Chapter 9

FBI in Austin, Texas

Two days had past since the killings in Austin. Early in the afternoon, on a Wednesday, Brian got a call from Agent Rick Howard in Austin, Texas. Rick greeted Brian and told him that it had happened again. An elderly couple had gone to the area to visit the sight where they had first fallen in love with each other and there they had found the dead girls. Because of the two rainy days since the killings, animals had gotten to the corpses. The coroner and the local sheriff had cordoned off the area and phoned the FBI for help. Rick had arrived at the crime scene; he took one look around and left the area to thrown up his lunch. He immediately called Brian and then Professor Hansen. Professor Hansen had been out of town for a week but was on his way home that day. His wife told Rick that she would send him there from the airport instead of going home first.

Brian told Rick that he would get to the chartered plane as soon as possible. He instructed Rick to take all precautions with the area. Get a good forensics team in the area and a good Medical Examiner. For the next half an hour Rick received instructions on how to handle the investigation. It would be at least four hours before Brian could get there.

Brian arrived at the airport and forgot that he had not made arrangements for a way to get to the crime scene. He carried his baggage off the chartered plane and walked toward the nearest rent-a-car desk. Before he got there, an Austin city policeman approached him and asked if he was Agent Johnson. Brian responded, “That would be me, and I gather that the police remembered to get me after I forgot to ask for a ride.”

The policeman said, “The Chief of Detectives asked me to pick you up and take you directly to the crime scene.”

Agent Johnson replied, “Thank you very much. When we get there will you be standing by?”

The officer replied, “That’s up to the Chief. If he needs help then I’ll stand by. If not, then I’ll return to my patrol area.”

The drive from the airport to the crime scene was very quiet, the silence only interrupted by the occasional burst of activity from the police radio. The patrolman had no information. Brian took the time to go over the files from the last three killings. Just as he finished the review, Brian noticed that a lot of flashing lights were visible in the distance. Three minutes later the car pulled up. Brian thanked the officer for the ride. He retrieved his baggage from the patrol car. Just as he was finishing that Rick Howard met him.

Rick looked pale and drawn. He opened the conversation. “Was your flight OK?”

Brian said, “The flight was good, but I didn’t feel like going over the files again. I’m sorry that I forget the make arrangements to get out here, so thank you for remembering.”

Rick responded, “It’s all part of the service.”

During the next few minutes the two managed to get Brian’s bags into the back of Rick’s car and discuss the last meeting. Brian stopped Rick near the edge of the road and looked Agent Howard in the eyes as he said, “I know that this is hard to accept. You have not seen as many murders as I have but don’t kid yourself into thinking that it gets easier, because it doesn’t. You just grow a thicker hide. Right now I need you to be at your best and tell me what has happened for the last twelve hours.”

With that Rick took a deep breath and launched into the proceedings of the past twelve hours. He brought Brian up to date on the forensic team’s activities and the progress on the photos and the gathering of the evidence.

Rick told Brian, “The evidence was mostly washed away with a hard rain that started to fall about an hour after the murders ended. So the amount of evidence is minimal. The victims have similar symbols carved in their chests but the way they were killed can only be described as gruesome. The autopsies are scheduled for first thing in the morning. The Austin Police Department welcomes your help with the investigation.”

Just as he finished his report, an older model pickup truck drove up and stopped beside the two men. Professor Hansen and his wife climbed out and were greeted by both agents.

Agent Johnson spoke, “I am glad to see you both again. If the local police don’t mind, maybe we can get a look at the area before the bodies are taken.”

With that, the four people started toward the murder scene. A large man wearing a tan colored Stetson hat and a dark blue suit stopped them. It was obvious that this man was in charge of the case. His name was Jesse Walker. A long time detective and veteran of many murder scenes. Rick introduced the people with him. Jesse smiled and stuck out his right hand, accepting Brian’s hand in a firm grasp. After the introductions, Jesse led the party down the path and into the murder scene. Professor Hansen pulled Brian aside and told him of his vision and that the murderer was now out of the area. Brian asked to hear more of this later.

Brian stopped to take a photo, and gasped at the sight through the lens. Brian had seen the other victims or a picture of them but this was different. He knew why Rick looked so pale. The other crimes scenes had not been as savage as this one.

After taking a couple of pictures, he reached into his brief case and withdrew the files on the Atlanta, Florida and Washington DC murders. These he handed to Jesse and asked him to take a look. Jesse took the files and thumbed through them.

Once he was done he asked, “This murder and the ones in Florida, Atlanta, and Washington DC are by the same person or persons, is that right? Do you have any idea who it may be, and is this likely to happen again?”

