by C. K. Raggio
Athena’s dying convulsion tore a chunk of flesh and muscle from his left bicep and ended John’s death sentence. The pain had been so bad he thought he’d pass out. He’d managed to run from Cassie’s house, his arm dangling uselessly at his side.
John had tackled him on the back porch. If Steven hadn’t slammed the butt of his knife into the man’s head, he’d probably be in a jail cell right now. He wished he’d stuck John with the blade, but dizziness had flooded his brain and his only thought was escape.
He massaged the back of his neck. No reason to keep going over things he didn’t accomplish. Each mistake he made would never be repeated. They were learning experiences, not failures.
He took a two-hour power nap then drove back out onto the highway after the teenagers. The large cooler in the back bounced and landed with a thud as he hit a pothole. He winced, slowing down, watching the road for any more bumps.
Steven couldn’t help but take his collection with him. The sealed cooler would keep the heads frozen for days. He’d lost two dogs and didn’t want to lose any more of his prized possessions. Especially his first.
He remembered the day he met her. She walked into English class and Mrs. Friedman introduced her. She was beautiful, wearing a cotton candy-colored dress. Her long dark hair in a braid. She took the empty seat next to his.
“I’m Susan Tanner.”
That’s all it took for him to fall for her. At the end of the day he’d introduced her to Gary and they walked home. The three were best friends from that day on.
Months turned to years, Susan’s body changed. Her budding breasts grew into soft mounds. Spindly legs grew toned and defined. In the summer her skin turned the color of light maple syrup. Steven dreamed every night of running his mouth over every curve, tasting her sweetness.
That was until the day she betrayed him and extinguished his trust in her for good. His hand shook. That bitch.
The motel loomed before him. A neon light blared in what looked to be the office window of the motel. Vacancy. Two cars lined the front of the parking lot. No Expedition. Did they decide not to stop? He tensed, thinking he should’ve followed them from the rest stop.
An arrow pointed around the back of the building. Maybe there were more rooms. He shut off his headlights and followed the narrow road.
The large truck sat by itself in front of a lit window. He parked on the other side of the lot and scoped the place out.
An alley ran between the two buildings that made up the motel right alongside the truck. He’d been right about the office being in the front, these looked to be all rooms. There were no cameras he could see. He could wait for the light to go out in the room and then steal the kids’ truck.
A quick U-turn returned him to the road. A mile from the motel, overgrown bushes and vines swallowed a sagging house. Broken windows. Abandoned. Perfect. He pulled in the L-shaped driveway and parked along the rotted back porch. His truck wouldn’t be spotted from the street.
He let the dogs out for a bathroom break. They did their business and jumped back in. He cracked the windows for them. “You boy’s be good.”
Black eyes acknowledged his words.
The street was wooded and he stayed in the trees on his trek back. The light in the room by the Expedition was still on. He leaned against the wall of the alley in the shadows to wait for it to go out. A green dumpster overflowing with garbage stunk up the crisp night air with rot and filth.
A door opened. “I’m going next door to the boy’s room to take a shower,” a female voice said.
“It wasn’t that bad. Luke warm.” Another girl.
“Screw that. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Okay, hit the light on your way out. I’m exhausted.”
The light clicked off.
“You guys still up?” The girl rapped her knuckles against wood. Nobody answered. “Hey, need to take a shower here! Ours has no hot water.”
Her footsteps shuffled on the concrete toward him. A car door opened and shut. The beep of an activated alarm. A click, then a beam from a flashlight.
Shit. Steven glanced over his shoulder. He pulled his knife from its sheath. There was no way in hell he was jumping into the dumpster so she wouldn’t see him. He crouched behind bags of stinking trash, cringing, while being careful not to rub against them.
The girl came around the corner. It was the fat cow that’d touched his arm. He sneered, thoughts of Susan’s betrayal still heavy in his mind.
