Her Broken Wings

by Hood, D. K.

  Jenna stared at him open-mouthed. “Your eyesight is obviously better than mine. Could she still be alive?”

  “Nope.” Kane pulled up outside her ranch and rubbed his thumb over the bruise on her forehead. “Sorry about that, it’s just a bruise.”

  Jenna batted his hand away and glared at him. “You had a few seconds to take in the scene, how could you possibly know she was dead?” She touched the throbbing egg on her forehead with trembling fingers. “I only figured out they were people and not store mannequins from the smell.”

  “I’ve seen a lot of death, Jenna, and I recognized the woman. Her throat was cut.” Kane’s expression was grim. “She was the new girl at Aunt Betty’s. I think her name is Ruby.”

  Horrified, Jenna swallowed hard. “Jesus. What kind of lunatic are we dealing with now?”

  “If he’s the same man who murdered the others, unpredictable and escalating fast.” Kane gave her a concerned look. “We’ll probably need an army to take this one down.”

  Jenna had never seen Kane this on edge, and a wave of anxiety slid over her. “It’s never easy.” She cleared her throat. “Get your gear, backup is on the way.”

  Although she’d handled many murders in her time in Black Rock Falls, it didn’t get any easier. She hadn’t become hardened to seeing mutilated bodies, and under the bravado of leadership, she still had to conquer her fear and force her legs to move. “I’ll suit up and then tell Mr. Dickson to go home. From the smell, he’s already fired up the incinerator.” She slid from the vehicle and then went around the back to collect her new liquid Kevlar vest and helmet.

  “Why? We need that work done.” Kane joined her.

  Jenna pulled on the vest and then shrugged. “Dickson doesn’t like dogs and Duke doesn’t like him, so you can’t leave them together.”

  “Okay, Duke can stay in the truck.” Kane assembled a rifle in seconds and laid it in the back. “I’m ready.”

  Wolfe’s ringtone chimed on Jenna’s phone. “We’re safe, Shane. What’s your ETA?”

  “I was on the way to my office. I’ll be there in ten.” Wolfe disconnected.

  Jenna looked at Kane. “Ten minutes. We’ll do an equipment check.”

  They spent the next few minutes stuffing useful items into their pockets. Jenna went inside the house to exchange her buff-colored Stetson for a black woolen hat. As she went down the steps and headed for Kane’s truck, she caught sight of movement near the barn. She heaved a sigh of relief when she spotted Dickson coming from around the back.

  “Is there a problem?” Dickson limped toward them. “Anything I can do to help?”

  Jenna turned to look at him. “Nothing to concern you, Mr. Dickson. We’re just picking up a few things.” When he nodded and headed back to the barn, she took one of the rifles out of the gun locker in the back of Kane’s truck and checked it. “Hand me some spare clips.” She shoved them in her pockets. “Let’s go, we’ll wait at the gate for the others.”

  She climbed back into the truck and waited for Kane. He was staring at his phone and passed it to her as he climbed behind the wheel. She glanced at the screen. It was the CCTV feed from the front gate. “Ah, good thinking.”

  “Did anyone follow us?” Kane headed down the driveway.

  Jenna took the recording back to when Dickson arrived at the gate. She could see them leave and return but no one else had used the road since they’d arrived home. “No, and I wouldn’t expect to see many people. The guy that owns the snowplow and brine spreaders is the only other person who uses this road, and he’s in Florida. There is access overland, even from here. There are tracks all over, left from when the Old Mitcham Ranch was split up. Most of the ranches use them to move livestock.”

  “What about the crew working on the Old Mitcham Ranch?” Kane waited for the gate to creak open and then drove through and pulled out onto the road. “They’d be back and forth collecting supplies.”

  The sight of the dead bodies set up on the porch shuddered into Jenna’s memory. She rewound the feed a full twenty-four hours, and apart from her and Kane, no one had passed. “The shooter must be one of the men working on-site.”

  “Unless they know about the dirt roads. You can get to town via the other ranches if I recall?” Kane took his phone from her and slid it inside his pocket.

