The Riser Saga

by Becca C. Smith

  “Listen. I need you to make this call. I think your phone may be bugged and I don’t want whoever is listening knowing that I’ve escaped. Can you do that for me?” I looked her directly in the eye to make sure she was on the same page as me. And I wasn’t ready to answer her questions just yet.

  “Will we be able to take that son of a bitch down?” She was very serious.

  “Yes, but we have to be careful,” I said. “I’ll dial the number and you ask to talk to Ryan. Tell him you found his friend’s shoes and give him your address so he can pick them up.” I hoped Ryan would get the reference to the tracer he planted in my shoes. I wished I could talk to him myself, just to hear his voice. Everything I had been through… seeing him again seemed unimaginable.

  Doris was on it. I dialed Ryan’s number and handed her the phone.

  Doris sounded like a mother when she answered the phone. “Yes, hello dear, is this Ryan? Oh good. Listen, I found your friend’s shoes. Yes, yes. Why don’t you come here and pick them up. Oh good. My address is 5522 North Glosten Street. Yes. Okay dear, I’ll keep them safe until you get here. Bye, bye.” Doris patted my hand encouragingly. “He’s on his way and he’s bringing friends. What a nice young man. He seemed beside himself when I mentioned the shoes. Are you sure they can help?”

  “I’m sure. Thank you, Doris.”

  BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

  “Is that your friends already?” Doris turned to her front door.

  SMASH!

  The door shattered as the killer kicked it in.

  “Brady!” Doris screamed. “I’m calling the police right now!”

  “DO IT, BITCH! YOU’LL BE THE ONE IN JAIL!” Brady laughed manically. He was covered in his own blood, his clothes were shredded, his right arm was limp and useless, but he was alert and enraged.

  When he saw me he howled like a wolf and charged.

  I was so weak. I didn’t have much in me to fight back. I tried to connect to any black swirling hole I could find, but I couldn’t seem to make anything move. I was completely drained. I wanted to run, but I knew he’d kill Doris. I couldn’t leave her alone with this man. I had to make a stand.

  I picked up one of Doris’ lamps and smashed it onto Brady’s broken arm just as he was about to tackle me. He shrieked in pain, but grabbed my throat with his uninjured hand despite the hurt he was feeling. He was squeezing the last bit of life I had out of me. It was almost like I stepped out of my body. I could see the faint stirrings of my own black spinning core growing stronger by the second. I was dying. I took my last bit of strength and clawed my fingers into his arm and tore.

  Brady screeched so loudly my ears started to ring.

  He let go and I came away with blood and skin in my fingernails.

  CRACK!

  Brady was silent as he dropped to the floor unconscious.

  Behind him was Doris with a five iron in her hands. She bashed him over the head again for measure as if making sure he was really out. Her hands were shaking and she dropped the golf club to the floor. Then she ran to me and held me close. “You’re okay now. He won’t hurt you anymore.”

  I let her hold me. I was too weak to move, or cry, or anything but lie there.

  And to see my captor Brady in worse shape than I was didn’t give me any satisfaction like I thought it would. I was still scared of him, unmoving, unconscious and all. I think I’ll always be scared of him. Forever.

  Sirens and hover-fans became almost deafening from outside. Apparently, the cavalry had arrived.

  “It’s them, Doris.” I looked up at her and managed a smile.

  “Well, we just took care of ourselves, didn’t we?” she chuckled and gave me a warm hug of support.

  “Thank you,” I said and tears came to my eyes.

  “Oh nonsense. I’ve been wanting that monster out of this neighborhood for years.” She was trying to make things light for my sake. I could tell. I wanted to do something for Doris, protect her somehow. I knew Jason would have the answer.

  My heart leapt.

  Ryan came bounding through the door, eyes searching until he found me.

  I was never happier to see anyone in my life.

  When he saw me his face went from relief to utter worry in about a half a second. He raced to my side on the floor and Doris smiled and moved aside to let him hold me. I clung to him like he was a lifeline. And in that instance, he truly was. He didn’t have to say a word, he just held me as if he couldn’t believe I was really there. I could barely believe I was alive. And then I realized in horror that I really, truly must stink.

  “I’m smelly,” I said, my face in his chest.

  “I don’t care. I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” He kissed my forehead.

  “Chelsan! Thank goodness!” Nancy’s voice rang out like sweet music to my ears.

  Nancy and Bill came racing to our side. Doris stood up at that point and sat on her couch.

  “Are you okay? What happened?” Nancy looked at Brady. “Is that the guy that took you? Geez, Chelsan, he looks pretty F’d up.” Nancy examined my face and saw the lump forming on my head from where I head-butted Brady. “Uuuck! You seriously stink!”

  “Shut up, Nancy.” Bill rolled his eyes. “Are you okay? Is this the guy?”

  I nodded, not wanting to give Brady any acknowledgment. As if saying anything would wake him up again.

