Serial- Part 35

            “I was beginning to think I would never get to reunite you with your dear friend; you just kept chatting away,” he quipped while lugging her down into the basement.

Marie was still unconscious but he planned to give her a wake-up call once Jill was secured.  Within a few minutes, he had wheeled an old camping cot into the room with Marie to join the long lost friends. The cot was bolted into permanent braces in the floor and Jill was shackled to the crossbars of the cot. Next, he wove chains through the legs of Marie’s table and Jill’s cot and secured them with padlocks.

            “Can’t let my pets off the leash, can I?”

Marie’s eye fluttered open at the sound of his voice. The pit of her stomach clenched into a knot when the first word was uttered. Her skin burned in phantom flames but, on the outside, she kept her composure. Marie turned her head and tried to squint through her good eye. That’s when she realized they had company. Muffled protests attempted to escape through the gag. Wanting to savor Marie’s anguish, he freed her mouth from its restraints.

            “Jilly?” She croaked. “No, please, let her go!”

            “I’m afraid I can’t do that. She’s seen me.”

            “You’re a monster!” Marie shrieked.

            “Now, pet, that’s not very nice. Besides, it’s your fault she’s here, not mine.”

            “Really? Please, enlighten me…how is it my fault?”

            “Since you asked so nicely, I will. She tracked you from your phone since you two are practically cyber-stalking each other. I found her peering in the window next door so it was only a matter of time before she started nosing around here. Now, you two can spend your last days together. In fact, I think it’s time to wake her up, don’t you?”

Marie’s pleas on Jill’s behalf were ignored. If anything, it fueled his desire to begin work on her as soon as possible but there was something he needed to handle first. His rational side insisted that tracks needed to be covered before playtime could resume. He scooped up Jill’s purse and rifled through the bag. Her wallet revealed a small collection of credit cards and a couple of twenties; however, it wasn’t the cash he was after. Her driver’s license and cell phone was what he’d been seeking.

            “Okay, here we go…Let’s just get a jump on any future busybodies. Don’t worry ladies, I’ll be back soon so we can have some fun.”

One last time, he checked their restraints before dashing off to handle the loose ends. He hopped in the car and drove straight to Jill’s home. Once he was on her block, he replied to the text message she’d received asking her if she still needed a ride.

Sorry! My battery died. I got a ride home already. Headed to bed with a killer headache.

Jill’s friend replied back saying she hoped the headache would pass soon and to get some rest. He looked at the reply and laughed. She’ll get plenty of rest, he thought, rest in peace. After thoroughly wiping off any fingerprints, he removed the battery from her cell phone, smashed it to bits then threw pieces from the window all around her block. Now, to get home and have some fun…

Serial- Part 34

As they reached the porch stairs, he extended his arm in a gentlemanly fashion, much the way one might offer to an elderly woman out of respect.

            “Aren’t you the chivalrous one?” Jill giggled.

He managed to blush just enough to make her giggle even more as he pulled out a chair for her. Once she was settled in her seat, he left her to get her coffee and the phone. A moment later he returned with a tray carrying a small carafe of coffee, cream, sugar and sugar substitutes.

            “I forgot to ask how you take it so I just brought the whole kit and caboodle, so to speak.” He said, smiling his debonair smile.

            “I see you brought a friend too,” Jill replied as she became acquainted with his dog.

            “He was supposed to stay inside but he’s always been a sucker for a pretty lady.”

This time is was Jill’s turn to blush from the attention of both dog and master. He took a seat next to her and poured himself a cup of coffee, while they got better acquainted. To set her at ease, he wove in a string of lies to cover the truth of who and what he really is. Jill was too busy chatting and petting the dog to notice he hadn’t taken a single sip. She had moved on to her second cup before he steered the conversation back to her. He needed to know more about how she’d tracked Marie and if he should expect others.

            “So, you said something about tracing your friend to the Harmon place but how? Magic 8 ball? A tarot card reader? What?”

            “You’re too funny! No, nothing so reliable as the Magic 8 ball…we have a, um… sorry, I felt a little dizzy for a second there. Okay, what was I saying again?” She massaged her temples for a moment in an attempt to clear the cobwebs from her brain. “Oh, yeah, Marie. She and I are close friends so we have that thing on our phones that track the other person. Anyway, I should probably call my ride so I can get home.”