She paused, her beam swept above the bags he hid behind. A rat scurried in front of her. She jumped, but didn’t scream. Maybe this one had some guts. Too bad he didn’t have the time to find out.
A few sharp inhales, then her breathing stabilized.
Fatty hadn’t noticed him, maybe he should just let her go. He hated unplanned kills. But there was an alarm on the truck and she had the keys.
She crept passed him, her beam moving side to side. He slid behind her. His forearm whipped around her throat. He squeezed, ignoring the shooting agony in his mangled muscle. She gasped and struggled, dropping the flashlight. It clattered on the ground and went out.
“Shh,” he whispered, flashing his knife in front of her eyes. “You made a grave mistake, cow.”
“Please.” Her plea was a cough with his arm tight around her neck.
For a moment he considered slicing her throat, but what fun would that be? “Since you helped me, I’ll make this quick. But I’m afraid I can’t do anything about the pain.”
He spun her around and her back hit the wall. With his hand clamped over her mouth, he plunged the knife into her abdomen. He ripped up. It made a sucking, splattering noise.
Blood sprayed his face. Her eyes went wide. He jammed his hand into the warm cavern of her stomach and yanked. A fistful of intestine slid through his fingers. The smell of shit mingled with the dumpster’s aromas. He pushed the knife slowly into her neck, feeling the beat of her heart in the thick wooden handle. His erection pushed against his pants.
A trickle of blood escaped her lips. The light in her eyes went out.
Stepping back, he watched her slide down the wall into a heap. He wanted to whip his dick out and jerk off on her. No time for that. He grabbed her keys then dragged her behind the dumpster. Throwing a couple of garbage bags on top of her.
His adrenaline charged. Good times. But he had to move fast now. He was glad he had come up with his little switching plates scam. The cops would be looking for an Expedition, but even if they ran his plates, it’d come up belonging to jazz-boy who was probably still drooling all over himself at the rest stop.
He glanced at the girl. Not smart for him to kill her like that. They’d know it was him, but it was too late now. He’d switch cars again once he crossed the state line.
Within ten minutes, he sat in the driver’s seat of the kids’ truck and was heading back to the abandoned house. He had packed everything into the back and changed out of his blood-covered clothes. After he removed the third row of seats, he invited the dogs in.
Then he was back on the highway. The cow’s surprise as he buried the knife into her stomach brought him back to his memories. Back to Susan.
Steven knew she’d be at their secret spot that day. A cave at the back of his property where they spent hours talking and goofing off. He wanted to surprise her.
He had stopped behind a crumbling headstone. A boy groaned and Susan giggled. Steven crept around the mouth of the cave.
The whore’s lips were wrapped around Gary’s cock, her head bobbing between his hands. How could she?
Steven’s teeth had clanked together his body shook so hard. An anger and hatred rose in him, an anger as fierce as any he’d had for his mother.
Hercules growled at his side. The terrier stared into his eyes like he was telling him to face the intruders. Steven set his jaw and strode in.
He kept his voice slow and even. “Get the hell out of here and never come back.”
Gary jumped, pushing Susan
to the ground. He yanked his pants up and ran into the woods.
“I’m sorry,” Susan whispered. She rose to her feet and moved to the mouth of the cave. “Steve… it just happened.”
She knew what his mother had done to him at that cave. They’d spoken about it, she’d held his hand. “How long has it been going on?” His fist balled, though he refused to give into the impulse on breaking her face.
“About a month. Please.” She touched his arm, her chin trembling.
“If you ever come back here, I’ll kill you.”
She stiffened, her hand dropped to her side as she turned and ran after Gary.
The whore whelped a son in 1987. A few years later Steven put his plan into play. They hadn’t spoken since the day at the cave. When he told her he wanted to meet up she’d been so excited.
She approached through the graveyard. He’d laughed. She didn’t have a clue she’d soon be buried there too. Her hair shone in the sun, her eyes were bright. She waved, came closer, and jumped into his arms.
