Profile of Fear: Book Four of the Profile Series (Volume 4) (28 page)

“Had car trouble and had to pull off the Interstate to get it fixed. Took days.”

“Where’s my supply?”

Diego withdrew three plastic bags filled with meth from the glove box and handed them to Juan, who slipped them in his pocket.

Still suspicious, Juan eyed Diego. “That doesn’t explain why you haven’t answered my calls.”

“I found where they’re hiding your kid.”

“What?!”

“I kept an eye on the main house and followed the blond-haired woman to a house on Shadow Lake. She’s living there with the kid.”

Removing a folded rough sketch he’d drawn of a map of the property, he handed it to Juan. “Here’s the house. The back faces the lake and three sides of the house are surrounded by a trees.”

Pointing to a spot on the map, he said, “I have this all planned out. We put my cousin’s boat in across the lake from the house. When we get to the shore, we dock it right here in these trees so we can slip through the woods to get to the house. I’ve disconnected the house’s motion activated floodlights, so it’s not likely we’ll be seen.

“Who’s guarding the house?”

“Just one woman inside, and she sleeps in the downstairs bedroom at the back of the house.”

“Just the woman. Where are the guards?”

“No guards. This place is in the middle of nowhere, very difficult to find. I would never have found it if I hadn’t followed the woman.”

“What about my kid?”

“Her room’s upstairs. It faces the front of the house. I’ve seen her through the window. At night, there’s a dim light glowing in her room. The plan’s simple, Boss. Avoid the woman’s bedroom on the first floor, climb the stairs, I grab the kid, and escape. Easy.”

“Not so fast. You’re not going for my kid. I’ll do that myself. You’ve screwed up one too many times. You’ll wait by the boat.”

“But, Boss—”

“Shut up. I have to make a call.”

Juan push a speed dial number that Diego guessed was to Juanita Ortiz in Mexico and settled back in his seat. He seemed pleased with Diego’s plan.

“Juanita, get a flight to Indianapolis. Let me know the day and time. I’ll hand over your granddaughter and you will give me a carry-on bag of $100,000 with the promise that Miguel Vega calls off his killers. Do you understand?”

Chapter Sixty-eight

The row boat glided quietly over the water. Close to shore, thick tree trunks and overhanging limbs came into view, along with a dark path that snaked through the woods. Diego pulled the boat onto the shore and helped Juan get out.

“I can do this, Boss. Let me go get your kid.”

“I said no. Shut the fuck up. Stay here and be ready to go when I come back with Becca. You’re a screw-up, Diego, and you’re lucky I haven’t slit your damn throat. If I come back empty-handed, I may do just that.”

Juan Ortiz moved into the woods like a panther, watching, stalking, and waiting. He had the fluid, long-legged gait of the predator he was. He focused on his prey, the innocent little girl inside the house. Holding a flashlight in one hand, he outstretched his arm to ward off unseen obstacles like tree branches, and soon he reached a clearing, the house just up ahead.

As soon as Juan was out of sight, Diego took out his phone and sent a text. He made the sign of the cross, said a prayer, and sat on a rock near the shore.

By the time Juan reached the front porch, he already had his lock pick tools out and swiftly unlocked the door. Creeping inside, he froze until his eyes adjusted to a dim light in the room. The sound of the air conditioning softly hummed as he stood in a spacious living and dining area that led to a kitchen. Scanning the room, he located the stairs to his left and began the climb upstairs.

There were several rooms on the second level, but only one with the door open, a dim light sifting out into the hallway. Peeking around a corner, he saw a small child with long, blond hair sitting with her back to him at a small desk covered with children’s books and toys in front of a window. His little one was awake.

“Becca.” He whispered. The child had no response so he moved a step closer. “Becca?” He repeated, and still no reaction. Did his child have a hearing problem? Stroking her hair, he leaned closer. Her head slammed onto the desk like rock. “What the hell?” It was a doll.

