Losing Sarah (A Sarah Roberts Thriller Book 16) Read online

  Losing Sarah

  by

  Jonas Saul

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Imagine Press Inc.

  ISBN: 978-1-927404-44-7

  Losing Sarah

  Copyright © 2015 by Jonas Saul

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher, Imagine Press Inc.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locations are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Imagine Press Inc. does not have control over, or any responsibility for, any author or third party websites referred to in or on this book.

  Jonas Saul Titles

  The Sarah Roberts Series

  1. Dark Visions

  2. The Warning

  3. The Crypt

  4. The Hostage (*Featuring Drake Bellamy from The Threat)

  5. The Victim (*Featuring Aaron Stevens from The Specter)

  6. The Enigma

  7. The Vigilante

  8. The Rogue (*Featuring Darwin and Rosina Kostas from The Mafia Trilogy)

  9. Killing Sarah

  10. The Antagonist

  11. The Redeemed

  12. The Haunted

  13. The Unlucky

  14. The Abandoned

  15. The Cartel

  16. Losing Sarah

  17. The Pact (Coming Soon)

  The Jake Wood Series

  1. The Snake (Coming Soon)

  The Mafia Trilogy (Starring Darwin and Rosina Kostas)

  1. The Kill

  2. The Blade

  3. The Scythe

  Standalone Novels

  1. The Threat (Starring Drake Bellamy)

  2. The Specter (Starring Aaron Stevens)

  3. A Murder in Time (Starring Marcus Johnson)

  Short Stories

  1. The Burning

  2. The Numbers Game

  3. Trapped

  4. Twisted Fate (Tales of Horror)

  Compilations

  1. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 1-3

  2. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 4-6

  3. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 7-9

  4. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 10-12

  5. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 13-15

  6. The Mafia Trilogy

  7. The Jonas Saul Thriller Trilogy (The Threat, The Specter, A Murder in Time)

  Beginning

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Sarah Roberts couldn’t handle the pain anymore. No matter what side of the fierce battle she stood on, she was losing. A full-body sweat engulfed her in this war for self-control, for clarity and for resolute calm. The sheets below were soaked, wet clothes clinging to her skin. The drug had an unbearable hold over her. One she was losing.

  The recreational vehicle edged closer to the United States-Mexico border. She had just destroyed the Enzo Cartel. Aaron Stevens, her boyfriend, was by her side, holding her hand as she shook from the internal tremors.

  Long-time friend and colleague Parkman sat up front with Aaron’s dojo teachers who had come to Mexico in her time of need. Everyone had risked their lives to stop the mad cartel.

  It was over and yet it was only beginning for Sarah. Could injuries add up? Could they accrue? Was she wearing down, weakening? She was worn out and needed rest. She needed to heal. Yet, gnawing at her, a sense of understanding, like an innate feeling, overwhelmed any rational thought. A need. A burning desire echoed through her core with every tremor of her hands.

  The need for one more fix.

  The cost was too high, the price not yet set. What would she pay for one more fix? Just one more, then she’d kick thoughts of heroin to the curb. She could do it. She was strong enough. She beat worse in her twenty-six years on this earth. A little substance wasn’t stronger than her.

  In the short time she was held at the Enzo Cartel’s compound, they had kept her high. Needle marks on the inside of her arm told the story. Now all she had to do was destroy the ache on the inside and move on with her life, drug free. But the ache intensified by the hour and she wasn’t doing anything to appease it. Kill the ache, or ease it off with one more hit. Kill the ache or ease the ache. Which was easier? Which was feasible?

  And the battle raged on.

  “Stop the RV,” Sarah whispered.

  Aaron patted her hand. “We’re almost at the border, Sarah.”

  “Stop it.” This time she spoke louder.

  “We are stopped. Stopped behind hundreds of vehicles trying to squeeze through customs. Maybe ten minutes left.”

  “I want off.”

  “Off? For what? If you need a toilet or you think you might throw up, there’s a bathroom on this—”

  “Off!” she shouted, her gaze falling on him. “Get me the hell off this RV now,” she said, her voice only loud enough for Aaron to hear. “Our vacation started a half hour ago and we’re already in Mexico. This is where we stay. We’re out of danger. Everyone’s safe. But I need a vacation and I want to be alone with you to start it. And I want to do that now.”

