Heartbeats of a Killer

by Michael Merson

  “Yes!”

  “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, father, I understand.”

  Chapter 32

  “Lt. Wilson, this is Axel. I’m on my way back to the station.”

  “I’ve been waiting for your call. Beck is finished at the scene, and he’s working in the lab on the fingerprints he recovered.”

  “Okay. I have Agent Locke going to the hospital to see Jennifer Walters, and then he’s going to bring the witnesses to the station to describe the suspect to a forensic artist.”

  “I’ll have one called in and make sure that they’re here when the witnesses arrive.”

  “Can you contact Beck, and get him to send a crew up here to Woodland Park? The suspect’s vehicle was found, and it’s filled with blood and prints.”

  “Sure. Did anyone check the VIN number?”

  “It was checked, and it came back as stolen. It was reported about six months ago to our office,” Axel explained as he drove down through the curves of Ute Pass hurrying back to Colorado Springs.

  “Axel you’re breaking up. I can’t hear anything you’re saying.”

  Axel was still speaking when he heard the familiar beep from the phone indicating that he had lost his signal.

  “Damn!” Axel said aloud as he raced through the curves. He was driving fast, and his tires were squealing. The most critical piece of evidence sat in the passenger seat, and as he drove, it slid between the door and the cushion. When he reached a straight run on the highway, he reached down and recovered it. It was a thumb drive that was found in the abandoned SUV.

  He gripped it tightly and continued down the road. Suddenly, from behind, he saw the ambulance carrying Agent Locke and the two witnesses speeding up behind him. He moved into the right lane and watched as the ambulance passed by.

  ***

  Jaxson and the witnesses rushed to the hospital. Tom, his eyewitness, had fallen unconscious. In the emergency room, the attending physician and nurses took Tom and Laura into a trauma room to evaluate him. Jaxson walked around in the ER until he found a nurse to help him.

  “I’m Agent Locke with the FBI, and I’m here to see the young girl who was brought in from the mountains,” Jaxson explained to the nurse on duty as he displayed his credentials.

  “That’s Jennifer Walters, and she’s in recovery.”

  “Recovery already?”

  “Yes. The bullet wound to her shoulder was treated without surgery for now. Her head injury didn’t require surgery either. Just some stitches and observation for a couple of days due to her concussion. The doctors suspect that she'll be with us for some time and she will need surgery to repair her shoulder in the future when she’s stronger.”

  “Do you think I can see her?”

  “Probably, but don’t excite her in any way.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Good. Follow me.”

  Jaxson followed the nurse as she led him down the hall and onto an elevator, which they took to the sixth floor. When the doors opened, Jaxson walked off and waited for the nurse.

  “You’re on your own from here. I’ve got to get back to the ER. Jennifer Walters is in room 6510,” she directed as she pointed down the hall to his right.

  “Thanks.”

  Jaxson turned and walked toward the room. He soon found it and walked in. Once inside, he was greeted by a very irate man who immediately confronted the agent.

  “Who are you?” The man demanded to know.

  “I’m Agent Locke with the FBI, and I’m here to see Jennifer Walters,” Jaxson explained quickly as he once again displayed his gold badge.

  “Have you caught the man who did this?”

  “We’re working on it. That’s why I came here. I need to speak to Jennifer,” Jaxson said.

  The irate man took a deep breath and walked over to a chair to sit down.

  “May I ask who you are?”

  “I’m her father. Her mother went downstairs to get our other daughter.”

  “Has she woken up yet or said anything?”

  “No. She just got here in the room. The doctors worked on her shoulder to stop the bleeding but put off any surgery until later. They didn’t want to do much more because they felt she’s too weak.”

  “That’s what I heard. Do you mind if I sit with you in case she wakes up?” Jaxson asked.

  “Yeah, you can stay. Have a seat over there, Agent Locke,” Jennifer’s father, said as he pointed to a chair that was on the other side of the room.

