John: The Senior Killer

by Robert C. Waggoner

  Wendy said, “I really like it and if we add golf carts to ferry the seniors around we can also have our FBI agents drive the carts. Make it look like it is open and all are free to wander around, but in fact it is a crab pot to catch the crab: no escape once in”

  Brad’s pacing stopped when agent Jones started the idea of a historical look at the Spruce Goose and other planes at the museum Then he resumed his place listening carefully to the discussion. He sat there and smiled once he heard where it was going.

  For the next hour they kicked around the many details of the operation which by then was accepted as a go. Nancy was making notes on her laptop fast and furious as details were flying around the group it was hard to keep up. She took a break and a deep breath thinking how a run and walk on the beach came up with an almost foolproof method of catching John the serial killer; or so they thought.

  ***

  John drove down I-5 to Portland, Oregon. South of Portland he took 99w towards the coast on his way to highway 101 and down to Bandon by the sea. First he wanted to check out McMinnville and then relay via a cell phone to his brother. He’d given his brother a cell phone and showed him how to use it when he stopped off at the pig farm. Nearing McMinnville he took the Dayton bypass road that led to the airport and connected with 99w to the coast. He took the time to visit like a tourist and left of his view of Brad’s Round House. Before he left he called his brother to give his thoughts on the airport and security that surrounded it. He told him the picking looked good as lots of old timers were wandering around looking at the giant Spruce Goose and other planes of interest. The plan was set and he drove off into the sunset for his date with a view of his nemesis.

  John drove the speed limit at all times. His alias Clyde Walker of Wenatchee, Washington was bona fide along with a passport. He had two more stashed in a safety deposit box in two other cities. But for now he was he was happy, but a long trip was ahead of him. When he reached highway 101 he turned south and drove through what is known as the “Twenty Miracle Miles.” This was a section of the highway where small towns joined each other is a strip along the beach highway for tourists. Motels sat on the beach shore; restaurants with giant windows overlooked the beach and ocean; and of course the ubiquitous tourist shops to browse until you moved to another place just like the one you just stopped at.

  John made his way down to Newport, a fair size town on the coast before he stopped for the night. He would get an early start and be in Bandon about two hours after the sun came up. But now heavy rain and wind beat against his windshield and he was happy to hole up for the night as dark set in.

  Chapter 18

  Brad and his running team were running on the beach about two hours before daylight. The storm had abated and now low clouds drifted across the calming sea. Seagulls were out in force seeing what was to eat after the storm surge left wounded clams and small crabs dotting the beach. Only a slight wind was blowing onshore as they headed back up the trail to the Round House feeling good that both the exercise and a well-made plan felt good. Wendy looked at her watch and it was close to six am as they entered the house. Sandy and her brood were on shift with Rocky running with them. At eight am Rocky would replace Sandy as point dog for the day.

  It was Rocky who alerted the team as they just finished up breakfast about nine am. What he spotted was someone about three hundred yards away up on a high dune among the scrub pines looking through field glasses down upon the Round House. Rocky was trained to be aware of stationary people, but people walking the dunes were rare and a person not moving alerted his senses that something was not right.

  John had left Newport long before daylight and arrived in Bandon at about eight am. From his map he found the Beach Loop road and made his way to where at a gas station he learned of the strange house about three miles or so off to the west of the Beach Loop road past the golf course. John had a good idea where it was as he passed a side road that looked like no other he had seen driving slowly down the road. He went passed it about a quarter mile to a parking lot for beach combers to make their way to the beach. He climbed the sand dune and walked along the ridge through the scrub pines until he came to where he could see to the north across the small creek that ran into the sea, sitting on a bluff the Round House. As soon as he spotted the house he quickly ducked down and crawled along the opposite side of the dune until he felt he was close to where he could get a good view of the house. John made his way slowly with his large spotting scope in his back pack. Once on top, hidden fairly well he set up his spotting scope and looked down at the Round House some two hundred fifty yards away.