Cameron burst from the closet and launched himself into Juan’s body, slamming him hard against the wall. Juan recovered, sprung to his feet and with a well-placed kick, knocked the weight-bearing leg out from under Cameron and he went down. Robynn was a flash before Juan’s eyes as she sent a kick to his groin, and pulled out her weapon as he moaned with pain.

Robynn shouted, “Police! Freeze!”

Juan ignored her, lowered his right shoulder and charged, sending the gun flying and slamming Robynn against a crib. By the time Cameron managed to struggle to his feet, Juan had swiped at his ribs with a lethal-looking knife. The front of his shirt reddening with a gush of blood, Cameron kicked the knife out of Juan’s hand.

Juan rushed into the hallway with Robynn close behind. She planted her foot in the middle of his back and gave him a solid shove down the stairs. His body tumbled like a rag doll, ripping flesh, tearing muscle, and breaking bones.

He landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, with Carly and Brody waiting for him. He struggled to get up, but Carly pressed her booted foot hard on his chest while Brody flicked on the light.

“Hello, Juan,” said Carly. “Remember me?”

Epilogue

One Year Later

As celebrations go, this was the happiest in Chase family history. All the ugliness in their past had been erased by months of joy.

Fingering his wedding ring, Cameron thought about Robynn and had no desire to be anywhere but right here at this very moment. Filled with love, he watched the arrival of their guests. First to arrive were Michael and Anne Brandt along with their twins, Michael Jr. and Melissa. Next came Lane and Frankie Hanson with their children, Ashley and Tim. Sheriff Tim Brennan with his wife Megan arrived and quickly gathered their grandchildren into their arms.

Gabe set out the last of the folding chairs under the tent, while Robynn and Kaitlyn were upstairs dressing Becca and putting finishing touches on her long hair. In a lavender floral dress, Ellie chirped with amusement as she played fetch with Godiva in the yard. Brody and Carly, in their Sunday best, dodged balloons and streamers as they brought out the sheet cake and punch bowl.

Michael pulled Cameron aside. “I was talking to a judge buddy of mine the other day.”

“Is that right?”

“I told him how you captured an FBI Most Wanted fugitive and foiled a kidnapping using a resuscitation doll. I still laugh when I think about it. Talk about a brilliant plan.”

A broad smile creased Cameron’s face. “We’re just glad it worked. Juan Ortiz’s trial comes up next month, and I’m hoping for a life term, locked away where he can keep his misery to himself.”

“What about his mother, Juanita?”

“We were happy to give her a ride from the airport straight to jail. She is also awaiting trial.”

“To change the subject, Anne and I are honored to be here today for your vows and celebration. Most people are satisfied with signing the paperwork with a judge. Glad you and Robynn went the extra step.”

Robynn—with the girls in hand—motioned Cameron to step forward to start the adoption ceremony. As their guests watched from their seats, they formed a circle, held hands. Each had something to say.

Cameron spoke first. “We invited all of you here today to join our celebration.”

He turned to the girls. “We are so happy that you are our daughters, Ellie and Becca. We promise to do our best to be good parents and keep you safe and protect you. We will be here to listen to you.”

Robynn cleared her throat and chased away a tear streaming down her face, then began. “We will be here to guide you when life is hard or confusing. We will cheer you on and celebrate your victories. We will learn from the love that God has for His children, and we will do our best to love you that same way.”

Ellie pulled Becca to her side and urged her to speak.

“We are happy you are our mommy and daddy,” said Becca.

“We promise to always be a part of this family,” Ellie added.

Kaitlyn rushed to the front with her camera to get a shot of the two little girls as they turned around to face their guests. Each had a sign hanging around her neck that read: “I belong to the Chase Family, and they belong to me.”

Acknowledgements

My sincere appreciation goes to Lt. Adrian Youngblood of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, who generously gave his time to answer my questions and review the book for police procedural accuracy.

A warm thank you to my editor, Vicki Braun.

