by C. M. Sutter
The second officer from Ellenwood stepped up and shouldered the door. “It’s steel and not budging.”
“Ram it, then.”
It took several hits with the ram to bend it inward enough for the men to wedge themselves through. Inside, on the cement floor, stood three dog cages.
“Damn it! Get some light over here!” A disheveled woman curled in the corner of the second cage caught Dave’s eye. He ripped at the gate, but it was secured by a padlock. “Find something to cut through this cage and make it fast. It doesn’t look like there’s much life left in her.”
“An ambulance is on its way,” Moss said as he pocketed his phone. “Does she look familiar to you?”
“I can’t tell. Her face is partially covered with her hair.” Dave knelt at the side of the cage. “Miss, can you hear me?” He looked at Shields. “We need that wire cutter now!”
“They’re getting something from the patrol car, sir.”
Seconds later, an officer from the Ellenwood PD ran into the room with a bolt cutter in hand. “Here you go. This will work.” He handed it to Dave, who cut through the cage links and folded down the side. “Careful now.”
With the woman out of the cage and lying flat on the floor, Turner leaned in and took a closer look. “Jesus Christ, it’s Janine.”
Chapter 53
“Step aside, people.” The EMTs moved in with a stretcher, placed Janine on it, and cautiously made their way out through the closet door.
Moss pulled Shields and Turner aside. “Go along and watch over her. Make sure to contact her family and keep me posted.” After the EMTs broke through the final door, the commander turned to Dave. “We need to get Forensics out here immediately. This place is the crime scene of the century.” He addressed the two Ellenwood officers. “Get your commander on the horn so I can talk to him. This property needs to be cordoned off and searched thoroughly. We have a visiting detective to find and a killer to apprehend.” He jerked his head toward Dave. “Get an APB out for Greg McMillian, and have that BOLO updated to state the truck is royal blue. Since it isn’t here, he must be driving it.”
The Ellenwood officer stepped up. “I have our commander on the line, sir.”
Moss grabbed the phone. “Commander Loren Moss here from the Atlanta PD. We need more of your units out at the Hickory Road property. Yes, Greg McMillian’s house. This place is a crime scene that would rival any horror movie.” Moss handed the phone back to the officer. “Thanks. Keep this place buttoned up until Forensics gets here. Block off the road to the public and only allow law enforcement through. We’re leaving and have to find that detective fast before her time runs out.”
Moss radioed Dispatch as Dave drove to Atlanta. “We need all units searching for that truck. Have them go back to every crime scene where a bag has been found. He may want to revisit those areas. Keep in mind, he likely has Detective Pierce with him. She’s being held against her will and could be injured, drugged, or dead—we just don’t know. Get ahold of the state patrol and sheriff’s office too. I want this city on lockdown and the freeways patrolled until that maniac is found. Dave, swing past the butcher shop one more time before we head back to the precinct.”
“Yep, good idea.”
Dave turned off Moreland onto Confederate Avenue and continued until he reached Greg’s Chop Shop.
He let out a groan when he glanced up at the sign along the street. “An ominous name in hindsight.” He pulled into the empty lot and set the shifter to Park. “Looks the same as Shields described earlier—no cars. I’ll check the door.”
Both men exited the car and crossed the parking lot. Dave gave the front doorknob a twist—locked. From what he could tell from the inch-wide space behind the shades, the lights were out. “Nobody’s here.”
“I’ll give the back lot a look.” The gravel crunched under Moss’s shoes as he disappeared around the building. He was back minutes later and saw Dave hang up his phone. “Who was that?”
“Shields calling from the hospital. Janine is being monitored in the IC unit. She’s on an IV drip, and they need to flush the sleep medicine out of her body and get some electrolytes in her. Other than being severely dehydrated, a little banged up, and out of it due to the sedative, she hasn’t been seriously injured. Her mom is at her bedside.”
“Thank God.”