  For twenty minutes he looked down as the sun tried to break through the drifting clouds rushing inland. The sun was off his right shoulder and no reflection off his glass should be noticed. The first thing he saw was a large dog with three pups in the front yard. Two cars and a van sat in a gravel parking lot in front of the house. He saw a trail leading down to the beach across the side hill of the bluff. One nice spot for a house, he thought. No doubt the security was about the latest technology as he settled in for a long watch until about noon he thought. He’d brought a sandwich along with him and some bottled water. A heavy coat made of Gore-Tex to stay warm and dry if it rained

  After watching the house he thought about the written letter to the Batt Team and would mail it from the Bandon Post office. Then his plan was to meet up with his brother at the truck stop just north of Salem off I-5. Some movement caught his attention as a man walked out of the door making John’s heart pound with excitement knowing he was looking at the leader Brad Pratt at his own home with the Senior Killer watching him through a spotting scope. Another large black dog was left outside while the other tan dog and her pups went into the house.

  He focused on the large black dog who first did a three sixty of the house and then sat staring up at him! John never moved an inch while the dog sat and looked his direction. Fear and adrenaline raced through his body knowing if spotted the chase was on. Before he left the motel he borrowed some Oregon plates for just this trip. If he had to make a run for it, he didn’t want Washington plates standing out like a red flag to local and state police. If discovered he was sort of boxed in. South on 101 where no roads east were available until the Oregon California border; or back north on 101 of Coos Bay; and what was an unlikely option was a highway that went to Coquille from Bandon and then highway 42 to Roseburg and I-5.

  About the time he decided to pack it in the black dog set off the alarm and after setting off the alarm raced down the side of the bluff directly towards him. John left the scope and raced down the back side of the sand dune falling head over heels rolling to a stop at the bottom of the hill next to the parking lot. Completely out of breath and the hair standing up on his neck knowing the dog would be on him in only seconds. Dragging his car key out, pressed the unlock button, he jumped in and was off out of the parking lot when the black dog entered the parking lot just behind him. The dog chased for a few seconds, but looking in his mirror, he saw the dog give up the chase and turn around trotting back home. John’s hands were shaking and his heart was about to come out of his chest he thought. He tried to settle down and drive safely, but realized he was driving way too fast as he rounded a sharp corner to the left and then down a steep hill, back up the other side and came to a stop sign on highway 101. A sign pointed left to Bandon and to the right and south to Port Orford. He turned left and found he had slowly come back to normal as he drove the speed limit back to Bandon about four miles north.

  Back at the house after the alarm went off, Brad and Mike like a shot out of a cannon were out the door with guns drawn one rolling to the left and coming up in a shooters position while the other did likewise to the right. The other members of the team where hot on their heel; Brad off to the right saw Rocky racing up the side of the sand dune across the creek making a line to the top of about a two hundred foot wall of dunes that ran south for many miles. By this time Sujin had out a four wheel drive sm
all pickup truck with large tires for beach driving or muddy roads. Brad ran to the truck with Mike as Sujin jumped out and ran to the cable crossing. Gravel is flying and off they went knowing whether it was most likely would head south and then south again in 101. Brad after hitting the Loop Road, turned right, went a quarter mile, stopped and looked into an empty parking lot and then raced south. Both of them knew it was a lost cause, but turned left at the stop sign on 101 and drove safely into Bandon.

  Brad found his brother in law and reported an unknown person or persons probably spying on his place from the parking lot near his place. Chief of Police Lane radioed his officers in the field to be on the lookout for anyone looking suspicious. All of them knew it was a lost cause and fruitless to go on a witch hunt. They said goodbye and drove home. Rocky meanwhile had found the spotting scope and brought it home. Agent Jones dusted it for prints and after some time made a match: John Mitchell, the Senior Killer.

