Shotgun Justice (7 page)

“Let me save you the trouble, Lieutenant Ryder. You're in my town by my invitation. I get to say what I do and don't do. I was safe.”

“Not hardly.”

“You said it yourself. Neither of us expected Snake Eyes to be there.”

“Do you have a forensics team to see...?”

“You're looking at her. It's one of the reasons I was hired, because of my training. But there's nothing up there. No casings. No cigarettes. Nothing except evidence of a bit of drinking over spring break. We need to get to the diner.”

He admired her quick decision making, but it might just get her killed if she moved around in the open. His job was to protect her, and he meant to do it. “Look, before we assess the scene, I've got to remind both of us that this killer isn't what we're used to dealing with. We need to be as smart as him, which is going to be hard.”

“I know, Jesse. We'll be careful.” She patted his cheek and left.

Snake Eyes scared him. He admitted it.

Simply put, the man was complicated and dangerous. He had everything to lose—whatever everything was. This killer wasn't going to make mistakes like the average drug dealer.

Snake Eyes needed Avery alive or she'd already be dead. He'd been waiting on John Doe to walk into the diner. Probably sent him there in order to eliminate a witness.

Jesse took a long look, gauging the trajectory of the bullets. He could have shot either one of them when they'd parked. This stunt was to prove he was in charge.

Snake Eyes knew it. He wanted Jesse and Avery to know it.

Chapter Eight

Dan's office walls were covered in copies of crime-scene photos, sticky notes and autopsy reports. It had started on his bulletin board and just kept spreading both directions. The back of the door and window were covered in one piece of tape at a time.

“Looking at the photos and sheer volume of information, I can't believe some of these victims weren't linked together sooner.” Or as Jesse had pointed out the night before, law enforcement wasn't as concerned because the dead bodies were criminals.

Her partner nodded as he finished off the last bite of a hamburger Spencer had picked up for him. He tossed the wrapper in the trash can and ceremoniously gave himself two points. Avery didn't know how the man could put away as much food as he did. She'd never noticed just how much before she was constantly ordering it for him.

“Leonard Nelson was working with one of the harvesting crews. Did we find out what motel? And did he have a vehicle?” he asked, looking up from his constant internet searches.

“Yes to the first, no to the second.” Her stomach growled. “In fact, the motel is over a mile to the diner. And there's a twenty-four-hour restaurant across the street. So it wasn't a coincidence that he came to the place I frequent.”

Each time Jesse had eaten, she'd been a little put off by the thought of food. An empty stomach was catching up with her. She had to admit that one particular photo was making her a bit queasy.

“Snake Eyes told him to be there.”

“Yes. But how did he know
we
would be there?
I
didn't even know.” She stared at the tire tracks at one scene.
Duh.
“He had Nelson with him and followed us. He killed him to make a point.”

Jesse acknowledged her with a “right.” Meaning he'd come to that conclusion much earlier but let her get to it on her own with the evidence. It made an impact. Probably more than if he'd told her they were being followed. It also made sense now that they'd returned to her house, retrieved his weapons and car, then come straight back to the office.

“I've been through all the evidence collected. The only strange thing is a wet-suit fragment found close to the third victim. Strange because the body was discovered in the desert and the wet suit was over thirty years old. No DNA.” He leaned back in the chair, rocking a bit, deep in thought with the pen tapping his lip.

She wrote the info on another sticky note and stuck it to the picture.

Was it horrible that her brain was a mishmash of emotions and thoughts? Every other one involved the case. The window made her think that she was freaked out about a serial killer stalking her. Each crime-scene photo made her think about each missing victim and their families, sending her right back to her dad's death.

Then she'd glance at Jesse and feel the support he'd been all through her life with the exception of one lone night. And he was here now. Working next to her even after she'd thrown him in jail. Or he'd let her throw him in jail because he could have overpowered her and stopped it.

But he hadn't.

So even now, amid a room full of horror, he was her source of comfort and confidence. She could manage, but it was so much nicer working the case with her best friend.

“There really is nothing connecting these murders except the fake eyes.” He hit the laptop keys a little harder. Frustration showed in his compressed lips and furrowed brow. “He has to be making them himself. The police from several of these cities canvassed hobbyists with rock polishers. But nothing.”

“Polished river rocks. Hand-painted to look like eyes of reptiles.”

Jesse tossed the ballpoint onto the desk. They both watched it bounce to the floor and roll to the wall. “There's got to be a connection.”

“Are these just snakes? They look different.”

He stood and went to the far side of the room. “These are gray. Brown. More detailed gray. In fact, these get progressively more detailed. Solid black.”

She followed him back to his laptop, where he started searching for pictures of snake eyes.

“Each of these pictures matches a variety of snake.” Jesse put in another search, then slapped the desk. “He's going through a damn alphabetical list. Each of the replacement eyes seems to be increasing in detail. He's obsessed with getting better each time.”

“Or he's proud about his work. There are a dozen victims here. How long do you think he's been killing?”

