by K. J. Dahlen
“I would still like to know why he picked my family to destroy,” Sebastian said.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and ask him when we catch up to him.”
“Do you still think he’s going to Hannibal?” Sebastian had to ask.
Jesse nodded. There was something else he had to tell Sebastian about. “Ethan told me something I didn’t know before today. He told me that Tucker has made several trips up to Hannibal in the last few years. He and my dad never knew when he’s coming but they always know when he’s been there.”
“How do they know that?”
Jesse shrugged. “He said it was a lot of little things. Tucker never leaves a note or anything but he said some of the furniture gets moved around sometimes or they’ve noticed pictures are missing one time and when they came back the pictures were returned. He said one time Tucker’s mom put out a quilt on his bed that she had made for him and the next time they checked the house, the quilt was gone.”
“Why does he go there?” Sebastian asked.
“I’ve been thinking about all the people that claim to know me as Tucker and all the different names he’s gone by. Paul Moran and Nick Granger are only two of the ones we know about. When we were teenagers, just before Tucker left, something happened. At the time, I thought he was just playing some sort of game. He had me go with him to another city, he changed his clothes and literally became another person. We were fifteen years old at the time and he walked into a place of business and began pitching an idea to the manager. The manager called him Tom Reed. As Tom Reed, he made more money in one afternoon that I do in a year’s time. His performance was outstanding and I remember being in awe of him. What if that’s what he was doing when you caught him on film. I mean, if you photographed him while he was pretending to be someone else that might put a serious dent in his bank account. I think we have to dig a little deeper into your theory and find out exactly what he was doing in the park that day. You think he was taking his next victim, but what if it was something else?”
“Like what?” Sebastian asked. He frowned because Jesse wasn’t making any sense.
Jesse shrugged. “If he was scamming someone using a false name he wouldn’t want that known. His cover has never been blown before and he takes great pride in that fact. But if the wrong person started asking questions, his whole scheme could fall apart.”
“Are you suggesting that you think he goes back to Hannibal for money?” Sebastian asked.
Jesse nodded. “I think he would have to find a place that only he knows about, somewhere he figures is safe. He knows that very few people go to the farm anymore. He could find a place that he knows won’t be discovered and leave things there. Not just money but anything he uses from time to time, like maybe all the alias’s he uses for instance. I mean, he can’t exactly put his money in a bank. He wouldn’t want to leave a paper trail. Something like that could be discovered by anybody. He’s got to have someplace to hide all that stuff. It’s not like he can leave it out in the open and he wouldn’t leave it on his boat.”
“Is this something you know for a fact or is it just speculation?” Sebastian asked.
Jesse shrugged. “When I first discovered the killer might be Tucker, I did dig into his background but I didn’t find anything. I couldn’t find anything from the time he was fifteen and left home. He has no bank account or credit card under his own name anywhere.”
Sebastian thought for a moment and then suggested, “I think we need to find out more about his trips to Hannibal. Did your uncle say how often he’s been there?”
Jesse shook his head. “He didn’t say.” He looked out at the river for a moment then back at Sebastian. “You have to understand something. They have no clue what Tucker has been doing all these years. All they know is that he is their son, good or bad he is their flesh and blood. It’s going to be hard for them to understand what’s happened to him.”
“I think we need to talk to your uncle again and find out for ourselves what they do know.” Sebastian’s thoughts turned to his young son. He didn’t know if he would understand it either if something like this had happened to him. He wished he could hear his voice again. “Maybe you should get some rest while we’re down for the night? I can keep watch so he doesn’t catch us by surprise. We both need to be alert tomorrow.”
* * * *
When Jesse slipped down to the sleeping area, he noted Kelly’s eyes were open. She was silent as he stripped off his shirt. When he would have just slept in the other bunk, she held the sheet that covered her open, thus inviting him to join her.
Jesse held her eyes and his hand went to his belt. Slowly, he unbuckled it and let his pants drop to the floor. Her gaze met his eyes without saying a word as he stepped out of his pants and came toward her. Kneeling on the bed, he had to ask, “Are you sure?”
Kelly nodded.
Jesse crawled in bed with her and simply held her for a moment. Then in the darkness, he had to ask, “Why?”
Kelly shrugged. “I’m not sure. How can I explain something I don’t know for sure? All I do know is that the moment I saw you, I felt something strange happen. It was as if I knew you somehow. I can’t explain it.”
Jesse was stunned. Her feelings matched his own. How was this even possible?
Kelly turned in his arms and looked at his face. “I may not know you all that well but I know what I want and what I need and right now that seems to be you. I’m not asking for forever, who knows if that even exists but what I’d like to ask for is right now. Can you give me that much? I know it isn’t the right time or the right place but I found out just recently that life can be too short…too short to wait for the right time.”
Jesse stared at her face. She was a sweet girl. He didn’t even know her, but deep down, he did. She’d been through something that could have taken her life. He understood her feeling that way.
She reached up, grabbed his face, and kissed him hard. Pressing her tongue in through the seam of his lips, she tangled with his.
