by A P Morgan
“Having fun yet?” Agent Perez read the note out loud.
“How did we miss someone coming out of the woods?” I slammed the cages against the wall. “He’s always one step ahead of us.”
“At least this killer is dead.” Agent Perez tried to console me.
I turned my fury on her, “You’re not getting it. He’s controlling the narrative not us. He’s recruiting killers and then tying up his loose ends when the month is over. He doesn’t have to worry about them talking to us because they’re dead.”
“We were much closer this time and we saved your partner, plus an innocent. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“It does, but this isn’t over.”
The cabin flooded with techs and agents ready to process the scene.
“I’m going to go to the hospital with Leslie and make sure that she’s okay.”
“Hey, Agent Perez. We found some graves back here like the others.” One of the other agents called out as I turned to walk through darkness.
“Go. I’ll catch up to you at the hospital once we finish everything here.” She seemed sympathetic to my frustration.
I ignored all of it and walk past the teeming groups of people that just kept coming from the mill to see what it was all about.
Spring’s Mill was overrun with law enforcement personnel. I walked straight to the ambulance where Carol was sitting on the back step.
“Are you going to the hospital where they took the injured police officer?” I questioned the paramedics.
“Yeah, we were about to pull out. Do you need a ride?” He offered as they helped Carol sit on the gurney in the back.
“Sure, I need to get there, but the other agents are going to be tied up here for a while and I don’t have a vehicle.”
“Do you know the lady cop that was injured?” Carol seemed to come out of her fog and notice me.
“I do. She’s my partner.” I’d finally accepted the fact that we weren’t just going to be doing a case or two together. We were partners for better or worse.
“She saved my life. He was going to kill me. He had taken a different girl out each day and she didn’t come back. I’m alive because she distracted him.” Carol sniffled.
“He’s dead. You won’t have to worry about him anymore. I’m sure they’ll need to interview you, but you’re safe now.” I walked to the front and got into the passenger seat.
“Got an update for you. They’ve arrived with your partner and should have her in surgery by the time we get there.” The driver informed me as we pulled away from another crime scene that would haunt me forever.
Chapter 14
Leslie
My whole body felt sore all over. My eyelids were heavy as I pushed to open them.
A blurry figure in scrubs stood at the foot of my bed. Noticing that I was trying to wake up, they came to stand next me.
“Glad to see your back among the living.” He had a mask over his face to keep germs out and he touched my hand in a loving gesture.
“Sebastian didn’t follow orders. He wasn’t supposed to hurt you. How can we play this game if you’re injured? I’ve taken care of him. I don’t have long dearie, but I just wanted to see for myself that you were going to make it. Get well soon because you’ll need your strength for next month’s puzzle.” The figure messed with my iv and started to leave, “Oh, I brought you your favorite flowers to remember me by.”
I felt myself drift off again.
Opening my eyes, I found myself staring into the worried faces of Ryan, Jerome and my sister Karen.
“When did all of you get here?” I croaked my voice sounding horrible.
Jerome moved a glass of water with a straw to my lips and gave me a sip.
“You’ve been out for three days.”
“Three days? Did we catch Sebastian?” I tried to sit up and leaned back when the effort hurt so much.
“He’s dead. You took an arrow to the shoulder, but the doctors said if you woke up you’d be on the road to recovery.” Ryan stood on the opposite side of the bed from Jerome.
“That’s what the man said.” I mumbled taking another sip of water.
“What man?” All three of the echoed in unison.
“When I woke up last time, he told me he’d killed Sebastian and that I’d have a few days to rest so we could play the game again. He put something in my iv and I went back to sleep.”
My eyes widened as I saw the Buttercup flowers sitting on the table. “The Zodiac Master was here. In my room.” I would have strieked, but my voice was too hoarse. It sounded like a frog was speaking from my throat.
Ryan grimaced. “I’ve hardly left you alone since it happened. I didn’t want a repeat of Jesse. How did he get in here without me knowing it?”
“You left when I got here. You had to come verify that I was her boyfriend before they would let me past the visitor’s desk. You weren’t gone ten minutes.” Jerome agreed.
“If there wasn’t a verified nurse or doctor in here then I didn’t leave until your sister got here.”
“We could look through the surveillance feeds and see if we could identify him.” Karen moved toward the door.
“Don’t. He was wearing a mask. Like the kind you’d see if someone had the flu to keep it from spreading. He’s not going to make a mistake like that.” I groaned trying not to move, but my antsy instinct to fidget was making it difficult to stay still.
“Between the three of us, no one is getting past us into this room with you.” Ryan vowed.
“He wants me alive. He can’t play the game with someone new. He’s invested in me. Even if he did visit, he won’t kill me, but this shoulder might. Can we get a nurse in here to give me some Advil?”
Jerome reached to push the button on the side of the bed.
A nurse appeared quickly compared to what I was expecting, but I guess being a cop might be a perk in the speed department.
