Instead of charging at their enemies like they tried before, the smaller team waited in the truck while it was parked alongside the sidewalk, waiting for the killers to come to them. After finding them, Damianos made sure that the Feds kept constant watch on them so they couldn't slip by them again.
It was a long wait but after a few hours of sitting in the truck—there they were.
Coming toward them down the sidewalk was Daniel Anders and Frank Capelins. Both of them were exceptionally well dressed, in business suits and slick ties; with extravagant watches wrapped around their wrists. All of their expensive attire couldn't hide their age, though. Daniel Anders had unnaturally jet black hair...perhaps a sign of trying to hide strands of grey. And Frank Capelins had hair that was in the midst of receding from his forehead and was trying to cover it up with a floppy hairstyle.
If Damianos had to describe them, the first word he would think of would be “artificial.” This just didn't look real. In fact, they looked like they were just two overly normal people coming home from the office after a hard day of work—not having committed so many murders. He'd often heard the expression of a 'wolf in sheep's clothing' and for possibly the first time in his career, he saw just that. There was a danger in the way they walked, as if each step they took, they were stepping on the remains of those they had butchered.
“Ready...?” Silverstone asked quietly.
“Not yet,” Damianos said, slightly raising his hand. “Don't give them an opportunity to run. We have to be right on top of them.”
The two men were chatting amongst themselves, boisterously chuckling as they strode down the sidewalk. They were growing closer and closer with each step and every moment that passed, Damianos felt more anxious.
Ten yards away.
It was time to finally end it—to stop the psychopaths who thought they were so smart.
Five yards away.
Damianos tightened his grip on his pistol. He couldn't be too careful for people who had orchestrated so many deaths and done so in such a brutal manner. He wasn't expecting pitchforks but would be stupid not to at least be careful of them possibly having knives...or even guns.
Two yards away.
Daniel Anders's gaze fell on the vehicle as they started to walk by. He was still smiling from whatever conversation they were having when he saw the five men huddled into the truck. In that moment, his eyes grew wide and his smile left his face. Daniel turned his body and grabbed Frank's arm, and the surprise that was plastered onto Daniel's face transferred to Frank's, who had also now noticed them. They turned to make a run for it.
“Now!” Damianos yelled.
Damianos, John, Silverstone, and one of the agents leaped out of the truck while the remaining agent revved the engine up to pursue in the vehicle if he had to. Damianos and John were at the head of the pack, sprinting ahead of the Feds—which gave them a bit of a pride—and were right on the two killers' heels.
“Freeze!” John shouted.
Anders and Capelins were fast and had no intention of turning back. Damianos had his gun drawn but there were people all over the street. Discharging a gunshot in such a crowded area was a huge risk and it wasn't one that Damianos was going to take. He knew John was thinking the exact same thing but he couldn't be sure of the Feds following behind. All he could do was hope Silverstone was a little bit smarter than he had seemed.
Damianos could feel sweat perspiring on his head and glanced over to see that his partner was in a lot better of shape than him. He'd have to try and fix that...or at least make up for it.
Damianos used all of the energy he could muster to throw himself forward, his body colliding with Daniel Anders's back, wrapping his arms around his mid-section. The two went sprawling onto the ground in a heap, causing Capelins to stop and turn back, trying to help his partner in crime. John had pulled out his gun and aimed it at Capelins. Silverstone and his agent encircled Capelins and Anders while Damianos climbed back to his feet.
They had finally cornered them like the rats they were.
“Nowhere to go,” Damianos said. “So any last words before you never seen the sun again?”
“What's the meaning of this?” Capelins exclaimed so anyone on the street could hear him. “We have done nothing wrong and you come chasing after us!?”
Daniel Anders flashed a smile that was just as greasy as his jet black hair while Capelins continued his dramatic shouts.
“This is abuse of power! Excessive force!”
“Shut up,” Damianos said. “You two have had your fun but we're bringing you in.”
“For what?” Daniel Anders asked with his slimy smirk. “For walking down a sidewalk minding our own business?”
“Seriously?” Damianos couldn't help but chuckle. “Is this your big plan? Aren't you two all about intelligence? Last thing I would think you would do is play dumb.”
John Avers stepped forward, his weapon still raised.
“Daniel Anders. Frank Capelins. You're under arrest for murder.”
“...and now resisting arrest.” Damianos added.
“Murder!?” Capelins thundered. “Who would ever do such a thing!?”
Damianos turned to his comrades and they all looked just as annoyed as he did.
“You guys think you're so smart. You really do.” Damianos laughed, taking a few steps closer to them. “I mean, you didn't just kill people you didn't like and be done with it. You took the time to display their bodies for everyone to see and not just simply show them off...you had to do in an ironic way. Sons of farmers being hung up like scarecrows...so smart.” Damianos chuckled, though his expression was far from amused.
“Maybe if the Wizard had given those scarecrows some brains.”
