by Paris Morgan
“I don’t know all of her ex’s or people that have pissed her off. I can help you find out where she might be headed next, though.”
“Don’t let us stop you. We’re all ears,” Adam remarked sarcastically.
“It’s a good thing you’ve only got one mouth,” I muttered under my breath.
“Here’s the map of where she’s been. I’m sure you have something similar, but I’ve marked all the main logging camps in these areas. I think she’s going to stay with where she’s more familiar.”
“I would agree.” Leslie pointed to the three camps that hadn’t had someone go missing yet. “She would have had these on her list, but now there isn’t really a specific place we can count on her being.”
“She’s a loose cannon. I hate to say it, but we’re going to have to see where she lands next.” Adam sighed in frustration.
“From what I’ve gathered, she’s driving from point A to point B for most of these. Granted, they’re within hours of each other in several of these states, but I don’t think she likes flying. It’s too close to being in a confined space. She likes open spaces and being close to nature.”
“Okay, we can put her picture out there to law enforcement discreetly, but until we have a better understanding of where she’s headed, we’re going to keep it quiet. The Zodiac Master has more information about what we’re planning than we’d like for him to these days.” Agent Watson dismissed everyone else to get started on the man, or rather, woman hunt.
“Are you going to be staying with us, Agent Dalca?”
“For the time being. I can’t really return home until she’s locked up or dead. We’ll see how this goes before we discuss my returning to the FBI.” I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. I just wasn’t sure that I had anything to offer anymore.
“Well, whatever you decide, just know that we’re always willing to have you back in a full-time capacity if that’s what you want.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll keep that in mind.”
***
Chapter 9
Leslie
The hairs on the back of my neck had stood up when Galen Dalca turned up and told us about his ex, Mary Ann. We’d known that there was a killer out there, but we finally had a face to go with the name.
Even though we didn’t know exactly where she was going to be next, it was a good bet that we’d be heading out to go over the crime scene in Wyoming.
I kept feeling that someone was watching me, but every time I turned around, the only person I spotted with any kind of interest in me was Galen.
Was I sending out unconscious signals to him? What was his deal? I had a hard time reading him, but trusted Adam completely. If he vouched for his brother, then I was going to have to believe that it was the truth.
“Leslie, you and Ryan are going to be heading out shortly. We’ve got you on a flight, and I have the nearest agents standing by to pick you up when you arrive. Check in when you get there, and let me know what you find.” Agent Watson stopped to make sure I knew he’d taken care of everything.
“Thank you. We’ve got our bags in the car and are about to head to the airport. Let us know if Martha gets any clues about the information that we provided. I have a feeling that he’s used many names over the years, and we just have to dig deep enough to find the correct one.”
“I think we’re on the right track, but this takes precedence for now. The time it’s taking us to find the killer and then track them down is getting shorter. We need to have a plan to give us a bigger jump on the Zodiac Master in between months.”
Adam joined us, putting his own two cents in the mix. “I know you’ve been having problems with the control of your gift. I’d warn you to be careful when walking into that crime scene. She had a lot of anger, and that’ll be residing in the walls of the house.”
“I wouldn’t have thought about it because I’ve been in so many crime scenes over the years with no issues. I haven’t been having any readings at all the past few weeks, though, so we may be worrying about something for nothing.”
“With the amount of energy you’ve had, and the emotional roller coaster over the past few months, I’d say to be very cautious,” Adam advised.
“Adam, maybe you should go with them. If what you told me about her encounters last month are true, she’s going to need you around for support,” Galen suggested.
“You just got here. Plus, I haven’t seen you in years,” he protested.
“That’s never stopped you from working a case before. Adam, you need to go. I’ll be around for a few weeks. You won’t have to worry about losing time with me.”
“Hi, guys, I’m still in the room.” I waved my hand to get their attention. “Is there something I don’t know about?”
“No,” and “Yes,” they both said at the same time.
I crossed my arms, wanting to tap my foot at them for acting like children. “Anything you want to tell me?”
Adam shot Galen a dirty look. “Galen is under the impression that when you used your gifts last month, it unconsciously freaked you out. He says that your shield is up and you’re holding onto it so hard, that the least amount of pressure from an outside source, such as Mary Ann’s anger, could cause a huge problem.”
“Stop projecting what you’re thinking onto my thoughts.” Galen rubbed his temples in frustration. “It’s been so long since I did this, I’d forgotten how tiring it could be to have you around.”
“Sorry. I fell into old habits so quickly. You’re right. I’ll go with Leslie and let you poke around here while we’re gone. We’ll need to talk about boundaries if you’re sticking around for more than a few days, though,” Adam insisted.
Ryan hadn’t said anything, but I could tell he was uncomfortable with the undercurrents running through the room.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re coming or not, because we have to head to the airport now. Make up your mind and either come or don’t, but we have to go.”
We were the only ones left in the room after the briefing.