  “Yeah, apart from mine there are three ranches over the hill. They all have dirt roads that lead to the highway. I would imagine I’m the only owner who has a perimeter alarm system, and they didn’t set off any of our alarms, so they came from a different direction. Since the last owners sold the land, I have no idea if anyone uses the old tracks anymore.” Jenna turned in her seat. “Here comes the cavalry.”

  “How do you want to play this?” Kane looked at her.

  Jenna thought for a moment; she had a tactical professional in Kane and yet he asked her opinion. “We should split into two teams. We take the front with Rowley, head up beside the trailers, and Wolfe and Webber go around back of the ranch house and come in from there. Any suggestions?”

  “I’m not sure we’d have enough cover for a frontal approach. The shooter could be holed up in one of the trailers, or the barn.” Kane turned and looked at her. “Or maybe he was using a hunting rifle from up on the ridge. We’ve been shot at from there before.”

  Jenna nodded. “Okay, I’ve got a better idea.” She slid from the seat as Rowley pulled up behind them and Wolfe stopped his van in the middle of the road. Webber jumped out, rifle in hand. She waited for the men to gather. “Okay, we have four men with gunshot wounds to the head, one woman with her throat cut. No one has left or visited the ranch in the last twenty-four hours so we have to assume the shooter is on scene or has escaped overland.” She turned to Wolfe. “Webber is with you. Head up the road with caution, don’t slow down, go past the ranch. There’s a trail just on the bend; you can park there and come in on foot around the back of the house. Use your coms to keep in touch.” She turned to Rowley. “You’re with us. Leave your truck here. There’s a dirt road just before the Old Mitcham Ranch’s driveway which leads to the paddock at the back of the barn. We’ll go in from there and use the barn for cover.” She looked at Kane and noticed a slight nod of approval. “This way, if the shooter is there, he won’t know we’re coming.”

  “If there’s one shooter.” Kane frowned. “From the carnage it could be two. I made out single headshots but that was from a distance.”

  Jenna nodded. “Okay, move out and stay safe.” She looked at them one by one. “We could be facing a psychopath responsible for homicides across the country. No heroics, he won’t give you a second chance. Shoot to kill.”

  Twenty-Nine

  A strange excitement descended on Jenna, but deep down she understood the danger, and becoming a victim was a sobering reality. The adrenalin pumping a mixture of dread and uncertainty triggered her flee response each time she chased down a felon. Her heart pounded, and relying on her years of training to bolster her, she headed into danger with her head screaming at her to run away. Her mind filled with the ghastly scene on the front porch of the old home, the blood spatter on the steps and empty sightless eyes. She slowed for just a second before pushing the images away and increasing her stride. Having Kane and Rowley to watch her back gave her courage as she bolted along the trail toward the barn overlooking the house. The thick covering of leaves dampened their footfalls as they moved swiftly without making a sound. As they came to the tree line, her com crackled.

  “Jenna, we’re coming up on the ranch house now.” Wolfe’s voice came in her ear. “It’s almost too quiet and I can smell death. Moving in now. There are swarms of flies crawling over the side of the house beside the back door. We may have more victims inside.”

  Cold fingers of unease slid down Jenna’s back. She ignored the warning screaming in her head not to move forward and glanced at Kane beside her. He’d heard Wolfe through his com and winced. Jenna pressed her mic. “Stay in position. We’re coming up alongside the
barn and will have eyes on the front porch in five.”

  “Roger that.”

  Jenna looked over at Kane to give him an order, but he was already scanning the area with his binoculars. “All clear?”

  “We’re good to go but the undergrowth is at least waist-high.” Kane glanced at her then his attention went back to the barn. “Do you want me to go first and open up a path?”

  “Okay.” Jenna nodded. “Single file once we leave the cover of the trees. You and Rowley go first, I’ll watch your backs.”

  They scurried through the trees and she waited as Kane made a dash to the side of the barn. He peeked around the corner and waved Rowley over, and Jenna followed close behind. She moved up behind Kane. “What do you see?”

  “Nothing moving.” Kane leaned his back against the wall and looked at her. “I can’t see inside the trailers. We could have a shooter waiting to pick us off one by one.”

