Amber Morn Read online

  PRAISE FOR BRANDILYN COLLINS’

  KANNER LAKE SERIES

  CRIMSON EVE

  “Collins tops herself by creating a suspenseful, nonstop thrill ride.… Truly the best CF suspense title so far this year; this book deserves a place in all collections.”

  — Library Journal, starred review

  “…teeth-chattering, mind-freezing prose. Crimson Eve is Collins at her very best.… The pacing is so intense there was little opportunity to rest. Collins crafts an unparalleled cat-and-mouse game wrought with mystery and surprise.”

  — TitleTrakk.com

  “The excitement starts on page one and doesn’t stop until the shocking end… [Crimson Eve] is fast-paced and thrilling.”

  Romantic Times

  “The action starts with a bang, with an attempt on Carla’s life, and the pace doesn’t let up until this fabulous racehorse of a story crosses the finish line… Collins’s fast-paced and intriguing plot line is sensitively combined with diary entries of Carla’s past heartaches. Crimson Eve will be a welcome addition to the libraries of Christian suspense fans.”

  Christian Retailing

  VIOLET DAWN

  “What a ride! Collins is a high-caliber writer. [She] spices her seatbelt suspense with a dash of humor and heart-wrenching predicaments. Don’t forget to breathe.”

  Novel Reviews

  “… features a sympathetic heroine and uses flashbacks effectively to set up this tale about child abuse and its long-term impact. With several suspense titles under her belt (Brink of Death, Stain of Guilt, Web of Lies), Collins knows how to weave faith into a rich tale. Possible crossover appeal for fans of Mary Higgins Clark.”

  — Library Journal

  “Skillfully written… Imaginative style and exquisite suspense.”

  1340mag.com

  “… a roller-coaster ride with incredible heights and violent spiral twists that leave you quaking as it slows to a stop.”

  — North Idaho Lifestyle

  “Collins expertly melds flashbacks with present-day events to provide a smooth yet deliciously intense flow.”

  — RT BookClub

  “Collins’s skill in handling multiple points of view and time shifts, which flow easily together and advance the plot… interesting details of police procedure and crime scene investigation… a promising and entertaining beginning to the Kanner Lake Series.”

  Publisher’s Weekly

  CORAL MOON

  “Thrilling.… Leave the light on when you read this one.… Readers will enjoy spending time with the well-rounded characters in Kanner Lake. This is a fun read with almost no down time, one of those rare books you hurry through, almost breathlessly, to find out what happens.”

  — Spokane Living

  “A chilling mystery. Not one to be read alone at night.”

  — RT BookClub, four stars

  Other Books by Brandilyn Collins

  Kanner Lake Series

  1 | Violet Dawn

  2 | Coral Moon

  3 | Crimson Eve

  4 | Amber Morn

  Hidden Faces Series

  1 | Brink of Death

  2 | Stain of Guilt

  3 | Dead of Night

  4 | Web of Lies

  Chelsea Adams Series

  1 | Eyes of Elisha

  2 | Dread Champion

  Bradleyville Series

  1 | Cast a Road before Me

  2 | Color the Sidewalk for Me

  3 | Capture the Wind for Me

  BRANDILYN

  COLLINS

  KANNER LAKE SERIES

  AMBER MORN

  BOOK 4

  ZONDERVAN

  Amber Morn

  Copyright © 2008 by Brandilyn Collins

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.

  EPub Edition June 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-82840-2

  Requests for information should be addressed to:

  Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

  * * *

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Collins, Brandilyn.

  Amber morn / Brandilyn Collins.

  p. cm.

  ISBN-13: 978-0-310-27641-8 (pbk.)

  ISBN-10: 0-310-27641-1 (pbk.)

  11. Hostages—Fiction. 2. Idaho—Fiction. 3. Resorts—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3553.O4747815A84 2008

  813’.54—dc22

  2007042521

  * * *

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

  Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.

  08 09 10 11 12 13 • 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Visit Scenes and Beans at www.kannerlake.blogspot.com.

  Want to Discuss Amber Morn with Your Book Club?