“Oh, Steven, I’m –”
He drove his hunting knife deep into her stomach and ripped upward. A short shriek left her lips. He grabbed a fistful of hair and dragged her into the cave as she sputtered and gasped for breath.
She should’ve listened when he said to never come back again. He’d warned her. Stupid bitch.
From the back seat one of the dogs growled. Steven grinned in the rearview. “Don’t worry, boys. One or two more quick ones to get those idiots in the FBI scrambling, then we’ll head home. Be able to take our time with them again. Hear them scream.” He let out a heavy sigh. Oh, how he loved to hear them scream.
CHAPTER 41
Cassie followed Rick and Hill as they exited the FBI Learjet at Cleveland Lakefront Airport. A black Suburban waited for them outside the general aviation terminal. The smell of jet fuel turned her stomach.
She covered her mouth as they piled in the truck and headed to Ohaka Park. She took a deep breath. Her heart hammered. This could be the end. One of their teams may find Steven within hours. She stretched her neck back and forth, trying to relieve the growing tension.
A phone rang. Hill answered and listened for a moment. His eyes went wide. “Another one? Where?”
Cassie glanced at Rick, who gritted his teeth. Her hands clenched around the fabric of her coat. What if the body was down south? What if they’d been completely wrong?
“Uh-huh,” Hill said. “Okay.” He hung up and turned in his seat. “That was Flemings. They found a female victim at a motel in Pennsylvania. Seventeen. Steven’s already past the Dubois and Newcastle parks. He’s headed either here or Columbus.”
Cassie frowned. That would be his youngest yet and a major change in MO. “At a motel? Are you sure it was him?”
“Yup. Girl’s gut was split open. One of the guys the victim had been with said a man fitting Steven’s description tried to steal their license plate. Their Expedition is missing and they found an empty van at an abandoned house down the street, filled with blood and dog hair.”
Rick pulled a cigarette from his jacket and cracked the window. “He’s changing plates. Buying time.”
Cassie inhaled the sweet scent of tobacco filling the car. She should’ve waited another year before she quit. Her spine tingled, goose bumps erupted across her body. If he was really headed to one of the Ohio parks this could be it.
~~~
They pulled into the entrance of Ohaka. Frost-covered pines lined the roadway. Ten minutes down a gravel road took them to a ranger’s station that would be their new home base. A cluster of plain-clothed officers, agents and detectives waited.
Paths and side roads spread like a spider web in every direction. Cassie threw her hands up. How the heck would they find him there? What if the spots Steven X’d on the map were fakes? No. That wasn’t Rick’s profile. Steven thought he was smarter than them. There’d be no need for him to try to hide anything.
Her gut wrenched. What if Rick was wrong? She couldn’t think like that, she needed to stay positive.
Climbing from the truck, she blew on her hands. Icicles clung to the eaves of the small ranger cabin. She hated wearing a vest, but for once didn’t mind the extra layer of warmth it provided. At least it wasn’t snowing.
“Okay,” Hill said to the crowd of officers and agents. “We have three ‘hot’ areas we think Steven Bailey may be setting up in. Myself, Agent Sanders, and Detective Logan will be at each one.” He pointed. “You, you and you, will partner up with us. Everyone else will be split up into different quadrants of the park. If you get caught up with this guy or his two dogs, shoot to kill.”
Cassie eyed the three agents Hill decided would be paired up with them. One woman and two men. The female agent looked about her age, maybe a bit younger. The two men were older. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about carrying a rookie.
Hill laid a map of the park on a picnic table and everyone circled around him. He chose a location for each person or pair. They went over radio frequencies and check-in times. “Any questions?”
No one spoke.
“Good. We’re ready then.” He handed out a picture of Steven, a map of the park, and the artist sketch of the dog. “Everyone be on the look out for a 2007 Expedition. The plate number is written on the map in red.”
Cassie raised a hand.
“Go ahead,” Hill said.
“What if we lose him in the woods? How long before the road blocks go up and cut the park off from the highway?”
