Girl, Forsaken (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 7)

By Blake Pierce

FBI Special Agent Ella Dark has studied serial killers from the time she could read, devastated by the murder of her own sister, and has gained an encyclopedic knowledge of murderers. A serial killer is leaving clues around the city, using Ella’s knowledge of historical murders to taunt her. Can Ella dig deep into her encyclopedic mind and crack the case? Or will this killer finally outsmart her?

“A MASTERPIECE OF THRILLER AND MYSTERY. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

GIRL, FORSAKEN (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller) is book #7 in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews.

FBI Agent Ella Dark, 29, is given her big chance to achieve her life’s dream: to join the Behavioral Crimes Unit. Ella’s hidden obsession of gaining an encyclopedic knowledge of serial killers has led to her being singled out for her brilliant mind, and invited to join the big leagues.

Ella is confident she can solve the killer’s twisted puzzle—but he always seems to be one step ahead of her.

Can she win this dangerous game of cat-and-mouse?

Or will she herself become the target?

A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the ELLA DARK series is a riveting mystery, packed with suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night.

Books #8 and #9 in the series—GIRL, TRAPPED and GIRL, EXPENDABLE—are now also available!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blake Pierce
• Release date: Jun 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094375137

Book preview

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G I R L,

F O R S A K E N

(An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller —Book Seven)

B L A K E   P I E R C E

Blake Pierce

Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising twenty four books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising fifteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising four books; of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising nine books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); and the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

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Copyright © 2022 by Blake Pierce. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright Marina Malades used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES

UNDONE (Book #1)

UNWANTED (Book #2)

UNHINGED (Book #3)

MAY MOORE SUSPENSE THRILLER

NEVER RUN (Book #1)

NEVER TELL (Book #2)

NEVER LIVE (Book #3)

NEVER HIDE (Book #4)

NEVER FORGIVE (Book #5)

NEVER AGAIN (Book #6)

PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES

THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)

THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)

THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)

THE GIRL HE WISHED (Book #4)

THE GIRL HE CROWNED (Book #5)

THE GIRL HE WATCHED (Book #6)

VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES

NO MERCY (Book #1)

NO PITY (Book #2)

NO FEAR (Book #3)

NO SLEEP (Book #4)

NO QUARTER (Book #5)

NO CHANCE (Book #6)

NO REFUGE (Book #7)

NO GRACE (Book #8)

NO ESCAPE (Book #9)

RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES

HER LAST WISH (Book #1)

HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)

HER LAST FEAR (Book #4)

HER LAST CHOICE (Book #5)

HER LAST BREATH (Book #6)

HER LAST MISTAKE (Book #7)

HER LAST DESIRE (Book #8)

AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

CITY OF PREY (Book #1)

CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)

CITY OF BONES (Book #3)

CITY OF GHOSTS (Book #4)

CITY OF DEATH (Book #5)

CITY OF VICE (Book #6)

A YEAR IN EUROPE

A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)

DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)

VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)

A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)

ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)

GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)

GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)

GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)

GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)

GIRL ERASED (Book #6)

GIRL, FORSAKEN (Book #7)

GIRL, TRAPPED (Book #8)

GIRL, EXPENDABLE (Book #9)

GIRL, ESCAPED (Book #10)

GIRL, HIS (Book #11)

LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)

ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)

ALREADY TAKEN (Book #6)

ALREADY CHOSEN (Book #7)

ALREADY LOST (Book #8)

ALREADY HIS (Book #9)

EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES

MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)

DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)

CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)

MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)

CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)

MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)

ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES

LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)

LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)

LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)

LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)

LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)

LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)

LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)

LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)

LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)

LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)

LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)

LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)

LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)

LEFT TO LOATHE (Book #14)

LEFT TO HARM (Book #15)

THE AU PAIR SERIES

ALMOST GONE (Book#1)

ALMOST LOST (Book #2)

ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)

ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES

FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)

FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)

FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)

FACE OF FURY (Book #5)

FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)

A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)

THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)

THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)

THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)

THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)

THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)

THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)

THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)

THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)

THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)

THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)

THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)

THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)

THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)

THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)

THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)

THE PERFECT COUPLE (Book #20)

THE PERFECT MURDER (Book #21)

THE PERFECT HUSBAND (Book #22)

THE PERFECT SCANDAL (Book #23)

THE PERFECT MASK (Book #24)

CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)

CUL DE SAC (Book #3)

SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)

HOMECOMING (Book #5)

TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)

KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

IF SHE RAN (Book #3)

