NightScream

by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

  Thomas sat on the edge of his seat as a large blade glinted in the moonlight. A creepy grin plastered Samuel’s face as he plunged the knife into the CPR dummy time and time again.

  It gave Thomas a chill.

  “This guy is seriously deranged,” Shadowhawk said. “I’m going to take particular pleasure in putting his ass in jail.”

  Thomas glanced at Meagan, who’d been especially quiet since the man entered her sister’s home. Tears stained her cheeks. “You okay, babe?”

  She stared at him. “Do you think Bridget’s still alive?”

  Thomas couldn’t answer the question. He held the same fear. “We’ll find her.” He looked back at the screen. The perp was wiping imagined blood off his knife.

  “It’s a go.” Thomas and Shadowhawk took off out the back of the van.

  With guns raised, they entered the home through the front door. They crept silently into the girls’ bedroom just as their target discovered he’d been duped.

  Thomas flicked on the light.

  “Samuel Charles Miller, you are under arrest for breaking and entering, attempted murder, and attempted kidnapping. That’s just to start. I’m certain your list of offenses will grow. You have the right to remain silent. . .”

  The man stood frozen as Shadowhawk pulled his hands behind his back and cuffed him.

  “Do you understand these rights as I have explained them?” Thomas finished.

  “I think you’ve rendered him speechless.” Shadowhawk chuckled.

  “Probably for the first time in his entire miserable life,” Thomas said. He got in the guy’s face. “Where’s Bridget, you piece of shit?”

  The man stared at him. Shock still colored his face.

  Shadowhawk shoved him against the wall. “Answer the man. What did you do to Meagan’s sister?”

  “Nothing,” Samuel’s voice held a dreamlike quality.

  “Just took care of her, that’s all.”

  Shadowhawk stared at Thomas with worried eyes.

  His anger took hold and he leaned his arm across the shithead’s throat. “If you’ve harmed her in any way, you will have an unfortunate accident. You hear me?”

  Samuel’s face turned red from lack of oxygen, tears streamed down his face. “No,” he squeaked.

  Thomas eased up.

  The guy coughed and shook his head. “She’s fine, just sleeping. She’s been sick.”

  Thomas placed his hands on the wall, corralling Samuel’s head. He leaned within an inch of his face and ground out, “Where?”

  Samuel coughed again. “In the RV.” He swallowed hard.

  “In Anaheim?” Thomas asked.

  The man nodded.

  Thomas glanced at Shadowhawk. “You got this?”

  She nodded. “Go.”

  “Thanks.” Thomas raced out of the house and found Meagan standing outside the van. She’d obviously seen everything on the monitor. He grabbed her hand and ran toward his car.

  He started the engine and flipped the switch that activated the flashing lights in his back window. As they raced north on the 5 freeway, he stole a glance at Meagan. Her body trembled, her skin was deathly pale.

  He snatched her hand. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

  She nodded, but her entire being told a different story.

  He’d had Meagan type in the GPS coordinates once they were on the road. As he took the Harbor Boulevard exit, the device told them to turn right. As they followed the directions the automated voice spit out, they found themselves at the gates to the Disneyland parking lot.

  Thomas flashed his badge and was quickly admitted. He drove directly to the house on wheels and parked. Dread filled him as he anticipated what they’d find inside. If Bridget were dead, Meagan would not soon recover. She’d never forgive him his little sting operation.

  He jumped out of the car and sprinted toward the trailer. He tried the door, it was locked. Knowing the door swung out, kicking it in was not an option. Meagan hugged his flank.

  “Back up and cover your ears.” He stood at arm’s length and pointed his gun down so the bullet would go into the floor once he shot the lock off. He squeezed the trigger and yanked the door open.

  “Wait here.” His jaw tensed as he entered, leading with his gun. Within seconds he found Bridget laying face down on the floor next to the king-sized bed. He placed his fingers on her carotid artery.

  “Is she?” Meagan stood in the open doorway holding onto the frame like a lifeline.

  She hiccupped a sob.

