Slaughter Series

by A. I. Nasser

  I was investigating the suicide of Victor Fanning. It was my first contact with Joanne Pullici.

  Yes, I did. She only found out I was with the FBI when I met Alan Carter at her bar.

  Yes, but that was my idea. Agent Duncan was only following my lead. To be fair, the files Alan Carter had in his home were important, and if he were here right now, he’d tell you that he would have given them to me willingly.

  Yes, of course I understand that he isn’t here to confirm this.

  I don’t know where he is.

  Our first meeting was in Darville. He had sought me out to help him deal with the issues of the kidnappings, but I believed he was still delusional and under the impression that a monster was behind the missing children.

  No, he did not sway from that belief even after I talked to him.

  I’m not sure. Maybe Deborah Adams was looking out for him.

  Yes, I shot Denny Torres and killed him.

  We heard gunfire coming from the motel across the street. I went to investigate, and Denny was walking around with a shotgun. I asked him to drop his weapon, and when it was apparent he would use it again, I shot him.

  Alan Carter believed that Denny was not working alone, which I think is quite certain after what happened to Fiona Bright. He urged me to return to Melington because he believed that whoever was working with Denny would be after the other Council members.

  No, Agent Duncan and Sheriff Bail went to the Town Hall to warn the Chairman and the others. I joined Alan Carter.

  Alan was sure something would happen to the Coles. I don’t know if he knew what had happened to the families of the other Council members, but he was convinced. I didn’t want to let him out of my sight. By then I was convinced he could be dangerous.

  I didn’t have any proof. I wasn’t going to arrest him based on a hunch.

  When we arrived in Melington, we met with Agent Duncan and Sheriff Bail at the Melington Police Station. We shared what we knew and went separate ways from there.

  No, I was not aware that Ivan Pullman had returned to Melington as well. We were working on precautions. Sheriff Bail didn’t want to raise unnecessary worry by bringing more officers with her.

  I’m not sure. You would have to ask Sheriff Bail about that. All I know was that they had been taken by surprise, and luckily only the Chairman and Elizabeth Gardiner had been at the Town Hall when it happened.

  No, I do not know where the Chairman is. Again, I wasn’t there when it happened.

  I escorted Alan Carter to the Cole house where we met with Miranda Cole. She was strangely patient about Alan’s delusions, and she even escorted us to the field where Copper Tibet had been hung and burned alive.

  No, I still do not believe the stories. I think Alan was just trying to justify the kidnappings.

  Yes, I am fully convinced that Fiona Bright was behind the kidnappings, and that certain members of the Council had supported her.

  I do not know why. Apparently, Melington is not a town devoid of strange occurrences.

  Nothing. Alan was satisfied with what he saw in the field, and we returned to the Cole house. Afterwards, I received the call about what had happened at Town Hall and drove straight to the hospital where Agent Duncan and Sheriff Bail had been taken to. When I returned, Miranda Cole told me that Alan Carter had left. I haven’t seen him since.

  Chapter 11

  Miranda Cole knew something was wrong the minute she opened the door and saw Alan Carter standing in front of her. She didn’t recognize the brunette standing behind him, but the woman looked like she was law enforcement. That only added to Miranda’s immediate suspicions.

  “Miranda,” Alan greeted, trying to pull off a friendly smile that failed miserably in hue of his obvious despair.

  “Alan Carter,” Miranda nodded, her eyes shifting between him and the woman beside him. “To what do I owe this surprise?”

  Alan briefly looked at Sally, then back at the elder Cole. “It’s about Copper,” he said, and instantly noticed how Miranda gazed suspiciously at the FBI agent.

  “What do you mean?” Miranda asked.

  “Mrs. Cole, my name is Sally Brians, and I’m with the FBI,” Sally interrupted. “We’re here because we believe you’re in danger.”

  “And why isn’t the Sheriff with you?”

