Sidetracked: Chapter 2

The superior man is aware of righteousness; the inferior man is aware of advantage.

—Confucius

“Where the fuck is Hadley? She should already be leading the forensics investigation by now,” I snap, looking over at Elise.

“I’ve called her several times. She just sent a text saying she’s on her way.”

I run a weary hand through my hair as they finally get the poor woman’s body pulled back inside.

That bastard is here.

He’s taunting me.

He’s calling me out.

He put my name on a dead woman’s body, as if stating it was all my fault he was here.

“I want every surveillance camera footage for a five-block radius. I want to know where he came from and where he went!” I bark at Elise, and she nods before running off to do as ordered.

I’ve never been so pissed. In the seven years I’ve been working for the FBI, I’ve never been called out. I’ve never had a serial killer go so far as to carve a personalized message on the chest of a woman.

My stomach churns with fury as I stalk through the throngs of people. I will find him.

Lana was right. He wants more attention. He’s shifted his fixation onto taunting me with his kills now.

I need to stay away from Lana until this is all over with. Until that bastard is behind bars, she’s not safe. A sexual sadist won’t come after me personally; he’ll go after the woman I care about. Not that I pointed that out to her. Then again, I never thought he’d crave this attention.

She saw this coming before I did. Until now, he’s shown no signs of needing this sort of attention.

I blasted his face and name all over the news, and instead of lying low, he kills a woman near my front door.

Donny looks as furious as I feel as he comes toward me. The weight of this is bearing down on us, and everyone is ready to point fingers in our direction, as though we created the monster.

“He’s developing a narcissistic personality that will clash with his sexual sadist—”

“We just got a lead,” Lisa says, interrupting Donny. “Gerald Plemmons was spotted downtown half an hour ago.”

I’m already loading into my SUV. Lisa and Donny join me, and we peal out toward the newest lead.

“Director called. We have the shoot-to-kill order,” I tell both of them.

It’s one time that I don’t mind that order.

“You think?” Lisa snips from the passenger seat. “This guy went and made it personal. He’s a sexual sadist displaying narcissistic tendencies, and I’m your ex. I think it’d be wise for me to stay with someone.”

“He won’t focus on you,” Donny chimes in from the backseat. “He’ll be more focused on Lana.”

My grip tightens on the steering wheel as Donny echoes my own worries from earlier.

“Who is Lana?” Lisa asks, confused.

“I’m going to send two black-and-whites to her house until this is over. Let’s not assume he’s just fixating on me though. He could be fixating on the whole team.”

“I haven’t had a relationship with anyone but my hand in over a few years,” Donny goes on.

“Who’s Lana?” Lisa asks again.

“Elise, Lisa, and Hadley are the only females on the team. We should set up patrol for them as well,” I tell him, still ignoring Lisa as she huffs out an annoyed breath of air.

I don’t even hesitate to call in the protective detail as I drive toward the lead. That probably won’t help. This guy is too smart to stay put for too long.

He knows I’m coming for him.