Mike finally breaks the silence, “Well, I’d suggest that you hurry up with that tire before you catch pneumonia.”
Rick can’t believe he let himself be hustled like this, but he begins to tighten down the lug nuts. His hands slip from the tire iron a few times and mud splatters across his face and chest. He grumbles and finishes the job as quickly as he can. Rick is soaking wet with mud covering the front of him. He begins to wipe his face and hands as best as he can under the circumstances. He starts to walk back to his car.
Mike yells to him, “Wait a minute, follow me into town.”
Rick gets back into his rental car and quickly turns the car on and blasts the heat. He’s freezing and hungry. He looks in the rearview mirror and is irritated by how he looks with several mud splats on the left side of his face. The rain begins to pick up momentum and begins to pour down. He watches for a moment as the sergeant helps the elderly woman back into her Camry.
Finally Mike pulls away from the side of the road and heads into town a mile away. The sergeant parks in front of a pizza and sandwich restaurant, and doesn’t bother to wait for the detective. He continues inside and seats himself in a warm comfortable booth. Rick joins the sergeant and takes a seat in the booth across from him. Mike takes his time looking over the menu, but it’s obvious that he’s been to this restaurant a million times before.
Rick states, “Sergeant I’m really in a hurry; can you tell me if Emily is here in town?”
Mike looks up from his menu just as the waitress arrives and he places his order for a club sandwich with extra French fries. He continues, “And the California detective would like?”
Rick replies, “I’ll have the same, thank you.”
Mike turns his attention back to Rick and decides to continue his fun. “So what was it that you needed?”
Rick realizes that he is the focus of a small town police department practical joke. “How long are you going to have your fun?”
“As long as you let me.”
“I’m a friend of Emily’s. Is she here or not?”
The sergeant smiles and waits a moment for dramatic effect, “Yes, she’s here.”
Rick feels elated and is glad that he trusted his gut instinct. “Where?”
“I’d imagine she’s probably sleeping right now; she was pretty exhausted when she arrived.”
Rick knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with the sergeant until he was supposed to know.
The waitress brings their sandwiches.
The sergeant takes a big bite of the triple-decker sandwich and mayonnaise oozes out the other side and spots the front of his uniform.
Rick prods, “I know if you call her, she’ll say she knows me.”
The sergeant says between bites, “I know who you are.”
The two police officers eat in silence. Each is sizing the other up in their own suspicious way.
Rick persists, “Can you tell me why Emily left the Sheriff’s Office?”
Mike is intrigued by the question; he thought that Emily might have told him why she quit.
Rick mumbles to himself while eating a French fry. “No, I suppose if you were going to tell me I’d have to tune up your car first.”
The sergeant becomes serious for the first time since meeting Rick. “Did you hear about those officers who were arrested some years back for an organized rape ring?”
Rick accessed his memory and remembers some type of rape and assault that police officers were involved in about seven years ago. “Yes.”
“Well, it’s not something that we like to talk about around here. It’s still real touchy to most. The department took a huge hit for the behavior of those nine officer’s inexcusable behavior.” The sergeant squirts more ketchup on his plate. “Who knows how long that would have gone on if one deputy hadn’t come forward with what they knew.”
Rick is quiet and allows the sergeant to continue.
“It was the most difficult decision that one person should have to carry.”
“Emily found out which officers were committing those crimes and she came forward”, Rick stated.
“She was the only female officer at the department at the time. And it was already very difficult for her, she was too smart and capable for her own good. And there were many who just didn’t like it.” The sergeant looks pained as he continues, “She first came to me for my advice.”
“She sacrificed her career to do the right thing.”
“That’s Emily, she only sees right or wrong, no grey. But unfortunately, she got death threats and constant harassment, so she left town until everything blew over.”
Rick reflects on the new information.
“Are you going to eat the rest of your fries?” The sergeant asks.
“No, go ahead.” Rick pushes his half eaten sandwich and fries over to the sergeant.
Mike asks in complete seriousness as he munches on the fries, “So what are we going to do about your serial killer that’s on his way here to kill her?”
* * * * *
Chapter Fifty-One
Saturday 0100 Hours
After driving almost seven hundred miles from Sacramento, Donald decides to look for a place to pull off in Utah. He sees the town of Wanship only a few miles ahead that overlooks the picturesque Weber River. He takes the only town exit and pulls into the gas station. He pumps gas while the Accomplice gets out and stretches his legs and back muscles.
The Accomplice looks around at the vast land and forest areas; he can’t help but feel a new surge of killing adrenaline through his body. “What a perfect place for a ritual killing”, he ponders. He observes a female hitchhiker that just left the gas station with a heavy backpack. The next kill should be something more extravagant than the last, he imagines.
Instead of driving back onto Interstate 80, Donald and the Accomplice decide to go sightseeing first. Donald pulls the car up next to the hitchhiker and rolls down the window.
“Hi, you going very far?” He asks.
The young redhead turns to study the two men, “Just to the next town.”
