Pitch Black (Romantic Thriller, Completed)

Bonus Chapter - Emmy vs. Panic

Author's Note

In celebration of Amazon Prime Video's newest series Panic, I am thrilled to be teaming up with Amazon Prime Video and Wattpad to write this exclusive chapter that puts my characters from this story into the world of Panic!

I hope this chapter intrigues and inspires you to learn more about Panic. Visit the #PanicWritingConteston Wattpad for the chance to put your creative writing chops to the test and learn more about the show!

To find out more about the contest, prizes, and how to enter, check out the #PanicWritingContest here: wattpad.com/AmazonPrimeVideo

Don't forget to watch the series premiere on May 28th, only on Amazon Prime Video, here: http://primevideo.com/

***

Welcome to Bumfuck, Nowhere, population six thousand and change.

Or Carp, Texas, as it was more officially known. Should've switched the middle two letters.

Between the heat and the bugs and the general air of hopelessness that permeated from Main Street to the town limits, I was beginning to regret volunteering for this little jaunt. So why the hell was I here?

Simple.

A favour.

I had favours banked all over the world with everyone from politicians to pop stars, but in order to collect those favours, I had to earn them. This time, the owee—was that even a word?—was Luther, the armourer at Blackwood HQ. He'd been distracted when I stopped by to pick up fresh ammo three days ago, so distracted that he'd given me wadcutters when I'd asked for FMJs. And because the jackasses in HR said I should be a caring, sharing type of boss, I'd made the mistake of asking what was eating at him.

And so now here I was.

Searching for his teenage daughter's online friend, a girl who'd apparently gotten herself into a whole world of trouble. Nina Lundy, eighteen years old, just graduated high school. And started playing some warped game called Panic.

Luther had hesitated to accept when I offered to come, but thanks to a teensy incident—okay, so it was more of a breakdown—I'd been taken off the regular schedule temporarily, and my workload was still light. A trip to Carp to check up on a misguided teen might help to take my mind off my own problems, and it'd also help Luther to sleep easier at night.

"I'd go myself, but...you know." He'd pointed at his leg. Singular. He'd lost the other one to an IED in Iraq. "Can't be running around town chasing a bunch of kids. Keysha's just worried about her friend."

"Caring's never a bad thing."

And if it was Tia—a teenage girl I'd come to care about myself—who was in trouble, then I'd want someone to step in and help.

But before I could help, I needed to find Nina. Luther had emailed me a photo of a dark-haired girl, an address, and a picture of a single-storey home with a sagging porch and light blue paint peeling from the wooden siding. Hardly a palace.

I'd driven an hour from the nearest airport in a rented SUV, and if all went well, I'd be back on my jet before sundown. The electronic voice of the satnav instructed me to make a turn, and I swung left in front of a giant statue of a cactus that seemed to be advertising a restaurant. Best burgers in town.

Probably wasn't much competition in this place.

I drove slowly along the pitted road, and an old dude watering what passed for a lawn turned to watch my progress. Curious. Probably weren't many strangers in Carp either. It wasn't exactly a vacation destination.