
# The Alpha Predator

Written By: Steven Sterup Jr.

Copyright 2018 Steven Sterup Jr.

Legal Disclaimer - This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

I would like to thank my wife Tammy for the idea for this book even though she had no idea I would use her comment to create a book. I'd also like to thank her for her help with the final cover.
Table of Contents

Introduction

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 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

#

#

# Introduction

Just to be clear. Many people assume that this is a mystery. It's not. It's a thriller. You are supposed to figure out who the killer is. I believe some sites had categorized this incorrectly, and I hope I've fixed that.

I've gotten several reviews stating how obvious it is. It is supposed to be. That is why I gave away so many clues along the way. Adam has nearly as much information as the reader and still doesn't see it for reasons I hope you'll appreciate.

# Chapter 1

Adam Lance propped his feet up on his desk at Denton Chemical and leaned back. His blue uniform shirt and black pants looked a little large for him, but he didn't mind. The desk was strewn with fast food wrappers and various coffee mugs from some of the other watchmen. It was nearly three in the morning, and Adam was glad his shift only had three hours to go. Tonight was turning out to be particularly boring. But then again, Saturday shifts usually were. Adam hated the weekend shifts. At least on the weekdays, the plant workers gave him something to watch. Not that they were exciting. They were, however, a nice distraction from the eight-hour shift of watching the twenty monitors on the wall in front of him.

Adam pulled his feet down and stood up. He stretched his arms out wide and yawned.

"Coffee, definitely need coffee on Saturdays," he said to the empty office.

Adam grabbed his mug and made his way across the office. His desk and the monitors were on one side of the twenty-foot by twenty-foot office, and the collapsible table with the coffee maker was on the other.

Adam ruffled his short brown hair with one hand while the other hand squeezed the mug handle over and over. Adam was lean, not thin but not muscular either. He didn't work out often, but he did try to stay in shape. The stubble on his face was two days old, but it didn't really matter. No one saw the night watchmen, especially on the weekends.

"Gotta stay awake...gotta stay awake," he chanted as he made his way to his best friend on the weekends.

Adam was nearly six-foot tall, five foot eleven and a half, to be more accurate, so he had to duck under the dangling sign in the middle of the room. The one that read 'A clean work area is a happy work area'. As he read the sign for the millionth time, he chuckled. Did anyone actually take this to heart?

Most of the other watchmen didn't have to duck, well, except for Harold. But then again, Harold probably could have been a basketball player. He was six foot seven and had he not gotten his school sweetheart pregnant, he might have been. But life doesn't always work out the way you plan, and Adam knew this very well. He'd had a plan when he graduated from high school, but his parents had a different one.

At a young age, Adam was labeled a genius. He had taken what was described as a placement test when he was in middle school, and thankfully, he had goofed around a little with the answers, or his life could have been worse. The test came back with an IQ of one hundred and forty-two. Not quite a genius, but above average, to say the least. His parents took this as a sign and immediately began scouting colleges for him.

Adam's plan of lounging around trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life didn't fly with his parents. The week after graduation he was shipped off to the first of his many colleges. Adam was now twenty-eight and had 'flunked' out of six colleges so far. Not that Adam couldn't have passed, he didn't want to. The courses were boring, and despite the challenging coursework for some of them, he didn't see the point of getting good grades. At each college, he did his best for the first week or two, but after realizing that the end result wasn't what he wanted to do with his life, he would let his grade slip.

Adam's parents were disappointed the first few times, but they weren't stupid either. After the third, his father gave up, and after this last one, his mother finally accepted the fact that Adam didn't want to go to college. It had been a year since then, and although being a night watchman was boring, it did appease his father. It wasn't glorious or awe-inspiring but, as his father once told him, 'There's nothing wrong with breaking your back for a living. People do it every day'. Sitting at a desk watching monitors wasn't exactly back-breaking, but it did bring in a paycheck, which is what Adam assumed his father was getting at.

After filling his mug with lukewarm coffee, Adam returned to his seat and stared blankly at the monitors. He checked his watch again...five minutes had gone by. This was going to be a long night.

Adam's eyes caught movement in one of the upper right-hand monitors, so he focused his attention on it. He wasn't armed, even though the signs around the plant stated 'Armed Guards on Patrol'. He did have a Taser and mace, for emergencies. In the monitor, he saw a larger-looking man in a business suit stumbling into one of the dumpsters. The dumpsters weren't inside the fence, but they were on Denton property, so they were part of the surveillance. The man looked drunk. He bobbed and weaved then fell against the dumpster.

Adam sighed and stood up slowly. He made sure his Taser was on his belt then begrudgingly headed to the door. Another thing he hated about weekends was keeping the drunks out of the dumpsters. On weekdays, the workers usually shooed them away. He mumbled under his breath as he left the guard station and walked the fifty feet to the front gate.

"Why do the dumpsters have to be all the way out here? Why not just put them inside the fence? I'm here at four in the morning. I'll open the damn gate for the garbage guys," he complained.

When he reached the gate, he put in his code, and the gate slid open slowly. He grumbled under his breath some more as he walked the thirty more feet to the dumpsters. When he was in earshot, he started speaking to the man.

"Buddy. Hey, buddy! You can't sleep here! The garbage guys might run you over," he said loudly, then mumbled to himself again. "Oh hey, mom...I got a promotion. I'm not just a night watchman anymore. I'm a freeking babysitter for drunks. Pays the same, the work still sucks but hey...it's a promotion." He laughed at his own joke as he got closer to the man.

"You need me to call someone? I can't let you use the phone inside but if you have a cell I can dial it for ya," he said and leaned down. When he flipped the man over his expression caught Adam off guard. He didn't look like he was in a drunken stupor, he looked terrified.

"Save me," the man whispered.

"Save you?" Adam asked, confused. Then Adam saw the man's eyes grow wider in fear. When Adam turned around, he was hit in the face with something hard. The world spun and, before he knew it, he was on the ground.

Adam blinked his eyes a few times and saw someone dragging the man off. The person was short, maybe five-six, and dressed in all black. The person wore a black hoodie with the hood up and black tennis shoes.

"Leave him alone," Adam tried to yell, but it came out quieter than he wanted it to.

The hooded person turned and looked right at him, stared for a second, then picked up a syringe from the ground and took off down the street. Adam noticed the way she ran, and the shape of her eyes, the only thing he could see through the ski mask she wore. It was definitely a woman in that outfit. Why was she trying to hurt this guy?

Adam forced himself to his feet and leaned over the man in the suit one more time. He was out cold now. Quickly, he reached into the man's suit jacket and grabbed his cell phone. He hit 911 and waited to be connected.

"What is your emergency?" the bland voice of a woman asked. She had clearly said those words a million times.

"I want to report a...a mugging...I think," he said.

"I have your location, Mr. Samson. Units are on the way," she said blandly.

"I'm not Mr. Samson. I'm using his phone. He's lying on the pavement beside me. We probably need an ambulance," Adam replied.

"I'll send an ambulance right away. Are you ok, sir?" the woman asked, clearly more involved now.

"I'm fine. The attacker hit me once but took off," he replied.

Then Adam noticed a woman in a grey pants suit walking up to him swiftly. Her short heels clacked on the pavement, and her shoulder-length, brunette hair was a mess. When she was closer, she held out her badge and yelled to him.

"Special Detective Cheryl Torren. Are you alright, sir?" she asked then noticed the man on the ground. "Is he ok?"

Adam hung up the phone and put it beside the man on the ground then turned to Detective Torren.

"That was fast," Adam blurted out.

"I was chasing someone, and I think they headed this way. Did you see anyone? Is he alright?" she asked again.

Detective Cheryl Torren stood about five foot eight in her heels. Being shorter than Adam, she had to look up to see him as she asked again.

"Are you alright?" she asked quieter, now that she was standing right in front of him.

"You were chasing someone?" Adam asked, then added. "Dressed in all black, with a hood?"

Detective Torren knelt down to check on the man in the suit then looked up at Adam.

"I think he'll live. And yes, that sounds like the person I was chasing. That means..." she looked at the man on the ground again. "This man might be the first victim to survive." Then she looked up at Adam. "And you're a witness."

"Wait, what?" Adam asked. He could hear the sirens coming down the street. They were maybe a few blocks away.

Detective Torren stood and looked at Adam seriously.

"I'm chasing a serial killer, and you would be the first person to actually see him. Well, except for me, but I wasn't even sure it was him," Cheryl said.

"You mean her," Adam corrected.

"No, I mean him," Cheryl argued.

"I'm pretty sure it was a woman. The eyes and the gate. It was a woman," Adam said sternly.

Cheryl looked nervously down the alley at the police vehicle that was quickly approaching then turned to Adam.

"Don't say a word about the attacker being a woman. Tell them you didn't get a good look," she said.

"What? Why?" Adam asked.

"This could be the break I was looking for. I don't want this blasted all over the news. If the reporters find out we have a female serial killer on the loose, it'll be national news, and she will vanish again. I'm so close. I almost had her this time. Please," Cheryl begged.

Adam looked down at her and felt something unfamiliar to him, but it wasn't about Cheryl. Yes, she was pretty, in fact, she was downright gorgeous, but that wasn't what he was feeling. It was the situation he found himself in. He was actually excited. A mysterious female killer and a cop chasing her. This might be just what he was looking for. The rush of adrenalin, the surge of excitement. He'd never felt like this before. This killer was a mystery, even to the seasoned detective standing in front of him. Adam wondered what it took to become a detective. Then he pushed that notion aside. This killer was active now, becoming a detective would take years. He needed to be part of THIS investigation, right now.

"Don't worry. I won't say a word," he said with a grin.

"What's the stupid grin for?" Detective Torren asked.

"I can help you," he said.

"That's not a good idea," she stated.

"I don't want a gun or badge or anything, but I'm smart. I can help you figure out who she is," he said, the excitement in his voice nearly made it an octave higher.

"Cool your jets there...what was your name?" she asked.

"Adam Lance," he said and stuck out his hand.

"Ok, Adam. Let's take this one step at a time. We can meet, and I'll take your statement...away from all the prying eyes. Then we'll discuss you helping me, ok?" she asked and ignored his attempt at a handshake. She looked annoyed, but Adam barely noticed.

"I get off at six, there's a bar about two blocks down. The Rust Bucket." He saw the look on Detective Torren's face, so he added. "That's really the name. How about six-thirty?"

"AM?" she asked. "It won't be open."

"It's open for me. I live there," he said with a wider grin.

"You live in a bar?" she asked, her frustration turning to curiosity.

"I live above the bar, so I have a key," he replied.

"You know what? Fine. I'll meet you there at six-thirty. Why don't you head back inside? I'll tell them you found the guy but nothing else. At least not yet," she said.

"Isn't that obstructing justice or something like that?" Adam asked.

"I'm a Special Detective, appointed by the Governor himself. I am taking your statement at the bar. There's nothing illegal about it," she assured him.

"I get it. You're not going to lie to them. You're just not going to tell them the whole story," Adam replied.

"Maybe you're as smart as you claim," she said with a smile that still held some annoyance then headed toward the two uniformed officers who were approaching. The ambulance pulled up right behind them and paramedics got out, then rushed by toward the man on the ground.

As Adam walked back through the gate, he heard the conversations.

"So...Special Detective. How did I know you would already be here?" the short, rough-looking officer in his fifties asked. He had grey hair, was slightly overweight, and walked with a limp. "Do you have ESP or something?"

"Still dealing with the gout, Anderson?" Cheryl asked snidely. She looked at Anderson with contempt. He was only an inch taller than her with her short heels on. Then she ignored the man and looked up to address his partner. The younger, more professional-looking man stood beside Anderson. He smiled at her kindly as he waited for orders.

"Make sure that guy is put in protective custody. I think he's a survivor. And if he can even give us one clue," she said.

The younger looking officer nodded and took off toward the man in the suit. Paulson was much younger than Anderson, with dark hair and a chiseled jaw. He didn't say much, but he treated Cheryl with the respect she deserved, so she treated him kindly in return.

"Thanks, Paulson," she said over her shoulder then sneered at Anderson once more.

"It's not even the strange coincidences or the fact that you beat us to the scene each time. It's your attitude that annoys me," Anderson said.

"I'm annoying you?" she asked with a devious grin. "I should try harder. I was going for disgust." Then she took off walking back the way she had come.

"Who's going to take care of all this paperwork?!" Anderson yelled after her.

"Paulson will. He's a real cop. Not a glorified donut inspector," she replied without stopping or even turning around. After a few more feet, she yelled again. "Don't you get tired of being a beat cop?! You've been on the force longer than Paulson has been alive, and he's going to make detective before you! That should tell you something, Anderson!"

Anderson huffed then walked over to join Paulson.

Paulson stared at Anderson condescendingly.

"You should be nicer to her," Paulson said.

"Why? She'll be gone in a month. Maybe less, if we catch this killer," Anderson answered.

Paulson shook his head in disbelief.

"And that's why your still a beat cop," Paulson replied.

# Chapter 2

At six-fifteen, Adam sat at a booth in The Rust Bucket waiting for Detective Torren to arrive. He tapped his feet nervously and drummed his fingers on the table. He couldn't remember ever being this excited. A real-life serial killer was on the loose, and he had seen her. Without him, Detective Torren wouldn't even know it was a woman. During his many college attempts, he had never felt like this. He thought back on all the classes he'd tried.

Biology was boring, informative, but very boring. Math was too predictable. The rules never changed, one plus one was always two. Economics too sporadic, you never knew where you stood, things were always changing. The only subject that caught his attention for even a few days was computer programming, but then he realized, it was just math with a different name. After learning one language, it became too easy. He'd even tried at being a lawyer but reading all the laws was mind-numbing, to say the least. And then, to top it off, he would have to defend guilty people. He wasn't about to do that.

Trying to outsmart a clever killer, this was exciting. There was the pressure to stop her before she killed again, and then there was the cat and mouse aspect of trying to outsmart her. It wasn't predictable, but he knew where he stood. He was the good guy trying to catch the bad guy, or girl in this case. Then he realized he was getting ahead of himself. He hadn't even started yet. Detective Torren might not even accept his help. Then what would he do? Go back to being a night watchman? Not a chance. Not after this. He would just have to find a way to make sure she said yes.

As he was pondering his situation, Detective Torren entered the bar. She looked over the empty seats until she found Adam, then started toward him. Adam felt his pulse quicken as she approached. Would she say yes? This was what he had been looking for. He knew it!

"So, Mr. Lance," she started as she sat. Her tone was condescending and even had a hint of annoyance.

"Call me Adam," he said cheerfully.

"Ok, Adam. You can call me Cheryl," she said and straightened out her suit jacket.

Adam smiled at her, then lifted his hand. A man came from behind the counter carrying two beers.

"I don't think it's legal to purchase alcohol at this hour," Cheryl stated.

"I'm not buying it. I bought it last night. He's just bringing me beer that is already mine." He accepted the two bottles then smirked at Cheryl and handed her one.

"Clever," she replied with a hint of a smile then accepted the beer.

Before the man left, Adam stopped him.

"George, I'll have the rent tomorrow, as soon as I get paid," he said with a cringe.

"It's fine, Adam. I know you'll be late. You're always late," George said with a shrug then walked back behind the bar to resume his cleaning.

Adam turned to Cheryl and smiled.

"So, how do we get started?" he asked.

"Hold on a minute. You're not my assistant. You're not my helper. You're a witness," she stated.

Adam's hope fell, but he was determined that this was what he was looking for, so he didn't give up.

"Well then, ask me questions," he said and took a long drink.

"You're sure it was a woman?" Cheryl asked.

"Yes. I've studied biology. The gate and especially the eyes. It was a woman," he replied.

"Then what color were her eyes?" Cheryl asked skeptically.

Adam leaned forward, looked into Cheryl's eyes then smirked.

"They were brown like yours but different," he said and backed up.

"Different how?" Cheryl asked. Her voice sounded agitated.

"She didn't have makeup on, and they weren't nearly as pretty," he said.

"Are you flirting with me?" she asked.

"No...no. I was just stating a fact," he responded nervously.

"Good. I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I'm looking for a killer," she said angrily. "Anything else you can tell me about her?"

"She was right-handed, didn't limp...I couldn't see her hair and the eyebrows were covered by the mask. She was really careful." Adam sat back and thought.

"How do you know she was right-handed?" Cheryl asked.

"The way she picked up the syringe. If you pick something up with your non-dominant hand, you bend over differently. Almost like it's unnatural. This was swift and without thought." Adam tried to figure out what was going through Cheryl's mind, but she was a blank slate. He imagined being a detective had trained her to be that way.

"You didn't mention a syringe before," Cheryl stated.

"You were too busy shushing me. I didn't get the chance," Adam argued.

"So, we're looking for a right-handed woman with brown eyes? Anything else?" she asked with condescension.

"When you say it like that it sounds bad, but it's more than you knew yesterday," he offered.

"That's true, but that doesn't mean I need your help catching her," she looked at Adam and tried to smile, but it looked fake. "You did a good job. You're a good witness. That doesn't make you a good detective." She put her hand into her pocket and pulled out a card, then handed it to Adam. "If you think of anything else, give me a call. I'll catch her. Don't worry Adam."

She stood up to leave, and Adam stood with her.

"I could help you. I'm smart. I could...I...," he stammered.

"I've been doing this a while. I know how to do my job. I appreciate the sentiment, but I've got this," she said kindly then headed to the door.

Adam plopped back into the booth and grabbed the beer that Cheryl had only half-finished then gulped it down.

"You're a good witness," he mimicked. "That doesn't make you a good detective." His voice returned to normal. "We'll see about that." He finished his own beer then headed behind the bar, through a hallway then up the flight of stairs to his apartment.

At the top of the stairs, there were two doors. One for George's place and one for his. He unlocked his apartment and went inside. On the way to the couch, he grabbed a beer from the fridge then sat and fumed. His apartment was a small, one-bedroom place. It had a stove and a fridge, even a coffee table and couch, but little else. He sat and drank the beer while he tried to figure out how to get Cheryl's attention.

"Ok, Adam. You can do this. What did she tell you about the killer?" he said while thumping the end of the beer bottle on his forehead. "Nothing." He stood up and paced while he took another drink. "Ok, we don't know much about the killer but what do we know about her? She said she's been chasing this killer." A smile spread across his face. He looked at the card she had given him while he thought. It had the number for the local police station, not her cell phone. He recognized the number because it was posted at the bottom of the monitors at work. Cheryl Torren didn't work here. She was from out of town. "I bet she's famous. Or at least newsworthy. Someone has to know something about Special Detective Cheryl Torren and what she's been up to."

Adam plopped back on the couch and opened his laptop. He chugged the last of his beer and set out to find any information he could about Special Detective Cheryl Torren. Within a few minutes, he had twenty pages on cases she was involved with and promotions she'd received. It appeared that Cheryl Torren was famous. Her arrest record was impressive. This was the reason the Governor had asked for her specifically for this task.

Special Detective Cheryl Torren was thirty-one years old and had shot through the ranks due to her intelligence and determination. She had even turned down a job with the FBI so she could head up the Governor's special task force. Although she was still a police officer, she answered directly to the Governor. This meant she could operate in any city in the state. Her current case was catching a killer that everyone assumed was a man. There were thirteen victims associated with this killer, and no one had ever even gotten close to her.

Adam's excitement was starting to overwhelm him, so he stood and went to the fridge for another beer.

"I can do this. I'll find what she missed. I'll show Special Detective Cheryl Torren that she DOES need me," he said loudly with a laugh, then returned to the couch to start his research.

# Chapter 3

That evening Officer's Anderson and Paulson were sitting outside the hospital room of the victim and potential witness, Carl Sampson. Having worked a double shift, they were taking turns napping in the hall outside his room.

"You're turn man," Paulson said as he nudged Anderson with his elbow. He could barely keep his eyes open.

"Why do we always get the shit jobs?" Anderson complained as he stood and stretched.

"I blame you. If you'd been nicer to her we wouldn't be the ones stuck babysitting," Paulson replied angrily.

"Whatever," Anderson replied then opened the door to Carl Sampson's room and walked in.

He looked around the dark room and at the monitors. Carl's heartbeat was regular and his breathing normal then Anderson saw the open window. He tried to pull his gun, but something heavy smashed into the back of his skull, and he tumbled to the ground. As he turned himself over, he saw the person who had attacked him, dressed in all black, and standing over him. The person's voice was muffled as she spoke.

"You're a vile man Officer Anderson, but you have done nothing to warrant your death," she said then pulled out a stun gun and shocked him until he was unconscious.

With swift movements, she left Officer Anderson on the floor then unplugged Carl's monitors.

"We don't want anyone to interrupt us, do we Carl?" she said in a low, masked voice.

"What do you want?" Carl asked, full of fear.

She covered his mouth and injected something into his IV.

"I don't get to do my usual routine, but let me assure you. Your daughter Ivy will get her justice," the masked woman said. "You'll never be able to hurt another little girl...ever."

Carl's eyes opened widely as the pain set in. With both hands, the woman pushed tightly against his mouth to muffle his screams. Then after nearly a minute of agonizing pain, Carl Samson was dead.

Swiftly, the woman left through the window and crawled effortlessly down the drainpipe attached to the wall. When she reached the bottom, she noticed a tall figure in the shadows at the entrance to the alley. Unafraid, she walked over and waited for him to speak.

"Is it done?" the man asked.

"Carl Samson is dead," she answered. "He won't be telling anyone about me."

"What about the boy who saw you?" the man continued.

"I've looked into him. I can't kill him," she said with frustration.

"I was afraid of that," he sighed. "Just move on. It's too dangerous."

"I can't leave yet. There's too much work to be done here," she argued. "I'll keep an eye on him. If he gets too close, I'll move on."

"I don't like it. He's smart. He'll find you," the man countered.

"I know what I'm doing, Dad. Adam Lance won't be a problem," she said then raced off down the alley.

"I hope you're right," the man said somberly then walked away.

# Chapter 4

Cheryl sat at an interrogation table with Officer's Anderson and Paulson with her cup of coffee. It was four in the afternoon, but for her, it was morning. Working the night shift to catch killers messed with her sense of time, but after five years, she was finally getting the hang of it.

"You two look like crap. Especially you," Cheryl said. "Anything broken, Tom?" she asked Anderson.

"Tom? We're on a first-name basis now, Cheryl?" Officer Anderson asked angrily.

"I was trying to be kind. You sure you don't need to see a doctor?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Let's get this over with. Are you going to get me fired?" he asked.

"I just want to know what you saw, dipshit. I'm not going to get you fired because someone snuck up on you...in the dark...after a twenty-hour shift. I've been there." She looked at Paulson. "Did you see anything?"

"No, ma'am," Paulson said with embarrassment. "I was asleep."

"It's ok, Paulson. No one is in trouble here," she said and looked at both of them. "I just want to find out if you saw anything that can help me catch this bastard."

Anderson shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"He had a deep voice. Like on TV where they use a voice modulator or something. And he was really strong. The dude clocked me with something heavy, and when I turned over..."

"He zapped you. I know...but did you notice anything? An accent? Bad breath? Anything?" she urged. "What color were his eyes?"

"I don't know," Anderson answered, full of embarrassment then looked at the table.

"You two need a day off. I'll talk to the captain and see if he can spare you for one day. I didn't think he'd try to get Mr. Sampson in the hospital. That was my fault. Sorry guys," Cheryl said as she stood up.

Paulson nudged Anderson in the side and whispered to him.

"See? Be nice to her, and she's nice to us," Paulson said.

Cheryl overheard it and hid her smile as she reached for the door.

"Thank you, Detective Torren," Anderson said and looked at the table again.

"You're welcome guys," she turned and looked at both of them. "I need you rested up. We have a killer to catch."

"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison as she left.

After a long walk down the crowded hallway, she finally reached the captain's office. Cheryl politely knocked, and when the man at the desk motioned for her to enter, she went in.

Captain Stewart Crews was a large man. At about six foot three, he towered over most of his subordinates. At one time he had been a muscular man, but now, at sixty-five, he was softer yet still commanding. His clean-shaven face and crewcut told the story of a man who valued discipline and obedience.

"Captain," she said.

"Detective," he replied.

"I'd like to ask that Officer's Anderson and Paulson be given a day off. They've worked..." she started.

