Chapter One

The station was quiet on this particular night as she thumbed through some files, half of the police station had already left but here she sat nearly midnight and she was sifting through a bunch of files, home really didnt offer much to her these day, hell it was quite depressing really, she'd rather stay at work..

Her cell phone began to ring as she sorted through the papers on her desk and she grabbed it, looking at it, she sighed as it continued to ring and she put it back down, just looking at it..

The person on the other line, well his name was Cristian Vega, local Artist and well the man with whom she had three dates with so far and one almost bedroom romp in which she stopped herself short, he had that look in his eye, the one she had seen many times before, now Natalie wasnt some egotistical bitch but she knew when a guy was falling for her, it happened more often than not but her life was too busy, she had too many things to do then worry about a relationship, they were overrated anyways, three dates tops and then she began with the excuses..

Natalie was a new rookie at the Lanview Police Department which meant the majority of her days were spent there looking through cold cases thanks to her uncle who happened to be the Commissioner, he felt she needed more knowledge before heading out to bust the bad guys, she hated it, sitting here like a no body when all the excitement was out there but she would do what she had to, in time it would pay off..

Her phone stopped ringing and she sighed, what excuse would it be this time, maybe a sudden case of amnesia that left her memory gone for the past month, she laughed to herself, she definitely was creative if nothing else but the sound of commotion outside her office got her attention, someone was yelling, apparently angry, it was a Friday night and alot of drunk and disorderlies would come through, she couldnt help herself as she got up and walked to her door, slightly opening it as she peeked out..

"I said your making a god damn mistake, wasting tax payers money when there are murderers and rapists on the loose!" a very tall, very muscular and well shirtless handcuffed man yelled as he was ushered into room but not before he looked in her direction, his piercing blue eyes staring into hers, she felt like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar and she quickly closed the door..

Bo had worked for the lanview police department for the last 20 years, he was chief of detectives for the last 10. He honestly had thought he had seen it all but what had took place tonight was one that baffled even him and now he had an irate man most likely tearing up his interogation room while Bo stood in his office, his heart racing as he waited for the rest of his computer screen to load, his eyes got wider and he immediately took off out of his office..

The man in the interogation room paced back and forth, his hands still cuffed, he was fuming mad, he taunted the officers that stood in there, he would have their jobs for this, the door opened and Bo walked in, he looked at the man then the officers..

"get these cuffs off of him" he said much to their surprise but they did as they were told, the man rubbed his wrists."Now get out" he ordered to the men, the man ran his hand through his long hair, he was frustrated and annoyed.."I dont know what to say" Bo began, it wasnt often that he was wrong about something..

"You can begin by giving me the badge numbers of those officers who barbarically dragged me in here, just wait till i speak to your superior" the man snapped.."you better hope and pray my case isnt blown to shit because of them"

"Agent McBain i offer not only my apologies but those of my Officers, if i would of known" Bo began, he knew that interferring with an on going investigation was one thing but crossing the Feds, well needless to say they could have his job..

"do you understand how long i have been working this case, how long i have been gaining the trust of those people and now.." he shook his head, there was no way in hell he was going to lose everything all because the local police department had to put their nose into his business..He had done this for too long, he was tired and he was so damn close, so close he could almost taste it!

"we had no idea Agent this i promise you, when my officers arrived on the scene of the crime" Bo began..

"There was no damn Crime! Just people enjoying their night out" he barked at Bo..

"But we recieved a call about a domestic disturbance" Bo felt like he was digging himself deeper, he knew his men had messed up big time...

" i do the job that your department cant do, and now because of the animals you have working here i have to clean up the mess they made and assure my customers that i run a safe establishment" he slammed his fists on the table..

"We will pay for any damages" Bo said apologetically..

"Just stay out of my way and i will stay out of yours" John walked to the door.."were done here" he left as Bo ran a hand through his hair..