Brian replied, “This is the fifth set of murders. We have found four other murder scenes, but according to Professor Hansen there is one we have not found yet. And according to Professor Hansen it will happen again.”

Jesse turned to Professor Hansen and asked, “What do you know of this?”

Thor said, “I’ve been asked to look at the files from the Washington and Atlanta killings. I was present at the Florida scene. I am considered an expert in the symbols that the killer is carving into the girls’ chests. Also I am the only one alive who can read the notes the FBI has received from the killer.”

Jesse thought for a minute then replied, “It’s okay with me but will everyone please consult with me on this crime scene?”

All present agreed and the five people entered the crime scene.

The rain had washed away any signs of the Valknot, but Thor knew that it had been there. He and his wife stopped near the altar and closed their eyes. About two minutes later they opened their eyes and took a look at the bodies of the three girls. The rain had washed the bodies clean but the wounds and animal bites were clearly visible. The bodies were still slumped over and tied to the poles and stakes. The open cavities where the lungs had once been were now partially filled with rainwater. Five minutes later Mrs. Hansen left the area. She was unable to stand the sense of evil that pervaded the area.

Professor Hansen explained, “This is the exact same arrangement as the other scenes.” Professor Hansen bent over and looked at the chests of each of the girls and said, “These symbols are the next three in the rune row. He has now committed fifteen of the required twenty-four sacrifices.” Professor Hansen then walked out of the area and joined his wife.

Brian took another hour to thoroughly examine the area. He was satisfied that Jesse’s men had done a great job. Jesse motioned for the girls to be removed and put in the coroner’s van for removal to Austin. Jesse offered to meet Rick, Brian and Professor Hansen back in town for a review of the evidence. An hour later all interested parties met in the police building in Austin. Jesse had made copies of all the evidence and made them available to all present. Brian made his files available and the assembled group began to go over each and every detail of all cases. At the end it was decided that the same person had killed all twelve of the girls that had been found. All the girls had been carved in the same manner but killed by different methods.

Professor Hansen saved his comments for last. Brian asked that the group listen and understand that the murderer truly believes that what he is doing is right. That makes him more dangerous because he will stop at nothing to accomplish his goal.

Professor Hansen began to explain, “The killer is dangerous because he truly believes that what he is doing is right for him. The killer believes that he will be rewarded if he finishes the twenty-four sacrifices. So far he is following the prophecy to the letter. The symbols on the girls’ chests are in the proper order. This person has studied how to kill like the Vikings and Celts did. I would guess that he is very strong and very smart. Also note that he has done his homework and studied police methods of gathering evidence.”

All the assembled team agreed that the night was over and all should meet here again in the morning. Professor Hansen was invited to attend the autopsy. Rick took Brian to his hotel and then went home.

At 7:00 am in the Medical Examiners office, the team gathered around the autopsy table where Tina Edwards lay. Professor Hansen had seen a dead body that had been sacrificed before. But he had never seen a real body that had been killed by this method. He had read descriptions of how people had been sacrificed during ages past. It matched the method of how his ancestors had killed people to achieve their ends. This killer was using the ancient methods. One of those methods was called “Carving the Blood Eagle.” This method required the killer to open up the flesh along the spine, remove several ribs, and then pull out the lungs. Literature said that most did not live long, but died in agony. This was how the girls had been killed and the medical examiner would confirm this. Thor only hoped that the victims had fainted early. He could not bear the thought of someone having to suffer this torture and be awake.

The autopsies began and for an hour the medical examiner explained the wounds and then decided that the death wound had caused a loss of blood and that caused death. The other two victims were the same. Just as the M.E. was finishing up, he announced that two of the victims had been sexually assaulted, but no DNA evidence was present. Brian had made notes during this and stopped when mention was made of the sexual assaults on two of the girls.

As the group left the coroners office, an officer brought a package to Agent Johnson and handed it to him. Brian asked if anyone else had touched the package. The officer said that only her and the delivery person had been in contact with it. Brian asked Jesse to take him to the forensic lab and to have them take the package apart and check for any kind of trace evidence. This package looked like the last one. Brian knew that it was almost identical in size and wrapping.

