Piper

by Zena Jae

  As the video rolled, Lloyd’s eyes, wide and panicked, focused on something not yet appearing into the audience’s view.

  More muffled protests.

  And then it appeared, slithering towards poor, helpless Lloyd who could do nothing but squirm until the inevitable happened—that excruciating venomous bite to his leg.

  Lloyd’s head launched backwards as he writhed in pain—his chest heaved with every agonizing breath. Within thirty seconds, his body hunched forward, and although his breaths still came rapid and heaving, all else had resigned to his inevitable death.

  Then the video ended.

  So now, Lloyd was dead and Marcus knew what that meant. He looked at Piper, wondering if he could protect her from this maniac who seemed to get to his victims without a hitch. He was sure going to do whatever in his power to protect her, but there was always the possibility that he could fail.

  No, he couldn’t fail. He internally swore that no matter what, even at the risk of his own life, he’d save Piper.

  When she sensed him staring at her, Piper gazed into Marcus’ eyes. She could only guess what his thoughts were—but her own thoughts weren’t dissimilar—she knew there was a good possibility that the troll could kill her.

  Marcus reached over and embraced Piper. It was an awkward embrace being that they were still seated in his SUV, but he needed to touch her at that moment, he needed to assure her that everything was going to be all right.

  Although Piper wasn’t as close to Lloyd as she was to some of the others who she knew growing up, his death still stabbed her in the heart like a knife. None of them deserved this. The troll was killing them on a whim.

  And now it was her turn. Saving her for last, he said. She was glad that Gina and Joe left town even if it meant her turn would come up quicker—she wouldn’t want to see them killed.

  She sucked in her breath. Even with Marcus’ protection, her bones felt chilled.

  “Marcus...”

  He looked at her, waiting for her next words.

  “You need to use me as bait to catch him.”

  Marcus stared at her. This was the second time she suggested this. Bait? He didn’t like it, in fact, he hated it, but he knew there might not be any other way. They had to get to the perp with them controlling the strings; otherwise, they could take Piper by surprise any time she was alone.

  “Let’s get back to the station and see when those FBI agents will be arriving,” Marcus said. “We could use their help in devising a setup.”

  She nodded. Not that she didn’t trust her local police, but she’d certainly feel safer to have input from those who had experience in murderous matters. Her life was at stake, after all, and there was no room for mistakes.

  * * *

  The two special agents arrived the morning of the following day. They had already studied the postings on Piper’s forum and watched the snuff videos. They spoke with Piper about the members of her critique group, their meetings, and whatever else might be pertinent to the investigation.

  They, along with Marcus, Piper, and three other officers sat down to discuss the case.

  “We made a list corresponding to each zodiac to decipher the perp’s riddle,” Marcus said to the agents.

  Special Agent Riddley, a comely man in his early forties with a crew cut and good posture, walked to the whiteboard and picked up a red marker. “Let’s get that up here.” He turned to face the board and awaited Marcus’ voice.

  “Aquarius ... boat, fishing, aquarium”—he spoke each word slowly so the agent could keep up, every so often looking up to take note of the agent’s progress—“lake, river, plumbing, dam, swimming pool, lifeguard, the name Waters.

  “Aries ... sheep, sheepskin, ram, and in parentheses write ‘accident.’

  Marcus paused to watch him.

  “Got it,” said the agent.

  “Cancer ... illness, seafood, seafood restaurant, crabgrass, the name Crabtree.

  “Capricorn ... goats, goat’s milk, goat cheese.

  “Gemini ... twins, NASA.

  “Leo ... a person’s name, zoo keeper, lion tamer.”

  “Libra ... scale, justice, law, lawyer.

  “Pisces ... fish, fishing, the name Fisher.

  “Sagittarius ... archery, arrow, the name Archer.

  “Scorpio ... collects or studies arachnids or insects.

  “Taurus ... bull, cattle, Ford car, bullwhip, Red Bull, darts.

