by Paris Morgan
“Who’s he?” I tried to play dumb.
“The Zodiac Master, that’s who.” She continued to get things ready.
“He’s using you, you know. It’s all part of his plan to make you do his dirty work and get away with no actual blood on his hands.”
She turned toward me and traced a finger down my cheek. “Oh, you silly boy. Of course, I know that he’s using me, but if I get to exact my revenge on you, then I don’t really care.”
“Okay,” I protested, “I get that you’re mad at me, but why would me leaving make you want to kill me? It wasn’t the best option, but you were starting to stalk me in the not so flattering kind of way.”
“You think this is because you left me?” Her laugher filled the air. “I guess in a way it was about you leaving, but that wasn’t all of it.”
The chainsaw landed with a thud on the floor next to my head.
“I saw the way you were looking at me those last few days and knew that you were going to leave me. When I asked you what was going on, you acted like it was no big deal. There was a reason I went a little crazy on you back then.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “It was the hormones. I was pregnant with your baby. I didn’t know it then, but after you ghosted me, I tried to find you.”
“Pregnant? You weren’t just crazy?” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. The rule book said not to antagonize your captor, and I’d just called her crazy.
“We had a baby together. I guess that some might call me crazy, but wouldn’t you be if your boyfriend knocked you up and then left you to fend for yourself?”
“You know I wouldn’t have left if you’d have told me there was a baby. Besides, your behavior was much more than just a few hormones out of whack.”
“I do know that I’ve become crazy over the years as I’ve thought about all that you took from me.”
“Now you’ve confused me. I took something from you?” I yelled at her. “How on earth is not telling me I had a kid keeping something from you?”
“You really don’t know, do you?” She stared at me in amazement. “When you left, I couldn’t deal with things for months. I started drinking and doing drugs, which prevented me from working. A kind neighbor found out I was homeless and pregnant, so she invited me to stay with her. The baby arrived, but I honestly don’t remember much of it.
“They put me in rehab immediately, and took the baby because it was in withdrawal from the drugs and alcohol. When I got out, they told me the baby was gone. I’ve blamed you. If you hadn’t left, then I wouldn’t have started drinking and the baby would have lived. You’re the reason my life is all twisted!” she spat at me.
“Now, the only thing I can do is stay alive long enough to kill you. It won’t make up for what you did to us, but it will even things out so neither one of us gets a happy ending.”
“How does killing other men help bring justice to you and the baby? They’re innocent and you’re killing them. Taking them from their families for nothing.”
“It’s not for nothing. The Zodiac Master has a plan, and he has to have people to help him. I’ll be rewarded, even if it’s in the afterlife. It’s worth it to know that you’re suffering. I can’t draw it out long enough like you did all those years ago, but I can have a little fun beforehand.” She looked at her watch. “We’ve got about twelve hours before you’re meant to die. I’ll make sure you don’t bleed out until it’s time.”
“That’s a comfort.”
What I didn’t say out loud was that I’d told Adam how to get into the house from the back. I could only hope that they’d arrive before Mary Ann could carve me up.
***
I wasn’t sure where she got the syringe from, but as she approached, I could hear her muttering, “He needs to hold still until I get started or he’s going to bleed out too quickly. I still need him awake to know what’s happening to him.”
As the effects of whatever was injected took hold of me, I couldn’t seem to move my body, and it wasn’t for lack of trying.
“I have to show him I messed up and that I can get back on track. He’ll be proud of me this time.”
Lying there on the ground, unable to move, made each minute stretch into infinity. The clock on the wall showed that only thirty minutes had actually passed since I’d walked through the door of my cabin.
I had no way of knowing how far away the FBI was. I had no idea if they were going to make it in time to save me.
A sound from outside sent Mary Ann scurrying to the window.
“Did you call someone?” she screeched.
“When did I have time to call someone? You’ve been right here with me the entire time. How would that be possible?” I spat out slowly, unable to see what she was doing because the drugs were making things hazy.
“Where’s your phone?” she demanded as she walked over, kicking me in the side with her foot.
“My back pocket. The signal doesn’t work well up here.”
“We’ll see about that,” she huffed, shoving me onto my stomach and taking the phone out of my pocket. “You made a call to your brother. What did you tell him?”
“Mmm, hard to breathe.”
“Ooh, right.” She rolled me back onto my back and I took a deep breath. “What did you tell him?”
“That I’d flown back and was stopping at my cabin before meeting them.”
“Great, now you’ll have to die sooner because they’ll be here.”
“My brother doesn’t have a clue where my cabin is located. He’s never been here, and I’m supposed to meet him, not the other way around. They’re still out there, trying to figure out where you’re going to strike next after leaving them that bloody scene again this morning.”
“Ah, yes. That was fun. After the other one, I decided that using my axe was more fun and personal. There were too many neighbors this time, and they would have wondered about a chainsaw going off in someone’s house.”
“That would be a problem, but I think they’re tied up working the mess you left this morning.”
