The killer fell forward onto the bed. Barely conscious, she screamed in rage, and stabbed at Lakeysia’s eye. More bullets flew into her, and a stray round broke the syringe in two. Lakeysia shut her eyes to protect them from falling glass. Minor traces of bleach landed on her face, but the wounds were superficial. Nicole collapsed off the bed, smearing the patient’s gown with blood. In her weakened state, she could only think of one explanation for Lakeysia’s victory.
“You must be using a cheat code,” she croaked. “What is it? Invincibility? Or are you that good? You win, Detective. Game over.”
Blackness spread from Lakeysia’s face, enveloping Nicole’s vision. The killer felt cold steel slap around her wrists.
“Don’t move,” an unseen man yelled. The officer forced her legs apart and frisked her body. “Nicole Tasoto, you’re under arrest for the murders of Toshigi Tasoto, Randall Forbes, Hannah Davies, Iris…”
Nicole smiled as he rolled off her victims’ names. The agent insisted on doing everything by the book, though the list wasn’t in chronological order. A lesser woman would have died from multiple gunshot wounds, but Nicole hung on until she heard him mention her most prized scalps: Thorne, Wilson and Travis. The arresting officer saved those for last. When he finally got around to reading Nicole’s Miranda rights, she blacked out.
Chapter Eighteen: After Green comes Amber
The Captain told Lakeysia the good news after doctors declared her fit to leave Adamson General. Once she’d passed a medical examination, the detective was to succeed Thorne as Lieutenant of Downtown Homicide Division. Lakeysia didn’t feel like celebrating her success. Too much blood had been spilled over the past week to forget Nicole’s victims, and her own partner was among the dead. Just like her fiancee, Travis had fallen prey to a deceptively beautiful assassin, an actress so skilled she’d even convinced Lakeysia of her innocence.
It was the final day of the year. Lakeysia was to be honoured at a special awards dinner, where she’d receive a commendation from the mayor personally. The City Hall bureaucrats considered her a hero in spite of the excessive body count. Before joining the festivities, Lakeysia asked her driver to take a detour to the Tasoto residence. The mansion had become something of a tourist haunt since Nicole’s killing spree. Cyber Maiden diehards, anti-videogame protesters and tabloid reporters had all made camp outside the iron gates. Lakeysia couldn’t understand why people were so obsessed with criminals and their lifestyles. While the three murdered officers received small obituaries in the local newspaper, a psychotic killer was treated like a celebrity. Lakeysia chalked it off to humanity’s dark nature.
Crowds had thinned with the approach of New Year, and police were rounding up the few remaining drunks and stragglers. Forensics had already come and gone, and the house and grounds were strangely empty. An officer remained on guard while Matthews and his assistant concluded their investigation. Lakeysia met up with them in the rear garden, at the site where they’d found the bodies of John and Jane Doe buried beneath the statue.
“Detective Symons.” Matthews shook her hand, though his expression remained solemn. “I see you’re out of hospital.”
Lakeysia peered into the empty grave. “Keen sense of observation you got there, Matthews. No wonder you’re the one we call every time a stiff turns up. So this is where she left him, huh? Next to Cyber Maiden number three.”
“You’re certain the victims are Kyle and Miss Knight? It’s hard to make a positive identification without a facial comparison, fingerprints or dental records. We haven’t found any personal effects or clothes.”
Lakeysia pulled a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet and carefully unfolded it. “Well, the six ladies who looked at the man’s body seemed pretty sure it was Travis. Don’t ask me, doc. It’s the first time I seen the guy’s you know what. As for the girl, how many missin’ red haired body builders do you know?”
“Your partner. He was a good man,” said Matthews, bowing his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Bastard still owes me twenty bucks, but it’s only money ain’t it?” Lakeysia dropped the banknote in the hole. “Yeah, Travis was a good man. He just chose the wrong girl to sleep with. First Mei Tan and now this bitch. Oriental women can be real killers. Sure you want to marry her?” she asked, glancing at Kari.
