Chapter 8

Ken Fines

Ken Fines had been waiting by a portable police scanner for two days and when the call came in he was ready. Ken drove to the area reported but was stopped by the police. He was unable to get close enough to get any pictures but one officer let some small bit of information slip. Ken was told that there was a triple murder of an occult style.

Ken followed the FBI agents back to town and waited for the local media to arrive. He waited as the news crews set up and for the agents to come out of the restaurant. While the crews asked for any information he just sat and waited. The silence of the agents was enough for him to move on his hunch, with his next article. Ken also noted the tall elderly man with the two agents. He took a quick picture of the man. He would fax the photo to his paper and see if anyone could find out who he was.

FBI in Florida The next day came as all day’s do, except Brian awoke in a strange hotel with a full day’s worth of work ahead on a murder case that was getting stranger by the moment. The total number of murders was up to twelve and if the information he had been given by Professor Hansen was correct there was still another twelve more to go. Unfortunately, law enforcement was no closer to solving the puzzle than they were six months ago. Brian called the front desk and asked if a package had arrived for him. The operator replied that the courier was on his way up to the room with a package from FBI headquarters. Brian gave tired thanks and hung up.

Three minutes later a knock on the door announced that the package had arrived. Brian signed for it and put the package on the small table and went and took a shower and shaved. Thirty minutes later he called Agent Wilson and Professor Hansen. He asked them to come to his room as soon as possible. Both Carol and Thor arrived fifteen minutes later. By that time Brian had opened the package and spread the contents out onto the table for a closer look. A lab report stated that no unidentified prints could be found on the tape, pictures, or the enclosed rune note. The note and all the photos had been copied and distributed to agents that had a need to know.

Thor sat in one of the three chairs. He reached for the note and began to examine the script and the message that it contained. A pen and pad of paper appeared from Carol’s case and was placed in front of the professor. He made some notes and began to write out a possible translation. Meanwhile, the two agents began to examine the pictures of the girls. After looking at each picture and taking a few notes, Carol set up the VCR to watch the tape that the killer had mailed to them.

One hour later, Brian started the tape. It showed the three latest victims while still alive and bound to three matching cots. The victims were alive but appeared to be asleep, possibly drugged. A male hand reached into the frame and one by one uncovered the sleeping captives. The video cut to the area of the latest set of killings. The video showed the girls alive and tied to three poles in a Valknot. The altar and fire pit was erected and a fire burned in the pit. Then the video ended.

Professor Hansen had taken some notes on the arrangement of the poles; the Valknot inscribed on the ground and the placement of the altar and fire pit. Two pages of notes on the latest rune note lay next to the page of notes on the crime scene. An unsettling silence settled on the room for what seemed like several hours but was in reality only a few seconds.

Professor Hansen began his explanation, “The killer is indeed very knowledgeable about the dark side of the Norse religion. The note again speaks about the end of time and the beginning of Ragnorok. He goes on to give a clue to his motivation, a promise of something taken away and being restored to him. The last part of the note is addressed to me I believe. The killer is aware that someone will oppose him on an occult level. He may not know my name but he is aware of my presence and my group’s presence. Last night, as I entered the area of the killings, I felt the residual presence of evil. A kind of evil that few have ever felt, and none have ever lived to tell the tale.”

Thor paused, “The killer has made a deal with evil, and has been given the knowledge and tools to carry out the rest of the killings. We can only hope that he makes some mistakes so that you can catch him before he reaches the last of the 24 killings. Have you found any forensic evidence that might help?”

Brian said, “The lab report states that no DNA evidence was left on the pictures, the video tape, or the note. The note is written in human blood and matches that of Sean Billings. The blood has been dry for at least a week. The killer is way ahead of us and as of now has made no major mistakes. The Bureau reports that several houses in the area of the Washington killings have been vacated before the end of their leases. Agents are trying to get descriptions of all the tenants that have left early. Agents are checking up on all those but I have little faith that we will find any evidence in the house, should we find the right house. The last item is the white material, it is common bedding and can be purchased at thousands of places.”

Two hours later the trio got up and left the room with the evidence in hand and drove to Police Headquarters. The Chief greeted them and said, “The autopsies are just about to begin and we are all invited attend.”

The two agents agreed, but Professor Hansen said he knew that they would find that each girl died of strangulation by a knotted cord or leather garrote. The Chief looked a bit perplexed, but Brian told him he would fill the Chief in as the proceedings went on.

The Chief Medical Examiner was just beginning the chest exam portion of the procedure. The Medical Examiner had already cut off the bloody white robes and bagged them for examination. For the next hour he examined the victims in detail. The M.E. explained his findings. “I have examined all three victims and can say that the victims died of strangulation. The areas near the jugular vein and the carotid artery show signs of severe bruising, probably caused by extreme pressure. There are also ligature marks on the wrists and ankles of each victim. Some of the marks appear to be older than the day in question. The toxicology report will be ready later in the day.”

None of the three girls have been sexually molested and have been it appears they were fed on a regular basis.

