by Hadena James
He also believed in Peter to follow up on the identity of their killer. Of course, Belmont would counter and claim their killer was Patterson, after all, it had been Patterson that had dug up their bones. He had considered calling Aislinn again but had stopped himself. She would be under the scrutiny of a lot of eyes the next couple of days as they went about identifying the handwriting and bones and starting their investigation into Director Belmont.
Patterson almost didn’t turn onto the highway he needed to get back to DC. He could have gone the other direction and gone to Missouri or Nevada or Arizona or Mexico. Maybe that would be where he headed after he killed Belmont. Mexico wouldn’t be too bad. Sure, it wasn’t the place to raise a family, but to blend in as an aging serial killer, Mexico would actually work in his favor. He could cross the border and head to the Yucatan Peninsula and send a post card of a Mayan ruin to Aislinn. She’d like that, she was big into history and civilizations and pyramids.
However, it was possible that Belmont would manage to get away with it, regardless of the video that showed him picking up the young lady at a gas station and driving her into the middle of nowhere to drown her in a pond. The stress of the possible investigation and the return of the McMichaels’ bones could make him speed up his need to take another life, because with Belmont, killing was all about control. Being in charge of the life or death of another person made him feel more in control of his own life. Patterson wanted to kill him just to prove to him that there was no such thing as being in control.
Of course, Patterson had a few scores to settle as well. Revenge for the death of his son, the death of his granddaughter, the attempted murder of his other granddaughters, and Eric’s sacrifice made in a vain attempt to right the wrong that Belmont had facilitated against the Clachan family.
Patterson put his hat on and wiggled the moustache he had grown to help hide his appearance. Donnelly hadn’t been able to grow facial hair and neither could Eric, so the fact that Patterson could was a decent enough disguise and he had grown out a small beard and moustache that had worked to keep his appearance different enough from Patterson Clachan the wanted fugitive that he hadn’t been found in DC yet, even though he was living just a few doors down from Director Belmont. The fact that Belmont would choose to live in a townhouse on a suburban street as opposed to an FGN, which he was trying to get abolished as unnecessary and unsafe, was telling to Patterson.
He was even bold enough to use his predecessors murder at the hands of a serial killer during the attack on the FGN here as proof that they were unsafe. However, people like Aislinn, Gabriel, Malachi, and Caleb would probably be dead by now if they lived in a regular neighborhood, even a gated one. The FGN did what they were supposed to do when they weren’t being undermined by the Deputy Director of the FBI turned Director of the FBI. However, it had gotten some of the protocols changed. Originally, the Director and Deputy Director of the FBI had been in charge of changing security codes for the gates of every FGN in the country. Now that power resided with the NSA. The DIA organized personnel for protection, hiring from within the ranks of the most accomplished within the armed forces.
This made Patterson feel better as a whole, because the SCTU had a lot of enemies out there, beyond Belmont. It didn’t matter whether Aislinn was capable of handling herself or not, he preferred a Navy SEAL providing protection for her than just some random guy off the street who had passed a background check.
As Patterson pulled into the driveway, his phone flashed up a news alert. The skeletons in Pennsylvania were believed to be those of the McMichaels’ family and their suspected killer was named in the letter. Also, US Marshal Gabriel Henders and Aislinn Cain have been found. Their abductor, Raphael Henders, was found dead by US Marshals after Cain and Henders escaped from him. The bunker in which Raphael Henders had been found was being destroyed by the army once an evidence team finished collecting fingerprints and DNA from the bunker. The stories tied together making the outrageous claim that Special Agent McMichaels was murdered after finding the bunker in the 1990s and that the bunker had been in use by a serial killer for most of the last two decades. It claimed that McMichaels’ wife was murdered so she couldn’t alert authorities to anything her husband might have found in the bunker and told her about.