  He studied her face, eyes roving back and forth. Like a cloud passing in front of the sun, a shadow crossed his face. In that moment, she knew Aaron had decided to listen to her. Maybe he was excited about the idea of a vacation. Or maybe, just maybe, he saw the desperation in her eyes and understood it for what it was. The withdrawal symptoms were upon her, and as they advanced, she didn’t want to be around loved ones, people she cared about. The embarrassment was too much. They saw her one way. This weakness enveloping her from within would
show them a side they had never seen before and one they would never see again. She needed out. She needed to be away from everyone.

  If that was Aaron’s understanding, fine. Whatever made him stand up and talk privately with Parkman didn’t matter to her. She just needed off this RV.

  She caught Parkman’s glance over Aaron’s shoulder. Their eyes met. In his, she saw sorrow and immediately wondered what he saw in hers. Her lids dropped and she knew more than ever that she needed off this RV. Whatever side won, whether she healed the urge or took another hit, she couldn’t continue this internal battle surrounded by all the people in the world she loved. If Aaron didn’t help her up and get her off this RV before they hit the border, she would do it herself.

  She counted her breaths, slowly inhaling, exhaling, waiting. The RV edged forward again, ever closer to the border. Her stomach clenched as knots tied then untied. The urge to vomit caused a cool sheen of sweat to ooze over her. Pain in her head pulsed to the beat of her heart.

  She’d been through many dangerous situations in her life, and each time faced them with a brave countenance with her dead sister close, on her mind—or in her mind as it were. But this was a new monster. Something heretofore unchallenged, one that had a power of its own and seemed to make decisions for her, whether consequences played a role or not.

  She would overcome this. There were too many things to do in her life yet. Too many battles to be won. And she’d start with this battle. One day at a time, one step, one inch.

  But first, a fix. Then she’d fight. One fix. Just one.

  She opened her eyes, got her hand under her and pushed up off the bed. Once her feet were on the carpeted floor of the RV, elbows on her thighs, her head spun. She waited for the spins to ease.

  A hand rested gently on her shoulder.

  “I got our passports from Parkman,” Aaron said softly. “He gave me a cell phone to stay in touch. No one will follow us. They will consider us on vacation.”

  She met his eyes. “Thank you. Now, can we go?”

  He helped her to her feet. She surprised herself that she didn’t stumble as they walked through the narrow RV until they reached the door to the outside. Aaron must’ve prepared everyone for their departure because his three teachers stayed seated, each one nodding her way as she looked at them and offered a silent thank you and goodbye, one by one.

  “Where’s Casper?” she asked. “Darwin?”

  “They ran ahead of the line of vehicles ten minutes ago to make sure everything will run smoothly through customs.”

  Parkman was close enough to touch. She rested a hand on his forearm.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”

  He tapped her hand with his in a calming gesture. She was going to miss him. It had been many years, many struggles, but somehow they had managed it all together. This one she had to do on her own. “I love you, Parkman, but this is personal. Personal for me. I need this right now.”

  “Of course. Whatever you need.”

  “Aaron and I will disappear for a couple of weeks. Then we’ll come stateside. Be ready for a get-together. We’ll have dinner. Drink. And be merry. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  She let her hand slip from his arm. The RV edged forward. She turned her eyes to the door.

  “Please, don’t follow us. This is a vacation, not work. There are no bad guys here. Let Casper and Darwin know, too. Cool?”

  “Cool.”

  She opened the door and stepped onto Mexican soil. A warm breeze chilled her as it hit her sweat-soaked body. She felt stronger since she’d gotten out of the bed in the back of the RV. It must be the adrenaline in her veins, her will to be strong. Maybe the strength came from the first traces of beating the addiction. She was confident that every trace of heroin in her body would be gone within a week, even the ache gone, too. She would never touch the stuff again. Ever.

  After the next hit.

  Just one more and she’d be fine.

  Chapter 2

  Eddie Coleman, a blackjack dealer at the Rosarito Hotel and Casino, wiped crumbs off his uniform as Mark Struben, one of the poker dealers, entered the lunchroom. They nodded to one another as if they were mere acquaintances. But Eddie Coleman and Mark Struben weren’t just friends; they were partners.

  Partners in crime.

