Chapter 10

Ken Fines After the press conference in Austin had broken up Ken had called his editor and arranged for his information to be faxed to the paper. He told the editor that his article would be ready the next morning.

Ken had checked out more than a few rented houses but found no one that really stood out and only one that had left recently. He checked out the tenant who had left and discovered that the renter was a female not a male. He could only conclude that the killer had changed his methods.

Ken decided to fly home and get started on the next series of articles. While he was at home he would have the research department look into cities that had more than three disappearances in a six-week period. The same parameters would be used as before. His gut told him to look further west. And that is what he told the research department. The FBI had not mentioned the fact that they had not found a rental that fit the profile.

His next article might have to mention the possible change or maybe a challenge to the killer to call the paper and explain what he was doing and why.

On the Road While thinking about where to go next, James had the idea to change the way he obtained his victims and try something else. He decided that he would take his next three victims while traveling around the country, then find a place to kill them. While James was putting the last package for the FBI together, he decided to put that bit of information into the note.

James called his neighbor in Austin, Texas and told him that he had been delayed for another three months. James asked the neighbor if he could take care of his house for during that time. The neighbor agreed without asking too many questions. James wired some additional funds for upkeep of his house.

James and Debbie drove north out of Las Vegas and stopped in St. George, Utah. There he turned the van in on a full size crew cab style pick-up truck and a large fifth wheel trailer. Instead of renting a house in one city he would drive to a number of large towns and see if he could take a victim in each. Then drive on to another city. Once he had three victims, he might rent a house or if the ritual time were near, then he would find an isolated area and perform the required ritual.

Ken Fines Ken had written seven articles during the following seven weeks. Each one was more inflammatory that the one before. He challenged the Police and also the killer to make a move and end the terror that the nation was feeling. But neither the police nor the killer accepted the challenge. The research department turned up many missing persons reports and the Tattler mentioned the most promising of these.

The pictures all ran again and the Tattler asked for any information that might help break the case. One bright researcher managed to come up with an idea. The killer was carving some kind of pagan and carving symbols into the chests of his victims. The researcher came up with the idea to track the number of followers of the Norse or Vikings. With further research and the aid of several good computers it was found that the older man in one of the photos was a retired professor of Germanic languages and an expert in the oldest of the Viking rune scripts. Ken decided to track his movements and hopefully come up with something juicy to print.

Meanwhile, Ken started to sift through the reports of missing persons. Many from the western United States came up but Ken’s hunch was to go to the far west. Denver, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas came to mind. Two reports came from Las Vegas and they both fit the profile. Ken caught a plane three days before the night of the full moon and checked into a hotel on the strip. He spent the next two days going through the local newspapers reports of missing persons. He also spent several hours looking into housing rentals that fit the profile. He didn’t find any but he was sure that the killer had continued to travel west.

Ken was still in Las Vegas when his police scanner picked up the call about the possible murder scene. Ken thought about driving out to the area and hope to get a comment or a picture but at the last moment drove to the small airport on the north side of town and hired a small plane to fly him over the area.

The plane took off and several minutes later the pilot announced that they were over the right spot.

“Put the plane into a bank turn so I can get some pictures,” said Ken.

“OK, but we have to be fast. The police helicopters will be here any minute, and we might be in a no fly zone.”

The pilot banked the plane and Ken aimed the camera and the zoom lens at the murder sight below and shot a series of pictures.

“I’ve got what I need, let’s get the hell out of here.”

The pilot did just that as the police chopper arrived just moments later.

Ken paid for one hour developing and the shots he had taken turned out very nice. There was enough detail to make the cover of the next issue of the Tattler very successful.

On the Road James stopped at a gas station just outside of St. George and picked up a map and some information on places designed to accommodate trailers or fifth wheels while in the Salt Lake City area. The drive had been very nice and both had enjoyed the scenery. On the outskirts of Salt Lake City they stopped at one of the campgrounds mentioned in the information and James paid for a spot for four weeks. After James unhooked the trailer, there was still enough time for dinner, so he drove out of the campground and to a local restaurant.

Later that night James drove back to the campground and began to unpack the bags and put the stuff away. In one cupboard he put all the bondage gear, needles, and other items he used for subduing the girls. In another cupboard he locked up his ritual items and the books that he consulted for the rituals and meditation. The rest of the cupboards were set up for the normal everyday items that people used.

The next two weeks were spent doing the tourist thing and at the same time looking for possible target victims. All the while Debbie wondered if James was done or starting to take his victims in a different manner. But she was enjoying seeing more of the country. The small ray of hope still burned deep in her heart and she would not let it dim.

