Oracle Rising Read online

  Oracle Rising

  The Phoenix Files ~Book One~

  By Morgan Kelley

  Copyright © 2016 Morgan Kelley LLC

  All rights reserved. Without limiting rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, introduced into a retrieval system, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including without limitation photocopying, recording, or other electronic or technical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  The scanning, uploading, and/or distribution of this document via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and is punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. For permission requests, email [email protected]

  Content Advisory: This book is intended for mature audiences and contains graphic violence, explicit sexual activity and disturbing imagery

  ©Copyright 2015 cover photo Cover art by Laura Gordon. www.thebookmachine.com

  Other works by Morgan Kelley:

  Standalone Thrillers

  The Junction

  Serial Sins

  The Blood Betrayal

  FBI Romance Series

  The Killing Times (Book 1)

  Sacred Burial Grounds (Book 2)

  True Love Lost (Book 3)

  Deep Dark Mire (Book 4)

  Fire Burns Hot (Book 5)

  Darkness of Truth (Book 6)

  Devil Hath Come (Book 7)

  Consumed by Wrath (Book 8)

  Redemption is Here (Book 9)

  Dead Shall Speak (Book 10)

  Pledging to Die (Book 11)

  Slay Bells Ring (Book 12)

  Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Series

  Celestia is Falling (1)

  Vegas is Dying (2)

  Christmas is Killing (3)

  Love is Bleeding (4)

  Heaven is Weeping (5)

  Hell is Burning (6)

  Littlemoon Investigations

  Blood Red Rage (Book 1)

  Lost & Broken (Book 2)

  Unthinkable Games (Book 3)

  Truth is Found (Book 4)

  The Carter Chronicles Trilogy

  Sinner Repent (1)

  Sinner Realized (2)

  Sinner Reborn (3)

  Oracle- The Phoenix Files

  Oracle Rising (1) - Juliett Deveraux & Rhett Longfellow

  The Harcourte Vampyre Society series

  Dangerous Revelations (1)

  Dangerous Choices (2)

  Dangerous Misery (3)

  Dangerous Retaliation (4)

  Behind Closed Doors Anthology

  Illegal Fantasies ~ Behind Closed Doors (1)

  Romance Under Arrest~ Behind Closed Doors (2)