Natalie was at her desk when she saw a shadowy figure walk by her window that faced the lobby, she jumped from her seat and looked out and caught the back of the man they had brought in earlier now leaving, she then saw her uncle who looked more than distressed slam his office door..Curiosity got the best of her as she got up and made her way to her Uncles office, she was close to Bo, maybe even more so than her real father who was usually too wrapped up in his own company to even pay her attention, she knocked lightly and when he didnt answer she just opened the door...

She had never seen her Uncle look so distressed, he had his head in his hands but he looked up at her surprised she was still there.."Its midnight Natalie, why are you still here" he said with a heavy sigh..

"Im just trying to get caught up" she lied as she closed his door..

"well its late you should go home and get some sleep" he ran a hand through his thin hair..

"is everything ok?" she asked with concern and yet it was more curiousity than anything..

"Now you know better than to ask me that Natalie" he began and she sighed...

"you dont always have to take the weight of the world on your shoulders" she said honestly, she had never known anyone as proud and dedicated as her uncle, he truly was her inspiration..

"yeah well it comes with the job, why are you really here Natalie shouldnt you be out enjoying a carefree night" he said as he looked at her, it was as if she lived in this damn place, bad enough he did but then again his marriage was falling apart, Nora his wife had filed for divorce yet again, they married three times and it was suppose too be third times a charm but instead it was a disaster..

"work first play later" she smiled and now he did too..

"Im really proud of you sweetheart, you know that right" he said honestly..

"You know that goes both ways" she grinned.."how are things at home" she asked softly, she knew that with Nora leaving him it was killing him more than he would ever say..

"Oh you know im good at being the eternal batchelor" he forced a smile as he stood up and yawned heavily..

"well if it means anything i think she is making a huge mistake" she said honestly and he smiled as he shook his head..

"Im gonna go kiddo, you should go too" he began to walk to his door but she ran up to him first and hugged him tight, he seemed to resist for a minute and then he hugged her back, it was as if he needed that hug.."get some rest" he said as he kissed her forehead..

"You too" she smiled as he walked off and she waited till he was out of sight and she ran around his desk and quickly thumbed through some files, now she wasnt one to snoop but hell she wanted to know what was going on with that man and why her uncle was so upset, she found nothing but then she glanced at his computer screen and saw a picture of the man from earlier, he was an FBI Agent it clearly stated, his name John McBain, she glanced down and saw his name written on a piece of paper an address was with it, she took the piece of paper and shoved it in her pocket..

"Caught ya red handed" a police office by the name of Brody Lovette said from behind her and she jumped..

"Holy crap you scared me Brody" she said nervously...

"i think its cute you always straighten up your uncles desk" he began and she felt a sense of relief wash over her..

"You know me, im a helper" she said with a nervous laugh as she tried to walk past him but he stood there, a grin on his face..

"so i was wondering if you would like to , i dunno maybe get a cup of coffee with me, tonight or tomorrow" he said a bit nervously as he kept his hands in his pockets, it wasnt shocking that Brody liked her, hell he would come around her office all day long and ask if she needed something, he was a nice guy and attractive too but one thing Natalie never did was mix business with pleasure and she definitely wouldnt date anyone from work..

"Im sorry but there is a rule about inter-office mingling" she shrugged her shoulders at him..

"something tells me that you dont always follow the rules" he smirked and he wasnt entirely wrong, before she had joined the police force she was well quite the handful but that was then this is now, she was way more mature now, some would say a bit too uptight..

"well today i am a rule follower, but feel free to try again tomorrow" she smiled as she walked past him..

"Your gonna be the death of me" he called out and laughed and she took off for home, she had an address to look up..

Meanwhile just outside of Lanview in a club called Viper stood one John Mcbain, the place was empty now and needless to say trashed, no thanks to the local police department, he was still very much pissed as he walked to his office and grabbed a bottle of scotch and took a hearty sip from it..

He had been running this club for two years now, two years of this life was enough for anyone but he was so close and he hoped that after tonight it wasnt going to be a complete bust..

