Rise of The Iron Eagle (The Iron Eagle Series Book 1) (18 page)

Chapter Sixteen

‘The lights suddenly came on in the unit,
and the doors opened. He was back!’

T
he hills were dry in the San Fernando Mountains. Southern California was in the midst of a severe drought, and there hadn’t been more than ten inches of rain in almost three years. For Angelinos, it was just another summer. For the mountain residents, it was a whole different story. The mountain folks lived with the very real danger of fires in a way that the city folk didn’t. There was a tug of war between the two; the mountain people needed their tourist dollars but not the risks they posed to the forests they called home. Every year, without fail, a city dweller would wander off into the forest, get lost, get cold, start a camp fire, and inadvertently start a forest fire.

Despite that potential danger, The Eagle had really taken a shine to Francis’ set up. It was private and quiet, and he could move around without the need for stealth while doing the work of ‘Justice.’ The Eagle had moved some of his personal effects into Francis’ house and set up a new surveillance system, so he knew what was happening on the property when he was on and off premises. There were also a few modifications to the container, so that Francis’ medieval booby traps would no longer be necessary. The Eagle had the container set up so that once he brought a victim into the unit, there was only one way out, and that was in whatever manner and condition that he saw fit. There were also several escape routes set up in the event he needed to evacuate quickly due to fire or other unforeseen circumstances. The Eagle burned his emblem into a large piece of oak he picked up while hiking in the surrounding hills and proudly displayed it on the back wall of the container. Its wings were crimson and black, and its talons gripped a cluster of arrows and the scale of justice. Red lights beamed from its eyes, and the crimson colors glowed ominously.

The Eagle had also replaced Francis’ primitive torture items with more state of the art equipment, as well as a surgical table for what he referred to as “Extra Special Procedures.” Billy had learned from The Eagle who Francis was and what he had done. He heard Francis’ confessions in multiple torture sessions, as well as from Francis directly when The Eagle wasn’t around.

It was the beginning of August, and The Eagle had had Francis for nearly two weeks and Billy a week less. Billy was feeling confident that he was building a bond with his captor, so he was picking up more formal language when addressing him. Billy, while still restrained, had been allowed down off the wall and had access to a cot that The Eagle had put down in place of the straw. Since he had rendered Billy’s penis useless by removing the head after circumcising him, it was now only a matter of time before The Eagle decided how to dispatch him. He had left the urethra intact so Billy could urinate, but he would never get sexual satisfaction again, assuming The Eagle would allow him to keep what remained. He told Billy that he hadn’t decided if he was going to remove the whole thing or not as punishment for his crimes. Billy had hurt a lot of women and girls, and The Eagle told him, “Rape is devastating. You took something from those people that they can never get back: trust, a feeling of safety, for some their virginity, and many others their lives.”

The Eagle asked him about Janet’s killing on the first day in the container. “I swears, Mr. Justice, I didn’t kill that white girl…I raped her, yes sir I did, but I didn’t kill her. I grabbed her in a parking garage. I saw her drive in and park, so I waited until no one was round, and I hid under the driver’s side of her car. When she came back and opened the door, I grabbed her feet and pulled her down. I took her keys and drove down to the port, and I raped her on a picnic table. She didn’t fight. I thought she was into it. When I was done, I dropped her off near the Pike. I seen her walking toward the Pike entrance, Mr. Justice. I swear…when I dropped her off she was alive and fine.” The Eagle told Billy while he didn’t kill her outright what he did to her caused her death, and as far as he was concerned he killed her. Billy tried to justify her death by telling him that if she had that birth defect she was going to die anyway, so he didn’t see it as his fault. He even told Francis that he felt that Mr. Justice was going to let him live.

Francis was being kept alive and tortured twice daily on a sadistically ritualistic schedule. The Eagle had destroyed Francis’ body but gave him IVs and medications to keep him alive. On one particular evening when the two had been left alone, Francis was very alert as he had been given a high dose stimulant to make sure he was wide awake and acutely able to feel the torture he was having inflicted upon him. Francis talked about the excitement of killing, how he enjoyed the screams of his victims, and his desire to clean the river of the filthy Swine who tainted it. “I have to tell you, Billy, there’s just nothing more exhilarating than holding that saw blade over the Swine after I have placed the tourniquet on the body part to be removed and hearing the pleading and praying to me. Oh…Billy, it’s heaven…I love it. In that moment, I am God. I love to hear the Swine pray to me, to beg me. Those are the moments that make life worth living. I never raped anyone. I’ve heard The Eagle talk of what you’ve done. You’re just a filthy rapist. I would do more to you than he has done. I hate rapist Swine.”

