Suffer II (24 page)

Kate sat in silence as Cassandra and Eddie pleaded for their lives. They begged for an hour before Kate stood and walked out. They turned their pleas towards Grey and Chief who were sitting on the counter in the kitchen. After several minutes, they joined Kate outside on the boat.

“Are you okay?” asked Chief, sitting beside her.

“I’m fine,” said Kate, staring out into the swamp. “I’d rather they be thinking than talking.”

“They’re doing both,” said Grey. “Bullet knows what’s coming.”

“They all need to know,” said Kate.

“I’ve done everything you’ve asked without arguing,” said Grey. “Why didn’t you tell us you were going to take her? We needed to know that.”

“I wasn’t sure,” said Kate. “After you cuffed them, she smiled and told them that the problem was solved. I was sure then.”

“Obviously,” said Chief, “but I’m with Grey on this one. Taking out two dirtbags nobody is going to miss is one thing. Taking out a federal judge is another.”

“I’m sure she has court in the morning,” said Grey. “If she’s not there, the FBI, US Marshals, and state police will launch a manhunt by lunchtime. Sheriff Lewis won’t be able to hold out under that kind of pressure. He’ll give us up.”

“They won’t find her,” said Kate.

Chief looked up at Grey. They both saw confusion on each other’s faces. Kate was always two steps ahead, but neither saw the advantage of a massive manhunt. Until that moment, Chief had never thought of defying her.

“I don’t want this to end,” said Chief. “For the first time since I started my career in law enforcement, the bad guys are getting what they deserve. They know what it feels like to be terrified.”

“He’s not,” said Kate, narrowing her eyes at Chief. “He doesn’t believe that he’s going to die for what he did to Emily. Neither does Cassandra.”

“He’s a psychopath,” said Chief. “Who gives a shit what he believes?”

“I do,” said Kate. “I have to see it in his eyes.”

“It’ll be there,” said Chief. “You’ll see it in their eyes, but then it’s all over for us. We’ll be in jail by tomorrow afternoon.”

“All of us, Kate,” said Grey. “That includes Carlos, Sheriff Lewis, and anyone else that has risked everything to help you.”

“That includes Abby,” said Chief. “Grey and I will be dead within a week if we go inside. They’re not too fond of cops in there, but Abby is a different story. She’ll rot in prison for the rest of her life. Are you okay with that?”

“We have to cut the judge loose,” said Grey. “That’s our only option here. She won’t talk, Kate. She loves her career more than she loves her son. With everything we have on her, she’ll do whatever we want.”

“We’re still good right now,” said Chief. “But if we kill her, we won’t be. We’ll end up behind bars or on the run for the rest of our lives. They’ll hunt us down and then we become the prey.”

“She knows that,” said Kate. “She knows her power can save her life. The same power she used to end Emily’s. I’m not going to cut her loose. She needs to know that nothing will save her, just like Emily did.”

“This doesn’t make sense,” said Chief, standing and walking to the side of the boat. He placed his hands on the rail and stared into the black water. “There are more out there, Kate. More Diegos, Bullets, and Judge Halls. There always will be, but I’d like to get my hands on a few more of them before we call it a day. I can’t believe you’re willing to end our lives because you need to see her suffer.”

“Do you trust me?” asked Kate, standing and putting her arm around Chief.

“Is that a joke?”

“No, Chief,” said Kate, “It’s not a joke.”

“I’ve trusted you from the beginning,” said Chief. “Now I’m not sure where your head is on this one. I’m old and used up. Abby isn’t. That girl would walk through hell for you, and you’re going to sit there and let her.”

“Nobody is going to prison,” said Kate. “Us or them. I promise you that. I need you to believe me.”

Chief turned to look at Kate. She reached up and placed her hands on the sides of his face. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

“I need you to trust me.”

Chief cocked his head when he heard Grey chuckle. He narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow. Chief knew he couldn’t beat Grey in a fight, but he’d break a few things trying.

“What the hell are you laughing at?” asked Chief, balling his fist.

“Easy, buddy,” said Grey, holding up his hands. “I’m laughing at myself.”

“Do tell, jackass,” said Chief. “Am I missing something here? I mean, they’ll probably kill me quick in jail, but an ex-FBI agent? No, son. They’re going to take their time with you.”