  Back home Mike and Brad reported what little they knew to the team. Rocky, meanwhile was a hero and strutted around with his head held high. Sandy realized he did something important and showed her submissive side to him while the pups played together chasing tails and rolling in the short grass in front of the house. They all agreed he was going and would not be back anytime soon.

  John mailed his letter and left town through Coquille and east on highway 42 to connect with I-5 north to meet his brother at the truck stop at Wood Burn between Salem and Portland. That location gave John’s brother access westbound to McMinnville and for John to connect with I-84 east bound for his intended location in Central Eastern Oregon.

  Back at the beach house, plans and details gone over a hundred time about the operation in McMinnville, Billy was working on the word puzzle as usual with his friends on the internet. Billy after a consensus of opinion with his friends, he went upstairs to have a smoke and think about what he had found out. Brad noticed the look on Billy’s face as he and the rest of the team were either sitting around drinking tea or looking out the window at the coming storm that was brewing just off the coast.

  Brad sitting on the floor next to the wood stove had Rockies head in his lap gently rubbing his head and scratching his ears. An occasional ray of sun broke through the oncoming dark clouds doing a light show through the windows casting shadows across Wendy and Nancy as they stood at the windows talking. Steve sat in his usual spot of the sofa thinking about how this would be the last time of trying to stop the serial killer with an operation such as this one. His boss had made it plain enough an hour ago when he called to report the details and overall plan of the “Spruce Goose” operation. Now he had his long fingers combing his thinning hair in thought as Brad watched his friend handle the stress he too felt coming. We have to catch this guy now, he thought while one of the pups climbed onto his lap for a little attention.

  In the kitchen Sujin and her sister along with the old Korean lady were putting together a Korean dish called Bip in bop. It is a vegetable dish served in a stone pot with rice on the bottom, vegetables layered on top of the rice with a fried egg on top. With a hot red sauce you mix it all together to make a really healthy meal. The smell coming from the kitchen made your mouth water. It was a perfect meal to greet the wind and rain that would make its debut about dark.

  Billy came in with a small cloud of blue smoke dragging behind him. He stayed in the foyer a minute or so to let the smell of his cigarette drift off and be overwhelmed by the spicy smell from the kitchen. His eyes met first Brad and then Mikes as he walked over and sat down next to the wood stove while two of the pups gathered around him wanting him to play with them. Billy had long arms and played with the pups as he was looking at Brad with glazed over eyes deep in thought. Finally, while one pup was chewing on his arm, he said, “I’m going to leapfrog here a little and then I will play with the map, but I think if we use McMinnville as the ‘Me” and then the ‘If’ is Fossil, Oregon. The only other town that has its start with an ‘F’ is French Glen. No towns or cities start with an ‘I’ in Oregon that I know of”

  By now all had drifted to the stove as the sky darkened and the first drops of rain splattered against the windows. Brad said, “If you say so Billy we will run with that as being his next stop if we don’t stop him in McMinnville.

  Mike chipped in with a what if kind of thing and said, “I would guess,” as he looked at the ceiling for an answer, “it would be a ten hour or more drive to Fossil using the freeway east bound to highway 395 and then down to Fossil if I remember right.”

  Wendy, sitting down next to Billy and playing with one of the pups said, “Let’s assume this would be his last stop. Fossil that is. From what you are saying Billy,” as she looked at him, “Fossil is a very small town with only three ways in or out. He’s practically left him no escape route. Could this be his where he meets his demise? What I mean is, we now have the ‘Catch’ and if McMinnville is ‘Me’ and Fossil is ‘If’ and ‘Can’ is in California, the game is up, over finished and, think about it, Fossil is a perfect metaphor for his ending.” Silence except for the kitchen and the pups growling while playing with Billy. Steve was all ears and stood up taking his sport coat off as the wood stove was putting out a lot of heat, or was it his belief that it might soon be over.

  “Clean the area,” was heard from the kitchen as dinner was ready. Sujin sat down with not her usual grace from the bulge in front of her with Brad. Billy put the pups outside with Sandy and washed up in the kitchen while joking with the old Korea lady saying what lovely skin she had, holding his stark white skin against her brown arm. No more talk as they enjoyed the Korean food and side dishes.

