Nowhere Certain (A Harley Cole FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 7)

By Kate Bold

When victims of a new killer are being found at the bottom of a gorge in the Southwestern desert, FBI Special Agent Harley Cole must crack the baffling case. Why these victims? Why these locations? And who will he hunt next?





“This is an excellent book… When you start reading, be sure you don’t have to wake up early!”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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NOWHERE CERTAIN is book #7 in a new series by #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Kate Bold, whose bestseller NOT NOW (a free download) has received over 600 five star ratings and reviews.







A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the HARLEY COLE series is a riveting mystery, packed with non-stop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll, and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.







Future books in the series will be available soon.







“This book moved very fast and every page was exciting. Plenty of dialogue, you absolutely love the characters, and you were rooting for the good guy throughout the whole story… I look forward to reading the next in the series.”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“Kate did an amazing job on this book and I was hooked from the first chapter!”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“I really enjoyed this book. The characters were authentic, and I see the bad guys as something we hear about daily on the news... Looking forward to book 2.”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“This was a really good book. The main characters were real, flawed and human. The story went along quickly and wasn't mired in too many unnecessary details. I really enjoyed it.”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“Alexa Chase is headstrong, impatient, but most of all brave with a capital B. She never, repeat never, backs down until the bad guys are put where they belong. Clearly five stars!”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“Captivating and riveting serial murder with a twist of the macabre… Very well done.”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“WOW what a great read! Talk about a diabolical killer! Really enjoyed this book. Looking forward to reading others by this author as well.”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“Page turner for sure. Great characters and relationships. I got into the middle of this story and couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to more from Kate Bold.”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“Hard to put down. It has an excellent plot and has the right amount of suspense. I really enjoyed this book.”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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“Extremely well written, and well worth buying and reading. I can't wait to read book two!”



—Reader review for The Killing Game



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• Language: English
• Publisher: Kate Bold
• Release date: Mar 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9781094378190

Book preview

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N O W H E R E

C E R T A I N

(A Harley Cole FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 7)

K a t e   B o l d

Kate Bold

Bestselling author Kate Bold is author of the ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); the ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); the CAMILLE GRACE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising eight books (and counting); the HARLEY COLE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising ten books (and counting); the KAYLIE BROOKS PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); and the EVE HOPE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting).

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

Copyright © 2023 by Kate Bold. 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 Galyna Andrushko , used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY KATE BOLD

ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER

THE KILLING GAME (Book #1)

THE KILLING TIDE (Book #2)

THE KILLING HOUR (Book #3)

THE KILLING POINT (Book #4)

THE KILLING FOG (Book #5)

THE KILLING PLACE (Book #6)

ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER

LET ME GO (Book #1)

LET ME OUT (Book #2)

LET ME LIVE (Book #3)

LET ME BREATHE (Book #4)

LET ME FORGET (Book #5)

LET ME ESCAPE (Book #6)

CAMILLE GRACE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOT ME (Book #1)

NOT NOW (Book #2)

NOT WELL (Book #3)

NOT HER (Book #4)

NOT NORMAL (Book #5)

NOT AGAIN (Book #6)

NOT SAFE (Book #7)

NOT TODAY (Book #8)

HARLEY COLE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOWHERE SAFE (Book #1)

NOWHERE LEFT (Book #2)

NOWHERE TO RUN (Book #3)

NOWHERE LIKE THIS (Book #4)

NOWHERE GIRL (Book #5)

NOWHERE TO HIDE (Book #6)

NOWHERE CERTAIN (Book #7)

NOWHERE PURE (Book #8)

NOWHERE SOUND (Book #9)

NOWHERE SANE (Book #10)

KAYLIE BROOKS PYSCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE THRILLER

LAST BREATH (Book #1)

LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

LAST WISH (Book #3)

LAST SHOT (Book #4)

LAST MISTAKE (Book #5)

EVE HOPE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

IN HIS BLOOD (Book #1)

IN HIS SIGHTS (Book #2)

IN HIS REACH (Book #3)

IN HIS MIND (Book #4)

IN HIS WAY (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

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

Victoria Bond’s heart had never beat so fiercely in all her life.

As she clung to the rock face, her fingers aching and cold sweat trickling down her ribcage, she tried to ignore the panicked voice in her head telling her she couldn't keep climbing. The truth was she had no choice. If she let go, she would fall—and though the distance was short enough that she might survive with little more than a twisted ankle, there was a greater danger than the ground waiting for her below.

He was down there.

And he didn't let her forget about him, either. As she hesitated, her body trembling with tension like a tuning fork, a rock clattered against the stone wall close to her head, the sound so startling that she nearly let go.

Hey! he shouted. What do you think this is, a picnic? Get moving, fat ass!

The problem was, she didn’t know where to go. Her fingers were going numb, as were her calves, and the sheer cliff face offered no place to rest her aching muscles and catch her breath. She would have to climb another forty or fifty feet – a task that seemed utterly impossible at the moment – before she reached the top.