“I know that feeling in your gut right now,” said Grey. “I know that look on your face. Everything inside of you is telling you that she’s lost her mind. Now it’s telling you that you’ve lost yours because you still trust her. Even now.”

“Thank you,” said Kate. “I think.”

“We’ve come full circle,” said Grey, walking up to Chief and putting his hands on his shoulders. “It’s just your turn.”

“Great,” said Chief. “So now we’ve all lost our minds.”

“No,” said Kate. “There are things that I can’t explain. I have to show you.”

She walked past them and went inside. As they’d done since she came out of her coma, they followed her. They had no idea where she was going to take them, but they would be behind her every step of the way.

As soon as they entered the shack, Eddie and Cassandra resumed their pleas. Kate reached into her bag and pulled out a roll of duct tape. When they saw it, their words were replaced with whimpers and crying. Bullet’s eyes were dry and his tongue was silent. There was no need to keep him quiet.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to fully understand people like you,” said Kate. “But I want to. I really do.”

“Why don’t you just shut the fuck up and do it?” said Bullet. “You’re –”

His head snapped back from the punch. It snapped three more times before he slid down the post to his knees. Kate grabbed a handful of his hair to steady his face as she reloaded her arm for another round.

“Should’ve went with the tape, dickhead,” said Chief. “That looked like it hurt.”

Blood was pouring out of his nose, mouth, and two gashes above his eyes. He lost his grin when he started losing his teeth. Kate moved her chair closer to them. Eddie and Cassandra started breathing more heavily as she sat down.

“That’s all he understands,” said Kate, staring at Cassandra. “Pain. Of course, he’d rather be giving than receiving, but he understands how it works. Not just physical pain, but psychological. He wasn’t content with just killing Emily. He wanted to give her as much pain as she could take without dying. When she would pass out from it, he’d wait for her to come back. He wanted her to feel everything they were doing. He needed to see it in her eyes and hear it in her screams. He feeds off of it. He’s a sick, twisted monster and you gave Emily to him.”

“I-I’m sorry,” said Cassandra, sniffling. “I didn’t know they were going to do that to her. I swear, I didn’t.”

“Now you’re sorry,” said Kate, standing after picking up a pair of scissors from the table. “You weren’t sorry before I shot you with the Taser. You’re sorry now because you’re tied to a post. You’re sorry that you got caught. You’re not sorry for what you did to her, and you never will be. She meant nothing to you, any of you. She was a piece of trash that nobody cared about.”

“Please don’t,” said Cassandra, feeling Kate tug at the back of her blouse.

“How many times do you think Emily said that?” asked Kate, cutting through the fabric and tossing it aside. “A dozen? A hundred? How many, Cassandra?”

“I’ll turn myself in,” said Cassandra, crying. “I’ll tell them what my son did to her. I promise I will. Just stop this.”

“You don’t have the luxury of making choices anymore,” said Kate, removing the last of her clothing. “They didn’t give Emily any. All she could do was stand here in front of them naked, humiliated, and terrified. The only choice she had was to let them brutalize her. How does it feel?”

“I understand now,” said Cassandra, trying to survive. “She was alone and afraid. She was powerless to stop them. She was scared to death.”

“No, Cassandra. She was scared
until
her death. Like you are now.”

“We was just doing what she told us to do,” said Eddie, mustering the courage to speak. “She’s a judge and told us to do all those things to that girl. What was we supposed to do?”

“Emily,” said Kate.

“Huh?”

“You said ‘that girl.’ Her name is Emily.”

“Yeah, yeah, Emily. That’s what I meant.”

“I guarantee that you’ll never forget her name for as long as you live,” said Kate, stepping towards him.

Kate turned around and nodded to Grey. He reached into his jacket pocked for the vial. He loaded three syringes with the sedative and handed them to Kate.

Grey and Chief held Eddie against the post while Kate injected him. Cassandra put up less of a fight. Bullet didn’t move as she pushed the drug into his arm.

It was enough to make them easier to handle, but they remained conscious. There was a brief struggle with Eddie when they brought him to the side of the boat. They helped him onboard with a gentle push.

