by E. E. Borton
“My head is in the game, sir. There’s a good chance this guy might still be on the island, but he won’t be for long. I also believe Paul was the intended target and not –”
“Agent Collins, enough. We haven’t been requested by the local authorities to assist in the investigation.”
“What? That can’t be right. Hold on, sir. I have Chief Hill right here.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s not his call. I just got off the phone with the person that makes those decisions, and they’re not asking for us. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been identified as the lead agency on this. You and I both know our hands are tied.”
“Did you even try to persuade them?”
“Easy, Agent Collins, you’re about to cross a line with me. You need to clear out of there and let the Florida investigators do their job. That’s not a request. Take a few more days and go be with Paul and Kate in Miami. I am sorry, Grey. For the record, I did try to persuade them.”
“Yes, sir,” said Grey, ending the call.
“How did you know that was coming?” asked Grey, turning his attention to Chief Hill.
“Oh, I had a feeling as soon as I called the brass and they told me to escort you off the property.”
“Why is the FBI being shut out?” asked Grey. “I mean, I can somewhat understand my situation, but our resources are light years ahead of yours. No offense, Chief.”
“None taken. The guy who makes the decisions is Sheriff Conrad Doyle. He’s had a hard-on for the feds ever since he was implicated in an embezzlement case four years ago. No charges were ever filed, but the press had a field day with it. Nearly cost him the re-election. Ever since then, he won’t ask the feds for shit.”
“This isn’t the time to have a pissing contest,” said Grey. “You saw them up there, Chief. They deserve our best efforts to catch whoever did that to them. If it were your family, wouldn’t you want the FBI on it?”
“No argument there, Agent Collins, but you may be surprised at the capability and record of our investigators at IFS.”
“Your Investigations and Forensic Science Program,” said Grey, rubbing his temples. “Are you kidding me? If they showed up with more than a jar of fingerprint dust and a magnifying glass, yes, I’d be surprised.”
Grey paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. “Damn it. I’m sorry, Chief. I’m just not used to being the guy on the sidelines.”
“No apology necessary,” said Chief Hill. “I take it you were close to this family.”
“They are my family.”
“Okay, here’s the deal,” said Chief Hill, leaning in closer to Grey. “The IFS and brass are still thirty minutes away. Would it help if you snuck by me and had access to the entire house alone for a few minutes?”
“Absolutely, Chief,” said Grey with wide eyes. “Would it look better if I punched you in the mouth?”
“Are all the agents as funny as you?”
“Nope.”
“Here, take this,” said Chief Hill, handing him a small digital camera. “It’s a gift from my niece, so I want it back. You can take the media card when you’re done.”
“Thank you, Chief,” said Grey, wasting no time entering the house.
He shut the front door behind him and took a deep breath after closing his eyes. It wasn’t going to be easy taking himself into the dark place he needed to go; the dark place that made him a very effective hunter. On any other crime scene, he would’ve had hours to put himself behind the eyes of a killer. Limited to twenty minutes inside the villa, he pushed hard to find the darkness. In less than a minute, he began to transform from a federal agent into a murderer.
“I’m going to get here by car,” whispered the killer. “The nosey neighbors behind million-dollar views might notice a strange boat tied to the dock. The front door is the best choice. It’s more secluded.
“Does she know me? Maybe. Do I just walk in through the unlocked door and surprise her? No. If she doesn’t know me, she might be on the phone or in the kitchen close to a knife. She has a chance to call for help or grab a weapon. I need to make her answer the front door.”
The killer walks down the hall taking photos. “I’m inside and now I have you. I close and lock the door behind me. I subdue you first and then Caleb. Once I have control of your son, you’ll do anything I tell you to do.”