  “Guys, this is Doris. She saved my life.”

  All three of them immediately turned to Doris as if seeing her for the first time. Bill and Nancy practically tackled her in a group hug repeating thank you over and over. Ryan didn’t leave my side, but he nodded his thanks.

  “Oh, mine just happened to be the door she knocked on. She escaped all on her own.” Doris deflected taking any credit.

  “Well, the five iron to his head made sure he didn’t finish the job.” I wanted to make sure they all knew what a hero she was.

  “Sweet. You golf? You now are a standing member of the LA Golf club. I’ll send over new clubs, too.” Bill obviously felt like he needed to give Doris a reward and I was extremely grateful.

  “Oh, my.” Doris blushed.

  The buzz of hover vehicles and sirens caught my attention once more and I looked over at the shattered doorway.

  Nancy followed my gaze. “Jason is out there taking care of the press. I better give him some details. Do you know anything about this guy? Was he just a thug for Turner?”

  The memories were too fresh. I didn’t want to talk about it yet, but I knew I had to. To protect Doris and myself. “Guys, he was a serial killer.”

  “Nuh, uh!” Nancy was in shock.

  Ryan held me tighter.

  Bill was actually speechless.

  “Like a real one?” Nancy apparently couldn’t wrap her head around it, and I couldn’t blame her.

  “Like a real one. Tell Jason he’ll find seven dead girls’ bodies at this guy’s house, and a whole lot of proof,” I said quietly.

  “His name is Brady Johnson and he lives ten houses down on this side of the street.” Doris gave the details. “And see if you can wrangle up some police officers to get this thing off my floor.”

  “Will do.” Nancy ran out to tell Jason everything.

  A roar from the crowd a few minutes later.

  “I guess he told them,” I said, knowing that I’d be a media frenzy unto myself yet again.

  Jason and Nancy came running in after that with two police officers. The officers handcuffed Brady and dragged him out the front door to the onslaught of reporters wanting to get a holo-pic of the first serial killer in over a hundred years. The first one that was caught anyway. How many others were there?

  Jason sat on the couch next to Doris. Doris’s face had turned bright red at the sight of Jason. Apparently, she was a fan.

  “This is Doris. She saved Chelsan’s life.” Bill said.

  Jason shook Doris’s hand. “Then let me save yours. We have to make you as famous as can be. Are you ready for that, Doris?�
��

  “Well, I… uh.. sure.” Doris was starting to get overwhelmed by the last twenty minutes of her life.

  “Then let’s get you out there.” Jason turned to me. “Chelsan, you’re going to have to talk about exactly what happened to you. Do you think you can do that?” He was being gentle with me, but I could tell he’d push the issue if I said no. He was genuinely trying to save our butts.

  “I’m ready.” I half-lied. I really didn’t know if I was or not.

  “Are you sure?” Nancy had her hands on her hips. “Don’t listen to this creep. If you’re not ready, we’re not going out there.”

  “This creep knows how to stay alive.” Jason rolled his eyes at Nancy.

  Apparently, problems had arisen in my absence. This didn’t feel like flirting to me.

  “Chelsan’s been doing a damn good job of keeping alive herself.” Ryan held me closer.

  “I’m not questioning Chelsan’s skill of keeping herself breathing. I don’t know anyone who could have survived what she has. I’m just thinking of ways to keep Turner from trying to kill her again.” Jason was being the level-headed one of the group.

  “Vice President Turner?” Doris’s gossip button had been pushed. “Is he behind all this?”

  I stood up before this became ugly. Ryan stood up with me and held my hand. “I’m going out there. I trust Jason.” I wanted to make that clear. If Nancy was having personal issues with him that was one thing, but when it came to the safety of my friends I’d do anything to protect them. Even if it meant re-living the last few days. Or.. wait a minute…. “How long was I gone?”

  “Five days,” Bill said as if he had counted the minutes.

  Whoa. Five days? It felt like two, maybe three, that was almost a whole week! I suddenly felt woozy. I stumbled slightly and Ryan caught me. No wonder I was so weak! “He had me on an I.V. for a while, but I’m feeling pretty tired.”

  “We’ll get you to a hospital as soon as we’re done here. Let’s do this quick.” Jason took me away from Ryan and ushered me to the front door and the awaiting press. “Doris, you too,” he called over his shoulder.

  Doris stood up from the couch like she had been poked by a cattle prod. “Coming.”

  Nancy, Bill and Ryan positioned themselves behind us like bodyguards.

  The press corps was about ten times the size of the corps that covered the tornado at the trailer park. It was like standing in front of an ocean of flashing holo-cams and screaming reporters, there was no end to them, just miles and miles of people and hover-cars.

  Jason placed his hands up to quiet the crowd. It was instantly silent. “Chelsan has been through a lot these last five days so we’re going to keep it brief people. She needs medical attention so most of your questions will have to be answered after her release from the hospital. That being said, Chelsan will give her statement. Chelsan.”