And to add to the difficulty, as if she needed the additional challenge, the sun had just set, and the color was slowly draining from the sky, leaving a steely gray that shed only the palest of light on the cliff face.

What did I do to deserve this? she thought miserably. What did I do wrong? I’ve always tried to be a good person. How did I end up here?

If you don’t get moving, the man shouted in a voice of cold command, the next rock hits your spine. Trust me, I won’t miss.

Victoria had no interest in putting him to the test. Energized by this threat, she strained to pull herself upward, her hands blindly searching the rock face for purchase. Her fingers caught a small ledge, and she moved upward, foot by foot, dragging herself up the wall like an injured spider. She didn’t know what she would find when she reached the top, but she did know what she would do.

She would run—as hard and as fast as she could. If she got lost, so be it. Better to be lost and alone than to be his, his…plaything. Yes, that was the word for it. He was a cat, and she was his new toy.

And apparently his idea of fun was to force her to climb up this rock wall.

Maybe he wants me to fall, she thought. Maybe that’s the whole idea—he knows I can’t do it, so he’ll spur me on until I collapse.

Of course. It all made sense now. She would fall to her death, and it would look like an unfortunate accident. Investigators would think she’d gotten a sudden hankering for rock climbing, and she’d come out here dressed in jeans and a ruffled blouse because…

No, the more she thought about it, the more apparent it became that if she fell, nobody would think for a second it had been an accident. Investigators would immediately suspect foul play.

Didn’t the man below her realize that?

A rock exploded beside her, shards of stone biting into her arm. She screamed, and one hand slipped, only managing to find another hold at the last moment.

You stopped again, the man, her tormentor, called. Do you think I can’t see you?

As if to demonstrate how exposed she was, a beam of light suddenly glowed all around her. Apparently he’d brought a flashlight.

I can’t do it! she cried out, overcome with shame and fear. Her voice shook, and she felt a great, heavy sob working its way up from her chest. If it reached her mouth, she was not sure what would happen. Would she just break down and let go? What would he do to her if she fell?

You know the answer to that, a cold voice answered. He will finish what he started, that’s what he’ll do. Your only chance is to get to the top of this cliff—and then run for all you’re worth.

She wasn’t sure how much gas she’d have left in the tank by the time she reached the top of the wall, assuming she achieved that miracle…but she did know she was going to use all of it, even if it meant running on fumes.

With a sudden burst of determination, she gritted her teeth and began climbing again. Now she was down to twenty feet or so. A coyote howled, and soon a chorus of them were welcoming the night. A bat flitted about, darting close to the rock wall, and then zipping away.

You can do this, Vicky. You can do this. You’re stronger than you know. Visualize what you’re trying to accomplish…

She imagined pulling herself over the edge of the cliff, then standing and running off into the darkness toward a road, her captor’s voice growing faint behind her, lost to the wind. She imagined the relief surging up through her chest as she waved down a vehicle and a stranger stared at her through the window with compassion and curiosity.

And then, finally, she imagined herself at a police station, staring through a one-way mirror at a suspect line up. That’s the one, officer, she would say, pointing at the man who had taken her. He’s the one who nearly killed me, but I got away. He didn’t think I’d be able to climb that cliff, but I did.

It was all so close, she could nearly taste it. She forced herself to focus on that vision, breathe it into life with every new handhold, every painful lurch up the rock face. Soon, she would be free.

Do you really think he forced you to climb this cliff just so you could get away? You saw his face, after all. You think he’ll let you live?

Doubt descended on her like a dark cloud and she slowed, her whole body quivering. Her muscles ached, and a burning pain came from her knees and elbows where she had skinned herself on the sharp stone.

Do you really think that’s his master plan? To bring you all this way…just to watch you escape? He knows what you’ll do.

Yes, of course he would know. The first thing she would do was call the police and give as careful a description of the man as she possibly could, not leaving out any detail, no matter how trivial. Then she would go home, lock every door and window in the house, take her shotgun out of the safe and load it, turn on the news…

And wait. Wait either to hear that he had been captured…or for him to come back. One of the two. She didn’t think she’d be able to face the world again until she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was behind bars.

The flashlight beam danced across her body, a not-so-subtle warning. She needed to get moving.

Climbing again, feeling as if her limbs were filled with sand, she tried to focus all her attention on how blissful it would feel to sprint across open ground, no matter how weak her legs might be. She might collapse, but she would pull herself up again. She would not quit.

Now it was less than ten feet. Glancing upward, she saw the sharp edge of the cliff outlined against the darkening sky. There it was! The top! She just had to climb a little higher, and she would be free.

The stranger’s voice called up to her, as if sensing her thoughts.

Almost there! Don’t give up now, Vicky!

Was he taunting her, or was he actually trying to encourage her? Did he think he could be her cheerleader now?

