Alliance

by S. R. Franklin

  Lisa and Diane came through the back door into the kitchen followed by Tristan and Alexis. The group met in the living room.

  JJ holstered her pistol and walked to the center of the crowd. “Well, let’s wake up a pilot.” she said as she looked around the living room.

  “I am a pilot.” Hannah moved closer to JJ. “I just need a plane and a destination.”

  “Okay, the destination is somewhere in Lassen National Forest near Forrest Ranch, California. Where can we get a plane?” JJ put her hands on her hips. “We need to get going now. Diane, get Cameo on the phone. We’re going to need her help.” As JJ left the cabin, she noticed Samantha’s gun lying on the table and the holster hanging from the nearby chair. She walked over and picked up the gun and then the holster. “Samantha will miss this.” She walked outside with the others to the cars.

  “Are you sure you know where you’re going, JJ?” Diane put her hand on JJ’s arm.

  “All I know is Samantha said if he took her that is where we needed to go. She hasn’t been wrong yet.” JJ moved to the door.

  “Just what the heck did Samantha think she was doing? I thought this was over. Davie was the killer,” Tristan said.

  “Look, you can ask her all those questions when we find her, but for now we need to go.” Lisa walked out the cabin door.

  JJ and Lisa rode together. They followed Hannah and the rest to the small airfield. JJ was glad it only took about fifteen minutes to get there. Hannah ran to the plane while everyone grabbed their go bags. They were in the air in less than twenty minutes.

  Chapter 70

  Morgan looked with dismay as he fell to the floor. His chest was dripping blood. He turned onto his back and tried to see through the pain. It was getting harder to breathe. He tried to see Samantha. “You can’t leave me, Samantha, you are my 31.” He began to laugh. He collapsed on the floor.

  Samantha stood at a distance, watching Morgan as he bled out. She was in shock. She could not believe the man she had made love to and who was so gentle could possibly be the man lying on the floor in front of her. She walked over to the bed and pulled off the covers. She laid them over Morgan.

  Then she pulled Amanda out of the chair and laid her beside him. She bent down and removed her grandmother’s rings from what was left of her fingers and slipped them into her pocket. She looked at Amanda for several minutes. For the first time since she had met Amanda, she actually felt for her. She had suffered and paid for her sins in this life. She covered her and walked out of the room. She pulled the door closed behind her so she could not see the bodies.

  Samantha walked to the front door and out onto the porch. It was dusk and she couldn’t recognize where she was. She knew JJ and her sisters would find her soon. Samantha went inside again and closed the cabin door. She took one of the chairs in the room and put it under the door. She was afraid to go to sleep, but she was still weak from the drugs. She placed another chair under the door of the room where Morgan and Amanda laid. She scanned the room. There was a fireplace with wood lying beside it. She took a third chair and pulled it in front of the fireplace. It took her only a few minutes to start a fire. She sat down hard in the chair. Samantha put her back to the bedroom. The warmth from the fire felt good.

  Samantha felt the tears stream down her cheeks. She was running every encounter she had had with Morgan over the last four years through her mind. There wasn’t any one thing she could remember that told her there was anything wrong with Morgan. Certainly, nothing that made her think he was a killer. But how, how could she be so wrong about someone? She sank her face into her hands and cried. It was going to be a long night and an even longer tomorrow. She moved over to a small arm chair in the center of the room. She pulled it closer to the fire and sat facing the doors. She could see both the front and the back. She could also see the door where Morgan and Amanda were. She dried the tears from her eyes. She struggled to stay awake, but the after effects of the seconal made her eyelids droop. She drifted to sleep.

  Chapter 71

  “Ihave put up the map of Forrest Ranch and pinned all of the cabins we have found so far. They zigzag below the Lesson National Forest.”

  JJ moved closer to the screen. “So can you show me where town is and where we found the bodies?”

