by Angela Ford
“Is it Tom?” she sounded panicked. Mike wasn’t surprised. Of course, he was worried about Tom too, but he’d long ago realized how Jess and Tom felt about each other. He wished they would admit it to themselves.
“I’m waiting for the on-call doctor for confirmation.”
A middle-aged man in hospital greens walked over to him and introduced himself as Dr. Elliott. He asked if they were the FBI agents asking about a man admitted that morning with a knife wound. Before Mike had a chance to answer, Jess stepped in front of him.
“Is he Tom Erickson,” she asked frantically.
The doctor seemed to recognize her emotional state and replied to her question with compassion. “There was a man admitted here earlier this morning with a knife wound. He walked in and collapsed as soon as he entered the door. He had no identification on him and there wasn’t anyone with him. We rushed him right into surgery. He’s been in recovery for the past hour. He’s not yet awake. I don’t know if he is the person you are looking for. One of you may come with me to identify him.”
Mike didn’t even ask Jess if she wanted to or if she wanted him to. He’d figured out that she finally admitted to herself she was in love with Tom. It took years for her to realize it but he was glad and felt she should be there for Tom—if it was him. He squeezed her hand to give her his support. Jess walked down the corridor with the doctor and Mike turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“I…I thought you were…I saw you’re…” Mike thought he was looking at a ghost; the man he had checked into last night for Jess, the man who had worked with her father on the stalker case ten years ago, the man who came up dead from a car accident a year ago. He was definitely confused now.
“It’s okay. I ‘m supposed to be dead.” Mark patted Mike on the shoulder and then held out his hand and introduced himself formally.
“Deceased Retired Special Agent Mark Withers, formerly of the Washington FBI Headquarters”
“Special Agent Mike Turner” He shook Mark’s outstretched hand.
****
Dr. Elliott led Jess down the corridor to a room with a glass window. He stopped and put his hand up to the glass. Through the glass she saw a man lying in a hospital bed.
“Is he your agent?” The doctor stood patiently awaiting an answer from her, but she could only stand there looking at the man in the bed.
“Yes, Dr. Elliott. That man is FBI Special Supervisory Agent Tom Erickson.”
“You can go in for a few moments, but it will be some time before he awakes,” Dr. Elliott told her.
“Is he going to be okay?” Jess asked before she went in.
“He will,” was all she heard as the doctor walked over to the nurse’s station and told them their patient had been identified.
“Agent Jessica Resario” Dr. Elliott asked as he opened the door to Tom’s room. Jess left Tom’s side and joined the doctor in the hallway.
“Yes Doctor?”
“I checked Mr. Erickson’s medical records and discovered you are listed as his next of kin and emergency contact, so I can give you a formal update on his condition.”
“Thank you Doctor.”
“It was an anterior abdominal stab wound and it penetrated the peritoneum and caused damage which was why he needed surgery. Their main concern was to stop the bleeding, but also wanted to make sure there was no damage to the small bowel, the liver, and the colon. Upon explorative surgery, all of the major organs appeared to be okay. He required intravenous fluids, a blood transfusion and repair of the damaged tissue. He’s one lucky guy. He’ll be fine,” Dr. Elliott explained and then told her he would be back to check on the patient within the hour.
“Thank you Dr. Elliott.” Jess smiled at him. She walked back down the corridor to find Mike and Mark and give them the good news about Tom. “Did you two introduce yourselves?”
Mike nodded.
“It’s a long story, but Mark has been undercover working the stalker case which he believes is our UNSUB. I do too.”
Chapter Ten
Jess contacted the local authorities to have a police officer placed outside Tom’s room. The doctor came back and told Jess they were moving Tom from recovery into a private room. She filled out the required paperwork for the hospital while Mark brought Mike up to speed on his undercover work over the past year and his years of tracking Trevor Marshall.
“We need to find Trevor Marshall before he finds Jess,” Mike stressed to Mark.
“I know that better than anyone. In the beginning I believed Jessica’s father was just being an overprotective dad until I seen the third post card. It was in his hand when we found his body. We were right years ago when we made our first profile that he would escalate from predator to rapist or worse, murderer. Unfortunately our seniors at the bureau did not agree with us. At the time they wouldn’t support the case. After her dad’s death, I couldn’t let it go and tracked him on my own.” Mark pulled out a picture and handed it to Mike.
“Shit! She could pass as Jess’s twin,” Mike exclaimed.
“You’re looking at Trevor Marshall’s wife. She took her own life ten years ago. The same summer Jess’s dad believed she was being stalked,” Mark said.
“So he switched his affection to Jess. But it was never affection; it was obsession from day one,” Mike concluded.
Mark showed Mike another picture that Agent Resario had taken of a man on the beach nearby where Jess and her friends were.
“Jess sent me a picture last night. That same man was in the background.”
“After the first postcard was sent, Jess’s dad started tracking her whereabouts and who she was with. He trusted his daughter but he did not trust whoever sent that postcard. Fathers are very protective of their daughters and even more so when the father is an FBI agent. His mind was filled with knowledge of what could happen to adolescents lured by sick predators. He never shared his work with his family; he always kept it separate, to protect them.” Mark grazed his hand across his five o’clock shadow that was days overdue for a shave. Then he continued. Mike hadn’t said a word, he just listened.