“Aw, she’s awake. I’ll get the doctor because he’s going to want to make sure everything is okay. When I get back with him, the three of you need to leave. She needs rest.” The nurse shooed at them.
“One of us will be here with her to make sure no one tries to hurt her.” Ryan emphatically decreed.
She eyed us, “I know how cops like to watch their own, just remember whatever the doctor says goes.”
“I’m the only one that can make medical decisions for her so I’ll let you to go get some food while I stay. If the doctor says she’s okay then you can catch her up on the case, but not before hand.” Karen stood at the foot of my bed ready to defend me against anyone who tried to mess with me.
“It’s okay guys. Karen’s right, now would be a good time to take a walk and get some fresh air.” I gave them all a thin smile. That nurse hadn’t given me anything to relieve this pain before she left.
Jerome kissed my head and turned to go, but stopped when Ryan didn’t follow him.
Ryan patted my hand, “Take care of my partner or I’ll have your badge.” He threatened my sister half joking.
“I’ve got it. She’s my sister so anyone who wants to hurt her is going to have to go through me.”
Jerome waited until Ryan had left the room before he followed with a smile and a wave.
“Oh, do I sense a little tension there?” Karen licked her lips, “You sure do know how to pick out the hotties don’t you?”
“Well, I picked Jerome, but Ryan I kind of got put together. His fiancé is really nice.”
“Ah, but how do the two boys get along?” Karen grinned at making me uncomfortable.
“Not well yet obviously, but that was better than I could have expected.” I groaned, “Why didn’t that nurse give me something for this headache?”
“Because she was waiting for me to check on you. How are you feeling besides the headache?” An older gentleman came in with the nurse following behind him.
“I’m sore all over and it hurts to move.”
“That’s to be expected
. You had an arrow pierce your body. You were dehydrated from all the running you did and from what your partner told me, you hadn’t actually gotten much rest for most of the month.”
“Ryan is a tattle tale. I wasn’t awake to defend myself.” I pouted.
“Ha, that’s the sass I was looking for.” He checked my eyes and pulse, “You’re doing as well as could be expected. I’m going to let you stay overnight. If you don’t have any complication, then I’ll let them take you home.”
Oh, great. My boyfriend, partner, and sister all on a road trip across country for three days.”
“If you have all three of them, then they should be able to drive non-stop. You could be home in your own bed in forty-eight hours.” He patted my leg, “I’ll have the nurse give you something for your head. You can also eat, which if everything stays down then I’ll let you tomorrow.”
“Doc, before you go, how long before I’ll be able to use a gun and get back to regular duty?” I needed to get well and start tracking the next killer. If I had immunity, then I was going to use and find this guy.
“I’d say at least six weeks, but when you can retest with your weapon and you don’t open up your stitches would be a good way to measure. When you get back to Texas, go see a doctor and I’ll send over all of your records.” He shook his head, “I don’t envy that doctor in the least because he’ll have to release you early or you might just throw him in jail.”
“Thank you, sir and you’re completely right. I don’t have six weeks for this to get better. I’ll have to start practicing more with my left hand. This killer isn’t going to wait for me to get better.”
“Well let’s hope he let you get out of the hospital first. I’ll check on you in the morning.” He and the nurse left.
She returned holding out two pills and a small glass of water.
I took them without hesitation, but waited to get more of the details until she’d left us alone.
“What do you think of Jerome and Ryan?” I prodded trusting my sister’s judgement.
“They both seem nice. Jerome is protective of you and always trying to outdo Ryan. Poor Ryan was beside himself that you weren’t awake yet. He was blaming himself for not seeing you leave.” Karen took the seat next to my bed.
“With what we went through last month, I’m surprised that he’s holding it together this well. It’s not his fault. I was just going to check on something and Sebastian followed me. Could have happened to anyone.” I shrugged it off, but knew that I was going to start having nightmares too.
“Jerome and I both got here about the same time. After they recovered your phone, Ryan called us and we got on the first plane. He was here for almost six hours by himself worrying.”
A knock interrupted our time together when Agent Perez stepped inside.
“Hi. I’m glad to see that you’re awake. Did the doctor say that you’d make it?” She stood nervously just inside the door.
“He did. He is letting me go home tomorrow so I’ll be out of your hair.” I smiled wryly.
“No, worries there. You and your partner managed to help us catch not just a serial killer, but what we term a super serial. All of those missing girls that you thought might be his, well they were. We uncovered a huge grave yard out behind the cabin.” She twisted her hands betraying how hard this was for her. “We’ve been making notifications ever since.”
“We still didn’t catch the Zodiac Master.” I apoloigized.
“That’s not the important part. You’ve brought closure to over three hundred families by using your detective training and skills. I’m sorry for the way I treated you. You were just doing your jobs.” She turned to go.
“Hey, so were you. A little resistance can lead to outside the box thinking. I never got to ask how did things go when you went back to L.A.?”
“The witness that was the key to our last case was murdered. My boss wants me to take point on it. Since Agent Watson worked so well with both of you, he is being made the Agent in Charge of the Zodiac Master and his minions.” She came back in the room toward me and held out her hand.
