Chapter One
18 months earlier…
“What the hell is this? Untie me now! Do you know who I am? I know very important people, people who can make you disappear with a phone call!” the monster screamed in outrage.
Asa eyed his tools to see which one he’d used first, while ignoring his victim’s angry rants. Maybe he should use the hammer first. Or perhaps, he’d go for the scalpel and start dissecting parts of the monster’s body one by one.
“Did you hear me? I will fucking destroy you! Let me go this instant!”
Asa continued to ignore the heated words as he contemplated his next move. It had been a while since he’d brought anyone to the shed behind his cabin but then again, this case was special. He’d been tracking this particular monster for the past few months. Asa knew the monster’s schedule from the time he went to work, to when he left his office. He even knew where the monster was when he told his family he was working late. Yes, he knew everything about this particular degenerate, even down to how he enjoyed his steak.
Asa had lay in wait for him as he came strolling out of his mistress’ house and that’s when he pounced. His prey was quite easy to take down for such a large man. Though the monster screamed and yelled now, soon those brave words would turn into cries and begging.
Those were Asa’s favorite monster sounds. They were music to his ears.
“You think I don’t recognize you, but I do. You’re that surgeon that everyone thinks is so great. You’re in all the newspapers. What will everyone say, when they find out you’re some psychotic kidnapper? What’s your problem anyway, buddy? Are you in the closet and this is how you get your rocks off? I figured you were fruity when I saw you. All you pretty boys are. Look, just let me go and I’ll keep your dirty little secret to myself, okay? We gotta deal?”
A smile tilted Asa’s lips. Negotiation was one step away from begging. He glanced at the hammer and decided that was where he’d start first. He examined it to make sure it sparkled. He took pride in the cleanliness of his instruments. By the time he finished with them, they wouldn’t be so clean. They would be covered in a deep crimson red.
“Hey, pal, what are you going to do with that hammer? Look, I have money. Is that what you want? I thought you doctor types made loads of it, but who am I to judge? If you need some, then I’ll give you whatever you want.”
Asa approached the monster with the hammer and ran a gloved finger along his prey’s right hand.
The monster fought against his restraints but it did him no good. Asa had him tied nice and tight, courtesy of his Boy Scout days. He secured his target in such a way that the rope was secured around his chest, but his wrists were tied to the arms of the chair with palms down. That was an important detail for what he had planned.
Without warning, Asa brought the hammer down on the monster’s right hand with as much force as possible. The sound of cracking bones was overpowered by the monster’s screams. “Son of a bitch! Oh my God! Oh my God! You’re crazy! Why?” he cried in agony.
Asa moved back to watch the monster suffer, reveling in the sight of tears streaming down the man’s face.
“Okay. You’ve made your point. Please, let me go. I think, I’m going to need medical attention for this. I’m begging you to release me. If you let me go, I promise I won’t speak a word of this to anyone. I promise! Just let me go. I have a family! A wife and a beautiful little girl. They’ll be worried sick when I don’t come home. Oh God, it hurts!” he sobbed.
Asa carefully placed the hammer back in its proper place before picking up the scalpel. He examined it, studying the sharpness of the tool.
“Please! Have a heart! You’re a doctor. You’re supposed to save lives. If someone finds out what you’ve done, you’ll lose everything. Please!” the monster cried as tears mixed with mucus and ran down his face.
“But, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m saving lives,” Asa spoke for the first time. He didn’t usually engage in conversation with his targets because that was like acknowledging their humanity, when there really was none. But sometimes, he felt it necessary to address the hypocrisy of his targets’ statements.
“How are you saving lives by kidnapping and torturing me? What kind of sick freak are you?”
“I’m a monster hunter and you’re the worst kind of monster.”
“What are you talking about? I was minding my business and you fucking knocked me out and I woke up in your little shed of horrors. The only villain in this story is you, pal. But, you don’t have to be. If you let me go, I promise I’ll— aahh!” the monster screamed as Asa slashed the scalpel across his face with no warning.
