Heron Park

by C. K. Raggio

  He stole another glance back. Thor moved enough for him to see her face. The gag stretched taunt across her red cheeks. Her eyes met his in the mirror. They narrowed, blazing with anger. There was no fear in them, yet, but that would come.

  The van bumped and shimmied down the familiar drive. It’d been almost seven months since he’d last brought anyone here. That one had been for training purposes for both him and the dogs. As always, he’d done his research on the girl. She’d been in and out of rehab for alcohol and pills. He knew she had no family or friends to speak of. Nobody to miss her.

  She hadn’t been one that he’d really enjoyed. Every time he put the knife to her throat, or Thor came near, she passed out. He wound up having to spray her down with the hose so he could see the tortured anguish in her face.

  Even that got old, and he’d given up on disemboweling her and set the dogs on her instead. Thor ripped through her throat on his command, ending her miserable life with one bite.

  This time it wasn’t a training session. She wasn’t a drug addict, but a cop who thought she was tough shit. She had a reputation that she ate men’s balls and spit them out. He’d see about that. After he was done with her she’d be begging to suck him off like a two-dollar whore.

  He rolled to a stop and threw the van in park. The rising sun reflected off the white ground just enough to make it easy to see. “So here we are. It’s small, only one bedroom, but my family owns over a hundred acres. Well, just me really, they’ve been gone for a while. Both buildings are heated so we don’t have to worry about freezing to death.”

  Timmy stepped out of the van into ankle deep snow, the wind slashing at his face. It was colder here than on the Island, but the brunt of the storm hadn’t made its move north yet. There should be enough time for him to get her inside before it really hit, then it would cover his tracks, just like it did at her house.

  He pulled open the back door. Isabella flung her tightly taped body at him and attempted to head butt. He jumped back, stumbling. Thor’s mighty jaws clamped down on her calf, and she let out a muffled shriek through her gag. She hung face down over the back bumper, her fingers brushing the snow. Blood poured down her thigh.

  “Good boy, Thor. Hold her.”

  He wanted to pummel her. Stab her until there was nothing left. His lungs filled with air, no reason to end everything before it’d even begun. He grabbed a fistful of her short hair and Thor released his hold on her leg. Timmy’s adrenaline pumped through his veins as he flipped her scantily clad body over so she was nose-to-nose with the dog. He shoved her shoulders down, her chest pressed to the van’s floor.

  She wouldn’t struggle anymore. He eased his grip and stepped back. Not with the dogs hot breath and fangs ready to rip into her face. “Not only do you have nice tits, but your ass is what men dream about.” He grabbed the right cheek of round perfection, finding it firm. He squeezed, causing her to jerk forward.

  “You are a very naughty girl, Isabella. You need to learn some respect.” He grabbed her other cheek with his left hand and ran his thumb in-between, along the lace thong covering her.

  He wanted to cut the tape keeping her legs together and make her spread open for him, but that would come later. He had to keep in mind she was feisty. He rubbed at his sore ribs from their scuffle. She would never get away, but releasing her binds now would result in a few more misplaced bruises for him.

  A little something he’d learned over the years. Bruises and abrasions were as hard to hide as they were to lie about. Instead of giving into his hormones, he used his hand to teach her a lesson. Smack. Her round cheek blushed. Smack-smack. The blush welted. Over and over he slapped, until his handprints blossomed on her quivering pale skin like a cattle brand.

  The imprints made him smile. He pulled her by her ankles out of the van like a sack of fertilizer. Her head bounced off the bumper with a thwack. She moaned and went limp. He dragged her face down. She came to, thrashing and kicking trying to roll over. He booted her in the stomach. Air whooshed from her lungs. She gagged and tried to turn her head, gasping to clear away the suffocating snow.

  With a finger, he sent Thor over to her. The dog placed a dinner-plate sized paw on the back of her head, burying her face. He dug his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door as she struggled, her panicked body jerking to and fro. “Thor, here.”

  The dog stepped off of her and sat down.