Much appreciation goes to the Beta Reader Team who devoted their personal time to review each page of this book: Gail Goodenough, Barrie MacLauchlin, Lisa Jackson, Tammy Richardson, Mona Kekstadt, Sylvia Smith, Carly Maitlen-Long, and Karen Golden-Dible.

Congratulations to Mary Hesselgesser-Wright, Sandy Galloway and Phoebe Weitzel who have characters named after them in this book by winning the “Name the Character” drawing.

Finally, I want to express my appreciation to my daughter, Melissa, my family, friends, readers, and street team. Without their encouragement and support, this book would not have been possible.

Dear Reader:

If you liked
Profile of Fear
, I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy this book too by recommending it to your friends, family and book clubs by writing an honest, positive review.

If you do write a review, please send me an email at
[email protected]
. I’d like to add you to my e-newsletter list so that you can get updates about upcoming releases first, be eligible for drawings for prizes, and get free ebook alerts.

Thank you.

Alexa Grace

P.S. If you should find a mistake, please notify me. I always strive to write the best book possible and use a team of beta readers as well as an editor prior to publication. But goofs slip through. If something slipped past us, please let me know by writing to me at
[email protected]
. Thank you.

The Profile Series by Alexa Grace

Profile of Evil

Carly Stone is a brilliant FBI agent who’s seen more than her share of evil. Leaving the agency, she becomes a consultant for Indiana County Sheriff Brody Chase, who needs her profiling skills to catch an online sex predator who is luring preteen girls to their death in his community.

A life hangs in the balance, and the two rushes stop the most terrifying killer of their careers—and time is running out.

Profile of Terror

Social media sites are the playground for twin sexual predators and are the last stops for three young women. When an ex-girlfriend goes missing, Private Investigator Gabe Chase is obsessed with finding her. Once her lifeless body is discovered, her gorgeous and accusing older sister is the distraction Gabe doesn’t need as the body count increases and he hunts down the killers.

Profile of Retribution

For their parents, the nightmare didn’t stop after Evan and Devan Lucas snuffed out the lives of seven victims for fun. It was just beginning. At a support group, the families of the women murdered by the Lucas twins gather to tell their stories, share their anger and grief, as they move toward a new normal.

For one member of the group, an obsession for payback drove his days and nights. He pledged to make Bradley and Tisha Lucas pay for the crimes of their sons. It was a pledge he was determined to keep. He’d make them suffer, just as their sons’ victims had. Those who spawn monsters shall be judged, shall be condemned. Retribution would be his.

Other Books by Alexa Grace

From
USA TODAY
Bestselling Author Alexa Grace,
The Deadly Series
, four books with non-stop suspense and a healthy dose of toe-curling passion will have you holding your breath from the first page to the last.

Deadly Offerings – Book One

Anne Mason thinks she’ll be safe living in the Midwest living on a wind farm left to her by her ex’s mother. She may be dead wrong. Someone is dumping bodies in her corn field and telling Anne they are gifts—for her! And how can she be falling in love with the hot attorney who represented her ex-husband in their divorce proceedings?

Deadly Deception – Book Two

Enter the disturbing world of illegal adoptions, baby trafficking and murder with new detective Lane Hansen and private investigator Frankie Douglas. Going undercover as husband and wife, Lane and Frankie struggle to keep their relationship strictly professional as their sizzling passion threatens to burn out of control. Can they keep passion in control long enough to take down two murderers?

Deadly Relations – Book Three

Detective Jennifer Brennan, still haunted by her abduction five years before, devotes her life to serve and protect others. Love is the last thing on her mind, but will it find her after three young women go missing and are found murdered on her watch and she vows to find the killer—or die trying.

Deadly Holiday – Book Four

If you liked
Deadly Offerings
,
Deadly Deception
and
Deadly Relations
, you’ll LOVE this nail-biting, holiday-themed novella where the characters return to search for a lost boy, fight breast cancer, deal with the personal financial impact of a bad economy, and seek a Christmas miracle.

Alexa Grace’s Deadly Boxed Set