Patterson was positive that Raphael Henders was alive, and he was positive that was the case because that was what Malachi had told him after telling him that Aislinn and Gabriel were safe and in custody with the SCTU. He also knew that McMichaels had not been murdered in Maine at the bunker, nor had his wife, and that they were reported missing on the same day. However, the news was probably being spun by someone with an agenda. After all, there was no reason to go after and try to kill Raphael, who could probably testify against Belmont, if he was already dead.
Patterson had barely made it in his house before one of the notification systems that alerted him to the Director’s front door opening went off. There was a slight buzzing noise and Patterson entered his garage and got his car running again. It was a good thing he had put gas in it before returning home. He would tell someone he had been right, but there was no one to tell. News of the discovery of the McMichaels’ bones had prompted the Director to leave his house on a Saturday, a day he usually spent in front of the tv making phone calls to his bookie to bet on sporting events of the day.
Patterson followed Director Belmont into a part of town that was very different from all the upper end brownstone townhouses owned by politicians. Here the houses were smaller, and yards weren’t kept very well. Most of the houses looked tired and faded.
Belmont stopped for a brief moment at one of the older houses and a young lady of maybe twenty came out the front door as if she were expecting him. She climbed into his car and Patterson wondered why someone so young was prostituting themselves with men like Belmont instead of going to college or doing job training. Patterson’s phone was set up on his dash like a GPS, but it was actually recording everything in front of him. Including Director Belmont’s car and the young prostitute.
Belmont made it easy for Patterson to follow him. He always took interstates and highways to get to his killing spot, not that it mattered. Last time, Patterson had in fact beat him there and set up a little way away and had been able to record the arrival, the sexual assault, and the murder on his phone. It was that video that was set to send in a few days.
Belmont parked his car in the driveway and Patterson parked his car behind some trees about half a mile before he got to the cabin. Today it wasn’t just about recording evidence. Today he was going to catch Belmont in the act and kill him. He’d even brought some tools along to help him. He had a sheet of paper ready to give the girl he was about to save from her horrible fate. It included Patterson’s name, the phone number for a local sheriff’s department, as well as all the pertinent information on Director Belmont of the FBI.
Unfortunately, Patterson would have to wait a bit. He needed her to understand and report back that Belmont had been attempting to murder her, not just raping her, before he could intervene. Patterson had grown up in an era where rape wasn’t really a thing, or at least, it hadn’t been treated like a real thing, and while a lot of older people were incapable of evolving the way they thought with changing beliefs and thoughts, Patterson was very capable. He had once asked himself what he would do if it was Myrna or one of his granddaughters and realized that rape was a very real thing and that he would have no problem killing someone that had attempted to rape them, and that would have been true regardless of whether he had been a serial killer or not.
He was standing near the cabin when the young girl screamed, and it was cut off by something. Patterson looked in one of the windows and saw Belmont strangling her. Patterson didn’t do anything dramatic like kick in the door or bust the window. He walked to the door and turned the knob letting himself into the living area of the cabin. It was really a house on a recreational, manmade lake, but everyone referred to them as cabins, and Patterso
n didn’t know why. Belmont had his belt around the girl’s throat and was pulling it, cinching it tight around her neck. He registered shock for a moment when Patterson entered the cabin, but he didn’t register recognition. Patterson had his cane by his side and stepped fully into the room where Belmont was with the girl.
“Well, you’ve lived a lot longer than you should have,” Patterson said waiting for some spark of understanding on Belmont’s face.
“This is a private residence,” Belmont spat at him.
“I’m not with the police, but I did come for you, finally. My son made me promise I wouldn’t before he was murdered, ironically by you. However, we did agree that if you went after Aislinn Cain, I could break that promise and do whatever I needed to in order to protect her. With the death of Nathan Green and Raphael Henders, I realize that the only way to protect Aislinn is to kill you,” Patterson told him. Patterson walked over and using a quick motion the belt gave way and he heard her gasp for air as Belmont tried to understand why the belt had broken.
