Fatal Mission
Book 5 in the Jade Pearson Mystery Series 1
A dead person with a bullet wound to his head is found on Camden’s pier. The rainstorm has washed away any possible evidence. Jade must use any remaining clues to find out who the victim is and who killed him.
The victim had a Reines du Feu or the Queens of Fire tattoo on his ankle. Jade is convinced it has to do something with the gang that has been threatening her while she worked the last four cases.
She is still getting threats to stay away from it all, but Jade is not the one to be scared away easily. But is it worth putting her life in danger to get to the bottom of this mystery even though it has been bothering her for quite some time now?
Fatal Mission
Book 5 in the Jade Pearson Mystery Series 1
Fatal Mission
EXCERPT
Prologue
It was going past two in the morning and Vince McKinny was ready to get some sleep. He was tired from work and dripping wet from being in the bay. The wind was rough tonight making it nearly impossible to walk back to his apartment without getting water splashed all over him. That was the risk he took living right on the bay. It wasn’t the best place to live, but the housing was cheap, and he shared his apartment with a few friends. Together they had just enough to live a decent life, and he didn’t mind it.
The streetlamps were out, as was much of the town’s power. A big storm was waging overhead; the wind had no doubt taken out more than one utility pole tonight. Vince was just thankful that it hadn’t started raining yet. Of course, it wouldn’t matter much given how wet he already was.
Electricity crackled in the sky above and the whitecaps on the bay were immeasurably loud. They crashed into the pier and boardwalk in front of Vince’s apartment, sweeping water all over the sidewalk, and even into the apartment door. Vince stayed back until the water receded and then continued to walk toward his apartment building. If his phone wasn’t almost dead, he would’ve called his friends to turn on the lights. It was dark and difficult to see. Vince was barely able to navigate the walk despite being familiar with the terrain.
A surge of water rushed around his ankles and swept Vince off of his feet. He felt the water creep up his back as he sunk further into it. He dug his palms into the pavement and tried desperately to look for a hold, but he couldn’t find one. He felt himself get swept out across the boardwalk and down closer to the edge. Soon enough, there was nothing beneath him and he began falling into the bay. Searching with his fingers, he found purchase on the very edge of the boardwalk. Digging his fingers into the ledge, he dangled dangerously off the edge. The waters rising up around him soaked him to the bone. Vince felt the pull around him, dragging him out into the bay, but resisted. When the next surge of water came up, he used the momentum to lift himself back up onto the boardwalk.
Breathless, Vince crawled away from the edge then frantically backed up against the nearest building. His hands were scraped up and he was freezing cold. Even if he hadn’t been wet, it was still near the end of October, and things were getting frosty. It was a wonder that the bay hadn’t started to freeze over.
To be sure he was okay, Vince took out his phone and using the camera shone a light on his hands, taking turns to hold the phone in each hand. He was checking his face when he saw a shadow loom up on the wall behind him.
“No! Wait!” Vince yelled.
But it was too late. The bullet had left the chamber and Vince’s brain matter and blood were already being washed away by the tumbling waves. The shadow crept away into the night as it began to pour, sure that no one had heard the shot over the raging storm. Their job was done and it was time to move on.
END OF EXCERPT