The Echo of Violence

by Jordan Dane

  “So who’s in charge with Garrett gone? I’ve never seen him work with anyone in particular who could step into his shoes.”

  “Yeah, I haven’t either, not with the secrecy above his level. But this can’t go on forever. If Garrett is AWOL, someone’s got to assume his duties.”

  “You have any idea who?”

  Tanya only shook her head. She was normally unflappable, but seeing the grimace on her face told Alexa all she needed to know about her concern.

  “We’d have to be careful looking into this. We could blow his op and put him in danger if we barge in without knowing what’s going on.”

  “Does that mean you and Jessie will be looking into this?” Tanya asked. “I’ve tried tracking Garrett, but I’ve got nothing. Maybe if we trace other movements within the organization, we’ll have better luck.”

  Tanya was right. If Garrett was involved in a covert op that excluded his top analyst and his most trusted agent, it had to be really big. But that also meant Sentinels’ resources would be dedicated to the operation. And if Alexa could handpick someone to dig through the veiled secrecy of the Sentinels—an organization of international vigilantes who operated off the global grid to dole out their brand of justice—she would have Tanya Spencer at the top of her list. The woman had connections in and out of the organization. And with her internal systems knowledge, she could slip through virtual backdoors without anyone noticing.

  “I’m meeting Jessie later for breakfast. She’s pretty new to how things work within the Sentinels, but we’ll see.” Alexa sat back on her sofa and crossed her arms. “If we do this, we’ll need your help.”

  Tanya nodded and said, “Count on it.”

  Alexa knew that what she was planning to do—using the organization’s resources to trace a covert operation involving her boss and former lover—would not be sensible. It could turn into a career ender at best. Or a death sentence at worst. And to involve her new partner, Jessie, would not be wise either—especially for Jessie’s sake.

  Relying on gut instinct, she’d have to make that call when she talked to Jessie. If she read anything in her that raised a red flag, she’d let it slide and go it alone with Tanya. But one way or another, she’d take the risk for Garrett—because he would do the same for her.

  New York’s Lower East Side

  The ringing of a phone early in the morning was never a good thing.

  Jessie Beckett pulled the bedcovers off her face and fumbled for the light switch. And after she flicked on her lamp, she squinted at the alarm clock on her nightstand.

  “Six twenty? Who the hell—?” She winced, grabbed the cell phone off her nightstand, and flipped it open without looking at the caller’s number. “You better have a damned good reason for breaking into my beauty sleep.”

  The sun had barely made an appearance. And that meant she didn’t give a rip about winning Miss Congeniality.

  “Jessie? It’s Sam.”

  She recognized the voice of her best friend. Samantha Cooper was a vice cop in Chicago. And she had better sense than to call her at this hour if it wasn’t important.

  “Sam? What’s up? Is Seth alright?”

  Her worry barometer worked double-time when it came to Seth Harper, a guy who had nestled into her heart and made a home. The whacked-out computer genius had a habit of getting into trouble, and not only because he knew her. The boy had a serious way of attracting it himself. And with his recent recruitment into the Sentinels for his mad skills with a keyboard—the same organization Jessie worked for—Seth had more than doubled his gift for luring trouble.

  “No, Seth is fine, I guess. I haven’t seen him lately, but I was calling you about…something else.”

  “Oh?”

  Her friend cleared her throat and stalled, which wasn’t like her.

  “Spit it out, Sammie.”

  “Chicago PD received a bulletin from a sheriff in La Pointe, Wisconsin.”

  “Where the hell is that?”

  “It’s at the northern tip of Wisconsin. On Madeline Island in Lake Superior, to be exact. I looked it up on a map.”

  “Thanks for the geography lesson.” Jessie ran a hand through her dark hair. “Explain why I should care about this?”

  Sam cleared her throat again. Definitely stalling.

  “You should care because the sheriff was working an old cold case. A pretty gruesome murder that happened over twenty years ago.”

