Carnival of Secrets E-Book

D.F. Hart

• Herausgeber: 2 of Harts Publishing
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Some cases hit closer to home than others…
FBI agent Nathan Thomas and his team are determined to find and stop a cold-blooded, dispassionate killer whose machinations claim the most innocent of victims - small children.
Nathan's delicate balancing act between his professional life as a federal agent and his personal life as a loving husband and doting father will be put to the ultimate test - and the result could shatter his world.

Vital Secrets is a suspenseful crime thriller series chronicling FBI profiler Nathan Thomas and his team's cases, who capture serial killers while also juggling their personal and professional lives. While each suspenseful, riveting title in this series can be read as a standalone, readers will find maximum enjoyment if these full-length books are read in order - because while there are no cliffhangers, there is character growth over the series. If you enjoy the works of Elle Gray, Mary Burton, Lucinda Berry, Melinda Leigh and Pete Zacharias, the Vital Secrets series should make for a very enjoyable read!

Carnival of Secrets is perfect for readers who enjoy fast-paced, action-filled crime thriller novels that are brimming with unexpected twists and turns and feature FBI profilers.

Leseprobe

Carnival of Secrets

Table of Contents

Title Page

Carnival of Secrets: A Suspenseful Crime Thriller (Vital Secrets, #5)

The Vital Secrets Series

COPYRIGHT

Acknowledgements

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

EPILOGUE

House of Secrets, Book Six of the Vital Secrets Series, comes out in December 2021 - Pre-Order your copy HERE | Follow me on Bookbub

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D.F. Hart

The Vital Secrets Series

Wall of Secrets (prequel)

Book of Secrets

List of Secrets

Web of Secrets

Path of Secrets

Carnival of Secrets

House of Secrets – Dec 2021

End of Secrets – Summer 2022

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COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2021 by D.F. Hart

Library of Congress Control Number: PENDING

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-952008-27-6

eBook 978-1-952008-13-9

Large Print 978-1-952008-28-3

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Custom Cover Design and Artwork commissioned for D.F. Hart by:

Rocking Book Covers

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Published 2021 by 2 Of Harts Publishing

Arlington, Texas

Acknowledgements

To my readers, who make the journey worthwhile. I appreciate every one of you.

D.F. Hart

CHAPTER ONE

It was the last night of work in Amarillo, Texas, and he was physically tired but mentally revved.

After he'd secured his area for the night, he retreated to his motorhome, shuffling along and muttering to himself to maintain his carefully constructed public persona. The ruse was highly successful - most of his co-workers gave him a wide berth, which was the way he preferred it.

Once the narrow door was closed and locked behind him, he drew himself up to his full height and straightened his shoulders, rolling them to dissipate the tension they'd built up from maintaining a defeated posture all night. With the change in position came an altered expression - no longer a slightly vacant stare, but clear, sharp eyes that missed nothing.

Not much more of this, and then I won't have to hide, he reassured his reflection in the tiny mirror perched over the equally tiny bathroom sink.

When the idea had first presented itself, he'd been intrigued. After all, enduring so many years without being able to openly flaunt his superior intellect had been physically painful. The same affectations that kept him off the authorities' radar had also stifled his creativity.

He threw a quick sandwich together then retrieved the thick reference book he'd stolen from the public library four towns over. Making himself as comfortable as he could on the dinette table's u-shaped bench seat, he opened the book to the section holding the slip of paper as a marker and continued his reading from the previous evening.

***

"Pretty!" Charlie Thomas exclaimed again from his car seat's perch in the back.

"Yes, honey, they were very pretty," Bella agreed as she buckled her seat belt for the ride home.

She and Nathan had taken Charlie to a Sunday afternoon Texas Rangers game, then enjoyed a spectacular fireworks show once the ninth inning was done.

Bella glanced back at their son, who was already rubbing his eyes.

"Betcha he's asleep before we even leave the parking lot," she whispered to her husband.

"I do believe you're right," he said, and grinned at her. "Especially with this line of cars waiting in front of us. But that just means he's gonna be easy to put down for the night. And when we get there, I'll carry him inside and get him situated, if you'll grab the wine and two glasses and meet me at the garden tub."

She reached over and took Nathan's hand.

"With or without bubbles?"

