Chapter 18

Closing John’s notes on the serial killer, Ed felt sick to his stomach. The idea that a person existed who could perform such gruesome deeds, made one doubt the existence of a God that could allow such perversion. The summaries of the horrendous actions were bad enough, but the pictures threatened to make him throw up. Forcing down the bile, Ed turned to John and said, “How can such a monster exist?”

Looking out the window of the car, John answered, “I don’t know. All that I do know is that he can’t be allowed to remain free.”

An old black Cadillac drove past, headed towards the highway. John wrote down the time on a piece of paper; it was a little after eight. Agent Joe Fredricks tapped on the steering wheel impatiently. Although they had been there for only thirty minutes, he was tired of waiting. Two days of pointless inactivity had worn his patience. He turned back to face John and asked, “How much longer are we going to sit here?”

Noting the impatience, John answered, “I think today will be the last day. I believe that events are in motion.”

Voice dripping with disgust, Joe replied, “How in the hell can you say that? I’ve been watching that same herd of cows for the past two days. Nothing’s happening there.”

Ed glanced in the back seat at John and could see the amusement on his face. In an attempt to lighten things, Ed said, “That one heifer over there is going to drop a calf anytime now.”

“We’re not here to arrest a calf,” replied the agent as he turned to look at John. He said, “I’m going to call this off. Damned amateur detectives don’t know what they’re doing. How in the hell did you get in the FBI anyway?”

Wryly, John answered, “I’m a close personal friend of Director Mike Holden.”

Joe Fredricks sat behind the wheel disgusted by a guy that used personal connections to get a position in the FBI. His orders had been very specific, he was to do what ever John Carter asked with no questions asked. Still, there were limits to his patience and John’s insistence on sitting here for the past two days had passed them. He said, “If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m shutting you down.”

Continuing to look out the window, John said, “We are waiting for the Amputation Murderer to take someone else.”

“The only thing he can take out here is a cow.”

Laughing, Ed said, “That would make him a butcher, not a murderer.”

Joe turned to Ed and said, “You shut up. You’re a civilian and have no business being here.”

Tired of Joe’s continuous snipes at Ed, John said, “He’s here at my invitation. If you want to stretch your legs, get out and walk around. Just don’t go near the road.”

Getting out of the car, Joe was startled by Rover sitting on the roof of the car. He had known the cat was there, but it had slipped his mind. Looking down at the agent, Rover yawned, showing all of his teeth to the agent. A shiver went down the agent’s spine. He was going to call Ann and find out what kind of game was going on here. Parked under a tree in the middle of a field with a hippie, a cowboy, and a cougar, there was no doubt he’d be the laughing stock of the FBI if nothing came of this.

Inside the car, Ed turned to John and said, “He’s about to put an end to this.”

With a sigh, John said, “I know. I’m just not going to tell him what I believe until I have a little more proof. The God knows that I’m right, but that man out there won’t take that as a convincing argument.”

Looking over at John, Ed asked, “This is your first service for the God?”

“Yes, it is,” replied John. He added, “I’m a little nervous about it too.”

The two men sat there looking out of the truck. Opening the ice chest, John pulled out three Cokes. He handed two to Ed saying, “I imagine he’ll want one when he gets back.”

Slipping the second Coke in the cup holder for the agent, Ed opened his and took a sip. An easy silence descended on the pair which lasted until Joe returned to the car. Slipping behind the wheel, Joe looked at the Coke and opened it. Before taking a sip, he said, “Thanks. I needed this.”

As the three men drank their Cokes, an uneasy silence settled over the men. The source of the uneasiness was the FBI agent, as he kept tapping on the steering wheel. The time passed slowly, but the clock approached noon. John opened his door to let Rover in the car. Once the cat had settled in the back with him, John tapped Joe on the shoulder and said, “It’s time. Drive down to the road and turn right. I’ll tell you when to stop.”

Joe looked around confused at the request, puzzled because nothing had happened. He turned to look at John and asked, “What do you mean it’s time?”

With a smile, John said, “It’s time for us to change our location. Drive down to the road and turn right.”

Joe Fredricks drove down to the road and turned right. The dirt road was bumpy and he couldn’t drive very fast. After a mile and a half, John said, “Stop right here. I need to take a leak.”

