Malice

by Anne Patrick

  Lindsey gave a heavy sigh and removed her weapon from its holster. "Okay, but you take the east side, along the tree line. It looks to be a shorter route."

  "You sure you want to do this?" Jo asked, giving her a chance to back out in case she was wrong.

  "I wasn't there in Maine, but I saw the photographs, I want this guy as much as you do."

  Using the tree line as cover, Jo slipped around to the east side of the barn, keeping an eye on the opened door. Coming within fifty yards of the barn, she could now see the car in full view. There was no mistake about it; it was the Camaro. Her heart felt like it was going to leap from her chest, and sweat formed on her back and forehead. Glancing across the field, she saw Lindsey several yards ahead of her. Picking up her pace, she reached the back of the barn at the same time.

  Jo waited until Lindsey was in position on the other side of the back door, then reached for the handle and turned it slowly. The door cracked open an inch and she waited, listening for any movement from within the barn. There was complete silence for several seconds. She then glanced up at Lindsey and nodded, moving into position.

  Lindsey kicked the door opened, and Jo yelled, "Federal agents!"

  A foul odor hit them like a tidal wave, forcing them to step back out of the open doorway. They glanced at one another, both knowing the smell of decaying flesh.

  Flash backs of Maine flooded Jo's mind momentarily paralyzing her.

  "Now what?"

  Lindsey's voice forced her into action. Peering around the doorframe, she saw no movement inside and started to enter.

  "Wait. I'll go first," Lindsey said, peering down at Jo's belly at the same time.

  Jo nodded then waited until Lindsey had stepped through the doorway before following.

  "Oh no."

  Jo followed her gaze. Every few feet there were chains hanging from the rafters with handcuffs attached and below them were leg shackles fastened to the ground with railroad ties. Turning away, Jo concentrated on the Camaro. She tiptoed to the passenger side of the car and spotted something sticking out from between two bales of hay. Her gun positioned in front of her, she inched forward. She'd only taken a few steps when she realized that what she saw was a pair of legs with shiny black shoes attached.

  The missing officer?

  Jo approached cautiously. A silver badge smeared with blood confirmed her fear. Kneeling beside him, she placed her fingers to the side of his neck. His skin felt cold to her touch and she found no pulse. His face had been badly beaten, and judging from the massive amount of blood saturating his chest, he appeared to have been shot as well. Her gaze lowered to his utility belt. His gun was missing. She then glanced at his nametag. Chad Benzali. The chief's son.

  She searched the area then proceeded to the other side of the barn. A few feet in front of her, stood her colleague, her face drained of color. "Lindsey, are you okay?"

  "I…the girls…over there…they're all dead."

  Jo heard sirens approaching from a distance. Stepping forward, she placed a hand on Lindsey's shoulder, wishing now they'd waited at the car. She walked inside the stall and saw an opened trap door on the floor of the barn. Next to it lay two bales of hay. Looking into the darkened hole, she could barely make out the forms of four nude bodies. No doubt the makeshift grave had been weighted down by the hay, which made it impossible for the girls to escape.

  She returned to Lindsey's side, took her by the arm, and guided her outside just as the first cruiser pulled to a screeching halt in front of the structure. "No one is to enter the barn," she ordered. Jo left her partner with one of the officers then disappeared around the side of the building.

  She still vomited when Isaac and Agent Ryan arrived seconds later. They both ran to her. "I'm okay." She waved off their help. "You need to check on Lindsey, she's going into shock."

  "Go see how she's doing," Isaac instructed. Then lowering his eyes on Jo, he said, "I take it you found the bodies?"

  She nodded, still bent over, waiting for the queasiness to pass.

  "And Briggs?"

  "Just became a cop killer." She stood, bracing her back with her hands. "The police officer they were trying to reach, Chad Benzali, is inside. Briggs killed him with his own gun. We need to put a BOLO out on that cruiser before he dumps it, if he hasn't already."

