
A THIN LINE

A novel by David Boiani
Copyright © 2017 by David Boiani

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, addressed "Attention: Permissions," at the email address below.

www.David2380@live.com

For more information on this author, please visit:

www.authordavidboiani.com

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by retailers, corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the author at the email address above.

Independent orders by U.S. and overseas trade bookstores and online retailers will not be offered discounts.

For Gianna...
Acknowledgements

This book was born years ago from a single idea. Once I put that first sentence on paper it started to evolve into what you are now holding in your hands. Thanks to all my beta readers. Thanks to Michael, Ro, Amy, Brenda and Gina for all your help and advice. Also a special thanks to the best daughter in the world...Gianna and everyone who reads A THIN LINE. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Special Offer!

Sign up for my newsletter and receive a complimentary link to "Faith," a story from my new book, Dark Musings! Free: just click on the link below...

FAITH

Excerpt~

I am a God-fearing man of the cloth, who has lived a tranquil, mundane life. That all was altered the day Avery Banister walked into my church. Our short conversations and relationship changed me forever.
Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter Sixty-Two

Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Four

Chapter Sixty-Five

Chapter Sixty-Six

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy-One

Chapter Seventy-Two

Chapter Seventy-Three

Chapter Seventy-Four

Chapter Seventy-Five

Chapter Seventy-Six

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Chapter Seventy-Eight

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Chapter Eighty

Chapter Eighty-One

Chapter Eighty-Two

Chapter Eighty-Three

Chapter Eighty-Four

Chapter Eighty-Five

Chapter Eighty-Six

Chapter Eighty-Seven

Chapter Eighty-Eight

Chapter Eighty-Nine

Chapter Ninety

Chapter Ninety-One

Chapter Ninety-Two

Chapter Ninety -Three

Chapter Ninety -Four

Chapter Ninety -Five

Chapter Ninety -Six

Chapter Ninety -Seven

Chapter Ninety -Eight

Chapter Ninety-Nine

Chapter One Hundred

Chapter One Hundred-One

Chapter One Hundred-Two

Chapter One Hundred-Three

Chapter One Hundred-Four

Chapter One Hundred-Five

Chapter One Hundred-Six

About the Author

Also From This Author

Special Offer
CHAPTER ONE

The Seattle sky was grey and dark, the air damp and cool with a piercing, driving mist. As John Corbin approached the front door of 36 Chestnut Hill Drive, he wondered if his wife Julie was right in wanting to move the family south, down the coast to San Diego. _It is almost impossible to adapt to this dreary weather,_ he thought as he pushed the door open to enter what was sure to be another in a long line of gruesome sights. The pungent smell of a corpse hit him in the face as he walked in. To John, the smell of decaying human flesh reminded him of the sickeningly sweet scent of rotting beef combined with the tangy aroma of decaying fruit: a sweet yet tart, heavy odor, which somehow doesn't smell natural to the human nose. A scent which seeps into the fibers of his hair and clothes then comes out when he sits down to eat lunch and makes him so nauseous that he is unable to take even one bite. _So goes the inconvenience of the business we are in_ , he has reasoned often.

He met Todd McGrath, his partner, in the foyer. "What have we got, Todd?"

"It's bad. Corpse, male, thirtyish, mutilation. The forensic investigator states that rigor mortis is setting in."

"Do we have an identity?"

"Not yet, working on it," Todd replied. An officer walked up with a wallet in a plastic bag.

"His name is Robert Jacobs, owns the house. Divorced, age 37, he has two children who live with their mother."

"Okay, let's take a look at the body."

"Follow me," Todd said. They walked into the dining room. The corpse of Robert Jacobs sat propped in a chair at the head of the table. Blood had run down his face from his eye sockets. Blisters that had formed over red blemishes covered the nude body.

"Looks like burns. I think he was tortured," Todd said.

Blood pooled at the crotch, which had dripped onto the floor. Where the testicles should have been, there was a gruesome mix of chunks of flesh, torn skin, and dried blood. The mouth was stuffed full with a mass of flesh, blood, and pus, which had trickled down his face from a punctured blister. He could make out a collapsed eyeball and what looked like a tightly woven ball of angel hair pasta that he was sure was one of the extracted testicles from the scrotum sack, inserted violently into the victim's mouth. John got up and walked into the kitchen where Todd was conversing with two uniformed officers." Any prints or hair?" John asked.

"Nothing yet," Todd said.

"Okay let's get forensics to sweep the place and have the body taken to the morgue," John said. The partners moved into the kitchen to continue their investigation. John started a normal conversation to lighten the mood. "How was your date last night?"

"I can't seem to figure her out, John. I really like her, I think that she likes me, but through two dates we haven't touched."

"Find her key, Todd"

"Pardon?"

"Her key." John dropped some papers he had been inspecting on the kitchen counter and said, "Every woman is a special, individual entity. Each requires a different technique to unlock her mind, body, and heart. You, as a man, need to figure out how."

"Just how the hell do I do that? I don't even know if she's into me," Todd said while inspecting and bagging dirty dishes that were left in the sink.

"She likes you or she wouldn't be dating you. Have confidence my friend. Analyze her like you would a crime scene: extract everything about her that you know. Think about what she expects, what she is used to and do the opposite. Women do not like to be bored. Keeping them off balance and surprising them can be exciting, even magical, in a very primal sort of way. What is she like?"

As the men moved into the bedroom to continue searching for evidence Todd said, "She's a family girl, good upbringing. Dresses conservatively, with an underlying touch of sexiness."

"What are her name and occupation?"

"Jacqueline Nash, she is a forensic analyst. I met her on the job."

"Alright. My guess is that she has quite a bit of raw passion

hidden behind her conservative, structured, outer shell. She is probably used to cold analysis and an organized, antiseptic lifestyle. You need to show her something different. Open up to her. Introduce her to your warmth and emotion. Break through her external shell. Show her a world of adventure and passion. Make her feel alive. I think that she will be overwhelmed with intrigue and expectation. Take her away for a weekend to a bed and breakfast in the mountains. Go zip lining. Explore nature. Go dancing at night. Show her that you are not afraid to take chances. Lead her to experiences she would never expect. She is ready to break out of her shell and you, my friend, are just the man to break her out."

Todd, grasping and digesting the conversation, said, "You know, that is exactly what I am going to do."

"Good luck," John said.

As the partners walked out into the fresh Seattle air, officers passed them carrying the bagged corpse. Todd looked John in the eyes and said, "John, this one is as gruesome as I've ever seen."

John then made his way to his truck thinking about the expression he had seen in Todd's eyes. As he put the key in the ignition, it came to him...the look in Todd's eyes was fear. 
CHAPTER TWO

He awoke in that tranquil, peaceful zone between consciousness and slumber that comes in abundance when we are children, but seems to occur increasingly less as we age. He woke alone, as was usually the case on his off days since his wife, Julie leaves for the hospital at five a.m. John stopped in the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face and proceeded to relieve himself from the build-up of urine that seven hours of uninterrupted sleep seems to create. Before heading downstairs, he glanced in the mirror. Though the years had started to show slightly, John was still a handsome man. His youthful, baby face looked back at him as he ran his fingers through his disheveled light brown hair, forcing it straight back. His immense dimples flashed through the two-day build up of stubble, creating quite a contrast. He then made his way downstairs to the kitchen while bellowing, "Gianna, Ryann," to wake his children.

Ten minutes later, an eight-year-old girl with creamy smooth skin, a head of shiny brown hair and deep brown eyes that resembled Belgian chocolate, came rumbling down the stairs. Soon after, a six-year-old boy jumped down two stairs at a time, tumbling at the bottom in a heap, laughing all the way. Little bundles of energy. John wondered where that pure, uninterrupted exuberance of youth goes later in life. When young, all people think about is the current moment and the adventure it may bring. As we age and our lives become hindered and complicated by layers of shit, all we ponder is our next responsibility to be taken care of. Replace enough adventure with responsibility and our lives become stagnant, even boring. Life resembles a roller coaster ride. The early years seem to last forever as the coaster takes that long crawl up the continuous, unceasing hill. Once past the pinnacle, it seems to pick up speed effortlessly, each year fleeting by twice as fast as the last, careening toward the end of the ride and unavoidable death. There are minor curves and hills along the way, but nothing compares to that first, long, steep hill that is youth.

As John flipped the pancakes onto plates, he caught the bright, sparkling, expectant eyes of his offspring, which brought a rare smile to his lips. "Enjoy. Milk or OJ?"

"Dad, you know it's always milk with pancakes."

"You are right, milk it is, always with pancakes." Thirty minutes later, as John walked his children to the school bus stop, he received a text message from Todd:

_Call when you_ _can_. _I have some_ _new_ _info on_ _our_ _deceased_.

After kissing his children and seeing them safely on the bus, John dialed Todd McGrath's number. "What's up?" he asked when Todd picked up.

"I talked to Jacob's ex-wife. Evidently, there was an excellent reason why she filed for divorce. She claims Mr. Jacobs was a pedophile. Even worse, she claims he raped his own children."
CHAPTER THREE

Silas Alvah sat nude in an empty room in the back of his house, where he usually went for his spiritual cleansing. He dug the tip of the knife into his testicle, not enough to rupture it, but more than enough to draw blood. He yearned for the pain. It was the only feeling or emotion that he could relate to. Pain was a faithful friend. Pain was always present, lurking just under the surface. To the world, Silas would be considered a monster. To himself, Silas was a shepherd. He felt he was setting his victims' souls free. Free from the minutiae of everyday life. Free from the boredom of monotonous, minor everyday problems that people stress over. Silas enjoyed feeling a soul leave the body and travel straight through him into the sky, dissolving into a million particles and finally into the atmosphere to be rained down onto the Earth once again, maybe next time as a tree, or a fly, something better than the horrible life that humans must live. As Silas wiped up the blood on his fingertip and brought it to his mouth to drink it down, he had that deep instinctual feeling that it was time. Time for the hunt. Time to send the blind sheep home.
CHAPTER FOUR

Todd downloaded the case file as the partners were on the way to another crime scene. He read aloud: "James Corell, 48, single, never married, no children. Occupation: librarian, modest earnings. No siblings, parents both deceased."

As they pulled up to 76 Franklin Street, the sun started to peer out from behind the thinning clouds. The house was a small ranch, dreary, in need of some maintenance. The white paint was peeling in spots and the shrubs were overgrown and shabby. While walking up to the door, a uniformed officer said, "He's in the bedroom. We haven't searched or touched the premises, pure as a virgin's hole for you."

"Thank you, we will take over from here," John said.

Entering the dreary abode, he noticed Todd pause for just an instant and take a deep breath before continuing into the house. The living room was fairly empty. It contained an old black leather couch and an aged television on a simple stand. The white ceiling was defiled with a few dark, old water stains and the green carpet was old and ragged. There was a repulsive combination of odors: rot, mildew, sweat, and semen. An officer handed them both odor blocking masks. "You might want to put these on before you enter the bedroom. We think he has been here like this for over a week. We received welfare calls from the mailman and a concerned neighbor."

Masks positioned, they entered the hallway and slowly opened the door on the left leading into the bedroom. Both men paused in the doorway to take in the surroundings. On the bed lay the corpse of a middle-aged man. The smell, although filtered by the masks, was pungent and staggering. Around the bed, three walls of the room were encased in bookcases, from floor to ceiling. In the middle of the room was a severed penis, strung with a cord through the base, head pointing down, hanging from the ceiling. Blood had pooled at the groin and under the head of the body, which was face down on the bed. Grey matter spilled onto either side of the pillow as the back of the skull was gone. "Trauma to the back of the head, bat or club of some sort," Todd said.

"Call in forensics for a sweep. Bag and tag the body," John said. As John took one last look around the room, his mind focused on the books and all of the dates, places, people, and stories that they contained. Glancing at the body, specifically the head and pieces of brain and skull spilling out, he thought _: That brain and skull at one time contained all of that information now gone. Gone forever. Such is death._ After quickly glancing over the kitchen and finding nothing of interest, they headed down the stairs, leading to the basement. At the bottom, Todd hesitated. "My God," he blurted. Ahead of them was what looked like a slaughterhouse. Butcher's tools of every kind were hung on the back wall. Knives, axes, bone saws and cleavers of every shape and size displayed in an orderly fashion like surgical tools above a workbench covered with dark stains. Behind the stairs was a door leading to what looked like a small, separate room. John walked over to the door and slowly opened it. The room was dark so John quickly ran his flashlight over the area. To the left of the doorway, he saw a floor lamp which he turned on. There was what looked to be a clothesline running from one end of the room to the other. Fans were lined up and down the room. As Todd looked at what was hanging from the line he made a small gagging noise. "What...? Are they...vaginas?"

"Yes," said John. "Carved out of women's bodies and hung here to dry like leather."

"But, why?" Todd gasped.

"My guess is they are trophies. These are women that he must have raped and murdered. These are trophies for him to remember them by. His prized possessions. We need to check DNA from the forensic reports. Search the database for any deceased mutilated women's corpses missing the vagina."

Walking outside to the car Todd looked at John and stated, "He did that to those women but who did that to him? John, we have a vigilante on our hands." 
CHAPTER FIVE

John stood over the body of a young boy, not more than twelve years old. He reached down and pulled the toy gun from the boy's hand, looked down and peered into those hollow, empty eyes. A tear ran down his face as he glanced around to take in the surroundings and images of this Earth for the last time. "I'm sorry," was the final thought that crossed his mind as he put his gun to his mouth, pulled the trigger and sent the forty caliber bullet through his mouth, into his brain and exploding out of the back of his skull. The crystal clear full moon was the last image John Corbin would ever see on this planet.

"John, John, wake up!" Julie pleaded.

As John woke he looked at Julie's attentive, concerned face. "You were mumbling, tossing and turning in your sleep. Another nightmare?"

"Yes, same type."

"Aw, you poor thing,"

"I'm fine. I need a drink of water,"

He got up, went to the bathroom sink, filled his cup and returned to bed. The bedside clock read 4:30. John turned on his side toward his wife. "Julie, what's the point? No matter how much we accomplish, no matter how hard we work, how much we care, there will always be suffering. Somewhere a woman will be beaten, a child molested, an animal slaughtered. We can't help everyone or stop all the suffering in this world so what's the point?"

Julie looked at her husband. "The other day we lost a man in surgery. That hurts and that kind of pain is with you forever. But in the same day, we saved a good man. A husband. Father. I was the one to inform the family that he would pull through. The look of relief, happiness and love in their eyes as I told them will stay with me forever. So, John, you know the answer to that question. We help who we can. We stop the suffering of the ones we can reach. Don't ever lose sight of that, sweetheart. This town needs you and you have made an amazing difference in our society. I will not let a silly nightmare ruin our one day off together as a family. We are going back to bed for a few more hours, then we are going to get up, take our two wonderful children to breakfast, then to the zoo and we are going to enjoy this beautiful day."

"Yes, you are right," John said.

"You are a wonderful husband, fantastic father and an exceptional lover. Speaking of lover," was the last statement out of Julie's lips before her nightgown came off and they shared each other's bodies and pleasures for the remainder of the evening.
CHAPTER SIX

Todd watched Jacqueline's curvy body move to the music with the ease of an experienced dancer. Her hips swayed in a way that Todd found very inviting. He soon pushed away his impure thoughts as he decided to take John's advice and ignore his desires. Todd took a break from the dancing to order a round of drinks. They had befriended a lovely local couple and were all enjoying themselves dancing together. Todd brought the drinks to the table, then headed back onto the dance floor with the rest of the group. Jacqueline smiled, happy he was back.

Todd and Jacqueline were staying at a bed and breakfast located at the base of Mount Si, 45 minutes east of Seattle. During the day, they hiked the famous eight-mile trail up the mountain, stopping to picnic near the top while enjoying the breathtaking view.

Later that evening the couple were enjoying a glass of wine together in Todd's room.

"Todd, I really have enjoyed our time spent together, but I am not ready to take the next step."

"I understand. There is no rush. I will not pursue more than you are comfortable with. I enjoy being with you. That's all that matters," Todd said while gazing into her sea-green eyes.

"Thank you, Todd. I knew you would understand." She then leaned over and their lips met for the first time. Though it was a quick, soft, gentle kiss it sent an electric feeling throughout his body. Todd McGrath was falling in love.
CHAPTER SEVEN

John was double checking some paperwork on a few solved cases. His attention to detail surpassed every other detective in his station. He would look over a case file two or three times to make certain there were no mistakes. John despised incompetence. He craved efficiency. His glance left the paperwork and he noticed the janitor meticulously sweep the debris into neat little piles, strategically placed at certain points on the floor. All that John needed was to watch someone do the smallest chore and he could tell instantly what kind of person they were. Whether you are sweeping the floor, shoveling shit, building a house or the leader of the free world, you do the best, most efficient job that you can, not for your boss' approval or the money, but because somewhere inside, in the soul, you get a warm euphoric feeling about a job well done. You don't need any other reason. _Pride in your work is an idea that has been lost on today's generation,_ John thought. Or maybe he was just growing old.

"Morning partner," Todd said as he sat down at his desk across from John.

"Good morning. How was your weekend with Jacqueline?"

"We had a great time. She's a wonderful woman. We slept in separate rooms, but I am fine with that."

"Take your time, build her trust. Whatever you do, be honest and show her that your intentions are pure. In time she will trust you without having reservations. When you finally reach that point my friend, she won't be able to get enough of you," John said.

At that moment an update flashed on Johns computer screen:

_Multiple animal carcasses found. Possible dog fighting ring and animal mutilation and torture at 16 Pleasant Meadow Road, Mill Creek._ _House and property owned by 72-year-old Peter Boyd_.

"You getting this?"

"Yeah, Mill Creek was the town with the cases of the disappearing pets wasn't it?"

"Same one," John replied.

"Well, it doesn't take a great detective to figure out these incidents are connected. John, does it make me vile that of all the human suffering that I have witnessed, I cringe a bit harder when animals are in involved?"

"Nope," John said. "It makes you more human."
CHAPTER EIGHT

16 Pleasant Meadow Road was an aged, white colonial, set back a distance from the road. John pulled up the long driveway and parked his black F-150 behind Todd's Lexus. Walking up to the front door, he noticed the huge garage, set back to the north behind the house. He entered the foyer and stepped into the dining room where Todd was talking to Mr. Boyd. "I am Detective McGrath and this is my partner, Detective Corbin. We will secure, search and evaluate the scene, then come back here to ask you some questions. You two stay with him," Todd said to two uniformed officers. They made their way out of the back door toward the garage. It was an oversized, quadruple bay garage with an addition added to the side and back. As they followed the short path through a thinly wooded area leading up to the side door, they could hear muffled barks coming from inside. Yellow police tape surrounded the building and the path. As John reached the door, the bright Seattle sun had started to filter through the morning clouds. John paused for an instant feeling the joy of the pure, warm rays on his face before he entered. They stepped into a small office containing a desk with a computer and a few small filing cabinets. "Confiscate the computer and extract the files from the cabinets," Todd said.

John walked up to the door leading into the bay of the garage, took a deep breath, and opened. The scent of wet dog and blood hit him immediately. To the left was a set of small mobile bleachers overlooking a fighting ring surrounded by a three-foot chain link fence. On the cement floor of the ring were pieces of rotting flesh and dark stains that looked like blood. At the far side of the ring were a gate and more fencing connecting to another doorway. The barking that they had heard earlier now continued behind that door, which John now headed for. The next room resembled a makeshift kennel, with a line of stalls on the left of a long walkway. The first one, where the barking originated, was occupied by a muscular pit bull with one ear missing and various cuts and scars over its body. The bellowing of the pit bull had now turned into deep, angry growls as John walked by. The next stall contained an animal carcass of what looked like a poodle. Sizable chunks of flesh were missing in its hindquarters and one shoulder was gone. John's thought was the animal was thrown in there and left to bleed out and die. Blood had puddled under the body. After passing two clean, empty stalls, John stopped at one that startled him. Five or six dead feline bodies were piled up in the middle. Most were just torsos. Detached heads, legs, and tails littered the stall. John felt a queasy lurch in his stomach as he turned away. The final stall contained a golden retriever that looked to be dead, however, when John knelt down to inspect the animal closer, the dog let out a weak whimper and turned its sad, empty eyes up to look at him. As the vet entered the stall to tend to the dog John turned away and spoke into his radio. "Arrest Mr. Boyd. Take him to the station and hold him there until I arrive. I will be handling the interrogation."

As John headed out of the garage he thought to himself: _God have mercy on the piece of shit responsible for this._
CHAPTER NINE

"Mr. Boyd is in interrogation room number one," An officer told John when he arrived at the station.

"Good. Thank you. I'll be right in." These were the instances John found to be the most difficult aspect of his job. Putting emotion aside and concentrating on facts and extracting just the important information from a subject had become more challenging as he aged. Seeing innocence, children and animals, hurt in any way and not losing control of his emotions has increasingly pushed his capabilities to the limit. John headed for the door to the room that contained Peter Boyd. The room was dimly lit with a single naked bulb hanging from the ceiling above an old raw wooden table filled with dents, scratches, and gouges. There was an old wooden chair that Peter Boyd was seated in on the far side of the table and two empty chairs on the opposite side. That was all that the room contained. This was a technique that cops used to display the bleak state of the suspect's case. Psychologically cripple someone and they are more likely to give you the truth. John sat down across from Mr. Boyd. "We've got you, you son of a bitch. Animal mutilation, animal cruelty, pet theft and I'm guessing illegal gambling. As soon as we decipher what is on that hard drive and what those files contain you could do as much as twenty-five years."

John stood up, walked around the room, took a deep breath and exhaled. "Now, Peter, I do not think you are responsible for this. You have no record and you seem like a decent, respectable man. Let's just say my gut tells me someone else is responsible. Come clean with me now, tell me everything that you know and you may go free. Fuck with me and I will hold you responsible for everything that I can. These crimes are barbaric and someone needs to and will pay for them."

For the first time, Mr. Boyd looked up from the table and straight at John. "It was my son, Seth. I never went back there. I wasn't allowed to. He would hold sessions back there. I never knew what they were and never asked. Maybe, inside, I didn't want to know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for those animals and their owners."

John looked him in the eyes. "Peter, where is your son?"

"I don't know. We hardly talk. He just comes and goes. I have no idea where he stays, when not at my house."

"Now Mr. Boyd, I need more than that. Give me something."

"He drives a 2000 Honda Civic. License plate 048-GXB."

John quickly jotted the information down. "One more thing," Mr. Boyd declared. "I know he spends quite a bit of time at Emerald Down betting on the ponies."

"Thank you, Peter, I will now send in an officer to take you home. You are free to go."

As John walked out of the room an officer came to him and said, "Detective Corbin, the vet says the Golden is going to make it. He's dehydrated, hungry and weak with multiple wounds and cuts, but he has no lethal injuries."

"Thank you. Contact animal control. Have them cross reference the animals that we found with any reported missing pets. What do we have from the files?"

"It seems on top of the obvious fighting and gambling ring, Mr. Boyd was selling tickets to watch the pit bull massacre other small animals... cats, chihuahuas and toy breeds."

John paused to grit his teeth from his frustration with innocent animals being senselessly tortured and mutilated. Todd walked up and asked him, "He give you any info, partner?"

"I released him. He wasn't responsible, Todd."

As Todd watched John walk across the station and out the door, a perplexed look came over his face.
CHAPTER TEN

At half past six in the morning, John stood in front of the reproduction of Albert Bierstadt's "The Landing of Columbus" that hung in the upstairs foyer, as had been his custom from time to time. He loved the feel of hope and discovery that came over him every time he looked at it, which is why he hung it there, so that it is the first thing his family would see to start their day. The bright, beautiful, super defined landscape the explorers were experiencing gave John an inspired feeling that anything in life is possible. To John, art wasn't just paint on a canvas, notes from an instrument or actors on a stage. Real art made you feel, whether it be happiness, fear, anger, love or sorrow. Real art transformed these feelings through the soul of the art, right through the heart of the aesthete. John could feel the incredible wonder and discovery that the explorers in the party were feeling, just by experiencing this wonderful painting.

As John made his way to the kitchen his two children came barreling down the stairs. "Good morning. Ready for Breakfast?"

"Lucky Charms!" screamed Gianna.

"Cocoa Puffs!" yelled Ryann.

"Why don't we settle on Cheerios," John said. He filled two bowls with Cheerios, added almond milk, then poured himself a cup of coffee. As Gianna was shoveling Cheerios in her mouth by the spoonful, she paused, looked at her father and said, "Daddy, I saw the doggie case on the news with Mommy. Why did that man hurt those poor animals?"

John paused for a moment, put down the coffee he was sipping and looked his daughter in the eyes. "Sweetheart, I'm going to speak to you in a mature way because this is a mature subject and I feel now that you have asked, it needs to be discussed in that manner with both of you." Gianna felt the seriousness of the discussion and stopped eating. "This world is a strange, complicated place. The people that we share it with can be complicated. There are many good people, but there are also many bad people. The hows and whys do not matter. What matters is that you understand that people can be dangerous. There are things in this world that even scare Daddy, but they do for good reason. When around things that frighten you, follow your instincts. Feel and respect your fears. You have only one chance to make a decision for once it's made, it is gone forever. Always remember that and think before making every single one. Most importantly, I love you and will always be with you, guiding you as best I can. Now finish your breakfast so we can race to the bus stop. Today might just be the day you win."