  Alan sighed. “Sheriff Bail is at Town Hall,” he explained. “Miranda, this is serious. Copper’s been on the move ever since I got Kathrine out, and he’s coming back to Melington for your grandchildren.”

  Miranda’s face paled as a million questions popped up simultaneously in her mind. She opened her mouth to reply, and realizing that she couldn’t, opened the door further and let her guests in.

  ***

  “Sheriff, this is absurd!”

  Jeff Duncan sat in a corner of the meeting room as Alexandra Bail tried her best to explain to William Brewster the danger he was in. Jeff’s eyes rested on Elizabeth, watching her intently as the Sheriff and the Chairman argued. She was nervous, her eyes darting back and forth as her face mirrored her every emotion.

  “Chairman, I assure you, this is a situation we cannot take lightly,” Alexandra said. “I have it on good authority that your being here is not in your best interest.”

  Jeff smiled to himself. Sally had been clear about not sharing any information about Alan Carter’s return to Melington, and despite the Sheriff’s inexperience, she was handling the situation quite well. It wasn’t her fault that William Brewster was as stubborn as a bull, adamant in his opinion that the work he was doing at the moment was more important than the threat to his life.

  We probably interrupted his session with Miss Redhead.

  Elizabeth Gardiner glanced at Jeff, and he could see her pleading to him with her eyes. She knew something, and Jeff suddenly felt that there was a lot more to this than simply making sure the Council was safe. Whoever was after them, Jeff was willing to bet that these two knew exactly what was going on. The simple fact that neither of them had broken a tear at the mention of Rachel Adams’ murder was enough to confirm that feeling.

  “How could you possibly know what is or isn’t in my best interest, Sheriff?” William Brewster bellowed. “Do you have any idea the importance of the work you interrupted? Do you think we sit around here all day chatting about our children and grandchildren over martinis? I suggest you go back to whoever it is giving you your information and recheck the facts. We are not leaving.”

  Jeff sighed, loud enough to grab everyone’s attention.

  “Is there a problem, Agent?” William asked.

  “Yes, there is,” Jeff replied. “The first one is that you’re a complete idiot, and I truly believe you’re in no position to lead any council in the country.”

  William’s face turned a bright red. “How dare –”

  “The second thing,” Jeff cut in, “is the fact that you’re wasting our time because you obviously know someone’s out to get you, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you knew who that person was.”

  Alexandra frowned at Jeff in confusion, then turned to the Chairman for an explanation.

  William pointed an angry finger at Jeff. “You insolent piece of crap!” the old man bellowed, spittle flying from his mouth. “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

  “Oh yeah, Council Chairman of the town of Melington,” Jeff smiled. “Whoopdeedoo.”

  William’s eyes grew wide and his face darkened to a crimson red.

  “You’re a nobody, Chairman,” Jeff said, “and quite frankly, I believe that in due time, I’m going to be slapping cuffs around your wrists.”

  “Agent Duncan!” Alexandra gasped, irritated at how out-of-hand the discussion had become. She was already having enough trouble convincing the Chairman to leave without the added insults.

  “Oh, come on, Sheriff,” Jeff said, exasperated as he threw his hands in the air. “Look at him. Look at her. They’re hiding something. They know something we don’t, and the more they keep it to themselves, t
he more likely it is we’ll get shot because of it.”

  Alexandra was about to reply when Elizabeth suddenly broke the silence. “William, they’re our best hope.”

  “Shut up!” William hissed at her.

  “Hope for what?” Alexandra asked, suddenly realizing that Jeff might have been right all along. She hadn’t noticed it before, too caught up in arguing with William, but Elizabeth Gardiner was obviously frightened, her eyes giving her away completely.

  “Sheriff, I demand you remove this man from the Council meeting room!”

  Jeff jumped to his feet, ready to give the old man a piece of his mind, when the deafening sound of gunfire interrupted him, followed by shattering glass as the window behind the Chairman exploded.

