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Book Blog: Checkmate by Jean Hackensmith

Synopsis
Caryn Deaver survived a nightmare. 

A victim of spousal abuse, Caryn’s ex-husband bound her and their children hand and foot, locked them in the bathroom, and set the house on fire. They managed to escape with their lives, and Dan Hamilton was sentenced to eighteen years in prison for the crime.  He’s out now, though, and the rules in his sadistic game allow Caryn only twelve “moves” before she dies.

Zach Riker, Cheyenne’s Fire Chief, was the first paramedic on the scene eighteen years ago.  He saved Caryn’s life.  Now she is his life and he’ll stop at nothing to protect the woman he has come to love. 

Excerpt
Caryn pressed the button and screamed into the microphone. “This is Caryn Deaver. I’m with Chief Riker. Someone’s trying to run us off the road! We’re on Hynds Boulevard—28th Street! We need the police...!”

“Get the gun, Caryn!”

“What?”

“Get the damned gun! The clip is already loaded. All you have to do it slide it into the hand grip.”

“Zach—!”

“Just do it and give me the damned thing!”

Caryn dropped the microphone and scrambled to pull the box out of the console. She laid it on her lap and opened it just as a particularly fierce impact jarred the vehicle. Caryn’s head bounced to the left, then was flung right again. It bashed against the window, the box hit the floor, and she slumped in the seat. The Beretta, and the full clip, tumbled out onto the floorboards.