Survival Instinct

by Declan Conner

  “What about Bill Davis? He’s not on this Ward is he?”

  “No. . .no one of that name here,” she replied as a police officer stopped them. “It’s okay officer. The father,” she said, as Jamie showed his ID and the officer stood to one side. “Only five minutes with each, Mr. Jameson.”

  Jamie walked into Steve’s room shocked at the sight. His entire head was wrapped in bandages with only slits for his eyes, nose and mouth, and an I.V. was connected to his arm as he slept peacefully.

  “God, my baby! What has he done to my baby?” Jamie gasped.

  “Look, Mr. Jameson, it’s not as bad as it seems. He’ll be up and about tomorrow. Try not to worry. We can take the bandages off in the morning.”

  “I’ll see my daughter now,” said Jamie grimacing in dark anticipation.

  “Follow me, and please, not a word.”

  Jamie followed her into the next room silently.

  “Oh no,” he said at the sight of Ellie.

  Her face was bruised with a cut across her nose and above her eye. She obviously put up a fight. An I.V. was fastened to her arm and a machine with electronic probes attached to her chest, beeped softly. Jamie winced as the nurse took him by the arm and led him out of the room.

  “Don’t be too distressed; the electronics are only a precaution.”

  “For God’s sake, how could he do this? He’d better die, because he’s dead if I get hold of him,” he said in a rage.

  “I’d feel the same if it was my kids, but you’ll not be much good to them locked up,” remarked one of the officers.

  “Come and sit down,” said the nurse, “and I’ll make you a strong coffee. I know it must be upsetting but honestly they’ll be fine.”

  Jamie sat down in the waiting room with his head in his hands as the nurse walked away. How could I be so stupid? He was agonizing over the events of the last twenty-four hours when the nurse returned.

  “Here, get that down you; a good dose of caffeine should calm you down.”

  “No hope of that. The guy who did this is being operated on here. There’s no chance they’ll bring him onto the same Ward is there?”

  “No, don’t worry. I’ve been checking. They’ll keep him in the Surgical Ward on the ground floor. They have a secure room down there for such eventualities. Look, I have to be getting on with my rounds. I work on my own on night shift. When you finish your coffee, you should go home; there’s nothing you can do here. Trust me, in my experience when they wake up, you’ll be fast asleep and that won’t be any good to them, now will it? They’ll be out for hours.”

  “Maybe you’re right. I’ll think about it.”

  The nurse set off on rounds. Jamie looked for something to read but there were only old magazines. Taking out his wallet, he took out his notes on the garbled messages and studied them for the first time. He looked for a pattern and it jumped out immediately.

  “They’re anagrams!” he shouted and made his way to the nurse’s desk for a pen and paper. Sitting back down, he rewrote the messages neatly and numbered them.

  1 If you’re up to it after, him so us wage.

  2 It’s easy if you use a pencil with some confusion, I am a maniac tau eta nu.

  3 Try this gift, he a recluse?

  4 It’s in the, eye consult?

  5 It’s quite fun in its entirety, One shows worry, rusting Hebrew toy even excites?

  Yes, all five are invites before the first comma. “If you’re up to it after” is asking me to work out what comes after the comma, as are number two and three. Number four is telling me the words “eye” and “consult” make up the word or sentence, and number five is telling me the words after the first comma make up the answer in its entirety. Christ if they all follow a pattern that means they’re all sentences. But why question marks at the end of the last three? What makes them different?

  Jamie started with number one and began to write down words that jumped out at him from the page.

  Amuse, aim(s), ago, am, amigo, age(s), ego, guess, guise(s), gum(s), gas, hum, hiss, I, I’m, is, oasis, ohm, so, some, sew, saw, use(s) who, whim(s), wig(s).

  He studied the words knowing he’d probably missed some, but decided to see if he could find the answer as his mind honed in on the task. He deduced, the words are aimed at whoever found the message and that was obviously the police. The total number of letters in the sentence is eleven. The police look for clues and he’s communicating with them. The killer would think of himself as “I.” Damn, it’s easy!