Finally, the recognition that Patterson had been hoping for came over Belmont’s face.
“How’d you know about McMichaels?” Belmont asked.
“Some of us have been following you for a very long time,” Patterson answered. He bent over and handed the piece of paper to the young lady. “You should go, here’s my cell phone. You can call police outside and let them know that you were saved by Patterson Clachan from death at the hands of the Director of the FBI. I have prepared a statement for them as well.
The girl didn’t wait, she got up with the speed of a cheetah and ran from the house, not even bothering to stop and pick up her clothing. Patterson couldn’t hear her talking to anyone, but he did hear Director Belmont’s car start up.
“That is why you don’t leave your keys in the ignition when you are planning to kill someone,” Patterson tutted at Belmont. “This has been a long day coming. I would let you say something, but you would probably beg for your life which would be pathetic and sad.” Patterson told him. “Normally, I prefer a slow and painful death, but I don’t think we have that kind of time right now. I imagine your intended victim is most of the way to the highway already, if she hasn’t wrapped the car around a tree in her panic.
Patterson grabbed Belmont by the hair and showed him the straight razor he’d used to cut the belt from around Belmont’s victim’s neck.
“I’m only going to kill you, you should be thankful for that, considering I could get revenge for my son and granddaughter, not to mention all the other people you’ve orchestrated the murders of, like Jacob Strong.”
“I didn’t kill Jacob.”
“No, you deleted him which is nearly as bad.” Patterson told him before slicing Belmont’s arm with the razor. They might not have a lot of time for torture, but they had a little bit and Patterson was going to use it to make sure Belmont died in severe pain. Patterson flicked the razor across Belmont’s shoulder. The razor had been kept sharp for a long time, just waiting to be used for this purpose. As soon as the blade touched skin, blood welled up in a fine line in between the cut pieces of skin.
“They say confession is good for the soul,” Patterson said. “I’d be willing to stop if you confessed to everything, Callow, Donnelly, Isabelle, Lucas’s parents, all the girls you have strangled or drowned over the years, organizing the attacks at the Fortress and the FGN. Oh, I forgot, you think you are untouchable. It’s a good thing someone was thinking ahead because the news report that Raphael Henders is dead isn’t real. Aislinn and Gabriel did escape, but they were able to save Raphael and Aislinn has already been on the phone with the DOJ as well as the NSA letting them know exactly why Raphael killed Nathan Green and that she remembers you being at Callow’s house when she was a kid.” Patterson told him.
“No one is going to believe her over me.” Belmont finally spoke.
“Yes, they will because Callow didn’t take all her stuff away from her and she has proof it was you, she has been holding onto your DNA for twenty years. That is going to be tricky for you to explain.” Patterson told him. “If I was feeling generous, I’d leave you alive for them to find, but I’m not.” Patterson moved the razor quickly and split open Belmont’s chest, deep enough to expose the breast bone.
“Then kill me old man,” Belmont spit the words at Patterson. Patterson really wanted to do just that, but he couldn’t. Not because Belmont didn’t deserve it, but because Belmont had finally realized there was no escaping his fate, the US Marshals SCT Unit was going to fry him, and if he was lucky, he’d get stuck in the Fortress for the rest of his life.
Patterson took a deep breath. It would be better to leave Belmont alive; disgraced and outed as a serial killer. However, Patterson didn’t want to. He wanted to kill him. Patterson slashed at him one more time and Belmont fell into a heap at Patterson’s feet, blood soaking into the carpet. Patterson left just in time. He saw flashing lights on the interstate a mile or two after getting back onto the thoroughfare.
Patterson drove until he thought his hands would break. There had been no information on finding the Director of the FBI murdered, but there was plenty of news about the missing members of the SCTU being found.
