Quick update

I'm a bit behind on posting the next section of Victim 18, and continuing with Universal Basic Health Care.

Mostly I've been battling depression here lately.  Jobe is not quite as talkative but is talking--their job is the big issue on that right now.  Aside from depression, work has been weird as I spent two days mucking through sewage in a four family unit's basement...flushable wipes are in fact NOT flushable.  And Saturday had me on the road from 06:30 to 21:15 because I had to pick my grand-daughter up from another state or my son would have lost his visitation time--no one else could swing it so Maura to the rescue!

Anyway, more Victim 18 should get uploaded tonight and I am formulatimg the post on how to pay for UBHC.

Catch y'all later,

Maura

PS: keep praying for Jobe, their job has them like totally stressed out dude.

Victim 18 post 32

Wren leads Norman out to the shooting range and demonstrates how the gun works. She sets up a paper target then attaches a ring with a small cable to the middle finger of her left hand. She flexes her hand backward then levels it out and takes aim. Norman plugs his ears in anticipation as she lowers her hand, only the wavering of the target told Norman the gun had gone off.

“So that’s what a silencer sounds or rather doesn’t sound like.”

“A good one anyway. There are cheaper ones out there but they have too much report and I need absolute stealth.”

“Well I see three things, one just how all the blood got on your clothes, two that there is no way to holster that any better, and three the shoulder holster has to go.”

“Why?”

“It could give someone the advantage of a hand hold on your back or shoulder. I think what you need is a more modern belt type holster with a quick release buckle on the front. That way if anyone gets a hold of the belt all you would have to do is release it.”

“Well that might mean a trip to Springfield.”

“Why Springfield?”

“My cousin Sean runs a sporting goods store over there and deals in illegal arms as well.”

“I wondered where you managed to get your weapons. Well Springfield here we come.”

With some help from Norman Wren changes out of her “superhero suit” and they leave to see Sean. Four hours and a stop at the county court house later find them back at Norman’s office just after lunch. Sheila keeps Wren entertained with wanting to know all about her wedding plans until closing time. There trip home in the light rain that evening proves more eventful though. As Norman is heading down highway two-seventy a truck carrying scrap metal loses part of its load in front of them. Norman swerves hard and avoids the larger pieces but blows out a tire when he hits some of the smaller stuff. They spend some time on the side of the road changing the tire and getting insurance information from the truck driver who isn’t too co-operative until the officer at the scene hands him Norman’s business card. After that everything goes much smoother and they are soon heading on home.

“Norman I would think that by now you would know how to shift gears.”

“I’m pushing in the clutch but it’s not doing anything.”

“Can’t you speed shift?”

“What!?”

“Just pull over when you can and I’ll take it on home before you turn your transmission into spaghetti.”

“You think you can get it to shift?”

“My grandpa Robbins taught me how to shift without a clutch. So I think I can get it home alright.”

They pull off the road and Norman stalls the engine. Wren trades places with him, puts it in neutral and fires it back up.
“I see what you mean. Must have cut the clutch hose when you ran over that debris. Well here we go.”

“How did you do that?”

“It takes practice to take off without a clutch and level ground doesn’t hurt. The trick is stopping without stalling it. It’s kind of the reverse of taking off but still touchy. This thing is still under warranty isn’t it?”

“Yea, why?”

“Then we need to drop it off at the dealer in the morning before you call that guy's insurance, that way you don’t mess up the warranty.”

They make it home with no real trouble and spend the evening figuring out places Wren can apply to for archeological work.

The weather the next morning keeps Wren from going on her normal run so Norman gets to sleep in as Wren sets a late alarm just for him. She lays in bed staring at the man she loves so much and wondering if she should just let the rest of the gang go. But as this thought crosses through her mind she remembers listening to them discuss that poor unknowing mother and the prospect of three children losing their mother makes Wren feel sick with guilt for even thinking of giving up. No, she resolves that she must see this through to its conclusion. She looks back at the sleeping man in her bed and her thoughts become more carnal than caring which only serves to frustrate her more as she can do nothing to relieve her building desires. She resolves herself to ignore her burning desire for Norman and heads to the shower.

She comes back into the bedroom, dresses and is pulling her long hair up into a high ponytail when she sees Norman watching her in the mirror.

“How long have you been watching me?”

“Ever since you came back in from the shower.”

“And you haven’t said a word, that whole time?”

“I just felt like admiring you. You’ve lost weight over the last few weeks, haven’t you?”

“I guess I’ve lost some. Does it show that much?”

“When you're stretched out you look more like you did in the picture of you on the motorcycle. Your face is thinner too but someone would really have to know you to realize that. Wren, I’m worried about you. Are you sure you're not taking on more than you can handle?”

Wren sits down on the bed beside him and looks straight into his eyes.

“No, I’m not sure. I have actually considered giving up but…”

“You're afraid it will all start again.”

“Yea, I’ve got to finish. I’ve only got seven to go and it’s over.

Come on let's go make breakfast. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

“Are you going to be alright?”

“Yea I just have to get my mind off it that’s all.”

After breakfast Wren takes Norman's truck to the Chevrolet dealer on Watson road, and he follows her in her Mustang. The rain soaked road gives her trouble each time she takes off from a light as she tries to keep the tires from spinning. Norman takes care of the paperwork and she finishes driving him into his office.

“So what are you going to do today?”

“I thought I’d go over to the college to get a couple copies of my official transcript and see about getting replacements of my diplomas. I need a few personal items also so I’ll get those while I’m out too. Unless you need the car then I’ll just hang around here for you.”

“No, I’m just worried about you, that's all. If I need a ride I’ll give you a call.”

“I’ll see you at five then lover boy.”

She grabs the back of his neck and kisses him in just such a way that he can guess just what else is bothering her.

Wren returns just before five and takes Norman back home. Their evening passes quickly and to Wren it seems like they're getting back in bed all too soon.

The next morning Wren drops Norman off at work and decides to start looking at wedding dresses. After three attempts in three different shops that don’t have a thing she is looking for but the sales people thought they did. She decides to change tack and try to find some things for after the wedding.

MauraAlwyen.com

Victim 18 post 31

Tuesday finds Wren up early cooking breakfast and packing lunch for Norman. She wakes him about half way through cooking so he will have time to dress and he joins her just about in time for it to be done.

“So what are your plans for today?”

“Well after I see you off to work I’ll get in my morning run then, a little surveillance on a second shift night watchman and off to work.”

“Surveillance? No, no I don’t want to know. The less I know about your other job the better I can plead denial if it comes to it. By the way, that reminds me. I left the Sunday paper on the sofa where I was looking through it. I found an article that might interest you.”

Wren walks into the living room and picks up the paper and the headline of an article immediately catches her attention.

“The Predator strikes again! After a painstaking investigation police have determined that the most likely candidate for the three car explosions on Friday were most likely caused by the Predator. All three cars were owned by men fitting the general description of the other victims of the Predator. A fourth victim was shot to death at point blank range in his own living room of his third floor apartment in the thirty-eight hundred block of Mc Causland. Investigators can not find any means of forcible entry nor do they understand how the predator left the building. They are speculating that the victim knew the perpetrator and allowed them entry.”

“Interesting article.”

“How did you get in there?”

“The same way I left, through the balcony door. Now you need to be heading off to work and trust me you don’t want any more details.”

Wren sees Norman off to work then starts into her normal routine. When she is ready for work she hops on her bike and heads over to pay a reconnaissance visit to a Jimmy Thatcher on Ravenscroft. His house is a fairly typical single story ranch except that the windows are all black. The garage door is closed and there are no cars in the driveway. She makes her mental notes and heads on over to work. After work she goes out of her way to drive past his house again. This time it’s close to midnight and she sees him pulling into his garage. The garage door closes even before Wren gets near enough to see him but she knows the address is right. After all, coming home at midnight would fit with a second shift night watchman.

Wren heads for home pulling into the driveway at twelve thirty in the morning. She’s surprised to see the living room light on and Norman watching out of the window.

“Why are you so late?”

“Just went a little out of my way to check on something, that’s all.”

“Is there any other way for you to do your work or am I going to be up late worrying about whether you're coming home or not all the time?”

“I’ll see what I can do about that for you. But I’ve got good news for you sleepyhead, I took the rest of the week off work. “

“Why?”