  ***

  Axel arrived at the station and rushed downstairs, looking for Beck. In the lab, he found him sitting in front of his computer, running the fingerprints he had recovered from the security office at Landings Department Store.

  “I ran some of the prints, and so far, I’ve got the deceased’s fingerprints identified along with Jennifer Walters,” Beck said as he spun around in the chair to face Axel.

  “I also sent a team up to Woodland Park to recover evidence from the suspect’s vehicle. Lt. Wilson came down for a little while but had to leave when the Chief called.”

  “Well, I got something here if you’re interested,” Axel said as he held up the thumb drive.”

  “We can start watching the videos while this last print runs through the database. It may take some time to come back with anything,” Beck said as he stood and quickly took the thumb drive from Axel’s hand.

  The two walked over to another computer where Beck inserted the thumb drive. The two men sat down behind the screen, and Beck started accessing the files. Suddenly, Axel’s cell phone rang.

  “Hello, Detective Frost speaking,” Axel said without looking at the caller ID.

  “Hi, handsome! Are you busy?” Amanda asked.

  “A little. We got a lead. I don’t know if I can make it tonight,” Axel explained.

  “I kind of thought so. I heard about what was going on, and we’ve had crews out all day running down your counterparts, looking for the big story.”

  “Amanda, we’re getting close to PPK! I know we’ll get him soon.”

  “Call me later, and be careful. I’ve grown a little fond of you, Detective Frost.”

  “I will. I feel the same about you. Goodbye for now.”

  “Goodbye, handsome.”

  Axel placed the phone back in his pocket just as it started to ring again.

  “Just can’t get enough of me, can you?” Axel said before looking at the caller ID once again.

  “Axel this is Jaxson.”

  “Oh, sorry Jaxson, I thought you were someone else.”

  “That’s all right. Jennifer Walters is coming around. Do you want me to question her, or do you want to come down and do it?

  “I’ll be there in about ten minutes, but you can get started.”

  “We’re here in room 6510 on the sixth floor. Our witness from the woods is still in the emergency room. I’ll see you shortly,” Jaxson directed and then hung up.

  “I’m going to the hospital to try and interview our victim. That was Jaxson, and it seems that she’s coming around. Do you need me to do anything before I leave?” Axel asked.

  “No. I got it. I wonder what’s taking that fingerprint so long?” Beck asked as he got up from his chair and walked over to the computer.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I forgot to hit enter on the computer, and for the past few minutes, this print has been sitting here not doing anything. I guess I got distracted when you came in with the thumb drive.”

  “Hey, you know, it happens. Don’t worry, just give me a call when or if you find something.”

  “I will,” Beck answered in frustration.

  Axel turned and walked out of the lab. He was tired and upset about the error but decided it would not be a good idea to share his dissatisfaction with Beck. Besides, Beck was just as tired and overworked as he was. The mistake was a minor one that anyone could have made.

  ***

  Jeramiah
finally made it home. His leg and shoulder ached, and his head continued to bleed. He parked the stolen car away from his home and walked the last two miles. Once he was out of his clothes, he ran a hot bath, downed more pain killers, and sat in the warm water.

  He closed his eyes and replayed the events of the day in his mind. He was angry with himself over the mistakes he had made. Every few minutes, he rubbed his leg and tried to work the stiffness out of his shoulder. He wasn’t prepared to fight with such a determined opponent. Nor was he ready for the shooters in the woods. It was frustrating.

  The cop was probably dead, and Jennifer was too. The only people who got a good look at me was the couple in the woods. Could they identify me? Jeramiah asked himself.

  What about the shooters? No, they were too far away. Satisfied, he soaked.

  Chapter 33

  “Hello Jennifer, I’m Agent Locke with the FBI. How are you feeling?”

  “Tired,” Jennifer answered in a low, sleepy voice.

  “Jennifer, can you hear me?

  “I’m so tired.”

  “I know, but I need you to talk with a detective from the police department when he gets here.”

