Chapter Forty Three

 

At precisely 5 am, Darryl, dressed in full riot gear with bullet proof vest and his team of heavily armed and similarly dressed police, broke open the metal door on the rusting hanger building at the disused air strip off Shiptons Flat Road, and stormed inside. Ben had also been given a flack jacket and helmet. They fanned out. Bright flashlights strobed in every direction.

‘An old Mazda sedan was parked in a far corner. ‘That’s Les’s car,’ said Binda.

Next to the Mazda was a large trail bike, leaning on its kick down stand. A section of roof had fallen in and recent rain had left pools of water on the concrete floor. Darryl walked to a large timber work bench in the opposite end of the building. He moved around to a rubber mat between the wall and the bench.

‘Lupton’s four wheel drive is not here,’ said Binda. ‘He’s likely to have gone to ground somewhere else,’

Darryl pulled back a corner of the rubber mat. He inserted the key into a lock which was embedded flush in a metal hatch. Detective Higman held an M84 stun grenade at the ready. He and Darryl understood from notes in Jerome’s book, that a metal ladder inside the bunker, gave access to the floor almost five metres below. They had no idea of the size of the room although its contents were allegedly bizarre.

Darryl turned the key in the lock and gripped a recessed handle on the hatch. He looked at Detective Higman. Higman nodded. Darryl pulled the hatch open and Detective Higman activated the stun grenade and dropped it through the hatch. Darryl slammed the lid and put his fingers in his ears. The others, as had been instructed, did the same. Even with the hatch closed, the explosion was very loud. Darryl pulled the hatch open again and Higman moved rapidly down the ladder. Smoke from the grenade drifted upward. Darryl was second into the hole. On the floor both had torch and gun in each hand. They swept the room with their lights. Nothing moved. Binda gripped the metal edges of the ladder and slid down to the floor rather than using the rungs. Ben followed.

The room was made entirely of concrete. Two of the walls were painted bright red. A large notice board was screwed to the far wall. It was covered with pinned up photographs. Two large beds stood against a side wall. Each was covered with a black sheet. Thick rope was tied to each corner of the metal bed head. A video camera on a tripod stood to one side.

Darryl moved carefully to the notice board. Oola Burton and her teenage daughter were depicted in many sexually explicit poses and acts with each other as well as Lupton and Jerome. Trudy Griffin was also shown in a variety of sexual positions with the two men. Darryl stood to one side and carefully opened a cupboard which was located next to the notice board and against the cement all. A variety of sex toys, whips, chains and other bondage gear lay on the shelves.

Ben stood back near the ladder. The police very carefully searched two other small cupboards and a bar fridge. There was food in the fridge together with fresh milk. Cans of beer were stacked in the crisper. Bottles of spirits stood on the lower shelf of one of the cupboards together with a metal box half full of what appeared to be marijuana.

‘He’s been here quite recently,’ said Darryl. ‘We’ll seal this up until Wal is finished with the Lupton farm site. Then he can run photographs and tear this place apart.’ He turned to Binda. ‘I wouldn’t advise that you examine the photos on that board. They are extremely graphic and in some cases, quite revolting. No doubt the video tapes are as graphic. They’ll be stored here somewhere as well.’

‘I can see enough from here,’ said Binda. ‘They were both sick bastards. I just can’t understand why these girls got involved. Why did they allow such horrible things to happen to them?’

‘According to Jerome’s writings, money and drugs were the key factor in getting the girls to initially submit. Once they had photograph and video evidence of the sexual encounters, they threatened to release them on the Internet if the girls didn’t cooperate with further sexual encounters.’

‘I’m out of here,’ said Ben, climbing back up the ladder. The others followed silently.

The sun had just risen as they moved back to their police vehicles. With no mobile phone range in this area, Darryl used the police radio on a pre determined channel to attempt to contact police at the Lupton farm. No-one answered.

‘They must be still inside the house,’ he said to Ben as he clipped the microphone back in its cradle. He glanced at his watch. ‘Pete knows to make contact at 0600 no matter what’s going on down there. We’ve got a few minutes to go. Constable Liptol. Can you and your partner head out to the highway and do a run back into Cooktown. See if you can spot Lupton’s Nissan. Constable Kiran. You and Karen Bell take a run south on the highway for at least 50 k’s and see what’s doing. Everyone keep their radio’s on and report the slightest thing that looks significant.’

The two marked police cars moved slowly back to Shiptons Flat Road and turned towards the highway. At 0600 exactly, Peter’s voice came over the police radio. Darryl answered.