“Do you know this area at all?”
She smiles, “Sure do.”
“We wanted to do some light hiking and see the river. Do you know a guide around here?”
The hitchhiker thinks for a moment before answering. “I can take you there, if you can give me a ride to the next town afterwards.”
“No problem, get in.”
The hitchhiker gets in and tosses her backpack to the other side of the back seat. She climbs in and says, “Hi, I’m Rebecca.”
Donald drives away slowly almost unable to contain his compulsion to smash her face in right there at the gas station. “Nice to meet you Rebecca”, he replies.
* * * * *
The Mysterious Trail forks at the Weber River with a mixed forest of Aspen groves. There are wild strawberries growing everywhere and a scent of wild flowers is prominent in the fresh air. It would be a perfect place for a day hike and picnic. But today the forest is the perfect backdrop for a brutal murder. Donald and the Accomplice step from a grove of Aspen trees where the grisly remains of Rebecca lay exposed to the natural environment. She didn’t know her fate until they pulled up to the parking area of the hiking trail, where she surrendered to unconsciousness from a quick blow to the face. Her limp body became the fertile grounds for the next escalation of horror.
Feeling energized with the intense killing high, Donald and the Accomplice get back into the car and find their way back to Interstate 90 through a scenic drive.
The Killers are coming.
* * * * *
Chapter Fifty-Two
Saturday 1630 Hours
Rick follows Mike in his rental car through a residential area where every yard is perfectly manicured and extremely tidy. Each home seems to exude the proud and hospitable quality of the entire town. There are many homes trimmed with brick surrounded by lush green lawns. Finally, Mike pulls his patrol vehicle next to a nice duplex and pa
rks.
Rick has been extremely focused on finding Emily, but now that he’s parked in front of the residence where she is staying, he feels a little bit nervous. He begins to think that maybe he’s made a mistake. It would be awkward if Emily didn’t want to see him after the long journey to get here. He now begins to feel embarrassed at his hasty decision to fly to Indiana. He definitely feels out of his comfort zone, unable to make a sound decision at the moment.
Mike exits his patrol car and begins to walk up the pathway to the front door of the duplex. He hesitates for a moment to wait for Rick to catch up with him. Rick follows his example and approaches the front door. Before either officer has the opportunity to knock, the door opens wide and Emily steps out to greet them.
Emily greets Rick first with a long hug. “I’m so glad to see you.” She whispers in his ear, “I’m so glad you’re here now.”
Rick conveys, “You didn’t think I’d let you get away that easily?”
Mike regards the couple and instantly sees their strong connection to one another. Whatever uncertainty he initially had about the California detective has just disappeared.
Mike temporarily breaks up the reunion, “Don’t just stand out here yammering on, lets go inside.”
Emily a bit embarrassed says, “Of course, please come in.”
The three them go inside the duplex.
Rick realizes that the duplex is being refurbished for the most part, but it’s still quite livable in the mean time. The windows, interior doors, and fixtures have been replaced.
Rick asks the sergeant, “You own this place?”
“Yup. I’m trying to update it a bit before I rent it out or possibly sell it in year or so.”
Emily returns from the kitchen with a tray of iced tea and three glasses. “I thought you both might be thirsty.”
Mike laughs to himself and says, “I think Detective Rick here has had enough liquid for a while.”
Emily watches the interaction between Rick and Mike. She realizes that she’s missing something, but glad that they are getting along. She grabs Rick’s hand and sits down on the couch with him. Mike takes his place in an old worn out armchair. There’s an awkward silence as they stare at one another drinking iced tea. Rick updates Emily and Mike about everything that has transpired in the serial killer case with the identification of Donald Everett and the long drawn out hunt ending with the fingerprint and blood evidence. He further tells them about the body parts he had in his garage.
They sit in silence trying to get their minds wrapped around the current events.
Emily begins, “Well?”
Mike interrupts her, “I think we need to figure out what do when the killer gets to town.”
Rick replies, “You mean set a trap?”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Emily retorts, “What a minute. This town isn’t, shall we say, used to psycho serial killers.”
Rick asks, “What kind of special weapons and tactics training do you have here?”
Slowly, Mike replies, “Well, we have four SWAT officers.”
Rick pushes, “And?”
“They’ve had training initially when they took the positions a few years ago.”
Rick thinks about the crime scenes he’s witnessed and how cunning the killer is at surprising his victims.
Emily conveys, “We don’t actually know yet if he is really coming after me.”
“He is.” Rick states matter of fact. “There was evidence in his house to substantiate that he’s indeed coming after you. He thinks you’re the reason why his life is so screwed up.”
Mike adds, “Everything I’ve studied and read about these types of killers seems to indicate he’s coming for you Emily. He’s focused on the one person who has interrupted his freedom and killing. And he won’t stop until he finds you.”
“It’s only a matter of time before he ends up here.” Rick tries to sound upbeat, but in actuality it’s killing him to know that this predator is now hunting Emily.
