The Splitting Fire

Chapter 1: She Strikes Again

Detective Kara June stretches out as she finishes another report. She looks at her watch. 23:18. She needs to go to bed if she wants to be on time for work tomorrow.

She stands up and stretches some more. The reports keep piling up. The research is never ending. And the chase never stops. Kara's chase as a detective has been going on for five years, but she has been gathering information on this serial killer for over 15 years.

The media calls her Enya. In Celtic language it translates to fire. And that is what this serial killer is famous for. She uses fire to kill her victims. There has been many debates as to why the serial killer is classified as a woman, but the clue that no detective can overlook, is the letters that they receive from Enya after every murder. A stylish, cursive handwriting ending with a red kiss and signed, "With love". Crime labs have tried everything to find finger prints or DNA from the letters, but none have been successful. She covers up her tracks all too well.

Kara walks to her room slowly. She feels like she needs a break from this hunt. She feels so burnt out. But she cannot bare the thought of taking a vacation while Enya is loose in this world. Kara is the only detective that has never given up hope of catching Enya. The longest any other detective has lasted on this case, was 9 months and that was her previous partner, Darryl Kane. He could not handle the stress anymore. He was living in constant fear and looking over his shoulder all the time. He feared Enya more than he wanted to catch her. And that also damaged Kara and Darryl's romantic relationship when they split up as partners. Darryl felt Kara was too obsessed with Enya. According to him, it was not healthy. But Kara could not walk away. Not until she had closure about that terrible night 15 years ago. No one deserves the wrath of Enya.

Entering her bedroom, Kara falls onto her bed without changing clothes. She is just too tired. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally.

She closes her eyes and falls asleep instantly.

Soon, the smell of smoke fills up her senses. Her eyes shoot open. Kara jumps up from the couch and drops her book. She runs out of the study and up the stairs as fast as she can, skipping every second step. Like she always does.

"Sarah! Sarah!"

Kara stops in the middle of the staircase as a piece of the roof falls down and blocks her path. She feels her throat start to close up. Between the coughing, Kara keeps screaming her sister's name. Thud! It must be her parents down stairs! Kara turns around and runs towards the living room. She finds her mom's lifeless body on the floor. Kara feels her chest closing up. She needs to find Sarah. And quick.

At that moment the front door bursts open and a fireman grabs Kara. He runs out with her. She tries to wiggle herself loose. She needs to find her sister!

The last scream she hears before the explosion, echoes in Kara's ears as she wakes up from the nightmare. Enya killed her family. It is not documented as the first of many gruesome murders that Enya committed, but the evidence says otherwise.

Sometimes Kara wishes she died in that fire. But who else would keep on fighting for the victims?

The ringing of the phone disrupts her dark thoughts. Kara looks at her watch. 06:47. She groans as she reaches for the phone.

"This is Kara June speaking."

Silence.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Detective June. This is Sheriff Jason Hallow from Green Bay speaking. I was wondering if I could schedule an appointment for you to come and meet me at my station?"

Kara shuts her eyes and rubs her temples. "Good morning, Sheriff. May I ask what this is about?"

"Of course. I apologize for my abrupt manners. It is about Enya. She got one of my men."