Too Far Gone (A Morgan Stark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 3)

By Rylie Dark

Morgan Stark, 25, a Ph.D. in forensic psychology and a new arrival at the FBI’s elite BAU unit, has an uncanny ability to enter serial killers’ minds. She has seen the worst of the worst—but when a new serial killer strikes, victims turning up dead with magic tricks left at the scenes, Morgan is baffled. What could the meaning be behind these macabre hints?

“A brilliant book. I couldn’t put it down and I never guessed who the murderer was!”
—Reader review for Only Murder

TOO FAR GONE is book #3 in a new series by #1 bestselling and critically acclaimed mystery and suspense author Rylie Dark.

Up against her most challenging case yet, Morgan must use her encyclopedic knowledge to decode the meaning of the strange magic clues. Can she discover what the killer wants, and why?

Or by the time she figures it out, will it be too late?

A complex psychological crime thriller full of twists and turns and packed with heart-pounding suspense, the MORGAN STARK mystery series will make you fall in love with a brilliant new female protagonist and keep you turning pages late into the night.

Future books in the series will be available soon.

“I loved this thriller, read it in one sitting. Lots of twists and turns and I didn’t guess the
culprit at all… Already pre-ordered the second!”
—Reader review for Only Murder

“This book takes off with a bang… An excellent read, and I'm looking forward to the next book!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN

“Fantastic book! It was hard to put down. I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN

“The twists and turns kept coming. Can't wait to read the next book!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN

“A must-read if you enjoy action-packed stories with good plots!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN

“I really like this author and this series starts with a bang. It will keep you turning the pages till the end of the book and wanting more.”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN

“I can't say enough about this author! How about ‘out of this world’! This author is going to go far!”
—Reader review for ONLY MURDER

“I really enjoyed this book… The characters were alive, and the twists and turns were great. It will keep you reading till the end and leave you wanting more.”
—Reader review for NO WAY OUT

“This is an author that I highly recommend. Her books will have you begging for more.”
—Reader review for NO WAY OUT

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rylie Dark
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094393704

Book preview

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T O O   F A R   G O N E

(A Morgan Stark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 3)

R y l i e   D a r k

Rylie Dark

Bestselling author Rylie Dark is author of the SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); the MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); the CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER, comprising six books (and counting); and the MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER, comprising five books (and counting).

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

Copyright © 2022 by Rylie Dark. 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 Raggedstone, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY RYLIE DARK

SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ONLY MURDER (Book #1)

ONLY RAGE (Book #2)

ONLY HIS (Book #3)

ONLY ONCE (Book #4)

ONLY SPITE (Book #5)

ONLY MADNESS (Book #6)

MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SEE HER RUN (Book #1)

SEE HER HIDE (Book #2)

SEE HER SCREAM (Book #3)

SEE HER VANISH (Book #4)

SEE HER GONE (Book #5)

SEE HER DEAD (Book #6)

CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NO WAY OUT (Book #1)

NO WAY BACK (Book #2)

NO WAY HOME (Book #3)

NO WAY LEFT (Book #4)

NO WAY UP (Book #5)

NO WAY TO DIE (Book #6)

MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

TOO LATE (Book #1)

TOO CLOSE (Book #2)

TOO FAR GONE (Book #3)

TOO LOST (Book #4)

TOO BROKEN (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

Beth Schultz closed her eyes and leaned her head back for a moment, marshaling the energy to get out of the car and go into the house. It had been a long, long day. HepataNix was out of its trial stages and ready to go on the market. It was in production and inventory was in the warehouse. Ads had already been playing in a few select markets. Tomorrow was the day that all the drug reps for SowerMed would be making the first big push by presenting it to their accounts.

Trying to coordinate everyone’s efforts and make sure everyone had the samples and promotional materials they’d need to support those efforts had been more work than planning her wedding had been twelve years ago.

Beth just hoped that the resulting campaign for HepataNix would be more successful than her marriage had been.

She huffed a laugh. Not exactly a high hurdle to clear.