Instantly, he could feel his body harden as the blood rushed to his cock.
She groaned and snuggled closer. He pushed her tank top off over her head and her breasts were laid bare. His lips nibbled down her chin to her neck. He began nipping at her throat and down to her chest. Licking and gently biting, he found her nipples and when he bit down, she groaned.
Jesse clamped his hand down on her mouth to keep the noise down. He knew Sebastian was just a few feet away but Kelly had forgotten this fact.
He slipped over top of her and found his place. She opened her legs and the only thing between them was his boxers and her shorts. Her scent slapped him in the face and he couldn’t control himself. Her pulled his boxers off and tore her shorts off. Then he slammed into her wet haven.
He hissed when he was seated within her. He moaned at the perfectly tight fit. When he began moving within her, his heart began to pound in his chest. Each thrust made him want more. He completely lost control when she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Please, I’m so close…” She whispered. “I need more…harder…”
Each whisper ramped his thrusts and soon he was slamming inside her. Her pussy felt so warm and wet as his thrusts were deep and hard. Then he felt her slip over the edge and as she clamped down, he exploded inside her. He smothered her cries with his mouth, sucking up her moans.
Holding his body stiff while he came inside her was one of the best feelings he had experienced in a very long time. He slid to her side and cuddled her body to his.
Kelly turned her head and brushed her lips against his. “Wow, that was incredible,” she whispered.
“You were incredible,” Jesse whispered back.
“Hush now, you need some rest.” She wrapped her arms around him. “You need to be at your best when you confront Tucker.”
Jesse fought to stay awake but her warmth and her even breathing soon had him falling into the arms of sleep.
Chapter Ten
Sebastian watched as Jesse disappeared below deck and he just turned to watch the river. As if on cue, his cell phone rang. He looked down at the cell phone. He quickly grabbed it up and said, “Hello.”
“I have to say that I’m a little disappointed in how far you’ve come today. How do you expect to catch me if you can’t keep up to me?” Tucker asked.
“Where are you, you bastard?” Sebastian made a low sound in his throat.
“That would be telling, wouldn’t it? I hope you don’t expect me to do your job for you too?” Tucker taunted him.
Sebastian took a deep breath and got his emotions under control. “Did you call just to chat or was there something you wanted to tell us?”
“I just got bored waiting for you guys to catch up, so I thought I would call and complain. I also have to wonder if you found what I left behind for you?”
“You mean Kelly?” Sebastian sneered.
“Ahh, you did find her then.” Tucker asked. “Is she with you? Maybe if she is, I’ll have time to finish her off before we meet again.”
“The hell you will. You’ll never get close to her again. If you’re that bored, come on over. I can guarantee that you won’t be bored.” Sebastian promised, and then hesitated. “But as long as you’re bored, let me ask you something.”
It was Tucker’s turn to pause. “Okay, go ahead and ask. Of course, you may not like the answer but you can always ask.”
“Why me and my family?” Sebastian really wanted to know. The more he knew about Tucker at this point the better.
“Ahh, that’s the question that has plagued man for centuries. Why me?” Tucker paused while he thought about the answer. “I would have to say it’s because I admire your technique.”
“What?” Sebastian queried. “What the fuck are you talking about?” He was confused by his answer.
“The first time I saw you, I was impressed by the way you handled a tough situation. You had compassion for the little guy, yet you slapped down the big bad wolf all at the same time. You were awesome.”
Sebastian thought about what Tucker just said and it didn’t make any sense to him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I doubt you would remember this but we met once, a long time ago.”
“I don’t think I would have forgotten that,” Sebastian said.
“Oh, but we did. You were investigating a murder case. Robert Cale was murdered by his wife Rebecca. Do you remember the case?”
Sebastian thought back. He remembered the Cale case but he didn’t remember ever meeting Tucker Briggs. “I remember the case.”
“That was the case that brought you into my world. I followed that case in the papers for weeks. You were the only cop that gave a damn and you didn’t quit, until the case was solved and the guilty people were in jail.”
“What does any of that have to do with why you chose me to play your little game with?” Sebastian asked again. “I still don’t remember meeting you.”
“We ran into each other one day when you were coming out of the station house.” Tucker chuckled. “That was the day your wallet went missing in fact.”
Sebastian thought about that for a moment. That day, he had misplaced his wallet for a few hours but he’d found it again later, lying on the floor of his car. He just thought he’d dropped it there. “How did you know I lost my wallet?”
Sebastian heard Tucker laugh. “Because you didn’t lose it, I swiped it,” Tucker boasted.
“Why?” Sebastian asked.
“I wanted to know everything I could about you. Your family, your interests, your hangouts. Very nice picture of your family. Did you always carry it?”
“Why?” Sebastian repeated his question trying to remember what he had in his wallet that day. He ignored the question about his family.
“I have been looking for just the right person for a long time now, and I chose you,” Tucker said simply.
“The right person for what?” Sebastian asked.