            “Sure, but how did you get here if you don’t have a car?” He asked.

            “I have a car but it’s in the repair shop so my neighbor dropped me off over on Second Avenue. I’ve been out here for hours canvassing the area and trying to find Marie. Speaking of…I probably ought to head back home. I feel terrible since I intruded on your privacy and I drank all your coffee. Geez, you barely had any. Did I make you talk so much that you didn’t have chance to drink your coffee while it was hot?”  Is it still alright if I use your phone?”

            “Sure, why don’t you come inside? It’s much warmer in here.” He held out his arm and assisted Jill as she got to her feet. “Whoa, careful there. You’re a little wobbly, huh? Just right in here and straight back.”

            “Over here? I don’t see a…”

He had sprinted around the opposite way, planning to crack her in the back of the head but there was no need. She was already collapsing to the floor. Gotcha! 

Serial- Part 33

Using every ounce of strength, Marie pulled against the restraints trying to move the table nearer to her captor’s workbench and the key to her freedom. Each tiny millimeter notched brought her closer, yet the exertion was taking its toll. The loss of blood teamed with her painful injuries made the room spin each time she lifted her head. A tick-tick-tick sound made Marie stop the struggle, close her good eye, and listen. Sounds like a leaky faucet, she pondered. Before she could strain against the binds again to search for the source, the dreaded sound of his heavy footfalls hit the stairs. A fear unlike anything she’d ever known before struck her very core. The horror movies that she’d always loved had become a reality—a terrifying, painful reality. Unlike the idiots in her beloved movies, she vowed not to run upstairs into the attic or any other foolish nonsense that got characters killed. I’m too smart for that. He’s going to rue the day he messed with a Southern girl! All through her inner monologue, the same dripping sound continued, distracting her from his approach.

            “It’s a bit chilly down here, pet, isn’t it? I thought you might need… Hang on now, what’s that?”

Oh God! He realized that I’ve moved the table. He’s going to kill me now. Inside, Marie was saying her goodbyes to her family and friends when he spoke again.

            “Hmm, looks like the flesh on your leg has broken open again. That’s no good. I can’t have you bleeding out overnight. Not when we’re having so much fun together, my pet. I’ve decided to keep you around for a while so let’s reseal this wound.”

The blowtorch hissed in the background but Marie was too exhausted to care. Unlike last time, he did not point the flame directly on her skin. Instead, he heated the blade of his favorite butcher knife then pressed it against her open flesh. A sizzle, like the sound of fajitas being carried through her favorite restaurant, echoed in Marie’s ear while the smell of burning flesh made her stomach roil. The gag swallowed up her scream until she finally lost consciousness as he tucked the blanket around her. Lost in the fuzzy haze, Marie could not hear her captor’s dog barking wildly.

            “Shut up!” he bellowed from the base of the stairs but the dog continued. Furious, he stomped upstairs to put an end to the racket. “What’s gotten into you, boy?”

With hackles raised, the dog continued barking and leaping at the window. Finally, his master peered outside and saw what had drawn the pup’s ire.

            “Hmm…wonder who that is, messing around at the old Harmon place. Maybe I should go take a look.”

He pulled on his jacket and stepped outside. A woman, with her hands cupped over her eyes, stood on tiptoe trying to peek inside the house next door.

            “Excuse me, can I help you?”

The startled woman gasped and jumped away from the window.

            “Oh! Hi…um, do you live here?”

            “Lucky for you, no. I live next door. No one has lived here for a few months. The old man died and his kids are squabbling over what should be done with the place. The neighborhood watch in this area is pretty stringent so you’ll need a better line than ‘do you live here’ if someone else catches you.”

Already relaxing her stance, the woman chuckled and extended her hand.

            “I suppose you’re right. I’m Jill, by the way. Actually, I was looking for a friend of mine. She was supposed to meet me and I was running late. I checked her cell phone and the last location was somewhere near here. I was just trying to see if anyone around here had seen her.”

