Copper's Keeper: Slaughter Series, #3

By A. I. Nasser and Scare Street

Every small town in Connecticut has its secrets, but none are as shocking as Melington's.

After the riots, Melington becomes the primary target of an FBI investigation. The Council is more ruthless than the town has ever seen. And a national spotlight shines brightly on the mysterious cases of missing children.

But there is one secret that no one knows better than Alan Carter.

As children outside Melington start disappearing, Alan Carter knows that Copper Tibet has grown more powerful than ever before.

No child will be safe. Anywhere.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scare Street
• Release date: May 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9798201160265

Book preview

Prologue

Every head turned when the woman walked into the small diner at the edge of the truck stop outside Melington.

If the guests were asked what it was that had drawn them to her, they would not have been able to give a direct answer. Some might say it was the long, jet-black hair that fell in waves around her shoulders. Others would tell you it was the piercing blue eyes that seemed to bore right into your soul and read you like an open book.

For Peter Anderson, it was the smile.

Standing inside the diner door, her red dress hugging her body as she captivated the imagination of every man staring at her, the woman’s smile drew him in like a moth to a flame. He had never seen beauty like that before, and her very presence in this forsaken little place made her even more attractive. Their eyes locked for a second, and her smile widened as she gracefully made her way towards him.

Peter’s jaw almost dropped as the woman made a beeline for him, and he felt goose bumps break out across his skin as she gently touched his arm and sat in the stool beside him. He could already feel dozens of eyes staring at him in envy, every man in the diner wondering why on God’s green earth she had chosen him.

Peter didn’t understand it. Between his oversized belly, oily skin and awkwardly cut hair, he couldn’t imagine why this walking embodiment of Aphrodite would even want to look at him.

Yet, look at him she did, and her smile made him block out the world around him as if they were the only two people in the diner. He could not pull his eyes away from her, and despite the inner voice that was screaming at him to say something, anything, he found himself at a loss for words. All he could do was stare.

My name’s Victoria, the woman said, giggling at the way he was looking at her. Peter could see she was used to being the center of attention, and the fact that every man in here was undressing her with their eyes didn’t seem to faze her one bit. The confidence made her even more appealing.

Peter, he stammered, running a sweaty hand through his unkempt hair. He could feel his heartbeat quickening, and the way she was looking at him only confirmed the fact that his infatuation was mirrored all over his face.

I need to get somewhere, Peter, the woman said, softly, seductively, almost as if she were whispering her words directly into his ear. Do you think you can help me out?

Peter gulped, a lump in his throat the size of Texas threatening to suffocate him. I can try, he said. Where do you want to go?

Mansfield.

Peter nodded, forgetting that driving East would be in the opposite direction of his destination. Towards Rhode Island? he asked.

The woman’s smile widened, and Peter Anderson fell in love. For a split second, he knew he would do anything this woman ever asked him to. Actually, I’m meeting a few friends, she said. I hope that’s not too much to ask.

Peter quickly shook his head. Not too much at all, he coughed. When do you need to be there?

If we could leave right now, that would be great, Victoria said.

Are you sure you don’t want coffee first? he asked, risking a smile of his own, hoping his charm might make him seem less of a klutz than he felt.

Victoria pouted. I’m in a real hurry, she said. My friends are waiting.

Peter hesitated, suddenly unsure of what he was doing, sensing something bitter suddenly creep into her tone. For an instant, something felt terribly off.

Victoria saw the look on his face, and before he knew it, she had a hand on his thigh and was leaning in to whisper in his ear. I can make it worth your while.

Peter Anderson was instantly on his feet and leading the woman in red out of the diner and into his truck.

Chapter 1

Sally Brians knew ‘green’ the minute she saw it. Ten years as an agent at the FBI and constantly in the field, she had become quite adept at reading people and making solid first impressions. It was a skill that rarely failed her, and she quickly learned to trust those instincts. Today was no exception, and sitting across from the Melington Sheriff, watching the young woman sift through a pile of paperwork, she could instantly smell the inexperience.

The Sheriff looked up and Sally was quick to flash a reassuring smile. She had been sitting in the office for almost two hours, slowly losing patience as what passed for law enforcement in this town tried to bring her up to speed. It was a critical case, one that had most of her superiors constantly breathing down her neck, and Sally Brians hated that she had to be exceptionally courteous to get what she wanted.

I’m sorry this is taking so long, Alexandra Bail smiled sheepishly. We’ve only been going through this mess for a week, and it’s almost impossible to make sense of any of it.

That’s alright, I’m perfectly fine with waiting, Sally lied, hoping that her tone didn’t give her away.

I’ll be honest, Alexandra said. I really didn’t expect the FBI, although I probably shouldn’t be surprised, what with the riot and all.

It’s really the missing children we’re worried about, Sally said. We’ve had a kidnapping that’s directly linked to Melington, and the fact that there has been a bunch of missing person reports hidden away doesn’t make it any better.

Alexandra sighed and lowered the file in her hand. You have to excuse me, Agent Brians, but this has all been a little overwhelming. There’s so much that needs to be settled, and I’ve been getting very little help from the people supposedly involved in all this.

You mean the Council?

