Page 2 of A Dark Place

He turned to the woman who was unaware of the games they would play, her appearance nothing like the others. A smile spread across his face as he reveled in the intricate web of deception he’d created for those who would try to stop him.

With her hands and feet secured with zip ties, he placed her inside the box. Shutting the lid, he clamped the lock into place. The table was ready. He couldn’t wait to begin. But first, there was something he must do. Only fitting to meet the monster she’d helped unleash.

He pulled up the photo he’d taken of his latest victim and sent it to her.

This is all because of you. . .he typed and smiled at the message. Once it went through, he turned the phone off. A lesson he’d learned from his mentor. Edward Buckley had been a hard taskmaster, but he’d taught him everything he needed to succeed. And he would. Oh yes, he would. He would surpass his mentor and become the greatest serial killer of all time.

Chapter One

FBI Director Robert Holden stormed into the room where the team of agents working the Van Gogh case were combing over evidence obtained from past crime scenes.

Agent Asher Lackland glanced up from reading the first Van Gogh victim’s file and did a double take when the director stopped in front of him and his former partner, Declan Rutherford, with his eyes flashing.

“Where is Grayson and the rest of Strike Force?” The man who had recently been appointed to the director position of the FBI practically barked the question to Asher. Until a few days ago, no one at the agency had heard of Holden. He wasn’t an agent. Didn’t work his way up through the ranks like everyone else.

When the announcement came, Asher couldn’t wait to return to his desk to look this mystery man up. There was little information. Holden was friends with the up-and-coming international political star, Daniel Pamphili.

Asher shot his new partner, Olivia Hamilton, a surprised look. One of Holden’s first directives as head of the FBI was to shake things up. He’d severed Asher’s and Declan’s partnership and assigned them new partners. Holden had done the same to most of the agents under him.

“You mean Will Grayson?”

The anger in the director’s eyes lashed out at him long before his words. The man placed his hands on the table and leaned in close, forcing Asher to back away. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

He was about to correct the director when Olivia kicked him under the table.

Asher got the message. Don’t talk back to the man in charge. “We haven’t spoken to either Will or his wife since they were here.” It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what this was about, but he somehow kept the question to himself.

“Get them on the phone. Now.” The director held out his phone for Asher to place the call.

Something ominous was going on here, and Asher had a bad feeling it had nothing to do with the case. He took the phone and dialed the number for Will Grayson. The call went straight to voicemail. “There’s no answer.” Asher handed the phone back to the director, but he refused it. “Try the wife.”

The call to Lizzy yielded the same results. He shook his head. “Sorry, no luck.”

Holden snatched the phone back and pocketed it. “I thought you two were keeping them abreast on what’s happening with the Van Gogh case.” The suspicion on Holden’s face confirmed in Asher’s mind the man had a hidden agenda.

“We were, but there hasn’t been anything new. Besides, they’re in Washington state, as you know.” Asher didn’t understand all this urgency. Everyone knew where Strike Force’s headquarters was.

“They are not.” The words came out through bared teeth. “They’re—“ He bit back the response before it came out, and Asher’s brows shot up. Holden knew more than he was saying.

“The Graysons haven’t done anything wrong, sir.”

Director Holden’s anger exploded. “After hearing the news, you have the nerve to say that to me?”

Of course, Asher had heard the allegations being lobbed against the team known as Strike Force as well as the president, but Asher couldn’t imagine there being any validity to them. The truth would come out in time and it would exonerate them. Until that happened, he kept his mouth shut and waited for the director’s anger to blow over.

“Call the sheriff who’s been helping them. I want to hear what he knows.”

Asher called Sheriff Callahan whose jurisdiction was over a small county in Washington near the compound that had once belonged to a terrorist known as Martin Collins.

“Asher, good to hear from you again.” The sheriff’s jovial voice reached his ear while Holden demanded to hear.

“Sheriff, hang on a second. I need to put the call on speaker.”

Director Holden glowered. He apparently hadn’t wanted the sheriff to know he was listening in on the conversation, which told Asher he was hoping to gain some insight into Will and Lizzy’s whereabouts without the sheriff knowing.

“What’s going on, Agent?” Sheriff Callahan’s tone became official.

Asher peered at the director because he had no idea why this man wanted to speak to the sheriff.

---