Previous Chapter: "I'm not going to let you slip away again. I just need to make an appearance as the construction site. You know shake some hands and exchange some witty banter and then I'll be all yours again. I promise it won't be long," he brushed a strand of hair off and kissed the back of my ear.

Construction site, eh? Maybe this is perfect after all. I promised Ranger I wouldn't go into the site alone and technically I wasn't going to. I was going to be personally escorted by Mr. Stratton himself.

Stratton escorted me into the construction site trailer. Shit! This wasn't the same site that Ranger and I had agreed to meet at. Stratton drove us about twenty minutes outside of Trenton City Limits to a site that was in a secluded area. Beads of sweat began rolling off my eyebrows.

Stratton blotted my forehead with a handkerchief he pulled out from his pocket. "I'm sorry, darling. I know it's hot in here. They were supposed to put in a new A/C unit in here." He slipped my blazer off and began kissing my shoulders. My body began to tingle as he pushed me down on the couch.

The door swung open and a man stepped inside and balked, "What the hell Stratton? Can't you keep it in your pants until after the deal is closed?"

"Fine," Stratton growled and straightened himself out. "I'll be back soon, darling. I promise." He stepped outside of the trailer.

The man who had just entered turned towards me. Recognition sunk in, "You!" he shouted angrily.

Pinky! I grabbed my purse and yanked out my phone to call for help. No Service. Fuck! He knocked the cell phone out of my hands and grabbed my purse and dumped it out on the desk. He rummaged through the items and found the thumb drive.

"You're an incredibly stupid girl!" he bellowed.

I stood up quickly, "Well, you got what you wanted. I'll show myself out." I raced towards the door.

He grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the trailer. "You have been a pain in my ass." He continued to pull me across the construction site lot. "Lucky for me you showed up just in time. You saved me the time and trouble of having to hunt you down and fit you in my schedule. Now I can kill two birds with one stone," he sneered.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered. "I promise I won't say anything to anyone. I don't really know anything at all. I wasn't able to crack the drive. I was just bluffing hoping to get you to leave me alone."

"Shut up! Unfortunately for you, we don't have time to chit chat. Time is money." He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back. "Goodbye, Alyssa Chau." He tapped me softly causing me to lose my footing in my five-inch heels. I began to fall over the edge of the foundation dugout. As I tumbled off the side of the foundation's wall, I attempted to grab for roots on the side of the wall to help create friction in my fall. I landed hard on my back into pile of powdery dirt which clouded my vision.

A sharp pain shot through my lower back. Never in my life have I welcomed such excruciating pain. Pain meant that I was still alive. I stretched my arm out to try and push myself back up on my feet when my hand connected with something cold leathery. I lifted my head to see what I had brushed up against. I saw a mass of bright red curls, which were attached to the head of Joyce Barnhardt!

I let out a loud shriek as I was staring straight at Joyce's dead body. Her body was bent and twisted flat on the ground, she was wearing the same outfit she had the night of our fight. Worms and maggots were crawling out of gaping mouth as she stared up at me with her lifeless empty eyes. I heard the loud sound of a machine being turned on and looked up. Suddenly I was being pelted with a waterfall of rocks. I fell back and tried to block my face with my arms.

I was going to be buried alive underneath of a new building. It made sense. These sites were the perfect place to hide a body. Who knew how many more girls were buried underneath of Stratton's buildings? He can't get away with this! Someone has to let the authorities know! And I'll be damned if I die beneath a bunch of stones. I tried to claw my way out of the rocks when I suddenly became airborne.

"Hang on tight," a rough low voice instructed — Ranger.

I wrapped myself around his neck and held on for dear life as we were hoisted out of the abysmal grave. Once we were above ground, Ranger gently sat me down on the ground.

"H-how did you find me?" I coughed.

"Trackers."

I scrunched my nose.

"In your cellphone."

I raised my hand to smack him and shouted angrily, "You were tracking me? How dare you violate my privacy!" He caught my wrist before I could make contact with his massive arm. I tamped down my temper a notch and smashed my face into his chest. "Thank you," I muttered trying to be more grateful for him rescuing me for my untimely demise.

"Nice dress," Ranger commented.

I raised my face from his chest and looked down at my now wrinkled and dirty dress. "Thanks. You bought it for me," I replied coyly.

"I have good taste."

I frowned, "You got me some really nice shoes too but they're now property of the pit."

Tank walked over to us, "The TPD is on the way. Santos and Brown are scouting the rest of the parameter."

Ranger gave him a head nod and Tank walked off. "Want to tell me why you're dressed up and here alone when you made a promise?"

I looked at him innocently, "I made a promise I wouldn't come to the site alone and I technically didn't." I hesitated, "I came with Stratton."

"Babe."

"I had a job interview with him for an Executive Assistant position—"

"—Dressed like—"

"—Mooner bought the outfit. I didn't pick it."

Ranger raised an eyebrow, "Mooner?"

"Yeah, he's a friend. Well, as I was saying," I said impatiently. "Stratton hired me and proceeded to ask me out on a date. He received a phone call to attend a business meeting, and he asked me to tag along and wait for him. I agreed since I had lost track of time and thought I was meeting you there anyways we ended up at a different site, obviously. Stratton left me in the trailer and Pinky recognized me. He took the drive and threw me into the pit."

I swallowed hard, "Ranger…J-Joyce Barnhardt is at the bottom of the pit." Red and blue lights flashed from a distance. The sounds of sirens became clearer as they approached the site. Ranger gathered me up in his arms and carried me over to the ambulance as it pulled up. He sat me down in the ambulance and the paramedics began examining me.

I closed my eyes hoping that this was all just a bad dream, "Joyce didn't make it. Deep down I hoped that she was still alive somewhere. Ranger!" I said in a panic and grabbed his arm, "Stratton's wife is alive and she's with Pinky!"

He nodded, "We checked it out earlier this evening."

I gave him a confused look.

"After you left we went to see what you were investigating."

"So you've pretty much been following me all day?" I replied annoyed.

"Not all day. Just places of interest."

I rolled my eyes, "Did you find Stratton or Pinky?"

"Not yet. The others are still looking."

"Others?" I began to ask before spotting from the corner of my eye a ball of fury storming in our direction. I groaned out loud, "I really am not ready to deal with Officer Jackass right now." I gave Ranger a pleading look.

"I'll talk to him, Babe." Ranger walked towards Morelli and intercepted him before he could get any further.

I sat there quietly staring at my feet for a few minutes. Pinky has to be lurking around here somewhere. I wonder if Stratton was still conducting his business meeting or if he was in on it with Pinky and is hiding out until the cops left. I thought that bad guys always told you their brilliant plans before they try to kill you. I mean they want someone to know how genius they were right? Why couldn't life be more like a movie? Instead Pinky got what he wanted, said nothing and just shoved me into a huge bowl of dirt to kill me.

"Bowl of dirt," I groaned. Could Mooner really be some crazy psychic?

Anxiety overwhelmed me. I couldn't stand sitting there anymore. I turned and looked into the far off distance beyond the construction equipment and materials and thought I saw some lights. I need answers!

Jumping to my feet, I scanned the area quickly. Morelli and Ranger were deep in discussion, the paramedics were talking to some of the cops and others were busying themselves around the pit trying to secure the area. Everyone was more concerned about the body in the pit which turned out to contain more than just Joyce's body but one other unidentified female as well.

If I waited around to catch someone's attention, we might lose the opportunity to catch Stratton or Pinky or both. I took off quietly in the direction of the faint light.