Chapter Fourteen #3
“Yes, if that were the only character trait this killer exhibits, I’d agree with you, Rayburn,” Dr. Reeves said.
“But I think you’d agree that anyone trained in the military would incapacitate an opponent more cleanly by hitting them in the solar plexus or using pressure points to render them no threat.
You teach that in your Krav Maga classes.
This killer lacks discipline in the method of killing.
He either gets them in a car, takes them to a random alley and kills them once he’s dragged them out to the ground. Or he lures them there on foot.”
When she opened her mouth to argue the toss, Dr. Reeves held up a finger.
“The last thing I’ll say about whether his background is this…
we know he uses—or reuses—ligatures which he might have found on the street.
They’re convenient, for lack of a better term.
My point is, someone with a military background would be more methodical and organized, learned from years of training. ”
“That’s the answer I was looking for,” Rayburn said with a brilliant smile.
“Anything to satisfy your curiosity, Kindness,” the doctor replied with a smile. “Besides, I never argue with women who can kick my ass.” The wink he sent in her direction was full of affection.
Truth be told, Leo’s explanation made perfect sense.
“You said he’s disorganized,” Candy said. “It sounds like he hunts in the same place and disposes of his victims in alleys using the same method of killing. Doesn’t that make him…I don’t know…organized?”
Leo glanced over at him. “In this context, disorganized is more of a description of the killer’s mindset.
Organized killers may stalk their victims, get to know their patterns.
Do they work at a certain time of day, pick up their kids and take them to the park on a Tuesday, eat at a certain restaurant, etcetera.
An organized killer may obtain a date rape drug and decide how and when he’s going to slip it into a potential victim’s drink ahead of time. ” He nodded to emphasize his point.
“Disorganized killers don’t go out hunting with that mindset.
They might like blondes which is why they target them, but they don’t know who they want until they see her.
In this case, he doesn’t build a murder kit…
for example, a bag with duct tape, ligatures, a cudgel, Rohypnol, etcetera, ahead of time.
This killer doesn’t plan his kills. He finds a ligature that serves his immediate need and uses that on the victim he’s targeted. ”
“Thank you,” Candy said, “please continue, Dr. Reeves.”
Leo nodded. “I’m almost done. Because of his lack of financial circumstances, I’m not convinced this killer has a permanent residence. He may live in a flop house or in his car, if he has one, or in a homeless encampment of some sort.”
I sat up straighter. “Ya think he’s homeless?”
“There’s a possibility of that, Agent Good.
We have some intel which may indicate that but it’s not confirmed,” Lincoln said.
“And this is where your team comes in.” He turned to Candy.
“There’s a homeless encampment not far from the killer’s hunting ground.
We’ve sent an undercover agent in to try to ask questions of the population, but they’ve been hesitant…
well, actually they’ve been totally uncooperative so far.
To top it all off, the undercover may have blown the assignment by being overzealous in their questioning. ”
I could understand how that might happen.
“What do you need from us?” Candy asked, looking around the room.
“As you can imagine, they’re not the most cooperative bunch of people on their best day and a lot of them are either drug abusers or otherwise dangerous due to mental illness.
It may take time for anyone going undercover to build a rapport and based on what the current UC said, he didn’t take the time needed to build up confidence among the homeless,” said Leo.
Snow sighed. “He’s inexperienced—as were we all—with that population.
We feel the UC blew any chances at getting them to open up, because honestly, it’s not like Leo can go down there to give them the profile.
We’re also hindered because we don’t have a physical description of the killer.
Though we’ve had other UC volunteers here in the L.A.
field office since the first UC made the attempt.
SAC Bradley has decided he wants a member from a Tac Team to try instead. ”
“Us?”
“He feels you’re more equipped,” Lincoln said. “Perhaps you can conceal a weapon on your person and you all have hand to hand combat-ready skills. I thought of this team before the other Tac Teams in the office who can’t boast the same training.”
“Special Ops training,” Candy said.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I can tell you right now, sending in a bunch of guys who look like we do, isn’t going to make any residents of a homeless encampment feel warm and fuzzy.
They’re unlikely to spill the beans about a serial killer who may be hiding among them.
” Nash said what we were probably all thinking.
He gestured around the room. “Look at us. Patsy is the only one of us under six feet tall. I mean he is the least intimidating—”
“Feck off!” I said.
“You know what I mean, Pats. We all love you, but you’re…you know.” Nash waved a hand up and down.
“I’m still big enough to kick yer arse, knob cheese,” I grumbled.
Several people laughed but Candy’s glare silenced the room.
“We won’t let you go in alone, if you decided you wanted to volunteer, Agent Good,” Lincoln said.
“And I’d want at least one other to pitch a tent with you.
But this assignment might not last one or two nights.
You may have to stay there to build rapport with the residents for a while as I’ve already pointed out. ”
“Agent Good is an integral part of my team,” Candy said, glancing over at me.
“And even if he agrees to the assignment, I’d insist on assigning another agent as backup, leaving me two men down.
That basically negates my team from performing our duties.
I somehow doubt SAC Bradley would approve that.
We’re just not set up to loan out team members for long undercover assignments, Lincoln. ”
Lincoln sighed again. “It was worth a try. I guess we’ll have to do this another way then.”
I was willing to help. I’d taken chances all my life, throughout my military career and afterward.
I just didn’t see a way to do this if I wasn’t expected to go in alone, The idea that this killer might be living in a homeless encampment really pissed me off.
Nash was right. Everyone else was big enough to draw attention to themselves and make the locals down there suspicious and standoffish.
