Jessica nodded. “Times already a-wasting. Let’s move.”
They picked up their pace, the possibility of an innocent girl in peril spurring them on. The rain kept hammering, but Jessica found the weather comforting now; it kept her in touch with her senses, prevented her from relaxing.
“The fact that Heinz encountered someone on the path tells us he’s not hiding in the woods,” said Howard. “If we keep heading towards the lake, we might find him.”
Jessica was about to agree, but a voice in her head couldn’t. “No…no, he’ll be in the woods now.”
Howard stopped and faced her. “The girl was attacked on the path.”
“Yes, she was. Heinz wouldn’t usually hide, I agree, but now that he has a girl things are different. Once his sadistic urges take over he won’t want to be disturbed. He’ll take her someplace where he can take his time: the woods, not the lake.”
Howard seemed to momentarily doubt her, but then he nodded. “Alright, you’re the one that understands these sickos. You say he’s gone into the woods, I believe you.”
“Good, because I’m sure of it.” She turned towards the woods, staring into the unbroken shadows that faded to absolute black. “Problem is, finding a killer in the woods is a lot like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”
“Yeah,” said Howard, “and usually when you find the needle, it pricks you.”
Jessica took a breath and stepped into the woods. Howard was one step behind her. Beneath the canopy, the rain fell in clusters instead of in an unending torrent. The ground here was uneven, thick with roots and weeds, but the trees were spaced far enough apart that it was possible to walk in a mostly straight line. The problem was visibility. It was impossible to see more than five-feet ahead and, if they used their torches, Richard Heinz would see them long before they saw him.
Howard tugged Jessica’s blazer and took the lead. He was the senior officer and this was her first time at the rodeo, so she was relieved when he walked ahead. She remained three steps behind Howard and concentrated on not tripping as they crept far enough that the pathway completely disappeared. Five minutes later, Howard put his hand up to stop.
“What is it?” whispered Jessica.
“I think you were right. Look.”
Jessica had to scan the area for several seconds before she spotted the flattened bushes ahead.
“He’s probably carrying the girl,” said Howard. “He must have gotten tired and taken a rest here. He dumped her down in the bushes, by the looks of things.”
Jessica sighed with relief. “Sounds like the girl is unconscious. That’s good. He’ll want her awake, so it’ll buy her some time.”
“He may be near, so hand signals only from here.”
Jessica chewed at her bottom lip. “Yeah, I…think I remember most of them.”
Howard wheeled on her. “Damnit, Jessica. You need to remember all of them.”
“This is my first time in the field. Tell the truth, I never expected to ever be out like this. I’m a researcher.”
Howard stepped right in her face. “No, Jessica, you’re a member of MCU and you need to be battle-ready. Things are gearing up and Palu wants all of his senior agents to lead from the front. You can’t hang back at base while everyone else risks their lives. How do you expect new recruits to respect you?”
Jessica took a step back. “Well, I…never really considered.”
“Look,” said Howard, “our headquarters was hit not so long ago, I’m sure you haven’t forgotten. There’re no guarantees anymore that being behind a desk is safe. You need to be able to defend yourself, and right now I need to depend on you.”
Jessica raised her left hand and made a circle with her thumb and forefinger—okay.
Howard nodded. He gave the okay signal back, followed by a hand wave that meant come.
They crouched down and trekked another hundred metres or so until they made it over to a large oak tree in a clearing; the rain once again became ferocious. Snagged against one of the tree’s bulbous roots was a wool scarf. Several feet away, lying in the bushes, was a purple fleece. They searched the area for a few more minutes until Howard signalled that he’d found something else. When Jessica made her way over she saw her partner was holding a knitted jumper in one hand and a bra in the other.
Jessica felt bile in her throat and it made her speak in a harsh rasp. “He’s stripping her,” she said. “She must be waking up.”
As if to mark her theory correct, a shrill scream echoed from the trees in the distance.
