The Fighter Within

By B. Clark

Sydney Riley had spent the last year of her life training as hard as she could. Running, boxing, CrossFit, weightlifting, and even self-defense classes. She had tried everything she could think of to take back the control she had lost and gain the power she needed to never be helpless again. It infuriated her to know that one person and one night could strip her of the confident woman she used to be.

Cody Jackson was determined to make up for the mistake that had cost so much. Hell-bent on not making another colossal mistake, Cody refused to let anything or anyone distract him, proving not only to himself but also his Sergeant that he was the right man for the lead detective position.

Cody soon found it increasingly difficult to avoid some distractions when his best friend’s soon-to-be sister-in-law comes into the picture. With the most striking mahogany-colored eyes and feisty personality, he was finding it harder than he thought to keep his thoughts strictly on work. Would Cody be able to keep himself in check and Sydney at arm’s length?

Sydney knew that she needed to befriend her soon-to-be brother-in-law’s best friend. The last thing she wanted was things to be awkward when they were all together, which was probably going to be a lot. But what she didn’t expect was to start having feelings for him; that was not in the deal, and she was in no way ready to be in any relationship.

Will she be able to find a good balance in life, or is she doomed to keep fighting for control?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781648014383

Book preview

cover.jpg

The Fighter Within

B. J. Clark

Copyright © 2020 B. J. Clark

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2020

ISBN 978-1-64801-436-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64801-437-6 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-64801-438-3 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 1

Her feet hit the pavement one after the other; mile after mile, she continued on. She felt as if she was on a nice leisurely stroll as opposed to the half-marathon run. It had taken her quite a while to get to this point in her fitness level. When she had first started out, hell, a half mile jog kicked her butt. It’s funny how a desk job can take a fit person from a level ten to a level zero in no time at all, it seemed. Even so, she pushed through all the pain and countless times she just wanted to lay down and die. Running seemed to be the only thing in her life she felt she could control. Her body. Her rules.

Music blasting through her headphones, she refused to give in to the urge to remember, to think at all. Lost in her music, she ran. She ran past houses, across bridges, and down what seemed to be an abandoned mountain road. The winter so far had been unusually mild, with only a few snowstorms that had the fields and hills covered in snow. The roads, however, were mostly clear, allowing her to be outside running instead of on that damn treadmill. She used it when she had to, but if there was any way to be outside running, then that is what she did. The cold didn’t bother her; in fact, sometimes the cold was what she craved. It helped numb every last bit of her, and that was what she needed, to not feel. Inhaling deeply, the bitter cold mountain air filled her lungs and her entire body. This was as close to calm as she had felt in almost a year.

Wow, a year. Had it really been that long? It still felt like yesterday when she was getting out of that hospital.

It had been just over a week when she woke up in the ER and Dr. Anderson informed her that she had been brutally raped, beaten, and left for dead.

Good morning, Sydney! Are you ready to finally get out of here? Dr. Anderson asked her.

More than you could ever imagine, Doc.

Well, let’s check you over one more time and have Nurse Jillian take your vitals, and assuming all of that checks out, I’ll have the nurses prepare your discharge.

Sydney smiled and sighed with relief. They were all super nice here at the hospital, but, let’s face it, she was ready to get out of here. Her face was still swollen a bit from her broken cheekbone and fractured nose, and she was sure the yellowing around her eyes left from the bruises would never go away. Her rib cage was starting to heal some, but there was no denying the pain of four broken ribs. Unfortunately, the doctor said there was not much they could do for those. Wrapping them to apply pressure helped very little, but a little is better than nothing. Nevertheless, she needed to get out and find the slime who put her in there. Thank you, Doc.

No! Sidney screamed out loud. I will not let you have that power! I will not let you run my thoughts! Turning her music up louder, she pushed herself harder. Running faster and faster, like if she ran fast enough, she could lose each and every memory completely. Hoping she would lose them for good.

Taking the last curve up the steep mountain road, her cabin came into view. The last cabin on this road, with not a single neighbor for at least a mile. She loved it that way, she needed it that way.

As she stepped into the cabins back door into the laundry room, she was greeted by her overly excited German shepherd, Nikita. At ten months old, she was a ball of fire. Sydney had gotten her about a month after the incident, to distract her thoughts and help calm her, and secretly, she was also hoping Nikita would be a mean-ass dog. That way, if anyone messed with her, they would regret it. Even though she was the sweetest and most adorable pup. She was light brown with a dark-chocolate, almost black, pattern down her back that cascaded down her right front shoulder to the top of her leg. She also had the most adorable dark patch over her nose, making her look as though she had gotten into a German chocolate cake, leaving the evidence on her nose. Sydney still held out some hope that she could be mean if need be.