During the third week in Utah, James had found the perfect spot to get the next victim. Salt Lake City had a university with a large population living on and off the campus. At several parks in the area, people were running and exercising late at night. In their trips, James had found one or two that just might have the right victim. James made plans and just three days left in Utah he had to get the first victim.

The next night James left Debbie tied up in the trailer and drove to a small park near the university and waited for the right time and the right victim. He didn’t have long to wait. The park was almost empty. It was a Friday night and most people had other things to do, all except Vanna Jones. Vanna had always been a bit of a loner and living in Salt Lake City was no different. Her three years at the university had been marked by a couple of flings but mostly just going to class, trying to earn her degree and live off the scholarship she had earned.

At five feet five and 120 pounds, she was a rather plain looking brunette with a body that showed the promise of being heavy later in life. Vanna worked hard at keeping the weight off. She ran in this park four times a week and also spent three nights in a gym lifting weights. Tonight she found herself alone in the park, but she needed to put in her five miles.

James had parked the truck near one end of the parking lot. The path that Vanna would take was just a few feet from the lot and a set of bushes guarded the path from the parking lot. James had liked this location the best and tonight he hoped to find the first of three he needed.

Vanna had run past the parked truck once and had not seen the man sitting in the front seat. On her next trip past she looked and did not see anyone again. Just as she ran past the bushes, James jumped out and grabbed her. James pressed his hand over her mouth and pressed the tazer to her chest, pulling the trigger. Vanna Jones crumpled in his arms. James carried the unconscious figure to his truck and secured her in the back seat, pulled a blanket over her. James drove back to the trailer and after making sure that no one was watching, he carried Vanna into the trailer and put her onto the bed.

James gagged the girl and then stripped off her clothing. He cuffed her hands behind her back and then injected the girl with the sedative and put her into the large walk-in closet. The closet was the one thing that James had liked the most about this trailer. James wondered if the closet had been a small second bedroom before it was converted to a closet.

There was enough room in the closet for two or three girls if they were sedated and either laid or sat on the floor. James had put in three metal rods to cuff the victims to. James had thought carefully about changing his routine and finally decided it was a good idea. But the risk of getting caught was also higher. James decided that he would need to be as unnoticeable as possible. He changed his appearance again. James dyed his hair black and shaved his beard but left his mustache. Debbie also had been given a new set of clothes, had her hair cut and told to act like his wife. Debbie agreed since she knew to resist was to ask to be the next killed.

The next morning James got out of bed and told Debbie to go to the back of the trailer and close the door to the large bedroom. James took the still unconscious Vanna Jones out of the closet. About that time she began to wake up. Vanna awoke and saw that her dream of being abducted was not a dream, but the truth. She began to shiver in fright and then tried to scream through the gag. She also tried to kick and scratch her captor. It did no good; the gag was too far in her mouth and her captor was too big and strong. She settled down but continued to shake and shiver. With a look in her abductor’s eyes, she knew she had to follow his orders. Vanna was told to use the toilet then eat the breakfast that sat on the small table in front of her. Thirty minutes after waking up she found herself once more cuffed and secured in the closet while her abductor injected her with the drug combination, she again slipped into unconsciousness.

Debbie was allowed out of the bedroom and was told to get dressed. Two hours later James hooked up the trailer and drove out of Salt Lake City.

James took three days to get to Denver, Colorado. Normally the drive could be made in just one day but this was a good time to see this part of the country. They looked like a couple on vacation instead of a serial killer searching for another victim. While in Salt Lake City, James had looked up some information on places to camp in the West. There was much to see and every new sight reminded James of the love that was lost and would soon be his again. Debbie enjoyed all the sights but said nothing unless asked. She had learned her place and tried to do her best to remain on her captor’s good side.

Five weeks after leaving Las Vegas, James drove the truck and trailer combo into a travel park near Denver. James paid for four weeks and a spot was secured for the trailer. The travel park was on the east side of Denver and had a very good view of the city below. James unhitched the trailer and parked the truck in the spot designated for it. The cables and hoses were hooked up and after a few quick checks the park manager and James were happy with the connections.

