Detectives Groh and Yorke had to bring evidence from the crime scene to the police station. Staci and Lenox accompanied them. Staci wasn’t convinced that she could be of any help to the investigation, but Lenox was under the impression that she could. What she had so far offered was looked upon with skepticism from Groh. He appeared not to be interested in a single word she had said. Lenox treated her as if she were a simple instructor or teacher and he analyzed every word as if it were a puzzle. It wasn’t personal to him.
Staci was discouraged that her witnessing technique was faulty. The only one of the trio who appeared interested in what she had to say from the Bible was Yorke. She suspected that he might be a Christian as she was, but if that were so, why was he keeping it a secret?
At the Albany Police Department, they went into the elevator and down to the basement level. Yorke was carrying a couple of plastic bags that contained evidence. Groh was carrying a box which contained the weapon used against the victims at the crime scene. It was the large blood stained rock.
They went down a corridor. At the end of the corridor, a wire mesh wall separated them from the evidence room, otherwise known as the Cage. To gain entrance there was a door that was a half door in the center of the mesh wall. The top part of the door was open and the bottom part was closed. On the bottom part was a small counter. Behind this, a man sat on a stool, reading a newspaper.
Without looking up from his newspaper, the man replied, “Oh, look. The dynamic duo has returned, and this time, they brought along some new sidekicks.”
“Knock it off with the Batman comments, Black Bird,” Yorke told him as he and the others approached the Cage. “Just open up and let us in.”
The officer in the Cage sat up, folded the newspaper and put it on his desk. He rose to his feet and looked at his visitors. His eyes lingered on Staci. “You know I don’t let visitors in here.”
“We’re just bringing in evidence from the crime scene we visited today.”
The man paused. “I heard a rumor about that. Is it Cross?”
Groh nodded. “Yeah. The scumbag is back.”
He nodded his head knowingly. “And you two are back on the case, I see. Do you think you’re gonna actually catch him this time? You kind of botched it up the last time.” He pointed at Lenox and Staci. “Are they replacing you or something? Gonna show you how to get the job done?”
“You’re a wisecracker.” Groh dropped the box he was carrying onto the counter. “Just sign this in and put it away. Robin, give him the evidence bags you’ve got.”
Yorke let out a sigh. “Did you just call me Robin?”
“What? You think Black Bird refers to me as Robin? Well, I’ve got news for you.” He leaned toward Yorke and scowled. “I’m the Batman.”
Yorke shook his head and placed the bags on top of the box. “I think you both need help.”
Staci leaned toward Lenox and whispered, “Why do they call that man Black Bird?”
Lenox shrugged.
The man behind the Cage heard Staci’s question. “Oh, sweetheart, don’t be afraid to ask me directly. These clowns call me Black Bird because of my last name.”
“Oh,” Staci replied. Then, she fell silent because she didn’t know what else to say.
“I’m Sebastian Crowe.” He smiled at her. “And who might you be?”
“I’m Staci Cohen.”
“Staci Cohen…” Crowe nodded thoughtfully. “You’re Jewish, aren‘t you, darling?”
Staci nodded. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
Crowe looked at Lenox. “And who are you?”
Lenox approached the Cage and leaned forward. “I’m the guy who’s going to pull you through this wire mesh if you call Staci ‘sweetheart’ or ‘darling’ again. That’s who I am.”
Crowe sighed and shook his head. He glanced at Groh and Yorke. “Man, you guys need to find friends who aren’t too tightly wrapped.” He held up a hand to Lenox. “I meant no offense, buddy.” He looked at Staci. “Really. I seem to have offended your friend here. It wasn’t my intention.”
Staci paused. “It’s okay. I’m not offended.”
Crowe got a clipboard from off his desk, glanced at Lenox, and then began to log in the evidence. “So why are you two joining up with the detectives on this case?”
Staci shrugged. “I really don’t know.”
Groh looked at her. “Neither do I.” He turned to Crowe. “All she’s done for us is give us some kind of Bible lesson about the first murder ever committed.”
Crowe looked thoughtful. “Really. That’s interesting. Is that going to help you solve the case?”
“No,” Groh replied.
“Yes,” Yorke said.
“How can it possibly help?”
“Look, anything at this point will help.”
Staci looked at Lenox. She was beginning to feel like she was somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be.
“Come on,” Crowe said. “Are you telling me she’s helping you out as some kind of consultant?”
