“Yeah, I need you to track a van. It’s registered to Justin Everett. Here’s the license plate number.” He rattled off the numbers, and Fiona heard a confirmation from the other end of the line.

  As she sank in the seat, she stared out at the world outside the car. A sudden thought hit her; she wondered if the people in charge of her sister, Joslyn’s, disappearance cared as much as Jake did. She couldn’t imagine Jake ever giving up on a case, but in many ways, Fiona felt like the police had given up on Joslyn way too soon.

  Fiona’s sister had been too young to simply vanish. Only seventeen. It didn’t feel fair. So many years had passed since that day at the beach, and yet it haunted Fiona. Maybe trying so hard to solve this case was her way of compensating.

  Fiona shook her head, clearing away the thoughts. She had to stay focused and not let her emotions get in the way of the case. She needed to find out what happened to Justin Everett.

  Fiona swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. She looked over at Jake, who was still talking on the phone. He nodded his head and hung up, then put the car into drive.

  “We got a lock on it,” he said. “Let’s go.”

  ***

  Fiona and Jake barely spoke as Jake ripped the car southbound, shredding through the outskirts of the city. There was no space in their silence for words—they were both lost in their own thoughts, focused only on the task ahead. Fiona didn’t know exactly where they were going, but she trusted Jake. He was an experienced FBI agent, and he knew what he was doing.

  Fiona was simply along for the ride.

  Finally, they pulled into a wooded area. Jake drove slowly, weaving through the trees as the sun set. The shadows of the woods stretched out in front of them, and Fiona felt her heart beat faster.

  But Jake didn’t seem fazed at all. She could see a renewed sense of purpose on his face as he focused on driving. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, as if he had done this a million times before—like it was second nature to him.

  The sky transitioned from orange to dark blue as they continued down the dirt path. Finally, it opened up into a clearing again.

  A parking lot.

  And in it, two vehicles.

  A car.

  And a large white van.

  Fiona’s heart nearly stopped. This was it. The van the killer was using.

  Justin’s van.

  It was here. And he was the one they were looking for.

  Jake pulled the car into a parking space, and they both hurried out. He held his hand up as Fiona chased after him.

  “Fiona, no,” he said. “I’m serious. This time, you stay behind.”

  “I’m not staying behind!” she exclaimed.

  “Fiona, he’s dangerous. This is a dangerous situation. I’ve done this a million times. Trust me. We just have to be careful. I’ll call for backup, but it’s going to take some time before they get here.”

  His voice was firm, and he crossed his arms, waiting for Fiona’s response. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she knew he was right. He was an FBI agent, and she was only a lab rat. The entomologist and forensic analyst. She had no idea what she was walking into.

  But before Fiona could respond, an ear-splitting scream sounded from deep within the forest.

  Jake looked at Fiona with panic before he darted into the forest.

  Fiona didn’t think. She just ran after him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  Jake’s feet pounded the forest floor as he ran, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He prayed to God Fiona wasn’t following him, but he could hear her faint footsteps behind him and knew she was doing it again—being reckless.

  But he didn’t have time to think about it. He had heard the woman’s scream, loud and clear, and he knew exactly who was assaulting her.

  Justin Everett.

  The murderer they were looking for.

  He had to make it in time. If he lost another woman tonight, he didn’t think he could handle the guilt.

  The trees blurred together as Jake ran, his breath coming in short gasps. He could still hear Fiona’s footsteps behind him and wished he could tell her to stay back, but there was no time. He had to get there. But these dark, menacing woods seemed to go on forever. He dodged over roots as he ran as fast as his legs would take him.

  Jake pushed himself faster and faster, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he leapt over fallen logs and dodged bushes. He had to get to the woman before it was too late.

  He could see a clearing up ahead—the source of the screams—and he charged forward without hesitation. As he emerged from the trees, he came up to a pool of water—a pond.

  The pond was large and still, its glassy surface reflecting the light of the stars and the moon like a mirror. Its edges were lined with tall reeds, swaying gently in the night breeze. It was surrounded by a grassy area which was bordered by a thicket of trees and shrubs. The smell of algae was damp in his nose.

  Jake looked forward, and there, he saw it.

  A man, attempting to shove a woman into a black bag.

  A body bag.

  There he was. Justin Everett.

  Bastard.

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Jake charged forward. He threw himself into Justin, tackling him to the ground. The woman screamed as she stumbled away from them, shock and terror on her face.

  Justin let out a guttural scream as he fought back, and before Jake could react, he felt something stab him in the arm. A sharp, piercing pain.

  He looked down.

  A scalpel stuck out from his forearm.

  Jake gritted his teeth and reached out, pulling the scalpel out of his arm. He threw it to the side, not wanting to risk another attack.

  Justin scrambled back, a look of rage in his eyes. He stood up and began to circle Jake like a wild animal, as if he were sizing him up before attacking again.

  Jake felt fear rise inside him, but he refused to show it. He was an FBI agent—he had been trained for this kind of thing. He stood tall and confident, ready for whatever Justin was about to throw at him. Justin looked at him with those soulless eyes, circling him at the shore of the pond. Jake wanted to reach for his gun, but he could tell Justin would pounce at any moment, and Jake didn’t know what kind of nasty weapons he had on him.

