Next Exit, Dead Ahead
Next Exit, Dead Ahead
CW Browning
Also by CW Browning
Kai Corbyn Series
Games of Deceit
Shadows of War
The Courier
The Oslo Affair
Night Falls on Norway
The Iron Storm
Into the Iron Shadows (Coming Soon)
The Exit Series
Next Exit, Three Miles
Next Exit, Pay Toll
Next Exit, Dead Ahead
Next Exit, Quarter Mile
Next Exit, Use Caution
Next Exit, One Way
Next Exit, No Outlet
The Exit Series Box Set #1: Books 1-3
Watch for more at CW Browning’s site.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Also By CW Browning
About Next Exit, Dead Ahead
Author's Note:
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Epilogue
Note from Author
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Further Reading: Next Exit, Quarter Mile
Also By CW Browning
About the Author
About Next Exit, Dead Ahead
Alina Maschik expected to have a few quiet days alone in New Jersey. She should have known better.
FBI Agent Stephanie Walker has a problem. Whenever Alina comes into town, someone ends up dead. When the enigmatic Damon Miles follows, that count is doubled. Now, a mere week before Halloween, Stephanie's main informant has gone missing. When part of him shows up in a reputedly haunted prison, the local attraction becomes the center of a macabre and baffling spectacle. As bodies start to fill the morgue, Stephanie must trust in Alina's particular skill set to prevent further bloodshed. But that trust comes with a price, as Alina and Damon bring their own brand of trouble, uncovering a sinister web of deadly intrigue reaching far beyond the familiar South Jersey suburbs.
A prison haunted by tortured souls, a puzzling federal investigation, a rising body count, and a pair of deadly assassins...what could possibly go wrong?
Author's Note:
With all endeavors, artistic or otherwise, there will always be periods of uncertainty and doubt. There are times that, no matter how dedicated we are, we start to question ourselves and our project. For a writer, those times of self-doubt can be crippling. Without the unfailing love and support of our family and friends, it is easy to lose sight of the passion that drives us.
This book saw far too many of those moments throughout its creation. With each terrifying one, I reached for my phone. Next Exit, Dead Ahead would never have seen the light of day if it weren't for the two people who inevitably picked up their phone on the other end. My dear friends, Jacquie and Kristine, have been tireless in their support and encouragement, always there when I need them most. Answering random texts at even more random times of the day and night, their unselfish availability knows absolutely no bounds. I will always be thankful for their friendship and support.
“There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness, where evildoers can hide.”
~ Job 34:22
Prologue
Alina Maschik hooked her bags over her shoulder so they fell across her body, first the rifle bag and then her satchel. Sliding the door of the helicopter open, she squinted against the onslaught of wind and watched as the roofs of the buildings below grew closer. Coming in to land was her favorite part of flying, and the noise of the wind and propellers didn't bother her one bit. Glancing at the man beside her, she met his brown eyes and nodded. He nodded back as she returned her attention to the door and swung her legs outside the chopper. The landing pad was still far off and Alina looked out over the city as the helicopter descended.
Dusk had fallen, cloaking the old city in deep shadows. Lights sparkled intermittently, illuminating the buildings and the Thames below, transforming everything into a glowing kaleidoscope of color. Alina followed the river with her eyes, the waterway winding like a snake through the city, and her mind went back to her history classes. She wondered if this was how the river had looked to the German bombers as they followed it during the Second World War, relying on it to lead them to their target. The city would have been dark then, blacked out, but the river led those pilots to the heart of London, where they dropped their bombs mercilessly. Not for the first time, Alina thought of all the abuse this London Town had taken over the years. Yet, here it still stood, stalwart and ageless. It never ceased to amaze her, this city that had endured so much and yet survived to remain the bustling international hub it was today.
Alina returned her gaze to the top of the building below. It was close now and the chopper was hovering, ready to land. The propellers whipped the air around them into a cyclone of wind, throwing up light debris from the tarmac below. Letting go of the side of the door, she dropped out of the helicopter, falling the last twelve feet or so. A familiar rush of excitement swept through her as she dropped through the air, her senses adjusting abruptly from the vibrating floor of the helicopter to the sudden emptiness and lightness of air. Alina ruefully admitted to herself that she probably should have waited until the chopper descended a few more feet as the tarred rooftop rushed up at her quickly. That twelve feet or so was actually slightly more, and Alina braced herself for a fast, hard landing.
Her boots hit the roof heavily and she winced as the shock jolted up her spine and through her body. She stumbled, regained her balance quickly, and ran out of range of the propeller blades spinning above her. Stopping just outside the landing space, she turned to watch as her companion followed, wisely waiting until the chopper was just above the landing pad to jump. He landed and bent over, running toward her as the helicopter settled on the roof behind him.
