Damaged (A Casey Bolt FBI Suspense Thriller—Book Four)

By Molly Black

FBI special agent Casey Bolt, with her rare neurological condition, is able to see and feel patterns other can’t, and when a string of disappearances disturbs the quiet community of the Olympic Peninsula, it takes all of Casey’s senses to navigate the dense, dark forests and unearth the clue that will lead them directly to a killer….

“Molly Black has written a taut thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat… I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series!”
—Reader review for Girl One: Murder
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DAMAGED is book #4 of a long anticipated new series by critically-acclaimed and #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Molly Black, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings.

Casey, grappling with synesthesia, has the rare ability to perceive senses in multiple ways, enabling her to view crime scenes, and track down clues, in ways others cannot. Her talent has made her indispensable to the FBI, but while her renown in the FBI grows, Casey remains tormented by the case that haunts her the most: her mother’s brutal, unsolved murder from fifteen years ago.

As Casey strives to uncover the secrets of the past, she must rely on every instinct and insight to make it out of the field alive. But can her own senses lead her astray?

A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the CASEY BOLT series is a riveting mystery, packed with non-stop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.

Future books in the series are also available.

“I binge read this book. It hooked me in and didn't stop till the last few pages… I look forward to reading more!”
—Reader review for Found You
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“I loved this book! Fast-paced plot, great characters and interesting insights into investigating cold cases. I can't wait to read the next book!”
—Reader review for Girl One: Murder
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“Very good book… You will feel like you are right there looking for the kidnapper! I know I will be reading more in this series!”
—Reader review for Girl One: Murder
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“This is a very well written book and holds your interest from page 1… Definitely looking forward to reading the next one in the series, and hopefully others as well!”
—Reader review for Girl One: Murder
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“Wow, I cannot wait for the next in this series. Starts with a bang and just keeps going.”
—Reader review for Girl One: Murder
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“Well written book with a great plot, one that will keep you up at night. A page turner!”
—Reader review for Girl One: Murder
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“A great suspense that keeps you reading… can't wait for the next in this series!”
—Reader review for Found You
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“Sooo soo good! There are a few unforeseen twists… I binge read this like I binge watch Netflix. It just sucks you in.”
—Reader review for Found You
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Molly Black
• Release date: Mar 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9781094396163

Book preview

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D A M A G E D

(A Casey Bolt FBI Suspense Thriller —Book 4)

M o l l y   B l a c k

Molly Black

Bestselling author Molly Black is author of the MAYA GRAY FBI suspense thriller series, comprising ten books (and counting); of the RYLIE WOLF FBI suspense thriller series, comprising six books; of the TAYLOR SAGE FBI suspense thriller series, comprising eight books; of the KATIE WINTER FBI suspense thriller series, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the RUBY HUNTER FBI suspense thriller series, comprising five books (and counting); of the CAITLIN DARE FBI suspense thriller series, comprising six books (and counting); of the REESE LINK mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CLAIRE KING FBI suspense thriller series, comprising seven books (and counting); of the PIPER WOODS mystery series, comprising five books (and counting); of the GRACE FORD mystery series, comprising seven books (and counting); of the CASEY BOLT mystery series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the JADE SAVAGE mystery series, comprising five books (and counting).

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Molly loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.mollyblackauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Copyright © 2024  by Molly Black. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This 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 fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

BOOKS BY MOLLY BLACK

JADE SAVAGE MYSTERY SERIES

ALL SHE FEARS (Book #1)

ALL SHE WANTS (Book #2)

ALL SHE REMEMBERS (Book #3)

ALL SHE NEEDS (Book #4)

ALL SHE HIDES (Book #5)

CASEY BOLT MYSTERY SERIES

BROKEN (Book #1)

FLAWED (Book #2)

BLEMISHED (Book #3)

DAMAGED (Book #4)

TWISTED (Book #5)

GRACE FORD MYSTERY SERIES

NEARLY MINE (Book #1)

NEARLY SAFE (Book #2)

NEARLY FREE (Book #3)

NEARLY GONE (Book #4)

NEARLY HIS (Book #5)

CLAIRE KING MYSTERY SERIES

ONCE HE SEES (Book #1)

ONCE HE LONGS (Book #2)

ONCE HE TAKES (Book #3)

ONCE HE FEELS (Book #4)

ONCE HE KNOWS (Book #5)

MAYA GRAY MYSTERY SERIES

GIRL ONE: MURDER (Book #1)

GIRL TWO: TAKEN (Book #2)

GIRL THREE: TRAPPED (Book #3)

GIRL FOUR: LURED (Book #4)

GIRL FIVE: BOUND (Book #5)

GIRL SIX: FORSAKEN (Book #6)

GIRL SEVEN: CRAVED (Book #7)

GIRL EIGHT: HUNTED (Book #8)

GIRL NINE: GONE (Book #9)

RYLIE WOLF FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

FOUND YOU (Book #1)

CAUGHT YOU (Book #2)

SEE YOU (Book #3)

WANT YOU (Book #4)