  Timmy gave him a solid pat on the shoulder. Then clasped Isabella’s feet and continued the rest of the way into the barn.

  CHAPTER 20

  The pounding in Izzy’s head brought some consciousness to her. She wanted to go back into nothingness, to relieve the pain, but the throbbing in her head increased. Her eyes fluttered open and she became aware of the pain in her leg. Her stomach threatened to empty as memories of the abduction flooded her.

  She still wore her black corset. The tape and gag removed, she stretched her jaw muscles and tried to force her body to stop shaking.

  The air smelled like moldy hay and rotting wood. Her sight was fuzzy in the darkness, but wooden beams loomed above her. A barn? How long had she been out? She focused on the window to her right. It looked like someone had spray painted it black.

  As long as it was made of glass it was an escape route. She gathered her strength and tried to get up, but she couldn’t move. Her arms were chained and stretched behind her head. She lay on her back, at least four feet off the ground. Her legs were spread, bent at the knees. Her feet, in some sort of stirrups, were also chained. She was at a gyno appointment from hell.

  What would he do to her? She struggled against her restraints, finding the only part of her body she could move were her hips. I need to get out of here before he comes back. She took a deep breath and thrust upward, hoping to jar something loose. A soft snicker rose from the darkness. She froze.

  “You’re turning me on. Don’t stop, do it again.”

  “You sick fuck! So many people trusted you, respected you. What the hell is the matter with you?” Izzy tried to lift her head, staring toward the sound of his voice. A spotlight flashed on and blinded her. The pain behind her eyes quadrupled. Fuzzy white dots floated before her.

  “Temper, temper.” His voice grew louder as he neared. “Just so you know, darling, they still trust and respect me. You’re the only one who knows better.”

  “We dated for gods-sake. I kissed you. Why are you doing this to me? I don’t understand – ”

  “Ah, yes. My… what would you guys call it? MO changed quite unexpectedly, didn’t it? Guess I was just getting bored with the same old girls, or maybe this is what I planned all along. To be honest, you weren’t my first choice. I wanted Cassandra, always had a thing for that woman. There’s just something about her that gets a man’s juices flowing.”

  He shrugged. “But, she has a cavalry of protectors. I didn’t want to waste my precious time in trying to break through them. So you, my dear, will be my sloppy seconds.”

  Counting to ten, Izzy shut her eyes. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Her pounding heart slowed. Think. Izzy, think. Just keep him talking. She tried to shift her weight on the table, but she felt glued down.

  Anxiety and adrenaline shook her body so hard the table and chains around her rattled. Breathe. Fuck it. Counting never works. “What happened to you? Did your parents molest you? Your father beat you? Your mother do nothing to stop him?”

  “This has nothing to do with my parents.” His voice stayed even.

  Izzy swallowed hard and shut her eyes. So much for trying to unnerve him. She jumped as a hand gripped each of her calves. With the sides of his hands he traced a line up to her knees, then the inside of her thighs.

  “I really do like the nightgowns you have. I was going to bring a few more. Thought you could give me a fashion show, but decided you probably wouldn’t outlive the first one.” In one swift motion, he yanked the panties from her body.

  “You motherfucker! Let me go!” She hated the terror in her vo
ice. She knew she was only exciting the bastard more, but she couldn’t help it. Her biggest fear wasn’t being shot or stabbed or even death itself. It was being held down and…

  “I told you. You knew,” Izzy’s words wavered through her tears. “On one of our dates. I don’t even know how or why I admitted to it.” She gritted her teeth, but a cry broke out anyway.

  His face came into view from between her legs. It blurred, but she could make out his wide smile. It’d been the reason she’d accepted more than one date. His smile had always been so charming.

  A cold, slender finger slid deep into her folds. She shuddered, it was like someone was shoving sandpaper inside of her.

  He moaned and licked his lips. “You feel good. And you’re getting wet, aren’t you?” He laughed. “I know we spoke in depth about your fear. That’s why after not being able to get Cassandra, I chose you.” He plunged another finger into her. “I could see the fear in your eyes that night when you spoke about it. I touched myself under the table the whole time. And now it’s about to come true.”

