Exposed

by C. M. Sutter

  Jack pointed at the computer screen. “This satellite imagery isn’t going to help us. It was taken during the summer months, and all that shows up is the small lake to the south and a dense tree canopy. We’ll be going in blind.”

  “If Max Sims is somewhere on the property, you may see an older black van. It could be what he’s using to sleep in.” I kept the fact that I’d shot out the windshield to myself. “The man is dangerous, has more than likely murdered several women already, and is a big guy. Max Sims stands six foot four and is close to three hundred pounds.”

  Jack continued, “Since the property is heavily wooded on three sides and one side is bordered by that lake, I’d say the safest way to go in is on foot. If anyone is there, they won’t be alerted by the sound of us coming in. Surprise is key and our ally. We can stage the cruisers at the end of the property lines and at the intersections of these two roads.” Jack pointed again. “Here and here. There are seven of us in total. We can spread out through the woods and make our way to the center, where we’ll meet up. If he’s there, he’ll be surrounded. Any questions?”

  Officer Duke spoke up. “Do we take him alive or shoot to kill?”

  “Well, Martin, we usually try to take criminals into custody, if possible, especially if there’s a hostage involved. The perpetrator may have stashed the victim somewhere that we’d never find out about otherwise. Let’s go and organize our approach when we get close. Everyone definitely needs to be wearing a vest. Now isn’t the time to take any chances.”

  Between Jack, myself, and the Green River Falls Police Department, we had four cruisers. The drive to the property took five minutes. We were in the lead and made one slow pass in front of the property. The only identifying feature was a stake in the ground with the road coordinates on it. A quarter mile up the road, Jack turned the cruiser around at the intersection and parked in the gravel next to the ditch. We waited for the other cars to fall in behind. Once everyone had arrived, we exited the cruisers and gathered in front of our car.

  Lieutenant Connors spoke up. “A call came in to dispatch about a stolen truck about two miles north of here. According to the caller, it’s an older red Ford F-150.”

  “Okay, let’s keep our eyes peeled for that vehicle too. We’ll leave two cars here pointing in opposite directions and a cruiser at the end of the property lines on both roads. Everyone take your place, have your radios on, and be on the alert for sounds and movement in the woods. Don’t go off half-cocked and start shooting at noises. There are likely deer, squirrels, and plenty of wildlife back there, so keep your heads on a swivel. If you do see the vehicles or someone that isn’t in law enforcement, hold your position, give the rest of us your coordinates, and wait for the group. Don’t approach this man alone. He isn’t likely to back off, and we want him brought in alive. Is everyone ready?” Jack looked from face to face. The officers nodded. “Secure your vests, get those radios on, and let’s go.”

  Everyone left to stage their cars. Jack and I checked our service weapons, made sure the magazines were full, and began walking into the brush. Lieutenant Connors was fifteen yards away, entering in the same direction we were. The rest of the officers drove off to take their positions at the property lines and walk in too.

  Chapter 38

  “You lied to me,” Max said, his head slightly cocked toward Theresa. “You promised you wouldn’t scream for help, and what the hell do I hear the second I drive in? I don’t like it when people lie to me, Theresa.”

  Terror spread across her face when she realized the person coming through the door was Max and not someone there to rescue her. “I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again.” Theresa slunk into the corner and tried to make herself look small and nonthreatening.

  “It’s too late for backpedaling. I’m leaving, and I don’t need a travel companion. You’ve served your purpose. I think my shoulder will be fine now.” Max headed to the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have another hole to dig.”

  “Another hole?” She tried to hold back the sobs but couldn’t.

  He turned back and stared at her. “You had one chance and one chance only. You blew it.” The ball gag lay on the couch. Max grabbed it then walked toward Theresa. “Open your mouth, and if you say one word, I’ll kill you now.”

  She opened her mouth, and he jammed the ball in. Max pushed her head forward and secured the strap in the back. He turned and headed out the door.

