A Ride Home: Tampa FBI Two

by C. Soto

  John didn’t want to think about the condition that she may be in. As he stood there, an assault of images flooded his mind from the pictures of the other victims that were found and the destruction the killer caused to their bodies.

  Since the killer was confirmed down, the team was able to use their radios and coms and no longer be on radio silence. John and Derrick heard as they stood over the killer’s body, the rest of the S.W.A.T team and K-9’s report of their movements. As they approached the house, they heard a female screaming from the inside. While they all wanted to rush the door, they had to ensure no trap was set for them. Especially since the killer seemed to be aware of their presence, so he had something that alerted him.

  The K-9 was released to sniff the cabin and S.W.A.T waited to see if K-9 Bruce alerted to any explosive material. They had to have him clear the scene before they made entrance to the building. Thankfully, Bruce didn’t alert to anything suspicious, and he went back to his handler when he was done sniffing the cabin. The officers then knew they were safe to enter the property. They rushed the front door as that was the only entrance to the cabin. They headed towards the screams.

  The officers had recording devices on their vests, so the whole entrance and discovery was being fed to police station where both chiefs from the F.B.I and their Police Chief would be able to view in real time. They would also use it for evidentiary purposes. They always had body cams on for safety and so the rest of the force could see what was going on in real time.

  They entered the bedroom of the cabin and found a woman restrained to the bed fully naked with slash marks covering a section of her body. It was like the killer started in one spot and hadn’t made it to the other areas of her body yet. Doing each section at a time. The female victim stopped momentarily screaming as the officers made entrance. However, a few seconds later she started pleading for help, trying to yank against her restraints. The female officer took off her jacket and immediately covered her and yelled for someone to find a blanket. The team worked on removing the restraints quickly. Once all the restraints were removed from her body she lunged in the female agent’s arms, balling. She wasn’t near a delusional state, which was good. She was in a shocked state that help arrived, and she was being saved. She kept saying, “We have to go, he’s coming back. We must hurry please, he’ll be back soon, please hurry and take me out of here.” She trembled in the officer’s arms. The officer held her and tried calming her down. “We have him Sara, he can’t hurt you any longer. The ambulance will be here any second. We are going to take you to the hospital to be looked over first okay. You are safe, I won’t let anyone hurt you, okay.”

  Sara shook her head, but still trembled as she clutched the officer tightly and didn’t let her go. She felt safe with her, that help finally arrived. She tried pulling the jacket more tightly around her as she saw everyone in the house and felt even more exposed in the state that she was in. Another officer came in the room after finding a blanket that was stuffed in a closet. “Here you go” he said as he wrapped the blanket around her covering her fully. It would have to do for the time being until the ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital. There they would have a gown for her and then clothes if she needed it. He was sure a friend or family member would meet her there and would bring her some clothes.

  The female officer spoke to her in soothing tones, “We’ve been looking for you Sara, I’m so glad we found you. You are safe now; he can’t hurt you any longer. He will never bother you again. We got him Sara.”

  Sara continued holding on tight and shaking her head. Two minutes later the ambulance arrived, and Sara begged the officer to please come with her for the ride to the hospital and not leave her. She attached herself to this officer and felt safe around her. She didn’t know why since she just met her. Maybe being surrounded by another female amongst a sea of men was reassuring. That this woman officer wouldn’t allow anyone else to touch her without permission. She didn’t know why she thought that way, as these other men here wouldn’t hurt her, they were her rescuers. However, she felt scared being around men that were strangers to her.

  The female officer reassured her that she wouldn’t leave her side until she was okay. She got in the ambulance with Sara, and they soon rushed to the hospital so she could be evaluated for her injuries.

  Chapter 29

  After receiving a call from Derrick about Tammy’s condition, Emily rushed to the hospital to be by Tammy’s side. She hoped earlier that she was wrong about her feeling of doom. She was saddened to learn that she was not wrong and that her friend suffered that night and was now in the hospital from a drug injection and was possibly injured while being held hostage. Emily knew Tammy was probably not even aware she was held hostage or anything after the killer captured her in that woods that night. She knew Tammy would be devastated once she really learned what happened.

  Emily walked into the hospital room, where Tammy was lying down with an oxygen mask over her face to help her breathe. James was sitting on the side of her bed holding her hand. By this time Tammy was alert, and it appeared enough time had passed to where the drug was no longer impacting her.

  Emily pulled up a chair on the other side of her, grabbing her other hand. “I am so glad you are okay. I was so worried about you once I heard.”

  Tammy took the oxygen mask off her face, not really needing it any longer, as she started to feel semi normal again. “Me too Emily. It was such a weird out of body experience. Like I could hear and hazily see around me, but I couldn’t talk, move, or feel anything. It was such a strange and scary experience, not being in control of my body.” A tear fell from her eyes at the memory of the night. “I can’t believe I stupidly followed a noise. I thought I was only a couple of steps away, I didn’t mean to separate from the group. Because of me, the whole operation could have gone sideways and jeopardized Sara’s rescue. I would have never forgiven myself. I allowed myself to be put in a vulnerable situation and didn’t even alert James to the noise I heard.” She looked over towards James, squeezing his hand, “I hope you can forgive me James for putting you through that.”

