The Front Range Butcher

by R Weir

  The words affected him. “I’m…I’m…I’m in charge,” he said, with a stammer. “Any…thing…thing I want to do…do, I can.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. From where I’m sitting, it seems like he is calling all the shots. You’re following his mandate, since he can no longer do it himself. And when you’re caught, you will take the fall. He will never come to your rescue. You were almost caught because of him.”

  His pacing quickened. His anger clearly rising to a peak level. Suddenly he stopped, stepped over and slapped me across the face. I smiled mockingly through the sting. It was a weak, emotional slap that only helped to clear some of the remaining cobwebs. I needed to keep him off balance.

  “Simon senior was abused by his mother and father. His sister took advantage as well. He grew tired of those he loved controlling him. It twisted him into what he became. Wanting a child to reign over, you were born, and he took you away to raise in his own image. Now he is abusing and controlling you. To the point you’ve become the monster he is. Is your plan to also create your own little monster to carry on the family ways?”

  This time he punched me with his fist, and it was full of force. My head snapped around. It hurt but wasn’t staggering. He shook his hand, feeling it more than I did.

  “Hit me all you want.” I spat. “But it won’t change the truth. He is crazy and so are you, and it’s all his doing.”

  He glared at me silently. His breath heavy. Then abruptly he pulled his mask back on and went to the table, grabbing a scalpel. Coming back, he circled me a few times, trying to decide what to do, his breathing labored. I tensed as he stopped on my left side and ran the cold scalpel up and down my forearm, dull side down. My blood went cold as I pulled and yanked with my wrist, elbow up, trying to break free, with no luck.

  “You’re well-built,” he said admiringly, his stammer now gone, cockiness and focus back. “Appears you work out. Nice skin for a man. I wonder if all those muscles can handle my blade.” He tapped it against my skin.

  “Cut these straps and you’ll see how my muscles work.” I glared him down.

  “Not going to happen…”

  Without warning, he turned the blade over and the cold, sharp metal cut into my skin. I did my best not to yell as the scalpel bit, and failed with a yelp and a moan as the pain burned. He sliced at a soft, meaty section from below the elbow, about an inch long, before removing it completely as it wept blood. As shock threatened to take over at the sight of my own flesh, I took deep breaths, to work through the pain, my heart racing. Delicately caressing the skin, he walked over to his bench to examine it, placing it under a microscope.

  In my haze I realized that Melissa had started stirring, my yell disturbing her sleep.

  “Where am I?” she slurred groggily, trying to wake up, disorientated and confused.

  “Try to relax, Melissa,” I said, speaking through my pain. “You’re chained down and won’t be able to move.”

  “Jarvis?” she said, weakly. “Where are you?”

  “I’m to your right. I’m restrained as well. We are in a basement.”

  “I feel sick.” Her head twisted back and forth, confounded by what was going on. She was trying to find focus, the drugs still affecting her.

  “It’s from the medication,” said Simon, his calm restored. “It will go away. If you throw up, I’ll clean it up for you.”

  “Who is that talking?” Her voice was hoarse like mine, needing moisture.

  “Someone who will take care of you.” He crooned in a tone both comforting and frightening all at once.

  Her eyes opened more, and she saw where she was. It shocked her, as she tugged at the chains, but finding no give.

  “Oh my god. What is going on here? Let me go!” She began to struggle and yell in a panic.

  “Try to stay calm, Melissa,” I said, ignoring the pain as I tried yanking on my restraints once more. “I’ll get you out of this. I promise.”

  “I’m cold and where are my clothes. What the hell is going to happen?” She thrashed around, her voice rising to a sob. I felt helpless, unable to protect her.

  “I removed them,” said Simon patiently. “I have them neatly hanging up in the other room. I needed to see all your skin. It is quite remarkable. You’re a lavish beauty. Maybe the best I’ve ever had before me. I’ll take magnificent pleasure in exploring and freeing it from your body.”

  He ran his hand up and down her legs and she freaked.

  “Get your fucking hands off me, you asshole!” she yelled.