  Cameo did as she asked. The red dots were confusing. Everyone’s minds were racing, trying to make sure there were no mistakes. “What about that picture?” Alexis asked. “Have you been able to identify all of the people in it?”

  “Most of them. There is still one person I am waiting for an ID on. So just exactly what are you guys thinking? Who is the real killer and what I going on?” Cameo split the screen so she could see the group.

  “I’m not really sure. All I know is Samantha said the killer was not Davie and that he was on the plane with us and if he got her she was in Forrest Ranch. But we have to figure out where. I mean, we burned down the cabin he or they had been using and the others were clean. But he has to be back there.” JJ was angry.

  “Look, let’s think about this logically. What made this man tick?” Alex asked.

  “He was obsessed with Samantha.” Tristan spoke up.

  “And the number 31.” Diane rang in.

  “He liked secluded areas. He killed up close and personal.” Lisa added.

  “Okay, okay, but that tells us nothing about where Samantha is now. Cam, pull the map back up. We have to figure this out. The cabin we found Davie in was where?” JJ grabbed a notebook and sat down beside the computer. She sketched a map of the cabins. She began to draw lines back and forth from cabin to cabin. Then she circled a small area representing town and where the bodies were found.

  Everyone was quiet and thinking. Lisa leaned forward and looked at what JJ had drawn. “You know that looks like a three.” She looked up stunned. “It can’t be that easy. Let me see that.” Lisa took the notebook from JJ and turned it around. She traced the lines back and forth in front of the others. “See, it’s a 3.”

  JJ grabbed for the notebook and turned it back around. “Cameo, what is the distance between these cabins and then between the cabins and town.”

  “What are you thinking, JJ?” Lisa sat down beside her.

  “I’m not sure, but maybe it’s something.” JJ waited for Cameo to respond.

  “Each cabin is four miles apart. The town is four miles from the place the bodies were found.” Cameo circled the areas on the map.

  JJ plotted the two places on her drawing. “What is four miles away from the bodies to the north?”

  “No way. 31. It can’t be that easy.” Lisa looked amazed.

  “Actually, most serial killers are just that simple. They are not the geniuses people think.” Alexis took a deep breath.

  “Okay, hold the seminar, Alex. I know that look. Let’s just concentrate on finding Samantha. Now, JJ, who are we looking for? Who is the real Handyman Killer?” Diane sat down across from JJ.

  “Samantha said that the killer would be on the plane with us when we came back to Chicago. She also kept saying them. We know it is a man. And the only men on the plane were Morgan, Max, CJ and Kirkland.” JJ wrote the names as she spoke.

  “Well, we can rule out Kirkland.” Diane said.

  “I don’t think it is a good idea to rule out anyone,” Lisa continued. “But if we do rule out Kirkland, that means one or more of the men you two have been working with for four years are killers.” She leaned her head back. “That’s enough for now. We need to get some sleep before we land. We should be there by dawn.”

  Chapter 72

  Samantha jumped up. How long had she been asleep? She wasn’t sure. Where was she? The events of the last few hours came rushing into her mind.

  Looking down, she realized that she had dropped the knife. That’s probably what had awakened her. It was still not daylight, but it had to be close. She was sure JJ would know how to find her. Maybe it was not a good idea to leave out the rest of her team. Right now the more backup she had the b
etter. She stood and headed for the room where Morgan and Amanda were lying.

  She stopped in front of the closed door. She wanted to go in and check to see if there were any clues as to who Morgan’s last victim was. She reached for the door several times before she opened it. Walking inside, she moved to the far side of the bed. There were two sheets still lying on the floor, but there was only one body. Samantha knelt down and pulled back the empty blanket. Morgan was gone.

  “But that can’t be. I stabbed him in the chest,” she said aloud. Samantha stood up and moved to the window. She couldn’t see anything outside, but the window was open. There was blood on the sill. A chill ran down her spine.