"A day off? A man died on their watch," he argued.

"To be fair, I've been chasing this killer for years. He's extremely smart, and the men were at the end of a twenty-hour shift," she said.

"I still don't know why you picked these two? Paulson sure, he's a stand-up guy but Anderson?" The captain waited for her response.

"Anderson is lazy, annoying and rude, but he's honest. I chose him because he will always tell me the truth. There will be no ass-kissing from that guy. If I miss something or screw up, he'll be the first one to say so," she said with a smirk.

"I suppose you've got a point," the captain said and leaned back.

"Anderson is good at his job. He's just hard to get along with," she added.

"Yeah, they can have a day off," the captain relented.

"Thank you, sir," she said and stood.

"That guy called again," the captain stared at her condescendingly. "Call him back. I agreed to let you use two of my officers, but I did not agree to be your answering service." The Captain held out a note with a phone number on it.

"I'll call him," she replied resentfully, snatched the note and headed out.

As Cheryl walked out of the building, she dialed the number on the note. After a few rings, Adam picked up.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Adam, we need to talk. You can't keep calling the station. I don't actually work here. They're getting a bit annoyed with you," she said.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry. Umm. Do you have time to meet with me?" he asked.

"When is good for you?" she asked with a sigh.

"Like seven?" he asked.

"Fine. I'd assume at the bar?" she replied with annoyance.

"Yes," he answered.

"See you then," she said, then hung up the phone without waiting for him to reply. While she walked down the street, she grumbled to herself. "Not only do I have to catch a killer. I have to babysit an amateur detective. This job gets better and better."

# Chapter 5

At a little after seven, Cheryl walked into The Rust Bucket and quickly found Adam sitting at a booth in the back. The place was packed this time, but not with the clientele she expected. She had assumed this bar to be a dive bar with scruffy patrons, but it looked like a college hang out. She felt old walking through the crowd of college students, most of them just barely old enough to drink.

When she sat down, Adam looked at her full of apprehension and spoke loudly.

"I don't mean to sound weird, but would you mind going up to my apartment?!" he yelled with a guilty cringe. The crowd was so loud that she barely heard him over them.

"Sure!" she yelled and stood back up.

Adam led the way through the mess of students, and when they finally reached the stairs, the sound muffled.

"Thank you," Adam said. "I couldn't hear myself think, let alone hear you."

"It's ok, Adam," she replied.

Adam let her into the apartment, and again she was surprised. Adam's place was clean. Judging from his job, his proximity to a bar and his general attitude, she assumed he was a slob. His unshaven face also didn't help her impression of him, but it seemed she had been wrong about Adam Lance.

"You'll have to excuse the mess," he said and picked up a pile of papers from the kitchen counter then stacked them neatly. "I've been working on this constantly since we met." He rushed to the living room and straightened up the papers on the coffee table then sorted through them until he found the one he was looking for.

"What is all this?" she asked with astonishment.

"Research," he said then hurried back to her. "The first confirmed kill."

Adam handed her a sheet of paper with a name and picture on it. Chris Torren.

"I know why you took this job now," he beamed. "Her first victim was your uncle."

"How did you..." she started, but Adam wasn't finished.

"She took her first victim when you were twenty-two. Strung him up in a barn and tried to make it look like a suicide but the traces of ketamine prove it was her first kill," he said quickly then walked back over and took another paper from the pile. "You see, she uses ketamine to overpower them. Don't get me wrong. She's strong and well trained, but the sheer size of some of these men...it's just safer for her to use drugs to knock them out. She's pretty small."

Cheryl looked at the second page and stared.

"You see, with this one she got better. It was a year after her first kill. She used restraints after the drugs. She may have tortured him," he paused and pointed at the picture. "Notice the bruising around the wrists and the welts under his shirt."

"Yes, but it was never determined..." she tried to argue, but Adam still wasn't done. He quickly walked back, grabbed another piece of paper then handed it to her.

"It took only another month for the third victim. This time she was much better," Adam grinned as he pointed to the man's arms in the picture. "Notice how there's no bruising this time. She used softer restraints. But...she wasn't perfect. She used a chemical to cause pain this time. The autopsy showed signs of chemotherapy drugs mixed with a few other drugs known to cause joint pain. But...the victim wasn't taking any drugs, didn't have cancer, and hadn't been to the doctor in over a year."

"Can I talk now?" Cheryl asked with annoyance.

"Yes, sorry. I got a little excited. Oh! I think I know why she kills them too," he said then waited quietly.

"Fine, spill it," she said. Her annoyance was growing.

"Ok, look at this. All but one make sense." He rushed over to the coffee table, scattered some papers, then pulled out the one he was looking for. When he handed her the paper, he just grinned and didn't say a word.

"What am I looking at?" she asked.

"Arrest reports, complaints, false alarms, hospital visits," he replied.

"But what does this have to do with the killer?" she asked.

"Like I said. All but one make sense. Every single one of these people was abusive to children or women...except your uncle. I can't find anything on him," he said, and his enthusiasm waned.

"So, these reports are victims of the victims?" she asked.

"Yes, and every one of them...excluding your uncle, were never convicted. She is killing the ones the system didn't catch. How well did you know your uncle?" he asked.

"Umm...not well. He wasn't a very likable guy. People only hung around him because of his position and money," she said, still staring at the list.

"Your father's brother, right?" Adam asked. "Your father, who died when you were six?"

"Yes, why?" Cheryl asked in response.

"Your mother committed suicide a month before your uncle's supposed suicide. Is it possible he did something to her? This woman has a pattern. She gets justice for those who can't," Adam explained.

"She's like a predator of predators?" Cheryl asked and looked up from the page. She stared at Adam, waiting for his answer.

"An Alpha Predator. She hunts predators," he stated pridefully.

"I mean I suppose...my mother was very distraught before..." she couldn't finish.

"I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," Adam apologized.

"It's ok. It's just been a long time. I didn't take her suicide well," Cheryl admitted. "I always thought my uncle was having problems too. Figured...I don't know...she did it, so he thought 'why not?' I wasn't convinced he was a victim, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe he did have something to do with my mother's suicide."

"We should tell someone," Adam urged.

"Let's just keep this quiet for now. You've found a lot," she said and walked over to the couch. She plopped down and looked at the pile of papers, dumbfounded. "How did you find all this out in a day? I've been working on this for years."

"I told you, I'm smart. I think about things in different ways and when I hit a dead end. I start over from a new perspective. It took me three tries to figure this out. I tried the serial killer angle, but it didn't make sense, so I moved on to the emotional angle. Women usually kill for emotional reasons. It didn't make sense either because none of the victims knew each other or even had mutual friends. Then it hit me. It is emotional, but not because the killer knows the victims. She wants justice for the ones these people hurt." Adam quickly walked around the couch and sat beside Cheryl. "If we're not going to tell anyone, what are we going to do about this?"

"Let me think for a minute," she stated.

Cheryl sat with a confused look on her face while Adam looked on. She looked through a few of the pages on the coffee table then looked at Adam.

"Ok, fine! You're hired," she said then added. "I'll pay you minimum wage to look into things for me. No fieldwork. No gun. No badge or title. You're just a researcher."

Adam's grin nearly filled his face.

"Thank you. You won't regret this," he said and stuck out his hand. This time Cheryl shook it as she stood up.

"I really hope that's true. If you screw up or get yourself killed, I'm going to be pissed," she said.

"How am I going to get myself killed? I'll be here doing research," he said, still unable to remove the huge grin.

Cheryl rolled her eyes.

"You're a pain in the ass, but I have to admit, you're good at this," she sighed.

"What do you want me to work on first?" Adam asked.

Cheryl put her hands on her hips and stared at him with disappointment.

"That's your job," she said.

"Oh," Adam replied.

"We know virtually nothing about our killer. One of the few things we do know is that she targets untouchable predators. People who, somehow, got away with it," Cheryl said with a furrowed brow. "Maybe you can use that?"

"Well, except for your uncle," Adam added.

"I'm still not convinced he's part of this. He doesn't fit in a lot of ways. Even if he did help my mother commit suicide...even if he caused it. Which, I'm not sure of. How does that make him a target?" Cheryl asked.

"I'm really not sure." Adam looked less confident now, then his mood changed sharply, and his enthusiasm returned. "I'll just start by looking at victims of crimes, people who reported crimes, as well as any odd hospital visits, like 'I fell down the stairs' or 'my door hit me in the eye' and things like that," Adam said. "Maybe something will stick out."

"Maybe," she replied.

"The killer probably lived through something traumatic and is getting her revenge through other people. Maybe she can't get her own revenge, or maybe her revenge didn't stop the urge to make them pay," Adam commented. He walked to the door and opened it for Cheryl. "That would have been years ago, but I should be able to find the records. Should I call you when I have something?"

"No. I'll be here tomorrow night...and every night after. You're my employee now. We'll be seeing a lot of each other," she said with a smirk then left.

As Adam closed the door, he suppressed the urge to cheer. Slowly, he walked to the couch, trying desperately not to run to his laptop, his new workstation. When he sat down, he had a brilliant idea. He picked up his phone and dialed his mom's number. After a few rings, she answered. Adam struggled to contain his excitement as they spoke.

"I found it, mom," he said adamantly. "No. What I want to do. I finally found it. I'm sort of like an apprentice detective. Yes, for the police department." He smiled widely as he listened to his mom complain about how dangerous police work was, but it didn't dissuade him in the slightest.

# Chapter 6

Cheryl walked into Adam's apartment without knocking. They had been working together for a full week now. Adam had quit his job as night watchman without giving notice. This annoyed Cheryl, but it was his choice. As she entered the spotless apartment and snuck up on Adam, she wondered why he never locked his door.

"How's it going today?" he asked without looking up from his laptop. "Anything new for me?"

"How did you even know I was there?" she asked. She leaned over the back of the couch and saw what Adam was working on. "You should really learn to lock your door."

Adam turned and gave her a warm smile, which was greeted with Cheryl's perpetually cold stare. It wasn't that she didn't like Adam and he knew it. It was just the way Cheryl was. Cold and uncaring, all business, all the time.

"Since we can't find anything about her," he started then returned to stare at his laptop screen. "Oh and I don't really need to lock my door unless I'm not here. George sees everyone going up those stairs. And your heels clack on the stairs."

"Finish one thought before you move on. Sheesh," Cheryl complained.

"Oh yeah. Umm, I figured I'd start looking into potential victims...predators, you know, the men she hunts." Adam clicked on a file, and sixteen names came up on his screen. "These are all potentials."

"There is no way we can check on all sixteen," Cheryl said then pushed herself away from the couch. "You have any coffee?" It was about six PM, and Cheryl had missed her morning coffee. She had come straight here after a meeting with Captain Crews.

"Should be a pot on in the kitchen." He waved absentmindedly toward the kitchen, but Cheryl knew where it was. She had just asked to be polite. It seemed to have become their ritual. Adam made coffee and provided all the intelligence, while Cheryl made sure to keep him on track. The only difference today was that she was late.

Adam liked to go off on tangents, much like the one he was on now. Without her morning pep talks, Adam would be on a new subject every day. Not that he was ever wrong, he was just unfocused.

"You sure this is the best way to track her? How could you possibly know which predators she is going to choose?" Cheryl grabbed her cup, one Adam had already set out for her, and poured her coffee.

"I'm not one hundred percent yet, but I'm getting close. I'm pulling all the information on cases we know are hers and comparing them. It seems she only targets men who target women and children. They also have to be unrepentant." Adam still didn't pull away from the laptop screen. He was going through each and every one of these names with a fine-toothed comb. "Got another one off the list. He's currently in prison for rape."

"I still think it's better to focus on her, but I'll give you a few days to work on it. If you can't narrow it down to two or three, then we need to focus our attention somewhere else. She will kill again. It's only a matter of time." Cheryl walked back toward the couch with her coffee and sat down right beside Adam. Her leg pressed against his and he shifted in his seat nervously then got up to get himself some coffee.

"I realize that," he said as he walked. "I still think this is the best way to catch her. We know almost nothing about her. All we know is what she's done. We don't know why. We barely even know how." He looked back at Cheryl while pouring his coffee. Why did she have to be so beautiful? Just being near her made him nervous. When Adam returned, he made sure to sit farther from her.

"Look at this guy," Cheryl said as she scooted closer to Adam.

Adam was against the arm of the couch now. He was trapped. There was nowhere to go. He gulped down his coffee, then cleared his throat and spoke.

"This one I'm not sure of. His crimes were nearly five years ago. He seems like a changed man, but I'm not sure. He might just cover his tracks better now," Adam said confidently then he looked at Cheryl and doubted himself. "I'll make sure."

"Good, we can't go chasing our tails here. We don't have that kind of time. When you get it down to a few names, we'll talk about it," she said.

She gave him a strange grin as she stood up, then walked to the kitchen and rinsed out her cup. When she returned, Adam had scooted closer to the middle of the couch. Her grin grew as she approached the couch.

As he turned and noticed her grin, he asked. "What?"

"Something wrong?" she asked in response.

"Umm...no...I'm just used to working alone," he stammered.

"Are you sure that's it?" she asked, then headed to the door.

"I'm sure," he said.

"If you say so," she said, unconvinced. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Adam stood and spoke to her.

"I'll keep at these names, and I'll work on her some more. I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket. I just think this is more likely to catch her," he explained.

"You should really think about locking this," she said without turning around.

As she left Adam breathed a sigh of relief and started to whisper to himself.

"Come on, Adam. Don't be so stupid. She's your boss. Sometimes I swear I sabotage myself." He plopped on the couch and stared at his list of fifteen names. There had to be a way to narrow these down. He was certain this was the way to catch the killer, whether Cheryl believed him or not.

# Chapter 7

Adam walked into the dark alley cautiously. It was lined with garbage cans on one side and two dumpsters on the other. One dumpster was at the entrance, where he was, and the other halfway down. There were no lights in this alley, and it was considerably darker than he had imagined it would be, but the next potential victim had just walked into this alley.

The alley was halfway across town from his small apartment above the bar, and he knew he shouldn't be here, but Adam never did listen to his superiors. Cheryl had dismissed his idea of chasing the victims, but he was out to prove her wrong. Adam had narrowed it down to three names. Each of these stood out to him, and this was the second one. The first turned out to be a sleazeball and a drug addict who was well on his way to killing himself. Not someone the Alpha Predator would bother with. He had grown to like his nickname for the killer. He had even shortened it to The Alpha. It was just easier to give her a name. Especially when he spoke to Cheryl about the killer they were chasing.

During the week since he had brought up the idea about chasing the victims, Adam had found out a little more about The Alpha's methods. She often stalked her prey for days or even weeks before making her move. The victims needed to be without remorse for what they had done. She didn't waste time with the ones who felt guilty and ruined their own lives. Self-punishment was a crueler fate than death.

This killer had a code, one that could not be broken. This only made Adam more curious about Cheryl's uncle, the one that didn't fit the pattern. He must have done something, or perhaps he hadn't, and this was another type of clue all together. Either way, it was possible The Alpha knew Chris Torren and blamed him for the death of Cheryl's mother. But, despite all his searching, and he had done quite a lot, there was nothing there. According to every record, Chris Torren had been a belligerent, egotistical, sometimes even cruel man but he wasn't The Alpha's type of prey. He hadn't physically harmed anyone.

Perhaps Chris Torren was the killer's first kill and first mistake. It would explain the meticulous care she took when choosing all the victims after Chris. Chris's faked suicide appeared to be rushed and sloppy. Every one afterward was well thought out and calculated down to the last detail, Including the mixture of drugs that caused extreme pain for the few minutes the victim was alive.

Something in the alley before him caught Adam's attention and pulled him from his thoughts. A bottle skittered across the alley then stopped when it hit a garbage can. Adam froze. Someone else was in this alley. He hoped it was Charles Dornton, the man he was following but he doubted it.

Adam pressed himself against the wall of the alley and held his breath as he waited for whatever came next. He regretted disobeying Cheryl now. He didn't have a gun or anything even resembling protection. If the killer was in front of him, in this dark alley, he would be dead.

After several seconds, which seemed like hours, listening to his heartbeat in his ears, Adam took a step forward. He could hear something on the other side of the dumpster in front of him. As he moved forward, he hit the speed dial on the phone in his pocket. He needed Cheryl's help. She would be extremely pissed that he had gone out on his own but being scolded was better than being dead. He held the phone to his ear as his hand shook. The first attempt went straight to voice mail. He heard Cheryl's voice on the other end of the line.

"This is Special Detective Cheryl Torren. Please leave a message...unless you're Adam. If this is you, Adam. I'll be there when I get there." She almost sounded like she was smiling. He didn't want to leave a message, so he hung up. The killer might be right behind this dumpster. He couldn't risk being heard.

Adam crept closer, and the sound got louder. It sounded like scratching. He hit the speed dial again. He heard it ring then, down the alley, he saw a phone light up. It was laying in the middle of the alley. She must have had it on silent because it wasn't ringing. It just laid on the ground and buzzed quietly. Then Adam realized what this meant. Maybe Cheryl had taken him seriously. Maybe she was on the other side of this dumpster, dead or nearly dead. The sound from behind the dumpster came again. It sounded like clothing being ruffled. Adam mustered all his courage and jumped out from behind the dumpster. As he jumped out, another figure jumped out in the dark and lunged at him.

"Learn your lesson yet!?" Cheryl yelled, and it echoed through the alley.

Adam fell backward against the dumpster and put his hand on his chest.

"I think I'm having a heart attack! Holy shit!" he said, panting.

"When I said you don't go into the field, I meant it, and this is why. You don't go into the field. What if I had been the killer?" Cheryl asked, smiling. She knew she had made her point.

Adam still clutched his chest as a smile slowly formed.

"I get your point, but you weren't listening to me. This guy might be the next victim," he said, slowly catching his breath.

"Do you think I'm new at this?" She put her hands on her hips and looked at him with one eyebrow cocked. "I looked into Mr. Charles Dornton and...I looked into his girlfriend." She relaxed then put her arm around Adam's shoulders and ushered him out of the alley.

"And?" Adam asked. He was finally breathing normally again.

"He's innocent," she stated.

"What? I checked. Three separate calls to the police on three separate nights. The girlfriend reported abuse each time. Culminating in a rape when the police didn't do anything," Adam explained.

"Use all the fancy words you like, smart guy. He's innocent," she said again more emphatically.

"But..." Adam argued.

"Did you bother to look into the accuser?" Cheryl asked condescendingly.

"Yes," he said, then looked at Cheryl's unbelieving face. "A little."

"If you had checked further you would have noticed that she called 911 twenty times in the last year and she was a hooker, not his girlfriend. She was blackmailing Charles Dornton, and when he didn't pay up, she made good on her threats. Accusing him of rape."

"But...the police didn't do anything...Ohhhh," he trailed off as he saw the reason. "Because they knew better than to believe her."

"See? Do your job better, Adam. We're not going to catch her unless we get the correct victim," Cheryl chastised. "And don't go out trying to prove me wrong again. I'm usually right."

"I...yeah. I can see that now," he replied and drooped his head.

"What was the third name? I know this wasn't the first guy you followed," she said with a smirk as she approached her car. She opened the passenger side door and let Adam in. "I just can't remember all their names. I was working on Charles Dornton then I was going to get onto the next guy. But...we can go check out the third guy together, just to appease you." She shut the door then went over to the driver's side and got in.

"Vernon Jacobs," Adam said when Cheryl had done up her seatbelt.

Cheryl's eyes grew huge. She turned and stared right at Adam.

"Damn it, Adam! This is what I'm talking about!" she yelled and hit her fists on the steering wheel.

"What?" he asked.

"If you had done your job right. Vernon Jacobs would still be alive. I got the call twenty minutes ago, but it sounded like an accident. He slipped while getting out of the tub and cracked his head then drown." Cheryl leaned her head on the steering wheel and growled. "This is why you have to do your research correctly. Quit trying to do my job and do yours!"

"That means she changed things up. All the others have looked like suicide. This one looks like an accident," he said deep in thought. "I'm really sorry, Cheryl. I'll do better."

"You had better," she said as she sat up and turned the key. She sat silently while she pulled into traffic then felt guilty. "It's partially my fault, as well. I should have told you I was checking into the names. You had the right guy...well, one of them was right."

"I'll try harder," Adam promised. While they were on the way back to Adam's place, a thought occurred to him. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?" Cheryl asked.

"She's changed her methods. That means she knows we're on to her," he said with a blank expression. He wasn't sure if he was excited or scared. "If I hadn't found those names, we wouldn't even know. No one would give Vernon Jacobs a second glance."

"That means she's watching us and trying to throw us off her trail," Cheryl added. Her look was more expressive than Adam's, but not by much. They were both trying to grasp the situation.

"We need to be more careful," he said.

"How often do you leave your place?" Cheryl asked.

"Umm...once in a while. I go down to get food, get a drink, or take a stroll. Not really often, but enough," he admitted.

"We need to be smarter about this," Cheryl said then turned at the next light.

"Wait, where are we going?" he asked. He knew it wasn't the way to his apartment.

"My place. It's safer," she explained.

"I suppose," Adam relented. Truthfully, it was a relief to hear Cheryl say it. He was starting to worry about being alone in his apartment.

"I'm actually glad she's on to us," Cheryl said strangely.

"Why?" Adam asked.

"I've been working this case for five years. If you had caught her in under a month, I'd feel pretty pathetic," she said with a laugh.

"You admire her, don't you?" Adam asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Not her methods but the idea behind them, and her brain. She's smart...maybe smarter than you," she admitted. "Come on, don't tell me you're not a little sympathetic."

"Actually, yes, I can see her reasoning. But, like you said, I don't agree with her methods," he agreed. "And I don't think she's smarter than me. She's just more experienced," he added with a laugh.

"We'll get your stuff tomorrow," Cheryl said as they pulled up to a large hotel.

"Wait a minute. I'm sleeping here?" Adam asked. It hadn't occurred to him what Cheryl had meant.

"You want to sleep alone in that place with a killer stalking you?" she asked as she put the car into park. She turned, looked at him, and could see the answer on his face. "I didn't think so. Don't worry, I don't bite." She smiled at him, and his tension eased.

"Where will I sleep? I don't have any clothes with me," he complained.

"I have a two-bedroom. You won't be sleeping on the couch. I've been using the second bedroom as an office, but I can move that to the living room. We'll get your things tomorrow." She got out of the car, and Adam followed.

"I guess it is getting pretty late...early. It's nearly six," he said as he followed her and admired the expensive-looking hotel.

"Exactly. I don't know about you, but I'm beat. I don't want to be caught off guard because I'm half asleep," she reasoned.

"What do you think she plans to do to us? We're not her type but if she's compromised. Will she kill us?" Adam asked with a gulp.

"I don't know. That's why you're here. She just might kill us so she can keep doing her thing," she said and opened the doors then walked into the lavish lobby. The doormen tipped their hats to her, and the lady behind the admission desk smiled as she went by.

Adam was busy admiring the intricate carvings and the plush chairs when the elevator dinged and made him jump.

"A little nervous?" Cheryl asked.

"Aren't you?" Adam asked.

"I've been doing this a while. Think about it. She's a planner. She's not going to rush in here and stab us or anything. She plans on doing this a very long time. She won't jeopardize that to kill us in public. If she plans to kill us, it will be when we're alone and not suspecting it," she explained.

They got into the elevator and Cheryl pushed the button for the fourth floor.

"Aren't you worried about her getting into your place?" Adam asked. He wasn't ready to let his guard down just yet.

"You'll understand when you see my place," she said cryptically. "I have very specific instructions, that must be followed, if the hotel wants me to be a guest. The Governor pays very well to make sure I can do my job. Which means I need to be able to sleep without worrying about who will come in."

Adam started to loosen up and smiled.

"I'm starting to feel like I've been taken advantage of here. I make minimum wage. How much do you make?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Enough," she said with a smirk then got off the elevator. As she reached the end of the hall, she turned to Adam. "You're the one who wanted to be a trainee, remember?"

"Fair point," he replied.

Cheryl punched in a code on a keypad, and Adam heard a click, then she produced a key and put it in the lock. After turning the lock, he heard another click then a beep. Cheryl leaned closer to the door and spoke clearly. "Cheryl Torren" Then she turned to Adam.