  And within a few hours, they would be free and clear, ready to change their ID, their hairstyles, and their clothes for a new life of beach, sun, and rum and Cokes, because rum and Coke was the only drink for Eddie.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Mark acknowledged him with a nod as he undid the top button of his uniform shirt. “Busy day on the floor,” Mark said. He cast a glance downward toward his shoes. After a moment’s hesitation, he smiled. “But nothing we can’t handle, eh Eddie?”

  “No, nothing we can’t handle.”

  Planning for six months had brought them to this day, this moment. Usually, prior to a robbery, people would be nervous. So nervous in some cases to consider backing out. There was still time. They hadn’t hit the point of no return yet. But for Eddie, and he was sure Mark too, getting the deed done couldn’t come fast enough. He had been waiting a long time. The waiting, the calculating, the planning, and the timing—it had all come down to this moment, this evening, when they would take what was theirs and no one would be the wiser. And as soon as casino officials discovered their crime, it would be too late to find them, even though Eddie and Mark were leaving behind a clue as to who perpetrated the crime.

  “Is Wallace ready?” Eddie asked. “You still believe in him?”

  Mark pulled the fridge door wide enough to grab a can of Coke, cracked it open, and drank some back. After swallowing, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “Wallace is ready. He covers in the cashier’s cage for an hour this evening. He knows what needs to be done.” Mark pulled on the Coke again. “He’ll do his part. Then I’ll do mine.” He cupped a hand over his mouth and whispered, “What’s a little murder between friends, eh?”

  Eddie swiveled in his chair and stared down at the word search book in front of him. Looking for words in a jumble of letters kept his mind off things and eased his nerves. His excitement for the new life he was about to embark on was getting the better of him. It was like he’d won the lottery and was sitting out the final few hours before the lottery corporation paid him his due.

  The Rosarita Hotel and Casino had shitty uniforms, and this was the last few hours he ever had to wear one. He was a thinking man, an enterprising man. At thirty-two, he would be richer than his parents ever were in their miserable life. He had the smarts to make it happen.

  If someone says it can’t be done, they need to stop interrupting the person doing it. That was exactly why Mark Struben was along for the ride. Eddie’s belief was if they couldn’t find a way, they would make one, and by golly, they’d made one.

  A cool million in cash would disappear from the cashier cage without anyone being the wiser for at least twenty-four hours. It would happen tonight with the help of their favorite pit boss, Wallace Stern. Then Wallace would have an unfortunate accident. But Wallace didn’t know that part yet.

  Too bad for him.

  Eddie glanced across the lunchroom as Mark tossed his empty can in the trash and wondered for the hundredth time if Mark would go through with murder. It was one thing to talk about it, plan it, all the while knowing it was necessary for their survival, but quite another thing to actually do the deed. They needed Wallace gone so they could split the money fifty-fifty. There would be no 33 percent bullshit. No way. This was Eddie’s idea from the start. Bringing Mark in was Eddie’s choice. So he’d give up money for that. But bringing Wallace in was Mark’s doing. Sure they needed him inside that cage, but it had nothing to do with Eddie. Once Eddie explained that in detail to Mark, he had agreed that not only would Wallace Stern be killed, he would be left behind to take the heat. He would be the one behind the cashier cage when the money disappe
ared. He would be the one who robbed the casino and the one who accidentally got run over as he ran into the street. The money would disappear and people will mourn, the casino will write off the small loss compared to what they make annually, and Eddie and Mark would go on to live fruitful and enjoyable lives as two newly rich folks traveling Europe.

  Unless of course Mark wouldn’t drive the car over the pit boss as he promised. If Wallace didn’t die, then Mark would have to take his place. After that, Eddie would kill Wallace. In the end, Eddie would make sure the only people who could link him to the money were gone because the only way to keep someone silent is if they were dead.

  “You sure about the car accident angle?” Eddie asked as he turned back to his word search.

  “You’re asking me that now?” Mark asked. “Bit late, isn’t it?”

  Eddie shrugged and kept his eyes aimed at the puzzle in front of him. “Just checking. Can’t have anything go wrong.”

  Mark trudged over to Eddie’s table and placed his hands down, open-palmed. “I’m in,” he whispered. “All the way. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be in the car, waiting, as planned. When Wallace comes out, I’ll be there to pick him up. Instead, I’ll pick him off. I got it. I know how this works. I’ll have my gloves and hat on. I won’t leave DNA behind. And it’s Wallace’s own car. No one will ever connect us to this.”