by A P Morgan
“So what are you suggesting?”
“I’m going to go over to their county records and search the deaths of Tom’s family. Maybe the papers will have a report as well. Something happened because Tom felt guilty for not stopping the killer. He was innocent, but by keeping quiet he felt condemned.”
“How can you be sure that it wasn’t just a dream?” Ryan’s voice was laced with skepticism.
“Well, it felt real. I could feel the evil coming into my dream and trying to overpower me.”
“That’s why you were standing in the window. Trying to get rid of the darkness.”
“Yeah, but how did you know that?” I frowned, “It sounds like you’ve had a similar dream.”
He shook his head, “No, it wasn’t a dream. More of a presence of evil. I can’t escape it since Jesse’s death. It follows me around. That’s why I didn’t sleep very long. It makes me restless.”
“I’m so sorry. I was hoping that we could catch this guy and get some answers to find the Zodiac Master.”
“Well, the day’s not over yet and we have records to check. Ready to face Agent Perez?”
“Nope, which is exactly what I’m not going to do. I can find out what I need over at the record office before I have to be in the same room with her.” I grinned, “Sometimes old files are a welcome relief.”
“Chicken.” Ryan teased.
“You bet. I can take her if I need to, but I don’t really want to.”
“I’ll say it again. Chicken. Let me know when you want to go to battle.”
“You know chicken does sound good. I wonder if the diner has something on the menu with chicken in it?”
The door shutting on Ryan’s retreating figure made me laugh.
He had brought more light into the room than the sun had. Today was the day we were going to get the bastard. I could feel it.
Chapter 11
Ryan
The phone rang with a strange number, but considering that I was in a room with FBI agents I answered. Because last time I hadn’t answered, I’d lost a good friend.
“Yes?”
“Ryan, its Flora. Do you know where Leslie is? Can you see her right now?”
“Oh, hey Flora. Um, now that you mention it, I haven’t seen her in a little while. She was looking up some records.” A sinking sensation hit my chest as I waited for Flora to confirm it.
“The killer has her. She’s alive right now, but at dark he’s going to send her out to hunt her and you only have a few hours to save her.”
While I totally didn’t believe in psychics, Flora somehow had a connection with our killer and had good information that had already helped us. I just couldn’t lose Leslie either, not so soon after Jesse. “We’ll find her. I’ll call you when I know something. Text me if you learn anything else that might be helpful.”
“Ryan, this is why you were meant to be her partner. You can save her, but you have to hurry. He’s going to enjoy hunting her for the fun of it and not because of her birthdate. Go.” Flora had hung up before I could even push the button to disconnect us.
“Agent Perez, we have a problem. Leslie’s missing.” I shouted to get everyone’s attention.
“Detective Boxe is gone, but wasn’t she here just a few minutes ago. Does anyone know where she could have gotten to? Did she drive or walk?” Agent Perez motioned for everyone to get moving as she came over to me.
“Why do you think she’s gone and that the killer has her?” Agent Perez directed her furious gaze onto me.
“I know this is going to sound crazy and I didn’t believe it when it happened two months ago, but there’s a psychic that has been getting visions, I guess. Anyway, she just called and said that he has Leslie. We only have until dark before he starts hunting her.”
I could feel the disbelief, “I know it’s crazy. She knew the name of the last killer and there wasn’t any connection between them. They were states apart and yet Flora pointed us in the right direction. If it means listening to her to save Leslie or ignoring it and having another dead body, I’m going to follow the psychic even if it goes against all of my training.” I went over to where the maps were laid out.
“She would do the same for you even though she didn’t like you. She wouldn’t give up on you just to prove a point.” I wasn’t going to waste any time trying to convince her.
“Where was the last area that Detective Boxe was looking at as potential burial sites?”
A hand shot up from the back of the room and a mousy woman with glasses moved toward us as everyone gave her room. “She was looking at two different properties, one owned by the Spring family and another by the Urban Energy Company. They are in opposite directions and I have no idea which one she went to check out. She said she’d call if she found something.”
The woman looked about to cry, “You did good, Agent?” I left the question open.
“Martha Tubbs. I can track her phone for you if that will help.” She suggested eager to fix the problem.
“That would be great Martha. If we can narrow down our resources that would be a huge time saver.” I’d taken over, but Leslie was my partner and I didn’t care if the FBI liked it or not. “Agent Perez I would recommend that we send a few agents to the other site, but concentrate our efforts on the direction that her phone went in just in case this guy tries to outsmart us.”
She nodded in approval, “Let’s load up and be ready to move out as soon as we get the ping. You make sure that you put a vest on and stay in contact with me, understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ve got it.” Agent Martha yelled. “She went toward the Spring property instead of the Urban Energy property.”
That made sense since she’d been looking at record trying to find a connection between Tom and the past.
“You heard the woman, move out. Agents Diaz, Philips and Jones, you’ll take the Urban Energy property because the past killers have been linked with this company and we don’t want to be miss-led when someone’s life is at stake. Load up.” She’d put aside whatever problems she had with Leslie and was doing something to help find her.
