by Susan Lund
Then, something struck him from behind. It was enough to stun him and make him falter, his weapon discharging uselessly into the trees. He staggered, and Elena got loose, running away from him. He tried to right himself, but then, another blow and he saw stars.
Off in the distance, sirens.
Damn.
The police were arriving. He could already see the lights flashing.
It was over.
Tess must have struck him with a rock or something heavy enough to stun him so that Elena got away from him.
The police would have the forest surrounded; there was no way he'd made it out a free man. A debate raged inside Eugene—should he face the slings and arrows, or should he end it all?
He'd never planned on going to jail, always choosing death instead whenever he contemplated getting caught.
"You hear that?" Carter called out. "The police are here. You're coming in, Eugene."
"Not if I can help it," he said, intending to turn the gun on himself. But before he could, something knocked the weapon out of his hand. He saw movement at his side and realized it was Tess. She'd kicked the gun out of his hand and ran to where it landed, grabbing it off the forest floor. Before he could act, she stood with it, aiming directly at him.
"You were the one I really wanted," he said as he stood, coming at her, his arms out. "Tess with the pretty hair…"
She shot him, a bullet searing into his shoulder. Then another into the other shoulder. The impacts knocked him back and he staggered, falling to the ground. He stared up at the night sky through the treetops, the stars so bright…
He hoped he bled out before they could get to him.
Chapter Thirty-Three
When Michael reached Tess, she was standing over Eugene, her legs spread, her weapon still pointed at him.
He'd heard two bullets, one after the other, and now he realized Tess had taken Eugene's weapon and used it against him. Michael came up behind her and spoke softly. "It's me, Michael. Good job." He touched her on the shoulder to let her know he was right there beside her. Then he bent down to Eugene and felt for a pulse.
"He's still alive," Michael said.
"Good," Tess replied. "I tried not to kill him."
Michael stood and was careful to take the weapon from Tess's hand, using the sleeve of his jacket, letting it drop into his pocket to preserve the prints. He bent down and shone his flashlight onto Eugene’s face. The man's eyes were open, and he was staring up at the sky. There were two entry wounds, visible by the dark wet blood that soaked his shoulders. If they were lucky, Tess had missed any major veins or arteries and the bastard would live long enough to get to the hospital, and then to prison for the rest of his life.
Tess went right over to where Elena huddled beside a bush and put her arms around the girl, speaking to her in a soft voice.
A police officer, his weapon drawn, ran up to where they were and stood over the scene.
"It's me, Michael Carter," Michael said and stood, holding out his hands so the cop could see he was unarmed. "I have a weapon in the holster at my side and another one in my pocket. The suspect is subdued."
"Okay, thanks," the cop said. He radioed to other police on scene and stepped closer, pulling out his handcuffs. As soon as another officer arrived, the two men went to Eugene and restrained him. Next on the scene was an EMT with a large medical bag.
Michael had called Nash before he turned off the highway, following Eugene down the narrow road. He knew he would likely find the location with Tess, and that they would, at a minimum, need an ambulance.
One of the EMTs took Elena off to the waiting ambulance and checked her over.
Tess stood speaking to one of the other EMTs.
Michael went over to her. "Tess," he said and pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, a sob coming from her. He went to kiss her, but she stopped him.
"No," she said and held up a hand over her mouth. "Not until I've washed myself off."
Michael frowned; that could only mean Kincaid had assaulted her.
"You're so brave," he said.
"I wasn't brave," she replied, shaking her head. "I was scared to death, but I didn't want to die."
"That’s the essence of bravery—acting even when you're afraid." He stroked her hair and then took her hand, leading her back to the car. A swarm of police cars surrounded Michael's car.
They met Nash on the road beside a dark sedan. He had Elena with him, a blanket over her shoulders, and was speaking to her. As they watched, Elena climbed inside an ambulance, and was attended to by an EMT.
When Nash saw Michael and Tess, he came right over.
"Elena said you rescued her," Nash said, his hands on his hips. "You got loose from the restraints, and practically carried her up the ladder. Then you led her away from the shack, and you actually kicked the gun from Hammond's hand. You took it and shot him in the shoulders." He shook his head. "The way you did all this, you should be a Special Agent."
Michael slipped his arm around Tess's shoulders and squeezed her.
Of course, after this, she was a shoe-in.
"I think she's already got a spot in the next class, if I can help it.”
For the next hour, police checked out the location, entering the shack and taking evidence. An ambulance took Eugene to the local hospital in Ellensburg.
Michael watched Tess, checking for signs of trauma and shock, but she seemed remarkably calm and stable.
"He wanted to die," Michael said, "but you didn't give him his wish."
She shook her head. "I knew he was going to try to get one of us to kill him, but the bastard deserves to rot in prison," Tess said, unable to get the acid out of her voice. "Hopefully he'll be extradited to Idaho and get the death penalty.”
"Hopefully," Michael said. "The EMT said his wounds weren't life threatening. You have really good aim."
"The funny thing is, he's the one who took me to the practice range and showed me how to shoot a weapon."
"I know," Michael said, amazed. "Irony abounds."