I started to raise my right arm, but switched when a rush of pain made me grimace.
“No hard feelings. I’m just glad to be alive and that we saved Carol from that kind of death.”
“Well, I hope you catch him. He deserves what he gets. Good luck.” With that she walked out and before the door could close behind her, Ryan, Jerome and Gavin came in making the rooms seem really crowded.
“Gavin, Agent Perez just mentioned that you’re our liaison. Congrats.”
“Aw, thanks. I’m here to get your official statement though of what happened before we came into the woods and found you.
“Ugh, I was hoping to put it behind me. Everyone get comfortable.” I was surprised when Jerome came over and sat on the bed next to me holding my hand.
“When I woke up that day, I was thinking about how Tom Prings had mentioned a brother that had died. There was something else that he was hiding and I wanted to know what it was. When he was killed, I wasn’t able to ask him so I went to the next best source, the city records and newspaper.”
They were all listening intently to everything I said so I continued.
“Tom’s parents died in a horrible accident. It was caused by his cousin Sebastian. All those reports about violent things happening were to cover up for Sebastian. He would threaten Tom’s little brother and so Tom would take the blame. No one thought that Sebastian was the one doing horrible things, like killing animals and torturing their friends at school.”
Gavin frowned, “How do you know all of this? Its not like the newspaper did an interview about it.”
“No, you’re right. They didn’t print anything, but I did some digging. When their parents died, Tom and his brother were in their teens, but Sebastian was only about ten or eleven. The orphaned brothers were sent to live with their aunt, Sebastian’s mother.”
“Tom had tried to protect his younger brother, but Sebastian was always there to dare him to do one more thing or something even more dangerous. There was another accident and his brother died. Sebastian made Tom bury his brother. If he didn’t help then he would pin the accident on Tom. He couldn’t handle the bullying from Sebastian so he left. The cabin in the woods seemed safe and it wasn’t until years later that Sebastian ran into Tom.”
“Tom wasn’t just a kid anymore and Sebastian’s threats didn’t work because he knew Sebastian’s secret. He liked to kill women. He made a deal with Sebastian and a truce settled in place between them. That is until the FBI brought them in for questioning. Tom knew who we were looking for, but he couldn’t tell us for fear of what Sebastian would do.”
“I’m confused. How do you know all of this?” Jerome stroked the back of my hand.
“Sebastian told me while I was drugged and unable to move.” I felt uncomfortable with all of them watching me.
“He knew when I’d gone to both the records office and the newspaper that I’d figured it out. I ran over to the command center I knew he had a sacred spot that he hunted and it would be on or near his home.” I shrugged, “Then when I went out to take a look at the mill, he hit me with a dart.”
“So your boss is impressed that we solved over three hundred cold cases for you?”
“Yeah, he’s sending me to Texas to work with you from home until we have another killer. I’m the head of the task force and it seems a little weird.”
“I’m glad. The doctor said that as soon as I can shoot without tearing my wound open again, then I’m good to do field work again. I can always look behind the scenes.”
“Hey now, how can I go out in the field if my partner is left behind?”
“Well, all I know is that it’s a long drive to Texas and three of you have to play nice with each other.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. We have a plane at your disposal. Not the little small one we used last time, but a comfortable one that will take the entire team
and you won’t have to sit in coach or go through security.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Can we let her get some rest so that we can make arrangements for tomorrow?” Karen piped up.
“I’m not going anywhere.” Ryan crossed his arms daring anyone to suggest otherwise.
“Actually, can Karen be the one to stay guys? I know all of you care about me, but I really don’t want you both in here fighting over me. Go get some rest. I know you’re both tired, but you won’t give in until the other one does it first. So I’m giving you an order.”
Jerome and Ryan appeared to be mirror images of disappointment.
“I guess we can do that if you’re sure?” Jerome asked frowning.
“I’m sure. Now, leave. Please?” I smiled showing all of my teeth hoping it wasn’t a growl instead at their silly little game.
“All right. We’ll be back in the morning.” Ryan promised.
“I have no doubts about that.” I snickered as they both walked out dejectedly.
The door shut and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Don’t let them back in no matter what they say.”
“Got it sis. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I guess getting hit with a bow will take all of your energy.”
“I haven’t read the hand book on it yet, but I’m sure you’re correct. Now, shush or I’m going to go sit outside and make the nurse give you something to make you sleep.”
“I’m going to remember this when I’m better.”
“Whatever.” Karen ignored my threats since she’d been doing it all of my life. “You can worry about that when we get home.”
Next killer
I was furious. How dare Sebastian ignore my instructions and try to kill the detective. I would have to make sure that future soldiers didn’t make the same mistake. These two detectives were getting much better at what they did and I couldn’t let them stop me until my plan had reached completion.
The next recruit came forward for their blessing. “Do you swear on threat of horrible torture that you will not intentionally harm the detectives who will be trying to find you?”
