The Red-headed Thorn

Suddenly air replaced rock and the woman found she was airborne and plummeting to her death. Images flitted across her mind in rapid succession of her splattered body below, as her hands sought any firm object to grasp. There was none.

A tree protruding from the hardened earth beneath it broke the criminal profiler's fall as quickly as her body had left the small mountain peak.

"Humph," she moaned as she landed in the thorny branches, her red hair hanging in a cascade beneath her.

Ali sought purchase of the surrounding branches with her hands, never dreaming safety and help were within shouting distance, or that a lone man stationed below had watched her fall with delight.

"Finally," he said to himself. "She gets hers." And with that the law enforcement officer proceeded to flee the area before anyone could see him.

Movement of any kind sent sharp pain throughout the young woman's body, halting further action on her part, which could result in terminal consequences as dusk turned to dawn and cold weather to freezing.

The image of the red-haired profiler perched precariously in a tree prompted a grin from the man below for the first time since she had come to work on the Group of Three murder in his town.

He wondered just how long it would take for the cold mountain air to rob her of the life she had left. And with that he glanced at his watch. It was dinner time. By morning he would no longer have the red-headed thorn in his side. He just might spring for pizza tonight considering that. He was celebrating after all.

Visit Radell Smith's author website for her published books, including the "Ali Brown Criminal Profiler: Group of Three Murder Mystery" recently released on Amazon.com