Stranded

by Alex Kava

  Fight or flight. Good or evil. Rarely was life that black and white. Most people learned to live in the gray areas. Maybe Noah would, too, and hopefully he would learn to forgive himself for simply following his instinct.

  “He would have killed you both,” Maggie finally said. “You chose to survive, Noah. You can’t keep beating yourself up because a madman tried to kill you and you didn’t let him. That’s what you need to remember. You survived, Noah.”

  She waited for him to look at her, really look at her. “We survived.”

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  In the last twelve years I’ve found myself on the road a lot—fortunately, never “stranded.” I have a home in Omaha, Nebraska, and one outside of Pensacola, Florida—1,199 miles from door to door. But those aren’t the only road trips. Many times in my writing career, like a lot of authors, I’ve driven myself from one booktour event to the next. I remember one year I visited eighteen cities, including Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. There was also one year I added a thirty-two-city library tour across Nebraska—in an RV. Thankfully I wasn’t driving the RV.

  So truck stops and rest areas are subjects I know and have experienced. That’s not always the case with every novel. Most times I’m writing about things I hope to never know. That said, I still learned a tremendous amount during my research for this book. And, as always, I have a whole lot of people to thank.

  First off, thank you to my readers, who gave me all kinds of information about trucking and traveling across this country, sharing many of their own experiences. I still haven’t seen a “lot lizard,” but I’m hopeful and continue to be on the lookout.

  A special thank-you to my dear friend Marlene Haney for allowing me to bury dead bodies on her family’s farmstead outside of Sioux City, Iowa, just off Interstate 29. There really is a rest area close by, and several of Marlene’s stories prompted and encouraged my twisted mind. And I took the liberty of using three of her four children—Janet, Matt, and Ryan, who are also friends of mine—and gave them all new careers. They are the Omaha mobile crime lab’s CSU techs in the novel.

  Thanks also to:

  My publishing teams: Phyllis Grann, Judy Jacoby, Alison Callahan, and Kathryn Santora at Doubleday; Andrea Robinson at Anchor; David Shelley, Catherine Burke, and Jade Chandler at Little Brown/Sphere.

  Scott Miller and Claire Roberts at Trident Media Group.

  Ray Kunze for lending his name to Maggie’s boss. Ray and I became friends as regulars at BookExpo America, and one year he mentioned he’d like to be in one of my novels, maybe as a dead body. He’s now been Maggie’s boss since his introduction in Black Friday. And, for the record, the real Ray Kunze is a nice guy who would never send Maggie into the woods with a highway killer.

  Sharon Kator, my talented artist friend and neighbor, who so graciously has been my Florida advocate, taking time out of her busy schedule and setting up some wonderful signing events for me.

  My fellow authors and friends who make this business a bit less crazy: J. T. Ellison, Erica Spindler, Patricia Bremmer, Laura Van Wormer, and Karin Slaughter.

  My friends and family, who put up with my long absences and still manage to keep me grounded: Sandy and Fred Rockwood, Sharon Car, Patricia Sierra, Leigh Ann Retelsdorf, Martin Bremmer, Maricela Barajas, Annie Belatti, Nancy Tworek, Cari Conine, Lisa Munk, Luann Causey, and Andrea McDaniel.

  A personal thank-you to the amazing crew at Kansas State University Veterinary Hospital. Using the facility in this novel is out of admiration and gratitude and as a way of letting others know what fantastic work is done there. Many of you know my dogs are my family, and I’m grateful to have so many wonderful folks taking care of them: Dr. Nicole Smee, Dr. Tonya McIlnay and the team at Veterinary Eye Specialists of Nebraska, and Dr. Enita Larson and her crew at Tender Care Animal Hospital.

  Thanks also to the booksellers, book bloggers, and librarians for mentioning and recommending my novels.

  And to all you faithful readers—I know that when times are tough, entertainment dollars are even scarcer. I appreciate you continuing to choose my books. Without you, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to tell my twisted tales.

  Last, but never least, my thanks to Deb Carlin, who makes this journey worthwhile.

  ALSO BY ALEX KAVA

  Fireproof

  Hotwire

  Damaged

  Black Friday

  Exposed

  Whitewash

  A Necessary Evil

  One False Move

  At the Stroke of Madness

  The Soul Catcher

  Split Second

  A Perfect Evil

  A Note About the Author

  ALEX KAVA is the author of thirteen novels, including the internationally bestselling mystery series featuring FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell. Her novels have been published in over twenty countries around the world. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska, and Pensacola, Florida. More information is available at www.alexkava.com.

  Other titles by Alex Kava available in eBook format

  Damaged • 9780385532006

  Fireproof • 9780385535526

  Hotwire • 9780385532020

  A Perfect Evil • 9781552543917

  Split Second • 9781552549186

  At the Stroke of Madness • 9781552549223

  A Necessary Evil • 9781552549209

  Black Friday • 9781426863998

  Exposed • 9781426838712

  One False Move • 9781552549193

  Visit: www.alexkava.com

  For more information, please visit www.doubleday.com