Part 1

It moved, stalking its prey with all the grace of a ghost. Watching as the two arrive at their home, and waited until they were inside. It knows their fear, their hopes and dreams. And it is delighted in taking them all away piece by bloody piece.

They never knew what hit them! Not even time enough for either one of them to scream as they join in a macabre dance of pain that went beyond the threshold of description. Something stood in front of them and a barely audible “snikt” of a blade's entrance as it hummed a dirge as old as time itself.

Gail Springfield looked beside her at the man she loved. God, he's just perfect. She thought. Sighing as their plans for a wedding was now in full swing. She would never have known she would be this happy. She glanced at the two-story house that was once her home all those years spent as a child to two very loving parents. Now they're going to just love Barton, I know it. I just hope that now I can put the past behind.

“Yeah, but you're worse than I am and I expect to hear your family embarrass you to me before the night's through.” Barton replied, shutting down the car and gets out to walk to Gail's side and opens her door. Taking her hand lovingly with his, they both rang the doorbell and waited.

Forgoing the doorbell, she rapped on the door - only to find it swing open at the first touch. Curious, she stepped into her old home. It hadn't taken her five steps inside the door when she saw them.

“Damn!” The young man swore as he debarked from the international airport. He wonders why he just didn't come under his own power, but realized the need of keeping up appearances. Plus the fact that he made it a rule to do so annoyed his sense of practicality. One must not abuse one's power for one's own material gains. If he wants to live a normal life, he would have to make do. Besides, this trip was personal. He hasn't been back home in over a year. He made a promise to someone long ago, now he intends to keep it.

“For how long will you be needing the vehicle, Mr. Todd?” The pretty receptionist asked as she processed his information onto the main computer. The man in front of her looked just about average and easily blended in with a crowd. Not exactly a “Don Juan” type, she noticed. At least he still looks cute behind those glasses he wore.

“That will be one hundred fifty dollars sir, per day.” The receptionist said as she hands him the keys and receipt, then she pointed towards the rental bay doors at a silver-gray BMW. “Have a pleasant stay here, and come back soon.”

“I will.” He grins and walks away, towards his rented car. Now, he says, we can get down to the business at hand. I wonder how my old friend's happily engaged? The last thing I heard from her was that she met up with “Mr. Wonderful”. Bet the guy's so full of himself.

Getting into the car after stowing away his luggage in the trunk, he turned it on and started in the general direction towards the city he never cared returning to. Sometimes, the past will just have to stay in the past. But then again, he thought, the road not traveled is still open. And sometimes, if desired, can be returned to again. But he wasn't expecting to return home again this soon.

Having heard through his portable scanner tied to the police's frequency, Max Quaylen watched from inside his car a block behind the police cordon surrounding the new victim's home. Using high-powered binoculars, he surveyed the goings on around the area. Shaking his head in sadness, he noted a girl screaming incoherently beside a police cruiser and another man at her side trying to calm her down. It had to be going on for the better part of the hour. Geez, he wondered, where the hell did she get that set of lungs? Its as if her mind has been blasted by some gut-killing nightmare!

I need to get inside that house! He thought, willing to wait until the rest of the police force leave. It might take hours, but he can do it. Making a mental note to also approach the woman later and ask her what else she might have seen. That, plus how she can scream her head off like some banshee on steroids. Well, might as well sit tight until I can get inside the crime scene.

Having seen the hell inside the house, the newly reassigned detective blanched and headed straight to the bathroom and upchucked all her dinner. The sight was pretty gruesome enough, now she knew why the girl outside was having fits. How can this be? All the victims have been “tastefully” slaughtered and filleted like someone's idea of a gourmet banquet of the insane kind. Torn insides showing like the victims have been put inside a blender switched on high speed. Oh God, and the horrible stench! She's not new to the killings but this case was by far the strangest, and the most brutal she ever encountered. Whoever's behind this is enjoying their work. Then she wondered if the sick bastard even ATE the victims since some of the body parts were discovered missing.

“Hey Christine!” Police Commissioner Darien Fortuna called from behind the door. “Are you all right? I know its hell out here, but we need your help in getting the girl to stop screaming her fool head off.”

