Don’t Tell (A Taylor Sage FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 6)

PROLOGUE Jenna tugged on Marcy's leash, prompting the little Bichon Frisé to stop sniffing the base of the tree and keep walking. They trotted forward in the park--only for Marcy to stop at yet another tree and bury her tiny nose in the grass below it. "Come on, Marcy," Jenna urged, annoyed. It was early--too early to be out, and a cool, misty sensation hung in the dark air. Jenna hated being out alone when it was this dark, but Marcy had woken her up at four a.m. and wouldn't stop yipping until Jenna just gave in, got up, and took the dog out for a walk. She let out a sigh as she not-so-patiently waited for Marcy to pee on the patch of grass she'd found. When was Jenna going to stop letting this dog rule her life? She looked down at Marcy as she kicked her feet in the grass. The dog looked up at her with a big, happy smile, tongue flopping out, and Jenna melted. She knew she'd never stop giving Marcy what she wanted because she just couldn't resist her cuteness. Marcy sniffed a little more. Jenna looked around, half expecting her parents to come out of the woods, scolding her for letting the dog go out this early in the morning. But the dog was doing her business, and Jenna didn't have to worry about it for a little while longer. She leaned against the dog-friendly tree trunk, watching the sky slowly light up in the east. The park was deserted at this time of day, and that meant that Jenna and Marcy had the whole space to themselves. "Wow," Jenna breathed as she looked up at the sky. The stars were still bright, twinkling in blue-blackness. The air was cool and thick, like it had become liquid overnight. The scent of moist earth came from the ground, and Jenna knew it had rained the night before. The grass and the trees were dotted with dew. Everything around her was wet. "All right, come on," Jenna said, tugging on Marcy's leash. Marcy happily trotted along next to her owner, a bit of a skip in her step. They continued through the winding path of the park toward home. Jenna needed to get back in bed and grab a few more hours of sleep before work in the morning. But then, suddenly, Marcy stopped, staring at a tree with her ears perked up and head tilted to the side. Jenna looked down at Marcy and frowned. "What's up, girl?" she asked. No response came, so Jenna continued walking. Marcy, however, was not moving. She continued staring at the tree, growling, as Jenna tugged on the leash. Jenna frowned. The last thing she wanted was to stand out in the cold for too long. It was late-October now, and the days were getting shorter and colder. "Come on, Marce, really?" Jenna looked over at what her dog was looking and growling at. She was looking up, and Jenna followed her eyes up the trunk of the tree, up and up--until what she saw made her blood turn to ice. Hanging from a tree branch above, tied by a rope, was a shape. A distinctly human shape. Jenna yelped and nearly fell back before terror froze her in place. She covered her mouth as Marcy started barking. Then, all at once, she felt like a compete i***t. It was almost Halloween. Someone must have left their stupid prop here as a prank. Rolling her eyes, Jenna looked up at the swaying figure. Slowly, it rocked in the breeze. It definitely looked like a person whose foot was tied to a rope, hanging upside down in the tree. But it had to be a prop, right? It had to be something someone had brought to the park just to scare people on Halloween. Jenna glanced around the path. Maybe it was a friend of a friend, someone messing with her for a laugh. Maybe she should just cut it down and... The body looked like a real person. Jenna could make out black clothes, a black mask, and a realistic looking blood-red prop wound around the neck. And then Jenna's eyes traveled to the person's hands--which were tied together. Suddenly, she felt sick. This was an awfully realistic gag. It could definitely scare somebody else, maybe even give an unsuspecting old person a heart attack. Jenna couldn't live with herself if something like that happened. It was best if she just cut it down. It was probably made of straw anyway. Jenna took a step closer to the tree, Marcy still barking at the hanging figure. The dog's barks echoed through the park, and Jenna shushed her. She didn't want anyone else to see this and think it was real. That would be even worse. Jenna tried to reach for the knife she always kept in her pocket, but her hands were shaking too much. She dropped it twice before she finally managed to get a grip on it. Her heart was pounding as she reached up and sawed at the rope. It was definitely straw. It had to be. There was no way this could be a real person... It didn't look like one of those dummy Halloween prop mannequins. It looked real. There was no way it could be real. But if Jenna reached up, she could touch one of the dangling hands... just to be sure... Jenna's heart was beating so fast she could almost hear it in her ears. But she had to know. She reached up, took one of the dangling hands, and gripped it. It was definitely human. Jenna let go. There was no way this was a real person. But the hand was cold. It was cold, and it was definitely a real hand. Jenna screamed so loud it echoed across the park. And she knew, for sure, that this was no prank.