by A P Morgan
The door swung in when I pulled on the knob and we stayed low to the ground, making ourselves smaller targets. The moon was barely visible through the trees, but it gave me a direction to start in.
Keeping her behind me, I hooked her finger through my belt loop. “Don’t let go.”
I didn’t want to go straight toward the mill, but I had no idea how long we had before he would take our options away. The right was the best direction, and the mill would be the last resort.
Even though I’d known this was coming, I didn’t want to run around blindly, but it was difficult to move in a crouch.
Scratched and exhausted, we finally heard the sounds of a highway.
“Carol, do you think that you can make it to the road?” I felt more than saw her nod. “I need you to call the sheriff’s office and tell them where I’m at. The FBI is here and they’ll get you back to safety. I’m going to go back after this bastard so he can’t hurt anyone else.”
“You’re going to leave me?” Carol whispered loudly.
“Just until I can get this guy. He has to be stopped, and one of us has a much better chance at escape if the other is taking all of his attention.”
“Okay.” She huddled behind the bush.
“Go. I’m going to make sure that he’s not following you.” I shoved her forward.
A branch snapped, and I knew that he did it purposely to let us know he was watching. My decision was made and I took off running back the way we’d just came. He would be expecting me to head to the sounds he’d made or back to the mill.
The sounds of him moving to catch up motivated me, and I pulled out some extra energy. I’d managed to stay ahead of him for a while, but I didn’t know which was better: head back toward people, or the cabin where he had possible weapons I could use against him.
An arrow hit the tree next to my head and I took off toward the cabin, until a scream rang out through the woods. He’d found Carol. Stopping in my tracks, I turned and ran straight back the way I’d just come.
The pounding of my heart rang in my ears, but everything else around me was completely silent. I had to be close to where I’d left Carol.
Nothing moved as I scanned the trees behind me for some sign that he’d followed.
Lights suddenly lit the forest, and before I could get behind the tree, an arrow pierced my flesh. He hadn’t hit my heart, but I couldn’t do anything except lie there on the ground, groaning.
“Leslie?” Ryan’s voice rang out through the trees.
“Here!” I screamed, but it came out more of a whimper. I had to hold on. They needed to know about the cabin.
“She’s here!” someone yelled, and I was suddenly surrounded by agents, as well as Ryan.
“The cabin.”
“Shh, they’ll get you fixed up and we’ll go get him. We’ve got you.” Ryan took my hand as the paramedics wrapped the arrow that was sticking out of right my shoulder, making it secure to move me.
“The cabin and Carol. Did you find Carol?” I whispered as the blackness closed in on me.
Chapter 13
Ryan
When a girl showed up wandering through the woods, we knew we’d found the right spot. She mumbled something about a woman distracting him so that she could get away.
All I could think about was Leslie making herself a target for this guy to take out. He would want one last kill before he was caught, if we could even do that.
A cry rang out, and I raced over to find Leslie on the ground with an arrow piercing her shoulder.
She kept trying to tell me something, but passed out before I could make out more than the word ‘cabin.’ What cabin?
“Agent Perez, I think he might have a cabin farther up in the woods. Can I take a few agents with me and see if we can get this guy?”
“By all means, and I’m going with you.”
Five other agents joined us as we trekked through the woods.
“Is that it up ahead?” I whispered to her as a black blob appeared.
Everyone spread out, while she and I approached, guns drawn. We weren’t about to let someone else capture him.
The door opened at my touch as I crouched low, scanning the room.
Empty cages were on the right, and a bed sat on the left. It wasn’t a large setup, and appeared empty.
The lamp that was sitting on the floor came on when I turned the knob, and I stifled a gasp.
Pinned to the back of the wall behind the door was Sebastian Spring, an arrow through his heart with a note hanging down in front of him.
“Having fun yet?” Agent Perez read the note out loud.
“How did we miss someone coming out of the woods?” I slammed the cages against the wall. “He’s always one step ahead of us.”
“At least this killer is dead.” Agent Perez tried to console me.
I turned my fury on her. “You’re not getting it. He’s controlling the narrative, not us. He’s recruiting killers, then tying up his loose ends when the month is over. He doesn’t have to worry about them talking to us because they’re dead.”
“We were much closer this time and we saved your partner, as well as an innocent. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“It does, but this isn’t over.”
The cabin flooded with techs and agents ready to process the scene.
“I’m going to go to the hospital with Leslie and make sure that she’s okay.”
“Hey, Agent Perez. We found some graves back here like the others,” an agents called out as I turned to walk through the darkness.
“Go. I’ll catch up to you at the hospital once we finish everything here.” She seemed sympathetic to my frustration.
I ignored all of it and walked past the teeming groups of people that just kept coming from the mill to see what it was all about.
Spring Mill was overrun with law enforcement personnel. I walked straight to the ambulance where Carol was sitting on the back step.
“Are you going to the hospital where they took the injured police officer?” I questioned the paramedics.
“Yeah, we were about to pull out. Do you need a ride?” he offered as they helped Carol sit on the gurney in the back.