Matthews took his assistant’s hand. The couple smiled at each other. “I’m sure,” he replied. “I’m thinking of retiring, taking Kari away from all this. I don’t want her to live out her life in a morgue.”
“We all gotta go there sooner or later, I suppose. But yeah, maybe you should take a break. Right now, I got other problems to deal with. Twenty eager cops under my command and a killer who refuses to die.”
“Nicole Tasoto’s locked up safe and sound, right?” the doctor asked.
“Oh yeah,” Lakeysia said. “She’s got a comfy, padded cell all to herself.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Lakeysia thought it glaringly obvious, but spelled it out for the doctor. “The problem is the bitch ain’t dead. And you can bet your life she’s got a plan.”
***
Nurse Cynthia Faulkner buzzed out the last visitor, and made her regular, half-hourly check in with the main security office. The slightly built, tangerine haired woman was the appointed night receptionist for New Year’s Eve. It was her sole responsibility to monitor the patients, and send for assistance if required.
The Bellman Psychiatric Institute’s high security zone was a titanium lined, concrete fortress with space for fifty inmates. Only the certifiably insane were admitted, and these rooms housed patients considered dangerous as well as crazy. Low risk prisoners were granted access to exercise yards, dining halls and communal bedrooms with windows. The glass was armored, barred and alarmed, but nevertheless let in daylight. In contrast, potentially lethal detainees were locked in padded solitary confinement rooms twenty-four hours a day, issued meals through security drawers, and kept under constant surveillance.
All the guards considered the containment wings escape proof, and regularly scoffed at Cynthia’s job. They wasted away the morning hours playing poker and the console game Jade Dragon, which had become popular in recent days following the arrest of Nicole Tasoto. Cynthia was intrigued by the newest high security patient. The disgraced games designer was one of only three female inmates confined to the restricted area, and the other women were suicidal sociopaths who posed no threat to anyone but themselves.
To see Bellman’s detainees, a visitor required a thorough background check and pre-approved clearance. Nobody from outside the institute had been issued a pass for Nicole, not even the police lieutenant who’d incarcerated her. For now, only doctors were allowed inside the serial killer’s cell, and an armed escort was required at all times.
There was one fatal flaw in the system: Cynthia. The hospital staff (especially those obnoxious guards) saw the twenty-eight year old nurse as a token employee. Cynthia slaved away on a derisory wage to support her son through college, while her superiors treated her as a social outcast. They continually snickered behind her back, and promoted less qualified candidates to management duties. Cynthia blamed herself for marrying an abusive, poorly educated dockworker and getting trapped in a dead-end marriage, but her husband earned more money than she did. Even though he spent half those wages on booze and drugs, their child would have no future without his support.
Cynthia had considered abandoning Trevor for a more pleasant partner, but lacked the nerve to file for divorce. Her husband was almost two feet taller, weighed over three hundred pounds, and had no problem hitting a woman. The nurse had applied facial cream to hide her latest household dispute, but makeup couldn’t heal her mental scars. Nicole was Cynthia’s opposite: a strong, intelligent girl that refused to be physically intimidated. The murderess had many qualities Cynthia admired. Despite Nicole’s horrific crimes, the nurse felt some sympathy for her. From what she’d read on the Internet, many of the victims had deserved her wrat
h.
As midnight arrived on the west coast, Cynthia went ahead with her plan. She ejected the surveillance tapes for the main corridor and room thirteen, left the reception booth, and pulled out her master security pass. She had far more intelligence than her supervisor acknowledged. When he logged on to his system that morning, the nurse had turned her monitor screen and observed his reflection. With his password, she’d created a skeleton key that gave her access to the entire facility.