"Are you crazy? With, of course," he quipped, and raised her hand to his lips to kiss it.

***

"So, how much notice do you need to give Nathan about time off?"

Lizzie pondered it as she chewed.

"Not sure, really," she said once she'd swallowed the bite of pasta. "Did you find some good cruises?"

"That I did," Donny answered. "I think the one we'd like the best sails from Seattle on October first. And I was shocked to discover that there are spaces left on that one, so we need to get it booked quickly before they're all gone."

She smiled at her fiancé as she pulled out her cell phone.

"Well then. Sounds like I need to let him know as soon as possible. Might as well do it now. What are the dates again?"

"We'd need to fly to Seattle on September thirtieth sometime, and the cruise returns to Seattle on October sixth, then we'd fly home, so, eight days total," Donny confirmed.

She rapidly typed Nathan a text, then hit 'send.'

***

The first time the kid knocked on his door, he growled loudly but made no move to answer it.

"Come on, Pops, don't be such a hermit," came the plaintive whine, and he growled again and launched himself upward when a fist banging rattled the door a second time.

He willed himself to adopt his usual dim-witted scowl before he confronted the interloper.

"What?" he snarled as he yanked the door open just wide enough to poke his head out.

"I'm headed to a bar in town that's got a jukebox, pool tables, and lonely women. Wanna go?"

"No," he answered, and shut the door before his unwanted visitor could speak up again, then waited silently until at last he heard the kid's truck driving away.

Finally, he grumbled to himself as he locked the door and returned to his reading.

He picked up his highlighter and underlined the passage that he'd found right before he'd been rudely interrupted.

"Soluble in water," he muttered, and grinned. "That's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Time to get some and test it all out."

He stretched his arm across the narrow table to pull his laptop closer. He booted it up, opened an incognito browser window, and began to search for the items he desired.

Ten minutes later, he'd found a way to immediately acquire one of the items he needed - and was pleasantly surprised. He'd expected larger quantities to be harder to come by. But his search for the most important element in his scheme had him frowning at the screen.

"Licensed use only," he read aloud, and rolled his eyes. "I bet I can find a way around that."

Especially if we go far enough south. I can slip over the border where it's not regulated and get some that hasn't been altered...

He shelved that line of thought for the moment to lean back and contemplate the delivery method.

Huh. I'm going to have to test it both ways and see what works the best.

His mind immediately pivoted and conjured up his young, irritating co-worker's face, and his lips curled into an almost feral smile.

And I know just who to test it out on first.

***

Nathan's phone buzzed just as he lifted a sleeping Charlie from his car seat and began to walk toward the front door. Once Charlie was tucked safely into bed, Nathan gently closed his child's bedroom door before reaching for the cell phone clipped to his belt.

He read Lizzie's text and grinned.

Just joined the team and already planning a vacation? Wow, Zimmerman. Didn't figure you for a slacker, he typed and sent, then waited a beat or two before he continued.

Just kidding. It shouldn't be an issue scheduling it out this far ahead of time. How many days off are we talking? he typed back, then waited.

Eight, came the swift response. September thirtieth through October seventh. And nice one, boss. That was funny. Not.

LOL. Sorry. Couldn't resist. Should be fine - unless we're working a case, that is. I'll email the unit secretary and let her know to make a note about it on the calendar, he responded.

Thanks. See you in the morning! was the final exchange he saw from Lizzie before he plugged his phone into the charger by the bed.

He turned and walked across the space and into the bathroom, where Bella was already pouring capfuls of bubble bath into the steaming water.

"I think three of these should do it," she told him as she screwed the cap back on the bottle and put it back underneath the sink.

***

"That was really good," Pete Jenkins said, and Trish and Joe Wallace both smiled.

"I'm serious! Joe, that brisket was awesome. And that potato casserole? The best."

"I can only take credit for the brisket," Joe chimed in. "My beautiful wife here is responsible for the excellent side dishes."

"Oh, you two. But he's right, Joe, that brisket was outstanding. Now, you guys want some coffee?" Trish offered. "And there's dessert, too. Apple pie."

"Yes, ma'am, if you don't mind. Thanks."

"I'll be right back, then," Trish said and walked into the kitchen.

"I'll be right there, babe," Joe told her, then leveled his gaze at their dinner guest.

