Drag Them Down: The Falling of an Angel

By Sarah Knipe

Daniel Spencer lives a charmed life in his hometown of Broken Hill, Australia. He enjoys the support and friendship of his large extended family, the satisfaction of a high-paying job, and the love of Amy, his wonderful girlfriend. As he prepares to propose, he knows that his life will change in ways he could never imagine. He has no idea how right he is.

At a family gathering, Daniel proposes, and Amy says yesonly to watch his world shatter as masked gunmen murder every member of his family in front of him, including his new fiance. Even though he alone escapes with his life, something else has died in himand something else is born in its place.

Now Daniel must decide just how far he will go to avenge his lost family, his lost future, his lost love. In Broken Hill, things are no longer as they seem. The night hides darker secrets than most can imagine. When night drowns the city, hell comes out to play. What will emerge from the cracks in the earth to drag the light and life from the residents of this once-peaceful town?

Welcome to Broken Hill.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Feb 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452508948

Sarah Knipe

Sarah Knipe was born in the Australian Capital Territory, moved to Western Australia as a teen, and began to work as an automotive mechanic apprentice. She completed her apprenticeship in two and a half years and now works as an automotive technician for Lexus.

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Copyright © 2013 Sarah Knipe

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Balboa Press rev. date: 02/06/2013

Contents

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

I clasp my hands around his throat and pull my fingers into his veins. If God could not help me, then I will help myself. I will walk with shadows as they chase the feared. I will never fear death again. For I am death.

—Saint Lucifer, serial killer

Acknowledgement

I’d like to thank my all my family, friends and everyone at my work, for everything. I would also like to thank all the crew at Balboa Press for making this book happen.

Chapter 1

T he sunlight frayed between the blinds in their bedroom. The radio on the nightstand clicked over to seven o’clock in the morning. In news, Broken Hill’s mayor, Stacy Lee, made comments on the drug ring in the inner city—

I’m sick of the government, said Amy as she reached back from the radio.

That’s only ’cos you’re smarter than them, said Daniel, slowly waking up.

Amy chuckled. And don’t you forget. She grabbed her pillow and hit him with it.

After the second hit, Daniel sat up and took it off her. Amy couldn’t help but laugh. Daniel pulled Amy into his arms. Daniel smiled and kissed her. I love you, he said as he pulled back.

I know, she said softly. Daniel fell back down into bed like a bag of bricks. Amy raised an eyebrow and then leaned into his ear. I’m going to have a shower now, she whispered. She got up and started to undress on her way to the bathroom. Daniel popped his head up from the pillow, watching her. She turned back as he jumped out of bed and both rushed to the shower.

After their shower, Amy got dressed and went to make breakfast as Daniel stayed in the bathroom to shave.

A bit later, he came out of the bedroom while buttoning up his white shirt. He could smell eggs and onions frying in a pan. Amy was at the kitchen bench cutting up chives for her omelette. Daniel walked up to Amy and wrapped his arm around her.

You do know I’m holding a knife, she said as she chuckled.

You wouldn’t know what to do with it, he said with a sigh.

Oh yeah? She dropped the knife on the cutting board and turned to him. His blue eyes met with her green eyes as she ran her hand through his short, black hair. He leaned in closer and kissed her. I could stay like this forever, she thought.

As they started to get into it a bit more, a buzzing noise from Daniel’s pocket pulled him away for her.

Well, that was quick, she said jokingly.

Daniel sighed as he pulled his phone out and looked at the caller ID. Chris, he said with a sigh. Hi, man. What’s up? . . . Uh huh . . . Uh huh. But it’s Saturday, man . . . Fine, I’ll see you soon.

Daniel sighed and looked at Amy with puppy dog eyes.

Oh just go. She waved him off.

You’re the best, he said as he kissed her on the cheek and left.

It was a half-hour drive to Chris’s house. It was located on the other side of Broken Hill, just on the edge of the inner city. The inner city was full of towering buildings that watched over the cold, concrete land. The outer city, where Daniel lived, was all housing: small, old, bricked shops and heavy, gated schools. It surrounded the inner city most of the way and then cut off at a lake that ran up to Sydney.

Broken Hill was known for only one thing everywhere else: its prison. Gated between Broken Hill to the rest of the state was a prison that stretched along most of the south and west part of the city. It was the biggest prison in the world. It was also the most high-tech prison around. Its light-grey stone walls housed the most dangerous people in Australia. No one had ever escaped, and Broken Hill’s people were told that no one ever would.

Daniel was born here and had only known this place alone. In a strange way, he always felt safe seeing the prison’s peaks—it felt like no one could get to him.

As he got to the halfway point of the drive, he passed his work. Linkin Tower stood between Broken Hill Bank and Basewood Tower (owned by some rich bastard). Linkin was a healthcare company that the