Gianna smiled, dug back into her Cheerios, glanced back at her father and said, "But, Dad, I always win!"
CHAPTER ELEVEN

Silas approached the steps to the Redeemer Fellowship Evangelical Church. He paused halfway up to take in the beautiful architecture. The building was white with gold trim, boasting a huge spire that reached into the sky. It resembled a miniature Neuschwanstein Castle. _Nothing is too grand for God's work,_ Silas thought as he continued up the stairs. He entered the massive front room under the spire and took in the building's interior. The white and gold color pattern continued, with an enormous golden chandelier which hung directly in the center, where the nave met the transept. Huge columns made of gold brick supported the building's immense ceiling. Silas walked up to the first aisle and took a seat on the bench in the west row. Moments later, a young boy and his mother sat beside him. The boy chomped away on a mouthful of gum, as Silas turned to him, giving him a cold, menacing stare and said, "Son, we do not chew gum in the house of the lord."

The boy took the gum out and moved a bit closer to his mother, as she flashed a nasty glance at Silas.

The church had filled and the service began. The pastor stepped up to the lectern in front of the chancel. He was a man around the age of sixty, slightly aged, yet still handsome and very distinguished looking with grey, thinning hair. He smiled and his ice blue eyes darted around the church as he began his sermon. His focus was warning the flock to stay on the straight and narrow. They must accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior and work hard to persuade others to do likewise. "Your job is to believe without question. To push away all doubt and darkness. Your purpose: To glorify God forever." He continued for 45 minutes, never once reveling in a single, natural mystery. Never expressing any hint of joy or wonderment regarding life on this planet or its accomplishments.

The sermon ended and hymns were played as the congregation all sang along. When the music ended, the church emptied, except for one man: Silas Alvah. He stood in the center of the nave and sang hymns all day, at the top of his lung's capabilities, until finally, at nightfall, the pastor approached him.

"I must admit, I am impressed and honored by your commitment, but the church is closing for the night, son."

Silas looked at the man with a small, evil smirk on his face and said, "If this were truly a house of God, it would never close. You should hang your head in shame." He then walked out of the church and headed home. 
CHAPTER TWELVE

"Hey Romeo, how's Juliet?" John teased Todd as they both sat at their desks early on Wednesday morning.

"Well, unlike Shakespeare's characters, we are still alive thankfully. Jacqueline is fine," Todd said a bit too briskly.

"Todd, I detect some ambivalence. Trouble in paradise?"

"Well, it's going fine. I mean, we always get along. Romance, respect, and chemistry are all present and we always have a wonderful time together. It's just she seems very cautious and hesitant to move forward. Sometimes I feel like we are stuck in neutral."

"Todd, she is just being prudent with her heart. Trust is very hard for some people as is change. Some will hold on tight to anything rather than accept change, even loneliness. This is a leap of faith for her. She will soften and let you in. Be patient my friend."

"Maybe you are right. You've been accurate with your assessment of her so far so I will continue to follow your advice."

"If only my wife would say that," John said which brought a hearty chuckle from Todd.

An officer walked up to John's desk. "Detective Corbin, the Golden is ready to go home. Would you like me to send an officer to deliver him?"

"No, I will take him myself. Do you think I am going to pass up an opportunity to deliver some good news for a change? Not a chance."

"Okay. Here is the file with all the info."

"Thank you, Sanchez." As the officer walked away John opened the file. The Wilsons, 26 Marlborough Street, Mill Creek. The Wilson's family consisted of a father, mother and an eight-year-old son named Tommy. The Golden was Tommy's dog, named Marley. A small smile formed on John's lips as he eagerly awaited communicating some good news for a change. 
CHAPTER THIRTEEN

John glanced over at Marley riding unconfined in the passenger seat. The vet had told him to crate him for the ride but John rejected the advice. He explained to the vet that after what this poor guy had been through, he deserved his freedom on his ride home. John had put the passenger window down so the golden retriever could stick his nose out the window, into the fresh air. Looking at him now, with his shiny coat after a recent bath, John noticed how beautiful a dog Marley really was. John thought the one advantage in life that animals have over humans is living in the simplicity of the moment, without being conscious of anything but this instant. Experiencing life this way can truly be a blessing. People are too intelligent to live that simply. Looking at Marley now, eyes blinking in the fresh blowing air, tongue hanging out, the horrors of the past have already been forgotten. The dog was happy right now, and that's all that matters.

John pulled up to 26 Marlborough Street. It was a modest ranch, well-kept and neatly landscaped. He had noticed Marley's tail wag enthusiastically as soon as they turned onto his street. Now it was whipping against the dashboard as fast as possible. John grabbed a toy he picked up at the pet store and walked around his truck to let the canine out. Marley pulled John forcefully on his leash all the way to the front door, which John now knocked. An understatedly attractive woman in her thirties answered. "Ma'am, I am Detective Corbin, I spoke with your husband about recovering your dog."

"Oh yes, hi, Detective. I can't believe it's true."

Marley jumped up into her arms and she said, "I haven't told Thomas yet just in case it wasn't him, but it is. Thank you, Officer Corbin. This means so much to my family. Is there anything I can do for you? Would you like something? Coffee?"

"No thank you, Mrs. Wilson. But, there is one thing you can do for me. Do you think it would be alright if I take Marley to Thomas?"

"Absolutely. Down the hall, second door on your right. I believe he is doing homework." John took off Marley's leash, walked to Thomas' door and gave a slight knock.

"It's open, Mom," Thomas called.

"Hi Thomas, my name is Detective Corbin and I have someone here who wants to see you."

John then opened the door and Marley dashed in, tongue hanging out and tail wagging enthusiastically. Thomas was laying down on his bed reading a textbook, but when he saw Marley sprint through the doorway he dropped his book to the floor and jumped up to greet him. "Marley!" he shouted as the dog jumped up onto his bed, into Thomas' arms. John watched as tears streamed down Thomas' face that the dog licked up as quickly as they fell. John took one last look, one snapshot to save in his mind, before turning to walk back to Mrs. Wilson, but she was already behind him, taking in her son's joy. Nothing on earth can compare to seeing our children full of happiness and she was not going to miss experiencing any of it.

"Ma'am, here is a new leash for Marley and a toy I picked up for him."

"Detective Corbin, I cannot thank you enough, for finding him and delivering him home, back to us where he belongs. You have no idea what this means to my boy."

"Actually ma'am, I believe I do. You are very welcome. It has been my pleasure. You and your family have a great day."

John passed through the front door and down the walkway towards his truck. As he turned to get in he glanced one last time at the Wilson's home. As he did a lone tear ran down his face. For once, this tear was different. It was a tear of happiness, not sorrow.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The stars and moon reflected off the calm, glassy water as Todd steered his father's boat towards the middle of Elliot Bay.

"It's beautiful," Jacqueline said.

"I agree. I come out here alone sometimes, just to think. It resets my mind, gives me perspective."

"I can understand that how filling your senses with such beauty can clear your mind."

"How's this spot?" Todd asked.

"Perfect."

Todd cut the engine and dropped anchor. He then entered the cabin and returned with a bottle of red wine. He popped the cork then poured two glasses.

"Now, dinner. I'll be back shortly," Todd said. While cooking, Todd's thoughts returned to Jacqueline. In his heart, he felt she was the woman for him. She was the one he wanted to wake next to every day. The woman he wanted to grow old with.

Todd arose from the cabin with two plates of seared chicken breast with balsamic glaze and sautéed vegetables.

"Impressive. It smells delicious," Jacqueline said.

"Thank you. Enjoy."

While eating, Todd could feel her apprehension to let go. Her reservations still controlled her mood and emotions. He needed to use this time alone with her to break through those walls.

The following morning, Todd awoke, checked on Jacqueline, who was still asleep in her bed, then continued to the deck to survey the weather. The morning was already warm, with brilliant sunshine, perfect for the couple to spend the day swimming and fishing.

Todd and Jacqueline sat down to eat salmon that she had caught a few hours earlier. "Are you working on any new cases?" Jacqueline asked.

"Actually, yes. We seem to have a vigilante on the loose."

"A vigilante? Why do you think that?"

"Someone is targeting malicious criminals. We found a man dead who had molested his children. Also, a rapist who disfigured his victims," Todd said as he devoured the salmon. "Jacqueline, this is delicious."

"Thank you," she said, flashing a brilliant smile. "This is the first fish I have ever caught, thank you for teaching me."

"My pleasure. You are the most beautiful fisherman I have ever seen."

"Aw, thank you," she replied.

"Whoever is responsible is very careful. We have no clues, no leads."

"Well, to me, it sounds like these evil scumbags deserved what they got," Jacqueline said.

"Maybe, I can't say that I disagree, but it is still murder and John and I need to put a stop to it."

"Well, I respect your professionalism and determination," Jacqueline said.

You can tell more from one flash of a person's eyes than you can from a thousand words. Todd noticed the change in Jacqueline's eyes immediately. They were warmer, more exposed. Somehow, Todd had broken through and reached a part of her she was protecting. Jacqueline smiled, then walked over to him and sat on his lap while putting her arms around his neck.

"Maybe we can share the same bed tonight," she said. Todd looked into her eyes and felt a jolt of passion pass through his body. His lips met hers and he instantly felt something new, something different, unlike any experience he had ever felt before. His hands moved to the curve of her hip, as his mouth eagerly searched out hers. She let out a small groan as she felt him rising against her leg. As he gently placed his mouth on her neck, her natural sweet vanilla scent engulfed him, which sent a primal, urgent desire to explore the rest of her body through him. Todd picked her up and carried her into the cabin.

"Your place or mine?" He said with a sly smirk.

"Mine," She answered as Todd placed her on the bed. Jacqueline looked up and said, "Todd, I don't have much experience. I have only been with one man.

"I understand," he answered.

They made love slowly, passionately, deep into the evening. They fell helplessly in love, while sharing each other's bodies. Unknown to them at the time, lost in the throes of passion, they created a new life together.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The target returned and John's consistent, accurate shooting came into focus. "Damn, partner, you have some dead aim."

"Yeah, I finished first in my class," John said.

"Every time that I come with you, you amaze me. I strive to be better than you someday."

John and Todd were at the shooting range, practicing an element of their craft, as was the custom when they both had days off from the station. "You must love shooting," Todd said.

"Nope. Hate it actually."

"How could you hate it being as good as you are?"

"Well, I have a talent for it, I don't deny that, but let me tell you how shooting was introduced to me. When I was ten, one of the few times that my father and I were together, he took me to a wooded area in the neighborhood to hunt birds with a pellet gun. I spotted one, resting on a branch. I leveled and pulled the trigger. Got my first kill, right in the head. Bullseye. I remember the feeling like it was yesterday. Walking up to the dead bird, standing over it and looking down at its limp body. My father aglow with testosterone-fueled excitement. Had my first sip of beer that day, handed to me by my dad to celebrate. I will remember that feeling forever. I wanted to redo it, take it back. But, there is no taking that back. I felt horrible. Who the fuck was I to take its life for no reason? Just to make my father proud? After that I missed every shot on purpose. My father's excitement quickly turned to disappointment and talk about beginner's luck. Since that day I can't kill anything innocent. If there is a spider in the house, I take it outside. I stop mowing when I see something move in the lawn ahead of me. I once sideswiped a car because a squirrel darted in front of me in the street. I was sixteen. Avoided the squirrel but my father gave me quite a slap when he found out. It all stems from that day in the woods with my father. I took my first step in becoming a man that day."

"But you have killed in the line of duty," Todd interjected.

"Absolutely, but it was always to protect myself or others, and

the people that I have killed were far from innocent," John said.

"Well, I can't disagree with that. Speaking of people that deserve death, any info on a suspect in the dogfighting ring?"

"No new information," John said.

"I would like to see that dude burn at the stake," said Todd.

"Copy that partner, copy that." 
CHAPTER SIXTEEN

It was one of those perfect days when everything seems to fall into place. The world, for once, is aligned perfectly just for your wants and needs. The sun was shining and it was a perfect seventy-two degrees. John spent the day with his family. He and Julie slept in as the children uncharacteristically slept late on a Sunday. Getting breakfast at a local diner, the eggs were perfectly cooked. The toast and home fries were browned just enough. The coffee was bold yet smooth, at the perfect temperature. Gianna and Ryann ate every last bit of food. After breakfast, John took his family to the Mariner game. Seattle won eight to seven in the bottom of the ninth inning on a walk-off home run. Gianna caught a foul ball in her glove, which she immediately gave to her younger brother, because, as she explained, it meant more to him than it did to her. They all ate hotdogs, peanuts, and ice cream. John even won free tickets for a future game in a raffle. On the way home, they stopped at a playground and the children ran and played while John and Julie sat on a bench and talked peacefully about pleasant subjects, the children, friends, and family. Julie cooked a delicious lasagna for dinner. They all watched a wonderful animated family movie, then John put the happy, exhausted children to bed. He and Julie had romantic, passionate sex and fell asleep inside each other's arms. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. The only problem with these type of days is they make you yearn for more. To somehow catch that magic in a jar and open it up and relive it whenever you desire. But, you are only granted a handful throughout your lifetime. You never know when you are living through your... Very... Last... One.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

John looked up from his desk early on Tuesday morning as Todd's stare cut through the unusual quiet of the station. "What?" John asked.

"I have a philosophical question about our work. How do you deal when someone goes free? I mean someone that you know is guilty but goes free anyway. A rapist because his victim is afraid of the shame. A pedophile who controls his prey so much they will never talk. A murderer who walks on a technicality. How does that not eat you up inside?"

"It does," John said. "But I will relay to you what my lovely, intelligent wife has told me: Worry about what you can change, the people that you can help. Concentrate your energies on that. Try not to let your emotions affect your thought process. Those thoughts and realities will crawl around the dark abscesses of your soul, reproduce, spread like cancer and slowly take over that part of you. On many occasions, there is a thin line between innocent and guilty. Sometimes our systems are perfect. Sometimes our systems blur those lines. A woman gets convicted of stealing and does three months. What if I told you that she was stealing formula to feed her infant? A man found guilty of rape and does two years. What if I told you he was eighteen, she sixteen and they had been together for sixteen months? A man convicted of murder by shooting someone in the back was charged and does fifteen years. What if I told you the victim was in the defendant's house, robbing him, then started to run away, past the children's bedroom, which is when the defendant shot him? There is an abundance of grey area in what we do Todd. We do what we can."

"What if that isn't enough?" Todd asked.

"John looked straight into Todd's eyes, gave a little smirk then shrugged. "We try harder," was his response.

The mood lightened up a bit. "Let's get together this weekend. Dinner. Conversation. Jacqueline, Julie, you and I."

"I think that will work," John said. At that moment an update flashed across their computer screens. "Body found at the base of Mount Rainer of the Cascades."

"Let's go, old man," Todd said. "I'll drive. You nap."

"You know, Todd, if this detective thing ever falls through, you will always have a career as a comedian to fall back on," John said.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

As the partners approached Mount Rainier National Park, Todd commented on how beautiful a mountain it was. "Might be beautiful but it is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world," John said.

"What are you an encyclopedia, old man?" Todd said.

"Maybe, but you have to get with the times junior, it's Wikipedia now. Encyclopedias went out with the pay phone."

"Touché, old wise one," was Todd's response.

Approaching the crime scene, they noticed a mob of policemen, detectives, and reporters. As John gave a small roll of his eyes, he said "The parasites have arrived," referring to the press. They parked and walked toward the congregation. An officer turned to them and said, "Detective Corbin, Detective McGrath, I'm Officer Gallo. What's left of the body is about half a mile into the woods straight ahead. We took a print of what was left of a finger on the victim's left hand. We are running reports now for identity."

"Thank you, officer. Please inform us when it is achieved," John said.

As they plodded through the dense trees Todd said, "What's left of the body? Another messy one I guess." They reached the yellow police tape that enclosed a circle with a diameter of what looked to be approximately fifty yards. What they first noticed as they ducked under the police tape and entered the crime scene was blood. Blood was everywhere. Smeared on the ground, on trees, on bushes. Much more blood than one body could contain. "Damn!" said Todd. "Were there multiple victims?"

"No. The report stated one body," John said. They came upon the mutilated body, most of the flesh gone, picked from the bone like a chicken wing at happy hour. Part of the victim's face was still intact as well as his hair and scalp. "Victim was definitely male," John stated.

To the left of the body was a pair of shredded jeans and t-shirt, torn to bits and soaked in blood. Todd knelt down to the body and examined what was left of the face. "Bite marks. Deep. A mountain lion or black bear would be my guess."

"I think you are correct. Looks like the job of a mountain lion, maybe a few," John said. Todd turned the body a bit so he could examine the back.

"John, he was handcuffed. Also, there are torn ropes underneath. I think he was handcuffed and tied up to a tree." John looked up and saw what looked like a small sack hanging from a limb about seven feet off the ground. John took out a pocketknife, cut the sack down and opened it up. It contained blood-soaked raw meat. Probably beef. He found another about ten feet away from the first and another perpendicular from the first two about fifteen feet to the north. "John, these sacks were bait as was the extra blood smeared everywhere. Whoever did this wanted to draw out the mountain lions with the scent so they would find the victim, who, going by the state of his clothes, appears that he was soaked in blood as well. It actually was a very clever setup."

At that moment Officer Gallo approached the crime scene, stopped at the tape and said, "We have an identity, forty-eight-years old-Seth Boyd from Mill Creek."
CHAPTER NINETEEN

Tracy Alvah had breast cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes. The oncologist estimated that she had three months to live. She called Silas and informed him that they needed to discuss something very important in person. He immediately booked a flight and planned to stay the weekend.

Silas approached his mother's house in Cedar Park, Texas. He entered and found her sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Hi Tracy," Silas said as he sat down next to her

"Silas, could you please call me mom, at least once before I'm gone?"

Silas gave her a cold stare and asked, "What is it you wanted to discuss."

"Silas, I'm dying. I have only a few months left. There is something you need to know. I've kept it from you all this time because I was ashamed. I also worried about how you would feel about me if you knew. Silas, you have a brother."

"What?" Silas said with a look of confusion and shock on his face.

"His name is Gabriel. Gabriel Crimson. I gave birth to him when you were two years old. It was an accident, Silas."

"Where is he?"

"I put him up for adoption. I had to. I could not handle another child. I couldn't support him."

"Was it my father?"

Tracey looked away as tears streamed down her face.

"Silas, Pastor Jennings was the father. I never told him he got me pregnant. I was afraid what would have happened. He was a good man. I sinned. We both sinned. I could not abort the baby. That is not the way of the Lord. I had him and let him go." She buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry Silas."

It happened instantly. The heat. The fury. The red. An intensity flashed in Silas' eyes that he could not control.

"Mother, how could you?"

One silent moment before Silas had his hands around her throat, his mother smiled. For that fleeting moment, she was happy. Her son, her baby, for the first time since he was a boy, called her "mother". She struggled for air for a few moments, then the pain eased and her face relaxed as it turned blue. Silas released his grip on his mother's throat, and she faded to black.
CHAPTER TWENTY

"John and Julie, Jacqueline and I have an announcement to make, followed by a question." The two couples were at Canlis, a high-end Seattle restaurant, where they enjoyed dinner and a lovely, talented pianist. When everyone had finished eating, Todd took over the conversation with his declaration. John looked at Jacqueline, then Julie and finally back to the source itself, Todd. "Jacqueline and I are getting married and we are expecting our first child," Todd proudly stated.

"Congratulations!" Julie beamed.

"That's wonderful, I'm very happy for you both," John added. "Thank you, we are so excited!" Jacqueline said as Todd hugged

her and gave her a small, gentle kiss on her lips.

"Now, John and Julie, we have something important to ask. Would you be the Godparents of our child?" Todd said.

"We would be honored," John said.

Todd smiled and stood. "Now I would like to make a toast to the best partner and friend a new, inexperienced detective could possibly have. To my mentor and confidant, John."

"Here, here," the ladies said as they all touched glasses.

"Thank you Todd, but I am not kissing you." That brought laughter from the whole table. "In all seriousness, you two are about to enter a different phase of your lives. Parenting is challenging, confusing and even exhausting at times, but relish every second. I have heard that there is nothing as lonely as a house emptied of the innocence of children's laughter and joy. Once it is gone, it's gone forever. I plan to soak up every ounce. I recommend and hope that you two do the same. Not that I would ever be content, but just maybe my soul can survive the rest of my days with those memories."

"We will take that advice and remember it forever, thank you, John," Jacqueline said.

"One more question, pops," Todd stated. "Will you be my best man?"

"Nope," John said as he winked at the ladies. "Of course. If I'm not there to keep your rookie ass in line who will be?" John raised his glass in one last toast. "To new beginnings. Now let's get another round. But only sparkling water for you, Jacqueline."
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"The husband-to-be has arrived," John said as Todd walked into the station Monday morning. "Not to mention father-to-be."

"We had an enjoyable evening. Jacqueline is quite fond of Julie."

"Yeah, they seem to have really hit it off," John said. "Julie is very excited to help with the baby."

"Yes, that would be a terrific thing. Jacqueline is very nervous about motherhood."

"Well, I think that is an absolutely normal response from an expectant mother," John said.

"Maybe, but she has something in her past that really makes her nervous about the whole package. Marriage, motherhood. Some scar that is there that I can't seem to eliminate."

"Eliminate?" John interrupted. "You cannot nor should you eliminate scars my friend. They are there for a reason. Scars are eternal memories and reminders of wounds we have conquered emotionally and physically. They are there to remind us of dangers that exist, but not to paralyze us. We heal. Jacqueline has healed. It is time for the next chapter in her life, you, marriage, and motherhood. It is your job as a man to help, hold, and guide her through this transition. We cannot forget or change the past, but we can conquer it. That is how we grow as people." At that moment Captain Johnson stormed out of his office and yelled, "Shootout at the Northgate Mall! The perp has a hostage. Strap on your vests. Let's go, men, hustle!"

John and Todd scrambled to gather their gear and their senses. On the way out John grabbed Todd by the arm. "Where's your vest junior?"

"Oh, shit. Almost forgot."

"No, you did forget. I reminded you. Head in the game rookie."

"Thanks, man," Todd said as he grabbed his vest, strapped it on and headed out the door after John.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

11:28 a.m.

By the time John and Todd had arrived at the Northgate Mall, it had already been shut down and closed off. No way in. No way out. The perp had taken a light machine gun into the mall and open fired on the unsuspecting consumers. There were bodies splayed from the Sunglass Hut to the food court, blood everywhere, a few already dead and another ten to twenty seriously injured. The perp had taken a hostage and barricaded himself inside Victoria's Secret. Why he did it, no one had discovered yet. The police were setting up in the Bath and Body Works directly across from Victoria's Secret. John and Todd entered through the back entrance that connected to the parking lot. "Good morning. I am Detective Corbin and this is Detective McGrath," John said as he approached the group of officers huddled together discussing tactics.

"Hello detectives, we were instructed to hand the lead over to you two. I am Officer Wilson. This is Officer Taft, Officer Bianco, and Officer Getz."

"Good morning, officers," Todd said.

"What does he want?" John asked.

"He has asked for safe passage out and a car waiting for him."

"Why?" John asked. "He had that before he shot up the mall. I'm not buying it. It's just a diversion. He has other plans."

"Sir, he claims once he is out he will free the hostage. We shouldn't do anything to disrupt the hostages' safety."

"I will consider your thoughts," John said. "Any info on the perp or the hostage? Identities?"

"He is in his thirties. Caucasian. No ID, yet. Female hostage in her twenties. No ID. "

"Alright. I need communication with him," John said.

"He has barricaded the front of the store with racks turned on their sides. He reaches through and drops a note out when he wants to communicate. We do the same to respond."

"Why not snipe him when he comes out front?"

"He is very careful. He has the lights off and he uses her as a shield when he moves," said Wilson.

"Okay. Give me all the notes up to this point with our response."

"Will do, sir."

John stepped away from the group to talk to Todd, who was alone staring through the mall into the other side to get a glimpse of the shooter. "Spot him yet?"

"Nope, he is burrowed in there with her somewhere. What's your feeling partner?" Todd asked.

"Get ready for a campout, we are in this for the long haul. His priority isn't to escape. His intention is to take out as many of us as he can with him when he goes down."

12:13 p.m.

John had read and analyzed all of the communication up to this point and was implementing a plan in his head. He took one of the index cards and wrote a note to the perp:

Sir. Are you okay? Does anyone need medical attention? I know things got a bit out of control here, but no one else has to be hurt. Including you. Let's think about how we can resolve this situation with everyone remaining safe.

John handed the note off to Officer Getz who cautiously crept over and dropped it through the racks. Ten minutes later a note appeared from inside. It was brought directly to John:

I want to talk to your young partner there. Officer Mcgoth is it?

"He's watching us. Probably has a pair of binoculars." John looked at Todd's tag which had Mcgrath printed under his badge number. "Todd, you will be writing the notes from now on."

John handed Todd a pen and some index cards. "Here. I am going to turn away. When I do, give it a minute then start writing. Ask him what we can do to resolve the situation."

"Got it," Todd said, then John walked away.

_Sir. This is Detective Todd Mcgrath. Is there anything you need? It's imperative that everyone remains safe from this moment on. I want to help you_.

The shooter replied:

_Todd, I want you to personally escort me out of here and straight to an automobile that I can drive away in. At that point, I will release my hostage into your custody_.

Todd and John read the note together. When done, Todd took a few steps forward and looked across the mall into Victoria's Secret. John followed. "Todd. No. You are not doing this."

Todd turned around, looked John straight in the eyes and said "Yes, John. I am."

1:23 p.m.

John and Todd discussed the alternatives and although John was steadfast against the perp's demands, Todd was determined to go through with them. "John. If I do not do this and he kills her, how do I live with myself? How do I ever look Jacqueline in the eyes again? How do I bring up my child like a man? I _have_ to do this."