  “I’ve got a pulse.” He pulled out his phone and called for an ambulance, CSU, and a couple of officers to guard the scene.

  THIRTY

  Cody’s gut-wrenching cry filled the cab as he stood on the brakes. He watched in horror as the truck carrying Jilly flew through the air before it disappeared over the side of the cliff. The sound of screeching tires drew his attention, but his vehicle was stopped.

  He glanced in the rear view mirror in time to see the county cruiser heading toward him at an alarming speed. He switched his foot to the accelerator pedal and flattened it. Tires squealed as the FJ Cruiser lurched forward.

  He pulled past the broken guardrail. The black and white SUV skidded to a stop a hair’s breadth short of his bumper. He jumped out and stood with his feet shoulder width apart, ready to kill them both.

  The dipshits exited their vehicle and jogged toward him.

  Cody put his hands out. It was all he could do to tamp down his fury. If either one opened their mouth, he was certain to lose his shit all over their asses.

  “I’ll deal with you fucktards later. Call fire and rescue. Get an ambulance. Have them use the old logging road below.”

  They stared at him.

  “Now!” he screamed with all the ferocity he felt.

  Finally, the men scattered like ants in a frying pan.

  The gray sky had turned hot pink. Cody stepped to the edge of the road and peered down the sheer drop. He searched for the truck, but was hard-pressed to find it. He lifted his gaze further out.

  Cody’s heart stopped.

  The truck was sinking headfirst into the lake.

  He dashed to the back of his rig and yanked open the hatch.

  Cody snatched the duffel containing his climbing gear. His hands shook. In his haste, the zipper got stuck and he had to force the bag open. Items flew as he rummaged through the equipment until he located his longest rope.

  He dropped to a squat and attached it to the trailer hitch behind his vehicle. He tested the knot. He slipped on a pair of gloves and tested the knot once more before he threaded it between his legs. He leaned back over the side.

  “Backup’s on the way,” yelled Deputy Dumb Shit.

  “Wait, where are going?” Deputy Dumber Than Shit asked.

  Cody glanced from one to the other. It took everything in him not to shoot them where they stood. Instead, he jumped over the side, thankful he no longer had to look at their idiotic faces.

  With one hand holding the rope above and the other holding the rope between his legs, he pushed himself off the rock face as he rappelled down the cliff.

  The second his feet touched solid ground, he did a one-eighty. He searched the surface of the lake and spotted the truck just as the tailgate slipped from sight. For a moment, fear had him frozen in place. The loud squawk of a blue jay overhead broke him out of his reverie.

  He sprinted through the woods, jumping over rocks and roots. He wove in and out of trees. By the time he reached the water’s edge, the only sign of the vehicle was a tiny splash in the otherwise placid lake. He toed off his boots and dove in.

  When he came up, the cold water made him gasp. He raced toward the ripple and got there before the water settled. The sun now peeked above the tree line. The truck’s silver paint glistened in its rays.

  The average depth of the lake was a mere eight feet. Cody dove and swam toward the sinking vehicle. He reached out and clasped the door handle on the passenger’s side. Jilly’s
frightened face met his as she pounded on the window. Her panicked screams were muffled by the glass.

  He stared past her and noticed an unconscious woman slumped over the wheel. The airbag had failed to deploy. Water rushed up from the bottom of the cab. Cody stared into Jilly’s wide eyes. He had to control his emotions if they were going to get out of this alive.

  He made a rolling motion with his hand and she shook her head. Dammit, the windows must be electric. He tried the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. Jilly nodded and searched the armrest. Her legs now floated behind her with the rising tide.

  Cody put up a finger as if to say just a minute and fled toward the surface. He greedily gulped fresh air before he dove once more. This time when he clasped the handle, the door unlatched. He pulled with both hands against the weight of the water. A wave rushed in and pushed Jilly back, her body did a somersault.

  As she spun away from him, he kicked hard and snatched her hand. He tugged. Once outside of the vehicle, he pushed off the side of the truck and headed for the surface. All at once he felt himself being dragged in the opposite direction.