‘Only dead people down in that black hole,’ said Peter. ‘I can’t see any signs of injury to his parents and their bodies are embalmed as Jerome recorded. They’re both laid out on shelves against a wall with plastic flowers and incense burners. That’s one for Ruth to work out. We’ve also got a variety of female clothing. Wal’s going through it now.’

‘He’s not here either Pete,’ said Darryl, ‘but his Nissan is gone, so he’s out and about. I’ve sent patrols north and south on the highway for a search.’

‘I’ll send two of my guys out to Rossville and Helenvale as well,’ said Peter.

A female police radio operator broke into the conversation. ‘Inspector Martin. There’s been a serious incident at the Jerome property.’

Ben moved rapidly to the police vehicle. Darryl clicked on the microphone. ‘I’ll take this Pete. What’s happened?’ he almost shouted.

‘We’ve had a call from a Ms Susan Beck, the bodyguard out at Merinda Jerome’s place. There was an explosion and fire on the property near the beach about 20 minutes ago. She and Constable Lane went to investigate. They were only gone from the house a few minutes but when Ms. Beck returned, Merinda was gone.’

‘He’s got her,’ said Ben through clenched teeth.

‘Have they searched the house?’ asked Darryl.

‘Yes, said the police dispatcher. Ms. Beck is still on the phone. She’s very distressed.’

‘Ask her about the dogs?’ said Ben. ‘Where are the dogs?’

‘Where are the dogs at the Jerome place?’ said Darryl as he clicked on the microphone.

The dispatcher came back on a few moments later. ‘They are still locked in their enclosure, but they are quite distressed.’

‘I’ll bet they are,’ snapped Ben.

‘Did she see a vehicle?’ asked Darryl into the microphone.

Silence again for a few moments. ‘No, nothing,’ said the dispatcher.

‘Any signs of a struggle?’ asked Darryl.

Silence again. ‘A lamp was smashed in the lounge room and the back door had been broken open.’

‘We had all the locks changed,’ said Ben. ‘His key wouldn’t work.’

‘Stand by Pete. I’m leaving the microphone open.’ He looked at Ben. ‘Where would he take her?’

‘You know as well as me where.’

‘Black Mountain?’

‘That’s his body dropping ground.’

‘It’s a huge area to cover,’ said Darryl.

‘I know exactly where he’s taken her,’ said Binda softly.

‘So do I,’ Ben said. ‘Birmal stone at the southern tip. It’s the only sacred place left in the mountain where he hasn’t murdered or deposited body parts. It’s also in traditional Kuku Nyugkul territory. Merinda is descended from the northern clan, Kuku Bididji.’

‘Spot on,’ said Binda, obviously impressed.

‘You hear all that Pete?’

‘Yep.’

‘Ben and Binda think Lupton’s taken her to a sacred site at the southern tip of Black Mountain.’

‘How do we get there?’ Peter came back.

Darryl looked at Binda. ‘Do you know?’

Binda took the microphone from Darryl ‘It’s only a kilometre through the dirt from here Pete. We have to hang a right off Shiptons Flat Road and bush bash in between two smaller mounds of rock to the south western end of the mountain itself. You can see the two smaller rock mounds from the road.’

‘We’re on the way,’ said Pete.

Ben took the microphone off Darryl. ‘Radio. Has the policeman at the Jerome property got a four wheel drive vehicle?’

She came back a few moments later. ‘Yes.’

‘Can you ask Susan to put chokers and leads on Merinda’s dogs and have the constable transport them and her to the location at Black Mountain ASAP?’

‘Yes sir,’

‘He’ll kill her if we all just descend on the place,’ said Darryl.

‘He’s probably already killed her,’ Binda said.

‘Perhaps not,’ said Ben. ‘Binda and I will go in. You guys hold back for a while.’

The rising sun was suddenly blackened by a huge bank of thick, swirling cloud. Deep rumbling thunder came from the direction of the sea.

‘Bloody hell,’ said Darryl. ‘Not now. We don’t need a tropical storm on top of everything else.’

‘We’d better move quickly,’ Ben said.

‘What if he’s not there?’ asked Darryl.

‘He’ll be there,’ replied Binda. ‘He might think we won’t be able to work it out, but perhaps he does. I don’t think he cares one way or another. He’s too full of himself to think that someone could outsmart him, especially police.’