Nikita, baby, how’s my girl? Did you miss me? Maybe next time I’ll bring you with me. I just needed some alone time this time, girl.

After giving the pup the attention she demanded, Sydney kicked her shoes off by the back door on the shoe mat and headed to the kitchen to refuel her body. She was in need of some cold water and a protein shake.

Her cabin wasn’t huge, but it was big enough for a family. With two bedrooms and a bath downstairs and her bedroom in the loft upstairs with a rather large bathroom, it sometimes felt like a lonely mansion with only her to fill it. As she stepped out of the laundry room into the hall, straight across from her was the larger of the spare rooms. The log walls were decorated with pictures of her family. Some of her grandparents, but her favorite of them all was an old black-and-white of her great-grandparents in front of the original cabin that they built by hand in this very spot in 1949. They raised all three of their kids here. Her grandmother, the youngest of the three, along with her husband, bought it from them when they decided it was time for less work and more play. Her great-grandparents then bought a small cozy home near Helena and then traveled, more places than Sydney could count. She only hoped that one day she could be so lucky.

Her grandma and grandpa then raised their family here. In 2003, an electrical fire broke out and destroyed almost everything. Sydney had always admired her grandparents for how strong they were to overcome such a huge tragedy and rebuild the cabin that stood here today. Her grandmother would tell her the story of the fire and the rebuild, and when it made Sydney sad for them, she would say, Possessions can always be replaced. I am the luckiest woman in the world because I still have my family. And, besides, I’ve got to create my own cabin this way. She would say this with the cutest little grin. Your grandpa was always dragging his feet and moaning and groaning when I would suggest remodeling. So, as tragic as it was, look what we got to create, she would say as she pointed around her cabin.

About four months ago, they made the decision to downsize, and Sydney quickly took them up on their more than generous offer to buy the cabin from them. They were not charging her interest, and she could make payments directly to them. Such amazing grandparents she had. Always so giving. If it wasn’t for them, she would never be able to have a place like this. She just hoped that one day she could fill this cabin with a family of her own.

Turning down the hall, she passed the bathroom on her right and then the smaller of the two downstairs bedrooms on her left. The stone-looking-tile floor along with the log walls gave the cabin a real mountain feel to it. As she neared the end of the hall, the den on her right started to come into view, with a fireplace in the corner at the front of the cabin and beanbags around it, her addition to the cozy cabin. A lounge couch sat on the opposite side of the den along with an antique oval coffee table she had gotten from a flea market. The stairs against the outer wall between the fireplace and the sofa led up to her loft bedroom and bathroom. The den was one of her favorite places to be, at least in the winter, when it was too cold to hang out on the front porch for too long.

The front door to the cabin was directly ahead of her, between the den and the kitchen. It led out to the front porch that wrapped around the front of the cabin and back along the sides for about ten feet. It had steps straight out the front and a set of steps off the kitchen side that led to a stone walkway. In the summer, it was lined with a mixture of colorful flowers. The stone path ended at the back of the cabin where a firepit sat surrounded with logs for seating.

The open kitchen was directly across from the den, with the dining room table in the corner next to the wall of the bedroom and a large bay window overlooking the stone walkway. The fridge next to the bay window had the stainless-steel look, but it was the kind that didn’t get fingerprints horribly like the real stuff. In fact, all the appliances in the kitchen were the same fake look. Her grandma had told her one time that she didn’t have time for such nonsense as to go behind everyone all day wiping their dirty little paw prints from everything.

Next to the fridge, the counter started, dark, almost black, granite countertops and dark walnut cupboards warm and inviting. The kitchen island was curved, creating an open kitchen, but one that was still somewhat separate from the den. The kitchen sink sat on the lower level of the island, backed by a bar tabletop on the den side.

Hey, sis! How was your little jaunt? Tessa blurted out as she popped up from whatever she was doing under the sink, scaring the daylights out of Sydney.

Holy shit, Tess, you scared the crap out of me. Warn someone when you just ‘pop by,’ would ya! I didn’t even see your car. Where in the world did you park?

Sorry, Syd, Jake dropped me off. He’s going to change the oil and all that fun stuff on my car tomorrow morning for me. He is such a sweetie! Oh, and I told him you would drop me off at home after we get done shopping. I do need to make sure I have time to get ready for our date, though. It is Valentine’s day tomorrow, you know. Tess batted her eyes and smiled in an overdramatic fashion. I am so lucky, sis. Jake is such an amazing guy.

Yes, you are lucky, so you better be nice to this one and not boss him around too much. You have to let him get his way occasionally, Sydney teased her sister.

Of course I do, all the time. Tess giggled.

Sure you do, Sydney said rolling her eyes.