"I'll get you a key, a code and put your voice in tomorrow. I'm just too damn tired right now," she said, and Adam could see fatigue setting in.

"I feel safer already," he said with a laugh.

"I get death threats, a lot of death threats. I've put some pretty dangerous people away. Also, I'm currently chasing a killer with a genius IQ," she said and walked in.

"Another good point," Adam said and shut the door behind him. "Do I need to do anything special?" he asked, then his question was answered. He heard the deadbolt sliding into place, and the keypad beeped twice, then the door beeped twice. "I guess not."

As Cheryl walked through the apartment, she kicked off her heels then removed her suit jacket. Underneath she wore a sleeveless blouse with a translucent back. Adam stared on, in shock and admiration, as she pointed to a door.

"You're in there," she said then continued on to the next door. "Night, Adam."

She walked through the second door as she unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the ground while the door shut behind her. Before it did, Adam got a glimpse of Cheryl in a thong. An image he would not soon forget.

To distract himself from the image he'd just seen, or at least he tried to, Adam looked around the hotel room. There wasn't much to see. It was fancy and had wall to wall shag carpet. A couch, a TV, and the normal kitchen appliances, all pristine. In the middle of the open kitchen was an island counter with three chairs. But there was very little of Cheryl's. Perhaps that was the way she lived, moving town to town like she did. Keeping everything packed up unless she was using it. This would make it easier when she had to move on.

Adam finished looking around, then headed to the room, which would now be his. He tried to scrub the image of Cheryl in a thong out of his head, but it wasn't working. Despite his overwhelming desire to sleep, he knew he wouldn't be able to. As he entered the room, he saw Cheryl's idea of an office. On the ruffled bed was a laptop and a few files. He sat down and went through the files, pushing his guilt aside. If she hadn't wanted him to look, she would have moved the files.

This thought brought another to his mind. If she hadn't wanted him to look, she would have shut the door. He quickly pushed it aside. She was his boss, his mentor. He wasn't about to screw this up for a one night stand. He again tried to push the thoughts aside and attempted to concentrate on the files.

The files contained pictures and case files from twenty years ago, some older. Cheryl would have been a child then. What did she want with these files? He started going over them more meticulously and noticed similarities. While he looked through them, his eyes started to droop. They were interesting and thought-provoking, much like the image of Cheryl practically naked, but his body had other ideas. Soon Adam was lying on the bed with a file in his hand, fast asleep.

# Chapter 8

At four in the afternoon, morning for Cheryl and Adam, Adam walked out of the bedroom with his clothes rumpled. When the door opened, he was greeted with an amazing smell. One he hadn't enjoyed in years. Pancakes. Then he was greeted with an even better surprise. In the kitchen, with the pancakes, was Cheryl in a red satin robe that barely covered her. He looked at the floor as he made his way to the table. He needed to concentrate. Why did Cheryl have old files that seemed to match the killer they were now chasing? He had seen this woman up close. Sure, she had been dressed in all black, but there was no way she was old enough to have committed these crimes. The woman he saw was young.

"Morning," Adam said as he sat at the table.

"Morning," Cheryl replied cheerfully. "The trick to working nights is to convince your body that everything is normal. Eating breakfast at four in the afternoon is a good way to start."

"I guess I hadn't thought of that," Adam said, and his eyes drifted toward his seductive chef. The curve of her body was enticing, and the tie around her waist only accentuated it. His eyes worked their way downward, and he realized. What if she dropped something? He looked away quickly and concentrated on the plain counter.

"Mind getting the orange juice out of the fridge?" she asked. "Can't have pancakes without orange juice." She turned and smiled at him.

Who was this woman, and what had she done with Cheryl? Was this how she acted when she was off duty? Adam obeyed and made his way to the refrigerator, careful to avoid staring at the gorgeous woman...who was his boss.

Someone was torturing him for all the pain he had caused his parents. He was sure of it. This was payback for disappointing them so many times. He grabbed the orange juice and kept his head facing the counter as he made his way back. He couldn't look, but not looking was just as torturous. Then it got worse.

Cheryl turned around and set a plate in front of him.

"How many would you like?" she asked cheerfully.

Adam started to speak as thoughts rushed through his head. She was definitely a morning person...afternoon person. Then he realized she wasn't wearing a bra and her robe wasn't closed very tightly, he had a nice view of...

"Two please," he said nervously as he resumed his stare down with the counter. As he watched her hand put the pancakes on his plate, a thought occurred to him. Her breasts were also morning people...he couldn't take this anymore. "Would you mind getting dressed so we could discuss those files in my room?"

"Sorry, Adam. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she apologized then set down the plate and headed to the bedroom. "To be fair. I'm not used to company in the morning," she said loudly and cheerfully as Adam heard the door shut.

At least he hadn't offended her. Soon she came out dressed in sweat pants and a tee-shirt, and Adam's mouth nearly fell open.

"Better?" she asked in the same cheerful tone.

"Yes," he replied nervously, but this was a lie. He wasn't about to tell her that her current outfit was worse. He was too embarrassed to admit it, but he could actually see her body more clearly in the skin-tight sweats and shirt she was wearing now. It was also very clear. Her breasts were indeed morning people. He quickly turned back around and concentrated on eating his pancakes.

"Don't you want any syrup?" she asked as she walked to the other side of the counter, grabbed a chair, and sat across from him.

"Sorry, didn't know you had any?" he lied. Truthfully, with all the excitement, he had forgotten that pancakes needed syrup.

"What good are pancakes without syrup?" she asked with a laugh and placed a bottle in front of him.

That was it. He was sure of it now. He was being punished.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Cheryl got up and took her plate to the sink. Adam's eyes again drifted to Cheryl, and he realized it was just as bad from the backside. He decided to be more tactful this time. He stood up and took his plate to the sink as well.

"I can do the dishes," he stated. "You cooked and gave me a place to sleep. Why don't you go get dressed for work? You can drop me off to pick up my stuff on your way...if you don't mind."

He wasn't sure if she took the hint or just accepted his words at face value, but either way, she agreed.

"Thanks, Adam. See? It won't be so bad staying here until we catch her. I'm kind of a bitch at work, but that's what I have to be. Here, I can be myself. You'll see. We'll get along just fine." She headed to the bathroom as Adam struggled desperately to keep from watching her walk away. "I'm going to grab a shower first. I won't be long."

While Adam washed the dishes, he realized how difficult this was going to be. His mother would be rolling on the floor laughing right now if she knew how much karma had repaid him. Perhaps he'd get used to seeing Cheryl in skimpy, skin-tight clothing? He laughed, then said out loud. "Not a chance."

# Chapter 9

It was nearly eight in the evening by the time Adam had packed up his things. Now, all that he had to do was wait for Cheryl to pick him up. He wasn't about to walk twenty blocks, at night, with a serial killer watching him. Technically she wasn't a serial killer, but she was a killer.

The bar was safe while the patrons were downstairs and Cheryl said she'd be there to pick him up by midnight. Four hours, he could do four hours alone. He was used to being alone. What he wasn't used to was the feeling that someone was watching him. And the more he thought about it, the worse it got. Finally, he decided to distract himself with some research. With all the hormones flying around, all of them from him, he had forgotten to ask Cheryl about the files.

Why did his bitch of a boss have to turn into a sweet, cheerful and drop-dead gorgeous woman when she took off her badge? Again he returned to his idea of karma biting him in the ass then pushed it aside. He needed to find out what those old cases had to do with The Alpha. There had to be a connection. The murders were far too similar.

As he searched and consumed all the information he could find, the hours flew by. Soon he was startled as someone knocked on his door.

"You ready, Adam?" Cheryl asked through the door.

He looked up at the clock and realized he had lost five hours, it was nearly one. Ok, not actually lost them. He had found out a ton of information. He was now certain the cases were connected. The older killer made the kills look like accidents or hid them as murders committed by angry parties. Angry parties that were never convicted because there was no evidence. The effect was to divert the suspicion, keep the police looking at people who were actually innocent. In fact, it didn't look like anyone but Cheryl had even considered these as one case. She was smart...or maybe just very good at her job, probably both.

"I'm ready!" he yelled back. "Be there in a second!" He quickly grabbed his duffle bag and a stack of papers as well as his laptop.

When he opened the door, he almost sighed in relief to see Cheryl in her plain grey suit coat and slacks. She had apparently been doing a lot of footwork today because she had on flats instead of her heels. 'The Bitch Boss' dressed in a way that was very unflattering. Her suit coat seemed too stiff and her slacks too big for her. Perhaps this was also so she could do her job better. She acted like a bitch and dressed like one. Maybe people took her more seriously this way.

Adam followed Cheryl to her car while going over the conversation in his head that he wanted to have with her. He didn't want to accuse her of hiding things from him, but he needed to know why she hadn't told him about the previous cases. When they reached the car, Adam threw his stuff in the backseat then got in the passenger side. Cheryl was already inside, so he decided to bring it up.

"About those files in my room," he started.

"Oh, yeah. We forgot all about them this morning," she said. The bitch was gone, she was kind and almost cheerful again.

"Where did you get those?" he asked.

"I found them a couple of months ago but had forgotten all about them. Figured they might help you. I was about to bring them over when you pulled your stunt," she said and lifted one eyebrow at him. She wasn't as cross with him as she had been the other day. It was like she was teasing him. Like a friend. Were they friends now? Oh, this was a mess. Maybe staying with her wasn't such a good idea.

"So, what was your impression?" he asked. He wanted to make sure he wasn't accusatory in any way. Friend or not, she was still his boss.

"I think we have a copycat. What are you calling her? The Alpha Predator? Right?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"I think she's The Alpha Predator 2," she said with a laugh.

"Oh, geez," he complained. "What is this, a movie franchise?" He couldn't help but laugh at her joke. Then his mind assaulted him. Friends laugh and joke, right? Coworkers laugh and joke, right? We're friends and coworkers, aren't we? I'm not flirting...right? This was pure torture. Even his, stiff as a board, dad would laugh at this one. He was actually afraid that he was flirting by accident.

"Anyway," she continued. "All joking aside. I'm pretty sure she is a copycat. Maybe she admired this guy or worse, she knew him."

"You sure the older one was a guy?" he asked with a smirk.

"Ok, smartypants...you have a point," she said with a silly voice.

"We need to find out why the first one quit killing. That may help us determine something about the copycat," he said more seriously.

"True, but you need to get me more names first. While we're debating motive and means, she's still killing," Cheryl said, also getting more serious.

"I'll work on that tonight. Tomorrow I'll start on figuring out how they are connected," he stated.

Cheryl pulled up to the front of the hotel and sat with the car idling.

"I have more paperwork to go through at the station. I'll see you when I get home," she said then a smile spread on her face. "Could you have supper waiting for me, dear?" she asked with a laugh.

Adam didn't know how to respond. Was she joking or flirting? He wasn't sure it could actually be considered flirting but, despite his intelligence, flirting was something he never quite understood. When he didn't respond, Cheryl looked worried.

"That was a joke, Adam," she said. "Calm down. When we're by ourselves, I feel like I can be myself. I like jokes. You're not like those hardasses at the station, looking down their noses at me, a female cop. You respect me."

"Yes I do, boss," he said with a straight face.

"That's more like it," she laughed.

Adam hadn't meant it as a joke, he was serious and terrified. Terrified she might get the idea that he was attracted to her, which he was, but he wasn't about to let her know that.

"I'll have some names for you by the time you get back," he said, avoiding the word home, which she had thrown out so easily. This wasn't his home, and he couldn't think of it as home or other thoughts might be right behind that one.

When Adam brought his duffle bag, laptop, and stack of papers to the front door, the doormen gave him a curious look.

"Can I help you, sir?" the one on the left asked.

"I'm a guest of Cheryl Torren," he said nervously.

"Detective Torren? Oh, you must be Adam. Go right in, sir," the man said and held the door for him.

When Adam reached Cheryl's door, after several disapproving stares from the staff, he pulled out his key from his pocket and tried to remember how to get inside. He set down his bag then pulled a paper out of the other pocket. He read the instructions carefully and followed them. Keypad first, then the key, finally the voice.

He pushed in the code, turned the key then leaned forward.

"Adam Lance," he said, and his voice cracked. The door beeped three times in defiance.

He started over and calmed his voice.

"Adam Lance," he said more purposefully, and the door beeped then unlocked.

Adam went to his room and dropped his stuff into the closet then proceeded to get to work. Cheryl needed more names, and this time he wasn't going to do a half-assed job. He would be sure all the names on the list were serious victim candidates this time.

# Chapter 10

Cheryl arrived back at the hotel at about three-thirty in the morning, and Adam was startled when he heard her slam the door. Adam made his way out to the living room with three more names he had written on a piece of paper. He was sure of these new names. He knew exactly how he had messed up previously. The previous three were clearly guilty, but there was something he had missed the first time.

The requirements for The Alpha to step in were more complicated than he originally thought. Not only did the killers need to show no signs of remorse, they needed to be on the verge of doing it again. The Alpha had no interest in punishing the perpetrators, like he had originally thought. She was stopping future violence. That was the only way she would get involved, and for a moment, Adam felt like he was on the wrong side. Maybe the lines were blurrier than he thought. Was The Alpha really the bad guy?

As he opened the door to greet Cheryl, for a second, he thought about telling her about his change of heart. But as soon as he saw the look on her face, he changed his mind.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked with concern.

Cheryl looked extremely upset, and she was pacing with her hands on her hips. She was almost stomping as she walked up to Adam.

"Paulson is dead," she stated.

"What? How?" Adam asked.

"It was her. I know it was her, but I can't prove it," she said angrily.

"Tell me what happened," he begged.

"Paulson was shot by some druggy in a routine traffic stop. He was by himself and didn't see the gun," she started.

"But how does that..." he started to ask, but she wasn't finished.

"He was shot in the shoulder. It wasn't life-threatening. It's what happened at the hospital," she continued.

This time Adam didn't interrupt. He waited patiently for her to finish. After a few more seconds of pacing, then a long sigh, she went on.

"Somehow the paperwork got mixed up, and he was administered a drug he was allergic to," she said then turned to Adam. "Mixed up? How does that happen? Modern hospitals have computers, and they double-check everything. How exactly does his chart print out without the list of allergies? She did it. I know she did it...I just can't prove it."

"What can we do?" Adam asked.

"The only thing we can do. We catch her before she kills someone else," Cheryl said then walked to the couch and plopped down. She ran her fingers through her hair and screamed angrily then turned to Adam. "Look into Paulson. Find out why she targeted him."

"Wasn't he the one you liked? Isn't Anderson the pain in the ass?" Adam asked.

"Yes," she replied. "She killed him for a reason. We need to know why. Also, how she found out."

Adam walked over and sat on the couch with her. He made sure to sit as far away as he could.

"I have the names you wanted," he said and held out the paper.

"Thanks," she replied and grabbed the paper. She shot a smile at Adam, and he smiled back. "We'll get her."

"How are you going to watch three guys?" Adam asked.

"Damn it!" Cheryl yelled, then got up and walked to her bedroom. In a minute she came back out with a Taser in her hand and a regretful look on her face. "You're not going to like this."

Adam stood and faced her.

"I know I said you weren't going into the field, but we're down to three people now, and we have three names," she stated. "It will just be watching. From a distance." She lifted her eyebrows. "No walking into alleys like last time."

"Yes, boss," he said with a grin. It was her idea for him not to go into the field. To Adam, it was exciting.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked with a smirk. "Maybe I was wrong. You will like this...won't you?"

"What do you think?" he asked, and his smile grew.

She walked up to him and handed him the Taser. Afterward, she looked up into his eyes and stared.

"You better be careful out there. I don't know what I'd do without you," she said and continued to stare.

Adam started to get uncomfortable, so he took a step back.

"I'll be careful," he replied nervously.

"Something wrong, Adam?" she asked, then started toward the kitchen. She put her hand on his shoulder and stopped as she was about to walk by. "You seem nervous."

"I'm fine," he replied so she continued on.

Cheryl took off her suit jacket and tossed it on the counter. Adam was relieved to see that her blouse underneath wasn't translucent this time, and it had long sleeves. She pulled out a pizza box from the fridge and set it on the counter then looked at Adam.

"Want some? You can warm it in the microwave if you like," she said then pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge.

"Pizza and wine?" Adam asked.

"I don't have any beer," she said with a frown. When she stuck out her bottom lip, pretending to pout, Adam laughed and loosened up. He headed toward her.

"Cold pizza is fine, and I'll try the wine," he said, and her pout turned into a smile.

"It's really not that bad," she assured him.

"Well, pour me a glass," he said as he took a seat and grabbed a piece of pizza. After his first bite, he swallowed then said with a laugh. "Worst part about working nights. Nothing is open."

Cheryl placed two glasses on the counter beside the wine bottle, then started unbuttoning her shirt and headed to her room.

"You got that right," she said when she walked by the counter.

"Where you going?" Adam asked.

"Back in a second. I'm not spilling wine on a white blouse." After a few more steps, she added. "Don't worry, I'll put on pajamas."

Adam heard her giggle and almost choked on the pizza he had just bitten off. He nervously poured himself a glass of wine while he waited to see just what Cheryl's idea of pajamas would be. When he heard her bedroom door open, Adam turned to see Cheryl wearing a maroon, satin robe which barely went to her thigh. Underneath, which he could see because she hadn't bothered to tie the robe closed, was a spaghetti-strapped top that was about an inch shorter than the robe. As she walked back to the counter one shoulder of the robe slid down, and she didn't bother to pull it back up. She grabbed a chair and sat next to him instead of across from him this time.

"Now I can enjoy my pizza and wine," she laughed, grabbed a slice then reached for her glass. When she turned her head, she noticed Adam's expression. "You sure there's nothing wrong?"

"I'm good. Just tired," he lied and poured himself some more wine then gulped down half the glass.

"You sure? You seem nervous," she said with a smirk.

"I better head to bed. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow," he said. He really wasn't tired, but this was beyond awkward. Had she been any other woman, he would have loved to stick around. Then again, if she had been any other woman, maybe he wouldn't have wanted to. There was something about Cheryl, something irresistible and enthralling, and that terrified Adam. He could not get involved with his boss.

"Yeah, I still need that list of women who might be her," she said with a coy smile. "And look into Paulson. We need a lot more information. We're ten steps behind her."

"Yes, boss," he said nervously then gulped down the last of his wine and headed to bed.

# Chapter 11

The next day Cheryl walked into the captain's office without knocking this time. Although he was on the phone, his door was open, so she sat and waited patiently. Again she wore flats, grey slacks, and her suit coat. It wasn't the same outfit but was nearly identical, down to the white blouse.

"I know, Governor. I'm cooperating as much as I can," he frowned and turned away from Cheryl to hide his discomfort. Cheryl smiled deviously when he couldn't see her. "I'll give her any help she asks for. Yes, sir." Then he hung up and turned to face Cheryl. His scowl didn't fade, but she forced a blank expression to hide her amusement.

"Something wrong, Captain Crews?" she asked. She almost smiled again but forced it away.

"I think you know exactly what's wrong," he said angrily.

"I just called him to give him an update. I didn't intend to get you into trouble," she said sheepishly.

"Well, that's exactly what you did," he stated then leaned on his elbows. "If you want access to something, just ask me."

"I only mentioned it in passing," she argued.

"Well, you should have just asked," he said angrily.

"Fine," she started. She sat up straight, then addressed him. "May I look into your daughter's suicide?"

"There isn't much there," he replied.

"I know it's a long shot but...with all the other fake suicides...I just thought it was something I should look into," she said.

Captain Crews waved his hand in dismissal as he spoke.

"Fine," he said and looked away.

"One more thing, sir," she said as she stood.

"What is it?" he asked with annoyance.

"Do you or your ex-wife have anything of hers left?" she asked and noticed his nervousness as he replied.

"Umm...I don't really have anything but my ex might. You should ask her," he replied, then turned and pretended to look out the large window at the city below.

"So, it's alright if I speak to her?" Cheryl asked.

"Do what you need to do," he said, his nervousness was still there, but he was hiding it well.

"Thank you sir, and I'll let you know what I find out," she said then turned and headed out.

Captain Crews turned and watched her walk out of the office with an angry expression on his face. When Cheryl was at the elevator, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. After a few moments, a woman answered.

"Candice it's me," he said. "Just listen." There was a long pause, and the woman could be heard shouting. "I was calling to warn you that a detective was coming to ask questions about Leena's death." There was another long pause and more yelling from the other side of the phone. "Fine!" he yelled and hung up. Then Captain Crews stared blankly at his paper-filled desk and cradled his head.

# Chapter 12

In a few hours, Cheryl pulled up outside of Candice Ronel's house. After their divorce, which could be described as messy, she took back her maiden name. It was a quiet-looking place in a quiet neighborhood. The place was a one-story house with a well-kept flowerbed stretching all around the house. A moderately-priced beige sedan sat in the driveway.

It was nearly eight, and the sun was about to set as Cheryl walked up to the door. Adam was right behind her.

"Keep your eyes open. The Captain was hiding something. Let's just hope his ex isn't helping him," she said quietly then rang the doorbell. Adam just nodded his head in response.

A short, heavyset woman with short black hair opened the door. She looked to be in her sixties, and her hair was dyed. The look on her face was nothing short of elation, which took them both by surprise.

"Come on in detectives," she said with a huge smile.

"I'm not really..." Adam started, and Cheryl nudged him with her elbow.

"I don't care if you're the garbage man. If you're looking into Leena's death I'll throw you a damn parade," she said, still grinning. "Would you like something to eat? Are you thirsty?" she asked then moved out of the way so they could enter.

"We're fine, ma'am," Cheryl said then walked in, followed by Adam. "I get the impression you weren't satisfied with the original investigation?" Cheryl asked curiously. Candice motioned to the couch, so they both sat.

"You're assuming there was an investigation," Candice said cryptically.

"There was no investigation?" Adam asked. He was sitting a little too close to Cheryl, but the couch was small, he had no choice. It made him nervous, but concentrating on the job at hand could see him through it.

"The Captain's daughter commits suicide. You think anyone would have the nerve to ask questions?" Candice asked.

"So, you do think it was a suicide?" Adam asked.

"You don't?" Candice asked in reply, a little shocked.

"We're looking into a killer that makes it look like the victims committed suicide," Adam said.

"Oh my!" Candice exclaimed. "Maybe I've been hard on Stewart for no reason." She now looked remorseful.

"We don't know that for sure," Cheryl said then gave Adam an angry stare. "Why do you think it had something to do with your ex-husband?"

"Little things. Nothing concrete," she looked at her hands and sadness set in. "We were going through a divorce, and it wasn't pleasant, but there was something else. I could see it in Leena's eyes, but she wouldn't tell me what was wrong."

"Take your time. I want to check every angle. Whether it was our killer or someone else, I will get to the bottom of it," Cheryl said confidently.

"Leena was sixteen. She had her whole life ahead of her. She was already looking into colleges," Candice's mood turned sharply, and a joyful smile lit up her face. "She was going to be a graphic designer. You should have seen some of her work."

"What else?" Cheryl asked, trying to get back to the topic of Leena's death.

"Well, a week before...it happened," she started, and her mood returned to sadness. "We found out that Steward was going to gain sole custody of her. I have a...checkered past." She looked at her hands and paused for a minute, then continued. "She was sixteen...you think they would let her choose."

"Leena wasn't happy about this?" Cheryl asked.

"She didn't say anything, but I could tell. She didn't want to live with her father." Candice looked at Cheryl with hope in her eyes. Hope that someone would finally give her a reason for her daughter's death.

"You ever notice him being..." Cheryl didn't want to accuse the captain, but she needed the truth.

"Abusive. No. He never laid a hand on her," she said then a strange look came over Candice. Like the look of something bugging her. Something in the back of her mind that said maybe. "I do work nights. He works days. I mean, it was possible that something happened while I was gone."

That was the piece of information Cheryl had been looking for. She stood up and smiled at Candice.

"Do you have any of her things?" Cheryl asked cheerfully. "I promise you. I'll find out what really happened."

"Sure," Candice replied, stood up, then headed down a hallway and stopped at a closed door. She took a deep breath, then opened it. "This was her room. I haven't touched anything. I mean, it's only been a year. I'm not quite ready to pack my baby's life away." Anger set in. "Not like Stewart. He keeps getting on me to pack it all up or sell it. Who does that?"

