There were two possibilities. One, that the guy had run. That would make perfect sense. He probably had the ability to change identities and the resources to go wherever he wanted.
Two, that he was waiting for us to come after him. That he enjoyed the challenge. That’s the one I was hoping for.
Buddy and I got a hotel room directly across from the guy’s apartment and watched for the better part of a day. There was nothing to see. As the sun went down we talked tactics.
There was a knock at the door. I looked at Buddy. He shrugged and drew his gun. I stood at the side of the door and opened it, then relaxed as Dawn, Mary Beth, Jay, and Jen came in. They were carrying bags full of foodstuff that smelled wonderful.
“How in the hell did you find us?” Buddy said.
“I love you too,” Jen said.
“We have our ways,” Mary Beth said. “Actually, it was pretty easy.”
“Easy?” I said.
“Easy,” Mary Beth said. “You gave us online access to your credit card, so finding your hotel was no problem. And it didn’t hurt that we could see your car from the street. It kinda screams ‘Cops are here!'”
I looked at Buddy. He looked back at me. I looked at the guy’s window across the street, which had a clear view of the parking lot. Then back at Buddy.
“Aw, fuck,” he said, and drew his gun again.
I piled into the girls and managed to knock all four of them onto the carpet before the door burst in and the shooting started.
This guy was something else. He was like Spiderman, bouncing off the walls and the furniture as he shot. Buddy took a couple of rounds and went down. The guy was like a computer, cold and calculating. Target A down; acquiring Target B.
I put three rounds solidly into center mass and it had no effect whatsoever. He just ran out the door. As fast as I could I checked Buddy for damage.
“All in the vest,” he said. “Hurts like hell but I’m good to go.”
Before he was done talking I was sprinting for the door.
Buddy was struggling to get up and get back into the fight. “Be careful, bro. He’ll be expecting you.”
Dawn stood up. “Johnny,” she said. She was covered with blood. I stopped and took a step toward her.
“Jay,” she said.
Jay had been shot through the shoulder. She was out cold and I couldn’t tell how bad the damage was. Bullets can bounce around in the human body and go all kinds of bad places. I plugged the entry hole with one finger as best I could and felt for an exit hole and found it. In and out, thank God. I willed her to come back to me. Her eyes opened.
“Johnny,” she said.
I couldn’t speak. Tears ran down my face.
“Get him,” she said.
“Roger fucking that,” I said. I got Dawn and Mary Beth to take over first aid and call 911. Since they had to do that I told them to call in the troops as well, officers need assistance. I wiped Jay’s blood off my hands as I ran out the door. Buddy was right on my heels.
“What we do from here on in, everyone will know about it,” I said as we ran.
“Whatever,” Buddy said.
*****
I burst through the front door and rolled low left, expecting some sort of booby trap as a welcome. Buddy did the same and rolled right. No booby trap. It was pitch dark inside but I had expected that so just before we broke down the door I lit a magnesium flare and as I rolled in I tossed it to the center of the room. There was a howl of pain. As I came up I saw the perp ripping his night vision goggles off and rubbing his eyes. Buddy turned on the lights.
The guy finally opened his eyes and stared at us. He held a gun in his left hand but it was pointed at the floor. Both of ours were aimed at his head.
“If he moves, he’s mine,” I said. “You kill him if he gets me.”
“Roger that,” Buddy said.
The guy didn’t move. The flare was burning a hole in the carpet but there didn’t appear to be an imminent danger of fire.
“Please make a play,” I said. “Please.”
The guy just stared at me.
“Why did you kill her?”
“Who?”
“Chelsea Jansen.”
“Oh,” he said. “The usual reason. I raped her a lot, so often that she finally stopped fighting me and I grew bored with her. I saved her ass for last; that got her fighting again and it was very pleasant. Then I killed her so she couldn’t identify me.”
“How the fuck could you do that?” Buddy said. “A little girl. An innocent little girl. You took away her whole life.”
The guy shrugged. “That’s my job,” he said. “I do it for king and country all the time. Many of those people are ‘innocent’ too. You expect me to have different morals in my spare time?”
“What exactly do you do for the government?” I said.
He grinned. “I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you.” He seemed particularly pleased with the appropriateness of the old joke.
“Okay,” I said. “How many other girls have you killed?”
“Twelve,” he said without pause. “Each child was outstanding in her own way. Like fine wines.”
“Make a move, you fucker,” Buddy said. “Come on. Make a move.”
The guy laughed. “You think I’m stupid? I’m very good, but I’m not good enough to beat two trained marksmen who already have their weapons pointed at me.”
I heard sirens in the distance. I could just put a bullet through his head right now, but that wasn’t me. I thought of how to get the guy to try something.
“If you don’t make a move, you’re going to prison. Let me tell you what’s going to happen there. Prisoners don’t like child abusers. They particularly don’t like child rapists. They’re going to beat the shit out of you and then take YOUR ass. Again and again. And then they’re going to stab you to death.”
“I can take care of myself,” he said. “As you saw for yourself, I’m pretty good.”
“Not against twenty guys,” I said. “Twenty guys in a gang who have nothing better to do all day than lift weights and get in fights. They’ll come at you as a group and gang rape your ass.”
I could see him considering it. The sirens were closer. He looked back up at me.
“Well, it’s been a good life,” he said. “Please make it quick.” He started raising his gun, but very slowly.
“Wait,” I said.
He paused.
“If I go through this place will I find evidence of all the killings?”