“Oh, wow,” Groh remarked, “look at that, Brian. He really is observant.”
“Anybody can put this together. You don’t have to be a genius or a detective. Cross kills Christians. You found someone who is a Christian and decided to bring her along as a consultant. She’ll give you profiles on the victims and you guys will use that to get into Cross’ head. Eventually - you hope - this will bring you to the killer where justice is finally served.” He shook his head. “Why didn’t you think of that before?”
“It didn’t cross our minds before,” Yorke admitted.
Groh sighed. “Well, it actually didn’t cross our minds this time either.” He aimed at thumb at Lenox. “The FBI guy here suggested Staci’s help.”
Crowe nodded his head knowingly. “Ah. Well, that explains his hostility. So, Mr. Secret Agent Man, do you think you’ll have any luck in bringing this killer to justice?”
“Luck won’t have anything to do with it,” Lenox told him. “We’ll find him.”
“Will you find him before he kills again?”
“That’s our intentions.”
“Oh, well, that’s good that you have intentions. But intentions don’t mean a thing if he grabs somebody else -” He pointed at Staci. “- like your girlfriend here. He could take her to anywhere in Upstate New York. To any abandoned campground, or some empty warehouse outside of Albany. There are hundreds of places out there, buddy, and she’d be dead before you found where he took her.”
Lenox glared at him.
Crowe paused. “I was speaking hypothetically.”
Staci tilted her head and looked at Crowe’s face closely. When he turned his head to look at his clipboard, she saw a small cut on the left side of his face. It looked like a new cut. “Did you cut yourself shaving?” she asked. “That looks like it hurt.”
Crowe hesitated. “It’s nothing.” He finished writing up the list of evidence and then handed the clipboard to Yorke. “Here. You know the drill. Sign the deal and be gone with you.”
Yorke signed and then handed it to Groh. Groh signed it. Once the clipboard was back in Crowe’s hands, he tossed it onto his desk. He picked up the evidence and nodded to Staci. “Nice to meet you. You, too, Mr. Secret Agent Man. Don’t be strangers. You can be strange…just don’t be strangers.”
Staci smiled at the mans humor.
Lenox just looked at him.
“Yeah, okay.” Crowe headed toward the back to find a place for the new evidence. “Man, that guy needs a life.”
Lenox, Staci, Groh and Yorke left the basement. They went up to the third floor where the two detectives shared an office. On their desks were folders containing everything they had on Cross. Or Cain, as Staci had called him. Before they could look into it, Lenox’ cell phone rang.
He took it out of his pocket, and flipped it open. “Yeah.” He paused. Then, he turned to the others. “I have to take this. I’ll be right back.”
When he left the room, Groh took the opportunity to excuse himself. He didn’t mention where he was going or why. He just left the office.
Yorke and Staci were left alone. Yorke sat behind his desk and Staci sat in a chair in front of the desk. She regarded the detective with a look.
Yorke opened up one of the many folders and tried to look at the material inside. But he couldn’t. He knew she was watching him. With a sigh, he looked at her. “What?”
Staci decided to test a theory. “Praise God,” she said.
“Praise God,” he said back.
“You’re a Christian.”
“Why? Because I said ‘Praise God’?”
“Did you mean it?”
“Yes, but…” He stopped. “Okay. Wait a minute. Is it really important to you if you knew whether or not I was a Christian?”
She looked at him. “Brian, we’re living in the End Times. It’s important that everyone should become Christians!”
He nodded, sat back, and ran his right hand through his hair. “Yeah. I get what you’re saying. I do.” He paused as he looked at her. “Okay. Yes. I’m a Christian. But…I’m not supposed to let anyone know.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really know. It’s just that…Well, I can trust you, right? You’re a Christian, so we should be able to trust one another.”
She nodded encouragingly.
“I belong to this group. One of the members of this group is a real wacko, but he‘s also extremely smart…He speaks in different languages…and maybe some of them he made up himself. I’m not really sure. Anyway, the point is, this group of believers…or at least this one prominent member suggested that I keep my Christianity to myself. I suppose as a way of watching out for the enemy. Pretty soon, it’s going to get worst. A lot worst, and we might need to use a little subterfuge every now and then. You know?”
She nodded again. “I know. This world is coming to its final days…and we’re all on it because we were left behind.”