  Jeff watched in horror as William Brewster fell to his knees, blood running down the side of his face where a bullet had grazed him. The Chairman’s mouth hung open in shock, the realization of his mortality suddenly hitting him.

  Jeff instantly pulled out his gun and raced towards the two Council members, pulling Elizabeth to the floor as more gunshots echoed through the night, bullets burying themselves into the table and chairs around them.

  Alexandra was by his side instantly, her own gun out and ready. Jeff grabbed Elizabeth by the arm.

  “Is there somewhere you can take the Chairman and hide?” he asked as more bullets whizzed by.

  Elizabeth nodded quickly.

  “Good,” Jeff said. “On my count, grab the old bastard and run, okay?”

  “What?”

  “One, two, go!” Jeff yelled, pushing up and firing out towards where he believed the gunshots were coming from.

  Elizabeth grabbed William and pulled him along, her head low as she raced out with the older man in tow. Jeff ducked back down as soon as they had left and smiled at Alexandra.

  “You have to admit,” he said. “We do pack a whole bunch of excitement.”

  Alexandra started to reply when the lights suddenly went out.

  ***

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Mrs. Cole –”

  Miranda raised her hand in the air to stop Sally from saying anything else. “Young lady, I do not know you, and I am not sure how much you know, but Alan here, is no fool. If he thinks I am going to risk my grandchildren’s safety, then he’s stupider than I thought.”

  Alan had not expected Miranda to go along with his plan, but he knew there was no other way. He could already sense Copper’s presence in Melington, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the monster found its way into the dark corners of the Cole house. He needed to get the woman in red back where she belonged, and the only way to do that was to lure her and Copper back to the tree where it had all begun.

  Ever since his last visit to the corridor, the path had become incredibly clear. He knew what needed to be done, but nevertheless wrestled with what that might entail. A part of him still couldn’t accept it, but deep down, he knew there was no other way. If he wanted to end the nightmare, he had to come to terms with that.

  It began with a Carter, and it must end with a Carter.

  Only Alan was having serious doubts about what that meant for him. He had imagined a full life with Deborah, and ever since getting Kathrine back, that future only seemed that more important. Doing what needed to be done meant giving up on the visions he had of how his life would play out.

  Still, there was no denying the importance of ending Copper’s terror. There was no denying that the only way anyone would ever be safe was if Copper could be stopped.

  “Miranda, if there were any other way, don’t you think I would have tried it?” Alan asked, leaning in and holding the older woman’s hand.

  “You’re condemning my grandchildren to a terrible fate, Alan,” Miranda replied. “You, more than anyone else should know that.”

  “If this fails, I’ll bring them back,” Alan said. “I promise you that.”

  “If you’re a fool, Alan Carter, I am not,” Miranda scoffed. “Nobody ever comes back.”

  “Kathrine did.”

  Miranda gazed at him, her face a mix of shock and disbelief, and from the corner of his eye, Alan could see the same expression on Sally Brians’ face. He knew that this information would be equally important to the FBI agent; after all, her nephew was locked up in that corridor, and he had no doubt in his mind that knowing he could be brought back would push Sally Brians to do everything she could to make the plan work.

  “Impossible,” Miranda Cole whispered.

  Alan shook his head. “No,” he said, “it isn’t. I came back, and I brought my sister back, too. The corridor is not without its back doors.”

  Miranda’s eyes suddenly watered. “Daniel?”

  “Alive and kicking,” Alan said. “Actually, he seems to be enjoying himself.”

  Miranda broke into tears, grasping onto Alan’s hands with both of hers as she leaned in closer. “And Michael?”

  Alan shook his head. “He was there,” he said. “I know he was. I have no idea how, but I know.”

  “He’s not there anymore,” Miranda’s lips trembled. “He made it back, too?”

  “I’m not sure,” Alan said. “But he’s not there anymore.”

  Miranda nodded, her eyes filled with hope as she let go of Alan’s hands and sat back. Alan glanced at Sally, the agent staring at him in disbelief.