  She wanted to beg him to stop. Try and plead with him, but none of that would work with this guy. That’s what he wanted her to do. She needed to fight, not let him break her.

  With a defiant sneer, she lifted her head as high as she could and spit out a wad of phlegm. It caught him in the neck. “You filthy piece of shit. I can’t wait till they find you. You’ll rot for the rest of your miserable life in a cell. A pretty boy like you, they’ll eat you up on your first night. You’re going to be everybody’s bitch.”

  His body charged into the light, taking form in front of her face. He stopped at her chest. With a wicked grin he bit into the fabric of her corset, latching onto her nipple with his teeth. He ripped to the side, pulling away lace and skin.

  Izzy screamed. Pain shot through her body, tears dripped from her cheeks.

  A heavy sigh left his lips, like the deed satisfied and calmed him. “Okay, I would love to hear more of this very intellectual conversation, but for now the rag goes back in. Can’t take much more of your jabbering.”

  He brought the cloth toward her, chuckling, but then seemed to change his mind and turned away, disappearing into the darkness. Izzy searched around her. There was nothing she could use as a weapon or to help get the chains off. She was in the middle of the room. Panic flooded her body. She pictured the headless women they’d found in the park. There had to be some way. Something she could do or say.

  He returned naked, holding a strip of his underwear and a roll of tape.

  “You small dicked mother – ”

  He shoved the fabric into her mouth making her gag. Saliva dribbled down her chin. A piece of tape ripped off the roll and he smoothed it down over her face.

  “I wiped my ass with that specially for you.”

  Bile surrounded the fabric in her mouth and she forced it back down her throat so she wouldn’t choke on it.

  He rubbed his hands together. “Now for the fun part.”

  ~~~

  Timmy reached into a bag and brought out the hunting knife he used on all of his victims. He ran his finger along the gleaming steel, shivering as the sharp blade drew blood.

  Isabella’s usually radiant eyes lacked their sparkle, replaced by a stormy hatred as he moved back between her trembling thighs. He ran the knife up her stomach, to the ribbon keeping her top together. Her skin withered as the blade scratched the surface and the material parted.

  His erection grew and he leaned closer to her, rubbing against her rosy center. His tongue followed the knife’s path up to her marred breast. He sucked and slurped before moving on to the other. “Don’t lie, you know you like it.”

  He bit down hard, tearing off flesh. With red streams dripping from his chin, he held her nipple in his mouth, then spit it back at her. It bounced off her cheek and fell to the floor.

  Mesmerized by the fear and agony on her face, he slammed his hardness into her and bit down again. He glided a hand across the bloody mess his mouth made on her breasts, and used it as a lubricant.

  She let out a muffled shriek and cowered away from his gaze. Her lids slammed shut and she twisted her head back and forth. Beads of sweat sprayed off her brow. He plowed deeper into her. Her body took in every inch. Her eyes were all fear now and he was in heaven. She choked on her sobs until finally her screams didn’t seem to be masked at all by the tape and gag.

  His moans of ecstasy matched hers of anguish as Thor materialized out of the shadows. His creation looked even to him like something unearthly, a monster from some bizarre fairy tale. Thor stopped beside the table and bent his massive head to the floor. A long pink tongue made its way from inside a muzzle, filled with two rows of gigantic teeth. Thor found a treat pooling in the dirt. His tail wagged with excitement as he lapped at the growing puddles of blood.

  Timmy needed to add more tidbits for his beast to feast on. He pulled out of her and lowered his knife to her warm core. “This is really going to hurt.”

  ~~~

  A crow cawed from outside the quiet barn. Timmy sat naked on a milk crate waiting to see if Isabella would stir. His ever faithful dog meticulously licking the blood and gore from Timmy’s face and hands. He had rolled Isabella over onto her stomach after she passed out. Her destroyed woman part no longer brought him pleasure. His decision to try another tactic brought on an excited second wind.

