With a surge of strength, Valerie broke free, elbowing him in the ribs. “You’re wrong, John,” she gasped, launching a series of well-placed strikes that left him reeling. Sweat dripped down her face, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fought for her life and the lives of her friends.

  As they battled, the fire continued to grow, consuming everything in its path. The heat was unbearable, and the air grew thick with smoke. Valerie knew she didn’t have much time.

  John kicked Valerie to the ground. She felt the wind leave her lungs. Her eyes watered as she lay on the ground and saw the flames about to engulf Will.

  Valerie expected to hear or see a hallucination They had taunted her for so long. But no, they were gone. Only Valerie’s thoughts remained. Only her courage.

  And that was what would save them all.

  Despite being knocked to the ground, she grabbed a piece of debris from the floor and swung it upward. It cracked against John’s jaw. He screamed in agony and slumped to the ground, groaning as if on the cusp of unconsciousness.

  Valerie seized the opportunity.

  “Get Will!” Charlie screamed.

  Valerie picked up the knife on the floor and rushed to Will. She cut the rope around his wrists.

  “I… I’m okay,” he said. “The others…”

  One by one, Valerie cut the rest of the bonds, and then Charlie, Will, and Valerie pulled the three hostages out of the room. The sound of their ragged breathing filled the air as they stumbled through the burning building, the flames reaching hungrily for them.

  Finally, they broke across the threshold into the cool night, pulling the survivors away from the building.

  Valerie turned and moved back toward the building.

  “Valerie!” Charlie shouted.

  “Even he doesn’t deserve a death like that!” she yelled.

  She tried to go back into the burning building to rescue John, but the flames had already consumed the structure. The heat was too intense, the smoke too thick, and the walls were beginning to collapse under the weight of their own destruction.

  Valerie and the others watched as the power station was engulfed by fire, the heat intense on their faces. Somewhere among the noise a scream ushered up into the smoke and was silenced.

  John Murphy was no more.

  Valerie sat, Will and Charlie next to her. She turned from the violent scene of the power station in flames and looked to the river.

  The dark water passed slowly and gently by, carrying with it the sounds of soft ebbing and flowing.

  EPILOGUE

  Valerie was blindfolded; she had been for the last fifteen minutes. The sound of the car engine rumbled as she sat in the passenger seat.

  “This is ridiculous,” she said, sighing.

  “Be patient,” Suzie said from the back seat of the car.

  “Patience isn’t your sister’s strong suit,” Tom joked from the driver’s seat.

  “This is the strangest birthday I’ve ever had,” Valerie said, the world still hidden from her, out of view.

  “It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if you knew where you’re going,” Suzie contended.

  “It won’t be long now,” Tom said.

  Valerie had goosebumps. As the car gently juddered along an unseen road, she felt a warmth that she hadn’t thought possible before.

  She and Tom had a long way to go. She knew that. But it had been a year since John Murphy had been put away, a year since she had resigned from the FBI, too. All charges against her had been dropped.

  She missed it. She missed using her detective and profiling skills. She missed the thrill. Most of all, she missed the deep feeling that she was doing something good in the world.

  Despite all of that, it had been worth it. She hadn’t had even the hint of a hallucination for twelve months. And, most importantly of all, she had mended her family life.

  Valerie stretched her hand out to the side and felt for Tom’s shoulder. She rubbed it gently and then put her hand back on her lap.

  “What was that for?” Tom asked.

  “I’m just happy,” Valerie said. “For the longest time, I didn’t think that was possible.”

  “Oh no,” Suzie said. “She’s gone all sentimental on us.”

  “I’m so proud of you, Suzie. How far you’ve come,” Valerie said.

  “It’s a long journey,” Suzie answered. “But the therapies are working and I haven’t felt this stable, ever. I feel in the best place I’ve ever been.” She paused, then said, “It seems like I’m not the only one.”

  Tom laughed. “We’ve come a long way. Especially you, Valerie. But if you’re game, we can go a little further.”

  “What does that mean?” Valerie asked.

  “You’ll see… We’re almost there.”

  The car moved to the side as it negotiated a gentle corner and Valerie felt the warmth of the sun on her skin through the passenger window. She took a deep breath and sighed in relief.

  The car then slowed and stopped. Valerie heard the engine turn off and listened as Tom took his keys out of the ignition.

  “We’re here,” he said excitedly.

  “Can I take this blindfold off?” Valerie asked.

  “No!” Suzie and Tom said at the same time.

  “All right, all right.”

  Tom got out of the car and opened the passenger’s door. He gave Valerie his hand and helped her out. His grip felt soft and strong at the same time.

  Valerie instinctively lifted her hand to her blindfold.

  “Don’t you dare, Birthday Girl,” Suzie said, taking her other hand.

  “Watch your step,” Tom said as he led Valerie up a step and into a building.

  Valerie’s best guess was he was taking her to the restaurant where they got engaged, but now she knew it was somewhere else. It was too quiet.

