Fallen Too Far (31 page)

Let the cops just try, just try and pull them over.

“The police are on their way, Tom.” Jessica placed her hand on his shoulder.

Traffic was light. Maybe…Tom tried not to think the worst. They sped down the road and a picture of the Major and the blood flashed in his mind. Why would the guy take her? Why hadn’t she been assaulted as well? And the thought that made his heart drop to his tight gut was…why had he let her stay. He should have insisted she leave with him. He should have been there to protect her. Please God, let her live and I’ll never leave her side.

Danny fished in his coat pocket and held up a cell phone. He clicked a button and handed it to Tom. “Talk to Diana. Find out how the Major is doing.”

“Diana. How’s he doing. Is he still alive?” Tom stared straight ahead watching as Danny sped along. He was silent for a few moments. “We’re on our way there now.” A pause. “Yes, the police are on their way too.” He clicked the phone off.

“He’s alive and he’s in surgery. She doesn’t know anymore than that.” Tom glanced at Danny whose knuckles glowed white on the steering wheel.

“Did I ever tell you about the two thugs who attacked Diana Girl and me? It was our first date, too. We’d just had dinner and they tried to mug us. One of them had a gun.”

“No, I didn’t know that,” said Tom. “What happened?”

“Well, there was only two of them and just one gun, see?” Danny glanced over at Tom and smiled. “When I was done, every finger on their hands were broken.”

“Wait. They pulled a gun on you and you ended up breaking their hands?”

Danny nodded.

“You’re pretty dangerous, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I am.” Danny glanced over to everyone. “This is a hostage recovery mission, okay? So everyone just do as I tell you. It’s going to probably be a piece of cake because he doesn’t have a gun.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

“Because the Major wasn’t shot. A guy the Major’s size, if you had a gun and a knife, you’d use the gun.” He sure hoped he was right.

“Oh.”

Tom silently watched Danny for a few moments. How well did he know him? Two thugs with a gun and he crippled them? Nice to have him on board.

Only two more kilometers till Ajax, exit 404.

“Go north on Salem one kilometer and then left on Kingston Road for two kilometers. Lakeridge is on the right.” Craig was staring at his iphone while Danny was merging onto the exit ramp.

No traffic and not a cop in sight. They’d better be at the house helping Annik.

Storefronts flew by as Danny raced through the deserted streets, not stopping for red lights. They turned and were now almost there. It was farm country and not many houses. They slowed to see the number at a driveway. Fifty Two. They were here.

“Geronimo!” said Craig.

Chapter 31

Paul walked around to the passenger door of the pickup and opened it. He undid the latch to the compartment and saw her face. Her eyes were wide in terror. God that felt so good to see.

“Now you just take it easy, and you’ll be home this afternoon, Annik,” he said with his most charming smile. She nodded back silently. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her out. She was limp with fear. Not a worry. She’d be screaming in just a few minutes. He leaned her up against the side of the truck and closed the door.

Dammit. She slid to the ground. He bent over to lift her up. He always carried his projects over the threshold like a groom.

****

As he bent over, Annik snapped her legs to her chest and shot them out as hard as she could at Paul’s knees. The recoil from her blow pushed her back almost two feet and she felt something give. Her shoe came off; the heel was embedded in Paul’s leg. He staggered back two steps, slipped on the ice and went down.

She scrambled to her feet and kicked off her other shoe. Her hands were still tied behind her. She slipped and fell onto one knee; the pain shot through her leg like a wire.

Go! Go! Go!

She clambered to her feet and looked over her shoulder. He was starting to get up, her shoe still hanging from his leg.

She froze for just a second. She recognized him. It was that maniac from the night she met Eddie!

She began to run down the driveway screaming as loud as she could. She would just keep running.

A hand grabbed at her coat. She twisted around and bent at the waist freeing herself. She saw him staggering after her. She had never seen such a frightening expression as the one on his face.

Regaining her momentum, she slipped and staggered down the driveway.

****

Paul sprinted after her, threw himself at her feet, and tackled her to the ground. Her legs kicked at him trying to knock him away. The heel of her foot connected with his jaw, driving it upwards. Something crunched in his mouth.

Bright lights sliced the darkness followed by the rumble of a car engine. What the hell? A car was coming up the driveway? For the first time ever—since his first project with the kittens, a shot of fear ran through him.

****

There were fresh tire tracks on the driveway they turned into. Danny floored it.

Ahead, Tom saw Annik on her back, scrambling towards them. Danny saw her at the same time and jammed on the brakes. The car slammed to a halt, Tom was out before it stopped.

“Annik!” He ran to her and fell to his knees. In a single move he scooped her into his arms.

“Tom! He killed the Major!”

He ran back to the car. Danny and Craig ran past him towards the house.

