She pushed with her heels and bucked, trying to throw him off. Blood from her nose threatened to choke her. Swallowing hard, she cleared her throat of the thick liquid and howled. She whipped her head from side to side, trying to avoid Zeke’s burning eyes and hot breath.
“Yeah, baby. Keep moving. Feels good.” Zeke grunted as he filled her with his seed.
When he finally pulled away and stood, he was panting. “I have something to tell you. Are you listening? Pay attention now; this is important.” He leaned over and caught his breath before continuing. “It’s over between us, Sue. I guess you’ve figured that out by now.”
Sue could only whimper.
“You know what I’m going to remember most about you? Do you?” He tapped her on the forehead with a stiff finger, before shaking his head sadly. “No, I doubt if you do, so I’ll tell you what it is. Your insipid, mind-numbing gullibility. It ceased to be amusing days ago.”
Grabbing Sue’s skirt from the floor, Zeke wiped at the blood on his face and shoulders and tossed the soiled garment into the corner. As he fastened his pants, he scolded her. “You ruined my favorite t-shirt, you pig. And pissed on my boots. But I guess that’s okay. Things are about to get really messy anyhow.” He threw his head back and howled wolfishly, “Sue-eeee!”
Oh, god! He’s completely lost his mind. Sue wrestled violently against her bonds.
Zeke slid Big Ben from its sheath and grinned down at her. “Let’s play, Sue.”
Superman
“Shouldn’t have had so much coffee,” Will grumbled as he pulled into a rest stop. His phone rang as he was washing his hands. He dried them quickly and glanced at the caller ID; he didn’t recognize the number.
“Will Falstaff,” he said, as he hurried back to his car.
“This is Detective Dane Alter from Four Falls. We got a report back from Sheriff Halloday over in Chamberlain County. Thought I’d update you on what he found in that barn you mentioned, you know, as a professional courtesy.”
“Absolutely.” Will slid into the driver’s seat. “Let me put you on speaker, Detective. Just a second.” He started the car and turned up the heat. “Okay, go ahead.”
Dane continued, “Your hunch was right, Falstaff. Halloday sent a deputy out to look around and he found a shallow grave marked by a bunch of wilted daisies in one corner of the barn.”
“The remains?” Again, Will felt a shock much like a blow to his midsection.
“Female. But there wasn’t a body, only a head.”
Will choked out one word. “Description?”
“It’s not your girl.” Dane’s voice was kinder than it had been in Four Falls. “This one has been in the ground for a while; although, the area had been tampered with very recently.”
Will pulled onto the highway. “Anything else?”
“Yes. The footprints of two people in the dirt floor. Oh, and a pool of vomit. Fresh.”
“Have you got an identity yet on the remains?”
“Not officially, but we’re checking into that missing girl on the poster.”
“Screwed up world we live in.” Will signaled to change lanes. “How about the land owner? How’d he take the news?”
“According to Halloday, the farmer who owns the place is, um, unique. Prickly old son-of-a-bitch, but this threw him. Shook him up.”
Good, Will thought. “Any sign of the van or the couple I’m looking for?”
“Not yet.”
Will, with genuine gratitude, thanked the detective for calling. “Please keep me in the loop.”
“I intend to. I know you’re concerned about that girl.” Dane lowered his voice. “I’ve got a daughter about that age myself. It’s a worry.” He cleared his throat. “Are you on your way home, Falstaff?”
“On the road as we speak,” Will said, without a trace of guilt for misleading the detective.
“Okay, good. I’ll be in touch.”
They disconnected. Will hit the speed dial for Roxie and updated her on the latest development. “Who knows how many times this freak has killed in the past?”
“Oh, Will,” Roxie said. “You need to hurry.”
“I am. Talk to you later.” Will drove on in silence, tension holding him in its grip.