Ben climbed into the passenger side seat of Binda’s Nissan. She quickly joined him and gunned the vehicle towards Shiptons Flat Road. Darryl followed with two constables in another four wheel drive police vehicle.

The storm overtook them. Lightning flashed towards Mount Cook and thunder boomed. By the time they reached the two low mounds of rock on the approach to Black Mountain, the rain began to lash down, driven by an easterly wind.

‘Just great,’ Binda said as her vehicle slid sideways in a turn. ‘Just bloody great.’

‘Might work for us,’ Ben replied. ‘The storm may help distract him.’

‘Why would he wait before he killed her?’

‘I don’t know. I believe he wants a spectacle and he’s just delusional enough to think he can openly kill her and vanish into thin air again when it’s over. He’s been goading the police with each of these murders. I suspect he feels this will be the ultimate test of his superiority over the efforts of the police to catch him.’

‘What are you going to do?’ asked Binda.

‘Situational decision,’ said Ben.

‘Like taking out Sergeant Azimulla?’

‘This will be more difficult,’ said Ben.

Black Mountain loomed up before them, dark and ominous. Lightning continued to flash through the driving rain. The thunder cracked and rumbled off to the west. They approached the nearest most southerly tip of the huge pile of rocks. Binda turned the vehicle and headed slowly west.

‘You know where Birmal stone is?’ asked Ben.

‘Just ahead,’ said Binda.

‘Let’s get inside that mountain fast.’ Ben said. ‘There might be a chance she’s still alive.’

Binda nodded and swung her vehicle towards a large gaping cave. She stopped at the entrance and turned off the engine.

Ben lifted the microphone from its cradle. ‘Darryl.’

‘Yep,’ Darryl’s voice crackled through the speaker.

‘We’re going in as soon as Merinda’s dogs arrive. Give us at least 10 minutes from that point before you do anything.’

‘OK. Stay sharp.’

‘I’m not letting him get close to me.’

‘We don’t have any kind of game plan for this Ben.’

‘And that’s exactly what he’s counting on. This is familiar territory for him and he’s relying on that edge.’

‘He’ll try and finish you off this time.’

‘Not if I get him first.’

‘The dogs know him. They won’t attack him,’ said Darryl.

Ben put the microphone to his mouth. ‘They love Merinda. If he’s hurt or killed her, they’ll know what to do.’

‘They’re not that smart,’ replied Darryl.

‘Yes they are,’ said Ben. He put the microphone back in its cradle.

‘Plan?’ asked Binda.

‘We move in cautiously and you stay well back and out of sight until I call to you. Keep that Glock ready. Use it as soon as you’ve got a clear shot at him. Otherwise, we play it as it comes. I’ll take the dogs in first.’

‘He still has a crossbow and God knows what else. Darryl is right. He’ll try and kill you without hesitation.’

‘I’ll take that chance.’

Another four wheel drive vehicle pulled up behind Binda’s Nissan. Susan let the two German Shepherds out of the back and led them to Ben. He took their leads and patted the dogs affectionately. The rain was soaking all of them but the dogs didn’t care. They sensed something wrong and they kept their eyes on Ben.

‘Are you taking them into the mountain?’ Sue asked.

‘Yep.’

Sue shrugged her shoulders helplessly. ‘This is all my fault. I should have stayed with her.’

‘He put on a fairly good distraction.’

‘I should have known better. I let you down and especially Merinda.’ Rain had soaked her to the skin. Rivulets of water dripped off her hair and ran down her face.

‘Get back in the police car and wait. Things will be OK.’

‘Promise?’

‘Cross my heart.’

‘Please don’t say hope to die.’

‘I won’t.’ He turned and walked to the front of Binda’s police vehicle. The two of them and the German Shepherds approached the gaping hole which led into the mountain and ultimately to the sacred site called Birmal stone. Lightning flashed almost constantly now as the full fury of the storm bore down on the mountain. Thunder roared.

‘The Devil has come out to play,’ said Binda, close to his ear.

‘I do believe you are right,’ said Ben, taking out his powerful Cree torch. ‘Let’s hope that God has also decided to join the game. I think we may need a bit of help.’

Inside the cave they were protected from the rain although water ran down the face of the rocks and cascaded deep through the mountain. The dogs shook themselves vigorously although their thick coats had repelled most of the water. The larger dog sniffed cautiously at the darkness beyond. Ben held their leads tightly in his right hand and the torch set on low, in his left. They moved forward. Binda unclipped her Glock and readied it for instant fire at the pull of the trigger. She pointed it upwards as she followed closely.

 

 

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