Sinner Repent

by Morgan Kelley

  “I’ll call the station and have them dispatch deputies to the three women’s homes to detain them.”

  “Tell them hurry!” blurted Quinn, praying that they would get to Callie before the killers found her and took her life.

  Only, odds weren’t in their favor, and he knew it.

  When they arrived at ‘The Herb Pot’, Quinn saw his car and wanted to be ill. Jumping down, he raced toward the door, expecting it to be locked. In his heart, he was still hoping this was all a mistake, or a dream- a very bad one.

  “Her purse is here, along with her gun,” said Nate, pulling it from the front seat of the car.

  Quinn knew his gut had been right.

  Quickly, all three entered the building, their guns drawn. Once inside, they played divide and conquer to find Callie, leaving no corner of the shop unchecked.

  Quinn prayed that he wasn’t going to find what Callie had earlier that morning. If she was dead, his life was officially over. There was no way he was going to go on without her. Once more, he was filled with guilt that work had come first, and that he didn't go with his instinct to stay by her side.

  He stopped in front of the counter and the toe of his boot hit something.

  It was Callie’s phone.

  “Shit,” he cursed, dropping to his knees beside it. The cell wasn’t the only thing he found. Beside it was some blood. Going against proper procedure, he touched it lightly with his fingertips.

  It was still wet.

  “Oh God! No!” he exclaimed, loud enough to get Nate and Luke’s attention.

  “The store’s clear.”

  “I found fresh blood.”

  Quinn’s skin tone began creeping toward green, as a hand touched his shoulder.

  Callie’s brother did what he had been trained to do. He pushed his emotions down and lead like a Fed.

  “If they have her, they don’t have that much of a head start,” said Nate. “We need to get back to the station and find the most likely place they would take her. It would have to be secluded, so no one could see them bringing Callie in or taking her out.”

  “Come on, let’s move. I am not letting my fiancée die,” said Quinn, jumping to his feet.

  Without her, he was nothing.

  Now, he was going to save the girl, and his future.

  * * *

  Quinn paced his office as Nate worked feverishly on his laptop, trying to narrow down the options. Callie’s brother had beads of sweat on his brow. The way he was typing, they all could tell he was getting panicked.

  “Try running personal properties,” said Luke, staring over Nate’s shoulder.

  They listened to the rapid clicking of keys as he worked hard to find Callie.

  “I have four properties that pop up between the three of them. They each have a home residence, and I found one spare, which has Beulah down as the co-owner with her husband.”

  “It’s the hunting cabin that Ed was using on Saturday nights to get lucky. That would wax poetic,” stated Luke.

  “That has to be it,” answered Quinn.

  “If we’re wrong, Callie’s going to die,” said Nate softly, his hand shaking. Once more, her life was in his hands.

  Quinn offered him support. They couldn’t give up. She needed them to find her. “We’ve no choice, Nate. We’ll head to the cabin, and I’ll have my deputies finish checking out their homes.”

  “Okay, let’s go. I have the address.”

  All three men charged from the station, praying they would be there in time. Now, all that mattered was getting to Callie’s side. They couldn’t doubt their skills.

  If they did, Callista Carter was dead.

  * * *

  Callie could feel her head clearing, and she was grateful that they didn't drug her. Now at least, she would have a shot at talking her way out of this, or fighting.

  Before she opened her eyes, she heard the women moving around, preparing for her execution.

  “Why are you three doing this?” asked Callie, obviously surprising them.

  “I see you solved it,” said Margaret.

  Callie tugged at her wrists as she opened her eyes. “Yeah, Margaret, I figured out it was you, Ellen, and Beulah. I even figured out that it was all about revenge, and that the three of you tried to make it look like a crime of religion.”

  “No, it is a crime of religion. Our significant others cheated and committed adultery. That is a sin. The women they chose just happened to fit the seven sins, so we decided to use them to cleanse the town and make an example of them. Jesus shed his blood to cleanse, and we’re doing the same.”