  She closed it as slowly and as quietly as possible. She put her back to the wall and scanned the room. There was minimal light coming from the fireplace in the other room. Amanda’s body was laying in the exact same spot she had left her. The closet door was closed and the bed was empty. Samantha walked quietly out of the room and closed the door. She walked around the cabin. There didn’t seem to be anything out of place. She walked back to the living room and to the fireplace. She stoked the fire. The light was enough to see anyone coming at her. She pushed the chair further into the corner. That would make her harder to see. She picked up the knife and sat down. She stayed on the edge of the chair to make sure she wasn’t comfortable enough to go to sleep. The fire popped and cracked. There were sounds outside, animals, trees no way to know. Samantha sat still, looking, expecting, thinking. She looked up at the walls and the fixtures.

  It just didn’t make sense. This was not a place that a serial killer would be. There were no rooms showing his work or his likes, no trophies, no reasoning. Even the scrapbooks looked like a high school yearbook. But why would he bring her here and not take her to his hideaway. Why not show her his real self, if she was his ultimate prize, his 31.

  Something is wrong. Samantha then remembered that Morgan was covered in blood when she first saw him. There was another victim and another location.

  Chapter 73

  The plane reached Forrest Ranch at daybreak. JJ went to the front to speak to Hannah. “We need to find a field close to these cabins. I would rather not go into town until we find Samantha.”

  JJ yelled back into the cabin to Lisa and asked her to bring the map. It looked as though they could land only a couple of miles away from where the last cabin was thought to be.

  Hannah landed the plane like a pro. It only took a few minutes for the entire team to grab guns, water and first aid kits. They gathered outside the plane.

  JJ looked over the fields to try and find her bearings. The shadows from the trees and tall grass were still long. The sun had not yet topped the mountains.

  “Okay, who has the map?” JJ turned to the rest of the team.

  Diane stepped forward with the map. “Here it is.” She opened it to where they had marked all the locations Cameo had given them. “We should be right about here. Cameo said the bodies we located were about five miles from town.”

  “That makes us around here.” Tristan pointed to a position on the map. “So we have to go NE about 2.5 to 3 miles. There has to be another cabin there.”

  “Everyone remember we still do not know if there are one or two killers. Let’s go.” JJ led the way.

  They moved in the direction of the cabin. No one was speaking. The tension was palpable. JJ imagined each of them thinking what she was thinking – that there was no way to know if they would find Samantha alive or dead.

  Everything seemed to be unusually quiet. That only made JJ more nervous.

  They came into a grove of trees. They gathered themselves close together and moved through it. Just as they expected, they could see a cabin ahead.

  JJ squatted to the ground and motioned the rest to do the same.

  “We have to surround the cabin and move in slow.” JJ moved to the front. “Diane, Lisa, go around to the left. Tristan, Alexis, go right. I will take the front. Move close to the ground.”

  Everyone began to move.

  JJ slid against the foundation of the front porch. She waited a few minutes for everyone else to get into position. There were no windows in the front of the house. Diane and Lisa reached the back of the house and moved onto the steps. There was a small window beside the door. Lisa moved closer. She peered inside. There was no one she could see. She looked over at Diane and shook her head. Tristan came in beside her. “I can’t see anything. There’s one window, but it’s too high to look into. So what are we going to do?”

  “Let’s give JJ a couple of minutes. Alexis go back around and see if she made it.” Lisa whispered.

  Alexis crouched low and moved to the front of the house.

  She saw JJ squatting down in front of the steps.

  JJ motioned for Alexis to come closer. They slipped onto the porch and went to either side of the door. “We go in three,” JJ whispered.

  “One, two-”

  The door flew open and Samantha stepped out. She was covered in blood and holding a hunting knife.

  “There you are!” JJ reached for her. She’d never been so happy in her life.

  “I’m fine. Did you bring my gun? Where are the others? We have to find Morgan. I need water.” Samantha was rambling. She was covered in blood.

  JJ grabbed her about the same time as did Alexis. “Are you okay?” Alexis started.