Dave continued. “The hospital said they’re going to keep her under supervision for a few days.” He tipped his chin toward the back of the building. “Anything back there?”
“Nah, empty lot, and the rear door is locked. Let’s head back to the station, and I’ll double-check with the units that are patrolling the dumpsites.”
Dave climbed in behind the wheel and cut through the rear lot to a side street. Moss gave him an eyebrow raise.
“Shortcut back to the station?”
Dave shook his head. “We need to go to Atlanta Avenue first.”
“What’s there?”
“Kate’s mom’s house. Boss, they have no idea she’s missing.”
“Yeah, you’re right, and it’s our responsibility to alert them.”
Dave continued two more blocks on Confederate as Moss stared out the passenger side window.
He suddenly yelled out for Dave to stop.
Squealing tires sounded as Dave pulled to the curb. “What’s wrong?”
“Go around the block. I swear I saw that blue truck back there on Commonwealth Avenue.”
Dave pressed the gas pedal to the floor. A block up, he turned right on Home Avenue, followed the curve on Province Place, and came out on Commonwealth.
“There, on the right in front of that motorcycle.”
Dave slammed the cruiser into Park and jumped out. Moss exited on the curb side and crossed the sidewalk.
“Let’s bang on some doors!” Moss ran to the house nearest the truck.
“There isn’t time for that,” Dave said. “We need to call for backup. The patrol units can scour the neighborhood while we go back to the butcher shop. My gut is telling me he stashed the truck here to throw us off his trail.”
Back in the cruiser, Moss radioed Dispatch and said to send units to the Commonwealth address immediately. He said officers needed to conduct a door-to-door search of the neighborhood for the perp, and the truck had to be towed to the evidence garage. “Get a unit to Greg’s Chop Shop too, but no sirens or lights. They have to go in dark. Sergeant Masters and I are heading there now.”
Dave slowed to a stop a half block from the butcher shop. “Let’s go in on foot just in case he’s checking the windows.”
They exited the cruiser and jogged the rest of the way. Moss pointed at the rear of the building as they got closer. “We need to approach from the back, where there aren’t any windows. We’ll make our way around the building, listen for sounds, and breach the door once the squad car arrives.”
“They need to come in on foot too,” Dave whispered. “I don’t want to put Kate’s life at any more risk than it already is.”
Moss stepped behind the dumpster and out of earshot, where he made another call to Dispatch. “Make sure that unit comes in on foot and tell them to bring a battering ram. The element of surprise needs to be on our side.” He returned to Dave’s location under the building’s side window. “They’ll be here in less than five minutes. Have you heard any sounds coming from inside the building?”
“Not yet, and it doesn’t help that this is an old cinder block building. It might be difficult to hear anything through those walls.”
“How about unlocked windows?”
Dave shook his head. “I haven’t checked yet, but now is the time.” He pointed at the sidewalk as two officers, fully armed and with a ram in tow, ran through the lot and scurried to their sides.
“What have we got, Commander?”
“We believe there’s two people inside, one being a detective who needs our immediate help. We don’t know the layout of the building other than the front is likely the retail space, and fr
om the looks of it, that area is dark.”
Dave added his two cents. “They’re probably somewhere in the back of the building. We’ll create a distraction at the front door, and you two can breach the steel door at the back. Secure the detective as fast as humanly possible while we take down the suspect.”
“What if they aren’t inside?”
Dave pressed his forehead. “Then we’re up shit creek without a paddle.”
Chapter 54
It felt as if a jackhammer was drilling through my skull. I wanted to squeeze my head, but my hands wouldn’t follow my mental commands, and I couldn’t get my bearings either. Where was I and who was I with, and most of all, what was wrong with me?
I could barely crack my eyes open enough to see through the slits. I was so sleepy I couldn’t focus, and my lids felt like lead weights. The sound of a man’s voice was inches away. Was he talking to me, someone else, or to himself? Do I know him, and should I respond to let him know I’m awake?
