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Sheriff Hamilton saw the envelope on her desk when she returned from lunch. Memories from the past came rushing back to her. She knew David was into psychological torture, as well as physical. For some insane reason, he felt the need to contact her. Even though she had not opened it yet, she knew it was from him. This could only mean he had struck again.
“Alex, I received another delivery today. This time it’s an envelope so maybe he just sent a note. The postmark is from Smithfield, Virginia.”
“Jordan, I want to be there when you open it. I’ll be there shortly.”
Jordan prayed that it was just a note this time. At least now they knew he was in Virginia, but where the hell was he going. For someone who had no money, he did an extensive amount of traveling. Where in the hell was he getting his money from and where were they staying? She had a hard time picturing Thorguson living in a motor home, but that was the only plausible explanation. The evidence so far pointed to this conclusion.
On his way into the office, Alex gave O’Riordan a call. “Jordan got another note from David today. I asked her not to open it until I get there.”
“I’ll have someone from the task force come and get it. The postmark wouldn’t by chance be from anywhere in Virginia would it?”
“Smithfield, Virginia to be exact. Why, what happened?”
“Damn, I’m betting he’s sending her tokens from his latest kill. A young girl was recently found mutilated here in Virginia. Not only was she eviscerated, but she was skinned alive.”
“O’Riordan, he’s escalating. He still has a fascination with Jordan too. I don’t like this one bit.”
Alex arrived at Jordans’ office and opened the envelope.
Alex read the note, “Have you ever wondered what the inside of your body looks like? It is really fascinating to peek underneath the skin.” David had included a few bloody fingernails with the note.
Jordan asked, “He’s escalating, isn’t he?”
“He is. This one was bad, I’m sorry.”
“Where the hell are they going? Is he aimlessly traveling across the country?”
“Unfortunately, they might be. That is part of his accomplice’s MO.”
***
O’RIORDAN KNEW AFTER the latest murder, the task force needed to meet again and strategize. They were getting nowhere and had to rethink their plan of attack. There had to be some way to figure out where the killers were going. Somehow, someway they were finding money to help them survive on the road. O’Riordan knew for a fact that Thorguson had not tried to obtain any funds from his bank. The FBI had asked the bank to reactivate all Thorguson’s accounts just in case he did try, that way a trace could be made. That was wishful thinking, though. So far, no attempt had been made.
The killings were sadistic; no mercy had been shown on any victim they encountered. They lived for the thrill of the kill, to cause pain and suffering on those who were captured in their web. The killings weren’t about jealousy or revenge, not even crimes of passion, but about power and control. They lived to inflict fear and pain. With the increase of victims, O’Riordan knew that more would take place soon. He suspected that David’s accomplice was learning some of David’s tricks of the trade, so to speak, and enjoying the rush he received. To some killers, the kill was an adrenaline rush, just like a drug was to a junkie.
Agents O’Riordan and Manning, Dr. Meghan Cook, Alex Hamilton, the deputies, and other agents involved in the task force that could take the time to meet back in Hope, Louisiana, met to strategize. If it hadn’t been for Sheriff Hamilton’s condition, they would have met in Mississippi or North Carolina. Since she had so much knowledge regarding David Thorguson, it was important that she be involved in the meeting. David had kept corresponding with her since his escape, so she may have more knowledge of his behavior than any of them. David Thorguson had his sights set on her since early on in the original investigation.
Even though Manning stayed behind in Hope, Louisiana to man the task force there, he had managed to keep everything updated. The timeline and photos were arranged on the board for their joint meeting. The timeline included an outline of the tokens David had sent Sheriff Hamilton, as well as where each was mailed from, helping map out where they had been.
“I believe we are looking for a male Caucasian, between thirty-five and forty years old. It is believed he has been torturing and killing men and women for several years now. His suspected signature is the use of super glue on the sexual orifices. The killings are not sexually motivated, but more about power and control. He has led a gypsy lifestyle, never holding down a career, or full time job for that matter. His main goal is to have enough cash on hand for the basic necessities in life. In order to obtain this, he may either steal or work odd jobs.
“Even though he is a loner, he has the ability to be charming and social. His charms may be superficial, but it is enough to allow him to get close to his victims. He is a highly organized individual and extremely neat, maybe bordering on obsessive compulsive tendencies. Before helping David escape, none of the bodies showed signs of sexual assault. Since David’s escape, severe sexual assault has been noted on the female bodies, both anally and vaginally. The male victims have just shown horrendous torture.
“Both men enjoy playing god, dominating their captives. As with David, it is believed the unsub had someone dominate him during childhood, and now he feels the need to seek vengeance. He is proving to himself and others that he is the one in control, even if it is by force. With both men being alpha males, this can either be a devastating blow to what they thought would be a collaborative partnership, and cause severe turmoil in the ranks, or indeed make their partnership flourish and thrive. If their bond does grow stronger, then we are in serious trouble.
“I know without a doubt in my mind that David Thorguson’s new found partner has been killing for years, maybe since his late teens or early adulthood. He has managed to fly under the radar for quite some time, traveling around the United States to keep from being detected. Some need lured him to help David Thorguson escape, and if we can figure out that need, that compulsion, we may be one step closer to capturing them and ending this nightmare.
“It might be that he kills or disposes of the bodies in small towns, knowing they don’t have the resources available for a meticulous investigation, unless they invite the state or FBI in. Most law enforcement agencies don’t waste too much time on the murder of high risk victims, unfortunately. When you throw in his transient behavior, it complicates the matter immensely.”
Looking over the cases and photos, O’Riordan felt his belief in God slipping. He had never been a religious man, by any means, but he had always believed there was a God. This case was starting to give him serious doubts. He didn’t want to lose his faith in God or man, but the depravity of these killers was horrendous. How could God create two human beings, almost exactly alike, that would harm other people in this way?