I didn’t have a death wish, but I did want to take some chances and try new things. Life was short, and up until last month, I’d devoted all of mine to work. I’d blinked, and twenty years had flashed by.
The FBI hadn’t even been my dream. I’d always imagined I’d be a behavioral therapist, helping people overcome hurdles so they could live their best lives, but when the Bureau had stopped by my college looking for psychology majors, they’d lured me in with their benefits and retirement packages. With how poor my family was growing up, my mom had drilled into me the importance of financial security, of being able to support myself no matter what.
But last year, when cancer was stealing her from me slowly, she’d taught me a new lesson: every second, every breath, was a gift.
I had taken my golden parachute as soon as it was offered and left Quantico, Virginia, in the dust, eager for a fresh start. Sedona had always been on my wish list of places to visit, so here I was in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the next chapter of my life.
In my head, I thought being in Sedona would inspire me to do some soul-searching and find my true life’s purpose, but instead of having an aura photography session or a reiki treatment, I was in a coffee shop reading over an FBI freelance contract. They’d reached out for help profiling a unique case that seemed to be stumping the department.
Maybe there was no hope for me.
I brushed off the thought. I hadn’t told them yes. At least not yet. Was that progress?
After I stashed my laptop in the bedroom, I changed clothes, filled my CamelBak hydration pack, and pulled on my new climbing shoes. I grabbed my phone and double-checked the confirmation text from Wild Sedona Tours to be sure I had all the supplies on the list.
I’d chatted with Becca, the office manager, when I’d reserved the time. She’d asked me plenty of questions about my expectations for my first climb, my fitness level, and any physical considerations. She’d brought up things that hadn’t even occurred to me and had suggested a four-hour beginner’s climb up Doe Mountain with the owner, Asher Mateo, as my guide and teacher. In the end, I’d left the tour company more excited than nervous.
Before starting this adventure, I’d envisioned the moment I reached the top of the rocks, when my endorphins would kick in and some kind of divine wisdom would descend, revealing my future path to me. Reality was probably going to be less like a movie and more like me gasping for air and needing a shower. Either way, I was eager to try something new.
Hopefully this new experience would remind my free spirit that she was free again. No more FBI constraints.
But as it was for Miller Sloan, it was difficult for me to remember that I was a civilian now. I paused as I reached for my keys. I remembered his name.
Why wouldn’t I?
He was tall, broad shouldered, tan, and a little weathered. His silver hair was still short like the military demanded, and those light-green, almost silver eyes, seemed like they could see all the way into my shattered soul.
Maybe I’d bump into him again. After all, I did know where he liked to get his breakfast.
I parked in front of Wild Sedona Tours and got out of the car. The Red Rock mountains were stunning. I’d been here for over a week now, and I still wasn’t numb to their beauty. Maybe you never got used to seeing the massive timeless sentinels. I grabbed my CamelBak and went inside the building.
Becca smiled. “Hi, Rayne. Asher’s on his way back from a Jeep tour. Can I get you something to drink?”
I set my hydration pack on the counter and shook my head. “Nah, I’m fine.”
“Tell Henry these are mine!” A little boy came racing out from the back with his carbon copy twin brother chasing after him.
Becca caught the second boy, probably Henry, and swooped him up onto her hip. He kept stretching his arms toward the other boy. “Give them back, Hawk!”
The little guy who must’ve been Hawk stopped behind my legs. He looked up at me and took a step back when he realized I was a stranger. His jaw dropped as he…sniffed my leg. “You’re human.”
Odd. But I nodded. “Yes, I am.”
A grin lit up his eyes. “Are you Jett’s mate?” He sobered a little. “He’s very lonely.”
Mate? I shook my head. “No. I’m here for a hike with…your dad?”
Becca hustled over. “No, these guys are mine.” She mussed Hawk’s hair. “What did you take?”
He held up his hand and opened it to reveal a bag of peanuts. Becca raised a brow. “You already finished your peanuts, right?”
Hawk nodded. “Yes. But he wasn’t eating them, so I was going to.”
Becca handed the nuts back to Henry and then looked at each of them. “Enough with the fighting, okay? This is the work place, not the play place, remember?”
Henry nodded dutifully. “We can play when we get home.”
Becca smiled. “Good boys.”
“Race you to the back!” Hawk giggled, and they took off like speeding bullets.
I chuckled. “You’ve got your hands full running the office and watching two little guys.” Once they were out of the room, I met her eyes. “I guess it’s good to have it confirmed that I’m human.”
Something flashed in her eyes before she laughed it off. “They like to pretend we’re wolves and everyone else is a human.”
The door opened behind me. I turned around as a tall man with black hair came inside. “Sorry I’m a little late. Are you Rayne?”
“That’s me.” I nodded and offered my hand.
He shook it. “I’m Asher. Ready for a climb?”
“Yes. Although I’ve never done it before so, really, how would I know?”
He had a great smile. “Becca told me. We’re going to head over to Doe Mountain. It’s an easy climb, and the view up there is amazing.” He paused and added, “It also has a walking trail so we won’t have to climb back down. Sound good?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”
After he checked over my gear and I signed a release waiver, I followed him out to his Jeep. I got in, patting my hip to move my gun. But I wasn’t carrying my gun right now.
Habit. New life, Rayne, remember?
This early retirement wasn’t going the way I had imagined. I’d pictured settling into my vacation rental and taking some metaphysical courses to get all my chakras aligned, maybe do some past-life regressions, and round out my rebirth with some karmic cleansing.
I’d bought some self-help books all in the name of finding inner peace instead of spending my days profiling violent criminals. So far, I hadn’t even cracked a cover. Maybe some clarity would come to me at the top of Doe Mountain.
If I didn’t find some soon, I was going to accept that freelance consulting gig from the Bureau. It didn’t help that I was in one of the areas where one of the bags of human remains had been discovered. I wouldn’t have access to all the details until I signed the contract, but my ex-boss had shared enough to pique my curiosity. If I hadn’t already set up this rock-climbing adventure, I would’ve been visiting the spot he mentioned to search for clues into the killer’s psyche.