Edge of the Law THE EdgE of THE Law Rob Carter, sheriff retired Thanos Kal amidas Thanos Kalamidas An Ovi eBooks Publication 2025 Ovi eBookPublications - All material is copyright of the Ovi eBooks Publications & the writer C Ovi ebooks are available in Ovi/Ovi eBookshelves pages and they are for free. If somebody tries to sell you an Ovi book please contact us immediately. For details, contact: ovimagazine@yahoo.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the writer or the above publisher of this book Edge of the Law Edge of the law Thanos Kalamidas Rob Carter, sheriff retired Thanos Kalamidas An Ovi eBooks Publication 2025 Ovi eBookPublications - All material is copyright of the Ovi eBooks Publications & the writer C Edge of the Law T he Wyoming sky was streaked with orange and purple as the sun dropped behind the jag- ged hills, casting long shadows over the dry plains. The air tasted like dust and old whiskey, and it bit at the edges of Rob Carter’s skin as he walked slowly down the dirt road. His boots crunched on the gravel, the sound echoing in the quiet of the eve- ning. The town hadn’t changed much in the fifteen years since he left it, same cracked sidewalks, same worn-out storefronts, and the same fading memories of a life he had once known. His old farmhouse loomed ahead, empty and tired, much like the man who stood before it. Rob’s hand grazed the gate, worn smooth from years of passing. There was a time, a long time ago, when this place Thanos Kalamidas had felt like home. But home had a way of slipping through your fingers like sand when you weren’t paying attention. The wind shifted, carrying with it the faint smell of cattle from the pen he’d once main- tained, but even that was a distant reminder. The place was no longer his, and in many ways, neither was he. The town, like everything else, had changed. Rob had changed. He wasn’t the man he used to be—the sheriff who had cleaned up the streets of Vicksburg and stopped a monster, even if it cost him every- thing. He wasn’t the man who carried the weight of a badge and the responsibility of the law. Now he was just a shadow of the man who had once walked these roads, a man who had been forgotten by time and the people he used to protect. As Rob stared at the house, memories crept in some bitter, some sweet. The sound of laughter. The smell of his wife’s cooking. The rush of pride he felt every time he saw his son, Mark, sitting at the kitchen table with that look of promise in his eyes. But that had all changed. His wife had passed away while he’d been locked up, and Mark, his only son, had grown up with a grudge, blaming his father for the years of absence. No amount of letters, no promises to return Edge of the Law had softened the blow. Rob had learned that the hard way. A distant figure appeared on the horizon, a silhou- ette against the fading light. Rob’s instincts flared up, sharpening like a knife. The figure drew closer, and he recognized the weathered face of Jimmy Rhodes, an old farmer from the valley. Jimmy wasn’t the type to visit without a reason. They’d known each other for years, but lately, their conversations had been few and far between. Jimmy was always quick with a joke, slow with a handshake, and never one to follow the rules when it came to the land. But tonight, Rob could see the desperation in his eyes. There was no humor there. “Rob,” Jimmy called out as he approached, his voice rough, strained. “You gotta help me.” Rob’s hand tightened on the metal gate, the old hinges creaking as he leaned against it, waiting. He’d heard that tone before, the one that signaled trouble was near. Jimmy wasn’t the type to ask for help unless it was serious. Rob didn’t need to hear more to know that this wasn’t going to be an easy favor. “My daughter’s gone,” Jimmy continued, his words coming fast, each one tinged with the raw edge of Thanos Kalamidas fear. “Ellie’s gone, and the sheriff ain’t doin’ a damn thing about it.” The words hit Rob like a shot to the chest. His mind immediately flashed to his son, Mark, who had always been the center of his world. But this wasn’t about Mark. This was about a young woman, some- one Jimmy had watched grow up, someone he loved like his own flesh and blood. Rob stood still for a moment, the weight of the sit- uation sinking in. He hadn’t come back to this town to get involved in anyone’s problems. Hell, he was still trying to rebuild his life, to try and make things right with Mark, even though the kid had made it clear that his father’s return wasn’t exactly a warm welcome. But something in Jimmy’s voice, something in the desperation that clung to him like a second