After putting inflatable life jackets onto all three, they bound their hands and feet. Grey anchored each of them to the rail. If escape was on their minds by jumping overboard, they wouldn’t get far. Kate suspected Bullet and Eddie knew where they were going.

Mud Lake wasn’t far from the shack, and Chief was in no hurry. It gave the drug more time to dissipate in their systems. The closer they glided to their destination, the more agitated Eddie became.

He fought against the restraints, but he was too weak to break free. His elevated level of fear didn’t go unnoticed by Cassandra. Even with the fog of the drugs still lingering, she remembered Kate’s words. She was going to make her feel everything Emily did.

“Why are we here?” asked Cassandra, becoming more aware.

“Brad was kind enough to give us an exact location before his passing,” said Kate. “Why don’t you ask Bullet why we’re here? He knows what comes next.”

“Oh shit,” said Eddie. “Oh shit, no!”

“Calm down,” said Bullet. “They ain’t gonna do it. They ain’t got it in ‘em.”

“Shut up!” said Cassandra. “Please, just shut your mouth!”

“This is it,” said Chief, bringing the boat to idle.

“Look at this place,” said Kate, turning to Cassandra. “This is the last thing she saw before she was eaten. Can you imagine what was going through her mind? Can you imagine the terror?”

“Yes!” said Cassandra, screaming through tears. “I feel all of it now!”

“No,” said Kate, speaking through clenched teeth. “Not all of it. Not yet.”

Chief turned the spotlight to a group of trees near the shore. Dozens of red eyes illuminated against the black water. He reached down into a bucket and pulled out a large piece of bloody meat. He held it in front of Eddie and let it drip onto his legs before tossing it over the side. Within seconds of the splash, the eyes drifted closer.

With all the strength he had left, Eddie fought against the restraints while begging for his life. When Grey cut the rope holding him to the rail, Eddie rolled off of the seat and started banging his head into the deck. Chief jumped on his back and wrapped his arm around his neck to stop him. Bullet started laughing.

“They ain’t gonna do it, brother,” said Bullet, staring at Kate. “Stop trying to bash your own head in. They’re just trying to scare you.”

Kate stared back at Bullet. Holding his gaze, she pulled a folding knife out of her pocket. With no expression, she opened it. Then she opened the back of Eddie’s leg. Blood spilled out of the long, shallow wound. Bullet stopped laughing.

Grey and Chief pulled him up from the deck. He was disoriented from the self-inflicted blows to the head, but he was still aware. It made it easier to toss him over the side.

“There it is,” said Kate, staring into Bullet’s eyes. “I can see it now.”

They were thinking of Emily as Eddie cried out to them. They thought of the unimaginable pain and anguish she suffered at his hands. It made it easier to show him no mercy.

“Look!” said Kate, pulling up Cassandra’s head. “This is what you did to Emily. This is what you did to that sweet, innocent girl who did nothing to you. Nothing!”

After the large splash, most of the red eyes submerged. Eddie fought to free himself until he had nothing left. He tried to stay close to the boat, but then started to drift away. Chief and Grey watched from the rail.

“What if they don’t –”

Before Eddie could take a deep breath, he was pulled under. The predators lurking a few feet away were waiting for their prey to wear itself out. Thirty seconds later he popped to the surface. The inflatable life preserver was doing its job and prolonging his moment of reckoning.

He thrashed back and forth, but couldn’t scream. His lungs were full of water. They watched as a twelve-foot monster opened its massive jaws behind Eddie. When it clamped down on him, its teeth punctured the preserver. He went down for the last time.

More red eyes slithered closer to the boat that was serving free meals. Grey and Chief turned their attention to Bullet. So did Kate.

“Do you believe me now?” asked Kate. “Do you believe that I have it in me?”

“You killed my brother,” said Bullet.

“No, I killed both of your brothers.”

“You’re a fucking psycho,” said Bullet.

“We have to become what you are,” said Kate. “I know you can’t understand that, but it’s why you’re about to be eaten and we’re not. This was your fate the moment you came into Emily’s life.”

“If you would’ve given Emily a lethal dose of heroin, we’d be doing the same to you,” said Chief, cutting the rope that was holding him down. “If you would’ve shot her in the head, we’d be doing the same to you. If you would’ve let her go, we’d be doing the same to you. Do you get it now? You decided your fate. Not us.”