“I'm gonna be okay.” Detective Christine Cherolton called back and straightened her clothes. Seeing a very pale reflection staring back at her from the mirror didn't hide the fact she didn't want to go out there again. But duty calls, and she had a job to do, no matter what. Clearing her head and trying to bring a semblance of calm she didn't feel to her face, she opened the door and walked out of the house. Blanching again a little as she passed the crime scene, she ran to the woman who was still screaming by the time she got to the squad car.

“OW!” Gail whimpered, regaining some sense of sanity. Then it all rushed back to her. The house, the bodies, her life was now over. She nearly began to wail again till she saw the look on the policewoman's face that said she might shoot her if she screamed some more. “Okay, I'll be quiet.”

“No ma'am, we didn't.” Barton answered for Gail, which drew Christine's glare. “I'm her fiancée, Barton Cheswick, we were about to break the news to her parents. That's why we were here tonight.”

“Looks like you both picked a bad time for a surprise,” She quipped. “Now you got the end of a shock instead of the other way around. May I advise you two not to get out of town for a couple of days and stay at a hotel or return back to your apartments? I'm sorry about what happened, you have my sympathy. We might need to ask you for more info la…”

Her voice trailed off as she saw who was standing just outside the cordon. She couldn't believe it! “Phil,” She called to another uniform. “Stay with them, will you?”

Quaylen stiffened as he saw another newcomer come into the field. His hands, tightening its grip around the binoculars, went bone white. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled upwards as his sixth sense sent alarms through his system. Whoever the new guy was, he definitely wasn't from around “here”. Could this be the killer? He asked himself, but no, though he may not “feel” right - killers may be braggarts at best, but they do NOT stroll casually back to the scene of the crime in front of a fully armed swat team…. They were not known for stupidly going in to get their head blown off - when they HAD a head. No, whoever this one is, isn't the killer.

She walked towards the cordon and stared again, not wanting to believe seeing someone whom she thought would never return here again. Her mind ran back to the day he left, so full of mystery, saying that one day - he would return. It was an odd and yet intimate friendship that was between them. While although not as physically intimate as others, but that was by far, the most complex “friendship” that bordered on personal secrets and loyalty.

“Them.” He replied, pointing to the two couple. “I was told they were going to drop the bomb of marriage on her parents. She called me a while back to help me set up plans for the ceremony. Can you tell me why does it seem like a terrorist blockade is erected around the house?”

“We've been having a steady stream of murders here that began a few weeks ago. Commissioner Fortuna's been trying to stem media panic for some time now, but this latest one might make it into the six o'clock news.”

“Its not a pretty sight, but would you like to see the scene?” She offered, knowing ahead that Richard can be pretty stubborn about wanting to help them. It was a trait she always loved. “I didn't know you knew the bride. Was she someone special to you before?”

He nodded, in a distant, yet remorseful way. He told her the reader's digest version of his acquaintance with Gail a few years back. “But that was before you and I met. Sometimes I still couldn't believe she somehow got this loony looking lout. Oh well, stranger things have happened. But I promised her I'd help in any way. I just didn't think it was to reassure her parents to accept the two and then work on her wedding ceremony. But you know me, always a stickler about promises. I always mean what I promise when I promised to help in any way as long as anyone asks. And that includes you, by the way.”

She smiled, but then she suddenly realized what he meant by that last remark. “Whoa, wait a minute! You just can't mess with my case. You're not even a cop! For God's sake, Richard, the killer's as sadistic as they come. And you're just a free-lance art designer, what can YOU do?”

He smiled back. A smile she knew that spoke in volumes what words never could. Her closest friend had many levels of mystery, could this be one of them coming to light?

The moment Richard got a passing glimpse of the crime scene; he had to admit it was waaaaay out of the norm. Even for someone like him, though he had seen a lot worse. Well, I hope Gail's okay. From the way I saw her on the way in, she looks like she got a taste of hell. Hope her fiancée can help her take it. I have a feeling this isn't going to be easy. He looked back at where Gail, Barton, and Christine were and a grim line formed on his lips.

“Hi Gail, I'm sorry this had to happen. If there's anything I can do…” A familiar voice said as someone approached the police car. Gail looked up and gave a cry of relief as she saw the one person to have helped her deal with some pain long ago. She bolted and ran up to Richard, falling into her friend's arm, crying. All in all, it surprised the heck out of Christine and Richard, both. Barton just glared.