Daniel Anders's words barely left his mouth when Damianos lunged for him, ready to beat the smug smirk off of his face. He wanted to smash his head against the concrete of the ground, to wipe his stain off the face of the Earth.
“No!” John grabbed Damianos and pulled him back.
Damianos struggled for a moment, in a state of rage.
“They were just kids! All those people you killed! They were just kids!” Damianos roared but couldn't break free of his partner's bind.
The two killers began to laugh together—a demented hysterical laugh.
“No,” John repeated, this time no louder than a whisper beside Damianos ear. “I want to too but we're better than that. We're better.”
Damianos looked around. There were so many faces looking at him. Not just the two killers or the duo of Feds. People spread all around the street, drawn to the public commotion. They looked interested and attentive but also scared and confused. Their lives had been interrupted for a moment by violence on the streets. They didn't know the reason, they didn't care. All that mattered was making them feel safe—and he couldn't do that by beating a man to death in front of them.
“...you're right.” Damianos said, struggling for breath.
The grip on his torso loosened and he was freed of his partner's hold. The urge to strike the two snickering businessmen was still very present but he kept himself in check; he had to.
“Go ahead,” Anders said, running his hands through his hair. “Arrest us. You have no proof we were at all responsible for...whatever it is you think we are responsible for.”
“We'll see,” John said. “Agent, we're not in San Diego...do you mind?”
Special Agent Silverstone smirked, knowing that Damianos and John couldn't arrest them in Nevada and stepped forward, pulling out two pairs of handcuffs.
“Gladly.” Silverstone said simply.
“You're all so stupid...” Capelins laughed when the cuffs were being put on. “You think all you want that we're done but I can promise you we're not. They were stupid. You're stupid. We're not. In the end...we're just cleverer than you.”
“Will you shut up already?” Damianos rubbed his head, kneeling down to where the two men were being
restrained. “You want to make a smart decision right now, gentlemen? A smart person would find a really, really good lawyer.”
**
It was a week later when Damianos received a call from Special Agent Silverstone. Frankly, he'd never wanted to have to hear that man's pompous voice again but decided to accept hearing it once more if it meant good news.
“They were released on bail, detective.”
Now he really wished he hadn't heard Silverstone's voice again.
“So all we can do is trust the court to do the right thing and lock these psychos up, then?” Damianos asked, groaning.
“Just about. They're all lawyered up and ready to see if they can outsmart a judge and jury. I guess this is the real test to see just how smart they are. It was nice working with you, detective.”
“Let's be honest, Special Agent Silverstone...” Damianos made sure to emphasize 'special'. “...it really wasn't.”
With that, Damianos hung up and swore to himself that he would listen to his captain from now on and not let the Feds steal all of the glory.
**
The birds rose and swayed in the breeze, not dictated to stay on the ground. They could go do what they pleased and soar as high as their bodies would allow. They had no specific location, easily able to never be stuck in one spot, truly free inside of the world.
Damianos had never really noticed how beautiful they were until that moment—sitting on a bench with his Aunt Rose, drinking coffee and staring up at the sky.
“It's terrible that they're even letting them out on bail,” Rose said, shaking her head. “That was one of the most horrible things I've ever seen, Andre...and I lived through the seventies.”
“I know,” Damianos said, taking a sip of coffee. “I'm sorry your bird-watching weekend had such an absolutely terrible ending.”
“I never thought I'd be disgusted by the sight of birds but those crows were...gross.” Rose said, snickering.
The bright side to you having to see something like that was that you really did play a big part in bringing guys down.”
“Funny how the world works. It was the crows really. They showed me where the body was. Finally my bird-watching comes in handy, eh?”
“Yeah,” Damianos laughed. “Who would have guessed?”
“It's hard seeing that everyday isn't it, Andre? The bodies and all of that?” Rose asked after a moment.
Damianos didn't quite know how to answer that but he tried with the first thing that came into his head.
“...yes.”
There had always been the love of family between aunt and nephew but for the first time in all of the years they had known each other, they truly understood one another. So they continued to just sit in silence, sipping on coffee—watching and envying the birds in the sky.
Book 8: Justice
Chapter 1
Deep in the woods of Minot, North Dakota, a rabbit hopped out of a bush and over to a small puddle for a drink of water. Although it was a hot summer’s day, the many trees blocked the light from reaching the puddle, preventing it from evaporating into the hazy air, so the ground was still rather moist. The rabbit sat by the puddle for several minutes, taking occasional sips of water, watching the world go by, the flying insects, the creepy crawlies, and the leaves waving in the gentle breeze. Nothing at all could be heard, nothing but distant sounds of life outside the woods, and the tiny movements of other life forms nearby.
All of a sudden, the peace and tranquility of this normal day in nature was disturbed by a group of young people rushing to get out. The rabbit, alerted by the sounds of the hasty footsteps, leaped into the undergrowth, away from the apparent danger. Four people rushed past, and the rabbit watched in safety as they passed. They ran silently and said nothing. Slowly, the rabbit emerged and returned to the puddle. Looking towards the distance, it continued to watch the four people running as fast as they could, dodging among the trees.
