Persist: The Evangeline Series, #1

By Astrid Aurelius

"A razor-sharp, ultra-cool, gritty hero ignites this worthy tale." --Kirkus Reviews

 

Persist has been recognized as a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree by IndieBRAG and was a Finalist in the Independent Author Network Book of the Year awards.

 

Sam was laid off from her job just as she had a breakthrough on a strange case she was assigned regarding the disappearance of four hikers. This twist of fate comes with a silver lining: a new job opportunity as a field agent with a well-known government contracting firm, The Baxter Group; a role that would allow her to continue her work on the case of the missing hikers. Being a field agent is her dream job—the job she's spent years grooming herself for—but she must prove herself first in an extensive training environment.

Benjamin Baxter, the Director of Field Operations at The Baxter Group, was a field operative for nine years until his grandfather, John Baxter—the founder and CEO of The Baxter Group—pulled him out of the field and put him in the Director role. Ben resents this new role and craves being in the field again. When the profile for a field operative trainee, Evangeline Grace Sampierre (Sam), comes across his desk, he balks at her lack of experience, but through her finds a way back into the field.

Sam—focused, headstrong, and a recovering social recluse—needs to earn the respect of her would-be boss, Benjamin Baxter. But her stubborn need to always be in control and self-reliant plagues her. She is determined to solve the case of the missing hikers, but can she do it on her own?

Ben—smart, handsome, but painfully aloof—has to navigate his new role as a leader while satisfying his need to be in the field. Will Ben give Sam a chance to prove herself?

Sam and Ben—two people from two different worlds—collide unexpectedly under a shared purpose at Hampton National Forest. What will they learn? How will they grow and change? And to what lengths are they willing to go to get what they want?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Astrid Aurelius
• Release date: Apr 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736695104

Astrid Aurelius

I have been writing casually for years and first discovered a love of writing my senior year in high school. When I went to college, I continued writing in English classes required by my degree plan, which I enjoyed, but opted to major in Accounting because, you know, Accountants have stable careers. I eventually became a CPA…and taught myself how to drink whiskey—those two things might be related. My writing style is pretty conversational; I don’t take myself too seriously. I enjoy writing about things I know like hiking, drinking wine, and being socially awkward. I prefer to write long-hand and type it up later and have been known to write in the bathtub with a full glass of wine handy. I live in Round Rock, Texas with my husband, two kids, and two geriatric pups.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Sam was physically and mentally exhausted when she walked through the front door of her townhome after being dropped off by an Uber. She was looking forward to unpacking and distracting herself from the big problem of being unemployed. As much as she hoped The Baxter Group would hire her, she still needed a contingency plan. She decided on job-searching later that night with a glass of wine in hand. Her phone rang as she tossed her suitcase on her bed. Whoever was calling came up as a private number. Her thumb moved to decline the call, but a strong feeling that she should answer struck her, so she did. This is Sam.

Hello. I’m looking for Evangeline Sampierre. Is she available? a friendly woman’s voice inquired.

This is she.

I’m calling from The Baxter Group. We are happy with your résumé and would love to interview you. Would you be available on Monday?

Sam’s eyes went wide. Oh! Monday? Yes, ma’am. I’m available all day.

Great. I’m going to send you an email with your appointment time and location, and who you should expect to meet at your interview.

Sam thanked her, and they said their goodbyes. She smiled as she tapped out a text to Jim, telling him the good news.

Relieved, she unpacked her things, took her laptop downstairs, and turned it on. A large glass of Sangiovese—her favorite wine—in hand, she sat and opened her inbox, seeking and quickly spotting the email she was looking for. Her interview would be mid-morning with Jackson Jones and Meera Varadan at The Baxter Group headquarters. She pulled up the address of the building, which happened to be right next to the National Arboretum. Nice! she commented.

She then familiarized herself with the company, reading a short bio about the founder and CEO, John Baxter. She looked at his picture and decided that he had a kind face. He was with the CIA for many years, then eventually was appointed as Director, a role he served in for five years, and through a change of administration, which was relatively unheard of. Her eyes fell on another Baxter name on the page: Benjamin A. Baxter. She clicked on his name, which pulled up his bio page.

The picture was still loading when she read his brief biography, which explained that he was the Director of Field Operations, having served as an operative for nine years before being put in charge of the division. His picture finally loaded, and her eyes pivoted back to it. He was younger than she expected; she guessed mid-thirties. He had a handsome face with dark brown-almost-black hair and light eyes, but his smile in the picture looked forced. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had been in a bad mood when the photo was taken.

Sam clicked around more on the About Us page and read about the company culture, mission statement, client testimonies, relevant news, and other information. They had an excellent reputation among the various agencies they contracted with, which was supported by everything she read.

It didn’t take long for Sam to find the profiles for her interviewers on LinkedIn and she started reading to better familiarize herself with them.

Jackson Jones had a cheerful face with a bright smile, deep bronze skin and close-cropped black hair. Before coming to The Baxter Group, he had been a Navy SEAL and worked as a detective for the NYPD after he retired from the Navy.

Meera Varadan’s picture featured her wearing a beautiful, traditional sari. She was born and raised in Calcutta and came to the United States to attend Columbia, where she got multiple degrees in criminal justice, global studies, jurisprudence, and philosophy. Before coming to The Baxter Group, she had served in an advisory role for several years for a prominent congressman seeking a presidential nomination during her tenure. Sam read her profile with raised eyebrows, suddenly feeling painfully