Fever Claim (The Sigma Menace) Read Online Free PDF Page B

surrounding the quarry and birds singing. It’d be an absolutely gorgeous spring day if she didn’t fear for Kaitlyn’s life.
    Jace led them around the far side of the rock mounds to a smaller building that looked like a trailer. The head office, perhaps? It sat about a hundred yards from the larger building that must have, or may still, house the heavy equipment used in stripping the hillside.
    There was a clearing between them and the trailer. Jace leaned down and spoke quietly in her ear. “Without yelling, call for Kaitlyn. She’s on the other side of that building.”
    Curious how he’d know that, she called, “Kaitlyn?”
    No answer.
    “Try again,” Jace said. “Only a little louder.”
    “Kaitlyn!”
    “Ca-Cassie?”
    Cassie’s heart surged with relief and she wanted to sprint to her friend. “Are you all right? Stay there, we’ll come to you.” 
    “We? Who’s with you?”
    “Jace,” Cassie paused. “The bartender.”
    “No police?”
    Cassie desperately wanted to go to the police, but she’d calm Kaitlyn first. “No just us. We’re coming to you, okay?”
    Jace subtly sniffed the air again and was looking at the larger building. He jogged across the clearing, pulling her with him. They furtively searched their surroundings for any movement, and cautiously peered around the trailer to find Kaitlyn.
    She sat on the ground in the dirt, with her back against the doublewide, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her dress was wrinkled and most of her makeup had worn off. Black smudges magnified the dark circles under her eyes. Dark blood stained her face and arms. Cassie rushed toward her and squatted beside her, Jace close behind.
    As Cassie searched Kaitlyn’s arms for injuries, but Kaitlyn shrugged her off. “It’s not my blood. At least, most of it’s not.”
    Cassie remained squatting next to the dazed girl, her hand on her shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”
    Kaitlyn rested her head on the wall behind her, her arms still wrapped around her knees. Her gaze flickered to Jace.
    “I’ll go check the building. See if, ah,” Jace paused, “they’re still there.”
    His footsteps through the gravel faded. Part of Cassie wanted to run after him and ask him to stay, she hated seeing him leave. She felt safer with him near, though they’d found Kaitlyn. Instead she sat quietly, rubbing the traumatized girl’s shoulder, patiently waiting until she was ready to talk.
    Kaitlyn swallowed and closed her eyes. “He drove me out here. There was this guy waiting for us. He was hot; I wanted to hook up.” She turned her head to face Cassie, her expression one of such inner turmoil. Tears started streaming down her face. “I’ve been doing that, you know? Being with two guys at a time. When you’re not with me, I’ve been going to the club… to The Den.”
    Cassie was stunned. Kaitlyn was a jelly girl? Why would she keep it a secret? She should know Cassie would support her no matter what.
    “Hey,” she said softly, tucking a lock of coppery hair behind Kaitlyn’s ear. “It’s okay. It only bothers me if it bothers you. Tell me what happened after that and don’t be afraid you’ll scare me off. You know I’ve heard worse.”
    A quick flash of relief crossed Kaitlyn’s face, she took a deep breath. “We drank and partied—all night. Toward morning, we just kind of passed out on the bed the other guy had set up in there. He lives there. Lived, I guess.” She fell quiet. Her eyes closed again, as if everything she was going to describe she could see running through her mind.
    “I woke to arguing. I stayed still when I heard it was about me. Tyson was afraid that since he was at the bar with me, they’d come after him when they found my body. The other guy said they wouldn’t find my body. Tyson argued that I had a friend at the club who knew we left together. But he said ‘you know what she is, she needs to be destroyed’ and came for me.
    “I was afraid he’d shoot me before I