Although John understood and agreed with everything Todd said, he was still against it. He couldn't live with himself if anything happened to Todd on his watch.

_We might be able to meet your demands, sir. But, we need something from you. Your name and the name of the innocent woman you are holding in there. Also, we need to see her at the front of the store and talk to her. If you meet these requirements, we will go forward with your plan_.

The shooter replied:

My name is John. John Doe. You will have to accept that. Her name is Stacey Williams. An all American beauty of a woman. Married. Mother of two. She is not too fond of me right now because I interrupted her shopping day with her mother, who, by the way, now lies dead in the middle of the mall, but she will get over it. I will bring her out in fifteen minutes.

While waiting for the perp to appear with the woman, John checked on the name Stacey Williams. John Doe was telling the truth. Twenty-seven, housewife, mother of two. One child in kindergarten, one in second grade. A resident of Seattle. Husband is the vice president of production at Universe Vault. "Inform the husband. I assume the children are in school," John stated when he received the info. Finally, a silhouette appeared behind the racks. "Stacey, this is John Corbin, are you okay?"

"Yes. He killed my mother! Get me out of here please!" she screamed as she started to cry.

At that point, John Doe yelled, "Enough," and pulled her back into the depths of Victoria's Secret.

Todd stepped forward and said to John, "It's time. I need to do this.

John bowed his head and against every instinct he had, looked at Todd and said, "Okay."

2:02 P.M.

_Sir, we are willing and ready to uphold our end of the bargain. We will have a car waiting for you and I will personally escort you out. Please understand there is no need for more bloodshed. We will have shooters all around waiting for you to make one wrong move, so be very careful. Let's you and I come out of this alive, friend_.

The shooter replied:

Meet me in front of this store in thirty minutes.

As Todd was getting prepped for the escort, John said, "Todd, do not take any chances. If you feel threatened or unsafe at any time get out of there. We will take him out."

"Yeah, you will, along with her. I can't have that. There are moments that define a life. We live our whole lives for a few chances to make a difference. This is one of those moments. I must conquer it, even if it takes my life and you know what John, you would do the same." John lowered his eyes, shook hands with Todd and walked away

2:19 p.m.

John Doe appeared, leading Stacey out in front of him with his arm around her neck and his MP5 pressed to her temple. "I'm coming out slowly. Any funny stuff, I kill her!" John Doe yelled as he stepped through the entrance of Victoria's Secret and a few feet into the center of the mall. Todd walked out of Bath and Body Works, toward the shooter and his captive. "Sir, I am Todd McGrath, I will escort you out."

"Yes, Todd, I know who you are. I want to know where all your buddies are so I know that I can trust this. I want them all to step forward, out into my line of sight, so I know their positions." Todd raised both hands and waved his colleagues forward.

"Wait, Todd, I don't like...," was all John Corbin was able to get out of his mouth before John Doe yelled, "Allah Akbar," and opened fire on the uncovered officers. What happened next was slow motion perception, or what athletes refer to as time slowing down and seeing the action unfold frame by frame in your mind. John saw the bullets sprayed all over his men. Blood splattered everywhere. The last snapshot in his mind was Todd falling to the floor in a heap of bullets and blood. Then, in one motion, John dove behind the counter, drew his Glock 22, leveled, steadied, and pulled the trigger. The .40 caliber bullet traveled through the mall, past the downed officers, past Todd, whizzed past the screaming face of Stacey Williams and ripped through John Doe's forehead right between the eyes and exploded out of the back of his head, sending skull and brain fragments everywhere. John Doe fell to the floor, missing half of his head, just like the bird that was John Corbin's first kill so many years ago in the woods with his father.

2:23 p.m.

Mayhem ensued. Stacey ran away unscathed, screaming. John called out for the medics. He ran to Todd who was on the floor, groaning helplessly. One bullet had torn through his shoulder and one through his leg but his head remained intact. What saved Todd's life, up to this point, was the vest that John had reminded him to strap on. There was at least a half dozen indentations on the vest from the sprayed bullets. "I need the goddam medics here now!" John screamed as he held his hand over Todd's wounds to stop the bleeding. Ten seconds later, a sea of medics flooded the area. A pair came over to work on Todd. "At least two bullet wounds that I can see," John informed them.

"We will take over from here, sir," a medic said.

"Will he make it?"

"He has lost quite a bit of blood. We will do our best, sir." They worked on Todd for a minute, then strapped him to a gurney and wheeled him away. Bianco and Getz were both dead. Taft was wounded and taken away. Officer Wilson was unharmed.

"Sir, I'm sorry. I didn't think it would go down like this," Wilson said.

John put his hand up. "Enough. It is done now. I should have followed my instincts. That mistake has cost us lives and might have cost me my partner. You take over, I'm heading to the hospital with Detective McGrath."

"Good luck, sir," Wilson said as John followed the ambulance to the hospital, his thoughts turning to Jacqueline, the living, breathing fetus inside her belly, and the future that may or may not be.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

John sat in the waiting room in Harbor View Medical when Jacqueline appeared. "Oh, John! Is he going to be alright?"

John took her in his arms and tried to comfort her and calm her. "He is in surgery. He lost quite a bit of blood, but they are optimistic."

"When will we know? How long will he be in there for?"

"Another half hour or so."

Julie, who was working at the hospital, entered the room. "I'm so sorry, Jacqueline."

She then held Jacqueline in her arms as she started to cry on Julie's shoulder. John got up, walked to the hallway and started pacing back and forth. His mind was overloaded with hundreds of thoughts. He kept analyzing the events in his mind and the mistakes he made. "If he dies I will never forgive myself," he whispered out loud not realizing he was actually speaking the words. At that moment the head surgeon came out. "Detective Corbin?"

"Yes?" John answered.

"Mr. McGrath is going to be fine. We extracted all three bullets. The one in the shoulder proved most difficult. He had damage to the rotator cuff and the bullet was embedded in the bone. But with rest and therapy, he will be as good as new."

"Thank you," John said. He then took a moment to gather himself, turned and walked into the waiting room to inform the girls, but by the look on their faces, he could tell that they already knew. "He will be fine. Maybe a week in here to regain his strength, a couple months of therapy and he will be as good as new.

"Yes, we know. We are so relieved," Julie said.

"How did you know?" John asked, perplexed.

"We watched through the glass when the surgeon came up to you. There was no mistaking your reaction. You looked like the happiest man on Earth." Then they all broke out into laughter and tears, happy that their friend and husband would be around to see his first child born. 
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Silas splashed water on his face in the diner bathroom. He hesitated before going back to eat his breakfast and took in his reflection. Silas had a triangular face, which came to a point at the chin, along with dark seedy eyes framed with downturned eyebrows. He had a long, thin nose and thin lips. His hair was jet black and greased straight back. He had a light complexion and one could say that he resembled a handsome Dracula, minus the fangs. The one discerning attribute was a reddish scar that ran from the corner of his mouth up and across his right cheek. He received this mark from one of his victims who had a concealed knife on him when Silas attacked him.

Silas returned to his table and finished off his cup of coffee. His next victim was still here, finishing his breakfast. There was a multitude of reasons why Silas would choose a victim. Maybe the person seemed to overflow with sorrow or maybe they were too happy. Maybe they didn't respect their life and the quality that it possessed. Maybe Silas just saw something in them when their eyes met. Whatever the reason, Silas had located his next one, a somber man in his thirties. He was a white-collar worker of some kind because for the two weeks that Silas had been scouting him, he always had a suit on. He never smiled. Never. He felt it his duty to relieve this lost soul of its suffering. When the man got up to leave, Silas followed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

John sat in his den, alone, listening to music at four in the morning. He always felt that two to five a.m. was the best time to create or appreciate art. He called this time "The creative wheelhouse." All rational thought and reservations are put on hold. The left side of the brain, which is responsible for cognitive and deductive thought, goes into hibernation. The right side, which is responsible for intuitive instincts, becomes dominant. John listens to and admires all genres of music, but tonight he was listening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The beauty of the music amazed him. A string of notes perfectly placed and played, like pearls on a string, was an accomplishment of astonishing artistry. Music in its purest form is basically the push and pull, build up and release of pressure, tension and emotion. Few did it as well as Ludwig Van Beethoven. Now, under his headphones, he felt transported to another world, with all pressures and responsibilities gone, leaving only beautiful, timeless music in its wake. He used these sessions for a release and to relax his soul. Often he would listen to a piece over and over again to get the full effect, to hear and feel every note. Tonight he needed variety. He had Dvorak's ninth and Tchaikovsky's sixth lined up to finish off the session. While the music soothed him, he reflected on all the happenings of the last few days and thanked the forces of the universe that Todd would be fine. As the last note of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece played, on the other side of town, Silas Alvah was choking out the last bit of air from his fresh victim's lungs. 
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

John entered Todd's room at eleven in the morning. He sat in the chair and waited patiently for him to awaken. He had seen him the day of the surgery, but Todd was drugged and incoherent. Todd's eyes flickered open and they focused on John sitting there watching him. "Damn old man, you always watch dudes sleep? If I didn't know your wife, I'd be a bit concerned."

"Yeah, and if I had followed my instincts and not listened to your stubborn ass, I wouldn't be in a hospital room watching you sleep," John said. "How do you feel?"

"Sore. My shoulder is a mess they tell me, but I'll live."

"You better. You have a future wife and child to get home to."

"I know that. I have every intention of getting out of here as soon as possible."

"Whoa, cowboy. You lost quite a bit of blood. It's going to take a while to get your strength back. That shoulder is going to take a good amount of healing and rehab. You need to take your time."

"Okay, pops. Did you come here to make me miserable or cheer me up?"

"Cheer you up of course. Listen up," John said.

"There's a Jewish man walking on a beach and he comes across a magic lantern. He rubs it and a genie comes out. The genie says to the man, 'I will grant you one wish.'

The Jewish man pulls out a map of the Middle East, shows it to the genie and says, 'I would like peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.' The genie looks at the map and says, 'I cannot do that. Anything else?' So the man says I would like my wife to blow me like she did before we were married.' The genie looks at the man and says, 'Let me see that map again.'"

"Haha, good one, old man. So that is what I have to look forward to after I am married?" Todd said.

"That and more bills," John said.

"Damn, partner, it's a good thing you are fighting crime. If you were a psychiatrist you would talk the people over the ledge instead of off it," Todd said.

"Get some sleep big shot. I will be by tomorrow to check on your sorry ass," John said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Julie and Jacqueline were enjoying a cup of coffee together while waiting to place their lunch orders. They had started to grow closer as friends through the crisis of Todd's shooting. "How are you?" Julie asked."

"I am doing about as well as I can, considering he almost died," Jacqueline said. "I think about it every night. How close it came to being a reality. Scary, you know. How much of our lives we really can't control."

"Absolutely. A chain of events that leads to a death can drive a person insane. I see it all too often at the hospital. The butterfly effect is a concept that our minds can barely understand and accept. But it is there, creeping into our lives, taking away loved ones and ruining families. Sad, really. But let's bring some brightness to this conversation. How's the tummy?"

"Excellent! I am about eight weeks in and I just had my tests and ultrasound. Both the baby and I are as healthy as can be. We were even able to detect a heartbeat!"

"Wonderful! He must be strong!" Julie said.

"He?" Jacqueline said.

"Um, well, John secretly hopes it's a boy. He thinks Todd would be great with a son."

"Ha. I'm sure he would be. He'd probably grow up to be a detective just like his dad and I would have to worry about both of them getting shot."

A faint smirk came over Julie's lips as the food arrived and she said, "Such is the life of a cop's wife, honey. Welcome to the party."
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

John gave one last thrust and his semen exploded out of him. The wonderful sensation vibrated through his entire body. Julie lay under him, with her legs wrapped around his body. They usually stayed this way for a while after sex, interconnected, savoring the final lingering sensations. Julie loved this part of sex the most, even more than the wonderful orgasms that John never failed to summon from her. She could now feel John's heartbeat inside of her, pumping through the veins of his manhood. That sensation was not only physically euphoric but also spiritually and emotionally stimulating. It made her feel as one with her husband's body. Like two puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly. Sweat dripped from John's neck and chest onto Julie's small but firm breasts. Her body was very athletic, blessed with curvy hips, a very plump, solid ass and long powerful legs. She kept a fluffy, nicely trimmed patch of pubic hair, which was John's preference. He liked women to be natural. Natural breasts, no tattoos, no body piercings and most of all, a manicured bush. Julie obliged him in every way. She loved him and had never experienced sex that compared to the sensations John aroused in her. He was an unselfish lover, caring about her orgasms more than his own. He always gave her body, mind, and heart ample attention. He was also very well endowed which made Julie feel very fortunate. She was not a politically correct woman who claimed size didn't matter. It does and she told him all the time how perfect his penis was.

As the lovers lay still in a sweaty, exhausted, satisfied mass of naked flesh, John ever so gently kissed her on the lips, looked deeply into her eyes and whispered, "I love you, Julie." Julie's heart fluttered a bit and she was delighted that he could still make her feel this sensation even after all these years. After basking in the glow of their lovemaking, John finally laid on his back and held her to him. "Damn, I love having sex with you," he said.

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual, big guy," she said. John always found the most enjoyable time to talk to Julie was the moments immediately following their lovemaking. Relaxed. Happy. Nerves and mind calm and clear. This time was no exception. "You know, this close call with Todd has got me thinking. I'm not afraid to die, but what saddens me about death is the reality that there will be a last time for everything in life. A last time you enjoy your favorite food. A last listen to your favorite song. A last kiss on your children's cheeks. A last time you will make love to the person you love. I don't want there to be a last time for these experiences, but there will be. Will we even realize it? That it is the last time? Probably not. Right?"

"Julie leaned up on her elbow, gave a little smirk and said, "You are a nut. The places that mind goes. I understand what you are getting at, but John, it's so sad and morbid. And right after sex!?"

John chuckled and said, "Sorry, babe. Maybe we should do it again to make certain that wasn't our last time." With that, John was erect again and pulled Julie on top of him so that she could control the next session.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Paul Sipriano was sitting on the bed, starting to undress when Tamela came up behind him and stuck the needle into the back of his neck. He immediately slumped to the floor. Paul Sipriano would never open his eyes again. Paul was married with a beautiful wife and children at home. He wanted some excitement on the side, so Tamela obliged. Before Paul was able to slide his cock into her, she slid her deadly needle into him. Her needle contained a barbiturate, and a paralytic and potassium solution, a fatal cocktail. The dirty pig got what he deserved in Tamela's mind, just like her perverted father did. Tamela was repulsed by men, thanks to her daddy. He had repeatedly raped her, beat her mother and pretty much stuck his cock into any hole he could find. It is because of him that Tamela turned to licking pussy. After what he did to her, she could never be sexually attracted to a man. Tamela now stood over Paul Sipriano's dead body and thought the needle was always the easy part. A man in anticipation of sex could very well be the most unintelligent, unsuspecting creature on earth. The difficult part was getting rid of the scumbag's body. That was one of the few times that she wished she had a man in the house. To remove the dead bodies. Getting rid of the vehicles was easy thanks to her lover, Sarah. Sarah owned an auto body shop and had the connections to be able to strip the vehicles and immediately sell the parts. Now came the part Tamela dreaded. Sawing the body apart limb by limb and placing them into garbage bags. Then she would drop the parts into scattered pre-dug holes and cover them in lime, then fill the holes with dirt. Paul was her fourth kill that she would bury on her ten acres of wooded land that she owned. She had killed her father as well, but he wasn't buried here on her property. She turned his evil body to ashes in a wood stove. Tamela knew that she couldn't get rid of all the lying, cheating men and free all of their wives, but she could get rid of as many as possible. She now had lit a cigarette before the post homicidal festivities. It was what she considered her post sex cigarette, as the needle entering the man's neck was orgasmic to her and standing over the dead mans limp, weak, lifeless body made her feel dominant and victorious, in a very sexual way. She now took her last drag of the Virginia Slim, stubbed out the butt on Paul's forehead and pulled on yellow gardening gloves. The required laborious part of her evening was about to begin.
CHAPTER-THIRTY

John sat on a rock on Alki Point looking out across Puget Sound. He came here to meditate three or four times a year on a day off when not practicing his shooting with Todd. It was usually an escape for him after a few stressful days or weeks. Experiencing the beauty and power of nature would usually put his life back on track and give him perspective. Today, John was pondering his faith. An agnostic, he didn't believe in God, or to be more precise, the God of the many organized religions on this planet. At the same time, he couldn't discount the possibility of a Creator. Without an answer to the age-old question of where life began, he could accept the concept of intelligent design. John's meditative thoughts lately have revolved around death and philosophical questions about living and dying. The one remedy to John that would make dying easier and more acceptable, was uncovering and understanding all the answers to life before we go. Where and how did it originate? All the questions man has ever pondered answered. That, would make dying acceptable, even inviting. These existential thoughts didn't reside in his brain until John hit his forties. Now it's rare when a day passes by that he doesn't consider them. It amazed John how the state of your internal thoughts can change through the decades of your life. Maturity, experience, and perspective are very fluid and change numerous times as our story unfolds. Heading back to his truck, John wondered what the next chapter in his story contained.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

"That was the first instance of Seattle being affected by an Islamic terrorist. Thanks to your shooting, John, it wasn't as bad as it could have been," Captain Johnson said. So, don't beat yourself up over your decisions in the matter. You really had no choice."

"I did. Thank you for attempting to lift my spirits, Captain, but I made a poor decision."

"You did what needed to be done to save a hostage. Terrorists are impossible to defend against. When a person is willing to die for their cause, preparing for them, defending against them and terminating them is virtually impossible. To top it off, you had no idea he was a terrorist. You are an integral part of this squad. Clear your head of any guilt and move on."

"I'll do my best, sir," John said.

"I know Todd is being released from the hospital today, how is he mentally?" asked the captain.

"He is getting better by the day, sir. He should be ready to go in about a month or so."

"Excellent," Johnson said. "He has all the time he needs. Tell him to take it slow."

"Will do, sir."

"We have a new set of similar cases. Not sure if they are related, but we can't deny the likenesses. I don't know what's gotten into the people of northwest Washington, but there has been an awful lot of serial slayings happening in the last few years. Maybe it's something in the coffee. I'll send you the info shortly."

As Captain Johnson walked away John thought that he was right. Recently, the homicide rate has been steadily climbing. So to go along with Seattle having one of the highest suicide rates, it seems like the masses have decided that taking their own lives just doesn't do the trick anymore. They have graduated to murder. Great. John's screen flashed as the info file came to his email: Four men. All within a twenty-mile radius. All married. All successful businessmen. All missing. All residing in Kirkland. Without a doubt, John's instincts told him that these incidents were connected. He found all of the information that he could on these men and headed out. Kirkland would be his destination today.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

John pulled his truck up to 34 Fairview Lane. He parked on the street, got out and paused to take in the stately oversized colonial where the missing Craig Soler lived. Craig had not been seen or heard of for over a month. John walked to the front door and gave a hearty knock. "Hi, can I help you?" said a beautiful woman in her thirties, as she opened the door.

"Hi, ma'am. I am Officer Corbin. I need to ask you some questions about your missing husband."

"Oh, yes, Detective. Come in. I will help in any way that I can." John followed her to the dining room where she instructed him to sit. "Coffee?"

"No, ma'am. I'm good, thank you." He took out a small notebook. "Does Craig have any enemies that you are aware of?"

"No. None that I know of anyway."

"Your husband is an insurance salesman?"

"Yes. He does very well with it. He works in excess of sixty hours a week. That's not including the overnight trips."

"Overnight trips?" John asked.

"Yes. Once a month or so he will travel to another town and stay overnight."

"I see," John said. Any friends or co-workers that Craig is close to?"

"Steve Thorpe is his closest friend. They go fishing and hunting together. They spend Sundays together during the football season. He's about as close a friend as Craig has."

"Do you have an address and/or phone number that I can reach him at?"

"Sure." Mrs. Soler jotted the info down on a piece of paper and handed it to John. "Is there anything else that you can tell me? Anything that was out of the ordinary that might help?"

"Not really. Everything went as usual. Craig was working late the last day I saw him. He never came home. The following night I called the police."

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Soler. I will do everything I can to uncover what happened to your husband."

"Thank you, Detective. At this point, I just need to know, whatever the circumstances are."

"Of course. Good day, Ma'am." John walked to his truck, glanced back at the large house and felt that familiar twinge in his gut. Steve Thorpe knew something and John was going to find out what it is.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

John sat at a coffee shop just outside Kirkland, waiting for Steve Thorpe to arrive. He would never just talk to a person of interest over the phone. You just get words. People lie. People lie all the time about everything. Meeting them in person lets John decipher their reaction to certain questions. Questions that are asked more to experience the response than to hear the actual answer. As John took his second sip of coffee, Steve Thorpe sat down across from him. "Hi. Detective Corbin? Steve Thorpe."

"Hi Steve, thank you for meeting me," John said as they shook hands.

"Is there anything that you can tell me about Craig that could uncover more information?" Steve's eyes darted away quickly and glanced out of the window as he said, "Probably nothing his wife hasn't already told you."

A little smirk played over John's lips as he said, "Is that so? Steve, the question is, do you want to find out what happened to your friend or not? Did you two ever have any disagreements? Where were you the night he disappeared?"

"Alright, alright. Look, I would never hurt Craig. We are like brothers. You need to promise me what I am about to tell you doesn't get back to his wife. It would crush her and ruin any chance of them resuming their lives together if she found out. "Okay. Shoot," John said.

"Craig loves women. He would repeatedly see them on the side. He would tell his wife that he had customers to see in other towns to get away for a night. He would tell her that he was working late while he went out hunting women. Sometimes we would together. That is his only weakness in life. Other than that he is a great guy. He always treats her with the love and respect she deserves, but he seems to have this addiction."

"Steve, I don't need a testimony about his character. I need info that will help me find out what happened to him."

"Okay, here." Steve jotted down "The Alibi."

"That's the name of a bar he hangs out at. That's where he was that night, probably looking for women. If its answers you want, that's where you will find them."

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

"I'll have a Brooklyn Summer Ale. Also, have you seen this man around here in the past few months?" John asked as he handed Craig's picture to the bartender at The Alibi.

"Yeah, sure. Craig, I believe. He used to come in all the time. Hasn't been in lately."

"Were you working on Thursday, May 22nd?" John asked.

"I must have been, I work most Thursdays. Now that I think of it, the last time I saw him, he was leaving with an attractive woman. I can't be sure of the date, but it was definitely around the 22nd."

"What can you tell me about the girl he left with?"

"Very slender. Long, sexy legs. Very pretty. Long, blonde hair. She kind of had that look. You know, attractive, but an open sense of wildness. Kind of like she would be up for anything if you get my drift."

"Had you ever seen her in here before?" John asked.

"Yes, I believe I have, a few other times. She seemed to be desperate to meet a man, which seemed a bit odd to me cause, like I said, she is attractive."

"Great, thank you Mr.?..."

"You can call me Red."

"Ok, Red, If you cross paths with her again please call me. Here is my card."

"Sure, Detective...Corbin."

"Call me John."

As John turned to go, he stopped for a second and glanced back at Red. Dark complexion. Brown hair. Brown eyes. "If you don't mind me asking, why do they call you Red?"

"Hmmm. Good question. Must be because I'm Irish." Red said as he winked and walked into the back room behind the bar.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

"A margarita would taste great about now," Jacqueline said as they waited for their food to arrive.

"You will have plenty of time for that after the baby arrives," Julie said. The two were getting lunch together as had become their custom a few times a week since Jacqueline announced her pregnancy. "How's Todd?"

"Getting better every day. I'm staying with him to help him get through this."

"That's wonderful. It will also prepare you for what to expect when you are married. After all the anticipation, ceremony, family clears, it will just be you two. Oh, and the baby of course. Living together day to day takes practice, sacrifice, and understanding. This experience will help you know what to expect."

"Yes. You are right. Julie, I'm scared."

Julie put her water down and took Jacqueline's hand in hers. "Sweetheart, it is normal to be afraid. These are major events in your life. You wouldn't be human if it didn't affect you."

"But Julie, you need to understand, at times I feel like there is something missing in me. Some switch inside that allows me to feel emotions deeper than the surface. I'm not sure that I possess that switch. What if I don't love my baby enough?"

"Sweetheart, you will. Trust me. The love that you will feel for your child is unlike anything you have ever felt. Deeper than what you feel for Todd. Deeper than what you feel for family and friends. It is something that you have to experience and feel for yourself. Let me use an analogy if I may. I am around people all the time that have faced death. I mean really faced it, closely, Right there in front of them, and lived to survive it. It changes them. Their lives are happier and fuller. They respect every detail and experience from then on. But you cannot artificially produce that. We know we will all die someday, but it isn't authentic until it actually happens. Until we face it. Until we accept it as real, right in front of us. The same is true for the love of a child. You cannot understand it until you experience it for yourself. Until you see your own eyes looking back at you. Until you hear them call you Mommy or hear them say, "I love you," for the first time. Those experiences are connected to your soul eternally. You will be fine, Sweetie. When the baby comes out, your life and your heart will change forever."

As tears ran down Jacqueline's face, she looked up at Julie and said, "Thank you." 
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

After following up on the other three missing husbands, John found the connecting link between them to be where the men went to drink. Two of them frequented The Alibi as their favorite watering hole. The other two went to a bar called The Alco-Hole, which was a short two to three miles from The Alibi. John felt his best chance of uncovering the mystery was to wait on a call from Red, informing him that the woman that left with Craig Soler had arrived. The plan was for John to go undercover and try talking to the lady while she was unaware, instead of the alternative: taking her in to answer questions and alerting her of his suspicion. Whatever she had to do with Craig's disappearance, the evidence would surely have been removed by now.

