《Killer From Afar》


 I smell her

    Chapter 1: I Smell Her


    I smell her.


    Before me, a mother of two. Her body lies rigid in the freshly lined snow, her once-golden hair now a muddled mess, barely clinging to her scalp.


    A gruesome yet pretty snow angel accompanies my new acquaintance on the ground, her body sprawled nude on the pavement. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was dead, she would probably be quite cold.


    My eyes follow each stab and slash across her chest, dark ooze seeping from every opening, every slit. There was hatred in each thrust. Must have been.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    I inhale deeply, letting the scent of blood fill my lungs. Hold it. Exhale.


    My eyes drift downward to her two pale infant daughters. One was placed inside their mothers abdomen. The other left cold and alone.


    The scene is incomplete.


    I get to work, my hands moving quickly as I fix things up.


    There we go. All better. Now you can both be with Mommy.


    I stare at my little mosaic for a moment longer before heading back to my cruiser.


    Time to call it in.


    Lew? Will here. Im down by the Millers house. Found a crime scene. Im gonna need a forensics team down here.


    Jesus, you mean Nina Miller?


    Yes.


    She okay?


    No.


    Alright, Ill send some folks down there.


    I hang up.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I stare back at what used to be the Millers.


    If I count the babies, that makes six total victims. Somebody¡¯s been busy.


    Lamenting about the whole situation, I rest my head against the window of my car and daydream.

 The man in a suit

    A knock on my cruiser¡¯s window pulls me from my light nap.


    Outside stands my partner and girlfriend, Lee Harper. She gives me a tired smile as I step out to greet her.


    ¡°Miss Harper, what a pleasant surprise.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is, Mr. Philips. Shall we stop dilly-dallying and begin looking at the crime scene?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea, Miss Harper.¡± I smile.


    I doubt the fun banter will last long, but it¡¯s an okay way to kill some time.


    As we approach the Millers¡¯ house, the intoxicating smell of iron returns. Judging by Lee¡¯s expression, she smells it too. Or maybe it¡¯s the babies that make her gag?


    Before I can decide whether to comfort her, a voice booms through the silence.


    ¡°How many goddamn cases does this make?!¡± the chief yells, stepping out of his cruiser.


    ¡°With or without the babies?¡± I joke.


    I feel Lee¡¯s glare burn into the side of my face. I ignore it.


    The chief doesn¡¯t respond to my witty remark. Maybe he didn¡¯t hear me? Whatever.


    ¡°Fucking babies? This bastard killed babies?¡±


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    ¡°Oh, Jesus fuck¡­¡± It seems Lee has found the body.


    ¡°H-How could a human do this?¡±


    The chief approaches and reacts just as Lee did¡ªonly with more profanity.


    ¡°He put them both into their mother? Sick fuck.¡±


    Actually, he only put one in. I placed the second one. Which, I might add, was trickier than anticipated.


    She seemed lonely.


    The two of them go back and forth while I begin to grow bored.


    I contemplate sneaking away for a smoke when a third car approaches.


    It¡¯s nice. Expensive. A fresh paint job¡ªblood red.


    Flashy bastard.


    Out steps a well-dressed man in his early thirties. The first thing I notice is his lack of a uniform.


    As I stare into his black eyes, I feel my soul evict my body.


    Two black holes suck me in, and all I can do is hopelessly stare back.


    This is no man.


    This is something extraterrestrial.


    An anomaly not meant to be seen, never meant to be encountered.


    He moves past me as if gliding on ice, his movements precise and controlled. He pays me no mind, stepping toward the mosaic.


    A notebook and pen in his hand. Writing with unbelievable quickness. His almond-black eyes never blink as he scans the Millers¡¯ lifeless bodies.


    ¡°Will? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lee¡¯s hand on my shoulder abruptly kicks me out of my trance and drops me back into reality.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± I ask, to no one in particular.


    ¡°That¡¯s James Clark,¡± the chief scoffs. ¡°He¡¯s a famous crime writer. Apparently, he¡¯s helped with profiling in the past. I don¡¯t know why the fuck he¡¯s allowed to waltz around my crime scene, but that¡¯s not up to me.¡±


    Apparently, this creature¡¯s beauty doesn¡¯t reach the Chief. Or Lee, for that matter¡ªher scowl is unmistakable.