Cynthia heard loud cheers and laughter from the security room. The guards pulled crackers and clinked beer bottles to usher in the New Year. They were too immersed in joking, singing songs and watching television to bother checking on a lowly nurse. Cynthia made her way to Nicole’s cell, tiptoeing along the deserted hallway. When she reached room thirteen, she unlocked the door, prepared for her unauthorized interview, and stepped past the point of no return.
Nicole was awake, as if expecting a new year’s visitor. Or perhaps she’d lost track of time, with no means to tell night from day. Apart from the prisoner, the whole cell was white: walls, floor, ceiling, bed and the drainage funnel that served as Nicole’s lavatory. Glowing cushions illuminated the cubical chamber. The halogen lamps were shielded and flush with the padding. Nicole was bandaged and secured in a straight jacket. The soft material was fastened with smooth, unbreakable plastic clasps. Should Nicole escape, committing suicide would not be easy.
“Happy new year, Nicole,” Cynthia wished her, kneeling beside the bed.
Nicole smiled at her visitor. “I’d prefer it if you called me Jade,” she said. “I have nothing to hide any more. You’re not a doctor. I haven’t seen you before. What’s your name?”
“Cynthia. I just want to talk. That’s all.” The nurse kept her distance.
The killer’s eyes moved from side to side. She scanned the room, and focused on Cynthia. “Do you think it was smart switching off the camera? Coming in here alone?”
Nicole had an all-knowing look in her eyes. Cynthia blinked, shuffling further away.
The killer smiled, then continued. “A redhead. Meagan and Lenora had red hair. So did Carmen. You know about them, don’t you? I assume you do, otherwise we wouldn’t be talking. Would you like some advice on how to murder the bastards who’ve made your life a misery?”
“Just one,” Cynthia replied hesitantly. “Only one.”
“After you’ve killed the first, you won’t be able to stop. Believe me. I know. Beat a game on easy mode, and there’s always a higher difficulty level to try. It’s the same with murder. You always want to improve your score. Release me, then we can talk about your problem. Prove you have guts. I don’t make deals with wimps.”
Nicole was ice cool, casually discussing murder the way a sane person would talk about the weather or sports results. Cynthia’s knees wobbled as she reached for the strait jacket’s strap. At the last moment, the nurse withdrew her hand.
“You can’t kill me,” she said. “You need me, to get out of here.”
“Possibly,” replied Nicole, “but friends are hard to come by. You’re wise to be cautious. Had you let me go, I’d probably have strangled you to death with my jacket’s sleeve. Nobody would have known. You shut off the camera to keep our meeting secret, didn’t you? The control’s outside for security reasons, so you’d need a second person to close the door after you. And you came here alone. You’d have given me a free ticket out of here. But you’re smarter than that. A positive sign.”
Cynthia pulled a photograph from her uniform, a copy she’d made from Nicole’s file. It showed a painting found at the prisoner’s house. The picture was of a lady in green ninja garb. She was standing over a decapitated body, holding a black woman’s severed head.
“My picture of the ideal world,” Nicole said. “That’s the last one I drew. Do you like my work?”
Cynthia nodded. “Can you…” she stuttered. “Can you help me… to kill my husband?”
“Sure,” Nicole answered. “It’s quite straightforward. Buy yourself a gun and shoot him point blank in the head. If you’re having trouble killing a man, pretend it’s a game. I find it easier when I do that.”
“No. You don’t understand. If I go to prison, how will I take care of my son?”
Nicole grinned mischievously. “The police won’t arrest you if they think his death was suicide, or self defense. You’re a smart woman, Cynthia. You’ll think of a way.”
“Please, would you call me Amber?” the nurse asked her. “Amber Scorpion. I came up with the name. What do you think?”
Cynthia presented another photo to Nicole. It was a computer modification of the former picture. The ninja was colored orange instead of green, and she’d superimposed a man’s face over the severed head.
“That’s Trevor,” said Cynthia, “my husband. There are other people I’d like to… take care of. The patronizing doctors here at work, for instance.”