  Jenna nodded and dropped into her combat zone. “We’ll clear the barn first—we can gain access by the side door.” She pressed her com. “Wolfe. Hold your position. We’ll clear the barn. Wait for my signal. When we have eyes on the front of the house and the trailers, you can go inside and clear the house. Be aware of IEDs; we don’t know who we’re dealing with right now.”

  “Roger that. No sound from inside, and the back door is open. No explosive devices or tripwires in sight.”

  “We’re entering the side door of the barn now.” Jenna nodded at Kane. “Go.”

  “Wait!” Kane handed her his rifle and bent to examine the ground. “No soil disturbance.” He checked all around the doorframe before standing to one side to ease the door open and turkey-peek inside. He pulled back and then looked again, using his binoculars. “Damn Halloween.”

  Jenna stared at his annoyed expression. “What is it?”

  “They’ve recreated the Mitcham hanging scene inside.” Kane shook his head. “It’s going to be a nightmare sorting out what’s real.” He pulled his weapon and moved inside. “Clear.”

  Jenna followed and waved Rowley into the barn. She scanned the area. The new owners had made changes for Halloween by adding false cobwebs with huge fat black spiders and eerie lighting. A mannequin of a man swung back and forth from the rafters, making a creaking sound that would set anyone’s nerves on edge if they’d heard the ghost stories surrounding the place. Many years ago, Mitcham had murdered his wife and committed suicide. Later, people claimed to have heard him swinging back and forth in his death throes.

  “This place is every kid’s nightmare.” Rowley paled. “It seems wrong to commercialize the murders committed here.”

  Jenna shook her head. “I can’t believe the mayor allowed this.” She handed Kane the rifle.

  “It happens all over.” Kane shrugged and pressed his mic. “Wolfe. We’ve found re-enactments of crimes here. You may be facing the same inside the house.”

  “Copy.”

  Jenna pulled her weapon and moved to the barn door, trying to ignore the entrance to the root cellar. She could see the bolt secured over the hatch and wondered if the new owners had recreated the brutal murder of a young woman who’d died there. She swallowed hard, trying unsuccessfully to push the murder, that had even stunned Kane, from her mind. With Kane and Rowley in position, she turned to them. “Kane, keep your rifle on the first two trailers, Rowley take the third, I’ll watch the house.” She pressed her mic. “Wolfe, we have you covered. Move in.”

  “Roger that.”

  The smell blowing in from the house had intensified, and the congealing blood appeared black in the sunlight. The killer had staged the macabre scene on the porch to gain maximum effect. Jenna shuddered and froze on the spot as something brushed against her leg. She’d seen prairie rattle-snakes on her ranch and dare not move. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “Kane, something touched me. Is it a snake?”

  Her eyes moved to meet his and she bit her lip as he looked down. When he grunted and aimed his rifle out the door, she glared at him. Panic rose in her throat as the sensation came again. “There’s something here. I can feel it.”

  “It’s that darn cat again.” Kane was using his rifle to scope the trailers. “It’s rubbing around your legs.”

  She glanced down and a pair of big copper eyes looked up at her. The cat let out a contented purr. “Not now, pussycat.”

  A loud bang broke the silence. Startled, Jenna swung her weapon up and down and side to side, searching. “Where did that come from?” She hit her mic. “Wolfe. Come in.”

  Nothing.

  Another bang and Kane moved forward through the barn door and took a position behind a tree. Jenna tried again. “Wolfe.”

  Nothing.

  Thirty

  Wolfe flattened against the wall of the kitchen. He’d heard the bang from outside and Jenna’s voice through his earpiece, but with both hands firmly on his weapon, he wasn’t removing a hand to reply. He’d heard something moving in the house and wasn’t taking any chances. He glanced at Webber’s face, eyes wide at the three fly-infested hands on the kitchen table, next to a bloody ax. Webber was a trained police officer, and to Wolfe’s relief, he shook his head and snapped back into action.

  “Wolfe, come in.” Jenna was getting insistent.