“I’ve heard it said somewhere that…what this world needs is a Savior who will rescue, a Spirit who will lead, and a Father who will love.” He nodded with conviction. “Yeah. That’s what this world needs. Unfortunately, Staci…it isn’t what the world wants.”
“What is this group you’ve mentioned?”
“Well, these guys are fairly new and I’ve been told that their goal is to grow in number as quick as they can. Their objective is to recruit other believers and help spread the Gospel everywhere. They call themselves the Gatherers.”
Staci stared at him, incredulous.
He frowned. “Staci, are you okay?”
“Brian…I-I’m a part of that! I…I was there when…when it started.”
He leaned forward. “Really? Then, you know Billy Fronk.”
She smiled. Then, she laughed. “Yes! I know Crazy Man. Oh, I am so glad to have met you.”
“Yeah, I’m glad to have met you, too. Wow. This is pretty amazing. I wonder who else is out there who have become a part of this.” He paused. “Oh. Ah…but you can’t tell anyone that I’m…you know…one of you.”
“A Gatherer?”
“A Christian. I have to be low key. You can ask - what did you call him? - Crazy Man about that when you see him. I’m still trying to get over the fact that he almost got me blown to bit’s the last time we met.”
“Huh?”
He shook his head. “Never mind. It’s a long story.” He glanced toward the door and wondered how much time they had left before Groh and Lenox returned. “What made you decide to turn to Christ?”
Staci shook her head. “There’s so much to tell, I don’t even know where to begin.”
“I know we don’t have time to get into full testimonies here, Staci…so I’ll give you a condensed version of my testimony.” He paused. “It was my son’s birthday. He just turned six. Sarah and I - Sarah’s my wife - we were giving him a party. A lot of people showed up. My son…Justin was hitting a piñata and trying to get it open…and he looked so funny swinging his stick blindfolded. I had to duck a few times. And we never did get around to replacing the lamp…” He smiled fondly at the memory. “Anyway, he hit the piñata just right. It burst open. Candy fell like rain on to him…and…and then when all of the candy was…was on the floor, so were his clothes. Just his clothes. And I…Sarah and I dug through the candy trying to find our son…” He shook his head and whispered, “but he just wasn’t there. He was gone.”
Staci swallowed, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m sorry.”
He paused as he looked at her. “Don’t be,” he said softly. “Sarah and I are okay. We know where Justin is and we’ll see him again.” He smiled. “It was because he vanished that caused us to investigate what happened and we discovered the truth. We became believers.”
“You miss him though.”
He swallowed. “Yeah. I do.”
“I miss my son. David.” She wiped at her eyes. “I…I wasn’t even there when he vanished.”
“Are you okay?” a voice said from the doorway.
She turned around and saw that Lenox had returned. “Yes. Yes, I’m okay.” She exchanged looks with Yorke. “I…I was just starting to tell Brian how I became a Christian.”
Lenox knew how hard she had taken the vanishing of her son. He had heard her testimony. He had been in her apartment where David had vanished, and on that same day, Sherri Turrel, the babysitter, was murdered in cold blood by an Islamic terrorist.
At that moment, Groh entered the office and clapped his hands together. “Okay, people. Let’s dig into these files and see what we can find to help us nab this guy once and for all.”
Together, they began to go through the files that contained everything known about Cross.
*******
At Camp Wood, there was the sound of voices singing, raising their voices in praise to the one true God. As Saint played the guitar, he led the gathering into song. King stood with him, offering his own voice to the worship. Only a few didn’t sing, and each one of them had their own reasons for not joining in. Some of them didn’t know the words. Others knew the words, but were shy of singing in front of others. And others also didn’t sing simply because they just wanted to listen to the voices in praise around them.
There were other reasons as well.
Sheriff Hoag, for example, did not join in the singing. He didn’t know the words, and he used that as an excuse, but the truth was simple. His heart just wasn’t in it. He had yet to make a decision either for or against Christ and so he stood with his back to the wall, holding a cup of coffee. He listened to the singing and the testimonies of others, but for the most part, he was more interested in what Bollinger was up to. He didn’t know what had caused the rogue agent to slip out of the mess hall when the singing began, but he would find out sooner or later.
Amber was also among the small few who didn’t sing. She had other things on her mind. Some of those things had to do with the past, but there was also the matter of Bollinger. Something about him bothered her. She wanted to go out after him, but realized that she probably had no real reason to be so suspicious of a man she didn’t really know.