“Good. Then I’ll get to enjoy more time with you.”
She walked around, checking all of the windows to make sure I was telling the truth.
“I don’t see anyone lurking, but the sooner I get started, the better.”
I had to find a way to delay her from chopping me into little bits.
“Aren’t you going to miss me once you do this? I’ve been you’re driving focus for so long that you won’t have a reason for being anymore.”
“Won’t need one because I’ll be dead once this mission is over. I took this gig as a way out. He promised to end it for me if that’s what I wanted. I’ll either be completely free and able to get back to living, or he’s offered a way to end it all with the happy knowledge that I’ve righted a wrong.”
I could hear the doors slide along the back entrance. I needed to distract Mary Ann until they got inside.
“Did you ever really love me, or was it just lust?”
“Love? I’ve never known what love is. I thought I was in love with you, but when you left I realized that it wasn’t the real thing. If you had loved me, then you wouldn’t have left me alone and pregnant.”
“You didn’t tell me you were pregnant!” I yelled at her, just as Adam walked in behind her with Ryan and Leslie.
She was facing away from them, but must have sensed something because she turned with the axe held tightly in her hands.
“Put the axe down,” Adam warned. “I don’t want to shoot you.”
“Well, that’s my only alternative now. He won’t let me live, and if I’m going to die then it doesn’t matter anymore.” She took the axe and aimed for my heart as bullets roared from three different guns.
The axe hit the floor inches from my head as her body toppled over mine.
She was gasping as she turned to me. “I named the baby Lex. I hope you’re happy, because I’ll be out of your life forever.”
Her eyes sta
red at me, and I never wished more to be able to move my body.
“Hey, guys, a little help here. Paralyzed and can’t move.”
“I’ll bet you say that to all the girls when they’re on top,” Ryan joked, now that the threat had been neutralized.
“Sure. I love to let the dead sleep on top of me.”
They went to move her over, but the second Leslie touched Mary Ann’s body, a tremor ran through her.
She sank to the floor next to me as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
“Oh, that isn’t good. Is she okay?” I moaned as they picked me up and helped to carry me to the couch, propping me up against the cushions.
“I think she got a psychic shock.” Adam was kneeling next to Leslie, but I couldn’t see what he was doing.
“Don’t touch her,” I informed him as a precaution.
“Ryan, I can’t touch her. Whatever connection she has with Mary Ann’s spirit can still jump to me.” He motioned to her, lying next to the body.
“Leslie, can you hear me?” Ryan scooped her up and put her in the recliner. “What do we do now?”
“You’re going to need to call the team up here, and I’m going to need an ambulance. This could last a few hours or longer, and they need to check me out to make sure that Mary Ann didn’t put anything else into that syringe.”
“I get that, but what do we do with Leslie?” Ryan pointed to her prone body.
“She’s still breathing. We’ll need to watch her until she wakes up. There’s no way to know how much damage she took before then.”
“You can’t just wake her up?” Ryan gestured, frustrated.
“No, that would do more harm than good. Her body got overpowered, and to wake her up before she’s recovered might make it where she can’t come back,” I said weakly, as the effects of trying to keep talking wore me down.
I passed out, missing all of the excitement.
***
Leslie
We had barely gotten started on the day when Adam received a call that there was another murder about two hours away from us.
Chip met us outside and we were off again. I didn’t make any jokes about his name, but the temptation was still there. He was a nice guy, and we were taking him to some of the worst crime scenes in the world.
The house was pretty nondescript in a middle-class neighborhood. The local police made room for us to go inside, probably because they were avoiding being in the house as much as possible.
“I think she’s switched to the axe.” Ryan stepped carefully to avoid getting blood on his shoes.
“She’s not mad now, she’s enjoying it,” Adam offered.
“You Feds know who did this?” One of the crime scene techs asked after overhearing the comments.
“We think we have an ID on her, but I’ve never personally met her.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I wouldn’t want this one coming over to visit me, because you might find yourself in pieces after she left,” he joked with the other tech.
“I’d say we have to agree with you on that. We want to get her off the street and into jail as soon as possible,” I added.
“Good luck with that. At least she doesn’t have a pistol to shoot you with.”
“No, she just throws axes for a living. Not dangerous at all when faced with serious jail time.” Ryan hid a grin behind the hand, holding his nose.
Again, the amount of blood and body parts suggested that she hadn’t taken the body out of the house.
“Did we find her truck anywhere?” Adam asked the lead officer. “Can I have a list of stolen cars in the last twelve hours and where they were stolen from?”
“There have only been three in this part of town. We checked based on what you’d sent out in your memo.”
“By any chance, was her truck sitting nearby?” I had a hunch from my cop instincts.
“I’ll have a patrol drive the area and check for us.”
“Don’t bother, we’ll head over there now.” Adam turned to leave, and I didn’t waste time by staying in the house.
Since he’d told me that my psychic gifts might be a problem, I’d been very careful not to touch even the doorknobs so I didn’t pick up any unwanted energy traces.
