“They were too damaged for most types of analysis, and they yielded no fingerprints. However, the weight and size suggests they are 9mm bullets.”
I hate this guy.
“Common nails, common bullets,” Sam muttered.
Couldn’t he have the decency to use custom made, one-of-a-kind bullets with his name etched on the side?
The thought prompted another question from Sam.
“What about the card he left with the second victim?”
“It again tells us he is right-handed, but there was not enough written down to generate a profile.”
This time Sam didn’t quite manage to hold the sigh in.
The reaction prompted a sympathetic smile from the scientist.
“The third victim was unique in several ways,” said Dr. Kumar. “For one thing, she had traces of the gray substance embedded in her hair.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure, but whatever it is, it transfers very easily. The distribution pattern suggests she had it on her hands, but the killer cleaned those pretty thoroughly.” The scientist hesitated.
“Go on,” Sam prompted.
“I am merely speculating,” he said, clearly uncomfortable with doing so. “The attention the killer gave to her hands suggests she may have wounded him, probably by scratching. We scraped under her nails anyway, but the results were inconclusive.”
A mental image of the strangled homeless woman came to Sam. He hoped her scratches had left scars he could find. It gave him a small sense of satisfaction to suspect the woman named Martha had fought back.
Dr. Kumar walked Sam through the rest of the evidence, but nothing new and exciting popped out. When the presentation ended, the scientist retrieved one of his cards for Sam and escorted him back to his car. They shook hands again, and Sam got on the road back to Philly. He wasn’t looking forward to the three hour drive, but at least it would give him time to digest everything he had learned at the lab.
His suspect profile was still ridiculously vague. They were looking for a right-handed man who was reasonably fit. Sam assumed that much from the amount of lifting required. Martha had not been a small woman, and the ME had clearly concluded she was long dead before being moved to that bench. The threat delivered to the FBI office told him the man knew his way around computers or at least worked very closely with somebody who did.
We have your DNA.
Sam wasn’t naïve enough to believe that would solve everything, but he knew it could go a long way in getting a conviction once they caught the monster.
Chapter 20:
Complicated Capture
Ricketts Glen State Park
Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Irritation filled Andrew Novak from the bottom of his hiking boots to the tips of his ears. The instructions had been crystal clear: private party at a cabin in the woods, come thirsty and come alone, just the three of you. Half the irritation was aimed inward. He should have known the frat boys would bring an army of sycophants with them. Rules didn’t apply to them. Now, instead of three targets, he had twenty or more.
The spiked keg of beer he’d left wouldn’t go far among so many. The GHB dose spread so thin would probably just make them dizzy. He hadn’t put a lot in to begin with because of the dangerous potential of the combination. His plans would be ruined if the boys slipped into a coma and died in their sleep. That would be too nice. They deserved much worse.
Flipping to another of the five cameras he’d installed in the cabin, Andrew noticed the college crowd had come with a full arsenal of booze. The situation could be salvaged. He just needed to wait. Many of them would drink themselves into a stupor long before morning.
Noticing Matthew Nelson and Jacob Tieber huddled in a quiet corner, Andrew found the camera nearest them and restored the sound. To minimize confusion, he had kept all cameras defaulted to mute, but he wanted to hear what they had to say since they were two of the primary targets.
“When’s your buddy gonna show up?” Matt Nelson asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never met him,” replied Jake.
“You’ve never met him?” Matt echoed, looking shocked.
“I met him online playing Hordes and Heroes,” Jake explained. “We got to talking, and he said the cabin was free this weekend if I wanted to meet up. Said if I brought a friend or two to a private party I wouldn’t regret it. What’s the big deal?”
Matt shrugged, but he didn’t look happy.
“It’s just strange he wasn’t here to meet us.”
“Relax, man. Go get a drink. Grab a girl. Have some fun,” said Jake. “The blond that came with Tammie has been eyeing you.”