  “You’re hardly worthy of cleansing a town,” Callie stated distastefully, earning a hard slap to her face from Margaret.

  “You know nothing of what we do,” she spat venomously.

  Callie glared over at Beulah and Ellen. “She met you, Ellen, at the camp for troubled youths, and you Beulah, how did she drag you into this little scheme?”

  “She heard about my husband’s infidelities and offered to help me end the pain. I’m doing God’s work.”

  “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

  “I am! Her husband’s a man of God! She wouldn’t lie.”

  Could the woman be that naïve? Callie was appalled.

  “No, I wouldn’t,” Margaret reassured. “We’re like family. In fact, we’re sisters of the blood.”

  Callie rolled her eyes as she examined her surroundings. They had her strapped down to a table in the center of the room. “The candles are a nice touch,” she said sarcastically.

  “You won’t be laughing long,” replied Margaret, who was obviously the leader in this nonsense.

  “Aren’t the robes a bit much?”

  “We’re ‘The Brethren of the Blood’,” declared Ellen.

  Margaret grinned wickedly. “Plus, it keeps our DNA from the offerings. Oh, and my clothes stay clean. Murder is a messy business.”

  Callie could tell that the woman was a few bricks shy of a wall. “Terrific.” At least it explained why they didn't find any trace on the victims, but a single hair.

  She pushed on, buying herself some time.

  “Why did you sodomize the women with the bat? Was it all symbolic?” she asked, trying to stall.

  “Yes, it was. They were whores, and they were treated as such at the end.”

  “It was convenient that Susie fit your definition of sloth. Was she a message to me?”

  “You’re too smart for your own good, Doctor. She was an abomination to God. Plus, she mattered to you, and that was part of it. I bet you wept like a baby,” Margaret added.

  “Then, why exactly am I the sin of lust? I didn’t touch any of your husbands or boyfriend,” she said, praying for Quinn to get home and find the clues.

  Callie kept stalling.

  The man she loved was her only hope.

  “First, it was to slow the FBI down. We heard from Jimmy Lee that you’re a genius. Is it true that you did this kind of thing for a living?” Ellen asked.

  Callie stared at her. “Yes.”

  Margaret continued, “Well, there’s your answer, but to make it all fit in, we went with the obvious. The men all lusted after you. I caught the reverend checking you out in the market one day. I hope you appreciated our therapy sessions. I knew you’d immediately go after my worthless husband. You ate it all up.”

  Callie knew she fell for it. This woman was a special kind of crazy and had outwitted them from the start.

  Ellen continued, “Jimmy Lee wanted you too.”

  Beulah spoke next, “My Ed did your car inspection, and you were all he talked about. He would have bedded you in a second.”

  She shook her head. “I didn't flirt with any of your men.”

  “Look at the males you surround yourself with. I bet you’re sleeping with all of them. You’re far from pure.”

  Callie looked surprised. “One FBI agent is my brother, and the other is his best friend. The only man I’m sleeping with is my
fiancé.”

  Ellen stared at the sparkly ring on her finger. “I’m keeping that.”

  Callie tightened her fist. There was no way in hell she was taking her ring as a souvenir.

  “I’ll cut your finger off to get it,” Ellen hissed, as she struggled to get her hand open.

  When Margaret struck her across the face, Callie finally let it go.

  Ellen grinned triumphantly. “I’ll sell this when we leave town. It’ll bring us some decent cash.”

  “This isn't over,” Callie warned. “The FBI will figure it out. Then, you’re going to jail.”

  “You’re pretty smart, but I wouldn’t bet on that,” stated Margaret.

  “Are you really only sleeping with the sheriff?” asked Beulah, needing to know. A part of her was feeling guilty.

  Callie could see that she was the weakest link, and opted to work that angle.

  “Yes. I’m going to marry him. Killing me wouldn’t fit your plan.”