When the song was over, Saint looked around the mess hall as if searching for someone. “Who wants to jump right in and tell us a bit about your testimony…and how you came to Christ. Come on, now. Don’t be shy. No one here is going to poke any fun at you…unless you really deserve it. Any takers before I start calling out names?”
Moore rose to his feet and raised a hand. “I’d be glad to say a few words, son.”
“Alright, Pa. Hey, to everyone who doesn’t know, this is Craig Moore, but we all call him ‘Pa’. Incidentally, I’m son number 15. If you don’t have a number, get with him after and he’ll help you out.”
Moore shook his head and let out a chuckle. “Now, son number 15, that’s not necessary. Everybody calls me ‘Pa’ simply because I’m older than just about everyone in here, and most all of you certainly are young enough to be my sons and daughters. Now I think it was son number 1 - let’s see, now…That would be Albert Barrington - and anyway, he was the one who started that whole thing to begin with.”
“Pa, forgive my interruption, but…” King paused for affect. “…if Albert is son number 1, who is daughter number 1?”
There was a pause as everyone watched Moore, curious about his answer.
Moore suddenly smiled. “Well, now, Preacher…as you all know, a daughter is not like a son in more ways than one. So that is why all of my daughters are number 1.”
The gathering broke out in laughter.
When the laughter subsided, Saint nodded to him. “Go ahead, Pa. You have the floor.”
Moore nodded once. “Thank you, son.” Then, he paused to gather his thoughts. Finally, he said, “Life has always been hard for me ever since I was just a little boy. Getting anywhere was a hassle. Going to school was like going to prison because you basically lived by prison rules. You always had to fight just to survive because if you couldn’t fight, then you were just easy prey.” He paused. “I lived a hard life. I’ve seen a lot of things in my lifetime that would scare any one of you if I truly did share it with you. I joined the Marine Corp at a young age and I did it because I figured it would have gotten me away from the horrible place I was existing in back then.” He shook his head. “But it didn’t. If anything, it only made things worse. I went where all soldiers go whenever there is a war…and believe me, people. There is always a war going on somewhere, even if you don’t hear about it on the news or read about it on today’s front pages. War is always with us. And I was sent to places no one should ever have to be sent to.” He paused. “And I learned about taking lives. About killing or being killed. About disregarding the life of someone you don’t even know just so you can keep yourself alive until you can get back home.”
He paused as he regarded the people around him, looking up at him as they listened. “But home was nowhere for me. So I became a military man and…I took in more jobs for the government. I did some…some things that I’m not proud of and…and all I can say about it is that my life has always been so hard.” He took a deep breath. “Then, the Rapture happened. People all over the world disappeared. And a very strange thing happened.” He suddenly smiled. “My life got easier.” He held up a hand. “Now I know what you’re thinking. How can life possibly get any easier for anyone when we are clearly living in the most dangerous times of our lives? My answer to you is very simple. We can live in this time because He lives!” He pointed up.
A lot of people let him know that they agreed by shouting out an “Amen”.
“My life is easy now because I know that God has been leading every step I have taken since the vanishings. He led me straight to Donna. He gave me a Lexus…Now I’ve never owned anything in my entire life quite like this Lexus, but I know that God gave me this car…because it came so easy to me. It wasn’t hard. Not like how I used to live before that trumpet sounded when everything was so hard, there were days where I just wanted to die and yet I was too cowardly to take my own life.”
“That was the Spirit staying your own hand, brother!” someone exclaimed.
Moore smiled. “That very well could be. All I know is that I stand before you today a man changed by the blood of the Lamb because…Well, simply because I reached a place where my eyes were opened…and I believed. Simple. Easy. So easy, anyone of you can just accept Him as Lord and Savior like this old stubborn man finally did. Most of you have accepted him, but some of you haven’t decided yet. If there is anything holding you back, just know that God still loves you - even though you were left behind. He is still willing to take you if you will only believe in Him.” He nodded to Saint. “That’s all I have, son. Thank you.”
Moore sat down to the applause of the gathering.
“Thank you, Pa, for your testimony,” Saint replied. “Anyone else?”
Peter Chase rose to his feet, glancing at Sheriff Hoag. “I’d like to say something, John…even if I’m not too sure on exactly what to say.”
“Wing it, brother.”