“Sure. I need to get there, but the other agents are going to be tied up here for a while and I don’t have a vehicle.”
“Do you know the lady cop that was injured?” Carol seemed to come out of her fog and notice me.
“I do. She’s my partner.” I’d finally accepted the fact that we weren’t just going to be doing a case or two together. We were partners for better or worse.
“She saved my life. He was going to kill me. He’d taken a different girl out each day, but none of them ever came back. I’m alive because she distracted him,” Carol sniffled.
“He’s dead. You won’t have to worry about him anymore. I’m sure they’ll need to interview you, but you’re safe now.” I walked to the front and got into the passenger seat.
“Got an update for you. They’ve arrived with your partner and should have her in surgery by the time we get there,” the driver informed me as we pulled away from another crime scene that would haunt me forever.
Chapter 14
Leslie
My whole body felt sore all over. My eyelids were heavy as I pushed to open them.
A blurry figure in scrubs stood at the foot of my bed. Noticing that I was trying to wake up, they came to stand next me.
“Glad to see your back among the living.” He had a mask over his face to keep germs out, and he touched my hand in a loving gesture.
“Sebastian didn’t follow orders. He wasn’t supposed to hurt you. How can we play this game if you’re injured? I’ve taken care of him. I don’t have long, dearie, but I just wanted to see for myself that you were going to make it. Get well soon, because you’ll need your strength for next month’s puzzle.” The figure messed with my IV and started to leave. “Oh, I brought you your favorite flowers to remember me by.”
Even
in my confusion, I tried to keep my eyes open, but within seconds, I felt myself drifting off.
Opening my eyes, I found myself staring into the worried faces of Ryan, Jerome, and my sister Karen.
“When did all of you get here?” I croaked out, my voice sounding horrible.
Jerome moved a glass of water with a straw to my lips and gave me a sip.
“You’ve been out for three days.”
“Three days? Did we catch Sebastian?” I tried to sit up, but it hurt too much.
“He’s dead. You took an arrow to the shoulder, but the doctors said if you woke up, you’d be on the road to recovery.” Ryan stood on the opposite side of the bed from Jerome.
“Where’s the man?” I mumbled, taking another sip of water.
“What man?” all three of them echoed in unison.
“When I woke up last time, there was a man here that told me he’d killed Sebastian, and that I’d need my strength so we could play the game again. He put something in my IV and I went back to sleep.”
My eyes widened as I saw the Buttercup flowers sitting on the table. “The Zodiac Master was here, in my room.” I would have shrieked, but my voice was too hoarse. It sounded like a frog was lodged in my throat.
Ryan grimaced. “I’ve hardly left you alone since it happened. I didn’t want a repeat of Jesse. How did he get in here without me knowing it?”
“You left when I got here. You had to come verify that I was her boyfriend before they would let me past the visitor’s desk. But you weren’t gone but ten minutes,” Jerome offered.
“If there wasn’t a verified nurse or doctor in here, then I didn’t leave until your sister got here.”
“We could look through the surveillance feeds and see if we could identify him.” Karen moved toward the door.
“Don’t. He was wearing a mask, like the kind you’d see if someone had the flu to keep it from spreading. He’s not going to make a mistake like that,” I groaned, trying not to move, but my antsy instinct to fidget was making it difficult to stay still.
“Between the three of us, no one is getting past us into this room with you,” Ryan vowed.
“He wants me alive. He can’t play the game with someone new. He’s invested time in me. Even if he did try to visit again, he won’t kill me, but this shoulder might. Can we get a nurse in here to give me some Advil?”
Jerome reached to push the button on the side of the bed.
A nurse appeared quickly compared to what I was expecting, but I guess being a cop might be a perk in the speed department.
“Aw, she’s awake. I’ll get the doctor. He’s going to want to make sure everything is okay. When I get back with him, the three of you need to leave. She needs rest,” the nurse announced, shooing at them.
“One of us will be here with her to make sure no one tries to hurt her,” Ryan decreed emphatically.
She eyed us all. “I know how cops like to watch their own, but just remember that whatever the doctor says goes.”
“I’m the only one who can make medical decisions for her, so I’ll let you to go get some food while I stay. If the doctor says she’s okay, then you can catch her up on the case, but not before.” Karen stood at the foot of my bed, ready to defend me against anyone who tried to mess with me.
“It’s okay, guys. Karen’s right. Now would be a good time to take a walk and get some fresh air.” I gave them all a thin smile. Dammit, that nurse hadn’t given me anything to relieve this pain before she left.
Jerome kissed my head and turned to go, but stopped when Ryan didn’t follow him.
Ryan patted my hand. “Take care of my partner or I’ll have your badge,” he threatened my sister, half joking.
“I’ve got it. She’s my sister, so anyone who wants to hurt her is going to have to go through me.”
Jerome waited until Ryan had left the room before he followed with a smile and a wave.
“Oh, do I sense a little tension there?” Karen licked her lips. “You sure do know how to pick out the hotties, don’t you?”
“Well, I picked Jerome, but Ryan, I kind of got put with him. His fiancée is really nice.”