  But it was a gamble he had to take.

  Jake’s hand shot to his side to grab his gun.

  All at once, Justin charged him, letting out a primal scream. “You can’t take her from me! You can’t take my Zoey again!”

  Justin tackled Jake with a shocking strength that knocked the wind from Jake’s lungs. He gripped the gun firmly as Justin tried to wrestle it from him.

  Jake was determined not to let go. He pushed back, gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm.

  But Justin shoved him, and Jake’s feet slipped out beneath him. He landed in the wet, cold water of the pond, and Justin tried to grab the gun again—only for it to slip from Jake’s hand and fly back to the shore.

  Justin scrambled to grab the gun, but Jake pulled at him with all his might, dragging Justin back into the pond.

  Justin spluttered and screamed, but Jake was determined. He used every ounce of strength he had to keep Justin from getting the gun, even as his own body began to give out from exhaustion.

  The fight was on.

  Jake and Justin wrestled in the pond, their splashes echoing through the night air. They were both determined to win, each of them trying desperately to take control of the gun. But neither could gain the upper hand—until Justin grabbed a rock from the bottom of the pond and hit Jake over the head with it.

  For a moment, all Jake could see were stars.

  Pain reverberated through his skull, and everything became light. So light…

  Images flashed through his mind.

  Lauren. Her smile. Her love…

  Her coldness, too.

  She was colder than the pond water that he now felt all around him.

  Images of his family. His father. His brother. They were both firefighters. Heroes.

  His mom. She had been a firefighter too…

  Before she was murdered.

  Jake’s head was dizzy as he thought about the killer. How he’d never been caught. How he’d gotten away.

  Why was Jake thinking about this now, of all times? He didn’t know. He let out a sigh as he struggled to stay above the water. Was this it for him? Would he die at only thirty years old? He’d thought he’d see so much more than that. Do so much more than that…

  “Jake!” he heard someone screech. “Jake!”

  He snapped out of it.

  Delirious, he opened his eyes as the forest materialized around him again.

  He looked forward.

  Fiona.

  Her red hair. Her terrified face.

  Her thin arms trembling as she pointed the gun in his direction.

  No, not at him…

  Justin.

  It all came back in a wave, and Jake snapped out of it. He wasn’t dead—probably just concussed.

  And now Fiona Red had the gun.

  Justin stood nearby, looking like he was about to pounce on Fiona if she didn’t shoot. Jake might not make it in time. His head was killing him, but he had to save Fiona.

  “Red, take the shot!” he yelled.

  Fiona’s arms trembled.

  She looked at Jake, her eyes filled with fear. She was frozen.

  Jake could see the fear in her eyes as she looked down at the gun, and he knew she wasn’t going to take it. She was too scared of what might happen if she did. He wanted to tell her it would be okay, that everything would work out in the end, but he couldn’t get the words past his lips.

  Fiona shouldn’t have had to go through this. It was Jake’s job as the trained agent to control the situation, and he’d failed. He watched helplessly as Justin stepped closer and closer toward Fiona, raising his arm to strike her. Jake tried to yell something—anything—but nothing came out.

  Then came the gunshot.

  Jake held his breath, afraid to see what had happened. Afraid Fiona had somehow been hit—afraid that they’d lost.

  But when his eyes adjusted, he saw Justin fall to the ground, holding his arm.

  She’d hit him.

  In the arm, at least.

  It was enough to snap Jake out of it.

  He ran forward and stopped just short of the cowering Justin. His hands were shaking from the close encounter. He pulled on the cold, hard metal handcuffs and felt their unyielding strength. A shudder ran down his spine as he secured Justin’s wrists behind his back.

  “That’s it, buddy,” Jake said, “you can’t hurt anyone else.”

  “No! Let me go!” Justin screamed, writhing, but it was over for him.

  They got him.

  Fiona got him.

  No, more than that—Fiona had saved Jake’s life.

  Jake then turned to Fiona, who was still trembling with fear. Her skin was papery white, and she seemed in total shock from what she’d done. She was still holding the gun.

  “Fiona, it’s okay,” Jake said, slowly approaching her. He held out his hand. “I can take the gun now. It’s okay.”

  “I… I shot someone,” Fiona managed.

  “Yes, you did,” Jake said softly. “And it was the right thing to do. You saved my life.” He gently took the gun from her and pocketed it.

  Fiona’s breathing slowly return to normal, and he knew she was beginning to process what had happened.

  “Fiona, you did it,” Jake said, both shocked and amazed. “You saved us.”

  Fiona nodded, her eyes wide and red from crying. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement, a thrill that they had survived this.

  “You’re amazing,” he said.

  Her eyes snapped to him. “I—I am?”

  “Yeah.” Jake chuckled. “You took the shot, Red.”

  Fiona smiled, wiping away the tears. “I guess I did.”

  Fiona was safe. The victim was free.

  For now, that was all Jake could ask for.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  Jake held an ice pack to his head as he sat in Chief Whittaker’s office, nearly laughing at how everything had gone down. Fiona was supposed to be in the lab, behind the scenes. She was a scrawny girl with no training, and yet she’d managed to save his life this time.