Andrew muted the sound. He didn’t want to listen to stupid boys give each other posturing pep talks. Besides, he needed to think. The kit he kept in the van had a decent stash of drugs these children might find fun. They probably knew how much their bodies could take, but it might knock out a few of them. How would he get the drugs to the kids? Which would be better, rohypnol or ketamine? He wanted whichever one would be less dangerous if mixed with GHB. Accidental overdoses would detract from his message.
Pondering the delivery question, Andrew tucked the iPad into the backpack at his feet and trotted through the woods to his van. If the party got too loud, the neighbors might complain. Although he doubted the rangers would care enough to investigate a noise complaint, the sooner things got settled, the better. They might not even have somebody in the office this time of night. Nevertheless, Andrew was glad he had chosen to conduct this operation in winter as the clothes provided better cover.
When he saw the stash in person, Andrew chose the ketamine pills. Special K would appeal to them. He also donned a ski mask and scribbled a short message on a notecard explaining the gift. Sneaking close to the cabin wouldn’t be a problem, but he hoped none of the partygoers decided on some fresh air at the wrong time. Before he could shut the door, the stun gun and Taser caught his eye. He pocketed both, grateful to be wearing cargo pants.
As he reached to shut the door, another container caught his attention. The small canister was marked “helium” but in reality, it contained fentanyl gas. He’d bought it on a whim from a buddy on the Dark Web. It had been an impulse buy and possible gift for psycho67. At the time, Andrew had thought of it as a very expensive gag gift, since psycho67 often complained about needing a captive audience to be taken seriously.
Hauling the canister to the cabin would be a lot of work, but it would take care of his people problem. His research on the stuff said it could kill but he only needed them out for a few minutes while he moved the guilty to a secondary location. Then, he’d open the window and doors and dispatch help for the innocent. If a few of them died, they would be considered acceptable losses and sacrifices for the cause.
Liking this new plan, Andrew unloaded the hand cart from the back and strapped the canister in place. Next, he exchanged the ski mask for a gas mask. Finally, he worked his way around to one of the back rooms. Loud music pounded through the cabin, but Andrew didn’t mind at the moment. The noise gave him enough cover to wrestle the canister in through a back window. After jamming the door shut, he looped the hose down under the door and unscrewed the valve to create a slow exit for the gas. It hissed, but he knew nobody would hear. Climbing back out the window he had entered, he looped around to the main door and waited. He wished he’d brought the police baton with him, but a sturdy branch would do. He waited, holding a large stick like a samurai sword, ready to clobber the next person through that door.
Nobody came.
A few thuds and cries of dismay emanated through the door. Muffled curses and moans somehow made it to his ears on a wave of tuneless music. He counted to sixty then opened the front door. Even with the door wide open, Andrew hesitated. The branch would be useless in close quarters, so he dropped it by the door and cautiously entered the cabin. An iPhone sat on a little pedestal attached to some portable speakers and continued filli
ng the air with poisonous noise. Andrew’s head started to hurt now that the door didn’t shield him. Drawing his gun, he shot the phone. The screen shattered into dozens of satisfying shards, and the kinetic force knocked it back several feet before it hit a wall and dropped like a stone.
Blessed silence fell.
Andrew gazed around at his handiwork.
“Hey! What’s happening?” asked a girl. Her head flopped right and she fell asleep before Andrew needed to consider a response.
A few people stirred, but most were out cold. Spotting his quarry, Andrew quickly zip tied Matt, Jake, and Todd Clements and moved them one-by-one out the door. The fresh air would hopefully revive them soon. He hadn’t left them in the gas long. The boy nearest the door stirred, so Andrew kicked him over onto his stomach and secured his hands behind his back. Putting them in a recovery position would increase the chances of survival, but Andrew figured nature would decide who lived and who died at this point. He helped by opening each window then returning to the back room to shut off the gas. Since he didn’t feel like lugging it back, Andrew decided to give the law enforcement people a break and leave the canister. He knew enough to wipe down the handle and sides. He couldn’t make things too easy on them.
