Dead by Dawn (A Kelsey Hawk FBI Suspense Thriller—Book Five)

D E A D

B Y

D A W N

(A Kelsey Hawk Mystery—Book 5)

K a t e   B o l d

Kate Bold

Bestselling author Kate Bold is author of the ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); the ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); the CAMILLE GRACE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising eight books (and counting); the HARLEY COLE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising eleven books (and counting); the KAYLIE BROOKS PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); the EVE HOPE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising seven books (and counting); the DYLAN FIRST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting);  the LAUREN LAMB FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); the KELSEY HAWK SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); the NORA PRICE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); and the NINA VEIL FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting).

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

Copyright © 2024 by Kate Bold. 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. Jacket image Copyright Nazarii_Neshcherenskyi, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY KATE BOLD

NINA VEIL SUSPENSE THRILLER

AWAY FROM HERE (Book #1)

AWAY FROM HIM (Book #2)

AWAY FROM HOPE (Book #3)

AWAY FROM HOME (Book #4)

AWAY FROM HUMANITY (Book #5)

NORA PRICE MYSTERY

CAN’T RUN (Book #1)

CAN’T HIDE (Book #2)

CAN’T ESCAPE (Book #3)

CAN’T SLEEP (Book #4)

CAN’T FORGET (Book #5)

KELSEY HAWK MYSTERY

DEAD INSIDE (Book #1)

DEAD RECKONING (Book #2)

DEAD TO ME (Book #3)

DEAD SILENCE (Book #4)

DEAD TO DAWN (Book #5)

ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER

THE KILLING GAME (Book #1)

THE KILLING TIDE (Book #2)

THE KILLING HOUR (Book #3)

THE KILLING POINT (Book #4)

THE KILLING FOG (Book #5)

THE KILLING PLACE (Book #6)

ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER

LET ME GO (Book #1)

LET ME OUT (Book #2)

LET ME LIVE (Book #3)

LET ME BREATHE (Book #4)

LET ME FORGET (Book #5)

LET ME ESCAPE (Book #6)

CAMILLE GRACE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOT ME (Book #1)

NOT NOW (Book #2)

NOT WELL (Book #3)

NOT HER (Book #4)

NOT NORMAL (Book #5)

NOT AGAIN (Book #6)

NOT SAFE (Book #7)

NOT TODAY (Book #8)

HARLEY COLE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOWHERE SAFE (Book #1)

NOWHERE LEFT (Book #2)

NOWHERE TO RUN (Book #3)

NOWHERE LIKE THIS (Book #4)

NOWHERE GIRL (Book #5)

NOWHERE TO HIDE (Book #6)

NOWHERE CERTAIN (Book #7)

NOWHERE PURE (Book #8)

NOWHERE SOUND (Book #9)

NOWHERE SANE (Book #10)

NOWHERE TRUE (Book #11)

KAYLIE BROOKS PYSCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE THRILLER

LAST BREATH (Book #1)

LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

LAST WISH (Book #3)

LAST SHOT (Book #4)

LAST MISTAKE (Book #5)

EVE HOPE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

IN HIS BLOOD (Book #1)

IN HIS SIGHTS (Book #2)

IN HIS REACH (Book #3)

IN HIS MIND (Book #4)

IN HIS WAY (Book #5)

IN HIS THOUGHTS (Book #6)

IN HIS DREAMS (Book #7)

DYLAN FIRST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

OUT OF REACH (Book #1)

OUT OF TOUCH (Book #2)

OUT OF TIME (Book #3)

OUT OF BOUNDS (Book #4)

OUT OF LUCK (Book #5)

LAUREN LAMB FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SOMETHING KNOCKING (Book #1)

SOMETHING CALLING (Book #2)

SOMETHING WRONG (Book 3)

SOMETHING DARK (Book #4)

SOMETHING TO HIDE (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

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

Roger stood in the small kitchen leading off to the back porch. The door was open, letting the slight breeze enter, but it did little to cool the stifling heat that had built up inside. Roger didn't notice the heat or the breeze. He could only focus on the oncoming storm. He knew what he had to do, no matter how much he didn't want to do it.

He picked up the pitcher of lemonade and poured some into a glass beside. When he put the pitcher back on the counter, he placed his hands on either side to cool them before rubbing his face. He still wasn’t thinking about the heat of the day—it was merely a habit he had picked up over the years, and his muscle memory kicked in. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand before picking up the glass and heading outside.

And there she was.

His love moved slowly and deliberately in the backyard, hanging the washing on the line. The shirts and dresses swung freely in the breeze as if they were dancing. Roger's life had been filled with many perfect moments, and this was another, but his past was catching up with him.

Sophia stopped what she was doing as if something had disturbed her. Roger watched. If there was a more beautiful woman in the world, he had not met them. They had been married for over ten years, and even though he had fifteen years on her, she made him feel young—she always had. Marrying her was the best decision he had ever made.

Something lit up in Sophia’s eyes, and she looked over to the porch where Roger had sat down with his lemonade. A tinge of a smile played on her lips, and she slowly raised one hand to greet him.

Roger smiled and waved back. His wife had been young when they married and maintained a youthful look: flawless skin and a toned body. And the best part was that she didn't have to do much to maintain it—the chores she did around the house and the occasional walk they took together were enough. Roger knew he was a very lucky man.

But that luck was running out.

Would you love me if you knew what I had done? Roger whispered.

His wife knew him better than anyone, but there were still things she did not know. Things that Roger couldn’t tell anyone. Things that frightened him. Echoes of the past that were catching up. He didn't regret anything he had done, and everything had culminated in his happy life, but whenever he considered the future, he couldn’t see a happy ending.