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jill. What’s your friend’s name and what does he look like?”

            “He isn’t a he. She is she and her name is Marie. She has short, blonde, hair sort of a pixie cut annnnd…you’re a man. You probably have no idea what that means.”

            “Give me a little credit. I think I know what that means.”

Their laughter was cut short by an alert from her phone. The scowl on her face showed clear frustration.

            “I know it’s none of my business but is everything okay?” He asked, smiling warmly.

            “Yeah, it’s just…my ride bailed and now my cell is nearly dead. I guess I had just expected to find something out by now. You’re the only one home in a five-mile radius.”

            “Tell you what; come over onto my property so you don’t get in trouble for trespassing. You can have a seat on my front porch where it’s well lit. I’ll let you use my phone and you can call someone to pick you up. Heck, I’ll even bring out a hot cup of coffee for you so you don’t freeze to death.”

            “That sounds fantastic! I can’t thank you enough.”

Serial- Part 32

For the first time, something her captor had said piqued Marie’s curiosity. “Like her”. The words had been uttered with so much venom it felt like an electric charge crackling through the air. You took my eye, you bastard. I’m going to take whatever I can from you and I refuse to give you what you want! You won’t hear me scream, she thought.

            “Who’s 'her'? Does someone have mommy issues? Are you just another Norman Bates?”

For spite, Marie mimicked the musical score from Psycho. Furious, he spun around with his blade clenched in a tight fist. He took a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling.

            “I know what you’re trying to do, pet, and it won’t work. Instead, I’m going to make you beg for death long before you receive it. Now, let’s see…what would cause you the most pain?”

Marie steeled her nerves, vowing that he would never again see her fear. She listened, expecting to hear the hiss of his blowtorch but it didn’t come. She resisted the urge to open her good eye to see what he was doing. No, he’ll get no such satisfaction from me. She was giving herself a silent pep talk when the pain hit. Despite her vow, the screams came, loud and long until stuffed a rag in her mouth then covered it with tape.

            “Just shut up, would ya? You’re giving me a headache.” Laughing, he added another strip of duct tape before continuing. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I warned you. This is only the beginning.”

The muscular curve of her calf, severed from the bone, was set to rest in a container. Without the cauterizing effect of a heated knife, blood gushed from the wound so he quickly ripped through her Achilles tendon before grabbing his ever-present torch. He cranked it up until the flame burned blue then watched as the flames hungrily licked at her flesh and boiled the puddle of blood. Once he was satisfied that the wound was sealed, he left Marie alone with her agony.

    His foot falls retreated from the room and up the stairs. After he stripped off the outer layers of skin from the chunk of flesh, he dropped the prepared piece of meat into a slow-cooker. Seasonings, herbs, carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, and mushrooms all found their way into the crockery. The outer skin was tossed to his dog who'd sat patiently waiting for his portion. 

            “Sorry, boy,” he said, scratching behind the dog’s ear. “I don’t have any more for you right now but tomorrow we are going to eat well. Yes, we are.”

The dog covered his master’s face with kisses while, downstairs, Marie’s anguished sobs were smothered inside the gag.

    Marie forced her good eye to open, refusing to allow her body to shut down this time like she’d done before. She knew she needed to figure a way out of there or he’d take her apart, piece by piece. Think, Marie, think. There has to be something, some way to get out of here. Metal bit into the tender flesh of her wrists and ankle every time she tried to lift herself up from the table. She hadn’t bothered trying to move the injured leg; it has suffered enough for one night. On the next try, she managed to raise herself up enough that she could see the key for her cuffs on his workbench—right beside the blow torch. I’d love to get my hands on that thing and burn some of his key appendages right off!

Serial- Part 31

            “You got somewhere to be?”

Seth instantly dropped his arm, as if he hadn’t been checking his watch every few minutes. His brow knitted, mimicking confusion.

            “Um, no…why?”

His Angels of Death laughed and shook their heads.

            “Okay, fine. I promised I’d be home before Mel so we could spend some time together.”

            “Since we’re not working on Kendra, why not cut out early, Seth? It’s not a big deal.”

