Heron Park

by C. K. Raggio

  Tears brimmed in Kurt’s eyes as Steven used a large hunting knife to cut away the girl’s clothes.

  “Well, well. What do we have here?” Steven ran a hand across the girl’s breast that threatened to tumble from her sports bra. “I love it when women don’t wear panties.” He dipped his hand between her legs. “And even more so when they’re shaved bald. Just like a baby.” He took a step back from her. With a flick of his wrist he cut the straps of her bra and yanked it from her trembling body.

  Steven smiled. “Holy crap. What are those things? Double D’s?”

  She shook uncontrollably and nodded.

  “Those things can’t be real.” He squeezed them and she squealed. He laughed again and smacked her ass, then cut off her gag.

  “Help!” Her head moved back and forth, frantically searching the trees around her.

  Kurt shut his eyes again, wishing he could plug his ears to escape her sobbing pleas. If he rushed in now, they’d both probably die. He had to wait, have some sort of plan.

  “Somebody, please. Help me!” she sobbed.

  Steven punched her in the side of the head and she crumbled into the dirt. “Shut the fuck up.”

  She struggled to breathe through her muffled sobs. Blood dripped from a gash over her eye. The dogs lay quiet, watching Steven.

  He put an arm around her shoulder and held a rag to her bleeding head. Kissing her temple, he shushed her sobs. “Now stand your ass up and walk to the front of the truck. Remember, you won’t get two steps if you try to get away.”

  She eyed the dogs and pushed up to a sitting position.

  “Come on,” he said. “Hurry up.”

  She struggled to her feet. Her knees knocked together. She crossed her arms over her chest as she stumbled in the direction he pointed.

  Steven’s face twisted. He rushed forward and slammed her against the van. Her arms fell from her breasts. He latched his fingers around her nipples.

  She screamed, but couldn’t push him away. He overpowered her and squeezed and squeezed until her head lolled on her shoulders. When he let go, she slid down the hood onto her knees.

  “Don’t ever cover yourself in front of me. Your body is mine now.” Steven threw the soap at her and it bounced off her leg. He turned the nozzle on the hose, but nothing happened. “Shit. That was pretty dumb of me. Of course the hose wouldn’t work, the well is frozen. Stay right here, I’ll go get some water from inside.” He frowned and walked into the cabin.

  Kurt glanced at his watch and back to the girl. He couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. Her body was pink and blotchy from the cold. Who knew how long before Ferraro showed up. The girl could be dead by then. This may be his only chance to save her.

  The smaller of the two dogs ran its nose up her leg and planted it in her naked crotch. The girl cried out. Urine streamed down her thigh.

  The dog growled and jumped back.

  With the dog momentarily distracted, and Steven inside, this would be his best chance.

  He took a deep breath and straightened up. His left leg went numb. Pins and needles riddled through it. He lost his balance, stumbled and his shoulder knocked a log from the pile. It landed with a solid thump onto the frozen ground.

  Before he could react, heavy paws thundered his way. He raised his gun, heart hammering. One of the dogs charged at him. Kurt fired and missed. Pulled the trigger again, and the bullet hit the dog square in the chest. The animal crumbled like a bull hit with a matador’s final spear.

  Kurt struggled to get his legs under him. He turned on his flashlight, sweeping the beam from the open cabin door back to the van where Steven stood. His fists clenched at his sides. Kurt inched forward, his gun aimed at Steven’s head. He didn’t see or hear the other dog. The girl was missing too.

  He should just shoot the boy. Get it over with, but he couldn’t pull the trigger. The kid was unarmed, his best friend’s son who he swore to protect.

  With a sneer, Steven raised his hands in the air. “Should’ve killed you a long time ago. I went as far as standing over your bed while you slept. The only reason I didn’t was because my father was so fond of you. I’m kicking myself for it now.”

  Kurt stepped forward. “When I found you after that bear nearly killed you, we made a deal that you wouldn’t come back here. That I would help you leave this place for good and never have to see your face again. The police and the FBI paid me a visit yesterday. I told them everything. It’s all over. They’ll be coming for you. For your father’s sake, I’d rather not have to hurt you.”