Chapter Nineteen
I WENT HOME AND GRUDGINGLY handed the Count of Monte Cristo over to Peter West for use in his investigation of Director Belmont. He’d been found nearly dead in a cabin by a lake after someone freed a young girl the Director of the FBI was trying to strangle. She had described him as an older gentleman without being able to give an age approximation, just like the guy in Pennsylvania. Most people thought Patterson Clachan was too old to dig up two bodies and drive from Pennsylvania to Washington DC and nearly kill the Director of the FBI all in one day. Peter West disagreed, as did I. He’d come to Maine specifically to pick me up and tell me that I would probably have to testify.
The NSA had found an entire hidden trophy room at Belmont’s house built between two closets. In it were locks of hair from teen girls he had kidnapped over the years. The odd one out was a lock of my hair found amongst the others.
They also found a diary, much like the one I kept of serial killers we chased, that detailed every murder he played a part in, including the McMichaels’ and the erasure of Jacob Strong’s identity from databases that the FBI had access to.
Apex was currently at my house with Peter West. My family was in route from Australia and my brother was being brought to my house for a few minutes under the supervision of the NSA.
I wondered if Peter was aware that Eric was just as able to escape custody as Patterson was, but didn’t say it. They were stopping here on their way to the Fortress. There was no reason to keep Eric in protective custody any longer. Which was fine by me.
“You do look a bit like your mother’s side of the family,” Peter said to me,
“You’ll have your identity returned in a few days and be pardoned for all crimes committed as Jacob Strong.”
“Thanks,” Apex said to Peter. They shook hands.
“So, if Jacob Strong isn’t your real name, what is?” I asked Apex.
“My real name is Jacob Myers,” Apex told me.
“My mother’s maiden name is Myers.”
“I know,” Apex nodded. “She’s my older sister.”
“My mom doesn’t have any brothers, not walking around free among normal people.” I disagreed.
“I take offense to that.” Apex told me.
“Your mother and I were essentially orphans after our brother killed our parents. We were raised apart, I spent the first couple of years in an orphanage and didn’t even know I had siblings until I was a teenager. That’s when your mom tracked me down. She had just been recruited by the CIA and they were looking for psychopathic personalities to put deep undercover. She knew our brother was a psychopath and decided to find out if I had psychopathic personality traits as well. When she realized I did, they recruited me, and I then became one of their deepest undercover agents. Eventually
, your mom met Donnelly and we didn’t see each other for a long time, it wasn’t until Donnelly started the AHEAD movement that she got back in touch with me. We were never close, but we have always been family.” Apex told me.
“That means Raphael did know, and he was right.” I told Apex.
“About what?”
“Raphael said you were my uncle,” I told him.
“I imagine that was information he was given by Belmont, so he’d be weary of me.”
“I have so many, many questions about everything,” I told him.
“They will have to wait a little longer.” He answered hugging me. “For starters, some of this your mother should be here to tell you, and some of it, I’m not sure I can answer.”
“My mother has kept a lot of secrets from me and flat out lied to me a few times.” I told Apex. I was referring to her telling me she didn’t know who he was.
“She does what she thinks she has to do in order to protect you. She might not always be the most forthcoming with information, but she has always done it to keep you safe, as safe as you’re going to ever be anyway. Now that Belmont isn‘t in a position of power, that should help.” Apex told me. I glanced past him in time to see Nyleena scurry through Gabriel’s front door. This meant they were back, and if Gabriel’s was the first place Nyleena had gone, I had just discovered who Gabriel’s secret girlfriend was.
My mom walked in the front door after about a minute. She was smiling.
“Jacob,” she said.
“I told her, she has more questions though,” Jacob told my mom.
“So many, many more questions,” I told my mom.
“Well, I will do my best to answer them.” She put her stuff down by the door. “However, can we wait until after dinner? It’s been a long flight back with Nyleena and Elle bickering and the kids and everything.”
“Sure, Mom,” I sat down at the kitchen table. “I get to take a week off while Malachi’s team deals with serial killers. We’ve got a bit of time.”