As John got out of the car, Rover leapt out and ran across the road towards a herd of cattle. Ed watched as the cat assumed a low crouch and edge towards a calf. Tapping on the arm of Joe, Ed said, “Watch the cat.”

As Joe turned to look at the cat, Rover wiggled his rear and then burst out of the grass taking down the calf. Joe shouted, “Jesus, did you see that?”

Before the herd had a chance to react, Rover was already dragging the calf to the dilapidated house. With a powerful leap, the cat jumped to the roof of the porch taking the calf with it. Rover pulled the calf up to the top of the roof.

Joe shook his head in amazement at the strength of the cat. Ed said, “Amazing isn’t it?”

“Incredible. I’ve never seen a cougar make a kill before.” The agent was truly impressed.

John opened the back door and stuck his head in the car. He said, “Stay here. I’ll go up to the house to make reparations for the calf. Remember, if I say that it’s a pretty pretty day, then you are to call in the back up.”

Catching Ed’s eye, John winked to let him know that not all was as it seemed. Ed understood and nodded back. Fuming at what appeared to be another waste of time, Joe said, “I don’t have all day for you to dally around.”

Smiling at the impatience of the agent, John replied, “Remember, it’s a pretty pretty day.”

Ed watched as John headed towards the dilapidated house. It was hard to ignore John, he cut quite a figure walking across the field with his walking stick and cloak. From the road, they watched as he took a seat on the porch. Leaning over the back of the seat, Ed went through the cooler making sure that it was stocked with a selection of drinks. Watching Ed, Joe shook his head wondering why he was bothering.

Ed said, “Turn on the receiver. He’s wearing his wire.”

Joe turned on the receiver and listened as John talked to Rover. Joe said, “The wire’s working fine.”

Shortly after that, a beat up black Cadillac pulled off the road onto the gravel driveway. They watched the car as it stopped by the house. John stood up and walked towards the car. They could see that the owner of the property was saying something, but they couldn’t hear it.

Listening carefully they heard John shout, “Hey, man. I’m here to pay damages!”

Again they couldn’t hear what the other man was saying. Worried, Ed asked, “Can’t we turn up the volume or something?”

“No. We won’t be able to hear what the other guy is saying until they are closer together,” answered Agent Joe Fredricks. He wasn’t sure why Ed was so interested in the conversation.

“Well, I stopped to take a leak over there. My cat jumped out and got one of your calves. Those are your cows in the pasture, aren’t they?”

Now that John was closer, they could hear the other guy answer. “Yes. You say your cat got one of my calves?”

When John approached close to the car, he said, “Yes. My cat killed one of your calves and dragged it up on top of your house.”

“Jesus! That’s your cat?” Ed smiled at the remark, it was not the first time he had heard that.

It was easy for Ed to imagine the look on John’s face as he answered, “Yes it is.”

“He killed a calf and took it up on my roof?”

John asked, “So how much are you going to charge me for the calf?”

The owner answered, “That’s a prime calf. He’s worth fifteen hundred.”

Ed groaned as he said, “That’s highway robbery.”

“It’ll probably cost me another five hundred to get it off the roof.”

“He ought to be arrested for blackmail,” said Ed very indignant at the clear abuse of the situation.

“Okay. I’ll make out the check for an even two thousand. I’ll just write it on the back of your car, if that’s all right with you. What name?”

As Ed heard John’s answer, he wanted to go over and beat the guy senseless. He turned to the FBI agent and said, “That guy is slime.”

“No law against that.”

“No. Let’s go into the house and conclude our business there.”

“Well, it’s such a pretty pretty day today. I’d much rather stay out here,” said John.

Hearing that phrase, Ed turned to the FBI agent waiting him to make a call to the backup unit. When the other man didn’t move, Ed leaned over to him and said, “He said it was a pretty pretty day. Call in the reinforcements.”

Agent Fredricks turned to Ed and answered, “We’re here because his cat ate a cow!”

Ed snarled as he said, “ He gave the code phrase. Send in the others.”

Agent Fredricks grunted and then answered, “If you’re wrong, it’s all your fault.”

“Get them here, now! If you don’t, I’m going up there myself!”

A very apathetic Joe Fredricks sent out a call to the backup that was parked two miles away. They had been sent there so that they wouldn’t be noticed. Even if they were noticed, they wouldn’t be connected with this location.

