and humid conditions by eating bits of paper or dead insects caught between the pages of books. They are very resourceful little insects, but they don't bite humans at all."

  "Well, we have the bugs," Jake said. "We'll do a full sweep of this place to see if there's any more evidence. Thanks, Fiona. You've been a huge help on this."

  Fiona smiled, looking shyly proud of herself. He hoped she’d take the compliment to heart; the girl really was coming through for them. He’d heard good things about her, but she’d exceeded his expectations.

  He looked around the rest of the dark basement. If they were right, then Lee Jordan was their guy--and this would be an open and shut case.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Josie's heart pounded violently in her chest. Her eyes popped open to a dark, strange place, surrounded by humming. It was hot and muggy in the room, and yet she felt an occasional chill from a draft somewhere.

  She also couldn't move.

  As reality set in, Josie realized she was tied up somewhere dark and dank, maybe a basement. She didn't remember much about how she got here. She had been going to her car after closing up the bar, and then someone had attacked her. A man--a man she barely saw.

  She'd been kidnapped. That was all she knew. And as that reality set in, so did the fear.

  He could kill her. Whoever he was, he could kill her.

  Josie frantically tried to break free from her bonds, but it was no use. She had been tied up so tightly with thick rope that she couldn't move an inch. She yanked and tugged at the ropes, desperate to break free before her captor returned, but they were held tight with a knot that seemed impossible to untie.

  She then started squirming in her chair, hoping the chair might topple over and allow her an escape route. But no matter how hard she thrashed about, the chair remained firmly bolted to the ground. Sweat trickled down her face and back as she wriggled desperately against the restraints, but all of her efforts were futile.

  The fear was now joined by despair as Josie realized that there was no way out of this situation on her own. The only way for her to get free would be if someone else set her free or if some sort of miracle happened--neither of which seemed likely at this point.

  Josie slumped in defeat and resigned herself to whatever fate awaited her in the darkness of this strange place. Was this really it for her? She thought about her life, the twenty-eight years she'd been in this world... all of it could be ripped away from her in an instant.

  Regrets started flooding her mind. She thought about all the opportunities she'd missed, all the people she'd hurt, and all the times she could have done something differently. She wished she could go back in time and start over, but it was too late now. All that was left for her to do was hope that someone would find her before it was too late--before her captor decided to end her life.

  She wished that she had taken more risks, not been afraid to go after what she wanted, and make her dreams a reality. She wished that she had told her family and friends how much they meant to her, instead of taking them for granted.

  She wished that she had tried harder to make something of herself, instead of contenting herself with a job at a bar. She wished that when opportunities presented themselves, like going back to school or starting her own business, that she had taken them without hesitation.

  But now it was too late for any of those things. Now all Josie could do was sit there in the darkness and anticipate whatever fate awaited her next. Tears began streaming down her face as a wave of emotion crashed over her--sorrow, fear, regret... it was too much for one person to bear. But still Josie knew one thing--that no matter what happened next, no matter how this story ended up playing out, she would never forget these feelings--feelings that were born out of the realization that life is precious and fleeting and should never be taken for granted.

  She had to get out of this situation. And she couldn't do it by giving up. She wouldn't let this man just take her life--she had to try harder. She had to break free.

  She began wiggling her wrists again. Her wrists were raw and aching now, and she had almost completely given up when she noticed a slight slackening of the rope.

  With renewed vigor, Josie pulled and yanked on the rope until her hands were finally free. She reached down and untied her legs, now free from the restraints. But where could she go? She was surrounded by darkness, and upstairs, she heard thumping on the floor--footsteps.

  He was up there.

  But the draft. She felt that, for sure. In another room, somewhere to her left, she could see a small amount of sunlight.

  There! There must have been a window. Holding her breath, Josie crept into the other room, and sure enough, there, at the top of the wall, was a tiny window.

  It was small and the old, wooden frame was warped from years of neglect, but she knew that if she could just squeeze through it, then maybe--just maybe--she would be able to escape.

  Josie scrambled up onto a nearby chair and tried to force her way through the window. It was a tight fit, but with a bit of wiggling and pushing and shoving, she eventually managed to get one leg over the frame. The other followed shortly after.

 

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