"I can only imagine what you've been through," Cheryl said then hugged Candice. "The loss of a child is something no parent should ever have to face."

Adam slipped by them and started checking over the room while Candice and Cheryl continued to speak.

"You don't have to come in. We won't harm anything. We just want to find out what happened," Cheryl said and pushed herself back from Candice.

Candice wiped tears from her eyes.

"Thank you for doing this. Please find out who did this to my baby," she said then walked down the hallway covering her face.

"I thought you said this was a victim," Adam asked quietly.

"She is a victim, but it wasn't our killer who did this to her," Cheryl said, trying to hold back her anger.

"Oh, wait. You think our killer is after the Captain?" Adam asked.

"I don't know for sure. It could have been a boyfriend, acquaintance, maybe even a teacher. Someone caused a sweet, sixteen-year-old student to take her own life," she paused then looked at Adam. "Then again, it might be just what it looks like."

"Why did you need me here?" Adam asked while he carefully lifted folded clothing on the bed. Candice hadn't oversold her grief. It was doubtful the poor woman had even opened the door to Leena's room until today.

"Your brain," Cheryl said with a laugh. "I might miss something."

Adam smiled at the compliment and set out with a new determination. He wasn't going to let her down.

After about an hour of scouring the room, Adam stumbled across a small book hidden at the bottom of one of Leena's drawers. The girl had placed a thin board, that looked similar to the drawer bottom, inside and underneath was Leena's journal. It was plain and brown with a weak clasp that locked.

"I found something," Adam said quietly yet confidently.

"What is it?" Cheryl asked while she rushed across the room. As soon as she saw what Adam held, her enthusiasm vanished. "Oh shit. She isn't going to let us take that. She'll want to read it."

"What do we do?" Adam asked.

Quickly, Cheryl pulled up the back of Adam's shirt and shoved the journal into the back of his pants.

"Don't say a word," she said. "Follow my lead."

Cheryl walked out of the room, followed by Adam. When they entered the living room, Cheryl spoke.

"Why don't you give me and Candice a few moments, Adam? Go wait in the car. I'll be out in a minute," she said and gave Adam a stare.

"Yes, boss," Adam replied, then headed to the door.

"What did you need a detective?" Candice asked. It was clear she had been crying.

"I'm sorry, but we didn't find anything of consequence," Cheryl said with a straight face. "That doesn't mean I'll give up. I'll keep looking into it until I'm sure."

A smile spread on Candice's face.

"Thank you," she said, then gave Cheryl another hug. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Cheryl returned the hug then made her way to the door.

"I'll let you know if we come up with anything," she said as she opened the door. "I'm very sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine." Then she walked out the door and headed toward the car.

In the car, Adam was staring at the diary and contemplating how to open it. When Cheryl got in, she grabbed it out of his hands.

"I know what you're thinking. We're not opening this thing until it has been checked into evidence," she said.

"How are you going to explain the fact that we have it?" Adam asked.

"I'll think of something," Cheryl said. She sat in front of the steering wheel holding the journal. She hadn't turned on the car yet and was deep in thought. Then she turned to Adam with a grin. "Anonymous letter. Someone sent it to me. I'll get an envelope, seal it in and let the evidence guys handle it."

"That's a really good idea," Adam said with a grin. "I see why you're the detective, and I'm the trainee."

"I'll drop you off at the hotel so you can do your thing while I go drop this off," she said then looked at Adam with a look he didn't quite understand. "I'm glad you came. I owe you. I would have never found this."

After a few awkward moments, Adam felt he had to say something.

"Just doing my job, boss," he said.

This caused Cheryl to smile then she turned on the car and headed off.

# Chapter 13

Back in the hotel, Adam worked away on the list of potential killers. He had narrowed it down to four. Four women who approximately matched the woman he had seen. They were all young, about five-six and had brown eyes. Each of these women had horrible things happen to them, and in each case, the perpetrator was either never caught or never convicted.

While Adam looked at the names and pictures of these women, which included photos of them as victims, his heart went out to them. Was he really on the right side? The Alpha was smart, methodical, and compassionate. She might very well be one of the four women on his screen. Was he doing the right thing helping Cheryl catch her?

The Alpha had killed several men...but what would have happened if she hadn't killed them? He hadn't had the chance to look into Paulson yet, but if he was like the others, maybe The Alpha had done the world a service.

Adam was struggling with his conscience. Murder was wrong, but what if it prevented violence like he saw in these pictures? Who was more important the victim or the perpetrator? And more importantly. Who had the right to decide? Was a murder to prevent multiple rapes really a murder? Was a death to stop the molestation of children wrong?

The men The Alpha had killed were never convicted, and in the case of many of them, they were too smart to leave any evidence to change that.

Adam's stomach turned at the thoughts he was considering.

Maybe The Alpha didn't have the right to decide, but if she didn't decide who would?

Adam heard the door close, and it sounded like Cheryl was angry again. What could have possibly happened this time?

He pushed his internal struggle aside and rushed to the living room to find Cheryl throwing couch cushions around the place. When she turned, she tossed another one that nearly hit Adam, then her anger faded.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked.

"Oh, you're not going to believe this one. I sure hope you found something because this is getting seriously frustrating," she said, and her eyes begged for Adam to save her.

"I did, but tell me what happened first," Adam begged.

Cheryl nearly threw herself on the couch. Her hair flew up, and she huffed when she landed.

"I did it just like we discussed. Put the diary in an envelope. Printed out a label with my name on it then handed it in. Waited three freeking hours for them to process it but..." she paused and stared at Adam.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed and sat down beside her with a worried expression.

"Yep. When the evidence guys opened it, there was no diary. Just some folded up newspapers," she said angrily. "It's someone in the department."

"How can that be? The killer travels around," Adam stated.

Cheryl cradled her head while she thought.

"You're right. It's someone who has access, though. Someone who was able to intercept the envelope," she spoke quietly, almost like she was speaking to herself. "Someone whom nobody would question. Or someone really smart, who could pose as a janitor or maintenance or something."

"That's possible. The killer may not be a cop but someone who is really smart and able to fool her way inside," Adam said.

Then Cheryl started staring at him.

"Why are you the only person who has seen her? If it really is a her." She sat up straight and looked at Adam. "You are smart enough to con your way into the police station. You wouldn't even have to try that hard now. Since you're my trainee." She looked at Adam suspiciously.

"Wait a minute," he said. "I knew nothing about this killer until the night I met you."

"You could have easily gotten my passwords. Why was it that the last name you went to check on was the right one? Were you trying to throw me off the trail of the real victim?" Cheryl was getting angry now, and she stood up.

"Wait, Cheryl. I would never do that," Adam said and stood up. "I have the names of potential killers." He held out the names, and Cheryl grabbed them furiously.

"Of course you do. I'll bet you still haven't looked into Paulson though, have you? And how the killer found out about him," she said, her anger growing.

"You're skewing the facts to point at me. If you would just think about it..." he started, but she didn't let him finish.

"You were the one who said she was watching us...you," she walked closer to Adam, and he backed up. "Was it your intention to get me to invite you here so you would have access to my stuff?"

"I would never do that. I'm not a killer," he argued and continued to back up.

"I think you should get your stuff and get out," she said calmly but angrily. "But know this. I'll be keeping a close eye on you and going over every conclusion you've come up with."

"Come on now, Cheryl. You know me," he offered.

"Do I?" She poked him in the chest. "Or do I only know the Adam you want me to see?"

"This is ridiculous. I've been here all night. I couldn't have taken the journal," he argued more emphatically. "Ok, I went out for a stroll to clear my head but..."

"Ah ha! No alibi," she said and poked him again. "Just tell me, Adam. Just tell the truth!"

"It's not me!" he yelled and headed to his room. He was starting to get upset now as well. He'd tried reasoning with her, but she wouldn't listen. He didn't want to yell at her, but even his temper had a limit. "This is stupid!" he yelled and slammed the door.

In a few seconds, she threw the door open and stared at him.

"That's cute. Act all indignant. Well, I'm not buying it," she said angrily from the doorway. "I'll be watching you very closely from now on, Adam."

"Why did I ever think this was a good idea?" he asked himself while he tossed his clothes into his bag and grabbed his laptop. "You know what, Cheryl?" he asked and stared right into her eyes.

"What?" she asked with the same anger.

"I hope you catch this killer and realize how stupid you were for doubting me," he said condescendingly.

"Now you're calling me stupid?" she asked, and her anger caused her to squeeze her fists tightly while she spoke. "Just get the hell out of my hotel!"

Adam pushed by her, and at the door, he pulled the key out of his pocket and threw it at her feet.

"Yes, I called you stupid. Because if you think, for one second, I wasn't here for you...I mean here to help you. Then you really are stupid." He slammed the door on the way out and heard Cheryl scream in frustration. Then he heard what sounded like her punching the wall a few times as he made his way to the elevator.

Within an hour he was back at his apartment, still just as angry as when he'd left. Everything had spiraled out of control. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. He knew he couldn't stop it. All he could do was watch it happen.

# Chapter 14

When Adam woke the next afternoon, he felt an empty spot deep in his chest. His newfound purpose in life had vanished after one stupid argument. He angrily got out of bed and stomped to the kitchen. He pulled the faucet handle up sharply while he thrust the coffee pot under it.

This was completely ridiculous. Why would he kill people? He had no motive. Surely Cheryl would see that. Then he angrily poured the water into the coffee maker and slammed the coffee pot into place. He hit the button and tapped his foot furiously while he waited for the coffeemaker to start.

While Adam waited and the brown liquid dripped down at a snail's pace, he remembered yesterday's argument with himself.

Sure, he had sympathized with The Alpha. He understood her motivations. He might even have considered talking to Cheryl about it, but he wasn't a killer. He could never kill anyone. Look the other way while someone enacted punishment, the laws couldn't, maybe. But he wasn't a killer. Besides, he hadn't even made up his mind yet about The Alpha.

Having one person be judge, jury, and executioner was a bad idea. What if The Alpha was wrong? Convicted a man to death without finding out all the facts? No. The Alpha needed to be stopped. One person could not be allowed to decide a man's fate. There needed to be checks and balances. A committee of Alpha's, maybe that he could support, but not one person. There was too much that could go wrong. What if The Alpha had a grudge against someone? What if she skewed the facts to come up with a conclusion she wanted, just like Cheryl had done to him? It had to be more than one person to make it work. He needed to help stop The Alpha, if only to keep her from falling prey to human weakness and killing the wrong man.

Adam poured his cup of coffee and headed to the couch, much calmer now and more determined. He would look into Paulson, not to help Cheryl, she didn't need nor want his help. He would start his own investigation into The Alpha and turn over his findings to whoever would listen. He still had the four names of the potential killers. He would find out more. Surely one of those four women had come in contact with Paulson, noticed him somehow. This killer was precise, meticulous, and smart. She didn't pick Paulson on a whim. Somehow she knew what he had done, and soon Adam would also know.

The first few pages, ones connected with the police department, painted a picture of the perfect officer, perfect son, and perfect man. No one could be that perfect. As Adam dug deeper into Paulson's past, he found strange inconsistencies. His college, for example, seemed to be missing vital pieces of information. He had only twenty-four credit hours of courses, but his transcript showed thirty credit hours. What had happened to those missing six credit hours?

Adam dug deeper and found an obscure reference to a student who died under mysterious circumstances. A female student by the name of Nancy. Then Adam found what he was looking for and pieced it all together.

Nancy, he could find no last name, but that was inconsequential at this point, had been Paulson's girlfriend for two semesters. He found pictures of the two looking very intimate. They were in the background of a photo of the campus grounds, but it was clearly them.

Nancy's body was found beaten and raped in a ditch outside of the campus. The main suspect was somehow convinced into a confession, but the suspect's mother insisted that he had been home at the time. She was a nurse who worked nights, so the prosecution claimed she had been asleep at the time. Her testimony had been thrown out, and the jury never heard a word of it. The man in prison had been railroaded by Paulson or his rich family, to cover up his crimes.

Adam stared at the screen angrily then knew what he had to do next. He started looking into Paulson's recent activities. He still had access to the police department's servers, so he tracked Paulson's movements over the last few weeks, and some strange things appeared.

Paulson had a strange habit of responding to rape calls, but not from across town where he should have been. In most cases, he was only blocks away when the calls came in. He wanted to be sure it was him that handled the call. In almost all the cases, the victim declined to make a statement or even recanted. Saying they had been confused or drunk. The Alpha had gotten the right guy this time.

Next Adam started on his four suspects. One of them must have known Paulson or known one of his victims. It would be impossible to track down the ones who recanted. He didn't have access to the 911 database. Then he found the link.

Eight years ago, Angela Sutton had been arrested by a rookie, Paulson, under suspicion of killing her two young children. In the end, it seemed that the children weren't killed by their mother. Their bodies were found fifty miles away in an abandoned barn. There was no sign of physical abuse, but they were tied up and died from exposure. The current theory was that the abductor had misjudged how long a small child could survive in forty-degree weather with no coat. The abductor was never caught, but Angela Sutton sued the city in a civil suit and won.

That must have been when Angela first noticed Officer Paulson's strange habits. Although Adam didn't have records that went that far back for tracking Paulson, he was willing to bet that The Alpha had started watching him back then. With her intelligence and determination, she would have been able to get access to the same records that Adam was now seeing. She could have seen the same pattern eight years ago and set her plan into motion. Perhaps he had been wrong about his theory that The Alpha watched her victims for months. In Paulson's case, it could have been years.

Adam looked farther back into Angela's life. It seemed that she'd had an unhappy childhood. Her father a drunk and her mother a drug addict but nothing about abuse. Angela turned her life around at the age of eighteen. She enlisted in the military, got a college degree, and never spoke to her parents again.

Then Adam noticed something that solidified his theory. Angela's brother was in a car accident shortly after The Alpha's third victim. There had been suspicion that her little brother had been abusing his daughter, but there was no concrete evidence.

It seemed Adam had missed a victim. How many more had gone unnoticed? Angela's brother had gone off a downed bridge in a rainstorm, but the police were baffled as to how. The only way the man could have gone through the road closed barricade was if he was either trying to commit suicide, his brakes had failed or, somehow, he had not seen the bright orange flashing lights. In the end, the authorities deemed it a freak accident, but Adam had a sneaking suspicion it was something entirely different.

Adam was pulled from his research when he heard a loud knock on the door. While he headed toward the door, he glanced at the clock. He had been working for three hours already, and it was nearly seven-thirty.

Cheryl may not have wanted his help, but someone would appreciate all the time he had spent. He might even be able to turn this into a job at some point. He wondered what it took to become a private detective as he reached for the doorknob then stopped.

What if The Alpha was on the other side? His heart raced then he smiled. The Alpha would have no reason to kill him. He hadn't hurt anyone and had no plans to. The Alpha had a set of rules that she had never broken. He had nothing to fear from her. Confidently he undid the deadbolt and opened the door.

On the other side of the door was Cheryl. She wore a tan, knee-length skirt and a suit coat to match. She looked like she had been to work or was heading there, but it was the look on her face that struck Adam as odd. He expected more anger, but what he got was a timid looking woman. She looked at the floor then crooked her head to look up at him and cringed.

"I'd really like to apologize," she said.

Adam wasn't quite ready to let it go. She had hurt his feelings. The accusation was one thing but the fact that she didn't trust him hurt.

"Apologize for what? Not seeing it sooner?" he asked snidely.

"Ok. I deserved that," she said. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and she teetered back and forth on her heels. "I get a little worked up at times. Sometimes I take it out on the ones I'm closest with."

Adam's anger lessened. He looked down at Cheryl, and he didn't see his boss. He saw a remorseful woman, a very beautiful and fragile woman. He took pity on her and realized. His idol was fallible. He had never once seen her make a mistake and had always felt like the one playing catch up, but she wasn't perfect. She had a temper.

"Come in," he sighed and opened the door wider so she could enter.

"I'm really sorry, Adam," she said as she walked by him. "I know you're not the killer. I just get so worked up, and the diary went missing. Paulson was killed. I felt so helpless. I just felt like everyone was out to get me." She walked in and sat on the couch like she lived there. She had been there many times, and maybe that made her feel comfortable around him. She looked up at him with the same pitiful expression as the one from the doorway.

Adam rolled his eyes and walked to the couch with a grin on his face.

"I suppose I could overlook your one flaw," he said with a laugh then sat beside her.

"I have way more than one," she said, and a smile started.

"For example?" he asked.

"Oh, I have many," she said and wiggled back and forth, acting as if she was about to give a speech. "To start with. I stretch the truth sometimes." She looked at Adam and raised her eyebrows. "I'm not really your boss."

"You're not?" he asked, confused.

"The Governor hired you. It's more like I'm your colleague. I'm your partner," she said and cringed.

"That's not quite stretching the truth," he laughed.

"Well, you called me boss, and I didn't correct you. Let's be honest. It's a lie of omission." She sat back and wriggled some more. This time she looked nervous.

"Ok, I suppose it could be called a lie of omission," he said and leaned back. This was amusing. "What else?" he asked and crossed his arms.

"This one is a little embarrassing," she admitted and peeked up at him.

"Oh, it can't be that bad," he assured her.

"Well..." she started. She fidgeted a little more then blurted it out. "I was flirting with you and trying to make you see me as a woman, but we both know how that turned out." She covered her face and laughed nervously. "I mean you didn't even bat an eye. I can't believe I wore those skimpy pajamas in front of you. She must be really special."

"Wait. What?" Adam asked, full of shock.

"I'm no supermodel but dang you have an iron will. Most guys..." she started, but Adam interrupted her. He grabbed her neck and pulled her in, then kissed her passionately. When he released her, she bit her lip and waited for him to speak.

"I thought I was being inappropriate. If you're interested in me...I guess it's not inappropriate at all," he said with a laugh. "I couldn't take my eyes off you. Believe me. I tried. I could barely sleep." He laughed nervously, feeling like he had shared too much.

She quickly synched up her skirt then straddled him and pushed him backward. She put one hand on each of his cheeks and spoke softly.

"You know. You could come back. We could try a different arrangement," she said seductively.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked hopefully.

"We could turn the second bedroom into the office again," she offered.

"Where would I sleep?" he asked with a smirk.

"Who says you'll get much sleep," she answered then leaned in and kissed him passionately. She ran her fingers through his hair and looked unfulfilled when she finally broke from their kiss. "You should get your stuff."

"I'm in no hurry to leave," he said, hinting.

"No offense," she started. "But I'd rather The Alpha wasn't watching us. I haven't been...intimate with someone in about five years. Not sure I'm ready to put on a show."

"Five years?" Adam asked with surprise. "But you're...you're..."

"I'm what?" she asked.

"You're gorgeous," he replied.

"While I appreciate the compliment, and I'm not saying I agree with you, I'm very busy. I'm practically married to my job. I eat and sleep work. I'm not usually willing to put aside the time." She looked at Adam, and he knew he had to ask it.

"Then why now?" he asked.

Cheryl pushed herself off his lap and stood in front of him. She smiled down and offered him her hand.

"For the first time in a long while, I find myself thinking of something besides work when I'm alone," she helped Adam to his feet then headed to the doorway. "I'll be out in the car when you're ready."

"Just give me a few minutes. I've got some things to show you. I've found out a ton," he walked slowly toward his bedroom then stopped and looked at Cheryl. "What?"

"I'd really like to get somewhere more...private and finish our previous conversation," she said with a seductive tone to her voice and raised her eyebrows. Adam got the hint and took off toward his bedroom. In under two minutes, he had all his belongings stuffed into his duffle bag, and his laptop slung over his shoulder. He caught up to Cheryl on the way to her car and struggled to catch his breath.

"I'm..." he panted. "I'm ready."

Soon they were off toward the hotel, and Cheryl took her first day off in almost five years.

# Chapter 15

A week later, Cheryl, Adam and Officer Anderson spoke over wireless earpieces to each other while they watched and waited for The Alpha to make her next move. Each had been given a predator to watch over, and for the last few days, nothing had happened.

"There he goes into the bar, yet again. This guy drinks like a fish," Anderson said dryly.

"What if I see my guy doing something suspicious? What do I do?" Adam asked.

"For the fifth time. Anderson is five blocks away. I'm a ten-minute drive. Anderson can arrest him then we'll take him in. We don't let them hurt anyone. If we arrest them first The Alpha will have no reason to kill them," Cheryl explained.

"I know but what if it's serious? What if he...Oh shit. What was that!?" Adam asked.

"What was what?" Anderson asked. "What did you see?"

"Adam? What is it?" Cheryl asked.

"I swear I just saw someone in black. It was a flash, but it could have been her," Adam explained. "The dude hasn't left his house for a week. Maybe I'm seeing things. It's nearly morning. Maybe I just need more coffee."

"Should I head over?" Cheryl asked, full of worry.

"Don't worry loverlips," Anderson teased. "I'll keep schmoopy pie safe. If he needs help, I'm a minute away."

"Oh geez, Anderson," Cheryl complained.

"Office romances can end badly. You two sure you're not playing with fire?" Anderson asked.

"Should I ask why you've turned down a position as detective three times now?" Cheryl asked in response.

"Privacy. I get it," Anderson relented.

"Someday you'll have to tell me why," Cheryl badgered.

"That someday isn't today. Maybe when we catch this killer," Anderson offered.

"Adam?" Cheryl asked. Adam hadn't spoken recently, and she was getting worried.

"Sorry," Adam whispered. "I think it is her. Can you head over here, Anderson?"

"I'm on my way," Anderson said. They heard a crash then Anderson swearing. "Maybe not a minute. Maybe five minutes. Some idiot put hot coffee on my dash. Yes, I called myself an idiot. Arg. Why am I such a klutz?"

"I'm heading over, Adam. You and Anderson are on your own for about ten minutes. See you soon," she said and was silent.

Adam got out of the unmarked car. The one the department was kind enough to lend him after a long discussion between the captain and the Governor. The street was empty, and there was no sound. At four thirty-six in the morning, not even the birds were making noise.

Adam walked up to the two-story house cautiously and up onto the large porch that stretched the whole front side of the home. The boards in the floor creaked as he walked up to the door and he cringed while he looked in the large front window but saw nothing. There wasn't even a light inside.

Next, he moved to the side of the house and continued to peek inside. He wasn't a cop, so he had no business going inside. His Taser would provide very little discouragement if instead of their killer, he found himself face to face with an angry, gun-toting, man thinking his home was being invaded. The man he was watching over, Gerry Lent, was a dangerous man with a gun permit. He at least had his registered gun in there, maybe more.

Gerry transported drugs for a local gang when he wasn't drugging and raping unsuspecting women. The reason he was on The Alpha's list was because none of the girls could identify him or they were too afraid to. There was no sign that Gerry was going to stop either, but he hadn't even left his house since Adam started to watch him.

Adam still saw nothing, so he made his way to the back door. It was dark back here. There wasn't even a street light or anything to light the dark yard. Luckily Gerry didn't like dogs, so there would be nothing back here to stop him from taking a look. As he approached the back door, he realized it was open. Fear gripped him as he slowly backed away. He would need to wait for Anderson. He whispered while he turned to head back out front.

"Anderson...Anderson," he whispered.

"I'm almost there, Adam. I just need a parking spot," Anderson said. "I'm on the other side of the block, but there isn't a spot in sight."

"She's here," Adam whispered then he saw the dark figure approaching him.

He quickly pulled out his Taser and pointed it at her.

"Careful with that thing, Adam," she said. Her voice was muffled. It sounded garbled and low, like she was using something electronic to disguise it.

"Don't move. Officers are on the way," he said, and his Taser shook in his hands.

"You mean Officer Anderson and Detective Torren?" she asked.

"Yes," Adam said, regaining some of his confidence.

"They won't make it in time," she said deviously.

"You would never kill me. I haven't hurt anyone," he stated.

"You're right. I'd never _kill_ you," she said and rushed toward him.

Adam shot the projectiles out of the Taser, but The Alpha raised her arm. The two prongs lodged into something covering her forearm, and nothing happened. She kicked Adam in the shin, he dropped his Taser and fell to one knee. Next, she elbowed him in the shoulder, and he cried out in pain. Then she kneed him in the forehead, and the world spun. As he looked up at his attacker, she looked down on him. He couldn't tell much. She had taken black paint or makeup and covered everything but her eyes. That, coupled with the mask, meant he couldn't see anything new about the killer. He couldn't even tell the color of her eyelashes.