“One step at a time, Amber,” Nicole said. “There’s a few things you need to learn first. Being able to break someone’s neck is a very useful skill. And so is finding a scapegoat. Work on your face, too. Guys love sexy women. They’ll even die for them. For now, celebrate the New Year. Go play Jade Dragon, and we’ll talk in the morning.”
The protege smiled at her master. “I was planning on getting that game for my son. But first, I’m going to run Trevor a bath. He’s in for a shock, though. I’ve told him it’s dangerous to blow his hair dry before getting out of the water, but he won’t listen to a little girl like me. He’ll have to learn the hard way. Not as messy as shooting him, and easier to explain.”
Cynthia left Nicole’s cell. “Good night, Jade,” the nurse said. “I’ll come visit you again sometime.”
Then she closed the door.
THE END
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ALSO FROM ACTION GIRL BOOKS
Termination Notice
By A.D. Phillips
A serial strangler. A detective with a conflict of interest. Solving this case could be murder.
When a reclusive musician is strangled with a computer cable, the most promising clue is a contract termination notice from Taurus Studios: a game design company headed by Adrian Pryce, a successful entrepreneur who is the police’s number one suspect.
The lead investigator is Lucy Duvall, a career-driven detective whose frosty personality makes her difficult to work with. Her Philadelphia PD colleagues are as shocked as anyone when she shows a more compassionate side, but for Lucy this case is personal. Years ago when they were at college, Adrian saved Lucy’s life and they became lovers, but their relationship ended sourly when she found out he’d been sleeping with another woman.
After a second victim is discovered, all the evidence points to Adrian. Suspended for misconduct, Lucy begins to doubt his innocence. As more employees are terminated by the ‘Taurus Strangler’ - and Lucy narrowly survives an attempt on her own life - she must decide whether to trust the man who betrayed her.
Is Adrian the victim of an elaborate frame-up? Or a scheming, cold-blooded killer?
(Mystery Suspense/Thriller. Approximately 61,000 words.)
Edith Clayton and the Wisdom of Athena
By A.D. Phillips
The Great War - the bloodiest in history - is over. Everyone wants to forget the horrors of the past, but for one girl that’s impossible.
Fourteen year old Edith Clayton thinks looking after her rebellious little sister is difficult, but that’s the least of her concerns when her archaeologist father discovers a shape changing, black metal sphere that defies the known laws of science. After Edith accidentally absorbs the unearthly power contained within, events take a dangerous turn.
Gifted with the ability to heal rapidly from wounds and relive any memory in perfect detail, Edith struggles to find answers. But there’s another, more profound effect that only becomes evident later: Edith has stopped growing old.
While everybody else ages as they should, she remains trapped in the body of a teenager.
As two decades pass and a second great war breaks out, Edith is caught in a desperate race to recover an artefact even more powerful than the first. Smaller and physically weaker than an adult, she learns there are also advantages to being a child. Edith will need those - and her special skills - because the promise of eternal youth attracts many enemies.
(Science fiction adventure set in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Approximately 82,000 words.)
Table of Contents
Chapter One: A Woman in the Crowd
Chapter Two: Ninety Minutes to Live
Chapter Three: Time to Die
Chapter Four: An Uninvited Guest
Chapter Five: Safely Back Home
Chapter Six: The Victim’s Role
Chapter Seven: A Bonus Kill
Chapter Eight: Mourning the Dead
Chapter Nine: Green Eyed with Envy
Chapter Ten: Lady Ninja
Chapter Eleven: Star of the Show
Chapter Twelve: Officer Down
Chapter Thirteen: The Red Haired Assassin
Chapter Fourteen: Hope Sinks with Apollo
Chapter Fifteen: The Dragon’s Lair
Chapter Sixteen: Modus Operandi
Chapter Seventeen: The Final Boss
Chapter Eighteen: After Green comes Amber
Jade Dragon (Action Girl Thrillers) Page 22