I do, at least once in a while, she admitted. Besides I thought you would remember I was coming up this weekend. After all, I have been hounding you about coming to see you for weeks. Tessa beamed as she rushed over and threw her arms around her sister, squeezing her until Sydney was positive her eyeballs were popping out of her head like one of those stupid toys. I am so happy you finally caved! Tessa squealed.

For heaven’s sake, Tess! I missed you too, but if you don’t let me go you will need to revive my limp broken body from the floor, Sydney choked out, trying to breathe. It hasn’t been that long anyway, just a couple of weeks.

I know, but that was just for dinner with Dad and Mom. It’s not like we got to spend any sister time together. We used to hang out a lot before… Tessa bit her lip knowing she had slipped up. The last thing she wanted to do was to open old wounds. That was not what this weekend was about.

Before my big old inconvenient evening? Sydney blurted. Watching her beautiful sister’s smile disappear, Sydney felt the guilt waft over her. She knew that was not what Tess meant and that she did not feel that way. What was going on with her? She had good days and bad, but usually there was a reason for the bad. Today it just came out of the blue.

Tessa, I’m sorry. I don’t know what it is with me today. I just seem to be on edge. Even when I was out for my run, it was plaguing me.

Tessa smiled softly at her big sister. She wished Sydney could see what she saw when she looked at her. She had no idea how strong and capable she really was. Syd, I know, and it’s all good! We have much better things to talk about. Like, oh yeah, I’m getting married! Tessa shouted at the top of her lungs.

Sydney could see the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about her fiancé, Jake Stetsman. He seemed to be a great guy, very caring and strong-willed. Something he would have to be to not get run over by her very stubborn and opinionated sister. Tessa, however, was also the kindest person Sydney knew.

When they were little, Tess was always standing up for the weaker kids on the playground. It did land her in detention a couple of times when she took it a little far. Like the time Timmy Robins was picking on one of the other boys, bullying him around. Well, Tess wouldn’t have any of it and stepped in to help the poor kid. Timmy didn’t heed the warning Tessa gave him, so she doubled up her fist, caulked it back like she was getting ready to fire a shotgun, and, yep, broke the poor kid’s nose. On the bright side, Timmy never did pick on anyone else, and last Sydney had heard, he was a social worker. Tessa always said she put him on the right path, that if it wasn’t for her, he would be in some drug-ridden sleaze hole or in jail. No modesty there.

Tess, I couldn’t be happier for you. Nobody deserves to be more blissfully happy than you!

That’s not true, sis, you do. I wish you could see that. You should let yourself enjoy life.

Well, this isn’t about me, is it? This weekend is all about you and picking out the most amazing wedding dress anyone has ever laid their eyes on, Sydney said as she twirled around like Cinderella when her fairy godmother turned her rags into a beautiful gown.

I can’t believe I am getting to marry my best friend, and it’s only a little over a month away. I think the first day of spring is the perfect day, don’t you? The start of a new life, very fitting. I wish I could put into words how I feel inside. Tessa pondered. Then, with a sly grin creeping onto her beautiful mischievous face, she continued, It’s like standing on a cliff looking down into the ocean. Knowing that there is a huge treasure just below the surface. You’ll be rich beyond your wildest dreams if you just jump. Sure, it’s terrifying, but it’s exhilarating all at the same time.

Sounds like maybe I’ll just stay broke. There won’t be any cliff-diving in my life, Sydney chuckled.

Oh, you say that now, but just wait. One day you won’t even know what hit you, Tessa said, turning back to the oven, flipping on the light to check on whatever she was cooking.

To Sydney’s surprise, she hadn’t even noticed her sister had dinner almost ready. Dang, Syd, how distracted are you to not even notice the smell when you came in? You need to get your head on straight, Sydney mumbled to herself.

What was that, Syd?

Oh, nothing. What is that wonderful smell? Is that lasagna you’re making? Sydney was pretty sure she was drooling. Trying to stay in shape, she had limited her carbs big time. Lean and fit means not much fun in the food department.

Sydney washed up and jumped in to help her sister finish chopping up lettuce and veggies for a salad while Tess pulled the lasagna from the oven.

The rest of the evening was spent laughing and chatting up old times along with making plans for the weekend and all the shopping they needed to get done.

Chapter 2

What do you have for us today, Rachel? Detective Cody Jackson asked Sergeant Rachel Jamison of the Helena Police Department, the officer in charge of the crime scene, as he and his partner Dustin Andrews made their way past the crime scene tape.

Hey, Cody. Two vics, looks like husband and wife Paul and Maxine Gray. Maxine, age twenty-five, and Paul, age thirty-one. Her purse is there on the counter next to his wallet where we were able to get their IDs. Maxine is there in the kitchen, and Paul is in the hallway. She was shot twice, once in the stomach and the other in the chest. Mr. Gray was shot one time in the head. Looks as though he was coming down the hall, maybe he heard the first shots and was coming to see what was going on. Just speculation, but it’s a start.

