by Kris Norris
Fallon shook her head. And here she was worried about explaining the tip she’d called in. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Talk to you later.”
“See you Sunday.”
Fallon hung up before the other side disconnected and stared out the window. It was raining again. Lightning flickered across the sky, followed by the deep rumble of thunder. She moved from the kitchen towards the living room, cradling a cup of tea in her hand. With any luck, there’d be a half interesting show on, and she could spend the next hour curled up on the sofa, immersed in someone else’s life. She flicked on the TV and scanned the stations, finally settling on a movie she’d only seen once. She needed the distraction. If she thought too much about the murder, she’d drive herself crazy. She didn’t know how to explain what had happened. The visions were one thing, but how had the guy called her number without it even registering his call?
She cursed, and relaxed back against the cushions. Everything would be all right as long as it didn’t happen again. She’d done her part. Now there was nothing left to do, but get some sleep and try to figure out the rest of her life …without Gil.
Gil.
Damn. Just the thought of his name brought back more images of her dream. It’d felt so real, and she hadn’t been able to sleep since. Every time she tried she’d wake up thirty minutes later, aroused and wet. She’d resisted resorting to her toys, knowing the release she’d get would only make her need hotter, but it was getting so bad any relief was a welcomed thought.
Fallon eased off the sofa and headed to her room, removing a few select toys from the small side table beside her bed. She looked at the soft mattress, but decided against lying on the bed. She needed a different place to fulfil her needs, and the couch where she’d shared her body with Gil and Charlie seemed the perfect choice.
She padded back to the living room, dimming the lights and the sound on the TV. The woman on the screen was kissing her lover, giving her just enough visual to set up her fantasy. She placed the toys on the coffee table, then shimmed out of her clothes, leaving them in a rumpled pile on the floor. Then she relaxed back on the couch, resting her head against an oversized pillow. She took a soothing breath, caressing her skin lightly with the tips of her fingers. It’d been months since she’d found release, and her body was already humming with the thought of what was to come. Her breath whispered across her skin and she closed her eyes, imaging Gil’s lips on the soft curve of her breast. Feeling the slow progression of his kiss, stealing ever closer to her peaked nipples. Her body shuddered as one hand grazed over the tight bud, puckering it against her skin. She’d always loved the way he’d touched her breasts, pulling and twirling until the juices seeped from her pussy and coated her inner thighs.
Her fingers imitated Gil’s touch and she couldn’t stop the moan of pleasure from filling the room. She tweaked again, elongating the hard tip between her fingers. God, it felt so good. Just hard enough to take her to the edge of pain, but not over. She pulled again, and cried out at the sharp contraction in her womb. Damn, if she didn’t stop, she’d go over without using the toys.
Fallon sat up and grabbed the tube of lubricant and the anal plug off the table. Ever since Charlie had fucked her up the ass, while Gil had filled her cunt, she’d longed to experience the sensation again, only with Gil and a well-placed toy. But the fantasy had never materialised, and she’d been forced to live with nothing, but longing.
“Not tonight,” she whispered, squeezing a long line of gel down the edge of the toy. It wouldn’t quite be the loving she’d envisioned, but it’d fill the void…for now. Her blood pounded in her veins as she smoothed the slick lubricant around the surface, ensuring every inch had a thick coat. Then she held her breath as she placed it against her anus, swirling some of the gel around the outside of her nether hole.
“Ohmygod,” she moaned, feeling her muscles clench as she pushed the tip of the plug inside her ass. Nothing had penetrated her there since Charlie had eased his large cock inside her, and the sensation felt new again.
She paused, leaving only the tip inside, until her muscles relaxed slightly, and she was able to inch the plug deeper, pushing steadily against the base until it was seated fully inside her. Her ass felt stretched, the sensation bordering on pain, as fiery waves spread through her body. She moaned, removing the plug until the tip reached her tight ring of muscles before plunging it back inside, lighting a deeper fire along the tight channel.
“Gil.”
His name whispered across her lips before she could stop it, the sound sparking deeper emotions inside her. God, what she wouldn’t give for one more night with him. One more taste of his love. A tear tracked down her cheek as she reached out for her vibrator, feeling the cool shaft rest against her palm. She pulled it close, twisting the base until a hushed hum filled the room. Her breath stalled in anticipation as she brought the device to her flesh, brushing it across her clit.
“Yes.”
Her hips bucked up, pressing against the cool tip of their own accord. Fire raced through her veins, driving her need higher, as more nerves flashed to life, carrying the waves of pleasure throughout her body. She made another pass, feeling the building orgasm start to move through her stomach.
“Not yet.”
She moved the vibrator away from her clit, inching it inside her pussy, feeling it push against the plug stuffed in her ass. The pressure was incredible and she had to thrust firmly to fill her channel with the shaft.