Uh-uh…. Christine thought as the meaning of Cheswick's glare became obvious. Male testosterone territoriality time, hope Richard doesn't overdo it. Come to think of it, I'm getting pretty damned jealous myself. She looks like she can charm a flea off a dog's back…. Waitaminute…… Oh my…. I AM jealous!

Richard, for his part, blushed beet red. Trying to soothe Gail's cries with soft words of sympathy and encouragement. After a while he handed her over to Cheswick and introduced himself. He offered Cheswick his hand.

“Hi,” He began. “I'm Richard Todd, one of Gail's old friends. She told me about you and said that she needed my help in planning the wedding ceremony. I'm sorry this had to happen. The police are doing their best to solve this.”

“I've heard of you.” Barton replied, shaking Todd's offered hand. “I never expected we'd meet like this. All we were looking forward to was to announce our engagement to her folks - looks like we ran into some bad luck.”

Richard stared at the man in surprise. Thinking how odd it was for the her fiancée to sound too glib about it, but then saw the underlying fear in the man's eyes. He's a good man, Todd thought, even though this situation will probably give both of them nightmares for years to come - he still tries to put up a brave face to it. Hope he doesn't crack in the long run, I may need him to do some things for me as I look for whoever brought hell on earth on them both. Come to think of it, I might as well sneak back in here later to study the crime scene better. I don't want anyone to see what I'm doing.

“Sure, just don't leave town for a while. We don't know yet if whatever did this might come after you.” Christine replied, and then she looked over at Richard. “And where are you staying?”

Richard grinned sheepishly and spread both of his arms wide. “Well, I was thinking I could shack out at a local inn or motel that's right close to the airport. I'm only here for a few days, is all.” At least long enough for me to find the bastard or bastards that did this, he thought to himself, and make them pay.

“Okay,” Christine smiled, and giggled. “How about you stay over with me and do the cooking and laundry? The rent's free and you can stay as long as you like. I sleep in my bedroom and you take the floor outside. Good enough?”

“What? Haven't I owed you enough already?” Richard whined good-naturedly, accepting the offer. “Let's see that these two are escorted safely back to their homes, first.”

Richard and Christine exchanged a few more words with Gail and Barton before the couple got into their car and drove off with a squad car each behind and ahead of them, Richard tugged on Christine's coat and moved her over to a secluded side and started talking.

“The guys as the crime lab will handle it, Rich.” Christine answered. “Besides, there's going to be two squad cars patrolling the area every other few minutes. I can't have you messing around with a police investigation! What can you do that the rest of us haven't tried already?”

“On ONE condition, I go with you.” At those words, Richard Todd knew he was going to regret it. But he went with it anyway, cursing and admiring the brash detective. His friend from long ago has indeed grown up. “Just don't make me regret it.”

Later that night, Quaylen managed to slip into the house unnoticed and started examining the area for clues. The wall a few feet from the door was splattered all over with drying blood. It didn't disturb him much, but the stench got to him. His heightened senses told him something different. Aside from human blood, there was the odd telltale residue of something else… - Something very old, and very dangerous. Definitely not that guy he saw with the lady cop earlier. So engrossed with the search and examining the wall that he missed sensing someone enter the door and gasped in surprise when the light turned on.