Will stared up at the daunting edifice of the St. Mary Basilica, parts of which towered over the naked trees. Sunlight glinted off the stained glass near the top of the structure. There was no front entry, so he drove around back, via the alley. Here he found a gate that wasn’t properly locked. He slipped from his car, removed the padlock, and dropped it to the ground. Swinging the gate wide, he jumped back into his vehicle and followed tire tracks that wound into the grounds. His heart leaped into overdrive when he spotted the back of a burgundy van protruding slightly above a ramp once used for deliveries. He pulled into position behind the van, blocking any escape. Turning his cell phone to vibrate, he pocketed it along with the flashlight and eased his car door open. Closing it quietly, he pulled his gun and inched toward the van.
It was definitely the vehicle he’d been chasing. The tag number and color matched. Carefully, Will verified no one was inside. He tried the doors, but found them locked. Returning to his car for a slim jim, Will popped the locks and opened the driver’s side door. The first thing he noticed was the smell. Stale cigarette smoke mingled unpleasantly with the odor of people living too long in close quarters. He pulled the hood release and disabled the engine. Relocking and closing the door he dialed 911. “I need police at the St. Mary Basilica. I don’t know the exact address.”
“That’s fine sir, I have the location. Can you tell me the nature of the emergency?”
“There’s a killer inside with a hostage and I think he may have already hurt her. If not, I believe he has plans to. In fact, you better come in quiet if you don’t want to rattle him. Send an ambulance, too.”
“Your name?”
Will impatiently gave the dispatcher his information.
“Sir, you say there’s a killer inside? How do you know this? Did you see the subjects enter the building?”
“I don’t have time for this! Just get someone here, fast.”
“Sir, I’m sending them now. In the meantime, I need you to stay on the phone with me, okay? You should wait outside for our officers to arrive,” the dispatcher instructed.
“Like hell.” Will hung up.
Turning back toward the massive church, Will entered the same door Zeke and Sue had used and found himself in the kitchen. He cringed as his feet crunched on the debris, sounding louder than a marching band in the stillness of the huge room. He walked forward, uncertain which way to go.
A sound drifted down from somewhere overhead and he paused, cocking his head and straining to hear. It came again. A muffled voice, male, but he couldn’t make out any words.
As Will started for a door leading from the kitchen, a scream resounded through the building, echoing off the stone walls. Will flew through the rooms, seeking the source. Another scream rent the air, followed by harsh sobbing which broke off abruptly. Will spun in place, straining to pinpoint the exact direction from which it had come.
Once more, please. Just make one more sound. Will turned toward the grand staircase and raced upward, his shoes slapping lightly on the steps. He stopped on the second-floor landing and listened. A series of thuds followed by scraping noises sounded overhead. Will eased up the next flight of stairs, hugging the wall and avoiding broken steps. Above him, light streamed through holes in the sloped ceilings. On the third floor, he found an attic space, an open central area with smaller rooms lining either side. As he edged along, he heard rustling sounds from behind the first door on his right. Though his heart slammed a rhythm against his chest, his hands remained steady.
He rushed into the room and surprised a colony of rats at work on the bloated body of a dead raccoon. They scattered, crawling over old boxes and under dust-covered furniture.
Will lowered his weapon and stood for a moment. An ominous crack gave him less t
han a second’s warning before the floor under his feet gave way and he fell through.
He landed on the second floor amid a cloud of plaster dust, broken boards, and bug carcasses. White-hot pain speared his leg. Groaning, he shakily sat up to take stock. Gun still clutched in his white-knuckled grip, he turned to look at his injury. Blood stained his left pant leg around a spike of broken wood that had pierced his calf like a dagger. He closed his eyes and battled the urge to pass out. So much for the element of surprise, he thought wryly.
A long agonized scream nearby jolted him from his dizziness, and he pulled himself awkwardly to his feet. He had made his unplanned landing in a small room. Weaving like a drunk, he gritted his teeth and stumbled toward the door.
More cries filled the empty spaces and he gained a point of reference. Will found himself facing a long hallway with doors on either side. The sounds were coming from this level; he was now certain, but which room?
As he reached a hallway that led straight off the stairway, he once again heard a woman scream. The first room he entered was empty, but sounds of a fight issued from behind a second door. Will moved into place, gun gripped firmly, and threw open the door, revealing his quarry.