  “Twenty years. We were both kids back then. Why are you calling me about this, Sam?”

  Jessie didn’t like where this was headed. Twenty years ago she was a child in the hands of notorious pedophile Danny Ray Millstone. At least, that was what she believed. She was too young to really know the truth about how she ended up with him—or maybe she’d blocked it out. And insult to injury, after she was rescued by Detective Max Jenkins of the Chicago PD, no one from her family stepped up to claim her. Not even the national media coverage afterward shed light on what had happened to her. That aspect of her past had remained a black hole. And she’d given up trying to find where she’d come from.

  Looking into the details of her childhood nightmare had always been too painful.

  “Yeah, well, back then DNA wasn’t used to solve crimes like it is now,” Sam said. “But an old case caught the eye of this sheriff. And he sent in evidence he had stored in archives to the state crime lab. When the lab ran its findings against the CODIS and NCIC databases, the sheriff got two DNA hits—and his first new lead in over twenty years.”

  Jessie’s mind worked quickly, thinking how a DNA test would link to her. The FBI maintained both the Combined DNA Index System and the National Crime Information Center. The first held DNA profiles in a database while the other was a repository for specific criminal records on known fugitives, missing persons, stolen property, and other details. Such database information was available to state and federal law enforcement types and was meant to share information across jurisdictions. Since she’d been a missing person as a child, her gut twisted with the implications of where Sam might be going with this.

  “Got two hits…on what?”

  “Since you were a missing kid, your DNA is on record, Jess. The Wisconsin crime lab got a hit on your DNA. It puts you at that crime scene over twenty years ago.”

  “What?” Jessie grimaced. “I don’t understand.”

  “I didn’t either. That’s why I called that sheriff. His name is Tobias Cook. I only asked questions and didn’t tell him anything. I wanted to talk to you first,” Sam told her. “Apparently the DNA hit on you was a dead-on match, but that’s not all.”

  “Oh, great. The hits keep coming.”

  “They found more DNA that suggests you were with a family member. The second hit showed a 95% probability match to your DNA.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You were too young to be alone. That second DNA sample came from a family member. Your real family, Jessie.” Sam let that thought settle before she landed a second shocker. “Besides the DNA, the sheriff has reason to believe…that you might have been with your mother.”

  “My mother? How would he know that?”

  “I tried getting that out of him, but he wouldn’t say.”

  Hearing the word “mother” always flashed her back to a haunting memory that had been with her since she was a little girl. She recalled a sunny day with fall colors and a woman’s smiling face. She held those images close to her heart, of a woman playing with her in a park. She must have been someone very special because the memories always made her happy. Although she still couldn’t be sure the woman in her dreams was really her mother, Jessie needed to believe she once had someone who loved her like that.

  She’d always fantasized that if she saw the woman again, she’d know it. Something in her eyes would give it away. At least, she’d always hoped that would be true.

  “But…our DNA was found at a murder? This isn’t the family reunion I was hoping for.” She shook her head, grappling w
ith the idea that her real mother might have had a connection to a murder. “Was my mother…a witness? Or was she the one murdered?”

  She had a hard time saying the word “mother,” but had an even tougher time considering what dark scenarios had put her at that crime scene.

  “The sheriff didn’t say. He only said he wants you to contact him.”

  “Wait a minute.” She shut her eyes tight, feeling the start of a major headache. “Does he consider her a suspect?”

  “Don’t know, but if your mother had been connected in some way to a murder, that would explain why she never came forward after you were rescued.”

  What Sam said made sense. It had always pained her that no one had claimed her after her ordeal with Millstone, especially with all the national media coverage. Given the scant memories she had of a woman she believed to be her mother—a child’s wishful thinking—Jessie didn’t want to even think about the woman being involved in a killing. The life she led before Millstone had been an abyss until now, but maybe this sheriff could fill in the gaps. Jessie would have no way of knowing anything for sure unless she contacted him.

  “So now what?” Sam asked. “People here at CPD know we have a connection. They’re letting me handle this bulletin request for information, but I can’t stall them.”