Red called on a Thursday, a bit after ten o'clock. "John, this is Red from The Alibi. The woman is here. The one Craig left with."

"Okay. I will be right down. Thank you, Red."

John turned off his phone and looked at Julie. "She's there. It's time."

"Oh John, be careful, baby."

"I will be as careful as I can be. She is the link, I just know it." John put on a suit, splashed cold water on his face and headed out the door to the last place Craig Soler was seen alive.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

The first vision that caught John's eye as he entered The Alibi was an extremely attractive blonde woman sitting with a handsome man in a suit. John turned away, walked up to the bar and took a seat. "Hello, John," Red said from behind the bar.

"Good evening, Red. Brooklyn Summer please."

"Yes sir," Red said, grabbing a beer and setting it down in front of John.

"Thank you." Leaning in a bit closer John said, "How long has she been with him?"

"Twenty minutes. He seems transfixed on her."

"Damn. I need to get rid of him," John said.

"I'll help. Go to the bathroom and wait there," said Red.

"What are you going to do? I don't want you involved. You are a civilian."

"I am a bartender. I've seen my share of these situations. Plus, what other choice do you have?"

Red stood behind the bar waiting for the go-ahead from John. "Okay. But don't get into trouble. I need this to be clean and I need her unaware. If anything starts to go south, bail."

"Will do, Detective Corbin," Red said with a small smirk as he gave John a mini-salute.

"Axe the humor also, you Mick wannabe," John said, also sporting a sly little smirk. "I'll be in the john, do not fuck this up bar wench," John said before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

Red walked over to the corner table. "I figured I would save you a trip to the bar. Another round?"

"Sure," said Tamela as she looked at her date. "Are you ready?" "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Another Cosmo for her and a scotch for myself."

"Absolutely. Coming right up."

Red made the drinks and headed back to the table. As he moved to set the drinks down, he pretended to stumble and spilled part of the scotch onto the man's lap. "Shit. I'm so sorry, sir," he said apologetically. "This round is on the house. Here," Red said as he handed him a towel. "Bathroom is over there, around the corner."

The man got up in a huff, grabbed the towel and headed for the bathroom. As he walked in, John showed him his badge and said, "Sir, I don't know your story and I really do not care, but the woman you are with is a person of interest and you need to leave the premises pronto."

"Okay. Okay. Will do," the man said as he walked out of the bathroom, past Red, past Tamela and straight out the door. The one thing John remembered about the man was the wedding band around his finger.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

John returned to his seat. Red gave him a nod and walked to the other

end of the bar to wait on a customer. John had to move fast before she left or another man decided to move in. He took his beer and walked over to the corner table. "Hi. Is this seat taken?" John said.

"No. It was, but the gentleman had to leave in a hurry. He even left his scotch untouched, if you drink that."

"Maybe, after my beer," John said as he sat down. "Are you married, Sweetie?" she asked.

"Well, yes I am, miss...?"

"Tamela," she said. "Well, at least you admit it, most men don't."

"I am. But we have our issues. Every now and then a beautiful woman like yourself catches my eye."

"What's your name, handsome?"

"John," he said as he glanced at the bar and noticed Red looking in their direction.

"Well, I'll tell you what, John, you buy me another drink and just maybe I'll take you home with me."

"Okay. You got a deal."

"I'm going to freshen up, handsome," she said as she got up and headed to the ladies room. John watched as she walked away. She wore a tight skirt that revealed every curve of her lower body. John waved Red over. "How's it going?" Red asked.

"Perfect. I need one more drink for her then she wants to take me home."

"Okay. I'll grab it and bring it right over. Well done, sir," Red said. "Thank you for your help. You did well red, I won't forget it."

"Aw shucks, don't say that. You know how much us Irish boys blush," Red joked as he went to make Tamela's last drink of the night.

"Give me your hand," Tamela said as she returned from the ladies room. John held out his hand and Tamela placed a white thong in it. John shamefully felt a twinge in his groin as he put the panties in his pocket. Men will be men and natural instincts and reactions cannot be totally diffused. All the same, John felt a bit of guilt when Julie popped into his head as he felt the soft silk fabric in his hand. Red returned with her drink. "Ma'am, he said as he placed the drink in front of her.

"Thank you," she said. "You are a very attentive bartender." "Why thank you, ma'am. Sometimes I have to wear very

different hats while on duty. Some of them I'm sure would surprise you folks," Red said as he glanced at John with a sly little smirk and walked away.

"Nice man, that one," Tamela said.

"Oh yes. Quite the comedian as well at times," John said, knowing the irony of that statement would be lost on her.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. So, John, are you thinking about what is waiting for you under this skirt?"

"I can hardly wait to find out," he said.

"Let's go then. Follow me. I don't live far," were the last words she said as she got up and walked out. John took one last sip of his beer, felt the minor bulge of her panties in his pocket, slapped down a one hundred dollar bill, waved to Red and was out the door, hopefully following Tamela to the answers to the mystery of the missing husbands.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

John followed Tamela's jeep up a long dirt driveway which ended at a large box colonial surrounded by woods. He parked his truck in back of her jeep, got out and followed her up the stairs to the front door. She turned and said, "This way, handsome," as she entered the foyer. John walked through the door and followed her up the stairs. She disappeared into a room at the end of the hall. As John walked down the hall towards the room, he felt very vulnerable with her temporarily out of his sight. He reached for his Glock .22 inside his waistband and placed his hand over it. He could feel his heartbeat quicken with every step he took towards the room until he reached the doorway and found Tamela waiting patiently on the bed. "Took you long enough, handsome. Why don't you get undressed while I freshen up a bit," Tamela said as she walked into an adjoining bathroom. He released his Glock from the holster, held it low and waited as he started to unbutton his shirt. His shirt fell to the floor as he noticed a shadow play on the far wall. He turned fast with his gun drawn. "Hands up!" he said.

Tamela dropped a needle that she had about a foot from John's neck. "On the floor. Now! You are under arrest!" John snapped as he straddled Tamela and slapped the cuffs on her wrists. Underneath him, he felt and heard Tamela laughing. "Very good John, if that is even your name. I had no clue you were a cop. I must say though, I am surprised that it took you this long to figure it out. It's not like I was discreet, haha."

"Shut it," John said as he picked up the needle and bagged it. "What's is in this needle, anyway?" John asked.

"Oh my little homemade remedy for every horny, lying, pig of a male with an erect cock in this sorry ass world."

"So you are confessing?"

"Of course. I was only riding it out until I got caught. I knew it would happen sooner or later. But you know what, John? It was worth it."

John got up and dialed Captain Johnson. "Sir, I got her. I need a car and two officers to pick her up at 16 Woodland Lane and escort her to a holding cell to await further interrogation by me."

"Good work, John. Did you get a confession?"

"Not yet," John said.

"Okay. They are on their way, John."

"Thank you, sir."

Ten minutes later Tamela was taken away. John called Julie. "Hi, sweetheart. It's over. I'm safe. I got her."

"Oh John, I'm so proud of you. I love you."

"I love you too, babe." 
CHAPTER FORTY

John walked into interrogation room number two, looked at Tamela Barnes, circled the room and finally sat down across from her. "I have to admit, you have me a bit perplexed. Do you mind filling me in? What this is all about, who you have killed and where the bodies are?" John said.

"I have killed four men, no, five actually, if you count my father, but he was hardly a man," Tamela stated, proudly, looking straight into his eyes.

"Where are they?" John asked.

"Four are buried in my woods. But, Daddy? Not him. I chopped him up as much as I could, then watched as I cooked his parts in a wood stove. Even toasted marshmallows in his fire."

"Why?" John asked.

"Come on now, Johnny boy. That's easy. They are all dirty, cheating, semen spewing pigs. That's why. Just like yourself. Cop or not, handsome, you would have fucked me good if I had let it get that far. Then you would have arrested me and put in your report that intercourse was necessary if you wanted to achieve a confession from me."

John put his pad and pen down, got up and paced the floor, then turned to look back at Tamela. "Enough of the tough, cold, carefree, psycho bullshit. I've seen many psychopaths in my time, I do not believe you are one. Why would a beautiful, obviously successful, seemingly intelligent woman throw her life away? I need to know. Not for the conviction. For me. I need to understand. Look at me!" John yelled and showed emotion for the first time."Why, goddammit! Tell me now!"

"He raped me! Okay? Over and over in every way possible! My own father! My mother put me on the pill at fourteen because she didn't want the father of her child to impregnate his own daughter! Okay! Are you happy now!?" Tamela burst into tears and appeared human for the first time since John laid eyes on her. "I could have gotten married, had a family, children of my own. He took that away. He took away from me the life he gave me."

Tamela stopped crying and now buried her face in her hands. Her eyes were bloodshot and tired. John paced the room for what seemed like an eternity, stopped, looked at Tamela and then continued pacing. He seemed to be working something out in his mind. Pondering something bigger than he or Tamela. Finally, he said, "It didn't give you the right to kill innocent men. Sure, they were guilty of adultery, but that doesn't come with a death sentence. You need to pay for your crimes."

Tamela pushed a stray hair out of her eyes, looked at John and said, "I know. There is no life left for me in society. I belong inside where I just have to think about eating, drinking, sleeping and being around women as troubled as I am. I can't function outside without killing. I have too much anger."

"I have your confession to five murders. I will send a team over to uncover the bodies."

"Okay," Tamela said. As John picked up his things and turned to leave, he stopped at the door, turned back and looked at Tamela. "Right now I am not speaking to the woman you have become but to that poor, innocent, little girl. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what this terrible world has done to you and your life. If I could go back and rescue you, I would. I'd change it. But I can't. A small, lone tear ran down John's cheek as he opened the door and walked out. John Corbin would never see Tamela Barnes again.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Silas' knife cut into the soft flesh. He ran the incision from the chest to the belly button. He made the cut just deep enough so that the blowflies could lay their eggs into the flesh. The fresh cadaver had just been brought to him. His job was to find the exact time of death, the postmortem interval and if poisons and/or drugs played a part in the passing. This cadaver was a male in his twenties. No wounds or trauma. Cause of death a mystery. Silas' occupation was a forensic entomologist. Or, in layman's terms, he used insects to extract data from dead bodies. Silas enjoyed the sensation of the blade cutting through the tender skin and flesh, but he still preferred strangulation as his homicidal method. Much more intimate to him. He savored the flesh on flesh contact and found the sensation of his victim's soul leaving the body then passing through his to freedom to be extremely pleasurable. The small incision complete, Silas would now wait for the blowflies to appear and lay their eggs and then monitor how long for the larva, otherwise known as maggots, to hatch. The usual time frame was twelve to twenty-four hours, depending on uncontrollable variables. The larva would tell Silas if and possibly what kind of poison or drug was in the man's system at the time of death. Certain drugs will either hasten or retard the insect's development. Silas' work, along with his hobby of freeing souls from their bodies, was one of the few aspects of life he truly enjoyed. He was also one of the best at his craft, being extremely intelligent and also having natural instincts for death and bodily decomposition. Silas now turned off all of the lights in his lab. It was time to sit back and take in all of the wonderful scents of death and decay.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

"The prodigal son has returned!" John yelled excitedly as Todd walked into the station for the first time in over five weeks. "Welcome back!" John added.

"Thank you," Todd said. "Definitely feels good to walk through that door again."

"I missed you, partner. Your ragged humor not so much." John said.

"Yeah, Yeah. If not for my humor, this partnership wouldn't have any at all gramps."

"Gramps? I wasn't the one out for five weeks with a little boo boo," John said.

"No, you would have retired," Todd fired back as he sat at his desk for the first time in almost six weeks. "I have some good news."

"Shoot," John replied.

"We have a date set. September 23rd. I purposely scheduled it on a Saturday, so it wouldn't screw with us watching the Seahawks. Haha. I told Jacqueline Saturday was a better day for a wedding cause no one has to worry about working the next day. She said, and I quote: "Todd, you are right, I'm glad you are putting so much effort and thought into our wedding."

"Haha. You are learning partner," John said. "There are ways in marriage to get what you want, but also make the wife happy. That, my friend, is the trick to a happy, healthy marriage, so sharpen the craft. It will be crucial to your happiness."

"Thank you, Socrates. I'll write that down in my marriage handbook."

"Speaking of Jacqueline, the little ladies have grown quite fond of each other."

"Yes, they have lunch together frequently. I hope that they don't leave us to be with each other," Todd said.

"The one thing that I have figured out about the female mind is there is no figuring out the female mind," John said.

Later that morning, Captain Johnson walked out of his office and over to Todd and John. "Lunch on me today boys. Let's go. I'll even allow a drink or two to celebrate our boy Todd being back. Todd we missed ya."

"Thanks, guys, it's good to be back." Todd said as they all headed out the door together. 
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

While walking out of the back room of the Alibi, Red noticed John in his usual seat. "John! Great to see you."

"Hey Red."

"Brooklyn Summer Ale coming up."

"Red, I really want to thank you for helping with the case. I'm happy to tell you that she confessed and is locked up."

"Excellent! Good job, John."That was some real Donnie Brasco shit, I'm glad it worked out."

"I didn't like putting you in danger, but you handled it like a pro," John said.

"Hey, I'd rather die tomorrow having lived today than die in the future never having lived. I enjoyed it," Red said.

"Maybe you should look into getting on the force, we can always use bright, courageous officers."

"Hmmm. Maybe. I might just take you up on that sometime. So, how did it go down?" Red asked.

"I caught her in the act of attempting to stick a needle in my neck. Pulled my piece and arrested her."

"Damn. She was a real psycho bitch, huh?"

"You know, Red, behind all of the twisted, psycho, crazy behavior she displayed, I caught glimpses of a sweet, gentle, innocent soul between the lines. I actually felt bad for her. The things she has been through, I can almost understand the way she turned out."

Red looked at John and said "Things are always more complicated than they seem. Life can be one big grey area at times."

"Yes, very true. As much as cops don't like grey areas, I am one that definitely understands it."

"Why? Why you more than others?" Red asked.

"I'll tell you what my friend, you tell me why they call you Red and just maybe I'll answer that question."

Red looked at John as a sly little smirk came over him, then he went into the back room to prepare for the happy hour rush. When he came back out, John was gone.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

John came home after work late on a Wednesday evening to a quiet, somber house. The children were in bed sleeping and Julie seemed to have something on her mind, as she was distant and withdrawn. John sensed it from the beginning but decided to let it play out and see if it would pass. "How are the children?" he asked.

"Fine."

"How was work?"

"Fine."

"Okay, then. What is it?" John asked.

"What is what?"

"Do we really have to play this game? What is the problem?" he asked, losing patience.

Julie looked at him, went into the bathroom, shut the door and jumped into the shower without uttering a word. When she got out John noticed that she had put on her pajamas before leaving the bathroom, shut off the light and jumped into bed opposite John, turning the other way. John got up, turned on the light, sat on the edge of the bed and said "Okay, babe. Enough of this. Talk to me." Julie sat up, walked over to her dresser and opened up the bottom drawer. She then pulled out a pair of white panties that looked very familiar to John. "Found these in your pants pocket. You know John, if you had to sleep with her to achieve what you needed, I might understand, but you should have told me."

"Oh...Julie... I'm sorry... I forgot..."

"Obviously," Julie yelled. "You forgot to take them out before you came home."

"No. It's not what it looks like. I..."

"Enough, Okay. I'm not upset. You had to do whatever it is you did, I'm sure. What hurts me is that you didn't tell me."

John got up, went into the bathroom, washed his face with cold water, gathered his thoughts and emotions, then returned to the bed where he sat and looked at his wife. "Julie, I need you to listen to me and believe what I tell you. I did not sleep with her. She had a needle a foot from my neck before we even thought about kissing."

"Then how did her lovely panties and up in your pants pocket?"

"She seduced me at the bar, probably to hook me in. It was a part, a necessary step to getting her to confess to what I knew she was responsible for. I did not ever touch her. I didn't have to. That's the truth."

Julie softened a bit and rolled onto her back. Then she said, "Do you know how hard it is to believe someone when all the facts and rational thought point in the opposite direction?"

"Babe, I'm a detective. Of course I do. But now I need you to again listen to me. There are times that I feel sexual attraction to other women, but, I no longer feel the need to act on those instincts. Not because you think it should be that way or because society thinks it should be that way, but because I do not want to. You fulfill me, my desires and my heart. That is why I married you. I have no desire or reason to ever lie to you. I didn't have to decide to ask you to marry me. I knew. I knew in my head, my heart and my instincts. I had never felt that way before you. It was my decision and I made it knowing that it was the correct one, without a second thought. I didn't have to sleep with that woman, but even if I had to, for reasons beyond my control, my head and heart would have been with you the whole time, even though my body wasn't. It would also be the first thing I would talk to you about after it happened. Julie, I love you."

"Oh John, I believe you. I love you too."

John got up, shut off the light, entered Julie's body and they stayed that way until a few hours later, falling asleep in each other's arms. 
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

"Look how high that one is Daddy!" Gianna said to her father. John had taken his kids to Water World, a huge water park in Renton. Julie was working a double today, so John took advantage of having the children to himself. "Yes. Looks like fun. Want to try it out?" John asked.

"Um. No, not yet."

"Okay, well, maybe in a little while, let's go on the smaller ones for now," John said.

"Okay," they answered in unison. They tried out every slide, every inflatable tube ride and went into the wave pool. By mid-afternoon, they sat down to eat lunch.

"Gianna, you know the only thing that we haven't tried yet?" John said as he pointed to the highest, longest, steepest slide in the park.

"Oh, Daddy. I don't know. I'm afraid."

"Me too," said Ryann.

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself."

"Daddy, what does that mean?"

"It means we must conquer our irrational fears to reach our goals and experience everything life has to offer. Fear of the unknown is just that. You fear what you don't know."

"But Daddy, you said to respect my fears and listen to them."

"That is true, but as much as you need to respect your fears and instincts, you need to be able to understand which ones are real and which ones are irrational. The irrational fear always turns out to be worse than what it was that actually caused the fear. We must break out of our comfort zones and strive for more to become our best and experience the best that life has to offer. Now, I think we should finish our lunch, get into that line going up to that slide and conquer our irrational fears. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy, if you promise it will be okay," Gianna said.

"I promise you both everything will be fine. I also promise you that if you do not try that slide you will regret it the whole ride home. So, what do you say? You two ready?"

"Yeah!" they both said in harmony.

"Okay, then, let's go," John said.

Not only did they all go down the biggest, longest, steepest slide, they did so an extra three times. On the way home the two children fell fast asleep, little smiles on their faces, having conquered their fears and having learned an important lesson they will think about and remember whenever faced with life's unchartered waters for the rest of their lives. 
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

"The mind of a serial killer is a very complicated entity," John said to Todd as they sat at their desks on a quiet Monday morning. "They are callous, exploitive individuals, with blunted emotions and impulsive inclinations, with an inability to feel guilt or remorse. They are also usually very intelligent."

"Intelligent or not, they are still barbaric, nutcase monsters," Todd interjected.

"Maybe, but they are cunning, sneaky and dangerous. The higher the IQ, the harder they are for us to find and catch."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do they do what they do? Why are they the way they are?"

"I don't think anyone really knows the answer to that question. It comes back to one of the most highly debated subjects in life, along with socialism versus capitalism, evolution versus intelligent design and capital punishment."

"What would that be?" asked Todd.

"Nature versus nurture."

"You mean are they born that way or did life experiences make them that way?"

"Exactly. With different childhoods, alternate parents, and upbringings, would they have turned out differently? Or, were they born who they are? It is an age-old question. Is homosexuality embedded in our DNA or is it a choice?"

"I think people are born straight, but change their desires either because of some abuse they have endured as children or some damage they have suffered to their confidence," Todd said.

"Maybe, in some cases. But there are documented cases of homosexuality in the animal kingdom. How about poor inner city kids? Are they destined to be school dropouts, addicts or even worse, headed for a life of crime? Or can they break the cycle, inverse the circle and escape from this troubled life? Do they have the power to change it or are they doomed to follow in the footsteps of those before them?"

"I believe it is a personal choice. There have been many cases where the poor undereducated children have grown up to be successful and there are many cases where a child that has everything he or she needs to be successful fails at life," Todd said.

"True. Which proves the answers all lie in the middle, in the dense, uncertain zone we call the grey area. It's the same with a psychopath. Are they born that way or is it a series of traumatic experiences and abuse that creates their reality and mental state? I think the answer lies in between. Some are born. Some are made. Nature or nurture. It's fascinating really," John said.

"Yeah, maybe it is to you, but you are a nut job yourself. To a decent, normal dude like myself, it's terrifying."

"That may be, partner. But it's real. Boogeymen really do exist."
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Javier Mendez watched over the fair, combing over the rides, games, and concessions for his next possible victim. It was the first time he had succumbed to his urges since being in the States. He had done this type of thing many times in Mexico until the Mexican police started to zero in on him and his activities, which is why he defected to California and up the coast to northern Washington. Javier liked his victims to be six to ten years old, male or female, preferably thick but not overly obese. He liked the meat to be fairly lean, but tender. The challenge for Javier was finding one without parents or guardians around. Javier was very patient. If he didn't find the right victim tonight there would still be tomorrow or the following day. He would wait for just the right prey and the right situation. That is how he got away with it for so long. Determined patience and cunning. He was like a wolf tracking down a doe or fawn that has wandered off from the group, patiently awaiting a crack in their defenses. There, across the way, was a young child, no more than six or seven, heading to a port-a-john alone. Javier's instincts piqued like a spark and his stomach rumbled. It has been a long time coming, but Javier was ready to feast. The plump, young boy enjoying his first and last fair, would not make it to the bathroom.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

"We set a date, Julie!" Jacqueline said as the two women were enjoying lunch together.

"September 23rd."

"Oh, I love early fall weddings!" Julie said."How's the planning going?"

"We just started looking at the details. Todd seems to really want to be involved. He chose the date. I'm so happy that he cares this much about it."

"Good for you," Julie said. "September 23rd is a...Saturday," Julie said while looking at her calendar on her phone.

"We will leave on Monday for our honeymoon. Back on Saturday."

"Interesting, did Todd refer to John when he chose these dates?" Julie asked.

"Hmmm. Not that I know of," Jacqueline said.

"Interesting that the boys found a way to keep their Sundays open. My guess is both of our husbands will be watching the Seahawks on the Sundays. Girl, let me give you a bit of advice. The key to a happy, healthy marriage is to not let the boys think that they can pull the wool over our eyes. Call them out on it every time and they will no longer attempt it. It's funny how they manipulated a way for their Sundays to be undisturbed. The one thing that I have figured out about the male mind is the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. I've been around men long enough to know what Sundays in the fall mean to them. I would throw a wrench into his plans, just so he knows that you are onto him. Tell him you think the honeymoon should be Sunday to Sunday and then watch him squirm. Just a bluff, so he knows you noticed his maneuver," Julie said.

"Interesting. I never really thought of it that way. You know, you are right. That's just what I will do. I will let Todd know I'm a step ahead of him."

"Yes, let him know detectives aren't the only ones who wear pants."

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Javier opened the oven to check on the flank that was cooking. The boy proved to be leaner than he originally anticipated- lean, but very tender. The meat sizzled as he took in the sweet scent of the young flesh. Javier would cook every cut of meat in a very different way. He would bake the flanks, barbecue the fingers and toes, steam the ribs, use the head to create a soup, cut the thigh meat out and grill it like steak and then grind up whatever was left for meat pies. The problem was, once Javier started to eat tender, young, human meat he became addicted to it. He would need more. He now took the pan out of the oven and placed the meat on a plate, went to the fridge and took out the pitcher of blood, drained from the boy's body. He poured a glass and took his dinner into the living room to watch his favorite show, _Jeopardy_ , while he ate. He sat down on the couch and placed the plate and glass on the coffee table. "What is Bern," he yelled out answering the question: ' _The fourth largest city in Switzerland, it is also its_ _capital.'_ Javier was very good at Jeopardy, his brain a sponge for information. As Javier took his first bite of the young boy's backside, one of the contestants had uncovered a Double Jeopardy space. Javier loved Double Jeopardy.
CHAPTER-FIFTY

The captain had sent Todd to pick up a report that the station needed for a case. He walked into the lab, up to the empty front desk and pressed a button, which sent a buzz through the building. A dark-haired man walked out from a lab in the back and said, "May I help you?"

"Hi. Yes, my name is Detective McGrath from the Seattle Police Department. Captain Johnson sent me to pick up a case report."

"Do you have the case number?"

"Yes, I do. #B916."

"Coming right up," the man said as he walked back into an adjacent room filled with filing cabinets. "B916. Here we are, he said as he walked behind the desk carrying a folder.

"I'll take the drama out of this case for you, Detective. The subject was poisoned."

"Well. There go my suspense and excitement for the day," Todd said. "Other than setting a date to get married to my pregnant fiancé that is."

"Oh, you are to be married? And to become a father as well? Congratulations," the man offered.

"Why thank you. Life changes so fast."

"Yes. It certainly does," the man said as he looked at Todd in a strange way, like he was turning something over in his mind, filing away his thoughts to be used at another time. "In a flash, a new life is given and another, taken away. The circle of life my friend."

"Yes, the circle of life," Todd said. "Well, I have to run this report to the captain. Thanks for the help. Have a good day Mr...?"

