Page 9 (1/2)

Chapter One

Nine ti contest

Christina blinked and looked away froruesome slash across her throat, a tarot card shoved between her stiff fingers

Tarot cards—Christina knew a thing or two about them She would’ve expected death on his white horse in this case, but the killer had left the th

Her gaze shifted away fro with i area yet?”

Lieutenant Fitch with the San Francisco PD waved his pale hand “You go right ahead, Agent Sandoval”

She ground her back teeth together, adjusted her shoulder holster and tromped toward the tree line If not for that tarot card, she wouldn’t even be here

The dense nature preserve enveloped her in a cool eators in the trail behind her The weak San Francisco sun, still shrugging off the fog, penetrated the foliage in wisps and strands, throwing a beaht here and dappled shadows there

She inhaled the scent of eucalyptus, which cleared her senses and ra on the trail either early this ht The predator had surprised her, flying at her like an ani in wait

Her nostrils flared and she scanned the underbrush Lying in wait Hefor his prey

Hunching forward, she crept farther into the darkness, her footfalls silenced by nature’s carpet beneath her, the strands of abrushing her face She veered to the right, aligning herself with the body on the trail

She cranked her head over her shoulder and detected flashes of color andaround the vic He could’ve seen her co from here, but would’ve had no time to prepare his attack

She looked up A live oak tree towered a few feet in front of her She approached it, studying the ground around the base of the trunk So had disturbed the leaves layered on the dirt, but plenty of creatures roaed, deadly kind