Hollywood Intrigue: A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thriller

by M. Z. Kelly

  My gaze shifted and I saw that Joshua Graham was standing next to her, smiling. I was still trying to piece things together as I said to him, “You…how are…”

  “I am The Apostle,” Graham said, interrupting. “The one who serves at the will of The Prophet.” His adoring eyes shifted, taking in the image of Janice Taylor.

  Everything then came rushing to me at once. When I’d first learned that Taylor had been assigned to our case, I’d recalled that several months earlier she had been one of the agents involved in the investigation of the killer who went by the name Azazel. The monster had orchestrated the killing of dozens of people, claiming that he was the personification of evil.

  Then I remembered Lucas Caufield’s words, what he’d tried to tell me. “The one…The Apostle told you about…is not what you think.” A woman, Caufield was telling me that The Prophet was a woman and I’d missed the clue.

  Taylor must have seen my dawning awareness. “Azazel was my lover, Detective. Don’t you remember him telling you that he was one of seven?”

  “One of seven disciples that exist to seek vengeance in the world.”

  She laughed and swept the brown hair from her eyes. “Very good. Too bad it took you so long to understand the game, you might have saved a few lives.”

  Taylor pointed toward the light and for the first time I saw that a camera had been set up. “My colleagues, the other five disciples that are left, are out there as we speak, watching the events unfold. They’ve waited a very long time for this moment.”

  “Why?” I demanded, at the same time I continued to hold onto Lexi’s trembling hand. “What purpose will killing us serve?”

  Taylor’s features hardened. When she spoke her words spewed forth like venom. “You murdered my lover, Detective. Azazel was the chosen one, the first of the seven. His death will finally be avenged.”

  The woman known as The Prophet moved one hand up, unbuttoned the sleeve on her blouse, and rolled it up. I saw the all-too familiar Latin words Sorores Sanguinis, Sisters of the Blood. It was the same tattoo worn by a group of women who had gone on a killing spree in the name of Azazel.

  The case had received the attention of the national media after I’d done an interview. Azazel had used a woman named Myra, among others, in a series of killings that were broadcast via the Internet to a group of his followers, known as Predators. He’d been killed in a shootout with SWAT a few months ago and several women had been freed from his underground torture chamber.

  The Prophet met my eyes and said, “We all have our own reasons for doing things in this world, Detective.” Her gaze drifted over to Joshua Graham, her apostle. “Why don’t you explain what I mean.”

  Graham’s eyes shifted, finding me. “My father was a minister in the south where I grew up. Sundays, his church was filled with hundreds of people and his sermons were televised throughout the state.” His eyes darkened. “After church, daddy would take me home and celebrate the rest of his day by having sex with me. It began when I was five and continued until I was a teenager.”

  Taylor took over again. “Joshua’s daddy eventually went away with my help.”

  “I’m sorry, but…”

  Graham cut me off and went on, “When I was a boy, I developed an interest in the natural world. I became especially enthralled with the insect kingdom. It was a way for me to hide from daddy and also escape from the world.” His eyes held on me. “Do you know why I eventually became obsessed with the wasp family?”

  I couldn’t help myself and said, “Because you’re insane.”

  He laughed. “Perhaps.” His gaze moved over and fixed on Lexi. “In time, I came to realize that evolution was extremely kind to my winged friends. Imagine a creature, no bigger than your finger that can fly, while defending itself by inflicting a pain so intense that it brings grown men to tears, not to mention sometimes even their death.” I was relieved when his eyes found me again. “And, as you already know, my favorite creature has found a quite remarkable way to reproduce its species.”

  Taylor spoke up again. “As it turned out, my apostle’s obsession was the perfect choice when it came to the subject of transformation. It became the symbol of my personal metamorphosis; one that I knew would eventually lead you to me.

  Lexi was trembling again. I held her hand and said, “You both deserve one another.”

