An Angel of A Different Order: Dr Peter VonNetzer, the bloodletter (Danger Angel Book 1)

by S. R. Rashad

  “I’m not sure, hon. But you are here now with me and the agent is downstairs and I’m sure he can stop him. I’m getting a strong feeling from that guy. He’s our man, Jen. You know what, hon. I have a plan. Stay here a minute. Don't leave for anything. Let me go talk with the FBI guy and get a clear picture as to what he intends to do. Ok?”

  “Ok, Laura.”

  “Great. It's gonna be fine, Jen. I promise.”

  “You promise, Laura.”

  “Yes, Jen. Yes, I do. Now stay here. I’ll be back shortly.”

  Just like Jeffries told the captain the other day, the Sgt.’s home is a dead end. There’s no point being there. There’s no sign of life there at all, none of the lights are on, there are no sounds coming from the house, no radio, no t.v., no chatter, nothing. The captain and Peterson still decide to give it a thorough walk through.

  Unable to get inside, the main search is restricted to the perimeter of the house, the back garden area and the storage shed.

  “Hey, Peterson. Let’s try our best to find some clues. I don’t want this to be a wasted trip.”

  “Sure, boss. Gotcha.”

  “I mean look for anything unusual or out of place… Shit, I’m not ready to file a missing person’s report… Hey, Peterson.”

  “Yea, cap?”

  “Go checkout the garage would ya, buddy. I’ll go out back to the shed.”

  Peterson walks over to the garage and gives the door a yank, but it's shut tight and there's no way to see past the drapes.

  The captain walks along the side of the house and out toward the shed. As he walks through the back yard, he has flashes of the last cookout here at Doug’s. it was just weeks before the accident that killed both Doug’s wife and son. He can still see June in that yellow sundress she loved so much and he can hear Doug’s boy talking excitedly about his string of up and coming college interviews. Smart kid, he would have gotten into the college of his choice, he’s sure. There’s the grill he helped Doug pick out, on one of their last trips to Home Depot, a grill which Doug hasn't used since his family died. Memories both beautiful and tragic, flood the captain’s mind. Although walking through the yard brings both good and bad memoirs, none of this is helping to find Doug. He stands over by the shed and it hits him. Looking at the the old tin water pot, hanging on the side of the shed, he remembers the Sgt. locked himself out once and after that incident, he decided to keep a set of keys in the tin pot. The captain turns the pot over, and jackpot. The extra keys are there.

  “Hey, Peterson. I found a set of keys. Let's go inside.”

  “Yea, you got keys, cap?”

  “Yea, Peterson. Doug keeps an extra set in this old tin pot.”

  The two officers head inside. Not knowing what to expect, the captain tells Peterson to be on alert as he unholsters his gun. He doesn't want to believe the ravings of officer Chan but there's no reason not to be cautious.

  “Hey, cap.”

  “Yea, Peterson.”

  “You smell that?”

  “Yea, how can I not.”

  “It's coming from the kitchen.”

  “Let's go.”

  They approach the kitchen door with the utmost caution as they are overpowered by what the captain wants to believe is the smell of gas or rotten eggs, but he knows that smell.

  The captain motions to Peterson to open the door as he aims his gun at the door. Peterson opens the door and there's nothing in the kitchen, but the smell is strong now. There's a door in the kitchen that leads to the garage.

  “Captain, the garage.”

  “Yea, Peterson. I know.”

  The captain and Peterson open the door to the garage and there is the Sgt.’s body hanging from the crossbeam in the center of the garage.

  “Peterson, don't touch a thing. Let's call this in.”

  The captain came looking for answers, but this was far from what he expected. Now, he would rather that Doug were the damn vigilante. He can't look at the body of his friend hanging there any longer.

  “Hey, let's go wait in the car till the team gets here.”

  “Ok, cap. This is crazy, huh?”

  The captain is without words.

  .