"What's on your mind, Pete?"

"That obvious, huh?"

Joe chuckled. "Yes."

The young policeman blew out a breath.

"I think I'm ready to sit for the detective's exam. I mean, I feel like I am? But I wanted to get your thoughts on it."

Joe leaned forward and studied his former co-worker intently for a moment.

"I think you're ready, Pete. And I stand by what I've said previously. I think you'll make one hell of a good detective, because you’ve got qualities in you that no one can teach you."

"Such as?"

"Empathy. That ability to truly relate to the victim's family members. That's not something you learn in any book anywhere. People either have it or they don't. You have it. I saw it myself when we were at crime scenes together. That plus your other skills? It's not even a question in my mind you'd be a great detective, son."

Pete smiled. "Thanks, Joe."

"No problem," Joe said, then stood to go help Trish bring in coffee and slices of pie to the table.

"When is the exam scheduled?" he called out over his shoulder.

"Next Wednesday. Any idea how long it takes to find out something after I take the exam?" Pete called back.

Joe and Trish reappeared with coffee and dessert.

"Let's see now. I want to say it took around three months from the time I applied until I got a final decision," Joe shared as he and Trish settled in at the table again. "Keep in mind that was 1989 and there was a lot less technology around than there is now. Everything was on paper back then. I would think it'd be faster these days."

"But that's still a good timeline to work with, Pete," Trish added as she handed him a slice of pie. "Use three months as your baseline, and if things move more quickly than that, great."

Pete nodded his agreement as he stirred sugar into his coffee.

"Now. No more shop talk," Trish announced with a twinkle. "So, Pete. You still seeing Shannon?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"How's that going?"

Pete flushed scarlet.

***

"I don't get it. If he's such a weirdo, tell me again why you even invited him?" Blake asked Toby later as they racked the billiard balls for another game.

"Because he's good for a laugh," Toby replied with an evil grin. "You should hear him. He walks around talking to himself all the time. I never know what weird shit he's gonna say or do. It's funny."

"He sounds creepy as hell," Jason interjected.

"He is," Toby agreed. "But I'm gonna make three times what I'd make hauling hay with you two losers. I think I can handle working with a freak for the summer for that kind of coin. Besides, hot chicks with very little clothing on should be plentiful. Why be stuck in some hayfield when I can be getting laid?"

"Can't argue that. Cheers," Blake said, and they held up their bottles.

"Don't supposed you can get us on, huh?" Jason asked.

"Nope. They've got a full crew now according to the foreman. You snooze, you lose."

"Lucky bastard," Blake muttered. "When do you leave?"

"Six a.m. We're supposed to be in Lubbock and ready to rock tomorrow night."

Toby finished off his beer, then said, ""Your turn to break, Jason. Loser buys the next round."

***

"So, have you asked Nathan to walk you down the aisle yet?" Rick asked as they cleared the table after dinner.

"No, I haven't. Not yet," Faith admitted. "I wanted to wait until he closed that last case of his. It just didn't seem right to ask him about it when he was so focused on trying to catch that guy."

***

The next morning Nathan was settling in at his office and had just fired up his desktop unit when his cell phone rang.

"Thomas."

"Hey, baby brother," Faith said warmly. "You have just a minute to talk?"

"For you? Anytime. What's up?"

"I need to ask you something. And it's okay if you don't want to."

"What is it?"

"Well, I was hoping you'd agree to walk me down the aisle at the wedding."

A long beat of silence.

"Nathan? You there?"

He cleared his throat.

"It would be an absolute honor to walk with you the day you and Rick get married, Faith."

***

With the setup in Lubbock in full swing there wasn't much chance to stand around and talk, even if he'd wanted to.

And that's just fine with me. Every single person here gets on my last damn nerve on a regular basis. Especially that Toby kid. He is such a pain in the ass.

But he won't be for much longer, he thought to himself, and grinned eerily.

He muttered to himself as he loosened the straps and began to unload and set up his area pretty much on autopilot. His hands busied themselves while his mind retraced what he'd Googled about the town and surrounding area.

That one place sounded promising, but I'd have to go overnight to get what I need.

Unless I can forge a license?

He mulled it over for only seconds.