Howard pulled his weapon and tried to pinpoint the sound. Jessica’s senses were quickest. She raised her Glock and started sprinting in the direction of the screams. Howard took off after her, apparently torn between shouting at her to come back and remaining silent, so he settled on a weird warbling pitch that was neither shout nor whisper. “Officer Bennett, stand down. Stand down!”
But Jessica couldn’t stand down, not while screams still pierced the air. She dodged between trees and leapt over bushes. The thought of a poor girl being tortured consumed Jessica’s mind and controlled her body. Palu had been right to send her into the field. She needed to help the innocent, not just patch them up after they’d already been hurt. Her job was to stop monsters like Richard Heinz, and that was exactly what she was going to do.
She managed to pick up even more speed as she hurdled the hanging branch of a dying ash tree. She didn’t realise it was a trap until it was too late.
The screams stopped and were replaced by spiteful laughter.
3
Howard tried to stop Jessica from running off half-cocked but she was as bull-headed in the field as she was at the office. At MCU headquarters, known affectionately as the Earthworm, Jessica was the smartest member of the team and in charge of the facility’s infirmary.
Out here she was a bag of nerves and unbridled emotion. That emotion had sent her barrelling off in the direction of a scream that Howard thought sounded too deep to be female. It was shrill and high-pitched, but there was a throaty quality that made Howard think it belonged to a man; a man trying to scream like a girl. Howard chased after Jessica, but struggled to catch her in the dark labyrinth of the woods.
The screaming stopped abruptly. Howard couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard laughter. His foot caught on a tree root, sending him tumbling to the wet mud, but his momentum brought him back up again. He forced his way through a crop of thorny bushes and emerged inside a clearing. The rain flooded down his forehead into his eyes. He blinked.
“Welcome,” said a voice. “Welcome to my party.”
Howard skidded to a halt and raised his gun. Jessica was sprawled on the ground nearby, holding the side of her head and trying to get up. In front of Howard was the man they were searching for: Richard Heinz.
The escaped killer was topless, with deep gouges down each side of his chest that glistened in the moonlight. He was also barefoot, his feet blackened and muddy. In front of him, on her knees, was a young girl wearing only muddy white knickers. She was sobbing pitifully and had obviously taken a beating. Her swollen, bloody face was a picture of misery.
Heinz had a screwdriver pointing at the top of the naked girl’s head. “Come any closer and I’ll pierce her skull. I won’t allow her to escape punishment.”
Howard took a very cautious step forward. “What punishment?”
“I said stay back,” shouted Heinz. “You’re disobeying my rules. This is my party.”
Howard stepped back. “Okay, I’m sorry. You’re in control here, Richard, but you wouldn’t want to hurt anybody, would you?”
“Of course not. I don’t want to. What kind of a man do you think I am?”
Heinz seemed to think that wasn’t a rhetorical question, but Howard was stumped. What kind of a man? A sick, twisted nut case. “I think you’re a…good man. I think you want to let that poor girl go.”
Heinz huffed. “Poor girl? What kind of girl walks around in the woods after dark? Good g
irls should be at home, not flaunting themselves around in too much make-up and fake nails.”
“I know,” said Howard, “but this girl is a photographer. She’s out here to take pictures.” He didn’t know for sure it was true, but Jessica had seemed sure enough.
Jessica had now recovered enough to make it onto her hands and knees. She was shuffling through the wet leaves, spreading out her hands. Howard knew what she was doing: she was looking for her gun. She must’ve dropped it when Heinz clocked her. If Howard was aware of her movement, Heinz would be too.
Heinz shook his head and looked at Howard like he was a fool. “The girl had condoms in her purse. She’s just another slut like all the rest. She’s out late at night looking to lead men to their ruin. She needs to pay. They all need to pay.”
“Okay,” said Howard. “Then let me take her in. I’m a police officer. I can punish her.”
“No, you’ll let her off with a warning.”
Howard had to tell Heinz whatever he wanted to hear. “No, I won’t. She’ll get what she deserves, I promise.”