The forensic scientist took the package and began his investigation. No prints were present that could not be identified. The paper was just a brown grocery sack and the box was available at any commercial packing company. The scientist opened the package and looked inside. He saw a note, some pictures and a videotape cartridge. He dusted all of these for fingerprints, and then bagged each photo and page in a separate plastic bag. Brian took the note and handed it to Professor Hansen. Brian looked over each item and then handed each one to the group. The pictures showed the girls before they were killed. Each one was tied to a cot and alive at the time of the photo. One photo showed the front of the Hansen house and had a date superimposed on it. It said that the picture had been taken just one week before the killings. Professor Hansen saw the photo and looked pale as he left the room. Once outside the room, he took out his cell phone, called his wife and instructing her to get the group together tonight. “We need to decided if we should try and oppose the killer or let him alone.”

The group went to the same conference room that had been used the night before and there the tape was viewed. It showed the last three girls chained to the cots and naked. The tape caught the rise and fall of the girl’s chests as they breathed. Next it cut to the last ritual area before the girls were chained to the poles. Then it showed the girls hours after the ritual. The blood was all around. At the end of the videotape the rain had begun to fall.

The last item in the package was the rune note. The usual care was taken with the note. This one was also written in human blood. Forensics would show it to be Tiffani Roberts’s blood. Brian looked at the note and then handed it to Professor Hansen. The Professor took the note and sat down with a small notebook he had with him. He worked quietly for the next hour. Finally he announced that the murderer knew that the FBI and the local police were on the case and that there was no way that they could catch him. The note told the Professor about the bookshop and the books that he had bought. It also warned the Professor not to oppose him or there would be a high price to pay.

Professor Hansen handed the note back to Brian. The Professor had made a note of this and was going to ask the family if any of them remember what the person looked like. The one firm piece of information that the police and FBI had was that judging by the evidence and conjecture, the killer was from New York or another nearby state.

Professor Hansen got out of his seat and told the assembled officers that he would be home if he were needed.

Brian followed Thor out the door. Before he left the building, he asked Thor, “Did the picture and note give you any hints as to who he might be?”

Thor thought for a few moments and then replied, “The fact that he knows my name and where I live tells me that he has heard or read about me. The fact that he knows where I live tells me that my group and I have to be very careful. You may not believe as I do, but he does. He has help that you cannot begin to understand. For the first time in my life I am scared, very scared. The murderer can get to me and my wife anytime he wishes, if he wishes. I am going to take some precautions to keep my wife, my group and myself safe. I will also see if I can keep you and your family safe.”

Brian looked in the Professors eyes, and for the first time, saw real fear. With that, the Professor left the building.

The Police started to look into rental houses in and around the Austin area. The missing persons reports were also gathered and examined for any kind of lead. The final thing for the Chief and Brian to do was to have a press conference.

The press conference was held the next morning on the front steps of the police building. The Chief and Agent Johnson presented what they could of the evidence and a possible motive for the killer’s actions. The composite drawing was handed out and began to appear on the nightly news shows around the country. Agent Johnson warned all females, ages 15 to 35, to be careful and use caution in dealings with strangers. Agent Johnson reported that the killer might go on to any city over a certain population. The killer liked to rent houses and pay in advance with cash. The suspected rentals had been in older neighborhoods and had been two floors.

The news crews and television reporters all did their spots and the information went out to the general population.

In the crowd of reporters and camera crews stood Ken Fines. Ken had not tried to ask any questions, instead he stayed at the back of the pack and just took it all in.

Ken Fines Ken had been traveling from Orlando to Austin for several weeks. He had stopped in many towns and cities and looked at numerous missing persons reports and found several that might fit but never in a set of three. That is until he arrived in Austin. Here he found more than three and decided that he would take a chance and stay. His hunches told him that the killer was or had been here. Like the police, he had checked out all the rentals he could and turned up nothing.

What the other reporters didn’t have was a picture of the crime scene with the bodies still at the scene. He had seen a lot of gruesome pictures but the one he had gotten from a friend at the coroners office had turned his stomach. He knew right away that it alone would sell more papers than ever before. The only thing better than the photo would be an exclusive with the killer.

Four days later the photo ran with the latest installment of the ‘Rune Killer’s’ progress.

The general public was appalled and spellbound by the article and the photos. The FBI and the police wondered who had leaked the photos to the press. But on the up side of the leak, maybe the killer would see the picture and then make a mistake.

Las Vegas, Nevada James and Debbie checked into a hotel and decided that it was time to get out and see Las Vegas. The hotel was just a block off the strip. James instructed Debbie to get a jacket and instructed her not to say anything to anyone that might give him away. They walked up and down the strip for the next six hours. The couple stopped in several of the larger hotels and spent a few dollars on poker machines then left. The excursion down the strip left James feeling a bit poorer but much happier. James and Debbie walked back to the hotel and took a shower and slept for ten hours.

