by Joe Conlan
Mancini couldn’t believe his ears. He always felt in his heart Daniel was innocent, but never would have believed his friend was set up by his own colleagues. Hearing this information, there was no way he was going to stay quiet.
“Now, come on guys,” he said. “Let’s have a civil discussion here. What’s this about murders in Carol City?”
Frye explained what he discovered in Leland’s computer recycle bin and the findings of his personal investigation. When he was done, Leland was the first to respond.
“That means nothing. There was no way Falcone was gonna get off with all the evidence against him. There was no reason to pursue those murders.”
“You’re just up to your ears in bullshit this morning.”
“Come on, Chris. You know I admired Daniel. I was just as shocked as anyone else when nothing turned up on Isaac Jefferson. I didn’t know about the old man walking his dog. If I did, I would have been the first to get the ball rolling and look into it further.”
“You’re a fuck’n liar. You practically kicked me out of your office when I brought the drug murders up.”
“Gimme a break, Chris. I had no idea. But the fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter anymore and we’re wasting time here. The wheels are already in motion to have Daniel released from prison. Director Bynes called in a favor with the warden... something about getting him the job. They’re letting him out today. We know where the killer is keeping Annie. The postmark on the letter finally paid dividends. The Director had some men he handpicked in Washington doing research in and around Asheville, North Carolina where the package was first processed by the post office. They traced it back to the original post office and mailman who collected it. They spent days searching through real estate records for mountain cabins in the area to check for property owned by the name Annie provided. Those little towns up there still store their information the old-fashioned way. Bottom line, we have an address. They also found the mailman who picked the package up. He confirmed they got it right. We’re going in tonight.”
“Well let’s get busy then,” said Frye. “Rescuing Annie and getting the prick is our number one priority. But just remember, Robert. The Carol City thing isn’t over. Now, get back on the fuck’n phone and make sure that asshole Harris doesn’t print a word about any of this. The news breaks and it could screw everything up.”
By the time Daniel got to the pay phone that morning to get his daily update from Mrs. Bryan, it seemed the whole cell block was waiting ahead of him. After about forty five minutes, the line having reduced by less than one-half, a prison guard approached Daniel and told him the warden, Karl Schultz wanted to see him immediately. Daniel had a feeling this could be the good news he was expecting. A sense of excitement was abruptly smothered by his next thought. Something could have happened to Annie. He anxiously followed the guard to the warden’s reception area for prisoners and was instructed to wait until his assistant came to get him.
Almost immediately, a beautiful, dark-haired, olive-skinned woman with a body of death and the personality of Medusa came out of the warden’s office. With a facial expression of hostility and a tone to match, she advised Daniel that her boss was ready for him. When she stepped aside and pushed past him toward her desk, Daniel had hope that this was his last day in this godforsaken place. Agent Robert Leland, Christopher Frye and Alan Shipman were standing on either side of the warden. It didn’t diminish Daniel’s concern for Annie.
“Alan, what are you guys doing here? Is Annie alright?” asked Daniel.
“Before we get started, please everyone have a seat,” said Warden Schultz motioning the men to the four seats facing him while he sat in the chair behind his desk.
“Please, Warden, what’s this all about? Tell me Annie’s alright,” Daniel pleaded.
“We’re not sure about that at the moment, Daniel, but we think so,” said Agent Frye. Looking to Leland, Frye continued, “Robert.”
“Daniel, first, I owe you an apology. I don’t know how I can ever make it up to you.”
“Robert, please just get on with it. Does this involve Annie? Have you found her?”
“I’m sorry,” Leland fumbled. “You’re right...Your release is effective as of today, the paperwork’s done...”
“I’m happy to hear it, but what are you guys doing about Annie? Do we have any idea yet where she might be?”
Leland replied, “That’s why Chris and I are here. Just last night, we got a big break. You might know the Director had some special agents working on locating the suspect. Well, they found him. They’re in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The records show it was purchased by a Daryl Lee Presley just three months ago. It’s all confirmed. The cabin has been under surveillance since late last night. Through thermal imaging, we know there’s a man and a woman. We’re assuming the woman is Annie. A rescue operation is in the works. We’re going in tonight. We’ll be on the plane to Asheville in less than two hours.”
“I’m going with you.”
“You’re right about that...thanks to Director Bynes. He granted your request. We’re here to pick you up per his orders. We flew up here in a private jet to brief you and have you participate in the mission. I have to say, I’m against it. This is too personal for you. We can’t afford to screw it up. It’s a complicated operation with very specific maneuvers. Any rash act on your part could mean Annie’s life. You know how slippery this guy is.”
“You gotta be fuck'n kiddin’ me,” responded Daniel. “I don’t give a shit what you think. I’ve been sitting in this shithole for months, special thanks to you, by the way. I’ve been frustrated as hell that I couldn’t do a damn thing to help Annie. The fuck slaughtered my wife, left my kids without a mother, and framed me for it. I’m going.”
“Alright, Alright, Daniel. This isn’t the time to argue. You’re in. How quickly can we get him out of here Warden?”
“Paperwork’s done. I understand you have a change of clothes for Mr. Falcone. As soon as he’s dressed, he’s all yours.”
