From The Shadows (Blaze series Book 1)

by David Carter

  Elizabeth told Ryan about Blaze’s father, how he had abused her and probably Blaze, too, but treated James and Trinity like angels. She told him how she had stupidly ignored Bobby in his time of need, and about their war of words at the courthouse during his trial. She explained the riddle he had made up, and how he had smugly revealed that the Bible verse: 1 John 1:9 was the key to solving it. She paused as she let a stray tear run down her cheek while fondly thinking about him as a helpless young boy, and how she’d never acknowledged his individuality. He hates me, she thought, and it’s all my fault.

  Ryan told her about the note the Watcher had left in Jones’ letterbox, revealing his name and intentions of killing O’Brian and Turner. She gasped at this, then said, “I am convinced that Bobby knows something about the Watcher. Think about it: he knew about the dagger and the Bible verse over two decades ago. Then all of a sudden, Bobby comes back to town and burns down the school where he was attacked, and from out of the blue, a dormant killer rises from the ashes and starts hacking people to pieces using the same weapon and Bible verse that Bobby told me about all those years ago. Surely that can’t be a coincidence?”

  Ryan was impressed at her deduction. “Have you ever considered going into homicide investigation?” He smiled. “Because my gut instinct tells me you are correct and that the timing of the Watcher’s resurrection is directly linked to Bobby’s return. And from the experience I’ve had in learning how the mind of a psychopath works, your son’s return would most likely have been what triggered off his killing spree. And for all we know, Bobby may have purposely burnt down the school just to get his attention.”

  “How do you figure that? He told me he burnt it down to get even with me.”

  “Well, for starters, you told me he didn’t run from the scene of the crime, indicating he wanted to get caught. Perhaps he wanted the Watcher to know he hadn’t forgotten about their past; playing his ace to call out the joker?”

  “I see. I guess that does make some kind of sense.”

  “Then, the day after Bobby is convicted and imprisoned; the Watcher starts his killing spree, answering Bobby’s call. Perhaps the Watcher knew you would be going to the treasury this morning. Perhaps he knew you were aware of the Bible verse and dagger symbolism that he’s been leaving behind on his victims. Perhaps he wanted you to come and tell me about Bobby’s past. It’s only a theory, but it all fits. Otherwise, why leave behind so many clues? It’s all starting to feel like an intricate, well-thought-out game, planned in advance. That’s possibly why he waited for almost two weeks to strike after Bobby burnt down the school. He was caught unawares. He needed to make plans. He didn’t know Bobby would suddenly show up in Glendale, challenging him.”

  Elizabeth sat motionless, listening to the chilling theory. “It’s all so frightening, detective, knowing a killer is on the loose in town, and has been living among us for so many years.”

  “Do you know what’s really scary? It’s that the Watcher had you unknowingly involved in his little game. I don’t mean to frighten you, as I could be way off with my theory, but it’s entirely possible that somebody close to you is the Watcher and he’ll be loving every second of it. His alias alone suggests that he’s aware of everything that’s going on around town. The two murders I’m trying to solve are testament to that.”

  “What should I do?”

  “Be smart and stay safe. Steve and I are staying in the same hotel as you. I’d encourage you to move into one of the rooms next to ours. I’ll make the necessary arrangements. I have ordered more patrol cars and feet on the ground from the city in the hope that it gives the townsfolk peace of mind. Let’s hope the Watcher slips up and makes a mistake, with our guys ready and waiting to pounce.”

  “Thank you, detective. That is comforting to know. What happens now? Do you think Bobby can help?”

  Ryan grinned. “I do. Perhaps we could use Bobby as bait to smoke the Watcher out of his foxhole?”

  “But that could be dangerous for him!”

  “Yes, but if Bobby agrees to help, I can cut him a deal to reduce his sentence. And to be honest, after everything you’ve told me about him, I think he would jump at the chance.”