Did you find any signs of forced entry? Oh, and tell me the killer was super helpful and left the gun he used here for us, Cody joked. He had to try and lighten things any way he could. In his line of work, the things he saw daily would drive him to the grave if he didn’t.

No such luck on the gun. The door was wide open when we got here. Which is why the neighbor Denise Feldberg called the police. She said she noticed it open first thing this morning when she went outside to grab her newspaper. She had assumed at that point that Mr. Gray had forgotten something and had to run back inside. Miss Feldberg said she had gone back in her house, read her paper, ate her breakfast, and showered before she came back down. When she peered out the window, she noticed that Mr. Gray’s car was still in the driveway and the door was still open. He usually left for work by seven thirty a.m. She said it just didn’t feel right, so she called 911 to have someone come and check on them. Nine-one-one operators got the call at nine fifteen a.m.

Have you spoken to any of the other neighbors? Did anyone hear or see anything? Cody questioned as he looked around the small but cozy home, noting to himself that it didn’t appear to be a robbery as nothing looked out of place or missing. Cream-colored walls were decorated with pictures of the couple in different places. They must have traveled a lot because there were pictures from Hollywood all the way to New York and a bunch in between.

We are still in the process of interviewing the neighbors. We will know more when all the interviews are finished up. Well, at least I hope we will. I also need to try and locate next of kin, so if you need anything else, give me a call. I’ll keep you posted on what we find out. Forensics is on their way and should be here anytime, Sergeant Jamison informed Cody.

Sounds good. Thanks, Rachel. Cody nodded at her as she left. Andrews, why don’t you check and see what you can find in the bedrooms and I’ll start here in the kitchen and living room. See what we can come up with.

Will do, Andrews called over his shoulder as he headed to the back of the house.

Cody started his search by carefully sifting through the small stack of mail next to Maxine’s purse and both victims’ wallets. He scoured the living room to see if anything was out of place: no go. Money and credit cards in both wallets, mail neatly stacked on the counter, and everything else placed in its spot on the counters. Maxine must be a little OCD, or Paul was, but this house was extremely clean. Not a dish out of place or in the sink; the counters were spotless, as were all the appliances. He headed for the living room to see if he could find anything there. After a half hour searching, he still had as much information as he had in the first five minutes.

I can’t find a damn thing out of place in this house. Do you find that odd or is it just me? Andrews said as he returned from the back of the house.

Yeah, this house looks more like a model home than one someone lives in. Someone was sure a neat freak. Let’s head back to the station and see if any of the interview reports are back in. Maybe that will give us a place to start.

Walking into the precinct felt a little strange, but good. He had not been gone that long, but the last time he was on a case and back at his desk, he was with his old partner, Steve Daily. A pang of guilt cut through him and Cody had to brush it off quickly. This was not the time to fall apart. He had a job to do and people counted on him. If he didn’t keep his head in the game, he would end up in the same spot he had just gotten out of.

Hey, Jackson! How’s your shoulder and ribs doing? You kind of look like shit! Detective Jane Kincade roused Cody.

Aw, thanks for the warm sentiments there, Kincade, Cody teased back. He knew she was just messing with him, as they all did to each other. My ribs still hurt like hell and my shoulder feels like someone put a point-forty-five bullet through it. Oh, wait someone did, I almost forgot. But seriously, they are getting better. I have a lot more movement in my shoulder than I did. Physical therapy, as big of a pain in the ass as it was, helped it out a lot.

Good! It’s been really boring around here with no one to harass. I had to stoop to harassing Andrews, and with him being such a newbie, he is kind of a pansy. Kincade giggled as she devilishly grinned at Andrews.

Hey, I can handle whatever you have to throw at me, I was just trying to spare your sensitive feelings by not giving you too much shit back. But now it’s on! Andrews threw back at Kincade.

Bring it on! She laughed as she headed off to her desk.

Cody popped his head into Sergeant Kyle Roberts’s office Sarge. Did HPD get those interviews over here yet?

Yeah, they’re piled up on your desk, that is if you remember where it is. Damn big baby! Let a little thing like getting shot and a few bruised ribs keep you from doing your job. I thought you were tougher than that! Sergeant Roberts had to get his jabs in along with the rest of them.

Well, you know, you don’t exactly let me take my vacation time, so I have to do what I have to do to get some downtime. Besides, that nurse was pretty cute. I almost faked another injury so she could keep nursing me back to health. But I missed you guys and all the love you share so much that I just couldn’t keep myself away. Shit, I was only gone three weeks, you act like it’s been months. I guess that just goes to show that you can’t live without me.

Holy crap, it’s getting deep in here! Why don’t you get out of my office and get to work!

Yes, sir, Sarge, Cody hollered over his shoulder as he made his way