by Alex Ander
Cruz turned away. Placing her interlocked fingers on her head, she gazed at nothing in particular. Her heart was racing. Was the girl here when her parents were murdered? Did she see it happen? Did the killers see her and take her? Did they— Cruz could not finish the last thought. Dear God, let her be okay. Let her be safe and help us find her, Lord. She spun on her heels and put her hands on her hips. Staring at the table, she envisioned the worst, while listening to Reynolds finish bringing her and Ashford up to speed on the details of the case. She observed the video game. Her eyes never straying from it, she extended her hand toward the men. “I need a rubber glove?”
Reynolds hailed an officer. Moments later, he handed Cruz two rubber gloves. “What is it?”
She donned the gloves and picked up the game. After examining the screen, she pressed one of the console’s buttons a few times and shot a look toward the detective. “What was the Wilson’s time of death?”
Reynolds licked his finger and swiped it across pages in his notepad. “I have an estimated time of death between 6 p.m. and midnight.”
“Detective, have any of your men touched this game…played with it or,” she swirled her open hand above the device, “done anything with it?”
He shook his head. “No, that’s not how we do things. My officers are only to secure the scene. The people from the crime lab collect the evidence.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “The lab techs arrived right before you. I told them to stay away from the rooms with the bodies, until you had had a chance to see everything for yourself.”
Cruz’s eyebrows rolled inward. Creases formed on her forehead.
“What’s going on, Agent DelaCruz?”
“What time did the first officer arrive on the scene?”
Reynolds checked his notes and replied, “8:58 a.m.”
Placing the game on the table, she inspected the room. From a new perspective, her eyes took in every detail of the kitchen—the spoon on the floor, the chair against the counter, the open refrigerator door, a box of cereal on the counter in front of the chair. She tipped her head backward and saw a half-open cupboard door, revealing more cereal boxes. The color drained from her cheeks and her eyes widened. “The girl’s in the house—right now.” Cruz waved her arms. “Have your men spread out and search the house…go over every square inch of this place…open every door, every closet…search every shelf—”
Reynolds interrupted. “What makes you so sure she’s here?”
She pointed at the game. “The last three high scores have today’s date. The most recent one has a time stamp of 8:55 a.m., three minutes before the first officer showed up.”
Ashford pointed at the game. “Those dates and times could be off, Cruz.”
“Maybe,” she said.
Reynolds shook his head. “I told you, we’ve gone over every room. There’s no little girl.”
Cruz rolled her eyes and sighed. “Think back to your childhood, detective. Did you ever play hide and seek? I did. And, I found some small places to hide.” She held her praying hands in front of her chest. “Please humor me. Have your men—”
“I got it. I got it.” Reynolds rushed into the living, issuing commands to his officers.
Cruz motioned. “We’ll start in the kitchen.” She pointed toward Ashford’s half of the room. “Take that side. I’ll start here.” They moved toward each other, opening and closing every door. Coming to where the counter made a right angle, Cruz pulled on a double-hinged door. Two sections opened to form a wide door. Struggling in her tight-fitting skirt, she went to one knee before bending at the waist and peering inside the darkened cavity. She squinted. Once her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she clutched her chest and gasped.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
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Did you love Vengeance is Mine? Then you should read Protect & Defend by Alex Ander!
A former Army Ranger is called upon to stop a Mafioso's plot to kill a witness scheduled to testify before a grand jury.
Jacob St. Christopher has proudly served his country on foreign and American soil.
Having seen action in some of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan, St. Christopher's résumé is impressive:
Member of the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment.
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
Team leader for the FBI's famed Hostage Rescue Team.
Following a three-year hiatus from the HRT, the 35-year-old civilian is once more pressed into service.
His latest assignment, however, will be unlike any combat, or hostage situation, he's ever faced.
Challenging his skills.
Testing his resolve.
Striking at his heart.
If St. Christopher can accomplish the mission, he might just find the one thing that's been eluding him.
Redemption.
Read more at Alex Ander’s site.
Also by Alex Ander
Action & Adventure - Special Agent Cruz
Vengeance is Mine
Defense of Innocents
Plea For Justice
Jacob St. Christopher Action & Adventure
Protect & Defend
Word of Honor
A Vow to the Innocent
Above & Beyond
Patriotic Action & Adventure - Aaron Hardy
The Unsanctioned Patriot
American Influence
Deadly Assignment
Patriot Assassin
The Nemesis Protocol
Necessary Means
Foreign Soil
Of Patriots and Tyrants
Act of Justice
Standalone
The President's Man
The President's Man 2
Special Agent Cruz Crime Series
Against All Enemies
Watch for more at Alex Ander’s site.
About the Author
Living in the middle of Michigan, Alex Ander writes Action & Adventure/Thriller novels. He has three series in production, focusing on the exploits of the protagonists Aaron Hardy, Jacob St. Christopher and FBI Special Agent Raychel DelaCruz (Cruz to those who know her).
His writing style mixes fast-paced action scenes with suspense, humor and sharp dialogue. Each book is wrapped up at the end with NO cliffhangers. Characters and relationships do develop and evolve over the course of the series, so it is best to read the books in order.
Mission Statement:
Write clean, fast-paced action that draws readers into the story, making them feel they are part of the adventure.
From the Author:
My goal is to craft stories that entertain and leave a positive, lasting impression on you. I seek to create protagonists with good character, and surround them with allies you’ll want to read about as much as you do the main character.
You won’t find any vulgarity in my work (F-bombs and the like). Yes, an occasional mild, cuss word is used; however, even those are kept to a bare minimum.
And what about graphic sex scenes that leave nothing to the imagination? Nope. Not in my books.
So if you enjoy clean, fast-paced action & adventure stories with humor, crisp dialogue and camaraderie among the characters, then pick up a copy of one of my books today.
Best Wishes,
Alex
Read more at Alex Ander’s site.
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