Inside The Storm (Storm Warning Series Book 7) Read online

  “That’s too bad, but her coming here was a decision made by Dallas and not us,” Austin pointed out. “We’ll just go with it. If you find she’s too close to the situation and it’s interfering with her judgement, we can pull her off.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on her, but, Austin, if it’d been my sister, wild horses wouldn’t keep me away from this case.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  * * *

  Mia Alvarez arrived at the small FBI office and wondered what awaited her. After working at the huge complex in Dallas, this agency looked more like a resale location. She learned that only seven agents worked out of this office and they were all men. That didn’t bother her since most of the FBI was made up of the male population. She just hoped they stayed out of her way.

  Entering, she greeted the receptionist and was immediately led deeper into the interior of the building. The woman stopped at a cubical and held out her hand without saying a word. A familiar face glanced up at her. The female employee backed away quietly.

  “Hello, Mia,” Lincoln Hightower said with a weak smile. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  Mia felt she’d swallowed her heart. Looking at Lincoln instantly returned her to an eight-year-old, full of torment and bad memories. She rocked back on her practical heels. “Hello, Lincoln. Strange running into you here.” She found she not only didn’t have a smile up her sleeve, but every friendly word in her brain had disappeared. “Aren’t we going to have a good time working together,” she snapped.

  Lincoln tilted his head. “I don’t know what your problem is, but don’t bring it here. I’m the lead agent and I have no patience for a bad attitude.” He pointed to the chair next to his desk. “Sit down, please.”

  She was more than a little surprised to learn Lincoln was an FBI agent. He used to be a cop in Houston the last she’d heard. Crossing her arms, she said, “I didn’t mean to sound rude.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.” He continued studying the file in front of him. “I know this is personal to you and you no doubt want to have free rein so you can catch the perpetrator, but that’s not the way the FBI works and you know it. We work together or you go back to Dallas.”

  “I just don’t want you slowing me down, Hightower. I have a chance to catch the man who murdered Anita and I don’t want it blown by someone who just got his badge.”

  “I did just become an agent, but I’ve been in law enforcement long enough to know that I don’t have to prove anything to you. So, cut the crap and let’s get to work.” He glanced up at her, his blue eyes sad and somber. “You figure this guy out yet?”

  She deliberately averted her gaze. “I just got the case file yesterday.”

  “So did I, and I’ve been over it three times.” Lincoln tossed the pen he’d been tapping on his desk. “You saying you haven’t read the whole file yet?”

  “I don’t approach a case like you. I’m looking for different things. Behavioral consistencies that will help us learn his habits, how he hunts, and where he feels safe.” She knew her words sounded a bit harsher than she’d intended, but if he wanted a pissing contest, she’d give him one.

  “You still haven’t read the damn case file?” His voice rose, causing her to struggle to keep from stepping back.

  “I will, it’ll just take me longer.” She gritted her teeth and bit back a growl.

  No one had even hinted that Lincoln Hightower would be her partner. Why? Maybe because she kept her business to herself. But to come face to face with a man she’d once considered a friend, he’d acted like anything but. Until his outburst, she’d looked forward to coming back to Rainwater and working with Lucas and David.

  Not anymore.

  She wanted out.

  She didn’t like Lincoln’s attitude or the way he treated her. They used to be friends...sort of. She realized that would be out of the question now.

  He stood, picked up the file, walked out of his cubical, and stepped across the hall to a small workspace. He dropped the heavy file on the desk and the sound echoed through the whole building.

  “This is your area,” Lincoln instructed. “I suggest you familiarize yourself with the case. We meet with the boss in two hours.” His dismissive manner grated on her nerves big time. But she realized she’d set the tone, as in so many instances in her life. It seemed easier to not trust and keep up her shields instead of working with people.

  More than anything in the world, she wanted the man who’d murdered her little sister to be caught, and for him to pay for what he’d done. Not only had he robbed her family of a beautiful young girl, but he took their souls, their happiness, their sense of security, their trust, and their hope.

  At eight years old, she watched her family disintegrate in front of her very eyes. Her mother became a crying mess of babbling sadness. Her father, unable to face the humiliation of being useless to protect his family, left and hadn’t been heard from in years.

  It was her they blamed. Not that they screamed the accusations out loud, but it was there, as big as a thousand- pound boulder. She was responsible for Anita getting home from school safely. She’d been the one who’d failed and, for that, Anita had died a horrible and tragic death that killed all those in her family as surely as the monster had Anita.

  They’d all changed. Even her brother left and moved to the West Coast. He couldn’t stand around while everything and everyone slowly worsened until there was nothing left of them. Only shells of former people who once laughed, played games, and celebrated holidays. At first, they trusted their Catholic faith, only later to find it lacking, too.

  She pulled out the chair and sat at her desk. There wasn’t a thing on it, and that was exactly the way it would remain. Nothing on the surface. All she wanted was to find the killer and bring him to justice. That was all she’d ever wanted.

  As she flipped open the cover, a picture of Anita’s dead body lay on top. Her heart raced, her eyes teared, and her throat closed. She couldn’t stop staring. She looked until it all blurred in front of her. Pressing her fingertips across the innocent face, she wanted to scream and cry out at the injustice, but she couldn’t do that there.