  He said it aloud, “If you are up to it after, guess who I am.” He was excited he’d entered the mind of the killer, but equally disappointed it gave no clue that it was Bill.

  Looking at the second message Jamie despaired as he counted eighteen letters. I need a computer for this one. He caught sight of the nurse finishing her round. Then looking at the third message the answer came to him. It was the message left at the scene of Grace’s murder that had put him under suspicion and the only victim where the killer had left DNA. “Try this gift, here’s a clue.” Christ he wants to be caught, but why would Bill deliberately leave his DNA? Maybe he set me up with Gail and Sandra hoping they would find mine. But it went wrong, and that’s why he killed Sandra, reasoned Jamie as the nurse sat back at her station.

  “Excuse me, is your computer connected to the Internet?” he asked the nurse.

  “Sorry, no.”

  Jamie looked at the time, he was tired and his stomach still felt queasy. He wondered if he should make his way back to Mary’s to get his head down for the night. Then the thought struck him, I’d better phone their mother. He took out his cell phone to make the call.

  “Sorry, no cell phones, they can affect our equipment,” said the nurse pointing to a sign on the notice board.

  Jamie slipped his cell phone back in his jacket and checked for change for the payphone, but finding none, he made his way to the elevator and back to the entrance. Catching site of Agent Hammond as he entered the toilet, Jamie walked outside and leaned against a pillar as he took out his cell phone and dialed June’s number.

  “I hope this is important! What do you want?” asked June.

  “Look, before I say anything, don’t worry, Stevie and Ellie are fine but they are both in the hospital.”

  “What’s happened, which hospital?”

  “United Central, Ward 15A. We had an intruder at the house and they were attacked.”

  “My God! Where were you?”

  “I was out, but what’s that got to do with it? The head nurse says they’ll both be kept here for at least three days.”

  “Right, I’m on my way. I’ll book a flight.”

  “You’ll need a hotel. The house is closed as a crime scene. Incidentally, will you be coming alone?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, Gordon and I split up.”

  “Right, I’ll get going then,” said Jamie as he ended the call and allowed himself a brief smile at the news. He leaned back against the pillar to gather his thoughts as a car pulled up and the occupants made their way to the entrance. He heard the automatic doors swish open and a voice call out.

  “Agent Hammond, hi, I’m Agent Keller and this is Agent Ryder.”

  “Glad you could get here so quickly.”

  “Who’s the target?”

  “Jamie Jameson, he’s in the hospital now. That’s his car parked over there.”

  Jamie listened intently as he heard the footsteps make their way past him. He moved around the pillar to hide.

  “We’ll put a tracker on his car just in case he leaves. Here, take this, we were asked to give you these records. ”

  “Great, let’s go inside and I’ll take a look and give you a full briefing. Then you can fit the tracker,” said Hammond.

  Jamie heard the sound of the automatic doors open and close. His heart pounded, the adrenalin rush adding to the turmoil in his mind. Why the hell do they want to follow me? They have the murderer, unless they think we were
in it together. He tried to think what he should do. He was about to head for his car, then hesitated. What if for some reason Bill is not involved, and they still think I’m the killer? Damn that’s not logical; I need to buy time until they can interview the kids.

  He made his way towards a line of parked police cars. Trying the doors, the first two were locked. Jamie tried the third car and found it unlocked. God this is like Russian roulette. He hoped the car belonged to the guards who would be on duty all night. Jamie slipped back to his car, retrieved his bag and returned to the police car. As he sat in the front seat, he glanced in the mirror and saw the automatic doors open and the Agents head toward him. He sloped down in the seat to avoid detection and reached up to adjust the rear view mirror so he could see his own car.

  One of the agents knelt down at the rear bumper, while the other kept watch. Jamie could see them, but he was unable to hear as the agent fitting the tracker stood and began talking in animation to the other.