"Nice try, Adam," she said. "I can't let you stop me. Gerry's already dead, but I have a lot more work to do in this town. It's a cesspool."

"We'll stop you," Adam groaned.

"You're welcome to try," she said. Before she left, she had one more message. "Tell Cheryl congratulations. She did good picking you for a partner. Before you, it wasn't even a competition. Now it's...well...it's almost fun."

The mysterious woman in black took off, and Adam saw her vault over the back fence like a gymnast then he heard her footsteps as she ran down the alley.

In less than a minute Anderson came panting up to Adam. He bent over and put his hands on his knees while he spoke.

"Are...you...ok?" he asked and could barely catch his breath.

"Sore, but I'll live," Adam replied, his spirit was broken but nothing else. He had almost caught her, but she was smarter and more resilient than he anticipated. She knew he'd be there and had even anticipated the Taser. The Alpha was no slouch. It sounded like she was even enjoying the cat and mouse of it all. Something that had lured him to this job in the first place. But now, after this encounter, he was feeling less like the cat and more like the mouse.

Anderson helped Adam to his feet and then to his car. Afterward, he proceeded to break down the door and found a dead Gerry Lent. It appeared as if he'd overdosed on the drugs he was transporting, but even Anderson knew that Gerry was a transporter, not a user. If it hadn't been their team who had found Gerry, the world wouldn't have even looked twice. This was becoming a theme. She hid her murders in ways that would not alert normal police to her presence. She was very, very good.

Five blocks away, the mysterious woman in black walked up to the man in the shadows again. His face was visible now. He was an older man, much taller than her, and had steel-grey hair. His skin looked rough, and his suit and tie spoke to his wealth.

"I told you Adam would be a problem," the man said.

The Alpha hadn't bothered to change or take off her mouthpiece.

"A problem?" she laughed. "He did exactly what I expected of him. He's a good man, but like most men, he is predictable."

"You're getting cocky," the man said condescendingly. "He is going to be your downfall."

"Don't be so uptight, Dad." She said dad in a way that almost sounded like she was teasing him.

The man rolled his eyes.

"Just because you caught me doesn't mean you're the best. This Adam is very smart. Perhaps your match...maybe your better," the man said.

"You taught me everything you knew...then I refined the formula," she said. "I know what I'm doing, and I can handle Adam."

"If he gets too close I'll end him. I don't have your code to worry about," the man said seriously.

The Alpha pulled out a dagger and held it to his throat before the man could even react.

"Don't, for one second, think that I will let it slide if you kill an innocent...Dad." This time the word dad was cruel and a warning.

"I'm sorry," he said with remorse and looked away from her. "You're the most important person in the world to me."

"If I get caught by an honest person and get thrown in jail for what I've done, it will be because I screwed up. Adam is off-limits. If he so much as falls down the stairs mysteriously I'll be coming for you," she said, and the man gulped.

"You wouldn't kill your dad, would you?" he asked fearfully.

"Calling you dad is a privilege. You're the only man who has ever treated me like a daughter. But make no mistake. You're not my father and if you break the rules. I'll drop you like the predators I hunt." She removed the knife from his throat and sheathed it on her belt. "You gave me a purpose and an outlet for my anger. Don't go turning into someone I hunt...Joshua. I'd hate to have to put you down like the scum I hunt."

"I won't," he said and started to walk away. He looked afraid and downtrodden.

Before he was out of earshot, she spoke once more.

"The first Alpha made mistakes. Don't make me regret giving you a second chance. One innocent is one too many. That man...the one in Houston. He never hurt a soul. He just pissed you off by getting to close to your true identity. I'm not you, and I'll never be you. And I'll die before I hurt an innocent." She turned and headed the other direction while the man sulked away.

A few minutes later, back at the crime scene, Cheryl pulled up in front of Gerry Lent's house, her lights were flashing, and she nearly jumped out of the car then rushed to Adam's side.

"Are you alright!?" she yelled, sounding terrified.

"I'm fine, Cheryl," he urged her.

"What did she do to you?" Cheryl asked frantically.

"Bruised my pride," Adam laughed. "She had me on the ground in seconds. She's very good."

"Why don't you head back to the hotel and get some ice? I'll help Anderson until the CSI team arrives," Cheryl said regretfully. "I won't be long."

"I understand. I'm not a cop. I'll get out of the way. Let me know anything you find out when you get home," Adam said. He realized he had used the word home. It was a hotel room, not a home, but it was where Cheryl was staying, and that made it home. He smiled as he got into his car and took off. Wherever Cheryl was would be home from now on. It didn't matter if they traveled to another country. He would be by her side. Of that, he was sure.

# Chapter 16

The next evening Adam walked into the gym at the police department and watched Cheryl fighting an invisible opponent. Her moves were graceful and elegant. He wondered why she was working out so hard today. Usually, she took an hour, but by now, she should have been showered and ready to head out for their nightly surveillance. There were two names left and since they had found nothing about Angela Sutton, they couldn't even find her, they had little choice but to watch the two remaining men.

Adam took a few steps forward, and Cheryl noticed he was there. She smiled lovingly as she made her way across the floor and kissed him gingerly when she reached him.

"Sorry. Lost track of the time," she said. The look in her eyes told Adam that he wasn't the only one who was falling, and falling fast. She had that same look every time their eyes met.

"Take your time," he said. Then he looked at her curiously. "Why so determined today?"

"Sorry," she said again. "After what happened last night, I want to make sure I can defend myself. From your description, she sounds like she's had a lot of training."

"It was so quick, and over before I even saw it coming. I really hope you and her don't fight," Adam said sadly.

"Afraid I'd lose?" Cheryl asked cheerfully.

"I don't even want to think about it," he replied.

"Oh, come on. I'm not that rusty," she said with a laugh.

"How long has it been since training?" Adam asked.

"Umm...a few years," she evaded.

"A few? Or several?" Adam asked and grinned devilishly.

"Several," she admitted. "Now quit making me feel so old. I'll be out in a few...several minutes," she teased and winked at him.

"You're not old. You're only three years older than I am," he laughed and sat down to wait.

He watched the gorgeous woman he was involved with, walk across the empty floor, toward the locker rooms and was impressed. What had started that night he saved a man had turned into the most momentous and life-changing event of his entire life.

Not only had he found what he'd been looking for since he was a child, he had found whom he was looking for as well. He now knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life and was in...he didn't even dare say it in his head. He wasn't ready to admit that yet. It was too soon. They'd known each other for such a short time. Could he really be ready for the L word? No, not yet. He longed to talk to her, to see her face every day but love? He wasn't even sure what that word meant. He pushed his contemplation aside as he saw his beautiful girlfriend approaching. Maybe she wasn't a girlfriend. His significant other? No that sounded wrong too. His partner. That was a word with a double meaning and one that suited the situation quite well.

"Ready to go?" Cheryl asked cheerfully.

"Sure," Adam replied. He stood and followed her out of the room and toward the exit.

He had time. Cheryl wasn't going anywhere just yet, and neither was he. Partner was a good word for what she was. A partner at work. A partner in bed. A partner in life? That was something he wasn't sure she wanted yet, but it was starting to sound like something he wanted. The more time he spent with her, the more important it seemed. Maybe more important than his new job. If it came down to a choice, work with Cheryl, or be with Cheryl, which would he choose? He laughed, and Cheryl gave him a funny look as they walked out onto the street and headed for her car.

There was no choice to be made. There would always be other jobs. There would never be another Cheryl.

# Chapter 17

That evening Anderson sat in the car with Adam while Cheryl returned to her post ten minutes away. The evening had gone by quickly, and it was two hours until sunrise. Adam yawned, and Anderson smacked him.

"If you want to take a nap, do it, and quit yawning. You're killing me here," the old cop complained.

"No, no," Adam stated. "I just need more coffee." Adam got out and walked up to the all-night stand about fifty feet from where they had parked.

The man they were watching, was still in the bar across from the coffee stand. It was very suspicious since it had closed hours ago, but there were no women or children inside. It was more than likely he was playing poker, which he did often and at all hours, or that he had passed out and was sleeping it off inside. Either way, it was no reason to go busting into the bar and possibly alerting The Alpha. Although, Adam was certain, she already knew they were there.

The Alpha seemed to always know what they were up to. Almost as if she was pulling the strings. Did she somehow push these three names to the top of Adam's list or did he find them on his own? Was she hoping for a thrill? She claimed it was more fun with him around. Maybe she was after these three because they were watching them. Maybe the challenge was what she was after. He understood boredom quite well. It hadn't changed her code, but perhaps it had altered her targets.

Adam spoke with Cheryl and Anderson as he waited for the two coffees.

"Looks like tonight is a bust," Adam said. "Our guy is holed up in a bar. What's your guy doing?"

"I'm not sure," Cheryl replied. "I'm taking a walk around the block to see if he's up to something inside. His lights are on. At this time of night, I should be able to see what's going on in there."

"Just be careful," Anderson said. "She got Paulson in the hospital. Who knows what she's capable of?"

"You didn't tell him, did you?" Cheryl asked.

"I thought you told him," Adam replied.

"Well, someone better tell me," Anderson complained.

"Paulson abused his position to rape women," Adam explained.

"What!?" Anderson shouted. "You have proof?" His voice had lowered, but his anger remained.

"What I could find was very circumstantial, but we're pretty sure," Adam waited then decided he needed to add more. Anderson was in the dark about most of their information. He knew The Alpha was a woman but little else. "The Alpha does her homework. I found all this circumstantial evidence in about three hours. Imagine what The Alpha found out about him in eight years."

"Eight years?" Anderson asked.

"We're pretty sure she has been watching Paulson for a very long time. We think she crossed paths with him about eight years ago and has been watching ever since," Cheryl added.

"So Paulson...really?" Anderson asked.

"We're pretty sure," Cheryl answered.

"Yep," Adam agreed.

"Well, damn!" Anderson exclaimed then paused for a moment. "You sure we're catching the right person? I mean, maybe we should hire her instead of locking her up."

"I understand your feelings, Anderson," Cheryl said.

"But one person isn't infallible. What if she makes a mistake? Let's her emotions cloud her judgement. What if she kills the wrong man?" Adam finished.

"Ok, ok. I see your point," Anderson relented. "Still. What if she wasn't alone? Wouldn't it be nice to have someone taking out the trash in the world?"

Adam laughed and nearly spilled the coffee as he made his way back to the car.

"Strange," Adam said. "I was thinking the same thing. But she would need at least two other people from different backgrounds and different prejudices. She would need a committee of sorts to keep her honest and on track." Adam couldn't believe where their conversation had taken them.

"I'd sign up for that committee," Anderson said.

"I don't know guys. A lot could go wrong. What if this committee decided to change the rules? It must be hard enough keeping herself on track. What if this committee decided that...I don't know...embezzlement was a crime punishable by death? What then?" Cheryl asked.

"That's why you would need three, maybe four or five people," Anderson said with all seriousness. "These people would keep an eye on each other. They would all need criminal justice backgrounds. There would be no need to interfere with police business. Just the ones the cops couldn't catch...or wouldn't."

"You mean like Paulson?" Cheryl asked.

"Yeah. Grrr. That just boils my goat," he said with frustration. "Surely someone must have noticed his antics. I mean, we're cops. We have other cops watching us. IA, review boards, other good cops. How does this even happen?"

"Some looking the other way. Other's not caring enough. Maybe a few bribes or favors," Adam said as he got into the car and handed Anderson his coffee.

"Thanks, buddy. You're not so bad after I got over the whole rent-a-cop thing," he said jovially.

"I wasn't a rent-a-cop. I was a night watchman," Adam corrected. "I had a Taser, not a gun. I was just there to call the real cops if something happened."

"Kinda like now," Anderson teased.

"Exactly like now," Adam said with a laugh.

"Except that he's the brains behind this operation," Cheryl interjected.

"Fair point," Anderson agreed. "He's growing on me," Anderson said with a laugh.

"If you say like a fungus..." Adam warned jokingly.

"I was going to say like a rash," Anderson laughed, and Adam joined him.

"Heads up guys," Cheryl said, and both men quit their joking.

"What is it?" Adam asked with concern.

"I have movement," Cheryl replied. "I was watching the house, and a dark figure went by the window. It looked quite a bit smaller than my guy."

"Your guy doesn't have a girlfriend over does he?" Anderson asked.

"My guy doesn't like girls," she paused, and the tension grew. "He likes little boys."

"Are you guys sure we're on the right side?" Anderson asked again.

"Hanging up. Get over here as quickly as you can. It's her," Cheryl said then hung up.

Anderson started the car, hit his lights then took off into the street. He slowed down at every stoplight but didn't stop. Adam felt like he was on a rollercoaster ride. But thankfully Anderson wasn't just a good driver, he was an incredible driver. He swerved around vehicles that stopped in front of him, the ones too stupid to pull over. He even managed to avoid hitting a homeless guy pushing his cart across the street at the wrong time.

With Anderson driving, they made record time and what took Cheryl ten minutes took Anderson seven. When they pulled up in front of the house, there was no sign of Cheryl and no indication that anything was wrong. Anderson pulled out his badge and marched up to the door quickly. As he walked briskly to the door, he turned to Adam.

"Don't suppose I can convince you to stay in the car?" he asked.

"Not a chance," Adam replied sternly.

"Didn't think so," he stated then knocked on the door loudly. When no sound came from the house, he kicked the door in. "I heard a cry for help. Didn't you?" he asked with a smirk.

"It was more like a scream," Adam replied and was right behind Anderson as he pulled out his gun and went inside.

Adam pulled out his Taser and followed Anderson closely.

"So help me. If I get Tased. You'll never hear the end of it," he whispered over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the empty room.

The two-story house wasn't fancy, and inside the first room, which appeared to be the living room, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Anderson flipped on the light switch, and the room came to life. There were newspapers and food wrappers on the coffee table. The TV was on, and the late-night infomercials were playing. Anderson saw the remote on the couch and tilted his head toward Adam.

"Shut it off so we can hear," Anderson ordered, and Adam obeyed.

When Adam made his way over to the couch, he noticed a young boy hiding behind it. The boy looked at him, terrified, and tried to scoot away.

"Don't worry. I'm with the police." He turned his head and whispered loudly. "Anderson."

Anderson headed over and flashed his badge for the boy then Adam continued.

"Let me get you out to our police car," Adam said and the boy nearly lept into his arms.

"I wanna go home," the small boy, who was maybe six years old, said.

"Put him in the back. There's a blanket, then get your ass back in here," Anderson ordered, so Adam complied. "I changed my mind. I need backup, and you're it."

Adam rushed out to the vehicle, put the boy in the back, and covered him in the blanket.

"Is there anyone else inside?" Adam asked, almost begging. He really hoped the child had seen Cheryl.

"The man who took me," the boy said.

"Any women?" Adam asked. His time was running short. He could see Anderson waiting at the door, his eyes almost screaming at Adam to return.

The boy just shook his head no.

"We're going to get the bad man and put him in jail. I'll call your parents when we've got him," Adam comforted, and the little boy smiled up at him.

Adam shut the door and sprinted back to the house.

"Took you long enough," Anderson scolded as he headed toward the kitchen now.

"The boy didn't see any women in here. Just the man who took him," Adam explained.

Adam pulled out his Taser again. The man living here wasn't The Alpha. There was no way he was prepared to fend off an attack like she had. If the man had a gun, Anderson would take care of it. If he came at them with anything else, Adam would knock him on his ass.

When they entered the kitchen, Anderson swept the room like a pro, and Adam was grateful to have him there. He had no idea how to sweep a room, how to make sure no one was hiding. Hell, if it hadn't been for Anderson telling him to shut off the TV, the boy would have gone unnoticed.

"Check the bathroom," Anderson whispered and pointed his weapon right at the doorway.

When Adam walked toward the door, Anderson pointed his gun down then brought it back up after Adam was out of the line of fire, then nodded. Adam opened the door, and Anderson shook his head no. Then Anderson headed to the stairs which were at one side of the kitchen.

At the bottom of the steps, Anderson stopped and listened, then slowly put weight on the stairs. When it didn't creak, he kept going, farther and farther. With each step, he kept his eyes above him and gun at the ready. If someone peeked over the railing at the top, Anderson would be on them in seconds.

Finally, they reached the top of the stairs and saw two doors, both shut tight. Anderson made his way to the first room and nodded up and down three times then pushed the door open and pointed his gun inside.

The view of this room sickened the both of them, and Adam felt the urge to look away but didn't allow himself.

There was bondage gear inside, strewn across the floor, a single bed with chains attached to the metal posts and on one side the only thing that didn't make Adam cringe. The man who owned this place, stripped naked and chained to the ceiling. The bruises all over his body told them what had happened.

The Alpha had already been here. The man was clearly dead, judging from the blood dripping from a dagger in his chest, but he would have begged for death long before it came. The burns and cuts all over his body, concentrated mostly on his genitals, must have been done over the course of many hours. The strange thing was, some of the wounds looked partially healed. Like this man had been tortured for days. The Alpha didn't just kill this one. This one suffered greatly. Something about what happened in this room triggered something in The Alpha. She had never done this before. Not like this. This man paid for his crimes in blood and anguish, and Adam was glad. A man like this deserved his punishment. A quick look at Anderson told him the experienced Officer of the Law felt the same way.

Adam tapped Anderson on the shoulder and pointed at the other door. They still hadn't found Cheryl and Anderson understood right away why Adam looked so scared.

Anderson made his way by Adam and crept toward the door. He motioned for Adam to get this one and Adam complied without Anderson having to say a word. Adam turned the knob slowly and silently then pulled the door open. Anderson thrust his gun in the door then worry spread across his face. He holstered his weapon and rushed inside. Adam didn't want to know what was in that room, but he forced himself to look. As soon as he saw Cheryl, on the floor, bloody and unconscious, he dropped his Taser and rushed to her side.

"Cheryl," he said frantically while he lifted her head.

Cheryl had a cut across one cheek. A black eye was starting in the other, and her clothes were torn in several places. Some of the tears in her clothing looked like cuts made with a knife. After a few seconds, Cheryl opened her eyes, looked up at Adam, and smiled. Then reality hit her, and she shot to her feet.

"Where is she?!" Cheryl shouted. She looked around the room, which appeared to be the man's bedroom. The dresser was knocked over, and the lamp was shattered on the floor, but the bulb still lit up the room, making it look macabre because of the strange angle the shade bent the light. The window on the other side of the room was broken, and there was glass inside and out. Cheryl sighed and limped over to the window. "She's gone."

"What happened?" Adam asked.

"You should go call this in, Anderson," Cheryl said, and Anderson nodded with a smile.

"Glad you're ok," he said, then headed back downstairs.

"When I got here she stabbed him. I couldn't stop her. I should have known something was off. The lights on at this time of night?" she asked rhetorically and sat on the bed. "I should have been quieter."

"Aren't you afraid of contaminating the crime scene?" Adam asked.

Cheryl laughed then looked at Adam.

"It's a waste of time. My DNA is all over this place. I don't think I even hurt her. She had on some kind of body armor. All that blood," she said as she pointed over by the window. "That's mine."

"You need to go to the hospital?" Adam asked.

"I'll be visiting the hospital shortly. After I give my statement," she said with a sad smile. "You weren't kidding. She's really good."

"Damn it. I knew I should have been here," Adam said angrily.

"Why? So she could beat you up too?" Cheryl asked with a laugh.

"I guess you're right," Adam relented.

"She was prepared. She knew I was here. Maybe being quiet wouldn't have helped at all. It was like she was waiting to kill him until I came in." She looked at Adam, and he recognized the lost look. The look he'd had last night. They were being toyed with. "If we're going to catch her, we need to change the rules," Cheryl stated.

"How?" Adam asked.

"Drive my car to the hospital to pick me up, and we'll discuss it on the way home," she said and grabbed Adam's hand to help her up. She handed him the keys, leaned on him on the way to the stairs then used the railing to sturdy herself on the way down.

Within a few minutes, the ambulance arrived, as well as four police vehicles and the CSI truck. Neighbors had filled the sidewalks nearby, and as the ambulance took Cheryl away, Adam followed in her car.

# Chapter 18

At noon Adam and Cheryl walked into the captain's office. They were both overly tired, and Cheryl was covered in bandages. There were several under her shirt and pants, plus the one on her cheek that had required a few stitches. The knife wounds hadn't been serious, but she'd lost enough blood to make the doctors nervous. Also, while at the hospital, Cheryl wasn't allowed to sleep because they were afraid she had a concussion, so Adam had stayed up with her. Before they could head home, the captain had asked that they stop by first. So they had one more stop before they could finally sleep.

They sat in the uncomfortable chairs in front of the captain's desk while they waited for him to get off the phone. When he hung up, he turned and looked over Cheryl with concern.

"You sure you two are up for this job?" he asked but didn't wait for an answer. "First you get beat up." He pointed to Adam. "Now an experienced detective gets the snot kicked out of her. This is getting serious."

"It's because we're getting close," Adam answered.

"I almost had her," Cheryl said with frustration.

"It looks more like she almost had you," the captain said with a small laugh. "Either way. Take a day. Get started again after you've recovered."

"Roger Stiles is the last victim. What if she..." Cheryl started, but the captain interrupted.

"Anderson brought him in on a drunk and disorderly...to give you time to rest up," the captain said. It seemed like he wasn't happy about it, but Roger Stiles was already in custody, so what could he do about it.

"Oh," they both said in unison and looked at each other. Both of them were very grateful for Anderson.

"Now that you've got no one to watch. Why don't you just rest up? Roger will be back on the streets, but not for twenty-four hours," the captain leaned back while Cheryl and Adam looked relieved. "Before you go...I have two invitations to my wedding." He pulled out two envelopes and handed them to each of them as he walked around the desk. In his other hand, he held a photograph in a cheap frame. He turned it around to show them the picture. "My girls would be so happy if you'd come," he said.

The picture showed his fiancé, a woman younger than he was, by about twenty years. She had long, dark hair and hazel eyes. Beside her was her two girls. A ten-year-old that looked just like her and an eight-year-old with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Adam watched the discomfort grow on Cheryl's face, and he was pretty certain he knew why. Then, like flipping a light switch, Cheryl flashed the captain a smile.

"We'd love to come," she said. "But right now all I can think about is sleep." She stood up and grabbed Adam's hand, practically pulling him from the chair and down the hall.

"What's going on?" Adam asked. Her fake smile was gone now. She now looked agitated and angry.

"We didn't get to see what was in that diary, but we can guess." She stopped at the elevators and gave Adam a look that brought him revelation.

"You think?" he asked.

"If that diary implicates Stewart Crews...the captain will be on The Alpha's list very soon," she said seriously. The doors opened, and she got inside, followed by Adam.

"What can we do?" Adam asked.

"Not much yet," she replied. She fumed beside Adam, and he wasn't exactly sure why. Was it because the captain might be a predator or because The Alpha had stolen the diary...or was it because The Alpha was still ten steps ahead of them.

After a long car ride back to the hotel, both Adam and Cheryl flopped into bed without bothering to shower or even undress. At eight in the evening, Adam woke first and tried to get up without waking Cheryl. He took a shower then was greeted by a cheerful-looking Cheryl as she was setting two places at the counter and even had candles lit beside the plates.

"What's this?" Adam asked.

She smiled at him deviously.

"While I take my shower you can dish out our food," she said. She pulled out a take-out bag from an Italian restaurant down the street. One Adam was very fond of.

"You got Ritoni's?" Adam asked while he watched her head to the bathroom. He felt like he'd dropped the ball. He hadn't gotten her anything at all. Well...actually...he had, but he wasn't sure he wanted to give it to her yet. He had purchased an engagement ring yesterday, just in case, but he was still trying to figure out if Cheryl had even considered it yet. He felt like he was rushing things, but he just couldn't stop himself. He'd walked by a shop with beautiful rings, so he decided to take a look, one thing led to another, and he left the shop with a ring.

He didn't want to be that idiot who asked the girl only to have her shoot him down. What if this was something different for her? What if she did this in all the cities she was in? Maybe his feelings were far more serious than hers were. He had made up his mind. She was far too important to ever let go of but what if it was just a fling to her?