I hadn’t even thought about the fact that they were discussing psychic stuff in a public space.
“Are both Adam and his brother, ‘gifted’?” Ryan whispered behind his hand to me as we made our way to the parking garage.
“Without being able to use my extra senses, I’m going to say from the tension between them that Galen is also gifted, with extra abilities. Because they’re brothers, it’s possible they have similar abilities, or simply that they tap into each other. I think there’s more going on with them than they think under the surface.”
Ryan frowned as I headed toward my car for my bags.
“What? You think people with abilities don’t have the same problems with their families that ‘normal’ people do?” I grinned at his assumptions. “These guys were brothers first with all that baggage, and then FBI agents together. It’s a competitive field, but when you add in two brothers in the same unit, it equals problems. I think a case went bad, and that’s the reason Galen left the agency.”
I closed the trunk after placing my luggage inside and got into the passenger seat.
“You may say that your gift isn’t working, but honestly, you still have more insight than cops who’ve been on the job for years longer.”
“Eh, it’s not part of my gift, really. Flora suggested that I try to expand my cop skills while the other part isn’t functioning. Listening and watching for those small nuances are second nature for us as cops. You do the same thing, but don’t realize it.” I tried to make him feel included.
Adam waved us down as we were leaving the parking garage.
“Think I could get a ride with the two of you?”
“Sure.” Ryan popped the trunk so Adam could toss his luggage inside.
“I see that Galen persuaded you to join us.” I grinned.
“We need a little space. It’s been years since I was around him this much, and I forgot how annoying my little brother could be.”
/> “Aw, but you’re glad to see him, though.”
“Yes, it’s just we’re kind of the yin and yang of our gift, but we can both read each other’s thoughts. Not other people’s, which would be helpful, just each other’s,” Adam groaned. “You have no idea how hard it is to have to listen to everything that your little brother is thinking.”
“Yuck. I could barely handle my own thoughts growing up, much less my younger sibling.” Ryan’s face scrunched in sympathy.
“Imagine being able to hear a grown adult’s thoughts. Not as fun as it sounds.”
“Do you really think I’m in danger going into crime scenes?”
Adam moved to where I could see him from the back seat. “Until you know for sure, I’m just suggesting that you use caution.”
“Got it. Caution is becoming my middle name.”
***
I used the drive to the airport to text Chris, to let him know what was going on.
Me: Hey, I don’t know how this works when we’ve only had two dates. I’ve been called away, but I’ll let you know when I get back.
Chris: No worries. Thanks for letting me know. Work calls come first when it’s life and death.
Me: When I get back, I’d love to go out again, if you’re up for it?
Chris: Certainly. I think we have a lot of things to explore
Me: Agreed. Things were just starting to get interesting.
Chris: We can always text date and get to know each other better while we’re apart.
Me: I like that idea. Most of my days will be full, so don’t be mad if it takes a while for me to respond.
Chris: When I’m in court, I can’t answer my phone either. Perks of our jobs, I guess.
Me: I’ve got to catch a plane. Chat at you later then.
Chris: Stay safe.
A smile settled on my face as I thought about the possibilities of what a normal relationship without issues might look like.
***
I normally slept while on the plane, but I kept thinking about all the different pieces of our puzzle.
What if Henry Stevens was the Zodiac Master? From what his mother said, he had tendencies toward psychopathic behavior, and not much emotional response to her. It would explain why he doesn’t have any problems killing twenty or thirty people each month. They’re all just pieces in a game to him that he can move around at his whim.
That was what had been bothering me the most, his absolute, unemotional attitude. He deliberately did things that would cause us to react as humans while he watched us curiously. Like a scientist who did experiments on animals, he was trying to find out what made us tick.
He wasn’t inherently evil. Most psychopaths knew of the concept, but didn’t quite understand it. They just had a strong sense of self-preservation. Then again, wasn’t that the idea of a psychopath, knowing right from wrong, but not having the sensors to keep them from doing it or caring that they did it?
There was something he wanted, and he was willing to manipulate people all over the country to get it. The fact that his father was a powerful man and could be termed a psychopath as well, might be a good indication of what he was looking for—affirmation in all the wrong places.
Genetics suggested that a psychopath was born, not made, and I was willing to bet that Noah was a classified one as well. This was all an attempt to gain the notice of John Reed and prove that he wasn’t just the bastard son, but belonged at his father’s side.
I wasn’t a profiler, but the idea resonated with me. Each month, as he recruited another person to join his ranks, was he actually looking for someone to connect to? Only one of the killers so far had fallen under the heading of a true psychopath, and I still had the scars to prove it.
This game wasn’t over yet, but I felt like I had a better understanding of my opponent. He was someone that didn’t care about the collateral damage he inflicted on the lives of others. That was what gave me the upper hand in this game, my connection to other humans. It was the emotional attachment that made me need to win so that other lives weren’t snuffed out in the process.
