Ultimate Fear (Book 2 Ultimate CORE) (CORE Series) by Kristine Mason Page A
Authors: Kristine Mason
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laptop.
“Then why are you still here?”
I want my wife back.
Chapter 4
“I WANT YOU to tell me more about this case.” Dante settled his big body in the folding chair, and tapped the empty chair next to his. “Sit. Show me Rachel’s program.”
Jessica momentarily closed her eyes and wished she hadn’t opened her big mouth. She didn’t want him here. Her crappy apartment was one place that didn’t remind her of Dante. She didn’t want the scent of him lingering behind and making her ache for something she couldn’t have. Well, she probably could have sex with him, but she needed more than that. She longed to have him hold her, make her forget and, at the same time, give her strength, give her a reason to wake up in the morning. Greeting the day had become harder and harder. Between her job as a homicide detective and her side investigations into the disappearances of children, she’d surrounded herself with darkness. There was no longer a bright light, no longer anything to look forward to, only death and the understanding that happiness was a gift that should be embraced and not taken for granted.
“I might be a bitch, but I’m not a dog,” she said, not bothering to hide her irritation. He had no right to insinuate himself in her business. “I’d appreciate if you wouldn’t give me commands.”
He grinned and a teasing glint brightened his dark eyes. “I’m going to refrain from commenting.” He thumbed toward the vacant folding chair. “Would you please sit next to me and show me how Rachel’s program works?”
Because she was rather proud of what she’d discovered, and because she could use an extra set of eyes to review what she’d found, she took a seat, pulled the laptop closer and typed in a command. Plus, between Dante’s ability to track and hunt, along with CORE’s resources, he might even help her find a way to catch this serial kidnapper.
“Rachel’s program grabs data from a number of private and government agencies.” She began scrolling through the information on the screen to show him the various agencies. “National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Operation Lookout, Child Watch. Plus, I’ll get alerts from the U.S. Department of Defense, the FBI, Homeland Security and hundreds of state and locals law enforcement.”
“That’s… Hell, Jessica, you could spend every waking hour going through all of this. Tens of thousands of kids go missing every year.”
Didn’t she know? “It’s worth it to me, and to the parents I’ve helped.”
“You’ve found missing kids? That’s…I had no idea. I’m really proud of you.”
“Thanks,” she said, sadness settling in her heart. “Unfortunately, those kids were found deceased.”
“But at least the families have an answer, even if it wasn’t the one they were hoping for.”
Bringing closure to those families had been rewarding, but short-lived. Finding the kids only to discover they’d been murdered had been heartbreaking, and had muddied her hopes of ever locating her daughter.
Don’t go there .
“Anyway, you’re right. I could spend hours going through the massive number of missing children, but Rachel has the program set so that the alerts I receive are for a certain age range—infant to age seven. I wish I had the time to look into every case I come across, but I’m specifically looking for cases that have similarities to ours.”
“Sophia’s, or the serial kidnapper?”
She stared at the screen. “You know exactly what case I’m referring to.” Dante had been right last night. She couldn’t say their daughter’s name, she couldn’t even think it. He had no problem. For him, remembering their child and the joy she’d brought them was his way of celebrating the time they’d had with her, a way of keeping her memory alive. For her, remembering her, acknowledging her by name reminded her of everything they’d lost. Their daughter and their marriage.
Although at this point they
“Then why are you still here?”
I want my wife back.
Chapter 4
“I WANT YOU to tell me more about this case.” Dante settled his big body in the folding chair, and tapped the empty chair next to his. “Sit. Show me Rachel’s program.”
Jessica momentarily closed her eyes and wished she hadn’t opened her big mouth. She didn’t want him here. Her crappy apartment was one place that didn’t remind her of Dante. She didn’t want the scent of him lingering behind and making her ache for something she couldn’t have. Well, she probably could have sex with him, but she needed more than that. She longed to have him hold her, make her forget and, at the same time, give her strength, give her a reason to wake up in the morning. Greeting the day had become harder and harder. Between her job as a homicide detective and her side investigations into the disappearances of children, she’d surrounded herself with darkness. There was no longer a bright light, no longer anything to look forward to, only death and the understanding that happiness was a gift that should be embraced and not taken for granted.
“I might be a bitch, but I’m not a dog,” she said, not bothering to hide her irritation. He had no right to insinuate himself in her business. “I’d appreciate if you wouldn’t give me commands.”
He grinned and a teasing glint brightened his dark eyes. “I’m going to refrain from commenting.” He thumbed toward the vacant folding chair. “Would you please sit next to me and show me how Rachel’s program works?”
Because she was rather proud of what she’d discovered, and because she could use an extra set of eyes to review what she’d found, she took a seat, pulled the laptop closer and typed in a command. Plus, between Dante’s ability to track and hunt, along with CORE’s resources, he might even help her find a way to catch this serial kidnapper.
“Rachel’s program grabs data from a number of private and government agencies.” She began scrolling through the information on the screen to show him the various agencies. “National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Operation Lookout, Child Watch. Plus, I’ll get alerts from the U.S. Department of Defense, the FBI, Homeland Security and hundreds of state and locals law enforcement.”
“That’s… Hell, Jessica, you could spend every waking hour going through all of this. Tens of thousands of kids go missing every year.”
Didn’t she know? “It’s worth it to me, and to the parents I’ve helped.”
“You’ve found missing kids? That’s…I had no idea. I’m really proud of you.”
“Thanks,” she said, sadness settling in her heart. “Unfortunately, those kids were found deceased.”
“But at least the families have an answer, even if it wasn’t the one they were hoping for.”
Bringing closure to those families had been rewarding, but short-lived. Finding the kids only to discover they’d been murdered had been heartbreaking, and had muddied her hopes of ever locating her daughter.
Don’t go there .
“Anyway, you’re right. I could spend hours going through the massive number of missing children, but Rachel has the program set so that the alerts I receive are for a certain age range—infant to age seven. I wish I had the time to look into every case I come across, but I’m specifically looking for cases that have similarities to ours.”
“Sophia’s, or the serial kidnapper?”
She stared at the screen. “You know exactly what case I’m referring to.” Dante had been right last night. She couldn’t say their daughter’s name, she couldn’t even think it. He had no problem. For him, remembering their child and the joy she’d brought them was his way of celebrating the time they’d had with her, a way of keeping her memory alive. For her, remembering her, acknowledging her by name reminded her of everything they’d lost. Their daughter and their marriage.
Although at this point they
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