  Jamie watched as they made their way back to the entrance adjusting the mirror until they disappeared inside. He rummaged through the glove compartment looking for something to break the steering lock, then found a screwdriver and quickly broke off the steering column casing. He located the proper wires, touched them together and the car started. Driving away slowly, Jamie was relieved it was one-thirty in the morning and no one was about. He made his way out of the hospital grounds and onto the freeway.

  Contents

  Jamie disappears

  Hammond sat in the lobby reading the army records. Bill arrived in Iraq first, with Jamie arriving as the army took over Bagdad. Stationed at different barracks, they were there at the same time. Bill served out his time in Helmand province in Afghanistan. Jamie’s time in Afghanistan overlapped Bill’s by two-and-a-half years, but to his annoyance all the pages were blacked out on Jamie’s service record.

  Turning to Bill’s medical file, his eyes lit up. Ten visits to the special clinic for VD. His “charge sheet” showed one case of alleged rape just before he was discharged at his base in the U.S. The daughter of his Captain admitted consensual intercourse, and the charges were dropped. Flicking through the blacked-out pages in Jamie’s file, Hammond came across his medical and psychiatric reports.

  “Christ, what a beating!” Hammond winced. Again, many of the paragraphs were blanked out. He read what wasn’t:

  “Jamie Jameson is displaying characteristics, brought on by childhood parental emotional detachment and oppression. This trait has set his character as a solitary person, without emotional sibling attachment, making him well suited to our requirements in a special services role. Jamie has developed a distrust of the feminine gender both in his childhood and during his marital relationship. Before my interview, he experienced a temporary mental breakdown as result of an apparent breakup with his wife. On recovering, his experience and ability to compartmentalize his emotions have resulted in him closing these thoughts out of his consciousness, together with the thoughts of the trauma experienced during. . .”

  The rest was blacked out down to the summary:

  “It is my opinion, that while in the future these problems may manifest and require therapy, Mr. Jameson is mentally fit for active duty as soon as his physical injuries have healed.”

  Hammond put the file down on his lap. Perhaps he’s killing these women and blanking out all recollection. The messages may be his way of screaming for help. Bill’s obviously a sexual predator. He could’ve teamed with Jamie to get his kicks.

  Agent Keller coughed to gain his attention.

  “We put the tracking device on his car, but found this,” he said passing a similar device to Hammond.

  “Is this one operational?”

  “It was, but we switched it off.”

  “Chief Hogan, damn him! He must’ve suspected Jamie all along and not told me what he’s up to?”

  “It could be a private detective.”

  “Leave it with me; I’ll just check with the guards and I’ll get back to my hotel. Here’s my cell phone number and the telephone number of my hotel. Contact me as soon as there’s any significant development.” He called the guards, “Any movement up there?”

  “The victims’ father visited, but all quiet here.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Dunno. Left fifteen minutes ago. Can’t see him here, wait a minute and I’ll ask the head nurse.” Hammond waited patiently. “Left here like I said to make a call outside. I’ve been here ever since, and he ain’t come back.”

  “Check the restroom.”

  “Will do,” he replied as Hammond waited nervously.

  “No sign of him.”

  “Okay, if you see him contact me immediately and keep him talking.” Hammond turned to Keller. “Damn he’s gone for a walk, check his car.” He contacted the guards covering Bill. “You need to stay alert. The victims’ father has gone missing. Report back to me if you see anything.”

  “Will do. Bill’s still in surgery.”

  “Damn, damn, damn!” he repeated and phoned Hogan on his cell phone. “Chief Hogan, where the hell are you, man? Jamie’s gone missing. I need as many men as you can muster to search the hospital.”

  “Christ, I was just getting into bed; what do you mean he’s missing?”

  “No one’s seen him for fifteen minutes and his car’s still here. He could be targeting Bill.”

  “Shit! I’m onto to it, but it’s one-forty-five. I’ll have to drag in the highway patrol. We’re short on manpower this time of morning. I’ll get back to the hospital.”

  “His car’s still here. He must be in the hospital somewhere,” said Keller.

