A million scenarios were running through my head, but there was one thing that I was certain of. He hadn't killed her. If he was anything like me, or trying to be like me, he would wait until I arrived, and make me watch.
That would be the ultimate punishment, and the certain thing to launch me back into my serial killing ways. It made me sick that he had realized just how he could get me to kill again. The want was there, believe me, but Maria kept me settled. I didn't want to displease her. She would leave me, my life would be desolate and then I would have to kill. I would have to fill that void somehow.
Taylor's pressure had me rethinking about male targets. Perhaps they were just as viable victims as the women I tried to protect.
By nightfall, I had reached the woods. My tires rolled over dried leaves as I followed the path to the cabin. So many memories haunted these woods. How many of my victims ran through here, thinking they could escape? How many times did I haul buckets of blood or dressed up mannequins through this very path?
There was a single light shining through the dirty window, meaning he had the fireplace on.
I brought the car to a stop, and walked calmly to the door. There was no immediate plan that I had thought of. My desired outcome was obviously to get Maria out of there alive.
He was clearly waiting for me, so there was no need to be dramatic, and burst in like a white knight. I was far from being one. I opened the door to find that all was still, but as I had already figured, the fireplace had been lit.
A muffled cry caused me to snap my head to the side. There, on an old wooden chair was Maria, tied up with a gag in her mouth. Her eyes were wild and releasing tears like a faucet. On the floor behind her was a crumpled up body. It had auburn hair and creamy skin. I looked towards the hands, it was missing fingers.
Audrey. A puddle of crimson was spreading from underneath her body. Maria was losing her mind in her chair, pleading with me to get her out of there. There was nothing impeding me in getting across the room to her. She was too easy to get to. This was clearly a trap.
"Where are you?" I called, casually.
Maria screamed again, as something hard was smashed over my back. I fell to my knees while the room began to spin. Taylor managed to drag me to the other side of the room, and handcuffed me to the radiator. On the floor, where I had been attacked, were broken pieces of a wooden chair.
"This is ridiculous. Taylor, you're not a serial killer, you're a wannabe serial killer. Let Maria go, and leave me alone." I demanded, using my free hand to hold my still spinning head.
"No. I decided to be like you, but now I want to be you."
"Is that why you went back to Audrey? Tying up-"
"Loose ends." he finished for me. "Yes. You all tried to make her out to be dead. What a big surprise when I found out she was alive and pretty well. I should have cut out her tongue."
"You didn't have to do that. Audrey didn't remember." I said.
Taylor shook his head at me in disgust.
"How long until something triggered her memory? You out of anyone should understand that. Remember Barbara? I'm sure you do."
"Yeah you asshole. Let sleeping dogs lie, have you not heard of that?" I snapped.
"It was necessary. You've lost your edge because of that bitch over there, and now I'm ending this for you." he snarked, going towards a black duffle bag near the fireplace.
He pulled out a huge carving knife, and walked over to Maria, removing the gag. Her first reaction was to release a blood curdling scream. The piercing sound didn't faze Taylor.
"There's nothing to end, because nothing ever started. What I do is none of your fucking business. I've seen your work, it's an embarrassment." I shot.
"Kris, stop it." Maria warned, sending me a troubled glance.
"Listen to your little bitch, she's the only smart one here." Taylor sneered.
"Taylor, let her go. She has nothing to do with this. This is between you and me." I said.
"No. She has everything to do with this. Look at you, handcuffed to a radiator. You never would have let this happen before you met her. You let her soften you."
"Maria has nothing to do with this. Let her go." I insisted.
"No! She has to die, and you're going to watch."
He put the carving knife to her neck. Maria sucked in a sharp breath and called out to me for help.
"Wait!" I shouted.
Taylor raised his eyes to me, keeping the knife to the skin of her neck.
"How did you know that I was The Doll Collector?" I asked.
"It was simple. You always went on your so called fishing trips right after the mannequins showed up. My bedroom window looks down on your driveway, and I would see you come in late at night. Your absences coincided with their disappearances. And then I saw it. I saw you bring home one of your dolls, and that's when I was absolutely certain. I tried following you, but you were too elusive, so I studied your work from the information the police released. The sketch didn't look much like you, I have to say." he told me.