  He reached for his cellphone, but then hesitated. "What were you thinking going in there without back up? Benzali I can understand, he was an eager rookie, but you…"

  "I know. It was a stupid thing to do." Not only had her decision put her baby's life in danger, but Lindsey's as well.

  "I guess I better try and head off the chief. We don't want him showing up here. As soon as the others arrive, I'll have Agent Ryan drive you and Lindsey back to the motel."

  "I'm staying."

  "Jo…"

  "I'm fine, Isaac."

  Relieved he didn't put up an argument, Jo went to work coordinating the crime scene. Just as they feared, Chief Benzali arrived before they could move his son's body. Witnessing his reaction, much like Lindsey's, Isaac urged him to go on home and let them take care of the situation. Jo could only imagine what the man was going through right now. He, like the parents of those teenagers, faced the most devastating sorrow a human being could ever experience. Jo immediately thought of the life growing inside her, and the bond that had begun to form between them. As unsure as she was about motherhood, she knew such a loss would destroy her.

  Boone approached Jo just as her cellphone rang. "Judging from the distinctive marks on his face, I'm pretty sure Briggs pistol whipped him before he shot him, a contributing factor in the boy's death. I'll know more once I've done an autopsy."

  "Okay. I'll check in with you later." Jo answered her phone.

  "Hey, beautiful."

  "Hang on a minute, Austin." She saw Agent Ryan and Lindsey get into a cruiser. "Boone, where are they going?"

  "Paramedics gave Lindsey a sedative. Ryan is taking her back to the motel to sleep it off."

  Jo returned to her phone call. "Still there?"

  "Sounds like I caught you at a bad time."

  "I am kinda busy. Is everything okay?"

  "Yeah, everything's fine. I was just on my way home; thought I'd check in with you, see how things are going."

  "I'm okay. Look, I really need to go. It'll be late when I get into the motel tonight so I'll give you a call in the morning."

  "All right. Are you sure you're okay, Jo?"

  "I'm fine. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Isaac watched as they loaded Chad Benzali into the back of an ambulance. Boone climbed in after him. He had feared that eventually this day would come. It was Maine all over again. Still, he hadn't been prepared to console a grieving police chief who just lost his only son. Retirement sounded better every day.

  He looked around for Jo and saw her sitting in a patrol car near the entrance of the barn. He grabbed two bottles of water from the cooler that one of the officers had delivered earlier and joined her. She still looked piqued.

  "You doing all right?" He gave her one of the bottles.

  She nodded. "Thanks. As soon as the bodies are removed I'm going to need a few minutes alone with them."

  "Okay."

  She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What, no arguments?"

  "Not as long as I'm able to stay with you. Like you said, we need to know everything we can about Briggs if we've any hopes of catching him. Besides, I doubt I could stop you."

  With the help of a handful of local officers, Agents Milano, Farrell, and Rifkin brought the bodies up from the makeshift grave. They placed them carefully on the ground next to one another in body bags. A range of emotions went through him at the sight, from anger directed at the madman who had snuffed out their young productive lives, to regret for what was about to happen next.

  "Thanks guys." Isaac waited until everyone had cleared before hollering for Jo. Removing the small jar of Vicks he always carried, he dabbed
some underneath his nostrils to mask the smell of decaying flesh.

  Jo came up beside him. He offered her the jar and she took it, continuing to walk toward the bodies. Pausing at the first one, she turned and tossed the Vicks back to him then knelt and unzipped the body bag. He walked over and squatted beside her. He knew what she was about to do was the equivalent of taking the brunt of the torture each of the victims experienced.

  As she had done in the past, when she used her ability, Jo's breathing became erratic and her eyes darted back and forth underneath the lids. Seconds later came barely audible moans as tears trickled down her cheeks. Having seen the marks on the bodies, Isaac could easily imagine the pain Jo experienced through the victims. He fought the urge to take her hand. He felt so helpless. God forgive him for putting her through this.