"Alvah," Silas said. "Silas Alvah."
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

John stood in front of his bookcase at two a.m. on a Saturday morning. He would admire his collection of books late at night to clear his mind and revisit the wonderful worlds he had the privilege of

experiencing in all of them. A book wasn't just words on a page. A book magically transported you to another place, another time, with a story to tell, without limits. He kept his favorite books separated from the rest, so he may pass them down to his children one day. John had immense admiration for a book that can stand apart from the rest as something truly special. He understood how difficult writing something of significant substance could really be. He was holding in his hand _'The Complete Works of Aristotle'._

Aristotle was John's favorite of the ancient philosophers, having studied his work from time to time. He was nothing short of genius. The sum of his work's influence often ranks high among the world's top thinkers, including his teacher, Plato, and pupil, Alexander the Great.

John now reached for ' _To Kill A Mockingbird'_ by Harper Lee. With primary themes of racial injustice and the destruction of innocence, it is one of the most important novels ever written. It was Harper Lee's only novel until the release of its sequel, ' _Go Set A Watchman'_ some fifty years later.

John now picked up Cormac McCarthy's ' _The Road'._ Bleak, destitute and sorrowful, it teaches the reader that sometimes in the stark world it creates, there are no correct decisions to be made. Sometimes the decisions that we have to choose from are either bad or worse. It is quite a horrifying story for a parent to read.

John now held in his hands his favorite novel ever written. A novel he will read over again every few years until he dies. ' _The Fountainhead'_ by Ayn Rand. Both at once a romantic drama and a philosophical treatise, _The Fountainhead_ is the embodiment of the ideal man. A hero, whose character, independence and integrity are unwavering and as solid as the ground he walks on. _The Fountainhead_ was rejected by twelve publishers, being labeled "too intellectual", until a small editor, Archibald Ogden, risked his job and livelihood to publish something that he believed in. John would experience a spiritual cleansing every time he would read it. It creates a world John wants to live in and every time he visits it he feels the sorrow of leaving it and returning to this one, the real one, as time ticks away, the pages dwindle one by one, and this beautiful, important novel comes to an end. 
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Javier watched over the playground as he had done two days prior, waiting for an opportunity to arise. All the meat from the first boy he abducted had been eaten days ago. Javier was becoming restless. He needed more. Restless or not, he needed to be patient and find just the right victim. There had been plump children in the desired age range, but none of them were ever left alone. He had noticed an available child with no guardian, but he was too old, eleven or twelve at least and much too slender. Then, just as he was about to call it a day, he noticed a small, plump child, alone, on a swing at the edge of the playground. A girl. She was probably eight or nine, the perfect age. Short but thick, she definitely had the body mass Javier craved. He waited a few minutes to be sure that she was alone. It was almost dusk, so the playground was empty. Now was his chance to move. He walked over to the child on the swing. "Little girl, have you seen my puppy? He ran over here towards these woods." Javier pointed behind the playground to a darkening wooded area. He had parked his van behind the wooded lot.

"No mister. I haven't seen a puppy dog."

"Oh no. Maybe he ran into the trees back here. Can you help me find him? If I don't locate him I'm sure he won't make it through the night."

"Um...Okay. I guess."

"Great. what is your name?"

"Cindy"

"Okay, Cindy. Thank you for your help. Come on... Let's go find him."

As Javier walked with Cindy into the woods, he could taste the tender, juicy youthful meat his appetite craved.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

John sat in his usual seat at The Alibi. He had started coming here more frequently to talk to Red. He found Red to be an intelligent, taciturn acquaintance who was quickly becoming a close friend. John felt he could trust Red with some of his deeper, darker thoughts that usually stayed buried, deep inside himself.

"Sometimes, Red, I feel I am losing the battle. The more criminals I catch, the more criminals I have convicted, the more others are released or new ones appear. I feel I can't keep up, I can never do enough."

"The greatest shame in life is not that we aim too high and miss, but that we aim too low and hit," Red said. "If you aim to protect everyone and take every criminal off the streets, I'm sure, in the end, when you look back at your legacy, you will be happy."

"I don't know, Red. There will still be innocents that have suffered because I wasn't there to save them."

"Maybe, but I promise you this. Many haven't suffered because you are what you are and you do what you do. Don't forget that. I am just a bartender in a cheap, old, lonely bar, but I have witnessed life, the goods and bads, highs and lows, the divine and the evil and I will tell you this. You have one of the purest hearts of anyone that I have ever met. You, sir, are a hero."

"I appreciate you saying that Red, but too many times I feel like a failure," John said. As John looked at Red he felt this becoming one of those friendships in life that are just "right", people in the right place, at the right time, that cross paths in just the right way. Neither asks anything of the other one. A special "balance", that works because of the uncontrollable chaos around them. John dropped a hundred on the bar." I have to go home to my wife and children, thanks for listening, Red."

"Hey, if a dumb ass, Irish bartender can't listen correctly, what the hell can he do?" Red said. John let out a chuckle, walked to the door and stepped out into the warm late August Seattle air.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

It was a Sunday morning. Todd and Jacqueline woke up in each other's arms in Todd's bed. Jacqueline had started staying with Todd to help him heal and recuperate from the gunshot wounds, but once he was ready to resume work, he asked her to stay with him permanently. "Todd, honey, I was thinking. Maybe we should do Sunday to Sunday for our honeymoon. You know, an extra day on each end to give us a bit more time to be with each other and enjoy ourselves."

"Um...I don't know, sweetheart. We could use a day in between the wedding and after the honeymoon, to reset and prepare us to go back to work."

"Oh really, Todd? Is that the reason? Or, is it that you want to watch football on those Sundays with John?" Jacqueline said accusingly.

"Um... Well, sure. I do want to watch the Seahawks but that's only a small part of the reason."

"Todd, if you want to make a decision based on your desires, that is fine. Just talk to me, tell me the truth. Do not think that you are going to be able to deceive me. I will see through it every time. Tell me the real reason and I will be fine with your choices."

"Okay. Well, now that you mention it that way, there is something. It is a small issue with the seating plan for the wedding. I'd rather not sit next to your parents. They make me a bit nervous at times."

"Tough. Deal with it, sweetie. They are my parents and they will be seated next to me at my wedding. It stays the way it is." With that, Todd got up out of bed with a perplexed look on his face, jumped into the shower and pondered over John's statement about the curious, quizzical nature of the female mind.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

"Men. We have two children missing, both within ten miles of each other. Here, a child missing from a state fair in Kent. Here, one from a playground in Auburn," Captain Johnson announced. He continued, as he pointed out the towns on a projected map of Central to Northern Washington. "Let me be clear. We, Seattle's finest, do not let abductors of the innocent youth roam freely on our streets. Now, men, at this time, we have no evidence that these cases are connected. But my instincts, along with the instincts of every man present here I'm sure, tell me that they are. I want my best men on this. Detective Corbin will lead a team of his choosing. John, I will give you as many uniformed officers as you feel you need at your disposal. This. Must. End. It must end now. I will not allow innocent children to be harmed on my watch. Get to it men."

As the captain finished his missive, John was already searching the database for playgrounds, fairs, arcades, ice cream stands, anywhere a young child might be hanging out. His plan was to double the coverage of police in those areas and alert them to be extra sensitive and aware of curious looking characters, seemingly scoping out children. Take no chances. If a suspect was spotted, John wanted them followed and all information, including make and model of vehicle they drive, license plate number, place of residence, occupation and any other info they can uncover, entered into the case file.

John knew he wouldn't be sleeping much in the coming weeks until the predator was found. Every child that went missing from here on out, he would be responsible for. The challenge was on the table. The clock was ticking. It was John Corbin vs. a monster. A monster John had not yet learned who went by the name of Javier Mendez.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

August 19, 1989, Central Texas...

It was an extremely hot Texas Saturday afternoon as Silas and his friend, Toby, were playing together on the wooded corner lot at the end of his street. It was the summer that Silas turned eight. "Hey Silas, do you see that? That's the Wilson's new pet cat. Let's try and catch him," Toby said.

The boys chased the feline through the woods until Silas finally was able to grab it. "Hold him, Silas, I want to pet him."

Silas was intrigued by the warm, cotton soft fur under his fingers. The cat let out a low "meow" as Silas felt the little heartbeat in its chest. Silas held him as Toby pet it from head to toe bringing a soft purr from its throat. "You ever have a pet?" Toby asked.

"No. My mother doesn't like animals."

"No? That's weird. Who doesn't like animals?"

That was the first time that Silas had experienced the sensation of holding a warm, fluffy, living, breathing creature in his hands. He looked into the cat's eyes. He wondered what it would be like to watch something die. He wondered what it would feel like to have something die in his hands. As the thought passed through Silas' mind an evil took over. An evil that would be with Silas for the rest of his life. The innocent, troubled boy was growing into an evil, dangerous man and this was the first phase. Both hands moved up to the cat's neck and squeezed. He watched as the cat squealed and squirmed in his grip. He felt the last bit of air squeeze out of the cat's lungs, causing an adrenaline rush as he watched the life drain from its eyes. He experienced the euphoric feeling of power take over him. "What are you doing?! You are a freak, just like your mother!" Toby screamed.

Silas looked Toby in the eyes, smiled and dropped the feline's limp, dead body to the ground. Toby fled. Silas walked home and entered his house a new boy, having uncovered an addictive, new passion. "Silas! You are late! In this house, we pray from six to ten every night. If you do not pray to the good Lord you will live an evil life. Now get upstairs and pray!" his mother yelled as she smacked him and pulled him by his hair up the stairs. This prayer session would be unlike all the others before this day. Silas would have a smile on his face the whole time. 
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

John was on the road, somewhere between Kent and Auburn, getting a feel for the landscape, absorbing what an abductor of youth would take in. Feeling and thinking what he would feel and think. Where he would search, wait, lurk, scoping out his next victim. John would often use this technique when trying to solve an especially difficult or dangerous case. Become your enemy. Transform yourself into a killer. See what he sees. Think what he thinks. Desire what he desires. It had been a couple of weeks since the last child went missing. John was certain he would strike again in the next few weeks. Once a month was a pretty good rule of thumb for serial killers, but sometimes the frequency would accelerate as the acts of raping, torturing and killing can become addictive to the psychopath. It was imperative that John put a stop to this evil. For another child abducted would stay with him forever, in his dreams, waking him in a cold sweat early on a Saturday morning and entering his mind while playing with his children in his yard, disrupting his peaceful thoughts as he drives home late at night. These thoughts would never leave. Hiding out in the deep abscesses of his conscience. Guilt overflowing until the day he, himself, ceases to breathe. The first step in halting a psychopath is becoming the psychopath. This day was dedicated to that transformation.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

"Hi, Jacqueline," Julie said as she got up from her seat to hug her pregnant friend.

"Hi, Julie. I'm starving." The two were at Collins Pub to enjoy lunch together.

"Haha. You mean you are both starving. It does a number on your body, doesn't it?" Julie asked.

"UGGH. Absolutely."

"I ordered for us already. Two Collins burgers, with

everything. That, my dear, will hit the spot," Julie said.

"Mmmm. Sounds perfect."

"Has Todd discussed the new case with you?" Julie asked.

"Yes. He told me that he is going to lead the team under

John," Jacqueline said.

"Yes. This case scares me. John goes through this...transformation during certain cases. He gets quiet, dark, disturbing even. He doesn't break out of it until he has caught the killer. I fear this to be one of those cases. Children- it affects us all when the innocence of youth gets harmed."

"Yes, I've noticed Todd a bit on edge about it as well," Jacqueline said. The waiter arrived and placed the food in front of the women.

"Wow. This looks delicious. Good choice, Julie."

"Yes, it does. So, where are you two going on your honeymoon?"

"We agreed on Hawaii."

"Oh, very nice. I've never been, which is kind of odd considering how close we are."

"Yeah, Todd didn't want to go too far away in case John needed him," Jacqueline said.

"You will find detectives are very close and very loyal to their duties and each other. It's admirable, but it can be challenging to a detective's wife at times as I'm sure you are discovering."

"Yes, I am."

"So have you thought about baby names?" Julie asked.

"Actually, we have. Devin for a boy and Arianna for a girl."

"Oh, I love both of them. Very unique," Julie said. Jacqueline then waved for the waiter. "Sir, may I have a dish of chocolate ice cream?"

"Absolutely, Madam. Coming right up."

"Ice cream? You only took one bite of your burger. You want dessert already?" Julie asked.

"Julie, sweetheart. How long has it been for you? Seven years? The ice cream isn't for dessert."

The waiter arrived with a dish of chocolate ice cream that Jacqueline proceeded to dump onto her burger. She then looked at Julie with a sly smirk on her lips. Julie just shook her head, gave a hearty chuckle and continued eating.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

September 20, 1981. Northern Washington State...

Johnny Corbin put his books in his locker, for there would be no studying tonight. He never studied. He got by on memory, common sense and an elevated IQ. Johnny's plan was to walk to the high school football practice field and watch the high school boys practice all afternoon. His love for football was already extremely intense and he could hardly wait to enter high school so that he could play on the team. He walked out of the back of the school, down the steps and across the parking lot when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. There, in the back schoolyard, three bullies had cornered a small, cowering boy. "Hey!" Johnny yelled as he walked toward the group. "Leave him alone!"

"What? You want to take his place, big shot?" the leader taunted Johnny.

"Gladly," he said to the surprise of the three bullies. The boy ran away scared but unharmed. Johnny fought bravely, damaged and hurt all three boys, but he never made it to the practice field that night. Two black eyes, a broken nose, and a split lip was the damage he absorbed. He never told a soul. Not his parents, not one classmate, not one teacher or the principal. He lied to his parents that he got into a small scuffle playing a pickup football game at a corner lot that afternoon. What Johnny did achieve that day was a certain respect from the bullies. They never bothered that little boy again and turned away when walking past Johnny in the hallways, while Johnny would look them all straight in the eyes. They remembered the fight in Johnny that day and the pain he inflicted on all three of them all by himself. From that day on a reputation was growing. Quiet, introverted Johnny Corbin was a defender of the small, weak and feeble. Quiet Johnny Corbin had a fire inside. Quiet Johnny Corbin was not to be messed with.
CHAPTER SIXTY

Julie woke up to an empty bed at 3:30 a.m. She got up, washed her face in the bathroom, threw on a robe and headed for the den to see if she could find her husband. The den was dark as she stopped at the doorway and peered in. She saw a silhouette sitting in the chair, staring ahead at the wall. She flipped on the light. John's face was stone cold, emotionless, lined with stress and deep thought. "John. Babe. Are you ok?" In front of him on the coffee table were a few books on psychopaths and serial killers that John used in cases like these. All were open to certain pages as if he was looking for a connecting link, an answer to a riddle or a puzzle. On the floor, a flashlight rolled back and forth, its light still shining. "John, you need to get some sleep."

"I know," was all he said as he continued to look straight ahead. Julie shut the door, turned the lock, walked in front of John and knelt down.

She then gave him a sexy, little smirk and said, "I know how to help you, babe." She then pulled down his pants and took him in her mouth. John leaned back and his muscles relaxed for the first time all night. Julie had perfected her craft over years of performing on her husband. She had discovered just what he liked, how to take him to the edge, back off and do it all over again. She used her hand in perfect rhythm and in unison with her mouth, lips, and tongue. He was instantly erect and started giving small little moans as she sucked on just the right part of his shaft. John rocked back as he exploded in her mouth. Julie swallowed it all down. She loved the way his semen felt in her mouth and as it went down her throat. She got up and sat on his lap and held his head to her shoulder. "Come to bed," she said. John gave a small, relaxed smile and said, "Okay." 
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Silas noticed the resemblance immediately. Gabriel had their mother's steel blue eyes and curly brown hair. His long face, thin lips and handsome chin were also a direct result of Tracy's DNA. Having recognized Gabriel without any doubts, Silas anxiously walked across the Emerald Hill Park grounds in San Diego. He approached the bench, stopped directly in front of his half-brother and said, "Gabriel? I am Silas," as he held out his right hand. Gabriel Crimson looked up, their eyes met, and in that instant, all of the lost years melted away. There were an undeniable connection and kinship in their gaze as Gabriel stood up, took Silas' hand and pulled him in for a hug. It was the first time in his life Silas had accepted affection from another male. He quickly broke the embrace and sat next to Gabriel.

"Did she go peacefully?" Gabriel asked.

"She did brother. She fought bravely, but she finally fell to the disease. She died happy, while heavily medicated."

"Good, I am over the anger. I have moved passed it. Silas, I had a rough childhood. My foster father did things to me that I blamed on our mother. But I have turned the page. I now live my own life. Mother is gone. I have moved on from my foster parents. I am free." Gabriel said. Silas noticed the flash in Gabriel's eyes instantly. The two were alike. They were the same. Not just half-brothers, they were something deeper, something similar. Silas didn't know if it was embedded in their DNA or a result of their brutal, rough childhoods, but they were connected. Silas gave him a knowing glance and said, "I understand. We are one in the same, brother."

A few hours later, Silas boarded his plane home. During the quick flight, Silas' thoughts returned to his brother, the man he had become, and the friendship they would share from this moment on. A small smile played on his lips. For once, Silas Alvah did not feel alone.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

John pulled up to the Alibi. He needed to think. Think and talk to his friend. The case was grinding on him and he was getting nowhere. No sightings. No leads. Nothing. John sat in his usual seat. "Hey Red."

"John, nice to see you. What's new, my friend?" Red said as he placed a Brooklyn In front of John.

"Have you heard about the two missing children?" John asked.

"Yes, I have. A shame. Boy and girl. Both around seven or eight, correct? In Kent?" Red said.

"Kent and Auburn. Well, I'm running the investigation. I've gotten nowhere. I know more are coming. I need to stop it. What am I missing, Red? I've been up every night going over it in my mind. I've locked down everywhere a child could be between Kent and Auburn and within a five-mile radius surrounding them. Nothing. Not one sighting, not one lead. I'm tired and frustrated."

"John, look. Clear your mind. You are emotionally too close to this. I can see it in your face. Take a step back and broaden your thoughts. Sometimes the easiest solution is the correct solution. You can squint so much to see in the distance that you might miss something right in front of your face. He is an abductor of children right? Where would be the most obvious place in the next month that would have the most children running around unsupervised? Find that answer and you will find your man. Well, monster, not man."

With that John's mind took a different angle. The wheels turned in reverse. His thought patterns took a 180-degree turn. He stopped targeting location as his main guideline. He expanded the target zone. Thought more about the setting being what the perp would need to thrive. Then it clicked. The Evergreen State Fair. Farm animals, pig races, loads of fatty, sugary fair foods. A breeding ground for young, hyper children who won't listen to their parents. John looked at Red. "Red, thank you. You are a fucking genius." Then he was up and out the door. Red just stood behind the bar and watched him go with a confused, blank look on his face.
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

"Men, I know that Monroe is outside of our original target zone, but my instincts tell me the Evergreen State Fair is his next target. It starts tomorrow. I want double the uniforms on patrol. I want ten undercover men with myself leading one team of five and Detective McGrath leading another team of five. Do not question or apprehend, without an actual abduction. Watch, follow, learn and record everything. We _will_ sift him out. I know it seems like a needle in a haystack, but we have one advantage: he has no idea that we are onto him. He will be acting as his usual self, and it is vital we recognize that. Men, we must grind this out. Cross every T. Dot every I. An innocent child's life depends on it. We _must_ get this done. No excuses. Thank you. Any questions?" Detective Bernard raised his hand. John nodded in his direction.

"Sir, you seem pretty sure that this will be the site for his next attempt at striking. Do you have any data or intelligence to back that up?"

"Nothing tangible. I have chased many psychopaths in my time. To catch them you must become them. My instincts, my gut tells me this is it. I see this fair through his eyes and I think he sees a breeding ground for his type of victim. I have no other reason than that. I feel it in my bones. Any other questions" John paused for ten seconds then said, "Good. Let's get to work."

John walked back to his desk to learn about the layout of the fair and how he would set up his men. "Nice speech." Todd sat down at his desk across from John. "I hope you are right about this, pops, are you sure?"

"No, I'm not sure. But every fiber of my being tells me it will be correct. Just raw gut instinct."

"Okay, I trust your gut. If we get this animal, will you smile again?" Todd asked.

"Todd. If we get this animal, I'm taking you and your better half out to dinner to celebrate."

"You got yourself a deal old man. But, just a warning, I have an expensive appetite."

"Yes, I already know that junior. I already know that."
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Silas sat with his laptop open in front of him. He typed a name. The name of a man, an acquaintance, who had occupied Silas' mind since meeting him. As Silas read the man's file he knew. He knew this man would be the next chosen one. The next soul to be set free. Was it the man's words? His eyes? His nature? Silas did not know exactly why, but, all the same, he knew it was the right choice. Feeling confident with his selection he now relaxed a bit, left his computer and headed for the room in the back of the house to cleanse his soul and spirit. This was his usual progression. Choose a soul to be set free, then experience a few weeks of spiritual cleansing sessions before actually planning out how he would go about setting the subject free. The shepherd, now nude, had begun tonight's session, jamming an awl under each fingernail in succession until drawing a stream of blood. The sweet, orgasmic pain relaxed Silas even more. While practicing these rituals, Silas felt truly alive, in the moment, feeling the spiritual build up to the shepherd's release of another soul. This one would be special. Everything had to be special when doing the good Lord's work. As blood trickled from each finger, he started the same process on his toes. While Silas squealed in pain and delight, a blinking light from the other room flashed on the wall. It was the cursor from his laptop. Above the blinking cursor was the name and file of a special man. A man by the name of Todd McGrath.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

It was a beautiful late summer day in northern Washington. A perfect seventy-one degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Javier woke with an intensity about him today. He was anticipating the hunt that awaited him, like a wild predator. Having felt like a caged lion for the past few weeks, Javier knew the time has come. The time to find and secure his next victim. He made his way to the kitchen grabbing a quick bite of breakfast before setting out to start his day. All that was left in the refrigerator were a few of Cindy's fingers, one hamstring steak, and a few kabobs of pepper, onions and meat from Cindy's shoulder. All marinated in teriyaki sauce. Much like the Native American Indians' use of the buffalo, Javier would eat every inch that he could, wasting very little. He grabbed a kabob and placed it in the microwave. He then clicked on the radio to see what the weather forecast called for. The gods blessed him with a perfect sunny day. There should be much prey bounding about. He made a mental note to rub on some sunblock. Javier had a light complexion for a Mexican so he took every precaution to keep his skin healthy and protected from the dangers of the sun's rays. As light as he was, he guessed his mother, whom he had never met, was American. Maybe Irish or English. In the little time he knew his father, they had never discussed his mother. He poured a cup of coffee and sat down to eat his breakfast. Javier needed to be well fueled. Today was an important day. The Evergreen State Fair was his destination.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

The fair was scheduled to open at 8:30 AM. John had briefed the twenty-five uniformed and the ten undercover officers. Todd's team would handle the red parking lot, the equestrian park, the RV parking lot and the grandstand for the racing track. John's team would handle the yellow and blue parking lots, Kiddie Land, Frontier Land, the courtyard stage area and the rides and amusements. The weathermen were calling for an absolutely perfect day for a fair. John was restless. He paced back and forth like a caged animal inside the empty building that the fair let the force use as a makeshift headquarters. At 8:17 AM Todd entered to have a word with John. "How are you doing?" Todd asked. "You look like shit."

"Thanks. I'll be much better when we nab this guy."

"You know, I was thinking, we all just assume it's a man, what if it's a female?"

"Good point Todd, but we do tend to play percentages. Over 92% of child abductions by strangers are committed by men. Chances are we are looking for a man. But I guess it wouldn't hurt to pay attention to the women as well. We have the manpower."

"Will do, John. We are live in ten minutes. Our men are all in position. John, good luck," Todd said as the partners and good friends shook hands.

"Luck is one thing that we could use a little of here partner."

John said as they left the building and separated. "Just this once," he said to himself as the bright, warm sun shone down on the beautiful Evergreen Fairgrounds. 
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

11:00 a.m.

Javier sat on a bench overlooking kiddie land and the food midway. He could hardly believe his luck. This place was a jackpot for pedophiles. Children of every age, shape, and size all running around unattended. The only issue was that there seemed to be an abundance of policemen. Timing would be critical, but to a man like Javier, this was like a chocoholic being inside a Hershey's store. He would have to leave with something today. The weather being perfect brought out the people in droves. That would make it very challenging for the cops and parents to keep track of every child. This would be his best opportunity of the week. Opening day. A Sunday. Perfect weather. A perfect storm. These ingredients would not be duplicated. Javier would watch the movements of the people and the cops and attempt to discover some opportunity, some crack in the patterns, some weakness in the routine. Once he figured it out he would scout out a desired target and finally time his move accordingly. This was definitely the spot he wanted to work from. Right behind him was the lot he parked his van in. He had chosen a spot all the way in the back, which connected directly to Cascade View Drive. From there he would be home free, with dinner for tonight if everything went well. He leaned back to catch the sun on his face. Javier was in a magnificent mood, what a wonderful day it was to be alive.

4:00 p.m.

Todd walked down the center of the fairgrounds. The grandstand was on his left and the west gate entrance and the agriculture display were on his right. It had been a quiet day so far. The few alerts that had been reported all proved to be false alarms. Todd and John were the only men allowed to roam free, the rest all had areas assigned to them. Todd thought: _Well, at least we are outside enjoying this beautiful day_ , as he turned left at the speedway office and the fair souvenir tents. As he approached the animal's tents on the right and Kiddie Land straight ahead he spotted him. A man. All by himself. Sitting. Watching. Waiting. Something deep inside of him, something primal, an intuition or instinct, told him that this man had things on his mind other than rides, animals, games, and food. Todd always marveled at the instinctual nature of John. How his instincts were so accurate, so powerful. This was the first time that he was feeling something similar himself. _Maybe the old man's preaching had finally taught him something_ , he thought, as he tried to blend into the crowd. Finally, Todd took a seat right outside the petting barn. It was a good spot to keep an eye on the lone man while still remaining concealed. He had no intention of letting this man out of his sight.