“Once he took that picture of Trevor on the beach, he contacted me for help. By the time we determined who he was and where he came from, along with the information of the peace bond and his wife in in the area, then the second postcard arrived. That was when Nick decided to send his daughter off to college earlier than planned. The postcards and Marshall were never mentioned to Jess or her mother. Jess was right; her dad always protected her and her mom from his work.” Mark commented.
“When they returned from their trip, I believe her parents were confronted by Marshall in their beach home. His obsession had escalated to anger beyond control and when Jess’s parents refused to provide her location, he killed them.” Mark stated with tears in his eyes.
“Your office didn’t believe that was enough for a case against Marshall,” Mike asked.
“I tried but they closed the case as a break-in- enter gone bad. There was no evidence connecting Marshall to the murders or the possible stalking. All they had was a picture of a man they could not identify. There was no DNA found at the beach house. The FBI questioned the Richmond family about Marshall’s wife but they remained quiet. They would not discuss the matter as they had with Nick. In fact, they had only reported to the local authorities that she had been depressed for years over the loss of her parents and finally took her own life. They did not want to get involved with outsiders as did most of the villagers in Vineyard Haven. It was a small quiet community and they wanted it to remain that way. They probably believed that if they kept quiet there would be no further problems. They were right. Nothing like that had ever happened before in Vineyard Haven and hasn’t since,” Mark shook his head.
“Did they even question Marshall,” Mike asked.
“
They got the San Francisco office to question him but Trevor’s father covered for him with an alibi that he was in rehab and he’d never been married. There was enough Marshall money to make that happen. Mr. Marshall did not want or need any scandal for his son. He was only interested in his business and his image and didn’t care what his son did, as long as it did not affect him. The case was never opened; they didn’t believe a stalker existed, especially since Jess never knew. I retired to the west coast to keep my promise to my partner to protect Jess,” Mark replied.
“Why do you think it was Trevor who killed Jess’s parents if there was no evidence to connect him to it?” Mike asked.
“My gut and the postcard in her father’s hand told me,” Mark replied.
“Why do you believe this Trevor guy is our UNSUB?”
“I’ve tracked him for years. He was quiet for some time, only in trouble for misdemeanors until Jess showed up in San Francisco. I believe her return into his life, or so he thought, sparked his obsession again. At that point in time, Jess had no idea that Trevor existed.”
“So he started stalking her again?”
“I think her joining the FBI may have scared him off, but I began to keep track of him anyway while keeping an eye on Jess. Marshall spent a lot of time at an online café and faithfully visited a social network often visited by younger people. I hacked into the site and his profile on the social network showed him looking for a young woman aged 17-18 with long blonde hair and big beautiful blue eyes.”
“So he was scared to stalk Jess because she was joining the FBI, but converted to stalking someone that would resemble her?” It was finally making sense. “Sick bastard,” Mike tried to remain professional and focused, but now it was personal. The UNSUB was no longer just a case. He had been stalking Jess all these years and her life was still in jeopardy as long as he was on the streets. He paced the hospital hallway and his action of fiercely brushing his hands through his hair showed his frustration.
“I know what you’re feeling. Trust me. I’ve been feeling it for some time now” and he patted Mike on the back, “but we have to remain focused; we have to get Marshall. I’ve been trying to protect Jess all these years by not telling her, believing I was honoring Nick. I was wrong.” Mark’s expression could easily be seen as frustration as well.
“So, if Jess is his trigger, why did he go after Tom?” Mike’s investigative mind snapped quickly into the reality of the case.
“He’s been watching Jess as long as I have. He sees the attraction between Jess and Tom. Any fool can see that but those two,” Mark chuckled and Mike smiled.
“Yeah, you’re right on that one. The whole team knows it. Tom was too close to Jess. He was in the way. If Marshall couldn’t have her, no one would.” Mike agreed, “How did you come into the picture?”
Mark explained that he went to the FBI with his findings and was again turned away, but told that his file would be sent to Tom Erickson, head of Internet security. A few months after Mark went to the FBI in San Francisco, the story of the first murdered girl was broadcasted and he knew that it had to be Marshall. Mark knew for certain the first victim was one of the girls on the social network Marshall tried to lure. It was then that he received a call from Tom Erickson at FBI Headquarters. Tom introduced himself, but Mark knew who he was and what his credentials were. Tom and Mark met up and compared notes. Mark asked Tom for his discretion in regards to Jess as he kept the secret about Marshall over the years out of respect for his late partner.
Mark told Tom he believed Trevor was on to him and would figure out his connection to Jess. Mark offered his assistance to Tom, but behind the scenes. By then there had been another victim. Tom was desperate to stop the UNSUB and accepted his offer. It was Mark’s decision to go completely underground to solve the case.