Screw that. Too much hassle and it'll leave a paper trail.  I'll just get what I need the usual way, and it's better to wait and get it in Mexico where there's a greater chance of getting the pure stuff.

As he moved around to the other side of the flatbed trailer, he glanced to his right and saw the bane of his existence.

Out of all the newbies, the boss just had to saddle me with the dumbest one. Jackass...

"Hey Pops! Need some help?" Toby called out as he approached.

He glared at the kid but said nothing.

No. But you will. Very soon.

***

"Morning, boss. What's up?" Lizzie said immediately when she stepped into Nathan's office.

"Morning."

"Nathan, are you all right?"

He grinned. "I'm great. Faith just asked me to walk her down the aisle."

Lizzie's hand flew to her heart. "That's so sweet!"

"It meant a lot, that she asked."

"Well of course she would! You kidding? You're her brother."

"I know, but still. I'm surprised she didn't ask someone older."

"It's not about the age, Nathan. It's about the amount of respect and love she has for you. Speaking of wedding stuff, the reason I asked for those dates off is that Donny and I are planning on an Alaskan cruise - and we're gonna get married on the boat."

"Congrats! And you'll have to tell me about the cruise when you guys come back. I've been thinking about surprising Bella with one soon, maybe for our anniversary next year. She puts up with a lot because of my career. Flying out at the drop of a hat, late dinners, canceled plans, the works. I figured a cruise would be a great 'thank-you', don't you think?"

"She does have the patience of Job," Lizzie agreed. "Donny does, too. We really lucked out with our better halves, Nathan. Not everybody would be so understanding. Takes a special person to be married to someone in the military or law enforcement."

"You're right there. You and I both got extremely lucky."

***

A rap on the doorframe broke into their conversation.

"Hey, Lizzie. Morning, boss," Ben said. "I just followed up on a voicemail from a deputy with the Wise County Sheriff's department.  They've got three cases they think are related, and they're asking us to build a profile. Can we round table about it?"

"Are they sending the case files over?"

"They should be here any minute. He said they were sent via overnight courier for early delivery."

"Sure," Nathan answered. "Review the files and get your presentation ready. We'll meet in the conference room at ten-thirty."

***

"Move your asses and let's get this done! We need to be ready to go by six o’clock sharp!" came a booming voice from his left, and he swiveled his head slowly toward Jake, the site foreman.

Hm. There's another one I could test it on if needed, he realized.

"You. Kid," Jake sputtered. "Toby, right? Don't just stand there taking up space. Help get this unloaded."

Motion in his periphery had him narrowing his eyes at the greenhorn that was now scrambling to obey Jake's orders - and pulling on a strap that could wreck the entire setup.

"Back off," he muttered at Toby through clenched teeth as Jake walked away. "You're gonna screw it up."

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I think they both need to go at some point.

He silently counted to three in his head before he turned his full attention to Toby.

"Just watch me and learn."

"Sure thing - Pops," the kid shot back with a sardonic smile.

He gritted his teeth and willed himself to not break character.

Change of plans. I need to get some as soon as possible, he thought as he focused on peering at Toby. My trial runs cannot possibly start soon enough.

***

At ten-thirty on the dot Nathan walked into the conference room. Ben was writing details of each of the three Wise County cases on the whiteboard.

Nathan sat and steepled his fingers. "Lay it on me."

Ben took a breath and plunged into his summary.

"All three victims were Hispanic males in their early twenties, and all three died of a single gunshot wound to the left temple."

"Caliber?"

Ben flipped back through his notes. "Same size in all three cases. A twenty-two round."

"From how far away?"

"The coroner noted pronounced stippling around each of the wounds but nothing indicating direct contact like a muzzle imprint. His best estimate was that each shot was fired from a distance of no more than six to eight inches."

Ben paused only long enough to take a small sip of water.

"All three were found outside city limits, all three were nude, and investigators at each scene noted that they likely weren't killed where they were found," Ben revealed. "Site pictures and the coroner's reports back up those assertions."

"Interesting. Go on. What's the time lapse between the cases?"

"The first two were four weeks apart, and the third one was two weeks after that. First guy was found north of Chico on May fifteenth, second guy on June twelfth down by Lake Bridgeport, and the third one on July third just south of Boyd."