He had been working on this case for almost four years now, it started back in Atlantic City, women had gone missing and rumor had it that a local man by the name of Carlo Hesser who was notroriously known for his life of crime had been setting up a side job of sorts, one that could go nearly undetected but illegal none the less, it was the underground world of sex trafficking or human trafficking as it was called, women and or men sold to the highest bidder, most of them came from bondage clubs where they would be trained to submit and then auctioned off to very wealthy men or women..

There was alot of money to be had in this game, alot of money, dirty money..Carlo always kept his hands clean and he walked out in the open with his head held high but a few years ago John had gotten a lead, one that lead him to believe that Carlo would seem to be one of the largest traffickers in the world, he would send his men out to different clubs all over the world scouting out for his next prize and these unsuspecting, already broken women had no idea what hit them until it was too late..

John was perfect for the case, he was a single man, no outside responsibilities to keep him from his work and so he opened a club right outside of Lanview Pennsylvania, it had started off slow, gaining the trust of local BDSM population was hard to come by, privacy was huge but slowly he began to gain respect and he had even been in contact with a few of Carlo's men but this was a long process one that needed alot of convincing, Carlo wasnt a stupid man.

So John worked here day in and day out, it became his life, it had too if he was going to pull this off, in the beginning he found it incredibly hard but as time went by it came as easy as breathing but he still didnt have what he needed, Carlo was picky with his woman and John hadnt been given an offer yet but he was so close, he just needed the right woman to peak Carlo's interest, they had tried a few undercover female agents but to no avail when it came down to it, this lifestyle had been too much for them and so John waited, he knew that one day she would walk through his doors and when she did it would be game over..

Natalie sat curled up in her bed, her laptop on her lap as she googled the address, something had happened with her uncle today, something with that man, the FBI agent, her mind went wild with ideas, she always loved the idea of undercover work and maybe that is what this guy was up to, she had to know, the excitement of the unknown was digging at her, a few links pulled up on her computer, one was a website she click on it as her eyes grew wide..Club Viper, find your inner beast!

Natalie felt flushed as she clicked on the different links on the page, it lead her to various pictures and videos of the club in action, she felt like a child finding their first playboy magazine, she swallowed hard as she clicked on pictures, ones in which she didnt even know could be physically possible and then she saw him again, in one picture, standing with a shit eating grin on his face as he stood, arms crossed over his large chest, a whip dangling in his hand, she felt her face get even more flushed..He was a very sexy man, maybe too sexy and for an FBI agent she was shocked, is build was that of a model, he was tone, tanned, sported a few tattoos, his hair long and unkempt, his facial hair just enough to add that extra spice and his eyes piercing as the night sky, the bluest she had ever seen, she was sure the picture was photoshopped to tell, cause aint no man looked that good!

The website was for a BDSM club, that man from earlier was running it but he was FBI, a smile curved her lips as she looked; this was a case like an actual undercover FBI case, the excitement of her findings was almost more than she could take, god what she would do to be able to be Undercover, then she thought back to her Uncle and how upset he had been, apparently something had gone down, and anyone who worked in law enforcement knew not to cross the Feds but how amazing would it be to work with the feds, that would definitely give her the boost she needed, hell she would be the most respected woman at the Lanview Police Department, her mind began spinning with ideas..

Why was the FBI involved with a BDSM club? She hadnt heard of any recent murders involving BDSM clubs but then something came into her mind, a coldcase she had read a few weeks back about a woman who had gone missing, it had said she frequented fetish clubs, natalie's eyes got wide as the realization hit her, this is just what she needed...

Natalie could barely sleep that night with the ideas swirling in her red head, she got ready for work bright and early and headed to the station, she had cases to look up..

It took her almost an hour to find the file she needed, her desk was a mess and she made a mental note to clean her office one day soon, she flipped through the pages, the womans name was Brenda Blanchard, she was in her mid-twenties, an aspiring dancer who was reguarly attending Art School in Lanview about three years ago, she was an attractive woman, dark brown hair, golden eyes and a big smile on her face as she stood next to someone who Natalie could only assume was her boyfriend at the time, she made a note to write his name down.. She continued to read on, alot of what was in the report was her families account of the last time they saw her including her boyfriend who for some time was a key suspect in her disappearance but no charges ever filed against him, the boyfriend claimed that she had begun to act distant right before she went missing and the night of her disappearance they had had a fight and she had left, he had followed her in his car, worried for her safety as she had been drinking and he said she pulled up to a club a few towns over, curiosity got the best of him and he followed her inside without her knowing, what he recounts is that it was a sex club of sorts, a fight insued when she saw he had followed her and thats when he had gotten promptly kicked out, he never heard from her again after that..

