Chapter 2

TWO

Ice crunched under Beth's boots as she crossed the blacktop to Tommy Joe's Bar and Grill. It surprised her that she'd finally slipped into life in Rattlesnake Creek. The small mining town was totally different to her time in DC. A city girl at heart, she at first found it difficult to fit in with the laid-back local culture. Harder still to keep her dark side from emerging in front of Styles. Her need to remove unstoppable monsters permanently didn't come under the FBI's code of conduct. Constantly under Styles' supervision, she needed a place to escape his scrutiny and had purchased a cabin in the woods. As far as Styles was concerned, she spent her downtime painting pictures of the local landscape or visiting antique stores. In fact, she did do the latter as a cover to allow her to slip away in the guise of the Tarot Killer to hunt down predators who had slipped through the net of justice.

She'd grown to like Styles. He was as honest as the day was long, strong and dependable. In fact, he was a good friend and she hated deceiving him, but he'd never understand the psychopath lurking below her FBI agent persona. Heck, she didn't understand why she had the urge to kill monsters, but she figured her abusive time in foster care had fueled the fire. Her father was in prison for life. Known as Cutthroat Jack, he'd murdered her mother in front of her. The need to get vengeance had burned inside her for many years, like an out-of-control rabid dog, but since joining the FBI, she'd gained control of her urge to kill and diverted it toward violent criminals who had eluded the law. These people continued to rape, murder, kill, or enslave because of the protection around them. She'd seen many criminals set free because of friends in high places during her time in law enforcement. These elite unstoppables became her targets. It was never a case of taking the law into her own hands. She followed rules, and one was to witness the crime. If there was no legal way to stop the monsters, she'd stop them even if it meant becoming a victim.

Beth's research into the disappearance of Ginny had opened doors that she hadn't expected. Snippets of information had emerged on the dark web, leading her to suspect that Styles' sister was only the tip of the iceberg. Finding her and discovering a few scraps of evidence might lead them to a pedophile ring that encompassed the entire country. Many cases of missing children remained unsolved. In one of their recent cases, the perpetrator always abducted two girls. He'd murdered one and sold the second into slavery. Try as they may, the FBI had not been able to locate the second girls who went missing, although they knew their fate as one of them was found dumped in San Francisco Bay dressed as a sex worker.

In Black Rock Falls, a group of men had purchased young girls from foster parents as sex slaves. The resulting babies, it was assumed, they'd sold to an adoption agency, the name of which remained a mystery. The web of secrecy surrounding this group of people was unbreakable. They covered their tracks so well even the most proficient of cybercrime experts had not been able to discover their whereabouts. The key that would unlock the information that Beth needed to proceed was hidden in the memories of Ginny Styles.

Pulling her woolen cap over her ears against a blast of freezing wind, Beth considered the consequences of opening up a can of worms of this magnitude. Moving into a high-stakes world of darkness and danger would take careful planning. With so much money involved, and children used as a commodity, they would risk being murdered at every turn. It would be like negotiating a tripwire of crisscrossing laser beams, but if they destroyed the biggest pedophile ring in the country, it would be worth it. Now all she had to do was convince Styles it was the right thing to do.

She walked into Tommy Joe's and went to the counter. TJ gave her a warm smile and she returned it. She liked TJ, an ex-military man who'd retired and opened up a superb bar and grill in Rattlesnake Creek five years previously. He always had a smile, was a good listener and was prepared to help in a crisis, but right now she needed some takeout for their trip to Louan. She'd learned over the past year that men needed to eat all the time. She got by on little food but had found Styles became like a bear with a sore head if he missed meals. "We're heading out on a case. Can you make me a survival pack for Styles? I'm happy with an egg salad sandwich."

"You want a couple of flasks of coffee as well?" TJ made a few notes on a pad and looked up at her.

Beth nodded. "Yeah, that would be good. He'll need to eat and fly, so nothing complicated."

"Wez made some savory turnovers." TJ smiled. "He usually makes fruit ones but decided to experiment with a few different flavors. I'll toss them in. They're easy to eat. Leave it with me." He handed the note to Wez, the chef, and then turned back to her and poured a cup of coffee. "Do you mind if I ask for your opinion on something?"

Slipping onto a stool, Beth nodded. "Sure."

"Wez has a feel-good, cold-weather, savory warm-up menu at the moment." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "He made quiche. Can you try it and tell me what the heck it is? I'm a barbecue and steak guy. This fancy food is foreign to me."

Laughing, Beth nodded. "Sure, but you know it's just fancy scrambled eggs in pastry?"

When TJ came out from the back carrying a plate as if it would explode, she inhaled. "That smells delicious." She took the fork he offered her and ate a mouthful. Her tastebuds salivated at the delicious creamy cheese and bacon flavor dancing across her tongue. She closed her eyes and moaned. "This is wonderful. You need to try it." She pushed the plate toward him.

"So it's for breakfast?" TJ picked up a fork and took a small piece. He placed it on his tongue and blinked. "That does taste good."

"Told you so." Wez came out of the kitchen with a paper sack in one hand and juggling two Thermoses. "The savory turnovers are good hot or cold. I've added your sandwiches and a mess of donuts. That should keep him going for a time."

Beth finished the quiche and smiled. "Thanks. Put it on our tab. We might be out of town for a couple of days, if Cash is looking for us."

"In this weather, the sheriff only comes out of his office if someone calls 911." TJ indicated toward the kitchen. "Unless we have a special on ribs, then Ryder is first at the door ordering dinner."

Beth collected the takeout and smiled. "I'll see you in a couple of days." She headed back out into the cold. If we survive.