Chapter 14

“A shoe?” Ryan asked. He looked stunned, “That thing could kill someone?”

I nodded. “The tip is made of pure metal. It would pierce flesh like a hot knife through butter.”

Ryan shook his head. “You've got to be kidding me.”

“It's odd, but it proves Olivia's guilt.”

Ryan nodded. He stopped abruptly and looked at me with wide eyes, “They let her out of custody this afternoon.”

I dropped the shoe. Ryan placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Katelyn, I want you to go home and stay there. I'm going to call back up, and we're going to go arrest her.”

I nodded. “Call me?”

Ryan returned my nod. I handed the boxes of bones to Justice.

“Can you put these away?”

I was out the door with Ryan before he could respond.

~**~

“How are you getting to her place?” I asked. Ryan handed me the keys to the Sequoia through the driver's side window. He smiled.

“There's more than one car at the FBI, kid.”

I nodded. Ryan was about to turn and leave when I caught his wrist.

“Be careful?”

Ryan smiled, leaned through the window, and kissed me on the lips. I wasn't expecting it that time either. When he pulled back, I had nothing to say.

“Always am, buttercup.” He said, before turning around and jogging toward the FBI doors. I shook my head. What a man.

I don't think I've ever driven so fast in my life.

I sped down the highway, going at least fifteen kilometres over the speed limit. I pulled into my parking garage not ten minutes later. I jumped into the elevator and hurried up my hallway to my door.

Something was not right.

The door was wide open.

My heart raced as I tried to remember whether Ryan or I had closed it on our way out. I was sure Ryan had shut it behind him.

Or maybe the adrenaline of the moment had impaired my judgement. Maybe I had left the door open. Yes, that seemed most likely. To re assure myself, I placed only my head in the entry way of my apartment. No sound met my ears.

I had to have just left it open.

I took a few steps into the room. Nothing. A few more. Still, nothing met my ears. I walked slowly into the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and poured myself a glass of orange juice to calm myself.

That's when the lights went out. All of them. I dropped the glass in my hand. It shattered against the porcelain floor of my kitchen. Was this just a power failure, or had someone cut the lights in my home? Squinting in the dark, I tried to make my way past my kitchen island and into the living room where I could flail about for a candle.

“You figured it out.” The voice cut through the darkness.

I stopped mid step. The voice was to my left. Or was it my right? I said nothing.

“You finally did it. You solved the mystery, didn't you, sweetie?”

“Olivia,” I said, taking a deep breath, “I know what you're thinking.”

“What am I thinking, honey?” She hissed, “Am I thinking about that stupid b***h Hadley? Or maybe I'm thinking of Nichlson? Hell, maybe I'm thinking of that scum bag Tacolini!”

My heart was pounding out of my chest. I was trapped in the dark with a killer that I couldn't see. I was going to die.

“It was fun. To play this game with the FBI, I mean.” She said. A hand touched my shoulder. I made to move my body. Of course, that's when the cold blade touched my throat.

“I haven't really been consistent, have I? Two with a shoe, one with just a saw...one with a knife.” Olivia's voice was in my ear. Tears sprung to my eyes. I was going to die on my kitchen floor.

Stop it! I told myself. You need to stall!

“Why did you do it, Olivia?” I asked shakily. A heavy laugh sounded around me. The sound echoed off the walls.

“They always ask that, don't they?” She said. I could hear something crazy in her voice, “Always. Why did you do it? Why did you kill them? You know what? I don't really have an exact answer for that.”

The voice in my head screamed.

Stall!

“Come on,” I choked. The cool metal was lifted from my throat, though I could still feel her circling me, “There's got to be a reason, Olivia.”

She laughed again. “I should really kill you,” She began. My head screamed, “But not yet. You see, Dr. Amos, I don't enjoy just one thing, I enjoy every bit of it.”

“The power?” I gasped.

“And the pain. There's so much suffering. So much. It's lovely. And the screams...it's like music.”

My stomach twisted. Robert Nichlson was right. Olivia Rose was a psychopath, “And then you chop off their heads.”

“I have to admit. The first time is was tough,” I could hear a shake in her tone, “But it gets easier after the first cut.”

Olivia walked back around me. I could hear her soft footsteps on my kitchen floor. I knew she was going to make her move at any second. I needed more time.

“And then you dump them, or you leave them. Is that how you get your kicks?”

The voice was back in my ear. “It's dank and dark where they go. Beautiful. It reeks of death.”

The hand touched my shoulder again. I clawed out, reaching for any contact I could. My fingernails scraped flesh. I didn't know how deep or where, but I heard a shriek.

“You stupid b***h! You'll pay for that!”

I wasn't listening. I ran as fast as I could through the house, trying to avoid furniture as I raced for the door. I couldn't see a thing. I held my hands out in front of me helplessly, searching for anything that could help me get out. My body screamed at me. I needed to get out! My hands hit the wall in front of me. I felt my way along it, looking for door handle, for anything. Until a fist hit the side of my face. I stumbled backwards, tasting blood in my mouth. Next thing I knew, Olivia was beside me again, knife pressed to my throat.

“You stupid f*****g b***h!” I could hear the craziness in her tone. I'd gone too far, “You're going to pay for that you b***h!”

She pulled the knife from my throat and slashed it across my arm. I screamed as the pain shot through my limb. I felt blood soak my shirt.

“That's right, b***h! I'm in control.” Another blow contacted my body, a kick just below the knee. I whimpered, trembled, and let the tears I had been holding back fall. I tried to think back to what Will had told me.

She needs the power. I sucked in a breath.

She wasn't going to get it.

“You think I'm crazy, don't you?”

I said nothing. I didn't want to make her mad, but I didn't want to give her power.

“I'm in control.” She repeated. I squinted into the dark, trying to see where I was. I saw a tv. A couch. A coffee table. The living room. The door would be to my left, “I hope Ryan is okay.”

I stopped thinking at the mention of his name. “What did you do to Ryan?”

“Nothing. Yet. I have you to deal with first.”

Blood was still seeping from my wound. Tears still fell from my eyes. Tears for Ryan, tears for myself, tears for the people that had died because of one, psychotic woman. I didn't know what to do! Images of Remy Hadley's mangled body flashed in my mind. Robert Nichlson's decomposed corpse. Pablo Tacolini's decapitated remains. Hope rushed through me. I wasn't going to be another victim.

I kicked my foot out, trying to make contact with Olivia. I hit her knee and she fell with a shriek. In the amount of time she was on the floor, I ran for what I thought was the door. Something hit the back of my head and knocked the air from my lungs. Stars appeared in my vision. I saw Olivia standing over, knife in hand. I tried to move.

I couldn't. Through a thick haze, I saw her try to stab the knife down. The door to my apartment flew open before she had time.

Author's Note

Forgive the language in here.
I can't help it.
It may be vulgar, but it's how I roll.