“You realize you're insane!” he yelled over the noise.
Alina just smiled, turning to head toward the steps that led down from the helipad. He joined her and they descended together, advancing quickly to the door being held open by a thickly-muscled man bulging out of a navy suit. Her companion nodded to him and held out his hand.
“Hello, Marcus,” he greeted him. “How's the blood pressure?”
“Better now that you're home, sir,” Marcus replied, his face creasing into a grin as he grasped the outstretched hand.
“Just a little detour.” Alina's companion winked and smiled. “Nothing to be concerned about.”
“That's good to hear, sir.”
“We can go along here to the private elevators,” he told her, motioning along the hallway.
She nodded and fell into step beside him, brushing her hair out of her eyes. The hallway had the hushed, official feel of a government building and their footsteps echoed off the plain, white-washed walls as they moved toward a door at the other end.
“You're not very chatty, are you?” her companion asked, glancing at her.
Alina looked at him in surprise, her lips curving slightly.
“Why do you say that?” she asked.
“We've now been in each other's company for over twelve hours and I don't think I've heard you say more than a few phrases,” he replied. “I don't even know your name.”
“I know yours,” Alina retorted with a quick grin, “sir.”
“Yes, and that puts me at quite the disadvantage,” he complained, coming to a stop before the heavy metal door. He laid his hand on a raised square screen beside it, waiting while a light scanned his hand print. When it was finished, he lifted his hand and waited expectantly. A second later, the door buzzed and he pushed it open, holding it for her to pass through. “How am I supposed to ask you to join me for dinner if I don't know your name?”
“Well, you could just say, would you like to join me for dinner?” Alina answered, stepping into a small alcove facing an elevator.
She watched as he pressed a button and stood back. He glanced down at her as the doors slid open, his eyes dancing. He was quite good-looking, his face lean and his chin strong. His brown hair was just starting to silver at the temples, and lines were forming at the corners of his eyes after years of laughter and sun. He stood around six feet and carried himself with the assurance of a man accustomed to being in charge. When he looked at Alina, she felt her lips tugging into a smile as his eyes met hers. Exuding power from his every pore, he also possessed a contagious air of reckless enjoyment that drew her to him. Her lips curved on their own as the elevator door slid open.
“Would you like to join me for dinner?” he asked as they stepped into the elevator.
The doors slid closed and Alina looked at him, her dark eyes meeting his. She was tempted. Oh, how she was tempted!
“I'd love to, but I don't think I'll have time, sir,” she answered somewhat regretfully.
“Please. Stop with the sir,” he said, turning to direct the full force of his charm upon her. “I think we've moved beyond that, don't you?” He held out his hand with a smile. “My friends call me Jack.”
“Very well, Jack.” Alina grasped the outstretched hand and his long fingers closed around hers. “You can call me Maggie,” she added after a slight pause.
“You don't look much like a Maggie,” Jack informed her, his fingers tightening on hers when she would have pulled her hand away. “Why don't you have time for dinner?”
“I have a plane to catch,” Alina answered, her eyes dancing as her hand rested in his. He pursed his lips thoughtfully.
“That's easily solved,” he decided with a grin. “We'll arrange for a later flight.”
Alina felt a laugh bubbling up inside her. Oh, she was tempted all right!
“I'm afraid you would find me a disconcerting dinner date,” she said gravely, pulling her hand away as the elevator came to a stop.
Jack reached out quickly, hitting a button and preventing the doors from sliding open. He stepped closer and looked down at her, his handsome face laughing inches from hers.
“I doubt that very much,” he retorted. “Nothing could be more disconcerting than having a fearsome captor, with his head split half open, fall into the filthy pit where they were keeping me, and then looking up to see you.”
Alina did laugh then.
“You handled it beautifully,” she told him. “You looked as though you were terribly bored with it all.”
“That was my good old British, stiff upper lip, my dear.” Jack smiled into her eyes. “Join me for dinner. Let me thank you properly,” he murmured softly, his voice rolling over her like soft silk.
Alina was sorely tempted. Jack was amusing her and it had been many days since she laughed. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of how she hadn't eaten, and she was suddenly ravenous. Alina knew without a doubt that if she had the spare time, she would have accepted his invitation gladly.
“I really have to get back,” she said regretfully.
“Then I suppose I'll have to content myself with a rain check...Maggie.” Jack sighed, stepping back.
“Rain check it is,” she agreed.
“Beware, I have every intention of holding you to it!” he warned her, hitting the button again.