  Chapter 27

  A Psycho Fuck Family

  Sometimes, it's the familial ties that help define who we are.

  Peter awakes to find his sister already at his hotel door.

  She stands in the entryway with her arms wide open. “Peter, my sweet. Come here.” Peter immediately drops to his knees, feeling as though he hadn't seen his sister in ages, the sight of her overtakes him. He wraps his arms around her, pressing his head child like against her torso, just under her bosom, while she strokes his hair.

  The VonNetzer women have always been the real power in the family, held in high regard by the VonNetzer men for their deep reserve, inner strength, and fierce loyalty to family. Like the fabled she-wolf of Rome, rearing the savage ferocity of Romulus and Remus, the VonNetzer men suckle at the teat of their women, and in turn, are given strength and clarity.

  “I wanted the stench of their prisons removed. I wanted to return to the open wild of the U.P. I wanted to return to the family cabin, to grandfather’s lodge, but I couldn't. They’ve infected our family home with their clumsy sense of humanity. Our homestead has been violated. They want to work their way into every aspect of my life, of my being. They want me limited, constrained, controlled.”

  “They have no understanding, no vision, Peter. Insignificant insects!”

  “Yes, Sis.”

  His sister can always put things into the proper prospective.

  “Peter, Stand up, dear, off your knees, sweet. I want to look at you. You are the spitting image of father.” She grabs his hand. “Now, I want you to come home with me.”

  “I can’t just yet, but soon.”

  “Ok. Whatever you need, sweet.”

  Peter is glad. He has his sister. He has clarity and his hunger.

  Laura is with him now. She wants to protect her Bambi, her friend, the co-parent to her new puppy. With him, she can.

  “Laura, are you willing to color outside the lines?”

  “What? What do you mean?”

  “I’m saying the law as it is, the way it's set up, It doesn't always meet the needs of the circumstances. Sometimes, something new is called for, a new prospective. Do you understand?”

  “I think I do. Sir, for her, I believe I am willing to color outside the lines.”

  “Good, Laura, good. That's what I want to hear. That will help us stop the crazed doctor.”

  He likes Laura’s commitment. The one man vigilante machine may have its first recruit.

  Peter asks his sister to stay at the hotel, while he--feeds his desire. But the one thing about the VonNetzer women, just like the VonNetzer men, is that, they can't be managed.

  Peter torched the stolen F150, setting fire to the car that connected him to the murders in Pennsylvania, in an underpass in New Jersey, and is now driving another beater of a truck he purchased with cash, from a guy in Brooklyn.

  Leaving the hotel and his sister behind, at least he believes she’s staying behind, he heads to the lot where he’s keeping his truck. The cops are no longer on his tail. He can move about freely.

  Still parked outside Laura’s apartment building, he asks Laura if she is ready to see Dr.VonNetzer the way he sees him. He believes this may be the only way to get her to do things she may still be uncomfortable with doing. He wants her to trust him, at least enough to be a major help to him. So he can end Peter. She’s gonna have to know and believe the doctor has to die. That’s the only way. Jails, the police, and the law are of no real use.

  “You know what, Laura. Let’s take a drive.”

  “Why? Where are we going?”

  “You wanna protect her, right?”

  “I just said I did.”

  “Ok. This is how it will happen. You in?”

  “Fine. Let’s go.”

  He drives
Laura back to his place to see the charts, the maps, to hear and see the audio and video recordings. He knows this is either gonna bring her in, or have her running for the hills but with her friend’s life at stake, and the fact that Laura sees how inept the justice system has been, he's sure she’ll see it his way.

  When Peter enters the lot to get his truck, he sees his sister exiting a cab, coming toward him, having followed him there.

  “Sis, I thought you were going to stay and wait for me?”

  “Now, Peter, my sweet. You didn't really thing I came all this way to wait in the sidelines now did you?”

  “But you shouldn't come where I'm going. Things could get messy.”