  The vision continued for several minutes. Isaac monitored Jo's facial reactions for any sign she was in trouble. Finally, her eyelids flew open, her pupils the size of dimes, and she gasped for air. Isaac slid his arm around her and attempted to help her up. She swung her fist at him, barely missing his jaw.

  "Jo! It's okay, it's me, Isaac."

  "Isaac." The fear expressed in her eyes reminded him of the photographs they found in Briggs' apartment.

  "You're okay. You're safe now; it's over."

  Jo leaned against him, still gasping, and then bolted from his arms. She only managed a few steps before vomiting.

  Filled with regret, Isaac waited until she finished then slid his arm around her. "Come on, let's get some fresh air."

  The sun had started to set and a cool breeze now blew. He lifted up the yellow crime scene tape and Jo ducked underneath. Portable generators and lights were being set up so they could continue to process the crime scene, and two station wagons bearing the name of the local funeral home sat nearby ready to take the bodies.

  Agent Farrell walked toward them. "We're almost set up, and the Evidence Recovery Team should be here within the hour."

  "Good. Have Milano go with the bodies. No one touches them until Boone gets what he needs."

  "Yes, sir."

  Isaac led Jo to his rental and opened the passenger door for her. "Let's talk."

  "Not yet." She walked past him to the front of the car.

  He closed the door and followed. "You know the routine, Jo."

  "I'm not ready."

  Talking was a form of decompression. An outlet for the fear, pain, and emotional turmoil she experienced during a vision. If she didn't release the tension, it built inside her. In Maine, it pushed her to the edge of insanity. Since her breakdown, they had developed a bond of sorts, one very few partners shared. He'd seen sides of Jo no other human being had ever witnessed, from rage of a killer to total submission, like that of a victim.

  "We had a deal, Jo."

  "Do you believe in a burning hell?" she asked softly. She leaned against the hood and began to caress her tummy.

  "I believe there's a heaven, so yeah, I guess. I never really gave it much thought; I just know it’s not where I want to spend eternity. What about you, what do you believe?"

  "I used to think of it as a dark, desolate place where tortured souls are condemned to live eternity away from their friends and family and the grace of God. I thought that would be worse than a burning hell."

  "And now?"

  "I hope there is such a place because I want Harland Briggs to spend eternity there." She turned and looked at him. Tears welled in her eyes. "The pain and humiliation of the rape and torture, the fear of being buried alive, I've never seen a more sadistic monster. He's pure evil, Isaac. I thought he had a conscience. I thought there was a part of him that felt some remorse. I thought he buried them alive because on some level he hoped we would find them. But I was wrong." She swiped at her tears. "I've never come across anyone with so much anger and hatred in their heart."

  Without hesitation, he wrapped his arm around her and she leaned against him. Her body shook with silent sobs.

  "I'm sorry," she said, several minutes later. "I told myself I wasn't going to let Briggs get to me again." She stepped out of his arms and wiped away the lingering tears.

  "Don't you dare apologize to me, Jo. You're the bravest woman I know."

  "I was right about one thing. He wanted me to find the bodies. He wanted me to see what he'd done to them."

  *****

  Jo exited the bathroom and stared at the empty bed of her roommate, guilt continuing to plague her for having placed her friend in such a vulnerable position. She thought back to the woman's departure earlier that evening after Isaac had insisted she take the weekend off and return home. The poor woman had actually apologized to Jo for lacking the strength to deal with the situation. Though she'd promised to be back Monday, Jo seriously doubted it, anticipating instead that she would return to the security of her lab in Washington, and for that, Jo couldn't blame her.

  She was just about to climb into bed when she heard a knock at the door. Surprised anyone on the taskforce was still up at one in the morning, she peered through the peephole. A smile crept to her lips at the sight of her husband's smiling face, and she quickly unlocked the door. He barely managed a greeting before she leaped into his arms and kissed him.

  "I take it you're glad to see me?"

  "Of course I am." She snuggled against him. He wore the cologne she bought him for Christmas-a warm masculine scent that was very sexy.

