Ranger Courage Read online

  Ranger Courage

  Texas Ranger Heroes

  Lynn Shannon

  RANGER COURAGE

  Copyright © 2020 by Lynn Balabanos

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design by Maria Spada.

  Scripture appearing in this novel in whole or in part from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  The games he plays are deadly…

  As chief of police for Harrison University, Avery Madison expects to spend her days buried in administrative paperwork—until a murdered woman is discovered on campus. She asks Texas Ranger Weston Donovan for help. The former football star turned lawman is heartbreakingly handsome, but Avery has put romance on the back burner. Discovering her fiancé’s infidelity left her questioning the type of man she chooses.

  Weston believes Avery is in danger. The killer left a taunting note addressed specifically to her at the scene, along with the pawn from a chessboard. What Weston can’t figure out is why Avery’s been targeted. He’s determined to protect the courageous woman while keeping their relationship strictly professional. Losing his wife to cancer five years ago nearly destroyed him, and Weston won’t risk falling in love again.

  When a second woman is murdered and Avery’s family is threatened, Weston’s worst fears become a reality. The man they’re hunting is a monster known only as the Chessmaster. Every move the killer makes is designed to bring Avery deeper into a twisted competition of life and death...one she’s not meant to survive.

  Also by Lynn Shannon

  Available Now

  Vanish

  Ranger Protection

  Ranger Redemption

  Ranger Courage

  Coming 2020

  Ranger Faith

  Would you like to know when my next book is released? Or when my novels go on sale? It’s easy. Subscribe to my newsletter and all of the info will come straight to your inbox!

  This novel is dedicated to my sister, Katherine. You’re amazing and the very best sister anyone could ask for. I love you.

  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

  John 14:27

  Contents

  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

  About the Author

  One

  Thunder rumbled, deep enough to rattle the windows on the patrol car, and the first sprinkles of rain scattered in the wind. Avery Madison calculated she had five minutes to make it home before the storm broke. As luck would have it, one of the perks of being Harrison University’s Chief of Police was a house on the outskirts of campus. Her commute was only four minutes. She longed for fuzzy pajamas and a heaping bowl of ice cream.

  The radio crackled and the night dispatch operator called for her. Avery groaned and picked up the receiver. “It’s a go for Madison.”

  “Chief, we’ve gotten a request for a safety escort from the Fairman Building to the faculty parking lot. The other unit is still handling the fist fight at the fraternity house.”

  “10-4. I’ll handle the escort,” Avery said. Safety escorts were provided as a security measure on campus. Faculty or students could request a police officer to accompany them anywhere on university grounds. Avery swung her patrol car into a parking lot and pulled a U-turn. The ice cream and fuzzy pajamas would have to wait. “What’s the name?”

  “It’s Professor Jenkins, Chief. She’ll be waiting in the north entrance.”

  Lightning streaked across the sky and the raindrops quickened as Avery pulled into the faculty parking lot closest to the Fairman Building. There were a handful of other cars. It was more than she expected on a Friday evening, but maybe some of the professors were preparing for the last stretch of classes before spring break.

  Wind carried the scent of damp grass and rain as Avery hurried across the quad to the Fairman Building. Through the glass doors, the lobby glowed with bright fluorescents. No one was standing there.

  Strange. Professor Jenkins always called for an escort when she worked late, and she’d never left an officer waiting before. Avery opened the locked door with her master key. Resting on a couch in the lobby were a worn briefcase and an umbrella.

  A muffled thump came from somewhere down the hall.

  “Professor Jenkins?” Avery’s voice echoed through the otherwise quiet building, and silence followed. A chill skirted down her spine. Her hand automatically went to her weapon, although she left it in the holster. “Professor Jenkins? It’s Chief Madison.”

  Avery held her breath. From somewhere around the corner, there was a faint noise. Was someone…crying? A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky followed by the boom of a transformer exploding. The lights in the building went out. A wailing scream followed, sending Avery’s heart into overdrive.

  She pulled her weapon. The university’s emergency generator kicked on. The lights overhead were dim, but sufficient enough to see. Avery moved in the direction of the scream. She forced her breathing to slow, counteracting the adrenaline racing through her veins. Her rubber-soled boots were silent against the floor.

  She rounded the corner. A woman was crouched at the end of the corridor, near the stairwell. Avery immediately recognized her. Professor Jenkins’s shoulders shook with the force of silent sobs. She was barefoot. A shoe, the heel broken, lay discarded in the hall.

  Avery’s gut clenched. “Professor Jenkins?”

  The woman glanced up. She flung her hands out, backing away in a panic. “No, please no. Don’t.”