Adam put their food on plates and poured each of them a glass of wine while he waited nervously for Cheryl to come out. When she did, he nearly dropped the wine bottle. She wore a spaghetti strapped dress that was black and nearly skin tight. She had on makeup and heels. What had he done to deserve this? Adam looked down at his clothes. He had on dress slacks and a white button-up shirt, but that was for work. He had assumed Cheryl would insist they work, but this...this was something he hadn't been prepared for.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she smiled coyly.

"You know exactly what's wrong," he said with a smirk. "Should I be wearing a tux? You look amazing!"

She tipped her head and gave him another coy smile.

"It's not that fancy," she said.

"Oh, now we're lying to each other?" he asked with a laugh.

She smiled kindly at him as he held out her chair.

"I just figured we should enjoy our night off," she said, and he scooted her chair up then pulled his beside her. She smelled her food and smiled while he stared at her in awe.

"I assumed we would work on something," he said, still staring at her.

"Later," she answered. "For now. Let's just enjoy our meal."

Adam still couldn't take his eyes off her, and she smirked when she noticed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I want to ask you something," he started, then stopped when Cheryl's face went blank. Then the look of sheer terror on her face, when she realized what he was going to ask, stopped him from going any further. After a few moments of awkward silence, she spoke.

"Don't ask," she said, and sadness came over her. "Not yet."

"But..." Adam stammered.

"If you ask. I'll have to answer," she said with seriousness.

"I..." he tried to start again, but she put her finger on his lips.

"I'm not saying no. I'm saying...not yet," she said and smiled kindly. "I need to have my life straight before I can make that kind of commitment. This case. The Alpha. I need it to be over. When it's all over, then ask me again." She paused, then decided to add more to it. "Please ask me again. I'll be heartbroken if you don't."

A rejection had never left Adam feeling so wonderful. But, to be honest, it wasn't a rejection at all. She wanted him to ask, just not right now. It even sounded like she would say yes. The Alpha case needed to be over with first, and Adam could understand why. This case had taken years of Cheryl's life. Years spent in solitude, chasing after an elusive killer that no one, until Adam, had even believed existed. Well, that wasn't entirely true either. The Governor had believed her.

Adam ate his food quietly, giving Cheryl loving glances from time to time. She returned the glances and even kissed him on the cheek to make sure he understood. But he knew what she wanted now. She wanted things to remain as they were until after The Alpha was behind bars. After this tremendous burden was removed from Cheryl's life, she would be free to consider other directions for herself. Directions that included Adam.

After a nearly silent dinner, they sat on the couch, papers spread out in front of them. As beautiful and sexy as Cheryl looked, Adam had a strong desire to work. He wasn't about to ignore her, she had gotten all dressed up, but the sooner The Alpha was taken down, the sooner they could move on with their lives.

"Do you mind if we work a little?" he asked.

She looked at him a little shocked then understanding set in.

"You're really serious about...you know. Aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied with a grin.

She quickly changed subjects.

"I'm starting to feel a little underappreciated," she joked.

"You should feel flattered," he replied.

"Ok, I do feel flattered," she admitted. "Still...I went through all this trouble and even wore this dress," she teased.

"It's a nice dress, but it doesn't hold a candle to the woman wearing it," he said.

"Damn! How can I say no to your request to work now?" she asked with a laugh. "Although, if you keep that up I'll be dragging you to the bedroom in a minute."

"I'm going to be the one dragging you in there," he said as he stared into her eyes. "There's just something that's bugging me."

"You got five minutes, buddy," she teased. "Then I'm going to the bedroom and taking off this dress."

"Trying to make me hurry up?" he asked with a laugh.

"That's not what I meant," she said then slapped him on the shoulder. "Anyway..."

"Anyway," he mimicked. "Angela Sutton. She has a military background. Trained in many forms of hand to hand combat. Her record is so top secret that I can't even get ahold of it. She fits that part of it. She's been missing for a while now. Months, in fact. So that also lines up. The thing that doesn't make sense is what happened to make her turn into The Alpha."

"Her kids. That person taking them," Cheryl said, as if it explained everything.

"No. That's not enough. She's targeting a specific type of predator. Something else must have happened. Before, after, there has to be more to it," Adam said. "There just has to be something else."

"Maybe there is," Cheryl said. She threw her legs over his lap and kicked off her shoes. "We may not find out until we catch her, though. Even then, she may never tell us. Does it really matter? It won't help us catch her."

"I suppose you have a point," Adam relented and noticed the seductive look on Cheryl's face.

She smiled at him flirtatiously and raised her eyebrows then looked at the bedroom door.

"Anything else?" she waited, but he didn't answer. "Otherwise...I was thinking we might start enjoying our day off."

Adam scooped her up, and she screamed like a little kid on a swing.

"Don't drop me," she yelled and clung to him tightly as he headed to the bedroom.

"I wouldn't drop you," he said then a devious smile spread across his face. "Unless..."

He tossed her onto the bed, and she screamed again. Then Adam flopped on the bed beside her, throwing her into the air. When she landed, she laid down, so Adam put his arm on the other side of her and stared into her eyes.

"I need you to understand something," he said seriously, and her laughter faded.

"What?" she asked, with a worried look.

His smile returned as he spoke.

"I love you," he said.

She smiled back.

"Just because I'm not ready doesn't mean I don't love you. I love you too," she replied, then Adam leaned in. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

# Chapter 19

Roger Stiles was a sturdy man. He was six foot and weighed about two hundred and twenty-five pounds. Although he spent most of his nights gambling, he spent a good portion of every day working out at a corner gym. The man was large and mean. He had even done a little boxing when he was younger. His head was shaved, and the tattoos on his arms told his story. He had served two years in prison for 'accidentally' killing a man in a bar fight. It was his military background as well as his 'changed man' story that somehow got him out on parole. This had been ten years ago, and little about Roger had changed in that time. This may have been why The Alpha had saved him for last. Roger would be The Alpha's greatest challenge yet.

Roger was, although no one could prove it, a serial rapist. There were many reports about the man victimizing women in this part of town. The description was similar to Roger, but, somehow, he always seemed to have an alibi. Not a single one of the many reports could be proven to be him. Although the man was mean, he was also clever.

"How does a guy look like that and drink like he does?" Anderson asked. He sat beside Adam in the unmarked car, across from a bar Roger was leaving. It was nearly one AM, almost closing time, but Roger seemed to be in a hurry for another reason.

"You got me," Cheryl said from a car down the block, on the other side of Roger.

"I can't see your car, Cheryl. Where are you?" Adam asked. Since their previous encounter with The Alpha Adam had become a little overprotective.

"I'd flash my lights, but then Roger might know something's up," she replied.

"Just be careful," Adam said.

"She can handle herself better than the two of us. Why you so worried about her?" Anderson asked. "The Alpha will kick both our asses. Hell, Detective Torren could kick both our asses. You should be more worried about us."

"Thanks, Anderson. At least someone has confidence in me," she joked. "And you can call me Cheryl."

"Sounds weird," Anderson replied. "Besides. You still call me Anderson."

"Fair point," she replied.

"I think someone just followed him into the alley," Adam said.

"What? Where?" Anderson asked while he looked up and searched the street. He had been too busy staring at his coffee and talking to Cheryl.

"I saw it, Adam. It might be her," Cheryl agreed.

"Meet you in there boys...and be careful," she said then was silent.

"On our way," Anderson replied as he got out, tossing his coffee on the ground. "I'll get that when we get back," he said to Adam, who was also getting out.

Adam nervously grabbed his Taser from the seat, shut his door and followed Anderson toward the alley.

When they got to the alley, Anderson drew his weapon then cautiously entered the alley. Neither of them could see Cheryl.

Adam whispered.

"Cheryl...you there." But there was no answer.

In front of them, they saw movement much farther down the alley. The Alpha was fighting with Roger, and winning.

Roger threw a punch, but The Alpha easily dodged it and hit him in the ribs, hard enough to make him grunt. He swung again, she dodged again, then kicked him in the groin. The large man fell to his knees. She thrust her palm up into the bridge of his nose, and Roger fell back on to the concrete with a thud.

The Alpha turned when she heard the two men running up the alley.

"Halt, police!" Anderson yelled.

"Looks like you finally saved one...for now," she said, mocking them, then took off running.

Anderson took off after her while Adam checked on Roger. The man was out cold but still breathing, so Adam chased after Anderson. It was at least five minutes before Adam caught up to Anderson, who had lost The Alpha. The maze of alleyways all looked the same to Adam. He mostly followed the sounds of running. At one AM it was dead silent except for the sound of Anderson's shoes, his large frame made his footsteps echo through the alley.

When Adam got closer to Anderson, he noticed the large man bent over, panting and helping Cheryl to her feet. Cheryl's nose was bleeding, but other than that she looked ok.

"I tried to cut her off, but she kicked me in the face. She seriously ran up to me and kicked me in the face," Cheryl said with surprise.

Adam handed Cheryl a napkin from his pocket, and she used it to stop the bleeding while they walked back to where Roger was. When they arrived back at the place they had left Roger, he was gone.

"What the hell?!" Adam complained.

"He was right here," Anderson added.

"She tricked us," Cheryl said angrily then held her nose. "Ow ow ow!"

"She wasn't running from us. She was leading us to Cheryl to distract us while she went back for Roger," Adam said. "How long were you lying there?"

"I don't know. It's fuzzy. I may have passed out," Cheryl said while she stared up to keep the blood from dripping down her face.

They continued on toward the street, and as they neared Anderson's car, Adam saw a note on the windshield. "What the hell is that?" he asked then he took off toward the car and came jogging back with the note.

It was a printed note on plain paper, and Adam read it to them.

Sorry, I had to use Detective Torren as a punching bag again, but Roger needed to be dealt with. He's done some awful things. Some you don't even know about. Perhaps our next encounter will be luckier for you...nah...not going to happen.

The Alpha.

"Now she's teasing us?" Anderson asked.

They were nearly to the car now. Cheryl's nose had almost stopped bleeding.

"Maybe we can get some prints off that thing," Cheryl asked.

Adam stared at her with condescension.

"Don't say it," she said. "This is The Alpha. It will be plain paper from any store and ink from a generic printer with no prints." Cheryl sighed, then winced as her nose throbbed in pain.

"We could try," Adam said, but he already knew there would be nothing.

"So, she had this planned? She knew you would be alone and coming from the opposite direction," Anderson stated as he leaned Cheryl up against the car.

"She's leading us around. We're doing everything she wants us to do," Adam said angrily.

"And I'm getting a little sick and tired of it too," Cheryl added. Her anger matched Adams.

"We need to change things up. Catch her off guard," Anderson said, but he had no idea how to do that.

"Oh...Oh...I know what we can do," Cheryl said cryptically. She turned to Adam. "We know who her next victim is." Her eyes were huge, and soon, Adam's excitement matched hers.

"That's it! We set a trap. We tell no one. Not even him," Adam said just as cryptically.

"Him who?" Anderson asked. He picked up his smashed coffee cup and tossed it in the garbage beside the car.

"No one at the department can know except for the three of us. We can't trust anyone with this. She's getting her information from somewhere," Cheryl said. She nearly shook with excitement. "This is it! This is how we catch her!"

"What are we talking about? Who is him?" Anderson asked.

"How are we going to do it without him knowing?' Adam asked.

"I'm going to need the Governor's approval for this one. We're going to have to kidnap him for his own good." Cheryl looked at Adam deviously. "He's not going to go easily."

"Who?" Anderson asked.

"Think you can take him?" Adam asked.

"Take who?" Anderson asked. He was getting the distinct impression that he was being ignored.

"Oh yeah. I'll use your Taser if I have to," she said.

"Actually, that might be safer for him," Adam laughed.

"Well if you're not going to let me in on it I guess I'll just head home. Let me know when you deem me worthy of being in on your little scheme," Anderson said and opened his door. Before he got in, Adam and Cheryl stared at him, and he didn't like the looks on their faces.

"We're going to have to kidnap Captain Crews," Cheryl said with far too much excitement for Anderson's taste.

"Wait a minute," Anderson said. He shut the car door and held up his hands. "You can't just..."

"It's for his own good," Adam said.

"Why would The Alpha..." he started.

"The Alpha thinks he caused his daughter to commit suicide," Cheryl said.

"How would he do that?" Anderson asked, full of confusion.

"We're fairly certain he was molesting Leena," Adam said regretfully.

Anderson stared at them, back and forth, not ready to believe it. Then his mouth fell open.

"You're serious?" Anderson asked. When neither of them answered, he knew it was true. "I'll Tase that saggy old son of a bitch myself!"

"That's the spirit," Adam said.

"Give me a day to get the Governor's approval. I really don't want to go to jail for kidnapping because I was trying to save his life," Cheryl said with a laugh.

"You got a day," Anderson said. "After that, I'll lock that bastard up in my basement, approval or not!"

"You sure you want to save him?" Cheryl asked.

"Not really," Anderson admitted. "But the law is the law. If I was more like The Alpha, she might have to race me to kill him."

Cheryl nudged Adam.

"You coming?" she asked.

"See you tomorrow, Anderson," he said then walked with Cheryl.

"See you tomorrow, Adam," he replied, then got in his car.

"What will you and Anderson do while I'm off to talk to the Governor?" she asked.

Adam looked down the street, and he finally saw Cheryl's car. It was more than two blocks away and up a hill. Although she could see the bar and the alley, it would be hard to make anything out.

"How the hell did you see anything from that far away?" Adam asked.

She pulled a pair of small binoculars out of her jacket pocket. Then sighed. The lenses were broken.

"Well, I had a nice pair of binoculars. I've been doing this awhile, remember?" she asked.

When they finally got to her car, they got in, and both sat there for a moment.

"Sucks about Roger," Cheryl said. She looked at little sad.

"Does it really?" Adam asked.

"What's that mean?" Cheryl asked in reply.

"He was a serial rapist. Do I feel bad that she got him? No. I'm upset that we didn't get her, but his life means nothing to me. It's just too bad what she's doing isn't legal." Adam looked at her, and she could tell he was serious.

"We still have to catch her. Whether we agree with what she's doing or not. She is breaking the law. People can't go around murdering other people. Once that starts, its anarchy in the streets," she said. Adam could tell she didn't really care about Roger either. It was evident on her face. The man deserved to die. It was just too bad the law couldn't catch him. It was unfortunate that a person like The Alpha was the only one who could bring people like Roger to justice.

# Chapter 20

The next afternoon Adam answered the door at the hotel and on the other side was Anderson. He wasn't dressed in his uniform this time. He had on a decent, yet old, suit with a tie. He looked like a detective.

"Whoa, spiffy duds," Adam teased.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied and pushed his way in. "Where's the snacks. You said there'd be snacks."

"Actually...the snacks are at the captain's house," Adam said with a cringe.

"What?" Anderson asked then turned to face Adam.

"We need more information. Cheryl is gone to speak with the Governor to make sure we're not charged with a felony, and we get to do the recon." He stared at Anderson, hoping he would understand.

"That's why you had me dress in a suit," he sighed.

"I didn't say you had to wear a suit," Adam said. He held out his arms. He had on dress slacks and a white button-up shirt, what he wore to work nearly every day. "I just said dress nice."

"I'm already in a suit. No turning back now," Anderson said and headed back to the door. "We should get going...I'm starving."

Adam laughed and followed Anderson out the door then to his car. This time Anderson drove calmly and courteously. Within twenty minutes, they were at the captain's door.

Captain Stewart Crews lived in a modest, one-story house. It was clear from his beaten-up car and house, which was in need of a paint job, that he wasn't a dirty cop. He was just a despicable man.

The half mowed lawn led to a plain brown door. It seemed that the captain had very little interest in keeping his house and yard clean. Adam wondered if it was because he was about to move in with a woman and her two daughters across town or if it was how he had always been. Maybe Stewart Crews was just a slob.

Anderson knocked on the door, and soon the captain answered. His smile was warm and inviting as he realized who was at his door.

"Come on in guys. You're late. The first quarter is half over," he said jovially.

"Sorry Cap. Traffic sucked," Anderson said courteously.

"Come on, Tom. We've known each other for twenty-five years. When we're off duty, I'm Stewart," he said and held the door wide so they could enter. "We should have done this sooner."

"I hope you still feel that way when The Tomcat's smash The Bulldogs," Anderson said with a laugh and walked in.

"Adam? I didn't even know you liked football," the captain said.

"It's growing on me," Adam lied. He hated football. Not that there was anything wrong with the sport. He hated sports in general. Well, watching them anyway. He had fun playing sports as a kid and teenager, but watching sports was one of the most boring things he could think of. He'd much rather be doing almost anything besides watching sports, but it was the only thing Tom Anderson, and Stewart Crews had in common. Captain Crews would never invite Adam over by himself but a long-time coworker like Anderson? Of course, he would jump at the chance to bond with him.

"Who you routing for today?" Stewart asked and waited.

Tom froze. He was standing in the doorway and had no answer to this. His brain thought quickly.

"I'm not sure. I've been liking the Jay's this season," Adam said.

"The Jays?" Stewart asked with contempt. "They suck. The Bulldog's beat em already. The rematch is in like...three weeks?"

"Yes," Adam answered. Thankfully he had caught a glimpse of the sportscast on the news while he was waiting to see if Roger Stiles' body had shown up yet. He remembered seeing a segment about The Jays and The Bulldogs having a long-standing rivalry and used it to cement his lie. His gamble had paid off. "Just remember that seven to six victory could have gone either way."

Stewart laughed loudly then patted Adam on the back.

"If your guy hadn't missed that pass, I'd be the one with that pathetic look on my face. But that's why we're such bitter rivals. No one can even come close to us. If I was you, I'd bet on the Bulldogs today. The Tomcats are nowhere near the caliber of our teams," he said and shut the door as he ushered Adam inside.

Adam had no idea about the specifics. He only knew the final score. What Stewart took as the pathetic look of a losing fan was, in fact, fear that his plan had fallen apart. Adam let out a quiet sigh of relief when Stewart started talking to Anderson instead.

Over the next few hours, Adam studied Stewart Crews. His mannerisms, how he sat in his chair, how often he got up to use the bathroom, every detail of Captain Stewart Crews would have to be duplicated. Adam was the only one tall enough to be Crews. Although he wasn't built like the man, that could be fixed with extra clothing. The height couldn't be faked as easily by Anderson. This made Cheryl a little apprehensive, but after a ten-minute debate, truthfully it was almost an argument, Cheryl had given in to the simple fact that Anderson was just too short. Two inches wouldn't be noticeable but five inches? Anderson would be spotted right away.

Adam even pretended to mistakenly sit in the captain's favorite chair while the man got up to grab more nachos. He received a hearty nod and a smile from Anderson indicating that he was imitating Stewart perfectly then Adam apologized to Stewart for sitting in his chair. He made up the excuse that he was too busy watching the game and didn't realize where he was sitting. This rewarded him with another slap on the back and more jabs at the team Stewart thought was Adam's favorite.

After the game, the two men expressed their gratitude for Stewart allowing them to watch the game on his high definition, wide screen TV and were on their way back to the hotel to wait for Cheryl. When they arrived, Cheryl was already there to greet them.

"How'd it go?" she asked anxiously as she let them both in.

"I think Adam's got him down," Anderson assured her.

"I can do it," he agreed.

"Good, cause we got the green light. We do it tomorrow," she said.

"Tomorrow?" Anderson asked.

"How do we even know she'll show up?" Adam asked.

"I made sure she would," Cheryl said with a self-satisfied grin.

"What did you do?" Adam asked.

"Well..." she started and let the tension fill the room. She turned and walked to the kitchen with a huge grin. "Anyone want snacks?" she snickered.

"Oh come on," Adam said. "Just tell us."

Anderson didn't say a word. He just looked at her, it wasn't quite anger, but it was close. He was not a patient man. Anderson saw a problem, and he fixed it. Maybe it was why he was still a beat cop instead of a detective. Although, his recent dealings with Cheryl had softened him up to the possibility.

"Fine. You guys are no fun," she teased. "The Governor is requesting that Captain Stewart Crews come to a seminar on interoffice communications. It lasts two weeks. Neatly lining up with the wedding day. She has one chance to get the captain, and that will be tomorrow."

"Really?" Adam asked.

"Really," Cheryl assured him.

"What if he refuses?" Anderson asked.

"I said requested, didn't I?" she asked with a laugh. "I meant ordered. Attendance is mandatory."

"You really like to drag things out, don't you?" Anderson asked with annoyance.

"She does," Adam said, laughing with Cheryl.

"Well, I'm going to head home and enjoy the rest of my evening off," Anderson said. "I really want to get out of this suit."

"You didn't have to wear a suit," Adam said again.

"Yeah yeah, save it," he said, then headed to the door.

"Five PM. Meet at the captain's house," Cheryl said more seriously.

"Got it. See you then," Anderson said and smiled. He may not have appreciated her sense of humor, but he was warming up to working with her. She was very good at her job, something Anderson admired.

The rest of the night, Cheryl and Adam went over their plan, again and again, refining all the small details. This was not going to be easy, and it had to go off without a hitch if they were going to catch The Alpha this time. By four AM, they were both beat and ready for bed. All their hope hinged on tomorrows plan. If they caught her they could go on with their lives, if not, she might get nervous and head to another city. Up until now, she'd had the upper hand. Showing her they could outsmart her, even if it failed, might make her realize that she wasn't immune to being manipulated as well. Until now she probably felt untouchable, but tomorrow would change all that.

# Chapter 21

At five PM, Adam and Cheryl waited in Cheryl's car, down the block from the captain's house. When Anderson drove by, looking for a parking place, Adam and Cheryl got out and started walking toward the one-story home that would soon become a trap for The Alpha. As they neared the yard, Anderson met them, coming from the opposite direction. He carried a duffle bag with everything they needed, everything except for the captain's clothing, but that was already inside.

"You look nervous, Anderson," Cheryl said.

"I don't like committing felonies, even if the Governor approves," he admitted.

"We're saving his life," Cheryl comforted.

"Besides...you know what he is suspected of," Adam added.

"Yeah, as soon as this is over I'm going to make that my pet project," Anderson said angrily.

"Good," Cheryl replied. "He deserves to pay for what he's done, just not like this."

"He deserves to pay for what he plans to do as well," Adam said. His anger and disgust with Stewart Crews seemed to eclipse theirs.

"You having second thoughts?" Anderson asked. The way he asked almost seemed hopeful.

"Yes, but I'll save his life for now," Adam replied. "If you get the chance to hurt him a little. Maybe that's not such a bad thing." He looked right at Anderson, who was in charge of subduing the captain.

"I was thinking the same thing," Anderson said with an evil grin.

"Guys," Cheryl said sternly. "We're here to save him. The law is the law."

Both men grumbled under their breath as they stepped onto the cement slab in front of the captain's door.

Cheryl rang the doorbell, and soon a confused Captain Crews answered the door.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"We have an update from the Governor," she replied.

"An update? Why didn't he just call me?" the man asked.

"He was afraid The Alpha might be listening in. No more phone calls with sensitive information. She knows every move we make. Can we come in?" Cheryl asked.

"Yes, please come in," the captain said, then moved out of the way.

Once inside, he stared at them, waiting for answers.

"What's this about?" he asked.

"Your life is in danger," Cheryl started. "We would like you to stay in the basement for tonight."

"What? I'm not staying in the basement," he objected.

Anderson walked by the captain and set his duffle bag on the table then opened it. The captain looked at him curiously.

"What is that for?" he asked. When Cheryl spoke, he turned to look at her.

"We didn't figure you'd cooperate, so we have a plan B." She nodded to Anderson who hit the captain in the back with a stun gun. He quickly fell to his knees, but he wasn't out, so Anderson put the cloth over his mouth and nose until the stunned man collapsed onto the floor.

"I'm so glad he chose plan B," Anderson said vindictively.

"Get him downstairs," Cheryl said then felt the need to add. "And make sure his head doesn't hit too many stairs on the way down."

"You're ruining all my fun," Anderson replied with a laugh.

Adam grabbed one arm while Anderson grabbed the other.

"Can't we just let it hit a few of the stairs? Maybe he'll forget he likes little girls," Adam said. His disgust was still evident. Anderson may have been joking, but Adam sounded serious.