  Max grabbed the shovel off the porch then stopped at the truck. He pulled the rifle from the rack and checked the chamber—it was fully loaded. With the strap slung over his shoulder, he continued on. One could never be too careful, especially with a decomposing carcass buried nearby. Coyotes and wolves were plentiful in the area. Max followed the deer trail into the woods where he’d buried Haley Atwater several days earlier. Another shallow grave would serve the purpose. He was sure that within a few days, the animals would have their way with Theresa, anyway. He reached the spot where Haley was buried. The fresh mound of soil had been dug up, and half of her body was exposed. Thanks to wild animals, there were voids where skin and muscle used to be. He grimaced.

  Max stabbed the ground with the shovel and threw dirt over her remains as he prepared a new hole next to hers.

  Twenty minutes later, a sound caught his attention. Max scanned the area, his eyes searching for something that could have caused the rustling. The sound was too heavy to be a squirrel or raccoon. It lumbered through the woods as though it wasn’t in its natural environment. With his back pressed against the large tree trunk and the shovel gripped tightly in his hand, Max waited as the sound grew closer. With barely a movement of his head, he peeked between a limb and the trunk base and saw an officer approaching through the woods. He was ready and waiting as the clueless man passed within feet of him.

  Max whispered, “Hey.”

  The officer turned, and Max slammed him in the face with the shovel. Max knew his minutes were numbered. Where there was one cop, there were more. With the stealth of a bobcat, he quickened his pace and headed for the cabin. He watched for branches that might snap under his feet and give away his location. Once back at the van, Max quickly transferred everything he couldn’t do without into the truck box, then went inside the cabin.

  “Sorry, Theresa, but I don’t have the luxury of time to drag this out. It’s time to go.” With a fast swing of the shovel, he cracked the spade across her face and sent her backward. Her head hit the stove, and blood spattered across the floor.

  Chapter 39

  “Shit!” My eyes darted over the surroundings, where I checked and double-checked every shadow and limb. “Jack, Lieutenant, over here,” I called out under my breath.

  “What’s up?” Jack whispered as he neared my location.

  “Adams is down.” I leaned over the man whose face was crushed in from the blow of something. I checked his neck for a pulse and felt nothing. “And look over here.” I pointed to my right where a shallow grave had been dug. Next to it was a partially exposed, decomposing woman. The smell was horrendous.

  Jack reached me with Connors ten feet behind him.

  “Holy shit, what’s that smell?” Connors asked.

  I pointed to my right.

  “Son of a bitch, it’s probably the missing girl that was reported. And Adams?”

  I shook my head. “He’s gone, sir.”

  Connors punched the trunk of the tree next to him. “That lunatic is out here somewhere, and he probably knows this woods better than we do.”

  “Lieutenant, call your men,” I said, “and tell them to watch their backs. We’ve already got one casualty.”

  Before the lieutenant had a chance to use his radio, the crack of gunshots echoed through the woods. Return fire sounded.

  “Damn it,” Jack called out, “let’s go. The sound is coming from the south. Watch yourself and use the trees for cover! Max knows we’re here. Jade, take the right, Lieutenant, go left. I’ll go
straight.”

  I headed right and crouched low as I zigzagged through the woods. I used every wide tree trunk I could find as a barrier between my adversary and me, even though I had no idea where he was. More gunfire shot out, this time closer than before. My ears rang when a zing shot past my head, only inches away.

  Son of a bitch, that was close.

  “Jade, are you okay?” A voice sounded in my radio. It was Jack.

  “Roger that. It was close, though. I see a cabin up ahead. He’s probably holed up inside and picking us off one by one. Duke, can you hear me?” No response. “Reynolds?” Dead silence. “Jack, do you have eyes on anyone?”

  “Only the lieutenant, and he’s fifty feet to the left of me.”

  “Tell the lieutenant I can’t get a response from Reynolds or Duke. I don’t remember the last officer’s name.”

  “It’s Conway, Bob Conway. Hang on a second, Jade. Conway, is that you?”

  “Jack, yeah, Conway here. I saw Reynolds go down about forty feet to my right, and Duke doesn’t answer my calls. I can’t tell where the shots are coming from.”