He entered the kitchen taking photos of the romantic candlelight dinner. “I’ve planned this to the tiniest detail; I’m in my thirties; I have above average intelligence and plenty of patience. That means I don’t have a steady job, but I’ve got money. If I just want to kill for the thrill, why do I risk a prolonged engagement? Why do I make you cook me dinner? Why do I stay here for hours? I do it because I have an agenda. There’s something I need and I can’t get it right away. Maybe I think this should be my house, my food, and my life. For one glorious night, it will be; I want to be Paul; I’ve been here before. Maybe just once, but I’ve been here before. Or someone I know has and can give me the exact layout.”
The killer finishes in the kitchen and makes his way upstairs to the bedroom. “I’m done with my meal and I’m looking at my watch; I have a tight schedule to keep. I can’t deviate from the plan. I’m through playing with you now; I’m through with the fine dinner and conversation about our day. I’m going to hurt you now; I’m going to inflict unimaginable mental and physical pain on you and Caleb. Why do I want to hurt you so bad?”
Walking into the bedroom, the killer gets a rush of endorphins running through his veins when he sees Caleb still bound and lifeless. He kneels down beside the small body. “Your mother doesn’t care what I do to her as long as I don’t hurt you. I lied to her. I needed to control everything in order to finish what I came here to do. I knew you both were going to die here tonight.
“Why do I make you watch each other suffer? Is it sexual? Maybe, but it’s always about control; it’s about pain. I want Paul to see everything I’ve done here; he has to see it. Do I rape you? Yes, and Paul will know Caleb watched me; Paul will know I was the last man on earth to fuck his wife before I butchered her. I want him to know that you both were terrified and screaming in agony before I killed you; I want your caskets closed; I want him to know I was the last man on earth to see your mother’s pretty face before I destroyed it; I want him to know I was the last man on earth to see you intact and whole. I own that now. I own all of you.
“Am I hurting you because of what Paul did to me? Is this revenge? What did you do to me, Paul? What made me do this to your family? Why do I want to take them and make you live with the horror? Did you take mine? Is that it? You took my family from me; you took everything I loved and now I’m going to take everything you love. What the fuck did you do to me, Paul? You know me; you fucking know who I am.”
The killer turns away from Caleb and stares at the bed. Even though they took her out of the house, he can still see Kate tied to the bed and bleeding in vivid detail. “I’m going to kill your baby in front of you. I want Paul to know you watched, helpless to stop me as the life drained out of him. This happened in your safe little world, but I got in; I got in and you let me rape you; you didn’t even fight me. I don’t care if I leave DNA behind. Why? Maybe I used a condom, but there’s still the chance I left skin cells or hair on you. I was methodical in my planning; I’m not reckless. Why would I risk leaving DNA behind on a utensil or on you? Because I know I’m not in the system. My DNA isn’t in any database because I’ve never been arrested; I’ve never been arrested because I’m not a criminal or I’ve never been caught.
“Paul will know this is his fault and that he didn’t protect his family. He wasn’t there when you needed him the most. He’ll have to live with that for the rest of his life; I’ll live the rest of mine knowing he’ll be in unbearable pain because of what he did to me. This is about revenge.”
Grey swallowed hard several times to hold back the nausea when he came out of his trance. There was no need for Grey to get any closer t
o Caleb’s body and risk adding his DNA to the crime scene. There was a need for him to get out of the house and into fresh air.
Chief Hill was leaning against his car talking on his cell. Grey handed him the camera after removing the data card and sat down on the curb. The chief finished his call and took a seat next to him. “You’re looking a little pale. You okay?”
“Not even close, Chief,” answered Grey. “His world has been destroyed, and I’m about to set it on fire again.”
“Paul?”
“Yeah,” said Grey. “This was a message, Chief.”
“What kind of message is killing a child and his mother?”
“A simple one,” replied Grey. “You took mine and now I’ve taken yours.”
“You think Paul was mixed up in something?”
“I have no doubt,” said Grey. “Thank you for everything. You didn’t have to let me back in there. You risked an ass chewing and I appreciate it, but I have to ask you for one more thing.”
“Sure.”
“I need a car.”
