Free Fall (The Quantico Files Book #3) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Nancy Mehl

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171 pages

English

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Description

The closer she comes to the truth, the deadlier her chase gets. FBI behavioral analyst Alex Donovan and her colleague Logan Hart have been called upon to write a profile for a missing woman, but a little digging quickly turns up more disappearances in Virginia with the same physical description. Alex is in a race against the clock to rescue the missing victims, so when the UNSUB makes demands of her in exchange for information, Alex takes the bait. But when her life is put in jeopardy, Logan must do whatever it takes to track them down before time runs out.Alex works to think one step ahead of the suspect, but the more Logan and the BAU learn about the serial kidnapper, the more they fear Alex may not make it out alive."The relentless pace will keep readers glued to their seats . . . This pulse-pounding romantic thriller is a wild ride."--Publishers Weekly

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Thriller

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	14 juin 2022
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781493437283
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0384€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Half Title Page
Books by Nancy Mehl
R OAD TO K INGDOM
Inescapable
Unbreakable
Unforeseeable
F INDING S ANCTUARY
Gathering Shadows
Deadly Echoes
Rising Darkness
D EFENDERS OF J USTICE
Fatal Frost
Dark Deception
Blind Betrayal
K AELY Q UINN P ROFILER
Mind Games
Fire Storm
Dead End
T HE Q UANTICO F ILES
Night Fall
Dead Fall
Free Fall
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2022 by Nancy Mehl
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-3728-3
First Peter 5:6–7 in chapter 16 is from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
First Peter 5:6–8 in chapter 16 is from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Psalm 91 and Jeremiah 29:11 in chapter 30 are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Studio Gearbox
Author is represented by The Steve Laube Agency.
Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.
Dedication
When you have a child, you discover a part of your heart you never knew existed. Then you have grandchildren and realize there’s more room there than you ever imagined.
I dedicate this book to my incredible grandsons, Aidan and Bennett. I love you to the moon and back. You’re both so special, and I’m so proud of you. I can’t wait to see the incredible plans God has for your lives. Thank you for letting me be your nana.
Contents
Cover
Half Title Page
Books by Nancy Mehl
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
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53
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I’m half crazy . . .
Prologue
T he screams of people buckled into rides designed to either terrify or thrill them rang out in the darkness. Walking through the park had always energized him. And tonight, as the rides spun, colorful lights flashed, and tinny music swirled, he once again breathed in the aromas of buttered popcorn, steaming hot dogs, and sweet cotton candy.
He’d grown up in this environment. His father had been a carnie, and they’d traveled together all over the country working carnivals, state and county fairs, and small amusement parks like this one. He loved it. When his father died of a heart attack a little over three years ago, the carnie bosses said he could stay on. At fourteen, it was the only life he’d known.
Besides, the carnies were a family. His family. He had grandparents somewhere here in Virginia, apparently not too far from this park. His father said they’d visited them once when his mother was still with them. But he couldn’t remember that. They never really spoke about her. That was okay. If she didn’t want him, he didn’t want her either. His memories of her were few and easily forgotten.
His father had mentioned once that his grandparents had money, but even now, at seventeen, he didn’t care. He had everything he needed. Of course, as he got older, he began to really want a girlfriend. He was attracted to one dark-haired girl in particular.
He first saw her at this park three years ago, not long after his father died. She had shiny, long dark hair and a smile that made his heart beat wildly. When she walked, she sashayed back and forth, making him feel warm and funny inside. Sometimes she’d throw her head back and swing her hair as though she had no idea she was being observed. But she had to know how attractive she was and that every boy in the park watched her as she strolled past them.
He wasn’t brave enough to talk to her, though. And besides, she was always with other girls. That made it even harder for him to approach her. The group all laughed and joked with one another as if they’d been friends forever. He couldn’t help but be envious.