It had been a long day and James decided that he needed a shower. He told Debbie to take off her clothes and to be ready to shower. She did as she was told and James got into the shower and washed off the road grime. Debbie followed and did likewise. This time James allowed her some privacy. With a rare opportunity to be alone, Debbie washed her body very well and scrubbed her skin as hard as she could. It did not wash away the filth that she felt but the effect of the hot water still did much to relax her. Debbie got out of the shower and toweled off. James watched as she dried her body and hair. While he was watching, he looked at the runes burned into the skin on her back and had a variety of feelings wash over him. One of those feelings was regret but he soon got over that. After she was dry, he tied her to the large bed.

James opened the large closet and took a look at his newest victim. Vanna was awake and trying to get free. Or at least to move around to get some more room for her legs and torso. James picked up the struggling girl and slapped her across the face. This caused her to stop struggling. James uncuffed her from the bars in the closet and then cuffed her hands in front of her. He left the gag in and the ankle cuffs on her legs. James told her to get up and go across the trailer and go to the bathroom and then to take a shower.

Vanna saw the cold serious look in her captor’s eyes and did not dare to try anything. She had seen glimpses of the other girl and wondered what she was doing. Could she get her to help? Her captor motioned for her to get moving. Vanna took a few minutes to use the toilet and then took a quick hot shower. It was hard to get clean with the cuffs on but she did the best she could.

James had waited for five minutes and then entered the bathroom and grabbed his captive by the hair and told her to get back to the closet. Vanna was suddenly very afraid. She began to sob. James secured the frightened girl in the closet and injected her with the drug mixture. Vanna was soon asleep for the next fifteen hours.

The next three weeks went about the same as the weeks in Salt Lake City. James would go out sometimes with and sometimes without Debbie. On the days he left Debbie at the trailer he would chain her to the bed, gag her and put a leather choker on her neck.

James was looking for victim number two. With just three days to go in Denver, James decided to try checking into a hotel and then call an escort service.

James checked into a very nice hotel and proceeded to call a couple of escort services. After he found the girl whose description fit his needs the best. James made the appointment. An hour later Barbara Dennis arrived at his room. James was very happy to see the red headed woman at the door. She was just five feet tall and about 90 pounds. Dressed in a tight black dress with high heels. The dress was tight enough to show that she was not wearing any underwear. James invited her in and then the transaction was done.

An hour later James turned to the girl lying in the bed beside him and asked, “Would you consent to have dinner with me?”

Barbara said, “I really shouldn’t, I am after all a working girl.”

James smiled and said, “I’m willing to offer you $1,500.00 for four hours.”

Barbara’s eyes lit up. She leaned over James and dialed her services number and told the person on the other end that she was done for the night and leaving her last appointment. Twenty minutes later the two left the hotel and drove away. James stopped at a nice restaurant and the two ordered dinner. At one point during the dinner, Barbara needed to go to the ladies room. While she was gone James made sure the tazer was ready.

After finishing dinner, the two made small talk and then James paid the check. In the parking lot James had the tazer in his hand. He opened the door of the truck for Barbara. James walked around the truck and got into the drivers side. With the tazer still in his hand, James leaned over and kissed Barbara. Just as he finished the kiss, he pressed the tazer to her neck and pulled the trigger. Barbara crumpled into unconsciousness. James propped her up and put on her seat belt. Once that was done he injected her with a quantity of the drug and James drove into the night with the second of three required victims.

James drove the truck into the travel park and parked in his spot. It was late and James made sure that no one could see him bringing her in. He carried her into the trailer and put her into the closet. James cuffed her to the bars in the closet next to Vanna Jones and then proceeded to cut her clothing off. James pushed a gag deep into her mouth and buckled it behind her neck. James now had his second victim and tomorrow he would begin to prepare to leave the Denver area. The day after that he expected to be on the road.

James left the Denver area as planned. Debbie knew that there were two victims chained up in the large closet of the fifth wheel trailer. She relaxed a bit knowing that she was just one more victim away from being safe for another three months. This feeling made her feel sad but the small ray of hope deep inside her was still there.

James took another four days to get to the next stop. During that time James would drive for a while and then stop and set up camp. He would allow the girls to shower and use the toilet and have some food. Then he would secure them in the trailer and then once more inject them. Vanna was getting more lethargic by the day. By the time they arrived at the place for the next ritual she would be almost a zombie. The effect of the drugs that James was using had a cumulative effect. The more they get the more lethargic they got. Barbara had put up a fight for a couple of days but her captor had made sure that she was punished if she got out of line. After that she was very quiet and did as she was told.

James and Debbie arrived on the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico. As before, James had checked on places to park his fifth wheel for a few weeks. A large travel plaza was the answer. The plaza contained trailers of every kind. James asked for a space in a more secluded section of the park. After some talking and few more dollars, the space was rented for the next five weeks.