Agent Johnson cleared his throat and asked the medical examiner if he was sure. The M.E. repeated that as far as he could tell none of the victims had been penetrated in at least a week. Brian stated that four of the last six victims had shown signs of sexual abuse within three days of their deaths. Brian made notes on this and thanked the medical examiner for his time and patience.

The Chief and the detective assigned to the case, along with the FBI agents and Professor Hansen all met in a conference room to discuss and examine all the evidence to that point. One detective suggested that the killer had used what could be called a garrote. A piece of leather with knots tied in two places to cut off the blood flow to the brain. Also the victims showed signs of having been kept sedated for at least several days. The drug was a mixture of a powerful barbiturate and a diluted form of LSD.

As the meeting was about to break up a uniformed officer came to the door and reported that a house had been found vacated before the end of the lease. The house had been leased for six months and when the landlord and come by to check up on the property he had discovered that it was empty and had been subjected to a very thorough cleaning. The Chief suggested a trip to the house and Brian agreed.

The drive to the house took half an hour. Two cars pulled up in front of the house and the landlord met the officers and agents. Agent Johnson walked up and introduced himself and the others in the party. Professor Hansen walked around the house and looked over the property. The landlord opened the door and let the group into the house. Thor was the last to enter and as soon as he did he knew that the killer had been here. The house felt cold and dark even though the sun was out and the drapes were open. Thor knew he had seen enough and walked out to the car to wait.

Brian knew by the Professor’s reaction that this was the house. Brian asked if the landlord could help an artist come up with a composite sketch. The landlord agreed and would help the police as best as he could. The next day the composite sketch would be circulated to police around the country.

Brian asked the Chief for a forensics team to look over the house and six hours later the house had been examined and any possible evidence taken and bagged. All in all, there was very little to go on. The killer had been very thorough. He had even taken the traps off the sinks and cleaned them.

Each member of the team was wrapped in his or her own thoughts. Agent Johnson stayed in town for another two days and helped wrap up the investigation and then departed. Professor Hansen left a day before Brian and told Brian he would be in touch when he had more information from his team investigating the bookstore. Brian felt that he was not as far along in the investigation as he had hoped to be. With very little evidence to go on, he knew that the next set of killings were just three months away.

Austin, Texas James and Debbie arrived in Austin, Texas right on schedule. Fall in Austin was as beautiful as James imagined it. The leaves were changing and displayed some of nature’s most brilliant colors. After checking into a large hotel near the river, James decided to allow Debbie to go with him on a walk along the river’s edge. Debbie smiled and thanked James for the privilege. Both were astounded to see all the people out walking, running, and biking along the paths surrounding the river. James knew in an instant that he would be able to find at least one or two of the victims in this very area. It would bear further investigation. James had been warned to be very careful while in Austin. It was well known that Austin had a large and active pagan population. Some of those pagans were followers of Odin. Also, the FBI and other police departments were looking for him.

While still in the hotel, James decided to change his appearance. He stopped shaving his chin and upper lip and had his haircut to a short Marine style, high and tight. James now looked very different than he had in Orlando.

The next few days were taken up with looking for a suitable house and a second used van to take the next three victims in. James found a small used car dealer that had two older model panel vans, one a deep red, and the other a dirt brown color. James chose the brown one and paid in cash. He used one of the fake ID’s to buy the van and soon he was driving off the lot. James decided that using a different van for the actual abductions would be better than using his means of getting from one state to another.

For three days James and Debbie scouted out a list of houses that a local realtor had given him. On the third day he found a small house in a fairly new neighborhood. The house had two levels, the basement and the main floor. Instead of renting the house he made arrangements to buy the house. James future plans involved returning to this town to perform the last ritual. Loki had made it clear that it had to be in this town so as to rub Odin’s nose in that fact that here in a bastion of Norse faith he, Loki, could get his revenge.

James checked out of the hotel and moved into his new house. With three trips to some used furniture shops he furnished his house. The house was now sparsely furnished, but he had time to gather a few things over the next couple of months. During his trips to the furniture stores and getting the house set up, James had decided that he would need to be very careful with his activities. Seeking the help of Loki and Hella would have to be limited to the time of the ritual. There was no sense in alerting the opposition to his movements or intentions in the Austin area. His regular routine of exercise, meditation and prayer would have to be pared down to just exercise and mediation. James was sure that his gods would understand.

So for the next three weeks James would do his sword and shield exercises and then drive to the river and run with the other citizens of Austin. On the days he was feeling pent up or angry for no having access to his beloved Shelly, he would tie Debbie up very tightly and then use her sexually.

On a night exactly one month after his last ritual, he tied Debbie to a low sitting coffee table and burned the three runes used in the Florida killings. The pain was still very bad, but Debbie had reached the point where she needed some pain to feel alive. During this time he managed to find several possible targets but it was too soon to think about actually taking anyone yet. He could wait another two or three weeks before grabbing the first one. James had heard that the university in Austin was an interesting place and James intended to see if it were true. During his few days at the hotel he had been told of Sixth Street and how great it was. James looked forward to seeing this street and enjoying some of the sounds of Austin. He only wished that Shelly could be there to share it with him.