Fallon groaned, no longer able to keep the need at bay. It’d been too long, too lonely. She pulled out the toy, plunging it home again with a hard twist of her wrist. Gil’s name echoed off the walls as she started to fuck herself, thrusting in and out as fast as her hand could go. She could hear the wet sounds of her juice along the smooth shaft as it left her channel only to burrow back inside, filling the void. Pleasure swept over her body, beading sweat along her skin. She reached down with her other hand, pinching her clit between her fingers. Light erupted in the darkness, and she didn’t know if it was from her growing orgasm or outside, but it drove her forward. She moved her finger across her clit, rubbing it with the same rhythm she worked the vibrator, edging her closer to the abyss she knew awaited her.
Minutes passed, thunder rumbled, and just when she didn’t think she could stand another pass of her fingers, her body exploded, shattering the silence with a scream so primal it felt like the walls shook. Fallon’s hips ground against the toy, pressing it deeper, needing it to fill her channel like Gil always did. Her vagina pulsed, sending vibrations back to her ass, which had clamped around the plug the moment her orgasm had ripped through her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, as her body slowly descended back to earth, finally collapsing against the couch.
More tears filled her eyes as the emptiness returned, even stronger than before. Damn, Gil. No man should have that much effect on a woman. She was strong, independent and worth far more. Surely she could find another man to fill her life with joy. Someone she could love. But even the soothing words couldn’t stop the steady flow of tears. She needed Gil. Needed to feel him beside her, chasing away her demons. Needed to watch him smile as he told her about his day, knowing she cared about his job as much as he did. She needed to love him.
Fallon let the sadness ease down her cheeks as she pulled the toys from her body and dropped them on the table. She’d clean them up tomorrow, when things looked better. When her body didn’t ache for the one thing it couldn’t have.
* * * *
A ripple of lightning shattered the darkness as Fallon woke to the sound of music vibrating the table beside her. She reached for the phone, jumping as a loud crack of thunder erupted overhead. “Hello?”
She cringed at the broken rasp of her voice, so thick with sleep she barely recognised it as her own. She heard a man curse quietly on the other end, his voice mixing in with the play of thunder. “Is anyone there?”
“Aren’t you supposed to answer, 9-1-1?”
&nb
sp; Fallon nearly dropped the phone. It was him. The same tone, the same dark menace in his voice. He was calling her again, and that could only mean one thing. “Is there an emergency?” Oh God, her voice was so meek and timid she nearly cried. He’d gotten to her, and he hadn’t even told her anything, yet.
He chuckled. It sounded evil, but…familiar. “I wouldn’t call it an emergency…Angel. I’ve taken care of that, myself.”
Bile rose in her throat and she had to force it back down. He’d recognised her voice, and she wasn’t quite sure what that meant. “What did you take care of?”
“I think you already know that, Angel. We talked about that last time. You do remember, don’t you?”
“You think you’re saving them,” she whispered.
“I know I’m saving them!” he roared. “What’s the matter, Angel? Don’t you believe me?”
“Yes, yes, of course I believe you. You’re The Priest, after all, right?”
His voice soothed and sighed into the phone. “So you do understand,” he replied. “I’m only doing what’s best for them, before they hurt others with their virtue. They do that, you know. Use their pretty little bodies to get men to believe in them…to trust them. But it’s all an act. In the end, they show their true nature and good men suffer for it.” He paused, another sigh trembling across the line. “It’s the only way.”
“But…” Fallon shrieked as another clap of thunder shook the house, rattling her mug on the table. She tensed, nearly dropping the phone before catching it in mid-air.
“What’s the matter, Angel? Afraid of the thunder?” Fallon shook her head, unable to form any words. “It’s okay. It’ll all be over soon. Send the police to the abandoned church on Mission Street. I don’t know the address, but I’m sure they will. And this time, Angel, get it right. I don’t like waiting to see my work on the news.”
Fallon listened to the phone disconnect, the dull whine barely registering. She could feel the vision coming. Feel her body drifting, the room washing into another, brightly lit by candles. This church was darker than the other, with debris scattered around the small space. Pews were turned on their side and most of the stained glass windows were broken. She turned around, taking everything in—the door hanging off its hinges, the tilted cross standing beside a faded picture of Mary. The altar was off to her left, kept dry by the last bit of ceiling still holding together. It was raised several feet off the floor, and all she could see were the limbs of the dead woman hanging still in the heavy air. Blood dripped down from her fingers and toes, making small rivers across the floor.
She walked towards the body, whether by choice or intervention, she didn’t know. But each step brought her closer to the girl…to death. She stopped at the bottom step, her face level with the alter. The same markings adorned the woman’s body, another cross carved above her left breast. Fallon reached towards the woman’s face when the door opened behind her. She spun around, daring the bastard to look at her, to see her. But he was turned away, his hand supporting the door from falling to the ground. He turned his head slightly to the side, as if sensing her presence, and then left,
Fallon cursed and rushed the door, needing to see the man’s face. But as she grabbed the handle, the door fell forward, knocking her to the floor. She hit hard, expecting to bounce on the hard wood, but found herself sinking through the floor instead. She screamed and clawed at the surface, trying to stay in the church, but felt her body falling farther and farther down until the darkness closed in around her, and she lost herself in the abyss.
