Hunted

The FBI and the local authorities were already working closely together, so she wasn’t surprised that a team was already combing over her room. There was also a team at the scene there, going into the partially constructed houses, checking them one by one—starting with the house she’d been inside. Her chill got worse. “Do you think... Did he kill them all in that house?”

Josh and Hayden shared another hard look.

Maybe that look was answer enough.

“There was plastic on the floor,” she whispered. “When I woke up, he had me in that upstairs room, tied up, and there was plastic beneath me.” Just like a scene from a horror show.

“Are you sure you didn’t see his face?” Josh pressed.

The pounding in her head grew worse. “He had on a ski mask. And the eyes—where the ski mask holes should have been, something like mesh covered his eyes so I couldn’t see them. I didn’t see his face. Didn’t see his eyes, but I—I did see his hands.” She eased out a slow breath. “He’s Caucasian. Big—over six feet. Strong. Not heavy, but muscled.” A killer in his prime. “His voice was rasping and low.” Her body swayed as the nausea rolled within her again. For a moment, she thought she might vomit right then and there.

“Casey?” Josh’s hand closed over her shoulder.

“She needs to get to a hospital!” The EMT was back. “The woman suffered head trauma. She needs medical attention and I am insisting, Sheriff, that you let her go.”

Hayden nodded. “I’ll talk to you again, Ms. Quinn.”

Josh started to back away. She tensed and actually thought about grabbing him and making him stay with her.

But she didn’t. Casey let him go. Josh jumped out of the ambulance. The EMT hurried back in to her side.

“You okay, miss?” he asked.

She was so far beyond okay.

Other reporters had already made it to the area. She saw Deputy Finn Patrick trying to hold some of them back so they didn’t contaminate the crime scene. His dark hair was mussed and he appeared shaken. Cameras were rolling. Cameras that would focus on her.

I am the story.

Would her past come to light now? Probably. When the right people went digging, it was easy enough to find secrets.

But maybe...maybe someone already knew her secrets.

The man who’d taken her. The man who’d gotten away.

Josh stared at Casey a moment longer, then he slammed the ambulance doors shut. The siren screamed on.

Her eyes closed.

“You’re safe now,” the EMT assured her. Josh had pretty much said the same words.

But she wasn’t so sure that she was safe.

I think he’ll come after me again.

* * *

JOSH WATCHED THE ambulance drive away—the reporters had to clear a path so the vehicle could get by. The reporters were definitely already swarming the scene. Casey’s story would be huge.

A survivor.

His hands fisted. He’d wanted to stay in that ambulance with her. “Make sure that a deputy remains with her at the hospital,” he snapped to Hayden. “Someone needs to be with her every moment.”

Hayden nodded. “Finn! Finn, get over here.”

The young deputy rushed toward them. Sweat had already slickened the sides of his dark hair. “Sir?”

“Follow the ambulance. Make sure that Casey Quinn is guarded at all times.”

Oh, hell, he was sending the kid after her? The deputy rushed to his patrol car, and Josh muttered, “You think that’s the best plan? A woman survives a serial killer attack and gets the junior ranger for a guard?”

Hayden lifted a brow. “You got a problem with Finn?”

Yeah, he did.

“He’s young, but he’s good at his job. Protecting her will be his priority—”

“Sorry, Sheriff,” Josh said curtly. “But the FBI has ranking jurisdiction here.” The instant they’d confirmed the presence of a serial killer, the FBI had assumed control of the investigation. “And I’ll be taking Casey Quinn into protective custody.”

Hayden’s eyes widened. “Will you now.” Not a question, not really.

The ambulance was gone. And Josh didn’t like having Casey out of his sight. There were some local FBI agents on the scene and he knew he could leave them in the area to help with the search. “I’m going after her.” I should have been in the ambulance with her.

“You think the killer will go after Casey Quinn again?”

“I don’t know what he’ll do, not yet. This is the first time one of his victims has gotten away.” At least, the only victim they knew of escaping. “For all we know, he’ll immediately go gunning for her again, and if that happens, I want more than just Deputy Patrick standing between her and danger.” The kid was still green behind the ears.

“You want to be standing between her and the threat.”

Josh’s chin notched up. “She stabbed her attacker. I think that shows that she’s capable of protecting herself... But her attack...it could very well have enraged the perp.” No doubt about that... My money says the guy is somewhere, choking on his rage. “That means he could fixate on her. He could come at her with all he’s got or...” His sentence trailed off.

“Or...?” Hayden prompted.

Josh glanced at the line of unfinished houses. “Or he will grab the next available victim who matches his profile. He’ll let his rage out on her.” Which meant they needed to be on guard—all of them.

“For someone who said he wasn’t a profiler, you seem to know your killers pretty well.”

He definitely wasn’t a profiler. “I work on evidence collection. I don’t poke into the heads of killers.” His buddy Tucker did that. And Tucker Frost was scheduled to arrive in town any moment. The guy had just finished up a case in Colorado and now he was working on the profile for the killer in Hope. The FBI brass hadn’t been satisfied with the work of the other profiler who’d been in town, and when Tucker finished his last case—he’d been immediately reassigned to Hope. When Tucker arrived, Josh knew the guy would want to speak with Casey right away. She would be key to the investigation.

“I have to make sure she doesn’t say too much to the media.” Another problem. Since she was a reporter, Casey would no doubt want to run live with her story. That wasn’t going to happen.

He turned on his heel and headed for his motorcycle.

“Duvane!” Hayden’s voice thundered after him.

He glanced over his shoulder. He liked Hayden—the guy was tough, smart and didn’t generally take crap from anyone. But then again, Hayden was a former SEAL, and most folks knew better than to mess with SEALs.

“Is this personal?” Hayden asked him, voice quieter.