Don't Touch (22 page)

The vision did switch as if he wasn’t
interested in seeing them naked. He just wanted to make them
suffer. Suddenly his back was turned to her and she grabbed the
pan. Black hit the floor and Ryan tried to follow Lindsey but she
couldn’t get out of the room.

She was tied to Black. It took a full minute
for him to shake off the blow and pursue. Once outside he looked
down and the tracks in the soft sand. He knew which direction she
was going in and went after Lindsey.

Ryan tried to keep up and look around as he
weaved through the underbrush. There didn’t seem to be any visible
trails.

Ryan heard Lindsey screaming for help as she
ran, then the sound of an engine. Black stopped and Ryan quickly
looked around and saw what she needed to see a landmark. The vision
was gone.

Chapter 20

“It wasn’t the bombing range. It was a
clearing where there was a control burn. The ground had big black
scorch marks and there was a lake that was half dried up. A lot of
grass around it. The lake is where he would take them to kill them
if he didn’t want to clean the kitchen.”

She was babbling and she knew it. Sliding in
to a chair she tried to write down what she saw. Ryan’s breath was
hitched and she was trying not to hyperventilate. Finally Jackson
took the pencil from her shaking hand and embraced her.

She concentrated on his heart beat using it
to gage her breathing and slow it down. “You were right. I couldn’t
have taken whatever came off those knives. I have enough
nightmares.”

Jack tightened his hold on her as if he could
press the bad things into himself. “I’m here to chase the
nightmares away. It’s almost over. You may have given the forestry
what they need to narrow down the huge search.”

Heinz ordered all three of them to go home.
It would take the forestry time to pin point the search zone. Not
to mention it was too late to start tonight. The final push would
have to wait until morning.

Ryan and Jack just lay there looking at the
ceiling when a knock came at the front door. Jackson looked at the
clock. “Three o’clock? Stay here.”

When he answered the door Tom stood in a tee
shirt and jeans. “Sorry, I figured you wouldn’t be sleeping
either.”

Waving him in Jack laughed. “Not a wink. Both
of us are wound just as tight.”

Wandering out Ryan sat between them on the
couch. “I could get used to this. Two handsome men in my
house.”

Jackson possessively pulled her into his lap.
“One problem with that plan. I don’t share.”

Tom shook his head. “He’s not kidding there
was once when….” The tale was interrupted by the ringing phone.
They held their breath as

Tom answered his cell. “Yes sir we’re
together. Meet with them at six thirty. We’ll be there.” He hung up
and dropped the phone on the table. “We meet the rangers they have
an idea he’s set up shop down one of the branches of the Ocala
National Trail.”

“We need to get a couple of hours sleep if
we’re going to keep up with those guys.” Jackson let Ryan get up
and she pulled Tom up by the collar. “Come on I have a guest room,
just stay here.”

Rubbing his eyes the detective didn’t argue.
“Sounds good. Just move the bed from the wall a bit before any
activity.”

Jack laughed as Ryan hit the man with a couch
pillow. “Wouldn’t matter I’m a screamer.”

“I knew it. The quiet ones are always the
loudest” Howling with laughter Tom gave her a peck on the cheek and
made a run for the spare room.

Jack scooped her up over his shoulder. “If we
had a couple more hours I’d test that theory doctor.”

She giggled as he tossed her on the mattress
and plopped next to her. She was trying to make light in order to
chase away the nightmares. All she really needed to feel safe was
right there wrapping arms around her.

They ended up at Buck Lake campgrounds. John
the ranger who had been helping them was standing by a red truck.
Ryan jumped out of the car. “That’s it, that’s the truck.”

Walking over she pulled off her glove and
grabbed the driver’s side door handle. “He’s been here all night.
There’s a girl with him now, We’ve got to hurry.”

John took the lead as they walked through
trails until they came to an odd fork. “Isn’t marked on the maps.
Either of these paths.”

Ryan turned to Jackson. “Blindfold me and
push me down the trails. I’m sure I can tell you which way.”

John already had made up his mind that this
lady was cracked the other day. “We’ll split up.”

Agreeing that may be the best way to trap
Black, Jackson still pulled off his bandana and covered Ryan’s
eyes. “We get to pick which way. Tell me what to do Ryan.”

“Play it out, I’m your next victim don’t be
nice. He pulled and shoved them through the brush.” He looked at
the two trails and decided the one on the left was denser.

“Remember you asked for this.” He did as she
asked and pushed her down the trail dragging her a bit to keep up
with his larger gate.

“Not this one. The other way. We need to go
the other way.” Taking off the blindfold she started down the
indicated trail. Jackson and Tom pulled weapons and pushed her
between them. Two rangers followed then the other two and officers
took the opposite path.

Feeling the weeds and small branches hit her
legs for real caused her heart to pound. Ryan felt cold and prayed
that they would find the place in time. Jackson moved ahead as
quietly as one could in a dry forest. She reached out and pulled
his shirt when something caught her eye. A pine with threads
sticking to its sappy side. “This way. He goes off the trail.
That’s the tree I ran into…one of the girls ran into.”

Changing course with Tom in front they moved
down the barely visible path. He caught sight of a clearing up
ahead. Putting up his hand motioning for them to stop Tom glanced
around. He looked down around the trail. Sure enough there was a
thin string attached to a cow bell. A redneck alarm system.

Pointing down without looking back at his
companions Tom continued at a slower pace down the trail. They came
out at the dried up grassy lake Ryan had described. Moving
carefully through the weeds until the dumpy looking trailer came
into view.

A scream cut the air and Tom and Jackson ran
forward. Bursting through the door all they found was a young woman
lying on the kitchen floor. She had been stabbed three times.