Ed listened to the conversation going on between John and the other man as he grabbed the small ice chest from the back. Watching Ed gather together the materials from the back, Joe said, “The back up will be here in five minutes.”

Ed said, “We’ll wait for them before going down there. We don’t want to let that monster get away by rushing up there alone.”

“What monster? All that I’ve heard is a guy upset about losing his cow.”

The van with the back up agents came rumbling down the road. Ed said, “Let’s get ready to move.”

As the van pulled into the driveway, Ed ran out to follow behind it. Frustrated, Joe followed behind Ed swearing to himself. The man, Henry, stared in horror when four FBI agents wearing vests emerged. Breathing heavily, Ed and Agent Fredricks ran up behind the van. Ed was hindered since he carried the small ice chest. On reaching the van, Ed set the ice chest down next to it.

When Henry started to run, John grabbed him by the arm saying, “Stay right here. I don’t want you going anywhere.”

One of the agents ran up to John and asked, “Where is she?”

John pointed at the car and answered, “I heard her in the back of the car.”

Another agent turned to Henry and said, “We need the key to open up the back of the car.”

Henry shouted in rage, “You can’t do anything without a warrant. I know my rights.”

At those words, Ed went over to the back of the car and listened carefully. He could hear some sounds coming from within the trunk. Knocking on the trunk, he shouted, “There are FBI agents here. Is anyone in here?”

The thuds that emerged from the back of the car were loud enough that they could be heard on the porch. John shouted, “Probable cause. You can search the car.”

Frustrated, Ed looked around for some way to open the car trunk. After spotting the keys in the car, he grabbed them and used them to open the trunk. Inside, two young ladies were bound and gagged. They were sixteen or seventeen years of age at most. They stared up at Ed in terror, only relaxing when they saw Agent Fredricks with his FBI vest. Dismayed by the look of terror in their eyes, Ed pulled off the gags on both women and said, “We’re here to help you.”

The women didn’t know what to say first. Their conversation was a confusing jumble of half uttered phrases, made even more confusing by the tears and sobs that burst loose uncontrollably. The sight of the two scared young women touched Ed so much it was as if someone had twisted a knife in his heart. He looked over at Henry with rage in his eyes.

The women were bound with nylon ropes that cut deeply into their flesh. Ed and Agent Fredricks tried to undo the knots that held the women bound. The tight ropes had cut off the circulation in the hands swelling them and turning them a horrible purple color. Any attempt to cut the ropes would cut the women as well. The two men struggled with the knots. It took a long time before they were able to get the women unbound.

As the feeling returned to their hands, the two women screamed in agony. Trying to help the young women, Ed was too busy to notice when Henry was handcuffed, read his rights, and taken away to the van. He did hear the man shout, “All I wanted to do was make them perfect. Get rid of those ugly arms and legs, like in the statues.”

The words made Ed’s blood boil in anger. He had seen the pictures of what the man had done to his past victims. Rather than give into his anger, he turned his attention to the two young women still screaming in pain.

Rover, hearing the screams, jumped down from the roof. Moving to join Ed, John walked over to the women to see if he could help them in some fashion. With the grace that all cats possess, Rover quickly joined him. The cat was as upset at the women’s pain as the men. John knelt down to pet Rover while Rover rubbed his head against the women’s legs and purred. The presence of the cat took their minds off the pain and calmed them significantly. Smiling in an open and friendly manner, John looked up at the girls and said, “Ladies, I would like to introduce you to Rover.”

Almost as one, they replied, “Hello, Rover.”

John added, “Would you like to introduce yourselves to Rover?”

The taller girl ran a hand over the silky fur. “I’m Stacy Hutchinson.”

The smaller girl squeaked out, “I’m Sarah Smith.”

“I think Rover is happy to meet you.” John turned to Agent Fredricks and commanded, “Give the girls your cell phones, and let them call their families.”

While John and Rover took care of the women, Ed went to where he had dropped the ice chest. He brought it over to where everyone was gathered and set it down. While the girls were talking to their parents, John joined Ed at the cooler. They took out soft drinks and snacks, pausing to open the drinks and hand them to the women. The women smiled in relief and took a big sip at the first opportunity. The look of joy on their faces was reward enough. Ed fished out a couple of bags of potato chips and waited patiently for the girls to finish their call.