I looked over to see him staring at us. “What do we do now? It’s not like we can just carry on the way we have been. Everyone in the camp is going to be on edge with two murders.”
Candy nodded. “You’re right. Some folks are no doubt going to pack up to move on, Wes.” He glanced in Snow’s direction. “What do you think? I hate to pull Patsy and Wes now that they’re established.”
“Shouldn’t ya be askin’ me that?” Patsy said. He stood and began pacing in the aisle with his hands on his hips. He stopped in front of Special Agent Snow. “I don’t want Wes in any more danger. I’ll stay in the tent and make sure I’m armed. If the bastard comes back, I’ll shoot him in the feckin’ face.”
I watched Agent Snow’s face cloud with anger. “You will do no such thing, Agent Good. I need that killer brought in alive if possible. I don’t know if he killed those women for sure which means I need a confession and I can’t get one of those if he’s pushing up daisies. He’s left no DNA behind at any of the killings as we told you before we started this shit, and if I remember correctly, it wasyouwho volunteered Wes for this assignment.”
“What?” Everyone turned to look at me as I looked between Snow and Patsy. “What do you mean Patsy volunteered me for this assignment?”
Lincoln glared right past me at Patsy. “You didn’t tell him?”
I looked back at Patsy. “What is he talking about, Patsy?” I felt my face heating from anger or embarrassment or both, I couldn’t be sure.
“It’s not like that, Wes. I didn’t volunteer just ya. I said I’d be asking ya if you’d be willin’ to go into the encampment with me, and I also told them I’d protect ya.”
“I believe we were discussing how you were the only person on our Tac Team who wasn’t tall enough not to stick out in the camp,” Candy said.
I stared at him for a few seconds before dragging my attention back to Patsy. I wasn’t exactly angry with him. I knew whatever he’d said about me helping out, had everything to do with how he was a good man who wanted to try to catch a vicious serial killer. And I also knew deep down in my soul that he’d never throw me into a situation and leave me exposed. It was why he’d made sure to say he’d ask—which he’d done—and then made sure to tell me he’d be by my side at all times. He’d even shown me the weapons he’d brought with him. I knew for a fact knives were hidden in his coat and belt whenever we weren’t inside the tent. I had no doubt Patsy would’ve protected me last night if someone had come into the tent.
His expression looked devastated as he gazed into my eyes, silently pleading with me to believe him. He walked back over and squatted in front of me as he took my hands. “I’d never have left ya unprotected, Wes. It’s why I insisted on goin’ into the camp with ya.”
Just as I’d guessed then.
I nodded, reaching out to cup his cheek. “I know that, Patsy. I know how your heart works. You’d never deliberately put me in danger.” I paused as I considered the risks even as relief floodedhis face. “I also know we can’t leave this job unfinished. We have to catch this sick fuck, especially now that he’s killed two more people. I trust you to keep me safe, Patsy, but I want to stay and do it.” His eyes searched mine. I glanced back at Special Agent Snow. “I want to help. We both will.”
Candy looked skeptical. “Maybe Patsy’s right, Wes. Now that we’re sure the killer is really here in the camp, it’s too dangerous.”
“But he was always here,” I argued.
“Yes, but it was more of a fact-finding mission before,” Candy said. “Things have changed. If we’re right and he’s lost his trophies, he’s not the calm killer of women he’s always been. He’s evolved into a desperate monster who’s taking huge risks, killing in the place he sought sanctuary.”
“He’s decompensating,” Dr. Reeves said. “It happens to some serial personalities when they feel backed into a corner. I think Agent Good is right. We shouldn’t let you put yourself at risk like that again. You’re a civilian. Now that we think he was at your tent last night, we can’t be certain he won’t be back. He may even target you if he hasn’t already.”
“I want to help.” Patsy moved to the seat beside mine. “Now that we know he might be coming after us, you can bring a gun with you.”
He looked like he was about to throw up. He shook his head. “Candy is right, Wes. It’s too bloody dangerous.”
I searched his eyes and then glanced back at Special Agent Snow. “If we don’t help, this animal is going to keep killing, isn’t he?”
Lincoln stared at me for a few seconds, looking regretful before addressing the doctor. “Leo?”
Dr. Reeves turned to face me. “Yes, serial killers are compelled to keep killing until they’re either caught, incapacitated, or die. They think about their crimes incessantly, living in a fantasy world. They’re unfeeling psychopaths. He won’t stop killing until we catch him.”
“Like Ted Bundy,” I said, feeling sick to my stomach.
Dr. Reeves nodded slowly. “Among a host of others, Mr. Chaudry.”
I nodded then looked at Patsy. “We have to do this.”
Patsy stared at me. Tears formed in his eyes before he abruptly stood and ran fingers through his hair as he turned away. He stood perfectly still for several seconds and then wiped his eyes with his thumbs. When he turned around, he looked not at me but at Snow. “Okay, we’ll stay. But I’ll be armed and no one’s goin’ to tell me what I can or can’t do to protect Wes, even if it means shootin’ the fucker in the face.”
I stared at Special Agent Snow as he faced off with Patsy. His lip twitched as he finally nodded. “Okay, Patsy, we’ll do it your way.”
Chapter Twenty
PATSY
At the end of our meeting, I grabbed a firearm from our gun cage and took an extra couple of clips. I tucked everything inside my jacket, feeling better almost immediately. After that, I pulled Wes outside the bus to give him a wee bit more guff about why Candy had asked to talk to him.