  James’ eyes glistened as well. “You don’t worry about anything Tammy. Sara is fine, they got her out and she is on her way here also, if she isn’t already here. The important thing is you are being looked after and you are going to be okay. You don’t worry about anything else, okay?”

  Tammy shook her head and put the mask back on, until they came and told her she could be done with it. She felt a lot better now that time had passed, and the drug was metabolizing through her system. They wanted to keep her until the morning to watch over her and be sure there were no lasting effects to her health. Honestly, she felt way better and wanted to go home or go back out and see what was going on. She knew the chief probably wouldn’t allow her back on the scene so soon. So, the earliest she’d probably have to wait would be in the morning. She burrowed down further into her pillows coming to the realization she might have to stay the night in the hospital. She hated hospitals. The disinfectant smell, the sounds of beeps throughout the hall and the constant movement, plus the nurses that she was sure would be in her room monitoring her condition and how she was. She didn’t think she would get an ounce of sleep that night.

  Emily let her know that Derrick and John were going to come soon to check on her. Tammy instantly replied “Please tell them to stay on the scene and figure out what is going on there. Let them know I am doing way better now and no need to worry. I’ll be fine. You guys should go join them so the scene can be worked.”

  James looked towards Emily shaking his head in agreement, “I will stay here Emily until she is discharged. However, why don’t you check with an officer and ask them to drop you off on scene. They probably could really use you there, to see if you get any vibes off the scene.”

  “Okay, if you are sure Tammy? I hate leaving you here like this.”

  “Yes of course, you will be needed at the scene. I will be dozing off if t
hey don’t release me soon. I promise I feel fine now and me being here is more cautionary then really needed. First thing in the morning, I’ll be jumping ship. I am going to sleep it off.”

  Emily sighed and reached down and grabbed Tammy into a big hug. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, okay.” Emily said as she sniffed and her hand wiping a tear away as she smiled down at her best friend.

  “I won’t. I promise Em.”

  Emily walked out to find the patrol officer who gave her a ride there to see if he would give her a ride to the scene. She texted Derrick and let him know she was on her way to him, to give a hand however she could. She probably could have driven, but the shock from receiving the phone call that Tammy was hurt and not knowing the full extent, Emily was way too distracted to drive herself. She was so thankful for the Patrol Officer who took her to the hospital. She would have to bake him cookies to thank him as he went above and beyond knowing a team member of hers was down and helped her by getting there.

  The Patrol Officer pulled up towards the cabin to drop Emily off to Derrick and John. She texted Derrick before they pulled in, once they were close to the property. He was standing on the porch of the cabin waiting on her arrival. There were bright lights set up to have the property lit up as forensics was now on the scene.

  Emily reached over and patted the Patrol Officer on his shoulder, “I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of your help tonight. Thank you so much. Knowing I was a wreck and couldn’t drive myself, you were so kind tonight, and I appreciate it.”

  He smiled back, and patted her hand, “Anytime Emily, I am glad I could help.”

  She got out of the car then walked towards Derrick and John. “She’s going to be fine. She was doing okay by the time I arrived and even better by the time I left, not that I was there long. Since she insisted I leave and come to the crime scene instead of staying there staring at her.”

  Derrick grabbed her into a huge hug when she made it to the porch and held her there for a long moment. He didn’t want to let her go after a night like tonight. He felt peace in Emily’s arms. However, he knew he’d have to let go for now until they got home later that evening.

  Chapter 30

  Emily stepped back from Derrick and looked around at the scene around her. She saw as forensics were inside, scraping and collecting items, taking pictures, and busy with trying to gather everything that was in that house. There was a car in the drive that was going to be towed soon. It belonged to the killer, according to Derrick. It looked familiar to Emily from her dream.

  Derrick handed her protective gear. If she chose to go in the house, she would put them on as to not contaminate the scene. She began by putting a net over her hair, not wanting to put the foot booties on until she was ready to step into the house. She then put the gloves on as well. She wasn’t ready to go in the house quite yet.

  There was a force calling her out towards the land. She stepped off the porch and walked forward a ways, Derrick and John following closely behind her. She suddenly stopped and closed her eyes and let the energy surround her. Letting herself feel everything it wanted to tell her.

  The energy surrounded her, giving her images of different graves buried on the property. Emily felt lightheaded as the images attacked her senses until it became too much, and she started to sway. Derrick was right there to catch Emily in his arms, holding her steady so she didn’t fall.

  As soon as she got a clearer head, she wrapped her arms around Derrick using him to ground her. “Derrick, there are ten bodies buried on this property.”

  “Oh shit!” Derrick sighed while taking one hand away from Emily and pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew this was coming, he didn’t believe for a second that the eleven they knew of were his only victims. However, hearing Emily speak a new number out loud, it became real, more concrete.