“My period started and it’s just too hard to deal with while at work.”

“I wish I hadn’t asked.”

Norman wakes up early to the scent of cooking bacon before Wren gets a chance to wake him herself. He comes into the kitchen while her back is to turned toward him as she studies the screen of the laptop.

“Wren do you ever sleep?”

“Occasionally, why?”

“It’s just that you got home after midnight and here you are cooking bacon and biscuits at six-thirty. Plus your mind seems preoccupied by something on your computer screen.”

“I’m studying the list, it’s getting thinner, thank heavens. I’m tired of being up late killing people and what you said this morning made me realize it isn’t fair to you either. I just want to get on with my life.”

“How many are left?”

“Seven. But of them this is one of the tough ones, Jimmy Thatcher, night watchman, drives a nineteen eighty-nine Ford Ranger, lives at 6925 Ravenscroft Dr. Now my question is, how do you catch a night watchman off his guard?”

“He’d have to be asleep I guess.”

“But, that would mean a daylight hit which I can’t risk.”

“That’s where you were last night isn’t it?”

“Yeah he gets home about mid-night.”

“Couldn’t it be done like that Edwards guy?”

“I may have to but that carries a lot of risks.”

“How so?”

“You start eating and I’ll show you some evidence of what I mean.”

Wren leaves Norman to fill his plate and walks back to the laundry room. When she gets there to bring back the denim she had hung to dry and it’s gone. Now hanging in its place is a black latex catsuit. She looks at it in wonder it has no shine yet, as it has not been polished, but it would cover every inch of her. It has a full hood, fingered gloves, and feet all in one piece. When she turns to leave the room to ask Norman about it there he is.

“You ran into some problems with Adam Edwards didn’t you?”

“How did you know that?”

“To a lawyer, blood stains on clothing, even black clothing are pretty evident. So since you intend to act like a superhero, I felt you should look like one and, since you have already expressed a love of black latex the choice was pretty easy. You will find there is nothing hanging loose to grab or catch. It is blood proof, reasonably acid proof, as flexible as you—I think, silent and prevents most of your DNA from turning up at a crime scene. In the closet you will also find a pair of all black rock climbing shoes. They have super sticky rubber soles for added traction for times like, when you're climbing up balconies for instance. I also found you a new backpack in black fleece so it is as silent as you.”

“Norman, I don't know what to say. I never expected you to help me with any of this. I never intended for you to get involved. Because, I never wanted you to get hurt.”

“By asking you to marry me I involved myself. You knew I had figured out who the predator is and yet I still asked you. Now for both our sakes I will give you the support I can, so you can make it back alive from each of your excursions. Now let me help you into your superhero suit so we can figure out how to deal with your weapons.”

“But don’t you have to go to work today?”

“I don’t have anything pressing at the moment and Sheila can handle the office. I told her I may be late today due to wedding plans.”

They get Wren into her new suit and adjust it so the openings for her nose are lined up and she can see out of the eye openings. Then with some effort they zip her up into a perfectly smooth, and heavily defined silhouette of Wren. She puts on the shoes and finds Norman to be right; they are super sticky. She leads Norman down into the basement like a silent shadow to where she keeps her guns hidden. At the bottom of the stairs she reaches down and twists a surface mounted electrical outlet and the wooden plank wall on the opposite side of the basement pops open.

“Wren, what is all this about?”

“Great granddad, and his son’s were rum runners, bootleggers, and worked for the Irish mafia during prohibition. This is where they hid anything that they needed to hide. It seemed the logical place to hide my guns. Then if anyone ever did put two and two together they wouldn’t find the weapons. No weapons, no evidence, no way to convict.”

“I’m afraid there are still ways to convict even without the weapons.”

“I know, but it’s harder.”

They head on into the subterranean store room and Wren walks over to a large wine cask. She steps up beside it and thumps the bung hole on top. The front of the cask pops open and there on the floor of the cask are her guns. She slips the shoulder holster over her right shoulder and fastens it in place then picks up the jacket gun and attaches it.

“What is that?”

“A Congolese jacket gun. Come on out back I’ll show you how it works.”

Victim 18 post 30

CHAPTER 9
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

“Come on, sleepy head, it's time to get up.”

“What do you mean, the sun isn’t even up all the way and besides I don’t have to be at work for hours.”

“That may be but it is still time to wake up. Come on, we have miles to put under us.”

“Miles? Where are we going?”

“For our morning run of course.”

“Morning run? How far?”

“I usually put in ten miles. How about you?”

“Let me think I’d say somewhere between zero and five feet but definitely closer to zero.”

“Zero? Well now that has got to change. Come on, I'll be easy on you.”

“Why do we have to go for a run?”

“To keep in shape, to keep our hearts in peak physical condition, to keep a firm sexy body so I keep earning lots of tips.”

“I wish you hadn’t brought that up.”

“Why?”

“Because I still have a problem with it. I was just hoping that after we were engaged you could quit that one part of your life.”

“I’ll make you a deal, after we are legally married I will quit. But not a moment sooner. Unless the idea of being married to a stripper has some appeal to you?”

“It does not. For one thing I have never been good at sharing and to me that is what it is like.”

“I can see your point there. But I’ll let you in on a little secret I have though. Whenever I have seen you in the audience I’ve had this fantasy that you were close enough to the stage to grope me.”

“Wren! I’m shocked, and aroused at the same time. I’d be glad to help you with your little fantasy but I don’t see how we could.”

“If you can arrange to start work a little late next Monday the club doesn’t open until lunch and I can get in a little practice before work. I have an idea for a new routine I want to try out anyway. Now get out of bed and let’s go.”

Norman puts on a bicycling outfit while Wren slips into her running gear.

“What are you wearing?”

“Sorry but running isn’t my cup of tea. So how about if I just ride along with you?”

“Close enough, at least you're out of bed.”

Only the fact that Wren has to go to work that evening dampens Norman’s disposition. This time though Norman is able to juggle his work around so he can take Wren to work. He stays through Wren’s shift and at uncle Mike’s direction is seated in her section. It is Wren who brings him his dinner and drinks that evening which helps him to relax a little. He has his bouts with jealousy though as he watches her flirt with the patrons and watches them tuck bills into the waist of her emerald thong. But unlike those other guys he knows he is the one taking her home tonight.

At eleven everyone but Norman is ushered out of the club and the girls start cleaning up. Shortly after everyone else has gone into the back, the house lights are dimmed and the stage lights come up. Norman has seen this happen many times this evening so it only startles him in the fact that there is no one there but him. He absentmindedly watches the stage expecting one of the girls to be practicing a routine when two of the bouncers carry a tight ball of a person out and set her down right in the middle of the stage. There sitting in a tight fetal ball with her back to him is a head of hair that he instantly recognizes. He walks up to the stage as the music starts to play. The song is unfamiliar to him but it has the kind of hard thumping bass line that he knows Wren likes so much.

Slowly the balled up form unfolds herself, each limb bouncing out with the thump of the bass. Soon she is lying flat on her back dancing to the beat, when timed to an extra hard thump she arches her back and flips herself into a handstand. Her long skirt falls down around her torso and head so only her long legs and heels are sticking out. She works her legs as if she were dancing on the floor until another thump of the base when to the utter amazement of Norman she completely flips herself landing squarely on her feet. Now she is dancing upright teasing her shirt first out of her skirt then off. Strutting up to the end of the catwalk and slithering out of her skirt twirling it so it fans out flat above her head on her left wrist. She lets the skirt fly back behind her to the side of the stage. Then with a quick glance in the direction the skirt went she back flips her way back down the catwalk. She dances around twirling around poles and freely spinning on the toes of her heels. Norman stands there mesmerized by the special performance he is getting and doesn’t even realize when she unfastens her bra. Soon she is strutting down the walk again teasing an imaginary audience until she gets to Norman who suddenly remembers her fantasy. When she bends over to tease him he reaches up and grabs her beasts and then quickly runs his hands down to her waist. He takes advantage of the situation and makes a snap decision. He hooks his thumbs in her waist band and yanks down her thong. Wren doesn’t miss a beat and quickly steps out of her underwear. She steps down onto the two chairs on either side of Norman and lowers her naked body down onto his lap and wraps her arms around his neck.

“Wren let's go home and finish this performance alone.”