    Without warning, the anomaly opens its mouth to speak.


    ¡°Now, now, Chief Marks. I¡¯m not here to step on anyone¡¯s toes. I am simply here to do my job.¡±


    He turns to me.


    ¡°Mr. Philips, I was told you were the one who found the crime scene?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°And you can confirm that both infants were found inside the woman?¡±


    I hesitate.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.


    He knows.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Philips. That will be all.¡±


    He turns and leaves.


    Without thinking, I get in my car and follow.


    I don¡¯t even hear my chiefs screaming my name as I start the engine.

 Caught in the act

    Lights flash from passing cars as I attempt to follow my new friend. I don¡¯t know why, but I have an indescribable urge to know where he¡¯s going, what he does with his time.


    I¡¯m careful not to be seen as I weave through traffic, always staying two cars behind him. The city is alive with the scum of the earth. Beggars line the streets, and assholes make no attempt to hide their annoyance with their fellow man in the form of honks and middle fingers.


    My excitement is immeasurable at this point, and it keeps building the deeper into the city we go.


    Where are you taking me?


    What have you got planned for our day today?


    The radio turns on, some shitty pop song playing and beginning to spoil my mood. Just as I am about to turn it off, he finally begins to slow down. And then, he stops.


    Following his lead, I pull off to the side of the road and slide out of my car. As my eyes adjust to the light, however, I am bombarded with the stimulating view of fishnet leggings.


    And not just one pair.


    Ten.


    I have found myself in hooker alley.


    I watch him get out of his car, where an okay-looking brunette whore comes to greet her next client. He smiles at her, and she smiles back. They begin walking, and so do I.


    I stumble across some blondie sitting on the curb, a needle in her arm.


    I see my new friend walk into an alley behind a bar. The sign reads:If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Slots, Sluts, and Shots.¡±


    Classy.


    Just as I go to step over the addict on the street, I feel her grip on my shirt.


    ¡°Heeeey mister. You know you don¡¯t gotta spend all your time alone, don¡¯tcha?¡± the whore explains.


    I feel the urge to kick her in the mouth, but the sight of her missing teeth makes me feel like any more damage might stop her from being able to talk.


    I bend down and roughly grab her arm. On it, I find darkened veins and track marks running all the way to the crotches of her fingers.


    Smiling, I lift up her arm to show her.


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve been having plenty of fun on your own.¡±


    She releases a little chuckle.


    ¡°C¡¯mon man. We all gotta get through the day somehow, right?¡± she smiles, seemingly genuine.


    ¡°You know something?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that, mister?¡±


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t such an ugly fucking skank, I might have fucked around with you.¡±


    I stand up.


    ¡°FUCK YOU!¡±


    Ignoring her incessant cursing and yelling, I quickly make my way towards the back alley.


    Broken glass cracks beneath my heel as I eagerly push through the alley to catch up to my new friend.


    Fear begins to fall over me as I continue my march through the muck.


    What if I cannot find my friend?


    My fear soon turns to bliss as I finally come across James.


    There he stood.


    Bloodied hammer in hand.


    His whore now lay on the ground, convulsing.


    I hide.


    I watch with burning anticipation as James grabs her hair, now muddled to her forehead from blood and brain.


    Amazing.


    He is so calm, and his face never changes, even as he cuts into her left breast with a serrated knife.


    I see.


    So he uses the hammer to stun his victim before he kills them.


    This way, they cannot scream.


    As I watch him mutilate and disembowel the girl, I find something.


    Something I cannot ignore.


    The girl is still alive!


    It starts as a snort, then a chuckle. Then, I begin to laugh.


    I laugh and scream, and I do not know why.


    I howl with laughter to the point where I feel like I¡¯m going to piss myself.


    The fact that he has been carving into this chick for the past hour and a half and yet she is still alive?!


    I could not contain myself.


    Blinded by tears, I roll around on the cement. My voice echoes through the alley.


    James probably hears it, and I couldn¡¯t even care.


    She held on to her life, and for what?!


    So she could be conscious when her right tit got cut off?!