Mercy
CHIEF HILL HAD ONE OF his officers drive Grey the short distance to Key West to pick up a rental car. He received two phone calls from Evan during his long trip to Miami. There were no updates on Kate’s condition. All Evan could say was that she was still alive and still in surgery. It was midnight when he pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.
“Any changes?” asked Grey, walking into the waiting room.
“A nurse came out about an hour ago to let us know the doc would be out shortly,” said Evan. “Other than that, nothing. Let’s take a walk.”
Paul was staring out a window and didn’t look away when his best friend arrived. “How is he?” asked Grey as they rounded a corner.
“I really don’t know,” said Evan. “He didn’t say much on the drive up. Every so often he’d start crying, but then he’d apologize a few seconds later. I tried talking to him as much as possible like you suggested, but it seemed all he wanted to do was sit in silence and watch the world go by. I know he’s probably in shock. I’m just not used to seeing him this way.”
“His brain hasn’t processed what he saw,” said Grey. “There’s no timeline on when that’s going to happen. All we can do is try to be there for him when it does.”
“I went ahead and made some phone calls to their families,” said Evan. “I talked to Kate’s sister and her parents. They’re going to catch the first flights out in the morning. I tried reaching Paul’s parents, but got the machine. I left a message for them to call me as soon as possible.”
“How are you holding up?” asked Grey.
“I’m glad that trip is over. I felt every inch of it. I’m fucked up about this, but I can’t even begin to imagine what’s going through Paul’s head. How do you even function on a basic level after seeing your family that way?”
“I don’t know,” said Grey.
“Did you find out anything?” asked Evan. “Any leads?”
“Nothing concrete,” answered Grey. “I was pushed to the side by the locals and my boss, but the chief did give me a few minutes inside alone to walk through the house. I have a data card full of photos I’ll be sending to my team in Atlanta.”
“Oh, I guess you’ll be needing this back,” said Evan, looking around before handing over Grey’s weapon. “What do we do now?”
“Sit around and feel helpless,” said Grey. “At this point, all we can do is wait; wait on the docs to tell us Kate’s condition; wait on a phone call from the investigators; wait for Kate and Paul’s families to get here.”
“Well, looks like we can scratch one of those waits off the list,” said Evan as two men in scrubs entered the waiting room.
“Are you the family of Kate Freeman?”
“I’m her husband,” said Paul in a very weak voice. “These are my brothers, Evan and Grey.”
“I’m Dr. Allen and this is Dr. Singer.”
“Is my wife alive?” asked Paul before any handshakes.
“Please, gentlemen, can we sit down?” asked Dr. Singer. “Your wife is alive, Mr. Freeman. As you know, she suffered severe injuries in the attack. The fact she is alive is a testament of her will. She’s a very strong woman, but I don’t want to give you any false hope she’s going to survive her injuries. Her condition is critical and will remain that way for several days if not longer.”
“The surgery tonight was to try and stop her internal bleeding,” added Dr. Allen. “We managed to achieve that goal, but we had to remove her left eye, spleen, and a section of her colon. Her left lung collapsed, and her right lung was also punctured but remained semi-intact. Her heart, liver, and kidneys were spared any traumatic injury, but all her organs are suffering due to the massive amount of blood loss.”
“Mr. Freeman, we estimate your wife lost close to half of her blood volume,” said Dr. Singer. “We’ve replenished her fluids to the point of stabilizing her pressure, but the short-and long-term effects are devastating to the body. Because there wasn’t enough blood to carry an adequate supply of oxygen to her brain, it’s very likely there will be significant brain tissue damage.”
“I’m sorry, what do you mean by significant?” asked Paul.
“As with any brain injury, we won’t know the level of damage until certain cognitive tests can be performed when she’s stronger,” said Dr. Singer. “Mr. Freeman, our priority for at least the next seventy-two hours will solely be life support. When she arrived in the ER, she had stopped breathing and the medics were performing CPR. We put a tube down into her lungs, and we’re now breathing for her. She had both extensive internal and external bleeding. It’s nothing short of a miracle she’s alive. Based on our combined medical experience, she shouldn’t be.”