  “Maybe I should also give you a little bit of my background,” Taylor said, laughing. “As Lucas Caufield told you, there are reasons why fate has brought us together.”

  “Nothing you tell me will explain away what you’re doing.”

  She went on anyway, “I was gang raped when I was ten. The boys who did it went to my school. They laughed about what they’d done, how they’d gotten away with it. When I was thirteen, I began taking my revenge, secretly torturing and then killing each of the four boys who raped me one by one.” She smiled. “With each killing, I began to find my power and realized that I enjoyed it. The fact is, killing became a sexual act for me, one that I kept hidden from the world.”

  “Until I came along,” Graham said.

  Taylor glanced at her apostle and nodded. “There’s nothing quite as sweet in this world as revenge.” Her eyes then found me again. “When I later went to work for the FBI, it just became a matter of choosing my victims carefully and pretending to profile those that society vilified. After I met Azazel, I knew that I’d found my soul mate.”

  “He orchestrated your killings?”

  “At first, but in time we joined with the others. We became part of the seven. Our mission in life was to take vengeance until…”

  “Until now,” I said. “This day marks a turning point.”

  She held on my eyes for a moment before answering. “It is the beginning of the end. The others, those who are left of the original seven, will also begin a killing spree and signal their followers to kill. That is the change in the world, the transformation that Lucas told you about. It will be the end of civilization as you know it. It will also signal my rebirth, my personal metamorphosis.”

  In that moment, any doubts I had about Janice Taylor being sane were erased. While my captors’ horrific abuse might explain their motives, it didn’t begin to excuse what she and Graham had done. I had no idea what they had in mind for Lexi and me, but I decided to stall, knowing that I had no other option.

  “What about Lucas Caufield?” I asked. “What was his role in what happened?”

  Taylor laughed. “Lucas…wow, where do I begin?”

  “He was a pawn,” Graham spat in disgust.

  “Yes,” Taylor agreed. “But he was much more than that. Lucas was, how shall I put this delicately…” Her dark eyes swept over to Lexi and then came back to me. “Let’s just say that he had a certain weakness for the opposite sex that I exploited. He fell in love with me while he was investigating the cases in the southeast. When he realized that I was involved in those killings, he eventually became an apprentice. We were planning to take another girl when he became ill…” She laughed. “Let’s just say that I continued to offer Lucas certain pleasures that others would not. In return, I received his cooperation.”

  “And he kept your secret from everyone, even his own brother.”

  “Of course. At the same time he offered you clues about what I was planning, just like the poetry that was left when the girls were taken. It was all part of the game.”

  What she’d said about it all being a game sickened me. I remembered how Lexi and I had been betrayed by her teacher. “What about Dillon Walker? Was he just another apprentice?”

  Taylor shook her head. “Dillon was special. He was the first apprentice, one who helped choose the others. After you facilitated the murder of Azazel, he volunteered to eventually exploit your weakness, your desire to find a soul mate.” Her dark eyes swept over Lexi again, and then came back to me. The hint of a smile played on her lips. “Yes, I know all about you, Detective, and your past relationships.” Her gaze drifted off, her smile bec
oming wistful. “Dillon sacrificed everything for this moment.”

  I saw Graham move away from the pit. My suspicions that I’d been targeted for months were confirmed by what she’d said. I continued to stall, asking her, “What about the other apprentices? Who are they?”

  Taylor’s lips turned up. “I could tell you, but that would spoil all the fun. Let’s just say that they’re much closer than you think, along with The Swarm, those who have also been chosen to begin the killing.”

  “The Swarm?”

  “My apostle chose the term because of his hobby. The Swarm are those who understand the true nature of our world and have joined us.” She regarded me for a moment. “It might not surprise you to know that many of our converts were chosen while there were in prison. Those who are most disenfranchised by society are ready for the change coming to the world.”

  I thought about Jeremy Spender’s theory about The Prophet’s converts being radicalized. If what she was saying was true, it occurred to me there could be dozens, maybe hundreds, out there ready to kill.