As the late afternoon sun crept across the blue northern Washington sky, Todd sat back and waited. Waited for what his instincts told him would inevitably come.

8:05 p.m.

The sun has descended on its path into obscurity. It was now a beautiful night in Monroe, Washington. Javier was growing restless. The park would be closed in two hours. As soon as he saw him he knew. He knew he was the one. He was a husky, healthy boy of about eight years. He was in a group with two other children, probably siblings, both too young, too skinny. They were all with a woman who was most likely their mother. The oldest, thickest boy was holding a giant stuffed elephant that he could barely keep off the ground. Javier watched as the woman handed the child keys, keys to their car, Javier assumed. His attention was directed at the young boy as he shook his head in an affirmative gesture at his mother and started walking towards the parking lot. Javier's mouth watered a bit as he took a quick inventory of the happenings around him. A cop eating a sandwich in the food midway. A cop facing the other direction at the far end of Kiddie Land. Another walking the perimeter away from Javier, toward the RV parking lot and the green gate area to the south. Now was the time. The police were tired from a long day. Their attention spans depleted. Javier knew that it was now or never. He got up and followed the young boy carrying the oversized stuffed elephant.

8:10 p.m.

Todd watched it all unfold. He saw the lone man, noticed the mother with her three children. He saw her hand over the keys to her son and heard him answer that he would be fine taking the stuffed animal to the car as he shook his head up and down. He saw the young boy walk away happily, pleased that he had won the elephant and delighted that his mother thought him mature enough to be trusted to trek to the car by himself without getting lost or without locking the keys in the car. Boys always remember that first time that they are treated like an adult. It is a rite of passage, the foundation to build on while striving to become a man. Watching the boy walk with a spring in his step and a wide smile on his face, Todd knew this was a time that the boy would remember and a step that would start his growth to maturity. Todd now followed the man's eyes tracking the young boy with the elephant. When the man got up to stalk the boy, Todd followed.

8:13 p.m.

Javier followed the boy past the last slide in Kiddie Land, past the gate entrance and into the blue parking lot. He could feel his blood pumping through his veins. Each step that he took seemed to last an eternity. This element of the hunt was the most exciting part. What Javier felt was akin to what a normal man would feel the few moments before they have intercourse with a new woman for the first time. The moments leading up to the act. The anticipation. The short, electric period of time when the outcome hasn't been decided yet to the moment that he knows she will let him enter her body. That feeling of victory and domination. Those were Javier's feelings the few moments before he attempted an abduction to the moment that he secured the prey. It is an addictive, electric euphoria. The boy, whose sight and senses were muffled by the huge toy he was carrying, had no idea that he was being followed. Javier closed the gap as they passed the tree line that sheltered the blue parking lot. The boy walked up to a mid-sized SUV, midway through the lot. As the boy placed the elephant on top of the vehicle to place the key in the lock, Javier struck. It was like a viper striking its prey. He instantly had his hand around the boy's mouth while the other arm wrapped around his waist and picked him up, carrying him away from his vehicle, away from the fairgrounds, away from his family, towards Javier's van at the back of the lot. All that was left in the wake was an oversized stuffed elephant overlooking the parking lot from its perch atop an SUV.

8:15 p.m.

Todd followed the man and the boy. His adrenaline started to pump as he saw the events unfold before his eyes. He followed them into the parking lot, being sure to stay far enough back so the man wouldn't notice him, become suspicious and abort the abduction. If this was the kidnapper, Todd needed to catch him in the act. Todd saw the child place the elephant on top of a vehicle and put a key in the lock when it happened. The man grabbed the boy so quickly and effortlessly that Todd had to wipe his eyes, stumbled, almost fell over, then steadied himself enough to regain his balance. He started running as the man quickly moved towards the back of the parking lot. The man was unaware as holding the boy blocked his vision and hearing from his backside. Todd broke into an all-out gallop, cutting the distance between them with every stride. Fifty feet, forty feet, thirty feet. Todd ran faster and harder than he had ever before, fueled by adrenaline. Adrenaline to stop this monster. Adrenaline to save the child. Adrenaline to free John from his own, personal prison. Todd was now fifteen feet away. Now five. _I got him,_ was his last thought as he readied himself to pounce.

8:17 p.m.

Javier was a few strides from his van and he could start to taste the boy's tender, sweet flesh when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a moving shadow play on the ground. He turned his head just in time to see Todd close the last ten feet and dive straight at him and the boy. He swung the child around with all his might and connected. He heard something crunch as he let go of the boy and jumped into his van. He quickly started it up and pulled out onto Cascade View Drive. As he turned onto the street he took one last look back and saw the boy struggling to get to his feet and Todd, a jumbled mess, on all fours with his one hand covering his face. Javier turned his eyes back to the road and continued his getaway. As he proceeded on his drive to freedom, his empty stomach growled. It would be a long, hungry, disappointing night.

8:20 p.m.

Todd measured then dove at the waist of the abductor. As soon as he left his feet something connected with his nose and he heard and felt a crunch. He saw black for a moment, followed by intense pain and blood. Startled, confused and dizzy, he worked his way up onto his hands and knees and brought his hand to his nose. Blood gushed through his fingers, down and off his chin, onto the pavement. As his senses slowly returned, Todd looked up at the last instant and caught a quick glimpse of a black van pulling away from him onto Cascade View Drive. He was able to get a brief look at the license plate. Now that the van had driven off, Todd staggered to his feet and looked at the boy. He was shaking and had tears streaming down his cheeks. "Are you hurt anywhere?" Todd asked.

"Yes. My knee." Todd assumed that was what connected with his nose.

"Son, everything will be fine." Todd then called John on his radio and filled him in on the events that had taken place.

"I'll be right there," John said.

"Son, what's your name?" Todd asked the boy.

"Peter Wallace."

"Okay, Peter. We are going to have a medic look at you and then we will take you to your family." At that moment Todd saw three police cruisers and an unmarked detective car pull out of the parking lot and onto Cascade View Drive in a hurry. A pair of medics ran up to both of them. "Check out his knee, that's what connected with my nose."

The medics checked out the boy and determined that he would be fine. As the medics were tending to Todd's nose, John arrived. "You alright?"

"Yes. Broken nose but other than that, fine." The medics finished patching Todd up and the partners walked the boy back to his mother.

"Take care of things here partner. I'm going back to HQ to wait on word from our cars," John said. "Meet me there for debriefing. Todd, good work and thank you."

8:50 p.m.

Todd walked into HQ, sat down across from John at his desk and said, "Anything?"

"No, nothing yet. The piece of shit got away."

"John, I'm sorry. I had him. He slipped through my fingers," Todd said as his chin dropped to his chest.

"Don't talk nonsense. You saved that boy's life. Your determination. Your attention to detail. You saved his life and you saved my sanity. If he had gotten away with the boy, with us knowing he would strike here, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You saved that boy and you saved me."

"I did my best. John, he's smooth. Fast. Strong."

"I understand. Now you need to fill out a report. Is there any information that you can give me that will help us find him?"

"Yes. Caucasian, in his late twenties to early forties, 5'5" to 5'9". Maybe 150 pounds."

John was writing the info down. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I got one quick view of his license plate. The first number, I'm not sure of, but the rest was 68-MDX."

"Okay, are you sure about the rest?"

"Ninety percent sure."

"Okay, I'll run the final five digits and see what we come up with. How's the boy?"

"Scared. Startled. His mother was very grateful and ashamed that it was her decision to let him go alone that lead to this. She felt very lucky that we were there," Todd said.

"Todd, you did great. Thank you."

9:30 p.m.

Todd filled out his report and went home for the night. John was still at the fairground headquarters. He ran all of the plates that ended in 68-MDX. Four came up as inactive. One was a seventy-two-year-old woman. One was a seventeen-year-old boy. One was a forty-three-year-old woman. Of the last three, one was a fifty-two-year-old male, Richard Sullivan, whose residence was listed as 12 Pine-crest Drive. The second, twenty-five-year-old Nick Holloway lived at 212 West Main Street. Lastly, thirty-two-year-old Harvey Mendes of 13 Elm Street. John ran background checks on all three. The first two came up clean, with Nick having a few minor traffic violations. John then searched Harvey Mendes. Nothing. No info. Just a name. No family. No past residence. No occupational history. Nothing. John almost fell over in his chair. The new software keeps any and all information on every citizen in the country. There was only one reason why there would be no info on a person. They are here illegally and they do not want to be found. How Mr. Mendes got a registration for a vehicle John didn't know yet, but he could guess that it was something illegal. John jotted down all the info that he had on Harvey and was on his feet and out the door in a flash.

11:30 p.m.

Todd was collapsed on his couch and replaying the evening's events in his mind. _I should have confronted him. Told him to halt_. Todd thought. He didn't want it to turn into a standoff and risk him taking the boy hostage. He thought his best chance at stopping the abduction and catching the perp, without anyone getting hurt, was exactly what he did. _Son of a bitch was lucky that he felt me coming at the last instant_. His thoughts continued. "Todd?" Jacqueline, who had been sleeping in bed, walked into the living room. "Oh, baby, your nose! Are you ok?"

"Yes. It's just a broken nose. Other than that, physically, I'm fine. Mentally, I have some regrets." Todd proceeded to fill Jacqueline in on what had occurred.

"Todd, you made a decision that instant that you thought was your best course of action for everyone involved. It wasn't wrong, it just didn't turn out the way that you had hoped it would."

"Maybe, but that's my job. To make things turn out the way that I plan them to."

"Oh, Todd." Jacqueline then held Todd in her arms. At that moment Todd's phone rang.

"It's John," he said to Jacqueline as he pressed the button to answer it.

"Hello."

"Todd. I got him. 13 Elm Street. I'm sending a team in. Meet me there."

"I'm on my way," Todd replied.
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

Thirteen Elm Street was a small ranch house on a humble plot of land. John and Todd arrived at roughly the same time. The black van with the license plate #368-MDX was sitting in the driveway. The team had arrived five minutes before the partners arrived and had the house surrounded. "Okay, junior. You ready for this?"

"Absolutely," Todd said. They drew their guns and slowly walked up to the front door. John knocked.

"Mr. Mendes. We have your house surrounded. Come out slowly, with your hands up!" John yelled. Nothing. Not a sound. Not a movement. John waved for the battering ram to hit the door. Once the entry was breached the partners let the team clear the house before entering. The small house had only four rooms: living room, bedroom, kitchen and a small bathroom. Todd inspected the bedroom and John took the living room and bathroom. They both met in the kitchen. As they worked their way through the kitchen Todd came to the refrigerator. Just to be thorough, he opened it and looked inside. What he saw sent shivers up his spine. He picked up the plates that contained the last of Cindy's fingers, a kabob and hamstring steak. As Todd set it on the table to get a closer look, his fears had come true. Human fingers. A child human's fingers. Todd lost control of his stomach, ran into the bathroom and vomited in the sink. John bagged the evidence and placed a knowing, understanding hand on Todd's shoulder when he returned from his visit to the bathroom. "Mother fucking sick piece of shit! I should have killed him when I had the chance!"

"Todd, let's keep our composure. No emotion. Remain calm, partner. Let's check the basement."

What they found in the basement was exactly what John expected. A butcher block with every type of cleaver needed to slice up a body and buckets filled with human bones. The partners returned upstairs. "I want his DNA. From wherever we can extract it. Toothbrush. Hairbrush. Toilet. Bed. Also, somewhere in this shit hole are his fingerprints. Find them."

Outside a morbid, dark, gloomy cloud cover had overtaken the sky. A slow, haunting rain started to fall on Northern Washington.
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

John and Todd sat at their desks on Monday morning, the day following the near capture of the child abductor. "John. Really? He eats human flesh? To top that off, children? How far into the depths of evil will these freaks go?"

"There is no rational or logical explanation to that question. As long as DNA is passed on by mentally unstable parents who then raise their mentally unstable offspring, we will have the perfect storm for evil."

Captain Johnson stopped by their desks on the way to his office. "Gentlemen, I know that you are upset and feel responsible for that nut escaping our grasp but the truth of the matter is that we saved a child. Nothing, and I emphasize, _nothing_ , is more important than that. I am proud that you two work for me. Good job men."

With that being said, the captain headed to his office.

"I wish I felt the way he does," Todd said.

"Todd, the only thing that you did wrong yesterday was lose your lunch. Keep it together, rookie. You did well. It was the right decision."

"Yeah, yeah. Now he is still out there. Lurking. Fucking freak show. I'd like to snap his neck myself."

"Don't worry, partner. We will get him," John said. "Not to change the subject, but you do realize that your wedding is only two weeks away right?"

"Of course I do. I'm ready."

"That's exactly what I want to hear, partner." 
CHAPTER SEVENTY

October 8, 2000. Davis, California

Silas had just started his second year at U. C. Davis. It was a Saturday evening and Silas was on a date with a young woman who attended school with him. Silas was still a virgin at the age of twenty. He didn't understand why, but his desires just weren't there for anything sexual. He wasn't homosexual, he felt attraction for women, but not in a way that made him desire to enter their bodies. When Silas would masturbate he would imagine strangling women, not fucking them. That would always bring Silas to an orgasm very quickly. He was heading to the beach with his date when she asked, "So, Silas. What is your major?"

"Forensic Entomology," Silas said.

"Isn't that something to do with bugs?" she asked.

"Yes. They are amazing creatures. Blow Flies. Maggots. Beetles. Fascinating really."

"Um...okay." They pulled up to the beach and Silas grabbed a

blanket, bottle of wine and a couple of wine glasses. "Let's go," he said.

Silas was never a drinker but he would make an exception for this occasion. He spread out the blanket, popped the cork, poured her a glass, and sat down. "So, have you told anyone about me, about our date tonight? Family? Friends?" he asked.

"No, nobody. Kind of makes it more exciting, don't you think?" she said as a little smirk appeared on her lips and she let out a small giggle.

"Sure," Silas said with a charming, slight smile. "Drink up," he said as he topped off her glass. Silas then looked into her eyes, put his arm around her and they touched lips for the first time. They kissed passionately and Silas became aroused. Not aroused because he could feel her tight body against him or because he enjoyed kissing her. He was aroused because, in his mind, he was imagining taking her life, watching her die. He pulled her down on the blanket while still kissing her. His hand came up to her neck and slowly wrapped around it. The other soon followed. He pressed, softly at first, then more intensely. His erect penis was pressing against her midsection. With all his strength, Silas tightened his grip around her neck and she began gasping and grabbing at his wrists. There was no stopping Silas Alvah tonight. As the last breath had been expelled from her lungs, the last bit of semen was dripping from his penis. Silas Alvah had made his first human kill.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

"Julie, this lunch is delicious!" Jacqueline said as Julie gave her an appreciative smile.

"I'm glad you like it," Julie said. The two friends were sharing lunch at Julie's house. John and Todd were working and the children were back at school. "Just twelve days until the wedding! Are you excited?"

"I am. It should be a wonderful day. Extended forecast says sunny, 66 degrees."

"Oh, that's perfect. Cool, crisp. But not too chilly. I can't wait!" Julie said. "How's the baby?"

"Excellent. He likes to dance whenever I play music loudly. He dances around like a little jumping bean."

"He?" Julie asked.

"Um...yeah. I'm kinda siding with John on this one. I'd like a son. I do think Todd would be great with a boy."

"Ha ha...okay, just don't let John know. He will tell you it was his idea first and gloat."

"Really? Is John a gloater? He doesn't seem it," Jacqueline said.

"Well, he is, in a very playful, innocent way. He likes to tease. He teases everyone and he is very competitive."

"Yes. He and Todd go at it pretty well. It amazes me. That's how men bond. We, women, are so different," Jacqueline said.

"Yeah, most women tend to do that kind of stuff behind each other's backs instead of to their faces, that's the difference."

"Yeah, you know, you are right. We are much more passive aggressive. You just made me uncover a new respect for men," Jacqueline said.

"Yeah well don't give them too much credit. They still screw up the important stuff like leaving the seat up, leaving their socks all over the house and they make a mess of the kitchen when they cook," Julie said.

"As I have been exposed to these issues recently, that's the truth, Julie, that's the truth," Jacqueline said.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO

On his first night off in a long while, John walked into the Alibi. He waved to Red at the other end of the bar and sat in his usual seat. Red grabbed a Brooklyn Ale, popped off the cap, and placed it in front of John. "Hey Red, how's my favorite Irish bartender?"

"John, how goes the struggle?"

"It's a struggle," John said. "How about you?"

"I'm still here. We never know when that will no longer be true so we need to cherish every day that we are," Red answered

"You know, you are pretty wise for a broken down bartender," John said.

"Why thank you...I think." They both had a chuckle at that.

"Red, did you play any football? High School? College?"

"No, I can't say that I have. I got involved with a bad crowd at an early age. Drugs. Alcohol. Bending the laws. That's how I ended up with this gig as my career."

John looked at Red like he was digesting that information and could see Red's life course play out in his mind. "I understand," John finally said.

"Why do you ask?" Red said.

"It was my first love. It's an incredible sport. I've learned more life lessons from the game of football than anything else. It taught me how to be a man. How to accept responsibility. How to have discipline. Responsibility and discipline for your teammates and for yourself. There is no other sport that requires the teamwork of football. Not one. No one, not one player, can be successful at their craft, at fulfilling their responsibilities without the full dedication and competence of his teammates."

"Sounds like you have played your share of games my friend," Red said.

"I did. One occasion comes to mind. High school. I was a junior at Mansfield High. We were playing our rivals on a Saturday night. It was the last game of the season. Everything was on the line. I was a wide receiver. We were down six with 1:43 left in the game. We started the drive on the two-yard line. One timeout left. We drove all the way down to their ten-yard line with two seconds remaining. Coach called, "one back, power left, pro right, Z slant". I was the "Z" receiver. Their defense had been in a cover two dime zone defense the whole drive, which leaves a small gap between the corner, linebacker, and safety if you run your route correctly. Then, of course, the throw has to be perfectly placed and timed. I found the seam turned, and the ball was on me, a great throw. I caught it, bounced off the linebacker on the one-yard line, and fell into the end zone while getting sandwiched between the safety and cornerback. Touchdown. Our kicker, nailed the extra point to win the game. That play took forever in my mind. Time slowed to a crawl. I remember every moment. Making my cut, seeing the ball in the air, looking it into my hands, taking the huge hit and holding on, not just for me but for my teammates, coaches, and fellow students. I know it was only a game, but there was a much deeper meaning at work. It was a lesson that you can use for anything that arises in your life. Making that catch that night so long ago was pure, clean and primal. There was and still is nothing complicated about it. See the challenge. Meet the challenge. We, as a team, worked together to do just that. The greatest feeling in the world is accomplishing something that you previously thought impossible. We did it that night. Together. It's euphoric. I still have dreams about it. Football taught me that if you do not give up, that feeling can be yours. I never forgot that."

"That's a great story, John. Those lessons are still used to guide you through life?" Red said.

"Absolutely. Hey if I didn't have these memories, I would still be here, doing what I am doing today, but I'd be different. I would be a different John Corbin. Those experiences built my foundation as to who I became as a man," John said.

"I totally understand and you are correct. I mean, look at me. Having a drinking problem at such a young age set the foundation for me to be a bartender." With that, the two friends had a hearty laugh together.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE

July 22, 1988. Seattle, Washington

John Corbin was a rookie cop on the Seattle Police force. He had responded to a call about a disturbance on his beat. Unbeknownst to John, someone had taken a young woman hostage in an apartment complex on the top floor. John walked up to room 412 and knocked on the door. "Help!" he heard followed by a muffled smack and, "Shut up bitch!" John pulled his gun and kicked in the door. He saw, straight through the living room on the balcony, a silhouette of a man holding a woman at gunpoint. John quickly moved behind a wall. "Sir, drop the gun!" John yelled.

"I am going to kill this bitch and then jump. Leave pig!" This was the first situation that John had encountered which was more serious than the usual traffic violation or minor domestic disturbance. He had been on the beat for only a month and now he was being thrown straight into the fire. John called it in. Dispatch informed him that backup including Detective Johnson was on his way, but John didn't think that he could wait. This man was dangerous and on edge. "Sir, please let the girl go. You and I can handle this."

"Why would I do that? I want to send a message to all of the people that disrespected me, laughed at me and treated me like shit. Taking her with me will do just that."

"Sir. Let her go and take me instead. What better way to make a statement than to take out a cop? I'm putting my gun down. Let her go and I will come forward to you."

John was surprised to find the perp accept his offer. He let the girl go and John took her place. He pulled John to the edge of the balcony, to the increasing gasps of the growing crowd below. "I have to give you credit copper, you got guts," the man said as he put the gun to John's head. "But why?" he asked. "Why would you give your life for another?"

"Reasons I'm sure you would never understand. It is my duty and who I am," John said. The perp gave a little sly smirk like he thought John an idiot and pushed the gun against John's temple. A shot rang out into the warm, humid, summer, Seattle air. John opened his eyes and was shocked to discover he was still alive. The perp had fallen down on the balcony with a lone gunshot wound to his head. John turned and saw Detective Johnson lowering his weapon. "Damn, rookie, you have on you a pair of brass balls. You saved her life, son. Good work."

"Yeah and you saved mine," John said.

"Maybe, but what you just did is the kind of thing that gets remembered on this force. I won't forget it." Detective Johnson would become captain within three years.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

Javier awoke to a crisp, cool, overcast night. He was nude, with his hands tied behind his back and his legs tied firmly together above his ankles. Javier was groggy and had no recollection of the sequence of events that brought him here, to this place and in this situation. As his senses slowly returned, so did the pain from the multiple cuts on his body that were bleeding profusely. As his brain became more coherent, panic started to overtake him. He heard a noise and looked

around to take in the landscape and locate the source of the sound. He was laying in the tree line of a wooded area. In front of him was a large field escalating up a hill. Now, coming over the hill was a sounder of wild boars. Slowly, Javier realized what was about to happen. The pack came charging over the hill as one, smelling the fresh blood which had puddled under his body. As the beasts moved in closer they slowed and became a bit cautious. Javier, though weakened by his loss of blood, was in full panic mode now, frantically struggling to free himself from his binds. The first few boars that reached him started sniffing and snorting around him. Once they realized there was no imminent danger, they started licking up the blood that had drained from his body. Then they began to chew on him, starting at the wounds, opening them wider with every bite. The full pack was on him now, devouring his flesh. Javier screamed a loud and frantic scream that pierced the night, and called out for help. Ironically, he even begged God to save him, but there was no God to save Javier Mendez on this night. There was a loud crack as one of the largest boars took Javier's skull in its powerful jaws and crushed it like a walnut shell, ending Javier's life. As the pack cleaned his body to the bones, fifteen innocent spirits looked down on the feast with joy in their hearts. Fifteen pure, youthful spirits, taken before their time, now felt the revenge that they deserved, finally setting their souls free. Free to rest in peace forever...

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

It was a Thursday afternoon, both partners had taken the two days leading up to the wedding off. John had treated Todd to lunch and now they were at the shooting range. "How's Jacqueline?" John asked.

"She's doing well considering the amount of stuff on her plate." "Is she more excited about the wedding or the baby?" "Definitely the baby. At first, she seemed nervous but I think your

lovely wife had a talk with her about motherhood and calmed her nerves. Now her motherly instincts seem to have taken over," Todd replied.

"Julie is an amazing mother. I watched and admired her as she nurtured our children from birth," John said.

"I am really grateful that she is in our lives and can help Jacqueline through this," Todd said.

John's phone buzzed. "It's a text from Captain Johnson," John said as he read...

_I hope you two are enjoying your time off. I want to inform you that human bones were uncovered at a wild boar farm between Everett and Arlington yesterday. We took DNA samples. They matched our cannibal, Harvey Mendes. It's over. Someone got to him. We do not know who, how or why yet. There is no data or any clues that connect this to our vigilante, but we will continue to investigate. I will see you two on Saturday_.

"Todd read the text on your phone," John said.

When Todd finished reading he looked up at John and said, "But who?"

"God knows he has affected many lives with his evil, could be anyone, a relative of a victim, maybe."

"I would have liked to cuff him myself when I had the chance but at least he is gone, no longer able to harm anyone," Todd said.

"We played a part in that," John said.

"You are right. Either way, the world is a safer place today." "Exactly. Now you can hand your sack over to Jacqueline

Saturday with a clear head," John said.

"At least my sack still works, old man," Todd said.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

"Do you, Jacqueline, take Todd to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Do you Todd, take Jacqueline to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Todd, you may now kiss your bride." Todd bowed his head and kissed Jacqueline to the cheers and applause of their families and friends. As the happy couple went to take pictures, the guests preceded to the reception for cocktails. The wedding was held at Canterwood Country Club in Gig Harbor. John grabbed drinks for him and Julie and sat down at his table. "Oh John, it was so beautiful. I'm so happy for them."

"It was perfect," John said. A couple that looked to be in their fifties walked over to their table.

"Hi, John, Julie. I am Jim Nash, Jackie's father. This is my wife Claire, Jackie's mother."

John stood up and shook Jim's hand. "Hello sir, you have a wonderful daughter. Congratulations."

"Thank you. We are so proud of her. She talks about how marvelous you two are all the time," Jim said. Claire now spoke while looking at Julie. "I want to personally thank you, dear. You have made such an impression on my baby girl. She tells me how you have helped her through the pregnancy."