“Mr. Freeman, you need to gather your family as soon as possible,” said Dr. Allen. “They’ll be invaluable to you in the coming days.”
“Gather my family? He killed them,” responded Paul, raising his voice.
“I’m sorry?” said Dr. Allen.
“My family is my wife and son,” said Paul. “He cut my son’s throat and butchered my wife. My family is already gone.”
“Dr. Allen,” interrupted Grey, “his son was also attacked, but he didn’t survive.”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Freeman. I wasn’t aware. What I meant was –”
“We understand what you meant, Dr. Allen,” said Grey. “We’re already contacting his folks and I agree with you that they’ll be invaluable. Thank you.”
“If you need anything, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask,” said Dr. Allen.
The two doctors left the waiting area and returned to the OR. Without saying a word to his friends, Paul returned to his seat by the window. Grey and Evan took the seats beside him.
“Paul, look at me,” said Grey. His friend obeyed and turned toward him. “Kate is still alive and she’s a fighter. You’ve always bragged about how tough she is and she’s proving it again now. I don’t care what they said about her condition. Your wife wants to live. She wants to see you again.”
“He took her eyes,” whispered Paul. “She’ll never see me again.”
“That’s enough of that shit,” said Evan. “She didn’t lose both her eyes, but even if she did, she can still feel your hand and hear your voice. Grey is right. She wants to live. She hasn’t given up so you can’t either. Do you understand me? Don’t you give up on her.”
“Did we hear something different?” asked Paul, becoming aggravated. “Because I heard the docs just say she’s going to have severe brain damage. That’s only if she lives past the next hour.”
“They also said they won’t know anything until –”
“Stop!” said Paul. “Enough. You can get pissed at me all you want when I say this, but I hope she doesn’t wake up. When she does, the first thing she’s going to ask for is Caleb. After all that she’s been through, I’ll be the one who kills her when I tell her he’s dead. If she makes it, I’m going to h
ave to tell her I couldn’t save our son; I’m going to have to tell her I let someone cut our beautiful six year old baby’s throat. So I don’t need your pep talk right now, Evan. You didn’t see them. I did. And I’m praying to God that he takes her before she remembers. If he has an ounce of mercy, he’ll take me with her.”
“What the hell does that mean?” asked Evan, not backing down. “What are you talking about, Paul? That’s bullshit and you know it.”
“Evan,” said Grey, getting his attention as Paul stood and started walking to the other side of the waiting room. “Ease up just a little.”
“Oh, shit,” said Evan, dropping his head into his hands. “I just screwed up.”
“No, you didn’t, buddy,” said Grey. “Not at all. You got him talking. Not exactly how I would’ve tried, but you got him talking.”
“He wants to kill himself, Grey. You heard him.”
“Of course he does. I don’t blame him for saying it. To be honest, I’d be more worried if he didn’t think that way. I’m not saying I want or will allow him to do it, but I completely understand. You need to as well.”
“This is beyond me. I’m not like you, Grey. I mean…”
“I know what you mean and that’s why I love you. You wear that big ole dumb heart right there on your sleeve. You’ve never had a filter and you say what’s on your mind. That’s more important to Paul than you’ll ever know. Don’t be any different around him. Don’t walk on eggshells and don’t hold back what you’re feeling or thinking. Just do what you’ve always done since we were kids. Just be his best friend and always be honest with him.”
“Okay, Grey. Just don’t go too far away. I’m working without a net here.”
“Deal,” said Grey. “I have to make a couple phone calls and I don’t want Paul to hear me. Keep him in your sight, but give him a little room to sort things out. Did you see any police officers or guys that look like me when you arrived?”
“No, I haven’t seen either. Weren’t they supposed to meet us here?”
“I’m sure they’re somewhere close. I’ll be right back.”