Little Girls Sleeping: An absolutely gripping crime thriller

by Jennifer Chase

  “So is there a specialized stealth course at the firemen’s academy?” she asked with mild sarcasm.

  He turned to face her, his gaze admiring. “That’s supposed to be a guarded secret.”

  “Oh.” She nodded and turned her attention back to the garden. “I forgot how much I love it here.”

  “Me too.”

  “So Uncle Wayne roped you into this celebration?”

  “Maybe. But I wanted to see you again anyway,” he said.

  “To watch over me?”

  “Never thought about it that way.”

  “I know my uncle is a little worried about me making a smooth transition back into civilian life.”

  Chad took a couple of steps closer to her. “What do you think?”

  “I think…”

  He waited patiently.

  “I think I need a few more days of sleep.”

  He laughed and took a drink of his beer. “Ah yes, sleep, wonderful sleep. And how has work been?”

  “Just ask what you want to ask,” Katie said.

  “What?”

  “It’s what everyone has wanted to ask me tonight—my uncle must’ve put out a memo not to mention it. Am I going back to Sacramento PD?”

  “Well, now that you mention it…”

  “I don’t know,” she said. It was the truth: she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back.

  “You know what I think?” Chad’s smile had a way of melting even the toughest person.

  Katie sighed. “What’s that?”

  “I think you’ll know when it’s time.”

  She laughed.

  “What?”

  “Chad Ferguson, I’ve missed you.”

  He raised his beer in agreement. “Welcome home, Katie Scott.”

  Aunt Claire came out then. “Look at you two, out in the chilly air. The party is inside. Come in and rejoin the others.”

  “Now who can argue with that?” said Chad.

  Katie laughed again and they followed Claire back into the house.

  * * *

  Katie tossed and turned in her bed, accompanied by moans and heavy breathing in a stressful symphony of sleep.

  Cisco’s head popped up from his cozy dog bed and he stared in Katie’s direction, sensing stress that was above the norm. He watched her for a while until he was satisfied that everything was okay, then slowly lowered his head and remained in his restful position until his eyes closed again.

  It was rare that Katie didn’t have at least one stressful dream every night. They were dreams her subconscious mind had created from previous defining moments, experiences to annoy, taunt, and frighten her, never allowing for a full restful sleep.

  Tonight was no different.

  In her dream, she ran to catch up to whatever she was chasing.

  But there was nothing there.

  Someone was chasing her.

  But no one ever appeared.

  Breathless.

  Helpless.

  Vulnerable.

  Most of her dreams had the same theme and had begun to mesh together. The vivid images were fading, but the intent was still alive and graphic.

  She stopped and turned to see a little girl with her back to her. She asked repeatedly if she was okay, and if there was anything she could do.

  The little girl slowly turned, revealing familiar sad eyes and a mouth full of braces.

  “Help me… Please help me… Help her… Katie, please help her…” she said, slowly and deliberately.

  Katie woke with a shocking jolt and sat up. Immediately Cisco was next to her on the bed, sniffing and licking her.

  Her breathing was fast and heavy until she managed to control it.

  Her nightshirt was soaked with sweat.

  It haunted her to receive a message from the great beyond, asking for help.

  She knew what she had to do; there was no other option.

  She reached for the journal her aunt had given her, opened it to the first page, and began to write what was on her mind.

  Saturday, 0300 hours

  * * *

  Tough day, but I will make it through. The vivid images and sounds from the battlefield are fading some. I miss my team. I always knew where I stood with them and we worked together. It was a closeness, a family, a tight-knit group that I never knew could exist. I couldn’t have done anything without Cisco at my side. Jenny visited me tonight in my dreams and asked me to find Chelsea… I cannot say no.

  Fifteen

  The sewing needle poked up through the fabric and then arced, piercing it again in an upward motion and repeating the maneuver in a slow, deliberate fashion every quarter of an inch to bind the fabric together. Each stitch was neat and mimicked the last. The steady, calloused hands were extremely nimble and able to complete the delicate work with ease, as they had so many times before.

  When the needle ran out of light-blue thread, the man made a securing stitch with the short leftover string. Using tiny sharp scissors, he snipped the thread as close to the fabric as possible without piercing it, then carefully took the remaining cotton from the eye of the needle and discarded it in the trashcan. Pulling a long new thread, he wet it between his lips and carefully inserted it through the eye, securing it with a knot at the end.

  Making a dress by hand was not beneath his abilities or his manhood. It enhanced his craftsmanship and kept his hands in expert form for all types of things. It also made him an intimate part of the process. It was a way for him to put his soul, his hard work, and even an occasional drop of perspiration into the fabric’s consistency.

  Every dress was a work of art—no two were ever alike.

  Every dress, in a specially chosen color, was made for a particular girl, who would be saved from the world’s debauchery and filth.

  Every dress helped to make his process complete.