The local police had investigated but found no foul play inside the club, she got tossed aside with all the other cold case files, Natalie leaned back in her chair and sighed, did the FBI know something that the Lanview Police department hadnt, she looked at the name of the boyfriend again Brandon Cruz, she immediately pulled up the departments locator program and typed in his name, she jotted down the address on a piece of paper, a knock at her door startled her as she immediately clicked off of the screen and shoved the file under another one..

"come in" she said quickly as she tried to look busy, a smiling Brody walked in, two cups of coffee in hand..

"i thought if i cant get you to come out for coffee maybe i can bring it to you" he grinned as he placed a cup on her desk..

She was grateful for the hot liquid, with all the excitement this morning she hadnt even had her usual morning coffee.."thanks" she said as she sipped it..

"so" Brody began as he stood nervously..

"so" she repeatede what he said as she sipped her coffee..."um i dont mean to be rude Brody but i am kind of in the middle of something" she finally spoke..

"sure, its fine, i just wanted to bring you some coffee" he said with a bit of disappointment in his voice, she was anxious for him to leave cause she was about to leave herself and track down this lead..

"well its great coffee" she said with a smile...

"Ok, well..." he fidgeted some and she fought the urge to yell at him to just leave already.."I will see you around" he finally said and she felt relief wash over her as she smiled..

"Ok" she said quickly and then he left and she glanced at the address again, it was only about 20 minutes away and sure it was only about 8 am now but oh well, she watched for Brody as he headed down the hall then she grabbed her purse and quietly headed out...

Natalie took the twenty minute drive which had her heading up Lantano Mountain, she was very familiar with this area as she spent most of her teen years up at the lake with her friends, the house was secluded and a long dirt driveway lead the way up to a log cabin, she suddenly felt her nerves get the best of her as she sat in her car, this place was a little creepy and not one car was in sight, she silently cursed herself for not calling first, she didnt want a wasted trip, she glanced out the windows at the house, it looked fairly new, she saw a beware of dog sign and she swallowed hard, the sound of pounding on her drivers side window nearly gave her a heart attack as a small yelp left her mouth, and there stood a guy maybe early 30's, a full beard, flannel jacket, hell he looked like stepped out of some lumerjack commercial but he didnt look too pleased to see her, she immediately rolled down her car window..It was definitely the guy from the picture just a little more worn looking..

"are you lost or something" he said with a bit of attitude to his voice.."i dont like trespassers"

"Oh im not a trespasser, im a detective with the lanview police department" she lied, but it was only a small lie, she did work for the police department but not quite yet a detective..She could see the look of suspicion on his face, she took out her badge and showed it to him, he looked at it then at her..

"whats this about, i keep to myself, i dont bother no one" he began to get defensive and she knew she wouldnt get anywhere with him if he was upset, she would have to use her charm...

"Oh thats not why i am here, actually i came to ask you a few questions about Brenda" she began and his eyes got wide..

"i said all i am gonna say, why dont you people just leave me alone" he snapped at her and she swallowed hard, apparently she wasnt using a good angle, she began to open the door as a barking dog could be heard, she froze as she looked at him and then from around the corner came the smallest dog she had ever seen but his bark was that of a pitbull.

"cute dog" she smiled as she got out and the dog continued to bark..

The man leaned down and picked up the dog.."i said i aint got nothing else to say" he began and she brought her attention elsewhere..

"your land is beautiful, and your house is wonderful did you build it yourself" she ignored his hostile behaviour.."is it Oak?" she asked and he looked at her a bit surprised, the fact that her family had a log cabin was definitely helping in this situation, her grandfather use to tell her the story of how he built it, actually she was quite knowledgable about log cabins..."No, its Englewood" she smiled as she walked past him..

