Fire and Lies - Book 2: Riley Reid Mysteries, #2

By Jamie Garrett

RILEY REID MYSTERIES Volume 2 - You should read Book 1 first.

Fire and Lies is a novella of approximately 100 pages (25,000 words).

Private Investigator Riley Reid is determined to uncover the truth about an outbreak of strange fires in her home town of Stone Harbor, Virginia.

When the local church burns down, Riley is called in to help with the investigation. It soon becomes apparent that the blaze was no accident. But, how they were set and by whom? All the while more buildings are put to flame.

During her investigations, Riley finds a new lead on the whereabouts of her birth parents, and attracts the attentions of dangerous men. Men whose attentions can be deadly.

Nobody can be trusted, and no one is above suspicion. Join Riley and find out who the bad guys are, before they find you first.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamie Garrett
• Release date: Feb 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781502213693

Book preview

Chapters

Chapters

Prologue: Crescent Moon

Date Night

Pressure

Heresy

Comfort

Independence Day

A Close Call

Firebird

Repetition

Metal Works

Homecoming

Sun Burnt

A Little Elbow Grease

Shell Shocked

Pine Lane

The Chase

Under Questioning

Hash Browns and Coffee

Epilogue: One Last Look

About the Author

Prologue: Crescent Moon

Off the highway in Barbour County, West Virginia, was a run down, dingy motel called the Crescent Moon. It was the sort of place where you’d bring home bedbugs if you were lucky, and crabs if you weren’t. Only half of the rooms were in good enough shape to actually be rented out.

Most people didn’t even notice the Crescent Moon Motel’s existence. From the road it almost looked abandoned. There was a sign out front that advertised the place. Half the neon lights were out. A cartoon drawing of a crescent moon with a face was more creepy than inviting.

The only people who stayed at the Crescent Moon Motel were up to no good. Husbands would cheat on their wives with prostitutes or mistresses. Addicts would get rooms in order to go on uninterrupted benders. It was also a haven for people on the run, people like Troy and Dana Reid.

It was August 10, 2001, and the Reids had a desperate desire not to be found. The people after them were not reasonable people. There was no making up with them. There would be no deals. If they were discovered, they’d be killed.

Understandably, Troy was nervous. Every couple of minutes he’d look out the window. His eyes darted around in the dark. He made sure to get a room that looked out on the highway. That way, he’d see anyone coming. There was no access to the Crescent Moon other than the entrance. Behind the motel was swamp land.

Relax, they’re not going to find us, said Dana. She was lying on the lone bed.

Shut up, said Troy, calmly.

They probably forgot about us. Hell, it’s not like they’re going to miss it. Why would they waste their time coming after us?

Troy knew it wasn’t his wife talking but the pills. But it was irritating nonetheless. Of course, they’re coming after us! You don’t do what we did and just go free!

You’re just being paranoid.

And you’re just high. Now would you please shut the fuck up?

Dana sighed and rolled over.

Troy kept his eyes on the entrance and parking lot. Sitting on the nightstand behind him were two guns. One was a Glock with a full clip. The other was a .22 caliber pistol. He had gotten them from a pawn shop before leaving Virginia.

A mile away on the highway, two black SUVs headed towards the Crescent Moon Motel. Inside of them were five men. All of them were armed with submachine guns and shotguns. Each man was prepared to do some killing.

When they reached the motel, they turned their headlights off. They were attempting to be stealthy. But Troy still saw them.

Get up! Troy retrieved the Glock. He tried to get his wife up.

Why? asked Dana. She was already half asleep.

They’re here!

Dana sat up suddenly. What?

Troy checked to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber of his gun. They found us!

What are we gonna do? Dana spiraled quickly into a panic. She darted around the room.

Get your gun! We don’t have any choice. We’re gonna have to shoot our way out.

Dana stopped and gave him a sideways look. Shoot our way out? Are you crazy? Do you think you’re some kind of action hero?

Do you have any better ideas? asked Troy as he started stacking objects from the room on top of the air conditioner under the window. If you do, I’m all ears.

Yeah, we run! We run so far that they’ll never find us. Dana started to help her husband barricade the window.

There’s only one way out, baby, and that’s through them. Troy had forgotten about the window in the bathroom that led to the swampy lands behind the Crescent Moon.

The men got out of their SUVs. They took position behind the vehicles and pointed their weapons towards the Reids’ room. One of the men, a middle -Hispanic man, started yelling out to them.

We know you’re in there! C’mon out and you won’t be harmed! All we want is for you to give us back what you stole! Again, come out and we won’t hurt you! The man stood in front of one of the SUVs to make sure that he was seen. Even though he insisted on peace, he had a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in his hands.

One of the housekeepers emerged out of the room next to Troy and Dana’s. She saw the men with guns and screamed.

¡Vete de aquí! said the shotgun-toting man.

The housekeeper left her cart of cleaning supplies behind and ran for it.

The man turned his attention back to the Reids. You have ‘til the count of five. Then we start shooting! He joined his fellow thugs behind the SUVs.

One! Troy and Dana finished their little barricade.

Two! Dana propped the lone chair in the motel room behind the door, under the door knob. It was meant to stop anyone from opening it.

Three! The couple kissed each other.

I wish I could see our daughter’s face, just one more time. I wish I could hear her voice, said Dana. She started to tear up.

It’s probably for the best, replied Troy.

Four! Troy and Dana aimed their guns through the small cracks in their makeshift barricade.

Light em’ up! yelled the Hispanic man.

The men behind the SUVs began shooting at the room. All that gunfire was deafening. Troy returned fire, looking over briefly at Dana. His wife seemed a little shocked by the chaos. Pieces of their barricade went flying.

It wasn’t long before the flimsy barricade completely fell apart. Troy tried his best to stand his ground. A bullet to one of his hands not only made him drop his gun but sent him into a retreat.

There was just too much firepower for the Reids to deal with. Within minutes, they were lying on the floor next to the air conditioner. The thin walls of the motel room put up very little resistance to the submachine guns and shotguns.

Dana crawled to check on her injured husband. It wasn’t a serious injury but enough to make holding a gun with that hand impossible.

I’m going in, said the Hispanic, shotgun-toting man. His compatriots stopped firing but kept their guns trained on the motel room.

Warily, the Hispanic man approached the room. Inside the Reids were falling back to the bathroom. Troy went first. He saw the window. Making sure to stay quiet, he showed Dana the prospective escape route. Then they heard the sound of someone stepping on broken glass.

Dana motioned for Troy to go out the window. She intended on following him. But when she saw the shotgun toting man trying to open the front door she stopped. It became obvious that both of them weren’t going to get away before he got inside. Maybe it was a new found sense of courage, maybe it was love or maybe it was the drugs. She was going to make a stand.

The man gave up on the door and decided to climb through the broken window. As soon as he appeared on the other side of what was once a window, he saw Dana standing there with her gun pointed straight at him. Before he could duck or fire back, she let off two shots. One missed and the second hit him in the eye. He died instantly.

C’mon! Dana! Troy was outside. He stuck his head through the bathroom window in an attempt to get his wife’s attention.

She turned and smiled at him. Tears were running down her face. It was the end, and she knew it. Dana was tired of running.