Behind them the girls, bouncers and manager start applauding. Wren stands up off Norman’s lap and Norman stands up and both take a bow.

“Give me a minute to pick up my costume.”

Soon Wren reappears still in just her heals carrying her backpack.

“Uh, Wren, you seem to have forgotten some things.”

She looks down at herself and at her pack then back at Norman.

“Nope, it seems to all be here. If you’re meaning my clothes there in the bag. You see, to finish off my idea you have to take me home just like this. And don’t worry, the guys said they’ll escort us out to your truck.”

MauraAlwyen.com

Victim 18 post 29

Wren wakes early the next day lying close beside Norman, his arm beneath her neck. She lays there staring at the man that to her is now her husband. She watches his chest with its slow rhythmic rising and falling of his deep slumber. She runs her hand across his chest without thinking her slow light touch gently waking her lover.

“Mmm, You’re up I see.”

“For just a little bit, I’ve been watching you sleep.”

“I guess having you here with not much to wear kept you in bed huh?”

“Very funny, I’m actually quite used to running around naked in front of strangers at this point. The only thing keeping me here is my own free will. Why don’t we clean up and head back to my house so I can change then we can find some breakfast.”

“Actually I’ve got you covered.”

Wren looks down at her naked body lying on the bed then looks back at Norman.

“No, not actually, I still seem to be quite naked over here.”

They get a good laugh out of her joke as Norman rolls over on top of her.

“Okay now you do.”

“Actually what I meant is I have a set of clothes for you so we can clean up, go to church and breakfast afterward.”

“You did think of almost everything.”

“Almost?”

“Well you do only have a twin bed after all.”

“Who says I didn’t think about that?”

“Come on, the sooner we get cleaned up the sooner we eat.”

“Well you know now that I’m here I was kind of thinking of staying in bed just a little longer.”

“Well I think I could be… Oh, Norman, yes!”

Half an hour later finds them in Norman’s shower together. When they are out Norman hands Wren a new summer dress and sandals. Once they are dressed it is a quick trip to Norman’s church. Wren kneels in the pew and pulling her rosary from her new purse starts praying as she now does whenever she is in church. At the end of mass they leave with the other people.

“Norman, I didn’t see you for communion.”

“Sorry father, I wasn’t ready.”

“Wait for me till everyone has gone and we can talk.”

They wait though Wren is anxious to leave. But she does not dare to ignore a request from a priest. Father comes and leads them off into the sacristy at the side of church and into the rectory kitchen.

“Now Norman I have known you since your confirmation and you have never missed a communion unless you were out of town. So what is it that’s bothering you?”

“Father, I would like you to meet my fiancé Wren. We were engaged last night.”

“Father, I guess I am the reason Norman didn’t attend communion today. I guess you could say we did a little too much celebrating afterward.”

“I see so that’s why you were praying the rosary before mass and during communion. Well Norman you know when confession is and that I can’t issue penance in these circumstances to either of you. But I am assuming, Wren is also Catholic?”

“Yes father I am, born and raised.”

“Well we all have our little sins and this one is not too hard to deal with. I am happy for both of you and I look forward to seeing you both soon to work out your wedding details.”

“Thank-you father.”

They leave through the rectory door both a little embarrassed about their encounter. But both are still too overjoyed to let it bother them.

“You know when I’m done I don’t want to imagine what father’s face will look like when I tell him of my sins.”

“You’re fortunate that he is bound by an oath to God not to tell anyone what you are going to confess.”

They go out to breakfast during which they decide that it is pointless for Norman to keep his apartment and start moving his clothes into Wren’s house. His furniture they plan to donate to charity as it really isn’t much and they don’t have a way to move it. Once they’re settled in at home Wren calls her grandma Robbins to tell her the good news. While Norman looks through the morning paper.

“Norman, grandma would like to know what day we would like the ceremony to be on.”

“Oh I don’t know how about June the eighteenth.”

“He says June the eighteenth.”

“Impetuous isn’t he?”

“Sometimes, but I’m sure he is just kidding, I mean that’s just barely two weeks.”

“Yes but it can be done. I tell you what I can do and give you a call back when I figure it out.”

“Grandma I’m sure he was just kidding, he couldn’t possibly mean it that soon.”

“I’ll call you back once I figure it out. Love ya.”

“Norman, you were just kidding about June the eighteenth weren’t you?”

“Why? Sunday June the eighteenth of next year. What’s wrong with that?”

“Well we thought you meant two weeks from now!”

“You can’t plan a wedding in less than two weeks. Can you?”

“Grandma is already on it. Besides, we actually have most of the planning part done already.”

“How is that?”

Wren had to sit Norman down and tell him about the conversation with her grandparents from just a couple of weeks prior.

“So you see we already have the bulk of it thought through so it’s just a matter of assembly.”

“And getting a dress in time. And planning a honeymoon. Unless you have already planned that as well.”

“No but I have always wanted to see the Grand Canyon again.”

“Then consider it done.”

“Don’t you think you’ve spent enough money on the jewelry and dress from Saturday night?”

“It won’t really cost that much just a drive down from your grandparents and a hotel stay.”

“And meals out for three meals a day at a tourist destination.”

“So we get a cooler and a camp stove. We can cut some of the cost that way if you're so worried about it.”

“I guess we could. Do you think your parents would come?”

“For starters how would they get there? They would have to leave yesterday to get there in two weeks in a horse and buggy. Besides as I told you, contact with me is pretty much forbidden lest I corrupt them as well. I will send a letter to my sister and a black and white picture from our wedding. But even that may be pushing it.”

What’s left of the day goes by fast until they fall asleep comfortably in each other's arms once again.

For all things Maura including her shop fund MauraAlwyen.com

Victim 18 post 29

“Later when I’m done with this job I’ll try to explain.”

“You mean the why of it all.”

“Yes that’s it.”

“I think I already know. The police wouldn’t listen when you went to them with your connection. You felt that your raping would go unpunished based on the response they gave to your apartment being robbed. You felt you had no one to turn to. Your boss wouldn’t work with you. Then you decided to use your connection and find the gang. Am I on the right track so far?”

“Surprisingly so. Except, that when I found them I also found they were already planning their next victim. A young mother of three who works at the mall. Not only had they selected her but they had followed her home and had pictures of her at home with her family!”

“So you're doing this to protect her?”

“And every other woman they might choose. Do you think we could talk about something else? I really don’t want to talk about this.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“You for starts. I feel I really know you and can’t imagine not having you around. But where does your family live? What are they like? Do they know about me?”

“You mean in the three years I’ve known you I’ve never told you about them?”

“No and until now I really hadn’t thought about it.”

“Well they live in North-West Missouri, they own and operate a dairy farm, and they’re Amish.”

“But you’re Catholic?”

“I left during the time of the roaming. You see there is a period during which an Amish child is allowed to explore the outside world before they make a commitment to remain true to the Amish teachings for the rest of their lives. While I was roaming I found a love of cars, radios, and computers. I ran into some guys my age who showed me around and they took me to church. I started asking the parish priest Father Ruth about the faith. I found a job at the local high school as a janitor which gave me a good place to learn about the rest of the world. Eventually I was told I’d make a good lawyer so once I checked it out I started going to college. I stayed in St. Louis because I had no ties to consider. I was confirmed at the cathedral the summer before I met you.”

“What do you mean no ties to consider?”

“When you leave the Amish world you leave everything behind. I send them homemade cards on holidays and birthdays. I have occasionally gotten a letter from my Mom or my sister in reply.”

“I know how lonely you must be not having a family around.”

“You get used to it. But, I would trade that life all over again for what I have now.”

Wren moves over and sits down in his lap, her arms around his neck, his wrapped around her waist. Occasionally his right hand will run up and down the soft bare skin of her back. She enjoys the feel of his hand even though it makes her shiver inside. They kiss and his hand goes further up her soft smooth flesh. Their kisses becoming longer and more relaxed.

Wren had never kissed like this before. She had always been so careful not to get too hot and make a guy think they were going somewhere she wouldn’t. This time is different though, this is to be her husband and she wants it to go wherever it will.