  John looked over at Emily, “I’ll call the chief and let him know. We’ll need Forensic Anthropologist and search and rescue with the K-9 partners out here.”

  Emily replied, “I know where the bodies are buried. The images showed me where to find them. If we can find evidence markers, we can mark where their graves should be. Then the search and rescue K-9 Units can confirm the spots. Hopefully, that will save some time and make searching easier.”

  John walked a little bit away to give them privacy. He knew that vision took a lot out of her that time.

  He pulled out his phone and dialed the chief’s number.

  “Hello John” Eric answered

  “Hey, Emily arrived not too long ago. She had a vision of bodies being buried on the property. She thinks there are about ten bodies buried here. So we’ll need the Forensic Anthropologist Team and the search and rescue K-9 unit out here and definitely some more lights.”

  “Shit, that is a lot of bodies buried. I’ll call them up and send them your way. Once they get there you guys should head out. There is nothing more we can do at the scene.”

  “Emily is going to mark the spots from her vision to hopefully speed the process up and the K-9 units can confirm the spots.”

  “That’s great and will help tremendously. That team will be out there for days digging the victims up. Like I said, once they get there and get situated, you guys might as well call it a night. We’ll be busy investigating this case of quite some time, going over all his records from the driving company and cross referencing all his passengers to ensure none are missing or have been found murdered.”

  We have his wife here now, questioning her. However, John from the state she is in and how the interrogation is going, I don’t think she had a clue to what her husband really was. It’s a shame, he had a young son that will have to live in his shadow for the rest of his life. This family is ruined.

  Tomorrow morning, you and Derrick need to come in for an officer involved shooting interview. It is routine. Plus, we have the body cams, so we know it was a clean shot. Someone already went to the hospital and retrieved James’ weapon and got his statement. They knew you guys were on scene, so they agreed to wait until the morning. So, first thing you guys need to go down there and give your statement. We all know it was a clean shooting, it is just procedure at this point.”

  “Yes sir, we know how that goes. Have you spoken to Tammy? Is she doing okay now?”

  “Yes, I spoke with her a little bit ago. She is begging to be released and to be able to go home. The doctors and nurses say she is doing much better and is no longer under the effects of the drug. They probably will let her go, I am sure reluctantly in the next hour or so, if they don’t see any further concern since she is begging to be released.

  I know you’re requesting time off. So, wrap up the reports with this investigation tomorrow, then you can take your vacation. Just hand in your reports first and give your statement.”

  “Yes sir, no problem. Thank you for approving the time. I am going to take Samantha on a well-deserved vacation and take her to meet the family.”

  Eric smiled, another one of his agents was happy in love. He met Samantha briefly at Emily and Derrick’s wedding and she seemed like a good fit for John. They all were like his children he never had in a way. He worried about their safety and wanted them to be happy and to find someone that could handle this job they had. It wasn’t easy. He knew better than most, as he had a couple of divorces due to this job.

  “Sounds like a great time will be had. Well let me make the calls to get the teams there and I will talk to you all tomorrow.”

  “Thanks sir, talk later.”

  John went back over to Emily and Derrick and relayed what the chief had said. They were all ready to call it a night as it had been an exhausting week so far and it was only Wednesday. They had been working this case since that Saturday, but every minute was filled with dread, trying to track this killer down. Now that the night was over and the victim was safe, they were ready to head home. They probably had another hour before they could transfer the scene over to the next team since they were not there yet. />
  Derrick went and got Emily markers to mark where she thought graves were. They spent the next forty-five minutes trekking around the woods to put the markers in. They left ribbons to mark their route they had taken. Some of the graves didn’t look like the soil had been disturbed, indicating the bodies must have been there for some time.

  After they were done they went back to the front of the cabin and saw the Forensic Anthropologist gathering his materials and the search and rescue team had just arrived. Right behind the search and rescue team, they saw James’ SUV and him and Tammy exiting the vehicle. They rushed over, all going over to Tammy to see how she was doing?

  “I’m fine guys. I finally talked the doctor into releasing me. I am feeling much better and have no more affects from the drug. James also promised he wouldn’t leave my side, so I was able to break free. I wanted to stop by here first to see what the update was.”

  John grabbing her in a hug, “We were so worried about you. Don’t do that to us again. You damn near gave us all a heart attack.”

  “No worries, I have no plans to be held hostage again.” She said with a laugh backing out of his hug. She didn’t like people fussing over her. She knew it was a scary situation and James put himself out there, forcing him to kill someone. She didn’t take that lightly. She of course would do the same thing for him with no hesitation, but you don’t take a life lightly, regardless of how much of a piece of shit someone is. You want them to be able to go through the justice system and get the punishment they deserve. For the families to be able to look the person in the eye and be able to get the closure they needed. She only hoped the families would still get their closure, knowing the monster was off the streets and couldn’t hurt anybody else.