“We have ten cars and two SUV’s ready to go at a barn sixty seconds from here. Also we have a few placed on the road with radar guns as cover, dogs on standby and a helicopter ready to go at our call.”
She nodded. They had to keep a low profile so Steven wouldn’t spot them, but still, she wondered if it was enough.
“Logan,” Hill said. “We’re going to catch this bastard.”
Rick nudged her and gave her a confident smile. An image of their intense romp in the motel flashed in her mind and she grinned back. As soon as they caught this guy, she was so up for round two.
Flipping up the hood of his jacket, Hill said, “Let’s go get him.”
Rick stepped away and spoke in a huddle with Hill and the three agents. They glanced her way, nodding, before whispering amongst them again.
Were they talking about her?
The female agent shook Rick’s hand. He said something to her and winked. She blushed and gave him a glowing grin, looking like a teenager with a major crush.
Ugh. Cassie rolled her eyes, pushing back the jealous twinge. She jogged in place to keep warm as one of the male agents broke from the group and walked over.
“I’m Agent Kennedy.”
She went to shake his hand, but he continued passed her. What the?
He glanced over his shoulder. “Make sure you stay behind me at all times and remember, I’m in charge.”
Cassie gaped at him. Sexist, bullheaded ass. Not like she should be surprised. Sexism was still around in all aspects of law enforcement. Obviously it didn’t help when someone probably told the guy to keep an eye on her.
She glared at Rick. He caught her stare and held a hand up to the still smiling female agent and jogged over.
Cassie wished she could really shoot daggers from her eyes. “What did you say to him?”
He shuffled his feet. “Sorry, I had to make sure you are protected.”
She pulled her baseball cap low over her face. If smoke could come out of her ears, she’d be whistling like a teapot. “Just because we slept together doesn’t mean I can no longer do my job.”
He held a hand up. “That’s not why I said something to him.”
“Yeah, right. If we hadn’t been together you wouldn’t be making a fuss about this. Your partner over there is a woman. And there’s plenty of other women among all those officers back there. You don’t have a problem with any of them traipsing around.”
He rested a hand on her shoulder. “Y
es, I do. But you’re different. He’s already gone after you and your family twice. You are something that he tried to get, but failed.” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “Plus, I really care about you.”
She raised her brows. He was so full of crap. Did he really think she would fall for that? He had just been sizing up the female agent. She glanced down the trail at Agent Kennedy who waited, arms crossed. “I need to go.”
He grabbed her arm. “I know you can take care of yourself, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about you being put at risk.”
Now he was really starting to piss her off. “Enough, we don’t have time for this shit. Steven could be on his way here.” She strode away. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Wait.” Rick dug into his pocket and pulled out an ankle holster and gun.
She put a hand on her hip. “I’m not taking your spare.”
He grinned and handed it to her. “It’s an extra.”
It was obvious he wouldn’t stop badgering her until she accepted it. She bent down, lifted her pants leg and strapped it on.
“It’s a LCR .357, but I had special bullets – ”
“Enough. I got it.”
She gasped as he pulled her against his chest and kissed her. His lips were wet and warm. She wanted to pull away, but found herself leaning in, placing her hands on his cold cheeks.
They pulled apart, both of them breathless. “Be careful,” he said.
Turning away from him, she rubbed at her arms not sure if it was the cold, the kiss, or her growing anxiety making her tremble.
~~~
Rick sat on a rotting tree, hidden from view of the path. His muscles primed, his legs twitchy, ready to pounce if Steven decided to use his spot as his next crime scene. Agent Gombeski fidgeted next to him.
He hadn’t meant for Cassie to think he didn’t trust her abilities. It wasn’t like him to make a woman feel inferior on the job. Hell, some of the best agents he knew were women. They were gifted at figuring out the really tough shit. But when it came to stuff like this? A serial killer who butchered women? How could Cassie blame him for being a bit overprotective of her?