  “Virgo ... virgin, woman, single.”

  Marcus closed his pad and put his focus on the whiteboard.

  “Does anyone else have anything to add?” Special Agent Riddley asked.

  There was silence while everyone scanned the board, probing their brains for what to add.

  “No?” He looked around the room. After a few more seconds, he put the marker back in its place. He turned back to address Marcus. “Looks like you folks did a good job with that list, Detective Peters.” He then looked around the room, “But let’s continue to knock it around in our brains to see what else falls out.”

  “We have a hell of a lot of work cut out for us, figuring this thing out,” Marcus said.

  “Yes, we do, Detective, yes we do.”

  Chapter 22

  After an eventful day brainstorming and making plans with the Feds, Marcus and Piper headed home for the evening.

  Piper felt safe enough whenever with Marcus or out in public. She knew the troll wouldn’t dare nab her at the risk of being seen or caught. Her Beretta gave her a sense of security as well, although shooting someone wasn’t an experience she cared to carry around for the rest of her life, but if forced to, she would.

  The troll hadn’t posted anything on her forum since Lloyd’s snuff video. She wondered what he might be up to at this moment—most likely planning her kidnap and demise if he already hadn’t. Damn, she wished she had written something other than a beheading for her murder scene. It would certainly be a bummer if the troll did it slow and methodical rather than getting it swiftly over with. She wasn’t too keen on suffering through a torturous and painful death.

  Stop thinking about it, it wasn’t going to happen, she told herself. This troll wasn’t going to subject any more victims into his morbid plot. She was going to survive this, and his days were numbered. That’s what she told herself, anyway.

  “What are you thinking?” Marcus asked her, noticing she was deep in thought. They had just finished dinner and sat down to relax on the top step of the back porch. They had a nice view of the lake between the woods. Twilight would soon be turning to dusk.

  “Huh?” she responded, surprised that he’d been watching her. “Oh, nothing. Just anxious to catch this guy, that’s all.”

  “I can imagine what you’re going through. I know I’ve said this a dozen times already, but we’re gonna get him.”

  She smiled at him sweetly. “I know. But just in case, maybe I should carry around that poisonous chocolate heart.” She laughed, trying to make light of her situation, although it wasn’t exactly coming off sincere—it was hard to hide the fact that she was scared shitless.

  “Hey, don’t even joke about it.” Marcus wasn’t laughing.

  “Sorry. Just jittery I guess.”

  He could surely understand that.

  “I think we got a lot accomplished today with the Feds.” He wanted to set the mood on the side of encouragement.

  “I hope the troll falls for the trap tomorrow. I don’t think I can live in fear like this, having to constantly look over my shoulder.” She let out a sigh. “Besides, you need your life back too. Cotton and I can’t stay with you forever.”

  “I love that little runt. And Cotton’s a blast too.”

  She slapped him on the shoulder. “Why, you...!”

  “Ow.” He played along to her comical outrage. He loved watching her expressions when she’d been teased.

  Then he turned serious.

  “You’d never be a burden to me. You know that, right?” And he meant that with a
ll his heart. In fact, it was just the opposite. He’d been a bachelor far too long and he enjoyed her being there, even if it was just in friendship. But he sensed there was more than that—when they danced, and in the hallway when she quickly removed her hands off his chest as though they’d been scorched on a fire. Her rosy blushes and the uncomfortable glances—yup, he wasn’t exactly an imbecile when it came to women, there was definitely something simmering between them—he felt it and tasted it as though it were a juicy, well-seasoned rib eye.

  “I haven’t been here long enough for you to commit to that statement, you haven’t seen the worst of me yet,” she joked with a chuckle to lighten up the mood. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable with the seriousness of his tone, and especially the look on his face. Not that she didn’t like it—she loved it, because it showed how much he cared about her—but his confessions made her feel edgy and she couldn’t explain why that was. All her life, she had wanted him to say these things to her, yet why did it scare her now?