****
Jess completed the necessary medical forms and learned the nurses moved Tom to a private room. A police officer stood outside Tom’s door. Jess walked to Tom’s room and for a moment before entering, she paused to stare at the man she’d loved for the past three years. She’d denied both of them a chance of happiness for so long and in one horrifying moment they almost lost a chance at all. She walked up to the bed and he slowly opened his eyes. It appeared to take all his strength to form a smile. That alone, reassured Jess that Tom would be okay.
Tom reached out for her hand and she took it, gripping tightly. Without saying a word, they gazed into each other’s eyes. So much flashed through her memory—time spent with Tom, and the many times she wanted to tell him that she loved him, but couldn’t. With love came hurt and she never wanted to go through it again.
But something was different this time. She had almost lost him, almost lost herself. She looked deeply into his eyes as though she could see his soul. His eyes were so loving, so warm and gentle; she could tell he truly loved her.
“Tom—” she began, but he interrupted her.
“We need to talk.” He barely uttered the word, and didn’t seem to have much energy.
“We will, after you gain your strength back,” she said and gently kissed his hand. He smiled. She kissed his hand again, ever so gently and before she left him, he smiled and drifted back to sleep.
Jess left the room and went back to Mike and Mark and let them know he was asleep with a police officer posted outside Tom’s private room. “I know you want to check in on Tom but he needs to rest. Has Mark brought you up to speed, Mike?”
“Unfortunately he has. Jess, I’m so sorry this is happening.” Mike embraced Jess in a brotherly hug.
“I’m okay.” Jess placed both of her hands on Mike’s face. His caring touch made her realize she did have a family. She smiled at him. “I thought I no longer had any family,” she said and looked back and forth between Mike and Mark, “but I am blessed with you all.” Then a confused look crossed her face. “Where’s the rest of the family?” All of a sudden, Jess’s big sister concern over Gina hit her hard.
“Still undercover,” Mike answered.
“Let’s keep it that way. You made the right decision. Tom would have told us to stay focused on the case at hand. No distractions.” She smiled warmly at him and continued, “We have a job to do.”
“Welcome back, Jess,” Mike said.
She patted his arm, with a gentle touch to reassure him all would be well. “Mike, did you find Tom’s laptop and the file on the case at his house?”
“I didn’t find it in the house or in his car.”
“Shit! Change of plans.” Jess knew instantly that Marshall took it after he stabbed Tom. Her worry now was for Gina. If the UNSUB had Tom’s notes on the case then he would know what Gina and Eric were doing. School would be out now for the day. Jess frantically dug her cell out of her purse, praying that Gina would pick up. She had to warn her. It rang and rang and then went to voicemail. Jess left a short message in hopes that Gina would retrieve it in time. “Get out. Abort.”
While Jess called Gina, Mike called Eric.
“Eric said Gina entered the house about fifteen minutes ago. Everything appears quiet so far,” Mike informed Jess and Mark.
“Shit!”
“Get her out. Abort. The UNSUB is onto us. He has Tom’s laptop and case file.”
All she heard after that was a dial tone. Mike looked up at her. Without a second thought, Jess, followed by Mike and Mark, raced out of the hospital.
As Jess ran to the black SUV parked outside, she yelled to Mike, “Toss the keys, you drive like a grandmother.” Jess burned rubber out of the hospital parking lot, and Mike placed the siren light on top of the vehicle then tried Eric’s cell once more. “He’s not answering Jess.”
“Keep trying, we’ll be there in a few minutes.” She knew exactly where the house was, she had driven by it so many times.
Mike spotted the black SUV parked two hou
ses down and pointed it out to Jess. As they pulled up to the vehicle, they saw Eric lying across the front seat. Mike hopped out and hurried over to Eric while Jess and Mark approached the house. They drew their guns as soon as they got out of the vehicle. The front door was wide open. Jess went in first with Mark close behind her. She pushed her back up against the wall just inside the front entry and slowly turned to the front room with her gun ready. Once she saw that it was clear, she turned back and nodded to Mark who then walked in behind her. She signaled for him to take the first floor, and she would go upstairs.
As Mark headed through the front room to the back, Jess crept up the stairs with her back against the wall. At the top of the stairs, she heard a noise and started down the hallway in its direction. Stopping outside a room, she kicked in the door.
“Don’t come any closer!” Trevor held a knife to Gina’s throat. The look of horror in Gina’s eyes scared Jess.
“Let her go!” she ordered, but he shook his head. Jess was trained in hostage negotiation and tried to calm him down and convince him to let go of Gina. “You don’t want to do this. It’s me you want, not her.” Jess spoke to him in a gentle voice.
“Jessica?”
“Yes, it’s me,” she answered.
“They tried to keep me from you for so long. I didn’t know where you were until recently, but you betrayed me and went to them.”
She wasn’t sure exactly who he meant by “them” but she assumed he meant the FBI or her parents. She walked slowly toward him and Gina but he shouted at her to stop.
“Why are you yelling at me, Trevor?” she asked him. She called him by name to make him think she cared for him and lure him into letting go of Gina.
“Drop your weapon and come closer,” he ordered her.