TAKE YOU (Book #5)

DARE YOU (Book #6)

TAYLOR SAGE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

DON’T LOOK (Book #1)

DON’T BREATHE (Book #2)

DON’T RUN (Book #3)

DON’T FLINCH (Book #4)

DON’T REMEMBER (Book #5)

DON’T TELL (Book #6)

KATIE WINTER FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SAVE ME (Book #1)

REACH ME (Book #2)

HIDE ME (Book #3)

BELIEVE ME (Book #4)

HELP ME (Book #5)

FORGET ME (Book #6)

HOLD ME (Book #7)

PROTECT ME (Book #8)

REMEMBER ME (Book #9)

CATCH ME (Book #10)

WATCH ME (Book #11)

RUBY HUNTER FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

IF I RUN (Book #1)

IF I TELL (Book #2)

IF I LIVE (Book #3)

IF I FORGET (Book #4)

IF I RETURN (Book #5)

CAITLIN DARE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

COME GET ME (Book #1)

COME FIND ME (Book #2)

COME TAKE ME (Book #3)

COME CATCH ME (Book #4)

COME SAVE ME (Book #5)

REESE LINK MYSTERY

BEYOND REASON (Book #1)

BEYOND REACH (Book #2)

BEYOND REPAIR (Book #3)

BEYOND DOUBT (Book #4)

BEYOND NORMAL (Book #5)

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

PROLOGUE

Lost. So very, very lost.

The moon cast an eerie glow over the windswept peninsula, as the waves crashed violently against the rocks below, witnessing a severe argument between three hikers.

For nearly five hours, the hikers had traversed the dense forests of the Olympic peninsula. The dense foliage was only interrupted by the occasional stream and the signature evergreen trees that towered above them.

The air was crisp and salty from the nearby ocean.

As they made their way up a steep incline, they stumbled upon a scene of breathtaking beauty, but the view was interrupted by Miranda's rising temper.

Hands on her hips, twenty-one-year-old Miranda's pretty, blonde features contorted into a mix of anger and frustration as she argued with her friends.

Maybe if you listened for once, we wouldn't be in this mess! she shouted at James, her voice barely audible above the howling wind.

Me? You're the one who insisted on taking that stupid shortcut! James retorted, his face turning red from a combination of cold and anger.

Enough! cried Emma, stepping between them. This isn't helping! We need to find our way back!

Miranda clenched her fists, fury boiling within her. She wanted nothing more than to distance herself from the argument, to escape the suffocating tension that seemed to grip their small group like a vice. With a huff, she spun on her heel and stormed off without a word.

Miranda, wait! called out Emma.

But Miranda had heard enough.

Two hours wasted.

Two hours of shortcuts James had promised to try and impress Emma. But now they were lost--and she was exhausted.

She glanced out from the overlook even as she marched away, hoping the assuaging beauty might calm her nerves at least a little.

The Olympic Peninsula spread out before them like an emerald blanket draped over the landscape.

The trees had thinned out now, giving way to rolling hills carpeted in lush green grasses and wildflowers of myriad colors. In the distance, snow-capped peaks rose majestically into the sky. The sun shone brightly on this idyllic scene, its warm rays reflecting off of a lake nestled in the valley below. The lake’s surface was so still that it resembled a mirror.

They had reached an overlook at the edge of the peninsula, which offered unparalleled views of both land and sea alike. To their left lay rugged cliffs jutting out into Puget Sound, while directly ahead stretched miles upon miles of open ocean dotted with small islands here and there. Gulls glided gracefully through the air, their cries mingling with those of distant whales as they made their way across the vast expanse.

Miranda found some of her anger melting under the affect of the sight.

She inhaled the afternoon air, glancing up at the sunlight peeking from behind sporadic clouds.

Let her go, then, James muttered. She's a whiner anyway.

Her shoulders tensed, and she continued marching forward.

As she stomped away from her friends, Miranda's mind raced with thoughts of what could have been said and done differently. Had she only stood up for herself sooner, or explained her reasoning better, maybe they wouldn't be in this situation. But now it was too late.

She'd known James was trying to impress Emma...

Was that why she was so mad?

Because James' affections were for someone else?

No, she muttered under her breath, answering her own thoughts. Her clenched hands and jaw suggested otherwise, but she ignored her body's telltale signs.

Miranda's boots crunched through the gravel path, her pace quickening as the sound of her friends' voices faded.

She glanced back, and could hear James still muttering about her to Emma. His words cut deep, and she remembered a time when he'd looked at her the same way he now looked at their mutual friend.

She just needed a moment. She checked the trail marking, making sure that she could easily find her way back.

Trees loomed overhead, their branches gnarled and twisted like skeletal fingers reaching out to ensnare her. The shadows seemed to dance and shift around her, feeding on her mounting frustrations and fears.

As she stomped deeper into the darkness, Miranda could feel her pulse quickening, her breathing growing more ragged. She tried to focus on her anger, using it as an anchor to keep her from being swallowed by the suffocating darkness. But as the oppressive silence of the woods closed in around her, she couldn't help but wonder if she ought to go back.

