Seth’s human trafficking operation grows; Af’s thirst for vengeance takes on a life of its own; and Raphael brings in a new psychic and a very special Primani. Here’s a small taste!
THE ADIRONDACKS WERE MAGICAL in the fall. Okay, so maybe magical wasn’t exactly correct, but they were something special to see. FBI Special Agent Kyrie Staal gazed out of the car window as the brilliant reds and oranges blurred past. She loved this part of New York. After her father’s death, her mother moved her and her sisters to the house in the Catskills. Growing up in the mountains was good for her. Good for all of them. They’d learned to appreciate the simple things like family and homegrown food. Busy building her career, she hadn’t noticed how much she’d missed her old life. Her cookie-cutter apartment in Albany just had no soul. She secretly yearned for the soft patter of rain on the old cabin’s roof. Maybe she needed to take a few days off and go visit her mother. All work and no play made this country girl cranky. Bitchy, even.
Her partner interrupted her musing with another dry comment. “Plattsburgh. I’m still shaking my head over this. Out of all the places on the east coast, why would our perps pick that city to set up operations? Makes no sense to me. It’s so out of the way. Who goes to Plattsburgh for sex parties?”
Jaren Christiano was in charge. He was five years more experienced than she so he got to call the plays. In his mind, that also meant he got to drive. For today’s trip out of Albany, he couldn’t resist uncovering his Porsche 911 Turbo. The gleaming silver machine purred its way up I87 like a jaguar on the prowl. The powerful engine hummed from her toes to her, um, more delicate tissues. She allowed the faint vibrations to wash over her and gave in to the lull. There was time for a nap.
With eyes at half-mast, she murmured, “It’s not so surprising. It’s close to the Canadian border and that’s where they’re bringing the girls across. They’re using it as a way station while they’re getting the girls ready for sale. They have easy access to Lake Champlain if they want to transport them by boat.” She paused for a second before adding, “Surely it’s not an actual sex party. People don’t really do that, do they? Maybe I’m naive, but I’m picturing drinks and awkward conversation before the auction begins.”
They were posing as a wealthy couple who was into the criminal side of kink. After six months of careful maneuvering, they’d managed to snag an invitation to an exclusive showing with option to sample or buy on site. The merchandise? Young women brought in from all over. Billed as exotics they were grabbed from Asia and South America and sold to perverts all over the country. They were finally closing in on the leaders who set up the operation. Their informant promised they would be here tonight. Kyrie couldn’t wait to arrest those monsters. Deep down, she was secretly hoping one of them would shoot at her so she could take him out.
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