Emily says, “Maybe I should go somewhere else?” She looks down at her hands unable to meet their gaze.
“Absolutely not. It’s going to stop now. We can’t let this killer roam around free any longer; there are too many chances for more innocent victims.” The sergeant states adamantly.
“I agree”, Rick replies.
The three begin to formulate a plan to trap Donald.
Emily finally comes clean and explains her interaction with Donald before she left town. She tells them about the attack in the middle of the night, the face-to-face meeting, trapped inside the building in Pajaro, and her attack on him in his house.
Rick watches Emily as she recounts her harrowing stories and he can’t believe that this petite woman could fight with such vengeance.
Emily says, “I know it was wrong to go to his house and threaten him, but I didn’t really know he was the serial killer.”
Mike defends her position, “It doesn’t matter now; everything’s finally out in the open.”
Rick adds, “We have to set a trap so he thinks that he’s actually going to get to Emily.”
“My men are at your disposal for whatever you need.”
Rick continues, “Unfortunately we’re going to need a lot of preparation and some training. Can I count on you to lead them?”
“Absolutely.”
Rick was involved in SWAT training early in his career, but this town hasn’t seen any type of action to support such law enforcement activities. He worries about the capability and dedication of the officers.
Mike continues, “I have some ideas as to how to make Emily seem easily visible in town where this killer can follow the clues right to us.”
“I don’t mind being the bait. It’s the only way it’ll work.” Emily adds.
Both officers answer her at the same time, “No way.”
“We have time to coordinate this sting without you ever having any contact with him.” Mike sits up straighter in his chair and finishes the last of his iced tea. He begins, “This is my idea.”
* * * * *
Chapter Fifty-Three
Saturday 2200 Hours
Donald and the Accomplice ride in silence as they cross the border into the state of Wyoming. Donald then eases the car onto Interstate 25 going south toward Colorado. He is alert and in high spirits for the first time in many months. He is gaining momentum with the important task at hand and the impending excitement causes the nerves in his body to tingle with a slight vibration. He has never felt quite like this before; usually after a kill he slowly begins to feel let down. Now he is undeniably ready for Emily and his transition to the ultimate freedom, but he will have to support his high energy along the way with a few more sacrificial victims.
The Accomplice wrestles with his own thoughts and feelings as he rides next to Donald in silence. He muses that his ultimate contribution to society will forever be branded in history and the public will not soon forget his mastery. His strength and power will live on long after he has left this earth. He has no doubt that he will be reincarnated as the most stealthy and feared hunter. The killing of Emily will clinch this commitment. He watches casually the picturesque scenery move by the passenger window and wonders if Donald is thinking about the next sacrifice too.
Donald eases the car off the Interstate a good thirty miles before the city of Denver. The land is vast and green, but everything looks dark and bleak at this late evening hour. Earlier, the Rocky Mountains had looked more like a postcard you send home to friends and family instead of what is outside the perceptions of the car windshield. The gravel road doesn’t appear to have a road sign or a town name, but it doesn’t matter. The point of interest is the poor dilapidated trailer park scattered with a few dwellings and abandoned cars about a mile ahead.
The Accomplice still remains quiet and stares straight ahead, but his intense excitement is escalating. This wonderful element of surprise makes the act of the kill that much more pleasurable. He n
ever asks where they are going; it would only cheapen the experience. He sees a small sign that reads, “Bear Creek Park”. Nothing looks like there are any bears for a hundred miles or more. The name was obviously a leftover from the Indians and would only possess any type of importance to them in historical times.
Donald drives through the makeshift trailer park and heads toward a small trailer at the end illuminated with a tiny outside light. He could wait in the car to see if there is possibly more than one woman inside, but he’s anxious and doesn’t want to wait. The Accomplice must have read his mind; he turns and gets a .38 revolver from the back seat. It was perfect. Everything was perfect. The scene has been set. If there was another unsuspecting person or if someone else came home at this late hour, they would be dead before they knew what happened.
The Killers get out of their car and walk straight to the trailer. The trailer which is partially hidden from view by trees and the evening. The Accomplice places the gun in his waistband. The doorway had some handcrafted ornaments with a dream catcher fluttering in the wind. A soft wind chime could be heard in the distance as they walked to the front entrance.
Within a second, the Accomplice kicks in the flimsy front door. The Killers ascend on the trailer like storm troopers, and it takes them only two seconds to find a startled woman in her mid-thirties with long dark hair. She sits straight up in bed with a startled expression but not before the Accomplice incapacitated her with several expert blows to the face.
Donald goes to the kitchen to find anything of interest in the refrigerator. He takes a look around the trailer and is satisfied that no one is going to interrupt them. He can hear the Accomplice terrorizing the woman in and out of consciousness. The sound of his awaiting freedom is getting closer with every last breath of the dying woman. He drinks a cherry soda patiently waiting for his time as the fierce hunter pouncing upon his prey.
(2008) Compulsion Page 14