"Oh, it is my pleasure, Mrs. Nash. She is a wonderful girl and a dear, close friend to me." At that moment the coordinator asked for everyone to be seated so that the emcee could announce the arrival of the newly married couple. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I now have your attention as we welcome the new Mr. and Mrs. Todd and Jacqueline McGrath. Please join me in congratulating the happy couple."

Todd and Jacqueline walked into a loud applause as tears streamed down Julie's face both in happiness for Todd and Jacqueline and in remembrance of that moment at her own wedding and how she felt that day over a decade ago.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN

Blessings were stated, the first dance concluded and now dinner had begun. In his mind, John was going over the toast he would soon give as the best man. He wanted it to be perfect. John wasn't much of a speaker in front of a crowd, being an introvert, but he relished the opportunity today to say some things about his friend and his new wife. A few minutes later the coordinator of ceremonies stood up and announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please. The best man would like to now say a few words."

John stood and after a short applause started. "Firstly, I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Nash and everyone else who has helped in the service and this lovely reception. I have known Todd for only a short while in the grand scheme of life, but he has quickly become a dear friend and a respected, trusted partner. He has grown before my eyes and Jacqueline has helped in that growth. Since he has met his lovely wife, he has been happier, more energetic, easier to talk to and more responsible and mature in the way he acts and lives. I know now that it was a direct result of having Jacqueline in his life. You meeting each other is a gift to be forever cherished and remembered. Marriage isn't about finding a person that you can live with, it's about finding the person that you cannot live without. Here's to Todd finding that person. I wish you both the best of luck and a life together filled with health, happiness, and joy. Congratulations to Todd and Jacqueline."

This brought a standing ovation from all of the friends and family of the bride and groom. When John sat down Julie put her hand over his and said, "Honey, that was beautiful. Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" John asked.

"For letting me see that sensitive side of the man that I fell in love with still exists. I love you." 
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

Dinner had concluded and the dancing and partying had begun. Todd and Jacqueline were back on the dance floor as the band kicked the tempo up a notch. John and Julie soon joined in as did Captain Johnson and his wife. John cut in and danced with Jacqueline. "Your toast was beautiful John. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Jacqueline. I meant every word. You mean the world to him. Always remember that, even when you incur rough times."

Jacqueline turned her head up to John and smiled. "I'll do my best," she said. Everyone continued dancing, drinking and talking. A wonderful time was had by all. Todd cut the cake and served it to all of his guests. After more dancing and drinking the time had come for the last two songs. The band played a heart-wrenching version of ' _Stand By Me'_ followed by an explosive version of ' _Don't Stop Believing'_ for the final song. The coordinator then invited everyone outside to see the newly married couple off. People were blowing bubbles, throwing rose petals, lighting sparklers and blowing noisemakers. Todd and Jacqueline waved to all of their friends and family, kissed one last time in front of the crowd, then climbed into their limo to start their lives together. 
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

Silas sat at his desk at work with a copy of the Seattle Times opened in front of him. He had skimmed over the news, read the obituaries with a bit more attention, then he came to the wedding announcements. He recognized the face as soon as he saw it. Todd McGrath and his new wife. His new pregnant wife. Jacqueline. Silas stopped reading, reached down, opened up his desk drawer and grabbed his scissors. He proceeded to cut out the wedding posting. "Now, Todd. I did not realize that you had such a beautiful girlfriend. Oh, excuse me...wife. Good for you my friend," Silas said out loud to himself. He would take the posting home and tack it up onto Todd's board. The board that now contained a picture of Todd and any and all information that Silas had learned about him. Silas stood the wedding picture up against his monitor and kept his eyes on the lovely couple as he leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. A small, sly smile had appeared on his lips. A smile that would be present for the remainder of the day.
CHAPTER EIGHTY

John stepped into The Alibi and took his usual seat at the bar. Red waved, grabbed a Brooklyn Ale, walked over and set it down in front of John. "Thanks," John said.

"How was the wedding?"

"It went well. They are in Hawaii as we speak."

"That's great. I'm glad it went well. How was your toast?"

"I did alright. They were happy so that's all that matters. Right?"

"Absolutely," Red replied. "Hey, I heard you found that nut who was eating kids. Congrats."

"Well, we didn't catch him, but he is no longer a threat to society. What's the difference? Right?" John asked.

"There is none. The world is now a safer place and frankly, I am glad he is dead rather than locked up, where there is always a chance of him becoming free again and continuing his evil ways." Red said.

"Me too, Red, me too."

"Any idea what happened? Who got to him?"

"Nothing yet. We are investigating. Most likely a relative or friend of a victim," John said.

"Good for them. I back them one hundred percent. Some are just too evil to let live," Red said.

"Do you believe in pure evil, Red? I mean, _pure_ evil. An evil that is embedded in their DNA? Or do you think that it is more of a psychological trait?"

"I don't know. Just as I have no idea if pure good exists. I think we should just judge on what our actions state. Nothing is absolute. There is always a sliver of evil in the good and a sliver of good in the evil. But some things, some acts, cannot be forgiven and those who perform them need to be exterminated."

"So does that mean that you are a proponent of capital punishment?" John asked.

"I am. In certain cases," he said.

"But that, my friend is the problem. There is an abundance of grey area in many cases. How can we trust a court of law to make those decisions with all of the red tape it has to tiptoe around. Money plays a part. Lawyers play a part. In many cases in court, there is a thin line between innocent or guilty, freedom or incarceration, life or death," said John.

"Maybe, but to me evil is recognizable. Certain crimes and criminals stand out. It's black and white."

"Maybe to you it is," John said. "But to many others, it is a whole spectrum of gray."
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE

The bright, full moon shone down, its reflection stretched out across the Pacific Ocean as the waves rolled in one after another. It was an unseasonably warm night with a calm, yet steady Pacific breeze coming off the ocean. Todd had returned from their bungalow with a non-alcoholic margarita he had made for Jacqueline and a scotch on the rocks for himself. They were staying at the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort in a secluded bungalow right on the beach, on the west coast of Hawaii Island. "Thank you," Jacqueline said as he handed her the drink and sat down in the sand, next to her. "Todd, it is so beautiful," she said as she looked out across the ocean.

"It is. Even more so because you are here."

"Aw... Thank you, sweetheart."

"Some say the Pacific has no memory. You can look out across it, breathe in the salty air and forget everything, your mistakes, your sins, your imperfections."

Todd put down his drink, took Jacqueline's face in his hands, looked directly into her eyes and said... "This has been the happiest week of my life. I look forward to continued pleasure and contentment with you and our children throughout our existence together."

"Our _children?_ " Jacqueline said. "Do you have more planned?"

"I do. It is out of our hands anyway babe. Your eggs possess no defenses from my sperm," Todd said. Jacqueline rolled her eyes and let out a loud, steady laugh. "I didn't realize I was marrying a comedian as well as all of your other talents. You are quite the jack of all trades."

"I am. This being my strongest," Todd said as he kissed her passionately. They then made love in the cool Hawaiian sand with a warm, pure Pacific breeze blowing against their bodies, under a bright, full, brilliant moon. 
CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO

Julie walked into the bedroom after putting Gianna and Ryann to bed. "Your daughter wants you," she said to her husband. John put on a shirt and headed for Gianna's room. He walked in and sat down beside her bed.

"Hi Daddy, Mommy is upset with me because I told her that I can't sleep."

"Why can't you sleep?" John asked his daughter.

"Sometimes I don't like being alone. I get lonely and scared."

"Okay, I'll tell you what. I will sit here until you fall asleep."

"But what if I wake up and you aren't here?" John smiled and

said, "I will be, until you are comfortable being alone. I will always be here for you."

Gianna jumped up and hugged her father and said, "Thank you Daddy, I love you."

"I love you too, baby girl."

He got up and put her back in bed, tucked her in and kissed her on her forehead. "Now sweetheart, get to sleep. I will be right here looking over you."

"Okay, Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight sweetie." John watched his daughter fall asleep. He didn't go to bed. He stayed in the chair all night just like he promised.

At approximately three o'clock Julie came in and said, "John, what are you doing? Come to bed. Stop spoiling her."

"I promised. I never break a promise." Julie shook her head and went back to bed. An hour later, Gianna woke and her head shot up to see if her father had kept his promise and was still there. The sleepy, startled look on her face was instantly replaced with a bright smile. A smile because her daddy was still looking over her, protecting her. A smile because her father didn't break his promise.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE

Todd walked into the station on the first Monday after his return from Hawaii and sat down at his desk across from John. "Good morning, partner," Todd said.

"Here he is. The newlywed. Well, how was Hawaii?" John asked. "Perfect. Beautiful. It was a wonderful week."

"I'm happy for you. It was a fabulous wedding."

"Jacqueline and I received an email from our doctor. The baby is

due December 20th," Todd said.

"That's great. What a Christmas present," John said.

"It is. Any advice? Fatherhood is kind of scary."

"Being a father will change you forever. But I can't explain it to you. You cannot understand what it means until you experience it for yourself. Until you see your own eyes look back at you and see them smile at you that first time, it's just talk. You may think that you understand how you will feel and how it will affect you but, trust me, you don't," John said.

"I look forward to experiencing it," Todd said.

"You will never experience love like you will feel for your own child. If, when I am on my death bed, I can look back at my life and have no regrets about how I brought up my children and the life that I gave them, I can die a happy man. If I fuck that up, I could never truly be happy. I'm sure that you will feel the same."

"What the hell pops, you are really putting the pressure on me," Todd said.

"Relax. Just love them to the best of your abilities and follow your instincts."

"What if I don't have instincts?"

"Then pray that Jacqueline has enough for both of you." 
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR

Jacqueline stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom inspecting her midsection and the small, round, protruding bulge of her belly. Her hands moved around the soft skin and traced the outline of her baby. How amazing she thought. My baby, living inside of me. I never actually thought about what that truly means. At that moment the baby kicked. She put her hand to the spot and the baby kicked again. She felt the little foot protrude through her skin. A peaceful, loving smile came over her lips. As the baby kicked once more, the doorbell rang. A bit startled, she scrambled to get dressed and headed for the foyer. As she approached the door, she peered out of the window to see who it was. A dark haired handsome man in his thirties stood there waiting. She kept the chain on the door and opened it a few inches and said, "Can I help you?"

"Hi, ma'am. I am looking for Todd McGrath. He came to my lab today to discuss a case report. Here it is." The man held up a file for Jacqueline to see. "Oh. My badge ma'am," he said as he raised his badge up for her to see. Jacqueline took the file and opened it up and noticed the official form used for police reports. "Todd instructed me to meet him here at this time."

"He should be home shortly. Come in," Jacqueline said as she undid the chain and opened the door.

"Thank you. I hope that I am not intruding...Mrs. McGrath?"

"No, not intruding at all. Yes, it's Mrs. McGrath. We were just married ten days ago."

"Oh, how wonderful. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Jacqueline said. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water?"

"Coffee would be fabulous, black, thank you," the man said.

"Okay, I'll be right back. Have a seat...Mr.?"

"Alvah. Silas Alvah."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Alvah," Jacqueline said as she headed to the kitchen. As Silas' coffee was brewing, Jacqueline sent a text to Todd informing him that a Silas Alvah was there to go over a case report with him. When the coffee was done, she returned to the living room and placed it down in front of Silas. "Here you are. Enjoy."

"Smells wonderful. Thank you, Jacqueline."

Silas then took out a pair of gloves and slipped them on. A chilling feeling went through her heart as she looked at Silas and said, "How did you know my name?"

Silas just took a slow sip of coffee, looked into her eyes with a cold, hard stare, while an evil faint smile formed on his lips.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE

Todd was walking through an aisle at the local supermarket. He was planning to cook dinner for his wife tonight and was searching for the perfect combination of foods. He had settled on a salad, then chicken Marsala over pasta. He knew Jacqueline needed her carbs. As he reached for a box of ziti, he heard his text tone go off. When he stopped to get gas he read it.

_Silas Alvah is here. He said that you wanted to go over a case file with him_.

Todd reread the message and a perplexed look came over his face. Wasn't Mr. Alvah the technician from the lab? He hadn't talked to him in weeks. What did he want to go over? Todd finished fueling up and got in his car to head home. On the way, he decided to give Jacqueline a call to get a few specifics on what case Silas was referring to, but there was no answer. Todd dropped his phone on the passenger seat and continued to drive home. He finally turned onto his street and up his driveway, parked his car and headed to the front door, groceries in hand. When he reached the entrance he placed the bags down, turned the knob and opened...
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX

Todd opened the door, picked the bags up, turned back and walked into the house. He then saw a vision that made him drop the groceries on the floor. Ahead, in the dining room, Jacqueline was tied up and gagged, sitting in a chair at the table with a knife to her neck being held by Silas Alvah. "What the...?! Let her go!" were the first words out of Todd's mouth.

"Hello Mr. McGrath, It's been a while. Too long. We were due for an acquaintance. Calm down and do as I say and the pretty wife will be fine."

Todd just stood there, a look of horror and panic on his face. "What do you want!?" he asked.

"Well, firstly my friend, I want you to calm down. Once you have that accomplished, walk over here and sit on the other side of the table from myself and your lovely wife."

Todd took a few deep breaths to calm himself and did as Silas asked. "Good boy. I have placed a sedative and a glass of water in front of you. Take the pill now. It won't knock you out, just make you feel woozy and calm. Just what we need for you to be a good, obedient boy." Todd looked at Jacqueline and their eyes met. He could see the lines from the tears that had fallen from her eyes down her cheeks. At that point, he made a move to get up and Silas poked Jacqueline in the neck with the tip of his knife. She let out a muffled scream and a small drop of blood rolled down her neck and fell to the floor. "Easy big guy. Next time it goes all the way in and your family will be dead. Do as you are told."

Todd sat back down. "What do you want!?"

Silas smiled and pointed the tip of the knife at the pill. Todd picked it up, put it in his mouth and swallowed.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN

Todd awoke with his arms and legs tied to the chair just as Jacqueline was. The last thing Todd remembered was taking the pill, drinking the water and watching Silas walk to pick up the groceries and take them into the kitchen. Then, strangely, Silas started cooking. He faded out to the sound and scent of chicken sautéing in a pan. Todd was very groggy coming to and his first thought was to locate Jacqueline and make sure she was fine, but she was still there, across the table from him. Silas walked into the dining room and placed a plate of chicken Marsala in front of Jacqueline and another in front of Todd. "He's awake! How are you, my friend? I'm sorry, I must have misjudged the effect that the pill would have on you, but you are awake now so all's well that ends well."

"What-do-you-want-from-me," Todd snapped, more like a statement than a question.

Silas looked at him and said, "First, dinner. We all eat together. Have some nice conversation, then after I will answer any questions that you may have." He then walked back into the kitchen to get his plate, returned and sat at the head of the table. "Now, my friends, I will graciously untie one hand on each of you so that you can eat this delicious meal. If I see anything funny going on the little lady gets the blade. Understood?" Todd just sat there staring at Silas. "Understood?" he repeated.

"Yes," Todd said. Silas got up and untied Todd's right hand and then did the same to Jacqueline. Then he took the gag out of Jacqueline's mouth. "Oh, Todd! I should have warned you. He took my phone..."

"Enough!! I don't want to hear any of that lovey-dovey bull shit talk or I will shove that back into your mouth and you won't be able to enjoy this lovely food that I prepared for us."

Silas sat back down. "Who's going to say grace?" They both just stared at him with a blank, hateful look in their eyes. "Okay, I will. Thank you, Lord for this meal we are about to consume. Thank you for giving me the ability to cook it and most of all, Lord, thank you for giving me the strength and power to do your work. The power to set these three lost souls free, free to go back to you, Lord, where they belong."
CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT

Silas dug into his food as Todd and Jacqueline sat looking at him with terror and panic in their eyes. "Well...eat up my friends. The quicker we get through dinner the quicker you get to find out your fate." Jacqueline picked up the fork and slowly put a small piece of food in her mouth. Todd continued to stare at Silas. "Todd. Seriously. Eat. Now." Todd finally gave in and took a bite. "Oh, I am so happy. We are like one big family having dinner. Conversing. The lovely newlyweds, the unborn baby, and Uncle Silas. What an exciting evening!" Silas said, and then continued eating. When finished, Silas cleared the table and cleaned everything up. "You two didn't eat much. Tsk tsk. An expecting mother needs her nourishment." Silas then tied up their free hands once again and sat back down in his seat. "Now. Any questions?"

"What do you want?" Todd asked.

"I don't want anything. I am here for you. To free both of you from the ties that bind you. This life. What were you two thinking to bring a child into this world? Do you not understand the amount of evil that lurks here?" Having listened to what Silas had said and understanding what her fate held for her and her family, Jacqueline started sobbing. "My dear, crying won't do any good. All three of you are going to die tonight and begin the next chapter of your soul's existence. Having recently been reunited with my brother, I know how important kin is. I am sending you back to your maker where you belong, together, as a family. You really should thank me." With that being said, Silas got up and put both his hands around Todd's neck. Jacqueline shrieked and flipped the chair over, trying to break free. She landed with a loud thump on the floor. Silas continued to strangle Todd as he looked deeply into his eyes. As the life drained out of Todd, Silas felt his spirit leave his body and travel through his, free, free to go home. When Silas let go, Todd's limp body fell over, his face white and his eyes lifeless. Silas then walked over to Jacqueline who was groggy from the fall with a small puddle of blood pooling under her head. He wrapped his hands around her throat and watched as she turned white and lifeless. He now turned his attention to her belly and the baby slowly dying inside. He lifted up her shirt and placed both hands on the bare skin, pressing in so he could feel what was about to happen. He could feel the baby kick, squirm and struggle for the air that his dead mother no longer provided. This was something that Silas had never experienced before. After a ten minute struggle, the baby ceased to move and Silas felt the electricity of that innocent soul escape the body and travel through Silas. He breathed deeply, feeling exuberant, glorious. His job now complete, he got up and headed for the door. As Silas walked out of the McGrath's home and headed on his way, he was humming ' _Happy Together'_ by the Turtles. Silas always loved that song. He left in his wake the broken dreams of a family. A perfect family, taken before their time, before the dreams of their perfect life together were able to come true.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE

It was almost ten and John was starting to become concerned. Todd was never late and the few times that he actually took a day out of work he gave plenty of notice. This wasn't like him. He had been due in at eight, almost two hours ago. John's text to Todd remained unanswered and his calls went to voicemail. John's plan was to give him until noon and then head over to his house to check on him. Did Jacqueline have a complication? Were they at the hospital? John tried to calm his mind and tell himself that there must be an explanation. John sent a text to Julie:

Check on Jacqueline. Todd didn't come to work.

At a quarter to twelve, John headed over. On his way, he received a text from Julie.

_Nothing from Jacqueline. I called. Sent a text. No answer_.

As he pulled up to Todd's house he saw Todd's car in the driveway. He pulled up in front, walked to the door and knocked. No answer. He knocked again, louder this time. Nothing. "Todd? Jacqueline?" he called. Nothing. John tried the doorknob. It turned. He pushed the door open and walked in. He stepped into the foyer and again called "Todd? Jacqueline?" Then he froze. He saw a vision that brought terror to his senses. He saw on the floor in the dining room a lifeless body. He quickly walked through the living room to reveal the horror before him. Todd. On the floor. Dead. John fell to his knees with his hands on his head. "No!" he said to himself aloud. "No!" He then noticed Jacqueline's body splayed out on the floor on the other side of the table. He checked both bodies for a pulse but there was nothing. Gone. Gone forever. He felt Jacqueline's belly but it was cold and lifeless. He screamed as he fell to the floor in pain and horror. After ten minutes of anguish, he finally sat up and put his hands over his face. The hurt slowly started to turn to anger. He cleared his head. He had to call this in, but first he needed to investigate a bit on his own. His search of the house uncovered Jacqueline's phone submerged in water in the toilet. Other than that, nothing. Not a thing out of place. No clues. Nothing to the naked eye anyway. John went back to the bodies and he could tell from the marks around their throats that they were both strangled. John then went out to check Todd's car. It was open, which was strange. Todd always locked his car. He must have been in a rush. Then John noticed Todd's phone on the passenger seat. He grabbed it and punched in 1-2-2-0 which Todd just set as his security code since he found out the baby's due date was December 20th. He searched in and outgoing calls. Nothing out of the ordinary. He saw his own call and voicemail. He then checked the texts. He saw his from that morning and scrolled down until one caught his eye from Jacqueline:

Silas Alvah is here. He said that you wanted to go over a case file with him.

John became light headed and had to get out of the car into the fresh air. Silas Alvah? Who the hell is that? he wondered. He then doubled over and vomited in the grass. When done he wiped his mouth, pocketed Todd's phone and called the scene in.
CHAPTER NINETY

"We say that our hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say that, we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us that it is close at hand, waiting to pounce when we least expect it. Todd, Jacqueline, and their baby were taken from us before their time. In these instances, we search for meaning, reason in God's choices. Sometimes they are not evident to us and may never be, but have faith that there is a plan. A plan that will bring us all together in the end. Give your grief to God and may these innocent souls rest in peace."

It was a cold, rainy, raw afternoon for the funeral. It was the hardest and worst day of John's life. The priest had finished his homily and the procession was on its way to the cemetery. John and Julie followed the hearse in silence. Julie had hardly spoken after John told her the day it happened. She was in a dark place and John knew that it would take much time and healing for her to resurface. Jacqueline was like a sister to her and she had already acquired a motherly kinship to the baby.

As they pulled up to the cemetery, John felt a shiver go through his body. This was the part that he feared the most. Setting the coffin in the ground. The reality and finality of the loss hits you like a ton of bricks. They got out of their vehicle and headed to the gravesite. After the committal was said the coffins were lowered. The friends and family took turns scattering earth over the graves. Julie threw a rose over each coffin and then walked away, back to the car, tears streaming down her face. John turned to follow her when Jacqueline's parents walked up to him. "Mr. and Mrs. Nash, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't prevent it."

"John, it's not your fault," Jim said. "We just wanted to tell you something."

"The baby was a boy," Claire said. "My daughter informed me but made me promise not to tell anyone. She wanted it to be a surprise." She continued, "His name was John, after you. We wanted you to know." With that said, Claire started crying and walked away. Jim put his hand on John's shoulder, nodded his head and followed his wife.
CHAPTER NINETY-ONE

John and Julie had hardly spoken the two days after the funeral. John needed to get away for the night. He headed to The Alibi to drink and talk to his friend. He pulled up, entered the bar and took his usual seat. "Hey John, Brooklyn?"

"Not tonight, my friend. Tennessee, neat."

Red raised his eyebrows a bit and poured John a glass of Jack Daniels. "John, I heard. I'm sorry. It's horrible. How are you doing?"

"Well Red, right now, not well. I feel numb. It still hasn't totally settled into my head."

"John, in times like these people to try to find and say that perfect phrase to ease the pain but, honestly, there is nothing I could say that would help. I'm here for you whenever you need me. That's all I have to offer you."

"That's all I need, buddy. That and you do your job and keep filling this," John said as he raised his empty glass.

"Well, that I can do my friend," Red replied as he poured John another drink.

"You know what drives me nuts, Red? When people say everything happens for a reason. I mean, what does that even signify? God is up there pulling strings? Creating our destinies? Or is it just symbolic? If you wait long enough and twist enough data you can discover a silver lining in anything. Why did _this_ happen? What is the reason? There is no and never will be a silver lining from this. Nothing. Nothing good could ever come of this. Do you know the real reason people say that? To make themselves feel better. To give their lives a feeling of stability, of structure. To make themselves feel like they have some sense of control in an abstract, chaotic world. It is a way for them to accept grievous, unfortunate things that happen while thinking there is a reason, a plan in place, that will benefit them in the end, but you know what Red...there is no plan. Our destinies are a combination of our decisions, timing and stupid luck. It's chaos Red. That is what this world is made of and sometimes that chaos kills innocent, good people. Chaos. It is just there, floating around waiting to pounce on someone, good or bad, life or death. A thin line separates it all."

John was finally finished with his rant. He took the last sip of his whiskey and pushed his glass forward for another. Red grabbed it and poured. "Well, being Catholic, I should disagree with you. But, your statements make too much sense to disagree with my friend," Red said. "It's a chaotic world and we control much less of it than we would like to admit to ourselves."

John drank for the rest of the night. It was two in the morning when Red drove John home, helped him to the door, met Julie and told her John was in rough shape, mentally and physically. Julie thanked Red for watching over him and keeping him safe. After Red left, Julie held her husband and they both broke down and cried. Cried for the loss of their friends. Cried because the chaos of an uncontrollable world hit them hard. Cried for a long time in each other's arms, until they both fell asleep, having let their pain escape for the first time since the tragedy.
CHAPTER NINETY-TWO

Two days later, John was back to work. Captain Johnson called him into his office when he saw John at his desk. "Yes, captain?" John said when he walked in.

"John, have a seat," he said as he pointed to the empty chair on the opposite side of his desk. John sat. "John, I am giving you a week of paid leave. You have been through so much the last few months. This, Todd and his family, is enough to put any sane man over the edge. I will not let that happen to you."

"Sir, I'm fine. I want Todd's case. No one knows more about his family than I do. I can solve it."

"John, I have no doubt that you can but you are too close to the flame here. You need to step back. Take a week. Spend it with your wife and children. Reset. I need you right for the long haul."

"Sir, I ask you to reconsider. I want to do this," John said.

"Yes, John, you want to do this. That is the problem. You want to do it too much. You are emotionally involved. My decision will not change. You are my best detective. Clear your head. Mourn. I will see you in ten days."