“I’ll drive,” Sheriff Turner volunteered. “I know these back roads and can get us there much faster even through it’s in the next county.”
“Let’s just pray that Detective Boxe can stay out of the killer’s path until we catch up.”
A mad dash through the country side brought us to the edge of the property lines. Everyone piled out of the vehicles and gathered around Agent Perez.
“Just because this is the property line doesn’t mean that this man won’t cross the lines. He’s a killer and lines don’t bother someone like him. Remember that there may be another woman or two out here with Detective Boxe. Only take a shot if you are sure that you have to. We want them alive and we don’t want to hurt one of our own. Be careful friendly fire won’t help either.” Agent Perez picked up the riffle that they handed her from the back of one of the vans.
“There’s a small cabin in the middle of the property, that I’m sure has been his base of operations. He may have her there, but I think we both know that he’s going to try hunting her first.” I’d done a quick study of both properties and it seemed the most likely scenario.
Two hours of traipsing through the woods later, we’d found no sign of Leslie or the killer. It was getting dark and the woods got darker earlier than other places.
“How could we have missed them?” I questioned as each group regathered at the vehicles in frustration.
“We didn’t. We’ve searched this area thoroughly and our other group came up empty as well.” Agent Perez made sure that everyone was back before ordering them to pack it up. “Where else could she have gone in connection with Tom Prings or the Springs?”
“They’re at the Spring Mill. That has to be where he took her. We didn’t notice it because it’s owned by the family and not by him. There were tons of little out buildings and a huge wooded area that connects to a forest reserve.”
I knew as soon as the words formed that we were on the right track.
“It all used to belong to the Spring family, but as times changed they sold off portions of it and the forest reserve was an easy way to keep other big businesses from grabbing it all up. The back of his land also is on the other side of the reserve.” Sheriff Turner explained, “We should have put that together, but I just didn’t think it could be one of the Spring boys. They’ve always been such good citizens.”
“Which is why you’ve never had any reason to suspect them of being serial killers.” Agent Perez reassured him, “Let’s hope this is where they’re at because otherwise we’ll have to wait for daylight and another psychic call before we set out on a wild goose chase.”
I ignored the dig at my information. If Flora hadn’t called it might have been hours or even the next morning before we realized that she was gone. I didn’t care as long as we found her in time.
Chapter 12
Leslie
I’d been running for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes.
When he had noticed me headed out to the Spring Mill from the newspaper, he’d followed me. He knew the territory much better than I did and had been able to get ahead of me to cut me off.
There had only been a slight sting of warning when the dart hit me before my body collapsed to the ground. I couldn’t move as he’d searched my pockets for my cell phone, keys and gun.
“You won’t be needing these for the game I’ve got planned for you. The Zodiac Master may have given me strict instructions about killing only those with an Aries birthday, but you’re worth breaking the rules for.” He chuckled as he pulled my body up and slung it over his shoulder while I hung limply upside down. I was still conscious, but I don’t move or control my actions.
“We’re going to see what kind of detective you really are when the sun goes down. That should give you enough time to sleep off the dart and make this a fun game.”
The ground didn’t give me much to go on where he was taking me, but I couldn’t close my eyes without knowing where we were going.
Ten minutes later, we’d hiked a ways into the forest. While this man was a killer, I had to admire his stamina. I wasn’t a light, petit girl and carrying me through the woods in the twilight wasn’t an easy task. Which mean that I would have to be smarter than his last victims, he would be able to chase me through the woods for hours without a problem. Even though I ran on a regular basis, it was on a treadmill or city street that didn’t have obstacles that could reach out and trip you in the dark. This was going to be a life or death race and I was determined to live.
A small cabin, hidden by overgrown brush alerted me to the fact that we had arrived wherever the destination was. I just hoped that when they realized I was missing they would look for my car. I didn’t expect there to be cell service out here and he was smart enough to turn it off so they couldn’t track me.
“Home sweet home.” He announced as he put me on a small mattress inside a cage. “I’ve got a friend for you, honey. Tonight’s the night for your birthday surprise.”
I tried to process his words when I noticed another cage next to mine with another girl inside. He wasn’t speaking to me, but to her.
Crap, now I was going to have to get her out to safety too.
He turned a small lamp on before opening the door. “I’ll be back. I’ve got to go throw your friends off the trail or they’ll mess up my hunting grounds.” He grinned holding up my phone for me to see before he closed the door leaving us there.
I still couldn’t move, but the girl next to me just whimpered. She had already been through more than I could imagine, I just hoped that he hadn’t broken her yet.
My eyes closed against my will, “Flora, tell Ryan I’m sorry.” I whispered.
--------
A quiet whimper woke me up, “He’s gone again.”
“Who’s there?” I asked into the dark room.
“My name is Carol. He told me to count to five hundred and wake you up.”