"Yeah, well Barbara wasn't very helpful. I think that's been established. But why didn't you turn me in?"
"I was fascinated by you. I've always been different from my family. They're so prim and proper, but I've always had this obsession with death. I'm sort of a black sheep, and they all know it. One day, my sister Elaine, came for a visit. She had seen your name on the list of officers working The Doll Collector case. There aren't many of you with that name, so it had to be you, and she had a complete meltdown. She confessed to me that she'd met you at the foster home all those years ago, and she told me how much she hated you for leaving her behind. It just came out. I told her who you were. You can't imagine the look on her face when she discovered that the man she was going to be hunting was you. That's when we decided that the best way to take you down, would be this way."
So she'd known since day one.
"That makes no sense. You have no reason to want revenge on me." I said.
"It's not about revenge for me. It's about emulating you. Elaine turned it into a revenge thing, and I'm just helping her. She's the only person who understands me, and unlike some people, I'm not going to let her down. It is now about being angry with you, and that anger manifested when I saw you weaken. You're my hero. You can't just let some bitch ruin everything you've built. You were the first serial killer to roam the streets like a king, in like 10 years. This city was terrified of you, and you gave all of that up, for her. Is she that fucking good in the sack?"
I glanced at Maria, trying to ignore her widened, terror filled eyes.
"You're right." I said.
Maria gave me a look of pure shock. Taylor also seemed surprised that I had admitted this in her presence.
"You're right. I let her sidetrack me. She's been trying to get to me to give up this lifestyle, but I can't. The power I feel when strangling a woman to death, then draining her blood, it's intoxicating, and I miss it. I need it."
Taylor relaxed his grip on the knife, hanging onto my every word now.
"You have a chance to fix everything, to reclaim your throne as the most terrifying serial killer LA has ever seen." He said.
I smiled lightly, allowing arrogance to wash over me. I was the most terrifying serial killer LA had ever seen. He pressed the knife to her again, causing her to yelp.
"No, no, no, you're doing it all wrong. Let me show you." I said, calmly. "Take these off. No one taught me to kill, but I'm going to teach you."
Taylor stared at me with distrust.
"You said I'm your hero, and you want to emulate me. The police doesn't know anything about the way I kill. If you want to learn from me, then you're going to have to let me go."
He thought about it for a few more seconds, but cautiously walked over to me, and removed the handcuffs. I stood and stepped in front of Maria. Her eyes were as big as saucers, radiating pure fear. It'd been a while since I'd last seen that in a woman's eyes. In fact, it'd been a long time since I'd last seen that in her eyes.
"I bet you didn't think it would end like this." I said to her.
"Kris, please don't do this. I-I-"
"You what? You love me?" I chuckled. "I don't love you. I already got what I wanted from you."
The heartbreak was very obvious on her face. I called Taylor over to stand in front of her, too. He handed me the knife as I began to circle Maria.
"Take notes." I said, stopping behind her. "I like to get to know my targets and as you've seen, I've already bedded this one."
"You son-of-a-bitch." Maria sneered.
I chortled, leaning down towards her ear.
"You're right, Maria. She was a bitch."
She jerked her head away as I stood up straight, walking back over to Taylor.
"You have to understand your targets. It's not just luring them, that doesn't do it for me. Betrayal gives you a rush, and when your targets are willing to follow you to a cabin, that's when you know you have them. Now comes the fun part. You've had them, you've tasted them,"
Maria was glaring at me so hard, I was sure she was going to shoot lasers at me soon enough. I stood behind Taylor, lifting the knife to his neck. I pressed the tip to where his pulse could be felt. He tensed for a moment, but I assured him that all was well.
"This area here, is ideally where you want to begin the cut." I said. "At this point, their blood is rushing furiously through their veins. Their fight or flight response is kicking into overdrive, but their terror doesn't allow them to move. There is something about feeling their pulse that fills you with adrenaline. It's better than drugs, and it's better than sex. Killing isn't just meant for feeling more than emptiness. It's a way to fill that emptiness. Remember that."