John didn't say another word. He stood up and walked out without a glance back.
CHAPTER NINETY-THREE

At first, John spent the week doing what the captain had advised him to. He spent time with Ryann and Gianna, comforted his wife and most of all, mourned. Until tonight. The children were in bed and Julie was working the overnight at the hospital. John was alone. Alone with his thoughts and free time. He had his laptop open in front of him. He searched the name Silas Alvah in his database. Once John hit the enter key there was no turning back. It was the start of a mission. A mission to solve the murder of his friends. A mission to bring those responsible to justice. At first, John couldn't locate much information on this man, but if you are a detective with clearance and you know where to look, you can find out anything on anyone. Silas was a forensic entomologist. He worked on cases side by side with the police. If Silas was over Todd's house that night, as Jacqueline had claimed, where was his body? This obviously points to Silas Alvah as the killer, but why? Was there something else involved here? Something more intricate and complicated? What was his motivation if he did do it? These thoughts, this mystery, sparked a flame in John's heart and mind that would not be extinguished until he solved it. Being off duty and off the assignment of this case meant John would have to be very careful with how he went about investigating it. But, he would solve it. John was the best and he knew it. No other detective had the intuition, the instincts or the confidence in his convictions like John Corbin did. The killer was still out there, free, while his friends lay in their graves and John would find him. The trail started with the first clue, Silas Alvah.
CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR

John walked into the Seattle Lab of Entomology and up to the front desk. A man in a lab coat walked out of a room in the back after John pressed the buzzer at the front desk. "May I help you, sir?" the man said. John paused a few seconds to look him over. Not a big man, average height, maybe 160 pounds, chiseled features outlining a handsome face. He had deep-set, dark eyes. "Hi, I am looking for case file #C103," John said.

"Sure, let me check," the man said as he looked the number up on his computer. "Hmmm. Nothing on file. Let me check the file cabinet for the physical copy." John watched him walk away and something about the way the man moved caught his attention. He seemed to glide above the floor, without a care in the world. He walked with a subdued confidence, like nothing really mattered and everything and everyone was here for his amusement and enjoyment. Almost like he knew and understood the secret to life. Two minutes later, the man returned. "Nothing. Are you sure it was this lab?"

"Maybe they gave me the incorrect case number. Let me check," John said. He then pretended to dial a number on his cell phone.

"Sir? Yes, the case number. Was it C103? Yes? The entomology lab. Oh...okay got it. Thanks."

John hung up and looked back at the man. "It was a different lab Mr. ...?"

"Alvah, Silas Alvah. Not a problem. Have a good day Detective...?"

"Smith. Detective Smith. You as well," John said. As John walked out of the lab what remained on his mind was the man's eyes. It was as if they were endless black holes that looked through you rather than at you. John felt that deep, strange, knowing twinge in his gut. A twinge that had told him that Mr. Silas Alvah was capable of dark things. Dark, evil things. A twinge that told him that Mr. Silas Alvah was guilty of murder. A twinge that told him that Mr. Silas Alvah was guilty of murdering his friends.
CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE

For the rest of the week, John continued his covert investigation of Silas Alvah. It seemed Silas never knew his father and was raised exclusively by his mother, a very religious woman, in Mission, Texas. Silas had no criminal record of any kind. No accidents. Not even a parking ticket. He had a perfect driving record. He had a perfect credit rating. He never missed a day of work and also had perfect attendance through school. John felt him to be a very structured man, on the borderline of controlling, with obsessive-compulsive habits. He attended U. C. Davis and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. John learned that Silas was chosen as a finalist for valedictorian, but refused the honor. He was never married. No children. He was very much an introvert who kept to himself. He was a super intelligent loner, raised by a single mother who was a religious zealot and the signs that Mr. Alvah could very well be capable of murder were present. The further John dug into Silas' life, the further his profile came into focus. John knew his instincts were correct. He would have to be sure, without a doubt. He knew what he had to do. Silas' weakness became clear to him. He would use that to get the truth.
CHAPTER NINETY-SIX

It was Friday, 5:45 p.m. John pulled up to the lab, parked his truck and walked in. The lab closed at 6:00 p.m. so John knew his interrogation of Mr. Alvah would not be disturbed. He walked up to the front desk and waited. Mr. Alvah soon appeared. "Hello, Detective Smith. How are you? What can I do for you?"

"I have a few questions I'd like you to answer," John said as he turned and locked the door. Silas followed John's movements like a hawk.

"Sure. About what?"

"There was a triple homicide a few weeks ago and I have reason to believe that you might have been involved. Do you know a Todd McGrath, or his wife Jacqueline?" John asked. John noticed it immediately. The quickest flash in Silas Alvah's eyes. His natural reactions betrayed him before he could control them. Mr. Alvah was good. Very good. A split second and the flash was gone, almost undetectable to the average person's eye, but John Corbin was no average person.

"Hmm. McGrath? The name doesn't ring a bell. Who was he?" Silas asked.

"He is a detective, my partner, and good friend. Are you telling me that you do not know him?" John asked.

"Well, if he was a detective, he might have come in here for a case a time or two."

"Interesting that you used past tense when you talk about him. I never said he was one of the deceased. The problem is, Mr. Alvah, I have good intel that tells me you were over his house the night they were killed. I think the intel to be correct. I think that you strangled them both and killed their unborn baby in the process," John said.

"You can't be serious. I am no killer." John took out Todd's phone, pulled up the text from Jacqueline and showed Silas. "There must be some misunderstanding," Silas said.

"No, there isn't. You killed them and their baby. Admit it to me." John pressed.

"I did no such thing. I am a God-fearing man," Silas said.

"Fuck you and your God. You know what, you piece of shit, he doesn't exist. He is a figment of your imagination. Accept it."

"Shut your filthy atheist mouth or I will shut it for you!"

John started to notice a change in Silas. No longer was he the cool, calm, controlled man. He now showed a different side, filled with panic and uncertainty. John had struck a nerve. "Silas, your mother lied to you all of those years. She was crazy, just like you are now. Wasting your time praying to a God that doesn't exist is, by definition, insane."

"No! I will not listen to you and your filthy talk. Now go!" Silas yelled as he pointed to the door.

"Your mother led you astray because she was crazy like yourself. I will go when you accept that there is no God and you admit to me that you are a murderer."

"If you say that one more time, God himself will strike you down dead!" Silas screamed, becoming more agitated and animated with every second. John knew now that he had Silas on his hook, he just needed to reel him in. Silas' eyes were inflamed, burning with hate.

"Okay, say your God is real, Silas. How do you think he would feel about what you did? Do you think he would still accept you as his child, or would he banish you from the flock? Disown you, like your father did? Leave you alone for eternity, to burn and rot in a sea of flames, to pay for what you have done?"

"I did it for him! I always do it for him!" Silas shrieked as he rushed at John and tried to grab him by the throat. John was ready for it. He sidestepped Silas and took him to the floor. John held him down and turned him over. "How many? How many have you killed?"

"I lost count," Silas said.

"Why Todd?" John screamed.

"God wanted them. They needed to be set free."

With a scream, John put his hands around Silas' throat and squeezed as hard as he could. A faint angelic smile played over Silas' lips and his eyes were at peace. They no longer contained anger or hatred. Silas had accepted his fate and he welcomed it. As John continued to squeeze he saw Silas' lips mouth, "Thank you", as his eyes closed and he drifted away, free from this Earth, free to finally meet his Maker. John let go of his throat, got up, took one last glance at what he did, then walked out.
CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN

As John drove away from the lab, he realized what he needed to do. He drove straight to The Alibi, entered and took his usual seat. "Hey John," Red said as he placed a Brooklyn in front of him.

"Thank you, Red."

"Hell, John, What's up? You look like you have seen a ghost." "Red, I might not be around for awhile. I wanted to let you

know, say goodbye and ask a favor of you," John said.

"Oh." Red looked at John and knew. They had developed a chemistry, a way to communicate without saying any words and Red had a damn good idea what John had done. "I understand, John. I hope everything works itself out."

"One way or another, I promise you Red, when I can, I will be back. Whether it is here or somewhere else, I will find you. You are a true friend and there are very few of those through life."

"You are correct, John. In life, we rarely find true friends. I look forward to being reunited at some point, if it shakes down that way."

John then confessed to Red the specifics of everything that he had done. They continued to talk and even had a few laughs until it was time for John to go. Red came out from behind the bar, gave John a hug and said, "You take care, John. Not that you think it will help but I will pray for you anyway."

"Thank you," John said.

"What was the favor you wanted to ask me?" Red said.

"Keep an eye on my wife and children. I would feel much more comfortable knowing that I have you looking over them for me."

"Of course. You have my word," Red answered. With that, John was off, not knowing if he would ever see his friend again.
CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT

The following morning, John sat his children down for a talk while Julie was still in bed, sleeping. "Gianna, Ryann, I need to tell you two something and I need you both to be strong and grown up, okay?"

Ryann looked at his father and said, "Okay."

Gianna wouldn't be so easy. Being older, she had a better sense of knowing when something bad was going to be said to her. "Why, Daddy? Why do we need to be strong?" she said.

"Daddy might not be around for awhile. There is something that I have to do, something that I need to take care of that may take awhile."

"But why, Daddy? Where are you going?" Ryann said as tears filled his eyes. Gianna didn't say a word. She looked at her father as tears streamed down her face.

"Someday, when you two are older, I will explain everything to you in detail. But, for now, I need you to be strong. I need you both to know that I love you deeply and don't you ever doubt that." Gianna, steadily crying, got up, rushed upstairs into her room and slammed the door behind her.

The racket woke Julie up and she walked in and said, "John, what's going on?"

"We need to talk," John said as he led her back into the bedroom. John informed Julie of his secrets and soon after she came out, gathered the children and left without saying anything more. John just sat there, alone, his face in his hands, not knowing if he would ever see his family again.
CHAPTER NINETY-NINE

John walked into the station and straight into Captain Johnson's office. "John, go home. I want you to take the rest of the time..."

John interrupted the captain in mid-sentence. "We need to talk. Meet me in interrogation room #1 in five minutes." John walked out leaving the captain with a perplexed look on his face. Five minutes later the captain walked into the room with John waiting in the suspect's chair. "Close and lock the door, please," John said. The captain did as he was told, then sat down across from his protege. "John, what the hell is this about?"

"I need you to listen until I am done and then I need you to do what is right, what is just."

"Okay, Go on," the captain said.

"Last night I strangled Silas Alvah to death. He killed Todd, Jacqueline, and their unborn child. He was there the night they died. I have proof of this on Todd's cell phone. He confessed to me that he killed them right before I ended his life."

The captain's complexion turned a very pale white and sweat started to bead up on his face. "John, what the fuck are you telling me? Wait. If you had Todd's phone containing evidence, why didn't you turn it in?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't let me handle the case. I knew you would not let me be part of it, to protect me," John said.

"What's the difference? With the evidence, we would have had a slam-dunk conviction."

"Yes, but then the piece of shit would have lived," John said.

"Let me think for a bit." The captain said as he got up and walked around the room for what seemed like an eternity. He then sat back down and said, "Okay, It's a crime of passion. Second degree."

"Captain, hold on..." John said but the captain kept talking, right over John's voice.

"First offense. You might get ten years but with your sparkling background, I'm sure it can be bargained down to two or three years..."

"Captain..."

"With the understanding of what he did to your friends, a fellow cop, and your partner, we can get it dramatically reduced to the absolute minimum."

"Sir...stop. I wasn't finished. Listen to me. I've lost my way. I'm not sure where that line is anymore. That thin line of right or wrong. Seeing all the useless deaths, the suffering of innocents, has worn me down over the years. I've lost my moral compass. I thought it was the right way, the sound way, to handle this chaotic world, but I'm not sure anymore. I will leave it to the court and the people to decide. Sir, Silas Alvah was not my first kill. I ended the lives of Robert Jacobs, James Corell, Seth Boyd and Harvey Mendes. Sir, I am the vigilante killer. I wanted them to feel what their victims felt. I didn't want them to ever get the chance to repeat what they had done again. I wanted to keep innocent people safely out of their reach and this was the only way to do that without a risk of them getting free again. I wanted to bring them to justice, to give their victims the revenge they all deserved. Sir, I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but sitting here now, I wouldn't change it. I would do it all again. If I need to pay for what I've done, so be it. I am willing to do that. But I'd do it all again, exactly the same way."

The captain sat there and looked at John for what seemed to be an eternity. He then got up, paced the room, then sat back down across from John, still speechless. Finally, he got up and walked out, without uttering a word. John assumed that a few of his brethren, his brothers, would be in to arrest him and take him away. John waited. No arrest came. No captain. Nothing.

Finally, the door opened and the captain walked back in and sat down. "Although I feel your actions were wrong and you have lost your way as a detective and a cop, I am keeping this between you and me. I know what you are made of. You are a hero. From the first time I saw you put your life on the line to save an innocent woman, I knew it. I can't arrest you. I won't let them arrest you and convict you. In the structure of the law, what you did was a crime, but somewhere deep inside my soul, what you did gives me a bright, healthy feeling. Hell, maybe I have been doing this too long as well. I will cover up the Silas Alvah killing. This is my decision, not yours. It is over."

"Sir, I don't know if that is the correct way to handle this..."

"John, do you ever want to see your children again? They need you. It's over. My decision is made. This world is a better place with you in it. This world is a better place with you in it as a free man. It's over..."

"I will resign immediately," John said. The captain got up and walked out. Soon after, John did the same. As he walked past his desk and out the front door for the last time, he thought about his job, his life, the only life that he had known for the last twenty years. He turned and looked back one last time at the station, then got into his truck and drove away.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED

John stayed home much of the following week. All he did was sleep, eat and replay the course of events from the last month over and over again in his mind. He missed his children and his wife but he knew that the worst thing he could do right now was to call her. She needed space and time. Time to organize her thoughts and feelings. She may very well be gone forever. He would have to accept that. He had told her everything, all of the killings, including the hows and whys. He saw it. The look in her eyes before she left. Fear. Fear and confusion. Fear and confusion that the man she thought he was might not have been real. Fear of what was left to take his place. John replayed over and over in his mind everything he did, the decisions that he made. Every time he came to the same conclusion: He would do it all over again. He didn't know if that meant he was a hero, a monster or something in between. He didn't know if it simply meant he was losing his mind. John needed to get out. Get out and talk to someone. He knew just who he needed to talk to.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-ONE

The first thing Red saw as he walked out of the back room behind the bar was his friend. "John!" He howled as he walked over and shook his hand. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, Red. I told the captain everything. Everything I have done. He wants to bury it all," John said.

"I see. How do you feel about that?"

"I am not sure how I feel. I am not sure if the things I have done were good or evil, right or wrong. Every time I think about it I come to the same conclusion: I would do it all again, without changing a thing. But, I don't know if my mind is right. I have been dealing with evil, pure evil, for over twenty years. It takes its toll."

"Understood. That can be very traumatic. Over the years, I can understand how it would affect your thoughts and emotions. John, I personally think that you are a hero. I know there are people that would disagree with me, but let me ask you this...what if you had let any of them live and they did it again? Murdered a family? Raped a woman? Abducted a child? How would that have made you feel?"

"I would have felt that I was responsible."

"Exactly. So stop second-guessing yourself. Stop second-guessing what you did. These people were not going to change. Their type of evil is embedded in their blood and DNA. No amount of rehabilitation or punishment would have ever changed that. Some may say it wasn't your decision to make, but I will tell you this, my friend... I trust your judgment much more than our legal system."

"Thank you for saying that. I resigned Red," John said. "I can't continue to do my job this way. But, I also couldn't do it by the book. Their book. I have seen it fail society too many times. I don't want to be a part of that anymore. I don't want the guilt of an innocent being hurt by a monster that should have never been free to begin with."

"I understand," Red replied.

"Julie left me. She took the kids."

"I'm sorry. Give her time, John."

"Well that, my friend, I now have plenty of," John replied before getting up and walking out the door.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-TWO

John heard a baby crying as he entered the long, dark hallway. At the end was a lone door leading to a secluded room. He heard the wind blow against the trees outside as the storm rolled in. As he walked through the hallway the floorboards squeaked under every step. The baby's cries became louder as he approached the door. John reached for the doorknob as thunder roared and lightning lit up the dark hallway. Rain started to pound the roof as he turned the knob and pushed the door open. In the corner of the room, a man stood with his back to John, in front of a crib containing the crying baby. In the darkness, John could see the man slowly turn his head around as the baby screamed louder now. John could faintly make out the whiteness of his face as his head turned fully around to look at John. John took a step forward, then another. Now he stood about ten feet from the man. Suddenly a flash of lightning lit up the room followed by the loudest crack of thunder he had ever heard. What the lightning had lit up in that room chilled John to the bone. The man was as white as a ghost except for the red blood dripping from his lips down off his chin and pooling on the floor at his feet. He had black, beady eyes that pierced through John's soul. An evil, crooked smile came across the man's lips as John stepped forward to peer into the crib. What he saw made him cry out in horror. The baby's hand had been chewed completely off by the man who was now laughing with his head thrown straight back. He laughed louder as the baby's screams echoed through the old, dark, empty house...

John woke and quickly sat up, startled and disoriented. Sweat rolled off his face as he got up and headed for the bathroom. These types of nightmares had become more frequent over the years as keeping the innocents safe had become more challenging and weighed heavier on his soul. He splashed cold water on his face and then glanced in the mirror at his reflection. The lines of stress had become clearer over the years. John shut the light off and crawled back into bed. Thoughts of his family and how much he missed them took control of his brain as he drifted off, back to sleep.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-THREE

Thursday, November 27...

"Red, where do you think we go when we die? Heaven? Or, maybe we get another chance to live again? Are we just put in the ground forever, in a cold, dark prison, for our bodies to decay in? Gone forever?"

It was Thanksgiving Day. John had invited Red over to eat and watch football. They had picked up turkey dinners from a local restaurant and brought them back to John's house to eat.

Red looked up, startled by the morbidity of the question. Red was the type of man who was rarely ever startled. A small hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as he said, "You do realize, being a bartender, I get this type of talk often. Usually right before the person falls off the barstool and I have to call them a cab." Red then turned a bit more serious, gave a small sigh, and said, "Where do we go? I have no idea. The answer to that question is different to everyone. I will tell you this: what is important isn't where we go when we die but to truly live while we are still alive. Live with the mindset that every day could be your last. Hug your children every chance that you get. Kiss your wife more than you currently do. Live life to the fullest because we all have eternity to be dead. I have met many that, though alive, have already died, in their heart. In their soul. Do not let your spirit die. That is what keeps us going, keeps us young, makes us special. The fire that burns in our hearts is what makes us alive and unique. Protect that from everything in this world that works to extinguish it."

They finished eating, sat and watched the game in silence until John finally said, "Red, I've been thinking. How would you like to open a restaurant together?"
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-FOUR

John was floating in that wonderful, peaceful zone between sleep and consciousness when he heard a sound he welcomed and had been waiting for: a key in the front door followed by the door opening and the patter of multiple footsteps. He sat up as quickly as he could as the footsteps increased in tempo up the stairs, down the hallway, and into his bedroom as his children ran in and yelled, "Daddy, daddy!" They jumped up onto the bed and into his arms. That snapshot in time, that span of moments when he saw them enter the bedroom and jump into his arms, was the happiest moment of his life. Losing your children can shatter the foundation of your soul. Getting them back feels just as powerful. John squeezed them against him and held them there, soaking up their innocent love. They finally pulled away, eager to get back to their own bedrooms. Julie then walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed. "John, let me say a few things without your response. I need to get this out, uninterrupted."

"Okay," John said.

"The things that you told me scared me. I wasn't sure what to feel or how to react. I had multiple emotions running through my heart at the same time. Now that I have had time to organize them, understand them, I need to tell you something. What is inside of you that made you do those things is part of the reason that I fell in love with you. The desire, the need to protect innocence at whatever cost. The courage to do what you think is right, for the sake of the innocent, regardless of what the bureaucrats think. I have come to the conclusion that what scared me wasn't your decision to do these things, but the fear that I know I do not possess the courage to do them myself. You do. That makes you a special man. You very well may have saved innocent lives by doing what you did. You are a hero. You are my hero and I love you." John didn't say a word. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her onto the bed and kissed her, passionately. He was overjoyed that his family was home where they belonged and that his wife accepted him for who he is, inside, in his soul, and she wouldn't want to change that in any way.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-FIVE

Sunday, December 19...

"Let's get that one!" Ryann yelled excitedly as he scampered over to a huge, lone tree that stood apart from the rest. The family was at a tree farm, early in the morning, choosing a Christmas tree to bring home. "Isn't that one too big John?" Julie asked.

"Nope. A bit of a trim here and there and it will fit perfectly. "Gianna, what do you think?"

"I love it!" she said. On the way home, it started to snow, lightly at first, then much heavier as it began to accumulate. John promised the children that after they decorated the tree, he would take them sledding. Few things in life excite children as much as a snow day, especially when their father is home with them. When they arrived home after sledding, John presented the children with their first Christmas gift, a three-month-old Alaskan Malamute puppy. The children decided to name him Simba because his wolf-like mane reminded them of a lion. Later that night, John watched them fall asleep with the puppy curled up between them.

The family had a wonderful holiday together and rang in the New Year at an all-ages party thrown by their neighbor.

Days passed. The weather turned. Winter turned into spring which, in turn, slowly gave way to summer...
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-SIX

Friday, July 23...

John briskly walked by the bar on his way to the kitchen. Red was busy mixing drinks as he looked up and gave John a knowing smile.

Opening night at the Sufficient Grounds Tavern was an overwhelming success. John and Red spent the whole winter planning for, preparing for and publicizing the opening of their new restaurant. Red had insisted on working the bar opening night as he explained that an experienced bartender is very important when opening a new establishment. You need to build a relationship with your clientele and that first day, that first impression, is very important.

Julie and the children were seated at a corner table, eating. Captain Johnson and his wife, Sarah, were present also. John walked over to the captain's table and said, "Welcome Sarah. Captain."

"Hello, John. Congratulations. I think this endeavor is just what you need. Good luck, son."

"Thank you, sir," John said. "You are welcome anytime. I am putting through a round on the house for you," John said as he walked away and motioned to Red to produce another round for the Captain's table. A few minutes later Mr. And Mrs. Nash walked in and were seated. John went over to say hello. "Hi, Jim. Claire."

"Hello John," Claire said.

"Hello. May I have a word alone with you?" Mr. Nash asked. "Sure. Follow me, sir." John led him into his office and shut the

door behind them. "What can I do for you, Jim?" John asked.

"John, I just wanted to thank you. I know what happened and I know it was you that did it."

"Sir, I don't know what..." John started to say but Mr. Nash put his hand up and a small smile came over his lips. "John, I know. I know the type of man you are and I know you had to do it. For you. For Todd. For Jackie. For my unborn grandson. For my wife and I. For all the innocent people that lunatic would never be able to affect now that he is gone. I thank you. I know it will never bring my daughter or grandson back but knowing that murderer is no longer breathing air, the air that Claire and I breathe, makes it just a bit more bearable. I know there are some who would think it barbaric that I feel this way but so be it. It is the truth. It also wasn't _their_ daughter. The pain and hatred in my heart are eased just a bit knowing he is dead." Jim then stuck out his hand and John shook it. "You are welcome," was the last thing that John said as Jim then smiled, turned and walked out of John's office, back to his wife and their dinner. John sat back in his chair as a jumble of thoughts and emotions shot through him. He then got up and returned to his new job, his new life.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-SEVEN

It was a warm, grey, overcast Northern Washington morning as John peered out over Puget Sound. Thoughts of Todd and Jacqueline filled his mind. He missed his friends. He wondered if they were happily together, for eternity, or if they were just gone. Gone forever. He thought about life's progressions and how one chapter ending can open up limitless opportunities and experiences in the next. He missed detective work but he found the restaurant business to be an exciting challenge in its own right. Simba was with him, sitting by his side, enjoying a bit of quiet, peaceful time.

Was John Corbin right or wrong? Good or evil? Hero or villain? The answers to those questions are different for everyone, but a thin line separates them all. In just the right situation, would we all react in a way that would surprise ourselves? Pushed to the limit, would we all

make decisions that would strain the boundaries of our moral code and our laws? Do we really know who we are as we live comfortably in our big houses, in our cul de sacs, with our 2.5 children? Or, are we fluid, flexible enough to adjust and react differently to any situation?

John got up, turned and started to walk back to his truck, with Simba by his side. High above, in the Washington sky, rays of sun started to shine through as the cloud cover started to break up. John paused for a moment, felt the warm rays on his face and reached down to pet Simba. It was going to be a warm, sunny, brilliant day...

About the Author

David Boiani is a dedicated father to a wonderful seventeen-year-old daughter, member of The Association of Rhode Island Authors and guitarist in an originals alternative rock band called The Whole Façade.

David's love of reading ignited his desire to write fiction. Dark Musings is his second book. His debut novel, A Thin Line, is in its second year of publication and can be found on Amazon in book and Kindle form.
Also from this Author

Dark Musings

 These stories are unconnected, but they all include a similar trait: Fear. They are all based on aspects of life that are haunting yet very real. Experiencing these stories will induce a terror that will stay with you long after the final page is turned...

Purchase your copy on Amazon.com

Or Email me at: www.David2380@live.com
Special Offer!

Sign up for my newsletter and receive a complimentary link to "Faith," a story from my new book, Dark Musings! Free: just click on the link below...

FAITH

Excerpt~

I lay there, silent, just staring at the text on the last page. I re-read the final paragraph and tears came. I must admit a small bit of anger rose in me and I apologized to myself, Avery and God. I placed the story on the nightstand and tried to sleep.

None came.