	Part 1 It moved, stalking its prey with all the grace of a ghost. Watching as the two arrive at their home, and waited until they were inside. It knows their fear, their hopes and dreams. And it is delighted in taking them all away piece by bloody piece. They never knew what hit them! Not even time enough for either one of them to scream as they join in a macabre dance of pain that went beyond the threshold of description. Something stood in front of them and a barely audible “snikt” of a blade's entrance as it hummed a dirge as old as time itself. They fell. It laughed as it took in their souls as one takes in food. Tasty, it thought to itself, but wanting so much more. It moved on, stalking another prey. ------------------------------------------ Gail Springfield looked beside her at the man she loved. God, he's just perfect. She thought. Sighing as their plans for a wedding was now in full swing. She would never have known she would be this happy. She glanced at the two-story house that was once her home all those years spent as a child to two very loving parents. Now they're going to just love Barton, I know it. I just hope that now I can put the past behind. “Honey,” She began, glancing back to him. “We're here, I hope you'll behave yourself for my mom and dad. You can be such a riot sometimes.” “Yeah, but you're worse than I am and I expect to hear your family embarrass you to me before the night's through.” Barton replied, shutting down the car and gets out to walk to Gail's side and opens her door. Taking her hand lovingly with his, they both rang the doorbell and waited. “Gee.” Gail mused. “I wonder where they are? They should've been home already.” Forgoing the doorbell, she rapped on the door - only to find it swing open at the first touch. Curious, she stepped into her old home. It hadn't taken her five steps inside the door when she saw them. Her screams didn't stop till the next morning. And she will never be the same again. ------------------------------------------ “Damn!” The young man swore as he debarked from the international airport. He wonders why he just didn't come under his own power, but realized the need of keeping up appearances. Plus the fact that he made it a rule to do so annoyed his sense of practicality. One must not abuse one's power for one's own material gains. If he wants to live a normal life, he would have to make do. Besides, this trip was personal. He hasn't been back home in over a year. He made a promise to someone long ago, now he intends to keep it. Passing the car rental desk just near the exit of the airport, he registered and deposited money for a car. “For how long will you be needing the vehicle, Mr. Todd?” The pretty receptionist asked as she processed his information onto the main computer. The man in front of her looked just about average and easily blended in with a crowd. Not exactly a “Don Juan” type, she noticed. At least he still looks cute behind those glasses he wore. “Just a couple of days or so, miss.” He smiled, as he hands her his international driver's license. On it, it said: Richard Todd Class: C - Restriction: A 626460443-7566-SCI “That will be one hundred fifty dollars sir, per day.” The receptionist said as she hands him the keys and receipt, then she pointed towards the rental bay doors at a silver-gray BMW. “Have a pleasant stay here, and come back soon.” “I will.” He grins and walks away, towards his rented car. Now, he says, we can get down to the business at hand. I wonder how my old friend's happily engaged? The last thing I heard from her was that she met up with “Mr. Wonderful”. Bet the guy's so full of himself. Getting into the car after stowing away his luggage in the trunk, he turned it on and started in the general direction towards the city he never cared returning to. Sometimes, the past will just have to stay in the past. But then again, he thought, the road not traveled is still open. And sometimes, if desired, can be returned to again. But he wasn't expecting to return home again this soon. And he certainly wasn't expecting what he saw when he got there. ------------------------------------------ Having heard through his portable scanner tied to the police's frequency, Max Quaylen watched from inside his car a block behind the police cordon surrounding the new victim's home. Using high-powered binoculars, he surveyed the goings on around the area. Shaking his head in sadness, he noted a girl screaming incoherently beside a police cruiser and another man at her side trying to calm her down. It had to be going on for the better part of the hour. Geez, he wondered, where the hell did she get that set of lungs? Its as if her mind has been blasted by some gut-killing nightmare! I need to get inside that house! He thought, willing to wait until the rest of the police force leave. It might take hours, but he can do it. Making a mental note to also approach the woman later and ask her what else she might have seen. That, plus how she can scream her head off like some banshee on steroids. Well, might as well sit tight until I can get inside the crime scene. ------------------------------------------ Having seen the hell inside the house, the newly reassigned detective blanched and headed straight to the bathroom and upchucked all her dinner. The sight was pretty gruesome enough, now she knew why the girl outside was having fits. How can this be? All the victims have been “tastefully” slaughtered and filleted like someone's idea of a gourmet banquet of the insane kind. Torn insides showing like the victims have been put