Page 1 of For Rage

PROLOGUE

The endless hedges towered in front of her, blocking out the sun and casting deep shadows on the ground. They seemed to go on forever in all directions, with no end in sight. The quiet, almost eerie silence was pierced by the occasional rustling of leaves, the distant music from the theme park, and the sound of her own footsteps echoing through the dirt. How big was this maze supposed to be? Marcy had to admit that it was suffocating her.

She dashed forward, hoping to see any sign of her friends. One minute, they'd all been together, and now, she was alone. Marcy’s nostrils filled with the pungent scent of the overgrown shrubs, but the smell of popcorn and cotton candy that wafted through the air reminded her that she was still in an amusement park—lost as she was, she'd find her way out.

Right?

Marcy's heart was pounding in her chest, and sweat trickled down her forehead. Every turn she took seemed to lead to another dead end. What had started out as simple frustration was now causing her anxiety to peak. Panic was quickly setting in as she realized she had no idea how long she had been wandering aimlessly, lost within the maze. Was it hours? Minutes? She couldn't tell, but her panic attack grew more intense by the moment. It reminded her of when she was little, and she’d lost her parents in the mall for hours, and a stranger had nearly tried to take her home before security found her. It had been so long, but her therapist had told her that childhood trauma could keep rearing its ugly head as an adult, and that her panic attacks could be attributed to that.

You’re fine,she tried to tell herself,it’s going to be okay!But her mind was still swimming with anxious thoughts.

Suddenly, Marcy stumbled. Her ankle twisted over a root, and she cried out, falling to the ground. Pain shot through her leg, but she gritted her teeth and stood up, trying to put weight on it. She hissed in pain, and she knew she wouldn't be able to make it on her own. She needed help.

"Guys?" Marcy called out, her voice cracking with fear. "Anyone?"

There was no answer, and Marcy felt her heart drop. She was all alone in the maze. Her friends had ditched her.

The pain dulled. When Marcy was sure she could walk, she stood up. It wasn't so bad. She kept pushing forward, and forward, until—

Marcy screamed as she crashed right into someone else. She fell backwards, landing on her butt in the dirt.

Then, laughter. Marcy looked up to see her best friends, Julie and Kat, looking down at her.

"Oh my god, there you are!" Julie exclaimed.

Marcy scowled as she stood up and dusted herself off, her ankle still tender. She glowered at her friends. "Where did you guys go? You left me all alone!"

"We got lost!" Kat said, grinning. "We were wandering around, and suddenly, we found ourselves in a completely different section of the maze. We tried to retrace our steps, but we couldn't find you."

Marcy rolled her eyes, but relief flooded through her as she realized she wasn't alone anymore. "Well, let's get out of here before I get lost again."

The three of them started to walk, but their progress was slow. The hedges seemed to be growing thicker and more tangled the farther they went, and Marcy's ankle made it difficult to keep up with the others. But they kept pushing forward, determined to find the exit. Marcy kept her guard up as they navigated the maze. They turned and a corner, and—

An ear-splitting scream erupted from Kat's throat.

Marcy jumped back, her heart pounding. At first, she thought it was another prank.

"What the hell, Kat?" she yelled, but then she saw it too.

Up ahead, half-buried in the dirt, was the upper torso of a woman, adorned with flowers like some sort of scarecrow. Relief flowed through Marcy.

"Oh my God, Kat, it's just a freaking prop," Marcy said.

But then, as she got closer, her relief was replaced by dread. The woman's eyes were open and glassy. Her skin was pale and waxy. Marcy could feel the bile rising in her throat as she realized what she was seeing—it wasn't a scarecrow at all.

It was a real dead body.

All three girls screamed and ran for their lives.

CHAPTER ONE

Morgan Cross pulled her weight up, feeling her muscles burn as she performed another pull-up—twenty consecutively in a row. It was a habit she'd picked up in prison, back when she'd been wrongfully convicted, but it was one of the good habits. Not like biting her nails, which she'd developed as she'd sat in that cold cell for ten years, anxiously waiting for the day she'd be released.

But that was in the past now. She was free, and she was here—back with the FBI. She'd installed the pull-up bar in her office. It made it feel a bit more like home.

A knock on the wall beyond her door broke her thoughts. Morgan dropped down, sweat pooling at her hairline. She found herself face-to-face with Derik Greene's blue eyes. He lifted a curious brow, and Morgan said, "What?" as she grabbed a towel off her chair and wiped her forehead, then pivoted behind her desk.

"You're looking strong," Derik noted. They'd been partners before Morgan went away, and now, they were back together again. His dark hair was combed to the side, and he had a curious expression on as he stepped deeper into Morgan's office. Even though they’d worked on one case together since she got out, she couldn’t help but still think about ten years ago when they’d shared a kiss. When Derik was still married.

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