  “We can’t, either. Jade saw a cabin—do you have eyes on it?”

  “No, I’m near the lake. I don’t see a structure anywhere. I see the lieutenant, though. He’s heading my way.”

  “Okay, stay low and don’t take any chances.”

  “Roger that.”

  “Jade, what’s your location?”

  “I’m right behind the cabin.”

  “Son of a bitch. If he’s inside, he may be watching your every move. Wait for me.”

  “No promises, Jack. If I see him, I’m moving in.” I clicked off and crept closer while trying to stay beneath the windows. As I rounded the side of the cabin, I saw Duke in the distance. He was on the ground and moaning, but he was alive. I scurried toward him through the tree cover. Gunfire blasted at my back and turned the tree where I took cover into shrapnel. I had to regroup and catch my breath. “Duke, Duke, are you okay?”

  “He only hit my vest, thank God. That shot knocked the wind out of me for a minute.”

  I crouched low. “Do you know where he’s shooting from?”

  “I think he’s by the van in front of the cabin. It sounds like he has a rifle.”

  “Are you able to get behind something? You’re too exposed right there.” A sound behind me made me spin. Luckily, it was Jack. I raised my hand for him to stay put and clicked the radio to talk to him. “Duke is okay. He’s only hit in the vest. Wherever Max is, he has eyes on me. Don’t approach. Duke says the van is in front of the cabin. He thinks the shots are coming from that direction.”

  “Okay, hang on. Lieutenant, Conway, do you have eyes on the vehicle or see any movement in the area?”

  The radio crackled. I heard the lieutenant’s response to Jack. “We see the van but no movement.”

  I lifted my arm to get Jack’s attention. “I’m moving in from this side.”

  “Stay low, Jade, and behind cover. Don’t let him get a bead on you. I’ll check this side.”

  “Got it.” I slid down the tree until I was near the ground, then ducked and ran for the west side of the cabin. So far so good. No rapid fire aimed in my direction. I carefully peeked around the corner and saw Max standing next to the driver’s side door of the red truck. From what I could see through two rolled-up windows, it looked as though he was reloading his firearm. I had to take my chance while I had one. I stood and called out his name with my service weapon pointed at him, fifty feet away.

  “Max Sims, throw down your weapon. You’re surrounded!”

  He disappeared below the truck door and began firing in every direction. I had to retreat and take cover.

  “Jack, Lieutenant, Conway, do you have eyes on him?”

  Max fired off another few rounds and dove into the truck.

  I yelled out through my radio, “He’s getting away.”

  Max shot out the passenger window and continued firing in my direction as he floored the accelerator and disappeared into the brush. I emptied my magazine in the direction the truck went but had no idea if I hit anything.

  Jack ran through the woods toward me. “Conway was hit in the leg. The lieutenant went to check on Reynolds. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, but Max got away. I have no idea if I hit him, the truck, or anything at all, damn it! There must be a path to the road. The truck wasn’t pointed in that direction by accident. Call on your radio for ambulances, Jack. I’m going to follow his trail.”

  “Got it. Be careful.”

  The grasses and tall weeds were flattened by the tire tracks. That made following his escape route much easier. I knelt and checked the ground—gravel. A driveway lay hidden beneath years of overgrowth and likely made his escape to the road faster. I followed the trail, close to three hundred feet, and ended up at the road. I looked left and saw one of the cruisers parked farther down. To the right stood our cruiser and the lieutenant’s, both parked and facing different directions at the intersection, just how we left them. I jogged down the road to take a look, even though Jack had the keys.

  I shook my head. “Damn him!” The tires in both cruisers were slashed, and I was sure Max Sims was long gone. I heard the sound of sirens getting closer and waited on the road for the ambulances. In the distance, I saw flashing lights heading my way. I flagged them down when they reached me, then climbed into the first ambulance.

  “Turn in right here,” I said. “There are remnants of an old driveway under the matted grass. We need to go back about a hundred yards. There are two casualties and several injured officers.”