  After dinner a relaxed time as they looked over maps and played devils advocate back and forth next to the wood stove while the storm increased outside. Billy had his lap top and was e-mailing his friends who continually searched for possibilities into the night. Steve left to make a phone call or two and Mike headed home to his farm and Julie. Sujin took a hot bath soaking in the tub rubbing her stomach that now stuck out of the water if she arched her back. She closed her eyes and thought about after they had flown out of the mountains and made their relationship bloom on the beaches of India.

  For the first few weeks they did nothing but sleep and wait for his leg wound to heal. India had good doctors and soon he was moving around like his old self. No running, doctors’ orders that would come later, so they swam in the ocean and ate good food. They had a beach bungalow under some coconut trees and when they weren’t swimming they talked. She talked about her family and he did the same. By the end of the first month they were lovers and best friends. She found him very sensitive and a caring person. She knew it wasn’t false because his eyes would betray him if he lied.

  Then by the end of the second month they flew by military plane to Guam and from there after a medical check up, they flew to Washington DC. Sujin remembered vividly meeting Steve the first time. He was as gracious as he was honest. He and Brad were tight and shared an honest and frank relationship. A month later a team was formed and the rest is history, as she laid in the tub thinking about the new life growing inside her.

  Brad came in just about the time she was nodding off. He sat on the side of the large tub which had a power jet for tight muscles when needed. She looked up at him through her almost black eyes and said, “Do you think we will catch him?”

  “Yes, I think we stand a better than even chance of nailing him in McMinnville, but something is bothering me and I can’t put my finger on it. Somehow I think it is a trap of sorts, but don’t know how to explain how I feel. Early in the morning I will go for a run and see if shakes it out after a heart pounding run to the jetty. Nancy is leaving tomorrow for Portland. She will take care of a lot of details and with only a few weeks to prepare, she needs the time. We will do the publishing work at the event and find the expertise to give the historical look at the giant plane made of wood. Other than that, we just sit and wait for the pumpkin day,” as he stripped down to join he
r in a hot bath, and some other things that needed attention.

  Chapter 19

  Sitting in the truck stop’s restaurant listening to truckers talking on the phones provided by the establishment at the booths, the brother’s Mitchell sat talking over a hot turkey sandwich. John had rented a room at the motel adjacent to the truck stop. They would stay here until it was time to make their move.

  At the McMinnville airport a flurry of activity was going on making preparations for the upcoming Halloween day event for mostly Senior’s. Advertisements in newspapers and even spots on television made the event become popular. In addition the media added a warning to beware of someone you didn’t know as the serial killer was still roaming free. The Mitchell brothers smiled when they saw the ads on TV. The pickings would be good and the more people there the better to hide among, was their thinking.

  Down on the coast the team spent most of their time discussing the case and or on the beach either rock climbing, running or just walking. Sujin was feeling left out as she would stay home this time around. Nancy had kept them informed on a daily basis and agent Jones was on location representing the team. Billy continued his research and nothing new came up.

  Now was show time. The actors were in place and on the morning of Halloween, Brad’s teams were in disguise as grounds keepers going around in an electric golf cart tending the trash. Billy was in the FBI van tucked into a hanger behind a false wall monitoring the traffic coming in or going out. Security was tight and a life size picture of John was prominently displayed at the entrance warning all visitors to be careful.

  Paul Mitchell waited in line to enter the airport under the assumed name of an ID John had given him. A driver’s license was included. His disguise was simple and effective having been shown how to do it many times over before the day to leave for the airport. The day before John had left for Fossil and he spent the night in The Dalles, Oregon just off the I-84 freeway next to the Columbia River. Next day at ten am he sat in Fossil at the local cafe drinking coffee and reading the newspaper dressed like a tourist going elk hunting up in the area of the Columbia Basin.