  “Professor Jenkins, it’s Chief Madison with HUPD.” Avery glanced behind her and lowered the weapon, stepping farther into the light. “Ma’am, I’m the police.”

  The professor froze and blinked. Recognition flashed across her face. “Chief…”

  “What happened?” Avery scanned the other woman. Her clothes were disheveled, although they were intact and she wasn’t bleeding. Another high heel shoe rested on the stairs. Had she fallen?

  “I r-r-ran.” Professor Jenkins used the wall to support herself as she rose to a standing position. She swallowed hard. “I-I…”

  The professor burst into a fresh wave of sobs. Something—or someone—had clearly terrified the woman.

  Avery kept her voice low and comforting. “You’re safe. Everything is going to be okay.” She reached for the radio at her waist. “Madison to dispatch.”

  “Dispatch is a go.”

  “I need backup at the Fairman Building ASAP. A medic too.” She glanced behind her at the empty hallway. “The building is not clear. Responding units need to enter with caution.”

  Avery’s gaze shifted to the stairwell. No one was there. She took
off her jacket and wrapped it around the professor. The entire woman’s body was trembling, and Avery feared she was going into shock. “Are you hurt, ma’am?”

  “N-n-not me.” Professor Jenkins grabbed her arm. The nails dug into her skin. “Upstairs c-c-classroom.” Tears ran down her face. “She’s…she’s dead.”

  Two

  Texas Ranger Weston Donovan set his fishing pole in the back of his pickup truck next to the tackle box. He assessed the low-hanging clouds. Not a drop of late-morning sunshine poked through, and last night thunderstorms had ushered in a cold front. Perfect fishing weather.

  A light drizzle peppered the brim of his cowboy hat as he lifted the tailgate and shoved it into place. Weston’s cell phone rang. For half a heartbeat, he considered not answering it. Today was his first day off in over six weeks. Conducting back-to-back investigations had left him exhausted. Still, ignoring his phone wasn’t a viable option. Weston was a lawman first. Everything else came second, including trips to his favorite fishing spot.

  He freed the cell phone from his pocket. “Donovan.”

  “Hey, it’s Luke.”

  Luke Tatum was a fellow ranger as well as Weston’s good friend. They both worked together in Company A.

  “Sorry to bother you,” Luke continued, “but I have a favor to ask.”

  Weston leaned against his truck. “The last time you asked for a favor, I ended up spending months on a case. I was buried in paperwork.”

  “Don’t be such a whiner. I was the one who got shot.”

  “Pssst, whatever. That was barely a scratch.”

  Downplaying Luke’s near-death experience was a coping mechanism the whole ranger team used. None of them liked to think about how close they’d come to losing one of their own. Fortunately, Luke had survived. He was now married to his long-time love, Megan. They were expecting their first child any day.

  “Before we get to the favor, how’s Megan?” Weston asked.

  “Actually, she’s part of the reason I’m calling. Megan’s gone into labor. I’m taking her to the hospital as we speak.”

  Weston straightened, his heart jumping into his throat. “Is she doing okay?”

  “She’s cool as a cucumber. I’m a nervous wreck.” Luke blew out a breath. “Hold on.”

  There was some muffled conversation. A woman’s voice—Megan’s—floated over the line. It sounded like Luke was helping his wife into the truck. Weston’s suspicions were confirmed when the sound of an engine rumbled to life.

  “Ya still there?” Luke asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. There was a murder Friday night at Harrison University. The chief of police is a friend of Megan’s. Her name is Avery Madison. I need you to meet with her to discuss the case.”

  “Text me her number. I’ll reach out to her after I hang up with you.”

  “Actually, she’s on her way to your house. Avery was coming to meet with us and, clearly, that’s not going to happen. Since she was already en route, it was easier to redirect her your way. Hold on, I’m putting you on speaker. Megs wants to talk to you.”

  “Weston, hey.” Megan’s voice was a touch breathy, but she sounded calm. “Listen, you’ve never met Avery, but I’ve worked with her several times. She’s an outstanding police officer. Nothing much rattles her, but this…whatever happened Friday night has her shaken.”

  A patrol car turned on Weston’s street bearing the Harrison University Police Department logo. It parked in front of his house.

  “Don’t worry about it, Megan,” Weston said. “I’ll take good care of your friend. You just focus on bringing a healthy baby into this world. I’ll be saying prayers for you.”

  “Say a special one for Luke. He looks like he’s about to pass out.”

  Weston chuckled. “Will do.”

  He hung up. Avery Madison, dressed in a police uniform, came up the driveway carrying a binder. Her strides were long and confident. A strand of copper-colored hair had freed itself from the tight bun at the nape of her neck. Damp from the rain, it flirted with the most piercing set of green eyes Weston had ever seen.

