Already Gone (A Laura Frost FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1) by Blake Pierce (notion reading list .txt) 📗

to walkin his shadow. He was a powerhouse; people stepped out of his way. They didn’tmess with him unless they had a death wish. In his wake, Laura was alsoprotected. She didn’t have to shout to be heard or ask people to step aside.They just listened.

But now she looked at his back and feltnothing but a sickening apprehension. What she felt was only a harbinger of apotential future, she knew. It wasn’t the whole story. There might be thingsshe could do to stave it off for him. But until she had the vision thatexplained everything, she wouldn’t know.

And even then, it might still happenanyway.

They took the elevator up to the chief’sfloor, and in the brief interlude of whirring machinery and tinned music, Lauraflinched back against the wall. She didn’t want Nate to accidentally touch her.Not now she knew how it would feel.

She knew if she didn’t get over it, hewould notice. He was an FBI agent. He wasn’t known for being oblivious to thedetails. Even with their casual relationship, he would notice if she couldn’tbear to have him hand her anything or step too close.

The doors slid open to welcome relief.Nate gestured forward and allowed her to step out of the elevator first, andLaura found herself walking fast along the hall to keep out of his range oftouch.

“You in a hurry?” he asked, soundingamused from behind her.

“I just want to get the bad news out ofthe way,” Laura shot over her shoulder. “We’ve had less than a day. If he’ssending us somewhere, I’m guessing it must be bad.”

“It’s always bad,” Nate said. “That’swhy they call in the FBI.”

“Right,” Laura sighed.

“Talking of,” Nate said, his tonecarefully conversational, “how, uh… how did you know about the girl? I mean,everyone’s been asking, and I don’t really have an answer for them.”

“Just tell them it was luck,” Laurasaid. “Luck, and thoroughness. No one else stopped to go back and check thehouse again, did they? Consistency and hard work. That’s what solves cases.”

“That much is true,” Nate agreed, easilyenough. Laura felt another jolt of gratitude for the way he always took her atface value; another jolt of grief that he wasn’t going to be around forever.

Nate’s long stride caught up with her rightbefore the chief’s door, but Laura paused for a moment before going in. Shestraightened her jacket and her shirt collar before reaching out to knock,making sure to give three forceful raps. No more, no less.

At the sound of a call from behind thedoor, Laura opened it and stepped through, leaving Nate to follow in her wake.She was being too obvious, she thought. She needed to tone it down. Try torelax. Try to act like she hadn’t just found out he was going to die.

“Sir,” Laura said, at almost the exactsame time that Nate said it too.

“Agents.” Division Chief Chuck Rondellelooked up at them from behind his desk, which always looked a little too bigfor him. The chief was in his late fifties, small and wiry, and for every darkhair he had left on his head he had another two gray. “I heard good things aboutyour assistance with the kidnapping yesterday.”

“We did our jobs, sir,” Nate said, hisvoice loud in the small space. Rondelle was known for valuing a humble naturein his agents. As a result, even the most braggartly wouldn’t go up before himand swell out their chests. Not if they wanted a promotion at any point intheir career.

“Yes. Well, nice work.” Rondelle pickedup a folder in front of him and gestured toward them with it. “We’ve got a newcase. I need you two on it right away.”

“Where are we headed, sir?” Laura asked,feeling her heart plummet into her stomach. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t beenexpecting it. Still, it was disheartening to hear. She’d hoped for a couple ofnights to rest, at least. Some time to decompress, and, more importantly, to dosomething about Amy.

“Upstate New York—Albany,” Rondellesaid. “We’ve got two victims in as many nights. Looks like the same guy.”

“What’s the methodology?” Laura asked,stepping forward to take the folder. Rondelle gave her a hard look as she didso. He was sharply inquisitive, and she diverted her gaze down at the paper sohe wouldn’t have the chance to read too deeply within her eyes. He might askquestions about her mental well-being, and she didn’t want that.

Rondelle shook his head as she steppedback. “I’m putting you on a plane within a few hours,” he said. “All theinformation you need is in the brief. You’ve got about enough time to get yourthings together and get to the airport, so you’d best get moving.”

Nate made a face beside her. “But Chief,we’ve only just got back from the kidnapping case. We need time to rest,debrief—”

“No,” Rondelle said, holding up a strictfinger. “We need you two on this one. You were the only ones who could makeheadway on that Texas co-ed spree, and this has a similar feel to it already. I’mnot wasting time like we did then, letting more people die because we don’thave our best on the job. It’s you two, and it’s now. Go on, get.”

“Yes, sir,” Nate said, hanging his headbut smiling, in that way he had that always got him out of trouble. EvenRondelle seemed to let the comment go.

“Don’t miss your plane, Agents,” he saidinstead, as they turned to file out the door. “I mean it. Lives are literallyhanging in the balance.”

Laura waited until the door was closedfirmly behind them and they were halfway to the elevator before she saidanything. There were two satellites orbiting her head, and neither of themwould stop. She had to do something.

Amy, or Nate. She could stay here forAmy. Or she could go, and try to save Nate.

She could only take one of those rightnow.

Her heart broke for the little girl. Shecouldn’t bear to make the decision. And yet…

“You should stay,” Laura said, trying tokeep her tone casual. “Get some time off. I can take Jones, maybe. I’ll talk toRondelle.”

“What?” Nate looked at her sideways ashe pressed the elevator call button. The doors swished open immediately. “Youdon’t