Amber Morn (2 page)
Authors: Brandilyn Collins
Tags: #Christian, #General, #Christian Fiction, #Resorts, #Suspense Fiction, #Hostages, #Suspense, #Fiction, #Religious, #Idaho
Be sure to read Brandilyn Collins’ next exciting novel, Vain Empires — here’s a sample
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Dear Reader:
Here we are at the fourth and final book in the Kanner Lake Series. It doesn’t seem long ago at all that I started writing the first one,
Violet Dawn
. If you haven’t read the other books in this series, don’t worry. You can still read this one and not feel lost.
Like the other Kanner Lake books,
Amber Morn
features the gang at Java Joint, who post on the Scenes and Beans blog. In the previous books, many of them were supporting characters. This story places them front and center as an ensemble cast.
As
Amber Morn
begins, it has been eight months since the events in
Crimson Eve
that changed Carla Radling’s life — and the face of the nation. And over a year since the confounding murders that occurred in
Coral Moon
. Kanner Lake has let out its breath, settled back into peaceful existence.
That’s about to be shattered.
Today the town will face the most fearful day it has ever known. Every citizen — whether as friend or family member — is close to someone caught in the trauma.
And now, dear reader, once again the ride begins. This one is a roller coaster in the dark, for its operators are volatile and unpredictable. And they do not care if you reach the end safely. So keep your hands inside the car, strap yourself in tight, and don’t forget to
b r e a t h e
…
®
Attack
Any man going on this mission wasn’t coming back.
Cluttered kitchen, cluttered head. Kent Wicksell could hardly think straight. It wasn’t supposed to start like this. Dread anticipation pumped through his veins as he faced off with his second son. Vigilante Brad, gunning to take on the world. At twenty-nine, he thought he knew more than anybody.
Kent’s voice seethed. “For the
fifteenth
time — this job’s for me and Mitch.
You
are staying home. We ain’t leaving your mom alone.”
They’d been arguing for the past ten minutes. Too long. They needed to get
out
of there.
Brad stood his ground, face like granite. His cool blue eyes stabbed Kent. “I
ain’t
staying here.” His voice pulsed low. “I watched over T.J. since he was born, just as much as Mitch has. And I ain’t stopping now.”
Kent surged forward two steps, finger punching the air. “I’m telling you no! I
won’t
let you —”
Lenora caught his arm. “Stop, Kent! Let him go.”
He turned to her, jaw loosening. She stared back, a terrible, grim determination pressing her lips. Kent’s knees went weak.
No, no, no.
Where had that look on her face come from? Just this morning she’d clutched at the knowledge she wouldn’t be left by herself. “You’d let him
go
?” Accusation heated Kent’s cheeks. “You’d trade
two
of your sons for another?”
She held his gaze until her chin trembled. “It’s for T.J.,” she whispered. And she started to cry.
Kent’s heart cracked. T.J. — their youngest son. Once their greatest hope. Smart. Well liked. Going somewhere in life. Never did drugs.
“I got four fractured ribs,” he’d told them in his weekly phone call from prison two nights ago. Eyes swollen almost shut. A broken arm. His words were racked with pain. An innocent eighteen-year-old in prison, beaten — just for
being
there.
Of all three sons, this never should have happened to T.J.
At thirty-three, Mitch still lived at home, bouncing from job to job, in and out of jail on various drug and burglary charges. Meth was his latest drug of choice. Just last night he’d shot up for this special event. To Mitch, the greatest day of his purposeless life had dawned this morning. Rescue his littlest brother, betrayed by injustice. Show the world he was worth something.
As for Brad, he was unpredictable. Angry. In jail twice for beating on girlfriends. A high school dropout, like his dad.
Brad flicked his eyes from his mother back to Kent, his mouth drawn in a victorious line. “Don’t forget who went with you yesterday on your scouting mission. Don’t forget who took you to a computer in the library and
showed
you the blog.”