Their kisses pick up in speed and passion as Norman’s hand once more slides up her back and across her bare shoulder. He is now kissing his way down her neck as he carefully undoes the strap around her neck. The dress falls from her shoulders as she shivers from his hand running down her spine. Her breasts are fully exposed as he continues kissing his way toward them. He kisses around and around each as he slowly, incrementally works his way toward her nipples. He gives each a long passionate kiss running his tongue around and drawing them each in turn into his mouth. He wraps an arm under her legs and takes a firm grip around her bare torso. He stands up, her arms still wrapped around his neck, her lips seeking his. He carries her into his bedroom and lays her down upon his bed.

He unhooks the buckles on her heels and drops the shoes to the floor. He rubs the balls of her feet pressing his thumbs firmly into her flesh as he works his way into her arches. He wraps his hands around her small feet running them up to her calves. He works her calves in his hands as he lightly kisses her feet and removes her anklet. His hands constantly working their way up toward her knees, Wren purring with delighted contentment. His hands are still working their way along her thighs as are his kisses. His hands working the hem of her dress higher as he gets closer to her waist. He slides each of his thumbs into the waistband of her pantyhose and she lifts her bottom as he pulls them off of her.

She lay there her silver dress now wrapped around her waist, Norman feeling her now bare legs with his hands for the first time. He gently spreads her legs apart and feels the soft skin of her woman hood as he runs his hand across her. He runs his fingers across her soft nether lips, causing her to shake and purr into a moan as he plays with her soft folds. He kisses her there and starts teasing her with his tongue and soon he has her writhing in pleasure as she starts to wail into a climactic crescendo of pleasure. He begins working his way back up her belly passing through her cleavage and up her throat. He stops at her lips kissing her full and passionate upon them.

As he kisses her lips she is busy undoing his belt. He stands back up and she gets out of bed. She lets her dress fall to the floor as she stands up kicking it away. She stands before him naked and drops to the floor. She removes his shoes then she finishes undoing his pants letting them drop to the floor with a dull thud. He steps out of them and she tosses them over to join her dress. She sits there on her knees staring at his manhood through his underwear. She grabs the sides of the waist and pulls them down to his ankles. She stares again at his manhood now free and pulsing with life and anticipation. She kisses it and makes love to it drawing it into her mouth, her attentions only making it pulse and throb more as it comes to full life. Her own body responding to her actions washing yet another wave of pleasure through her.

She stands back up and removes his cumber bun and slips the jacket from his shoulders. Unbuttoning his shirt she slips it off him revealing his broad hammered chest. She explores his chest with her soft fingers, running her hands everywhere she can reach. She kisses him again as she winds her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Nudging him back onto the bed she runs her hands down his thighs and calves. She reaches his ankles and pulls off his trouser socks leaving him naked stretched out on the bed before her.

She starts kissing his legs back and forth as she works her way up his body. She kisses every inch of his manhood as she works her way up to his torso. Her lips not wanting to miss an inch of his body as she finally reaches his lips. They kiss as she kneels there straddling his body. She feels him pressing against her belly throbbing with passion and excitement. She moves further up and impales herself upon him. She gasps with pleasure as the physical and emotional sensations flood her senses. The feelings so much different than her first encounter with a man. But then this is what she wants not what is being taken from her. She forces herself back upon him arching her back so as to rub her breasts against his face. He kisses and licks any surface that gets within reach of his lips and mouth. She is practically wailing with her excitement and passion as she rides an unending wave of pleasure her senses overwhelmed as one crests and another begins. Suddenly he begins to quake and thrust up into her moaning loudly as he reaches his own climax. Like Wren his goes on for some time as the two of them ride the waves of ecstasy that they are giving each other. They finally come down and Wren just lies down where she is with him still deep inside her. They both fall fast asleep Wren lying there with Norman’s arms wrapped tightly around her.

MauraAlwyen.com

Victim 18 post 28

She pulls the car into the garage, grabs a bucket and puts the shirt and jacket into it. She goes straight through the kitchen and down the hall to the laundry room where she puts the jacket and shirt in the washer. Taking off her shoes and socks she adds them to the wash, and follows with the jeans once she is free of them. She puts her bra and underwear in a laundry bag and adds them to the load knowing she shouldn’t but also wanting to get the blood out of them as soon as possible. With some irritation she realizes she has left the rag and towel in her car. Grabbing the bucket she heads back to the car.

As Wren passes back through the kitchen she thinks she sees something go past the window.

“Wren, this is not the time to start panicking, that window is two floors up and...”

There it is again. She darts for the door to the garage, her bare feet crossing noiselessly over the old wooden floor. She opens the door of the car and hits the trunk release. Quickly going to the trunk and grabbing out her pistol. Carefully she reenters the kitchen turning the light out as she enters. Slowly quietly she crawls over to the kitchen cabinets where she sees the shape again in the moonlight as it slips past the window.

“Alright now Wren let's not be getting jumpy we’ve been through too much for that.”

Wren crawls over to the deck door and is getting ready to open it when she realizes it could be an ambush. Instead she crawls over to the hallway and makes her way to the back bedroom. She crosses the room and looks out the window towards the deck, the light of a half moon bright in the clear sky above casting playful shadows across the yard and the deck and yet she can see no ladder nor any person. She creeps back into the kitchen and there is definitely something darting back and forth across the glass. She walks over to the door and takes several deep breaths, draws her pistol up to her bare chest then quickly opens the door.

Her reflexes and new experiences combine so that she now has a solid laser sighted bead on a helium balloon the string of which has caught on the pipe to the electric meter. There is a small card attached to the string so she reaches out and pulls the balloon in to her and looks at the card.

“Greetings from Mrs. Rodenchecks fourth grade class in Bozeman Montana. If the finder of this would please write us a short note of how, where and when you found this and mail the card back we would appreciate it. Thank-you, Rodger Smith

P.S. Please send it back. I get twenty extra points on my science grade if you do. Rodger”

Wren sits down on the picnic table laughing. She sits there laughing for quite some time until tears start to run down her face and she can taste them as they trickle into her mouth. She goes back inside and locks the door leaving the balloon to dance on the ceiling as she heads back out to get the rags.

The next morning Wren wakes up much later than usual. She goes through her usual routine of dressing and eating breakfast, then she fills out the card from the balloon and walks it out to the mail. From her mailbox she starts her morning run. Wondering what is inside the box that Norman sent her and what is up his sleeve for the evening. As much as she doesn’t want him hurt or to be hurt she is elated at the thought of having him back in her life. When she makes it back home she pulls the junk mail from the box and heads back into the house. She goes to the washer and pulls out her clothes from last night, each piece still showing the dark splotches from the blood. Tossing them back in she restarts the washer. After a quick lunch she lies out on the deck and daydreams about the upcoming evening. After a while she picks up her watch from the deck floor and with a start realizes it is getting late. With her curiosity running at a fever pitch she cleans up and shaves every inch of her body smooth. When she reenters her bedroom she opens the box from Norman, and the first thing she finds is a note from him.

“My dearest Love, I am glad you have decided to join me this evening. Enclosed you will find everything you will need for the evening. Now I know you and you have probably already cleaned up before opening the box. So you will find a series of small boxes each with a number. Your job is to open one at a time and use or put on the item within then proceed to the next numbered box. I have thought this through several times so I am sure all is in the right order. At five I will arrive and I am so overjoyed that you have chosen to come along.

Love, Norman.”

Box one contains a matching set of lotion, soap and perfume, Wren applies the lotion to her body then sprays herself down with the perfume.

Box two contains two of the sheerest pair of pantyhose she has ever seen. Each completely seamless with a waistband that stops right at her hips. A note attached to one package simply says “spare pair for your purse.”

Box three, contains a silver sequin evening gown. It was nearly floor length with a slit running up the side to high on her thigh, bare backed to just above the top of her hose, a deep plunging halter neck line in the front finishes it off.

She opens the fourth box and finds a pair of five inch patent silver stiletto heels and a small matching purse.

The final box holds a diamond choker, bracelet, watch, matching earrings, and an anklet.

Wren finds herself staring into the mirror at her own reflection once she is dressed. The outfit is daring even for Wren but she adores it especially since it came from Norman. She transfers her important items to her new purse and checks the time. Five minutes to five and he said he’d be there at five.

At five o’clock sharp as Wren watches out the living room window Norman’s bright yellow Chevy SST pulls up in the middle of the driveway. He steps out and walks to the front door. Wren is impressed as she has rarely seen him in fancy dress but this is absolutely the best dressed she has ever seen him. A black tuxedo perfectly fitted, waist cinched, jacket tapered. Pants tapered and fitted to his shape—it was definitely not a rental. He reaches the door and knocks as Wren opens it.