  Holiday Reinforcements ~ Behind Closed Doors (3)

  ~~~~ About the Author ~~~~

  Morgan Kelley lives in the beautiful Pocono Mountains with her husband and two children. After attending college at Penn State University and studying Criminal Justice, Morgan knew her only true passion in life would be murder and books. She put them both together and began her career as a writer. Other than books and writing, you can find Morgan hanging out in her garden and digging in the dirt.

  Her other works include: The Junction, Serial Sins, The Blood Betrayal, The Killing Times (1), Sacred Burial Grounds (2), True Love Lost (3), Deep Dark Mire (4), Fire Burns Hot (5), Darkness of Truth (6), Devil Hath Come (7), Consumed by Wrath (8), Redemption is Here (9), Dead Shall Speak (10), Pledging to Die (11), Slay Bells Ring (12) Blood Red Rage (1) Lost & Broken (2), Unthinkable Games (3), Truth is Found (4), Celestia is Falling (1), Vegas is Dying (2), Christmas is Killing (3), Love is Bleeding (4), Heaven is Weeping (5), Hell is Burning (6), Dangerous Revelations (1), Dangerous Choices (2), Dangerous Misery (3), Dangerous Retaliation (4), Sinner Repent (1), Sinner Realized (2), Sinner Reborn (3), Illegal Fantasies (Anthology 1), Romance Under Arrest (Anthology 2), and Holiday Reinforcements (Anthology 3)

  Please feel free to visit Morgan at her website: www.morgankelley.com, email her [email protected], or visit her blog at www.morgankelley.blogspot.com.

  Case File One

  The Phoenix Files:

  Juliett Deveraux

  Save me! My name is Juliett,

  and I’m being chased...

  I am Oracle.

  You don’t know me, but I see you. It’s my job to wander the night, seeking those who need my help. I can slip into your dreams, find your fears, and keep you safe. Don’t be afraid. It’s what I was born to do. This is my destiny in life.

  I am a ghost.

  I hide in the midst of the chaos.

  I was forged in the belly of the governmental beast, made, created, and given life by the desperate people who call out my name. I exist to help you. I am here to beat back the demons that chase you, threatening to pull you under.

  I am your safety net.

  You aren’t alone, and neither am I.

  I am only one of a team.

  Nathaniel Carter, Director for the FBI, is the love of my life. He has sworn to protect and serve, and he’s doing just that. It isn't only my life that he’s concerned with, but now yours too. He’s the one man I trust to always have my back.

  You can trust in him too.

  I swear.

  He’s powerful, strong, and knows my job is important. Nathaniel is my greatest ally in the fight for your life and soul. When you call for me, he’ll be at my side, ready to do anything it takes to save you.

  He’s not the only secret weapon on our team.

  We have more.

  Maura Gaines-Mars is a force to be reckoned with. She’s a military badass with a great propensity to love. She’s quick, smart, and willing to sacrifice it all to do the job. When the chips are down, she’s going to rise above it all.

  She won’t let you down.

  I promise.

  With her at your back, no one will hurt you. She’s going to do whatever it takes to bring you home.

  Then there is Lucas Mars.

  Some think he’s a joker, a loose cannon, or a sexy playboy, but he’s so much more.

  On the outside, yes, he looks like he rolled off the beach, but underneath it all, he’s a cop to the core. Don’t let his laughter fool you.

  He’s tough.

  He’s focused.

  He’s going to watch your back and mine too.

  Luke is going to use his brains to make sure a solution to your problem is found. In the end, you want him in your corner. He’ll make you laugh and do anything it takes to keep you safe.

  You have my word.

  They aren’t the only people who’ll creep alongside me in the shadows of your life. I have one more person by my side. He, too, is dedicated to the mission.

  Captain Jagger Armstrong is many things, but he’s known for his military background. He’s killed for our government, and now he’s going to serve and protect. He may not say much, but know that he’s watching, waiting, and ready to step in to help save you.

  He’s going to save your ass, and likely mine—again.

  We’re here for you.

  You have nothing to worry about.

  When you feel like no one else is out there.

  When you believe you’re alone.

  Know that we’re waiting. When the time comes, I’ll know your name, and we’ll move. We won’t let you fall.

  We won’t let you die.

  Whatever hunts you wants you dead. It craves your blood and pain. From here on out, there is only one team who can save your life.
br />   It’s us.

  I’m Oracle, and I’m a powerful weapon. Once I was used for the government only, but now I’m yours.

  You can use me.

  You’re now part of my life. You, my scared friend, are part of the Phoenix Files, and destined to cross my path.

  We’re on our way to your side.

  We’re your destiny.

  When we meet, know one thing to be true.

  We will save you.

  No matter what…

  prologue

  Crosspointe

  He hunted her.

  He plucked them from life like they were nothing more than petals of a flower. His reasons were lost to all of them, but that didn't stop him. With each woman, he found, stole, and destroyed her.

  It wasn’t perfection he sought.

  Actually, it was the opposite.

  With each woman, he found someone flawed and took them to be his.

  It was all because of her.

  See…she surrounded herself with terrible people.

  They were crass.

  Vain.

  Obnoxious.

  He’d made it his job to steal their lives, all the while, closing the cage on her a little more. In the grand scheme of things, she was his ultimate goal. While he knew her from his dreams, he couldn’t help but want to possess her in his waking hours.

  He had a gift.

  His mind was strong, vivid, and in control, and he needed someone who could match his abilities.

  He craved his equal.

  So, she was going to be his.

  When she ran, he chased.

  Oh, if she thought she could get away from him, she was mistaken. He was a predator, and she was the prey. While she raced away for her life, he was going to be right on her trail.

  He was subtle enough to blend in.

  He didn't stand out.

  No, he was just like everyone else…on the outside. On the inside, he was different.

  He hated.

  He hunted.

  He destroyed.

  There was nothing on the planet that could stop him from achieving his ultimate goal. He was going to reap her away from life at his soonest opportunity.

  She was helpless against him.

