Branded for Murder (Scott Tucker Series)

by Dick Waters

  She unlocked the annex door, closing it quietly behind her. She put her back against it to see if she heard anyone back in the dorm approaching. It was totally quiet. She turned the flashlight on. It was much brighter than the other night. She headed up the stairs to the third floor. There was some noise on the landing, but it was just another rat. When she shined the flashlight on it, the black thing just lumbered away.

  She noticed the building was still extremely hot. By the time she reached the fifth floor, she felt the sweat running down the middle of her back. Why in the world did I wear another sweater?

  At the top of the stairs she took a deep breath, shining the flashlight down the hall. Not a thing in the hall. Damn, the flashlight was starting to dim again, and she shook it. She would need it on the return to the reception area, so she had to use it sparingly. Without any hesitation, she put the key in the lock at room 516 and unlocked the door. She let the door swing open, holding her fingers in front of the lens to limit the light in the room. She went immediately past the small cot, over to the window.

  The binoculars were resting on the mattress right where she had left them and she picked them up. The room seemed hotter than the last time. She wiped the sweat off the sides of her face. She knelt at the window, trying to focus the binoculars on the room with the light. The man was nowhere in sight. She thought this would be great if she could get a look at his face. She checked the second window where the small bathroom was, there was nobody there. She focused back on the bedroom.

  She felt her pulse beating in her ears. She closed her eyes, wiping the sweat away again. Her back was itchy from the sweat running down her back. She put the binoculars down, removing her sweater. She thought she heard something, and froze in place. She couldn’t place the sound, but she wondered if the guard was making rounds. She waited and waited, not hearing anything. She focused the binoculars back on the room and the empty bed.

  There was a large-red paper note on the bed. She refocused on the large letters. ‘When you read this – it will be night-night time.’ She heard the noise in the room again. Before she could turn around, a cloth was over her nose and mouth. Her screams were muffled to even her ears.

  The room was spinning, and she couldn’t see anything in the limited light. She dropped the binoculars. The noise they made sounded like thunder. She could feel her knees starting to buckle. She was going to pass out. Scott, please help me. Scott I need you now.

  Chapter 89

  He held onto her, knowing she had passed out. Her bare back against his bare chest felt incredible. She was sweating. He was too—the closet was almost stifling even with all his clothes off. She did exactly what he thought she would do, coming back to this room.

  He guided her to the bed, laying her down. He opened his goody bag, removing the many candles he brought with him. He lit each of them, placing them around the room. He placed several on the window sill, which created a mirror like affect on the window. She began moving, so he poured some more chloroform on the handkerchief and held it against her nose and mouth again. He looked at her bra. It was pretty but not what he wanted to see.

  He went over to the bag, removing the underwear he brought with him. It was her black set from her room. Yes, you were right. I’ve been in your room and in your drawers. He went over and removed her shoes and white socks, then her slacks and finally her white silk panties. He lifted her slightly to remove them off her legs and then unhooked her bra. He studied her body in the flickering light. She was better looking up close, than when he saw her in her room.

  He put the black bra and panties on her. Next, he took the hangman knotted ropes from the bag and tied her wrists and ankles to the bed posts. He put a gag in her mouth but didn’t blindfold her. I want to see your reaction when you see what has happened to you and who I am. Next he tasted her lips, and licked her breasts above the black bra. I’m sure your boyfriend Scott has had the pleasure of your body. However, tonight the pleasure will be mine.

  He went over and took the Sterno can out of the bag, along with the small wooden tool. He looked at the backward letters…he knew later they would show ‘L and J’ on her body. His excitement was growing just thinking about all these things. This was plan B. He was really going to enjoy their time together. He knew first hand the guards didn’t check this area at this hour, and never checked the individual rooms.

  *.*.*

  She was starting to wake up, but wasn’t there yet. Her blonde hair cascaded across the mattress and her shoulders. He spread his body out on hers. Her warmth made him almost change his plans. He went to a sitting position on her, putting his nose almost against hers. Her eyelids were flickering. She was soon trying to focus her eyes. Her muffled scream was exciting. She tried to move, realizing she was tied to the bed, which she confirmed when she looked at both of her wrists. She screamed again, trying to throw him off her body.

  He laughed at her attempt. He slowly slid off her body and stood looking down at her. She closed her eyes to the sight of him. He backed away to see what she did next. She opened her eyes, looking down to see her new underwear. She shook her head and yelled again. Once again he laughed at her feeble attempt. He brought a large candle over to her and studied her again. She closed her eyes.

  He tipped the candle, the hot wax dropping into her navel. She reacted just the way he wanted her to. The light of the candle made her blonde hairs on her body more noticeable. When she closed her eyes, he continued to drip more candle wax on her. Without saying anything, she realized that if she kept her eyes open he wouldn’t drip wax on her. She finally looked at his face. Her eyes got big as saucers as she focused on who he was.

