The following passage is the prologue from Chasing the Lead. No release date yet, but I’m ready announce the time frame. This book will be ready sometime in June and you’ll be able to purchase or win a signed paperback copy at RomanitConn 2021 in Connecticut in July! Buy your tickets now and I’ll see you there!
Prologue
Pain sliced through Police Chief Carl Shelling’s thigh before the sound of the shot registered in his ears. He gasped as he fought to free himself. His captor stood silently in the shadows like a coward.
“Come out and face me, you prick!” he hurled the insults knowing they would have little effect. But what was he to do? All his money and power meant nothing now. In this moment, this shadow showed him exactly how powerless he was.
A low rumble started in the man’s belly and rose out his throat. He cocked the gun again.
“Please,” Carl tried again. “I have money, I can give you anything you want.”
The man paused. “Anything?”
“Yes,” Carl said with a relieved laugh. “Yes, there isn’t anything in this world I can’t give you.”
The man stepped forward, the blue eyes behind the black ski-mask was familiar. That scared Carl more than the prospect of another gunshot wound.
“Tell me.”
Carl shook his head. “Tell you what?”
“The kinds of things you can give me.”
“Anything, money, wealth, power, women or men, if that’s what you fancy—boys. You like little boys–I can get those.”
The man’s expression changed behind the mask. Carl watched with baited breath. Had he said the right thing? Or the wrong one? He couldn’t tell.
The man stood back, both hands on his gun as he looked at the safety. After what felt like an eternity, he pulled a photo out of his back pocket and showed it to Carl.
His stomach fell at the family that stared back at him.
“I want them.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with that.” Carl said as tears fell from his eyes. “I swear, I didn’t even know it was going down. “
“That’s funny,” he said leaning forward. “The last guy I killed said the same thing. He swore up and down that it was you who ordered the hit.”
Carl sucked in air as panic took hold of his chest and made it difficult to breath. He needed to get out of this. He pulled on his bindings. “Let me go you piece of shit! You can’t do this to me!”
“How many people have you sold, raped, or otherwise tortured and killed who’ve said the same damn thing?” He gave a sadistic laugh. “Hell, I’ll take your best estimate.”
“Fine kill me, you’ll never stop us, you’ll never get justice for that family. That and worse will happen to more people. Because we’ll never stop. There’s too much money in it. There are more of us than you can imagine. Some people count, you’re not one of em.”
The man eyed him. Calculating. He leaned over Carl’s seat putting his face within centimeters of Carl’s. “You misunderstand, Carl. I’m not here to get justice. I’m here to murder and kill and torture every single one of you assholes.” He laughed as he removed the mask. “Killing me–going after my family? That was your biggest mistake.”
“Y-y-you’re dead. I saw you die!”
“How many times you think you’ll have to do it before it sticks? I’m ready to die. Can you say as much?”
Want more…
If you want to read more be sure to join my email list to have the ebook delivered right to your inbox when it’s ready and for purchase information on this and other upcoming titles! When you sign up you’ll get a sample of my debut novel, What’s in a Name?