By the time he finished wiping the container free of fingerprints, Andrew expected his three main captives would be ready to move. To his dismay, they were still unconscious. One boy, Todd, hardly seemed to have a pulse. The van might have a shot of adrenaline that could help—or give them heart attacks, but Andrew didn’t want to leave them. He glanced nervously at the cabin. What if one of the other college kids woke up before Andrew could move his captives? Putting a bullet into each of them would be the safest course of action, but he refused to give up on his main plan so easily.
Lightly slapping their cheeks, sprinkling water on their faces, and rubbing their bound hands got no response.
Footsteps approached.
Andrew drew his gun and ducked into the shadows created by the light spilling from the doorway. He didn’t want to take out the elderly ranger, but he couldn’t get caught either. Spotting the branch lying next to his captives, Andrew holstered the gun and dove for the branch.
“What the—” was as far as the ranger got before Andrew’s stick slammed into his head. The man collapsed like a sack of thrown laundry, but he was still conscious and grabbed his bleeding head. The next blow caught him across the shoulders, finishing the job of flattening him. He lay still.
Time seemed to speed up. Andrew would have to move quickly. Racing to his van, he leapt inside and maneuvered the vehicle as close to the cabin as possible. Then, he rolled his targets down to the van as swiftly as possible. The zip ties kept limbs from flopping about, but hauling the three college boys still gave Andrew a great workout. He left the ranger where he’d fallen. The man was too bulky to move. As long as he stayed unconscious while Andrew worked, no reason existed to kill him.
After slamming the van door shut on his cargo, Andrew retrieved his backpack and used the ranger’s cell phone to dial 911. When that failed, he took the phone with him. He’d call from the road. He needed a new park anyway. This one would have cops crawling everywhere in a few hours, and Andrew’s remaining plan could not be rushed. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he might even have to wait a day to deliver justice. Broad daylight heightened the excitement and danger.
A brief stop at the secondary site allowed Andrew to pick up the supplies he had brought to finish the job. Perhaps he didn’t need another park. Pennsylvania was a very large state with a lot of open land. Really, the only requirements Andrew had in a new location were privacy and space. The idea of a mountain seized his mind and wouldn’t let go.
Pulling over, Andrew checked on his prisoners. Since he would need to go to Benton for a decent Wi-Fi connection, he added more zip ties to the captives’ wrists, bound their feet with ropes, stuck gags in their mouths, and threw thin, opaque black hoods over their heads. The harsh treatment plus the earlier chemical assault might kill one of them, but Andrew played the odds that at least one would survive to help him make his next statement. For good measure, he handcuffed their bound wrists to the rings he’d had installed at various points around the van. Finally, he tucked his gas mask and other tools of the trade into the chest making up the long bench seat behind the driver’s seat. A heavy duty lock would keep the goods locked inside. He doubted the boys would have the energy to make mischief, but his kit had too many secret weapons to take chances.
As he climbed back into the driver’s seat, Andrew planned the rest of his day. He would track down breakfast first. Not many places would be open for a few hours, but if he parked in a diner lot, he’d probably find working Wi-Fi he could commandeer. He would spend the morning checking on various internet business, such as finding a great location to off the trio. In the afternoon he would find a quiet place to feed and care for his cargo. At night, they would all attend to the main event.
Chapter 21:
Explosive Statement
Red Rock Mountain
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
The sun set shortly after 7 o’clock, but Andrew waited until after midnight to begin his final preparations. The day hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but he enjoyed it. Supply stores were plentiful, so he bought a new jacket, camouflage pants, three new backpacks, a couple of flashlights, a popup tent, and a better hunting knife. He also stocked up on water and food suitable for taking on a trail. The grizzled old man who had sold him the supplies asked how long he intended to be hiking, but he didn’t press when Andrew gave a vague reply.