  “What if Bobby kills him? He’s more than capable of tearing a man apart with his bare hands, you know.”

  Ryan smiled. “If he successfully lures the Watcher into a trap and magically makes him ‘disappear’, then I’ll see he is taken care of. I’d push to reduce his sentence and even give him a clean slate if possible.”

  “But wouldn’t he get into trouble for killing a man? It’s still committing murder, isn’t it?”

  Ryan wiped his hands down his face as he inhaled through his nose. “Let’s put it this way; the Watcher is the sort of person the tax payers of this country shouldn’t have to spend their hard-earned dollars on to give him three square meals a day and live in relative comfort. Bobby, from what you have told me, is the type of person who doesn’t play by the rules, and prefers to take matters into his own hands, which totally works for me. If the Watcher is the man who attacked your son, and everything you’ve told me tells me he is, I’m prepared to look the other way if things happen to get—er—messy. And just think about this for a second; if Bobby was prepared to go to prison for burning down the school, just imagine how badly he’d like to get his hands on the Watcher; he’s the perfect man for the job.”

  “All right, detective, just make sure nothing happens to my son,” she said, worried.

  “I’ll do my best.” He paused, then said, “Hey, just out of curiosity, what did the Watcher do to Bobby?”

  “I don’t know exactly, but I’ve assumed you know, the worst...”

  Ryan nodded. “I agree. I think he was sexually assaulted, too.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  He recalled what Judge Jones had told him about George Walker. After he had finished, she said with teary eyes, “I always thought it was something like that. It makes sense as to why Bobby is so angry at the world, and wants this Watcher character so bad.”

  “Which is why Bobby is the perfect man to bring him down.”

  Elizabeth saw the resolve in his eyes. “All right, detective, I shall do my part and go with you to see Bobby, if you think it will help. I can’t guarantee he will even look at me, but I want to see justice for Luke, Karl, and Duncan and my Bobby,” she said.

  “I’ll make some calls to my department in Milton City before we hit the road,” he said as he picked up the phone on his desk.

  As Ryan made his calls, the Watcher came out of Harold’s Bargain Bin, threw his important shopping list in the green aluminium rubbish bin outside the front entrance, and walked towards the police station. He pulled out another piece of paper, neatly folded up into a square, from his shirt pocket. He was fully aware that police stations in the countryside didn’t have the budget for any street surveillance, and slipped the piece of paper under the windscreen wiper blade of a red Holden Commodore parked outside the entrance as he strolled by. He started whistling his favourite song as he approached his car, and loaded his bag of groceries into the back seat. He started the engine, then said, “Off we go, Angela; home to make dinner for two tonight.”

  Ryan got off the phone, and said to Elizabeth, “I have arranged an appointment to see your son. The prison hierarchy haven’t asked him if he is interested to see us yet, but I’ve been assured they will persuade him to meet us by using whatever means necessary.”

  Elizabeth nodded and stood up as Ryan grabbed his keys.

  “Right, let’s get this done,” he said as they walked outside.

  As they assumed their respective sides of the vehicle, Ryan exclaimed, “Oh! Isn’t that just marvellous. I’ve been given a goddamn ticket for parking an inch over a yellow line! That’s bloody ridiculous!”

  Elizabeth giggled. “This isn’t the big smoke, detective; this is the country. We don’t have parking wardens in Glendale!”

  Ryan’s face turned a faint sha
de of red. “Then what the hell is this piece of paper?” he asked.

  He pulled it out from under the wiper blade and noticed it was addressed to him. That’s weird, he thought.

  He unfolded the piece of paper, and his eyes popped wide open with rage as he saw who the message was from. Elizabeth was worried from his silence and the angry expression on his face. “What is it, detective?”

  Ryan read the poem aloud:

  “Look left and right when you cross the street,

  you must stay alert, I’ve released my inner beast.

  Sins come at a price; they don’t come for free,

  one chance to confess, or meet the darker side of me.