  “Blake?” she whispered.

  Alan nodded, and Sally covered her mouth to stop from gasping out loud as tears filled her eyes. “You’re sure?” she asked.

  “I am,” Alan said, “and if this works, he’ll be home soon.” He looked at Miranda. “All the children can finally go home.”

  Chapter 12

  Jeff kept his gun level, the flashlight illuminating the dark hall as he made his way forward. He could see the staircase at the far end that led to the second floor where the Chairman’s office was, and he knew that if he were going to come across the attacker, it would be here.

  Alexandra kept up with his pace, equally quiet, her own flashlight moving haphazardly through the dark as she searched for their attacker. Jeff wanted to tell her to calm down, but he was too focused on keeping them alive right now.

  He still couldn’t wrap his head around how their attacker had taken them by surprise. He had been so sure they were ready, although Brewster’s insistence that he would not leave should have thrown up red flags.

  The man was a snake, and when this was all over, Jeff made it a point to have a one on one with the old man. He had a lot of explaining to do.

  “What is that?”

  Jeff came to a sudden stop. He waited to see what Alexandra was talking about, but failed to recognize anything out of the ordinary. He looked over his shoulder and shook his head in confusion.

  Alexandra squinted. “Screaming.”

  “I don’t hear anything,” Jeff whispered.

  “It’s coming from the office upstairs,” Alexandra said. “How do you not hear that?”

  Jeff was about to reply when a gunshot reverberated through the hall and Alexandra cried out in pain.

  Jeff quickly turned to where the shot had come from, and dropped to one knee just as a second bullet slammed into the wall above him. His light caught a figure race up the stairs and he fired two shots, quickly turning off his flashlight and bending over the fallen Sheriff.

  Alexandra tapped his arm twice, pushing him away. “Go!” she yelled. “Hit my shoulder. Go!”

  Jeff jumped to his feet and dashed towards the staircase.

  ***

  The field was massive.

  Alan stood in complete astonishment as he gazed upon the open space, an island of grass in the middle of the expansive woods behind the Cole house. He had heard stories about the place, and Deborah had even tried to describe it as best she could, but being here was completely different.

  Of course, he could not ignore the dead silence and the heaviness of the air as the darkness seemed to settle down heavily about him. It was as if th
e field had been covered by a vacuum where nothing dared to make a sound. It was eerie and foreboding, yet overwhelmingly beautiful at the same time.

  His eyes fell to the maple, the branches twisting and rotten, grotesquely disfigured yet refusing to die. He could instantly sense the monster’s presence here, and he turned his head to the knoll where he had lain by Daniel’s side to watch their ancestors burn Copper Tibet alive.

  This was it. This was the doorway. This was where it would all end.

  Alan looked behind him at Miranda Cole holding her grandchildren in both hands, the twins not yet old enough to understand what was happening, their smiles wide as they looked upon the adventure their grandmother had promised them. Sally stood ready beside them, her hand on the butt of her gun as Alan led them further away from the tree line and in the open field.

  “Are you sure this is going to work?” Sally asked, falling in beside him as she scanned the open field.

  Alan nodded. “They’re the last ones,” he said. “The last founding family children.”

  “I have a bad feeling about this, Alan,” Sally said, and Alan noticed the slight shiver in her hand as she clenched and unclenched her fists.

  “I never said it would be easy.”

  Alan stopped suddenly, grabbing Sally by the arm as she quickly pulled out her gun. There was a soft humming carried by the wind, an unfamiliar tune that hung horrifyingly in the air. Its sound was haunting in the otherwise silent night.

  Sally stepped away, shielding Miranda and the children as she raised her gun and aimed at the maple, making sure her line of shot was clear as Alan stood still and waited. There was a flutter of red from behind the tree, and as the whistling grew clearer, Victoria slowly walked out into the open. Alan was transfixed by her as she moved gracefully across the grass, her red dress crimson in the darkness, her smile wide.