"Whoever's doing it is confining their activity to Wise County, it seems. Makes sense, since the victims are likely being lured - or forcibly taken - to the same location each time to be killed. My gut says the killer is a resident in the area. Still, it would be prudent to check the database for any like cases elsewhere."

"I agree, and that was my next step. How wide should I search, to start?" Ben asked.

"Neighboring counties, to begin with, and you can widen it further if needed. Now, did the coroner's reports indicate any similarities in length of time between death and the discovery of the bodies?"

"They did, actually. He estimated that each man had been dead roughly forty-eight hours prior to discovery."

"Friday night party, Sunday remorse, maybe?" Nathan murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing, just thinking out loud. Have the victims been identified?"

"All three listed as John Does so far."

Annie appeared in the conference room's open doorway.

"Ben," she said quietly, "Deputy Greisen's holding for you on line four."

Ben exchanged a knowing look with his boss as he reached for the phone in the center of the conference table. He picked up the call and listened, then asked three questions, scribbling on his notepad as he did so.

"Thanks. I'll be out there as soon as I can," Ben said, and hung up.

"Another one," Nathan guessed, and Ben nodded.

"They just found a fourth body seven miles west of Greenwood. Greisen's on scene now, and he says it definitely fits the pattern."

"Get going, and take Annie with you," Nathan directed. "You guys know the drill. Walk this latest scene first, then check out the first three. Take pictures and notes. And get a copy of whatever is available on the latest victim to bring back with you. Send Lizzie in here on your way out. I'll have her set up the database search, and I will start the profile on their suspect."

"Yes, sir," Ben said, and went to tell Annie about their assignment.

A few minutes later Lizzie entered the conference room.

"What's up, boss?"

Nathan pointed to the whiteboard, then the files spread out on the table.

"Build a search, one county each direction surrounding Wise County, to start," he told her. "We need to know as soon as possible if there's any open unsolved cases that match these."

"I'm on it."

***

Lizzie stood in Nathan's doorway just before three p.m.

"I set the search for all counties whose borders are adjacent. Nothing turned up at all for Montague, Cooke, Denton, Tarrant, Parker or Jack counties."

"Good to know, thanks."

"You want me to expand the parameters?"

"Not at the moment, since my gut says the killer is keeping to Wise County for a reason."

"I'll be at my desk if you need me," Lizzie said before she left, and Nathan nodded, then turned back to his profile.

His desk phone rang.

"Thomas."

"Hey, boss," Ben said. "We're almost done with the Greenwood scene, and we're heading out to Chico next. It's the furthest westward, and we'll work our way back east."

"You may lose daylight before you're able to walk them all," Nathan reminded him.

"No worries, boss," Ben replied. "Deputy Greisen has a great big spotlight on his SUV that we can work with."

"Nice! Keep me posted."

CHAPTER TWO

When Lizzie's cell phone rang on her drive home she frowned, not recognizing the number that was displaying on her SUV's hands-free console.

She pressed the button on her steering wheel.

"Agent Zimmerman," she said as she picked up the call.

"Zim! Hey there. It's Jones. How are ya?"

She was surprised to hear from her fellow Academy graduate.

"Hey, yourself. I'm doing well. How are things with you?"

"Well, I'm thinking about making a change, and I wanted to run it by you. I'm considering asking for a transfer down to Dallas, Zim. We'd be working out of the same field office! Wouldn't that be great?"

"Really? When would you be coming down?"

"If it's approved, I would think it'd happen within the next few weeks."

They talked a few more minutes, then Jones said, "Well, it's good to talk to you, Zim, and I'll keep you in the loop."

"Can't wait," she said. "Catch you later."

As she hung up, she frowned again, remembering the conversation she'd had about the kid with one of her instructors.

I just can’t get a feel for how he’d do under fire in a real-life situation. He might stand up just like he’s been trained to do, and he might fall completely apart. There’s really no way to know, Lizzie had observed when asked directly about Jones' skill set, and her instructor had voiced the same opinion.

Now there was a good possibility that the kid she had reservations about was going to join the Dallas team, and Lizzie wasn't sure how to handle things.

Should I share my concerns with Nathan ahead of time, or keep them to myself? I don't want the team here to form a subconscious bias against Jones, but at the same time if I don't say anything and something happens...