Chase nodded. “Well…I’d like to say that I’m really glad that Sheriff Hoag is here.”
Hoag didn’t respond, but he was interested in what his deputy had to say. He leaned against the wall and waited.
“I’ve learned a lot from you, Sheriff. You’ve always been there for me.” He paused. “It is my prayer that you come to Christ like I did, because…well, let’s face it. Living with Him during the last days of planet Earth are better than living without Him in eternity. That’s a long time to be alone. I know you’re holding back…And maybe there are others here with us who are doing the same thing. But you are seeking, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Whatever it is that is holding you back…please. Just let it go.”
Hoag let out a sigh. “Peter…”
“That’s all I wanted to say. That…and I’m looking forward to the baptisms tomorrow. I hope you’ll be able to join us.” He turned and prepared to sit back down.
“It’s not that easy,” Hoag said softly.
Chase rose back to his feet. “Of course, it isn’t. I lost my wife because I chose Christ. I lost my job. All of my friends and my family at home, Sheriff, have turned against me! No, it’s not easy…” He glanced at Moore. “Sorry, Pa. I know this is opposite of your testimony, but…this hasn’t been easy for me.” He looked at Hoag and shrugged. “But I don’t care about that. I can do a hard thing because I’m not alone. I know He’s right there with me and whatever comes my way, I’ll face it. That’s all you have to do, too, Sheriff, is just face it and make a decision.”
Chase sat down.
It was suddenly very quiet in the mess hall.
After a moment of silence, Saint looked around. “Anyone else want to give a testimony? Offer up a praise?”
A few others took the opportunity to share their testimonies. Donna Perkins, Larry Yeomans, and Anthony Morris were just a few who stepped up. After they had their say, Amber Eastwood, who was behind the counter near the kitchen raised her hand. In it, she was holding a wooden spoon.
Saint turned to her. “Yes, Amber…go ahead.”
“I’m just going to say this once,” Amber said. “You don’t know me. And I don’t know you…but guess what. That’s just the way I like it.”
There were some chuckles amongst the gathering, but there were also some looks of curiosity and concern.
“I’ve been through some things…Things I’m not ready to talk about, but let’s just say that I have trust issues. It’s probably not your fault, but I’m okay with taking the blame on that. Maybe in time, I’ll open up to you, but just give me some space, ‘kay?” She paused. “I know that God has saved me. I trust Him. I just have to work on the rest. But let me tell you this…” She aimed the spoon at the gathering. “If anyone of you ever steps out of line, just remember who’s making the soup!”
There was more laughter from the gathering.
Saint led them all into more singing and Hoag continued to observe. He also thought heavily about what Chase had said.
*******
The penthouse apartment complex on West Avenue where Staci lived was not as secure as it once was. Immediately after the vanishings, a semi-truck had crashed right through the glass foyer where Staci had been trapped because of a power outage. The foyer could only be entered by the use of an electronic key card and the only people who had cards were the people who lived in the building. The foyer had never been repaired, and the main entrance was no longer secured, but there was a promise that this would one day be repaired.
Staci and Lenox entered the building. They had just come from having dinner with Detectives Groh and Yorke after several hours of going over the case history of the killer known only as Cross. Staci, however, continued to think of the killer as Cain.
As they stepped into the elevator, Lenox glanced at Staci. He pressed the button that would take them to the floor she lived on. “So…did you enjoy dinner?”
Staci tilted her head as she turned to look up at him. “Pizza at the police station, you mean?” She tried not to smile. “Well, it was good, but if you think that counts as the dinner you owe me, you’ve got another thing coming, mister.”
He tried to look shocked. “Would I think such a thing?”
She just looked at him with a knowing smile.
“Well…what kind of dinner do you have in mind?”
“Dinner, not take-out. You, me…nobody else. A restaurant. The two of us, sitting at a table.”
He nodded. “Ah. That kind of dinner. Candlelight?”
“That would be nice.”
The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and they walked out, heading for Staci’s apartment. When they got there, they both stood there and waited, not really certain what they were waiting for.
“Well…thank you for walking me home,” Staci replied softly, getting her keys from her purse.
“You’re welcome,” he responded.
She put her key into the lock and seemed hesitant about something. She turned to look at him.
Lenox regarded her. “Is something wrong?”