"I'll be up here getting ready. If his head hits a few stairs, only the two of you will know," she said with a grin then turned her back on them and got to work.

While Adam and Anderson moved the captain to the basement and secured him with handcuffs and a gag, Cheryl got to work finding Adam some clothing and pulling out all the stuffing from the duffle bag Anderson had brought. Within a few minutes, the men were back from the basement, and Cheryl had Adam's clothing all picked out.

"We'll leave first, then come back and get started," she said while holding up a hair trimmer and bottle of grey hair dye.

"Don't get seen," Anderson added.

Then the three of them walked out the front door. Cheryl even turned back and yelled in the doorway. "Thanks, Captain. See you tomorrow." Just in case The Alpha was already watching the house.

After parking their cars two blocks away and waiting until dark, they all snuck back into the captain's house through the alley in back. Cheryl had left the back door unlocked and shut off the back porch light. This, coupled with the moonless night, made it nearly pitch black behind the captain's house. Once inside, they started their preparations.

First, Cheryl shaved Adam's head into a crew cut, then she dyed it grey.

"Dim the lights, Anderson," Adam said, and the man dimmed the lights.

"How's it look from there?" Cheryl asked.

"Pretty good," Anderson said. "This just might work."

"Now we need the clothes," Cheryl said and grabbed the white, button-up shirt. She put it over Adam's clothing then stuffed the arms and shoulders to make him look larger. She looked at Anderson again, and he nodded his approval.

"Now the legs," Cheryl said, and Adam slid on the large pants. Cheryl stuffed the legs then cuffed the bottoms. "I just hope she is too preoccupied with your upper body. If she looks at your feet, she might know."

"I'll be sitting most of the time. Shouldn't be a problem," Adam reassured her.

"Turn the heat down a few degrees," Adam said to Anderson, and he did as he was asked. "If I start sweating, she might realize something's up."

"You want the upstairs or the basement?" Anderson asked, and Cheryl looked at him then raised one eyebrow.

"You know you want the basement. Why not just say it?" she asked.

"Didn't want to hog all the fun of watching the captain squirm," he replied with a large grin.

"Go to town," she said and returned his grin then headed to the stairs going up. Anderson headed to the basement and Adam was left alone.

After four hours, The Alpha still hadn't shown up, and everyone was starting to feel a little disheartened.

"Maybe the diary doesn't say what we thought it did," Adam said. He could hear Cheryl and Anderson in his earpiece, but the TV was almost as loud as they were.

"Maybe," Cheryl agreed. "Either way, we stay until dawn. If she hasn't come by then, I guess we know we have it wrong."

"So, you're saying the captain might be innocent?" Anderson asked. They could both hear the nervousness in his voice. He was starting to regret kidnapping the man.

"Leena might have committed suicide for another reason," Cheryl stated.

"We looked," Adam countered. "There was no one else in her life that could have had the same devastating effect. It has to be the captain." He was telling them but trying to convince himself. The captain had to be guilty. There was no other option. Little girls planning for college didn't just commit suicide for no reason...did they?

"Maybe we have this all wrong," Cheryl said. She sounded defeated.

"We have a few more hours. Let's just go over what we know," Anderson said. "Did she have a boyfriend?"

"No," Adam replied. "We checked. No teachers giving her too much attention...hell, most of her teachers were women."

"She didn't spend time with friends after school either. She came straight home every night and worked on her drawings," Cheryl added. "I'm not even sure she had friends."

"A girl like that didn't have friends?" Anderson asked.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"I met Leena a handful of times," Anderson said. "Twice to give her a ride home from school when the captain and his wife were busy and then at some police functions. She was smart and funny. She didn't even seem that shy. She was very nice to talk to."

"You were a safe place for her," Cheryl said. Her assessment caused curiosity in Adam as she spoke. "You're a cop, and you didn't try anything with her. Her predator, whoever he was, couldn't get to her when you were there." Adam realized that Cheryl had far too much knowledge and understanding about this subject. Had she been through something similar? "You may have been the only man in her life she could trust."

"But I hardly knew her," Anderson argued.

"She knew you. A girl like that, in her situation, would consider you her safe place. Did she ever say anything suspicious to you?' Cheryl asked. "Often times, girls like her will hint at what's going on, hoping their knight in shining armor will pick up on it."

"Are you saying I should have known?" Anderson asked, his voice full of regret.

"No. I'm not saying that at all. But now, after the fact, does anything she said stand out as odd?" Cheryl asked.

"We just talked about the old people thinking they could dance. I told her they wouldn't catch me dead on the dance floor and she laughed. She always laughed at my lame jokes. I never had a date, and she would tell me that she'd always be my date. She was a sweet kid." Anderson's voice was starting to crack as he spoke. "There was nothing odd about our conversations. She was just a sweet kid."

"She had a crush on you, Anderson," Cheryl said, and Adam could hear the smile in her voice. "I was wrong. You weren't just her safe place. She had a crush on you. You were everything she needed men to be. Polite, funny, and safe. She never would have hinted at anything with you. You were too important. She couldn't let you in on her secret. She was afraid it would change how you acted with her."

Anderson was strangely silent then Adam heard it. At first, it sounded like scratching then the back door clicked. He had relocked the back door, so The Alpha wouldn't suspect anything.

"Guys," Adam whispered. "She's here."

Cheryl got up off the captain's bed and walked quietly to the stairs. Anderson pulled himself from his sadness and also made his way to the stairs going up. They both waited silently and listened.

Adam heard a floorboard creak behind him and questioned whether it was The Alpha or not. Would she be so careless and unprepared? Surely she would have cased this place while the captain was at work. Next Adam heard her footsteps. It was hard to hear with the TV up so loud, but he was almost certain he heard her behind the chair he was sitting in. Then he heard her voice.

"Hello, Stewart," she said. Her voice was masked by whatever device she had over her mouth. It sounded low and garbled.

Adam gripped the Taser tightly and pointed it in front of the chair. When she was in view, he was supposed to Tase her right away.

"I know what you did to Leena," she said, and her voice was now beside him.

He didn't want to turn his head. At this angle, the dim light hid his face. If he turned, she would recognize him. Adam, not so patiently, waited for her to move in front of him, but she was taking her time.

"Nothing? Not even going to try to deny that you killed her? After everything you did to her. Why did you feel the need to kill her as well?" she asked.

Killed her? Adam's mind raced. The captain killed his daughter? Why?!

The Alpha moved in front of the chair, so Adam lowered his head to keep his face hidden. He needed to know what The Alpha had found out. They might never find that diary. This was his one chance to get answers, but how could he ask questions without The Alpha realizing who he was.

"Shoot her, Adam," Cheryl urged him. From her vantage point, she could see that The Alpha was standing right in front of him.

"Shoot," Anderson said as well. He gripped the railing and prepared to thrust the basement door open.

Adam took a chance. He looked up at The Alpha who looked just as she had every other time. She had a black mask, a hood, and even black face paint everywhere except around her eyes. The only thing different was the look in her eyes. She didn't recognize him. Why didn't she recognize him?

"Who..." she started to ask, but Cheryl lept from the stairs and tackled her. In seconds, Cheryl had her on her stomach and had pulled her hands behind her back.

Adam just sat in the chair, his hand tightly gripping the Taser. His mind went through the moments over and over in his head. Was he seeing things? Was the look because she had expected Captain Crews instead, or did she really not recognize him? Sure his hair was cut short, and it was a different color but still. The Alpha had studied him, watched him, even involved him in her strange games of deception. Surely she, of all people, would recognize him.

While Cheryl was reading The Alpha, her rights, Anderson was unlocking the captain in the basement. Soon an angry Captain Crews stood in front of Adam.

"You people better have a damn good reason for this," he said angrily as he stared down at Adam.

Adam had no patience for the captain right now. There was something very wrong about The Alpha. He couldn't quite figure out what was wrong, but something was very wrong. He looked into the captain's eyes with disdain, stood, and glared at him evilly.

"Leena," was all Adam said, then pushed past the large man. While Captain Crews was reeling from Adam's words, or rather word, Adam followed The Alpha to the police car that had just pulled up.

"Wait!" Adam yelled, and Cheryl turned. The Alpha also turned and looked at him. Her mask was off, and it was Angela Sutton, but the eyes were still wrong. This woman didn't look at him the same way. There was no recognition, no playfulness. This woman had no idea who he was.

"Sorry, Adam. We're putting her behind bars before she pulls something funny," Cheryl said then shoved Angela Sutton into the car.

Anderson walked up behind Adam and slapped him on the back. When he moved around to see Adam's face, he became concerned.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Anderson teased.

Adam looked down at Anderson.

"The problem is, I didn't see a ghost," he said cryptically and headed toward Cheryl who was walking to where they had parked the car.

"What the hell does that mean?" Anderson asked.

# Chapter 22

Two hours later, Adam sat, drinking stale yet warm, coffee while he watched person after person walk into the interrogation room then leave. Each new person had a set of questions for the woman who had killed so many people. Some of the questioning seemed to go civilly, while others produced outrage in the interrogator and sometimes The Alpha...if that was who she really was.

Adam didn't know anything for certain, and there was no way he was going to get to ask her any questions. He was not a cop and not a lawyer. The only two groups of people allowed in that room. Instead, Adam did the next best thing, the one thing he was better at than anyone he knew, he collected information.

He wasn't great at reading lips, but he caught most of the questions and even some of the answers. The police that questioned her, usually asked the same or similar questions. Why kill all those people? Some of them even tried to make sure they had the right person by asking her for details that only The Alpha and the police knew. She got every one of these questions right. It was the _Why_ questions that bothered Adam...or rather the answers to these questions.

She never once seemed outraged by what these people had done. Adam knew The Alpha and to The Alpha, the real Alpha, the _Why_ was the whole point. The Alpha didn't kill these people because she felt a duty to do so. But neither did she kill them because it was fun. The Alpha didn't want to punish these people for what they'd done, the reasoning Angela Sutton was reciting over and over again. The Alpha felt the need to kill these people because they would do it again. That was the reason. If Amanda Sutton really was The Alpha, wouldn't she explain that?

As Adam watched the interrogations, Cheryl walked up beside him.

"It's finally over," Cheryl said with relief.

"Is it?" Adam asked with a tone that caught Cheryl off guard.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. She looked at him, full of worry.

"I'm just not sure she's The Alpha," Adam explained. He was kinder this time.

"She confessed. She knows too many details. It has to be her," Cheryl explained. "We got her. Let's get on with our lives."

The look on Cheryl's face caused anguish in Adam. If he decided to pursue this, he might lose Cheryl. They had a confessed killer in custody. Everyone considered them heroes. Even Captain Crews was out front, right now, commending the Governor's foresight in selecting Adam, Cheryl, and Anderson. He was, of course, maintaining that he was in on the final plan to capture The Alpha. He may have even hinted that it had been his idea. Captain Crews would let the abduction go without a fight, something the Governor's phone call had probably insisted on. Perhaps he should also just let this go. Cheryl meant everything to him. He had once told himself that there was no choice. There would be more jobs. There would never be another Cheryl. It was time for him to act on those words.

"Yeah," Adam relented. "Let's get on with our lives." Adam pushed the nagging inconsistencies to the back of his mind. They could be a side project at a later date. Right now all that mattered was Cheryl.

As they walked down the hallway, Cheryl's arm around his waist and his over her shoulders, Adam smiled. The answers to his questions about whether Angela Sutton was The Alpha could wait. He was much more interested in the question he had almost asked Cheryl. Perhaps she would soon be ready for him to ask it.

# Chapter 23

Two weeks later, after the media circus had long forgotten The Alpha and the three heroes who had taken her down, Adam and Cheryl prepared to leave the hotel that had been their home for so long. It was four in the afternoon, morning for the two of them, so Cheryl was making pancakes while Adam was collecting his clothing, laptop, and all his research on The Alpha.

When he stepped out of the bedroom, he saw Cheryl's beautiful form in the maroon, satin pajamas that had quickly become his favorite. She didn't bother wearing a robe any longer, and Adam wasn't complaining. She looked spectacular. The spaghetti strapped pajamas which looked more like half of a dress, barely covered her lovely body. Adam was happy, something he could not recall ever being before. He had a girlfriend, hopefully, a fiancé soon, and a job he loved.

Outsmarting criminals was something he was built for. It was just too bad it took a killer to show him this. If he had known this earlier maybe his parents wouldn't have been so disappointed in him. But, then again, he wouldn't have met Cheryl. Maybe things worked out the way they were supposed to. The more he thought about it, the more he realized, he wouldn't change a single thing.

"Morning," Cheryl said with a smile as Adam encircled her waist with his arms then gently kissed her on the neck.

"What's the plan for today?" he asked.

"Well...I have to go finalize all the paperwork and check-in any files relating to The Alpha then..." she turned and smiled at him. "We're off to meet the Governor and get our new assignment."

"Isn't it sort of weird that I've never met my boss?" Adam asked.

"It is a little weird, but Governor Campbell does things differently. He wasn't ever a cop. He was military. All the cloak and dagger, secret meetings and stuff. That's more his style. You'll get used to it." She concentrated on the pancakes while Adam went to sit down. "He was black ops in his day."

"Oh," Adam replied absentmindedly. He was a little nervous. He had proven himself but never meeting the Governor left him wondering how long his job was secure. "What if he doesn't like me?"

"It has nothing to do with liking or disliking you," she said as she put a pancake on his plate. "You're a damn fine researcher. You find things that even I missed. He knows that. I've made it perfectly clear that I couldn't have done this without you."

"Thanks. I needed that little jolt of confidence. I'm a little worried," Adam admitted.

"Worried?" she asked as she put a pancake on her plate then put the pan in the sink.

"Worried he'll fire me or split us up," Adam said with a nervous laugh.

"We caught The Alpha. There's no way he's splitting us up." She pushed back her shoulders and stood up straight. "I'm Cheryl Torren, the woman who caught The Alpha. I can name any job in the country, and they'd say 'yes ma'am'. The Governor knows that. If I say we stay together, we stay together."

Adam smiled, and his worries faded. She was right. She was Cheryl Torren. She had her choice of jobs and choice of people to work with. She was famous now. Adam had shied away from the cameras but not Cheryl. She was proud of what they'd accomplished. Anderson seemed to have the same opinion as Adam, though. The Alpha may have been breaking the law, but she wasn't a villain. Neither of them took comfort in the fact that The Alpha was behind bars and criminals would be allowed to keep hurting people.

After the media circus, Anderson immediately retired from the police force. He'd grown tired of cops using their positions to do bad things. He now was in the process of setting up his own private investigation company. He had a moderate amount of fame and planned to use that to get it started. One of his first endeavors was trying to figure out how to build a real case against Captain Crews, but he had no proof that the man had done anything wrong. The word of a confessed killer held little weight in a court of law.

Cheryl quickly ate her pancake, then headed to the bedroom.

"Leaving already?" Adam asked.

"I want this to be over as soon as possible," she said with a knowing smile.

"Does that mean...?" Adam asked.

"Soon," she said with a look that brightened Adam's day.

It wouldn't be long now, and Cheryl Torren would be Cheryl Lance...if she wanted to take his name. Even that wasn't important. She could remain Cheryl Torren as far as Adam was concerned. The important part was calling her wife.

Adam finished his breakfast then kissed Cheryl goodbye and returned to his packing. He didn't have much left, thankfully, so he decided to get Cheryl started. She seemed to like leaving everything until the last minute, which drove Adam crazy, but also made him smile. She was different than he was, but that mattered little when they were in the same room.

He grabbed the bag from the top of the closet and set it on the bed. Most of Cheryl's clean clothes were in here. Some of them were in the closet, hanging up, so he decided to pack them away. The sooner they were out of here, the sooner Cheryl would let him ask. He felt in his pocket and smiled as he felt the small box which held the ring Cheryl would someday wear.

Adam unzipped the duffle bag and pulled down a few of the suits Cheryl liked to wear to work. Then as he opened the bag, terror gripped him. Lying inside the duffle bag was a small brown book with a weak clasp. He knew this diary. He would never forget this diary. Adam dropped the suits and pulled open the small book. He quickly scanned until he found the last page with writing. He plopped on the bed, still in shock as he read the final passage.

I'm going to confront Dad today. I'll tell Tom Anderson on him if I have to. He won't do this to me anymore. I'm disgusted by what he makes me do. I'm never going to let him touch me again! I'm going to make sure he lets me live with mom. If he doesn't, he'll regret it. Why did I get him as a Dad? Why couldn't Tom be my father? Why?

Adam reread the passage over and over again. Leena hadn't had a crush on Tom Anderson after all. He was a father figure to her. The one she wanted her real father to be like. Adam placed the book back into the duffle bag and contemplated what this meant. He needed more information.

He quickly ran into the other room and grabbed Cheryl's laptop. He had never bothered to even ask what she kept on it. He wasn't the suspicious type so it never occurred to him that she might be hiding something. He fell onto the couch and stared at the password screen. What would Cheryl use as a password? He typed in TheAlpha, no go. Then he tried variations of capitals and lower case but still nothing , then it occurred to him. He slowly typed in AlphaTwo, nothing. Next, he tried AlphaTw0, replacing the letter O with a Zero. The screen switched, and he now stared at the desktop. His fear and anxiety rose as he looked at the names of the folders on her computer. Cheryl was The Alpha!

Adam took a deep breath then opened a folder labeled Chris Torren. Inside there were only a few images of old newspapers. The dates were older than Cheryl, but the contents told Adam what he already knew.

Chris Torren was accused of abusing young girls, but because he owned the main source of jobs in a small town, he was never charged. Even the editor of the local paper was fired for printing a story which shed light on Chris Torren's activities. The last file in the folder was labeled Me. He almost didn't want to open it, but Adam was too curious to stop now, so he did anyway.

Thankfully it didn't contain what he expected, but it was enlightening. It said 'Young girl still missing after two weeks.' It was a story about Cheryl. It said she had run away at fourteen. The article claimed that Cheryl's mother called her troubled. She said she always knew Cheryl would get herself into trouble one day. Had her uncle kidnapped her?

Strangely, Adam knew very little about Cheryl's childhood. She never spoke of her time before joining the Governor's task force. Perhaps he now knew why.

The ideas of what could have happened to Cheryl at the hands of her uncle flooded Adam's brain. He needed to stop thinking about it. He needed to do something. Cheryl really was The Alpha. Then an idea formed in his head. He knew what he had to do.

Adam put the laptop back in its place then he did the same with the duffle bag and Cheryl's suits. She couldn't know what he'd found out. It would ruin everything. After he was certain everything had been returned to where it belonged he grabbed the diary, and his phone then dialed a number. Soon Stewart Crews answered.

"Adam? How can I help you?" he asked.

"Sir. I have proof that Angela Sutton isn't The Alpha," he said with conviction.

"Why don't you bring it down here and we'll go over it together," the captain said calmly.

"You don't understand, sir. Your life is in immediate danger. I know who the real Alpha is and she's coming for you," Adam said.

"You're sure?" the captain asked, he was starting to sound worried.

"Meet me at 1137 Elm Drive in an hour, and I'll show you my proof. I'll lure her there, and we can finish this once and for all." Adam waited for the captain to respond. It took him several seconds, but finally, he spoke.

"Ok. I'll be there in an hour. This better not be a mistake," the captain warned.

"It's not a mistake, and I'm not wrong. The Alpha will be there. The real Alpha," Adam said then hung up. He took a deep breath, then dialed Cheryl's number.

"Hey, honey. What's up?" she asked.

"Could you meet me at 1137 Elm Drive in an hour and a half?" Adam asked. His hands shook as he waited for her response.

"That's a warehouse? What could you possibly want there?" Cheryl asked.

"It's important. I just need you to meet me there," Adam answered.

"Ok. If it's important, I'll meet you there in about ninety minutes. I may be a little late. This paperwork is killing me. I've had to sign my name a hundred times saying I won't disclose police records. I won't share crime scene photos, things like that. They're really covering their bases. I guess true crime novelists would pay through the nose for this stuff."

"Meet you in about ninety minutes, bye," he said and hit the end button.

He had an hour before Captain Crews would be there, then thirty minutes to set up before Cheryl would show up. He desperately hoped it would be enough time. Adam grabbed his Taser, took a long look at the hotel that had been like a home to him, then headed out.

As he reached the elevator, he dialed one final number. When someone answered, he spoke.

"Anderson. I need your help," he said.

# Chapter 24

Adam watched as Cheryl walked through the doorway into the nearly empty warehouse. The space was large, but the only thing left was a barrel that had once contained fuel. The crime scene, as well as nearly everything in here, had been cleaned up. Though the walls were dirty, the floors appeared spotless.

Behind Adam was a sliding metal door which was about six feet wide. Behind this door, Captain Crews waited to meet the real Alpha.

"What's this about?" Cheryl asked with a smirk as she looked around the empty room. "Strange place to meet. This place was a crime scene two weeks ago."

"I know. This is where Roger Stiles was found." Adam stared at Cheryl intently. "Why do you think Roger was tortured and beaten so violently? We know about him raping women. What else was he responsible for? It had to be something involving children for The Alpha to do this." He motioned around the room.

Two weeks ago the police had found Roger Stiles after a tip from Angela Sutton. She refused to speak about what had happened here, but now Adam knew the reason why. It was because she didn't know.

"She's not talking. I'm not sure we'll ever know," Cheryl said and looked a little nervous.

Adam had heard enough. She was a good liar. It was time to put his plan into action.

"I have a pretty good idea as to why," Adam offered.

"Why do you think she did it?" Cheryl asked, and her apprehension grew.

"Roger must have done something to a child. I've studied The Alpha, and that is the only reason she gets this violent," Adam said. He stared at Cheryl and watched her squirm.

"Maybe," she said and nervously turned around, pretending to survey the room.

"I know something else about The Alpha...something no one else knows," he said and watched as Cheryl turned, then tried to hide the fear in her eyes.

"What's that?" she asked. The look on her face told him she was starting to understand the reason for her coming here. The terror on her face was plain to see, even a seasoned liar like Cheryl couldn't hide it.

"She was abused as a child. Really abused," Adam said and stared right into her eyes. When she didn't say anything, he went on. "I don't know the specifics, but it must have been horrible."

"How...how could you possibly know that?' she asked and added a nervous laugh to try to cover her discomfort.

Adam gripped the Taser tightly behind his back. He wasn't sure how this would go. His hand shook with anticipation.

"Because I know The Alpha is you," Adam said and pulled out his Taser then pointed it at her.

To Adam's surprise, Cheryl didn't try to run, nor did she try to attack. She smiled kindly at him, almost sadly. Adam looked at her full of confusion. Was she relieved?

"I knew you'd figure it out someday. I just hoped we would get to be together for a while first." She lowered her head and walked toward Adam. When she was only five feet from him, she looked up. She nodded toward the large metal door behind him and spoke. "I'd guess there are officers waiting to arrest me in there?" Then she smiled again. "My dad told me you would be my downfall but...I didn't care."

"Your dad?" Adam asked, confused. Cheryl's father was dead.

"Not my real dad," Cheryl explained.

"Please explain," Adam said and lowered the Taser. This wasn't going how he thought it would, and he realized how silly it was to point a Taser at her. She wasn't running, nor was she fighting. She'd given up. Now there was just one thing left. He wanted to know everything about Cheryl before his plan proceeded. It was very important to Adam that he understood the reasons behind it all.

"I suppose we have a few minutes." She smiled meekly and leaned against the empty barrel.

"I want to know everything, please," he added. "How did you become The Alpha?"

"Well, to start with you were wrong about my first kill," she said. "It wasn't my uncle. But, I suppose no one bothered to even give my mother's suicide a second glance."

"Why? Did your mother know about your uncle?" Adam asked.

"Know?!" Cheryl asked with a disgusted laugh. "It was her idea!"

Suddenly, Adam felt sick to his stomach. He could almost imagine what was coming, but even Adam's vivid imagination couldn't comprehend the depths of human cruelty Chris Torren had inflicted on Cheryl.

"I was twelve, and we were broke. She knew about Uncle Chris's...addiction." The way Cheryl spoke about him seemed detached. Like she was speaking about something that hadn't happened to her. "Uncle Chris would get weekly _visits_ with me as long as he could pay. But when I stopped screaming, he got inventive." Adam couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was so much worse than he ever could have imagined. He felt like he wanted to throw up and cry at the same time. How could anyone, especially a mother, do this to a twelve-year-old little girl?