I flinched at the tightness against my wrists. I seemed to be restrained, and I fought to stay awake. I forced my eyes open and saw a bright light overhead. Everything was blurry, including the man to my left.
My mouth was parched, but I called out to him, anyway. “What happened to me? Who are you?”
“It’s me, Detective Pierce, Greg McMillian. Remember, I caught you trespassing on my property?”
It was coming back to me, and I remembered going to his house earlier. He discovered me there and chased me through the field. I blinked to clear my focus. Was it really him, and was I in the predicament of my life? I pulled at my restraints and quickly realized I wasn’t going anywhere. He had me tied down with something. I jerked up my head to see where I was, and the room began to spin.
“I clocked you pretty good back in that field. That’ll teach you to snoop in my business. Turns out, Tristan was looking worse for the wear, and she lost all likeness of my Kamila, but you? You’ll do just fine.” He slammed his open hand against the wall at my side. “But I don’t have those damn eyes! You screwed that up for me, and now you’re going to pay with your life. Kamila still needs a head and legs. I’m going to resurrect her, and we’ll be back together for eternity.”
I wrenched again and tried to sit up. “Who’s Kamila? Is she the woman you cut into pieces and left in that neighborhood last Halloween?”
“Shut up! I’ll admit, it was a hasty thing to do on my part. I lost my mind when I caught her cheating. Skanky prostitutes have no loyalty.”
“Loyalty isn’t in their job description, yet you’re still drawn to them.” I pulled against what looked like paracord holding me down.
“I needed parts to reassemble Kamila. I was in love with her, and I’ve apologized for cutting her up. She said she’d forgive me if I put her back together for the one-year anniversary, and prostitutes were a perfect choice—they wouldn’t be missed.”
“Just like she wasn’t? You can’t piece together a dead person and expect them to come back to life.”
“Wanna bet? You’re going to find that out firsthand as soon as I get my tools in order.”
My mind was quickly clearing, and I had to get out of the predicament I was in. I was sure I was in the butcher shop, but why wasn’t anybody looking for me? That store should be on the forefront of the search, or didn’t anyone know I was abducted? I whispered gibberish in hopes of him moving in closer.
Greg jerked his head toward me as he placed a half dozen tools on the counter. “What? I can’t understand you. You must have shit in your mouth.”
I whispered again, and that time, he leaned in against my face. With a hard upward motion, I head-butted him with everything I had. Greg stumbled backward and crashed into the table of tools behind him. I screamed at the top of my lungs with hopes that somebody passing by would hear my cries for help. With the reciprocating saw only inches from my head, I knew I didn’t have much time left.
Chapter 55
Dave jumped at the screams coming from inside the butcher shop. He yelled back as he and Moss ran for the front entrance. “Give us fifteen seconds then ram the rear door!”
Dave pounded on the glass entry door then kicked his way through it. The entire panel of safety glass spiderwebbed and fell to the ground. He was shocked that Greg hadn’t run to the front to see what was happening.
With guns drawn, Moss jerked his head to the door that led to the butchering area. “Move in!”
The familiar sound of a reciprocating saw sent Dave’s senses into high gear. He crashed through the wooden door just as the men at the back broke through the rear entry.
Greg stood over Kate with the saw in his hand. Secured to a large butcher block table, Kate couldn’t escape the blade that was inches from her neck.
“Drop the saw and get on the floor now!” Moss yelled out.
Greg screamed his frustration. “You people have ruined everything for me! Kamila and I need to be reunited. She’ll be resurrected tomorrow night on Halloween, and we’ll spend eternity together!”
“You’ll be spending eternity in hell if you don’t drop that saw! This is your final warning. I’ll shoot you dead where you stand,” Moss ordered.
“Then if Kamila can’t come to me, I’ll go to her!” Greg turned the blade on himself and sliced through his own carotid artery. Blood sprayed from the gaping wound with each heartbeat as his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor.