  He guessed it was time to stop underestimating her.

  Sitting in the chief’s office with both Lauren and Fiona, Jake waited for Chief Whittaker’s final report. He cleared his throat and looked at all of them before he let out a chuckle.

  “Well, it looks like you had some hiccups along the way, but you three really do make a good team,” the chief said.

  Fiona and Jake both laughed. Meanwhile, Lauren was quiet.

  “Thanks, Chief,” Jake said. “I’d say the three of us did a pretty good job.”

  “Aside from that head injury, of course,” the chief said. “Tell me, Special Agent Tucker, how’s it feel to have a lab rat save your life?”

  Jake laughed to hide his embarrassment, and Fiona jokingly exclaimed, “Hey! I’m a little more than a lab rat now, aren’t I?”

  The chief chuckled with good nature. “Yes, Ms. Red. You’ve earned your place with Special Agents Tucker and Price.”

  Still, Lauren was quiet. Jake glanced at her, trying to give her a smile, but she just turned away from him. He knew it burned that she’d been wrong about who the killer was and Fiona was right. He felt for Lauren, he did, but he wished she didn’t take this so personally. It was silly to be upset at a time like this. All that mattered was that the killer was caught and behind bars.

  “That Justin Everett guy,” the chief said, “was a real piece of work. He’ll be spending the rest of his life in jail. Turns out he was preying on young women as some sort of strange fantasy about his late wife, who died of cancer only a year ago. Very young lady, a sad story indeed… but there was no helping that guy. Good job, you three.”

  Jake smiled, feeling a wave of relief. “Thank you, Chief.” He stood up and shook the chief’s hand before Fiona and Lauren did the same.

  Chief Whittaker nodded his head in approval. “You three can go now,” he said. “I know it’s been a long few days. Take some time off, relax for a day or two. As soon as I have a new assignment fit for your team, I’ll be in touch.”

  Jake nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  He, Fiona, and Lauren all made their way out of the office, and Jake couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. They’d done it. The case was solved.

  It felt good to have done something right for once. He glanced at Fiona, who was still trembling from the events that had transpired yesterday, yet she wore a look of pride on her face as well. He only wished Lauren was in a better mood. Yet despite her grim face, Jake knew she had to be glad they’d solved the case and brought justice to those affected by Justin Everett’s crimes.

  “Well, you guys,” Jake said, “celebratory lunch?”

  “I’m good,” Lauren said coldly. “I’ll see you later. Good work, you guys.” With that, she took off down the hall before Jake could even stop her.

  Now alone with Fiona, he awkwardly looked down at her. Fiona sighed, seemingly aware of the situation with Lauren. There was something wise about the young woman.

  “You should go after her,” Fiona said.

  Jake rubbed the back of his neck. He had enjoyed working with Fiona on this case again, and the truth was, she’d been the brains of the operation—yet again. But she was right, as usual; he did have to go after Lauren and try to make things right with her.

  Of course, he was starting to see things a bit differently now too.

  Working alongside Lauren wasn’t always perfect.

  Sometimes, when they got mad at each other, it was nothing more than a distraction at work. Still… he couldn’t stop caring about her. Not after all they’d been through.

  He smiled at Fiona. “Thanks again,” he said. “You know, for everything.”

  Fiona smiled back and nodded. “Anytime,” she replied.

  Jake took a deep breath and turned away from Fiona to go after Lauren. He had to make things right with her, even if it meant eating a bit of humble pie.

  He made his way down the corridor, his heart pounding in anticipation of what might come next.

  But when he turned the corner, he froze in place. There she was, standing inside the elevator, looking coldly past him. It looked like she was about to press the button for her floor when he saw his chance and ran toward her.

  “Lauren!” he shouted, but it was too late.

  The elevator doors had already started to close on them.

  ***

  Jake stood with his hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze taking in the sprawling metropolis of Portland from his apartment window. He was mesmerized by the twinkling lights that stretched across the horizon and the tall buildings that soared high above them. The soft glow of streetlights glimmered in the night.

  Lauren was supposed to be there any minute.

  He had texted her, asking if they could meet up at his place. She had responded with a simple OK, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind.

  He sighed, feeling the anticipation of their meeting build in his chest. He wanted to make things right with Lauren; he wanted them to be a team again, like they were before all this happened.

  He silently prayed that she would forgive him and take him back so that they could continue working together.

  Jake waited by the window in silence for what felt like eternity until he finally heard the distant sound of footsteps echoing through the hallway outside his door. His heart leapt with excitement as he quickly ran to open it, to find Lauren standing there looking as beautiful as ever.

  “Hey,” she said softly, not meeting his gaze.

  Jake smiled and stepped aside so that she could come in. He gestured for her to take a seat on the couch while he made them two cups of tea from the kitchenette nearby. When he came back, Lauren was sitting quietly, still not looking at him directly.

  He handed over one cup of tea and slowly sat down beside her on the sofa, hoping that she would speak first and break the ice between them. But it fell on him.

 

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