Not to mention he's only been at his current assignment for a couple of months. Why the sudden change?

The whole situation just didn't feel right, and she was still mulling it over thirty minutes later as she pulled into her driveway and walked into the house.

Huh. I'll run it by Donny and get his opinion. He always has good insights.

"Hi babe," Donny called out from the home office, and she followed the sound of his voice.

"Hey there," she answered as she closed the distance between them and started to lean in for a kiss. But she stopped when she noticed the tension in his frame.

"You okay?"

Her fiancé looked up at her from his chair, and the raw grief shimmering in his hazel eyes hit her squarely in the heart.

"Not at all. Phil Tucker passed away late last night. I got the call from his wife Terri about a half hour ago."

"Oh, Donny. I'm so sorry, honey."

She immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders as Donny laid his forehead on her chest and put his arms around her waist. She stroked his hair, trying her best to give comfort as he clung to her and shared his pain in a voice hoarse with sorrow.

"Out of everybody I knew when I was a professional athlete, he's the only one that stood by me, Lizzie. The only one I brought forward from my old life, and his faith in me never wavered at all, even when I hit my lowest point. Phil wasn't just my agent. He was one of the best friends I've ever had in my life."

"I know, baby. I know."

"Terri asked me to speak at the service and be a pallbearer. The funeral's on Thursday morning."

"The service arrangements are made already?"

"Terri is devastated, of course, but she made it a point to thank me for encouraging them to think ahead. I stressed the importance of pre-planning to them both when they had me set up their policies."

He leaned back in his chair and wiped his face with his sleeve.

"I need to book a flight to Los Angeles for Wednesday morning. I want to get there a day early in case Terri needs help with anything."

Lizzie leaned down and kissed him tenderly on the lips, then softly said, "How about I order us some Chinese food and mix us a couple of drinks, and you can tell me more about him. Share some memories. Celebrate his life. Whatever you want to do, babe. I love you, and I'm here for you."

He nodded and exhaled shakily.

"I love you too, Lizzie."

"And I'll come with you to California, if you need me to. Just say the word."

"I know, babe."

Donny stood and ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm feeling the need for a hot shower. Will you join me? We can order the food when we get out."

She reached forward and took his hands in hers.

"I think that's a great idea."

***

"Okay, here's what I don’t get," Annie began as they followed Deputy Greisen from Chico down to the Lake Bridgeport location.

"What's that?"

"According to everything we’ve learned so far, none of the victims showed any signs of a struggle. No defensive wounds or marks at all, right?"

"Right."

"Don’t you think that's strange? I mean, I don't think anyone would just stand still and let someone shoot them, right? I know I sure as hell wouldn't. I'd put up a fight, at least."

"I agree. And yes, that's strange. Unless they were drunk or otherwise incapacitated in some way."

"Or distracted. But it would have to be a pretty damn big distraction to not notice that someone standing so close to you has a gun pointed your direction," Annie pointed out.

Ben's eyebrow raised as he thought about it.

***

Nathan paused his typing and glanced back through a section of the coroner's report on the man found north of Chico.

"Wait, what?"

He cross-checked the other two files and found more of the same notations.

"Interesting. That alters my approach, for sure," he murmured, and began to backspace his cursor. He amended his additional impressions, then saved the file before he shut down his desktop unit for the day.

As he moved to the elevator, he called Ben's cell phone.

"Hey guys, what's the status?"

"We're almost to Lake Bridgeport, where the second man was found."

"Let's gather in the conference room at nine a.m. and go over your intel from the scenes."

"Sure thing, boss. See you in the morning."

Nathan's next call was to Bella.

"I'm headed home. Need me to pick up anything?"

***

It was just after two in the morning when he crept out of his motorhome and climbed into his truck, then winced at the roar of the motor echoing through the still night air.

Can't be helped. Get going.

He eased his battered Ford forward through the night, pleasantly surprised that the beast's rumbling hadn't seemed to awaken anyone else in the group. Once he got to the main road, he glanced at his cell phone's screen to confirm his route, then turned left.

He let his truck coast to a stop two blocks from his destination ten minutes later. A glance ahead of him, then in his rear-view mirror, confirmed his hunch.

Just as I suspected. This side of town pretty much rolls up Main Street after dark.