On Main Street in Kanner Lake they’d watched traffic, people. Noted the police station two blocks up from Java Joint coffee shop. They went into the café and ordered coffee and pastries. Sat at a table, nerves taut, eyes roaming over the big front windows, the layout and size of the place. Kent and Mitch took turns walking down the back hall in search of the bathroom. They’d noticed the other rooms off the hall — a small office, a storage area. The rear door with no glass, a lock and deadbolt…
Kent fixed his gaze on Lenora, watched her tears fall.
It’s for T.J.
No way. She’d lost enough. Brad was
not
walking out of here and leaving her alone. Kent and Mitch would take Java Joint, just like they’d planned. Kill every person in the place if they had to. Brad would stay with his mother.
Mitch stormed into the kitchen, a Rambo expression on his gaunt face. Wired for action. His pupils were huge. He swiveled from Brad to Kent. “What’re you doing standing here? We’re
late
.”
Kent planted his legs apart, hands on his hips. He wasn’t about to lose this battle. Bad way to start the day, and his hostages would soon feel it. His anger was pumping all the harder — and he’d have to let it out on somebody. “Your brother thinks he’s going.” He aimed a burning stare at Brad. “I say he’s not.”
Brad’s eyes narrowed. Without a word, without a backward glance at his mother, he snatched up the lightweight jacket he’d brought into the kitchen — a jacket with a bulging, heavy pocket — and stalked out the front door toward the weapon-loaded truck.
“Hey, you, ready to go?” Paige called through her roommate’s bedroom door.
“Two minutes!”
Uh-huh. Two minutes meant five, more like ten. Leslie Brymes could primp with the best of them. “Better hurry! You’re the last person who should miss the signing.”
“Like he’s going to do it without me.”
Paige flicked a look at the ceiling and turned away. Anticipation hummed through her veins, thrusting her into action. She trotted outside and plucked the
Spokane Review
newspaper — Leslie’s current competition, therefore carefully read every day — from the sidewalk. In the nearby field, birds chirped and a prairie dog stuck an inquisitive nose up from the ground. Paige tipped her head back and closed her eyes.
Hey, God. What a perfect day to become engaged.
So she hoped.
Back inside, she made for the kitchen and plopped the newspaper on the table, then stood staring out at the backyard, Frank West’s face filling her mind. The strong jawline she loved to trace, his wide-set, large dark eyes. The thick brown hair he kept short for his work on the Kanner Lake police force. She pictured his nervous smile as he presented her a ring tonight. Why else would he book such an expensive restaurant? Besides, he’d been dropping hints…
When she’d stumbled into Kanner Lake two years ago — scared, running for her life, trusting no one — never would she have dreamed of a day like this.
The telephone rang. Paige reached for the receiver and read the caller ID.
Frank West.
She smiled. “Hey there.”
“Hi.” His voice flushed her with warmth. “You about to leave for Java Joint?”
“Yeah, if Leslie ever gets ready.”
“You riding together?”
“Uh-huh, in my car. She’s leaving with Ted after the party. It’s about the last day off they’ll have together before she moves to Seattle. She has to start packing her stuff.”
Frank sighed. “I feel so sorry for him.”
Not the first time Paige had heard this. “Me too.” How she and Leslie had discussed the choice. Leslie had cried and worried and cried some more. “But this is her dream job, Frank, just like publishing
Starfire
is Ted’s dream. Their relationship will work out somehow — if it’s meant to be.”
Ironic, how this happiest time in Ted’s and Leslie’s lives was also the most heartbreaking.
Frank cleared his throat. “Anyway, thought I’d stop by Java Joint and see you for a minute before I go on duty. Maybe catch S-Man signing the contract.”
S-Man — Ted Dawson’s nickname, based on Sauria, the science fiction world he’d created. After over two years of work, he’d landed an incredible two-book deal with HarperCollins.
“Oh, that’s great!”
Footsteps sounded. Paige turned to see Leslie, sporting a puffy-sleeved bright pink top and rhinestone-studded jeans. She shook back her blonde hair and struck a
ta-da
pose in the doorway, then lowered her chin and pursed her mouth in a look that read —
Whatever are we waiting for?