  Insightful questions about the story

  and how it applies to your life can be found at

  www.kannerlake.com/discussions

  Gratefully dedicated to

  the original Scenes and Beans blog writers,

  who helped shape the characters

  in Java Joint.

  Sabrina Butcher

  Bonnie Calhoun

  Rebecca Carter

  Laura Domino

  Bob Edwards

  Stephanie Fowler

  Tracy Fowler

  Beth Goddard

  Gina Holmes

  Bev Huston

  Pamela James

  Jason Joyner

  David Meigs

  Chris Mikesell

  Dineen Miller

  Sandra Moore

  Vennessa Ng

  Kjersten Nickleby

  Michelle Pendergrass

  Cara Putman

  Sherry Ramsey

  Janet Rubin

  Chawna Schroeder

  Wayne Scott

  Lynetta Smith

  Michael Snyder

  Lynette Sowell

  Stuart Stockton

  Kim Thomas

  Jennifer Tiszai

  Marjorie Vawter

  Karen Wevick

  When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,

  but even in death the righ teous have a refuge.

  Proverbs 14:32

  Contents

  COVER PAGE

  PRAISE FOR BRANDILYN COLLINS’ KANNER LAKE SERIES

  Other Books by Brandilyn Collins

  COPYRIGHT

  INTRODUCTION

  PART ONE: Attack

  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

  CHAPTE
R TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  PART TWO: Seige

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

  CHAPTER SIXTY

  CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

  CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

  CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

  PART THREE: Ultimatum

  CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

  CHAPTER SEVENTY

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER EIGHTY

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR

  PART FOUR: Rebuilding

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Brink of Death

  Be sure to read Brandilyn Collins’ next exciting novel, Vain Empires — here’s a sample

  Three ways to keep up on your favorite Zondervan books and authors

  About the Publisher

  Share Your Thoughts

  INTRODUCTION

  Dear Reader:

  Here we are at the fourth and final book in the Kanner Lake Series. It doesn’t seem long ago at all that I started writing the first one, Violet Dawn. If you haven’t read the other books in this series, don’t worry. You can still read this one and not feel lost.

  Like the other Kanner Lake books, Amber Morn features the gang at Java Joint, who post on the Scenes and Beans blog. In the previous books, many of them were supporting characters. This story places them front and center as an ensemble cast.

  As Amber Morn begins, it has been eight months since the events in Crimson Eve that changed Carla Radling’s life — and the face of the nation. And over a year since the confounding murders that occurred in Coral Moon. Kanner Lake has let out its breath, settled back into peaceful existence.

  That’s about to be shattered.

  Today the town will face the most fearful day it has ever known. Every citizen — whether as friend or family member — is close to someone caught in the trauma.

  And now, dear reader, once again the ride begins. This one is a roller coaster in the dark, for its operators are volatile and unpredictable. And they do not care if you reach the end safely. So keep your hands inside the car, strap yourself in tight, and don’t forget to b r e a t h e… ®

  PART ONE

  Attack

  ONE

  Any man going on this mission wasn’t coming back.

  Cluttered kitchen, cluttered head. Kent Wicksell could hardly think straight. It wasn’t supposed to start like this. Dread anticipation pumped through his veins as he faced off with his second son. Vigilante Brad, gunning to take on the world. At twenty-nine, he thought he knew more than anybody.

  Kent’s voice seethed. “For the fifteenth time — this job’s for me and Mitch. You are staying home. We ain’t leaving your mom alone.”

  They’d been arguing for the past ten minutes. Too long. They needed to get out of there.

  Brad stood his ground, face like granite. His cool blue eyes stabbed Kent. “I ain’t staying here.” His voice pulsed low. “I watched over T.J. since he was born, just as much as Mitch has. And I ain’t stopping now.”

  Kent surged forward two steps, finger punching the air. “I’m telling you no! I won’t let you —”

  Lenora caught his arm. “Stop, Kent! Let him go.”

  He turned to her, jaw loosening. She stared back, a terrible, grim determination pressing her lips. Kent’s knees went weak.

  No, no, no.

