RAINEY DAYS

by Bradshaw, R. E.

  Rainey took two weeks off after her father’s funeral and then returned to the task force working the Y-Man murders. The fact that she was just a little over twenty miles from the bait shop office made taking care of her father’s estate business easier, but it did not ease the devastation she felt at the loss of the most important person in her life. Her mother’s side of the family was merely a supplier of genetic material, as far as Rainey was concerned. She hated everything they stood for, most of all their pretentiousness. Billy Bell had not only been her father, he was Rainey’s best friend. It was the first time she felt truly alone in her whole life. In hindsight, she was too emotionally disconnected to have returned to the field so soon, but she had asked to stay near home to close out her father’s business.

  On the twenty-eighth of May, Rainey was sitting in a black SUV observing the Advent Ferry Bridge north entrance. The co-occupant of the vehicle was her fellow agent and longtime friend, Danny McNally. They had joined the BAU at about the same time and had a brother-sister relationship that meant they loved each other, but sometimes they fought. They had been parked near the boathouse since midnight and it was now almost four in the morning. Danny had obviously eaten something awful, because his stomach rolled incessantly. Rainey was one of the boys most of the time and suffered through their bathroom humor, but she drew the line at sharing farts. It particularly made her angry when they farted and did not warn anyone.

  “Fuck you, Danny,” Rainey had shouted, “You could at least warn somebody.”

  Rainey exited the vehicle, slamming the door behind her and walked past the boathouse, out on the footbridge that crossed the lake, paralleling the bridge. She was angry at the world these days. She stared at the moonlight sparkling across the hundred and fifty acre lake. It was surrounded by evergreen forest, complete with miles of greenway trails. Lake Johnston was beautiful this evening, but Rainey did not see it. Her mind was racing with unfulfilled revenge. Mackie and his posse had run down the gunman, four days after he killed her father, only to discover he was a fourteen-year-old boy, earning his way into a gang. He did not even know at whom he was shooting. Rainey’s revenge had no outlet, so it smoldered under her skin.

  Rainey knew she had over reacted with Danny. His behavior was atrocious, but did not warrant her stomping off like that. She wondered if she should take some more time off to get her head straight. She could not concentrate or focus on the job, as she should, and she snapped at people, which was totally out of character for her. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a good night’s sleep. She stayed on the footbridge contemplating her situation for the next twenty minutes.

  Rainey decided to head back to the vehicle, thinking she had probably been gone long enough for the air to clear. Maybe they should leave and find Danny a bathroom. She was just coming to the edge of the boathouse, still hidden from the view of the parking lot, when she heard something that made her stop. That was the last conscious thought she had until she awoke sometime later, in the killer’s lair.

  Rainey knew she had been drugged. Her arms and legs felt heavy and her eyes could not focus on the room around her. She could tell she was in a bedroom. She could tell that she had been raped. She felt the mattress through the plastic under her naked body. She was tied by her wrists and ankles to the bedposts, splayed out and completely vulnerable. A cotton cloth was tied in a knot and stuffed in her mouth, the ends tied behind her head. She could hear music playing in the other room, but the Doppler Effect from the drugs made it impossible to make out what the song was.

  She felt the burning ache on the side of her neck where she must have been hit with a stun gun. A shadow moved just out of her view. She could feel his presence, just inches from her. Her heart pounded in her ears, her breathing rapid and shallow. She tried to scream, but only primal, muffled, guttural sounds left her throat, blocked by the gag in her mouth.

  “Oh goody, you’re awake. We can play now,” a voice said, over her right ear.

  It was a man’s voice, but it sounded like an imitation of a small boy. The man moved into view. He was tall and muscular, completely naked, except for the black leather, sadist mask he wore over his head and face, latex gloves on his hands, and a condom on his penis. He carried a scalpel in his hand as he climbed on the bed and straddled her. He placed the scalpel on the bed, by her head. She was tied so tightly she could not move at all. Rainey was completely defenseless and about to die. No one knew where she was. She was alone with a psycho killer with no hope of rescue. Rainey’s only thought was she hoped he killed her fast.

  The childlike voice squealed out in joy, “I’m so happy you were able to come over and play today.”

  Then the torture began. He pulled on her nipples, squeezing and twisting them, pulling on them until Rainey thought he would tear them away.

  “I love boobies,” he sang, over and over, to the made up tune of a child.

  He slid down her body and examined her vagina like a boy examines a bug. He poked and prodded, pulling her labial lips, stretching the skin to its breaking point. He jabbed his fingers into her, ripping her skin. Rainey screamed in agony, but he paid no attention to her muffled protestations.

  He cheerfully sang out, in his childlike singsong, “Don’t make too much noise, Mommy will catch us playing doctor and she won’t like it.”

  Rainey pulled on the restraints, fighting for her life. She thrashed from side to side, bucking her attacker off balance, while he tried again to straddle her.

  His singsong stopped and he whined like a child, “I don’t like it when you move.”