Tess sat on the back of an ambulance while the EMT checked her out. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, and the EMT shone a light into her eyes, checking her pulse and pupils.
"I'm fine," she said when they said they wanted to take her to the hospital. "I don't need an ambulance. Just a couple of bandages for my wrists and ankles from the zip ties. I want to go with Michael."
"You need to be checked out by a doctor. It's protocol," Nash said.
"Okay," Tess said.
“I’ll follow right behind,” Michael said.
Tess smiled at him, and it was then he knew she'd be all right.
They made a quick trip to the hospital ER in Ellensburg, where Tess's wrists and ankles were treated and bandaged, a couple of the deeper cuts requiring a few stitches. Eugene was in the OR getting treated for the two gunshot wounds. Elena was in another treatment room and would be given a rape kit and would be there for hours.
Other than Tess's cuts, she was fine physically. When the ER doctor asked if she had been sexually assaulted, she shook her head.
"No, thank God. He kissed me, and bit me while he did," she said and touched her lip where there were a couple of small indentations that contained dried blood. "But he never touched me that I know of. I was unconscious for a while. He used ether on me to knock me out, but I don't believe I was raped or anything."
The doctor shrugged. "Do you want us to do a rape kit just in case? He could have assaulted you while you were unconscious. It wouldn't hurt to do it just in case he left trace evidence on you."
"No, I don't think adult women are his thing," Tess replied. "He likes ten-year-old girls. Besides, I don't feel assaulted. Other than the cuts and the bite, I feel great."
"Okay," the doc said.
Once she was patched up, Michael drove Tess back to Paradise Hill and the police department.
"I don't know if I want to see Chief Hammond," Tess said, grimacin
g. "What's he going to say when he learns Eugene was the killer all along?"
Michael shrugged. "He'll be like everyone else—shocked. Dumbfounded. No one will believe it at first."
"You did," Tess said. "You never liked him."
"No, but even I didn't peg him for the killer. Not until you talked to me about what Kirsten said about him. That was the first time I suspected him."
"Same with me," Tess replied. "He had us all fooled."
In the end, they didn't speak with Chief Joe. Instead, they went to a room where Nash and Detective Paul Morton, the lead detective from the Paradise Hill police department, interviewed Tess. They went over everything that had happened from the time Tess first saw Eugene on his bike, to the moment Michael took the weapon from her hand after she shot him. They allowed Michael to sit in on the interview, and he held her hand the entire time, giving her gentle encouragement when she had to stop and catch her breath, remembering the events that must have been terrifying.
When the interview was finished, Detective Morton shook his head and closed his file. He was an older man with a shaved head and meaty hands.
"What you did was beyond crazy," he said. "You should have called us and told us. We could have sent a car up there."
"If I’d told you I suspected Eugene Hammond was a serial child killer and had Elena, would you have believed me?"
He exhaled and rubbed his chin.
"Probably not," he admitted. "Eugene was never on our radar. Ever. I've played pool with him at Riley's. Eaten burgers at Chief Joe's backyard in the summer. He had us all fooled, all this time."
"Serial killers like him fit in. Think of Dennis Rader. He was a city compliance officer. His church elected him president of their council." Michael shrugged.
"Well, luckily, Michael did the right thing and called us in."
"We had things handled," Michael said with a laugh. "Tess took care of the bastard."
"He wanted to die, but I didn't want him to," Tess said. "I want him to suffer. Killing him quickly would have been too good for him."
Michael smiled.
Yes, Tess would be okay.
Finally, after dawn the next morning, Michael drove Tess home, opening the door for her and taking her hand, walking her up to the front door. His mother opened it and cried out when she saw Tess.
"Oh, my poor dear Tess!" She grabbed Tess by the shoulders and hugged her. Tess smiled at Michael from over his mother's shoulder. When Mrs. Carter pulled back, she checked Tess out. "Come in, come in,” she said, pulling Tess inside. “What did that monster do to you?" she said, checking Tess's bandaged hands and the small bandage on the skin below her bottom lip where Eugene had bit her.
"He bit me," Tess said. "I got these from breaking the zip ties."
After she had her coat and boots off, Tess went right to her bedroom. "I have to sleep," she said, and Michael could see her control finally slip just a bit. She met his eyes. He knew she wanted him with her.
"I'll be with you in a moment," he said, nodding.
After Tess closed the door to the main bathroom, Michael turned to his mother.
"She's fine, but she'll need a few days to recover from the ordeal. The girl he abducted is still at the hospital and will probably stay overnight for observation.”
"Poor thing. I had no idea," his mother said, a hand over her mouth. "Laurie called me and told me what happened. I just can't believe it. Eugene? He's the killer? He's been the killer all this time?"
Michael nodded and led his mother to the kitchen, where he got a big glass of water and drank it down.
"Yep. Under everyone's noses. Chief Joe must be sick."
"Oh, I know," his mother replied, a hand on her chest. "This will destroy them. I'd bet Joe will retire over this. How could he face everyone knowing that his son is a serial killer who killed Melissa and Zoe and all the others?”
"Apparently not Lisa, though," Michael said. He turned to his mother. "She was sold to pimps up in Seattle for the child sex trade. Who knows if she's still alive?"