  We reached Jack and the lieutenant at the cabin. The lieutenant led the EMTs into the woods to the injured officers. There was nothing they could do for Adams or the half-buried woman.

  Jack jerked his chin toward the cabin door. “Jade, come inside. I have to show you something.”

  I followed Jack, knowing full well I wouldn’t be seeing anything I wanted to. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the darkened room, then I saw her splayed out in the corner near the stove. Blood covered her face, and a drying pool lay beneath her head. The ball gag in her mouth infuriated me. Now, I was even more determined to take Max Sims down at any cost. “We have to tell Antonio,” Jack said. “Then we have to find that bastard.”

  “The tires are flat on our and the lieutenant’s cruisers. I don’t know about the other ones.”

  “Okay, I’ll call the PD’s dispatch on the radio. Maybe she can get in touch with an auto repair company for us.” Jack got through to dispatch and spoke to Barb. “Barb, it’s Detective Steele. I’m sure the lieutenant will update you soon, but for now, we need someone out to our location right away. We have two cruisers down with slashed tires. Call whoever the PD uses and get them out here with eight tires. We’re at the intersection of Trout Lake Road and Fairmont Drive. We need a forensic team and your coroner too.”

  “Oh my God. I’m on it right now.”

  Jack clicked off and plopped down on the tattered sofa with his head pressed between his hands. I paced the cabin and relived the carnage that had just taken place over the last hour.

  “As soon as the tires are replaced, I’m heading to Boscobel. I’ll leave talking to Antonio and dealing with this nightmare to you. There has to be something I can leverage to get information from Darryl. I’ll have almost two hours of driving time to figure it out.”

  Chapter 40

  After hours of waiting for the tires to be changed and going over the scene with the forensic team, we ended up with three dead bodies, two officers with gunshot wounds, and one with bruised ribs. Jack, the lieutenant, and I were lucky to come out unscathed.

  I stood by the cruiser with Jack as the last tire was changed, and the auto technician said the cars were good to go.

  “I’ll take the lieutenant’s car and pick up him and Duke,” Jack said. “The ambulances and coroner are taking the others.”

  I patted Jack’s shoulder. “I sure wi
sh this would have gone down differently. I can’t believe what Max did to Theresa, that dead girl in the woods, and Adams.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Okay, I’m taking off. I need to get to Boscobel. The only way to get information on Max is through Darryl. I’m sure it wasn’t a coincidence that Max was hiding at the old Sims property. I’m thinking Darryl is, and always has been, the puppet master.”

  “Call Clark when you get reception and tell him what’s going on.”

  “Will do,” I said as I climbed in behind the wheel, clicked the seatbelt, and adjusted the mirrors.

  “Be safe, Jade.”

  I closed the door and drove away from Green River Falls. As soon as I hit the freeway, my phone lit up with missed calls. I pulled off at the first exit and listened to the messages. Most were from Clark and Amber. They hadn’t heard from Jack or me all day and were concerned. I checked the time—2:10 p.m. I called Clark first.

  He sounded distressed when he picked up. “It’s about damn time, Jade. What have you guys been doing all day?”

  “The usual, boss—dodging bullets and trying to catch the bad guy.”

  “Is that a joke?”

  “I’m afraid not.” I sighed deeply. “We have casualties, and Max Sims got away.” I held the phone away from my ear when Clark began to yell.

  “I want to hear details, Monroe.”

  “Theresa Gardino and a young woman we found in the woods are dead.”

  Clark swore again—I waited.

  “One of the officers from Green River Falls is dead, and two others have been shot, but they’ll make it. One more was hit in the vest, and he’ll be okay. Jack, the lieutenant, and I are fine. I’m on my way to Boscobel. Darryl better start talking. I’ll make sure his ass is thrown in solitary so he can’t communicate with Max. Was it a coincidence that Max was in Green River Falls the same time the Gardinos’ were, or was it a planned attack on the family? Max has been a pretty angry guy since he started getting the eviction notices.”

  “True enough, Jade. Maybe it was a coincidence, unless he’s been stalking the family. Either way, I’m sure that’s where Darryl told Max to hide out.”