Finally, she closed the garage door and got out of the car, exhaustion dragging at her feet. She glanced at her sample case, but decided to leave it where it sat on the passenger seat. All she was going to do was go in, go to sleep, get up the next morning, and do it all over again. She might as well leave it there. It would be one less thing to think about in the morning. It’d be safe there. The house had a security system and the case itself was locked. Besides, who would want to steal a cancer drug? It wasn’t like they could get high on it. Its street value was basically nil. Its value to someone who needed it? Well, that was pretty high, but those people weren’t so easy to find.

Stretching, she glanced at her watch. It was after nine. It was a good thing that Noah and Emma were at their dad’s tonight, so she hadn’t had to race home. She’d been able to take her time, so she felt fully prepared for everything that needed to happen tomorrow. Tomorrow. She refrained from texting her ex to remind him to pack the kids’ lunches for summer camp the next day. Sometimes her attempts to be helpful were seen as controlling.

Whatever.

Letting herself into the house, she punched her code into the security system pad by the door, then tossed her keys and work badge into the tray that sat on the shelves in the mudroom. She kicked off her shoes and reset the security system. Or, she tried to reset it. She hit the buttons, but nothing happened. No beeps. No green light flashing three times to show that the system was armed.

Maybe she’d hit the wrong buttons somehow. Frowning, she did it again, paying careful attention this time to be sure she hadn’t entered it wrong.

Again, nothing. In fact, the keypad was dark. Usually the keys glowed a little to make it easy to put in the code in the dark.

That wasn’t right. She stepped into the kitchen and flicked on the light to be sure the house had power. No problem there. She turned in a slow circle, trying to see if anything else was disturbed.

A breeze caressed her cheek.

That definitely wasn’t right. She walked a little farther into the house and then froze. The sliding glass doors that went from the breakfast nook to the back yard were open. There was absolutely no way that she’d left them that way. She always made sure the house was locked up when she left. Besides, the security system would have alerted her if she’d left a door open. Why hadn’t it?

Scuttling backward on her stocking feet, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911.

911. What’s your emergency? A female voice asked.

I just got home. Something’s wrong with my security system and the back door of my house is open, she whispered into the phone as she grabbed her keys and purse. I didn’t leave it that way this morning.

Ma’am, I’m dispatching police to your home right now. Can you get some place safe as you wait for them? the operator asked.

Could she? Of course. Her car was in the garage. She’d drive to her ex’s. His house was only five miles away. They’d wanted to make everything as easy for the kids as possible, so he’d found a place in the same general neighborhood.

Yes. I’ll go to a friend’s house that’s nearby. Beth didn’t feel like explaining the whole ex-husband angle.

Perfect. I’ll have the police call you as soon as they arrive, which should be in about six minutes.

Okay. Thanks. Good—

The operator interrupted, I’ll stay on the phone with you until the police get there.

That’s not necessary. I’m leaving right now. It was hard enough to juggle her keys, her shoes, and her purse without trying to talk on the phone at the same time.

All the same, ma’am. I’ll stay on the line. You can put the phone on speaker and put it in your pocket. You don’t have to chat. I just want to be here in case you need me.

That was reassuring. Okay. Beth dropped the phone into her purse and opened the door to the garage. She hesitated for a second. In the dark, everything looked menacing. The rake she’d leaned against the wall sent a long shadow creeping across the floor, looking like fingers grasping at something unknown. Shaking herself, she hurried to the Lexus and got in, hitting the button to lock the door the second she was inside.

She blew out a breath. Okay. She was safe. It was likely nothing. She was probably overreacting. Maybe her ex had stopped by with the kids to pick something up during the evening and had left the sliders open. It would be just like him. Always so careless. It would serve him right when she showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night to wait for the cops.

She put on her seat belt, turning slightly as she did it.

That’s when she noticed that her sample case—the one she kept as carefully locked as she usually kept her house—was sitting open, its contents strewn on the seat.

What the hell?

She examined the edges. Someone had smashed the locks on it. Damn it all to hell. What was going on?

Hello, Beth.

The voice—deep and male—came from the back seat.

Looking up into the rearview mirror, her eyes widened with fear. A man in a black ski mask sat in her back seat. How had he gotten there? Her mind raced through the de-activated security system and the open back door. It wasn’t just a case of her ex being careless or her being forgetful. This man had done this on purpose. Whoever he was, he’d been clever. But why? What was going on?

Who are you? What do you want? she asked, her voice sounding breathless even to her own ears.