  She decided then and there not to show Lincoln Hightower or Austin Crawley one ounce of softness, or a hint of weakness. She was an FBI agent who’d learned to be the best at what she did. She’d done that for one person and one reason only. The Wise County Child Killer. And she planned to bring him down.

  By sheer will, she flipped the page and continued to familiarize herself with the case. She’d studied it for years. She didn’t tell Lincoln that, but there was nothing in that file she didn’t know already. For years she’d been dissecting this guy like a bug under a microscope.

  She’d find him. No doubt about that. And when she did, maybe then she could end the nightmares and somehow put a shattered and painful life back together again. If that were possible. She wasn’t foolish enough to hang onto too much hope. Life hadn’t been kind to her and she didn’t expect the situation would change any time soon.

  She was deep in thought when Lincoln came to stand just outside her cubical. “Learn anything?”

  Without taking her eyes off the file, she said, “Yeah. It’s going to be really hard for you and me to work together. I’m thinking I might do better with another agent.”

  He waved his hand. “Feel free to approach Agent Crawley with your concerns. He loves crybabies.”

  Her head shot up. “I’ll have you know-“

  “You won’t have me know a damn thing.” His handsome face tightened as his lips turned into fine lines. “It’s clear you want to close this case, and in that small mind of yours, you probably blame me for Anita’s death, but that’s because the burden is too heavy for you to carry alone. The only thing I’m guilty of is asking you go join me and a few others at the drugstore for a Coke. I didn’t know about Anita. That’s on you.”

  “How dare you say something like that to me after all I’ve been through?” She gritted
her teeth and came to her feet. “No. Not once did I blame you and, no, the burden isn’t too heavy. I’ve carried it for twenty years and I’ll carry it the rest of my life.” Anger wrapped her in a cocoon.

  He held up his hands and lowered his head. “Okay, I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that. Let’s see if we can’t start all over again. We can’t go on like this and get anything accomplished. It’s important we work together, Mia. I’m sorry for saying that about Anita. To be honest, I’ve always felt a little responsible and thought you were of the same mind.”

  “I’m not, Lincoln,” she mumbled.

  “You refused to speak to me after Anita went missing. I thought you blamed me for taking you away from picking her up.”

  “No. It was just so traumatic on my whole family. I didn’t want to talk to anyone.” A slight calm started in her chest and spread outward. “I know my parents blamed me. I made the mistake, and in their eyes, I could never make it right, no matter what I did.”

  He dropped his gaze and twisted his lips. “I’m sorry about that. But during grief, people don’t think straight.”

  “It was tragic. Never in a million years did I think anything would happen to her. I loved her so much. It still breaks my heart.”

  “Kind of like wondering how to live when someone you love isn’t alive anymore, but you are?”

  “Yes.”

  “My wife was expecting our first child. She was killed in a car crash, and I think about it every day. I don’t know that I’ll ever be happy. She was murdered by a gang I’d set out to shut down. That means I carry around a lot of guilt too.”

  “I guess we’re the walking wounded.” Mia’s voice dropped, along with her head.

  “We don’t have to be, but I’ve not found a way around the pain. For starters, let’s find the son of bitch who killed Anita. Maybe there will be some salvation in that.”

  Their heads came up and their gazes clashed like two trains on the same track.

  “I’m hoping.”

  He nodded toward his large cubical. “Let’s put our heads together before we meet with Austin. This way we can have a game plan.” He turned and pointed. “Bring the file with you.”

  She sat quietly across from his desk with the fat file between them. He’d changed a lot. No longer the young boy that was all arms and legs and a big gap between his teeth. Lincoln Hightower had developed into quite a handsome man and there wasn’t anything boyish about him.

  “What’s your first instinct about this guy?” Lincoln asked, his eyes narrowed. “You think he’s changed in twenty years?”

  “It’s almost like tracking the behavioral habits of two people now. Time and circumstances change people. We’re not looking for the same guy anymore. Over the years, he’s had to change, adapt, and reinvent himself. He now has to be more careful because crime-solving has evolved into a fine science.”

  “That’s true.” Lincoln nodded his agreement. “Austin and I were talking about DNA and how far it’s come. It’s going to be to our advantage.”

  “But, on the other hand, men like him are clever. They know what we’re looking for. Did you know on the last victim he used a condom?”

  “Why?” He lifted his arms. “We already have his DNA preserved from previous cases.”

  She thought for a few seconds, then said, “I can’t claim to know what he’s thinking. But, him changing just that one thing makes me think he’s going to be harder to find.”

  Lincoln groaned. “Please don’t tell me that. I have a niece who just turned five. I’m living a nightmare right now.”

  “Don’t let her out of your sight.”

  “David Anderson is the police detective and Leah’s daddy. He won’t fool around. If he thought Leah’s life was in imminent danger, he’d tear this whole town apart.”

  She almost smiled. “I remember David. He was always nice.”

  Lincoln laughed out loud. “You were a girl. From a very early age, David was Rainwater’s one and only homegrown Romeo. He had more girlfriends than a hound has ticks.”