  Valerie heard the ping of an elevator and then she was led inside. The elevator moved smoothly upwards, and she started to feel a mixture of excitement and nerves.

  The elevator pinged again and the doors opened. She stepped out of it, led by Tom and her sister.

  The first thing that hit Valerie was the smell. It was a mix of cleaning products and freshness—like they had been scrubbed and polished.

  She took another step forward, feeling the carpet underneath her toes, and then another. She felt walls on either side of her, but she couldn’t see them.

  “Just a little further,” Tom said. He moved her forward and then said, “You can take off your blindfold.”

  Valerie hesitated for just a moment before pulling it away from her face. She had butterflies in her stomach.

  What is all of this? she thought.

  It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, and when they did, she couldn’t believe what she saw.

  In front of her was a polished oak door. The glass in it was misted, and on the glass, written in gold-leafed lettering, were the words “Law, Carlson, and Cooper Detective Agency.”

  Valerie felt like she was dreaming. What had started as a simple birthday celebration suddenly felt like much more. She touched the door gently with her hand, feeling its smoothness against her skin.

  “Is… Is this a dream?” Valerie said out loud.

  “No dream, Valerie, but a calling,” the familiar voice of Will Cooper said from behind her.

  Valerie spun around to several smiling faces. Standing beside Tom and Suzie were Charlie, Will, and Jackson Weller. Valerie’s eyes welled up with tears.

  “We all know investigation is in your blood,” Will continued. “And we’ve got a place for you here, if you’re interested.”

  Valerie didn’t have any words—she just nodded fervently and stepped forward to hug each of her friends tightly.

  “This is amazing,” she said through her tears.

  Tom smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulders. “I told you it was worth it.”

  “We can’t have you rattling around that apartment any longer,” Charlie said, giving Valerie a hug.

  “But… What about your job with the FBI?” Valerie asked.

  “The CPU just hasn’t been the same without you, Val,” Charlie said. “It’s grown stale.”

  “There are new agents in the department now,” Jackson said. “After Heinlein’s investigation was discredited, the unit has been given an upgrade. We’re now training more than thirty agents to carry on the work you started.”

  “You might be interested in the curriculum they’re following,” Will said, smiling. He handed Valerie a folder.

  Valerie opened it up. It was a list of study texts, all part of the training for agents within the Criminal Psychopathy Unit.

  But Valerie read the titles of the texts. She had to hold back tears.

  Valerie Law Profile Protocols, one title read. Another was Will Cooper Interview Techniques, and another was Charles Carlson Tracking and Suspect Engagement Procedures.

  Looking down the list further, she realized that the entire training curriculum was based on the approaches and techniques they had created together as a team across the two years they handled serial killer cases.

  “How is this even possible?” Valerie said.

  Jackson smiled. “Will and Charlie put the curriculum together for the FBI. Just as you studied books and cases by famous agents who came before you, now new agents looking to profile and solve serial killer cases will know all that you did.”

  “They’ll know everything you did,” Charlie added. “The people you saved.”

  Valerie felt a tear rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away with her hand. “I don’t know what to say,” she almost whispered.

  “It’s the least the FBI could do,” Jackson explained. “After everything you did… Everything you sacrificed to help people.”

  Then Valerie turned to the door again and read the words aloud: “Law, Carlson, and Cooper Detective Agency?”

  “It has a ring to it, don’t you think?” Will said.

  “And of course, we at the FBI will help you when we can,” Jackson said. “In fact, if you go inside, you might find something interesting on your desk.”

  “My desk?” Valerie asked.

  “Go on,” Suzie said.

  Tom touched her on the shoulder gently and then opened the door.

  Valerie stepped inside to find a reception area for clients, complete with a reception desk and a comfortable couch.

  In front of her, she saw four doors. The first was a briefing room, but the others were private offices for Charlie, Will, and her.

  Valerie stepped forward and opened the door with her name etched upon it on a brass nameplate. Inside was a cozy office with desk and chair, along with some empty bookcases and a window looking down to the street below.

  “We thought you’d want to decorate,” Tom said. “So we left it a blank canvas for you.”

  Valerie smiled at Tom. She still couldn’t believe it all. She moved over to her desk and saw that a brown case folder was on it. She read the name of the case that was emblazoned upon it in black ink.

  “Clawstitch,” Valerie said. She knew exactly what it referred to.

  “The one that got away,” Jackson said from the doorway.

  “Clawstitch?” Suzie asked, sounding confused.

  “Early in my career,” Valerie said, “I ended up chasing a killer called the Clawstitch Killer. I made a mistake…”

  “It happens to us all,” Jackson said, knowingly.

  “Anyway,” Valerie continued, “the killer got away. I felt it was because of my mistake. Then he went dormant, but I always felt I had unfinished business.”

  “We couldn’t catch him with the FBI, Val,” Charlie said. “But we might just do it as private investigators.”

