Title unknown at this time My third book is the second book in a series. It has many of the characters from Containment Theory. It will be set in the city of Phoenix and will be about a sadist killer from Chris Donley's past. I will add a few segments from the book as I finish chapters. As always, any title suggestions are considered and appreciated. Also please remember that what you read here has not been edited yet, so if you find mistakes you may bring them to my attention. Spelling and grammer mistakes will be caught by my editor though. (I have a new editor since Eyes of the Beast). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks,
Mark Douglas

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Mike Raleigh shut and then rubbed his dark green eyes as he listened to the busy tone coming over the phone receiver. His jet black hair was starting to show the effects of being a seasoned investigator for the Ocean County Sheriffs Department. The gray was becoming more prominent and the bags under the eyes were growing darker. The last six weeks had taken its toll on Mike, a very complex murder investigation, and a time limit given to him by a federal prosecutor. "Less than thirty days," Mike mumbles to himself, "he gave me less than thirty days yet it's been over a year, and now I can't even get him on the phone."
Mike leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. He was tired. For the past four weeks he had been trying to bring down the most powerful crime boss on the east coast. The Feds wanted Vincent Tobias real bad, so bad in fact, they were willing to give a murderer a new identity if he would help them.
Steve Steward killed five people in cold blood just to get to one man that Tobias wanted dead. One of those five happened to be a very good friend of Mikes. Joseph Barelli was Mike training officer when he was a homicide detective in the New Jersey Police Department. Mike only worked with Joe for a few months, but in that time they had become good friends.
Malcolm Hyatt was the top federal prosecutor in the north east district. He was the one that offered Steward the witness protection program if Steward would help bring down Vincent Tobias. If Mike wanted to be able to prosecute Steward, he would have to bring Tobias to justice before Hyatt. This meant that Mike had to take down one of the most guarded men in the United States. The feds must have been having trouble bringing down Tobias though, it has been over a year since the Steward deal and Tobias still walks free.
Mike has a problem bringing Tobias to justice also, a jurisdiction problem. Most of the time Tobias works out of Newark or New York, well out of Ocean County jurisdiction. Mike has one thing that the feds don't, Chris Donley. This friend works for and has the resources of thirty National Football Association owner who want to know if Tobias has ties with James Cavanaugh, the NFA commissioner. According to Steward's testimony, Cavanaugh has been feeding information to Tobias about NFA games. This information was allowing Tobias to bet on these games and use the winning to support his operation.
Donley was told by the NFA owners to investigate this accusation, and if he found it to be true, do whatever is necessary to put a stop to it. This was no easy task because Donley had worked for the NFA owners for many years and was known by almost everybody. Mike did everything he could to help, but even with that, it took Donley almost a year to put Cavanaugh and Tobias together. Once Donley had Cavanaugh nailed, the owners he escorted him down to Miami where the owners where meeting to chose the next five championship game locations. The problem here was, to bring charges against Cavanaugh would bring a lot of unwanted questions on why the commissioner of the NFA was being fired. A problem that the NFA didn't need in the wake of last years fiasco that almost pro-footballs biggest secret. Cavanaugh was to retire and keep his pension on one condition, he had to help Donley bring down Tobias. The way the owners figured it was, if Tobias was still allowed to walk free, their secret was still in danger., so Cavanaugh either had to help or he would be prosecuted. Donley turned all his information over to Mike and waited.
Mike had gone through all the information and new he could bring down Tobias, he just needed federal help. Mike hit the 'redial' button on his phone and waited. The phone was ringing. Mike took a deep breath and waited for someone to answer.
"Malcolm Hyatt's office, can I help you?" came a pleasant voice over the phone.
"I would like to speak with Mister Hyatt please," Mike responded.
"I'm sorry, Mister Hyatt has left for the day."
"Do you have anyway of contacting him?"
"I can leave him a message sir."
"Please tell him that Lieutenant Raleigh called and needs to talk to him. Please tell him it is urgent."
"I will give him that message sir. Can I ask how he should contact you?"
"He knows how," Mike stated letting out a small sigh.
"Very well Lieutenant, I will give Mister Hyatt your message."
"Can you tell me if he will be in tomorrow?"
"No sir, Mister Hyatt will be in meeting most of the day."
"Thank you, have a nice day."
"Thank you, you do the same."
Mike hung up the phone completely disgusted. He really wanted to put Steward behind bars where he belonged. This of course was not going to happen unless Mike was able to give Hyatt the information before the got it from Steward. Mike leaned back in his chair, ran his fingers through his hair, and looked around his small cluttered office.
Mikes office was the smallest in the building. He didn't mind the size to much because he proffered to be out in the field anyway. The office was just a place for him to keep his files, coordinate assignments with the other detectives, and a place to come to to show his captain he was still alive.