“Norman! You look great!”

“And you are definitely the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Wren can feel herself blush as the blood races into her cheeks and she looks down at the floor in embarrassment.

“Shall we go then?”

“Where are we going?”

“A play and dinner.”

She gets into his truck as he holds the door for her like the perfect gentleman. He goes around, gets in, turns the truck around and heads down the drive.

“So how has it been going lately?”

“Fine I’ve been keeping busy taking care of some personal matters and my job keeps my evenings pretty full.”

“I know, you have been rather busy lately haven’t you?”

“What are you getting at?”

“You are the one the police have dubbed the “Predator” aren’t you?”

“If I am wouldn’t it be stupid to confront me with it or is this all a ruse to turn me in?”

“It’s no ruse and I wouldn’t turn you in; even if I had proof. No, your secret is safe with me.”

“My secret, you talk like you know for sure.”

“Hey, don’t think I’m a fool. I know you, and I know that everyone of the people that have died graduated from the same high school, at the same time and all had the same tattoo. And whoever shot them was a perfect shot. It’s also funny how once the predator showed up the rape gang disappeared.”

“Then if you know so much about me I’d like to know what’s up with tonight?”

“I told you, a play and dinner.”

“But why?”

“I wanted to see you again. You are my best friend after all. I felt a little diversion from your double life might be in order.”

“All right then, but I still can’t help but think you're hiding something?”

“If I am, we all have our little secrets.”

“So why the tux?”

“It seemed the appropriate choice to be opposite your dress.”

They ride on making small talk on the way to the play and to dinner afterwards. Norman takes her to the Cafe de France where the maitre d’ takes his name and seats them promptly. Norman orders them appetizers and wine and the waiter leaves them alone for a while.

“You know Wren, I have missed you something awful these past two weeks.”

“Norman believe me or not I’ve missed you too but you didn’t need to go to all this to get my attention back. You could have just dropped in, after all you seem to know my work schedule as well as I do.”

“I felt it was more than fitting for what I have to do.”

“Which is?”

“Wren, will you marry me?”

He hands her a small box which she opens and which opens her jaw. In it is a half carat diamond surrounded by perfectly matched emeralds and set in platinum.

“Norman, I don’t know what to say. I never expected this. I mean we’ve been on extravagant dates before but I never expected.”

“I have done a lot of soul searching these last two weeks and I know it is you that is missing from my life. You are the one I want to spend the rest of my days with. I don’t care about your past or your present, only our future. So I ask you again. Will you, Wren Swan Robbins, marry me?”

“Yes! I can’t see myself with anyone else but you. You are my best and truest friend. But you need to know that I’m not done with my work yet.”

“I know, and we can talk about that later. For now we have our whole life ahead of us.”

They continue with their dinner with Wren now wearing his engagement ring. They make some small talk and start planning their future together. Where they would like to live and how many children they each wish to have. They leave the restaurant arm in arm and Norman drives them over to his apartment. Where they can be alone and talk more freely.

For all things Maura MauraAlwyen.com

Victim 18 post 27

CHAPTER 8
FREELY GIVEN

She is awakened at noon by someone knocking at the door. She slips on her housecoat and peeks out the front window. All she can see is a red van with the words express delivery on the side and she heads to the door slipping her pistol into her pocket as she goes.

“Hello.”

“Hi there, I have a package for Miss. Wren Robbins.”

“That’s me.”

She takes the box and signs the young ladies digital clipboard and locks up after she leaves. Wren looks at the box a bit suspiciously at first then finds the return address. Norman James, attorney at law. She opens the box and finds another box and a letter.

“My dearest Wren,

I have done a lot of thinking since our last meeting. I need you in my life, I know you have seen me in the club watching you from across the room. My heart has never felt so empty or missed anything more than it misses you right now. I would like you to accompany me tomorrow night. I have checked with your uncle and I know you are off and he knows of my plans. In the accompanying box you will find all you need for our evening. If you wish to join me please be ready to leave at five o’clock Saturday afternoon. If you do not wish to join me then simply hand me the box when I arrive and I will never enter your personal life again.

Norman James.”

She pulls out her phone and turns it on for the first time since she escorted Norman out of the house. It immediately shows voicemail messages but she ignores them and calls Norman’s office.

“Hi Sheila, is Norman there?”

“I thought you must have fallen off the face of the earth. I’ll get him for you but I’m warning you he is in a right foul mood lately.”

“This is Norman James, how can I help you?”

Wren quickly catches on that Shelia didn’t tell him who was on the phone. So in the softest sexiest voice that she has perfected by flirting with the men at work she starts to speak to him.

“Yes, I sure hope you can. You see I received this box by courier, a few minutes ago, and I am trying to reach the sender to let him off the hook as to what my response will be.”

“And?”

“Let’s just say I am deeply and passionately in love with the sender but, I have changed and I hope he still feels the same when he realizes just how many changes there have been.”

“Wren, I am fully aware that I am in love with both you and the Predator.”

“We will go with you then and we will resist the temptation to open the box until tomorrow afternoon. In the meanwhile we will leave you with this thought, we have seen you each time you have come into the club and each time we have wanted to be with you and leave with you. I love you and I want you.”

“I love you too Wren, I’ll see you at five then.”

Wren goes back to bed after clearing Norman’s many attempts at reaching her. She wakes-up around five-thirty, showers and dresses.

“Well at least there is no need for black right now, at least not until after I take care of Bob.”

Wren throws a bag of clothes in the car and leaves her house. She drives over to Bob’s job and checks out the lot. Sure enough there is his Pacer at the far end of the lot. He isn’t in it so she knows she has to wait until he is off. She drives over to the Casa across the street and gets in line.

After dinner she drives over to the mall and roams the stores just killing time. She knows the furniture store doesn’t close until nine so she figures she has to be back by eight forty-five. In one of the shops she finds a swimsuit she really likes. She hadn’t bought a new swimsuit in several years and seldom wore them since the incident when she was fifteen years old and her Mom had thrown such a fit at Springdale pool. Everyone there was looking at her standing just outside the locker room and, just because it was a Rio cut bikini.

“What are you wearing! What kind of a total whore are you!”

“It’s just the bikini Grandma bought for me.”

“Just a bikini! You’re naked! In public! I thought I raised you better than that!”

“Mom! What’s the big deal? It’s just a bikini!”

“Don’t you talk to me that way young lady! You march your self right back into that locker room and get dressed we are going home!”

“Fine!”

Wren picks out three different bikinis: a traditional deep blue, a Rio in hot pink and a very daringly low cut brick red thong that is almost too small.

“Mom would die if she saw these especially the thong so I guess it’s good I haven’t spoken to her in almost ten years.”

She tries them all on feeling very glad that she had got her Lakota fathers darker skin and not the pale skin that most redheads have. She likes the looks of each and buys them all. Knowing her Mom would’ve hated them makes her like them all the more. She leaves the shop feeling in the best spirits she’s felt in sometime.

She has an idea as she is walking through the mall, and goes into several shoe stores and finds a pair of high heeled sandals that pretty closely matched each of her new bikinis. The thought of how much of a whore her Mom would think she was for wearing a bikini with heels only makes it that much easier and that much more satisfying.

She heads back out to her car with a devilish smile on her face and drives back over to the furniture store. She waits in an adjacent parking lot with a clear view of the Pacer. After about thirty minutes Bob walks up to his car. She holds the remote waiting for him to get in. He fumbles with his keys then gets in and shuts the door.

Wren puts her car in gear, starts to drive away and hits the switch. Instantly the Pacer disappears in a massive fireball. She drives down Lindbergh turning onto Watson and a little ways up Watson she pulls into a busy parking lot. Out at the very edge of cars where she figures only employees would be parked she changes into her basic black ensemble.

Less than half an hour's drive puts Wren in front of Adam’s apartment building. Driving slowly through the lot she checks out the area. It is pushing eleven so she feels fairly comfortable entering the building and having a look around. She parks her car a couple of buildings over and goes in. Soon finding his room at the far rear corner. She goes back outside and starts around the building and finds that the parking lot doesn’t go around the building. She studies the building carefully keeping in mind where his apartment is in relation to where she is. Her walk around the building leads her to finding a set of balconies leading straight up to his room.