I suddenly realized Napolean was calling my name. I was so off with the fairies I hadn’t heard him and he’d probably called me at least twice, if I had to guess by the way everyone was staring at me.
“What?” I said, shaking myself out of my reverie. “Sorry, I wasn’t listenin’.”
“He asked if you think Weston would be willing to help,” Nash said.
I sat up straight. “What? Feck no…erm…sorry, I meant that would be dangerous as Snow said. Wes is a civilian. He’s a mathematician, for Christ’s sake, Lincoln.”
“But he lived in homeless camps before, right?” Napoleon said.
I frowned at my best mate, slightly pissed off at the way he talked about Wes even though it was the truth.
“He’s been homeless, but he lived in his car and like Snow says, those places are bloody dangerous.
There’re drugs everywhere, hidden weapons, and enough loonies to keep a mental institution full for a decade.
I don’t want to ask him to put himself in danger. ”
“I’m sorry,” Snow said, “but who is Weston?”
I sat up straight. “Weston Chaudry is my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend is homeless?” Snow asked.
“Not anymore, Lincoln. He lives with me now.”
“I didn’t realize the relationship status had changed,” Candy said. “Is this something recent?”
“As ya know, he’s been stayin’ with me since the robbery and we’ve only recently made it kinda permanent,” I said, feeling myself blush.
I needed to have that conversation with Wes when I got home tonight.
Everything was moving fast with us, but I sure as hell had no plans on kicking him out of my place anytime soon, especially after last night.
“I see.” Candy turned to Lincoln. “I doubt we can be of any help to you, Snow. Agent Hampstead has a point. Patsy is the only one of us who won’t stick out like a sore thumb down there and sending in a civilian isn’t a good idea anyway.”
But was it really? My mind was whirling.
I hated the idea of putting Wes at risk in any way, shape, or form.
But at the same time if we got some intel on the vicious mongrol who was killing prostitutes just doing their best to survive day to day, how could I not ask Wes?
I’d protect him with my very life. “I’ll ask him,” I suddenly blurted.
Everyone in the room turned to look at me.
“What?” Candy asked. I couldn’t remember ever seeing his eyes so round with surprise.
“If I’m there with him, I’ll protect him.
Sure, don’t ya need this animal off the streets?
If he’s hidin’ out in a homeless encampment, the people down there will have an idea that this guy is off somehow.
Psychopaths aren’t that hard to spot even if people don’t know what they’re seein’ when they’re seein’ them.
I know that from comin’ face to face with enough of ‘em in Afghanistan.”
“That’s true,” SA Prince said. “We’ve met a lot of psychopaths and you’re right, there’s always something off about them.
I’d venture a guess that this killer is no doubt already being given a wide berth from people he’s running into down there.
” He turned to Snow. “It might not take as long as you think to pick this bastard out, Lincoln, but I agree, it would be a good thing if whoever volunteers to do this isn’t alone.
” He looked back at me. “It’d be dangerous, Patsy, but if your boyfriend knows how to move in that world like he belongs, it’d be really helpful. ”
I stared at him for several long seconds before slowly nodding.
I felt sick in the pit of my stomach, but I was confident that I could protect Wes as long as I stuck to him like glue.
“I’ll be armed and have him feckin’ wrapped up in Kevlar from head to toe.
” I glanced at Candy as some of the others smiled at me.
“I’ll ask if that’s what ya would be wanting me to do, boss. ”
Candy frowned at me but he finally nodded.
“Thank you, Patsy.” He looked at Snow. “If I allow this, I’ll still send in two others to back Good up.
” He looked at the group and pointed. “Smith, I want you and Hampstead down there with them. You’ll act as backup for Patsy and Mr. Chaudry.
” He glanced at Lincoln. “They’ll maintain a distance so they don’t blow Patsy’s cover, but they’ll stay within shouting distance if he or Mr. Chaudry find themselves in jeopardy.
Better yet, I’ll give them all coms so they can stay in contact. ”
Snow looked relieved. “Okay.”
“But, Lincoln…I can only authorize this for seventy-two hours and only if SAC Bradley signs off on it. If we haven’t gotten anything by then, I’ll have no choice but to call it off. I have to keep the team available for active duty.”
Lincoln nodded. “Thank you, Captain Sorensen.” He looked at me. “When do you think we’ll know if your friend will be willing to help, Patsy?”
“He’ll be willin’ the second I ask, it’s me ya have to worry about,” I said.
“How so?” Snow asked.
I shook my head. “I know this was my idea but I honestly don’t know how I’m goin’ to ask him.
It’s a lot to ask of someone ya care so much about.
” It felt strange to know that my feelings for Wes were out in the open even though I suspect, most everyone had probably sussed out my feelings for Wes days ago
“Time is of the essence, Patsy,” Lincoln said. “This killer strikes at night and for all we know, he might already be planning to go out tonight.”
I nodded. “I’ll go home after this, if that’s okay, Candy.”
“It’s fine with me, Patsy. If he agrees, please bring him back to the office so we can sit him down with Lincoln’s team to brief him on the particulars and the dangers involved.
I think it’s best that Leo gives Mr. Chaudry the profile as well.
He’ll need to know who he’s dealing with in order to help him point out a suspect to you.
And it’s only fair that he knows how this guy operates.
He might change his mind when he learns how dangerous this operation could get.
I’m certain SAC Bradley will want to speak to him as well. ”
I nodded, standing up. “Grand. I’ll call ya after I talk to him, boss.”
“Thanks, Patsy.”
“Yes, thank you, Patsy,” Snow said. He shook my hand as I left the room, still feeling a wee bit sick in the pit of my stomach.