  My thoughts were interrupted by a soft, all too familiar buzzing sound somewhere above me. In a moment, the smiling face of Joshua Graham reappeared.

  Graham held up a glass container and said, “I think we’ve had enough questions.” He looked at the woman he called The Prophet. “It’s time for our little show to begin.” He met my eyes again. “We call this part of the game ‘good versus evil’.”

  Lexi began crying and I clutched her closer to me. “Please don’t do this. I’ll do anything.”

  “Funny you should say that,” Janice Taylor said. “This is your chance to prove it.”

  Lexi continued to sob as I said, “What do you want me to do?”

  The woman I now knew as The Prophet paced above the pit as she spoke. “Have you ever given any thought to what kind of a world we live in, Detective? It’s not only a world where rapists and sexual sadists prey upon those who are younger and weaker. It’s also a world where a living creature is consumed alive as a host for the offspring of another species. Does design govern our world and, if so, what kind of designer do we have? Is he a God or a monster?”

  “I can’t begin to answer your question, except to say that you have a choice to make in this world, either to make it better or…”

  She laughed. “I think it’s a world where there are givers and takers. I’m what you would call a taker. I’ve already taken much of what I want from you. I’ve taken your dreams, your hope, your faith and…” Her gaze swept over Lexi. “…and that which you consider precious and innocent.” Her eyes found me again. “In a moment, I’m going to take the only other two things that you possess in this world. First, I’m going to take your sanity. And then I’ll take your life.”

  Graham moved closer to the pit, holding up the glass container. The buzzing sound I’d heard earlier returned, only now louder. He said, “As I mentioned earlier, I have a certain hobby that I’ve been allowed to indulge myself in over the past few years.” He flicked an eyebrow. “You might be surprised to learn that the girls I arranged to be taken, including Jenna, fell in love with me…” His eyes found the glass container. “…before they were shown the true nature of this world.”

  Taylor took over again. “The glass cage is designed so that a hand or something even larger, such as a human head, can enter through the bottom, without releasing the killing insects. It’s also been heated so that, as you can see, Joshua’s playmates are very active and ready to feed.”

  Graham lowered the device into the pit with a rope as the buzzing sound grew louder. “You have a choice, Detective. You can save the girl or sacrifice her. You can choose that which you consider good, or succumb to the temptations of evil by using the insects to kill the girl.”

  I moved closer to Lexi and hugged her, at the same time my eyes held on the buzzing cage full of swarming insects that was now at the bottom of the pit.

  Taylor chuckled and motioned to the camera above the pit. “The disciples are all out there, waiting for your decision. Will you save the girl by wearing the death mask? Or will you give into that which you consider evil in this world? It’s the ultimate choice, Detective. What do you say?”

  I walked over and picked up the buzzing container of insects, seeing that it contained at least a dozen of the killing wasps.

  “Well,” the woman known as The Prophet said. “What’s your choice?”

  I held onto the death mask as Lexi continued to cry and she shrank back against the earthen pit. Maybe it was my imagination, but somewhere in the distance I thought I heard the splintering of wood. Then I heard a low, familiar sound that I’d come to know and love. It was Bernie…he was barking.

  SIXTY FOUR

  I examined the death mask, the buzz of angry insects growing louder as I brought it closer. The thought of wearing the device was the most horrifying thing I could imagine.

  “Make a decision, NOW,” I heard The Prophet say. “Or Joshua shoots the girl.”

  I saw that her apostle was holding a gun, at the same time I continued to hear what I thought was the sound of my big dog barking somewhere in the distance.

  Maybe it was because I was facing the worst choice I could imagine, but time seemed to slow down and then stop altogether. My mind began to tumble back in time. I thought about what Ted had said to me a few weeks ago, his theory about life being a choice between fear and love.