I tried to move and found my arms and legs were able to, but were still sluggish. It was completely dark and took a moment for my eyes to adjust while I carefully reached out to touch the cage.
Six inches separated the two cages and Carol grabbed my hand through the metal wires. “I think he left the doors open this time.”
Letting go of her hand, I pushed on the wire door and it swung open. I crawled out feeling my way to where he’d left the lamp. Then I realized that if he’d left the doors open because he was expecting us to come running out of the light and give him a heads up. Our eyes would have to adjust to the dark again and right now we were on a level playing field if I didn’t turn on the lamp.
“Shouldn’t we stay here and hope he doesn’t come back?” Carol hung back when I opened the door to her cage.
“No. He’s going to kill us one way or another. The only chance we have is to run. He’s waiting for us and wants us to give him a good hunt. I’m a detective and my goal is going to be for you to get back to the main roads.”
I pulled on her hand urging her out of the cage. “Do you have shoes on?”
“Yes, he left all of my clothes on and didn’t try to hurt me.”
I gave her trembling body a hug, “Honey, that’s because he’s going to do that now. His job is to kill us. We just have to evade him and beat him at his own game.”
“I’ll trust you. I don’t want to die.”
“Honey, I couldn’t agree more. Just do exactly what I say and stay behind me.”
The door swung in when I pulled on the knob and we stayed low to the ground making ourselves smaller targets. The moon was barely visible through the trees, but it gave me a direction to start in.
Keeping her behind me, I hooked her finger through my belt loop. “Don’t let go.”
I didn’t want to go straight toward the mill, but I had no idea how long we had before he would take our options away. The right was the best direction and the mill would be the last resort.
Even though I’d known this was coming, I didn’t want to run blindly and it was difficult to move in a crouch.
Scratched and exhausted, we finally heard the sounds of a highway.
“Carol, do you think that you can make it to the road?” I felt more than saw her nod. “I need you to call the sheriff’s office and tell them where I’m at. The FBI is here and they’ll get you back to safety. I’m going to go back after this bastard so that he can’t hurt anyone else.”
“You’re going to leave me?” Carol whispered loudly.
“Just until I can get this guy. He has to be stopped and one of us has a much better chance to escape if the other is taking all of his attention.”
“Okay.” She huddled behind the bush.
“Go, I’m going to make sure that he’s not following you.” I shoved her forward.
A branch snapped, I knew that he did it to let us know he was watching. My decision was made and I took off running back the way we’d just come. He would be expecting me to head to the sounds he’d made or back to the mill.
The sounds of him moving to catch up motivated me and I pulled out some extra energy. I’d managed to stay ahead of him for a while and didn’t know which was better, head back toward people or the cabin where he had stuff I could use as a weapon against him.
An arrow hit the tree next to my head and I took off toward the cabin until a scream rang out through the woods. He’d found Carol. Stopping in my tracks, I turned and ran straight back the way I’d just come.
The pounding of my heart rang in my ears, but everything else around me was completely silent. I had to be close to where I’d left Carol.
Nothing moved as I scanned the trees behind me for some sign that he’d followed.
Lights suddenly lit the forest and before I could get behind the tree and arrow pierced my flesh. He hadn’t hit my heart, but I couldn’t do anything except lay there on the ground groaning.
“Leslie.�
�� Ryan’s voice rang out through the trees.
“Here.” I screamed, but it came out more of a whimper. I had to hold on, they needed to know about the cabin.
“She’s here.” Someone yelled and I was surrounded by agents and Ryan.
“The cabin.”
“Shhsh, they’ll get you fixed up and we’ll go get him. We’ve got you.” Ryan took my hand as the paramedics wrapped the arrow that was sticking out of right my shoulder making it secure to move me.
“The cabin and Carol. Did you find Carol?” I whispered as the blackness closed in on me.
Chapter 13
Ryan
When a girl showed up wandering through the woods, we knew we’d found the right spot. She mumbled something about a woman distracting him so that she could get away.
All I could think about was Leslie making herself a target for this guy to take out. He would want one last kill before he was caught if we could even do that.
A cry rang out and I raced over to find Leslie on the ground with an arrow piercing her shoulder.
She kept trying to tell me something, but passed out before I could make out more than cabin. What cabin?
“Agent Perez, I think he might have a cabin further up in the woods. Can I take a few agents with me and see if we can get this guy?”
“By all means and I’m going with you.”
Five other agents joined us as we trekked through the woods.
“Is that it up ahead?” I whispered to her as a black blob appeared.
Everyone spread out, while she and I approached guns drawn. We weren’t about to let someone else capture him.
The door opened at my touch as I crouched low scanning the room.
Empty cages were on the right and a bed sat on the left. It wasn’t a large setup and appeared empty.
The lamp that was sitting on the floor came on when I turned the knob on and I stifled a gasp.
Pinned to the back of the wall behind the door was Sebastian Spring. An arrow through his heart held a note hanging down in front of him.
