Evil Without a Face Read Online Free PDF Page B

deputy chiefs reporting to him. Plus, the man had shot up through the ranks like a regular golden boy, garnering the favor of the superintendent and many others during his meteoric rise.
    How far would she go to get Jess off the hook this time?
    Her personal connection to Jess was already known within the CPD, but no one knew the reasons behind her loyalty. Her pact with Jess had gone unspoken, a commitment born as much from her own burden of guilt as the love she felt for her headstrong friend.
    But Sam’s career in law enforcement meant everything to her. It had become the focal point to her life, giving her a sense of worth. Would she be forced to choose between her life’s blood and the friend she loved like a sister?
    Sam prayed it wouldn’t go that far.
    “I’m coming in, Sarge.” She tossed back the covers and sat on the edge of her bed. “Be there in thirty.”
    Talkeetna Alaska
River Park Campground
1:00 A.M. AKDT
    On the northwest side of town, Nikki hid in the scarce shadows by the public restrooms of the campground, waiting for her ride. This time of year, the sun merely dipped below the horizon, leaving behind a wedge of time where the night sky was as dark as it ever got—a deep dusk that would eventually turn to morning.
    The best time to make her escape.
    Her duffel bag lay near her feet as she paced with hands in her jacket pockets. In the distance she smelled a campfire, and saw its glow through the trees. Soft voices and the lingering aroma of a late night dinner drifted toward her, making her stomach growl. She hadn’t counted on this. Who would be up and cooking this time of night? She rolled her eyes at the ridiculous question. Why should she care?
    In no time she’d be gone. All she had to do was keep a low profile until then.
    In the background the confluence of the Talkeetna and Susitna rivers surged against a steel gray sky. Normally, the white noise of the water would be soothing, but not tonight. The unsettling rush made her more anxious. Dressed in a royal blue windbreaker and jeans, she wished she wore another layer. It felt chillier by the river, and a brisk evening breeze had kicked up. Maybe nerves had more to do with her shivers. A silver Subaru Outback would pick her up, and the signal of flashing headlights had been prearranged.
    She knew after tonight her life would change forever.
    “Come on,” she whispered under her breath.
    She’d done all her thinking. No regrets. She didn’t see the point in having second thoughts. Drained, she finally slouched onto the canvas bag, straddling it. She kept hereyes on the drive into the park. And to ward off the cold, she rubbed her thighs with her hands.
    Nikki hated making her ride drive through town to pick her up, but the campground wouldn’t draw many locals this time of night. And since it was close to her home, she wouldn’t have to lug her duffel far. It made sense at the time she arranged it through her friend Ivana, but now she felt out of place…and alone.
    In the fanny pack around her waist she carried the essentials she’d need for the trip. She’d been told to leave any credit cards and her cell phone behind, making it impossible for her mother or the law to trace her once she got where she was going.
    She had followed her instructions to the letter, severing all links to the life she’d left behind.
    This should have felt liberating, but it only reminded her of the deceitful way she skulked out of the house in the middle of the night. She left her mom a cryptic note, saying only that she had gone and would contact her when she could. Anything more would have been trouble.
    But a strange mix of dread and relief came when headlights pierced the gray murkiness, flickering between the tall stand of evergreens. A car eased toward the park. At that distance and angle, Nikki couldn’t make out the color or make. She stood and craned her neck for a better look. About the time she poked her head up, a young man emerged from