Taylor nodded.
"See, when you have them in this position, they know they're about to die. You have all the power. Relish in that, because no one can take that away from you. Think of all the ways that your life has beaten you down, and then realize that now, you hold power. Something is weaker than you... Make sure that you hold them tightly, something like this."
I wrapped an arm around the top of his head.
"They'll try to move to prevent you from getting a clean cut, but this helps. This also makes sure that you can feel and see their blood flood over their skin onto yours. That coating of blood is beyond any kind of ecstasy you'll ever feel. Now the next thing is the most important. You have them right where you want them, and right when they're thinking their last thoughts you say, 'Maria, close your eyes.'"
"What?" Taylor asked.
Maria quickly shut her eyes and I pulled the knife across Taylor's neck. He jerked away, holding his gushing neck. I watched his blood drain over his hand onto the front of his shirt.
"Oh god." Maria moaned, staring at Taylor gurgling on the floor.
He sputtered blood from his mouth, turning his eyes towards me. I watched the light begin to fade from his eyes, and betrayal stormed in his irises.
"You can't trust anyone, Taylor. Especially not a serial killer."
I looked over at Maria and, rounded her sitting figure to cut the ropes from her wrists. She threw her arms around my neck, letting her knees buckle. I caught her, holding her close.
"I really thought you were turning on me." she cried.
I drew away, cupping her face.
"After all we've been through..." I smiled.
"You did just say that you can't trust anyone, especially not a serial killer." She pointed out, with fear evidently beginning to cloud her judgment.
"If I wanted you dead, you'd be a doll right now."
"There's still a chance." A feminine voice called.
Elaine walked right through the front door, holding a gun that was pointed directly at me.
"Don't tell me you thought it was going to be that easy." She said.
"My god, you materialize like the fucking demon that you are." I snapped.
"Even after I confessed to you, who I am. You still treat me like shit."
Her face was incredulous. Maria glanced at me, with a confused look.
"What is she talking about?" she asked.
"Oh, he didn't tell you? I'm the the one he tried replacing with you, but there's nothing like the real thing." Elaine told her.
"... You-you can't possibly be Mia. She's dead. I shared a room with her doll-ified body."
"Surprise, I came back from the dead, and with a purpose."
"You evil bitch..." Maria trailed off.
"Excuse me?" Elaine glared.
"You're not Mia, you're just trying to get into his head. You manipulative bitch. Do not listen to her Kristopher. Mia is dead. She is lying to you." Maria firmly stated.
"I would never lie to you, Kris. You know that... I love you too much for that."
I stared at Elaine. She sounded just like her. All I had wanted for so long was to hold Mia in my arms again.
"I can forgive you, if you just get rid of her. We can finally be together. I'll keep your secret. I'm the best damn profiler in the FBI. I can protect you. She can't. All she's going to do is try to change you, but I accept you, Kris. I've missed you so much, and I can't lose you again."
Her voice was cracking with emotion, as her eyes washed over in tears. She blinked and her tears dropped down onto the apples of her cheeks.
"I love you." she whispered. "I was the only one for you, and I still am. Get rid of her."
I looked down at Maria. She shook her head, giving me that warning look again to not fall for what they were saying. I had to make a choice. Elaine called out to me again. I lifted up Maria's hand, kissing it, and then let her go. Elaine smiled at me, suddenly pulling the trigger. Two loud pops preceded the sharp pain bursting through my shoulder and leg.
"You liar." She said with a shake of her head.
That bitch called my bluff. I slapped a hand on my throbbing shoulder and leg as blood began to pour out of my gunshot wounds.
"I just said that I'm the best profiler the FBI has ever seen. I know every trick in the book. You can't fool me Kris, especially since you did the exact same thing to my brother just now."
"You saw me kill him and didn't do anything to stop it?" I asked, furrowing my brows at her.
"He's already served his purpose, what the hell do I need him for?" She shrugged, pulling back the hammer on her gun.