“Choices, Bullet,” said Grey, lifting him to his feet. “You chose to terrorize and hurt Emily for almost two years. You destroyed her, but that wasn’t good enough for you. You could’ve chosen to stop and let her move on with her life, but you didn’t. You decided to take it. Now we’re taking yours. Her life was worth something. Yours isn’t. Still doesn’t seem like a fair trade, does it?”

“You made the decision to feed her to alligators while she was still alive,” said Kate. “It’s impossible for me to understand how that gave you pleasure. On the bright side, I’m not here to understand you. I’m here to make you answer for those decisions. I’m here to punish you the way animals like you deserve to be punished.”

Chief and Grey turned him and dragged him to the rail. He didn’t resist. As Bullet looked down into the still water, they could feel his body tense and his breathing become heavy.

“Starting to sink in, isn’t it?” said Chief. “I imagine it started for Emily at this point too. You gave her a slow, violent, painful death. I want you to remember that while you’re getting yours.”

“I’m sorry for what I did to her,” said Bullet, lowering his head.

“No, you’re not,” said Kate, reaching around him with her knife and slicing his abdomen. “You’re never going to hurt anyone’s child again.”

As Grey and Chief released their grip, Kate kicked him in the back, sending him down to his fate. The second large splash didn’t scatter the eyes. They were focused on the next course that was coming over the side. A mass of hungry mouths fought for an open space. Within seconds, the water was boiling red. Tails slapped against the boat as the alligators rolled and ripped his limbs from his body.

Cassandra was catatonic. A hard slap from Kate brought her back. She stared at the knife hovering above her leg.

“That looked awful,” said Kate. “I can’t imagine a worse way to die, can you?”

Chief cut the rope holding her down. She flinched when Grey reached under her arm and lifted her from her seat. She was standing eye to eye with Kate.

“I asked you a question,” said Kate.

“No,” said Cassandra, exhaling. “I can’t imagine a worse way to die. Please don’t do this.”

“Do I tell her mother how she was murdered?” asked Kate.

“What?” said Cassandra, starting to hyperventilate.

“Karla Pierce,” said Kate. “Emily’s mom. Did you think she didn’t have a mother?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” said Cassandra, crying.

“It’s not what I want you to say,” said Kate, moving in closer. “It’s what I want you to feel. Emily was intelligent and beautiful and adored by her parents. Her father died when she was fifteen. You have no idea how much she loved him and how much he loved her.

“They didn’t raise a predator like you did. Their daughter was going to do amazing things with her life. Emily was going to be a bright light in this world. She cared about other people, and the thought of hurting someone never crossed her mind.

“You should’ve been protecting her, not your son. We found out from Greg and Brittany that he’s drugged and raped several women over the years. He was planning to do it again the night he was arrested. Did you know about the others?”

“Not all of them,” said Cassandra. “I only knew of one other.”

“Did you kill her? Did you harass and torture her like you did Emily? Is another mother wondering why her daughter never came home?”

“No,” said Cassandra. “My son was never charged.”

“Because you protected him,” said Kate.

“Yes.”

“Time for you to die now,” said Kate.

She grabbed the front of Cassandra’s life preserver and dragged her to the rail. Chief and Grey only had a few seconds to make a decision. Both didn’t know whether to keep trusting or stop her.

She leaned Cassandra over the water. The judge cried for mercy. Kate gave it to her.

“You don’t deserve another breath,” said Kate, throwing her to the deck. “But I can’t kill you. I have people I need to protect who are worth it. You owe them your life.”

Grey reached down and cut off her restraints. Chief wrapped her in a blanket and helped her into a seat. Cassandra was trembling.

“Thank you,” said Chief, standing at the console.

“You really are worth it,” said Kate. “All of you.”

“No, not that,” said Chief, smiling. “Thank you for not making Grey jump over to save her.”

“I was going to toss you first as a distraction,” said Grey, joining them at the helm. “But they probably would’ve spit out an old, tough bird like you, Chief.”

“True that.”

“So you two were going to stop me?” asked Kate.

“Yes,” said Grey. “We were. I appreciate you not making us have to.”

“I’m pretty sure you got your message across,” said Chief, turning to look at Cassandra. “She’s a wreck.”