If his wife knew the truth, she would leave him in an instant. No one would ever love her like he did, and no one could love and understand him like she did. Yet, it was all converging. Roger had asked himself many times what he would do to protect himself—what he would do to protect Sophia.

When they came for him, they would take her too. That was why he had to be decisive, just as he had been all those years ago. One look at Sophia had made it the easiest decision in the world, but looking at her now, the decision was anything but.

This is for the best, Roger hissed.

He was frightened, not for his life but for hers. He was scared of not being with his wife. And behind it all, he was scared of what they would do to him when they came. He knew what the police would do, but he wasn’t afraid of that. It was the others he was scared of—there were some fates worse than death.

Spurred by fear, Roger drew the knife he had concealed on his belt, always worn for safety. He took a final mouthful of lemonade before standing up. The breeze touched him now, cooling his brow as he decided. He turned the knife over and over, the metal glinting in the sun.

He looked past the fence. Their house sat at the end of a cul-de-sac, so there were no houses directly beside them, but he still must be careful.

This is the best thing I can do for her. It’s for her protection.

Roger walked down the three steps that connected the porch and the lawn. For some unknown reason, he wished to be barefoot in the soft grass just as he had run around for most of the summer as a child. With the medication, Sophia had not been able to give him a child, and there would have been too many complications if they had conceived. It was the two of them against the world.

The laundry flapped in song as he walked through it—two long lines pulled taut between the house and two extended fence posts. He stopped before the large white sheet, the silhouette of his wife moving gently as she checked the remainder of the clothing in the basket held under her arm.

She froze, but Roger could hear the smile that came to her lips.

What are you doing there, Roger? Sophia asked in her singsong voice. There was a hint of hesitation; she was always wary and on edge.

Only wanted to pay you a little visit, Roger replied.

Have you brought me a kiss? Sophia asked.

Roger looked down at the knife in his hand. The sun was behind Sophia, so there was no chance of her seeing his shadow. He felt the tears come to his eyes, his resolve wavering.

No, this must be done.

Yes, I have brought you a kiss, my love, Roger replied.

He tightened his grip on the knife and wiped the tears with his free hand. When he felt ready, he pushed the white sheet aside and focused on the orders he had been given.

CHAPTER ONE

Kelsey checked herself over as she went up to the top floor in the elevator. She had rushed into countless life-or-death situations without hesitation or fear, so why did she feel so nervous now? Valleyview, Washington, was once her home, but it didn't feel like home now she was back. She brushed down the front of her jacket even though it did not need to be neatened, then looked at her hazy reflection in the dull metal—that was no help.

The elevator lurched to a halt and dinged—Kelsey felt the lump rise in her throat. The lump in her throat almost choked her when she spotted her ex-SAC, Paul Granger, down the hallway. He looked toward the elevator, perhaps expecting it to be her, and held Kelsey’s gaze for a few seconds before disappearing into a room.

It was the worst thing Kelsey would face in her career. Taking down serial killers and putting her body on the line for justice was nothing compared to the threat of losing her job. If the next hour went badly, she wouldn’t have a chance to put herself in danger for the job again.

Kelsey smiled to herself.

She knew that wasn’t true. There was unfinished business with the murder of her family, and she had a hunch she would place herself in danger to discover the truth, whether she remained a law enforcement officer or not.

Come on, Kelsey! You’ve faced him before.

She had faced him multiple times when she had worked for him, but he was not the main problem. The deputy director of the FBI was in the room with Paul Granger, and he would be the one to decide Kelsey’s fate. The deputy director was the judge, jury, and executioner.

Kelsey strode out of the elevator, her head held high, ready to face her fate. She walked straight toward the room she had seen Granger enter and knocked when she found it closed. Granger had seen her coming and had closed it purposely.

Enter.

Kelsey grimaced when she heard her ex-boss’s voice. She ventured into the room, taking a deep breath.

Paul Granger looked stoic, but behind the mask was disgust. Deputy Director Frank Harrington welcomed her civilly and gestured toward the empty chair on the opposite side of the table.

Thank you for being here today, Deputy Director Harrington said.

His voice was a little strained—he treated everyone well, but Kelsey had requested they do this in person instead of over a conference call, so he’d had to make the trip from his office to a second location. The deputy director was busy, and it was time he could not afford to give.

Still, Kelsey was confident in her decision to request it. She needed to look Paul Granger in the eye as he tried to destroy her. She looked at him as she sat, trying to gauge how ruthless he was about to be—years of working for him allowed her to see behind the calm exterior, partly down to the fact that she could provoke him like no one else.

I apologize for this, Kelsey said to the deputy director. I know you are busy, but this will decide my future, and I don't want any misunderstandings between us.

It is your right, the deputy director replied.

There was another knock on the door, and a young assistant entered to take minutes for the meeting. Kelsey also saw the recording device on the table. Both were to her benefit—if Granger tried to twist any truths or fabricate information, she would have him on record. She knew he wouldn’t be so reckless.

The deputy director got the formalities out of the way, stating the time, date, and the names of everyone present.

Special Agent Kelsey Hawk, as you know, we are here today to discuss your performance, Deputy Director Harrington started. It has been brought to my attention that you have been operating outside the bounds of our juridical process and have not only put yourself in danger, but those around you. How do you respond to this?

I would like to know where I have gone wrong before I admit any fault, Kelsey said.

The deputy director turned and nodded to SAC Granger. Paul Granger opened the folder before him and began reeling off the information.

"Special Agent Kelsey Hawk has endangered herself and others on repeated occasions, and she has put at risk any convictions. We have been lucky to avoid lawsuits being brought against the FBI in recent months. I speak specifically about entering a residence without a warrant, not only putting herself in danger but also the deputy sheriff she was working with. Not only did she illegally enter the premises, but she risked injury and death due to the residence being engulfed in