He turned off the ignition key and settled in to wait.

Once he’d satisfied himself that he wasn’t likely to be intercepted, he pulled his baseball cap down low, stepped down out of the cab and gently closed the driver’s side door behind him.

Glancing skyward, he noticed the moon partially obscured by cloud cover.

Nice, he thought. Just enough light to see my way.

He strolled casually, his long legs covering the distance with little effort. As he walked, he recalled what he’d read about the chemical compound that he’d come to liberate from its licensed owner.

The smell should be masked well enough once I’m done mixing things together, he noted. And the emetic should be neutralized too. I just need this last piece and I can get started.

And then, Toby my boy, then you and I are gonna have some fun.

He turned the corner and traveled along the pitifully easy to breach chain link fencing until he was at the southeastern edge of the lot. The panels were tall, eight feet high, but strangely not fortified in any manner that he could readily see.

Still, better safe than sorry, he decided as he moved the bandanna around his neck up to mask the lower half of his face. He carefully scrutinized the length of chain link to confirm his assumptions as he pulled on his gloves.

Not electrified, and no razors. That's a bonus.

But the sarcastic common-sense side of his brain piped up loud and clear.

Electrified? Razor wire? Seriously? What were you expecting, exactly, guards in towers? It's a mom-and-pop place, not Area 51. Now focus.

As he chuckled at himself for a brief moment, he also thought about simply scaling the fence.

Not as young as I used to be, though. And the posts don't seem all that sturdy, either. Climbing it will shake the whole fence and make a hell of a lot of noise. Easier to go through it rather than over it.

He slipped the wire cutters out of his pocket and went to work, carving an inverted L-shaped entry point. Within ninety seconds, he was through the flimsy barrier and headed toward the back of the squat gray brick building.

Another twenty minutes elapsed as he bypassed the business's antiquated alarm system, then turned on his tiny flashlight and began to search for their supply of the compound that was so crucial to his plans.

He rubbed his hands together gleefully when he realized the company that he'd chosen to steal from actually possessed both forms in their inventory - the premixed ready-to-use blue liquid, and the less commonly available white crystalline solid.

From the fine layer of dust on the tops of the two containers, he could tell that the solid form wasn't the favored choice in the facility's day-to-day operations.

He immediately reached past the liquid to pick up a six-ounce canister of the crystallized version. He rotated the package in his hands, read the front label by flashlight, and smiled wolfishly into the dark.

Whoever bought this opted to cross the border, too.

He slowly turned the package until he found the section with technical data, then did some quick calculations in his head since he had zero intentions of using the compound as designed.

This should do nicely.

He reached forward and grabbed the second canister, tucked one in each of his jacket's oversized inside pockets, then made his way back out of the building.

Once he restored the interior security system, he hustled back through the fence, where he worked the section that he'd cut away and lifted up back down into place. Several small lengths of fine wire snipped from the slender spool he'd brought with him was enough to stitch together the L-shape he'd previously made. Unless someone walked the fence and looked closely, he was confident that the sabotage and subsequent repair job would remain undiscovered.

He resisted the urge to whistle as he walked away to return to where he'd parked his ride. He arrived back at the Ford without having seen a soul, but he still waited a few moments before he fired up the truck and drove away.

By two-forty-five he was settled once again in his home on wheels. His ill-gotten gain was locked securely in the fireproof safe that he'd installed in what was now the makeshift lab at the rear of his living space. Then he stretched his frame out on the over-cab bunk and smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

***

Lizzie and Donny were both out of bed for the day by four a.m. after a futile attempt at sleep.

"I'm going for a run," Donny decided, and moved to the closet to pull out some clothes. "Want to go?"

"And then, breakfast. With coffee. Lots of coffee," she answered as she headed into the bathroom to pull her hair up into a ponytail. "Waffle House?"

Donny grinned briefly. "Deal."

***

When Lizzie got to work, she logged into her terminal, then made her way to Nathan's office.

"Morning," he said, then frowned when he glanced up at her. "What's wrong?"

"Very little sleep," she confessed. "Rough night. Donny got word that Phil passed away, and he's pretty torn up about it."

"Understandably," Nathan replied. "I recall Donny mentioning Phil when I had Donny in protective custody up in D.C. He spoke very highly of the man."