  “How wonderful of you to give them all that information.” Steven glanced at the dog bleeding on the ground. He frowned, his nostrils flaring. “You killed him. As you know, I don’t take kindly to anybody hurting one of my dogs.”

  Kurt eyed the dog’s form as he passed it. The dull pain in his hands grew sharper. He wouldn’t be able to hold the gun up much longer. But he needed to know for sure before he ended all of this for good. “Your dog tried to kill me, and I’m not ready to die yet. Where did the other dog go?”

  “She went after the girl.” Steven’s eyes clouded. “It took a lot of planning and waiting to get her. I wanted to keep her around for a while. Take her on a little road trip with me.”

  Kurt took another step. He was close enough now. He’d make the boy think he wasn’t going to shoot him. One more question.

  Steven looked over Kurt’s shoulder and laughed.

  A chill ran down Kurt’s spine at the sound.

  “By the way, Uncle Kurt,” his words dripped with sarcasm, “you didn’t kill my dog.”

  Kurt turned as the dog leapt in the air. Its canines sank deep into his shoulder. His gun exploded. He fell backward under the animal’s weight. His breath whooshed from his lungs. A rib cracked and he yelled out.

  Pain wracked his body. He gasped for air. So stupid. He was so stupid and selfish. Where was his gun? He should’ve killed him when he had the chance. He looked around, but couldn’t see through the tears in his eyes.