  “Speaking of town. Since I don’t know how long I’m going to be here,” Mia said hopefully. “I thought, rather than stay in the dumpy Wayward Hotel, I’d rent a furnished apartment.”

  “Good idea. Because the Inn isn’t much to talk about.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “But finding a place might not be that easy, either.”

  She didn’t like the sound of that. The hotel was a total dive and smelled like cheap air freshener. “Well, I’m on the lookout. If you hear of something, let me know.”

  “Okay.” Lincoln picked up the file. “Now, back to our case. The girl was found in a pasture four miles from here. Not too far from his old burial grounds. I’d like to go there and check it out for ourselves.” He glanced at her. “You up for a little ride?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Mia said, already anxious to get in the open air. “I’d like to get a feel for what this guy saw when he laid her out.”

  “Why does he do that?” Lincoln asked, wrinkling his brow. “Make his victims look like a corpse in a coffin. Like she’s ready for burial.”

  Mia lifted her brows. “Those things are very personal to the perp. He has a reason for everything he does. He’s driven to do things in an exact manner, or he’s failed.”

  “But, to pose her like that. Then straighten her clothing and put her shoes back on.” Lincoln visually shivered. “It’s like he enjoys playing with the dead bodies.”

  “He does. Once she’s dead, he’s in total and complete control. He can do anything he wants with her.” She cleared her throat and glanced away. “He probably gets off on that.”

  “I have never understood how a man could be attracted to a child.” He scrunched up his face. “It’s damn sick in so many ways.”

  “Don’t forget he’s raping his victims, and rape is power. He could be targeting children because they’re easier to subdue. An older girl might put up a fight, struggle, even manage to get away. Little children get scared and confused easily.”

  Lincoln’s frown would have scared the meanest criminal. “He’s a sick bastard all right.”

  She slung her purse over her shoulder. “Let’s go. I want to see the site.”

  Lincoln grabbed a set of keys. They told the receptionist where they were going and walked out into the cold, bitter wind. She pulled her coat tighter and ducked deeper into her jacket.

  “I hate winters in Texas,” Mia said. “This is the same month Anita was taken. It makes it bad all the way around.”

  Lincoln took her hand and squeezed. Such a small gesture, but one she’d avoided. “Listen, I know I’ve said it before, but I’m so sorry about what happened to Anita.”

  She slid from his grasp. “I know. And I understand, but it doesn’t take the memory of what happened away.”

  He shook his head. “Trust me, nothing does that.”

  “Lincoln?” she asked. “Do you ever think you’ll get over your wife and remarry? Try for another family?”

  “Marilyn,” he replied sadly. “Her name was Marilyn.” He shook his head. “No. I don’t think that’s in the cards for me.”

  “I often wonder if I met someone and had a family, would that lessen the pain?”

  He slipped on his aviators against the bright winter sun. “Have you tried?”

  She shook her head and scowled. “Hell, no. I don’t want to drag some poor sucker down into this living hell with me. And I’m afraid that’s exactly what I might end up doing.”

  “My guess is you would. I don’t think someone else can end your pain. I know my mother and Amelia tried, but it didn’t fill the void or lessen the guilt.”

  She gazed out at the brown grass sleeping through the winter. “So, you and I are stuck in limbo for eternity.”

  Chapter 2

  Lincoln hated the haunting sadness in Mia’s dark brown eyes, but he had no cure for her pain. If he did, he’d have tried it himself. Instead, the wound festered until it rotted his l
ife.

  He pulled the car over to the side of the road near a lightly forested area filled with low shrubs, fell trees, and dead brush. A lonely place with few things to obstruct a view or hide burying a body.

  He pointed behind them to a spot not ten feet from the road. “She was found right over here.” He glanced back. “Be careful. There’s a lot of underbrush.”

  “I will,” she said tightly. “I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t wear heels.”

  “Yeah. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You’re the only woman besides Debbie in the office and she dresses more like a guy than I do.”

  Mia deliberately cleared her throat and raised her dark eyebrows. “I noticed that also but didn’t want to make anything of it in the political climate today.”

  “She’s really great and does a lot more than her job description. So, we all leave her alone and let her do her thing.”

  Mia nodded her head firmly. “Best way to be.”

  They came upon the small blood-stained indention. Police tape still cornered off the area, but they slipped underneath and stood looking down, backs against the cutting wind.

  “What do you think?” Lincoln asked in a solitary voice.

  “Hard to tell with so little to go on.”

  “Well, the murder wasn’t committed here because the surrounding ground isn’t disturbed,” Lincoln pointed out. “But there is blood which tells us she was murdered somewhere else and brought here. I’m going to bet there’s blood in the vehicle he transported her in.”

  “True.” Mia glanced around. “This is close to his old burial site, but not very far off the road. Anyone could’ve driven by and seen him.”

  “You’re right. The other site was a mile deep into the thick brush.”

  Mia turned to him, her eyes questioning. “I wonder if he’s not physically able to move his victims as easily as before. He is older now.”

  “That’s a possibility.”

  “I know it’s kind of remote, but something to take into consideration.”