Epilogue Pt. 1 – Out to Sea

—Suvadiva Resort, Maldives  – One Week Later—

“Reservation for Mr. & Mrs. D’Amico.” Alexa stood beneath the sheer awning enjoying the smell of the ocean and the relaxing island life surrounding them. Taking a few steps forward, she felt the soft, golden sands slink between the soles of her sandals and looked down at the sparkling turf with a smile. A light breeze skirted more gravel across her toes and she slowly reached down to brush it away. Cool, crystal clear waters and warm, sunny temperatures was not what she expected when she stepped off the boat in the middle of December, but it was paradise. “Here you are, Mr. D’Amico. Please let us know if you need anything during your stay.”

Chapter 01: Person of Interest

Three weeks had passed and Alexa and Kasper had finally found some semblance of normalcy in their daily routine. While they were no longer being hunted down like dogs, they knew better than to think any of it was actually over. Frank Delacroix’s death left a gap in the hierarchy of WET that needed to be filled, and today was the day she and Kasper learned his—or her identity.

Before he died, Frank alluded to the fact that there was more than one head on the snake; a fact Alexa had already suspected. And while the conversation with him provided few leads, she and Kasper had a good idea where to start: WET’s Board of Directors. They had already successful put one in the ground but, there was still work to be done. The board held more than forty members. They needed to somehow thin the herd, starting with…

Chapter 01: Here We Go Again

Detective Monroe’s trip to St. Claire had been the motivation Alexa needed to get her head back in the game. After returning home to Brooklyn Heights he’d reported on Gavin’s state of mind and while it wasn’t ideal, it was a necessary evil. She needed to know Gavin would not be tormented with the ‘what ifs’ of her disappearance so he could move on with his life. At least this way, he had something to mourn.

Chapter 01: First Sign of Danger

“Is everyone alright?” Alexa asked, walking around each Stark and examining them for injuries.

“We’re fine, Hannah!” Travis nearly shouted as he and his family gathered in the kitchen. “Now would you please tell us what is going on? Who was just shooting at us?”

“Travis, there’s something you need to know,” she paused and listened intently.

“Continue,” Travis urged, frustrated and tired as he worried about his family’s safety. The lights cut out and both Melissa and Dylan cried.

“Shh, it’ll be ok,” Alexa said, doing her best to calm them.

“Don’t say that! You don’t know that for sure,” Melissa whined in response.

“Quiet!” Everyone stilled and Alexa glanced at the double glass doors near the back patio. “Someone’s coming.”

Chapter 01: A Game of Cat and Mouse

“I know it’s difficult,” Alexa gently spoke, moving a little closer to the witness stand. “But, Nina, could you please walk us through the events of that night.”

“They said it was like golf,” Nina McCarthy cried as she recalled details of the night she was gang raped by a group of fraternity brothers. “They said I was the ‘hole’ in their game of stroke play. It was funny to them. The louder I cried, the more points they scored and they did everything they could to make me scream. I was burned, slapped, kicked, punched…they tortured me!”

“It went on for hours,” she sobbed, drying her eyes as she looked over at the defendants. “When they were finally done, they dumped me out on the street in front of the hospital naked and bleeding. They threatened that if I told anyone what happened, they’d come back and do it again.”

Chapter 01: Target Acquired

“Alexa…why don’t you come out and play? I promise I’ll make this quick.” She heard his cruel voice maliciously taunting her. The sounds of his footsteps grew closer to where she hid and she looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Alexa was badly bleeding but couldn’t see how severe the injury was to her shoulder or side. Pressing her fingers tighter against her rib cage, she stifled her pained cries. “Alexa…come out, come out, wherever you are.”

Quietly, she made her way across the engine room to the maintenance door and hastily unhooked the hatch. The metal squealed, alerting him of her position. And she impulsively raced back toward the ladder to get herself top side. The door behind her sprang open and light from the upper deck poured into the tiny room, perfectly outlining his silhouette in the doorway, knife in hand and a sadistic grin on his face. “There you are!”