  “No, and I don’t expect you to.” Jessie chewed the inside corner of her lip. “I’m flying to Chicago as soon as I can arrange a flight. I’ll call you when I get there.”

  “You want me to pick you up?”

  “No…I’ll get Harper to do that. But I’ll call you, okay?”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “I’m driving to La Pointe. You can tell Sheriff Cook that I’ll see him face-to-face. I’ve got to know what evidence he has on that case. And why he’s looking for someone he thinks is my mother.”

  “Look, Jess. I know this is hard for you, but if you need to talk, call me.”

  “Thanks, Sam. I will.”

  Her past never went away. For the first time in her life, Jessie had a future and prospects working for the Sentinels. She wasn’t just a bounty hunter drifting from case to case living in a crappy apartment on the fringe of society in Chicago. And since Seth Harper had nudged his way into her life, she also felt good about herself. He had known about her past and accepted her. The scars she carried on her body and soul weren’t an issue with a guy like Harper.

  So why now? Why did this damned cold case in Wisconsin have to bite her in the ass now?

  It scared her to think that her only memory of someone who might be her mother may have been wrong. Was she ready to kill the only good thing she remembered of her past?

  “I can never catch a damn break,” she muttered as she got out of bed.

  Dressed in a tank top and boxers, Jessie trudged into her living room and logged onto her laptop to look for a flight to Chicago that would work. She had breakfast plans with Alexa Marlowe that she could still make on her way to LaGuardia. Her new partner would need to be in the loop that she was leaving town, but Alexa didn’t need to know everything.

  Very few people knew the details about the nightmare of her childhood ordeal and she preferred to keep it that way.

  Two hours later

  Norma’s restaurant in Midtown West was packed. Bright and bustling, the place had high ceilings, wood paneling, and silver-edged tables that gave a modern yet comfortable feel. It was a popular cafe for breakfast and lunch, located in the Parker Meridien Hotel lobby. Norma’s was too expensive and trendy for Jessie’s taste, but Alexa knew her partner had suggested it for her sake. Being a former bounty hunter, Jessie had dealt with the dregs of humanity and would have been satisfied with any hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon.

  When she arrived, she noticed Jessie had gotten there early and scored a table, a small carafe of coffee, and two shot glasses of the restaurant’s complimentary smoothie du jour. After her partner waved her over, it didn’t take Alexa long to notice the carry-on luggage under the table.

  “Planning on staying the week? The blueberry pancakes are good, but come on,” she joked to cover up her surprise…and disappointment.

  “I’m heading for the airport. Going to Chicago. Something personal has come up.” Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, Jessie leaned across the table. “I know this is short notice, but I don’t have a choice.”

  Alexa narrowed her eyes and dropped her smile. “Anything I can do?”

  “No, nothing.” Jessie shook her head. “I’ve got it covered.”

  Jessie had hesitated enough to tell Alexa her trip to Chicago wouldn’t be for pleasure.

  “And I’m guessing you probably don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Bingo.” Jessie grabbed her coffee cup and hid behind it.

  Her partner was a woman with secrets and Alexa respected her privacy. The scar over her eyebrow had a story behind it, one she’d never been privileged to hear. Even though not too long ago Alexa had gotten a glimpse into something Jessie had barely survived as a child, her partner had never confided in her and she hadn’t pushed.

  And Alexa also guessed Jessie had feelings for computer genius Seth Harper. Maybe her trip had something to do with Harper. The guy was a new recruit for the Sentinels, but he’d opted to stay in Chicago rather than move to New York so he could stick close to his mentally deteriorating father who lived in a nursing home. That had been her first thoughts about Jessie’s trip, but with her partner she might never know for sure.

  “How long will you be gone?” she asked. “I mean, in case something comes up.”

  “Maybe a few days. Not long.”

  “Okay.” She nodded. “Will you call me if you need anything?”