  Watch out, raise your guard, I’m back from hibernation,

  my dagger longs to dine on sins,

  have you made your reservation?

  P.S. Have B.B back in Glendale by noon tomorrow, or the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost becomes the sacrifice.

  Romans, chapter twelve, verse one.

  P.S.S. I got us lamb chops for tea.

  God bless

  The Watcher.”

  “What on earth is he talking about?” asked Elizabeth. “Lamb chops for tea?”

  Ryan had to bite his tongue so stop himself screaming a mouthful of profanities in front of her. He breathed and remained calm, then said, “I get the bit about ‘B.B’ back in town by noon tomorrow, which means I was right: he’s using you to get to Bobby. He wants me to release him from prison. But that begs the question; why would he want him sprung from prison? Surely he must know that he’s seeking him out for revenge?”

  “And why would he mention the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost becoming the sacrifice?” she asked.

  “Isn’t that a reference to the Godhead?”

  “Yes, it is. That’s what’s so confusing.”

  Ryan heard Hampton’s voice in the back of his mind, saying, “The Bible verse is the key.”

  He fished his phone from his pocket, then said, “I’ll look up the verse in the note. He always leaves a clue. It’s all part of the twisted game he’s playing.”

  The search results popped up. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

  Ryan embedded the words in his brilliant mind: Brothers and sisters, lamb, sacrifice, Godhead, Bobby, prison; holy shit.

  His gut churned as he connected all the dots. He said, “He’s proposing a trade. He wants Bobby released by noon tomorrow or there will be another sacrifice.”

  “A trade? Who for?”

  He quietly asked Elizabeth, “What is the most commonly used term in the world when referring to the Godhead?”

  “The Holy Trinity.”

  The blood in her veins froze. “Trinity!” she screamed.

  Chapter 35

  “Wakey, wakey,” said Danny as Blaze finally awoke from his slumber. He was lying down on his mattress, with his hand covering a saturated dressing that was losing the battle to contain the blood seeping through the drain Poochie had bored through his abdominal wall. He grimaced as he dragged himself up and swung his legs over the edge of his bunk. His throat felt raspy, as if it had been scourged with coarse sandpaper as he said to Danny, “How long was I out for?”

  “Dude, you’ve been gone for a little over eighteen hours.”

  “Shit, are you serious? What the hell happened?”

  “You passed out from excessive blood loss after you stomped the living shit out of Poochie’s head.”

  Blaze groaned. “Fuck, my stomach hurts. I feel like shit.”

  “You look like shit.” Danny grinned.

  “Who stitched me up? It feels like I’ve been shot with a fucking harpoon.”

  “Don’t worry mate, the governor had you sent to the infirmary. They fixed you up good as new.”

  Blaze tried to stand; he withstood the pain, growling through clenched teeth, but sat back down, then said, “I’m gonna kill that fucking asshole one day.”

  Danny chuckled. “As much as I admire your determination, I think some rest is in order first. Just take it easy, man. You’ve just achieved what was considered impossible by destroying Nugget and his two bitches. Now you’re a fucking legend!”

  Everybody’s heads turned to the front of the room as they heard the door to the den open. The giant frame of Ramone Franks and two other guards came through the door and headed to Blaze’s cell. They unlocked it, and walked in before Franks said, “On your feet, Bobby, I’m taking you to the infirmary to get your dressing changed.”

  “Fuck you,” he replied.

  One of the guards raised his baton to clobber him for mouthing off, but Franks commanded him to stop, then said to Blaze, “I going to give you one more chance. I don’t see the need to kick a wounded animal if I don’t have to. You never know; we might have another deep and meaningful conversation while we’re at it.” He winked.

  Not fucking likely, thought Blaze.

  The guard lowered his baton. Franks said, “Come on, Bobby, you don’t want to get an infection in that nasty scratch you got there, do you? Let me change it for you.”