The surviving boys had protested and complained until trained properly to behave better. After seeing Jake, the alpha dog, zapped a few times with the stun gun, the other young man became a model prisoner. Unfortunately, Todd never woke up. Andrew would need to think of a special place to display him. In a way, Todd deserved to die slightly less than the other two, so Andrew wasn’t too upset about the easier end he’d received.
Although it slowed their progress, Andrew forced the boys to carry the supplies with the backpacks strapped to their chests so he had a clear shot at them with the Taser at all times. They only passed one couple along the hiking trail, but Andrew spotted them with enough time to warn his charges. If they tried anything more than friendly nods, they would die along with the others. Upon instruction, the boys set down the packs and sat down to eat some energy bars. Andrew spent the brief break sipping from a water bottle and keeping one hand on his gun. For that minute, the boys held the power of life and death in their hands. One plea for help, and the other hikers’ fates would be sealed.
They spent the latter half of the day hiking up Red Rock Mountain, then sat on a flat area to enjoy the view. The sunset had been spectacular. In truth, any one part of the land could look bleak if one looked close enough. Distance gave the view a magical makeover. One no longer saw individual trees but a patchy blanket of brown and green.
Leaving the boys unbound for the ascent had been a calculated risk, but Andrew kept the Taser and handgun close. Both young men wore only the thin, long-sleeved T-shirts they’d sported at the cabin party the previous night. The thin material would be useless against the Taser’s sharp prongs. The mountain air chilled them, but once they were moving, the exercise warmed them up.
Worn out, the boys threw down the packs at the first opportunity. After a quick meal of tuna fish packets and crackers, Andrew told the boys to get some sleep. He helped them with that by slipping some GBH into their water bottles. By the time they woke up and shook off the drug’s effect, Andrew had applied new gags and bound their hands and feet again. He’d arranged a blanket around them in case somebody joined them on the mountain tonight. Most people had sense enough to get off the mountain before nightfall, but Andrew tried to anticipate and head off possible complications.
Throughout the day, the young men had fired questions, most of which Andrew ignored. As his preparations neared completion, he decided
to enlighten them. He moved them inside the popup tent and woke them by smashing the police baton into their shins. They thrashed and screamed into the gags, but quickly ceased when they realized the hopelessness of their situation.
“Please pay attention,” said Andrew. He propped one of the flashlights on a backpack containing food so that it shone like a spotlight on the two prisoners. “If you want answers to your earlier questions, I’ll need a promise that you won’t scream for help when I remove the gag. You’re going to die tonight. How long the process lasts is up to you. Nod if you understand.”
Despite receiving two nods, the anger in Jake’s eyes told Andrew he’d be trouble. Taking out the stun gun, Andrew reached for Jake’s gag and prepared for anything. When the boy tried to head-butt Andrew, he simply moved the stun gun into position and let the kid bash his head on the metal piece. The urge to flip the switch and put a few million volts through the boy nearly overwhelmed Andrew, but he resisted the temptation. He left Jake to moan and looked hard at Matt.
“Do you want to have a civilized conversation?” he asked the young man.
Matt’s nod was cautious, and he kept his head very still as Andrew removed the gag.
“Good. What would you like to know first?”
“Why?” the kid croaked.
Andrew held an untainted water bottle to Matt’s lips and checked the time. His watch read 1:34. This would have to be a very quick conversation. There was still much to do.
“Maria Becerra,” Andrew answered.
The kid’s eyes widened.
“We were never convicted,” he protested.
“Are you guilty?” The question was conversational.
“It wasn’t my idea, man,” Matt said. “I tried to stop them.”
“Did you attack that girl?”
“No! We barely touched her.” Matt swallowed hard, as his confidence melted under Andrew’s stare. “Okay, Jake might have stolen a kiss and tried to feel her up, but she liked it. We were all drunk, even her. You can’t blame us for that. She was hot.”
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