Sighing, Seth agreed. Without access to the murder victim, it made no sense for him to stick around the morgue. He caught up with Bill on the way out and handed back the detective’s papers.

            “Sorry, I couldn’t get you more info, buddy. You kinda pissed off Agent Dictator and with Kim and Angela off this case my hands are tied. In fact, I’m sneaking out early myself. I can only take so much of the feds.”

Reaching Seth’s car, they shook hands and departed.

vvvv

Thuds from above woke Marie from her fitful slumber. Oh no, please don’t come down here. Please don’t come down…Damn! His feet clomped down the stairs drawing closer until the door creaked open, slowly. Again, he was toying with her. The sound sent ripples of terror up and down her spine. Unlike his last arrival, the light remained off but it made no difference to Marie. The trauma sustained in his attack had rendered her completely unable to open one eye and unwilling to open the other. The eye that had been skewered with a searing-hot blade continued to ooze and drain down the side of Marie’s face leaving macabre smear of bloody discharge and tissue from the inner recesses of her socket.

            “Are you awake, pet? I have to admit; you’ve thrown a monkey wrench into my plans. I had already started to leave my breadcrumbs for the authorities so that they’d follow the trail and arrest my patsy but you have no link to any of my potential dupes.”

Marie’s eyes remained closed. She said nothing, even after he removed her gag; she remained stoically silent.

            “I’m talking to you! Answer me!”

Good, I’m getting to him, she thought. The corner of her mouth twitched, remnants of a phantom smile long forgotten. In her short time as his captive, Marie forgot what joy felt like and how to smile. Pain and fear were her only companions in the darkness of his lair.

            “Fine! Have it your way. I was going to take pity on you and end it quickly but no; you had to be temperamental, just like…her.”  

Serial- Part 30

Suddenly, the room felt as if it was shrinking, a stifling, claustrophobically-heavy air threatened to smother all three of them. Seth pressed his hand against his chest while Kim fiddled with the thermostat. Even when the blower kicked in, it did not seem to break up the oppressive air clinging to the morgue.

            “Are you guys okay?” Angela asked the others. “Both of you look really flushed.”

            “It just felt like the air conditioner cut off but I’m fine,” Seth replied, smiling. “Kim? Are you okay?”

            “Never better.”

Angela’s eyes shifted back and forth between Seth and Kim. She couldn’t put her finger on it but something felt strange; she attributed it to the faulty air flow as she snapped photos.

            “So, ladies? Are you two just going to leave me hanging? What else did he, you know, the killer, do?”

            “Well, in addition to the branding, he also cut some pieces off of her. Basically, there was a slab from between her hip and knee as well as a strip from her back. We suspect he ate them since the one looked to be around the size of a steak and the other was…well, it would have been the tenderloin. It looks like your suspicion that he’s eating them is correct.”

            “That sheet, or whatever it was, that he tied around her was made of human flesh. It had been treated so we’ll just have to see whether the lab will be able to gather any additional information as they run tests. This guy is…it’s like he’s just toying with us.”

Angela shook her head, frustrated that she was powerless to stop the madness. More than anything, that was what had upset her the most, the inability to speed up time so they could catch the killer.

            “Kendra could be annoying but she didn’t deserve this. No one does. I just hate not being able to stop this guy before he kills again.”

            “How do you know it’s a guy?” Seth asked. His eyes widened in anticipation. “Is there DNA or something?”

            “No,” Angela sighed. “I guess I shouldn’t say ‘he’ it’s just that I really can’t fathom a woman doing something like this. I’m sorry. I should stay in the habit of remaining gender neutral until we know for sure. The last thing anyone needs is for me to accidentally slip and then the media goes wild with it.”

While the girls worked on their body, one not related to the killer, Seth read through the packet of information on the latest victim, Kendra. In addition to the information the girls had provided, Detective Crash had outlined each and every one of the victim’s wounds, no matter how insignificant. Everything from tiny lacerations to rope burns on her ankles had been identified on the report. Additionally, there was a handwritten note in the corner of the page. Bill’s hurried scrawl seemed better suited for a doctor than a lawman but Seth managed to decipher most of the words; only pausing occasionally to benefit from the experienced eyes of Angela or Kim to decode the mysteries hidden in the detective’s hieroglyphics. There was one note that none of them could read, Seth wondered if it meant he was getting closer to identifying the killer’s identity. 