Ignoring that voice, Vicky lifted her right hand, clawing at the rock face for purchase. Her fingers slipped, as did one of her feet, and she cried out in fear and pain as her hand grazed against the cliff.

Come on, now! No pain, no gain, am I right? Besides, I’ll catch you if you fall. He chuckled darkly.

You’ll catch a good long prison sentence, that’s what you’ll catch, she thought. Attempted murder. Won’t be enough for a life sentence, but should be enough to lock you away for a good long time.

The numbness that had started in her fingers had spread through her hands and began to infiltrate her arms. At any moment, she knew, her body might simply give out, and she wouldn’t even know it was happening. There was no time to wait, to plan her next move, to figure out which handholds were best to try.

She simply had to go for it.

Summoning every ounce of her determination to live, she pushed off with her feet and scrambled upward, clawing her way up the stone like a cat, her limbs shaking and fat beads of sweat rolling down her forehead and stinging her eyes. Her face felt terribly hot, and a terrific headache was beginning to throb in the back of her head.

Just…one…foot…more…

She threw her hand up the cliff face—and encountered empty space. Her hand came down again and clutched the lip of the cliff, and she felt a surge of savage joy as she pulled herself over the edge. For a moment she lingered, her strength almost entirely spent, desperately trying to heave her torso up.

Then she was over, and she collapsed on the hard ground, sucking huge lungsful of air. She could have passed out right then and slept for an untold number of hours, but within moments her instincts kicked in, reminding her she wasn’t safe yet.

Not while he knew where she was.

Time to run, she thought, pushing herself to her feet with limbs that screamed at her in pain. There has to be a road or a house somewhere. I’ve come this far, and I won’t give up now.

She looked left and saw nothing but broken wilderness: rocky outcroppings, sage bushes, and the silhouettes of cacti.

She turned right—and a shadow stood before her. She didn’t know how the shadow had gotten there or how long it had been there, but the sight of it caused a shiver to course through her body, despite the heat.

Well done, Vicky, the shadow said. But I’m afraid you’ll have to go back down now. Fortunately for you, I know a shortcut.

Vicky’s overwrought mind could hardly register the words. Panic flooded through her, but before she could run, two hands shot out and shoved her in the chest. She stumbled backward.

One step, two steps…and then nothing underfoot.

Emptiness.

The world revolved around her, the wind whipped past her, and she sank down into darkness.

CHAPTER ONE

Federal Agent Harley Cole checked all four of the coffee cups sitting on the desk beside her before realizing she was out.

Maybe there’s more in the pot, she thought, pressing a few fingers to her forehead as if her touch could soothe the ache growing inside there.

She had been staring at the laptop screen for too long, searching for some lead to help her understand why her sister had gone missing while on a camping trip seventeen years ago. It was a long shot to expect to discover anything that would help provide closure for such an old case, but a recent conversation with her brother had put her on the trail of a man named Savage, which had led her to an infamous gang known as the Cali Clowns, which had finally led her to this laptop.

Now here she was, surrounded by empty coffee cups, greasy takeout boxes, sticky notes covered with speculative scribbles…

And no greater clarity than when she’d started.

You can’t do this forever, you know, she told herself. You have to sleep, too—and go back to work eventually.

She knew she was burning the candle at both ends – investigating a cold case was hardly a restful way to spend a morning at home – but she couldn’t help herself. For seventeen years she had lived with the knowledge that her sister could be out there somewhere, held against her will under circumstances Cole did not wish to think about, and now finally there was a trail of breadcrumbs to follow. Cole had no idea what she would find at the end of the breadcrumb trail—there was certainly no guarantee Kelly was still alive, and even if she was alive, she could be brainwashed, convinced she was an entirely different person from the sister Cole had grown up with.

But damn it, Cole had to try. It wasn’t in her bones to give up.

Rubbing her tired eyes, she placed both hands against the small of her back and stretched. Several loud pops broke the silence. Then, feeling as if she would soon be entombed in the trash gathered around her, she opened a takeout bag and began filling it with Styrofoam containers, plastic cups, plastic forks and spoons, and other by-products of her obligatory efforts to keep her body functioning.

You need some exercise. Why don’t you go for a jog, maybe head to the Y, and take a swim? When was the last time you looked in the mirror?

She knew she needed the break and the exercise…but still the laptop drew her in, whispering its secrets in a language she could not understand.

Five more minutes, she said aloud, negotiating with herself. To show how much she meant to keep her word, she set a timer on her phone.

Having momentarily silenced that nagging inward voice, Cole adjusted her seat and leaned over the keyboard again, all thought of checking for coffee forgotten.

She had yet to find anything incriminating on the laptop, but she didn’t think for a second the Cali Clowns hadn’t been involved in some kind of criminal activity. They were careful – careful enough to hide their tracks – but they had no idea how determined she was. Though her primary goal