    Slowly but surely, the laughter begins to die.


    Unlike the girl.


    And there stood my friend.


    Hammer in hand.


    Smile on his face.


    Standing over me.

 Drink With the Devil

    I close my eyes, ready for a similar fate as the whore. After five seconds of waiting for the cool steel of the hammer to slam into my cranium, I grow bored and open my eyes once again to the sight of James¡¯s hand outstretched.


    I let the moment sit in the air a little while. I¡¯ll let him think I¡¯m hesitant, as to not come off as ¡°giddy.¡±


    I take his hand. He hoists me up and brushes me off. Our eyes meet¡ªalmond black eyes.


    Shit, keep it together, Will.


    ¡°You laugh like a man who needs a drink.¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Forget her, she¡¯ll be dead in a minute or so from the blood loss. How ¡¯bout that drink, Will?¡±


    Sleazy music plays as James and I watch a girl named ¡°Candy¡± spin around on a pole in front of us. I nurse my old-fashioned while James downs his third shot of tequila.


    I feel my hand stick to the bar counter as I lift my glass to my lips. Stray peanut shells litter the counter, and it¡¯s leaving me worried about how sanitary these glasses actually are.


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    ¡°So, how¡¯d you find me?¡± James asks, breaking the silence.


    ¡°I followed you from the Millers¡¯ house.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the Millers! That was her name! I never learn their names, Will, too much effort.¡±


    He slaps me on the back and smiles. His charm is unbeatable. It makes it hard to imagine he had some girl¡¯s heart in his hand fifteen minutes ago.


    ¡°And I take it YOU were the one who put the second baby in the mother?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And I gotta ask, why leave the second one out?¡±


    ¡°It was taking too long, and I got bored.¡± He shrugs.


    I flag the bartender for another drink, though it would seem that he¡¯d much rather watch ¡°Candy¡± take off her panties than do his fucking job. I see the beads of sweat start to collect on his balding head, blushing like an idiot.


    James speaks up.


    ¡°Hey, dickhead! Let Candy do her thing and you do yours. My friend here needs another drink.¡±


    He smiles at me. Though his eyes seem dead. He¡¯s watching me very closely, feeling me out.


    ¡°Who¡¯d have thought! Two serial killers sittin¡¯ at a bar together shootin¡¯ the shit.¡±


    I keep the fact that I¡¯m not a killer to myself.


    ¡°You seem awfully forthright about your hobbies with a cop, y¡¯know,¡± I tease.


    His smile disappears, and he stares at me blankly.


    ¡°Well, Will, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re humans, right? We don¡¯t have to bullshit each other.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°How about another drink! Bottoms up, buddy.¡±


    He isn¡¯t asking.

 A work of art

    My head spins as I follow James into the alley back to the girl. There she was, laying still in the trash. It looked as though she moved, if only a little, before she succumbed to her wounds and died.


    ¡°So Will, seeing as you did so much with the Miller bitch, why don¡¯t you help make my motif more interesting?¡±


    This left me confused, mostly in part to the alcohol.


    ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s dead, James.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but Will, that¡¯s ALL she is. I usually just kill them and dump them, but after seeing what you did with that family, I¡¯m embarrassed to admit it, but I was inspired!¡±


    He smiles. He rubs the back of his head in an attempt to seem genuine. One day, James, you won¡¯t have to feel the need to pretend with me.


    I shake the thoughts from my head and meet James¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    He smiles.


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    ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    I smile back.


    This is different. It¡¯s more intimate. These corpses, dolls, that I find during my work. They¡¯re strangers. I didn¡¯t know them. What were they to me?


    But this is not like those countless experiences. I am here. I am in this moment now. Me. Her fate is mine to decide.


    How will the world remember you?


    ¡°What was her name?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care, Will? She¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°I want to know who I¡¯m playing with.¡±


    James says nothing at this.


    Silence.


    ¡°Sarah. Her name was Sarah,¡± he says, a slight smile on his face.


    ¡°Hi Sarah, I¡¯m Will.¡±


    I hear James laugh in the background, but right now, I am with Sarah. I need to make sure she is well taken care of.