  Steven stood over him. “Now you killed him. I’m going to do to you what I did to that bear. Only you won’t be able to defend yourself.” He swung his foot at Kurt’s head and everything went black.

  ~~~

  Kurt blinked back haze. His head pounded. Sharp pains constricted his chest. It took what seemed like hours to focus on the scene before him. He was in the barn. The girl sat on a milk crate, blood oozed from the gaping wounds on her naked back. Steven directed her as she used soap and a sponge to scrub her bruised body.

  “Now stand up,” Steven said. “Make sure you’re nice and clean for me. I smell anything foul and I’m slicing it off.” He tapped her face with the tip of his knife.

  The girl rubbed her foaming hands across her front, sobbing as she went lower. Her fingers trembled and she cowered every time Steven so much as blinked.

  “That’s a good girl.” Steven stiffened, glanced at Kurt.

  “Oh, hell, sweetie, think you should turn around. Uncle Kurt wants in on the show.” He slapped her thigh and she jumped, nearly falling off the milk crate. “Now come on, don’t be shy. From what I’ve heard, you’re a pro at letting men watch you.”

  She turned around. Kurt shifted his head away from her, realizing for the first time the predicament he faced. He was upright, naked, his hands chained at his sides. Both legs spread, chained to solid beams cemented into the ground. He tested them and pain shot down his arms from where the dog had latched on. Stars spotted his vision.

  “Now, now, Uncle Kurt. Don’t look away. Lucy wants you to watch. Don’t you, Lucy?”

  “Yes,” she squeaked and ran the sponge the length of her body.

  Seconds ticked by. Minutes passed. Kurt couldn’t get one solid thought to stick in his head. Sweat dripped from his brow. What the hell should he do?

  “Enough. Rinse off while I speak with Kurt.”

  She jumped, choked back a sob, and dipped the sponge in the bucket. The smaller dog growled at her f
rom a paw swipe away. Her blood not yet dry on its muzzle. Two sets of eyes glowed from the shadows in the far corner of the barn. How many dogs did Steven have?

  “This didn’t work out well for you, did it?” Steven asked.

  “Why are you doing this?” Blood mixed with sweat dripped into his eye. It burned and he smashed his molars together to keep from yelling. “I know you had a tough life, but you were smart. You could’ve been anything you wanted. I gave you that second chance.”

  “Yes, you did. And this is what I chose. Aren’t you proud?” He chuckled. “To be honest I probably wouldn’t have killed you. Killing men doesn’t do a thing for me, but you shot my dog. Now I have no choice.”

  Kurt gave up squinting through the blood and shut his eye. He slowed his breathing. His cracked rib screamed with each word. “Did you kill Susan Tanner?”

  Steven leaned a hand on the girl’s shoulder and she cried out.

  “Shut the fuck up,” he said. “You know I killed Susan. Why else would you have made that deal with me on never coming back? You didn’t want to live with the guilt of seeing me everyday, knowing what I did. How does it feel to find out that over the years I’ve killed so many more?”

  Kurt’s anguish boiled over. Bile overpowered his taste buds. How many has he killed? Oh, God. This is all my fault. His voice trembled. The one thing he’d always wanted to know, he had to ask. “What about Jack? What really happened to your father?”

  Steven’s gaze dropped to the floor, then he turned his back on Kurt. “Dad found Susan’s head in the freezer, made it as far as the driveway before he keeled over.”

  He hadn’t killed his father, not with his hands anyway. Jack didn’t have a heart attack, more like he died from a broken heart. Steven had meant the world to him.

  Kurt’s fingers tingled. He clenched them and they popped as he tried to regain some feeling. Steven had showed a bit of remorse when he spoke about his father dying. Maybe he could play off that. Get him talking until Ferraro came. “What would your father think about all the things you’re doing now? He loved – ”

  “Enough about me.” Steven waved a hand at him. “As you said people are on their way.” He stared at Kurt’s naked body and smirked. His hand wrapped around the girl’s hair. She shrieked as he dragged her across the floor.

  “Should we see, Lucy, if we can get the old man’s wood as hard as mine? Spread your legs real wide for me. Let me check how clean you are first.”

  Kurt choked on his sob.

  Steven crouched down and licked her. Sucking and slurping. He rose. “Not bad, good enough for me. Kurt doesn’t seem too enthused though.” He pushed her down to her knees in front of Kurt. “Suck it.” Steven pushed her face forward. Her chin brushed across the sensitive glands on the tip of his penis.

  “What?” Kurt shook his head, his eyeballs felt ready to pop from his skull. He bucked his body, straining to get loose. “You sick fuck! Lucy, don’t do it… don’t do it.”

  “Old man, I’m the only one she listens to. If she doesn’t, I’ll do things with this knife she couldn’t even imagine. Now. I told her to suck your shriveled penis and that’s what she’s going to do.”

  Lucy stared up into Kurt’s face. Her cheeks flooded with tears. She leaned in, lips trembling.

  “No,” Kurt whispered. “No, stop.”

  “What?” Steven asked. “She’s not your type? I was just trying to do one nice thing for you before you died. I mean Chelsea died how many years ago now? Forget it, Lucy. He’s not into you.”

  A groan escaped Kurt’s lips in between his ragged breathing. Why didn’t Steven just kill him and get it over with?

  “Just bite it off.”

  Lucy paled and she started to hyperventilate. “No. I can’t. Please don’t make me.”

  Steven crouched down next to her. “You’ll do as I say.” His voice was gentle. His fingers caressed her bottom lip, her cheekbone, her temple over the shell of her ear. She clamped her eyes shut. His hand clenched a lock of her hair, and he ripped it from her scalp.

