Her Broken Wings by D.K. Hood

Thirty

Wolfe flattened against the wall of the kitchen. He’d heard the bang from outside and Jenna’s voice through his earpiece, but with both hands firmly on his weapon, he wasn’t removing a hand to reply. He’d heard something moving in the house and wasn’t taking any chances. He glanced at Webber’s face, eyes wide at the three fly-infested hands on the kitchen table, next to a bloody ax. Webber was a trained police officer, and to Wolfe’s relief, he shook his head and snapped back into action.

“Wolfe, come in.”Jenna was getting insistent.

Wolfe dared not make a sound but turned on his mic and tapped it twice. It was code to let her know he’d heard her but couldn’t talk. He nodded to Webber and they eased their way down the hallway. Heart thumping in his chest, he took a quick glance into the first bedroom and ducked back. A mannequin of a woman wearing old-style clothes lay on the floor in a pool of blood. He looked again, slower this time, at a grisly scene, designed for Halloween. Moving to the next room, he vividly recalled the murder scene of a young girl he’d attended. Whoever had purchased this ranch had used crime scene photographs to depict the murders. Although, the last one wasn’t how he remembered it. The noise came again, and he glanced back at Webber. “Did you hear that?”

“Sounds like rats in the walls.” Webber moved ahead and peered into the family room. “This room has skeletons playing cards. The rats are a bonus.” He hit his mic. “House is clear, Sheriff. We’re heading onto the porch next.”

“Roger that, Webber.”Jenna sounded relieved. “Wolfe, the banging was the wind catching the trailer doors and shutting them. The occupants must have left in a hurry to leave them open. All clear so far. No sign of the killer at all. No shell casings either. This is a strange one.”

“Copy.” Wolfe holstered his weapon as he followed Webber into the family room and, batting away flies, peered out the window. “The porch is a crime scene. Stand down until it’s secured. It’s going to take time to process, but if you want to get up close, wear gloves and booties. There are footprints on the porch floor. My kit is outside the back door—grab what you need from there and come around the front. The inside is set up for Halloween but the killer has added his own touch by littering the kitchen table with the victims’ hands. It looks like he used an ax. We’re going to need help to catch this lunatic, Jenna.”

“Copy that. I’ll leave you to handle the scene and we’ll continue to search the grounds. There’s a bunkhouse out back I want to check. I’ll leave Rowley here on surveillance.”Jenna cleared her throat. “Oh, did you check the cellar? It’s in the pantry.”

“No, we’re on our way.”

Wolfe waved Webber from the room and they soon found the pantry. With Webber’s assistance, he pulled open the door and peered at steps vanishing into darkness. He fumbled for a switch, but of course, the bulb was missing. Standing in the light at the top of the stairs, they might as well have had targets pinned on their shirts. He ducked back and listened with his back against the wall, Webber beside him. After what he’d witnessed, he had no intention of becoming the killer’s next victim. Risking his life when he had daughters to care for at home was not an option. He sucked in the putrid air, aimed his flashlight along his Glock, and peered around the door to search the small room. The old furniture stacked all over could be hiding anyone, and in one corner a huge chest freezer hummed. He pulled back and looked at Webber. “I don’t see anyone but they could be hiding behind furniture. There’s an old freezer in the cellar and it’s running. Where do you figure the power is coming from?”

“I noticed solar panels on the trailers, and they’d need power to set up here.” Webber scratched his chin. “Maybe there’s panels on the roof as well.”

Wolfe nodded but his gut was telling him not to venture down the steps. “If so, why didn’t they replace the light in the cellar? Unless someone removed it to hide down there.”

“Maybe it’s all part of the Halloween experience?” Webber was staring at the body parts on the kitchen table. “Do you want me to go down?”

Wolfe shook his head. “Nope, I’ll go. I believe it’s clear down there but this house is giving me the creeps, and trust me that doesn’t happen often.” He raised his weapon. “Keep your back to the wall and watch the door. I don’t like the idea of the door shutting and locking me down there.”

“No worries.” Webber gave him a curt nod.

Glad of his liquid Kevlar vest and the new helmet he’d obtained for the sheriff’s department, Wolfe headed down the creaky steps. “Is anyone down here? This is the medical examiner. I’m armed and the sheriff has the house surrounded. Call out.”

His flashlight moved across spiderwebs heavy with dust and picked up reflections of red eyes in dark corners. Underfoot his boots crunched on rat droppings covering the step treads. The scurrying sounds from below made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He wished he’d worn a face mask. The stench of vermin turned his stomach but he’d smelled worse things in his career. The stairs creaked and moved unnervingly with each step, and the handrail looked as if it would crumble away at the first touch. He moved the flashlight around, up and down, but no one lurked in the corners.

The beam of his flashlight moved to the chest freezer, and Wolfe moved closer to examine the dark stains on one side. It was as if something had spilled over the edge and run down the sides, leaving a sticky mess on the floor. He moved closer and examined the deep cherry pool. More fake blood? He pressed his mic. “Webber. I’ve found something. I’m opening the freezer.”

“Roger that.”Webber’s voice came through his earpiece and seemed to echo from his position at the top of the steps.

Wolfe holstered his weapon and attempted to lift the freezer lid without success. He placed the flashlight between his teeth and, steeling himself for what may be inside, dragged open the lid a few inches. As he bent to peer inside the crack, the lid sprang open and a figure sat bolt upright.

Surprised, the flashlight slipped from Wolfe’s mouth, bounced across the floor, and went out. In complete darkness, he hit the floor and rolled away, drawing his weapon. “Shit!”