Saturday, December 2, 2023

Excerpt: ASCENSION OF THE PHOENIX by Jessica Piro

 

Even though this murderer had butchered two families, he wasn’t the sadistic Bryan Foster.

Metal trash cans crashed to the ground, scattering their contents as the suspect barreled through. Leila Wells smirked at the obstacle—his fourth attempt at slowing her and David Neal, Jr., her partner, down. The two detectives vaulted over the garbage cans and continued their pursuit.

Since he bolted at the sight of them at his apartment, the chase had spanned two blocks, snaking through alleyways—alleyways she knew like the back of her hand. David, behind her, enjoyed the chase like a hound after a scared rabbit.

His adrenaline, Leila thought.

Up ahead, the alleyway branched into two separate paths. Leila ran over the map in her head—eventually, both pathways crossed again. Knowing David would likely guess at her plan, she turned down the right one.

“Move!” she ordered the two men standing in the middle of the alley. They flattened against the walls of the lane. She charged through and kept running.

She kept track of her location relative to the others’. On the map in her head, two red dots traveled down paths, and both lights raced toward the crossroads. Since the suspect and David would be close to reaching it, Leila pumped her arms harder.

Near the intersection of their alleys, pounding footfalls and panting grew louder. By the sounds of his running, the suspect neared her exit. She lunged.

Within seconds, Leila collided with the running man—knocking him off his feet—and sent them both to the ground.

Only stunned for a second, the criminal scrambled back to his feet. It was enough. Leila quickly jumped up and kicked the man across his face, sending him cartwheeling.

Leila landed into the Tiger stance of her Five-Animals Kung Fu, ready for his next attempt to evade capture. Cradling his nose, the man rolled in pain, moaning. Not many could take a kick to the face and keep going, so maybe she should’ve dealt a lesser blow.

David slowed to a jog as he met them. “I had him,” he said, breathless.

She straightened and walked over to the downed man. “Sure you did.” She threw handcuffs on the man’s wrists as she Mirandized him.

“And now you won’t let me arrest him?”

Leila smiled. “I got him; he’s my collar.” She led him back the way they came to their unmarked car. David sighed behind her but followed.

 

Buy on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Ascension-Phoenix-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B08GL84FBQ/

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