  He stood over her again, she closed her eyes. He dripped more wax on her, forcing her eyes open. “Do you like what you see?” He finally broke his silence.

  She shook her head and pulled at her restraints.

  “Lisa. Yes I know who you are. You know who I am now too. I’m Andy Lincoln at your service. I will protect you tonight and no one is going to hurt you…well…that is except me. I know you know who I am. Yes, and I have some confessions to make to you. I have undressed you every time I’ve seen you in the reception area, and when you’re leaving with your boyfriend. You’ve done your own amount of undressing much to my pleasure. I have seen you in your room and your shower.”

  “Actually Lisa I have been in your room. You see, we have keys to all the rooms. I decided I liked the black set of underwear best, taking it a while ago, so you could wear it for me now. I know you were watching the other night. I found the binoculars here, but I saw you the night you were watching me. You were nice enough to only wear a bra. We’ll dispense with your clothes soon so we can let our bodies touch.”

  Lisa yelled something, but he couldn’t understand what she said.

  “What are you trying to say?” He put his body on the cot beside her, putting his ear to her gag. “Tell me again what you said.”

  She mumbled something.

  “Why? I thought you might want to know why? My name isn’t really Andy Lincoln.” He let that register. “My name is really Jimmy Ballou. Do you remember that name?” Once again he waited for it to sink in. “Yes that’s right. I was the young boy who helped your mother set up the camp for a few years. That is until the camp counselors caught me intruding on their space, tying me up like you are now. However, they did more than that. Yes, they enjoyed experimenting with me for the weekend, but they did this.”

  She jumped as he stood up, lifting his manhood to display the marks. “Do I have to bring the candle over again? Open your eyes. Look at what the three of them did to me.”

  He watched as her eyes focused on the three burned marks. “Yes that’s right Lisa; they burned their marks on me. Karen and Phyllis had the same letters burned on them before I killed them. Charlotte got lucky earlier today. Help intervened before I could reward her with her own brand.” He went over and brought back the wood tool and showed it to her. “This is our mark. This will be a
n L and a J for us. It will be a remembrance to your mother of what she might have been able to prevent. But she was much too involved in her own things…she was pregnant with you.”

  He sat down on her lap facing her. He watched her starting to close her eyes, but she kept them open. He reached behind him, displaying a small bottle, dripping the contents on her shoulders and then above her bra. He started rubbing the oil on her arms and across her shoulders. He reached behind him again, producing a long knife. She closed her eyes and he ran the knife down between her breasts. “Do I have to get the candle again?” She opened her eyes.

  *.*.*

  He turned the knife over and cut her bra off. She was starting to sob and he just smiled at her response. He dripped more oil, rubbing it in. He dripped oil on his chest, shoulders and rubbed it in as well. He rolled off to her side, picking up the knife, running it under her panties. With two quick moves, she was now as naked as he was. He went back to the oil, covering every inch of her.

  Then he stood, making her watch as he oiled the rest of his body. He knelt down on her lap again and moved his body against hers. He wasn’t looking at her anymore, lost in the feeling of their bodies sliding against one another. Minutes passed. He was in no rush. He thought he heard something and stopped moving.

  Chapter 90

  I couldn’t remember the road I had just driven, but I had to get to Lisa’s dorm right away. Minutes might mean the difference in Lisa being attacked or worse. I didn’t bother to find a parking place, just double-parked in front of the dorm. I scared the hell out of the female guard as I burst through the door.

  “I’m looking for Lisa Anderson. Have you seen her?” The guard was just staring at me, not responding. I noticed everyone in the reception area was staring at my entrance. Judy was there too. I ran over to Judy, with the guard trying to catch up to me. “Judy, have you seen Lisa?”

  The guard yelled she was going to call the cops.

  I yelled back at her, “Please call them, and tell them you have an emergency.” I looked back at Judy, asking, “Judy please. I think Lisa is in danger. Have you seen her? Is she in her room?”

  “I saw her earlier. I don’t know where she is. She’s probably in our room.”

  I headed up the stairs, thinking the guard was going to faint.

  “You can’t go up there. Stop. I said stop!” She was yelling, running to her desk to use the phone.

  I didn’t stop, I couldn’t. If Jimmy was going to go after Lisa, this is where he would try to get her. I thought about what she said, about the guard that gave her the creeps, and the room behind the dorm. I rushed into their dorm room and she wasn’t there. I went over to the newspaper covered window and looked across the alley. The lights were on over there. I remember what she had said about watching the display from their future dorm room.