  While she believed that she could run free, escaping his icy claws of death, she was mistaken.

  She was his.

  In his heart, he knew that she had to be the one he caught, used, and destroyed.

  He was torn.

  His mind wanted to conquer her.

  His body wanted to own her.

  His soul…it wanted to destroy her.

  She was the only person who stood in his way. With her mind picking up his ‘sins’, he knew she couldn’t be free for long. At some point, she would cause him pain. She saw everything he was doing, and that made her a liability.

  How she did it, he didn't know. All he could do was find her before she destroyed his world.

  Here, in his mind, he was powerful.

  She was weak.

  This one woman wanted to ruin his game, ending his destiny.

  Well, he couldn’t let that happen.

  He wouldn’t let her break him.

  So, he would hunt her.

  Stalk her.

  Kill her.

  When she slept, he crept into her dreams to steal even more of her soul. It started there. Piece by piece, he was systematically breaking her life apart.

  She had no friends.

  No family.

  No life.

  Being on the run weakened her, and there would be no one she could trust to keep her safe. Essentially, she was all his. He would be the ultimate winner in this game.

  It was a battle he wouldn’t lose.

  It began with terror and would end with him getting his ultimate prize.

  Why?

  Because she knew everything about him, and that was scary. No one, in all his life, knew the truth. They didn't see him hurting people, taking lives, or enjoying the kill. That was his secret and until her, it had remained hidden.

  Then she appeared.

  She saw everything he did, and that couldn’t be forgotten. She was dangerous, and he couldn’t let her live with the knowledge of what he craved.

  She had to die.

  Before long, she’d be one of his victims.

  Oh, he’d enjoy her first, but in the end, he’d steal her away from life, adding her to the body count.

  It was only a matter of time.

  He’d take her life, crushing it out like a bug under his heel. What he did was none of her concern, and that first night he saw her in his dreams, he knew the truth.

  She had to die.

  There was no choice.

  From that day, he’d been obsessed. He craved finding the woman who saw the real him.

  She was going to cause him trouble, and that couldn’t happen. So, while she snooped around in his mind, he made sure to return the favor.

  Now he was closing the cage door.

  One victim at a time.

  There was no doubt that she would figure out who he was. She’d know him once they were near. Maybe she couldn’t pick out his face, but she watched what he did to all of them. That alone was too much leverage.

  She haunted him, and he hated it.

  When he slipped into his victims’ bedrooms, wrapping his hands around their throats, she saw it happen.

  Somehow, she was with them.

  She shook in fear as he slipped into their unconscious bodies, taking what he craved.

  This mystery woman knew what he did.

  She silently observed him douse the dead women in gasoline, only then to toss that match onto their nearly dead bodies.

  She must have liked it just as much as he did, and that turned him on. She was like him, and he had to have her.

  In the end, she would be his greatest reward or ultimate downfall. It was a risk he was more than willing to take.

  He lusted after her mind.

  Even when the woman tried to stop him, he still found himself aroused. Who didn't want an audience when you did something so vile, sickening, and taboo?

  He loved knowing that she was afraid.

  It egged him on.

  When he first realized she was watching him, he was scared, but now…it was a game.

  It was cat and mouse, and he couldn’t wait to have her trapped under his lethal claw.

  She would be his.

  Mark his word.

  Deep down, he suspected that she wanted him too. If she saw his face, she didn't report him. Maybe it was because if she tried, they’d all think she was crazy.

  Then again, maybe it was more.

  She wanted him to chase.

  Some women liked that, and he hoped she did too.

  His body reacted at the mere thought.

  Yes, she would be his.

  Until then, when she could see him more clearly, she was more an inconvenience than a danger.

  This sexy little mouse was helpless, and he loved that in prey. There was nothing better than knowing she was locked in that little closet, scared by what she saw. When she huddled in the dark, hands pressed to her brow, he wanted to kiss her senseless. Then he wanted to make her scream in pain.

  She was helpless, and that’s how it should be.

  Oh, she wasn’t going to live.

  He’d make sure of it.

  There would be no choice. When she ran, he followed. When she hid, he sought. This was a game for him, and he loved it.

  There was that rush.

  There was a feeling of euphoria.

  As she was a rabbit, trying to get away, he was the hungry fox, needing his meal. So, as this precious little gem left the town she loved, hiding in some small cottage in the middle of nowhere, he was pleased.

  Everything about it made him happy.

  She was isolated and soon to be his.

  It was a matter of time before he shut the cage door, locking her away.

  Death w
as coming for her, and she’d never be able to run again. This was the final stretch of the race, and he was going to be victorious.

  He was biding his time.

  Soon, she’d be his.

  Just like the others, she’d go up in flames. It would be her body he watched writhe in twisted pain, and she would deserve it. While he had mercy for the others, she wouldn’t be given such a gift.

  No.

  She would really suffer.

  With the countless others, he felt compassion. He at least knocked them out. With this woman, for being a pain in his ass, he was going to make sure she was wide awake.

  When he struck that match, she’d be bound and ready to accept the gift of death.

  As the flames licked at her flesh, devouring her whole, he’d laugh. It would be fun to watch her squirm and scream as the heat devoured her body.

  Oh, she’d been asking for it.

  This game would be coming to an end, and soon. When he found her in a very familiar small town, she’d beg him to set her free.

  And he would—right into to the hands of death.

  Why?

  Because he could…

  There was no place to run, and before it was over, he was going to make sure his little peeping Tom suffered.

  She had to be punished.

  The time was upon them.

  * * * O R A C L E * * *

  Two Days Later