  ***

  Beck had run through many file folders on the thumb drive and had not found anything. Then, he clicked on one file folder titled TJ. The folder contained one image. Beck clicked on it and waited for the image to appear. Suddenly, he heard the computer chime that the last fingerprint that was recovered from the security office was ready. When he stood to walk over to the other computer, an image of a man’s face started to fill the screen in front of him.

  ***

  Axel got off the elevator, walked down the hall, and was about to walk into Jennifer’s room when he felt his cell phone vibrating. As he walked into Jennifer’s room, he heard Jaxson ask Jennifer who attacked her. He then answered his phone.

  “Hello, Detective Frost here.”

  “Jennifer, who attacked you, sweetheart?” Jaxson asked again as he leaned closer to her face.

  “Axel, this is Beck! PPK is…….”

  “Officer DJ Thompson did,” Jennifer mumbled.

  “Axel, did you hear what I said? PPK is Officer David Jeramiah Thompson!” Beck said once more over the phone.

  “I heard both of you,” Axel answered.

  “Call Wilson and tell him. I’ll start heading to DJ’s house. Beck, did you hear me?”

  “Yes. I’m going upstairs now.”

  “I’ll need the tactical unit. Tell Wilson, and he'll get them started.”

  “I can’t believe you guys were right!” Beck said.

  “I wish we weren’t,” Axel responded. He turned on his heel and walked back to his car with Jaxson close behind him. When they were on the road, he took his cell phone out once more and called dispatch.

  “Dora, this is Axel. I need the address to DJ Thompson’s home, and I need it quick,” Axel ordered over the phone to Dora, the senior dispatcher.

  “The address is 2312 Valley Dr. in Green Mountain Falls. Is it true, Axel?”

  “Dora, I don’t know how you guys know already, but please stop the conversations and gossip for now. I can't have anyone calling him or letting him know what’s going on.”

  “I know because I paged the tactical unit a few minutes ago at the request of Lt. Wilson. No one else knows,” Dora explained.

  “Good. I got to go. Please keep me informed of everyone’s arrival in the area.”

  Axel placed the phone on his side as he drove his unmarked car back up Ute Pass toward the small mountain community of Green Mountain Falls. Jaxson was sitting beside him, not saying anything. He wanted to speak but thought it would be best to allow Axel to start the conversation if there was anything he needed to say.

  “We were right, you know.” Axel finally said.

  “I know Axel.”

  The two said nothing more as they continued to make their way up the Pass. When they arrived at the turn to Green Mountain Falls, Axel pulled the car off the road and waited for back-up to arrive.

  He pulled the radio from the car charger and called for Lt. Wilson. The two decided to meet at Axel’s current location. There they would make plans for entering the house. Beck called over the phone and told Axel that they were getting a warrant signed by a judge and that they would be at their location in about an hour.

  Axel and Jaxson took a few minutes and put their bulletproof vests on. Axel then used his phone and called Gary.

  “Hey, old man.”

  “So, it’s DJ Thompson,” Gary said.

  “I figured that you already knew. I don’t think anyone can keep things like this quiet.”

  “Well, when things like this happen, everyone knows. I bet he knows you’re there about to come a-knocking too.”

  “Probably. I called because I didn’t want you left out of the loop. After all, we worked on this together.”

  “I wish I could be there.”

  “I wish you could too.”

  “I know. I’ll be up all night until I hear from you.”

  “All right. I’ll speak with you later,” Axel said before ending the call. He then dialed another number.

  “Hey, it’s Axel.”

  “Hello, handsome.”

  “I’m sorry we couldn’t get together tonight, but something big is about to go down. I’d like to make it up to you, though.”

  “I understand it’s been a busy day for everyone. They’ve got me going to the police station to interview the Chief for the ten o’clock news.”

  “Well, I’ll call you in the morning then.”

  “No, you call me when you get home,” Amanda demanded.

  “If you insist, babe.”

  “I do.”