“Mother fuck!”
“Are you finished?”
“My face! My hand! What do I have to do end this? I’ll do anything. Please don’t kill me. I’m sorry for calling you a psycho, pal. Just let me go. Whatever you want. Did you kidnap me for sex? I’ll give it to you. You don’t have to torture me to get it. Just don’t fucking hurt me anymore, please!”
Asa stared dispassionately at the monster, silently disappointed that the target had broken so easily. He’d been looking forward to meting out a bit more justice. The sweet sounds of the monster’s pleading would have to do for now.
Asa pressed the scalpel against his prey’s neck, just above the carotid artery. He used just enough pressure to break skin but not to cut through nerves.
“I’ll give you whatever you want. You don’t have to do this. My name is—”
Asa pressed the scalpel deeper, silencing the monster. “You think if I know your name, it’s going to change my mind?” He chuckled. “You apparently watch too many late-night crime dramas because it won’t. Besides, I already know your name. I know all there is to know about you. You’re a fine upstanding citizen. At least, that’s what you want people to think, isn’t it? You present yourself as a perfect family man, but you’re not. Not after all those after-hours visits to your girlfriend.”
The monster’s eyes bulged. “Is this about Karen? Are you connected to her in some way? Is she making you do this because I refuse to marry her? She knows that it isn’t possible for us to be together, yet. I told her to give it some time until I can change my situation. Whatever she’s paying you to do this, I’ll double it. As a matter of fact, I’ll triple it, if you get rid of her. Don’t do this. I don’t want to diiiiieee!” the monster cried.
The stench of the monster’s soiled pants fouled the air.
Asa crinkled his nose in disgust. This wasn’t the first time one of his prey lost control of their bowels, but it had been a while since he’d witnessed such a pathetic display.
The mask was now completely gone. The perfect façade of Marvin Anderson gone to reveal what he truly was. A monster. Usually, he could spend hours toying with his prey until they were utter shells of themselves. But this one was so pathetic, he took the fun out of the game. And when it was all said and done, he would have rid the world of another one of its hidden creatures.
Asa slid the edge of his scalpel along the monster’s throat. “You asked me what I wanted from you. I’m ready to tell you.”
“Anything. Just let me go. I’ll give you anything you want!”
“I want you…to die.” Asa shoved the scalpel into his victim’s throat.
The monster’s eyes widened as he choked on his own blood. Asa stood back and watched as the life slowly drained from his prey’s eyes.
Once he was certain the deed was done, he picked up a knife and carved an ‘R’ into the wood next to the others. Most people seeing his handiwork, would think they were just random letters on the wall, but they were affirmations. The first letter in the names of the broken he had gotten justice for.
R for Rachael, who would never know her monster had been slayed. But she would be safe, unless another monster came along. And in that case, Asa intended to be there, too.
* * *
Jamie rubbed the small of her back as she pushed her cart down the hallway. Ten more minutes and her shift would be over. Her nice warm bed was calling her. She was really looking forward to sleeping in because she had the next two nights off. Tonight had been especially grueling because a patient was sick all over her room and in the bathroom. The worst part was the fact that the waste had come out of both ends. She didn’t mind cleaning, it was her job after all, but the stench had made Jamie sick.
She’d been told by her boss that after working here for a while she’d get used to the smell but it had been two years. That was still the worst part of her job.
“Hey you!” Someone called in her direction, followed by what sounded like the snapping of fingers.
She turned toward the voice because as far as she could tell, she was the only one around. Jamie groaned inwardly when she saw Dr. Nguyen. While a handful of the doctors treated the custodial staff with indifference, most were actually nice. Dr. Maria Nguyen, however, seemed to enjoy talking down to anyone who she felt was beneath her and that included, PA’s, technicians, and nurses. But, she was especially condescending to the janitors. Jamie inhaled deeply before answering. “Yes?”