“Ah, but how do the two boys get along?” Karen grinned, making me uncomfortable.
“Not well, obviously. But that was better than I could have expected,” I groaned. “Why didn’t that nurse give me something for this headache?”
“Because she was waiting for me to check on you. How are you feeling besides the headache?” An older gentleman came in with the nurse following behind him.
“I’m sore all over and it hurts to move.”
“That’s to be expected. You had an arrow pierce your body. You were dehydrated from all the running you did, and from what your partner told me, you hadn’t actually gotten much rest for most of the month.”
“Ryan’s a tattletale. I wasn’t awake to defend myself.” I pouted.
“Ha, that’s the sass I was looking for.” He checked my eyes and pulse. “You’re doing as well as could be expected. I’m going to let you stay overnight. If you don’t have any complications, then I’ll let them take you home.”
Oh, great. My boyfriend, partner, and sister all on a road trip across country for three days?”
“If you have all three of them, then they should be able to drive non-stop. You could be home in your own bed in forty-eight hours.” He patted my leg. “I’ll have the nurse give you something for your head. You can also eat, which if everything stays down, then that’ll be another plus for getting you out of here tomorrow.”
“Doc, before you go, how long before I’ll be able to use a gun and get back to regular duty?” I needed to get well and start tracking the next killer. If I had immunity, then I was going to use and find this guy.
“I’d say at least six weeks, but when you can retest with your weapon and you don’t open up your stitches, that would be a good way to measure. When you get back to Texas, go see a doctor, and I’ll send over all of your records.” He shook his head. “I don’t envy that doctor in the least because he’ll have to release you early, or you might just throw him in jail.”
“Thank you, sir, and you’re totally right. I don’t have six weeks for this to get better. I’ll have to start practicing more with my left hand. This killer isn’t going to wait for me to get better.”
“Well, let’s hope he lets you get out of the hospital first. I’ll check on you in the morning.” He and the nurse left together, but she returned a few moments later, holding out two pills and a small glass of water.
I took them without hesitation, but waited to get more of the details until she’d left us alone.
“What do you think of Jerome and Ryan?” I prodded, trusting my sister’s judgement.
“They both seem nice. Jerome is protective of you and always trying to outdo Ryan. Poor Ryan was beside himself that you weren’t awake yet. He was blaming himself for not seeing you leave.” Karen took the seat next to my bed.
“With what we went through last month, I’m surprised that he’s holding it together this well. It’s not his fault. I was just going to check on something and Sebastian followed me. Could have happened to anyone.” I shrugged it off, but knew that I was going to start having nightmares too.
“Jerome and I both got here about the same time. After they recovered your phone, Ryan called us and we got on the first plane. He was here for almost six hours by himself, worrying.”
A knock interrupted our time together, and Agent Perez stepped inside.
“Hi. I’m glad to see that you’re awake. Did the doctor say that you’d make it?” She stood nervously just inside the door.
“He did. He’s letting me go home tomorrow, so I’ll be out of your hair.” I smiled wryly.
“No worries there. You and your partner managed to help us catch not just a serial killer, but what we term a super serial. All of those missing girls that you thought might be his, well, they were. We uncovered a huge graveyard out behind the cabin.”
She twisted her hands, betraying how hard this was for her. “We’ve been making notifications ever since.”
“We still didn’t catch the Zodiac Master,” I huffed.
“That’s not the important part. You’ve brought closure to over three hundred families by using your training, your skills, and your gut instinct. I’m sorry for the way I treated you. You were both just doing your jobs.” She turned to go.
“Hey, so were you. A little resistance can lead to outside of the box thinking. I never got to ask, how did things go when you went back to L.A.?”
“The witness that was the key to our last case was murdered. My boss wants me to take point on it. Since Agent Watson worked so well with both of you, he’s being made the Agent in Charge of the Zodiac Master and his minions.” She came back in the room and held out her hand.
I started to raise my right arm, but switched when a rush of pain made me grimace.
“No hard feelings. I’m just glad to be alive, and that we saved Carol from that kind of death.”
“Well, I hope you catch him. He deserves what he gets. Good luck.” With that, she walked out, and before the door could close behind her, Ryan, Jerome, and Gavin came in, making the small room seem even smaller.
“Gavin, Agent Perez just mentioned that you’re our liaison. Congrats.”
“Aw, thanks. I’m here to get your official statement of what happened before we came into the woods and found you.
“Ugh. I was hoping to put it behind me. Everyone get comfortable.” I was surprised when Jerome came over and sat on the bed next to me, holding my hand.
“When I woke up that day, I was thinking about how Tom Prings had mentioned a brother that had died. There was something else that he was hiding, and I wanted to know what it was. When he was killed, I wasn’t able to ask him, so I went to the next best source, the records office and the local newspaper.”
They were all listening intently to everything I said, so I continued.
“Tom’s parents died in a horrible accident, which was caused by his cousin Sebastian. All those reports about violent things happening were to cover up for Sebastian. He would threaten Tom’s little brother, and so Tom would take the blame. No one thought that Sebastian was the one doing all those horrible things, like killing animals and torturing kids at school.”