  Wolfe dared not make a sound but turned on his mic and tapped it twice. It was code to let her know he’d heard her but couldn’t talk. He nodded to Webber and they eased their way down the hallway. Heart thumping in his chest, he took a quick glance into the first bedroom and ducked back. A mannequin of a woman wearing old-style clothes lay on the floor in a pool of blood. He looked again, slower this time, at a grisly scene, designed for Halloween. Moving to the next room, he vividly recalled the murder scene of a young girl he’d attended. Whoever had purchased this ranch had used crime scene photographs to depict the murders. Although, the last one wasn’t how he remembered it. The noise came again, and he glanced back at Webber. “Did you hear that?”

  “Sounds like rats in the walls.” Webber moved ahead and peered into the family room. “This room has skeletons playing cards. The rats are a bonus.” He hit his mic. “House is clear, Sheriff. We’re heading onto the porch next.”

  “Roger that, Webber.” Jenna sounded relieved. “Wolfe, the banging was the wind catching the trailer doors and shutting them. The occupants must have left in a hurry to leave them open. All clear so far. No sign of the killer at all. No shell casings either. This is a strange one.”

  “Copy.” Wolfe holstered his weapon as he followed Webber into the family room and, batting away flies, peered out the window. “The porch is a crime scene. Stand down until it’s secured. It’s going to take time to process, but if you want to get up close, wear gloves and booties. There are footprints on the porch floor. My kit is outside the back door—grab what you need from there and come around the front. The inside is set up for Halloween but the killer has added his own touch by littering the kitchen table with the victims’ hands. It looks like he used an ax. We’re going to need help to catch this lunatic, Jenna.”

  “Copy that. I’ll leave you to handle the scene and we’ll continue to search the grounds. There’s a bunkhouse out back I want to check. I’ll leave Rowley here on surveillance.” Jenna cleared her throat. “Oh, did you check the cellar? It’s in the pantry.”

  “No, we’re on our way.”

  Wolfe waved Webber from the room and they soon found the pantry. With Webber’s assistance, he pulled open the door and peered at steps vanishing into darkness. He fumbled for a switch, but of course, the bulb was missing. Standing in the light at the top of the stairs, they might as well have had targets pinned on their shirts. He ducked back and listened with his back against the wall, Webber beside him. After what he’d witnessed, he had no intention of becoming the killer’s next victim. Risking his life when he had daughters to care for at home was not an option. He sucked in the putrid air, aimed his flashlight along his Glock, and peered around the door to search the small room
. The old furniture stacked all over could be hiding anyone, and in one corner a huge chest freezer hummed. He pulled back and looked at Webber. “I don’t see anyone but they could be hiding behind furniture. There’s an old freezer in the cellar and it’s running. Where do you figure the power is coming from?”

  “I noticed solar panels on the trailers, and they’d need power to set up here.” Webber scratched his chin. “Maybe there’s panels on the roof as well.”

  Wolfe nodded but his gut was telling him not to venture down the steps. “If so, why didn’t they replace the light in the cellar? Unless someone removed it to hide down there.”

  “Maybe it’s all part of the Halloween experience?” Webber was staring at the body parts on the kitchen table. “Do you want me to go down?”

  Wolfe shook his head. “Nope, I’ll go. I believe it’s clear down there but this house is giving me the creeps, and trust me that doesn’t happen often.” He raised his weapon. “Keep your back to the wall and watch the door. I don’t like the idea of the door shutting and locking me down there.”

  “No worries.” Webber gave him a curt nod.

  Glad of his liquid Kevlar vest and the new helmet he’d obtained for the sheriff’s department, Wolfe headed down the creaky steps. “Is anyone down here? This is the medical examiner. I’m armed and the sheriff has the house surrounded. Call out.”

  His flashlight moved across spiderwebs heavy with dust and picked up reflections of red eyes in dark corners. Underfoot his boots crunched on rat droppings covering the step treads. The scurrying sounds from below made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He wished he’d worn a face mask. The stench of vermin turned his stomach but he’d smelled worse things in his career. The stairs creaked and moved unnervingly with each step, and the handrail looked as if it would crumble away at the first touch. He moved the flashlight around, up and down, but no one lurked in the corners.