“Perfect!”

She moves a table under the lowest balcony then climbing on top pulls herself up to the second floor. Then standing on the railing while bracing herself against a column she reaches up and pulls herself to the third floor and drops down on all fours.

She slowly checks through the door for any sign of light or movement, there is none. She grabs the handle and with no surprise finds it unlocked, she slips inside and closes the door. Quickly and quietly she moves over to a door on her left. It is a small bedroom setup like an office with Wren’s stereo sitting in the corner. There is a small walk-in closet and an attached bathroom but no Adam.

She goes back to the living room passing an opening that makes up a breakfast bar to the kitchen on her left as she goes to the other side of the apartment. She enters the bedroom which is much darker than the other rooms have been, really it is an almost absolute darkness. Wren can feel a slight dread in the darkness as a childhood memory of being in her trunk comes rushing back to her. She stands but a second as she reminds herself that it isn’t really that dark. Now with great care and caution she maneuvers around the room noiselessly without bumping into anything. As she slowly creeps closer and closer to the bed her eyes adjust to the light and she gets the uneasy feeling that she is being watched but looking around she doesn’t see anyone. When she turns back toward the bed she realizes Adam isn’t there. This is weird because she would have sworn he was there just a moment ago. She reaches down and feels the bed. It is still warm.

“So, hide and seek is it? I’ll play along then.”

She finds a small lamp by the bed and turns it on. It doesn’t make a lot of light but it does help. Next she looks under the bed. Nothing but dust and shoes. The closet, and the bathroom both yield nothing. She heads back toward the other bedroom and halfway across the living room he jumps out from behind the sofa. She pulls a quick shot that misses as he sees the dot on his chest and ducks fast.

Wren moves towards the sofa and he scurries out from behind it and starts around toward the bedroom.

Another shot and another miss.

Now he surprises Wren and runs straight at her. She steps aside and instead of hitting her square on he just grazes her, catching her with his right arm causing her to drop the pistol as he uses his momentum to swing himself around behind her pulling her jacket down and binding her in the process. He wraps his hands around her throat and starts to squeeze as hard as he can.

Wren can hardly breathe as he chokes the life out of her. Then almost whispering in a deep husky, foul smelling male voice he starts talking.

“Won’t Clarence be proud of me when I call him in a few minutes to tell him you're dead? When I call and tell him I took out the Predator.”

Wren, can not free herself but she does manage to move her left fist up to his stomach, she cocks the jacket gun and fires. The force of the recoil at that angle spins her around twisting the skin of her neck as he releases her. Now she was facing Adam.

He is now holding tight to what is left of his abdomen as he falls to his knees, blood pouring through his fingers screaming with the pain of his disemboweling. The acrid smell of blood mixed with the sulfur of burning gunpowder and the stench of human waste hangs heavy in the air as she looks down at him.

“Somehow, I don’t think you’ll be calling Clarence any time soon.”

Her next shot is directly between his eyes and his blood curdling screams stop instantly. Quickly Wren heads out the balcony door climbing over the railing and stopping short when she realizes in her haste she forgot her pistol.

She rushes back in and finds it as someone starts banging on Adams door yelling, asking if he is alright. She holsters the gun and runs back to the balcony, almost throwing herself over the railing as she makes her way back to the ground. She quickly recomposes herself as she goes behind buildings to avoid being seen as she heads back to her car.

Once at her car she takes a look around to make sure no one is watching her. She opens the trunk and finds a rag she keeps just in case she has to change a flat tire, wipes off as much as she can from her hands then takes off her entrails soaked jacket turning it inside out as she puts it in the trunk. Then quickly tosses both guns in with it as she adds her now sticky, blood soaked tee shirt to the pile. This leaves Wren standing in the middle of the parking lot in her black satin bra and jeans. Now she can hear a police siren rushing down the street towards her. She grabs an old beach towel, slams the trunk lid shut and rushes around the car. She opens the driver's door as she sees the police cruiser entering the lot, throws the towel over the seat, sits down and leaves as she sees the officer enter the building knowing her work here is done.

Wren goes straight home from Adam’s apartment. The whole way home she contemplates if there are better ways to claim revenge and protect other people from becoming innocent victims.

MauraAwyen.com

Victim 18 post 26

Once Wren wakes up she takes her morning run and checks the mail when she gets back. She gets out an old magazine, strips off her clothes and lays out on the back deck to work on her tan. After lunch she cleans up and packs her gear for a little surveillance into the car along with a change of clothes then heads into work. In the lounge someone has Monday’s paper lying on a table and there on the front page she read: “Predator strikes again!” She finds the article and glances over it.

“The predator struck again Sunday night, this time in Kirkwood. The victims were two women found naked together in bed late Monday morning. The two women were of the same graduating class and had the same tattoo hidden under their class rings as the four men killed on Saturday night. According to police the individual is not only a well trained assassin, but an expert cat burglar as they have found no fingerprints or DNA evidence at any of the crime scenes.”

With a smile and some pride at being referred to as a well trained assassin Wren leaves the paper sitting on the table and heads to the undressing room. Her shift is pretty much like the evening before alternating between stripping and table waiting. When they close up at eleven she is nowhere near as tired as the night before, having only had to work a single shift.

At eleven thirty Wren drives past Harvey’s house, the red Escort sitting in the driveway right where it should be. From Harvey’s it’s a short drive to Bob’s where as expected the orange pacer is sitting in the driveway. Twenty minutes later she has verified Jim Estepp’s address and is on her way home. It is one in the morning when Wren finally gets to bed.

Once she is up she takes her morning run and grabs the mail on her way back in again. A letter from a college in Ohio catches her eye as she heads back up the driveway.

“Dear Miss Robbins, We are sorry to inform you that at this time we have filled the position you were applying for. However with your permission I would like to forward your resume on to a colleague in Lima, Peru who is seeking someone with your skills. Again I would like to …”

She calls the phone number and speaks to them giving them permission to forward her information to their colleague. She looks out of the kitchen window and decides that the lawn really needs to be mowed. Slipping into an old pair of jeans and a work shirt she heads out to the garden shed and pulls out the riding mower. It takes a couple of hours to mow the lawn and she is left wondering how single parents find time to take care of a house and raise kids if she can’t find time to mow her lawn. After lunch she showers, shaves, slips into a pair of running pants and a tee then heads for work.

Her night goes well as she is really getting the hang of stripping and table waiting. Her tips are getting better as she gains more confidence and learns to flirt with total strangers in nothing but an apron and heels. Late into the evening she sees another guy that bears a striking resemblance to Norman sitting on the other side of the club staring in her direction. But with the smoky room it makes it hard to tell and she just marks it off as a trick of her mind. She leaves just after eleven and heads for home knowing that tomorrow night will be a lot longer.

Wren is up early for her run and to do some grocery shopping. Driving into Fenton she grabs an early lunch, washes the car and does her shopping then heads for home. She carefully packs her car with her special packages, placing the batteries in separately. She puts the remote under the front seat then adds a few snacks to her backpack for the night. When all is packed and she is cleaned up she heads into work.

Work is going well though the Norman man is there again and this time a little closer to her section so she can steal a glimpse of him from time to time. He seems to talk to his waitress more than flirt and doesn’t really drink all that much. His looks and his actions make Wren believe it could be Norman but if it is Norman why doesn’t he ask to see her?

At eleven Wren is leaving for the day and heading toward St. Louis. Driving to within two streets of Bob Gristmond’s house and parking her car on a darkened street. She quietly removes one of her packages and a battery then crossing through yards and over fences makes her way toward his house.

It is just after midnight when the shadow once again slips through the darkness towards Bob’s house. Fortunately it is dark on this part of the street so it is easy to slip up beside his car. Inserting the battery into the package she slips under the drivers side as far as she can and finds she can just reach the transmission tunnel. With a deep clunk the magnet catches hold of the car as she places her present.

Crossing a different set of yards and fences she goes back to her car and heads over to Harvey’s. She knows this one is going to be more difficult though as the street is well lit. Again she parks a street over and walks back to his house. As she walks up his driveway in a low crotch she is startled by a motion sensing light on the side of his house. She ducks beside another car until the light goes out. Once the light is back out she carefully creeps through what shadows there are to the Escort. Slipping under the back end of the car where she can’t be seen she places her present right next to the gas tank. She surreptitiously makes it back to her car and heads for Jim’s.

