THIRTY-EIGHT

 

 

September 26th, 2016

Las Vegas, Nevada

 

JULIA WAS SURPRISED at how short of a time it was before they were safe, but it felt much, much longer.

It was almost exactly thirty minutes before Mike came walking into the house. Mike nodded to the chief, then turned to Lott.

“All secure, no one around at all. And we have Annie and Doc and Fleet and their people contained and secure as well. And my computer people are standing by to help on the research.”

“Perfect,” Lott said. “Thank you. Can you hold this for a few hours and give us some time here?”

“We have it for as long as you need us,” Mike said.

At that he turned and left and Julia glanced down at where Paul sat under the table and indicated he should get up. He did slowly, clearly showing his age.

At that moment Lott’s phone rang. “It’s Annie,” Lott said and turned to talk with her and set up the research they were about to do and explain what Paul Vaughan/Walter had said so far.

Julia suggested they all go into the kitchen and see how cold that chicken was getting.

They pulled two more chairs up to the kitchen table and Paul sat to one side and to the back against the window where all of them could watch him. Her gut told her he was telling the truth, what he had said so far, but so many things had been false leads on this case before now, she wouldn’t trust a word he said about anyone until they could verify it.

After everyone had a piece of the fantastic-smelling chicken, Julia said to Paul, “Do you mind if I open a line to our computer research people to check on some things you tell us?”

“Please,” Paul said, wiping his fingers on a napkin. “But tell them to be extra careful. The families have a couple of pretty good computer people.”

Lott laughed and said, “Thanks. We have already seen that. But the people working on this for us are far, far better.”

“Good,” Paul said, nodding.

Julia called Annie and quickly told her what they were doing and that they were planning on asking Paul a lot of questions, so it might be logical that she have an open line and be able to hear the answers directly to do the research and pass on what was needed to Mike and his people as well.

Annie thought that was a good idea, so Julia put her on speaker and set the phone down between her and Paul.

“Can you explain the history of the families one more time to Annie and our computer people,” Lott asked Paul.

He did, giving more details than he had the first time about locations in Massachusetts and in Florida.

“We’re digging into that,” Annie said over the speaker phone.

“Give some to Mike’s people as well,” Lott said. “They are standing ready.”

“Already have them in the loop,” Annie said.

Julia was very pleased at how well this machine that Annie and Doc and Fleet had worked. They just shifted into high gear on a moment’s notice.

The chief nodded to that as well. Most police districts loved working with Doc and Annie and Fleet because of the fire-power and sophistication they brought to any case.

“So what made the families move to Nevada?” Andor asked.

“One of the burial sites in Florida was found and the pressure was getting too much,” Paul said. “They first moved, however, to Los Angeles, where I was born. The families stayed there until the 1970s and then right before my parents were killed moved to Nevada, splitting to both Reno and Las Vegas.”

Julia didn’t want to ask this next question, but she did. “Have the murders been happening through the entire century?”

Paul nodded. “No one in the family knows about that side of things until they reach twenty-one and are deep in the rest of the beliefs and sexual freedoms.”

Julia just sat back.

“We’re talking thousands of deaths,” the chief said.

“I’m afraid so, sir,” Paul said. “The family keeps exact records on every sacrifice, as they call their victims. Since the turn of the century the family has kept pictures and names and details of every sacrifice in their main temple, which is actually nothing more than a compound.”

“What kind of compound?” Andor asked.

“Defensible,” Paul said. “The families are far from stupid. More than likely they are already planning on vanishing and moving. And if attacked in their compound, they can defend it.”

“How much time do you think we have?” Andor asked.

“They have set up elaborate details about me being a mass murderer,” Paul said. “I learned this from a few old friends still inside the families, I think, on a ruse to pull me and my wife back inside.”

“That was the trail we have been following,” Lott said.

Paul nodded. “Which is why I am sitting here now,” he said. “But once they realize their ruse has been broken, they will kill their current sacrifices and vanish to the winds. They have spent many, many thousands of hours on such a plan and constantly upgrade it.”

“Does everyone know where they are going?” Julia asked.

Paul shook his head. “Everyone has been given very tight false identities that are updated annually. Instructions are to just go and find another safe place to live and the families will be in contact when a new location is set.”

“And the killings would start again at that point,” Lott said.

Paul nodded.

“So the only way to stop this cult is to take out all its leaders so they can’t start a new place?” Andor said.

“That might work,” Paul said. “But it would be better to get all of the active members at once.”

Julia just felt sick to her stomach.