  I swallowed hard and fought off the feeling of fainting. “I was kidnapped from my best friend Nancy’s house five days ago and taken to that house down there.” I pointed to Brady’s house, which I now noticed was swarming with police-hovers and officers. “He kept me locked in his basement and drugged so I didn’t know how long I had been there…” I was having trouble talking. I felt detached from my own voice, as if someone else was doing the speaking. I knew I couldn’t tell them about how I used my powers on the roaches and the bodies, so I had to skip over that part. “I managed to break free and we fought. There were bodies everywhere. I hit him with a chair and tied him up and then I ran. I ran until I decided to get help and knocked on Doris’s door. She helped me call my friends and they called the police. Then he broke into her house and Doris knocked him out with a golf club. That’s it. That’s all I can remember.” It sounded so mundane and boring when I said it out loud, nowhere near how horrific it actually was to live it. The press seemed to eat it up though. Especially when the police started taking out the pieces of body left from the girls.

  Jason stepped in and steered Doris to the forefront. “Here’s our hero of the day folks. Doris Hornbacher! Without her courageous whack of her five-iron, Chelsan would just be another victim in Brady Johnson’s collection. Let’s all give a round of applause to Doris!”

  The roar of the crowd greeted Doris as she stood red-faced in front of the press. “Well… I…” She adjusted her hair and sweat suit to look more presentable. “It was nothing really. I did what I could for the poor girl.” Doris visibly started to relax as she continued. I think she was really starting to dig the attention. “When I saw that man strangling Chelsan I grabbed my golf club and hit him as hard as I could! I barely use my clubs anymore, it’s so expensive to play, but this young man,” she pulled Bill up next to her, “he offered me a free membership to the LA Golf Club! Sweet young thing.” She turned her attention back to the press. “I have been calling the police non-stop for over three years now about Brady, but they did nothing! Nothing! We all knew it! I saw him digging, but they did nothing! Unfathomable! If Chelsan hadn’t escaped, he’d still be on the loose killing young girls and no one would be the wiser! And if you think for one instant that there aren’t others like him out there, then you are all delusional! Mark my words, I will find these killers!” She looked directly into the holo-cams for emphasis. “Your days are numbered.” Doris said it with such conviction and intensity it actually gave me goose bumps.

  Jason was extremely impressed. I could tell by his lopsided smile. He turned to the press. “We’re taking these girls to the hospital. The police will be making a statement at Brady Johnson’s house in three minutes.”

  The mass of reporters moved like a swarm of bees toward Brady’s house.

  Doris leaned down to my ear. “That’s her. That’s Franny Lerner. The robot.”

  I looked over to the woman Doris was pointing to, and sure enough she wasn’t a robot. She was dead. Another one of Grandpa’s spies. Watching us carefully from afar.

  I took my last vestiges of strength, covered in puke and blood and stinking to high mountains and walked over to Franny. She just stood there, black hole swirling, staring at me with hatred.

  “Turner, if you’re listening, you’re going to have to do better than that if you want me dead. You lose. Again.” I would have kicked the girl except I knew she wouldn’t feel anything and neither would he. I just wanted him to think he hadn’t broken me down, even though I wasn’t sure if that was true.

  “We’ll see,” was all Franny said and then she collapsed in front of me. She began to rot instantaneously as Turner released her body from his power. I knew if I didn’t scream people would suspect me of either being crazy or somehow responsible. So I did. I screamed loud enough that half the press came running from Brady’s house to my side. Once they saw the rotted mess that was Franny, all holo-cams captured the grotesque scene.

  Ryan and the others hurried to my side. I turned to Ryan as he embraced me and whispered in his ear. “Get me out of here.”

  As soon as we stepped inside the holo-ambulance I lay down on the bed. My head hit the pillow and all the sounds and chaos disappeared as I passed out cold.

  Pitch blackness. It was everywhere. So dark it felt like black fog. Where was I? I was somehow aware that I was dreaming, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t make myself wake-up. I was stuck in this utter darkness.

  “You can’t hide from me forever, you know.”

  I heard a voice from the blackness. It was my grandpa. His voice a nightmare come to life.

  “You’re just a dream,” I said, though I didn’t know why. If it really was a dream why was I telling a figment of my imagination that? Something made me unsure of myself. Something in the tone of his voice.

  He stepped forward and revealed himself. There was a faint reddish glow around him, emanating power. As if he were trying to intimidate me. “Really? Are you sure?” he said as if reading my thoughts.

  I wasn’t.

  I didn’t want to say anything.

  “I have a friend with
me. Would you like to see him?” Turner smiled at me as if anticipating my answer.

  “Not really,” I said.

  “Oh, but he wants to see you. He insisted on it.” Turner gestured to his left and Brady appeared next to him.

  Dream or not, the memories were too fresh, I jumped back in spite of myself.