  Blaze was still pissed with Franks from their last encounter, but there was something in the way that he spoke that intrigued him. “All right, I’ll come along quietly, but you can leave your mates, Burt and Ernie, here behind if you like. I won’t be any trouble.”

  Franks nodded his approval to the other guards. “If you piss me off or give me even the slightest bit of lip service, I’ll be giving that puncture of yours an extra month’s worth of healing to do. Do I make myself clear?”

  Blaze looked directly into his eyes. “Crystal.”

  As they walked out of the den together, Blaze smirked to the two guards. “Mind the store, lads,” he sniggered as he walked past them.

  Franks marched him towards the infirmary, which was located on the ground floor of the administration block, and went inside through an electronically sealed security door directly from the main compound. “Sit on the edge of the bed,” said Franks.

  Blaze complied while Franks opened one of the supply cupboards to get a new dressing. He pulled one out, then carefully started searching the room, inside drawers, cupboards, behind curtains; everywhere.

  “Lost something?” asked Blaze.

  Franks straightened his index finger and placed it vertically over the centre of his lips, indicating Blaze to be silent. He carried on searching the room until he was satisfied, then sat down on a stool in front of Blaze. “I was checking the room for listening devices. You never know with the governor, he has eyes and ears everywhere around this place. I figured this is one of the safest places we could talk.”

  Blaze suddenly felt a ray of hope. “Just cut to the chase, Frankie. What’s up?”

  Franks scratched the back of his smooth, bald head as he worked out where to begin. “Let me start by apologising for beating you in your cell after lunch yesterday. I honestly had no choice; I needed to be sure nobody suspected anything in case anyone overheard our conversation on the way back to your cell. It’s lucky you got injured in your fight with Poochie. It’s given me an opportunity to get you alone for a chat.”

  Blaze raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “About what, exactly?”

  Franks shifted around on the stool. “I want out of this shithole. I’m tired of being ‘Archer’s bitch’ as you so poetically described it. The problem is that I know far too much about how this place is run, and like I said; I am deeply involved in his other operations outside the walls. The governor has torn up my resignation letter on more than one occasion.”

  “So, do something about the problem.”

  “I am. That’s why I’ve decided to take you up on your offer. I’ve applied for a job in Glendale as a police officer.”

  “Really? A cop? Why?”

  “Because that’s what I used to do before I got sucked into Archer’s black hole. And this time I’m taking my family and gettin
g the fuck away from this place, and I want to do it without having to look over my shoulder every five minutes.”

  “I understand you wanting to be a cop. But why Glendale? You could go anywhere!”

  “For two reasons, actually. From everything I’ve heard about the place, it’s a nice country town to raise a family in, especially when they finish rebuilding the new state-of-the-art school. And secondly, there have been two murders and one attempted murder in the last couple of days there. Two victims were police officers and the other was a real estate agent.”

  “That doesn’t sound like the ‘nice little country town’ you were just describing. It’s quite the opposite in fact.”

  “Well, there’s a job opening at the police station as a night shift constable, and I desperately want it.”

  “Shit, that’s pretty crazy considering I’ve only been gone for three days.”

  “Yeah, some psycho is going around hacking people up with a dagger and carving Bible verses into their mutilated bodies.”

  Blaze forgot about the pain in his abdomen as he sat bolt upright. “What did you just say?”

  “It’s been all over the national news this morning. A guy calling himself ‘the Watcher’ is going around killing people and leaving behind verses from the Bible on their bodies as a calling card.”

  “Did the reporters release any of the Bible verses to the public?” Blaze asked anxiously.

  “Just the one: it’s been present at both crime scenes: I think it was something like: first-John, one, nine.”

  Blaze’s face beamed with excitement. It worked! he thought. Burning down the school flushed the fucker out of hiding!

  “It appears we both have a common goal, Frankie; to get the fuck outta here and head back to Glendale.”

  Franks looked surprised. “You want to go back to Glendale?”