Alexandra nodded. It’s not as simple as we’d like it to be. Every single person implicated in this is either dead or missing.

Sally remembered her debriefing. Before making her way to Melington, she had been given a list of names to keep an eye out for, and it had been quite frustrating finding out that not one of those names were available for questioning. No one knew where Rachel Adams was; Fiona Bright had disappeared a few hours after the riot had been brought under control; and Michael Cole had been reported missing for days now.

Are we sure that nobody else in the Council is implicated in any of this? Sally asked, fishing for any straw she could grab onto.

Alexandra shook her head. The last time I talked to our Chairman, he had assured me no one had known anything about all this.

Sally felt the frustration creep in. She knew the town was prone to keeping secrets. Most small towns were, in her opinion, but this one had a lot more sinister skeletons in its closet. The riots had brought down the masks, and the ugly face of Melington was now out in the open for all to see.

Alexandra closed the file in her hands and pushed it towards Sally, sighing in dismay. I am more than willing to be as cooperative as needed, Agent Brians. All I can say for sure is that there’s still a lot of work to do, and no one really has any idea what was going on behind the scenes.

Sally eyed the file in front of her. I won’t find anything in here, will I?

I don’t think so, Alexandra replied. There’s no concrete evidence that links Fiona Bright to anything. It’s simply speculation and assumptions for now. Unless we can bring anybody in for questioning, we’re shooting in the dark.

Sally stood up and adjusted her blazer, reaching out and shaking the Sheriff’s hand. Thank you for your time, Sheriff, she said. I’ll be staying at the Woodline Motel if anything should come up.

Alexandra smiled. I wish I could have been of more help.

Actually, Sally said, it would be extremely helpful if I could take a look at the Cole house.

Without a warrant, that won’t be possible, Alexandra replied. However, I think I can give the family a call and see what I can do. I know them personally, and I doubt they’ll have any problems with it if it could shed light on what happened to Michael Cole.

Sally thanked her and walked out of the station, avoiding the curious gazes of the other officers as she left. She knew what they were thinking; it was rare for her to show up anywhere and not be met with scorn and intimidation. She was used to it, though, and it hardly fazed her anymore. For now, all she was thinking about was the case, and from the look of it, she was going to be in Melington for a long time.

***

Fiona Bright pushed through the doors of the bar and quickly scanned her surroundings. She pulled up the collar of her jacket and made sure her cap was pulled down low enough to hide her features, hoping that she didn’t stand out as much as she felt she did. It was hard keeping a low profile, especially when your face was plastered all over the news, and it was all very new to her. She wasn’t used to being on the run.

Making her way to the bar, she sat in a stool and glanced briefly at the television hanging on the wall above the drinks. The news was on, but thankfully muted, and she took refuge in the notion that hardly anyone was paying attention to anything other than the drink in their hands.

What can I get you?

Fiona looked at the pretty bartender, her hair tied back in a ponytail and her sleeves folded up to right below the elbows. She emitted an air of authority, and Bright immediately recognized her as the owner.

Scotch, Fiona said, pulling out the burner phone she had picked up a few stops back.

The bartender nodded, briefly hesitating before walking away to get Fiona her drink. She watched her carefully, making sure the woman hadn’t recognized her, and only felt herself loosen up when the bartender began pouring her the drink.

Fiona sighed as she flipped through the short list of contacts on her phone. The last week had been brutal, and she had become extremely paranoid with every passing day. Her first stop had been outside Hartford where she had spent three nights locked away in a motel room, her eyes wide as she stared at the news and her picture plastered beside footage of the riot.

She was the most wanted person in Connecticut right now, and it kept her awake far into the night; a hand on her gun and her eyes on the motel room door. She cursed the Council for throwing her under the bus, letting her take the fall for everything that had happened. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the missing children were linked to her. She had been too ambitious, and right now, she was paying for it dearly.

The bartender placed her drink in front of her and left her alone, only stopping long enough to turn up the volume on the television.

The truth is, Johnny, the town’s top brass have lied to these poor families, and it was only a matter of time before the people lashed out.

Fiona looked up at the television in alarm, immediately recognizing David Whelm with his smug smile and cheap suit.

You don’t feel that this was a little too much, though? the talk show host asked, obviously uncomfortable with David sitting in his studio. It was apparent David Whelm had very few friends in the television industry. In a way, Stanley Turk used his daughter’s disappearance to start a riot that tore the poor town apart.

Whelm smiled haughtily, adjusting his suit jacket. That poor town you’re talking about has been responsible for covering up dozens of kidnappings in the past few years, and probably a lot more before that. What’s to say that the police themselves hadn’t been involved in the kidnappings?

You can’t be serious? Don’t you think that’s a little farfetched?

David scoffed. Johnny, I personally met Sheriff Fiona Bright, and believe me when I say you can’t put anything past that woman. She’s as cold as they come, and I can assure you she’s had support from higher up.

Rachel Adams?

David nodded. Do you think it’s a coincidence that the two of them disappeared at the same time? I’m sure the former Chairman had a hand in all this.

But what for? What was the end game?

Power, David replied, leaning in as if he had just shared a deep secret with the world. "I believe it was a way to keep the townspeople preoccupied. Just look at how much Melington had grown over the past few years. Are you trying to tell me