He didn’t consider me as a person, but more as a toy that must be preserved for his amusement, which was why he punished the recruit who had harmed me.
My brain kept putting pieces together as I drifted off to sleep.
“Why do you want his approval?” I asked the hooded figure at the top of the stairs.
“I don’t need his approval, I’m going to take him and his business apart.”
“Isn’t that an emotional response? How can you feel anything toward him if you’re a psychopath?” I questioned, confused by the terms I’d labeled him with.
“Just because something fits most of the check boxes, doesn’t mean there aren’t differences in every case. I’m motivated by seeing your fear, but wondering if you can overcome that given the proper motivation. What will it take to break through that tough exterior shell? Do I need to push you more for you to show me what you’re made of?”
“No, but I’m not trying to stay strong to prove anything. I just can’t let you win. The cost will be too high. You must be held accountable for your actions. It doesn’t matter that your father never loved you, or that he didn’t even know you existed. What you’ve done is wrong, and it has to stop.”
“Don’t talk about my father. He’s the one who should be punished for being a hypocrite. The way he takes one son into his business and leaves another by the wayside isn’t right. I’m the oldest of all his children, and I deserve my birthright. I don’t need it, I don’t want it, but he should be proud enough of me to give it to me.”
“So deep down inside, you’re just a scared little boy trying to get his father’s attention. You hurt other families in the process, and create a legacy of horror behind you, all so you can throw it in the face of one man that didn’t want you to begin with. He knew how broken you would be, and that’s why he left you to fend for yourself.”
“Legacy? I’ll go down in the history books as one of the greatest masterminds of the century. Others will be trying to recreate my method for years to come. I’ll walk into the sunset and disappear without a trace. That will be your greatest fear in the upcoming years is that I’ll do it again, and you won’t be able to stop me then either.”
I placed one foot on the stair and willed myself to move up to the next one.
“I’m going to be the one haunting your dreams,” I threatened. “You’re going to be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.”
I woke up with a start as the wheels of the plane touched down.
“Ryan, his mother has to have pictures of him. We can use those to recreate what he looks like now. Maybe she has something with his DNA on it.” I poked his arm in excitement. My subconscious had been working while I was still asleep.
“You might just be onto something. With information like that, we’ll have to keep it under the radar and make sure that no one knows what we’re doing.”
“Right. We have to catch this crazy lady first.”
***
We were driven straight to the crime scene from the airport by local FBI agents.
Even though Adam had told me to be prepared, the crime scene almost overwhelmed me, but not for the reasons that he’d expressed concern about.
After six months of the Zodiac Master’s recruits and their different ways to commit a murder, this was the first time that I’d wanted to throw up from the sight behind the crime scene tape.
Blood covered the walls and had soaked through the carpets, leaving a metallic smell in the air.
I whistled at the scene in front of us. “She was pissed off.”
“My brother must have really made her mad,” Adam agreed. “None of the other bodies were left like this, but were delivered in packages with very little blood left in the individual pieces.” He held his hand over his nose to help block out the smell.
“She’s made a mistake, and those are always costly for killers like her.
We’ll find her, but it won’t be from anything left behind in this room.” Ryan turned back toward the fresh air, and we both gladly followed his lead.
Out in the afternoon sunshine, the harsh reality of the crime scene faded slightly as we all breathed in the clean air.
“You didn’t pick up anything while you were in there, did you?” Adam watched me closely for some sort of reaction.
“No, I told you it’s like my sensors are done. Nothing came through, but the normal type of things you’d discover at a crime scene. Not only was Mary Ann mad, but she didn’t care if you found her. Galen is her main target. She may have killed others and enjoyed it, but he’s going to be the enchilada that draws her out to feed.”
“I don’t want to use my brother as bait unless it’s our last resort. He just came back into my life, and I’d like to keep him around if at all possible.”
“Let’s go see if we can find out what our agents have for us regarding the other packages, and if we have a trail on Mary Ann,” Ryan suggested with great patience.
I looked at the house, unable to see the dark cloud hovering over it as I followed them back to the van.
***
“Each police station that has received one of these packages has searched extensively for the place where each incident might have occurred, with no trace,” Agent Chip updated us at the hotel.
“You’ve identified the killer as Mary Ann Walsh. We’ve put an APB out to the entire state, so hopefully we’ll get a hit. While you’re able to do a lot of identification and tracking in the bigger cities with cameras at traffic signals, we don’t have that luxury here in this large wilderness state. The bigger cities do have some available, but in a town this size, we’re lucky that there was even a hotel for us to stay in tonight.”
Adam was the agent in charge out of the three of us, so he took point, asking the questions. “You’ve been sent her ID, and the vehicle registered in her name is a large gray truck. If she’s using the same vehicle, then we might have a chance to pick her up without a problem. Odds are, she’s most likely changed the plates. We should update the APB suggesting that, and along with her description, there should be the warning that she’s very dangerous.”