“No way to tell from his calling card. I thought he might be connected with snakes somehow. You know, like a zookeeper or have them for pets or something. The different types just means he's looking at a book or online.”

“In other words, it's another dead end with no way to connect him to a place.” She pressed her palms into her eyes, completely and totally discouraged.

“Why don't we take a break from this and look at something—”

“Everything we've accomplished can be filed right next to a likely place where he lives. Nowhere.” She couldn't bottle up the frustration any longer. “He's all over the country. Arizona. Texas three times. New York. Pennsylvania. And half a dozen more. Even Florida—that's such a lovely picture, by the way. Makes me want to throw up.”

Jesse was out of the chair, pulling her into his arms. She let him. She might be trying to keep her distance, but the fruitlessness of the situation hit her hard. She felt like...like a girl.

The tears surprised her. She sniffed, raised her hand to wipe one away, and Jesse beat her to it. The back of his knuckle was gentle under her eye. Instead of drying up the rest, his caring opened a flood.

“Hey, it's going to be okay.” Jesse held her tighter.

“There's... No... We can't...” She couldn't suppress the hopelessness of the situation. She also couldn't finish a sentence, so she stopped trying.

Jesse held her. They swayed and she heard the lock on the door being pushed. It really didn't help that he was such a nice, thoughtful man. She cried until his T-shirt was wet.

“We can catch this sick bastard, Avery.” He gently tugged her face from his shoulder, looking in her eyes. He filled her with confidence. “It may not seem like this is giving us much to go on. But even a lack of anything is something. You're smarter than me. You can do this.”

As she was about to step out of the intimate circle, Jesse pulled her back to him and leaned forward. Cheek to cheek. It seemed natural for them. Just a kiss between friends. Turned out as anything but...

Their lips gravitated to each other, locked together and struggled to come apart. It wasn't just her. She opened her eyes to see what Jesse was doing. His eyes were open, checking out her reaction.

They held each other's shoulders, keeping each other in place with little pressure from their hands. Just a whisper of their bodies touched. It was the weirdest moment.

Jesse's eyes closed. The pressure of his hands holding her in place eased, but his arms swooped around her, pulling her to conform to the mold of him. Her arms stretched around him, helping the process.

His tongue pierced between her lips, seeking what she wanted to give. Or filling a void she had known was there but wanted to ignore. It seemed inappropriate. Bad timing. Impossible.

Yet perfect, replenishing, just what she needed.

They drifted apart.

The grin was back on his face. “You going to knock me into the next room or pull out those handcuffs again? Your shirt does say to kiss you, even if I know you're not Irish.”

She could only shake her head. She'd participated. He wasn't alone in avoiding the problem of Snake Eyes. “I'm guilty this time.”

“Guess we should...” They broke apart and went back to their respective corners. Jesse unlocked the door as he passed.

Avery wiped any makeup residue from under her eyes and took a peek using the reflective surface on her cell.

“I didn't mean to fall to pieces,” she said softly. “Sorry about that.”

He shuffled, raising a hand mimicking a schoolkid with something to say. He thought too hard on his word choice. “Not a problem. It's frustrating. What if we set this aside and see what we can come up with as far as trapping this guy instead of the other way around?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“He's told us that he's here. He thinks there's nothing we can do. All of this—” he pointed to the papers hanging on the walls “—tells us that he's meticulous. He's a planner. The longer he waits, the better his plan will seem.”

“That's partly what I'm afraid of.”

“You can call this off, Avery. We can get you a protective detail or you can stay in a safe house.”

“That might be exactly what he's looking for us to do. Retreat like Garrison. It might give him a clue where my brother is located.” She picked up the pen Jesse had tossed earlier and gave it back to him. “Could we trap him that way? Make him think I was being escorted to a secure location?”

“It might work. I need to call Major Parker.”

“What's going on out there?” She could hear noises. Telephones. Chairs scraping the linoleum. Frantic tones. A couple of shouts. She had her hand wrapped around the doorknob to see for herself and take charge if necessary.

“Don't!” Jesse shouted. “Let me confirm what's going on.”

A frantic knock decided things. She opened the door and found Julie. It must be late if she was already on duty.

“There's been an explosion north of town, Avery. We've dispatched the guys, but now there's been a second and third explosion east and west. All grain silos. People are freaking out.”

“You can't go,” Jesse said behind her.

“I have to. There's not enough of us. You'll just have to follow me.” She swiped the address from Julie's hand before she left to answer another call, but turned to him. “You understand, right?”

“Be careful. You'll be completely exposed.”

* * *

A
VERY
STOPPED
LONG
enough to put on a windbreaker marked Sheriff across the back. They needed everyone possible.

“Are you calling all off-duty personnel?”

“Yes. I've sent the men on duty to all three sites. A fourth was just called in, so I'll be changing where Bo's headed. The off-duty officers are headed at the first three to help out local PD. This is crazy.”

“It's a trap. Call in surrounding volunteer firefighters. You're going to need all the help you can get.”