inside a blender switched on high speed. Oh God, and the horrible stench! She's not new to the killings but this case was by far the strangest, and the most brutal she ever encountered. Whoever's behind this is enjoying their work. Then she wondered if the sick bastard even ATE the victims since some of the body parts were discovered missing. “Hey Christine!” Police Commissioner Darien Fortuna called from behind the door. “Are you all right? I know its hell out here, but we need your help in getting the girl to stop screaming her fool head off.” “I'm gonna be okay.” Detective Christine Cherolton called back and straightened her clothes. Seeing a very pale reflection staring back at her from the mirror didn't hide the fact she didn't want to go out there again. But duty calls, and she had a job to do, no matter what. Clearing her head and trying to bring a semblance of calm she didn't feel to her face, she opened the door and walked out of the house. Blanching again a little as she passed the crime scene, she ran to the woman who was still screaming by the time she got to the squad car. No matter what tack she took, she couldn't get the girl to stop. Sighing loudly, she slapped her across the face for good measure. “OW!” Gail whimpered, regaining some sense of sanity. Then it all rushed back to her. The house, the bodies, her life was now over. She nearly began to wail again till she saw the look on the policewoman's face that said she might shoot her if she screamed some more. “Okay, I'll be quiet.” “Thanks a lot.” Christine replied, relieved. “Now will you please tell me what just happened in there? Did you see anything else?” “No ma'am, we didn't.” Barton answered for Gail, which drew Christine's glare. “I'm her fiancée, Barton Cheswick, we were about to break the news to her parents. That's why we were here tonight.” “Looks like you both picked a bad time for a surprise,” She quipped. “Now you got the end of a shock instead of the other way around. May I advise you two not to get out of town for a couple of days and stay at a hotel or return back to your apartments? I'm sorry about what happened, you have my sympathy. We might need to ask you for more info la…” Her voice trailed off as she saw who was standing just outside the cordon. She couldn't believe it! “Phil,” She called to another uniform. “Stay with them, will you?” ------------------------------------------ Quaylen stiffened as he saw another newcomer come into the field. His hands, tightening its grip around the binoculars, went bone white. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled upwards as his sixth sense sent alarms through his system. Whoever the new guy was, he definitely wasn't from around “here”. Could this be the killer? He asked himself, but no, though he may not “feel” right - killers may be braggarts at best, but they do NOT stroll casually back to the scene of the crime in front of a fully armed swat team…. They were not known for stupidly going in to get their head blown off - when they HAD a head. No, whoever this one is, isn't the killer. ------------------------------------------ She walked towards the cordon and stared again, not wanting to believe seeing someone whom she thought would never return here again. Her mind ran back to the day he left, so full of mystery, saying that one day - he would return. It was an odd and yet intimate friendship that was between them. While although not as physically intimate as others, but that was by far, the most complex “friendship” that bordered on personal secrets and loyalty. “Richard?” She asked, as she motioned to the guard to let the man through. “How? What brings you back here again?” “Them.” He replied, pointing to the two couple. “I was told they were going to drop the bomb of marriage on her parents. She called me a while back to help me set up plans for the ceremony. Can you tell me why does it seem like a terrorist blockade is erected around the house?” “We've been having a steady stream of murders here that began a few weeks ago. Commissioner Fortuna's been trying to stem media panic for some time now, but this latest one might make it into the six o'clock news.” “Her parents?” Richard's eyes went wide as he guessed what happened. Seeing her nod made his gut wrench. “How did it happen?” “Its not a pretty sight, but would you like to see the scene?” She offered, knowing ahead that Richard can be pretty stubborn about wanting to help them. It was a trait she always loved. “I didn't know you knew the bride. Was she someone special to you before?” He nodded, in a distant, yet remorseful way. He told her the reader's digest version of his acquaintance with Gail a few years back. “But that was before you and I met. Sometimes I still couldn't believe she somehow got this loony looking lout. Oh well, stranger things have happened. But I promised her I'd help in any way. I just didn't think it was to reassure her parents to accept the two and then work on her wedding ceremony. But you know me, always a stickler about promises. I always mean what I promise when I promised to help in any way as long as anyone asks. And that includes you, by the way.” She smiled, but then she suddenly realized what he meant by that last remark. “Whoa, wait a minute! You just can't mess with my case. You're not even a cop! For God's sake, Richard, the killer's as sadistic as they come. And you're just a free-lance art designer, what can YOU do?” He smiled back. A smile she knew that spoke in volumes what words never could. Her closest friend had many levels of mystery, could this