* * * *
“Oh, God.” Fallon grabbed her head, wondering what the hell she’d done. Light streamed through the window, bathing the room with a cheerful yellow glow. She was lying on the couch, naked, the TV playing quietly in the background. Her phone was tossed on the floor beside the shattered pieces of her favourite mug, and the toys she’d played with last night were still resting on the table, the scent of her sex still lingering in the air. She sighed, feeling the blood pound through her veins. “Maybe Jane’s right. I need a vacation.”
She swung her feet to the floor, ignoring the throbbing that pulsed across her temples, and gathered her things off the table and floor. A flash across the screen caught her attention. She moved to the TV and turned up the volume.
“The young woman’s identity has not yet been released by police officials, but they have confirmed this is another victim in the series of killings which began over two months ago, just south of Olympia. A passer-by saw a suspicious vehicle leaving the area and called police late last night. Nothing has been said about the murder other than it’s under investigation…”
Fallon stared at the TV, her body frozen, as she listened to the reporter repeat the broadcast. It was the church she’d seen in her dream…her dream.
“No.” She backed away from the screen, shaking her head. It couldn’t be happening again. Not now. The visions only came when she was connected to the people involved. Her sister. Gil. But she didn’t know the women the bastard killed. How could she be connected?
Maybe your powers are getting stronger? Evolving?
“I don’t have powers!” she scoffed, heading towards her bedroom. “It’s nothing but a bloody curse. I can’t control them and they sure as hell don’t come soon enough to help, so how is that a power?” She stalked into the room and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were red and she could see the dark rings that rimmed her cheeks. “Damn.” She’d been passed out for hours, and yet it looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks.
Fallon sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. There was no denying the signs. The visions were back. And she had a bad feeling they wouldn’t stop until the city’s newest serial killer was caught.
Chapter Five
“I’m really sorry, Fallon. I’m sure it won’t be too much longer.”
Fallon looked up at Detective Trevor Watts. He was a large man with dark skin and gentle eyes. She’d known him since she’d first started working at the station, and had been more than relieved to find him still heading the homicide unit. He’d listened patiently as she’d mumbled out the story she’d rehearsed in the car, nodding his head and writing down notes. Then he’d offered her a drink and told her to wait on the small couch while he notified the men in charge of the investigation. Now he stood in the doorway, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he kicked his toe against the floor. She forced a smile, knowing he was more than aware she was anything, but happy. “That’s okay. I’ve only been waiting about four hours. That’s barely enough time for them to finish their coffee and doughnuts.”
Trevor chuckled, but Fallon noticed the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He was anxious. “Why don’t you rest for a while? You look like you could use it. Jane told me how much overtime you’ve been working. You really should try to take more time for yourself.”
Fallon shrugged her shoulders and settled back against the cushions. So he’d called Jane and checked some of her story out. She supposed she couldn’t blame him. He wouldn’t be much of a detective if he took everything at face value. But just thinking about how she was going to give them all the information she knew without mentioning her visions, made her skin crawl. It just wasn’t the sort of thing you mentioned without fear of getting locked up in the psycho ward. “I’m fine. Besides, I get out on the trails a lot.”
“I heard you’re training for that big endurance race a few months from now. Some of the guys said it’s a really nasty ride. Pretty hardcore.”
“Just the sort of thing a girl loves,” she joked.
Trevor rolled his eyes, giving her the first genuine smile all day. “I’ve never met anyone quite like you. Now close your eyes and get some rest. I’ll wake you before the boys get here.”
Fallon nodded as the door closed behind him. Maybe an hour of sleep was just the ticket to prepare her for the questions she didn’t know how to answer. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.
* * * *
“Want to tell me, a
gain, why we’re heading over to the Southwest precinct?” asked Gil. “We really don’t have time to chat.”
Wade shot him a sideways glance, a hint of a smile curving his lips. “Apparently the Chief of homicide wants to talk to us.”
“Who?”
Wade shook his head, shrugging his shoulders as he turned to look out the window. “A Detective Watts.”
“Trevor Watts?” asked Gil.
“I don’t know. I didn’t catch his first name.”
“Must be Trevor,” sighed Gil. “He’s the only cop there that would bother calling us while we’re at a scene.” Gil glanced over at Wade. “Did he say why he needed to talk to us?”
“He said he couldn’t say too much over the cell. He was worried it wasn’t secure. All I know is that he’s got someone at his office who has some information for us.”
Gil snorted, glancing down at his watch. “That was five hours ago. What are the chances the guy’s still there?” He shook his head, turning onto Weber Street. “Probably some psychic wanna-be who thinks the killer is communicating with them. Damn. Sometimes I really hate this job.”
Gil was still cursing as he parked his truck and wove his way through the halls to Trevor’s office. He’d known Trevor for years, but hadn’t spoken to him since Charlie’s death. Hell, he hadn’t talked to anyone since then. But…
“So what’s this Watts guy like?” asked Wade, drawing Gil from his thoughts.
“He’s hard, demanding and rarely smiles…” Gil grinned at Wade. “But he’s a good man, and a straight cop. In my opinion, that’s more than anyone can ask for.”
Wade nodded as they stopped in front of Trevor’s door. Gil knocked twice before pushing the door open and stepping inside. “Hey, Trevor. What’s…”