She nibbled nervously on her lower lip. Then, she said, “Am I…am I crazy, or is there something going on between us?” She looked into his eyes curiously.
Now it was Lenox’ turn to hesitate. “I’m…not sure I know what you mean.”
She made a half smile and shook her head. “Fibber.” When he didn’t say anything, she said, “Tell me that I’m crazy and that I’m the only one who…who feels something. But I know you do. When I look into your eyes, Michael, I can see that you feel something, too.”
“Staci…whether I feel something for you or not…it would be best for you not to get involved with someone like me.”
She shook her head. “You’re not a bad man. You’re just someone who needs to let others in.” She hesitated. “But…as much as I want you to let me in, you…you really need to let Jesus in first.”
He let out a sigh. “Staci…it’s complicated.”
“It always is.”
He paused. “You know…I really don’t know what to do about you.”
She looked puzzled. “Really? What does that mean?”
“When we first met, the man I was would have…would have already used the loss of your son to take advantage of you. I’ve done that before.” He shook his head. “When I first saw you, I wanted to do that to you.”
“But you didn’t.”
He shook his head again. “No. I didn’t.”
“I think I know why.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “It’s because you’re searching for the answer like everyone else is since the vanishings, and…and your search has caused your heart to be a little more open than it’s ever been. The answer you’re looking for is Jesus. He can help you, Michael.”
Lenox hesitated. “I know, Staci. I…” He shrugged helplessly. “I just need to work this out a bit.”
“No, you don’t. You need to give everything to Him. Your past. Your anger. Everything.” She leaned forward and put her hand on his left arm. “Why don’t you come in? We can…we can talk about it. Let me help you.”
“No.” He smiled wryly. “I really should go.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Staci…I should go. I’ll…pick you up in the morning.”
She paused as she looked into his eyes. She returned the wry smile. “Okay.” Then, she raised herself on her toes and leaned forward to kiss him. Their lips pressed together and then she stepped back.
He looked at her. “Why did you do that?”
“Because this will all be over in less than seven years. I’m not going to wait that long to tell you that I love you.” She smiled up at him. “I love you, Michael Lenox, and I’m praying for you.”
He watched her as she turned and opened her door. Before she closed it, he said, “Staci…there is another reason I didn’t take advantage of you.”
She remained in her doorway, waiting.
“I care about you.”
“I know.”
They remained silent for a moment.
Lenox didn’t want the moment to end. He thought of something to say to prolong it. “About Cain…why do you think he’s jealous?”
Staci paused to consider her answer. “Well…Abel made an offering to the Lord that was accepted, so Cain…I believe since his offering was not accepted, he became jealous of Abel because Abel‘s was accepted. It’s kind of like a brother who gets jealous of a sibling who gets more attention from Mom and Dad. I think Abel may have been the good son and Adam and Eve were proud of him, but Cain wasn’t the good son. He may have tried to be what his parents expected, but when he couldn’t meet their expectations of him, he became angry. He…he used that anger to build a resentment for Abel.” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “I don’t think he just killed Abel just because God accepted Abel’s offering and not his own. I think over a period of time, things took place that made Cain resentful of his brother. When God didn’t accept his offering, his jealousy - which he already harbored in his heart - fueled his rage and that’s when he killed Abel.”
“So…Cain chooses his victims because…”
Staci shrugged. “He is jealous of the attention and care that God gives to them. God favors them. He isn’t receiving the same things that his victims receive. Christians are supposed to love one another, in season and out of season. When he sees that love, he becomes angry. He wants to take what they have and destroy it so that no one will have it.”
“But what made him jealous to begin with.”
“I don’t know. Something in his past maybe…because this is caused by something he allowed to fester like a disease in his heart.” She looked at him. “Is any of this helping?”
Lenox smiled. “Yeah. It is. Thank you, Staci. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Well…if you change your mind and want to come in to talk…just come back. Okay?”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Goodnight, Michael.”
“Goodnight, Staci.”
She watched him turn and walk away. When he was in the elevator, she went into her apartment, closing the door behind her.
It was only a few minutes later when there was a knock at her door.
As she approached the door, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “I knew you’d be back.” She opened the door.
Her smile disappeared.
The man at her door wasn’t Michael Lenox. It was Sebastian Crowe, and in his hand was a handheld Taser, which he pressed against her neck before she could react and triggered. Staci didn’t even have time to scream as she hit the floor.
_______ _______ _______
