Welcome to Down and Dead, Inc., where, to Live, Sometimes Ya Gotta Die.

MAKING THE BREAK IS EASIER THAN KEEPING THE BREAK

Christine Branch is elated. Finally her sister, Caroline Branch Easton, has made the break from her abusive ex, Martin Easton, and returned to Dallas to Christine's ranchette to heal. Only Martin refuses to let her go. Within twenty-four hours, his thugs are doing everything they can to intimidate Caroline into returning home. Christine knows she must do something to get her sister the time and space she needs to heal and stay safe—and she concocts a plan:

OPERATION SWITCH AND BAIT

The sisters trade lives and Christine baits the thugs into following her. It works! Caroline undergoes counseling, eventually divorces Martin, though he refuses to accept it, and the operation continues…until Martin shows up at the ranchette and issues a return-home ultimatum. But Caroline isn't the woman she had been under his constant barrage of abuse. Not anymore. And she has had enough. Caroline ends the operation, resumes her identity and disappears.

Christine continues with the switch, hoping the confusion of two Carolines will assist her sister in making a clean getaway. On Christmas, Caroline calls Christine. A chef from Dallas is assisting her. She's in Even, Georgia, but within the hour, she is leaving for a place called Sampson Park. She can't say more about it now, but will call again as soon as she's settled.

THE LONG WAIT BEGINS... AND CONTINUES…

But Caroline doesn't call. Three months later, Christine remains unable to find out anything on the mysterious Sampson Park, or to pick up a single trace of her sister. Caroline has vanished. Panic has set in, and drastic measures are required. All that's left to try in finding out what happened to Caroline is the one thing Christine fears most: Christine must risk leading Martin to Even…and pray hard doing so doesn't get them both killed.

Has Caroline escaped, or is she underground, Down and Dead in Dallas?