“All my life, there’s been a part of me that doesn’t fit anywhere. My family didn’t see it, my friends didn’t see it. Hell, for a long time, I didn’t see it. Then one day, that part of me came out and I realized that the something I was always searching for was death itself. The remorse I was supposed to feel when someone close to me died wasn’t there. Instead, a feeling of total freedom filled my soul. I began experimenting and I have to be honest with you. The rush I got when I killed something or someone was incredible. The power I felt was amazing. I can’t even describe it.” Tucker paused for a moment and then added, “I can’t seem to stop it either. I’ve tried to stop but I can’t. The police haven’t been able to stop me either. Not even my cousin Jesse has been able to catch me. I chose you because I think you might be the only person that could ever come close to stopping me.”
“The items in my wallet told you that?” Sebastian inquired. “You could have just dropped me a line and asked me to catch you. With your history, I would have tried to find you.”
Tucker laughed. “I have everything to lose if you can catch me. Let’s just say, I wanted to even the playing field. I wanted, no that isn’t quite right either, I needed you to have a personal motive to stay and play the game with me.”
“So you killed my wife and kidnapped my son just to make me come after you?” Sebastian hissed. He was close to losing control again, and he had a feeling that Tucker knew it.
“Doesn’t the hatred in your soul keep you coming after me? Doesn’t the rage you feel give you the energy to want to find me?”
Sebastian didn’t say anything. Everything Tucker just said was true. The rage he was feeling for the man responsible for Carolyn’s death was what was keeping him going, that and the fact that this evil man had his son. “So if I catch you are you going to come peacefully or is that a dumb question?”
“I haven’t made up my mind to that yet, we’ll have to wait and see if and when that time comes. But you have to catch me first and you aren’t even close to doing that, so I guess I won’t have to worry for a while.”
When Sebastian didn’t respond, Tucker decided to sprinkle a little salt in the wound. “You know Sebastian, you have an amazing family. Your wife, now what was her name, oh yes, Carolyn; well let me tell you something, she was such a hot little number. If she was my wife, I would have been home every night with bells on.”
“Shut up you little worm.” Sebastian growled at him. “You aren’t fit to speak her name.”
“Now is that any way for a father to speak. What if Wyatt had been listening? Oh yeah, I forgot, Wyatt is with me.” He began laughing.
The sound grated on Sebastian’s nerves and slammed the phone down on the table. He vowed then and there before this was over he was going to kill this man, with his bare hands if necessary. One way or another, Tucker Briggs was going to die.
Hours later when the sun came up, Sebastian was sitting in the same place he was all night. He was staring out over the water replaying the conversation he had last night. Over and over in his head, he heard Tucker’s words.
* * * *
Jesse took one look at his face and knew enough not to ask any questions or offer any comments. He recognized the rage in Sebastian’s eyes and knew his cousin put it there. He got up and started the boat. The way he looked, Sebastian was even more dangerous than the river.
They made slow progress through the morning. They wasted little time in Golddust, but they had to stop for gas. Jesse watched as Sebastian paid for the gas and picked up a bottle of Black Velvet whiskey.
Kelly just looked at him and shook her head. She slipped downstairs to get away from the tension between the two men.
They must have had a guardian angel watching over them that day because they made good progress and didn’t run into anything. By early afternoon, they were almost to St. Louis.
“So how far are we from Hannibal?” Sebastian finally asked.
Jesse shrugged. “We have around a hundred and seventy miles o
r so to go yet.”
Sebastian nodded. The bottle of whiskey he bought last night sat unopened on the table. He knew he needed a clear head right now, so he hadn’t touched it. Finally he asked Jesse, “Is there a reason your cousin has a death wish?”
Jesse looked shocked. “What?” He hadn’t thought of that possibility.
“I’ve been thinking about our conversation last night. He told me that he’s been looking for just the right person for his little game for a long time now and I was wondering if there was a reason why?”
Jesse shook his head. “If there is, then me and my family don’t know about it.”
Sebastian nodded. “I was just wondering. He’s done enough to warrant a spot on death row but I won’t help him end his life in a police assisted suicide.”
Jesse didn’t say anything. He was worried about Tucker. He was playing a dangerous game with the wrong person. Sebastian had made his position very clear. Tucker wouldn’t escape justice. When this was all over, he’d either be sitting in jail or dead.
He turned over the boat to Sebastian and he went downstairs to get some rest. Kelly was lying on his bed and rather than go to the other bed, he crawled in beside her. Wrapping himself around her, he fell asleep.
Sighing, she snuggled closer to him.
* * * *
It was late the following morning before they got to Hannibal. They were able to bypass St Louis and now as evening approached, they neared the dock by Jesse’s Grandfather’s farm. They hadn’t heard or seen anything of Tucker and they were a little worried that he’d been there and gone already.
Jesse pulled the boat into a little cove not too far from the dock, yet he knew the boat would be hidden from sight.
As they backtracked to the farm, Sebastian hid in the tall grass and looked over the river entrance.
They had argued with Kelly about staying on the boat but she wouldn’t let Jesse out of her sight. She did agree to wait while they checked out the barn.