He narrowed his eyes and looked at her more carefully.

"But that's not all, is it?"

She shuffled on her feet.

"What else is on your mind?"

Ben appearing behind her derailed the line of questioning.

"Morning guys," he said, oblivious. "Still on for nine?"

"Yep," Nathan confirmed. "And I noticed some things in the coroner's reports that we need to cover in depth, as well."

"You got it, boss," Ben sketched a salute and walked away.

Nathan refocused his attention on Lizzie.

"Lizzie," he said gently. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

She took a deep breath and closed his office door.

Nathan's eyebrows raised.

"Must be serious."

"It is."

She sat in the visitor's chair across the desk from him, and began to fill him in.

"There's this kid named Jones I went through the Academy with. Fresh out of college, no experience, had delusions of grandeur and a massive attitude problem. He wasn't taking it seriously. I finally lost my temper with him and that seemed to get through to him."

"Why do I feel a 'but' coming on?"

"But I just.... he's one of those that you just don't know if he'll be dependable in live fire situations. He's a good kid, don’t get me wrong, and he does have some skills, especially when it comes to research and analysis. I just..."

Nathan leaned forward. "Lizzie, be honest with me here. You just, what?"

"I just don't know if I'd want to have to depend on him to keep a team member safe, Nathan. If I had my choice of who to go through a door with, Jones would not be someone I would pick."

Nathan was silent for a moment.

"That speaks volumes, Liz."

"I know. Here's the thing. I could be completely wrong about the kid. He could turn out to be the strongest link in the chain."

"But your gut says otherwise."

She sighed.

"Yes. My gut says that's unlikely. I don’t want to damage his chances of making a career for himself as an agent, which is why I hesitated to say anything at all. But at the same time-"

"At the same time," Nathan chimed in, "if you kept quiet and then he got somebody hurt..."

"Exactly. And he called me yesterday on the way home to tell me he's asking to transfer down here to Dallas. If it goes through, he could be down here as soon as next week. And honestly, my next thought was, why? He's only been in the Chicago office about three months. Doesn't a transfer this soon seem a little strange to you?"

"It's unusual, but not unheard of. I can look into it discreetly and see what I can find out about the situation. I presume he's not coming specifically to my team, or I would already know about this. It could be they just needed additional staff down here. It may even be as simple as a clash of personalities," Nathan pointed out.

"You think?"

"It's a possibility. Not everyone gets along as well as this group here, and in that situation usually the least tenured guy involved would get reassigned. Or, it may be that Chicago branch has identified a serious issue, and they're passing him off to another location because of it. But I have to say I don't believe that to be the case, Lizzie. If someone's that big a liability, they'd be gone outright, not just bounced around. Not really any way to know for sure without doing some digging."

"I just don't want anyone here to form a bias, Nathan. Because like I said, I could be completely wrong about him."

"I wonder what his instructors thought."

"Well," she said on a sigh," I can tell you that at least one of them had the same reservations about him that I do."

"How do you know that?"

"The man flat out asked me my opinion on Jones. He said he really wasn't supposed to talk to one cadet about another, but since I'd spent so many years on the job, he was interested to know my take on it."

Nathan leaned back in his chair.

"That's not technically against the rules that I'm aware of, but it's definitely not typical, either. You know that, right?"

Lizzie nodded.

"So at least one of his instructors picked up the same vibe," Nathan frowned. "But it wasn't strong enough to recommend terming him from the program. Interesting."

"And I kind of feel responsible for that," Lizzie added. "My running interference helped him get through."

"How so?"

"He was struggling badly with some of the combat sims. I took him under my wing, gave him some pointers, and he got through them. So, he is teachable - under simulation conditions. But real-time, with real bad guys and live ammo? I just don't know."

"Let me see what I can find out about the transfer, and we'll go from there. And what you've told me will stay between us. All right?"

"All right."

Nathan checked his watch.

"I've got about forty minutes before Ben and I meet in the conference room, and I need to firm up some things in my preliminary profile before then. Why don't we reconnect about this on Friday afternoon? I should have more intel by then."

"Sounds good."

Lizzie stood and started to leave. She had her hand on the doorknob when Nathan said, "Hey."

"Yes?"