  “You know what, Peter. Don't do this. You shouldn't do this.”

  Peter is shocked to hear her say this. He would normally take her advice, but she knows he has to do this. He must.

  He looks at her dumbfounded… “Sis… I trust your view but…”

  She interrupts. “Peter, before you finish. Let me speak.”

  He nods yes, as it is all he can do, being confused by her request.

  “I mean to say what you have to do, doesn't have to be done here, in this city. We know what these people think of you and what they want to do to you. But I have built a special place in my home for you, a place where you can be you.” Peter begins to smile, the kind of smile only one with a real twisted nature can manage. “And now with the family’s cabin violated by them, this is meant to be.” She says confidently.

  Peter is a firm believer in fate and the workings of the heavens. His home contaminated by them, this is the way it had to be. He will be with family now. There is a place for him there. He likes this.

  Peter listens as she relays her plans to him. He likes what she has to say. His sis gets her way again. He will do as she suggests.

  Laura is beginning to wonder if this guy is really who he says he is. Is he some rogue agent? She’s met a lot of Feds before, but he is seeming less and less like one. She decides to hear him out anyway.

  Why did I agree to come all this way with this guy, mr. FBI. I don't know if he is even that. But if he wanted to kill me, he would have done it a long time ago, like back when I was laid up, barely animated at the hospital. He seemed genuinely concerned with my well being then, as he seems genuinely concerned with Jen’s, now. I’ll stay open to what he has to say, but I'll keep my mace close.

  He pulls up to his rented house in Queens, where he can't ever remember bring anyone to, before now.

  “We’re here.”

  “Where's here?”

  “I can show you better than I can tell you. Here, come inside.”

  Laura enters. As he opens the door, she secretly grabs her can of mace and holds it in her hand as she takes her jacket off, carrying it, covering her hand and her mace.

  As they step inside, he begins to tell her a story as he walks her through his home.

  “Imagine you’re a kid, Laura, just out of high school. You are sent off to war, to fight for your country, your friends, your family. But when you return home, having fought for your country, the person you love most in the world has been killed while you were off trying to protect her from a far off enemy. The only person you really wanted to protect, the only person you really wanted to kill for, is dead, viciously and brutally murder. And the real kicker is, no one knows who did it and why. Imagine how upset, no how hurt and lost you would feel. But then after a few years have gone by and the police still have no clue. Wouldn't you begin to take matters into your own hands. You start to investigate. You see there are similar unsolved murders, spanning years and crossing state lines. But more importantly, what would you do if you've identified the culprit, the killer, the monster. What would you do then, especially, when you see the police and the Feds fucking it up, again and again. You would do what I have done.” He says as he leads her into the garage and shows her his masterpiece of years of hunting his sister’s killer.

  Laura left Jen safe and sound in the apartment while mr. FBI is helping her come up with a way to protect Jen. She warned Jen not to go anywhere till she gets back. But Lb's hungry and no one thought to get him any food. Jen wants to go to the store but she doesn't want Laura upset with her, so she begins to wonder if Juan might go.

  She locks Lb in the room while she goes downstairs to chat with Juan.

  Jen steps off the elevator, entering the lobby. She sees Juan watching soccer on his mini TV. He's extremely engrossed in the game. Jen sees that. There's no way he'll go now, but she approaches him anyway. His full attention is on the game.

  "Hey, Juan."

  "Oh hi, Jen. Everything alright?" He ask barely looking away from the screen.

  "Yeah, everything is ok although I do have a request."

  "Oh, what is it, Jen?"

  "Laura doesn't want me to leave, at the moment and I need to get that precious little puppy some food. Is it possible for you or Sergio to go and pick some up?"

  "Me, no, Jen. I'm sorry. I can't leave the desk right now and Sergio is home sick."

  "Oh ok. I'll just go. The store's only a few blocks away, anyhow."

  "Ok."

