Girl, Trapped (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 8)

By Blake Pierce

FBI 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. But when Ella investigates a murder and realizes this is no ordinary dead body, she is at a loss: it’s pieced together with parts of multiple victims. How many people has this killer killed? And can Ella discover who did this—and why—before time runs out?

“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, TRAPPED (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller) is book #8 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.

When the latest killer seems to have an unusual obsession with Jack the Ripper, Ella must summon all her knowledge to piece together the clues.

Can she solve this twisted puzzle in time to save the next victim’s life?

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.

Book #9 in the series—GIRL, EXPENDABLE—is now also available!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blake Pierce
• Release date: Aug 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094375144

Book preview

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G I R L,

T R A P P E D

(An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller —Book Eight)

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 sixteen 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 six 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 nine books (and counting); of the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the NICKY LYONS 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 zef art used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

NICKY LYONS MYSTERY SERIES

ALL MINE (Book #1)

ALL HIS (Book #2)

ALL HE SEES (Book #3)

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)

NEVER LOOK BACK (Book #7)

NEVER FORGET (Book #8)

NEVER LET GO (Book #9)

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

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

Larry rapped his knuckles on the door of apartment 213, not for the first time this week, and once again he received silence in response. He leaned down, shut one eye, and peered through the keyhole. No figures passed his vision. He cursed himself for giving Teri the only key he had, as was laid out by the tenant’s agreement. Landlords weren’t even allowed to keep a spare copy anymore. God forbid landlords have a little ownership over their own properties, he mused.

Teri, you can’t ignore me forever. I know you’re in there, he lied.

It had been like this for a month now. The young woman had been all smiles and promises during her application process, but when it came to handing over the cash, she was nowhere to be found. Teri had been quick enough to ask for a new shower to be installed, but when it was time to pony up the twelve-hundred dollars rent, she suddenly became a whirlwind of excuses. The numerous phone calls hadn’t commanded her attention, nor had the eviction notice. Larry had even staked the place out for the past few days and hadn’t seen any sign of his tenant coming or going.

Now things were desperate. If she’d skipped town, that meant a legal battle was on the horizon and he didn’t have time for such nonsense. Larry had other apartments to fix up, new tenants to usher in and out. Getting people in your property was the easy part. Getting them out was a different story entirely.

Larry moved to the end of the corridor and stuck his head out of the window. He gave a thumbs-up to the man waiting below then went back to the apartment door.

He had two options here. He could file a report with the police about a non-cooperative tenant in his building, and once the paperwork was finalized in about three months’ time, police would subcontract a locksmith to open the door. Once Larry was inside, he could then begin the lengthy process of officially removing Teri as a legal tenant, foregoing about half a year’s rent in the process.

Or he could break the door down.

The man from downstairs stomped through the hallway, toolbox in hand. The man was Brian, Larry’s brother.

Are we sure about this? Brian asked.

Destructive entry was new territory for Larry, but what other choice did he have? He couldn’t wait around forever for this girl, and if she’d skipped down, he needed to know.

I’m sure, Larry said.

Brian put the toolbox on the floor then unclipped it. And you promise I won’t get in hot water for this?

Of course you won’t. I’ll do the dirty work. I just need a witness. Film it on your phone, will you?

This is legal, right? Brian asked as he fiddled with his cell.

Probably.

Alright, Brian said, phone in one hand, drill in the other. He handed the drill to his brother. Do you know what you’re doing?

I’ve watched a tutorial, Larry said as he buzzed the drill a few times. It was deafeningly loud in the confines of the narrow hallway. That’s why he’d chosen to do this at 10am on a Monday morning. Most other people in the complex were at work, so no curious residents would pop out to observe the commotion.

This is a tubular lock, Brian said. Cheap as hell. Expected no less from someone like you.

And you laughed when I bought in bulk from China. Is this the right drill bit?

It’s a 3 mil’. You’ll cut through it like wet paper.

Larry pushed the drill bit against the core of the lock and pulled the trigger. Flecks of brass exploded on either side of his face.

You might want some goggles, Brian said.

Like hell I do.

What tenant is this, by the way? Have you complained about her before?

It’s the girl with the stretched ears. Tattoos all over her arms and legs.

Hot? Brian asked.

Not for me to say, Larry said.

So that’s a yes.

Larry felt the lock fall loose. The drill began to slide around so he steadied it with his other hand. He looked away to shield his eyes from the oncoming onslaught of splintered metal, protective eyewear be damned.

Then a clunk as the lock gave way. The pressure alleviated as the drill went right through to the other side. The corridor returned to silence.