Eight other teenage boys traveled with their group of carnies, but he couldn’t relate to most of them. They were coarse and stupid, and the way they talked about women turned his stomach. His father never referred to women like that even though his wife had run off with another man.
Eventually, though, he formed a friendship with Andy, who was just two years older. Andy understood him, liked books the way he did, and he never said bad things about girls. Handsome with blond hair and blue eyes, he always had a girlfriend. Girls stared at him all the time.
But when he smiled at girls, most of them acted like he didn’t even exist. He tried to quell the anger and frustration growing inside him, but it wasn’t easy.
Then tonight he’d decided to take a big step. He was run ning the Ghost Shack when he spotted the dark-haired girl and three of her friends waiting in line. She looked his way, and he got up the nerve to smile at her. His heart soared when she smiled back.
“Keep the tickets,” he said when she arrived at the front of the line. “That way you can ride again if you want.”
She wore a pretty white dress with yellow daisies printed all over it, and she smelled like . . . summer. It was intoxicating.
She smiled again. “That’s so nice.”
“You’re welcome.” Encouraged, he took a deep breath, then spoke to her in almost a whisper. “I have a break in an hour. Would you like to get something to eat? My treat.”
Her eyes widened. They were an incredible bluish gray.
“That sounds great,” she said. “Why don’t I meet you at the beer garden? Lots of tables there.”
His words seemed to stick in his throat, but he was able to spit out, “Yeah. Okay.”
She and her friends settled into the ride’s car, and he could hear them giggling as the large wooden doors swung shut behind them. Then their laughter turned into screams, a cacophony of terror that echoed throughout the old structure. The Ghost Shack always seemed to frighten anyone brave enough to venture inside.
When the car came out through the double exit doors, he unlatched the metal bar that had kept the girls safely inside. She stepped out, then looked back at him and called, “Don’t forget!” She blew a kiss in his direction before walking away, her hips swinging.
He turned his attention to the people next in line, feeling happier than he had in his entire life.
Minutes felt like hours until it was time for his break. When Buzz finally arrived five minutes late, he was ready to throttle him. But he just handed over the ride and nearly ran to one of the carnie games.
He’d remembered that one of the prizes was a little stuffed dog holding a daisy. When you pressed its paw, it sang Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I’m half crazy all for the love of you . He asked the carnie, a guy named Mike who’d been a friend of his father’s, if he could have one and pay for it later.
“Is it for that girl you been likin’ all this time? I seen her go by here earlier.”
“Yeah. She’s gonna meet me over at the beer garden.”
Mike handed him the stuffed toy and told him to forget about paying for it. He smiled and thanked him. This really was the best day of his life.
Before entering the beer garden, he stopped to smooth his hair and brush off his clothes. He was wearing one of his best shirts because he’d hoped she’d show up while they were here. Then he squared his shoulders and walked to the garden, quickly spotting her sitting at a picnic table. His face grew warm with anticipation.
He sat down beside her, smiled, and handed her the dog. “I got this for you. When you press his paw, he sings. It made me think of you . . . of your dress, I mean.”
She pressed the dog’s paw, and as they listened to the song, she laughed.
“I forgot to ask your name,” he said when the song ended.
But instead of answering him, she looked into his eyes. “Would you like to kiss me?”
He nodded, unable to speak around the lump in his throat. Hadn’t she noticed his scar? Would she change her mind if she did?
Then something in her expression startled him, but by the time he realized what it was, it was too late. Someone behind him poured soda over his head, and then both she and the girl who’d doused him started giggling. Several of her friends came out from behind the food stand, and they all began laughing hysterically.
“What a freak,” the girl said. “How could you think someone like me would be interested in you?” Then she stood and rejoined her friends, tossing the dog in a nearby trash can. As their laughter grew and others around him joined in, a seed of hatred was planted deeply in his heart.
1
Fifteen years later
T he abandoned amusement park reminded Logan of an aging bride waiting for a bridegroom who never came.
From this vantage point, he and Jeff could see Alex get out of her car and walk toward the entrance of a building that looked like it was ready to collapse at any moment. Why had the FB