****

Paul scrambled to his feet and ran to the porch. He rushed through the door and slipped the deadbolt. How could this have happened? The other whores he’d done…no one had ever so much as thought of him. He ran across the kitchen and down the hall to the stairs. His feet were like a jack hammer moving up them and then into the bedroom. He slammed the door shut and locked it.

Through the window he saw emergency lights coming up the driveway. The police!

He sat on the side of his bed, hearing the front door shatter.

A calm descended on him. It was over.

No more projects. Ever.

He’d go to prison when they finished searching the house. They’d find his laptop and all the videos. He’d never get out.

He’d become just another convict. He’d spend the rest of his life eating when he was told, sleeping when he was told, being told.

No.

He heard the banging around downstairs and then the clomping as they came up.

No.

On his dresser was his tools. He drew another knife from its sheath. It would do the job. It always had in the past. He knew how to do it too.

He ripped open his coat and shirt and felt his ribcage. He felt his heart pounding. He aligned the point on it.

The pounding on his bedroom door began.

He held the knife in position and fell face flat on the floor. He hoped it wouldn’t—

****

Tom placed Annik into the car. Jessica was fluttering about. “Look after her.”

When he reached the door of the old farmhouse Danny was kicking it near the door handle.

“He locked it!”

The door flew open wide when both men kicked it. They entered a kitchen and looked around. There was some snow near a door leading to a hallway and Tom took off in that direction. He passed through the hallway and spun on the newel post of the stairs, his feet racing. At the top of the stairs was a closed door on the left. He turned his head. There were two other open doors down the hallway. He must be in there. He tried the handle. Locked. Another door to kick open.

Danny was at his side as the first hard kick shattered the lock and the door burst open bouncing back after hitting the wall behind it.

They saw the body on the floor. A stained blade protruded from Paul’s back.

“Go to hell.” Tom’s voice was cold as he stepped forward. I’ll kick his fucking brains in.

Danny’s hand on his arm stopped him. He tried to shrug it off.

“No Tom! The police are here! They’ll take care of this. You don’t want to touch that guy.”

He could hear the thuds on the stairs now, voices yelling ‘Police!’

“In here!” Danny shouted.

“Go to Annik. She’s alive and she needs you.” Danny pulled him back and guided him to the stairs. “Go Tom, I’ll talk to the cops.”

He brushed by four burly officers coming up the stairs.

“It’s her husband, let him by! The guy you want is in there!” Danny pointed into the bedroom.

Chapter 32

Canada Weekly Magazine
January 4, 2013

Serial Killer Found Dead in Ajax

By Jessica Rogers – Staff Writer, Canada Weekly

On Saturday night, January 1st, Toronto Police, responded to a call involving the abduction of a woman. They discovered the person who had taken her, Paul Lester with a self inflicted stab wound at his home on 52 Lakeridge Road, Ajax. Mr. Lester had kidnapped the victim after stabbing a co-worker of hers, Donald J. McQuaid. Lester had committed suicide before he could be taken into custody. The names of his victims were not released by the authorities. One victim was treated and released. The other victim is listed in stable condition

Police found evidence in the home in Ajax to cause them to suspect that Lester was involved in the murder of missing women in the Toronto area. After obtaining a court order to further search the premises, police found six bodies in the back shed of the farmhouse. They were buried under a false floor. A seventh grave had been prepared. They have sent the bodies to the forensics department and await confirmation of the identities of the six women.

The investigation is continuing.

Epilogue

One year later…

“Hope is the name we both like. Hope Eva Eldridge. I had picked Hope because it’s meaningful to me. There’s the Pandora legend, where Hope was the only item left in the box she had opened. And my life, after Momma died. That’s almost all I had left. And then my nightmare experience being abducted. Yeah, we needed Hope and she’s going to be here in three weeks.” Annik said, as she lovingly stroked her hand across her round abdomen, looking at Jessica and Diana.

“I can’t believe that you’re doing so well after that horrible experience. I don’t think I would ever be quite right again, if I had gone through it.” Jessica adjusted herself to sit directly in front of the pulsating jet. The water hit her low on her back. “Oh that feels good. This pregnancy is taking a toll on my back. There’s always a dull ache.”

“Well, that’s thanks to the shrink who Diana referred me to, Leon Coombs. Leon’s been great. At first I saw him every few days and then we scaled back to weekly and now just once a month. The nightmares were horrid. I would wake up screaming, the bed soaked in a cold sweat. Now I wake up when Hope gives me a kick in the bladder, making me go to the backroom. No more nightmares, although I’ll always be a bit spooked out after dark, alone.” Annik replied.

“Well, there’s a very simple solution to that. Don’t do it. You’ve got a big strong man in your life, Hope’s father. Yes, Leon is great! We go back a long ways to medical school. Hey, he even helped me out a bit when Danny and I were first going out. Danny was the first relationship in my life and I had almost given up on ever having a relationship. Now look at me! The mother of twins. Talk about your instant family!” Diana said, smiling at Annik and Jessica.