  Thor’s ears went up and he went to her side, sitting near her feet. Timmy rose and followed. He knew the dog sensed her consciousness before even she could. She lay on her stomach, legs draped, hanging down along either side of the narrow table.

  She murmured something and somehow mustered the strength to lift her head and look around.

  He scratched the dog behind the ear and studied Isabella’s bruised and bloodied back. “You know, usually you’d be dead by now. I would’ve tired of you long ago. Before we end all of this I want to share something with you.” He moved away, turning on the lights. A white freezer stood flush against the barn’s back wall. He opened it. Cold air rushed against his face.

  “These girls,” he said as he pulled head after head out by the hair. “Didn’t last long at all.”

  He waited for her dazed expression to change. When her eyes grew wide and tears streamed, he smirked. He picked up one of the eleven and carried it toward her. His smile widened at the ice-covered head in his hands.

  The frozen brow made his fingers tingle as he caressed it, then he brought it back behind Isabella. He placed it between her shoulder blades. She swung her hips like an old lady trying to rise from a deep chair. Her breathing short and raspy.

  “It amazes me the endurance you have,” he said, holding the head steady. “You know there were a lot more than what you see. Those weren’t even worth saving though. Either the dogs made a mistake or I did.”

  The dark holes in the head, where brown eyes once were, relaxed him. “This one was my favorite. How I wish I’d taken more time with her. I would possibly still have her now. But I didn’t have control of my anger back then. I was furious with her, and I lost it.”

  He stared into space for a moment. Thoughts of his mother sprung to mind. He cringed and shook his head. “Well let’s just pretend, shall we?” He’d never gotten the chance to have sex with Susan, and he knew his imagination was pretty damn good.

  “No, please, please stop.” Isabella’s voice was no more than a whispering plea.

  “Shut up. Now you’re just being pathetic.” He eyed the frozen head then smashed his erection so hard into Isabella’s ass, he thought the table would break in two. It didn’t, and he continued until she was silent and he was ready to blow.

  CHAPTER 21

  The clock on the wall of the precinct read 8:15. Twenty hours had passed since Izzy’s abduction. Cassie knew the sliver of hope they’d all held onto had all but broken. Their guy was long gone by the time the roadblocks were rushed into place. They’d pulled over dozens of vans and trucks, but none held Izzy.

>   The search through Izzy’s house came up empty. The only fingerprints forensics found belonged to Izzy, her family, Cassie and Phil. Dog hairs and blood from the floor were sent for DNA testing. No one held their breath.

  Cassie sat across from Rick, staring at the maps and pictures on the bulletin board, trying to make sense of it all. She slumped in her chair, elbows on the desk. Her muscles ached and her hands shook.

  She rubbed at her swollen eyes. In her heart she knew it was too late, Izzy couldn’t still be alive, but her mind wouldn’t let up. “You think he owns a cabin or a house, right? Can’t be further than, what, three or four hours away since he has some sort of business to look after around here. Can’t we dig in and find out who on our list owns a place? Can’t be that many.”

  Rick leaned back, stretching his legs out. “No, he wouldn’t have it in his name. Possibly his mother’s maiden name, or hell, his identity here may be a fake.” He stood up and paced the worn gray carpet.

  His laptop dinged. He rushed over to it and pulled up his email.

  “What is it?” Cassie asked.

  His eyes went wide. “When did you say the women started disappearing at the park?”

  “Ten years ago.”

  “Did you check any further back?”

  “Yeah, but nothing stood out as being our guy’s work.”

  “We’ve been trying to pinpoint when the last killing was done down south. They just messaged me. They’re estimating the last was eleven to thirteen years ago.”

  “So you’re saying?”

  “Our killer possibly moved here eleven to thirteen years ago. We need to cross reference the list for ten to fifteen to be safe.”

  Cassie wished she could smile. Instead she felt frustrated that they hadn’t come to this conclusion sooner. This sounded like the best lead they’d had so far. This could knock their list down significantly. But no excitement rolled through her. The numbness wouldn’t ease. She turned to her computer, scrolling though the names on their suspect list.