  “Samantha, slow down. Give me the knife and come sit down.” JJ took hold of Samantha’s arm and pulled her forward. They moved to the edge of the steps and sat. JJ took the knife. “Sam, you’re covered in blood. We need to check you out. Can you tell us what happened?”

  Alexis yelled for the rest of the group. They gathered around the front. Diane ran up the steps and bent down over Samantha. She turned to her sisters. “Go get the bags and the water.”

  “It’s okay. This isn’t my blood. It’s Morgan’s. I’m fine. Who has my gun?” Samantha put her hands over face.

  “Samantha, start from the beginning.” JJ moved over to let Diane give her water.

  “After I went to the cabin last night, Morgan came over. He drugged me and brought me here. There’s another victim somewhere. He was covered in blood when I woke up. Amanda is in there. He wanted me to kill her and be his partner or something. I stabbed him with the knife he gave me and covered them, but now he is gone.” Samantha took the water bottle from Diane. She guzzled half the bottle before she stopped. Her shoulders slumped. “It’s Morgan. He’s The Handyman killer. He killed all of those women, and there is one more somewhere.”

  “It can’t be.”

  “It is.” Sam let out a long sigh. She straightened her shoulders. “Did any of you think to bring a map of the locations?”

  “Of course, Samantha. What, you think you’re the only one that can think?” Tristan laughed. She grabbed the map from her bag and handed it to Samantha.

  Samantha smiled at her little sister. “Well, with you guys you can never be too careful. Okay, show me where we are exactly.” Samantha opened the map.

  JJ would’ve thought the laughter wasn’t well timed, but she felt like laughing, too. Sam was okay. JJ took a deep breath and let out a slow exhale. She leaned over and pointed to their location. “Cameo figured that we are five miles away from the dump site and another five from town. The cabins are about the same distance apart.”

  “So if he stays to that, about five miles from here is where we will find him and the last victim.” Samantha stood up and walked down the steps. “But before we go hiking, let’s check out this place and make sure we’re going in the right direction. Stay together. JJ, Tristan see if you can pick up a trail to the left. Diane, Lisa, you two go right. Alexis, go back towards the trees and make sure we are not missing anything.” Everyone started to move.

  Samantha stared hard into the woods.

  JJ reached the trees and began to walk the edge. She heard something from behind her. She felt sure it was one of the girls yelling for her. She took two steps back t
owards the cabin and saw Morgan leap from the top step onto Samantha. She ran towards them, yelling for the others. They were rolling on the ground.

  Samantha was fighting and hitting him.

  “Stand up, you stupid whore. Stand up.” Morgan had grabbed the knife from the top step and was holding it to Samantha’s throat. He wrapped his other arm around her waist. He pulled her off the ground. Samantha fought to get away. He pulled her tighter and tighter until she gave in and held still.

  Everyone gathered around them pointing their pistols towards Morgan. “I told you that you are mine. You are my 31.” Morgan held her face close to his mouth.

  “Let her go, Morgan.” JJ moved about five feet away from them.

  “She is mine. I can do what I want with her. We are leaving together. I will have her.” Morgan jerked her sideways.

  “I will kill both of you before I will let that happen. You crazy murdering monster.” JJ cocked her pistol.

  “You better.” Samantha said as she tried to pull away again.

  “Hold on. Everyone just calm down.” Alexis put her pistol back in its holster and raised her hands. “Morgan, just wait. It’s over. Just give up and we’ll get you help.” She was moving closer.

  “Don’t try any of that psychology brainwashing on me, Alex. I have heard it all. I don’t need help. I only need her. Samantha can make me free.” Morgan kissed her cheek again. “Now all of you move back and let us go.”

  “No way.” Lisa moved up.

  Morgan smiled and pulled the knife across Samantha’s throat. He threw her forward on the ground. He took off running as Samantha’s family ran to her. Samantha didn’t move for a few seconds. JJ reached her first. She was struggling to turn Samantha over. The others helped.