Hardwired (The Brotherhood Series) Read online

  Keep flipping for a sneak peek at Dean’s story….

  The Forgotten Ones C1

  “All the Gods, all the heavens, all the hells, are within you.” Joseph Campbell

  “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘only the forgotten are dead’?”

  The young girl shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes, but they hadn’t fallen yet. This one was tough. She was fighting the terror that was undoubtedly coursing through her body. There was no point in fighting it. Her death was inevitable.

  “See I will kill you, but if I remember you then it’s like you’re not even dead.”

  A whimper escaped from the girl. She wasn’t the first one to die, and she wouldn’t be the last. She would be the first to send a message, so her body would be the first one to be discovered unlike the others, the forgotten ones. Their bodies had been left to decay in their shallow graves never to be found. There was an added excitement knowing someone, knowing Agent Caitlin Cade more precisely, would be staring at this girl’s dead body in just a matter of hours.

  “Don’t worry baby girl, you won’t be one of them; one of the forgotten ones. You’re going to be found.”

  A scream ripped through the room. If only walls could talk, these ones would tell some very horrific stories. Stories that were filled with screams, begging and pleading, but never salvation. This room had never seen salvation.

  “I always like to talk during this next part. I don’t know why. The first few times I thought maybe it was just what was left of my humanity reaching out to offer comfort in the final minutes of their lives, but that’s not it. I haven’t had humanity in years.”

  The knife sliced through the air, and the first cut into flesh vibrated to the depths of the killer’s soul. The feeling was orgasmic. Another cut and then another. The smell of fresh blood wafted through the room permeating every single crack and crevice. The beautiful scream that ripped from the girl’s throat was the icing on the cake. Over and over the knife cut into her flesh.

  “I saw a therapist once, and she told me that my mind was like a disease. Can you believe that? Someone who went into the business of helping people told me that.”

  The girl’s body was lifeless now. There was no point in checking for a pulse. Still the desire to feel the knife tear through the flesh was uncontrollable. That was the problem with the urges. They were impossible to control. Blood sang a song like the sirens from the old tales, and there was no refusing the call.

  “I already knew my mind was a deadly disease and I’m not going to stop until I’ve infected everyone.”

  The Forgotten Ones C2

  Caitlin

  “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.” Friedrich Nietzsche

  “Agent Cade, we’re going to need you to go home.”

  Caitlin tired to clear the sleep from her mind and focus on what her director was saying to her.

  “Director Hambert?” She asked, as the glowing numbers on the clock next to her bed came into focus. It was three in the morning.

  “I’m going to need you on the tarmac for your flight back to your hometown.”

  Her boss didn’t bother apologizing for waking her up. There was no reason to, at this point, Caitlin was used to being dragged out of bed. The part she was having trouble wrapping her mind around was the fact that he wanted her to go back to her hometown.

  “Sir, are there not any field agents out of the Austin office that could offer you a faster services?”

  “Unfortunately Cade, this case has your name written all over it, literally.”

  “Yes sir, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “I’ll email you over the specifics, and, Cade, this ones gonna be nasty.”

  “Aren’t they all?” She replied.

  Caitlin sat up in bed, and tossed her phone down on her comforter. Even though she was used to being woken up in the middle of the night for cases, she was four days into her vacation. Vacation for her meant catching up on all the sleep she missed out on the other fifty-one weeks of the year. Apparently she wasn’t going to get her other three days, which meant she was going to be cranky.

  Even worse she had to go home. After her father’s death and her broken engagement, staying in Dripping Springs had felt like she was being buried alive under all the hopes and dreams she had once had. Everywhere she looked there was a memory of either her father or Dean, sometimes both. It had been too much for Caitlin to bear. That version of her had been young and naïve. Caitlin had grown since then, and six years as a field agent in the FBI had strengthened her both physically and mentally.

  Her mom had been begging her to come home and visit, but Caitlin had always convinced her mother to let Caitlin fly her somewhere so they could spend weekends together. If her mom realized what Caitlin had been doing, she never said. The past year had been grueling and Caitlin hadn’t had a chance to see her mom at all. She thought about calling her to let her know she was on her way, but Caitlin decided she would surprise her mom. If anything good were to come of her trip back to Dripping Springs, it would be that she could make her mom smile.

  Her phone pinged, as she tugged on a pair of jeans. Her emergency bag was already packed and in her car so all she had to do was make her way to the hangar where the FBI’s jet would be ready to fly her back to her past. Caitlin decided to wait until she was on the plane to check her messages. She knew it was more than likely Director Hambert sending over the case files.

  The only good thing about the middle of the night calls was that there was no traffic to contend with. She parked her car and tossed the keys to Hank the security guard. Her nerves were in full force by the time she climbed inside of the small jet. They weren’t for the flight ahead, or the case though.

  Her nerves were all tied to the too small town in Texas that held a part of her she had desperately been trying to forget.

  The Forgotten Ones C3

  Dean

  “Be careful fighting someone else’s demons-it may awaken your own.” Bryant McGill

  “What do you mean you’re leaving? We just got started,” Luke questioned Dean as Dean packed his laptop up in his briefcase.

  “You just got started. I just finished,” Dean mumbled in reply.

  “What the hell does that mean?” Luke pushed.

