On Assignment

The Devil’s Road — CHAPTER 03: AN ITCH TO BE SCRATCHED

Welcome to Issue #8 of The Devil’s Road, a serial novel following the exploits of Samantha Hart, a Sequoyah County Sheriff, full of vengeance and fury using her badge to hunt down her sister's killer as she uncovers a trail of bloodshed that coats the heartland. If you missed it, you can read last week’s Chapter 2/Issue 4: Blowin' in the Wind.

If you are new to the series, I recommend you check out Chapter 1 which you can read or listen to for free here:

The Devil's Road

If you are enjoying this series, please consider sharing it with others, and don’t hoard all the good tales for yourself.

And now, please enjoy Chapter 3 Issue 1 of … The Devil’s Road.

---

In 2004 an Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations analyst discovered a crime pattern along the Interstate 40 corridor between Oklahoma and Mississippi. Subsequently, The Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) started the Highway Serial Killings Initiative. They discovered over 500 bodies of women along the interstate highway system with more than 200 potential suspects, a trail of bloodshed that coats the heartland. The Devil’s Road is a serialized novel based on this horrific discovery.

---

The difference between discipline and vengeance might just be a matter of perspective. Captain James looms over Sam, towering a full fourteen inches above her, yet his hands are shockingly small in proportion to his massive frame. Sam’s attention fixes on one finger, the one wagging in front of her face as he berates her for simply doing her job.

That finger, with its unsettling smallness, is the only thing keeping her from indulging in the fantasy of seeing blood spurting from the Captain’s nose as her fist connects. The allure of violence is intoxicating, a moment of brief levity that must be carefully weighed against many factors—chief among them, her bank account. Samantha’s account is far too familiar with the color red, and she needs this job for reasons beyond just money. So she stands firm as Captain James finally runs out of breath, or maybe it’s just his finger giving out.