“Thanks Warden. Let’s get moving,” barked Daniel.
Chapter 28
On the ninth day after her accident, Annie was showing the first signs of regaining consciousness. In her initial moments of awareness, she couldn’t’ tell whether or not she was dreaming. She was trapped in the cabin of a deserted cruise ship lost at sea. Then suddenly, she had the distinct feeling she wasn’t alone followed by a sense of dread and hopelessness. When she opened her eyes, the light was dim, her vision blurred. She tried to move her right hand to wipe her dry mouth, but it seemed to be stuck behind her head. A voice she recognized and feared was pronouncing words she couldn’t understand raising goose bumps along her spine. This was a nightmare, not a dream.
“I know you’re awake. I can see your eyes.”
Her immediate instinct was to flee. She tried to jump to her feet then realized they were bound to the bed she was lying in. The memories were coming back in waves of terrifying images of the abuse she had suffered over the past weeks. This wasn’t a nightmare. It was reality.
“You’re lucky you’re alive. Then again, maybe not. Anyway, you can thank me. You owe me, bitch. For the past week and a half, every second of my day and night was dedicated to keeping you from kicking the bucket. Did you think you were gonna be able to die your way? Not a fuck’n chance. Were you trying to kill yourself?”
Annie didn’t know what to do or say. This was the first time he had ever asked her a question. The few times she had spoken without his express permission, she had suffered dearly for it. Even if he did allow her to respond, she had no idea what she was going to say. In the brief seconds she took to analyze the situation and consider an answer, she abruptly recalled her last moments of consciousness.
“I want an answer. What the fuck were you doing?”
Annie didn’t want to hesitate too long before she answered though she couldn’t help but wonder what happened with the surgeon’s saw. He said he had been taking ca
re of her for more than a week. There were probably a million reasons why he would still want her alive if he had discovered what she was up to, none of them any less than horrendously terrifying. Her stomach twisted in a cramp at the thought of what he might have planned. Not daring to wait any longer and figuring there was no winning answer, she said the first thing that came to mind.
“I wanted to get out of here.”
“Stupid bitch. Didn’t believe my bracelet would work, huh? That was a big mistake...I am impressed, though. How the fuck did you manage to get yourself untied and out of the room?”
Annie didn’t see how the consequences would be affected by her response so she just told the truth. She was rewarded with a backhand across the face. This time her nose held up. It didn’t even bleed.
“That’s just for now,” he said. “I owe you a helluva lot more, that’s for damn sure.” Shem didn’t want to inflict too much injury to her body until he was sure she was completely recovered. For the moment, she would have a reprieve.
To keep his hopes of the ultimate orgasm alive, he had spent the last nine days not budging from her side except to get supplies and food as needed from downstairs. His efforts to save her had become just as obsessive as his attraction to her. He was utterly and completely blind to the possibility that his fanatical fixation on his final plans for Annie could very well mean his downfall. The morning after his meeting with the lawyer and bank officials, he had every intention of mailing several business documents. If he had done so, he would have noticed Annie’s failed attempt to close the lid of the mailbox.
“I got shit to do but I’ll be back,” said Shem switching off the lights and leaving Annie in the dark both literally and even more frustratingly, metaphorically with regard to the results of her handiwork.
The night was as still, silent and stygian as a black panther lying in wait seconds before it pounces on its prey. Regrettably for Shem, he was unable to profit from the serenity of the evening as disquiet overtook his normally self-assured demeanor. For the past couple of hours, he had the sense there was something altered about his surroundings. At first, he thought it was his imagination. Then, the incidents of finding personal items out of place reached the point where it could no longer be coincidence. As he was preparing some mail to take to the post office the next day, he noticed the postage meter was set at $15.00. He knew the last letters he ran through the meter all required standard postage. When he checked the postage history, he saw the meter was most recently set on the day he travelled to Atlanta just fifteen to twenty minutes before Annie set off the alarm.
His first response to understanding that Annie might have tried to mail a letter was a pullulating anger he feared he wasn’t going to be able to control. The bitch had tried to pull a fast one over on him. She was probably laughing at him right now. The image of her hand-slapping, incessant snickering sent his thoughts into a tailspin. It evoked the infuriating memories of his mother and all the other whores cackling at his inability to have a productive ejaculation. If his emotions continued to viciously spiral in the same direction, he wasn’t going to be able to lucidly analyze the situation. In order to figure out what he was going to do next, a sound mind was essential.
With colossal effort, he fought to retain his composure. He sat at his desk and surfed the net, an act that always brought him pleasure and serenity. It didn’t completely resolve his unrest, but he managed to minimally calm himself to the point he could evaluate his options with more clarity. If she was successful in her attempt to mail a letter, it most likely already arrived at its destination. There was no telling how long he had before they came for him. It was a wonder they hadn’t come already. He wanted more time to get every last ounce of pleasure possible from his possession of Annie, but these were desperate circumstances. “Desperate circumstances called for desperate measures.”