Did I frighten you? He cocked his head to one side as if he was actually interested in her answer. His tone, however, was mocking.

She nodded, her mouth dry. Yes. You did. If that’s what you wanted, you succeeded. Now how about you get out of here? she said, trying to sound calmer than she felt. She gripped the steering wheel hard to try to still the trembling in her hands.

Sucks, doesn’t it? It’s terrible to know that something awful is coming, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. It’s even worse when you know that someone else might be able to stop it, but they won’t. You feel so helpless, abandoned. He shook his head. Maybe even a little angry.

Beth reached for the handle on the door. She had to get out of here and away from this man. As she turned to get away, the man grabbed her by the hair and slammed her back into the seat.

I don’t think so, Beth. You’ll be staying right here with me.

She struggled against him. She had to get away. She didn’t know who he was or what he wanted. The police are on their way. They’ll stop you. Maybe knowing help was on the way would make him run.

He laughed. The cops won’t get here in time to stop me. He held up a hypodermic needle and jammed it into her neck.

From her purse, she could hear the 911 operator. Ma’am! What’s happening? Are you okay?

Help! Please send help! Sharp pain spread down her neck to her shoulder. She struggled against him, trying to push his hand away, but he’d reached around the head rest with his other arm, pinning her in place so hard that she was having trouble breathing.

Let go of me! she screamed. Where were the cops? Shouldn’t they be here by now?

The police are four minutes out. Hang on! They’re coming! The 911 operator sounded as desperate as Beth felt.

The man said nothing, just pushed the plunger of the hypodermic needle down hard. It burned. The pain spread down her neck to her shoulder and down her arm. She felt like she was on fire. She screamed again, thrashing against him, but she could feel how her movements were slowing. Even her scream was weaker.

Who are you? What do you want? Her voice was a near whisper. She beat against the forearm that held her in place with her fists.

It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Her skin was on fire. Not just her arm. Her whole body. The inside of her mouth and nose stung and burned. Why? she whispered.

The only answer she got was a tightening of the grip around her neck.

She thought she heard sirens in the distance as everything around her faded to black.

CHAPTER ONE

Dr. Morgan Stark rubbed his eyes and grimaced. It was like rubbing grit onto his eyeballs. He straightened up in his chair and stretched, which was when he realized that light had started coming in through the windows of his apartment.

It was morning and he still hadn’t gone to bed. He’d been at the computer all night.

It wasn’t the first time in recent days, either.

Ever since he’d been given the opportunity to look at the case file from his sister’s disappearance fourteen years ago, he’d been obsessed. He’d combed through the investigative and forensic reports again and again, looking for something—anything—that might help him get the case reopened or give him a clue as to where to start his own investigation.

Most of what was in the reports had been news to Morgan. Back when Fiona had disappeared, Morgan had been pretty much a kid himself. Oh, he’d been over eighteen, but just barely. He’d come home when she’d first gone missing, but he hadn’t had the life experience or the law enforcement experience to know what questions to ask.

He only barely had those now.

At the end of the last case they’d worked together, Morgan had asked Danielle Hernandez, the FBI Special Agent who had brought him on as a consultant in two cases that had medical angles, to get him the file. She had. Somewhat reluctantly but she’d still done it. It was while looking through photos of the contents of Fiona’s backpack that he’d noticed a photo. The photo was of a girl who looked a lot like Fiona, but it wasn’t her. There was a date written on it. That date was after Fiona disappeared by an entire year. It didn’t make sense.

And then he’d disappeared down the rabbit hole, learning about abductions and investigations into them and how many ways they went wrong.

What else did he have to do anyway? He’d been suspended from the hospital where he’d worked for most of his professional life. The suspension had been his own fault. He’d known what rules he was breaking and how important those rules were, and he had done it anyway. He still stood by his decision. Breaking those rules had meant that they could stop a killer before he killed again. There were a lot of different ways to save lives, and he knew that he’d saved more than a few by doing what he’d done.

Morgan also knew the hospital couldn’t let those breaches of patient privacy go without some form of redress, though. He was lucky they’d only suspended him for six months.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache started behind his eyes. He didn’t feel too lucky at the moment.

Six months. He had six months to fill. This was only week two, and he was already pulling all-nighters looking for cases similar to his sister’s.

There were more than he’d realized. Way too many