be one of them coming to light? She could only hope that she wouldn't regret it for the rest of her life. ------------------------------------------ The moment Richard got a passing glimpse of the crime scene; he had to admit it was waaaaay out of the norm. Even for someone like him, though he had seen a lot worse. Well, I hope Gail's okay. From the way I saw her on the way in, she looks like she got a taste of hell. Hope her fiancée can help her take it. I have a feeling this isn't going to be easy. He looked back at where Gail, Barton, and Christine were and a grim line formed on his lips. No, he decided, its not going to be easy on everybody at all. ------------------------------------------ “Hi Gail, I'm sorry this had to happen. If there's anything I can do…” A familiar voice said as someone approached the police car. Gail looked up and gave a cry of relief as she saw the one person to have helped her deal with some pain long ago. She bolted and ran up to Richard, falling into her friend's arm, crying. All in all, it surprised the heck out of Christine and Richard, both. Barton just glared. Uh-uh…. Christine thought as the meaning of Cheswick's glare became obvious. Male testosterone territoriality time, hope Richard doesn't overdo it. Come to think of it, I'm getting pretty damned jealous myself. She looks like she can charm a flea off a dog's back…. Waitaminute…… Oh my…. I AM jealous! Richard, for his part, blushed beet red. Trying to soothe Gail's cries with soft words of sympathy and encouragement. After a while he handed her over to Cheswick and introduced himself. He offered Cheswick his hand. “Hi,” He began. “I'm Richard Todd, one of Gail's old friends. She told me about you and said that she needed my help in planning the wedding ceremony. I'm sorry this had to happen. The police are doing their best to solve this.” “I've heard of you.” Barton replied, shaking Todd's offered hand. “I never expected we'd meet like this. All we were looking forward to was to announce our engagement to her folks - looks like we ran into some bad luck.” Richard stared at the man in surprise. Thinking how odd it was for the her fiancée to sound too glib about it, but then saw the underlying fear in the man's eyes. He's a good man, Todd thought, even though this situation will probably give both of them nightmares for years to come - he still tries to put up a brave face to it. Hope he doesn't crack in the long run, I may need him to do some things for me as I look for whoever brought hell on earth on them both. Come to think of it, I might as well sneak back in here later to study the crime scene better. I don't want anyone to see what I'm doing. “Christine,” Gail said. “Is it all right for us to go home for now? I don't really want to be here right now.” “Sure, just don't leave town for a while. We don't know yet if whatever did this might come after you.” Christine replied, and then she looked over at Richard. “And where are you staying?” Richard grinned sheepishly and spread both of his arms wide. “Well, I was thinking I could shack out at a local inn or motel that's right close to the airport. I'm only here for a few days, is all.” At least long enough for me to find the bastard or bastards that did this, he thought to himself, and make them pay. “Okay,” Christine smiled, and giggled. “How about you stay over with me and do the cooking and laundry? The rent's free and you can stay as long as you like. I sleep in my bedroom and you take the floor outside. Good enough?” “What? Haven't I owed you enough already?” Richard whined good-naturedly, accepting the offer. “Let's see that these two are escorted safely back to their homes, first.” Richard and Christine exchanged a few more words with Gail and Barton before the couple got into their car and drove off with a squad car each behind and ahead of them, Richard tugged on Christine's coat and moved her over to a secluded side and started talking. “I've got to get back in there later when the rest of the cops leave. I want to see the place up close.” He said. “The guys as the crime lab will handle it, Rich.” Christine answered. “Besides, there's going to be two squad cars patrolling the area every other few minutes. I can't have you messing around with a police investigation! What can you do that the rest of us haven't tried already?” “Things.” He replied off-handedly. “I can do a lot more than what they've tried, Christine. Just trust me on this one, okay?” “On ONE condition, I go with you.” At those words, Richard Todd knew he was going to regret it. But he went with it anyway, cursing and admiring the brash detective. His friend from long ago has indeed grown up. “Just don't make me regret it.” “You won't, but I will.” Christine said, having the last word. ------------------------------------------ Later that night, Quaylen managed to slip into the house unnoticed and started examining the area for clues. The wall a few feet from the door was splattered all over with drying blood. It didn't disturb him much, but the stench got to him. His heightened senses told him something different. Aside from human blood, there was the odd telltale residue of something else… - Something very old, and very dangerous. Definitely not that guy he saw with the lady cop earlier. So engrossed with the search and examining the wall that he missed sensing someone enter the door and gasped in surprise when the light turned on. Oops. “HOLY SHIT!” a female voice exclaimed in shock. “HANDS UP! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!!” -0-0-0-0-0- next page Return