All conversation had stopped and the container was dark as the two men were sleeping as best they could. The lights suddenly came on in the unit, and the doors opened. He was back! They both wearily looked over at The Eagle. He had a certain intensity on his face. Francis knew that this was the end; at least he was praying out loud that finally The Eagle had come to finish what he started.

When Steve got to the office, he had several voicemail messages. All routine except for one. The voice on the message was the same voice he had heard in the dark alley near Coston Middle School when he and Jim found Roskowski’s body. The message was short and to the point.

“Good day, Special Agent Hoffman. I noticed that you have been spending a little more time at home the past several nights. It’s good to work on your marriage, keep the fire burning so to speak. The young lady who has been staying with you is very attractive, a relative I assume. I have a gift for you. Meet me at Legion Park tonight at eleven. It won’t take long. I don’t want to interfere in your personal life…too much.” There was a pause and the voice continued, “Oh…and I know I don’t have to say it, but I will…come alone.”

Silence followed. He saved the message and then sat down in his chair looking out the window. He looked at his watch. Half past five. The last time he was in Legion Park was when Barry’s body was found. He picked up the phone and called Jim but got his voicemail. “Jim, it’s Steve. We need to talk. I just received a message from The Eagle. Call me.” He called Molly and asked if they could have an early dinner. She was fine with it, so they met at seven instead of nine. The three of them enjoyed a wonderful meal and great conversation. Molly could tell that there was something going on with Steve but couldn’t put her finger on it. When dinner was done, he told the girls that he had some last minute business to clear up and would meet them at the house after midnight. As she waited for the valet to bring her car around, she asked him what was going on. He smiled and said, “Nothing, sweetheart. I have some clean up on Jill’s case that I need to get done, and the DNA evidence came back on the perp in Janet’s rape. The lab found a match in the database.” She looked at him closely, “There’s something that you aren’t telling me!” He shook his head as Phillip pulled up with her car. “You and Gail go home, relax, have a drink, and have one waiting for me when I get home.” She started to walk toward the driver’s side of her car, and he followed. “I know you, and I know that whatever it is is damned important for you to stand me and Gail up.” He smiled, “I’m not standing you up; I’m just going to be a little late, that’s all. Gail goes home in less than two days. Do you really think I’m going to miss out on the last few nights of fun?” She smiled as did he; she kissed him and pulled him close to her body and whispered into his ear, “Be safe, my love.” She could see the tension in his eyes. “You need to relax, mister. I’ll see you in a few hours. I love you.” “I love you, too. Drive safe.” He watched until her taillights disappeared onto the freeway onramp. He walked across the street and tried Jim’s cell again, but all he got was voicemail. He had two side arms, Glock 380s as well as two nine millimeter handguns in shoulder holsters under his jacket. “He didn’t say to come unarmed, just alone.”

Jim was sitting at his desk a little after ten when he realized that he had left his cell phone in his car. He had taken it out to input the cell number of the suspected Eagle and dropped it on the front seat when he went into his office earlier in the day. He gave the number to the department’s cyber crimes unit to do a cross on the phone to see who it belonged to. He had been in his office a little over an hour when he learned it was a prepaid phone registered to Mr. John Smith. All of the research led the department on a wild goose chase of P.O. boxes, beginning in New York and terminating at a mailing service in Salt Lake City, Utah. He cracked a joke with one of his investigators that the guy might be a Mormon. He could find nothing to connect the owner to the phone. But the one thing he hadn’t done was call the number.

He grabbed a cup of coffee and walked out to his car to retrieve the phone. He put it in his pocket without looking at it. He took out a smoke and lit it in the hot night air. He stood leaning against his car when his cell rang. The caller ID was blocked, and he was just about to put it back in his pocket when he saw that he had a voicemail message icon on the phone from a previously missed call. He flipped the ringing phone open and said, “If you’re a fuckin’ telemarketer, screw off. If you’re a charity, I gave at the office, and if you’re a bill collector, go fuck yourself. I don’t pay my bills.” He heard Steve say, “Nice way to answer the phone, asshole!” Jim laughed, “What’s up, Casanova?” “Jim, it’s ten thirty.” He looked at his watch, “Wow! So it is. What do you want?” “I received a voicemail from The Eagle asking me to meet him in Legion Park tonight at eleven. He said he had a gift for me.” “Where the fuck are you now, Steve?” “I’m crossing Gibbing, headed over to the park.” “Son of a bitch…don’t pull into the park. Turn on First and park at the corner of Pleasant. I’m on my way. Don’t go in without backup!”