Sue was bound to a metal bed frame. Blood covered her face, flowed from cuts on her feet, and soaked the mattress beneath her. Zeke stood over her holding a large knife. Two sets of eyes turned to Will, Zeke’s bright with fiendish excitement, Sue’s wild with horror.
“Oh, god!” she wailed. “Please help me! Help me.” She broke off, sobbing.
Will aimed his gun at Zeke as he staggered inside and visually searched the room for anyone else. It was just the three of them. “Get away from her, you son-of-a-bitch!”
“Who the hell are you? Superman? Come to save the day?” Zeke asked in a lazy drawl, simultaneously dropping into a crouch. The bed, with Sue on it, was now between him and Will. Zeke held the knife to Sue’s throat and stared at Will with insolence. A slow smile spread across his face. “Doesn’t matter who you are. You’re fucked, hero. Shoot at me and you might hit her. You good with a gun? Are you? Good enough to take a chance?”
“I’m good.” Will kept his voice steady and concentrated on his adversary.
“Well, think about this. You hit me, and Big Ben here might slip, slit little Susie’s throat. He’s sharp as a razor.” To illustrate his point, Zeke drew a thin line of blood under Sue’s chin. Red streaks trickled down her pearly white neck.
She moaned.
“Hold on, Susan,” Will said, never taking his eyes off Zeke. “I’m going to get you out of here. Just hold on.”
“Confident, aren’t we? Here’s something to think about...The slightest flick of my wrist and she’s dead. Want that on your conscience, hero?”
“Look,” Will began.
“No, you look. Just lay down your weapon and back over into that corner. All I need is a minute. Then you can rescue the girl and I’m out of your life and hers. Easy as it gets.”
“No deal. Drop the knife on the floor beside you and put your hands on your head.” Will grinned mirthlessly. “Do that, and I promise not to shoot you.” With great effort of will, he ignored Sue’s distress, although every part of his being longed to free her. He began edging toward the bed, adrenaline rocketing through his system.
“Stop,” Zeke commanded.
Will paused.
“It’s a standoff,” Zeke commented, as if making pleasant conversation. “I’ve always hated those. Avoided them, really.” The muscles and sinews stood out on his forearm as he pushed the knife harder against Sue’s pale flesh. His eyes burned with a strange fire. “You a cop?” he asked Will.
“Close enough.”
“Look at your leg,” Zeke said with a short laugh. “You’re bleeding like a mother-fucker. If we dick around long enough, you’ll bleed to death right here on the spot. Seriously, dude, look at your leg.”
Will kept his eyes on Zeke. “Shut up and move your ass.”
Zeke shrugged as if conceding and relaxed his hold on the knife. “Alright, I guess you’re too smart for me. I might as well give up.”
In nightmares later, Will would relive the next lightning fast moments in slow motion.
Zeke raised the knife and plunged it into Sue’s side, then shoved the bed with amazing strength into Will’s knees. Sue howled in pain. Will fought for balance as Zeke leapt over the bed and flew toward the outer room. Swaying, Will reached out a muscled arm, grabbed the back of Zeke’s shirt, and pulled. The momentum sent Zeke hurtling into the wall.
Zeke scrambled on the floor like an oversized spider. In an agile move, he swept out a leg and rammed his boot heel into Will’s wound, driving the wood shard deeper into his leg. Will folded into a red haze of pain, but still clung to his weapon.
Before he hit the floor, Will pulled the trigger.
The slug missed Zeke, but blasted the wall near his head. Plaster and lath tore into Zeke’s perfect face as he scuttled to the office doorway and slipped out, leaving droplets of blood behind.
Will climbed to his feet and lurched after Zeke, who had already reached the stairway. Taking aim, Will fired a second shot as Zeke started down. More plaster flew into the air, but Zeke was gone.
Will faced a dilemma. Go after Zeke or help Sue. Lowering his weapon, his arm trembled as he turned back to the room. With the injury to his leg, Will knew he’d never catch the fleet-footed, younger man. Besides, Sue needed his help and he wouldn’t let her die. Not on his watch.
From below, Will heard shouts. “Freeze! Police!” Footsteps pounded and several shots rang out. Thank God! I hope to hell they brought him down.