  Where had that look on her face come from? Just this morning she’d clutched at the knowledge she wouldn’t be left by herself. “You’d let him go?” Accusation heated Kent’s cheeks. “You’d trade two of your sons for another?”

  She held his gaze until her chin trembled. “It’s for T.J.,” she whispered. And she started to cry.

  Kent’s heart cracked. T.J. — their youngest son. Once their greatest hope. Smart. Well liked. Going somewhere in life. Never did drugs.

  “I got four fractured ribs,” he’d told them in his weekly phone call from prison two nights ago. Eyes swollen almost shut. A broken arm. His words were racked with pain. An innocent eighteen-year-old in prison, beaten — just for being there.

  Of all three sons, this never should have happened to T.J.

  At thirty-three, Mitch still lived at home, bouncing from job to job, in and out of jail on various drug and burglary charges. Meth was his latest drug of choice. Just last night he’d shot up for this special event. To Mitch, the greatest day of his purposeless life had dawned this morning. Rescue his littlest brother, betrayed by injustice. Show the world he was worth something.

  As for Brad, he was unpredictable. Angry. In jail twice for beating on girlfriends. A high school dropout, like his dad.

  Brad flicked his eyes from his mother back to Kent, his mouth drawn in a victorious line. “Don’t forget who went with you yesterday on your scouting mission. Don’t forget who took you to a computer in the library and showed you the blog.”

  On Main Street in Kanner Lake they’d watched traffic, people. Noted the police station two blocks up from Java Joint coffee shop. They went into the café and ordered coffee and pastries. Sat at a table, nerves taut, eyes roaming over the big front windows, the layout and size of the place. Kent and Mitch took turns walking down the back hall in search of the bathroom. They’d noticed the other rooms off the hall — a small office, a storage area. The rear door with no glass, a lock and deadbolt…

  Kent fixed his gaze on Lenora, watched her tears fall. It’s for T.J.

  No way. She’d lost enough. Brad was not walking out of here and leaving her alone. Kent and Mitch would take Java Joint, just like they’d planned. Kill every person in the place if they had to. Brad would stay with his mother.

  Mitch stormed into the kitchen, a Rambo expression on his gaunt face. Wired for action. His pupils were huge. He swiveled from Brad to Kent. “What’re you doing standing here? We’re late.”

  Kent planted his legs apart, hands on his hips. He wasn’t about to lose this battle. Bad way to start the day, and his hostages would soon feel it. His anger was pumping all the harder — and he’d have to let it out on somebody. “Your brother thinks he’s going.” He aimed a burning stare at Brad. “I say he’s not.”

  Brad’s eyes narrowed. Without a word, without a back
ward glance at his mother, he snatched up the lightweight jacket he’d brought into the kitchen — a jacket with a bulging, heavy pocket — and stalked out the front door toward the weapon-loaded truck.

  TWO

  “Hey, you, ready to go?” Paige called through her roommate’s bedroom door.

  “Two minutes!”

  Uh-huh. Two minutes meant five, more like ten. Leslie Brymes could primp with the best of them. “Better hurry! You’re the last person who should miss the signing.”

  “Like he’s going to do it without me.”

  Paige flicked a look at the ceiling and turned away. Anticipation hummed through her veins, thrusting her into action. She trotted outside and plucked the Spokane Review newspaper — Leslie’s current competition, therefore carefully read every day — from the sidewalk. In the nearby field, birds chirped and a prairie dog stuck an inquisitive nose up from the ground. Paige tipped her head back and closed her eyes.

  Hey, God. What a perfect day to become engaged.

  So she hoped.

  Back inside, she made for the kitchen and plopped the newspaper on the table, then stood staring out at the backyard, Frank West’s face filling her mind. The strong jawline she loved to trace, his wide-set, large dark eyes. The thick brown hair he kept short for his work on the Kanner Lake police force. She pictured his nervous smile as he presented her a ring tonight. Why else would he book such an expensive restaurant? Besides, he’d been dropping hints…

  When she’d stumbled into Kanner Lake two years ago — scared, running for her life, trusting no one — never would she have dreamed of a day like this.