skin, stirred something deep inside Rob, a feeling he thought he had buried long ago. He turned to face Jimmy, his jaw tight as he took in the older man’s worn face, the sunburnt skin, the crinkled brow that spoke of years of hard work and harder living. Jimmy’s hand shook slightly as he wiped his brow, but his gaze never wavered. “Tell me what happened,” Rob said, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of something darker. Edge of the Law Jimmy swallowed hard before speaking, his words tumbling out in a rush. “Ellie... she’s gone. Missing. Ain’t no trace. I called the sheriff, but... hell, he ain’t doin’ nothin’ about it. You know Hartley. He doesn’t care about the people who’ve been here their whole lives. He’s too busy kissing up to the new folks in town. And now my daughter... I don’t know where she is, Rob. Ain’t nobody looking for her. I’m afraid she’s in trouble.” Rob took a deep breath, trying to keep his mind clear. The sheriff ’s office hadn’t changed either—Sher- iff Hartley was still the same man Rob had known years ago. Lazy. Indifferent. Not the type to bother with things that didn’t fit into his neat little world. “You’re saying she’s just vanished?” Rob asked, his eyes narrowing as he searched Jimmy’s face for any hint of doubt. Jimmy nodded. “Last time I saw her, she was head- ed out to meet some folks... but she didn’t come back. She’s mixed up with some bad people, Rob. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but now... hell, I don’t know what to think. I’m tellin’ ya, something’s gone wrong.” Rob was quiet for a moment, his eyes scanning the Thanos Kalamidas town in the distance, as though the answer might be hidden somewhere among the dust and fading buildings. He could feel the pull of duty stirring in him, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. It wasn’t his job anymore, not officially anyway, but the old in- stincts were still there, buried beneath years of regret and self-doubt. He exhaled, meeting Jimmy’s eyes. “Alright. I’ll look into it. But you stay put. If anyone’s gonna get hurt in this, it won’t be you.” Jimmy’s relief was palpable, but so was the fear still lurking in his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re get- ting into, Rob. These folks... they don’t care who you are. They’ll kill you, no second thoughts.” Rob smirked grimly, turning toward the gate. “Guess I’ve been killed before.” As he started toward his truck, Jimmy followed him, his voice low. “You know Hartley ain’t gonna like this. He’s got his hands full with the new blood in town. Don’t expect much help from him.” Rob paused, gripping the door of his truck. “I ain’t expecting anything from Hartley,” he said, the words carrying the weight of a promise that neither man was sure would be kept. Edge of the Law The truck’s engine roared to life, and Rob drove off, the dust swirling behind him as he headed toward the darkening horizon. The town was still out there, waiting. But for Rob, it was more than just a place to hide. It was a place to confront the ghosts of his past. A place where the line between right and wrong had always been blurry, and where things never really stayed buried for long. As the wind picked up, the sky turning a deep shade of indigo, Rob’s mind turned toward Ellie Rhodes. The girl had vanished. And Rob Carter was about to find out why. But as he drove through the wind- ing roads and the miles stretched out before him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t just chasing a missing person. He was chasing a storm. Thanos Kalamidas i. The sun had long since dipped behind the hills, casting the valley into a blanket of darkness that seemed to swallow everything whole. The wind, cold and biting, swept through the empty streets of Vicks- burg, kicking up dust in gusts that danced across the cracked pavement like ghosts of forgotten days. Rob Carter’s truck rumbled over the gravel roads, the en- gine a familiar sound in the quiet of the night. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for. But he was damn sure he wasn’t going to find it by sitting back and letting someone else take charge. And that some- one, Sheriff Hartley, hadn’t lifted a finger to help an old friend’s daughter. Not that Rob was surprised. The old man had been too comfortable behind his desk ever since Rob went away. The sheriff ’s depart- ment wasn’t a place of action anymore, it was a place where people went to hide from the world. The way Hartley had looked at Rob in the diner earlier today told him all he needed to know. He’d almost let the old sheriff ’s lack of concern slide, but something about the way Jimmy Rhodes had begged him for help gnawed at him, deep in his gut. Edge of the Law Ellie Rhodes wasn’t the kind of girl to just disap- pear. Not without a reason. And Rob had a hunch that whatever had drawn her into the dark corners of the valley wasn’t going to be an easy fix. The headlights of the truck illuminated the barn before Rob even saw it. It was a dilapidated, lean- ing structure that had seen better days. The doors were cracked open, swinging slightly in the wind. A steady groan of rusted metal could be heard as the door scraped against the weathered wood. Rob had seen the barn in better shape years ago, when Jimmy had been younger, more hopeful. Now, it stood like a tired sentinel, abandoned by time. Rob parked the truck just short of the front door and stepped out, the gravel crunching beneath his boots as he made his way toward the house. It wasn’t much, just a weather-beaten farmhouse with peeling paint and windows that looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in a decade. But there was a quiet dignity in the place, a reminder of what it had once been, be- fore the drugs, before the trouble, before the sheriff who couldn’t even be bothered to help when a kid went missing. As Rob stepped up onto the porch, he couldn’t help but notice the familiar scent of tobacco and sweat Thanos Kalamidas that clung to the air. Jimmy had never been much for small talk, and Rob could see that it wasn’t just the house that had fallen into disrepair. The man him- self was a shell of the proud farmer Rob had once known. The years hadn’t been kind, and neither had the world outside the valley. The door creaked open before Rob could knock. Jimmy stood there, looking like he hadn’t slept in days. His face was haggard, his hair unkempt, and his eyes were red-rimmed. He looked like a man who had already lost everything he cared about and now, he was about to lose the one thing he had left. “Rob,” Jimmy said, his voice rough with exhaus- tion. “I’m glad you came. Thought I was gonna have to go out and find you myself.” Rob offered a grim nod, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. The air inside was thick, musty with the smell of old furniture and the faint scent of burnt wood from a dying fire. Jimmy led him through the small living room, the floorboards creaking beneath their feet as they moved. “Sit down,” Jimmy muttered, collapsing onto the couch. His hands trembled as he wiped his brow, sweat beading up despite the chill in the air. “I don’t Edge of the Law know what to do anymore, Rob. Ellie, she’s gone. Two days. Vanished. And nobody’s doing a damn thing about it.” Rob stayed quiet, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes scanning the room as he processed the words. The place was cluttered, the shelves barely holding up a mix of family photos, old farm equipment, and boxes full of things that had been abandoned over the years. But the only thing that stood out was the framed picture on the mantel. Ellie, smiling in her high school graduation gown, standing beside her father with a proud grin on his face. That was the Ellie Jimmy was talking about—the one who had been taken by whatever dark force was creeping through the town. The one who had been caught in something that her father couldn’t see coming. “She’s not the type,” Jimmy continued, his voice cracking. “Ellie’s a good kid, Rob. Always had her head on straight. But lately... lately she’s been hang- ing out with some new people. People I don’t know, people I don’t trust. And now... now she’s gone. Just like that.” Rob crossed the room and took a seat opposite Thanos Kalamidas Jimmy, letting the old man’s words sink in. He hadn’t known Ellie all that well, but from what Jimmy had told him, she had been a decent kid. Maybe a little re- bellious, maybe looking for something more than the valley could offer, but nothing that screamed danger. Yet, something about this story didn’t sit right. “Who’s she been hanging around with?” Rob asked, his voice steady as he leaned forward. Jimmy paused, his eyes darting toward the window before locking onto Rob’s gaze. “That’s the thing, Rob. I don’t know. They don’t live around here. She met ‘em at some party, I guess. Said they were from out of town, big talkers, wearing fancy clothes, driving shiny cars. I didn’t think much of it at first. Thought maybe she was just trying to fit in, get away from the small town life. But then... then she started disap- pearing for hours at a time. I didn’t know who she was with or where she was going. I thought she was just being a teenager. But now, with her gone, I don’t know what to think.” Rob felt the weight of the silence pressing