Book 3 - Part 6: Facing Evil - Chapter Twenty-Nine

Montie High School – 3:05 p.m.

The horn sounded.

“Look, Stevie. It’s Ed.”

“Yeah, and he’s early. Oh well. Call you tonight.”

“I do for you, Stevie.”

“Me too.”

They gave each other a quick kiss and he walked over to the Volvo, opened the door, and got in.

The Volvo drove away.

“You’re a little early.”

“Finished my reports faster than I thought I would.”

“Okay, but I thought you and mom did all your reports on Thursday’s.”

Shit.

“Change of plans.”

Freddy pulled over into an alley, braked fast, and reached inside the bag for a cloth smothered in chloroform, and grabbed hold of Stevie’s neck and pulled him in tight to his frame.

Stevie struggled to get away, but it wasn’t any use. In less than ten seconds, he was out like a light. In another minute, Freddy had him trussed tightly with duct tape across his mouth and the plastic restraints around his wrists.

He looked at his watch. 3:10. He had at least six minutes. Perfect.

Back At Montie High School – 3:16 p.m.

The horn honked.

Ellie looked up and was puzzled. She walked over to the Volvo. He mom wouldn’t be there to get here for a few more minutes.

“Hi, Mr. Manning. You decide to take me home, too? Where did you hide, Stevie?”

Now Ed had the puzzled look.

“I didn’t hide him anywhere.”

“Neat, Mr. Manning. You were just here a few minutes ago and picked him up and then took off.”

“You. Saw. Me?”

“Yes; as plain as I see you now.”

Another horn sounded.

“Oops, there’s my mom, gotta run. Tell Stevie, wherever he’s hiding, to not forget to call me tonight. Bye!”

Ed didn’t catch a thing she said. All he remembered is that he was already here and got Stevie.

Freddy!

He called Baker.

She picked up on the first ring.

“What’s going on, sweets.”

“Jan, are you at the office?”

“I’m about to be. I just pulled into the station’s parking-lot. Why?”

“We have a problem. A big problem. I’m on my way in.”

Baker’s Office – 3:22 p.m.

Ed raced up the steps and barged into Baker’s office.

“Has he called yet!”

“Has who called?”

“Freddy!”

“Why would Freddy want to call me….,” then she looked behind Ed. “Where is Stevie? Oh, my God, Ed! He has Stevie, doesn’t he!”

Ed explained how Freddy must have used his looks to fool Stevie into getting into the same make and colored Volvo.

Baker began to tremble.

“He has Stevie. Wh-wh-what are we going to do?”

“Remain calm for one thing. I don’t think he’ll hurt Stevie as long as he knows he has a chance to get to you and me. My guess is that he wants us both.”

Baker dialed another two-digit number.

“Satchell, Baker. I need you in my office quick as you can. It’s Freddy. He has Stevie.”

“On my way.”

A five-minute drive from the courthouse normally; Satchell hit the siren and did a good ninety. Can we say two minutes?

Satchell listened to Ed as he explained things again.

“You’re right. I suspect he will call when he’s ready. This sounds like the final showdown. We finally have a shot of bringing him down.”

“I can get Walter to place sensors on ….”

Ed’s cell rang. He looked at the phone. Out-of-area.

“It’s him.”

On the second ring, Ed picked up.

“Manning.”

Is this the same Edward Manning that married my sweet Janis, you overrated scum-bag. You need to listen to me, and not say a word.

You are to leave where you are, which I suspect you are with sweet Janis at this moment, and follow the instructions I’m going to give you. You will have sixteen minutes to be at the exact location I tell you, or the Gimp dies.

Follow Highway 60 until you get to Crescent and RR2116-A. That’s twenty miles away from where you are now. No other police or the boy dies.

Is sweet Janis in tears? Poor, poor baby. Tell her for me, I will console her later. Until then, you better get moving, you fuck stick. Time’s a-wastin’.

The call was terminated.

“I have to go right now. Crescent to RR2116-A, that’s all I know.”

Satchell called the shop on his phone.