  “Piper, I’ve known you long enough to know how much of you I can stand.” If she was going to joke about it, then so was he.

  “Well, we’ve never lived with each other before, so that’s a whole different ballgame.”

  “Are you trying to scare me? Because if you are, you’re doing a damn good job of it.”

  “Do I scare you more than the killer?”

  Why the hell did she have to bring him into the convo?

  “Yeah, you’re beginning to.”

  All joking aside, Marcus realized that if he was going to make a move on her romantically, he’d better wait until this ordeal was over. The killer seemed to be the only thing on her mind and he couldn’t blame her. Although the perp was on his mind as well, he had to confess that she was on it possibly more. Tomorrow, he wasn’t even going to blink for fear of losing her. His eyes would be on her if she was the last thing he’d ever see.

  Just as they smiled at each other, something whizzed through the air. Marcus looked down and saw the dart imbedded in his shoulder. Instincts and reaction caused him to immediately pull the sucker out. His eyes shot a glance back at Piper as if to say ‘oh shit,’ as her eyes stared, shocked, into his. It happened so fast and unexpectedly that the cognitive signals of danger hadn’t yet reached her brain to tell her feet to move. But as Marcus jumped to his feet, drew his gun and looked towards the woods, she was but two seconds behind him in the very same manner.

  “Get inside!” Marcus yelled to her. He figured that if the perp was reloading, he’d be going for Piper next.

  And he’d be right.

  Just as Piper turned to do as Marcus said, she lost her footing and stumbled while another dart whizzed past, just missing her by an inch. It stuck into the doorframe.

  She immediately got back up and headed for the door. She opened it, but before she dashed inside, she turned to see where Marcus was. He was on the ground, barely conscious, as the effects of the dart had immobilized him already.

  Piper knew that if she tried to help him, she’d run the risk of getting a successful dart finding its target, rendering her no use to either of them. She’d only get them both killed. The only way to help Marcus at this point was to leave him there, get inside safely, then call for help.

  As she closed the door behind her, Cotton ran up to her, wagging her tail, seeking some loving and attention as she always did. Unfortunately, Piper had to ignore Cotton’s advances until she could make her call. Just as she pulled out her cell phone, the distinct chime that indicated a text message had arrived rang out. She knew whom it was from without even looking at it.

  ‘I can kill your boyfriend from here with a single shot to the head, so if you want him to live, head out into the backwoods NOW. I’ll give you a head start before I come after you. Chasing you like game will make for such a better story, don’t you think? The others were too easy and too damn boring. Yes, your chapter will be much more fun. You have 5 minutes. GO!’

  Piper had no choice—she had to do what the troll said.

  “Cotton, you stay here, girl.” She knelt to give her Pom a hug.

  She had to make a run for it and not hold back on the side of caution, because if the troll had another dart ready, she’d have a better chance eluding his aim if she were in constant motion.

  With her Beretta in hand, Piper sprinted as fast as she could, zigzagging her way into the woods. Her heartbeats pounded straight to her temples, keeping in time with her huffed breaths. Never had she been so afraid as she was now—and what made it worse was the knowledge that should he catch her—the terror of what awaited her, had only just begun.

  Chapter 23

  Piper’s side started to hurt. She was out of shape for running her ass off this way. Slowing to a halt, her hands squeezed her sides as she doubled over and inhaled rapid, deep breaths.

  Taking out her cell, she figured now was the time to call 911 while she had a chance.

  When the operator came on the line, Piper panted out between breaths, “Officer down. Need backup. Detective Marcus Peters’ home. Hurry.”

  “Is the detective still alive?”

  “Yes.”

  “How badly is he hurt?”

  “I think he’s only been tranquilized. The perp used a dart. I’m in need of help also. I’m on the run from the killer who’s been in the news. I’m heading north from the backwoods of Detective Peters’ home. I’m going to try to reach the main road.”