  “Yes!” Will said, enthusiastically. “Quite romantic, actually. The gumshoe detective. I always saw myself in a raincoat and trilby.”

  “I don’t know how many PIs wear bow ties,” Charlie laughed.

  “But,” Tom said, “we don’t want anything to affect you, Val. If this is too much and you think…”

  “I might relapse?” Valerie asked. “No, my psychiatrist has been quite confident that my breakdown was a one-time event. A break I needed to be able to finally face all of my internal conflict about my past. The hallucinations were a part of that. They were a part of me trying to speak. A part I never listened to until now.”

  “You feel rested enough?” Jackson asked, softly.

  “I genuinely believe I can contribute now without the struggle,” Valerie said. “I’m not going to say that I won’t ever have difficult moments with my mental health, but I’ll keep seeing a therapist and I feel like the worst is truly behind me.”

  “Because you know,” Charlie said, “if things ever got difficult, you’d have us to take up the slack.”

  “That goes both ways, Charlie,” Valerie offered, smiling. She looked around. “All of this is…”

  “And you might also want to see this,” Tom then said, leading them back out of Valerie’s office into the briefing room.

  Valerie stepped into the room and saw photographs and case notes pinned up on a board. Filing cabinets lined two walls, along with a couple of computer workstations. A few armchairs were around a table for informal interaction and discussions. Valerie noticed a touch screen at the top of the room.

  “All this,” Valerie said, simply stunned by the level of dedication her colleagues had put in to getting their own detective agency up and running.

  “It’s not state of the art,” Jackson said. “And you won’t have the resources of the FBI, but I don’t think that’s what made you such a good agent. It was your instinct. Your skills at delving into the human mind.”

  “And two devilishly handsome partners,” Will said, fixing his bow tie.

  They laughed. The room was filled with so much love.

  “We don’t have any clients yet,” Charlie then said. “But while we wait, we could go over the Clawstitch Killer case and see what comes up.”

  “Are you game, Valerie?” Will asked, smiling.

  “God yes!” Valerie said, excitedly.

  “I’ll be out at the front desk for when you do get a new case,” Suzie said.

  “The front desk?” Valerie asked, surprised.

  “Yes,” Will explained. “We needed a receptionist and Suzie offered her services.”

  “Just don’t order me around too much, Val.” She winked.

  “And I’ll get my tools,” Tom said. “There are a few things around here that need fixed up.”

  Valerie laughed. “You’re the handyman?”

  “I’m pitching in,” Tom said.

  “He’s been a huge part of making all of this possible,” Jackson said.

  Valerie gave Tom a hug and a peck on the lips. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “I’ll think of something,” he said, cheekily.

  Valerie looked around the room. “I… I’m so grateful for this… For all of you.”

  “Enough of the sentiment,” Charlie said. “Let’s get to work!”

  “Excellent idea, old chap!” Will said. “Are you game, Valerie?”

  Valerie smiled. She didn’t know what was in store for her. But she knew that whatever was ahead, she would meet it head on.

  And family would be by her side.

  NOW AVAILABLE!

  FOR YOU

  (A Morgan Cross FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1)

  A serial killer following the seven signs of the Messiah. An ex-con FBI agent seeking redemption. A riddle that must be cracked as a victim’s precious time runs out….

  “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”

  —Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

  FOR YOU is book #1 in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 7,000 five star ratings and reviews.

  Superstar FBI Agent Morgan Cross was at the height of her career when she was framed, wrongly imprisoned, and sent to do 10 hard years in prison. Finally exonerated and set free, Morgan emerges from jail as a changed person—hardened, ruthless, closed off to the world, and unsure how to start again. When the FBI comes knocking, desperately needing Morgan to return and hunt down the one serial killer who got away 10 years ago, Morgan is torn. She is not the same person, no longer willing to play by the rules, and will stop at nothing this time. In a non-stop thriller, it will be a deadly cat and mouse chase between a diabolical killer and an ex-con FBI agent who has nothing left to lose—with a new victim’s fate riding on it all.

  A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the Morgan Cross series is a riveting mystery, packed with non-stop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.

  Future books in the series are also available!

  “An edge of your seat thriller in a new series that keeps you turning pages! ...So many twists, turns and red herrings… I can't wait to see what happens next.”

  —Reader review (Her Last Wish)

  “A strong, complex story about two FBI agents trying to stop a serial killer. If you want an author to capture your attention and have you guessing, yet trying to put the pieces together, Pierce is your author!”

  —Reader review (Her Last Wish)

  “A typical Blake Pierce twisting, turning, roller coaster ride suspense thriller. Will have you turning the pages to the last sentence of the last chapter!!!”

  —Reader review (City of Prey)

  “Right from the start we have an unusual protagonist that I haven't seen done in this genre before. The action is nonstop… A very atmospheric novel that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours.”

  —Reader review (City of Prey)

 

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