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Chapter One

Her eyes puffy fro, mouth set with determination, Gabrielle Renard walked down the hallway of the FBI’s Mia for the correct office There it was She stopped and took a careful breath--I can do this--then straightened her shoulders and shoved the door open

It was a typically bland roo and off-white walls, and the scent of sweat, coffee, and overly ne sure didn’t help her stoht side On the left, two men sat at a small conference table, papers strewn across the surface

One had his back to her, and with disent Preston Rhodes Only three or four inches over her five feet five, the pale, brown-haired creep had the whiny personality--and theher one-month stint in Tampa last year, he’d even tried to coerce a victim’s sister into bed

The other man had black hair and eyes, an olive co his mouth He frowned at her and asked, "Can I help you?" in a clipped New England accent

Rhodes turned in his chair and scowled at her "What are you doing here, Renard?" He glanced at the other man "She’s a victi hie of the investigation of the wolared "What the--"

The ent Galen Kouros Why?"

"I want to be one of the decoys" And you’re going to let me

"Do you now? Just how did you happen to hear about the chill up her spine She let her own anger wash through her

"One of the kidnapped women is a friend, and her ing for help from Kim’s FBI friend Gabi had driven to Atlanta for information from Kiood Gabi looked away, blinking back tears "I found out another young woman had been kidnapped and shot"

"The only details released to the neere that a woether

"There are ru Atlanta field office Not so easy here But during her brief stay in Taossip She’d also told Gabi that Rhodes's very appropriate nickname was Dickhead

Kouros pointed to a chair across frolanders could be so brusque He needed to entleman and learn some civility But she obediently took a seat

"Tell me what you know All of it"

"A total of four wo Kim, were kidnapped in Atlanta All members of BDSM clubs The last one escaped on a freeway by running out into oncounshot wound before the aed to tell a trucker a few things" She ony Terrified Gabi sed

"Go on," Kouros snapped

"Apparently the kidnapper said more women were to be kidnapped in Taust twenty-ninth, and then they’ll hold a slave auction" They’ll sell Kients as decoys in four Taet one" It seeo after them and not another woman in the club?

"You’re remarkably well-informed" He hadn’t eting "I can see there are sonoring him, Kouros eyed Gabi "What qualifications do you have for playing a decoy, Ms Renard? I’ll admit you’re motivated--and because of that I doubt you can be objective You’re the right age You’re pretty enough, probably sent; you’re support staff--a social worker Why should I use you instead of an agent?"

At first she hadn’t seen any way to help She was a counselor, not a field agent Then she’d checked the agents they planned to use "It doesn’tto work the case, just play decoy Second, you only have three agents for decoys, not four As far as I know, none have visited BDSM clubs before"