  I had to smile. Though it was not the situation we wanted to be in, I was glad to see the tough, hard as nails, Melissa surfacing. We would need that type of temperament to get out of this.

  “I think you heard the lady, Simon. Best you leave her alone and do your worst on me. Come over and take a few more cuts. That first one didn’t even hurt.”

  He laughed. “What a tough macho man, your scream told me otherwise. But I know what will hurt you even more. Now that you’ve had a taste yourself, you’re going to watch as I slice off this beautiful woman’s marvelous skin, layer by layer, helpless to do anything. You will try and try but you will fail as you watch her slowly die.”

  “Is that your plan or Simon senior’s?” I asked. “Don’t you think my skin is just as divine?”

  He ignored me and maneuvered his blade, gliding just above her skin. His hands moving up and down, touching, exploring for the perfect location to begin.

  “Where should we start, Jarvis? It’s all so glorious, but I do believe I like the curve along her thigh.”

  “Don’t you dare!” yelled Melissa, again struggling against the restraints.

  “I must. It is who I am.”

  The blade cut in and Melissa screamed. It was horrible to hear and see, as he took off a thin three-quarter inch slice, blood rolling down her thigh. He held it up for me to see, then strutted over to gloat about what he did in front of me.

  “Do you see what I see, Jarvis? Look how perfect it is.”

  The joy in his voice at what he had just done chilling to hear and see. I closed my eyes, wishing for it all to go away. The maniacal man and the screams by a woman I cared about. But I knew it wouldn’t happen, my eyes opened to the scene still playing out before me. He carried her skin over to his work table, exchanging my skin for hers under the microscope, examining it with a glee no human should have.

  “Oh god, no,” sobbed Melissa through panicked tears. “Jarvis, please don’t let him do this.”

  The desperation in her voice hit me hard and woke the fire with in me. The time had come for me to try something, anything. With all my might I started to slide the chair. I didn’t move it much, so I started rocking it, bouncing forward on the front legs and then rising on my toes as much as I could and banging it down. I did this twice before tipping it sideways, as I went crashing to the floor on my left side. I had hoped for the chair arm to give, but only a little, not enough to matter. Since it was made of wood and a little bit older, I figured and hoped with everything in me that it had some fragile spots.

  Rocking up with my elbow and shoulder as far as I could, banging the arm of the chair on the floor again, ignoring the pain of my bleeding arm. This got Simon’s attention.

  “No you don’t,” he said, tutting as he strode over to me. “You need a front row seat to watch.”

  Simon came over grabbing the back of the chair pulling it up with all his might. I fought as best as I could, twisting my body, making it a struggle for him. Anger overcame him, becoming more and more careless and getting a little too close as he tried to take back control. I used the front of my head and bashed it into his face as hard as I could. It staggered him, sending him two steps back, blood soaking his mask and running down his face. I had broken his nose, which freaked him out.

  “You fucking idiot!” he yelled in pain. “You will pay for that.”

  He pulled off his mask, blood streaming down, as he ran out of the room. My forehead
hurt from the blow, but no worse than it already did. I needed to act fast before he came back. To my relief, the arm of the chair was loose. I begin to wiggle my left arm as much as I could, trying to break it free. The plastic strap was now openly cutting into my skin, blood oozing out, joining the blood on the forearm, but I didn’t have time to care.

  After twisting it enough times, I heard something crack and my arm was loose. With a shock at finding myself free and the adrenaline surging, I slipped my bleeding wrist out from under the restraints. Then using a sharp edge of the broken wood, I began cutting through the plastic on my other arm, weakening it enough that it broke free, before moving to my legs.

  The first leg was loose when Simon walked back in, his nose packed in cotton. His eyes widened with panic as he saw me rising and ran for the table. Without a second to spare, I whipped the chair still attached to my other leg towards his direction striking him, knocking him into the table where Melissa was. The plastic straps cut into my leg creating more blood, as I swung it again, my aim off, missing him, but hitting the table, chair finally breaking apart, freeing me completely. I faced him, panting with exertion.