  The delicate short sleeves with a slight pleating gave a modern-day fairy-tale effect. The gentle gathering of thread around the waistline created a skirt with a slight flare, but not too much fabric, to lie smoothly on the body when positioned in its final resting place. The finishing touch was the sash, neatly stitched, expertly ironed, and then perfectly tied around the girl’s waist to complete the outfit.

  He enjoyed the process, but it was the ultimate goal that excited him. It gave him hope. It made him experience life: someone else’s life—an innocent life. Every day there were too many disturbing things that contributed to the loss of innocence. There was nothing that could be done except to protect the pure.

  He readjusted his eyes, blinking several times and looking across the room, before continuing with the task.

  The bulb in the lamp flickered three times but continued to illuminate. It was almost as if it was a distinct message in Morse code speaking only to him.

  One. Two. Three…

  Pause.

  One. Two. Three…

  Pause.

  Capture. Protect. Sleep…

  One. Two. Three…

  Capture. Protect. Sleep…

  Sixteen

  Katie forced her aching body out of bed, beginning with her legs flopped over the edge of the mattress, followed by her feet pressing against the cool floor. Bones ached and muscles throbbed, each vying for her undivided attention. She had watched from the comfort of her warm bed and fluffy pillow as the day slowly began to brighten outside her bedroom window. It was gradual at first, like a volume dial, and then finally built momentum with an eye-opening illuminating wonder.

  Cisco paced around the bedroom, whining his usual early-morning complaint of wanting to go outside.

  “Okay, give me a minute,” Katie said in a gravelly voice.

  Feeling like the hunchback of Notre-Dame, she gently moved through some basic stretches to loosen up her shoulders, back, and hamstrings. She progressed through each exercise three times before there was some relief. Then she slipped on her lightweight robe and shuffled to the sliding doors in the kitchen area, where Cisco waited patiently. She opened the
doors just wide enough for the dog to squeeze through, and he shot out into the backyard and made his rounds to find the perfect location to do his business.

  A cool breeze blew through the house as Katie waited for the dog. Even though it caused goose bumps to prickle up her arms, it made her feel more energized, more awake, her mind focused.

  Cisco padded obediently back into the kitchen to wait for his breakfast.

  Katie fixed a pot of coffee and prepared a bowl for the dog. The aroma of the ground coffee percolating filled the house and somehow made it warmer and more inviting.

  As she looked around at the calming hominess of the kitchen and the comfortable living room, she realized that the warm light of the morning hours smoothed out any anxious thoughts she had in the middle of the night. Light pushed away darkness. Light would ceaselessly drown the darkness at every opportunity if you knew where to look.

  The fierce heat of the coffee helped to soothe Katie’s aches and pains as she reflected on last night’s party. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Chad being back in town. He was one of the few people who knew her well. He knew when to ask questions, and when to back away and let her decide whether she needed to talk. She didn’t know how deeply she felt about him and what the future would bring, but for now, she didn’t want any more complications with a relationship.

  “Cisco, you ready for another adventure?”

  The jet-black dog made a scrambling dash to the front door, wagging his tail like a helicopter propeller.

  “Well, okay.”

  Katie made herself some eggs and packed sufficient supplies for the road. She wanted to make sure she hadn’t overlooked anything, and decided to add some extra tools and her first-aid box. It was difficult to plan for the unknown, but she would rather have too much kit at her disposal than not enough.

  As previously, she mapped her areas of search and set her GPS to get her to the correct location. She and Cisco drove down the familiar road, but instead of turning right, she made a left and slowly they began to climb. It had been one of her favorite areas to visit, camp, and hike growing up. The fond memories flooded her mind and kept her company until they arrived at a fork in the road.

  She eased the Jeep to the curb and double-checked her directions. Once again there was a strong cell-phone signal and she didn’t foresee anything that would prevent them from taking the two main hikes she had mapped out.

  She decided to make the extra effort to study the trails more closely on websites chatting about the area, to make sure there weren’t any treacherous spots or anything that was under reconditioning from the county parks department.

  All areas clear.

  She decided that she would drive as far as she could and park. There hadn’t been any vehicles for the past five miles, so she shouldn’t run into any unsuspecting hikers or campers.

  She parked and exited the Jeep, changed into her most appropriate heavy-duty hiking boots, and re-inventoried her backpack.

  Cisco’s energy had heightened since their previous adventure. He ran circles around the car and then nudged her to hurry up.

  “What’s up with you, Cisco?”

  The dog gave a deep bark.

  “Okay, maybe we’ll get lucky today.”

  She didn’t think so, but saying it out loud made her feel a bit more optimistic.

  Her sore and stiff muscles loosened up the more she moved around, which in turn gave her more energy and momentum to forge ahead. She kept her small field notebook close so that she could update it when necessary with her exact movements.

  After checking the compass, she headed out to the first search area.

  The day was cooler than the last hike and there were fewer birds circling above, replaced by smaller birds chirping in the trees. The usual flies and other winged bugs seemed to have vanished from the area. The wind gusted slightly and then fell away to a steady stillness.

  Katie maintained a moderate pace and kept a subtle watch on her breathing—slow and even. Everything considered, she felt great. She took an additional moment just to enjoy the sights and being able to roam the outdoors.