  He glanced past Jilly and found the woman had latched onto her ankle. With the cab now completely flooded, the woman’s hair waved around her head like the snakes of Medusa.

  Cody focused on her face.

  Delilah stared back with crazed eyes, her body trapped by the seat belt. Jilly jerked and kicked back in an effort to loosen the woman’s ironclad grip. Air bubbles floated from her mouth. If he didn’t act quick, Jilly would drown.

  Cody let go of her hand and pulled himself along her body toward Delilah. His lungs were burning; he didn’t know how much longer he could hold his breath. He yanked back on a couple of Delilah’s fingers with enough force to break them.

  She screamed.

  Large bubbles floated toward his face. Delilah’s hand loosened enough to get Jilly’s foot out of reach.

  He snatched Jilly under her arms and rushed toward the surface. They breached like twin whales, gasping for air. Choking coughs followed. He cradled her head above the water and swam toward the shore.

  Two EMTs wadded out into the lake and took her from him. He stood knee-deep in the water, breathing heavily. They laid her on a stretcher and applied an oxygen mask.

  Cody forced himself to swim back out. Although feeling the effects of exhaustion taking hold, his body still held enough adrenaline to finish his task. By his guesstimate, he should be around the area where the truck had gone down.

  He took a deep breath and dove. He didn’t hold much hope that Delilah was still alive, but he had to make sure. No matter what she’d done, he couldn’t live with himself if he’d just let her die.

  He brought himself level with the door and peered in. Delilah was dead.

  Her eyes wide open.

  Her mouth frozen in a silent scream.

  Her hair floated around her head like sea grass.

  In essence, she resembled her victims.

  By the time he got to shore, they were loading Jilly in the back of an ambulance. He crawled in next to her.

  An EMT climbed in and handed him a blanket.

  “Thanks.” Cody wrapped it around his shoulders. He took Jilly’s hand in both of his. Her eyes opened.

  Cody smiled down at her. “Damn, girl, you sure do go to a lot of trouble for a little attention.”

  “Payback’s a bitch,” she croaked, and her eyes closed.

  Cody leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Yes, it is.”

  THIRTY-ONE

  Cody and Jilly had wrapped their case. A week later, they joined his brother and Meagan at their home in Laguna Beach. Jesse grilled NY Steaks, while Cody and Jilly sat at the table on the redwood deck, facing the Pacific Ocean.

  The sun hung low on the horizon. The sound of crashing waves warred with the seagulls swooping down in the water to catch their dinner. Cody breathed in the scent of brine while he watched surfers ride toward the shore.

  Jilly whispered in his ear. “How can your brother afford this house?”

  “It belonged to his late wife. She was a famous violinist,” Cody said under his breath.

  Meagan came out carrying a salad and French bread. After placing them on the table, she joined Jesse at the BBQ.

  “The baked potatoes are done.” Jesse handed Meagan a plate with four foil wrapped lumps, and she set them next to the salad.

  Cody took a long pull from his beer.

  “I don’t know why you bother. Even if you drank all the Dos Equis ever made, it still wouldn’t make you the most interesting man in the world.” Jilly grinned and wiggled her brows at him.

  Everyone laughed.

  “Shit, woman, why do you always have to bust my balls?” Cody set the bottle down with a thunk.

  “Because I can.” Jilly kissed his cheek.

  “That’s because the world’s most interesting man is right here.” Meagan grabbed Jesse’s ass.

  Jesse leaned over and gave her a smooch. “Thanks, babe.” He removed the steaks from the grill and headed toward the table. Meagan joined them, picking up her margarita and taking a sip.

  “It’s a damn conspiracy around here.” Cody reached for a potato.

  Jesse forked a slab of meat onto his plate. “Last time we talked, you were going to the mental facility where your perp had been locked up. Did you learn anything?”

  Cody put a huge glob of butter on his potato and mashed it around. “Yeah. After we got the warrant, they had to hand over Delilah’s file. Dr. Crumjumble wasn’t too happy about it, let me tell you.”

  Meagan laughed. “What kind of name is Crumjumble?”