  Margaret interjected, sensing what the doctor was trying to do. She wasn’t the only smart one in the room. “It doesn’t matter. You’re a man’s lust personified, and we need to complete the seven. Isn't that right, Beulah?”

  She stared at the woman, waiting.

  “You’re right, Margaret. The town should be our focus.” The woman relented.

  “Gag and tape her, but since she’s the last, and a thorn in our sides, I want her to watch as I carve her body up.”

  Callie started to struggle, thinking about the tiny little life possibly just starting out in her body. For that child, she would fight to the death. When Ellen pried her mouth open by digging her nails into Callie’s face, she screamed.

  “Go ahead, Doctor. You’re in the hills and far from anyone.”

  Callie choked on the gag as the tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

  This was it.

  She was never going to see Quinn again.

  The worst part was he would be forced to mourn her loss as he discovered her body. Callie sent out a plea to the universe, as Margaret pulled out two very wicked looking knives.

  Callie braced for it, as they prepared to cast lust from the town, and both lives from her body.

  * * *

  The three men pulled the truck off the road, racing toward the small cabin. Once they got near, they saw the flickering of candles in the windows.

  “She’s in there,” he whispered.

  “We’ll take the windows and cover you. Go in through the door, and use any means necessary to protect her,” said Nate.

  Quinn waited as they each took their spot. Counting down, they made their move.

  Nate and Luke broke the windows, pointing their Glocks at the two women without the knives. The last woman was up to the sheriff.

  As he booted the door, Quinn saw his target.

  “FREEZE,” he yelled, as a panicked look crossed Margaret’s face. Horror filled him as the woman moved her arms in a downward motion attempting to bury the knives in Callie’s body.

  Pulling the trigger, he shot off one round, hitting Margaret Higgins in the chest. Unfortunately, it didn’t keep her from plunging one knife deep into Callie’s stomach.

  “NO,” he screamed, as her body jerked and the other woman crumbled to the floor.

  “Don’t think about,” warned Luke to Ellen, as she moved to help her fallen friend. “I’ll shoot you without a second thought.”

  Quinn raced to his fiancée’s side, holstering his gun. Removing the tape and gag, he stared down into her face. “Oh God! Baby!” he whispered, setting her arms free.

  Callie tried to remain calm in order to slow down her heart. If she wanted to live another day, she couldn’t move. Any sudden motions would cause her to bleed profusely.

  “Nate, call for an ambulance and tell them officer down,” he ordered. Once Callie’s arms were free, he applied pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.

  “Thank you, Quinn, for saving me,” Callie whispered, as the pain brought tears to her eyes. She debated on telling him they may be pregnant, but if she died, he would have two people to mourn.

  Instead, she stayed silent. It was her gift to him. Callie couldn’t hurt him like that.

  Quinn leaned down to kiss her, in case it was the last chance he had. “I love you, Callista. You stay here with me!”

  Callie didn't have time to reply. From behind Quinn, she saw motion. Instinctively, she reached for his holstered gun and moved so fast it made him jump. Squeezing the trigger once, she hit Margaret between the eyes, ending her miserable life.

  “Callie,” Quinn whispered, realizing she had just saved him, but at what cost? Blood bubbled sickly between his fingers.

  “See, big guy. Perfect aim every time,” she whispered, slurring her words as she watched his face fade to gray.

  “Callie!” he begged, trying to get her to stay with him. “I love you! Please don’t leave me! You have to fight for us!”

  But she didn't hear him as her fingers relaxed, and the gun slowly fell to the ground.

  He was right.

  The fight was about to begin.

  * * *

  Wednesday Midnight

  Quinn remained in the same spot, leaning against the hospital wall. He was so lost without Callie. Whenever he closed his eyes, last few hours replayed in his mind. Never before in his life had this much horror filled him.

  God, how he wished he could go back and change it all. If he was given a second chance, he knew that he would follow her around for the rest of his life, even if it was to the Arctic Circle.