“Jesus Christ!” Dave ran to Greg’s side and kicked the saw away. “Call an ambulance. Hurry!” He knelt over the man and held kitchen rags against his wound. Moss dialed 911, and the officer released Kate from her restraints.
“Help her outside so she can get some air.” Moss looked over his shoulder at Dave. “Is he going to make it?”
Dave shook his head. “Doubt it. There’s too much blood running out, and I can’t slow it down. That saw did a number on him.” Seconds later, the pumping stopped, and Dave stood. “He’s dead.”
Moss let out a stunned groan as he looked into Greg McMillian’s open eyes. “What kind of demons took over your mind, and who the hell is Kamila?”
They turned to see Kate at their backs. “She was a prostitute he was obsessed with, and eventually he killed her in a fit of jealous rage. It was her body he dismembered and scattered in that neighborhood last Halloween.”
“He told you that?”
Kate nodded and took a seat. “Sorry, I’m still dizzy.” She held her face in her hands and massaged her temples. “There’s probably a lot more to the story, but that’s what he said. You still need to find Janine, though. The last thing I remember was running through a field, and he was chasing me with an ATV. I saw him cock his fist, and then the lights went out.”
Dave walked to Kate’s side and put his hand on her shoulder. “Everything you’ve dreamed and said has come true. I can’t even wrap my head around that yet.”
Moss spoke up. “Janine is safe, Kate. We found her in a hidden room in Greg’s house. She’s recovering at the hospital, and Beth is with her.”
Kate’s eyes welled up. “Thank God she made it out alive.”
The distant sirens got louder until they stopped at the back lot, and the EMTs walked in. “What have we got?”
“One deceased and one who needs to be taken to the hospital and given a thorough exam. Sedative overdose, I’m sure, and a good punch to the head.”
The EMTs helped Kate onto a gurney and wheeled her to the back of the ambulance.
Kate called out before the back doors closed. “Please tell my mom and sister where I am.”
Dave nodded. “I’ve got it covered, Kate, and I’ll be at the hospital to check on you and Janine as soon as I can.”
Chapter 56
I was released from the hospital’s observation area at five o’clock that afternoon. Dave and I went upstairs to the IC unit to check on Janine. She lay in her bed, awake and stable but still hooked up to an IV line.
“Hey, kiddo,” Dave said, “you’re lookin
g a lot better than you did earlier today.”
She croaked out a thank-you and apologized for her voice. “I think I spent a few days screaming for help, but he said the room was soundproof. Guess my efforts were in vain.” An expression of confusion covered her face as she stared at me. “Is that you, Kate? Kate Pierce?”
I smiled. “It’s been a long time, Janine. Actually, I had just graduated college the last time we saw each other. You must have been in your early teens then.”
“What are you doing here? In my room, I mean.”
“That’s a long story, but the short version is, even though neither of us remember it, we were both held hostage by Greg McMillian at the same time.”
“Greg McMillian? Is that the man I knew as Hank?”
I nodded. “Janine, what you did, going undercover like that, was more than brave. The Fulton County Butcher preyed on prostitutes, and you put yourself right out there in harm’s way. The name he gave you, Hank, was fake. He’s not only Greg McMillian, but he was the Fulton County Butcher too.”
“Was? Is he dead?”
Dave nodded as he handed her the cup of ice chips. “He is, and his death was at his own hand.”
“Good. No loss there, and the city is a safer place now.” Janine noticed the black locks resting on her shoulders. “Why on earth is my hair black?”
The timing wasn’t quite right to overload Janine with those horrible details—she needed rest. Learning how close she and I actually came to meeting our demise could wait, and I was sure Dave would go over everything with her in time. At that moment, Janine’s only responsibility was to be happy she was free and safe.
Minutes later, the nurse walked in. “You’ll both have to leave now. Janine needs her vitals checked and her IV bag changed.”
“When will I be released?” Janine rearranged the pillows behind her head and raised the back of the bed.