James parked the trailer in the spot and did the necessary hookups. Three weeks remained until the night of the full moon. That was plenty of time to get the last victim. The road to Austin had many places that were isolated enough for the ritual. The next two weeks came and went as usual. James and sometimes Debbie would go out and see the sights of that part of the country.

Spring in New Mexico was very nice. James longed to have Shelly there with him.

Debbie enjoyed the chance to get out of the trailer and see the country even if it was with this monster. She never forgot that her captor was capable of killing and had done so often. Although she had never seen it she knew about it because the girls would be taken out of the house and would never return. Then she would have more symbols burned into her back.

One night, with about a week to go until the night of the ritual, James went out for a drive. On the way back to town he saw a hitchhiker and pulled off the road and picked her up. Cara Weston looked into the truck and saw a nice looking man in his mid forties and got into the cab. Cara asked where he was going and James said that he was going toward town. Cara was happy that she had a ride; James pulled the truck back onto the road and drove back to town. About half way to town, James reached into his pocket and with a quick practiced motion, pressed the tazer to Cara’s body and pulled the trigger. Cara Weston felt the voltage hit her as she lost consciousness.

James stopped at a rest area and as he had before, cuffed the unconscious figure on the seat next to him. Then he lifted her over the seat and laid her on the back seat, covering her up with a blanket. The last thing to do was to press a gag into the girl’s mouth before getting back on the road.

James drove into the travel plaza and parked the truck next to his trailer. James entered the trailer and made sure that Debbie was still tied up and safe in the large bedroom. After that, he went outside and checked to see if anyone was looking. It was late enough that he was unobserved. He took Cara out of the truck and carried her into the trailer. James opened the closet and put the newest victim in. James then proceeded to cuff Cara to one of the bars in the closet. With a sharp pair of scissors, he cut the girls clothes off. James injected the unconscious figure, and made sure the gag was good and secure.

Cara Weston was about five foot three and weighed 130 pounds. She was on the heavy side. Her hair was black and it looked to James that she was part Indian. She was wearing Levis and plaid shirt. A white bra, panties and white socks made up her clothes. In her backpack she had about twenty dollars, a few pictures and some ID.

The next day James started to get ready to leave the area. A quick check with the local newsstand revealed that the media had not reported any of the girls as missing. He also bought the latest edition of the Tattler and read the article about the killer. The newest article had pictures of the crime scene taken from a plane and other pictures that had been run before. The article challenged the killer to contact the Tattler and explain his motives. James chuckled and went back to the trailer.

The following day James hitched up the fifth wheel and drove out of the travel plaza. The drive to Austin would take around three days and James would still have time to perform the next ritual on the next full moon. James drove for about five hours each day and then would stop and camp. During that time he would feed and water his captives and then inject them again.

With one day left until the night of the ritual, James pulled off the road in a very desolate area of Texas. He parked the truck and trailer in a small grove of trees. James kept all four girls in the trailer and even sedated Debbie along with the other captives. During that period of time he prepared the area for the ritual.

James had remembered to buy three poles and anything else he needed while still in Las Vegas. There were enough rocks in the area to build the altar and the fire pit. James set the poles in place. The next night at sundown was to be the night of the ritual. Taking a last look around, James decided he was ready. He got into the trailer and put everything that he needed into the back seat and bed of the truck. His ritual tools and Debbie would be the last things to put into the truck the next morning.

That night James carried each of the three girls out of the trailer, one at a time and dressed them in the white robes. Then he tied each one to a pole. The fire was kindled and the tools placed on the altar. A last check of the clock showed that he had the timing perfect. With a few moments of meditation James readied himself for the next ritual. At the stroke of midnight he began the chants that signaled the start of the ritual.

At the right time in the ritual he picked up the dagger. James continued the ritual and approached Vanna Jones. At the appropriate time he ripped open the white robe and began to carve the nineteenth rune in the girls chest. Unlike the other victims, Vanna did not wake up. The drugs and the travel had taken its toll on her. She was more dead than alive. James looked into Vanna’s eyes then with one quick movement drew his dagger across Vanna’s throat. A jet of blood erupted from the Vanna’s throat. The flow of blood continued to flow and soon soaked the front of the torn white robe, finally pooling on the ground around the bottom of the pole.