    ¡°Can I borrow the knife?¡±


    James, in a dramatic fashion, bows down to me while presenting the blade in both of his hands, almost like a king knighting a servant.


    I graciously accept the blade. It¡¯s heavy in my hand, my palm sticky with the dried blood.


    I strip her clothes off, leaving her naked on the ground. With James watching, I begin slowly sawing into her face, cutting around her mouth. I am careful as I dislocate her jaw. It makes an audible crunch as I slowly put pressure on it with my left hand, the right I use to cut the muscle.


    ¡°Where did you put her left breast?¡± I ask.


    ¡°By the dumpster somewhere.¡± James¡¯s excitement seems to grow with each passing second.


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll use the right one.¡±


    I begin sawing into her right breast, the fatty flesh spitting at me as I saw into it. James¡¯s eyes watch not the blade, but my face.

 Examination

    ¡°Jesus, fuck,¡± the chief spits.


    There she was. Sarah.


    Her right breast sits snugly between her teeth, her hands tied by the long intestines. I kept her legs spread because I thought it fitting, though I left her panties on in case some desperate hobo wanted to defile her. I tied her hair in a bow, to keep it away from her mouth.


    I look at the faces of my co-workers. Disgust, grief, pity, revulsion. These are the words I would use to describe their faces.


    I hover over her, trying my best to act shocked. I check to make sure I am not smiling by rubbing my hand against my mouth, which I found some people use as a self-comforting motion. Weird.


    ¡°¡¯Scuse me, Will,¡± Samantha says, squeezing past me. In her gloved hand was her forensics camera and some other tools I couldn¡¯t describe even if I wanted to.


    ¡°How long has she been dead?¡± Lee asks.


    ¡°Around eight hours?¡± Close.


    ¡°Cause of death?¡±


    ¡°Take your pick. She seems to have been beaten severely by some sort of blunt object, then stabbed, then disemboweled then¡ª¡±


    ¡°We can see that. God damn, what killed her?¡±


    ¡°She bled out.¡±


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    Lucky girl.


    ¡°What¡¯s with her tits?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Dunno. Whoever did this must hate women,¡± Samantha shrugs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I blurt out.


    Everyone is looking at me. I feel their eyes burning into my flesh.


    ¡°Will is right.¡±


    I turn around.


    There James is, his flashy as fuck red car sits on the curb waiting.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t hear you come in,¡± spits the chief. He is clearly agitated at the arrival of James.


    ¡°It¡¯s electric, Chief. Quiet.¡±


    James smiles and then winks at me.


    What is he gonna say about our joint project, I wonder?


    ¡°What did you mean when you said Will was right? He clearly hates women!¡± protests Lee.


    ¡°It was more playful.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°What I mean when I say that is that whoever this sick fuck is, he did this more out of a childlike curiosity rather than malice.¡± James shrugs.


    Lee turns to me.


    ¡°How could somebody be so fucked up and not even know it?¡±


    Before I can respond, James chimes in.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Lee. These guys are everywhere. Hell, one could be standing right next to you, and you wouldn¡¯t even know it!¡±


    He walks over to Lee and me and puts his arm around us.


    The Chief interjects.


    ¡°Get your shit done and get out! You¡¯re messing with my crime scene. Don¡¯t you have a book to write?¡±


    ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡±


    I feel his hand linger on my shoulder a moment. His grip tightens slightly before releasing me. His touch lingers with me for a moment, then two. Then¡ª


    ¡°Will! Dispatch called and said they need you to check out a disturbance down by Nail Avenue. You got this?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± I say.


    Lee looks at me expectantly. By the way she is slightly flushed in the cheeks and the stance she is taking, I¡¯d say she wants me to kiss her.


    Obediently, as the ever-dutiful boyfriend, I lean in and give her a kiss. Her lips are dry and taste like coffee, and up close I can see crust under her eyes. Nonetheless, she seems happy with me, so I suck it up.


    ¡°Well, well! Two cops find themselves thrown into both a dangerous case AND a steamy romance. I can feel my pen moving all on its own!¡±


    James¡¯s mouth is smiling as he says this, but as I step into my car, and even as I drive down the highway, I can¡¯t stop thinking about the look of pure bloodlust in his eyes.