“That's not—”

“Trust me on this, Julie. Call Amarillo for anyone they can spare.”

“But they haven't evaluated the fires yet,” the receptionist said, her worried expression indicating that she wasn't comfortable.

“They're going to be big and keep everyone pinned down and spread out. He's after Avery and just might get her. Here's my cell number. Keep me informed.”

“Okay, but I think I need to check with Avery about all this.”

“You need to hurry.” He pushed open the door, stopping to ask, “Where the hell is Avery going?”

Julie looked overwhelmed, but handed him an address. He tapped it into his phone, calling up a map before he left a coverage zone. Avery had a head start. Every minute she was alone, she'd be more vulnerable.

Map on his phone, he sped behind her in the rental. Out past the city limits, he could see a fire on the horizon. He didn't need a map to see where he wanted to go.

Taking a turn onto a dirt road, he fishtailed a bit, straightened up, and the car sputtered. Then it lost momentum, cruising to a stop. The engine light was on. He had no idea what might have happened. Except...

He hit the steering wheel. “That son of a bitch!”

Chapter Nine

Avery was sliding her truck around corners, taking them as fast as possible without rolling it. If she caught the drop-off on the edge of the road, she was sure to lose control. Yet there was a set of headlights in her mirror, gaining speed. Her first thought was that it was Jesse catching up.

As the vehicle got closer, she wondered if it could be Snake Eyes. His logical move was at the fire. Catch her in a vulnerable spot and drag her into the darkness. He was methodical. The fire was the best bet that he'd approach to abduct her. She'd keep herself safe. She wouldn't stand alone, especially on the perimeter of the scene. Jesse would be there, focused on locating Snake Eyes.

The car kept gaining and the blinker indicated whoever it was wanted to pass.

“Are you crazy? Slow down.”

Maybe it was a volunteer firefighter? Another officer? She slowed and drove on the side of the road as far over as it was safe. The car never slowed, just gained more speed until it disappeared around the next curve.

No other car headlights were visible. “Where is Jesse?” She tried calling him. There was no answer on his cell that went straight to voice mail.

The open country let her see a flash of lights ahead of her. Then she rounded the corner and saw the disabled car that had just passed. “I had a feeling that was going to happen.”

“Dispatch. Julie?” she called before she pulled to a stop.

“Something wrong, Avery?”

“There's been a single-vehicle accident on 3212 just past 807 toward the fire. They were going pretty fast. I'm checking for injuries. Redirect someone to the fire.”

“Bo's the only one still in his car. You want me to send him as backup?” Julie was very professional for once.

“I got this. The car's blocking the road, so tell Bo to take another route and you send a tow truck out here.”

“Copy that, Avery.”

Blaze in the distance. Lights flashing around her. Smoke poured from the front of the vehicle. She approached the car with caution, running quickly through different scenarios in her head. Each time, she came back to a volunteer rushing to the fire. A hired murderer wouldn't want her approaching his stolen vehicle with her weapon drawn.

“Hello? Are you all right?” She looked at the mirror, which was pointing oddly toward the ground. She drew her gun, stood in line with the back door, leaning forward to tap on the window. It descended.

“I think I'm...having a heart attack. Officer?” A man's voice. Pleasant. Adult. “I know I was going a little fast. I think I blacked out for a minute. Can you help me? Am I going to die?”

Once again she ran through scenarios. Would the Snake Eyes Killer actually have an accident? Would he know which fire she'd be headed to?

“I'm a volunteer firefighter at home...thought I could help.”

“Is anyone else in the car with you?”

He did nothing to make her on edge. She needed to holster her weapon to check out his injuries, but her experience working as a state trooper kept her ready for anything.

No, it was the situation with Jesse that had her on edge. The fact that an unidentified man was threatening to kill her. She kept her weapon drawn, ready to do business. “Stay calm. Are you injured?”

“I...can't breathe... It hurts,” he cried out.

Oh God, what if he dies while I play frightened schoolgirl?

She holstered her gun and reached out to take his pulse. As quick as the flicking tongue of a lizard, he pierced the back of her hand with a needle. The hypodermic swayed back and forth, almost hypnotizing her with the surprise.

She knew she collapsed to the ground, but barely felt the impact. Her thoughts got fuzzy as the door opened and a black snakelike man stepped from it.
Shoot the poisonous snake.
She tried. He kicked her gun away.

A man. A snake man all in black except his glowing green snake eyes.

Fade to black
took on a whole new meaning. She tried to hang on to consciousness. She could feel the gravel pressed into her cheek. It couldn't end this way. She'd promised her mom she'd be careful. She heard a man speaking to her, but the words didn't make sense.

Then the darkness grew more real. More frightening. She was about to die on the side of the road...just like her dad.

Comprehension shifted from logic to dreamland as her body floated and curled into a shadowy, bumpy place. She couldn't wake up.

Chased. Stung. Falling. The green-slit eyes of a snake monster kept coming for her, pushing her deeper into nightmare land.