"You know your lumber" he said impressed as he walked up to her..

"Its a great style, how long did it take you to build it?" she made small talk, enough to make him feel comfortable..

"A little under a year, still building onto it" he began to lighten up some as he held his dog..

"Thats what i love about log cabins you can continuously build on" she smiled at him..

"would you like to see the inside" he said as he walked to the door..

"I would love to" she grinned, hook line and sinker she thought to herself as she stepped inside..

Inside the log house was just as beautiful as the outside, the ceilings were vaulted, a huge fireplace off on the far wall of the great room which was open to an equally grand kitchen, the windows were triangular and the sunlight poured in, actually it was breath taking..

"You did an amazing job" she said honestly as he put the dog down and it came over and sniffed Natalie's foot, she leaned down and pet it as he walked into the kitchen..

"Would you like a drink?" he asked as he grabbed a cup of coffee and looked at her..

"yes please" she said as she finished petting the dog and she stood again and began walking around, the place also had antique like furniture, her late grandfather would of loved this..

"I didnt catch your name" he said as he neared her, a cup of coffee in hand..

"Natalie" she said with a smile as she took the cup of coffee..

"Listen Natalie i have told the police all i know and the feds as well" he began and her eyes got wide as she sipped her coffee..

"The feds, what did they want" she tried to be nonchalant..

"I dont know really, they kept asking me if she had any contact with a man named Carlo something or another, oh Hesser, Carlo Hesser, i explained to them that i had no idea she was frequenting these clubs on a regular basis" his voice got somber.."i trusted her, i... i loved her" he had sadness in his dark eyes, Natalie felt bad for this guy, it had to be incredibly hard to find out the woman he loved was living a secret life.." but oh well now i live out here, i enjoy the nature and my solitude" he forced a smile...

They sat and talked for about another 30 minutes or so, mainly about the cabin and all the work he had put into it, he wasnt a bad guy, he seemed lonely and she felt bad for him, he had been through alot. He smiled alot as he talked to her, and he showed her pictures he had taken around the property, apparently he was an aspiring photographer and a pretty damn good one, after another cup of coffee she finally got up, she couldnt stay there all day she had work to do...

"well i dont want to take up any more of your time Brandon, i really do appreciate you talking to me and the coffee was wonderful" she smiled..

"You know i am not one for company Natalie but" he smiled some.."Your more than welcome to come anytime"

"i will definitely keep that in mind" she said as she left, her mind swimming with more thoughts and one thing she knew she was gonna have to find out is who the heck Carlo Hesser was and why the FBI was involved with this..

Natalie got back to the office quickly and began to make her way to her office but she stopped short when she glanced at her Uncles door cause there stood that same FBI Agent, this time he was fully dressed in a dark blue silk dress shirt and black slacks, equally black shoes on his feet, they seem to be in deep conversation and curiosity got the best of her as she slowly neared herself to the door, pretending to be looking through papers that sat on the receptionist desk..

"i think its only fair that you offer me one of your detectives" he spoke as he looked at Bo..

"I just dont know if i have anyone that can do that particular job" Bo said honestly as he looked at this man, he was literally asking Bo to hand over one of his own undercover detectives to use as bait for his BDSM club, it definitely didnt sit well with him..

John was literally at his wits end here, he needed to get someone and fast, he was tired of waiting and since the FBI had gone through their best agents already with this case, well now he was here at the lanview police station on the hunt for the perfect bait..

"im not asking alot commissioner considering the grief your station gave me yesterday, all i need is someone that can be easily taught, maybe a week or two tops, im sure you have someone here i can borrow" he said as he leaned on the frame of the door..

"i just dont feel very comfortable sending one of my officers out there this isnt your run of the mill case, the convincing i would have to do" Bo said honestly and John ran his hand through his long hair..