Maria suddenly threw herself onto Elaine, pushing her onto the floor. Elaine being the trained agent that she was, quickly took control of the fight, and pinned Maria down. Her gun had slid away from them as they struggled on the floor. I pushed past my pain and crawled over to the gun. She landed a punch on Maria's face, raising up her fist for another.
"Let her go." I ordered, cocking the gun.
She stopped mid punch and snapped her head up at me. Her hair was strewn over her face with her eyes blazing with anger.
"You don't have the balls." she sneered. "I know you have a soft spot for me. You'd never kill me."
"You're not Mia, Elaine." I told her.
"You'd never take that chance."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "I made peace with your death a long, long time ago. Having you back is nothing but bad memories."
I continued holding the gun steady.
"Don't do it, Kris. I'll haunt you forever."
"You already do."
I pulled the trigger, targeting down right in the center of her forehead. Maria yelped as Elaine's body immediately grew limp and fell on top of her. Blood was streaming out of her head in strong currents. Suddenly, Adrian and the police force busted in through the front door. I dropped the gun, feeling my adrenaline drain to my feet.
Officers helped Maria stand, and flipped over Elaine's body. Her eyes were wide open, turned upward toward the ceiling. Agent Trotz stepped forward with Lieutenant Baby behind him. I remained quiet, unsure of what to say.
"You made it." Agent Trotz said, almost surprised.
"How did you know we were here?" I asked.
"Elaine's been off for a while. I grew suspicious when I noticed how obsessed she was becoming with you. I dug a little into her past and realized that she's known you since you were in the foster home. Did you know that? You guys spent quite some time together."
Guilt cut through me, hearing that. She really had been Mia... I'd killed Mia.
"She had mentioned it... but I-I didn't believe her. She was really Mia Pearson?"
Agent Trotz nodded. I took a seat on the floor, feeling that my knees were ready to give out. Agent Trotz was speaking to me still, but his words weren't registering. I'd killed the only woman who had protected me. My eyes slid over to Maria. I mean, she was here too, but Mia was now truly gone.
"She'd changed her name from Mia Pearson to Elaine Backstrom. The Pearson family is related to the Johnson family, which is her real family. Clara Pearson is Erica Johnson's sister, but what happened is that, Elaine was given to her aunt and uncle to raise because her mother was a teen mother. When I discovered this, I started looking deeper into her family and realized that it was her younger brother, Taylor, who was The Doll Collector. Based on all the information that we gathered, this had to be the place he would bring you guys if he ever did something."
Wow, the FBI was dumb yet smart at the same time.
"Good work Agent Trotz. Kris, are you alright?" Lieutenant Baby asked.
"Yes sir. Just got shot in the shoulder and the leg, and the kid broke a chair over me." I replied, glancing at Maria.
Her face was splattered with blood along with a look of shock. Her eyes were trained on the floor and it struck me that she had never seen anyone die in front of her before. And not just one person, Taylor had killed Audrey in front of her.
Audrey.
"Sir?" I said.
Lieutenant Baby nodded.
"The kid, he, he got to Audrey."
He raised his eyes to her body and his facial muscles tightened. He nodded and called in the forensics team to bag her up before Adrian discovered she was here. He and Agent Trotz exceed themselves from me to check on Maria. Paramedics came over to me, and led me out to the ambulances waiting out front.
I was beginning to feel woozy from all the blood loss. They sat me down, deciding I should be taken to the hospital for care. The ride over to the hospital let me think and relish in the fact that it was all over. My two enemies were gone and Taylor was being framed as The Doll Collector.
I'd gotten away with it. I'd gotten away with being a serial killer. I was free to kill anyone, now.
We are 4 chapters away from the end!
Can anyone guess how this is going to end??
After it ends, it's gonna go under editing for the 2018 Wattys.
If you like this story, please share with everyone you know, and let's get this story an
Elaine and Taylor are dead and Elaine really was Mia!!
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QUESTION!
Since this story is ending, would you guys be interested me in me writing another, different story?