IF SHE HID (Book #4)

IF SHE FLED (Book #5)

IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)

IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)

THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

WATCHING (Book #1)

WAITING (Book #2)

LURING (Book #3)

TAKING (Book #4)

STALKING (Book #5)

KILLING (Book #6)

RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES

ONCE GONE (Book #1)

ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)

ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)

ONCE LURED (Book #4)

ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)

ONCE PINED (Book #6)

ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)

ONCE COLD (Book #8)

ONCE STALKED (Book #9)

ONCE LOST (Book #10)

ONCE BURIED (Book #11)

ONCE BOUND (Book #12)

ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)

ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)

ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)

ONCE MISSED (Book #16)

ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)

MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)

BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)

BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)

BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)

BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)

BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)

BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)

BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)

BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)

BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)

AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)

CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)

CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)

KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

Under other circumstances, it would have been a pleasant walk, but Sandy Moore knew that a 12-hour shift waited for her at the end. It was enough to sour the fantastic view of these empty streets, though the early morning darkness even added to their beauty. She never really stopped to look at the scenery Washington, D.C., had to offer, usually because she was too busy rushing from place to place.

But now that her car was in for repairs and she had to get the bus to work, she could finally take a moment to admire her surroundings en route to the bus stop. Barren pathways, every footstep echoing between the mile-high buildings. There was a faint-but-noticeable scent of gasoline coming from somewhere, but Sandy didn’t stop to check the source. It was nice to be able to walk around without dodging pedestrians, save for a few dog walkers. She’d always wondered how people found the motivation to get out of bed so damn early to walk their pets, but now that she was among the 5:00 a.m. solitude, she had her answer.

It was what they called a liminal space, Sandy thought as she walked down Swann Street. A transition between two places, or states of mind. Places that are meant to be passed through but not existed in. Like being at school during the night hours, or being the only person in a nightclub. It was an odd feeling, but one she could get used to.

Sandy crossed the road and spotted an elderly man hobbling along with his walking stick. Something dropped out of his pocket, so Sandy called out to him.

Are you okay? Do you need me to get that? she asked.

The man waved his hands chaotically, bringing the walking stick up with him. He reached down and picked up what Sandy saw was his wallet, concealed it and suddenly picked up speed. He vanished behind the Brunei Darussalam building.

Strange, Sandy thought, but in many ways expected. The old man might have been worried she was going to steal his possessions. Not only was she young and prowling the streets at five in the morning, but it didn’t help that she was a black girl. If she had a dime for every time someone rejected her based on her skin color, she wouldn’t have to work 12 hour shifts in the office. 

Sandy turned down a side street, running alongside Swann Street’s colorful row houses. It was a tight walk, barely a few feet wide, and Sandy suddenly felt a little claustrophobic. She picked up the pace, but before she emerged out into the open, a van rolled in front of the exit. The driver curbed the vehicle, leaving no space for Sandy to maneuver around.

She waited for the van to keep on rolling, but it didn’t. It was a large blue thing, with the remains of a decal rotting on the side. A plumber’s van, from what she could tell. Bulbs And Ball Cocks.

Sandy moved right up close and tried to edge around the back, but the driver had pulled up so close the van was practically touching the buildings on either side of the alleyway.

Excuse me? Sandy called out.

The building to her left obscured the driver’s window, so Sandy moved closer and rapped her knuckles against the side of the vehicle. She hadn’t caught the driver’s face, just a silhouette against the early darkness.

Then the engine cut out.

What was this? A resident parking next to their house? An ignorant workman?

Then her thoughts turned to more sinister possibilities.

Not everyone in this city wanted to be her friend. For all the travelers and expats around here, there were just as many evil doers. She remembered scanning something in the newspaper just yesterday, something about an escaped murderer possibly making his way to D.C. She discarded it as sensationalism, but what if she’d made a mistake?

A flurry of news stories invaded her thoughts, incidents she had no idea were stored away in her memory bank. Missing women, dead bodies on street corners. What was stopping her from becoming one of them?

Sandy turned around in haste and hurried back down the alleyway. It was only a short distance, but the return journey seemed a lot longer.

When Sandy reached the end, she looked back at the blocked exit and made a mental note of the details written on the side of the vehicle.

Then she turned back around, suddenly finding herself face to face with a hooded figure.

Fear took over, and Sandy couldn’t help but blurt out the first thing the terror summoned into her brain.

That way is blocked, she said.

The man stood still and kept his head down. Sandy tried to squeeze through the gap between this stranger and the wall, but the man stepped in front of her and blocked her attempt at escape.