  She cried out and fell on her face. “Ahh, please. I just want to go home. Please, can I go home?”

  Steven grabbed another handful of hair and tugged with each word. “I said. Bite. His. Dick. Off.” He ran his knife up her side, drawing blood.

  Lucy let out a muffled scream as Kurt fought his restraints. This can’t be happening! There had to be a way to escape. Her lips wrapped around him, saliva trickled from her chin.

  She braced her hands against his thighs.

  Her icy palms made him jerk back. The chains rattled. No. No. No. This is a nightmare, has to be. He’d had thousands over the years, surely this was just another nightmare, another fitful night's sleep. This isn’t real!

  “That’s a good girl,” Steven whispered.

  Her teeth pushed down.

  Kurt’s head swam. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.

  “Now!” Steven screamed in her ear.

  Her face clenched, her eyes narrowed with a sickening determination. A wrath of unimaginable pain rocked Kurt’s groin, his adrenaline failed him and he blacked out.

  CHAPTER 35

  An accident on I-95 slowed Cassie and Rick’s drive back to Long Island. What should’ve taken four and half hours was taking closer to six. Cassie had insisted they turn around and go back numerous times. Finally Rick had pulled over and told her Flemings had taken her off the case. If she went to the cabin, any evidence she found would be compromised. Could be thrown out, if they went to trial.

  That shut her up. She hadn’t said a word to him since. Not even when Ferraro called and said he’d be at the cabin within the hour. She didn’t trust her voice, unsure if she would start screaming or crying.

  They pulled down Main Street and turned into the precinct parking lot. The wind whipped and an icy rain sprinkled down. They stepped out of the Jeep and hustled inside.

  Hank stood at the murder board, pinning up a new picture. She was blonde, with long-lashed doe eyes. Two men in blue suits stood over Phil’s desk, murmuring over crime scene photos and their suspects list.

  Rick’s face turned red as he stared at the agents. A vein at his temple throbbed.

  The older of the two men glanced at them with any icy stare. “Sanders. Can’t say it’s nice to see you again. Why don’t we have a talk?” Without waiting for an answer he walked into the interrogation room. Rick stiffened as he followed behind him and shut the door.

  The other agent frowned. He adjusted his belt where it strained around his protruding gut. “I’m Agent Hill.” He gave Cassie a strong handshake. His beady eyes flashed an apology. “That’s Agent Flemings, my partner. He’s from Georgia, but unfortunately southern charm isn’t a trait he possesses.”

  She bit her tongue, not wanting to blast the guy with any sarcastic remarks. They needed more manpower, not for people to be kicked off the case. She glanced at Hank. “Any news on our latest vic? What was the situation?”

  “No trace of her. They’re still searching. Phil is out with them.”

  Why was Phil with them? They wouldn’t take just her off the case. Did Rick make that up to get her to come back with him? If she was off, Hank would’ve pulled her into his office by now. Wait until I get my hands on Rick.

  Hank handed her a file with a picture of the girl. Lucy Roberts. Postal worker. Dancer. Twenty-one-years old. The address of her night job was on Route 110 at the Golden Filly. She definitely wasn’t a ballet dancer.

  Hill cleared his throat and looked down at the photos spread out on the table. He studied the one of Izzy on the park bench. “I’m sorry about your loss.”

  Cassie swallowed the lump in her throat, blindsided by the emotion.

  “Thank you,” Hank answered for her. “She was a good detective.”

  The door to the interrogation room flew open. Flemings strode out ahead of Rick, who kept his gaze narrowed at the back of Flemings’ head.

  If he lied…

  “Just to make everything clear,�
� Flemings said, “Agent Hill and I will be taking over your case. I was going to take Detective Logan off because, in my opinion, you are way too close. But Agent Sanders vouched for you. It’ll be his ass if you screw up.”

  Cassie’s hands closed into tight fists. This guy had balls. She glanced at Hank, then to Rick, relieved to find out he had told her the truth and thankful that he’d stuck up for her.

  She removed her cell from her pocket. Ferraro should’ve called them by now. She needed to concentrate on getting Flemings and Hill to agree to go back to Bayhead, check the cabin, and speak with Kurt Mason.

  Flemings sneered at Rick. Tension thick enough to coat the walls filled the room. They stared at each other like two bears ready to launch into combat. What the hell was up with these two?

  “So you said you might have a lead,” Flemings said. “Enlighten us.”

  Rick yanked the digital recorder from his pocket and hit play. The room filled with Kurt Mason’s voice.

  Listening to it again, Cassie had an even stronger sense that they needed to hurry. All signs pointed to Steven. Kurt’s story finally came to an end. Cassie bounced on her toes. Now they had to move. Get back to Bayhead.

  “We really need to check out this cabin and barn,” Rick said. “If it’s Steven Bailey doing this, he could have Lucy there right now.”

  “Didn’t you send the local police to check it out?”

  “Yes,” Rick said between clenched teeth.

  “I’m guessing even in hick towns they’d know enough to call you if they saw a woman being cut to pieces in a barn. And for all you know, Kurt Mason could be your killer, it doesn’t have to be this Steven character. He could’ve made this guy up. I mean, your perp’s been doing a damn good job at eluding you so far.”

  “You heard the tape.” The vein in Rick’s head throbbed harder. “If you think Mason came up with that story in the ten minutes before we dropped in on him, you’re an idiot.”