James got out of bed, took a hot shower and dressed warmly. He waited while Debbie got showered and dressed. James had allowed her to buy some clothes in Florida. It appeared that the weather had taken a turn for the worse and he did not want her to get sick. Breakfast was eaten in the restaurant adjoining the hotel. James had planned to go out and look for a place to rent. But instead he decided to see more of Vegas and then look tomorrow. So the day was spent driving around town and seeing the sights.

The next day he left Debbie in the hotel room with her hands cuffed to the bed. He looked at several places and decided on a small two-story house in an older area of town. The neighborhood had very few children and most of the residence seemed not to care about the comings and goings in the area. The house was just what he needed and he gave the owner three months rent to start.

On the way back to the hotel, James stopped in a small grocery store and picked up a few items. At the check stand he saw the latest edition of the National Tattler. On the cover was a picture of the house he had rented in Florida. James felt a moment of panic then calmed down and thought about a new course of action.

James had not planned for this change, but he was ready to adapt. He stopped by a large bank and arranged for a large cashiers check. The next day he would search for another house and this time buy it.

The next day he bought an average house in an average neighborhood and arranged to buy it. The owners agreed with the amount he had to offer in cash and the deal was done. James moved in three days later and arranged for some furniture to be delivered to the house. The master bedroom and bath were on the ground floor with two small rooms and a bathroom upstairs. A garage connected to the house through a door into the dining room. Only one window would expose his activities and that could be covered with a sheet or curtain.

The owners of the rental would wonder about the tenant who never came for the keys or a refund and soon rented the house to another young couple.

About two weeks after having arrived in Las Vegas James and Debbie were set up and ready to start. James began his research for the next ritual. James spent the next several days dividing his time between meditations and getting to know the city. He needed to know the areas that would provide him with the easiest targets with the least amount of trouble.

FBI in Austin In Austin, the last few days had gone slowly and it seemed that the evidence had stopped giving them answers and started creating more question. Brian told the Austin City Police that there was nothing left for him to do there and that he was going back to Washington DC the next morning. He gave his number and address to the Chief and told him to feel free to call if anything turned up.

The girls were buried and the press moved on to the next big story. On a positive note, one of the family members of the bookshop owner had remembered seeing a very tall man buying books frequently for several years. An artist was trying to get a composite but no one was very enthusiastic about it.

On tips from landlords in the Atlanta and Orlando areas, several houses had been looked at and examined for evidence. These tips led to the press being told that the killer was most likely using rental houses for his base of operations.

Brian went home and kissed each of his family and told them he was glad to be home. His wife of ten years gave him a hug and brought him a beer. Brian sat down in a chair and drank his beer and thought about how lucky he was to have his family around him.

A Killer in Las Vegas Debbie had counted ten days since they had arrived in Las Vegas. They had walked and driven all over the city and surrounding areas. Debbie stayed quiet the entire time. She also knew James was searching for places to stalk and capture the next set of victims as well as a house to live in. All this time Debbie knew what he was looking for but her ordeals had left her completely broken. She accepted everything he said and did as he ordered.

The scars on her back reminded her that the man was a cold-blooded killer and would think nothing of getting rid of her. Some small part of her kept a small light of hope lit and ready to flare if the opportunity came. During the day James would meditate and study. While he did this Debbie would either sit in a room and stare or James would put her in a closet so she could not see what he was doing.

James had taken two weeks to see Las Vegas. He had taken Debbie with him on drives around town. In a small notebook he jotted down places that looked good for taking the next set of victims. James found that exercise outside in the back yard would bring him up to a good sweat and draw him closer to his goals.

James knew that Las Vegas had a large university and with some research he found out that many students were females. James had high hopes that at least one victim would come from there. Another place he hoped to find one was in a red light district. The last, was, at the moment an unknown. But time and research would yield the needed victim. After a month, James had completed the preparations and alterations in one of the small rooms upstairs. Three cots and three blankets had been acquired and stored in readiness. James still had the cuffs and leg chains as well as several others items he used during the last twelve plus months.

One night after a long day of meditation and exercise, James commanded Debbie to come into the dining room and lay over a low coffee table. She knew what it meant and did as she was told. James pulled her top off and tied her tightly to the table, face down. With her secured to the table and her eyes covered, he began to heat the stainless steel wire and prepared to brand the next three runes into her back. After the first twelve, Debbie no longer screamed at the pain. In fact she had learned to almost enjoy the pain. When he was done James had always untied her and then abused her sexually. Then he would tell her to shower and go to bed. Even though the scars would be fresh she would still be able to sleep.