  “I hope so,” said Hammond as he set off towards the Surgical Ward.

  ***

  Jamie heard the bulletin on the radio, as he pulled over to call Mary on his cell phone. He saw a message had come through and opened it. ‘Go to 185 The Hathaway, message for you’. Must be a wrong number, I don`t recognize the sender. Just about to dial her number, the thought struck him. Christ, they’ll be able to triangulate my phone. He turned it off. I can’t go to Mary’s, they may find out about her from Steve and Ellie. He searched his mind for somewhere to hide out. Got it, I’ll go to Bill’s log cabin at Brakes Lake, then I can kill two birds with one stone. The picture of the hunting knife and handcuffs at the log cabin was clear in his mind.

  Jamie pulled away and turned off toward Bill’s cabin. After ten minutes, another call came through on the radio. Code one-seven-eight. Any cars in the area please attend 185 The Hathaway, East side, white Caucasian female, late thirties. Jamie pulled over and listened but heard nothing in reply. Code one-seven-eight, that’s a homicide! That`s the address on the message. He switched on the car’s computer and typed in the address. Looking at the map that appeared on the screen, he could see it was only two blocks away. They’re all tied up at the hospital, no chance of a quick response. Maybe it`s a trap.

  His mind working overtime, Jamie’s curiosity overcame his instinct to get away, and he headed for the address. As he turned the corner, a car came towards him and Jamie put his headlights on bright obscuring the driver’s vision. He caught sight of Detective Frank Andropov driving the car as it passed. Jamie pulled up at the address but there were no other police vehicles in sight, just an elderly couple standing in the garden next door. Jamie eased his way out of the car.

  “Hi there,” the old man said. “You’re a bit slow off the mark. The detective told us to wait for ‘scenes of crime, whatever the hell that is. Do you want our statement?”

  “No, they’ll be here soon, just go back inside and wait.”

  “You a detective? You don’t look dressed for the part.”

  “FBI undercover.”

  “What, in a police car?”

  “Look go inside and just wait in your home,” ordered Jamie. Reluctantly the couple shuffled off.

  Jamie made his way up the path and entered the open door, switching on the light in the hall
. He quickly looked into the den and kitchen careful not to touch anything, feeling fortunate the doors where open, but found nothing. Making his way upstairs he entered a bedroom where the door was open and was sickened by the sight before him. Light from the bathroom revealed the body of a woman as she lay on the bed, her chest covered in blood spilling over onto the covers. Her hands were stretched out above her head and her legs wide apart. Jamie entered the bathroom taken aback by the message on the mirror and committed it to memory. He walked around the bed to look at the woman’s face.

  “Jesus Christ, it’s Susan!”

  He ran out of the bedroom, down the stairs and toward the car, as the SOC wagon pulled up. He opened the door as his eyes locked for a second with one of the crime scene team. Jamie started the car and carefully drove away. He pulled a pen from the clipboard on the passenger seat and scribbled down the message, as he drove with the clipboard on his lap. “God, how stupid! Why did I have to go to the house? If that guy recognizes me now, I’m sunk.” He accelerated toward Brakes Lake.

  ***

  At the crime scene the sight of the man in the police car was bugging Jeff, the forensics guy. Why was he wearing civilian clothes?

  “He’s a new one, but I seem to know him from somewhere,” said Jeff.

  “Didn’t want to hang around; maybe it’s his first,” said the SOC officer laughing as they entered the house to start their investigation.

  The Coroner arrived and made his way to the scene where SOC were taking photographs.

  “What have we got here? Why are there no police officers? Get me Chief Hogan on the phone,” he ordered his assistant as he looked over the body.

  “I don’t understand? We were at another scene earlier today and the police arrested someone in a failed attempt to murder a young girl. It had all the hallmarks of the Crossword Killer right down to the message on the mirror?” said Jeff.

  “Chief Hogan for you Mr. Bridges,” said the Coroner’s assistant, passing him the phone.