“Why didn’t you clean room 346? It’s disgusting. There’s still vomit on the floor.”
Jamie furrowed her brow. She hadn’t been called to do that room. “I’m sorry but I wasn’t aware that it needed to be cleaned. No one called me.”
“I’m not interested in your excuses. Get in there, before I report you to your supervisor.” Dr. Nguyen squinted as she read Jamie’s nametag.
“You’re also in uniform violation for wearing someone else’s name tag. What’s your real name?”
Jamie touched her tag self-consciously. When they were making name badges, she’d asked if they could use the name she went by instead of her legal name. The HR representative had told her that she had to use her given name. Sure, her name was unusual for a woman but her picture was clearly on her badge.
“This is my real name. This is my picture,” she pointed to the tag.
Dr. Nguyen pursed her lips. It was clear she didn’t like being corrected and she opened her mouth to say something when she was interrupted.
“Is there a problem here, Dr. Nguyen?”
Jamie stiffened. It was him. She lowered her head, afraid to look at him directly for fear of getting tongue-tied. She’d heard the way the other staff referred to him as Dr. Sexy. Admittedly, he was a very good-looking man but, there was something about him that made her nervous.
She’d caught him staring at her once, though she couldn’t figure out why. When their eyes locked, something inside of her called out to him. It frightened her to the point that she’d quickly got away from him. But for days after that brief encounter, she was haunted by his unusual colored eyes. She was sure to him she was just another one of the invisible staff who worked around him. She doubted he’d given her a second thought.
“Just making sure the custodian does her job.” Dr. Nguyen’s voice had turned from abrasive to an almost cajoling tone when speaking to her colleague.
“Excuse me. I need to go take care of that room,” Jamie mumbled before grabbing her cart and heading to room 346.
She couldn’t get away fast enough. She felt his eyes on her and she couldn’t quite explain the feeling she got knowing he was watching her. When she made it to her destination, she was relieved to see that the room wasn’t nearly as bad as she imagined it would be. Sure, there was a puddle of vomit in the middle of the floor but she’d had to clean up much worse.
By the time she was finished with her task, her shift was over. If she hurried, she could catch the next bus. She headed to the bottom floor and put her cart away before punching out. With that done, she headed to the locker room to change out of her scrubs. They needed to be washed. It was hospital policy to change before leaving so as not to spread contamination.
Jamie pulled out her phone and realized she only had five minutes to make it to the bus stop. Thankfully, it was just outside the front of the hospital. Hurrying through the hallway with her bag in tow, she made it outside just in time to see the bus drive off.
“Shoot!” She sighed in defeat as she took a seat on the bench. On the bright side, it was morning rush hour so the next bus should be here within the next ten minutes. As she waited, she played a game on her phone until the sound of a honking horn caught her attention.
A slick black luxury vehicle stopped in front of her. The windows were tented and she couldn’t see who was inside. Her first instinct was to ignore whoever was inside until the passenger side window rolled down.
A gasp escaped her lips when she noticed who the driver was. Why was he stopping for her?”
“Get in.”
Jamie looked over her shoulders to verify that she was the only one at the bus stop.
It almost felt as if her feet had a mind of their own because she found herself getting off the bench and walking toward his vehicle. “Dr. Stansfield. Umm, is there something that you wanted?”
“What I want is for you to get in, like I asked you to.”
She moistened her lips. “You weren’t asking.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t and I don’t particularly like repeating myself.”
In that moment, she should have told him that she’d wait for the bus. But that intimidating stare of his, had her opening the passenger side door and sliding inside his car. The leather seats were soft like butter and everything about the interior screamed expensive. She felt so out of place in her jeans and beat-up t-shirt while he was still in suit and tie like the professional he was.
She placed her bag at her feet and buckled up. “I-uh… thank you for the ride. It’s very nice of you, Dr. Stansfield.”
“It’s Asa. And, I think it’s time you and I had a talk James Harrison.”