  Simon was up and moving, going for his scalpel. I jumped for the broken chair pieces, my only weapon option. My hands closed around a solid piece of wood and I wielded it as a weapon. He made a move towards Melissa who cringed and squirmed away as best she could, and I chopped down hitting his arm, but also hitting Melissa. They both yelped in pain, the scalpel clanging to the floor. I swung hard, hitting him in the head, dropping him to the floor in a heap.

  I checked to find that he was still breathing, but out cold, the venom in my blood desiring to kill the monster as I stood above him, chest heaving. I resisted, wanting him alive to bring down the man who had molded him. Instead I turned to Melissa who was crying hysterically. I frantically searched around, finally finding a key, releasing the chains. I pulled her up, holding her in my bloody arms and squeezed her tight, as she folded into me, sobbing on my shoulder for a long time.

  Chapter 77

  I was sitting in the Sky Ridge Hospital, next to the bed where Melissa slept. She had been out a long time, the trauma of the events requiring sedation. They had graphed the skin back on that had been sliced away, and she had a bad bruise where I had accidently struck her in the battle. But it was the mental scars that required the sedation.

  My forearm, wrists and leg were bandaged from the cuts I’d received. I felt traumatized too, hoping to sleep the pain and shock away. I had hated my world crashing in on hers again. I had hoped our breaking up would spare her from it all, but it hadn’t. It wasn’t all me, Jonas was feeling it as well. Relieved she had survived but horrified The Butcher had attacked his child.

  I wasn’t sure how she would react when seeing me. She’d held onto me for some time, as I carried her upstairs to find a blanket to wrap her shivering form in. Then I was able to find a phone to make a call. I had no idea what time it was or the day, but it was dark outside. When the police arrived, it was a madhouse. Not long after the FBI and her parents were there, her mother taking over for me, as I was busy answering questions. Thanks to our ordeal, I felt a closeness to Melissa, but in a strange, new way. She wouldn’t look at me the whole time I held on, her eyes closed and red. I had saved her, yet I didn’t feel good about it.

  Simon Junior had been attended to, his forearm broken, a skull fracture where I’d struck him in the head. He was questioned, but didn’t talk, groggy from being knocked out. They pulled him past me and I stared for a long time, unsure of how to feel. I wanted him dead, feeling a hatred for what he tried to do. Still, it left me wondering what chance, or choice he’d had when growing up with a monster of a father grooming him to be a killer. His twin, with a good mother raising him, had turned out fine. Environment, good and bad, contributes to how we grow and mature. Some can rise above it, while others sink down into the muck and mire.

  Agent Alegre arrived at the crime scene, looking at me with a mixture of frustration and concern, not sure what to think. She walked over and put a hand on my shoulder nodding her head.

  “What a persistent pain in the ass you are,” she said. “Good for you.”

  I would have smiled if I wasn’t so tired and sad about all that had transpired. Time moved slowly, and before long, I saw daylight creeping across the horizon, and finally I was taken for further examination. After many questions then proving my wounds weren’t serious, I slept in my hospital bed, but not much. I wanted to be near Melissa when she woke. Her parents were there too, resting in two other chairs, snuggled up waiting.

  My eyes were closed when I felt a hand on my arm. I opened them, and it was April, I smiled through my sleepy haze. It was good to see her, and I stood up to give her a hug. We stepped out, so we could talk.

  “How is she doing?” she asked gently.

  “She is alive,” I answered. “How battered and broken we won’t know until she wakes up. I’m sure she will need help getting through it.”

  “You will be there for her,” April stated.

  “I will. I must be. I’m at least partly responsible.”

  She looked at me sadly. “I know it does no good to tell you that isn’t true. The responsible parties are in custody or will be soon at least.”

  April was right, but I didn’t care. Undoing the harm caused to Melissa would be my one magic wish if it could be granted. She deserved better.