Mike crossed his arms and stared at his desk. A computer that was very rarely turned on, a telephone, rolodex, and several folders containing the open cases he was working on. He reached out and picked up the folder marked 'Tobias', opened it, and stared at the business cards paper clipped to the upper left corner of the folder.
"It's worth a shot," he mumbles as he picks up the phone and dials.
"Federal Bureau of Investigations, District of Columbia field office, how may I help you?" said the female voice.
"This is Lieutenant Raleigh with the Ocean County Sheriffs Department," Mike responded, "I would like to talk to Special Agent Buck Foreman if I could please."
"I'm sorry Lieutenant, Special Agent Foreman will be at his sub-office in the Hoover building for the rest of the week."
"Do you have that number please?"
"The best I could do would be give him a message to call you."
"Thanks. He has my number, just tell him that I called."
"Very well Lieutenant, have a nice day."
"You too," Mike said hanging up the phone and throwing the folder back on the desk. he leaned back, took a deep breath, and rubbed his eyes. "Dammit, dammit to hell."
"Mike," said Sergeant Powers sticking his head into the office, "there's a Special Agent Foreman on line two."
"Thanks," Mike said picking up the phone. "This is Lieutenant Raleigh."
"Yes Lieutenant, this is Buck Foreman, I have a message you called."
"Yes sir I did. I have some very important information about the Tobias case I need to get to you."
"As a matter of fact, we are having a meeting here tomorrow about that very case. Would you like to join us?"
"What time?"
"Nine o’clock, Hoover building, conference room two."
"I’ll be there."
"Good. I’ll leave a pass for you at the security desk ask for Cecil. And lieutenant, don’t bring your gun this time."
"Yeah I know." Mike hung up the phone. He started to remember the last time he was at the Hoover building. He flashed his badge and tried and walked on through the metal detector. After a twenty minute body search and the surrendering of his weapon, Mike was allowed to go upstairs with Buck. He wasn’t positive, but he was preety sure that he had been violated by Cecil’s body search.
Mike grabbed his jacket and ran out of his office and to the office across the lobby. He buttoned his coat, straightened his tie, then knocked on the door.
"Enter," came the voice from inside.
Mike entered the office and stood in front of the large desk. The large man behind the desk didn’t look up at Mike, he just continue reading the paper he had in his hand.
Mike just stood there and waited patiently. He noticed something he had never seen before, a bald spot in the middle of the large mans pure white hair. It’s not like you could see it most times as the large man towered most people standing at six foot seven.
The large man was captain Harry Trustman, commander of the Criminal Investigation Unit, and one of the most respected men in law enforcement. It was him and the sheriff that made the Ocean City CIU one of the best in the United States.
Harry leaned back in his chair, removed the glasses from his nose, and stared at Mike trough his dark green eyes. "What can I do for you Mike?" he asked.
"I need a couple of days off to go to DC." Mike informed
Harry took a deep breath, tossed his glasses on the desk, and rubbed his temples. "I suppose this has something to do with the Tobias/Steward case that has taken up so much of your time."
"Yes sir it is," Mike said holding his head down. He knew that the captain wasn’t real pleased with how much time he had put into this case.
"On one condition Mike. Once you’re back, this case is closed. No matter what happens in Washington, you’re done with this case."
"Yes sir."
"Then go," Harry said picking up his glasses. He watched Mike leave, placed the glasses back on his nose, and continued reading.
"Scott," Mike said as he closed the captains door, "have Maclemore take charge, I’ll be back in a couple of days."
"Okay Mike," replied Sergeant Powers.
"Any problems call me on my cell phone," Mike yelled as he went out the door.
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"Hello," Chris said answering the phone.
"Hello Chris," the voice on the phone answered back. "It has been a long time."
"Who is this?" Chris asked.
"Oh now that hurts," the voice answered, "you don't remember my voice after all we have been through together."
Chris started to put the voice to a face. He stood there silent wondering if it could be true. Could this man have possibly survived the punishment his body went through. "I thought you were dead," Chris finally managed to say.
"Almost," the voice said, "but not quite. It was just enough to put me out of commission for awhile."
"What do you want?" Chris asked with a slight growl in his voice.
"Payback."
"Payback for what?"
"For five years of agonizing pain and discomfort."
"You brought that on yourself, I didn't do anything but protect myself."
"I didn't harm you Chris, I never harmed anyone."
"Those women you kidnapped might have a different story." Chris Donley had an uncanny likeness to 'Humphrey Bogart' and when he was upset his manorisms and voice would start to mimic the famous actor.  ¶ 5:51 PM 0 comments