The elevator doors slid open and they stepped into an underground parking garage.
“I'll look forward to it,” Alina assured him.
“You have a car here, I presume?” he asked.
Alina nodded and held out her hand to him.
“I do.”
Jack grasped her hand, his lips curving again.
“Then until next time,” he said, his hand tightening on hers slightly. “God willing, we'll meet under more comfortable circumstances.”
“God willing,” Alina agreed with a laugh.
She turned to walk away and made it a few feet before he called out and stopped her.
“Maggie?”
“Yes?” she turned her head questioningly.
“You're sure you don't have time?” he asked, drawing another laugh from her.
“I'm sure,” she answered.
“It's that important, then?”
“Oh, yes.” Alina smiled faintly. “I have to go see about a hawk.”
Chapter One
Viper rounded the corner, her eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness. What should have been a crisp, fall breeze was filled with the disturbing smells of gun powder and latex. She glanced to her left at the high wall and automatically gauged the distance to the top before looking to her right at a chain-linked fence. It ran alongside the narrow path, and whatever lay on the other side was concealed by impenetrable shadows. Stephanie and Angela were just disappearing around a bend ahead and Alina moved forward, conscious of her gun nestled in the small of her back. Her fingers flexed instinctively as she moved into the darkness.
A sudden, blood-curdling scream rent the air and the hair on Alina's neck rose. Her eyes narrowed and she moved around the bend quickly. There was no sign of Stephanie or Angela. Glancing around with a frown, she moved forward cautiously in the darkness. A low, faint growl rode on the breeze and her eyes cut to the right. The fence exploded suddenly with blinding white light and in the split second of brightness, she caught sight of what appeared to be a creature, moving parallel with her on all fours on the other side of the fence. In a second, the light was gone and she was thrown into blackness again.
Viper took a deep breath, bracing herself for the onslaught she knew was coming.
Seconds later, the darkness was shattered with another blaze of flashing white light. The fence rattled as the creature launched itself at her, hitting the chain-links with a crash and letting out an ear-splitting screech. Alina found herself facing a human, dressed in a white jumpsuit, with blood dripping from his mouth and a broken chain dangling free on his ankle. His eyes were wide and hideous, peering at her ghoulishly in the pulsing light, and his face split into a wide and terrible grin. A hand with talons for finger nails reached through a hole in the fence and swiped at her, a guttural noise emanating from deep inside his throat. Alina moved away quickly, but he followed her, hopping like a frog along his side of the fence. His eyes bore into her and she had the uneasy feeling that she was confronting a beast instead of a man.
She was just turning away to go around another bend in the path when an all-too-familiar chill streaked down her spine. Viper turned her head swiftly. The beast-man was still staring at her,
his mouth open, hanging onto the side of the fence. Turning around, she scanned the darkness behind her quickly, but nothing was there. She and the beast-man were alone. Alina turned back to continue on with a slight frown. Her spine was still tingling with awareness and Viper knew it had nothing to do with the man hanging from the fence, drooling blood behind her. This was a feeling she had felt many times before, and it was one she had learned not to ignore.
Rounding the bend in the path, Alina was plunged into darkness again. She could hear creaking to her left and she turned her head in time for another light to flash, briefly illuminating an operating room with blood smeared on the walls. The light went out immediately and Alina paused, looking into the plexi-glass fronted room. The light flashed on again, accompanied by an ear-piercing electronic screeching, and she was presented with a woman in a bloody hospital gown. She had something long and dripping with blood hanging out of her mouth and Alina's eyes dropped to the severed head, gaping neck-side up, in her hands. Behind her, on a gurney, was a headless body dressed in surgeons' scrubs.
Viper turned away, her lips twitching, and continued on, trying to ignore the persistent tingling on her spine. She glanced behind her again, but still saw only darkness. Intermittent creaks, loud bangs, and sounds of chains filled the air, making it impossible to listen for the sound of anyone approaching from behind. Another scream sliced through the night, this time coming from behind her, and Alina heard the fence rattling. She smiled. The beast-man had found himself a more receptive audience.
Alina watched fog rising from a decrepit and moldy graveyard to her left and wondered why she let Stephanie and Angela talk her into this. Haunted houses, haunted mazes, haunted prisons: they were all the same. Strobe lights, loud noises, and actors dressed up in blood and gore with the sole purpose of trying to scare people into screaming. Once upon a time, Alina would have jumped and screamed, succumbing to a racing heart along with the rest of them. Now, however, the only thing increasing her heart-rate was the lingering chill that kept sliding down her spine. Viper glanced behind her once more.