"Oh, dear. Poor child." His mother sat on the stool at the kitchen island, staring off into the distance. "Maybe we can find her. Wouldn't that be a blessing?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. She might not want to be found, after what happened to her."
He went to the hallway. "I'm going to go to bed, too. We'll see you when we wake up. It’s Thanksgiving.”
"It is. We have a lot to be thankful for. Wasn’t Tess so brave, trying to save the little girl, shooting Eugene. Give her my love," she replied, smiling. "I'm glad you have each other."
"Me, too," he said and went into Tess's bedroom.
She had left the bathroom and was sitting on the bed, waiting for him.
He sat down beside her, taking her gently into his arms.
"I knew you had it in you," he said and kissed her softly, careful not to press too hard. "You're going to make a great FBI agent."
She smiled, but then, her eyes teared up.
"Have you heard more about Elena? How is she? She must be traumatized.”
“She’ll be fine, thanks to you.”
“You, too,” Tess said, shaking her head, tears in her eyes. “If you hadn’t come when you did, he would have had her.”
“We’re lucky he taught you to shoot a handgun.”
“We are. Right now, I need you to hold me," she whispered, and pulled him tightly against her. "Just hold me."
He was only too happy to comply.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Tess had thought she'd be leaving Paradise Hill sooner than she did, but the ensuing commotion as the town and local police came to terms with Eugene's murderous history kept her there, documenting everything for her articles for the Sentinel.
Each new revelation stunned the community—how he'd been one of Daryl Kincaid's earliest victims in the porn room, and how he'd developed a taste for child porn and then children as a result. How he'd raped a few girls and gotten away with it, because the girls were too afraid to say anything. How he'd wanted to kill Lisa, but Daryl Kincaid and John Hammond had intervened, preventing him from killing her. Instead, they sold her to the meat market in Seattle. He'd killed twenty-five girls in total, and had planned to hit forty, if he hadn't been caught. Tess’s recording pen had his confession right on tape, making it much easier to build a case against him. His apartment and computer hard drive contained a wealth of information on all his kills—and on his plans to do so many more.
Tess wanted to find Lisa, if she could, and considered delaying her application to the FBI until she had satisfied that one last question about the case: Was Lisa still alive? If so, what happened to her?
Michael didn't think she should, but it drove Tess crazy, knowing that Lisa hadn't been murdered—at least not by Eugene.
"Think of it,” he said to her one day after Eugene’s case had been in the news. "Would you want to be found by people who knew you only as a ten-year-old girl? After everything happened to her? You know what happens to these girls. They're beaten and drugged, taken across the country and sold over and over to pedophiles. It would be a miracle if she's still alive. If she’d wanted to be found, she would have been by now."
Tess sighed. Perhaps Michael was right. Lisa would have lived a nightmare existence as a sex slave on the market for children. Perhaps she didn't want to be found after all.
As for Eugene, he'd been jailed after he recovered sufficiently from the gunshot wounds, due to the overwhelming evidence against him and the charges that he was facing. He had become very compliant in custody, telling police and the FBI everything they wanted to know, as if he was trying to ensure he got into the history books.
Nash said he had been happy to tell Eugene that he’d failed in his quest to be the most prolific child killer in the US, but he did make the books for Washington State. His case would be taught in the FBI Academy, but more as a dark reminder that serial killers often looked like the guy next door—the good son, the average man at work.
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br /> They didn't look like monsters.
While Tess waited for her application to the FBI to be processed, she continued to work on her articles for the Sentinel. It would be months before she'd have her first interview for the FBI and it would be a year before she was accepted, if she was, although everyone thought she would be a shoo-in, given her background and her performance in the case.
In the meantime, she finished painting and repairing the house, disposing of all the paraphernalia in it. It didn’t sell even though people knew the truth—that her father had not been involved in any of the murders and had been only a passive participant in the cover up of Janine's accidental death. The fact that bones had been walled up was enough to turn off potential buyers.
Late in December, on their final day in Paradise Hill, she and Michael drove out to the cemetery to say goodbye to her father and to visit the graves of the girls from Paradise Hill. Tess brought a fresh bouquet of flowers to her dad’s grave.
Michael put his arm around her and pulled her closer. She was glad she had him; she needed his warmth to overcome her sadness at her father's passing and everything that had happened since she returned to Paradise Hill.
"I'm glad we're going back to Seattle," she said. "I've got to get my articles edited and submitted. They should be published in the new year. My editor wants me to keep following the case and what happens to Eugene, but I told her it would be years before anything was really finished."
"Hopefully next August, you'll be off to Quantico," Michael said, raising his eyebrows.
“You think they’ll accept me?”
"I think they're going to be happy to have you, considering you caught one of the most notorious child killers in recent memory and rescued one of his victims.
He smiled at her and Tess smiled back, happy that she'd been part of the whole business, despite how afraid she'd been for her life and Elena’s.
That made her feel more certain about her decision to apply.
After she'd placed the flowers in the vase on the grave, keeping three back for the other graves, Michael took her hand and led her to several new ones—Janine's, Zoe's, and Melissa's. At least now, their families could visit and mourn their daughters properly.