  "Thanks anyway, Juan."

  "Sorry, Jen."

  If Jen were to tell him that her life may be in danger, Juan would have gone in a heart beat. But she made it seem so unimportant that he go, and with her nonchalant demeanor, Juan thought nothing of turning down her request as his home team was playing one of their more important matches.

  Jen leaves the building. It'll only be a quick trip to the store, then back home. Everything'll be fine and Laura never needs to know.

  A half a block away, she thinks she sees a man fitting Peter's build, watching her, but she's not sure. She doesn't want to look directly over at him, in case it is him. She walks a few more feet, stops and takes out her compact mirror, pretends to check her make up, but uses it to peer over at him. It could be him or it could not be him. At this distance, it's hard to tell, looking through a tiny mirror. It's not him. It could just be her frightened mind playing tricks on her. Still, she decides to speed walk, as she makes her way to the pet store, just a couple more blocks. She gets to the store, goes inside, and looks down the street where she believes she saw him, but he's not there, good.

  On the way back, she decides to take a different route, just to be on the safe side. There's a shortcut that leads to the garage entrance in the back of the building. Nervously checking her surroundings, she makes her way to the building's parking garage entrance. No one has followed her. She gets to the garage, checks around one last time, and she's almost certain there's nobody spying on her anymore. Still, her nerves make it difficult for her to find her keys as she fumbles around in her purse. She finds them, but still being on edge, a simple matter of getting a key in the lock, is proving to be a near impossible task. "Ok," she says to herself "you are at Laura's now. You're safe." Just hearing herself say those words, calms her. Then she's able to get the key in the lock, and the door open.

  As soon as she enters, she realizes, this parking garage idea maybe one of her worst ideas yet. When you're alone and already frightened, a dark isolated garage is the scariest place in the world. But she's here now and the elevator isn't too far. It's just about 50 feet from her, no problem. She makes a mad dash past all the tightly parked cars, in the dimly lit, echoey garage and is over by the elevator, in no time. She presses the call button. Hearing a car door open and close, she knows she's not alone. She now wishes she had Laura’s mace or something. She's too scared to turn around. She just stands there, hoping it's someone about to drive away, as she watches the numbers on the elevator indicator tick down, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7... Normally, the elevator is quick, but it's seeming extra slow, at the moment. There's a clickety clack sound behind her and it's getting louder and quicker as the person is approaching rapidly. At first, she is a little afraid, but then she has a sense of ease, as it must be a woman, cause it definitely sounds like stilettos. The elevator is finally he
re. The door opens. Jen gets in and decides not to wait for the woman heading toward her. She frantically presses and holds her finger on the close button, but the woman reaches the elevator. Her hand grabs the door before it closes.

  "Hey" she says half out of breath with her head down as though she just ran a mile.

  "Oh, hey! Jen says not seeing the woman's face but she knows the voice for sure. It's Nancy, from Nancy's inn upstate.

  "Hey! What the heck are you doing in the city, Nancy?"

  Still, breathing a little heavy and her hand still holding the door...

  "I'm just here for family, dear." she says.

  Then out from the dark, the monster emerges, startling Jen. She screams. She looks to Nancy, but Nancy just stands there. Then Peter grabs her. She attempts to struggle but it's of little use, as he quickly subdues her, putting her in a bear hold while she kicks and screams. Then he places a rag laced with chloroform to her face and she goes limp, falling out, in seconds.

  Breathing heavily from his little struggle, Peter smiles "Thanks, sis." he says.

  "Of course, my sweet. Now, let's go."

  The monster has all he needs; he has his sister and he has the object of his dark lust.

  Peter carries an unconscious Jen over to the car. With his sister there, if anyone asks, it's just their drunk daughter passed out. But no one's there. No one asks. They make it to the truck without being seen, without incident. A bag of dog food, on an otherwise empty elevator, the only thing that remains, as Laura's beloved Jen is gone.