  “I know how you feel about her, Jarvis. I’m afraid you’ll never feel that way about me, but that is OK. I get enough of you for my satisfaction. She is a good woman and needs you right now. I’m alright with that as well. I know you’ll come back to me.”

  “I’m sorry. I do care for you. Even love you, but…”

  “Not the way you love her.” She finished for me, with a gentle, sad voice.

  I couldn’t admit it out loud, but there was no question. Hating I felt this way, guilty, yet touched and grateful that April understood my emotions. I doubted I could ever love someone like I loved Melissa. But I also knew I couldn’t have her. There had been too much pain to overcome. But it didn’t matter. I would be there for her, if she wanted as a friend. I grabbed April and hugged her tightly, feeling so much for her, but not enough, it would seem, to complete us.

  “Call me,” she said, while kissing me on the cheek. “I love you too.”

  April was gone, and I went back to sit next to Melissa. Food was brought, but I didn’t eat much. Jell-O and rolls were all my stomach could take. The hours stretched out. If my eyes got tired, I nodded off. When my legs got tight, I got up to walk, pacing up and down the hallway, trying to find peace. I lost track of time, seeing darkness descending on the city. I needed some air and headed downstairs.

  In the lobby I ran into Agent Alegre. She was looking spiffy in her black pantsuit and happy smile. Well for her it was a smile, for others it was a smirk. Smiling wasn’t her strong suit.

  “You look terrible,” she said.

  “Been a tough few days. I need a shower, shave and a warm bed.”

  “I can see you’re not your normal dapper, flippant self. How is Miss Diaz doing?”

  “Still sedated. She was in shock. Once she wakes up, we’ll see how she is.”

  “I wanted to let you and her know, we are going to be arresting Simon Lions, the elder one, in the next couple of days. We are making sure this time we have everything in place, so no amount of legal power can protect him. All the interviews and evidence are being pieced together, with the warrants forthcoming. Once Melissa is able to talk to us, we’ll add hers to the pile. He should spend the rest of his life in jail at the very least. More likely he will die by lethal injection.”

  “Damn shame. Cost the state a fortune, as his lawyers fight it. Probably die of old age before they can stick a needle in him.”

  She nodded and smiled tightly. “The wheels of justice move slowly sometimes. Normally the good guys win, but not always. I doubt he will wriggle free.”

  She s
tarted to walk away, when she remembered something.

  “I forgot, Agent Price wanted you to call him.”

  “Dezmond? Do you know what it was about?”

  “Not positive. Though there were two Chinese nationals found executed yesterday in their car.”

  Surprised, I tried to mask my reaction. I wondered what the hell had happened. “I don’t have a phone. Can I borrow yours?”

  She pulled it out of her pocket. “No reading my text messages.”

  “Sexting using a government phone, Catalina?” I gave a tired grin.

  She smiled and headed towards the cafeteria. That was progress, someday I might make her laugh.

  I called Dezmond, he answered after the second ring.

  “What do you need, Catalina?” he asked tiredly.

  I smiled. “It’s Jarvis. She is letting me use her phone, said you needed to speak to me.”

  He laughed. “Are you two pals now?”

  “I doubt we’ll be exchanging gifts for the holiday, but we are at the tolerant stage of our relationship. What’s going on?”

  “Two Chinese nationals, one the husband of a Communist party boss, were found shot to death in their car last night. One bullet to the side of the head in the backseat, the driver to the back of the head. What do you know about it?”

  “Not sure if you heard, but I was dealing with The Butcher the last few days. If you think I’m involved I have a pretty air tight alibi.”

  “I understand. But you came to me about these same two Chinese people bothering you about wanting to find Aleksi. And now they turn up dead. It’s pretty hard for me to look past this.”

  I thought about it for a minute. I didn’t do anything wrong or expected anything to happen. Who is to say Aleksi is the one that killed them? I told him how I tracked him down, giving Guo the message that if they wanted to talk, he was available. I left out the part of the fake bomb and the threat to go to war if necessary. No reason to stir Dezmond up any more than I had to.

  “Do you think Aleksi killed them?” asked Dezmond.