  Dean stopped what he was doing and looked at his friend. He knew he owed Luke an explanation. After everything Dean had put Luke through over the past six years, especially the past year, Dean owed Luke his life, but he didn’t want to talk about where he was headed. Luke must have gathered that much because he let out a sigh of defeat.

  “Fine, but check in,” Luke finally conceded.

  “Is that an order?”

  “It’s a request Dean,” Luke replied, exasperated.

  Dean nodded and shoved past Luke to leave his office. He nodded at a couple of the new recruits they had at Luke’s rehabilitation center in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. Luke’s life was there, his work was there, and most importantly he no longer needed Dean as his handler. Dean had done what he had promised himself he would do six years ago when Luke lost his family to amnesia and a string of shitty decisions by the government; he had reunited Luke with his family. The path Dean had taken had been messy, but sufficient.

  It had also taken longer than Dean had planned. His own life had been put on hold, and now he had to see if there were second chances for someone like him.

  Once Dean was out of the facility he dialed up the one person he knew could help him with what he had to do next.

  “Dammit boy, I’m going to print out the definition of retired, and mail it to you,” Beryl’s cantankerous voice filled his phone.

  Dean smiled, completely unaffected by Beryl’s gruffness. The man reminded anyone and everyone that he was retired, yet always jumped at the chance to get his hands a little dirty.

  “Good morning, old man. I need a favor.”

  “I’m fresh out of favors,” Beryl retort
ed.

  “I need the number of a woman.”

  “Don’t tell me you have a wife and child the governments kept secret too.”

  “No. The woman’s name is Caitlin Cade, and she was born and raised in Dripping Springs, Texas. I have no idea where she is now, or where she’s been for the past six years.”

  “Boy, I told ya I’m out of favors,” Beryl repeated himself, although there was no real conviction to his comment.

  Silence hung between them as Dean waited for Beryl to cave. He always did, the man just liked to play his game first.

  “I’ll call ya back in an hour.”

  “Thank you,” Dean replied.

  Beryl’s only response before hanging up was a grunt. Dean headed to the airport, the palms of his hands sweating just a bit with anxiousness. He hadn’t spoken to Caitlin in six years; the day after her father’s funeral to be more exact. Once he got word of Luke’s accident, he had kissed her on the forehead and hauled ass to where Luke had been flown for emergency surgery.

  The last time he had heard her voice had been a voicemail she left on his cell phone telling him to go fuck himself. That had been six weeks after her father’s funeral, and the day Luke had finally woken up from his experimental procedure of having a computer hard drive implanted into his back to run his central nervous system.

  The accident that had left Luke for dead had been the one mission Dean had missed since they had left Hell Week as the newest members of the United States Navy SEALs. The mistakes that had been made were made by an amateur, had Dean not left to be by Caitlin’s side, Luke wouldn’t have lost his memory and his wife and daughter along with it. It was all behind them now, and it was Dean’s turn to take his life back.

  Caitlin Cade was his, and like any SEAL he was prepared to go to war.

  Purchase here: www.andreawillwriteforchocolate.wordpress.com

  About the Author

  Photo Credits to Autumn Dobbs of For Keeps Sake Photography

  Andrea is a wife, mother and writer from small town, West Virginia. She spends her time while she’s not dreaming up lovers and villains chasing after her two toddlers, three dogs and husband.

  Her overactive imagination and her husband’s wacky dreams attribute to her love of writing.

  Guilty pleasures include reading all night and Reese’s Cups.

  Newsletter

  Also by Andrea Bills

  Hidden Series (Novellas)

  Hidden Agendas

  Hidden Enemies

  Hidden Allies (coming soon)

  The Brotherhood Series

  Hardwired

  The Forgotten Ones

  Power Duet (Novellas)

  Exchange of Power

  Weight of Power

  Standalones

  Retribution

  Acknowledgments

  Of course as always to my husband Dru. Thanks for listening to my constant ideas, and giving me random bits of knowledge, about motorcycles, knives and other manly things. I love you.

  Two my two kids who may never read my work. I love you, and without you none of my words would ever be possible. You have been and will always be my greatest accomplishment in life.

  To my parents. Thanks for believing in me even when no one else did, and for always supporting me. I love you is such an understatement.

  My mother in law Sheri. You’ve supported me from day one, and always have my back. I love you and am grateful for your support.

  TAYLER! No matter how many times I misspell your name, and add random commas, or switch tenses you still love me. I suppose that means we’re in this thing for life. I love ya lady, and I know I don’t say it nearly enough!

  Laura and Leaona I’m always grateful for our chats, and support.

  Lili Mahoney, there are no words besides #bound. Where would I be in this world without you? You always make time to read my words and give me amazing advice. I love ya woman! I can’t wait to see where the future takes us.

  To my Beta readers- Cindy and Michelle and Katie, you ladies have made me a better writer! You’re not only supportive, but you always help make my work better. Most importantly you bring a smile to my face.

  Amanda Walker, you’re like the unsung hero of my work. You created this cover, when I gave you a very slim idea of what I wanted. You then went above and beyond for my teasers and swag. I can always count on you for honest feedback, and amazing graphics!

  Shauna and BT, thank you guys for the incredible images and supporting this project. It means the world.

  Last BUT certainly not least; Helene Cuji, my book bestie. Even though this book was a bit out of your element, you read my words. You made it stronger and gave me constant encouragement when I was down. Your fierce friendship is amazing. I love you and am extremely thankful I stalked your book blog until you became my friend.