  I left their dorm room, running to the end of the hall. The annex door which I expected to be locked opened when I pushed on it. I went running into the annex and noticed how dark it was. I was feeling for the hand rail and wall, climbing the stairs two at a time. I was at the top floor before I knew it. Something ran between my feet and I froze in place. I could make out the outline of a big rat who must have been as scared as I was judging from how it scampered away.

  I went down the hall as quietly as I could, seeing the flickering light under the door. My eyes had adjusted some to the low light. I could read room 516 on the door plate. I feared the door would be locked. I was not going to take the chance. I was going to turn the handle and push my weight against the door—one way or the other I was going to be inside the room.

  *.*.*

  The handle did turn. I went flying into the room and wound up on the floor. I saw two glistening bodies on the small bed, before I fell to the floor. One of them was a man and the other was Lisa. I saw her head jerk in my direction with fear registering on both of their faces. The man moved quickly. Before I could get up, he was punching me with both of his fists. He then grabbed my coat by the collar, making his swings count, landing against the side of my head. My ears were ringing and the room was spinning. I braced myself against the cot, trying to get up to throw my own punches.

  I hit him with several punches. I then tried to push him, but my hands slid off his body like he was a greased pig. He lost his balance, bouncing off the side of the bed with a crash. In one quick motion he charged. I felt my head hit the cabinet, the sounds were muffled. I could feel my body slipping down the wall. The pain was incredible and everything in the room was spinning. The figure was only a shadow now. He looked quickly at me then back at Lisa. I lost sight of everything at that point.

  *.*.*

  I couldn’t say how long I was out, but when I came to, I could hear Lisa whimpering on the bed, trying as best she could to try to get loose. The room was now freezing instead of the heat I felt when I first entered. I remembered how hot it was in the room, and the smell of the candles. I managed to get off the floor. I went over to Lisa, removing her gag. I looked at the back window, which was open, thinking Jimmy might be coming back.

  I rushed over to the window, expecting to see Jimmy. When I looked, there wasn’t anybody on the fire escape. Some of the candles that were on the window sill were lying on the fire escape. The rest of them were on the ground next to Jimmy’s still burning body. He was face down, obviously dead from the fall. I went back to Lisa, taking off my coat to cover her. I untied her hands, and then her feet, and she threw herself into my arms. We were both crying now.

  “Lisa he’s dead. He must have caught on fire going out the window, slipping to his death off the fire escape.” I hugged her with all my might.

  “Scott, I was saying some silent prayers that you would sense my call for help. He was doing awful things to me. He was going to brand me, and then kill me. He killed those other girls because they branded him. He had a brand made with my initial and his.” She sobbed into my shoulder as I hugged her. I realized how lucky we were to be alive.

  *.*.*

  I heard the commotion in the hall, turning to see Mike and Paul charge into the room. He looked at us, then went over to the window and stood there for a moment. He came back to the doorway and guided Paul out with him. I helped Lisa get dressed, and heard him say, “Well Scott, it’s just another case where you are one step ahead of us. We’ll be downstairs checking out what’s left of Jimmy. Lisa, I’ll call your parents to let them know you’re okay. This is beginning to sound like a broken record—nice work Scott!”

  *.*.*

  “Scott, how did you find me?”

  “Well Jimmy called your parents to tell them he was going after you. They called the Derry Police to alert them, and then called me to tell me what he said he was going to do. When I got here, Judy didn’t know where you were. When you weren’t in your room, I remembered what you told me about the display in the next building. When I moved the newspapers and saw the light on in the building behind yours, I thought you might have gone to see if you could see who the man was in the room. Had you not told me about what you witnessed, I would not have known about your future room in the annex.”

  I could feel Lisa’s body shaking, and saw the tears cascading down her face.

  “Scott…it’s obvious by Jimmy’s actions that he planned for a long time to; kidnap, rape, brand and kill me to make my mother pay for not paying more attention to what happened at camp. If you hadn’t met me in the library that day President Kennedy was killed, I might have been…”

  I put my lips to hers kissing her with all of the love I had inside me. I thought about the prince waking sleeping beauty. I thought about my cousin Jackie and what she was missing. And I thought about what my life would be without Lisa in it. I couldn’t hold back my tears and they joined Lisa’s.

  We stood up, wrapping our arms around each other. As we turned to leave the room the candles were still burning brightly. I spotted a coin on the floor, next to where I was knocked out. “Lisa, look at the quarter on the floor—it’s ‘head
s up.’”

  She bent down, picked it up, and then brought it to her lips. “Scott, I guess the day is what you make it. I will always have a ‘heads up’ kind of day with you in my life. How appropriate my life is yours. Please take me to the Skywalk, I want to enjoy every moment of my life with you.”

  Table of Contents

  “If you play with fire, you get burned.”

  Copyright © 2012 All Rights Reserved – Dick C Waters

  Prologue – 1962

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52