The year is 1992. The week after that strange occurrence, a group of friends gathered in Minot’s main housing project. This housing area was fairly rundown, and many of the houses were boarded up due to the violence and drug dealing in the area. However, this did not stop a group of seventeen-year olds from leaving their homes during the day or night. Five boys and two girls stood outside, standing around, doing very little, as teenagers do. Four of the boys – Josh, Steven, Daniel and Richard – were the best of friends. They had always been together since childhood, and they were always seen together whenever they left their homes. Monica and Laura, the two girls, were good friends, but not best friends. In fact, the only thing that connected them was the other boy, John. He lived down the street, and stood outside his house today, wondering what on Earth he was doing, talking to the other boys. Monica was John’s cousin, and Laura was a friend, or a potential love interest perhaps.
“So, are you going out with your girlfriend today, John?” asked Steven, mocking John and Laura for being such good friends.
“Shut up, Steven!” Laura cried, determined not to let him get to her.
“Don’t start on me!” shouted Steven, not wanting to be shown up in front of his friends.
“Alright, alright,” Monica said, trying to calm everyone down before yet another fight started.
“My mother would not like you saying those things,” said John, who was scarcely able to control himself.
There was silence, and both Monica and Laura began staring at John. The four other boys burst into laughter.
“That’s not funny,” said Laura. “You’re all sick for laughing at such a thing!”
“He’s such a weirdo!” cried Richard.
“No, he’s not, said Laura, moving closer to John.
“Are you two together forever?” laughed Daniel.
Laura was outraged by now. She did not want anyone to hurt John. She was in love with him. Monica saw this, but she cared about other things too much, and had let it slip from her mind.
“Why are you standing there doing nothing, John?” Monica cried, trying to get her cousin to fight back.
John just stood there, motionless. He did not know what to do. He had never once considered or planned what to do should this situation arise in life, so he had to be spontaneous, and he stood and thought, doing nothing else.
“For once in your life, just stand up to them! And Richard, you should be ashamed of yourself!” Monica added, looking at Richard. “I thought we were friends!”
Richard continued to laugh. “I’m sure you’ll get over it by tomorrow!” he said, winking at her.
The boys then decided to leave, having grown bored with messing around with a social outcast, especially since they couldn’t get a reaction from him. When they left, Monica knew she had to do something to settle John down, so she started a new conversation.
“Anyway,” said Monica, “are you thinking of coming to my friend’s mother’s wedding anniversary in a few days?”
“I don’t know,” replied Laura. “I don’t really know them that well.”
“I suppose, but there is also Mr. Brown’s 100th birthday on the same night, so it is going to be very busy! Almost everyone in Jackson Road will turn up!”
“I’m not sure. I might be working yet!”
“What? You’re working now?”
“Yes!” cried a proud Laura. “I think so, anyway. I’ve been looking for some work experience recently, and the agent helping me has found a few jobs for me. Mainly in hotels. It’s something to help get me started.”
“That’s brilliant!” cried Monica, trying to keep talking to distract John until he had forgotten completely about what had just occurred.
John remained silent throughout the conversation, even though he was standing right in between the two women.
“Anyway,” said Laura, “I’d best be off!”
When Laura left, Monica started talking to John.
“Have you taken your tablets?” she asked him.
“Yes. You know I always take my tablets,” replied John. “What sort of mother do you think I have if she does not allow me to take my tablets?”
“John, we’ve been through this—”
“And I’m telling you, my mother is not dead!”
“She is! I’m sorry, but she is.”
“She’s in the house, right now!”
Monica shook her head. She was growing increasingly worried about her cousin. “There’s no talking to you, is there?” she said to him, almost crying.
John did not seem to hear. Instead, he cried, “I’m coming, Mother!” leaving Monica on her own. Monica then turned to the house and looked in the window of the bedroom where her dead aunt used to sleep. She could not believe her eyes for a second when she thought she saw the curtain move. It was only for a fraction of a second, but she knew it could not have been John because he had only been in the house a few moments. Shaking her head over her silly imagination, Monica thought nothing of it and went home, still worried about John’s welfare.
Several days later, the body of Josh Davis was discovered in the woods. Then, two days after that, Steven Burck; and two days after that, Daniel Gibson; and five days after that, Richard Cold. All four had been knifed to death, and all had been discovered in the woods, just outside of town. The police had absolutely no leads at all. There was no DNA evidence, and a few random statements could not solve the murders. Eventually, their files were packed in a box and put with the rest of the unsolved murders. People had their theories, of course, but no evidence to support them. Everyone else in the world forgot about the murders, except the people of Minot. No one ever spoke of the murders, because many in the area knew the families of the victims rather well, so it affected them personally. Although everyone wanted to know who the murderer was, not one detail emerged about the character of the killer. Nothing was known about this person beyond the local nickname that had quickly circulated in whispers after the killings – the ‘Minot Hacker.’
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