Heinz’s eyes narrowed. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Show me.”
“What?”
“Show me you’re telling the truth. The girl deserves to suffer for her sins, so come over here and beat her.”
Howard swallowed. This could be his chance. If he could get close enough to Heinz, he could move the girl away and take him down. All Heinz had was a screwdriver, and that could be taken care of easily enough. The naked girl looked up at Howard with her swollen eyes and trembled. She seemed to sense that her rescue was about to go down. Whether or not the girl would ever get over this was another matter.
“Please…” she whimpered.
Howard glanced down at Jessica through the corner of his eye. She was still searching for her gun, still a little clumsy from the blow to the head. If she could find her weapon while Heinz was occupied, they might have a chance of taking in their fugitive quietly. But there was no way Heinz couldn’t have spotted her moving. So why was he behaving as if he were unaware.
“Come on!” barked Heinz. “If you understand that this slut needs punishing, then show me. Show me or I’ll pierce her skull right now.”
“Okay, okay. Just stay calm.” Howard approached slowly.
“Wait!” Heinz pressed the screwdriver’s tip against the girl’s skull, which made her whimper. He nodded towards Howard’s gun. “Drop it.”
Howard looked at the Ruger P95 in his hand and was suddenly aware of its weight. Often it felt like an extension of his arm, but right now it was like a heavy lump of metal and plastic in his hand. Could he let it go? Was it a bad call? Would refusing to drop his weapon result in the hostage’s death? Heinz was crazy, there was no way of telling what he would do. Howard’s best bet was to play into the sicko’s fantasies and keep him calm. With a bit of luck, Jessica would find her gun in the dirt and regain control of the situation.
So, Howard’s plan was to rely on his partner, who had no experience and had just allowed herself to get ambushed.
He dropped the P95 and held both empty hands in front of him. If he could get between Heinz and the girl, he would try to take the fugitive down hand-to-hand.
Heinz grinned, more animal than man. Rain cascaded down his bloody chest. His sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight. At his knees, the naked girl sobbed.
“I’m coming over,” said Howard.
“Make it quick.”
Heinz watched Howard’s every move as he crept forwards. He made eye-contact with the girl, who silently begged him to save her. This was his opportunity to do so. Howard could end the girl’s nightmare right here and now. In the corner of Howard’s eye, Jessica continued to shuffle.
Heinz’s grin grew wider.
Howard crept closer, almost close enough to touch the girl. If he could just grab her, pull her out of the way…
“I think your partner is searching for something,” said Heinz, nodding towards Jessica.
Howard glanced at Jessica who froze.
“Is it this she’s looking for?” Heinz pulled Jessica’s Glock from behind his back and held it up.
Howard didn’t think, he just acted. As Heinz focused his attention on the gun in his hand, he forgot about the screwdriver over the girl’s head. Now was the time to shove the girl aside and take Heinz down. Heinz thought he had the power now that he had the Glock, but he wouldn’t have the experience or training to fire it properly.
Howard planted his feet, sprung, and went airborne.
Crack!
One second, Howard was flying towards Heinz, ready to push the girl aside and take down his man. The next second, he was changing direction, barrelling sideways, his vision completely tilted. When he hit the dirt, he was unsure which way he was facing. When he tasted wet soil in his mouth, he knew he was sprawled face-down. He heard the screams of a woman, then more gunshots.
More silence.
More gunshots.
More screams.
Then a lasting silence.
Footsteps. Twigs breaking. The sound of a hurried escape through bushes. A young girl screaming.
Howard remained face-down, fighting for breath and squirming in agony. His entire body felt white hot, but the pain was beginning to localise in his chest, just beneath the left collarbone.
He’d been shot. His first time. It hurt like hell, but somehow it was bearable. His mind was foggy and his body felt loose.
A hand tugged roughly at the back of his vest and rolled him over. The rain fell into his eyes, forcing him to blink. Part of him was glad; he didn’t want to see Heinz’s maniacal face again.
“Howard, are you alright?”
