“Don’t play coy with me, Agent Callahan. You’ve wanted to talk to me. I’ve granted your wish.”
I laughed on purpose and motioned to my assistant, pointing toward the phone as soon as I did. She’d capture the call so hopefully we’d gather the location of where the motherfucker was hiding. “Ah, yes. Just another pathetic little man.” Still chuckling, I paced my office, trying to act as if his call didn’t bother me in the least.
I’d known I was getting to him, digging under his skin as often as possible by use of the media. He’d finally taken the bait. Twelve girls had been taken and I’d reached the end of my rope. Twelve young souls kidnapped while walking to school or with their friends at a movie theater.
“I don’t have long to talk, Agent, but I did want you to know I have my eye on another girl. She’s beautiful. Absolutely perfect. And all because of you. You remind me of myself. We could have been good friends in another life.”
“We’re nothing alike.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve seen you in action. You’re very methodical. I admire both your dedication and your organizational skills. When you found the first few girls, you barely reacted. While everyone else was crying or getting sick, you remained stoic. You were admiring my work. Admit it.”
“Admiring your work?” The fucking press had been allowed to get too close to the case. Goddamn it. I glanced at my former partner who was standing in the doorway. Word had already gotten around, half the office standing in wait. No one had been able to get a scrap of evidence on the killer.
Not a hair follicle. No saliva. No skin cells under fingernails. The recovered body parts had been subjected to extreme elements including excessive heat and submersion in the Everglades swamps and had been feasted on by various predators.
One had even been recovered from inside a python, hence the nickname of the killer.
I’d gotten the closest, determined to bring him down.
“Keep him on the line, Mav,” my former partner Carrie whispered. The case had been too much for her. Nodding, I peered down at Max, my canine companion. His ears were perked up, the pup already sensitive to my change in behavior.
“It’s alright to admit it, Agent. I won’t hold it against you.” The killer burst into laughter, the sound echoing in my eardrums.
I gripped the edge of my desk, my body swaying as I stared at the bulletin board covering an entire wall. Faces of the victims. Information. Last sightings. Notes on why they’d been taken. Points of interest.
Sticky notes.
Scraps of paper.
All written hurriedly.
Smiles.
Laughter.
Light in their eyes.
Death.
Death…
Something snapped inside.
Another girl. I was losing. He was winning. While I’d worked very hard to keep my emotions in check, rage erupted, the bastard pushing every button. “Listen, you motherfucking piece of trash. I will find you and when I do, there won’t be enough of you left to stand trial. Do you hear me?”
“Tsk. Tsk. Proof of how much we’re alike. I’ll be in touch.”
Jerking up, I took gasping breaths as his voice slowly faded.
“Fuck. Fuck…” I ran my fingers through my hair as images slowly began to fade. A dream. A goddamn dream. That’s all it had been.
What the fuck? After blinking, I cocked my head. What the hell was that sound? My fucking phone. With a hard exhale, I leaned over, snagging it in my fingers.
In the pitch black of the room, my screen was lit up with the words that immediately boiled my blood.
Unknown caller.
Had the damn dream been a premonition? Why not fuck with whoever was on the other end of the line. “Agent Maverick Callahan.” Immediately, I hit record.