James continued on with the ritual as he walked over to Barbara Dennis. James tore open her robe and exposed her chest. He pointed the dagger at the right area and began to carve the twentieth rune into her chest. Barbara woke up in time to see the blood flow out of the carving on her chest and screamed through the gag. She turned her head side-to-side.

Barbara stopped screaming and started to shake in fear. She lost control of her bowels and knew that her life was over. Barbara saw the dagger being raised higher. She felt the sharp edge bite into the soft flesh of her throat. The pain of the dagger cutting her throat open and her breath being cut off caused her to faint and then die as her life’s blood flowed out of her body.

Cara Weston woke up in time to watch Vanna get her throat cut and the blood fountain out. She had also seen Barbara Dennis die. She knew that she was next. Cara watched as the man walked over to her and chanted something she did not understand as he pulled her robe open. Cara tried to move but found that she was tied too tightly. Cara watched as the man put the knife to her chest and carved a strange symbol into her flesh. The terrors of watching the others die and the pain of the knife carving her chest caused her to scream loudly through the gag. But it did no good.

Cara watched as her captor brought the edge of the now bloody dagger to her throat. She also felt the sharp edge bite into her skin. Before she died, she felt her own blood exit the slash on her throat and run down her chest and legs. Just before she died, she noticed that her arms were getting cold and her vision clouded over.

The blood from the three victims continued to flow as James finished the ritual. Once more, he found himself in the large cave facing Hella and his beloved Shelly.

Hella spoke first, “Welcome back. It is good to see that you have once more completed another of the required rituals. In reward for your staying true to the needed rituals, I will allow you and Shelly to spend several hours alone together.”

With that Shelly and James found themselves alone in a small chamber with a mound of furs and a lot of candles to light the chamber. The chamber was hand carved out of solid rock and looked to be very old. The candles looked like they were hand made and the light flickering off the smooth sections of the walls made the chamber seem even more romantic. The time together was magical for both of them. It gave James the boost of strength he needed to finish the last of the rituals.

Hella transported both James and Shelly back to the large chamber and there she told James he could kiss Shelly one more time. As James was savoring the kiss, Shelly disappeared. Hella told him that the last of the rituals would be harder and he should expect to be opposed by Odin. James had to be very careful and to stay focused one last time. James felt the impact of her words and knew he had to be very cautious. James woke up and found himself on the ground beside the altar. The sun had already risen.

James got up and started to get his gear together. He had decided that the trailer would not be coming with him. James took one last shower and carried the still sleeping Debbie to the truck. James had made sure that he had enough gas to fire the trailer. James poured gasoline in the trailer and over all the evidence. James took a few quick pictures and a few minutes of videotape of the victims and the area.

James drove the truck up the road a few yards and then got a burning stick from the fire pit and lit the gas. The trailer started on fire slowly but quickly gained speed. The heat from the trailer became intense. He put the fire out in the pit and then walked to the truck. As he reached the truck one great blast reported the destruction of the fifth wheel trailer. One last look around to make sure that he had all his gear and then he got into the truck and drove back to the main road and on to Austin, Texas. Debbie would later lead the police to the area after James was done in Austin.

For three months James had worried about the collars he had left in Las Vegas. James had been very careful and had changed his appearance once more. James had cut his hair very short and let his beard grow out on his chin. James could not really remember when he had his fingerprints taken. There might have been one time years ago at college but he was not sure. But he did not worry too much about that, after all he had not seen his picture circulating yet and he was using his fake Id’s and cash to cover his tracks. Money talks and covers up a lot of things. Most people will look the other way for enough money. He had proven this time and time again during the last two years.

James knew that by this time a composite drawing of him was being circulated but he had changed his appearance several times. James pondered the possibility that his prints would be found and his name traced. Then the police would go to his mansion and try to find a photo and more evidence. But one of the reasons for the last trip home was to dispose of anything that could help the police find him. James had not told either the caretaker or his accountant where he was going or where he had been. Anything that might have been considered of help to the law was either burned or hidden in places that he was sure the police could not find. Perhaps someone later on would find the stuff but he was not concerned about that. In three months he would be finished and then Shelly and he would be together. Nothing else mattered.

Only one last thing remained to be settled. What was he to do with Debbie when he was done? Should he kill her or let her go? If he managed to get three more victims then he just might let her go.

On a whim, he wrote a letter to Ken Fines, care of the National Tattler. In the letter he explained that he was almost done. Then he would be gone forever. He also thanked the reporter for the name. James liked being called the ‘Rune Killer’. As a final shot he hinted that he might be going where he’d been before. James wrote the letter in blood like the others.