Howard felt himself being patted down. He blinked the rain from his eyes, trying to see. He was relieved to see Jessica kneeling over him. “Wha…what happened?”
Jessica held up the Ruger P45. “I may have lost my gun, but I managed to pick up yours. Heinz got away with the girl though.”
Howard groaned. The pain intensified.
“Try not to move,” said Jessica. “You’ve been shot, but you’re going to be okay. From the look of things, the bullet hit your body armour, but the force probably fractured a couple of ribs. Obviously at such close range, body armour is only of negligible use. It’s a pity that—”
“Jess…Jessica?”
“What?”
“You need to go after Heinz. He has your gun.”
Jessica sighed and let her head drop. “I know. I was so stupid. This is all my screw up.”
“Yeah.” Howard coughed and wheezed; it was agonising to breathe. “Just take the son-of-a-bitch down and we’ll talk about our mistakes later.”
“I can’t leave you here. What if he comes back?”
“He won’t.”
“He might.”
Howard grunted. “Call it in and leave me here.”
“Okay.” Jessica’s hands shook as she reached towards the radio on his vest. She thumbed the button on the side. “MCU officer Bennett, requesting immediate medical attention in…in the woods somewhere. Officer down, none fatal gunshot wound.”
Silence. They both looked at each other and frowned.
Jessica looked down at the radio and Howard watched as her face dropped. “What is it?” he asked.
She showed him the radio unit. The module at the top, the piece with the antenna, was missing. The plastic was badly splintered.
“It must have taken a hit from the bullet before it struck your vest,” said Jessica. “Let me try my phone… Damn it! No signal. It must be the woods.”
“You’ll just have to go for help yourself.”
Jessica shook her head. “That young girl doesn’t have time to waste, and I can’t leave you here wounded. Come on, get up.”
“I’ve been shot.”
“Not anywhere that matters. Come on, on your feet.”
Howard waited for her to start laughing, but she was deadly serious. She was s
taring at him like a disapproving school mistress. He swallowed a lump in his throat and tried to sit up. “Narghh! Shit, damn it!”
“Stop being such a Jessy. You’re a soldier, Hopkins, start acting like it.”
Howard managed to make it to his feet but immediately wobbled. Jessica caught him and steadied him. After a few seconds, he felt more secure. “I…I think I’m okay.”
Jessica handed him his gun. “The bruising is going to come out quickly and make it painful to breath, but just stay calm and you’ll be okay. I believe this is yours. I still intend on getting mine back.”
Howard chuckled, but immediately regretted it and grabbed his chest. “Argh…okay, but once you get your gun back, can you…try to keep hold of it?”
Jessica placed her hands on her hips. “I promise, so long as you can promise to avoid getting shot again.”
“I got shot one time.”
“And I’ll never let you forget it.”
4
Howard pulled off his tactical vest and body armour as they walked because it was causing him pain. Once he was down to a simple black vest he could move easier. The adrenaline coursing through his body kept the weather from chilling him too badly. In fact, the cold wind and stinging rain kept him alert. In his right hand he held his P45; he wouldn’t be parted from it again.
“He can’t have gotten far,” said Jessica. “He’s dragging a hostage.”
Howard checked the glow-in-the dark hands on his watch. “We’ve wasted about ten minutes and I’m slowing us down. You should have left me.”
“What, and embarrass the MCU? We need to finish this mission together. We’ll lick our wounds later, in private.”
“Easy for you to say. I’m the one with all the wounds to lick.” As if to drive home his point, a twinge of agony in his chest caused him to double over and groan.
Jessica ran to his side. “Are you okay? Look, maybe you’re right. I should go get help and—”
Howard straightened back up. “You mean like I told you before you dragged my arse off the ground? No, no, I’m not stopping now, I’ve just gone through the agony of getting going. But the mission has changed. We see Heinz, I’m going to employ lethal force. He has a firearm now, so the parameters of the mission have changed.”
Slasher: the Escape of Richard Heinz Page 2
