The Cleansing

Privilege, power and wealth buy them no quarter. The most depraved, and evil of our species--serial killers, sadists, child predators and genocidal madmen are caught in the act and mysteriously disappear, and with them are erased from earth the capacity for war, terrorism and violence.

What--or who is doing "The Cleansing?" Desperate for an answer, a gifted young scientist, herself a victim of heinous crime, and a brilliant rough-hewn pillar of conscience, plagued with demons of his own making, join wits, hearts and courage to seek out this myserious force for peace on earth.

Ch.1: In wind-chilled darkness, Sarah stood naked and trembling and he didn't care. He yanked at the rope tied and twisted about her raw, chaffed wrists. Her eyes and mouth bound with duct-tape, she lunged forward, arms extended, unabale to grope.
He grunted as he tried to hurry, forcing mmovement of his left leg,which seemed bigger than his right. Its stiff awkward gait rolled forward, trying to follow the normal steps of the other.
His voice was guttural, hoarse, "Gotta get you rooted. Best done at night when they's restin'."
Her feet were numb and bleeding, causing her to stumble and fall to her knees.
He jerked the rope again, scraping her legs across the frozen earth as her upper body lurched to the ground.
"Git up!" he yelled. "Wanna go back in the seasoning barrel? Do you?"
She slowly shook her head.
He moved to within an inch of her ear and whispered. "Then git up."
Sarah rose to her feet and stood shivering, more from his whisper than the cold biting at her bare skin...