  The first fist slammed into the side of her face snapping her head to one side. A wave of nausea accompanied the searing pain. It was not until the second fist crashed into her temple that she lost consciousness. She awoke to her eyes almost swollen shut, her mouth full of blood, and the man raping her. He had beaten her unmercifully and continued her torture while she was unconscious. When he realized she was awake, he stopped. He lay down on top of her, his face close to hers. She saw tears in his eyes when he looked at her. Suddenly he sat up, his knees on either side of her hips.

  His voice trembled, as he said in his little boy cadence, “I’m sorry, but it only works when you play dead.”

  Rainey saw him pick up the scalpel from the bed. She knew what was about to happen and she steeled herself against the pain. The cold metal cut into her skin above her right breast. Wait, wasn’t he supposed to kill her first, strangle her. She bit down hard on the cotton in her mouth and growled with pain, as he continued to slice down to just above her belly button. He plunged the scalpel in again above her left breast, sending a new wave of pain through her body. She arched her back against his weight on top of her. She tried to buck him off, but he drew the second slice to meet the first, joining them into his signature Y.

  Rainey thought she would pass out from the pain. She prayed that she would. Just when she thought she could take no more, he stopped. He jumped up from the bed and ran out of the room. A few seconds later she heard a door shut somewhere off in the other part of the living space. Rainey fought to stay conscious, but lost the fight as the edges of the room turned to blackness and slowly closed around her.

  She woke to Danny’s voice screaming her name, “RAINEY!”

  She opened her swollen eyes a crack to see his face, desperate for some response from her. The room grew louder with other voices barking out orders.

  Danny saw her eyes open. He yelled, “She’s alive, get those paramedics in here.”

  He removed the gag from Rainey’s mouth, very careful not to cause her more pain. Through her badly cut and swollen lips she whispered, “Thank you.”

  Danny stood up and let the paramedics get to her. He pulled out a knife and cut the restraints from her arms and legs. She could see that he was crying.

  “We’re going to get him Rainey. He couldn’t have gotten far, we’ll get him,” was the last thing she heard someone say, before she was out again.

  T
he next day in her hospital room, Danny explained that he had needed a restroom badly and had been unable to wait for her to come back, after she stormed off. He came back and checked that she was still on the footbridge. A few minutes later, he saw a town car pull away, from the boathouse, and made a note of the license plate, as it left the parking lot. When Rainey had not come back, he went looking for her. When he discovered her badge and gun, lying behind the boathouse, he had called for help.

  From the license plate number, Danny had written down, they were able to track the car to a Chinese corporation that turned out to be a dummy company. Luckily, they had eventually found an address for a house, off Advent Ferry Road and near Lake Johnston, that was also owned by the corporation. They arrived only moments after the would-be killer escaped. Danny blamed an inadvertent siren from a local law enforcement vehicle, for warning the suspect of their pending arrival, giving him just enough time to disappear, out the back door and into the woods. He must have had a car waiting somewhere nearby. He didn’t realize the siren saved Rainey’s life, but she knew how close she was to dying.

  There were no fingerprints; the guy must have worn gloves the entire time he was in the house. They did find plenty of hair samples, again dark, but the techs thought there was no viable DNA. The previous victims’ driver’s licenses were taped to the bathroom mirror, including those of the three missing women. There were many newspaper articles about the Y-Man taped on a wall, in the living room. The suspect was in the wind.

  They were still no closer to knowing his identity, over a year later, as Rainey sat in the Charger staring at the single Y on the otherwise blank page.

  CHAPTER TEN

  At first, Rainey did not know what to do. Her instincts said start the car and get the hell out of there. All the anxiety and fear of the past year crashed into her bones so hard, she felt weak, unable to move. She could feel her body start to tremble and tried desperately to gain control. That one single letter, on the paper she held in her hands, represented every frightening image Rainey had been terrorized by for months, only this image threatened to push her over the edge. She wanted to run and hide, never coming out again. Nevertheless, he would find her, she was sure of that. For that one reason, she fought the primal urge for flight and, at that moment, Rainey Blue Bell decided to fight.

  She was up and out of the car before Mackie realized what was happening. She unholstered the Glock and crossed the thirty yards to JW’s front door, in a matter of seconds. Mackie unhinged himself, from the front seat of the Charger, and sprinted after her.

  “Damn it Rainey, stop! What are you doing?” he yelled between gasps for air.

  Rainey banged on the Wilson’s door like cops do, loudly and persistently.

  “JW, its Rainey. Open the door, its urgent,” she shouted into the glass windows, in the top of the door.

  Mackie arrived, breathless and repeated his question, “What are you doing?”

  “I’m letting these people know there’s a maniac out here somewhere and then I’m calling the BAU,” Rainey said, gaining steam, “and then I’m going to kill that mother fucker.”

  Rainey banged on the door again, more forcefully.

  “Calm down, Rainey. You’re going to scare these poor folks to death and wake up half the neighborhood.”

  Rainey turned on Mackie, her face red, her voice booming, “They should be scared!”

  The door to the Wilson residence flew open. JW stood on the other side of the opening, eyes wide, and a panicked look on his face. Behind him, Katie appeared pulling on a silk negligee over her matching pajamas.

  “Jesus, Rainey, what the fuck?” JW said, moving aside as Rainey and Mackie pushed their way into the foyer.