“Walter, if you want to keep your job, you have thirty seconds to put a working tracking on Manning’s Volvo. Get it done!”

Baker grabbed Ed’s forearm.

“Ed, please, be careful.”

“Can do. Will do.”

“Love you, Ed.

“Ditto, Jan.”

They briefly kissed, and Ed was out the door.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Baker’s cell rang.

Baker grabbed Satchell’s coat sleeve.

“You might call Walter back and get a tracker put on my car. I have a feeling it’s Freddy again.

Satchell did as she asked when she said hello into her phone.

Ah, my dear, sweet Janis. You have no idea how it makes my heart soar to hear your lilting voice. I get these little sensations that tingle along my spine. Or is it just an approaching orgasm I feel coming soon, when I will be so close to fucking you to death, before, and after you are dead.

Do not say one-word, sweet Janis. Not one fucking word, or I will hang up, and cum inside your son’s ass, just like his daddy did to him all the time. And if he didn’t, he should have! Stevie would make a good bitch for some young hunks.

But I digress. When I am around you, I seem to lose my concentration. Now where was I—oh yes. I am sure that imbecile for a husband has told you where he is going. You are to go to the same place. Wait there for further instruction. Now, you can speak by saying, ‘Yes, my love, I will follow your instructions perfectly.’ Say it bitch! Now!

Baker swallowed twice. Shaking, but no longer out of fear, but of complete anger building within her.

“Yes, my love, I will follow your instructions perfectly.”

Could have been better, more emotion, but we haven’t the time. Hurry.

Baker was out of her chair like a rocket.

“I’ll have backup on the outer perimeter in place before he knows it.”

“NO! He meant what he said. He will kill Stevie. This is on me!”

Baker was out of the office and down the steps before Satchell finished what he was saying.

Crescent & RR2116-A – 3:46 p.m.

Ed spun his car into a half-circle and braked.

Before he stepped out of the car, he scanned the area. Not much to see other than some scrub-bushes and a few old, weather-beaten oak trees. He checked his service revolver, his trusty Smith & Wesson, Colt .45.

All I want is one shot. One clean hit. Freddy’ll be twins when I’m done with him.

Ed stepped slowly from the car.

He heard one branch crack and started to turn, hand on the butt of his Colt, and then things faded down into that realm he didn’t want to go to. He felt the pain, but he was falling asleep, too. Pain and sleep. Strange bedfellows were his final thought.

Freddy searched his entire body and found two guns. He tied Ed up with duct tape, just as he did Stevie after he got him home and put in place. Ed wouldn’t be able to cry for help.

He dumped Ed in the trunk of the Volvo. His Volvo.

Then, he took Ed’s car and drove it further down RRT2116-A until it was safely beyond a curve and unseen to human eyes.

Freddy resumed his position. Within minutes, sweet Janis will appear on the scene, and then it wouldn’t be long before the party could begin.

Another plan has gone well. Freddy loves perfection.

And, as expected, at 3:59, a red Hummer came onto the scene.

But there was no scene. No sign of Ed to indicate he had been here. Maybe Freddy gave him more instructions. Stepping out of her car, she slowly walked around the area. She did see some tire tracks leading further up the road.

She pulled out her .357 Magnum, short-barrel, and held it out in front of her, one hand on the grip, the other around the side to brace when it did fire. She had one finger poised lightly against the trigger.

She heard a noise just past a couple oak trees to her left next to some underbrush. Being cautious, she slowly side-stepped, not allowing to give her body away in case Freddy decided to shoot her right now. Anywhere but a head shot, and Baker would still have a chance to pop him a good one in the face.

As she stepped around several oak trees; she saw Ed slumped against one of them. He was unconscious. Putting her gun away, she ran over and knelt by his side. Cradling his head in her lap, she lightly jostled him.

“Ed? Ed! Talk to me, baby!” No response. She checked his pulse. Still alive.

She could see the eyes begin to flutter open, but they weren’t Ed’s eyes.

Before she could react, a searing, intense pain connected with the side of her head.