Elysium Dreams

Twenty-Six

Quite impolitely, I told the doctor what he could do with his recommendation that I stay in the hospital. Xavier did the same. They had cleaned us and dressed our wounds. It was now time to hunt down our serial killer.

Gabriel was frowning as we exited our new motel rooms. I had strapped on an extra knife at my wrist. Gabriel could see it.

"There's been another murder," Gabriel said. "This time, he killed some waitress that worked at a pizzeria. She was walking into the pizza place when he walked up and gutted her in the parking lot. No one stopped him."

"This is definitely devolution," Lucas said.

"Of humanity? Because six people watched as he cut off her cheek," Gabriel said.

"People don't want to get involved," Lucas responded. "Although, that seems extreme."

Gabriel's cell phone rang. He spoke into it quickly. He hung up and screamed. His face screwed up in rage like I had never seen from Gabriel.

"Another?" Lucas asked.

"Another FBI agent. We have his picture up everywhere," Gabriel was shouting.

"It will not matter," I said. "He's on the hunt, moving ahead, and moving faster than us. But not for long."

"Why?" Gabriel asked.

"Because he really wants to kill me," I said. "I bring out the worst in him. Or at least I will."

We talked for a few minutes and a press conference was arranged at the Marshals' office. Gabriel drove at break neck speed to get us there. The press was already assembled.

I gave the usual speech but used adjectives like "small", "pathetic", and "unmemorable". Lucas gave me a thumbs up from the crowd. I was bound to rattle him into action with the speech.

Press conference concluded, I stood on the steps of the Marshals' office and thought. I thought about the woods where his son had been found. It was still nagging at me.

"I want to go to the woods," I told Gabriel after a few more minutes.

"Which woods?"

"The one where the son was found," I answered.

"Fine, get in," he pointed towards the car.

The two of us drove in silence. We pulled into the parking lot. There was a dark patch where snow had melted and the concrete could be seen.

"This is where he burned the cars?" I frowned.

"Sort of," Gabriel answered. "There is more than one entrance into the park. I'm told this is the least used and the remotest section of Anchorage."

"That's interesting," I responded. I stared out the window for a moment, getting a feel for the place. The parking lot was maybe big enough for five cars. The trees were much denser, closer to the road. We had missed the smoke of the burning cars earlier. I could see why.

"I am not letting you go in alone."

"I don't expect you to," I answered getting out of the car.

I examined the scorched parking lot. The snow had melted and ran, cutting odd valleys through the unmelted snow. I stood and shook my head.

"What?" Gabriel rolled down the window.

"He isn't coming back here; the fire was either cleansing or desecration. I'm not sure which," I got back in the SUV.

"So where is he?" Gabriel asked.

"Probably killing someone," I told him.

"Where do we go?"