  JW shut the door behind them. Rainey came face to face with Katie Wilson for the second time in her life. She saw a flash of recognition in Katie’s eyes.

  “I thought your name was Caroline,” Katie paused looking down at Rainey’s hand, “and why do you have a gun?” She glanced at her husband, “JW, what’s going on?”

  JW ushered everyone into the den, where it was obvious he had fallen asleep on the couch watching TV He crossed to the coffee table, retrieving the remote, cutting off the television. Katie turned on the end table light and went to stand by her husband. Her mouth hung open as she took in Rainey and the giant, Mackie, armed and out of breath.

  JW was the first to speak, “Okay Rainey, what in the hell has happened?”

  “Why do you keep calling her Rainey?” Katie said. “Who is she?”

  “I’m sorry to have frightened you ma’am,” Rainey answered, going immediately into Bureau mode. “I’m afraid I wasn’t honest with you yesterday. My name is Rainey Bell. I’m an old friend of your husband and a Special... former Special Agent with the FBI. Your husband hired me to protect you. This is my partner, Mackie.”

  Mackie interrupted, “I’m sorry, but Mr. Wilson, I need you to show me all of your outside windows and doors.” JW hesitated, then Mackie added, “Now, Mr. Wilson.”

  Katie slumped down on the couch, her fear more apparent, as the color drained from her face. Rainey checked the locks on the windows in the den. She peered through the curtains into the backyard, seeing only the shadows cast by the tall boxwoods surrounding them. He could be out there and she would never see him. Rainey turned back to the couch, holstered her pistol and sat down facing Katie, who was squeezing herself into the corner of the couch, her knees pulled tight up to her chest.

  “I’m sorry we had to formally meet under these circumstances,” Rainey said, in a quieter calmer tone.

  Katie reached out and clasped Rainey’s hand. A tear rolled down her cheek as she pleaded, “Please, tell me what’s happening.”

  Katie’s fear was so real and her plea so genuine, Rainey made her mind up, that instant, that she would defend this woman with her life, if it came to that. Something in Katie triggered a protective instinct Rainey had never felt before. She wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay, to shield her from what came next. For Rainey knew she would have to tell Katie about the maniac, the one who had almost killed her, the same man who had been stalking Katie for months. Sweet innocent Katie was about to be introduced to the ugliness of the world. Rainey wished she could spare her that.

  It helped Rainey focus, having someone else to worry about. She had been watching Katie to help out JW, but now she wanted to help Katie. For the moment, Rainey’s fears came second, as she tried to think of the right thing to say.

  “Katie, please know that I am here to keep you safe. I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to you,” Rainey said, patting the frightened woman’s hand. “I’ll explain everything when JW and Mackie get back.”

  Katie said nothing and only nodded. Rainey saw a box of tissue on the coffee table. She lifted it to Katie, who took several sheets. She let go of Rainey’s hand, dabbing the tears from her eyes and cheeks. Rainey took the opportunity to send a text message from her phone. She stood, walked across the room, finding Danny’s name in her contacts list and sent a two-word text, “HE’S BACK.”

  Rainey hung up the phone and slipped it back into its holder on her waist. She saw her reflection in the big hall mirror, and realized what she must look like to Katie. She was dressed in her black tactical pants, black tee shirt and shoulder holster with the big black pistol at her side. Katie must have thought the SWAT team was invading her house when they pushed through the door. Now, Katie looked anxious enough to spring up on the ceiling, at the least little noise.

  The ponytail was making Rainey’s head hurt. She removed the hair band and ran her fingers through her hair. She made a show of calming down, as if the danger had passed. Her chestnut waves fell down around her shoulders. She took a deep breath and sat down, sighing loudly, as she relaxed back into the couch.

  Katie put her feet back down on the floor and adjusted her gown. She too took a big breath and let it out slowly. Sometimes when people were in a crisis, they would
mimic behavior instinctively, because they were so overloaded they could not think for themselves. Rainey had used the technique before. She was glad to see Katie responding.

  Katie looked at Rainey, “You have lovely hair.”

  It was odd what people thought about in situations of emotional pain and uncertainty.

  Rainey smiled at Katie. “Thank you,” she said, and then added, “So do you.”

  They heard Mackie’s rumbling bass before the two men reappeared. Rainey stood up when they entered the room. Mackie moved over and stood in front of the windows, where he periodically checked the backyard.

  “Now, Rainey will you tell me what’s going on?” JW asked.

  “Sit down JW,” Rainey indicated the recliner near where he was standing.

  JW sat down. Rainey resumed her seat on the edge of the couch cushion. Katie leaned forward placing her elbows on her knees. All eyes looked eagerly at Rainey for answers. She thought again, about how Katie was going to react to the news. She tried to be as calm as possible, while she told the Wilson’s what real danger they were in.

  “Katie, JW has had me following you for the last two days. He wanted me to catch the guy who has been sending the pictures of you and the notes.”

  Katie looked stunned. She quickly said, “What pictures, what notes?”

  Rainey was as stunned as Katie was. She did not know what to say. She looked at JW for answers.