  Jilly elbowed him. “Her name is Crum hyphen Jolie.”

  “Whatever.” Cody picked up the sour cream. “She was a grumpy old lady. That’s all I know.”

  Jilly snatched a steak. “I think the reason she didn’t want us reading the file was because she knew Delilah was a danger to others, but she released her anyway.”

  Jesse swallowed. “How so?”

  Cody seized a slice of hot bread and buttered it. “Delilah confessed to killing her father. Her body had developed early, and he sexually abused her.”

  Jilly loaded salad on her plate. “The catalyst was Cody dumping her and moving away.”

  Cody’s heart dropped.

  He wanted to disappear.

  He couldn’t handle the fact that so many women had been murdered because of him.

  “Evidently he was the only man in her life who had ever treated her decently. Every other man simply wanted to take advantage of her. Cody was kind, gave her gifts, and acted as if he actually cared,” Jilly said.

  That pissed Cody off. “I did care, I wasn’t acting.”

  He glared at her.

  She rubbed his thigh. “I know, hon, no one’s saying you didn’t. I’m using the doctor’s words, not mine.” She looked across the table to the other couple. “The poor girl never had that before.”

  Cody picked up his empty bottle and stood. “I’m going to get another beer. Anyone else want anything?” A round of no’s returned and Cody escaped into the house.

  Once he was out of earshot, Jilly addressed Meagan and Jesse. “I feel bad. All through high school, we all talked about her behind her back. She’d screwed her way through the entire male populace. We were all shocked when Cody started dating her.”

  Meagan picked up her fork. “That’s typical sexual abuse behavior. The child is taught that sex is love, so they’re on a constant quest to find it wherever they can. Many women turn to prostitution. They have a skewed sense of self-worth. It’s very sad.” She took a bite of salad.

  “Delilah told me while I was riding around on the floor of the truck that she was killing any woman Cody was interested in. In her delusional state, if all the women he dated kept dying, it would bring him back to her.” Jilly cut a piece of meat and put it in her mouth.

  “How the hell did she follow him around like that?” Jesse asked.

  “
When we interviewed her mother, we learned she’d talked her into letting her stay with an aunt after she left Shady Pines. Delilah reasoned that she wasn’t ready to live at the house where her father died. So she moved in with her Aunt Sylvie in Virginia.

  “An easy drive to Maryland. But by the time Delilah arrived, Cody had already moved on. That’s when we think she killed Mary Ellen. She and Cody shared an apartment and his name was on the lease. In the course of torturing her, Delilah learned several things about Cody including where he’d gone.”

  “How horrible.” Meagan bit into her bread.

  Jilly nodded. “After Cody relocated to Montana, Delilah moved in with her Aunt Meredith in Idaho, where she lived until he moved to Los Angeles. Then she returned home and started stalking him in L.A.”

  Cody stepped out of the house and it suddenly became quiet.

  “How’s your sister doing, Meagan?”

  “Physically, she’s doing well, thanks for asking. But mentally, I’m not sure.”

  He sat at the table and resumed eating. “Has she gone back to her husband?”

  “No. She’s staying at my parents’ house in San Diego. She doesn’t know what she wants right now. She has some issues she needs to work through.”

  Cody swallowed. “That’s gotta be tough. She’s been through a lot.”

  Meagan nodded as she chewed.

  He turned toward his brother. “What’s going on with the case?”

  Jesse took a sip of beer. “Your friend Robin’s been great. She’s kept me in the loop. She discovered several unsolved cases of disappearances involving single mothers and their daughters. She also flew to Kentucky and interviewed Samuel’s wife.

  “Through her, they were able to connect his trips to several of those cases. The wife had physical evidence. It seems, every time he returned, he brought her jewelry.

  “The wife relinquished the items to Robin. The families of the victims were then able to identify which piece of jewelry belonged to whom.”

  “Holy crap.” Cody took a bite of salad.

  Jesse continued. “It seems that the relatives of these women had been raising a ruckus, blaming Reverend Miller, but no one would take them seriously.”