  “Is the person after you armed with more than a tranquilizing gun?”

  “Yes, I think so.” Piper was in need of a swig of water to moisten her mouth. The dryness made it hard to talk.

  “I have to keep moving. He’s given me a five-minute head start but whether he keeps his word is anyone’s guess. I can’t take that chance. I have to go.”

  Without waiting for the operator to say another word, Piper ended the call and took off running again. The last thing she wanted to do was to run out of time and the troll catch up to her. She did have her gun though. Maybe she should hide and try to get him first. As she ran through the woods, her mind reeled as to what to do. If her plan failed and he tranquilized her, it would be all over for her—once he tied her up, escape would be unlikely.

  Piper decided to follow her original plan to get to the main road. She could hail down a passing car, possibly even any of the cops attending to her 911 call who might be on the west side heading towards town. That was probably the smarter plan. Even though she was a good shot, she had only taken out practice targets, and with her hands shaking like a leaf right now, not to mention the dimness of night, she wasn’t sure the bullets would find their target.

  So she continued north to find the main road. It should only be but another five minutes or less, however her stamina was dwindling down so all she could manage was to walk briskly. Running at this point was out of the question unless the troll was immediately behind her, forcing her to tap her last energy reserve. So far, he was nowhere close that she could tell.

  Why would he not follow her, especially after specifically saying what he did about hunting her like game? She’d be vulnerable all alone right now, so this would be the right opportunity for him to grab her. He had to be still on her trail; otherwise, it didn’t make sense.

  Piper was almost to the road. Maybe she eluded him after all. If it weren’t for the strong moonlight beaming in the night sky, it would’ve been harder to see since there were no streetlights, as was typical for a rural area. However, she knew the full moon gave them both this advantage, so she had to be careful not to give her position away.

  She peeked out through the trees to see if she could spot anything. Nope, not a soul so far—not even a critter. Piper would wait until she could see headlights before disclosing herself. In the meantime, she continued to follow the main road along the bordering trees. Unfortunately, she didn’t want to backtrack headed towards town where the police station would be in case the troll was behind her. So she decided to continue west until
a car approached or she found somebody’s residence.

  Within two minutes, two lights beamed from the distance behind her from the east. Piper tucked her gun into her holster and ran out to the side of the road, waving her hands to flag them down. She could tell the car was moving rather slowly as would a senior citizen or a very cautious driver.

  The car finally came to a halt ten feet from her. Blinded by the headlights, she squinted as she rushed up to the driver’s window.

  Her eyes, widened in surprise, stared in shock at the man behind the wheel. How could it be?

  “What are you doing out here alone, miss?” he asked. “Did your car stall? You need a lift somewhere?”

  “Lloyd?” Her mind couldn’t quite fathom what was going on—this surprise took over her focus.

  The man gave her an inquisitive look. “You knew my brother?”

  “You’re Lloyd’s brother?” He had just said that so she didn’t know why she posed that question to him—she was stunned and her mind was chaotic with everything going on.

  “Don’t I look like him?”

  “Identically, except for your hair, but you even sound like him.”

  “Yep, I’m his twin brother.”

  Snapping out of her initial shock and her mind back on focus to her danger, Piper said, “Could you give me a lift towards town? I know you’re going the other way, but I need to get to the police.” If the troll was still tracking her, she needed to get out of there fast; otherwise, she and Lloyd’s brother were in for a bad experience.

  “Sure, hop in.”

  Piper scurried around to the passenger side and eagerly hopped into his black Ford Focus. A sense of relief swept over her. Her heartbeats were finally regaining their natural rhythm.

  “You just about saved my life,” she said as Lloyd’s brother turned his car around to head east.

  “What’s going on, little lady?” He seemed like a nice sort. Lloyd had said he and his brother didn’t get along and she wondered why. Were their views so different that they couldn’t see eye to eye? Did they get into a squabble that wasn’t reconcilable?