James’ new house was about twenty minutes south of down town Austin, and the neighborhood was not completely built up yet. The house was not as big as the mansion, but it did have a good long drive and the garage was attached to the house with a door leading into the kitchen. The stairs were just inside the door that led into the garage. The basement was finished with three rooms and a bathroom. It was perfect for his needs. James took the opportunity to set up one of the rooms down stair by getting three army issue beds from a couple of surplus stores located just north of San Antonio.

For the next two weeks James scouted out possible targets and areas to take the next set of victims. James spent some nights on Sixth Street. Here he determined he might get one of the girls but he would need to be careful. The river walk was definitely an area to get at least one and the third area might be one of the local streetwalkers. With that in mind he started to make notes about certain women he saw in each area. The river walk would have to be the first. If it were last then his choices would be smaller.

As he made plans, an idea came to him. Why not go further north or south of Austin to get one of the victims. A medium sized town south of Austin had a large outlet mall that would require examination. One nice Friday afternoon he went there and waited until closing time and watched which females left late and which ones left early. About thirty minutes after the last shop had closed a short brunette left a women’s specialty shop and walked to a compact car. James made a mental note to be here next week and if possible grab that one.

Tina Edwards left the women’s shop she managed and walked across the darkened parking lot. She did not see the brown van across the way. Tina drove home to her one room apartment near the edge of town.

James followed at a discrete distance and made notes on her location and guessed that she did indeed live alone. James waited for an hour and he did not see anyone come in or out, he guessed that she was somewhat of a loner. He had his first victim lined up and next Friday he would take her.

Professor Hansen On the night James took Tina Edwards, Professor Hansen was deep in meditation. In the middle of what should have been a very relaxing moment, he was jerked up and made aware that all was not right in Texas. The Professor slipped into a trance and a powerful but distant voice told him that evil had arrived in the area. Professor Hansen was to do his best to stop the man but be careful because Loki had gained a lot of power. Another voice, one filled with malice entered his trance and warned him that if he did interfere he would be violently opposed. The Professor awoke from his trance and felt a cold chill sweep over him. He would have to be very careful in his dealings with this. It was clear that evil was aware of him and prepared to oppose and destroy him if need be.

The National Tattler Ken Fines finished up his latest article and took a plane back to his papers main office. While he was in Orlando he had managed to get one crime scene photo. The photo was of the latest killings after the police had come and gone, but before the altar and fire put had been removed. The photo showed the poles still imbedded in the ground but the rest of the evidence had been removed. Still, the photo would make a great addition to the latest article on the ‘Rune Killer.’ With the use of a police scanner he had also shown up at the suspected house that the killer had used. With the pictures of the house and the crime scene, he would be able to get a two-page spread on the latest killings.

That left one question in his mind yet to answer. Where would the killer show up next? He was already near the southern end of the United States. The killer would either turn north or west. On his way to the airport, Ken called the office and suggested that the research department start looking into disappearances of young women west of Orlando. Ken felt sure that he could get a line on the killer’s whereabouts. Almost as a sideline Ken asked the question, where was Debbie Kenson? She had not been one of the victims and she had not been found.

Two days later the latest edition of the Tattler came out. The front page showed a picture of the suspected killer’s Orlando hideout. The edition was one of the biggest sellers in the history of the paper. FBI agent Brian Johnson also bought a copy and read the article.

A Killer Stalks Austin Six weeks remained until the night of the next ritual. James had his first victim in the planning stage and a second had been sighted several times at the local red light district. She was a good looking black woman and used the name of Wanda Teller. Most likely not her real name but James didn’t care. For some reason James felt that Hella and Loki would approve of his choice. The last victim would be taken late at night on the river walk. There were always several possible victims and James felt he would have little trouble getting the third. James scouted Tina twice more and then with four weeks to go he made plans to take her.

On a clear, fairly warm, fall night he drove to the outlet mall and walked around the shops, making a few minor purchases. Near closing time he walked back to his van, got in and waited. Just as predicted, Tina walked out of the store at the same time as usual and went to her car. As she started her car James started his van. At a predetermined area, James pulled behind her. As planned, he failed to come to a complete stop at the stop sign where Tina had stopped. James’s van gently bumped into the back of Tina’s compact car. The act started, James got out of his van and Tina got out of her car. They met in the middle and Tina appeared very nervous and a bit mad. James noticed that Tina had let her brunette hair down after work. Her hair was waist length and very thick and shiny. She had on a long cream colored skirt and a matching blouse and a pair of high-heeled shoes. James apologized at his stupidity and hoped that she could forgive him for being so careless.

They exchanged insurance information. Just as Tina turned around to walk back to her car, James pulled the chloroform soaked rag from his pocket and pressed it over Tina’s mouth and nose. Tina struggled but James was much bigger and stronger. Soon she was unconscious and slumped in his arms. James picked her up, put her in the van and chained her up in the rear. James got in the driver’s side and drove out of the parking lot. Tina’s car would be found the next day. James had made sure that he had retrieved the information on his insurance.

Just as James had planned, he drove up his driveway and parked the van in the garage. He carried the still unconscious Tina out of the van, into the house and down the stairs to the room with the cots. Tina was still asleep as he stripped her and secured her wrists and ankles to the cot. A gag followed the chains.