  The denseness of the trees became more intense and darker, blocking out some of the sunlight as she moved down the easy trail. Hills and rocks became the norm and provided interesting interruptions in the landscape. The area would inspire most artists with its beauty and serene surroundings, which seemed to go on forever.

  Katie stopped at an open, level area. As she performed a three-hundred-sixty-degree turn, her instincts alerted her with the delicate raised hairs on her neck that something was not right. It didn’t happen often, but she had honed her internal skills to never overlook anything.

  She glanced down at Cisco; he seemed to have picked up on the fact that something was amiss as well. He had stopped his incessant sniffing and marking, and now stood completely still, tail down, head and ears straight forward. His eyes darted from one side to the other searching the wilderness.

  Katie wasn’t sure if it was just the place—some type of electromagnetic energy—or whether there were wild animals near. She stood perfectly still and listened. The wind had stopped completely—she wasn’t sure when—and silence had taken over. It was pleasant at first, but the more you noticed it, the more a certain kind of sinister feeling swirled around it.

  Glancing at her compass, Katie noticed that she was facing southeast. There was about a square mile she wanted to explore, the terrain easily navigated by any moderate-level hiker.

  A screech owl cried out. It was an unusual sound early in the day, unless there were predators lurking about. Animal behavior and weather characteristics were the first indications of change, or something being wrong in the natural world.

  Katie stood for a few more minutes without anything happening.

  No noise.

  No wild animal slamming through the brush.

  Cisco went back to his sniff and search.

  She decided to walk the area, on and off the trail, then circle back in the opposite direction until returning to the starting point.

  Her first impression was of the clusters of beautiful trees, some dense, while others appeared to grow in circles or perfectly straight lines as a natural barrier. Most were various California pines, including the ponderosa pine trees that proliferated throughout the forest hills, along with a mix of sequoia and oak trees in the lower canyon sections.

  She was able to maintain a vigorous pace, keeping a steady eye out for anything that appeared to have been caused by a person rather than nature, such as strange worn pathways, broken or cut branches, or disturbed soil; anything that looked out of place or caught her attention.

  She stopped at five different locations. Each time she focused Cisco and had him do a sweeping search. He wasn’t trained specifically for cadavers or gravesites, but he could track anything to do with human scents. In addition, German shepherd dogs invariably alerted on features that appeared out of the ordinary.

  He initially made a large circle around the designated area, and then honed his sniffing to each section as Katie moved behind him. Every once in a while she would gesture with her hand for him to keep searching, and he would obey. She looked at every area but nothing required a closer inspection.

  After a little over an hour, she began to make her way back to her Jeep. She wanted to see if she could access the upper roads near the trails. The trees were more crowded there, nestled together, but designated spots were open along some of the hills.

  Her stomach rumbled and her energy was waning, so she decided it was an appropriate time to take a lunch break to refuel.

  Within five minutes, she was back at the car. It was still deserted and eerily quiet around them. She brushed her right hand against her sidearm to make sure that it was still in the correct position and ready to use at any given moment. She didn’t expect anything to happen, but she reminded herself that she was quite a distance away from any place where there were people around, and she wanted to be prepar
ed if something went sideways.

  Deciding to drive the Jeep deeper into the forest before lunch, she jumped behind the wheel, Cisco riding shotgun, ready for anything. They continued for about two miles along the uneven road, the Jeep bouncing and rattling though they were barely going above idling speed.

  Parts of the road had been washed out, but there were still sections that were barely wide enough for the vehicle. Slowing down to scarcely five miles per hour, the Jeep did its job and inched forward to start climbing at a steep angle.

  “Hang on, Cisco,” Katie called.

  The dog faced straight ahead, sitting motionless on the seat, even in the bumpiest areas. Katie held her breath and kept a steady pressure on the accelerator.

  The road turned to the right, where there was a narrow entrance.

  Katie stopped the Jeep and referred to the GPS on her phone, which now wavered in signal strength. She found that the road on the right led to an area she had never noticed before. It looked accessible and an interesting location to search.

  She drove the car a little ways up the main road before cutting the engine and jumping out, leaving the driver’s door open so that Cisco could join her.

  She retrieved a special bag and had the dog’s undivided attention. First she unfolded a collapsible water bowl and filled it with water. While Cisco lapped up the refreshment, she opened a Ziploc bag and emptied out organic chicken pieces and rice.

  A chicken salad sandwich with mayonnaise, tomatoes, and arugula lettuce was her own lunch choice. She carefully peeled away the deli paper and began eating.

  “Yum,” she managed to say through a mouthful of food. Hiking and searching had made her ravenous; the cool chicken mixture had just the right amount of seasoning and tasted like the best food in a fancy restaurant.

  A loud crash interrupted her enjoyment.

  She jumped to attention facing the direction of the noise and instinctively drew her weapon. “Return,” she said quietly to Cisco. Once he was safely back in the Jeep, she shut the door until she was able to establish the source of the noise.