  “Yeah…I’ll do that. So what’s good here?” When Jessie flipped open her menu, her eyes grew wide. “Oh my God! They have a lobster and caviar omelet for a thousand smackers. Who the hell are they kidding? That’s just…insane.”

  As fast as Jessie stuck her nose in the menu and changed the subject, Alexa knew her partner would never take her up on her offer. Jessie had a tough, independent streak. It was one of the things she liked most about her, but sometimes that made it hard for anyone to get inside. As a partner and a friend, Jessie was an acquired taste.

  But with Jessie going out of town—completely distracted by her personal agenda—Alexa knew she’d be working with Tanya alone. Once her partner got back and could focus, she might ask for her help, but for now Jessie was out of it. And there was no sense telling her anything about Garrett. She had enough going on in her life without adding the guilt trip of leaving her in the lurch—because that’s exactly how Jessie’s mind worked. She’d feel guilty over something she had no control over.

  As if she’d read her mind, Jessie looked up from her menu and said, “You look tired. You getting enough Zs?”

  Alexa ran a hand through her blond hair and heaved a sigh as she propped her elbows on the table.

  “I’m doing okay.” She lied and forced a smile before she shoved over her empty cup. “Now dose me up and pour me some coffee, will ya?”

  And as she expected, Alexa turned her thoughts to Garrett. Something was terribly wrong. As an experienced operative, she sensed it in her bones, especially after talking to Tanya and hearing that Garrett’s top analyst hadn’t heard from him either.

  When they were together, he had been an attentive, aggressive lover and had quickly become her obsession. He had unleashed an insatiable need in her and the passion they shared had gone beyond love. Garrett Wheeler had marked her soul. And no matter how hard she had tried to move on without him in her life, she knew that she’d never forget him.

  Where are you, Garrett?

  Outside Tampico, Mexico

  “Is it…”

  “Is it…”

  “…him?”

  A woman’s voice filtered through the fog in his brain. Her words overlapped like undulating ripples across still water, mixed with the faint, distant echo of a child’s laughter. The sou
nds nudged his faltering consciousness or tapped into his memory. He didn’t know which. And he had to concentrate to hear anything at all. He didn’t know where he was or how he got there. He barely remembered his own name as his body drifted through the shadows from where he’d come.

  When he felt a cool velvet touch on his fevered cheek, he heard a moan, unsure if the sound came from him. He forced his eyes open a crack and caught a glimpse of light. Shadows eclipsed a dim glow, but he was too weak to move. With the drug still too strong in his system, he wavered on the razor’s edge of darkness and took the only comfort he could. He imagined the woman’s voice he had heard morphing into a more familiar, sultry one and pictured running his fingers through a soft tumble of blond strands as he gazed into pale blue eyes.

  His lover’s throaty voice stirred him and her haunting eyes lingered along with a trace of her perfume. He felt her kiss and her whisper in his ear as she trailed a finger down the bare skin of his chest and onto his stomach. Her touch made him flinch and his body reacted.

  He wanted her.

  He needed her.

  And when he willed the beautiful woman to stay—she did.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This is the fourth book in the Sweet Justice series and is an Alexa Marlowe story. Many readers have written to say how intrigued they are with her, and as you might imagine, I love hearing from my readers, so thanks for writing. Alexa is a strong, resilient woman who has found a way to thrive in a covert world without sacrificing her feminity…too much. But with something missing in her life, she questions what her future holds. Her journey has been an intriguing one to write. She is much braver than I would ever be, but she’s a woman who would be great to have as a friend. And speaking of friends…

  Even though writing is a solitary course, I have been blessed with a wonderful support group of friends who help with the process. For their continued support and invaluable input, I’d like to thank Dana Taylor, Tom Radcliffe, and Joe Collins for their help with this book. I feel lucky that our paths crossed and that I didn’t scare you away. And to the real Deacon, Mrs. Torres, and my dear, sweet husband, who continue to color my life. Who knew such nice people could inspire such devious thoughts? Pass the gingersnaps.