  He’d give anything to have her in his arms.

  The trip in the ambulance had been excruciating.

  When Callie’s heart had slowed down, almost stopping, he prayed to go with her. If her life wouldn’t be spared, then he didn't want to go on.

  Quinn had been forced to watch them wheel her through the emergency room, her blood dripping off the gurney in sick little red splatters.

  It brought him to his knees.

  When the doctor had frantically shouted orders, to get her to the operating room, he almost couldn’t breathe.

  They had been apart for seven hours now, and all he wanted was to tell her everything in his heart. Losing her was more than he could survive.

  He was sure of it.

  At the light touch on his arm, he glanced over. His heart skipped in his chest. It only took a second for recognition to dawn. Beside him was a woman with the same beautiful eyes as his fiancée.

  This had to be Callie’s mother.

  Instead of peace, it crushed him.

  “Hello, Quinton,” she said, trying to keep her own emotion intact. Her heart was aching for this man, and her daughter.

  “Wow, so she’ll get even more beautiful as she gets older,” he said with nothing but true sincerity.

  The woman slid her arm though his and patted his wrist. “I hear from my son that you’re marrying my baby,” she said, her voice as melodious as Callie’s.

  It brought tears to his eyes.

  “He also explained why Callie didn’t call us immediately to tell us, and she was probably right. Her father gets a little gung-ho when it comes to her well-being.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, wiping his eyes with his free arm. He looked down at his shirt and the ugly patches of Callie’s blood. “This wasn’t how I planned on meeting you, ma’am. I’m sorry that I let her get hurt. I never should have left her side.”

  How could she be angry when he was obviously suffering just as much as they were? “Darlin’, you saved her, and that’s all that matters,” she replied in that motherly tone.

  “No! I should have been faster. Maybe if I was she wouldn’t be in there now,” he said, jerking his head toward the doorway.

  Charlotte took his chin and forced him to stare into her eyes. “Now stop that, son. You did save her. It’s not your fault that she’s in there. All the blame falls on the women who were killing. Now, I need you to think positive and say a p
rayer that my girl can pull through this. Besides, she’s tough like her momma,” she added, patting his scruffy cheek.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, hoping that she was right. If he lost her now, his world would be gray and lifeless.

  Charlotte Carter’s heart ached for what they all might lose. Where she was angry at her daughter for risking her life, she understood why she did it. Sometimes, you had to follow your heart. Callista’s obviously led her right to the man beside her.

  How could she begrudge her daughter that?

  When she arrived at the hospital, they were met by her oldest child. He, too, was crushed, struggling with the possible finality of all of this. Nathaniel pointed the sheriff out, telling her all about their relationship, and that he hadn’t moved for the last seven hours.

  He wasn’t eating or drinking.

  It was as if his life was on hold.

  If that wasn’t love, what was?

  “Here, Quinton. My son found this and told me that they retrieved it from one of the women. He thinks that they grabbed it as a souvenir from Callista. She’d want you to hold it for her until she gets better.”

  Charlotte delicately placed the engagement ring in his palm, and it was the last straw. The tears started rolling down his face as his body began shaking. She did the only thing a mother could do. Charlotte pulled him into her arms and treated him as if he was one of her own because when her baby married him, he would be.

  * * *

  Three hours later, Quinn was still in the same place, trying to remain hopeful. After Callie’s mom had comforted him, and then retreated to her husband’s lap, he remained in his sentry position.

  Glancing around, he took in his new family. For the time being, he refused to give up hope. He was going to marry Callie, and they were going to be together for a long time. That made her loved ones, his.

  Charlotte was asleep, her head on her husband’s shoulder, as he fought exhaustion himself. Nate was leaning against the wall, blankly staring at the clock, as if he could will it to move faster. Luke was carrying the weight of the job, typing on a laptop as he filed his report to FBI headquarters.