“Two down and one to go.”

Once again she parks a street over and slips through the shadows to Jim’s. This is by far the trashiest house of any so far. There is an old burned out bug in the driveway, an old sports car on blocks in the yard and general refuse piled all around the house. She finds the beetle and opens the trunk, pulling back a piece of carpet she places the present directly on the gas tank and puts the carpet back.

When she makes it back to her car it is four in the morning. She figures Jim, being a landscaper will probably be heading for work soon so she drives around the block to a position where she can see Jim’s car.

At five-fifteen he gets in his car and starts down the street. Wren pulls out the remote, extends the antenna and follows from a safe distance until he gets on the ramp for highway forty-four. When he is halfway down the ramp she hits the remote and drives past the ramp. The old bug goes up in a huge fireball with an explosion so loud Wren can feel the blast inside her car.

“Maybe I should’ve made those a little smaller? Well so much for Bob being first and I’ve just got time to take care of Harvey.”

Wren pulls on to Harvey’s street just as he is coming down it. She picks up the remote and watches him in her rear-view mirror as he enters the intersection. No one else is around him so now is the time. She hits the button and doesn’t look back as the car goes up with such force it takes the pavement underneath it with it. At this point Wren heads for home and to bed as there is just too much light out to conceal her work. She gets home about seven-thirty, turns on the television, gets out some cereal and starts watching the news.

“A bizarre pair of traffic problems this morning: two car explosions. One on the ramp to eastbound forty-four at Lindbergh, and the other at the intersection of Chippewa and Jamison. There as yet is no known cause for the explosions but on the scene investigators say they look similar as both cars and their occupants were completely destroyed.”

“Well, maybe they weren’t so big after all.”

Wren finishes her cereal and goes to bed.

MauraAlwyen.com

Victim 18 post 26

When she wakes up it’s ten in the morning. She showers and dresses in a pale pink floral sun-dress and sandals, throws together a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk to eat on the way then, taking the laptop and its car adapter out to her car she drives off. Once again she’s heading into the city to the Cathedral. She is earlier than last week and gets in two complete rosaries before mass starts. After mass she says two more rosaries always the same intention with each, begging for the Lord's forgiveness.

She heads back out on interstate sixty-four and swings onto Hanley then quickly onto Eager she stops in at Dierberg’s, grabs a salad from the salad bar and something to drink. As she walks up to the check out lane she sees the Sunday paper and one of the headlines catches her eye.

“Four murders on Saturday night.”

Wren picks up the paper and adds it to the conveyor. She heads on down Eager to Brentwood boulevard and the Galleria shopping mall. Once she is situated in a space on the busy lot she pulls out the paper and finds the story that caught her eye.

“Police are baffled as to how four murders could have possibly happened in such a small area of the city. The first three were all done quickly, all being done within the same hour. All outside under the cover of darkness.

The fourth happened early Sunday morning inside the home of the victim’s parents. Apparently the perpetrator broke into the home severing the electrical, and phone connections. A laptop computer and cell phone were also taken during the intrusion. Police said they would consider it a robbery gone bad if the individual did not share some commonality with the other victims. According to a police spokesman they were most likely all committed by the same individual.

“We appear to have a predator from a rival gang on our hands. All the shots where through the head, all the victims had gone to the same high school, where of the same graduating class and all shared the same tattoo on their right ring finger beneath their class ring.”

Upon further investigation I was able to find out the tattoo is the phrase: “Live hard, f—- harder!” Amazingly though a number of the murders happened outside, there where no witnesses to the any of the events. The only witnesses that could tell the police anything involved the first victim. The man in his mid twenties was shot while driving his car down the sixty-seven hundred block of Chippewa. According to the witnesses the victim veered into the left lane narrowly missing a motorcyclist and forcing him onto Watson road then, abruptly pulled right and ran into the storefront. No other witnesses have come forward with anymore information.``

The story continues on giving a brief history of each victim of the “Predator.”

“The Predator. So I have been given a name, I like it.”

Wren puts away the paper then, pulls out Hackers phone and attaches it to his laptop. A quick search of the internet yields the information she needs. Some quick sketches and several shopping lists later and she has a plan.

Her first stop is at the hardware store where she buys three eighteen inch long pieces of three quarter inch steel pipe and three reducers. Next stop a different store where she buys three pipe caps and another set of reducers. Then it is off to Wal-Mart for fertilizer and a hobby store in O’ Fallon for some model rocket igniters. A different hobby store in Illinois yields some radio controlled plane parts. She finishes her shopping at two electronics stores and a truck stop for three magnetic cb antennas.

She takes all of her supplies home and carefully assembles her lethal packages. She knows she has to be very careful because she does not know just how easily they will detonate. When she is done it is late and she has to be at work early the next day for the first of her pole dancing lessons. The job of placing the bombs will just have to wait.

Wren walks into the club at eight in the morning and meets up with the older dancers that are going to teach her. They prove to be rigorous teachers pushing her hard and expecting perfection as much as she does. They let up on her for the lunch crowd though as she has to wait tables. As she heads back into the kitchen with a table full of orders she is surprised to see someone who has a striking resemblance to Norman being led to the back offices by a bouncer. She knows it can’t be Norman though because he would never risk his reputation being caught in here. Still the resemblance is uncanny.

After the lunch rush Wren gets a breather for a while and a chance to slip out of her heels for a bit. She leans back against the wall in the employee lounge in nothing but her apron and drifts off to sleep. It is several hours later when the evening manager comes and wakes her up.

“Hey sleepy head, did the girls work you a little too hard this morning? If you are rested enough and feel up to it I need a dancer for the stage this evening.”

“Give me ten minutes to straighten up and get ready and I can be on.”

“Don’t rush that much, you got about thirty.”

Wren heads back to what the girls all call the undressing room and gets ready. In thirty minutes she is standing in the center of the stage looking at the floor, her hair hanging down around her face so she can’t see the audience. Her choice of music is different and apparent as Rag Doll by Aerosmith starts to play. She struts the length of the catwalk like any high fashion model would, teasing the audience by sliding her jacket back and forth and up and down across her back. When she gets back to her beginning she tosses the jacket off to the side stage. She grabs a pole and slides her hands way up its cool gleaming surface as she lifts her right leg up the pole to her chest. Leaning against the pole she runs her hands down her leg and back up to the zipper on her skirt. When she steps away from the pole she flips the skirt off stage with the jacket. She walks the catwalk again loosening her blouse as she goes. She plays with the blouse like she did the jacket bouncing her hips to the beat of the music until she has it off and lifting her left arm high she twirls it on her finger before tossing it onto the pile with her other clothes. She’s now left in her stockings, bra, thong and heels as she twirls and slides up and down the pole. She manages to climb the entire height of the pole and as she slowly slides down with one hand and unhooks her bra with the other. Soon she’s prancing the stage leaning down and almost touching some of the guys with her chest. She knows the rules and her teachers have taught her just where to stop. When she reaches the end of the catwalk she stands there and dances alone, her hips bobbing and weaving as she slowly hooks the waist of her thong with her thumbs. The mixture of adrenaline and the high of having the audience’s attention have relaxed her more than she expected it ever would. As the song nears its conclusion she removes her thong and with an exaggerated wiggle to her hips struts down the catwalk twirling her thong on her long fingers as she leaves the stage.

By the end of the night she has repeated her performance eight more times and is relieved and exhausted when it is finally closing time. She heads for home knowing two things: one she is now getting the attention she needs for her cover and two she has to start working on another routine so she doesn’t wear this one out. She is thankful that she doesn’t have to go in early the next day because she doesn’t plan to set an alarm.

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Victim 18 post 25

“You know I wish my Mom had a house this nice then you could come over and sleep with me for a change.”

“Julie, you say that every time you come over here. Don’t you like being in my bed?”

“Well it’s not really the bed that interests me you know.”

“Oh you mean you actually come for another reason?”

“As a matter of fact I come over here because I like wrapping my arms around you.”

There are some giggles and the light goes back out. Wren waits for her eyes and the goggles to readjust to the darkness. She listens, there are still sounds coming from the bedroom she recognizes them but tries not to think about what is going on out there.

