Page 2

It was breathtaking.

Lifting the camera, I took a dozen more shots at different angles, discovering a pathway that wound around the falls where a few joggers took advantage of the lovely weather. Through the viewing screen, I glimpsed a shirtless man with so much ink on his upper body and arms I couldn’t resist zooming in. He wore a short beard. His skin glistened with sweat. I fanned myself as I noticed his gray sweatpants. They didn’t hide a single thing about the man.

Whew. I had been single entirely too long. A girl could appreciate the view, right? No harm in that.

When I moved, still zoomed in, I caught movement to my right. My lens focused on the figure in the trees. A man dressed all in black. He wore a hoodie pulled low to conceal his features. He just stood there. . . watching me. Staring.

I stepped to the right. He copied the movement. I took two more and he lunged forward.

With a gasp, I stepped back and nearly fell over a headstone. Pain shot through my elbow as I banged it against the surface. I barely managed to stay upright.

When I returned my gaze to the spot in the trees, the mysterious man was gone.

Unnerved, I decided I’d taken enough photos for today. I didn’t hesitate to rush back toward the lodge and my cabin. Every ten seconds, I glanced over my shoulder to be sure I wasn’t followed. Only when I stepped inside, flipped the lock, and stepped away from the door did I finally feel safe.

Chapter 2 Beau

“Are you watching the news?”

“Yeah,” I responded to Alden as I answered his call, tapping the speaker button and turning up the volume on my TV.

An attractive blonde reporter sat at a long white desk, her slender fingers folded primly in front of her as she spoke into the camera.

“Police are reporting another death at a local haunted house, stating the third victim in what seems to be a series of unrelated and mysterious deaths.”

“Doesn’t seem like coincidence.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so either, Beau.”

“Limited details have emerged about the slayings, but all the victims reportedly had their throats slashed. Due to the gruesome nature of the crimes, police are asking the public for help.”

“Sheriff Townsend called you, didn’t he?”

“Of course. Threat assessment happens to be a specialty of ours.”

“If you have any information, please call the number at the bottom of the screen. Police are asking for any details that could help catch those responsible.”

I clicked off the TV and walked into my kitchen, placing my phone on the counter while I poured a cup of coffee. I didn’t own one of those fancy one-cup machines. Preferred brewing a pot and grinding my own beans. Tasted a hell of a lot better.

“You know why I’m calling.”

I did. Alden North, in addition to being someone I considered a friend, ran the Equinox Protective Group, also known as the EPG. An organization specializing in protection, security, intelligence, witness transfer, counter-stalking, arson/threat assessment, VIP transport/evasion, and disaster response. We also handled cyber cases and sensitive information that often related to criminal activity and dangerous affiliations.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Intelligence, to start. Nobody knows shit about the UNSUB. Bodies are piling up, but Townsend doesn’t have much to go on. He’s asking us to assess the situation on the ground. To get close enough to find the UNSUB before he kills again.”

“You want me to put on a Ghostface costume and run from haunted house to haunted house?” I joked.

“Actually, yeah. That would be great.”

I couldn’t help the snort that followed. “Tell me what you really want me to do.”

“I’m serious, Beau. Got you a security job with several of the local haunted houses. All the ones where the UNSUB hasn’t left a body yet.”

“How many?” Upstate New York had anywhere from 250 to 350 haunted houses and attractions running in October. That was probably a modest estimate.

“Twenty-five. I reduced it to the ones with enough seclusion to provide the space and privacy for the UNSUB.”