Already his penis was fully erect with the thought of looking into her eyes as he sliced through her neck. He made his way to the supply room to fetch one of his sharper butcher knives. He considered the hammer and chisel then decided it would be too crude for her beautiful head. The surgical saw he used to decapitate the agent’s wife would make a nice, clean cut. It would also be poetic justice. He quietly climbed the staircase to the step where he hid the saw. With the butcher knife, he loosened the plank and removed it. When he reached inside to retrieve his prized possession, he received the shock of his life. His face turned several shades of red, the rage inside his black soul building to a crescendo. Just when he was about to turn to make his way up the stairs, in his peripheral vision, he noticed a flicker of light penetrating the cabin through the front door’s peephole.
One of the FBI’s nine enhanced SWAT teams was called into action to assist in the rescue of Annie Bryan and the capture of the unknown serial murderer. A team of a total of twenty-two law enforcement officers was assembled for the exercise with the code name Operation Nameless. Special Agent in Charge, Robert Leland was leading the squad and would be stationed in a van at the back edge of the property. Agents James Mancini and Christopher Frye were following the lead of the SWAT team captains who were directing the maneuver from the field. Daniel was accompanying Agent Frye and his group on the backside of the cabin.
The consensus of those leading the team was to conduct the exercise under the cover of darkness. By ten o’clock on the evening that Daniel was released from prison, a perimeter was set up around the cabin with a radius of twenty-five yards. The agents were dressed in full winter nighttime combat gear which included a black assault vest and mask, a special operations H-Gear shoulder harness and tactical chest pouches. They were armed with lachrymatory gas grenades, a Boker Magnum Rescue folding knife, night-vision goggles, a TL-3 tactical flashlight, an ear piece and AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles. All agents had a second pistol on their person and most had a third in a holster attached to their ankle or some other hidden part of their body.
Once everyone assumed their assigned positions, Agent Leland would determine the appropriate time to give them the signal to proceed. The plan was for the field agents to work their way to the edge of the dense forest and wait for Leland’s command. When prompted, a swat team agent posted on the roof would drop the gas through the chimney then the agents on the ground would storm the back door. Meanwhile, the agents at the front would make their way across the stream and enter through the main door. Two men would be posted at each possible exit while the others were inside completing the mission.
The operation ended up being delayed for a half hour when one of the SWAT team agents was involved in a mishap. The offending agent slipped on some ice and broke his arm just as he approached the perimeter. When he lost his balance, the flashlight attached to his belt was accidently switched on and flashed across the front door of the cabin. Since it happened in a matter of a split second, it went unnoticed by his fellow teammates. After the injured agent was carried off the property in a stretcher, the mission was resumed.
Agent Frye was operating a thermal imaging scope which sent images back to the command center. He was scanning the cabin to detect thermal energy emitted from human bodies inside the structure. Just prior to the SWAT agent’s accident, Frye was able to identify two live bodies inside the home. One was the shape of a woman lying in an upstairs bedroom with her arms sprawled back toward the bedposts. It was assumed she was tied to the bed. There was also a man moving about the first floor of the cabin. Frye assumed the woman was Annie Bryan and the man was the unknown subject referred to at the Bureau as the unsub.
When Agent Frye recommenced thermal scanning after the injured agent was removed from the scene, the man inside the cabin had disappeared. He swept the area outside the cabin between the structure and the perimeter without results. Daniel, who was watching the monitor on Frye’s scanner, was having a bad feeling. Not a split-second later, a blast of semi-automatic gunfire originated from an area on the left backside of the home. By the time Daniel was able to shield himself behind
a tree, every member of the SWAT team on that side of the house was instantly killed by a gunshot wound to the head. When Daniel peered around the tree to check on the agent who was standing next to him, the entire left side of his face was blasted away. He quickly surveyed the area for Frye, who managed to survive the onslaught by laying flat on the ground. Daniel watched as he scrambled behind a tree for cover.
Agent Frye attempted to communicate with Leland at the command center then noticed his head piece was damaged by his fall to the ground. When the gunfire ceased, Daniel grabbed the thermal image scanner Frye had dropped, picked up his rifle and without a second thought started on his way to the cabin, crawling on his stomach. Frye tried to order him back. Daniel paid no heed. In order to get to the cabin, he would have to cross a clearing of about thirty feet. As he advanced along the flat ground, more gunfire erupted toward the front of the property. Daniel took advantage of the opportunity to stand up and race to the rear entrance. With well-practiced speed, he pried open the lock with the Boker Magnum knife then opened the door and walked into the light-deprived cabin. Using his night-vision goggles, he quickly found his way to the base of staircase, raced up the steps and ran directly to the room where Frye had detected the woman’s body on the thermal imaging scope. Not bothering with the knife this time, he kicked at the door with such force, it flew open on his first attempt. Annie’s head was cocked upward, her eyes squinting and straining expecting to see the monster.
“It’s me Annie, Daniel.”
“Daniel, Oh my God, I can’t believe it. Thank God.” Tears of joy and relief flooded her eyes and poured down her face. She knew something was up after hearing the faint sounds of what she thought was gunfire outside, but didn’t dare allow herself to be optimistic until that moment.
“It’s great to see you’re in one piece. I can’t tell you how worried I was about you. Are you alright?” asked Daniel.