veldabrotherton
amazon
Category:
Mystery/Suspense
A cult uses its membership steal and sell children. Dal and Jessie go undercover to save the children being held.
If there is a cult operating in the wilderness, it’s possible they are using children to do their dirty work for several have been seen stealing valuable items. A local family reports their daughter missing, and left behind is the curious symbol of a masked rising moon. The cult has gone a step farther in its efforts to procure children.
Dal and Jessie go on a dangerous journey to bring the cult leaders down, one that puts their lives in peril. Don’t miss this action packed fourth book in the upcoming Twist of Poe Series Mask of the Rising Moon, due in May, 2017.
With Dallas Starr missing and the sheriff coming under suspicion for taking bribes from a local cult, things are turned upside down in Cedarton. The substitute sheriff is not liked, the deputies struggle to keep law enforcement in line and reporter Jessie West sets out to prove Sheriff Mac innocent of the impending charges. Things start looking up when Dal gets the news and returns to help clear his old friend.
A cult operating in the wilderness may be a cover-up for the trafficking of children. A county-wide search gets underway involving US Marshals, the FBI and local mountain climber Nick Snow, along with Dal and Jessie. All embark on a dangerous journey to bring the cult leaders down, one that puts their lives in peril.
Excerpt
“I need to let them find me and drag me back to the compound,” Jessie said. “It’s the only way we can get someone behind enemy lines.” She stared first at Nick then at Dal. “It won’t work if it’s one of you. I can sneak in, find my camera and phone, maybe even the backpack, then make too much noise and get caught.”
“Behind enemy lines? Really. What do you know about being behind enemy lines?” It was Nick’s turn to stare. “Just what are you going to do then?”
“She’s not doing anything then cause she’s not going in there.” Dal took her shoulders firmly in both hands. “We’ll think of something else. I don’t want you doing this. It’s too dangerous.”
“Only if I do something stupid. Think of the story I can write once we pull this off.”
He didn’t turn her loose. “Don’t do this for a story, Jesse. I think you learned your lesson that way.”
The look he got would’ve singed his eyebrows and he let go of her fast. Held up his hands. “Okay, sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” What could he say to stop her?
“What am I missing here?” Nick glanced from Dal to Jessie, then back again.
“Never mind, Nick. It’s just an old argument neither of us can win. You said you were working on an idea. What is it?”
“Well, it didn’t include her putting herself in danger. Besides, we have to remember something. What if these people aren’t doing anything illegal? What if these kids belong to them, either fosters or by birth? We go in there and drag them out, then we’re the ones ending up in jail. We need to verify that they stole the kids.”
“But the kids did break the law. Can’t we just drag them out and hold them, charge them with shoplifting or something?” Jessie eyed the two men.
She wanted in on the action for her story. He wanted to hogtie her to a damned tree. Anything to keep her out of danger. Why did she always do this to him? Get him close with all that love talk, then get right back on the same old horse. Anything for a story. Shit. He ought to just walk away and let the two of them do as they pleased.
But then she gave him one of those looks that usually led to a wild romp wherever they happened to be and of course, he melted. Well, not really. What he did was yell at her.
“No way are you going into that compound alone and kicking ass with that little gun of yours. Getting killed is what you’d get and I won’t have it.”
She swelled up like a toad, but he refused to take a word of it back.
Nick got in on the act then. “Okay, guys. Let’s think this out some more. I don’t want you going in there alone either. Dal is right. Hell, not any one of us has any business going in there alone. We’re outmanned and outgunned. This isn’t a damned movie. So let’s think this over some more.”
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