FBI in Washington DC The Hansen’s had found out that the tall man who had bought the books had not lived close to the bookshop but had to travel a bit to reach the bookstore. This meant that it would be very hard if not impossible to find out where he had lived. The family assured the FBI that he had to be fairly wealthy since some of the books that he had bought were very rare and expensive. None of them remembered the kind of car that he had driven, but that was to be expected.

Brian had spent several hours with two other criminal profilers and together they had put together a profile of what the killer might be like including his strengths and weaknesses. Brian decided that he would send a copy to Professor Hansen in Texas and see what he could make of it.

Two days after receiving the profile, Professor Hansen called and asked to talk with Brian. The two men exchanged greetings and then Thor launched into his opinions of the profile. The FBI was right in most of it. The murderer was mostly likely in his thirties or forties. He had enough money to get around and not have to work. The man had a plan and the intellect to carry it out. The perpetrator was very strong and able to handle a struggling victim with ease. It was obvious that the man had no feelings for what he was doing to the victims. A clear plan was laid out and he was carrying it out on the timetable described in the prophecy. He was smart enough and well read enough to be able to clear away most if not all evidence. The profilers believed that the murderer was most likely insane yet rational enough to be able to get around and not be caught. His biggest strengths were his determination and his intelligence. The FBI was also sure that it would be very hard to catch this man.

Home to New York Six weeks after their arrival in Las Vegas James was ready to start collecting the next set victims. He even had located a place to hold the ritual. Nothing had been done about setting it up yet but he had time. On a whim he made some reservations to go back to New York and see the mansion.

James called the caretaker and told him, “I will be coming home for a short visit in two days. Have one of the rooms made up and the kitchen opened and food laid in.”

The caretaker said all would be done and ready for his visit.

The flight home to New York was uneventful. Debbie sat beside James and slept most of the way. James had allowed her to dress in some slacks, a nice shirt, and a comfortable sweater.

The caretaker met James and Debbie at the airport. Kevin Childress was in his late sixties. He was retired from a furniture manufacturing company. Kevin had been instructed to have the mansion opened and part of it cleaned up. The kitchen was stocked with food enough for four days. The drive back to the mansion was in silence. Debbie just looked out of the windows and took in all the beauty of the countryside.

Kevin drove the car up to the front entrance of the mansion and let the two people out of the limousine. Once in the house James set the two bags down and then showed Debbie the house. Once that was done, James told Debbie to go into the kitchen and make some sandwiches and James would be back in a few minutes.

James left the house and walked to the small family cemetery and stopped at the graves of his family and of course, his beloved Shelly. The caretaker had seen to it that the graves were always kept clean and neatly trimmed. Fresh flowers were set on the graves each week. James sat down in the snow for a few minutes and thought about the past. Then he got up and walked to the back of the house and checked on the exercise area. It was also kept in good shape. The trees in the ritual area were taller but he remembered the area with fondness.

James went back to the house and ate with Debbie. James really wasn’t aware of why he was here. After all he had not come back home for more than a year. But he felt the need to see the mansion and grounds. It could be the fact that he did not expect to return here. There were three sets of rituals left to complete. Then he would be finished. James was determined to complete all of the remaining rituals so he could join his beloved Shelly.

The rest of the day was spent checking the house and seeing to the expenses that had been incurred. Of course the family accountant stopped by late in the afternoon and went over all the finances. James was richer than ever. If needed, he could get his hands on enough money to have a real good life. James had never worried about the money. He had seen to the fact that he could spend as much as needed but his needs were simple.

During the evening James and Debbie spent several hours in the library. James had spent many hours of enjoyment looking and reading the books his parents had collected. James had also added to the collection. Debbie was overjoyed with the chance to see so many books in one location and she would enjoy it as much as possible. She noticed that James was very quiet and said very little to her. The family accountant said nothing about the girl with James. He had learned long ago not to ask too much of his rich clients. James took over two hours making arrangements for the transfer of funds to special accounts. James gave the accountant the rest of the instructions and then the two men shook hands and parted company.

The next morning dawned with three inches of new snow. James looked out of the bedroom window and for a minute he saw a new and wonderful world, bright and full of hope. Then the past came crowding back in on him and his mood changed in an instant. James had set the day up to relax and spend some hours in the library. But he saw Debbie lying in the bed with the covers down to her waist. The sight was enough to fire his blood and raise his passions. James walked over to the bed, woke Debbie up and then told her to turn over on her stomach. Then he proceeded to use her several times over the course of the next three hours. At the end Debbie was left sore and tired.