"well up until yesterday i had someone but with all the commotion your men started at the club, well lets just say you scared her off" John lied.."i guess i will just have to call my superior and explain to him what happened, he wont be happy" he watched as Bo's eyes got wide, sure he was lying but he needed this..

"well i dont think we need to go that far" Bo began as Natalie easedropped, she was leaning back some as she listened, her heart racing, this was a chance of a lifetime..

"well then i am hoping we can come to an agreement" John began as a thud was heard and Natalie hit the back of the wall, apparently her stretching to hear had caused the chair she was resting her arm on to move and she nearly crashed to the ground, Bo jumped up and John looked outside the door as Natalie scrambled to pick up the papers, she was completely embarassed..John looked at the girl as she picked up the papers, she was attractive; dressed in a simple pants suit but her body told another story, she didnt look like a police officer which was perfect and she looked up at him and smiled nervously as she stood.."thats her, thats the girl i have been looking for" he said as he pointed at Natalie and Bo's eyes got wide as well as Natalies..

"oh...no... she's not even a detective" Bo began to say with a nervous laugh but John ignored him and walked up to Natalie..

"whats your name" he asked as he looked her up and down..

"Natalie Buchanan" she swallowed the lump in her throat, he was even more handsome up close and personal, she put her hand out..

He shook it.."John McBain FBI, I have the opportunity of a lifetime for you"

She smiled big, honestly he could of said anything at that point and she would of agreed, how could she not, his voice was just as sexy as the rest of him..

"Agent Mcbain she is not even a detective yet, still a rookie" Bo began as he walked out of the room, he looked scared as hell as he looked at Natalie..

"thats ok, she's what i need" he said bluntly as he looked her over, Natalie flushed slightly, unable to speak, he was checking her out openly and he said he needed her, this was a dream come true..

This girl had an innocence about her, something that told him she would be incredibly easy to mold, and by the nervous smile on her face, well she would be puddy in his hands plus she was definitely easy on the eyes..

"she doesnt even have any experience, and this case i mean" bo began to make numerous excuses as John continued to look at her..

"i know it has to do with fetish clubs and women who went missing" she blurted out as her uncles eyes got wide as did Johns..

"continue" John said with amusement, Bo looked like he was about to kill her but she ignored his stare, she looked at John..

"I know that there is a connection with a man named Carlo Hesser" she threw that in there and John smiled big as he looked at Bo..

"This girl definitely knows her stuff" he said towards Bo then he looked back at Natalie.."how did you find all of this out"

Natalie looked at her Uncle and then at John.."i was going through cold case files and i ran across one on Brenda Blanchard" she said with a smile.."it interested me and i did some research and spoke to her boyfriend" she didnt even look at Bo now cause he had a look on his face as if he wanted to kick his own ass for giving her cold cases to go through..

"Impressive" John grinned.."how would you feel about being my submissive" he raised an eyebrow..

"Yes" she said quickly too quickly cause Bo was answering at the same time..

"Absolutely not" he said quickly as John looked at him.."i dont think you understand who her parents are, her father which is my brother would have my head" Bo began as he shook his head...

"I am more than capable of taking care of myself" natalie blurted out, she didnt want her uncle to ruin this for her..

"well then in all honesty commissioner you shouldnt tell them, i mean this is undercover work and i think that the fact that she is a Buchanan would work nicely" he said honestly..

"i dont feel comfortable with this" Bo said as he shook his head.."i will find you someone" he said quickly..

"but i want to do this" natalie snapped, she didnt care that she sounded like a whiny child, John grinned, apparently he found this all too amusing..

"do you mind if i have a word with my neice in private" Bo began to say as Natalie sighed, she knew what this meant, she felt like a kid being sent to the principals office, how embarassing..

John reached in his pocket and pulled out a card.."here give me a call when you both sort this out" he said with a smile and she blushed and smiled back..

"ok" she said like a school girl with a crush, he began to walk away as she watched him, damn his backside was as nice as the front..

Bo cleared his throat loud making her turn her head as she flushed with embarassment for oogling this guy.."in my office" he said sternly and she sighed and stepped inside, she knew this wouldnt be good..