Serial- Part 29

Melanie’s alarm blared, bolting her upright from a sound sleep. I need a vacation day from my vacation day. She tiptoed quietly to the bathroom to avoid waking Seth. Usually, he slept through her alarms. Usually. Not so amiable as he’d been the night before, he stormed into the bathroom and shouted to his wife through the shower curtain.

            “Where, in hell, where you last night?”

Had she not been so cranky from lack of sleep, Melanie might have ignored his brusque tone. As each droplet of water pounded into her throbbing skull, she was in no mood for his bellowing like a jealous lover. She jerked the shower curtain aside and poked her shampoo-covered head out, dripping water all over the tile floor.

            “How dare you? First of all, if you have a problem with me going out then maybe you should stay your ass at home instead of scampering behind those morgue girls. Second, I’ve never begrudged you time with your friends or to pursue your writing, so screw you!”

Even if he wasn’t face-to-face with a crazed soapy banshee, Seth would have known he’d crossed the line. She deliberately used poor grammar only when she wanted to pick a fight. It made the Grammar Nazi in him scream out in agony. He took a moment to breathe before responding, knowing the words he chose and the inflection would mean the difference between making up and a fight. He chuckled softly, knowing she was pretending not to care what he had to say.

            “Stay my ass at home, huh? Message received. I’ll be here, with dinner ready, when you get home from work. Tonight, I’m all yours.”

The curtain parted again and she peered at him suspiciously through the gap.

            “Really? You mean it?”

            “Fo’ reals, yo”

He pretended to gag on the slang, making Mel giggle. Whew, dodged a bullet there. Laughing means all has been forgiven. She proved it a second later when Mel apologized too. After she raced off to work, Seth made a visit to the morgue. He set an alert on his phone so that he’d leave on time before entering.

            “Hello, Angels of D-, um, sorry. I was expecting someone else.”

            “This is a crime victim investigation. Who are you and why are you here?”

            “Agent Dictator, I presume.” Seth scoffed, extending his hand in greeting. “I’ve heard all about you.”

The snickers and snorts of repressed laughter tittered through the room as colleagues of Agent Dictator stared at the floor to avoid eye contact. Bill made his way from the back of the room and met Seth by the doorway.

            “Kim and Angela aren’t going to be working on this one. Come with me and I’ll take you to them.” Bill gave Seth a friendly shove and ushered him out into the hallway. “Man, you must have a death wish. Those guys will be up your butt so far you’ll think your proctologist has been flirting with you. Try not to tweak ole Dick’s nose anymore today. He’s got a whole lot of butt-hurt from the TV interview. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to give you a hard time now. The lovely ladies of the morgue are in here today…”

In grandiose style, Bill held open the door and Seth followed

            “Guess what Seth just said to your favorite agent.”

He proceeded to relay the story to Kim and Angela. They stifled their own laughter to avoid having the FBI play hall monitor in their work space. Still chuckling, Bill shook his head and clapped Seth on the back.

            “You’re a riot, buddy. Look what I snagged for you. Here’s what we’ve got so far. Technically, since the FBI is involved I really shouldn’t be showing you but it’s not like you’re the killer…are you, Seth? Ha! You should have seen the look on your face. How ‘bout it, girls? He looked like he was gonna pee his pants. Don’t do that in front Agent Dictator or he’ll haul you in for questioning. Hang out over here with Kim and Angela so you can read over the information sheets and I’ll pop back over later. Heh, you’re not, are you?”

Still laughing at his own joke, Bill disappeared into the hallway. Seth took a minute to greet his “Angels of Death” before delving into the packet Bill had procured. He scanned over the first page, including patient’s name and her description, looking for something exciting.

            “Did you hear what the killer did to her?” Angela asked; her voice was barely above a whisper.

            “No, what?”

            “He burned a message into her stomach; you know, like a brand. It said, ‘My Pet’. Isn’t that awful?”

            “That’s not all he did to her, though.” Kim replied.