  I knew in this moment that a choice was being given to me that had nothing to do with good and evil. I was being asked to give up on life, to give up on beauty, understanding, and the subtle feelings of love that I knew pervaded everything in this world. That was the true choice that I faced. I could choose fear and give into the darkness that was being offered. Or I could choose love. I could make a choice to fight for what I knew was right in this world.

  I glanced at the beautiful young girl who stood next to me trembling with fear. The seconds ticked by as time moved forward again. I knew what I had to do.

  “Here’s my decision,” I yelled. “Go to hell.”

  I used every bit of strength I possessed to heave the death mask out of the pit. I heard the glass shatter and the sound of the angry insects being released. Above me there were screams as Taylor and her companion ran for cover.

  A few moments later, from somewhere above me I heard the sound of Joe Dawson’s deep voice calling out, “Put the gun down.”

  Several shots were exchanged and I heard screams filling the air. I shrank back against Lexi, trying to protect her, and praying that the killing wasps wouldn’t descend into the pit.

  When the shooting and screams finally stopped, the room above us became silent. The only sound I heard was the still distant, muted sound of my dog barking. After what seemed like an eternity, I looked up and saw Joe Dawson’s big face smiling down at us.

  “How are things down there, Buttercup?”

  My voice was frantic. “It’s Janice Taylor. She’s The Prophet and…”

  “I know. Graham’s dead but Taylor got away during the shootout. I think she was chased off by the wasps. If we’re lucky, we’ll find her somewhere outside dead in the snow.” Dawson’s gaze moved over to the still quivering girl standing next to me. “You must be Lexi. How are you doing, hon?”

  Lexi was still holding onto me as she said, “I’m okay—now.”

  “What about Bernie? I asked.

  “I’m sure he’s fine. I was hit in the head and knocked out. I think he somehow got locked outside the church but is trying to find his way back in.”

  “Thank God.” I released a breath. “If you could find a ladder or a rope, we’d be eternally grateful.”

  Dawson’s pale blue eyes shone down like a beacon. He reached down to us and said, “Let me just lend you a hand.”

  After Lexi and I were both out of the pit, I walked over and examined Joshua Graham’s dead body. The Prophet’s apostle had been shot through the head in the exchange of gunfire with Dawson.

 
While Lexi waited in the church with my FBI partner, I took a few minutes and retrieved Bernie, at the same time surveying the surrounding woods for Janice Taylor. Bernie was none the worse for the experience, apparently having somehow gotten locked outside the church. I continued to scan the forest but decided that the woman who called herself The Prophet was nowhere in sight.

  I turned away and started to head back into the church. I stopped and saw the ghostly specter of Jenna Collins, the dead girl who had haunted my dreams for the past several days.

  “It’s over, Jenna,” I whispered. “You’re free now.”

  SIXTY FIVE

  “It’s a strange thing,” Lexi said. “I’m not nervous anymore.”

  We were on a patio outside her school gymnasium, waiting for her drama teacher to arrive. It was the opening night for Lexi’s play Our Town. Her grandparents had allowed me to drive her to the performance and had promised they would be in attendance later.

  “You’ve been through a lot in the last few weeks,” I said. “I think you’ve grown up in many ways.”

  Her gaze moved off. “I sometimes think about Mr. Walker and that other man and woman. I’ve seen the stories about them on TV.” She found my eyes again. “Why do you think they did those terrible things?”

  I considered what she’d said for a moment, then tried to choose my words carefully. “I think sometimes people feel really disconnected and powerless. They lose all faith in other people, in society, and also in their own lives. They start to look for something or someone to believe in to take away their feelings of loss. When they do that, sometimes they make really bad choices that give them a false sense of power.” I brushed the brown hair out of her eyes. “All we can do is keep moving forward and do our best.”

  It had been two weeks since the killing spree of The Prophet and her apostle had ended. While Joshua Graham had been killed in the shootout with Joe Dawson, Janice Taylor had somehow gotten away. While there was a nationwide effort to find her, so far she hadn’t turned up.