"You know what mom did when she found the bruises?" Cheryl asked. The disgust on her face had turned to hatred. When Adam didn't say anything, she went on. "She made him pay more." Cheryl crossed her arms and looked at Adam. He could see the pain behind the smug look. She put on a brave face, but Adam could see through it. "As long as there were no scars or broken bones...he could do whatever he liked. And believe me, he liked screaming. He didn't just want to have sex with me. He wanted to rape me, over and over, every week. I soon learned to scream very well and very convincingly."

Cheryl pushed herself away from the barrel and pushed the memories back down where she kept them, where they couldn't hurt her any longer. She uncrossed her arms and paced slowly while she went on.

"After almost two years, I finally caught a break. A family on vacation left their motorhome unlocked. I was at the store picking up groceries for my mom when I saw it. I hid under their bed for hours until they stopped at a rest stop." Again she changed stances. This time it was guarded and hard. What was coming next wasn't as horrible as her uncle, but it was close.

"For about a year, I did what I had to do to survive. My uncle had taught me how to please men. You'd be surprised how many men want to have a fourteen-year-old," she said with disdain.

Again Adam felt the desire to vomit, but he pushed it back and listened. He had wanted to know the truth, and this was it.

"Mostly they were..." she stopped and tried to find the right word. "Gentle. But then I met a man like my uncle, only not as smart."

"You don't have to go on if you don't want to," Adam said. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear any more. He had expected bad, but this was unimaginable. How could anyone have survived this ordeal without losing their mind?

"You wanted the truth, and I'm going to tell you all of it. I've never even told my dad this story. You are the only one I have ever told." She paced back and forth, trying to push back the emotions, then she stopped and stared at Adam. "And, no, I won't tell you his real name. If the cops ask, I won't even admit to telling you this."

"I understand," Adam said with regret.

"Well, thankfully, _dad,"_ She emphasized the word then went on. "Found the new man before he even got me back to his place. Of course, I didn't know it was dad at the time. I was just happy someone finally stuck up for me for once." She looked at Adam with fury in her eyes. "The things Dad did to him. I was so grateful and so in awe of him. I begged him to help me. To teach me. But he refused."

"He left, and a rich man found me and took me in. He treated me like a daughter, not property. Now I had two heroes...I just didn't realize they were the same man. You see, I didn't know Dad's face. He wore a mask and covered his mouth with something that changed his voice. But, later, I found out." She smiled at Adam, and he let out a sigh. He didn't know if he could take hearing any more of what had happened to her. "He hid it well but underestimated me. When I was seventeen, I found out who he really was. That he was the man, who saved me. He was the first Alpha."

"My dad wasn't perfect. He didn't have the rules that I live by. He hurt innocents and let his moral compass stray. When I was eighteen, I forced him to teach me. It was either train me or I would turn him in for the ones he'd killed who weren't guilty. So he trained me. By the time I was twenty, I had outgrown him, so I sought other tutors. I paid in cash and used fake names. I learned every form of hand to hand combat I could. Then, when I felt ready, I started with my mother."

Cheryl looked into Adam's eyes and smiled kindly.

"I never even questioned my calling until I met you," she said, and a warmness came over her. "I wasn't prepared to meet someone like you."

"Was it all fake?" Adam felt he had to ask this.

"At first," she said and a guilty grin formed. "You weren't going to give up, so I kept you close. That way, I could keep tabs on your research. Then I started using your research to find my targets. You really are amazing at finding out the things people try to hide."

"So, you were just using me?" Adam asked.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Cheryl said. "I'll admit that it started out that way but then..." She took a deep breath. "I realized what was happening, I was developing feelings for you, so I forced a fight. But that worked out well didn't it?" She threw up her hands and laughed. "I couldn't even last one full day before I ran back to you and apologized. I had it bad. I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even the smell of your room drove me insane. I prepared for every possibility of capture except one. I didn't take any precautions against falling in love."

The look on Cheryl's face told Adam she wasn't lying.

"But what about Angela Sutton? You say you have rules. How can you let an innocent woman go to jail for you?" Adam asked.

"Innocent?" Cheryl asked with a condescending laugh. "Oh, Angela is far from innocent. You know who killed her two children?" This time Cheryl waited for Adam to respond.

"No," he said.

"She did!" Cheryl said with hatred. "I needed a way out. I needed The Alpha to be caught so I...so we could have a real life together." She looked at Adam sadly. "I was going to quit for you. If that's not love..." She looked at the ceiling, again trying to force down her emotions, while Adam looked at the floor.

"But I couldn't kill Angela. I had found evidence, real evidence. Which, according to the rules I live by, means I had to turn her in. So, instead of turning her into the police, I offered her a better deal." Cheryl looked at Adam to make sure he was following her story.

"How is that a better deal? You've killed so many people," Adam said.

"Think of it this way." She paused and grinned at Adam. "What court will give her the death penalty for killing scum like I've killed? The answer is none. There is bound to be at least one sympathetic person. The prosecutor, the judge...maybe even several jury members. She won't get the death penalty for my crimes. In fact, she will probably be treated like royalty in prison. The consequences for killing two small children....?" She looked at Adam, and he understood.

"She would get the death penalty for sure," Adam said.

"Like that would matter. She'd be dead inside a week. Once she got to the prison. A woman's prison. Filled with mothers? I'm not sure she would last a day." Cheryl laughed.

"You were really going to quit?" Adam asked.

"Yes," she replied pridefully. "You're that important. But, I suppose, that doesn't matter now. We should get on with this." She headed toward Adam with her hands up.

When Cheryl was beside Adam, staring at the closed door, she smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry it turned out this way," she said regretfully.

Adam slid the door open and smiled at her.

"I'm not," he said cryptically.

The shock on Cheryl's face almost made Adam laugh. Then when she turned back to him with tears in her eyes, he almost started crying.

"I didn't bring you here because I wanted you to quit," he said. "I just wanted to know the truth."

Inside the room, Captain Stewart Crews was standing precariously on top of a wooden stool. His neck was in a noose, and his mouth was gagged. He tugged at the restraints holding his hands behind his back. When Adam walked over and removed the gag from his mouth, he yelled.

"Cheryl! Stop this lunatic! Adam is The Alpha!" he screamed.

Cheryl walked up to him slowly. She wiped the tears from her eyes then looked up with an evil smile.

"No, Captain. I am," she said as she kicked the stool out from under him.

Adam sprung to action. He pulled on some blue rubber gloves and got to work. He undid the ropes holding the captain's hands then started zipping around the room, placing items in strange positions. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured it into the captain's mouth as the man struggled for air then dropped the bottle. It shattered on the floor, and Adam was careful not to step in the liquid. The captain clawed at the rope around his neck while Adam continued to work. Even Cheryl was amazed at the intricate planning Adam had done.

Adam placed the diary on the floor in front of the captain and left it open to a particularly graphic page that he dared not read again. It described the first night the captain came into Leena's room when she was ten, and though Adam would admit it to no one, it had made him cry.

Next Adam grabbed the printed note which was to be the captain's suicide note and used another bottle of whiskey to pour a few drops on it. He then crumpled it and placed it beside the broken bottle on the floor. The captain's struggling had stopped, so Adam took a step back and admired his work. Then he realized, he had forgotten something. Adam rushed to the bag of supplies and grabbed a picture of Leena. He put it in the captain's right hand then let it fall to the ground.

"I needed his fingerprints on it...just in case they think this was anything other than a suicide." He smiled at Cheryl, then headed to the door. With a cloth, he wiped the door down then looked at Cheryl. "You coming?"

Cheryl was still in shock as to what had just happened. Adam was good at this. Really good. He might even be better than she was. He couldn't fight, that she knew quite well, but he had a knack for making things look the way he wanted them to look.

"You know the mistake you made?" Adam asked with a grin.

"What?" Cheryl asked. She walked through the door then Adam shut it and wiped the handle again.

"You tried to do this by yourself," he said with a grin.

"What now?" Cheryl asked. She looked up at Adam with wonder.

"Now...we make sure he's found." Adam pulled off one of his gloves, shoved it in his pocket, then grabbed Cheryl's hand and led her out to a payphone. With his gloved hand, he pulled out some change, put it in, then dialed a number. He made certain that his face never touched the phone while he spoke.

"Drive slowly. Act like you didn't take it seriously," Adam said. He held the receiver closer to Cheryl so she could hear.

"Tell Cheryl hi for me," Anderson said from the other side.

"Thanks, Anderson," she said. Tears were forming in her eyes again.

"Hi, Cheryl. I think you should start calling me Tom now. I think we're past professional courtesies at this point," he said with a laugh.

"Thanks, Tom," she said, and the tears started to fall.

Adam put the phone down then turned to Cheryl, and she threw her arms around his neck. She didn't want to let go...ever.

"As much as I'd like to stay like this. We have a PI coming to investigate an anonymous tip and a Governor to meet. We need to get moving." Adam kissed her, then led the way to Cheryl's car.

# Chapter 25

Adam walked up the stairs to the Governor's office nervously. The pristine entryway and the intricately designed staircase only made him more nervous. Although Cheryl was right behind him, it didn't provide him much comfort. He was a horrible liar. What if the Governor asked the wrong questions? What if he gave the wrong answers? He couldn't let Cheryl get caught. Not now. Not when he was so close to having everything he never dreamed he could have.

Adam cleared his throat and grabbed the door handle, but he couldn't make himself open it. Cheryl put her hand on his and smiled.

"Don't be so nervous. It will be fine," she comforted.

"I hope so. I don't want to be the reason you're caught," he whispered.

She didn't answer. She just continued to smile while she helped him turn the door handle.

When Adam walked in, he noticed the Governor right away. It looked like he had been waiting for them. He was just standing in the middle of the room. Governor Campbell was a tall man, much taller than Adam. He was maybe six foot three and thin, with short grey hair. His rough skin was a contrast to the joyful smile which spread across his face the moment he saw Cheryl. This was not the smile of a boss meeting an employee.

"Him?" Adam couldn't help but ask.

Cheryl smiled at Adam then stood on her toes to kiss Governor Joshua Campbell on the cheek. Then she smiled up at the much taller man and gave him a stern look.

"Be nice to him, Daddy. He's very important to me," Cheryl said then headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" Adam asked, panicked.

"You two need to talk. Don't you want to ask him something?" she asked, pointing at her ring finger. Then she left the room.

Adam stared up at the man, who now had an expression which matched his look, rough and stern.

"Umm...sir?" Adam started. The Governor walked stiffly to a desk, sat down, then smiled at Adam.

"Behind closed doors, you can call me Joshua," he said. "I understand you know about my daughter's...hobby? I seriously underestimated you, but she didn't." The look of pride, pride for a daughter, was unmistakable on the man's face.

"Yes, I know," Adam stammered. He was still standing, and his hands were shaking.

"I also understand that you've helped her with a certain Police Captain. One who committed suicide recently?" His smile widened as he spoke.

"But how..." Adam started to ask.

"I still have people I can trust," he said and picked up a small book. He held out the book while he continued. "They keep an eye on her for me."

"Oh," Adam replied and sat. This was a lot to take in.

"These people make sure she doesn't get herself in trouble." He put his fingers to his lips. "Let's just keep that between the two of us."

"You should know I can't do that," Adam said seriously. "I don't keep things from Cheryl. I probably couldn't if I wanted to." But to Adam's amazement, the Governor smiled.

"Good, that's how it should be," he said with a laugh then stared at Adam strangely. "Wasn't there something you wanted to ask me?"

Adam stood once again and straightened his back. He took a deep breath then nervously spoke.

"I would like to ask for Cheryl's hand in marriage," he said.

The Governor stood and walked up to Adam. His expression was confusing. He wasn't mad, and he wasn't happy. Adam really couldn't tell what to expect. He put a hand on each of Adam's shoulders and spoke sternly.

"I will give you my blessing on one condition," he said. He stared at Adam until Adam felt like his brain was going to explode. "She is more important than either of us. If it comes down to it. We must both sacrifice ourselves to keep her safe."

Adam nodded then the Governor walked to one side of the office. He pulled on a section of the large bookshelf, and a small door opened. It was cleverly hidden as part of the bookshelf and even had books on it. When it opened, there was a safe inside. He pushed in a few numbers then opened the safe. Adam walked closer to make sure he was seeing it clearly.

Inside were a few knives, syringes, some rope, and various other items. Some had blood on them. Others were cleaner. Each of these was in a plastic bag. The Governor looked at Adam seriously.

"I keep pieces of several crime scenes in my possession at all times. If she is ever caught, I'll turn myself in. My fingerprints and DNA are all over these. I expect you to keep something similar." He stood and faced Adam once again, and Adam smiled.

Adam pulled out a plastic bag from his pocket. It contained a page from Leena's diary and the ropes used to bind Captain Crews. He held up the bag and smiled wider at the man he would soon call father-in-law then laughed.

"Great minds think alike," Adam said.

# Chapter 26

Two years later, Adam and Cheryl walked into another police station. This one was in the state of Colorado. It had been a long while since The Alpha Predator was caught and eventually Cheryl had taken a position at the FBI. She now chased serial killers across the country. Adam had taken a few college courses and was now her assistant. He had no official title but, after some words from a prominent Governor, he was allowed to work with her as a consultant.

Cheryl wore a tan suit coat and matching knee-length skirt as she walked into the police station. Behind her, Adam carried two briefcases and a stack of papers. When Cheryl walked up to the podium, Adam started handing out the papers to the officers in the audience. Then Adam quickly got all the materials ready for Cheryl's speech. After Cheryl's speech, while they were greeting the audience members, Cheryl made a special effort to talk to one of the detectives. Detective Allen Crumb was a sturdy-looking man. He had short black hair and blue eyes. He seemed younger than his forty-five years and was in good shape.

"What did you think, Allen?" Cheryl asked while shaking his hand.

"Oh, a famous FBI profiler knows my name? Should I be flattered or scared?" Allen asked.

"Your work proceeds you. I look forward to working with you," Cheryl said politely.

"Likewise," Allen said then headed out.

After greeting everyone, Adam and Cheryl made their way back to the elevators. They could hear the officers speaking quietly as they walked by them. Most were in awe of Cheryl, while others wondered if she had done the right thing in catching The Alpha. Some were even bold enough to admit that they would have let The Alpha go.

When the doors closed, Cheryl smiled at Adam. Adam returned her smile, then his look grew more serious.

"I don't like Allen," Adam said.

"That's why we're here," Cheryl replied, then kissed Adam on the cheek.

"Hell of a honeymoon," Adam said with a laugh.

"What did you expect from me?" Cheryl replied and laughed with him.

When the door opened on an empty hallway, they got out. At the end of the long hallway was a room with a single guard. He let them inside then shut the door behind them.

At the head of the room were Joshua Campbell, former Governor turned philanthropist, and the current Governor of Colorado, Miriam Wilson. The two of them smiled and motioned for Adam and Cheryl to come to the front.

"You're just in time. We were about to start," Miriam said then took her seat.

Adam stood up first and spoke to the people who had become his friends over the last year.

Tom Anderson sat at the front, and he smiled at both of them kindly. Beside him was Jessica Worth, a famous prosecutor, and on the other side, Judge George Daniels. Behind them, by himself, was Charles Boon, a retired defense attorney. When Adam was settled, he started.

"I hope all of you did your homework," he said, and everyone in the room laughed, even Charles. After a few moments, he spoke again. "I've given you a new case to look over, but first we need to come to a verdict on Allen Crumb. Charles?"

Charles looked at Adam seriously and shook his head no.

"Then I guess it's time for a vote. That is, if there is no legal way to put Detective Crumb behind bars?" Adam asked, looking out at his friends. Jessica shook her head no.

"All in favor?" Adam asked, and every single one of them raised their hand. Adam looked at them solemnly then spoke again. "It is decided." Adam turned and looked at Cheryl. It was her turn. She took the stand and smiled kindly out at her friends.

"I'll make Allen's quick. He has a drug problem. I'll make it look like an accident." She paused for a second and looked out at them. "He's raped and killed quite a few women. It's always a shame when it has to come to this, but Allen doesn't deserve your pity. If we don't stop him, he'll keep doing it. He thinks he's untouchable and being a cop, he's probably right. That is, if it wasn't for us," she said. She looked frustrated for a moment then decided to add something. "Ninety-nine percent of police officers are honest, decent men. We're not here for them. We're here for the ones like Allen Crumb who abuse their power." She paused for a moment, then went on. She looked upset as she spoke. "While I'm talking about people in power, I want to urge you to please keep that in mind as you go over your new assignment. Senator Bridges will be particularly difficult. He has the money and resources to cover his...addiction. I really want to find a legal way to prove that he is a pedophile. There has to be a way we can prove it."

Everyone in the audience looked around uncomfortably. They understood Cheryl's anguish. Though they didn't know the details about Cheryl's past, not like Adam did, they knew she had been abused as a child. They also knew what would happen to Senator Bridges if they couldn't find a legal way to stop him.

Then Cheryl started smiling and used some tape to put up a newspaper article. "Now, on to our public job." She pointed at the newspaper clipping which said 'The Cleaner strikes again! Colorado town prays for FBI task force to stop the bloodshed.' and looked at each of them. "Any new leads?"

The End.

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MOUS Investigations Series

Cassy Mousman and Zach Nielson each grew up with their adoptive parents, knowing nothing about each other nor why, as adults, they are inexplicably linked. The murder of Cassy's father causes her to trick Zach into becoming her unwitting partner in her search to find out what they really are. She knows they are not human, but nothing in her father's books can explain her unusual abilities nor why countless orphans were deposited on human doorsteps the same day she was.

Perhaps with Zach's help, she can finally discover what they really are and why everything seems to revolve around the unassuming accountant, Zach. In the meantime, all she can do is help the supernaturals like her father had and piece together the clues to this puzzle.

Case of the Docile Dhampir Book 1

The Ghoul from Galveston Book 2

Deceptive Dragons and Duplicitous Sisters Book 3

A Wendigo in Wisconsin Book 4

Ogres in Oakland, Oh My! Book 5
The 21st Curse Collection

The 21st Curse is not a standard series, but rather a collection of stories about werewolves and witches.

The lives of witches and werewolves are entwined in an age old curse. The witches need the werewolves to protect them and the werewolves need witches to salvage their sanity.

A book handed down for generations spells out the terms of their contract in a way that none with the curse can deny.

At the twenty-first hour on the twenty-first day of the twenty-first year, a child will become a beast. Such is the legend that is handed down, mother to son and father to daughter. On that fateful day, a choice must be made. One of consequence and importance. For on that day, a child who has transformed must choose between the evil of the curse and the responsibility of protecting their chosen. For no creature is as feared as the werewolf. A creature without conscience nor fear. It will feed on whoever is unlucky enough to cross its path or protect its charge until it ceases to draw breath.

The 21st Curse Book 1

The 21st Day Book 2
Asuune Series

Angels and vampires are real. In the world of the Asuune, half angel and half human, there is a secret war that has been going on for as long as man has walked the earth. Unbeknownst to Kathrine, her father is one of the war's soldiers, but what is even more surprising is that she is the war's only hope. Follow the life of Kathrine Albet and her father, Mark, as they fight the evil of fallen angels and vampires to save humanity. It would all be much easier if each Asuune didn't have one true love they couldn't ignore. Fighting the forces of evil may be hard, but resisting your true love is all but impossible.

Curse of the Asuune Book 1

Deception of the Asuune Book 2 (Conclusion)
Demonic Temptations

Samantha Lujuria is a therapist who specializes in disorders she calls Demonic Temptations. The desires that everyone harbors that are so distasteful or embarrassing that we can't even admit them to ourselves. Follow her as she tries to use her expertise to help half-demon offspring. Because for a demon, love is the biggest taboo of them all.

Set in the world of the Asuune several years after the events of Deception of the Asuune. Join Samantha as she gets help from many of your favorite characters from the Asuune series in her quest to keep half-demon offspring from destroying their lives as well as the people around them.

Demonic Temptations - Incubus Tormented Book 1
Lascaria Series

In the world of Lascaria, the evil king Lascar rules his kingdom through fear and intimidation. His magic is without equal. The worst part is that he grows stronger every year. No one can stand up to a man that is over 1,000 years old until his grandson Dhrel is born. Explore the world of Lascaria alongside Dhrel as he works to become the man everyone thinks he is.

Lascaria - Evil Reborn Book 1

Lascaria – Sins of the Ancestors Book 2

Lascaria – The Prisoner Queen Book 3

Lascaria – The Legend of Lascar Book 4

Lascaria – The Shadow King Book 5 (Conclusion)
Morven's Legacy

Evil demons are trying to make their way into the world, and only the descendants of Morven have a chance at stopping them.

Christopher Morven is over three hundred years old and tired of fighting to keep the demons at bay. The magic that kept him alive has taken its toll, but finally, after all these years, he sees hope in his two granddaughters. They aren't ready, but they are very powerful. If anyone can bring this to an end, it will be them. They can succeed where he has failed, but they will need help.

The Fire Maiden's Desire

To Seduce a Sorceress
Raven

Fawn, although most people know her by her code name Raven, is one of the best assassins in the world. When she takes on a very lucrative job to kidnap, then kill the prince, she realizes that the bumbling fool isn't the cruel womanizer she's been led to believe. She thought assassins were deceptive, nobles and Royals are worse. Can she find her way through this web of lies before it is too late? Despite his roguish charm and possible innocence, she has a job to do, and Raven always kills her mark.

Raven's Embrace Book 1

Raven's Gamble Book 2 (Conclusion)
The Order of Human Purity

The books in this category are not intended as a series. They are grouped together because they all happen within the same universe where The Order of Human Purity (known simply as 'The Order') is trying to rid the world of monsters.

They are written with the intention of making them similar but completely separate stories. There are no cliffhangers or continuations. The only things these books have in common are the world they take place in, The Order and the mischievous, immortal wraith Miraven who is neither good nor evil. She is simply bored of her immortal life and to spice things up she likes to toy with the lives of others, or so she would have everyone believe.

Kiss of the Lamia Book 1

Werewolf Bane Book 2

The Alpha Predator

When Adam Lance witnesses the attempted murder of a man, he becomes the only known witness to a serial killer who has gone unchecked for nearly five years. Special Detective Cheryl Torren soon realizes that Adam might be the one person who can help her catch the killer. With Adam's help, Cheryl finds out that the person they are hunting isn't a serial killer after all. The killer is a vigilante who only targets predators and soon gains the nickname 'The Alpha Predator'. Despite Adam's reluctance to catch this killer, it's still their job, and with his help, Cheryl might finally put an end to the killing spree, that is, if the killer doesn't find them first.

Auctor – Vengeful Intent

Disclaimer: This book contains a considerable amount of violence and dark emotions.

When Kaya Nichols' step-sister turns up dead, the apparent victim of a mugging, Kaya leaves behind her job as a foreign journalist to find out what really happened to her step-sister. At least that is the job everyone thinks she has. In reality, she is a fixer for a variety of powerful European mobs.

The men who killed her step-sister, Trish, think they've handled the problem until Kaya arrives back in the United States for her sister's funeral. Kaya isn't willing to let a single man responsible for her step-sister's death escape justice, even if it kills her in the process. She is a woman who has lost everything, so nothing matters other than revenge.

Explore the nightmare that has become Kaya's life as she tries to work through her anger and grief. And, as if, Trish's death wasn't enough. The man who ruined her life, her step-sister's husband, is a constant reminder of what she has lost and the secret she dares not tell anyone.

Immortal Consequences

When Kal Johnson, an immortal gargoyle, is attacked by an ancient vampire and framed for the murder of a human, his quiet life is thrown into chaos. But the universe, with its perverse sense of humor, has decided that now would be the perfect time for the punch line. Kal's human wife, Brianna, has done the impossible. She is the first human in history to become pregnant with a gargoyle's child.

This vampire is stronger and more cunning than any he has fought. The wife he adores and the child he never hoped for, give Kal something he has never had before, a weakness. Can Kal stop this ancient vampire before it takes everyone he loves? Taking his wife and child might accomplish what no vampire has ever been able to do. It might be enough to defeat the immortal Kal.