On the bed, Sue writhed in agony. Will hobbled to her side, pulled out his pocketknife, and cut the cord that bound her to the bed. Blood still ran freely from her crooked nose, and her neck was chafed and bruised. Will could clearly see ligature tracks on her throat. More blood seeped from between her legs, and oozed from various cuts in her skin. In addition, she had been beaten; red marks and welts marred her body from top to bottom. Will removed his coat and draped it over Sue’s nudity, carefully avoiding the knife.
Sue reached for the weapon buried in her side. “It hurts,” she wailed. “It hurts so bad! Help me, please. Get it out of me!”
“No, honey. No. We can’t pull it out,” Will said in a soothing voice as he carefully restrained her hands. “We have to wait for the ambulance. Shhh, now. Everything’s going to be okay. Zeke’s gone.”
“Gone? Are you sure?” Sue searched Will’s face for a few seconds before her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out.
“I need help up here!” he yelled over his shoulder. “I need medical help. Hurry!”
“Oh, lord,” he breathed as the tension slowly drained from his body. His leg hurt with relentless ferocity and he felt weak. “Oh, my merciful lord.” He stroked Sue’s hair until the paramedics arrived.
In the Worst Way
Will exchanged steely stares with the officer outside the ICU. Sue was out of surgery and stable by the time he’d had his own wound treated and had finished with the police interview.
Limping slightly, he’d made the arduous trek to Sue’s floor. Once there, he had butted hard against the stone wall of HIPAA regulations and the unbreakable resolve of the cop standing guard at the door of ICU-3. He shuffled away from the entrance to the unit and made a quick call to Roxie to bring her up to speed.
Just as he hung up, he was relieved to see a couple of familiar faces exiting the ICU. Detective Dane Alter and his St. Louis counterpart, Lemond Nolan, strode toward him.
“Thank God!” Will exclaimed. “Nobody will tell me anything! How is Susan? Is she going to make it?”
Nolan put his hand on Will’s shoulder. “It’s looking pretty good, Will. The knife miraculously missed Sue’s vital organs, but the doctor says she’s not out of the woods yet. There’s always a risk of infection and internal bleeding in cases such as this, but her prognosis is good.”
&n
bsp; Will rubbed his forehead, trying to smooth out the stress lines. Earlier, Lemond Nolan had conducted most of the questioning regarding the incident at St. Mary’s. Will had liked the man immediately, and he now revised his earlier high opinion upward a few notches. “Can I see her?”
Nolan looked at Alter. “I don’t see any harm. Maybe she’ll open up to him.”
Alter gave a slight nod, and Nolan turned to Will. “She hasn’t been exactly forthcoming with us. Then again, she’s still drowsy and on pain meds. But, the nurses are in with her right now; they ran us off, told us they need twenty minutes or so. So, we’ll give them a little while to finish up and then we’ll take you in to see her. Why don’t you go over to the waiting area and have a cup of coffee? You look like you could use one. That and a couple of strong painkillers.”
Will forced a small smile. “I’m okay.”
Favoring his injured leg, he slowly made his way to the waiting area and sank into a seat in the corner of the room. Only a few other people were present; one man slept in a chair, head back, mouth open. The others huddled together, dealing with their own personal demons. A television droned softly in the background.
Will put his head in his hands and let exhaustion wash over him. The pain pills in his pocket called to him, and the urge to lie down and sleep was overwhelming. He refused to rest until after he’d seen Sue.
He rubbed his eyes and sat up just as Dane Alter appeared in front of him with a Styrofoam cup. “Black okay?”
“Perfect, thanks.” Will reached for the coffee and blew on the surface before taking a drink.
“You lied to me, Falstaff.” Alter’s face was stony.
“Not technically.” Will took another sip. “I told you I was on the road, and I was.”
“Don’t be an ass.” Alter relaxed his posture a bit. “I’m not saying I blame you for what you did; I’d probably have done the same thing. But I don’t like being deceived. Don’t do it again.”
“Doubt I’ll ever have a reason to.” Will set the cup on the table next to the chair and rose slowly to his feet.
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