She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder.

She could no longer hear her friends' voices.

Had they left?

She paused.

She opened her mouth to call out, but her pride couldn't take it.

She released a soft exhale, then turned and began retracing her steps, her face reddening from the embarrassment of feeling like a puppy slinking back with a tucked tail.

But her temper was being slowly eaten away by the corrosive affect of isolation... which brought tendrils of fear.

The damp earth underneath Miranda's feet seemed to cling to her shoes, pulling her deeper into the unknown. The once-familiar scent of pine now felt foreign and invasive – a reminder that she was no longer in the safe confines of her campsite. A chill ran up her spine as the realization set in: she had ventured too far from her friends.

Okay, I'm alone, she whispered to herself. Emma? she called out tentatively. She clenched her fists and took a step forward – only to stop short when a twig snapped underfoot, echoing like a gunshot in the oppressive silence.

Are you guys there? she called out, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady. Her heart hammered in her chest, her breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. The shadows around her seemed to close in, their twisted shapes morphing into menacing figures that lurked just beyond the edges of her vision.

Get a grip, Miranda, she muttered, forcing herself to take another step. It's just your imagination.

But doubt gnawed at her, driving her to consider the possibility that maybe she wasn't alone. Maybe something – or someone – was watching her from the darkness. The thought sent her pulse racing, each beat threatening to drown out any remaining semblance of reason.

Stupid! Why didn't you listen to Emma? The path leading back to her friends seemed impossibly twisty, a lifeline sealed in shadows and swallowed by the forest. For a moment, she hesitated, torn between the fear that clawed at her insides and the desire to prove that she wasn't a coward.

As Miranda stood there, wavering between her fear and pride, a faint, eerie melody reached her ears. It sounded like a flute, the notes drifting through the trees like tendrils of mist.

Is someone playing music out here? she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. She strained her ears, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound, but it seemed to come from all directions at once, wrapping around her like a sinister embrace.

Emma? Thomas! she called louder.

Were they now listening to music? Strange...

Miranda shook her head, attempting to dispel the mounting dread that threatened to consume her. Don't be ridiculous, she muttered, taking a slow, deep breath. Her own voice was barely audible above the music's eerie lull, which seemed to grow louder with each passing second.

Just as she was about to break into a jog, another noise joined the ominous symphony – a low, indistinct rustling that set her nerves on edge. It was too subtle to identify, too quiet to ignore, and it seemed to emanate from the shadows themselves.

Who's there? Miranda demanded, her voice cracking under the pressure of her growing anxiety. Show yourself! You're not funny, Thomas! Emma--stop that!

The only reply she received was the soft whisper of leaves on the forest floor, mingling with the mournful strains of the flute. It felt as though the very air around her had grown heavy, thick with menace.

Cut it out! she cried, her fear blossoming into anger. I'm not afraid of you!

But even as she shouted into the darkness, Miranda knew that her words were a lie. The truth was evident in her rapid heartbeat, in the cold sweat that clung to her skin, in the trembling of her hands as she clenched them into fists. She was terrified, and whatever lurked within the shadows knew it.

Was it another hiker?

The music continued to play, its haunting melody a cruel reminder of just how far she had strayed from the safety of the campsite. And as she stood there, surrounded by darkness and a growing sense of foreboding, Miranda couldn't shake the feeling that she was being hunted – that something in the woods was closing in, and that her cries for help would be swallowed by the night.

The haunting melody still hung in the air, its eerie notes echoing through the trees. Miranda's heart pounded in her chest as she scanned the darkness, searching for any sign of movement. The forest was a symphony of shadows and whispers, but her fear had sharpened her senses.

As she peered into the gloom, a flicker of movement caught her eye. It was just a shadow, dancing between the trees, too indistinct to make out clearly. But it was enough to send a shiver down her spine and set her heart racing even faster.

Stay away from me! she cried, her panic rising. I'm warning you!

But the shadow remained, drifting on the edge of her vision like a phantom. It seemed to be moving closer, but always just out of reach, never fully revealing itself.

Is this some kind of sick game?! Miranda demanded, her anger momentarily overpowering her fear.

Silence. No response other than the wind rustling through the trees. It taunted her, playing with her frayed nerves. As the seconds ticked by, she couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister was lurking just beyond her sight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Whoever you are, I'll scream! You don't want to mess with them! she threatened, hoping to scare off whoever – or whatever – was stalking her.

The shadow seemed to pause, as if considering her words. But then, it continued its slow advance, only heightening her sense of dread. Miranda could feel its presence like an icy hand gripping her heart.

Miranda hesitated no longer. A wave of panic surged through her, and she bolted, her legs pumping as fast as they could carry her. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, each one tearing at her throat like shards of glass. She dared not look back, knowing that whatever was stalking her was still out there.

Leave me alone! she screamed, her voice echoing through the darkness. Just leave me alone!

The woods were a blur around her, branches clawing at her face and clothes as she sprinted