by PJ Fernor
“Nate!” Mayor Jim cried out.
I looked at the middle of the floor and saw blood.
“Where is he?” Lizzy asked.
“Nate,” Mayor Jim said, his knees buckling.
He crawled to the middle of the floor where there were chains.
But nobody else was there.
I had no idea what to say.
I could only just take in what I was looking at.
Next to the chains, there was a lot of blood.
And a thumb…
Mayor Jim reached for his brother’s thumb and a portion of his hand.
Mayor Jim looked back at me with a sick look on his face.
My eyes moved to the window.
It was wide open.
Nate somehow cut - or chewed - off a portion of his own hand to escape.
Epilogue
They can’t stop me.
Even if my own flesh and blood wants to turn on me.
Never before has brother Jim done this to me.
He’s taken me to the cabin for a night. A day.
Only a few times did he need to use the chains to keep me calm.
But to stay that long?
I knew something was wrong.
I knew he was up to no good.
Brother Jim wants me in jail. He wants me to suffer. He wants me to go to jail and never kill again.
I keep running.
The blood runs down my hand.
I have my hand wrapped in my shirt.
That’s not helping one bit.
Now I’m missing a thumb.
I can survive this.
I just need to get to a hospital.
They will stitch me up in no time.
When they ask what happened, I’ll tell them an animal attacked me. Or better yet… a human attacked me. That would explain the bite marks in my skin.
I stop running and realize I have blood on my mouth.
I lick my lips and taste the blood.
Quickly, I lean down and wipe my mouth the best I can.
Nobody needs to know I chewed my own thumb off to escape the chains my brother put me in.
What kind of brother does such a thing?
Brother Jim and I had been getting along so great too.
He understood me. He never judged me.
All the years he’s helped me… for this? Just to sell me out right now?
I started to run again.
My legs feel weak though.
They’re tingling.
I know it’s the blood loss.
I just have to keep going.
I’ve gotten far enough from the cabin that I don’t worry about brother Jim and the cops finding me. They won’t have any idea where I am.
I just need to keep going.
I need a doctor. I need stitches. I need some water.
“Keep going, Nate,” I pep talk myself.
A few steps later, I fall.
I turn and my shoulder takes the brunt of the fall.
My head hits the pavement.
I see twinkling stars behind my eyes but they fade.
Now I can’t move.
I just feel throbbing in my hand.
Someone needs to help me. Someone needs to find me.
So I can get patched up.
My eyes slowly shut.
I need help.
I’m not done killing yet.
What’s next?
What is in store for Detective Allie Down? And Detective Ben Welloski? And Detective Lizzy Cold?
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ONLY TIME WILL TELL.
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Be sure to stay in touch on my site (or social media) to find out what comes next!
There’s a killer on the run.
Mayor Jim can’t believe how bad things have gotten.
He’s in cuffs, behind bars, and no longer willing to talk.
Now Allie Down faces maybe the wildest case of her career…
(Stay up to date on my site at PJFernor.com)
Free Book Offer
Did you know there’s a novel that takes place before Allie returns to Sandemor? Titled DOWN THE BASEMENT, the book follows Allie as she’s a city police officer desperate to become a detective.
A young girl goes missing in broad daylight… Allie is told to stay away from the case… but she doesn’t listen.
She catches the kidnapper. But there’s one problem.
He won’t tell Allie - or anyone - where the girl he kidnapped is…
Sign up to my readers only mailing list to download your free copy of DOWN BASEMENT!
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CLICK HERE NOW!
About the Author
PJ Fernor lives in just about the same 'sleepy town' as Allie Down. PJ's hobbies are reading mystery, crime, thriller, and romantic suspense novels, along with watching crime shows, and listening to crime podcasts. As a kid, PJ could be found with a notebook, a pen, and always off to find an adventure or crime to solve. And when most days resulted in no crime to solve, that's when PJ started writing.
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The Allie Down series comes to you in order of publication date:
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WAY DOWN THERE
DOWN THE DRAIN
DOWN TO THE WIRE
LETTING YOU DOWN
DOWN FOR THE COUNT
DOWN TO THE BONE
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. (This also includes the cover image and/or cover model(s) appearing on the cover. The context of this book does not in any way depict the personal life of said cover model(s). Image is licensed and used purely for fictional purpose only.)
First electronic edition October 2021
Copyright © 2021 by PJ FERNOR
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part of any form.
Copyright image iStock/DepositPhotos/SHUTTERSTOCK/ADOBE IMAGES
Copyright cover Cosmic Letters