We’re in, Larry said. You film it?

Yup. What do we do now? What if she’s actually inside?

Then we get our answers, Larry said. He pushed his fingers into the circular hole where the lock used to be and fiddled with the bolt. He removed a flimsy piece of metal and threw it on the floor.

Brian’s hand shot across his nose and mouth. You smell that? he asked between the cracks in his fingers.

Larry grimaced. He noticed the same thing. It smelled like sewage.

For God’s sake. If this woman has blocked my drains I’m gonna be livid.

That ain’t sewage, Brian said. Much worse.

Larry yanked the handle a few times until the rest of the lock fell loose. He opened the door an inch then turned back to his brother.

Film this too, Larry said. Just in case.

Brian nodded, phone pointed at the door.

Larry pushed into the darkened apartment. Curtains drawn, all lights off. He’d last stepped in here around six weeks ago, and everything suddenly looked a lot different than he remembered.

But most concerning was the overwhelming stench, like he’d walked into a sty full of dead pigs. He held his nose and breathed through his mouth, tasting the unfamiliar, rotting notes of whatever had gone wrong in here.

Jeez, smells like a slaughterhouse, Brian said from behind. He covered his face with his forearm. This ain’t right.

No, it’s not, Larry agreed. He turned the living room light on and found it alarmingly empty. Everything was pristine. The cushions on the couch had been sufficiently plumped. The kitchen surfaces were sleek and crumbless. Someone had cleaned this place, and recently, but the juxtaposition between the sanitation and toe-curling odor made Larry begin to sweat. He knew that a grim discovery was on the horizon once he found the source of the repugnance.

Bathroom? Brian asked. Maybe it is the sewage after all. Doesn’t look like anything’s been left out to rot.

Larry moved towards the bathroom, the scent infesting his nostrils further. He threw open the bathroom door without hesitation but found it equally as spotless as the kitchen and living room. He peered in the toilet. Immaculately bleached. Nothing of note. He went back into the kitchen and found Brian checking the fridge, cupboards, trash cans.

Anything? Brian asked as he closed a cutlery draw.

No. You?

Nope. This place is spotless. No meat in the fridge. Nothing that could have gone bad, Brian said.

Larry moved towards the apartment’s sole bedroom. He opened the door a touch and a new, more powerful wave overcame him, like an invisible tsunami of rotting waste.

Holy… Larry began. Brian rushed to his side and reacted the same way.

What the hell is that? he asked.

Larry stayed quiet. He held his breath and moved inside, again cast in darkness, but even so he could make out familiar trappings. Clothes heaped on the floor, a pile of books on the bedside table. A coffee cup laying on its side.

But all of this paled in comparison to the horror sprawled on the bed.

The white duvet, stained red, was crumpled at the foot. A naked body lay on the mattress, decomposed, outspread, one arm hanging over the side.

You gotta be kidding me, Brian shouted, dropping the cell phone and shielding his mouth.

Larry tried his hardest to suppress the mounting temptation to vomit. He clutched his stomach and though he tried to avert his eyes from the bizarre visual, he found himself glued to it, like a hypnotic car wreck.

His tenant was dead.

But even in this repulsive display, Larry saw something that didn’t make sense. There was a noticeable gap where one limb should meet the other.

His brother filled in the blanks for him.

My God, someone’s completely cut through her legs, Brian cried.

CHAPTER ONE

Ella Dark stood in the place some people called the Deadlands: a deserted, 30-acre patch of wilderness in Washington, D.C., with a dark history. Only yesterday, this wilderness had been a theater of war. Ella’s partner, Mia Ripley, had tracked down serial killer Tobias Campbell to this location, and the two had engaged in a battle both had been waiting sixteen years for.

Tobias was one of America’s most infamous serial killers, taking the lives of five women in a string of heinous murders. Ella’s partner, Mia Ripley, had apprehended him in 2005 and he was sentenced to life in prison. When the FBI looked into Tobias’s history, they discovered a network of murders and underground activity that covered the entire spectrum of criminal activity. Tobias was a human spider at the center of an endless web.

During Tobias’s imprisonment, he’d reached out to Ella via letter, inviting her into his underground cell. Ella had accepted, and it had been the biggest mistake of her life. Ever since Ella’s visit, Tobias has haunted her from the shadows, watching her every move through surrogate eyes. A week ago, he’d escaped from prison and made his way to Washington, D.C., with one thing on his mind: ending this story once and for all.

The battle at the Deadlands had not been without its fatalities, but neither Tobias nor Mia were among them. Police and forensics had not yet secured the scene or even seen it