  Something in Axel’s voice made Amanda feel uneasy and concerned. She wanted to know what he had going on at that moment but knew he couldn’t say if she asked.

  “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I want you to be careful.”

  “I will. Goodbye.”

  “Bye-bye.”

  Jaxson walked over to Axel as he tightened his vest and checked his pistol.

  “Something Beck said earlier has me concerned.” Jaxson shared.

  “What?” Axel asked.

  “PPK has left DNA. Why?”

  “Maybe he didn’t think about it,” Axel suggested.

  “No, not this guy.”

  “What are you thinking, Jaxson?”

  “He’s not going to prison. He’s decided to die before he lets that happen. That’s why he’s not worried about the DNA.”

  “That’s good to know before we go in!”

  ***

  Jeramiah woke up to the sound of water running onto the floor that had overflowed from the tub. Climbing out of the tub, he unplugged the drain. He carefully dried himself off. His leg was stiffer than it was before, and the pain pills were wearing off.

  He slowly limped into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. He carefully wrapped himself in a blanket and then closed his eyes and laid back onto the bed. Once again, he began to run through the events that had taken place earlier. He remembered hearing Jennifer’s message, going to the mall, and killing the security officer. He remembered loading Jennifer into his car and placing the thumb drive in the center console of his SUV.

  “The thumb drive!” Jeramiah screamed as he sprung from the bed, allowing the blanket to fall to the floor.

  “You really messed up this time, didn’t you boy?”

  Chapter 34

  Axel, Jaxson, and Lt. Wilson met with Lt. Jenkins and Sgt. Denton from the tactical unit, at the staging site to develop a plan. The consensus of the group was for the tactical unit to make an unannounced entry. If they knocked on the door, it would alert a trained police officer that they were coming in. A killer who was experienced in police tactics presented a dangerous scenario for any tactical team. It was decided that a no-knock entry would give them a tactical advantage.

  “We have everyone ready. We are li
mited on backup if this goes sideways. A large wildland fire is burning out of control near Manitou Lake. The Woodland Park Police, the Manitou Police, and both county sheriff offices are having to respond to that. We have our tactical team ready and three marked units at the end of the driveway blocking it.” Lt. Wilson explained as the officers prepared to execute their plan.

  “Let’s do this!” Lt. Jenkins said.

  As the tactical team made their way out to the target house, Beck arrived with the search warrant in hand. Lt. Jenkins was directing his people over the radio as Axel and Jaxson prepared for entry at the front door behind Tactical Team One.

  “The snipers haven’t seen any movement from inside,” Lt. Jenkins explained to the entry team over the radio.

  “Remember, Detective Frost and Agent Locke are going to wait at the door after Team One goes inside, and they'll act as an extraction team if needed. The home is large, and it belongs to our suspect’s parents. If they're contacted, they're to be brought out of the house and placed into separate cruisers until we can speak with them. The Sheriff’s Department wants to be updated as to what’s going on since this scene falls within the county’s jurisdiction. Lt. Wilson will keep them updated as we move on this?”

  “We would like this guy alive, but it’s going to be up to him. Remember, everyone goes home tonight,” Lt. Jenkins ordered.

  Jeramiah was getting dressed when he saw the tactical van pulling up to the front of the house. He grabbed his knife and gun with extra magazines and ran down the hallway.

  “GO, GO! Cover the back Team Two!” Lt. Jenkins ordered over the radio as the van came to a stop, and the tactical officers dressed in black filed out the side of the van and ran up to the front door. Axel and Jaxson trailing close behind the trained entry team. The first officer used a metal ram and knocked the door down quickly.

  “Police department! Search warrant!” The tactical team screamed as they entered the house with weapons at the ready.

  Axel and Jaxson stayed at the door and waited until they were called inside. Jaxson was breathing hard. His heart was pounding fast underneath his vest. His hands were sweating, and more sweat dripped down his forehead into his eyes. He looked over at Axel who was down on one knee at the other side of the door.