down on them both. He knew better than to let his own suspicions cloud his judgment, but it was hard not to. There were only a few things that could pull a kid into the kind of trouble that Jimmy was describing drugs, gangs, or something darker. Edge of the Law “Did she ever mention anything about drugs?” Rob asked, keeping his voice low, almost casual, as though he weren’t asking the question that could un- ravel the whole mystery. Jimmy’s eyes flickered, and for a moment, Rob could see the same fear that had gripped him years ago. The fear of something so much worse than any- thing you could imagine, something that could take everything from you in the blink of an eye. “She never said anything outright,” Jimmy said, his hands shaking as he gripped the edge of the couch. “But there were signs. Little things. She started act- ing different. Her moods changed. She was nervous, jumpy. And then there’s this...” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, crumpled envelope. “I found this in her room. There’s no return address. But it was from someone. Someone she trusted.” Rob took the envelope, carefully unsealing it with the edge of his thumb. Inside was a small piece of paper with a phone number scrawled hastily in black ink. Below the number was a message: “Meet me at the old mill. Midnight. Don’t bring anyone.” Rob felt the familiar stirrings of a mystery unfold- ing before him. He hadn’t expected things to escalate Thanos Kalamidas this fast, but here they were. And it was clear now, El- lie wasn’t just another runaway. She had been pulled into something bigger, something dangerous. “Alright,” Rob said, his voice firm as he stood up. “I’ll start looking into this. You stay here, and keep your head down. If you hear anything else, anything at all, you let me know. I’ll get to the bottom of this, Jimmy. I promise you that.” Jimmy stood, shaking his head slowly. “I don’t know what you’re gonna find, Rob. But be careful. Whoever’s behind this, they’re not the kind of people you want to mess with.” Rob gave him a tight smile, his jaw set. “I’ve been in worse situations. But I’ll be careful.” As Rob stepped out of the house, he felt the weight of the evening closing in. He wasn’t just chasing a missing person anymore. He was chasing something that could cost him more than just his life. But that didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to let Ellie Rhodes dis- appear without a fight. The town was quiet, too quiet. And Rob Carter knew that the real danger was just beginning. Edge of the Law ii. The shadows stretched long across the empty streets of Vicksburg as Rob Carter’s boots echoed against the cracked pavement, each step a reminder of how long it had been since he walked these roads. He could feel the town’s eyes on him, though few were brave enough to say anything out loud. It was the kind of silence that came with a reputation, one that divided the town into two very different camps. On the one hand, there were those who whispered his name with reverence. A man who’d put an end to a serial rapist. A man who had done what the law couldn’t or wouldn’t. To them, Rob Carter was a hero, a tragic hero. But to the others, to the ones who didn’t see the good in what he’d done, Rob was a man who’d taken the law into his own hands. A man who had been locked away for fifteen years and still hadn’t paid the full price for his crime. Thanos Kalamidas He wasn’t here for the small-town politics, though. He was here because of Ellie Rhodes, a girl who’d vanished without a trace. And as much as the town wanted to ignore it, Rob knew something wasn’t right. The town was quiet, as it always was after dark. A few old-timers sat outside the diner, nursing cups of coffee and staring into the distance as if the world had passed them by. Rob could feel their eyes follow him, some of them nodding in acknowledgment, others turning away. He knew what they were thinking, he had become a ghost, someone who wasn’t quite alive, but not yet forgotten. But tonight, Rob wasn’t inter- ested in the past. He had a job to do. His truck’s headlights cut through the night as he turned the corner and pulled up in front of the sher- iff ’s office. It was a building that once held his life, a place where he’d put in his time, working the long hours with his fellow officers, keeping the peace. Now, it felt like a hollow shell. Sheriff Hartley sat be- hind the desk, his thick fingers flipping through pa- pers, completely oblivious to Rob’s arrival. The building was old, its walls stained with the weight of decades of history, and it smelled like stale coffee and cheap cologne. Rob had been in this office