Sandy stepped back, clenched her fists and realized this man wasn’t about to be her new best friend. She kept calm. This was par for the course for a young black girl living in the city. This wasn’t her first confrontation and probably wouldn’t be her last.

You got a problem? Sandy shouted, hoping that taking the dominant approach might scare the man off. You want to go?

The stranger came closer, slowly at first, then struck with haste. The man was upon her, hands around her throat, slamming her against the wall. The sudden impact against her spine left her immobile and unable to think; then before she could even grasp what was happening, she was on the cold ground.

Sandy screamed and tried to dig her heels into the man’s groin, but he was too fast. He didn’t look like a large man, but he had the power of one. The alleyway exit fell further away as she felt her spine scrape against the concrete. The man dragged her down by her arms, feeling as though they were about to burst from her shoulders.

Then she was back at the van. His foot crushed her neck, then Sandy heard the van door being pulled open. She tried with every ounce of might to rise to her feet, but her joints were numbed by the man’s attacks.

Then she was in the van, and the door slammed shut.

Then everything went black, but she still had a small awareness of the outside world, like she was in a half-dreamworld.

The van’s engine roared to life.

Sandy had been wrong.

It wasn’t her first confrontation, but even in her semi-conscious state, she realized it might be her last.

CHAPTER ONE

Ella fell back against her kitchen worksurface. She steadied herself, her hand landing on a rolling pin. The same rolling pin that, only two days ago, she was going to swing at her ex-boyfriend’s face. But now, such an action would be futile, because her ex-boyfriend, Mark Balzano, was lying in a pool of blood on her sofa.

She hunched over the sink, spitting up the last residues of vomit. Not because the sight of the mutilated corpse or the sight of splintering bones protruding from Mark’s ribcage made her wretch, but because this was an act of violation. Mark was a monster, a man with issues and insecurities, but no one deserved the brutality had that befell him. Ella suddenly wished she could spend one last minute with him, maybe do everything she could to change his ways. Would it have helped? Or would he still have ended up lifeless in her living room?

Ella felt like her feet had been nailed to the floor. She could hardly move an inch, save for violent thrusts over the kitchen sink to spew up what little bile remained inside of her.

Miss Dark? a voice said beside her. Miss Dark? Are you okay?

The sound snapped her out of her haze. Suddenly, she was back in the room, only now noticing that she wasn’t alone. In fact, there were already around ten people in her apartment. Uniformed police officers, forensic technicians, all people she didn’t recognize. The shock had not only made her numb, but she was also far removed from reality. She didn’t even remember calling 911.

Yes, Ella said.

You should get out of here, miss. Do you want someone to escort you outside?

When did they get here? Had she been here when they arrived? Or was she so lost in distress they’d arrived right in front of her?

No, Ella said. The police officer nodded and disappeared.

Ella retraced the steps, trying to make sense of this senseless situation. Last night, Ella had returned from the last case in New Jersey. When she’d reached her apartment, she found Mark waiting for her. He’d accused her of ignoring him, cheating on him, despite their relationship already being over. They’d gotten into a fight in the parking lot and Ella had laid him out and left him bleeding.

Then she’d fled, spent the night in a hotel. To keep herself safe not just from Mark, but from Tobias too.

Sometime this morning, Ella couldn’t recall exactly when, she’d arrived back here and found Mark stabbed to death. He was lying on his back on her brown couch, wounds across every inch of his torso. Ella had only looked at Mark through the eyes of an unwilling discoverer, not through the eyes of an FBI profiler. She wasn’t even sure she could see it that way. All she saw was death, not a scene to be analyzed.

But there was an even sadder truth to all this. The truth was she already knew exactly who was responsible for this ruthless slaughter, but she didn’t want to admit it, not even to herself. Since she’d learned of Tobias Campbell’s escape from prison, optimism had kept cold realities like this outside her considerations.

Tobias Campbell was one of the country’s most notorious serial killers. In 2005, he had finally been apprehended by Mia Ripley after a reign of terror that took the lives of at least five women, and ever since, he’d considered Mia his nemesis. Two months ago, Tobias had reached out to Ella via letter, requesting her presence at his underground cell in Maine State Prison. Adhering to his request was the biggest mistake Ella made because she’d welcomed the demon into her life with open arms.

Then two days ago, Tobias Campbell broke out of prison with the help of his invisible associates. His first point of call, seemingly, had been Ella’s home.

The moment she’d learned of his escape, she’d prepared for war with the man named Tobias, but a part of her hoped it would never come to such things. She thought that maybe he’d disappear for good; maybe