“I hate that we’re always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to these murders. Why can’t we use all of these talents and skills to prevent murders instead of following the murderer around?” I whined.
“I’m using all of mine. If you know of a better way to catch a killer, then just let me know,” Adam replied testily.
“Sorry. I can’t stop my mouth from speaking these horrible things lately. The words just keep spewing out with no filter.”
Adam grinned. “Maybe you’re picking up the vibes from one of us and it’s coming out of your mouth from our brains.”
“That’s all I need, another crazy thing happening to my brain.”
“Here’s the spot where the truck was reported stolen early this morning.” Chip stopped the vehicle and we all piled out.
It only took all of us looking through the large parking lot to find it.
“I’ve got it!” Ryan waved and yelled out.
Chip brought the car over to us. “I’ll notify the local PD and have them send out a tech to process it for prints.”
“Don’t we have our own people that do that?”
“It’s a small office up here, and it’s easier if we use the local resources and just pay the bill for it.” Chip held up his hands in a ‘what can we do?’ gesture.
“Well, we know it’s her truck, and we’ve put out a report that if it turns up, to approach with caution.”
Adam’s phone rang and we all grew quiet.
“Hey, what’s going on?” His brow furrowed as he listened to the caller. “I wondered why I could sense you again. I’ll let them know, and don’t take stupid chances.” He listened for a few more seconds and replied, “We’ll be there.”
He hung up the phone quickly, checking his text messages. “Crap! Hey, Chip, put these coordinates in and make sure that we use all the sirens and lights to get there.” Adam motioned us back into the vehicle. “Call for back-up to meet us there if possible.”
Chip frowned. “I’m the only agent available right now. I’ll let the chief know. If he can reroute someone to help us, he will.”
“Adam, what’s happening?”
“Galen is going to use himself as bait. He’s trying to call Mary Ann right now to invite her to the cabin. Flora also called him and said not to approach from the front or she’ll kill the hostage. We have to get there before she hurts him or someone else.”
“Yes, sir. I’m doing my best.” Chip focused on weaving the vehicle between cars on the highway. “It’s a little bit of a drive, though.”
***
When Galen had called to tell us that he was in Wyoming and headed to his cabin, I knew that we didn’t have much time.
Adam passed along his message, or rather Flora’s that we needed to go in from the back of the cabin to save him.
I’d been on a stakeout and chased lots of bad guys, but the Zodiac Master was bringing out the cream of the evil crop.
As we walked in, Galen distracted her, but she turned at the last minute, raising her axe to finish off her target.
Without a thought, I squeezed the trigger, and her body jerked with the impact of the bullets from our guns. Racing to her side, I went to move her off of Galen, and her energy moved up and down my body.
I slid to the floor, unable to move as all the emotions and anger from Mary Ann flowed out of her body and into mine.
It was too much and I blacked out.
When I came to, I was looking at another ceiling in a hotel room.
Ryan and Adam were both sitting my bed, waiting for something to happen.
“Can you to stop trying to make this scene happen again and again? I don’t want to be horrible, but why am I lying in a bed again?”
Thankfully, they ex
changed a smile instead of looking worried.
“If you’d quit touching spirits and passing out, we could make progress on finding this Zodiac Master,” Ryan accused playfully.
“Did I absorb her spirit as she died?” I sat up gently, not sure how I was going to feel.
“Mostly a lingering spirit, which should dissipate with time. What are you feeling?” Adam leaned forward with curiosity.
“She was angry, but at the end, I think she was resigned to thinking that Galen would suffer knowing he’d had a child and now he doesn’t.”
“Galen has a child?” Adam looked shocked.
“He did. It died, which is part of the reason that she hated him so much. Once he left her, she thought she couldn’t live without him and went down a dark road. Rehab helped until she found out her baby was dead. She blamed him, and when the Zodiac Master gave her a chance to take her revenge, she took it.” I shrugged, then looked around. “Where is he? She didn’t kill him, did she?”
“No, but he did need some medical attention, and an overnight stay at the hospital.” Adam grimaced. “I’m going to have to tell him about this.”
“He already knows. She told him before we got there.” I didn’t like this feeling of having another person’s thoughts in my head.
“Adam didn’t want you in a hospital because it can mess with your other senses.”
“Yeah, I agree. I feel fine. So, did we get another killer before the month was over again?”
“She’s gone, and we saved a lot of lives.”
“Why does it feel like there’s still another thread that we’re missing? It seems like it was too easy. We didn’t even chase her that long.”
“It does feel like we’re outsmarting him, but at the same time, I’m feeling let down from it being over,” Ryan sympathized.
“The local PD has cleaned everything up, and I’ll have to do the reports, but we can head back to Dallas when Galen is ready.”
“Is he coming back with us? Wouldn’t he want to stay here?”
“I don’t know what his plans are, but he promised to visit our mom and I’m holding him to it. Thankfully, there isn’t much clean up to be done in his cabin because Mary Ann had put that tarp out,” Adam answered thoughtfully.