  "Good, I was afraid you might think I was being a doting husband."

  "Get in here."

  He grabbed his bag and tossed it on the spare bed before shutting the door. It looked as if he planned to stay a few days. She immediately thought of their daughter and the teenagers they'd found tonight.

  "You didn't leave Bailey by herself, did you?"

  "I got Slim to cover for me through the weekend so she's staying at Jesse's." He took her hand and pulled her toward him.

  "You're staying till Monday?"

  "There, that's the look I expected."

  She lowered her head and nudged against him, somewhat ashamed. "It's just, well, I'll be working."

  "So? You have to eat, and instead of coming back to an empty motel room, I'll be here. That is if your roommate won't mind taking a room across the courtyard. It's already paid for."

  "It just so happens she went home for the weekend."

  "See, my timing couldn't be better." He hooked her chin with his finger and smiled at her. "Truth is, you sounded upset on the phone, and I was worried about you."

  "I figured as much." Jo grinned. She loved him so much. "I'm still glad to see you."

  "I bet Isaac won't be."

  Judging from his wicked grin, he wasn't in the least bit worried about her boss. "We are working a very high-profiled case, and we've been putting in a lot of hours." Especially today. An image of Brandy Richards being tortured flashed through her mind. She quickly focused on something else. Austin. The love expressed in his eyes filled her with a joy that until she met him had eluded her.

  "I promise not to keep you from your work. I'll just hang out here at the motel, take a dip or two in the pool, and be your own personal cabana boy."

  "Does that include massages?"

  With a wicked grin, he slid his arms around her, "Whatever you desire, my love," then lowered his lips to hers.

  As the kiss intensified, it triggered Jo's subconscious. Instead of passion, she felt only fear at the agonizing screams of the victims. She fought desperately to concentrate only on the present, but her attempt was futile. She ended the embrace, but continued to hold him.

  Jo wished now she had spent more time discussing her visions with Isaac. She had planned to use Austin as her sounding board instead, but now here he was in the flesh, and she couldn't bring herself to speak of the evil she had witnessed. A part of her wished he hadn't come. Talking to him over the phone about her experience would be much easier.

  "You know, I've hardly slept a wink since you left," he whispered against the crook of her n
eck.

  "Me neither." But it was not only because she missed her husband.

  "So you have missed me," he teased while nibbling at her ear.

  She squirmed in his arms at the maneuver he'd mastered early on in their marriage, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the images of those girls out of her head. The pain and suffering they had endured were as real to her now as they were in the barn.

  "Jo, what's wrong?"

  She heard her name, the voice vaguely familiar to her. The images came in and out of focus, the horrific screams echoing in her mind.

  "Jo."

  She opened her eyes but instead of Austin, she saw Harland Briggs. Squeezing them shut again, she willed him to disappear. This isn't real. He's not really here.

  "Is it the baby? Are you okay?"

  The images vanished.

  Jo looked at Austin. Tension etched his face. She hated what this case was doing to her…to them. "I'm sorry," she managed before breaking into sobs. He rocked her gently in his arms.

  Once she had calmed down, he led her to the bed and sat beside her. "What is it, Jo, what's wrong?"

  "Nothing. I'm fine."

  "You're not fine. Look at you, you're still shaking."

  She placed her fingers to his lips. "Please, Austin…Just hold me."

  *****

  Isaac smiled as he saw the lights go out in Jo's room and lit the cigar clenched between his teeth. He was only mildly surprised to see the sheriff get out of the taxi an hour ago. It didn't seem like that long ago he'd warned Austin of the commitment involved with Jo's ability, and how important it was that someone be there for her so she could vent the feelings of anger and fear transferred to her from the victims. Sharing those emotions kept her sane, and though she hadn't fully shared them with him this evening, she had promised to talk to Austin about them.

  He leaned back in the lounge chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. He knew he should probably go inside and try to get some sleep, but the cramped space, stale air, and an empty bed didn't seem all that inviting at the moment.