“It was hard keeping her on this boat,” said Kate.

“You did the right thing,” said Grey. “As much as it sucks hearing that right now, it’s true.”

“We’re not through with her or her son,” said Kate.

“I know.”

Kate left Cassandra alone with her thoughts for most of the ride back to the boat ramp. She wanted her to absorb everything that happened on Mud Lake. She wanted her to realize how close she came to being eaten alive.

“The deal stands,” said Kate, taking a seat beside Cassandra as they approached the ramp. “Sheriff Lewis will send his statement in the morning clearing your son of the trafficking charges. He’ll be released shortly after.”

“This is over?” asked Cassandra, looking around and realizing where she was. “I’m going home now?”

“Yes,” said Kate. “You needed to feel that. You needed to know how Emily was killed by the guys you hired. It wouldn’t have had the same effect if I just told you what we did to them. I hope you understand. No hard feelings.”

“I thought you were really going to do it,” said Cassandra, regaining her composure. “I thought I was going to die.”

“Your disappearance would’ve been too difficult to explain away,” said Kate. “I have other plans for you.”

“Like what?”

“I own you,” said Kate. “We have all the evidence we need to remove you from the bench and ruin your life. The only way to prevent that from happening is for you to cooperate.”

“Cooperate with what?” asked Cassandra. “I just want to be clear about what you want me to do.”

“Cooperate with whatever we tell you to do,” said Kate. “You’re going to be my new pet. If we want access to files, you give it. If we want you to rule a certain way on a case, you do it. If we tell you to break the law, you don’t hesitate. Am I making myself clear?”

“Yes,” said Cassandra. “You’ve made all of your points very clear to me.”

“You can start by calling off your dogs that are digging into my life in Miami,” said Kate.

“Done.”

“Good answer,” said Kate. “If you challenge us in any way, the recordings and affidavits go public. Your son goes to prison forever, and your life will be worthless. When you reach rock bottom and nobody gives a shit about you anymore, I’ll come for you. I’ll bring you and your son back here and finish what I started.”

“That won’t be necessary, Kate,” said Cassandra, wrapping the blanket tighter. “I won’t forget what happened tonight. I know it doesn’t mean much to you or Emily’s mother, but I’m truly sorry for what we did. I promise you that I didn’t know they were going to do that to her. That was horrible.”

“You’re right,” said Kate. “It doesn’t mean much.”

Chief eased the front of the boat to the edge of the landing. They helped Cassandra over the side, and she waded to shore. She wasted no time getting out of the water. Kate threw her the keys to her car. As she walked up the ramp, Chief pushed the throttles hard and headed for home.

“What was that all about?” asked Chief, cutting the engines as Grey tied off the boat at their dock.

“What do you mean?” asked Kate, grabbing a bucket.

“She’s your pet now? Access to files and ruling on cases?”

“I needed a little more time,” said Kate, pouring water over the blood on the deck.

“Are you going to give us one of your ‘trust me’ speeches again?”

“No, Chief,” said Kate, scrubbing the seat, “I’m not. I’ve asked Sheriff Lewis for a favor. If he can help us, it’ll take a few days to organize. I’m still not sure he can make it happen, so I need to have a back-up plan.”

“Which you don’t have yet,” said Grey, smiling as he helped her clean up the blood.

“I want Cassandra to believe this is over,” said Kate. “I need her on ice until I put everything together. There are a lot of moving parts on this one, and timing is going be critical. When I told her there were no more deals, I meant every word.”

“Mark’s not getting out of jail, is he?” asked Chief.

“Not until he’s a very old man, if ever,” said Kate. “He’s a monster just like Bullet. He just hasn’t taken the next step to murder, but he will.”

“I can’t argue with that,” said Grey. “He shows all the signs of a budding psychopath. His attacks will happen more often, and the violence will escalate. It’s not if, but when.”

“Especially if mommy dearest is cleaning up his messes,” said Chief. “I got no problem hurting that piece of shit.”

“We have an opportunity to keep him behind bars instead of hunting inside of them,” said Kate.

“All right then, Kate,” said Chief. “I understand your move with Mark. What’s the plan for his mom?”

“You were both right,” said Kate, pouring another bucket of water. “I can’t kill a federal judge. But she can.”