Falling For The Bad Guy.

Chapter Seven

I put my leather jacket on and head out, arm in arm with Peter. We've been here for a week investigating the case. We've made breakthroughs, but the horrors of these kidnappings keep getting worse and worse. It's been a chilling and terrifying experience to have to go through the mind of this psychopath. However, it's been an honor to work along side some of the people in this field. Especially Peter. Watching him, in his glory with figuring out solutions to his problems, has been a learning and cherished experience. It's at 11am, where Dennis, Pete and I are all sitting in the office, that the news channel comes on and breaking news flashes onto the screen. "FORTY ONE PEOPLE DEAD." The screen says. I gasp at what I just read. Forty one people? Forty one people? FORTY ONE? How did forty one people get murdered overnight? How is this all possible? Pete and Dennis look stunned and horrified. "What the fuck is this?" Dennis says. "I have no idea." Pete responds. Vanessa Madison, A reporter, appears on the screen. "Breaking news here. Forty one people have been brutally murdered within just hours. Police are working on finding this serial killer, while they're here investigating the crime scene now. We will keep you updated, but for now, stay safe." Dennis and Peter are shocked, and frankly, so am I. Kidnappings are horrible, but forty one murders overnight is even worse. Confused,angered, and surprised, Dennis looks to Pete and says, "I hope you packed enough this trip." Pete shakes his head. As Dennis leaves the room, I see Peter get choked up. "We've been working on this case for months. How have we not gotten him yet?" He says, questioning his capability. "This twisted pig has made it nearly impossible to catch him. Don't blame yourself." "Thank you Becca." "A new nickname?" I say, eyebrows raised at his name giving. "Yeah, it suits you." I smile at his interest as he speaks my name. "Listen though, it's my brothers birthday in 3 days, so I'll be heading back to Florida then." "Are you coming back after you celebrate with him?" I ask. "Yes, I'll be on the flight back right after I see him." "How old is he turning?" I ask, curiously. "It's his forty second birthday. He has Autism, and I always make sure to see him on his birthday no matter where I am." "That's really nice. When you see him tell him I said Happy Birthday, okay?" "I will. Now let's get back to work." "Any thing they all had in common?" My first question for Dennis is. "No. One girl was at the tender age of just ten. It's sickening honestly. The age range varies from ten to forty three." "What about gender?" I ask. "Both. Female and Male." Dennis replies. "So it doesn't matter who he's killing, as long as they're breathing he'll take them. Let's go down there, I need to see what the reporter meant by "brutally murdered." When we get down there, I realize I couldn't have imagined the vicious murders that took place here. Another thing I notice, forty one murders took place all in the same area. When I see a red liquid substance that isn't blood, spilled all over the floor, I make a harsh assumption. "Is that what I think it is?" I ask Detective Casey Locholme. "Yes it is. You've got a good eye there. That right there Detective is a blended body. Male, age thirty, made into a type of smoothie." "Jesus Christ. How much worse could it get?" Pete asks. "A lot worse." Officer Carlos Gonzalez says. Opening the body bag that lies in front of us, uncovers a person with a sewn on face. "Gabriella Nicolette was the original victim. The face on top of hers is Piper Bianco's." Looking at every victim's murder, there's something new and unique about each one. I look to Peter and Dennis and say, "This is a new murderer. One that is connected to the kidnappings for sure, but a new one. There has to be a follower of the original leader of crime." "Casey, was there any DNA left behind on these killings." "Out of forty one murders, only one thing, but it doesn't trace back to anyone." "What is it?" I ask. "A note. You can go over to Albert Rayos's body bag and see it." Walking over, I'm disgusted by the smell of Rayos's body. Lifting the white shield, I see his stomach, open and gutted. I nearly throw up at the sight. The note sends a shiver down my spine.
"Rebecca Donelli. The beginning of a new rampage. Pigs, find me. Oink Oink." The beginning of a new rampage? What does that mean? He knows my name. How does he know my name? I look to Peter, unable to grasp the possibility that this serial killer could be coming after me next. "Rebecca, didn't you call him a pig when we were speaking in the room before?" It's when Pete says this that I know the murderer has been upon us, listening to us, watching us. "He's been following us. He had to have left this note recently. There has to be a camera in the room we were in." I say. Leaving the scene and driving back to the station, I feel scared. The genuine fear and intensity of what's to come. The unknown being so frightening is the worst part of it all. The underlying question of how many murderers are wondering the streets instills panic-stricken intimidation. "Pigs,find me." Now, he, or they, want to be found? It's when I walk into the station and see everyone's faces in a fearful state that I know something new has happened. "What happened here?" Dennis asks. A woman sitting at the desk in the front of the room points to Peter's temporary office. "In there." She screams. We rush over and see something horrible. Something sick. Something vicious and terrifying. In that room lies a vending machine. A vending machine full of body parts. But not just anyone's body parts. There lies Peter's brothers body. With a chopped off head in the middle, and surrounding limbs, Peter falls to the floor at the site. "NO." He cries. Holding his face in my arms, I squeeze him as comforting as possible. "Oh my god." Dennis says. "I'm so sorry." I say, just making sure to never let go of Peter.
It's when my mathematical skills kick in that I become truly puzzled. Twenty one women went missing. Twenty one men went missing. 21+21 is 42. Peter's brother was going to turn 42 in a few days. I'll be 21 in two weeks. I might be next. These cases are no longer business. They're personal.