He didn’t finish the job, Black was still
there. One of the officers knelt down with Ryan as she tried to
staunch the bleeding. The girl was loosing blood way too fast.
“Call for a four wheeler to come in and get her out. We don’t have
time to walk her out.”

It wasn’t until she was sitting in the now
familiar kitchen floor that Ryan realized she had dressed like one
of the victims. Jackson and Tom were searching the house.

Just as Tom was going to give the all clear
Black came out of a panel in the wall. Originally made as access to
the hot water heater the killer kept it as a hiding place.

His eyes fell immediately on Ryan. She
screamed as he held the bloody blade to her throat. “I see I get to
finish what I started with you.”

None of them had a clean shot with out
hitting Ryan. She tried to pull at the arm around her and the hand
holding the knife. “Let me go, Gerard. Killing me won’t bring back
your sister.”

He tightened his grip and the edge of the
knife cut into her skin. “What would you know of bringing my sister
back? They forced her to do things she didn’t want to do. Told her
that because she only had one good eye those dirty pictures where
the only ones she could be in. Georgia hated them. But they
wouldn’t let her go.” He caressed her cheek. “I bet you want to be
in pictures like that. They took her dreams and made her sick.”

Ryan struggled in his grip until the knife
cut some more. “Stop fighting him.” Jackson screamed at her. He was
easing forward but Black was easing backward. Ryan knew if he got
her outside she was dead. His every thought was about taking her to
the dry grass and watching her blood run over it.

Swallowing she could feel the press of the
metal. “Gerard, you killed my sister. You took her from me so
doesn’t that make us even?”

He laughed and his breath smelled like he
hadn’t brushed his teeth in years. “No, it does not make us even.
It will help your mother suffer. Your mother helped give them money
to hurt my sister. She thought she had to pose like that to keep
her job.”

Ryan watched Jack move ever so slightly over.
“My mother can’t suffer she died several years ago of cancer. My
father died in a car accident before that. I’m all that’s left the
only one left to suffer. If you let me be your last victim there
will be no one left.”

He snorted in her ear. “What about your
husband over there. Or was that just an act.”

Tom made a move to the side hoping to
distract Gerard long enough for someone to get behind him and
release Ryan. Instead Black put the blade against her cheek. “Stop
moving or I’ll ruin her chances of becoming a cover girl.”

Ryan went perfectly still. “I don’t want to
be a cover girl, Gerard. I’m a medial examiner, I work in the
morgue. Dead people don’t much care how you look.”

They had backed up to the door. He grabbed
her by the collar and ran out dragging her behind. Swinging her
like a shield when John and the others finally came through the
edge of woods into the clearing.

When he was on the edge of the grass Gerard
threw her down and ran for the trees. Everyone was in hot pursuit
weapons ready. Tom headed after them while Jack stopped for Ryan.
“You’re alright?”

“No I’m not but the girl in the house…..”

Jackson shook his head. Gerard had fooled
around long enough to get his last victim the girl had bleed out.
“I know I’m not a doctor but I don’t think she would have made it
out of here.” Ryan headed back inside the house pulling off her
glove. “What are you doing?”

She was determined. “I might be able to find
a clue of where he would go if he gets away.” As she was pulling
items out of the drawers the door burst open. It was hard to tell
who was more startled. Ryan and the detective or Black as he
growled in frustration at having been caught again after losing the
cops in the woods.

Yelling he tackled Jackson wrestling for the
detective’s gun. Jack kicked him off but as he aimed Black knocked
the weapon from his hand. The two clashed again falling over the
furniture shaking the trailer. As Black slammed Jack into a wall,
Ryan’s hand rested on a familiar shape in the darkened drawer.

Tom and the others were coming around
outside. They had realized that Black had doubled back. Tom burst
in to witness Gerard Black the lipstick killer pick up his
partner’s gun and aim.

There was a loud bang and Gerard looked
around for the source. Red started to bloom in the center of his
chest. Feeling something wet Black looked down and saw the growing
splotch. “What?” The gun fell from his hands and he looked around
not understanding. Tom walked over as the serial killer collapsed
to the floor.

Jackson looked up and saw Ryan standing in
the shadows holding the revolver. Moving slowly he reached out to
take the gun from her hands. “Ryan, babe, its okay, he’s down. You
got him.”

She let him take the gun and sank to her
knees. Her gaze fixed on the dead girl. “It’s not okay, Jack. I
didn’t save her.”

He looked at Tom who was putting the cuffs on
Black and calling for aid. It was over, putting down his weapon as
well as the gun Ryan had used he pulled her to him.

Ryan threw her arms around Jack and clung as
he buried his face her neck. He felt something wet, she was
hurt.

Pushing her back he saw the seeping gash. He
pressed his hand to the wound and Jackson knew he was done. All
these years of trying to be a good cop. He just wasn’t cut out for
department work.

Black could have slit her throat, the cut was
deep but not close enough to anything major. She would be okay,
physically. They could both use a break from their lives.

It took a while for the emergency team to get
back to them they were deep into the forest with no roads. Black
was barely alive when they took him out. Upon a search of the house
they found a closet that had each woman’s belongs. He had kept them
as trophies or because he was afraid to dispose of them.

Weeks went by as they finished and sealed the
case. Gerard Black died on the operating table. So there would be
no trial and many of the victims’ families felt they had been
cheated out of their justice.

Jackson walked out of Heinz office feeling
better than he had in years. Heinz clasped his shoulder. “You sure
you want to do this, son?”

Looking out into the cramped office. “Yeah, I
think it’s the right decision for my life right now.” He walked
over to the once shared cubical and grabbed Tom. “Come on, I’ve got
something you need to see.”

“You’re just dragging on the fact that you’re
leaving me here to rot.” Tom kept up the banter until they reached
a small strip mall in town. “What, you’re opening up a pizza
joint?”