  “Ranger Donovan?” she asked.

  “That’s me.” He extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Ma’am is reserved for my grandmother and my subordinates. You can call me Avery.”

  She slipped her hand into his. Avery’s grip was firm, her skin soft. The faint scent of wildflowers drifted across the space between them. A zap of something akin to attraction arced up his arm. It was immediately followed by stab of guilt. Weston dropped her hand. The wedding rings, hung from a chain around his neck, swayed under his shirt as he took a step back.

  “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.” Avery’s gaze slid to the back of the pickup and his fishing pole. “I’m sorry to interrupt your Sunday afternoon.”

  “It’s not a problem.” Weston led the way up the porch stairs, out of the rain, and gestured to a rocking chair. “Can I get you some coffee? Or water?”

  “No, thank you.” Avery sat. “Any more caffeine and I won’t have to drive back to Harrison University. I’ll be able to fly.”

  The chair seemed to swallow up her athletic frame. It wasn’t that she was particularly small. Around 5’5”, give or take, but the rocking chair had been made specifically for Weston. It’d been a decade since he’d played professional football, but he maintained a linebacker’s physique.

  He leaned against the porch railing. “Luke mentioned there was a murder Friday night at the university.”

  “Yes. A Caucasian female, mid-twenties, was found hanging in a classroom on campus.” She removed a photograph from the binder and handed it to him. “I was the first officer on the scene.”

  Weston’s gut clenched. Crime scene photos were never easy to look at, but this was particularly haunting. A woman dressed in a long white gown hung from the ceiling, a rope tied around her neck. Tilted over, under her bare feet, was a chair.

  “Is she a student?” he asked.

  “Don’t know. No one from Harrison University, student or faculty, has been reported missing. As of now, she’s a Jane Doe.”

  Avery’s voice was weary, and for the first time, Weston noticed faint shadows under her eyes. Her joke about the caffeine probably wasn’t far off the mark. Had she gotten any sleep since Friday night? If so, it’d been uneasy.

  “As you can see from the crime scene photograph, at first blush, it appeared to be a suicide,” Avery continued. “But evidence has ruled that possibility out. The coroner estimates the victim died at least 24 hours before she was found, and that classroom was used until seven p.m. on Friday evening.”

  Weston’s gaze shot back to the photograph. His mind whirled. “The scene was staged.”

  “There’s more. Around the woman’s wrist was a handmade bracelet.” Avery removed another photograph and passed it to him. The leather band had a charm threaded through it.

  Weston frowned. “Is that a chess piece?”

  “Yes. A pawn to be exact. And in the pocket of the victim’s dress, there was a note.” Avery flipped to a new page in her binder. Weston motioned for her to leave it in place and shifted so he could read the message. It was written by hand, in pen, using calligraphy-style letters.

  The game begins, Avery, with the King’s pawn opening.

  It was signed The Chessmaster. Weston read the note once, then again. His blood ran cold. “The killer mentions you by name. Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

  “No. I spent ten years with the Houston Police Department. First on patrol, then in the gang unit and homicide. None of the cases I’ve ever worked resembles anything like this.” Her mouth tightened. “It’s possible the killer singled me out because I’m the chief of police for the university.”

  Or it could be a threat. Weston knew it. Avery did, too, he was sure. Her face was a mask of professionalism, but he didn’t miss the slight tremble of her fingers. There was no need to push the point. At least, not
now.

  “How many people know about the bracelet and the note?” he asked.

  “A select few. We’ve been able to keep the murder quiet on campus for now, but it’s only a matter of time before that changes. I’d like assistance on the case from you. I’ve worked with the Texas Rangers before. You’re trained to handle high-profile cases, plus you get special priority at the state lab. Both of those things I need.”

  No doubt she would. Once word got out, there would be panic from students and parents. Not to mention the local townsfolk. But he had a feeling that wasn’t why Avery had asked for his help. He glanced down at the photograph of the victim. “You’re worried the killer may strike again.”

  “This crime isn’t the work of an amateur. I looked up the phrasing he used in the note. A King’s pawn opening is the first move in a chess game.” Her jaw tightened. “So yes…I think this could be the start of something.”

  Her instincts mirrored his own. “Give me five minutes to change. Then I want to go with you to the university. I need to see the crime scene.”

  An hour later, Avery steered a golf cart across the main courtyard of campus. Harrison University, founded in 1870, was a small, public college built around a large quad. Many of the buildings couldn’t be accessed by car. Weston was squeezed into the seat next to her.

  Well-maintained flower beds lined the walkway. The fountain in the center of the courtyard sent up a spray of water.