After a long while Wren can hear someone snoring and decides that now is the time. Creeping forward she pushes the closet door open slowly, very slowly. She crawls over to the bed and slowly rises. Like an ominous monster of the dark from some childhood nightmare. She cocks the gun on her left arm and with the pistol in her right takes aim at each of the sleeping young women each locked tight in a lovers embrace.

She simultaneously pulls the triggers, the only sounds being the shattering of the girls skulls from the impact of the bullets and their final stop in the floor below the bed. Wren slips out the window and onto the porch roof, pulls the window and the screen back down and hurries across the roof. At the edge she finds the flaw in her plans, how to get from the rooftop to the ground.

Wren starts to search frantically for a way down knowing that every moment she spends there is another step closer to capture. All around the porch the drop is at least ten feet but, at one end there sits an SUV though it is a good five or six feet from the edge of the porch. She has two choices: try to drop off the edge and hope the gutters hold or try to jump to the top of the SUV—she decides to jump. She runs as fast as she can from one end to the other. The jump goes a little too far and she almost slides off the top of the SUV. She flails but gets her balance then lets herself down to the running board and on to the ground.

She runs as quickly as she can, flitting from bush to bush until finally she makes it back to her bike. She remounts and heads for home where she quickly changes clothes to black leather pants, a hot pink sleeveless sweater and a leather jacket. Once changed, she is off again this time to a downtown club for some entertainment to clear her mind.

Once there she finds a stool at the bar and orders a Coke. A tall man comes up behind her and asks her to dance. She takes him up on it though he isn’t the type she normally would have chosen herself. He is young, real young, tall dark hair, deep dark thoughtful eyes, his hair is crew cut short and rich black and to Wren it looked good against his dark skin. He just doesn’t have the muscles like someone who works hard at construction or other heavy labor gets, the kind of hard build she really likes. As she dances she never gets too close to him, always staying just out of arm's reach. The song ends and he walks her over to a table in the corner.

“Don’t like guys getting too close to you do you?”

“No not really, my last real experience wasn’t really endearing.”

They talk for a long time about this, and that, though nothing in particular, he always trying to get closer, her always moving away.

“You know I don’t think this is going to work out the way you're thinking so I’m going to leave and you can try for one of these other pretty ladies. Okay?”

“Hey whatever I’m cool, but if you get interested I’m here most every Friday night.”

“All right, I’ll remember that.”

Wren really had no interest in remembering that or any idea why she went with him to his table or talked for so long. She did understand why she couldn’t get close to him though. She felt he wanted something she couldn’t give, that she wouldn’t give, not yet anyway the memories were just too fresh. She went back home. It was two thirty in the morning when she got back yet she really wasn’t sleepy.

Back home she makes a hot cup of tea and sits down on the old sofa. She reaches behind her and plugs in a cord then opens the laptop and starts studying her next victims.

Harvey Clear, 6997 Chippewa, drives a red two thousand Escort wagon, works at a Gloria Jean’s coffee shop in Crestwood mall, honor society president, captain of the debate team, going to UMSL for civil engineering.

“No one would suspect this guy of being in this gang. I guess by the picture the old saying’s right, don't judge a book by its cover.”

Adam Edwards, 3815 Mc Causland Ave. doesn’t own a car, takes the bus or bicycle wherever he needs to go, lives in an apartment on the third floor.

“What an environmentalist. Now how do we save the planet from him? Oh now isn’t this funny; works at Shoe Carnival at Mackenzie point, and has a foot fetish. Foot fetish and working in a shoe store, sounds like a line from a bad joke.”

Jim Estepp, 1335 S. Lindbergh Blvd. drives a blue sixty-five beetle, works for a landscape company, second year of pre-med, prefers overweight women with black hair.

“Some of the details Hacker put in here are just weird.”

Bob Gristmond, 1673 Crabapple lane, drives an orange seventy-six Pacer, works at Weekends only furniture store on Lindbergh, prefers skinny blondes and anal sex.

“Three have cars and two have predictable jobs, I think it’s time to mix up how I do things. So Bob you're first.”

She closes up the laptop and decides that tired or not she could do nothing else before daybreak. It doesn’t take her near as long to fall asleep though as her body is more tired than her mind.

MauraAlwyen.com

Political sycophants

So here we are quickly gaining terminal velocity as we head into the wall of the mid-term elections. I don't know how your area is but where I am most candidates seem to be capable of only one topic...Roe vs Wade.

Let's start with a few facts and proceed from there:

The decision in Roe was issued January 22, 1973

It was a 7-2 split within the court so a large majority"The decision held that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides a fundamental "right to privacy", which protects a pregnant woman's right to an abortion." (Lifted from Wikipedia)

Now notice the court did not say "A woman has a right to an abortion" directly but decided her right to privacy allowed it. If you read up on this topic you will find the court did not say the right is absolute and it had to be balanced between the governments interest in protecting the life of the mother and the prenatal life as well.

So time passed, and abortion became a political football used to rile up voter's on both sides, and much like a football it was great for getting attention to the one holding the ball but not much else. Both sides have their points and both sides have had majorities in congress where this could have been codified either way or amended to the Constitution in either direction in the nearly 50 years this stood as precedent, and yet neither side did. But why not? Because the arguments for and against were too good at getting people elected for either side to relinquish the football.

One big thing that gets thrown out there a lot is the difference between pro-life and pro-birth, I have to say that people calling it pro-birth have a valid point as typically pro-life candidates do nothing to help struggling mothers who may or may not be below an imaginary one size fits all poverty line. Children's and mother's Medicaid gets cut. No help for child care. In many cases no food stamp benefits. No aid for families with dependent children. So if a pro-life candidate does not support increasing these they are actually pro-birth not pro-life.

Will the current crop of "choice" or "life" candidates actually do anything? Nope, that football is too good for donations, speaking against the other team, and getting elected, to change the game. What we will see is a patchwork of life and choice states each with subtle differences as it was 50 years ago. What will that mean? To the average person, not much, but if your pro-choice and seeking an abortion it could mean a great deal. One big takeaway though is abortions were performed before, during, and will continue beyond the fall of Roe.

So what do we do with all these apparent one issue candidates? Well if you're pro-life don't vote for them. If you are pro-choice, consider there are other political groups that are with you than just Democrats and if you look into them you may just find some fit your ideals better. It is time as a nation we stop letting politicians divide us into us vs them and Roe has been a major foil for that for nearly half a century.

Maura
If you are interested in helping support my writing or my eventual shop you can find my donation page at MauraAlwyen.com

Victim 18 post 24

“Well, Hacker is dead so I don’t have to worry about being identified. Plus I have an added benefit that they—like Hacker—think it’s the work of a rival gang.”

She finishes her sandwich and soda then heads back to her bike. Quickly braiding her hair she puts her helmet back on and is off.

It looks as though it is going to be a nice day and Wren, still wound up tight with adrenalin, decides to take the bike a bit further.

On down highway one hundred she goes toward Washington. She chuckles to herself as she passes all the people going the other way to work somewhere in the city. Glad she had quit her day job and anxious for a response from one of the dig sites or museums she has applied to.

In Washington she makes a right at highway forty-seven and heads on out across the fast muddy Missouri. A tugboat strains to move upstream against the current below her as she speeds along on over the bridge. She takes curvy highway ninety-four to highway nineteen and right to highway seventy and back toward St. Louis.

Returning home late in the morning, she strips off her clothes and falls over the bed in exhausted sleep. Her mind tormenting her with dreams and memories of the raping, over and over it plays out the entire seen, honing in on her evenings victims.

She awakes late in the afternoon in a cold sweat, shaking with fear and anger. Walking into the kitchen she picks up the phone and orders a pizza. After a quick hot shower she slips into a pair of jean shorts and a tee shirt. While waiting for the pizza she goes out and checks the mail.

“Nothing but junk”

The pizza delivery guy arrives while she is out and she carries it inside. Setting the pizza down on the kitchen table she pulls out the laptop.

“Oh this is nice he doesn’t have it set to ask for the password. So first things first set a new password.”

She carefully and methodically goes through the system file by file deleting the junk of a teenage boy as she goes. Halfway through the files and most of the way through the pizza she finds what she is after.

“Accounting 101, an interesting way to hide this. Who cares about the name though as he stupidly has all the addresses, phone numbers, car descriptions, photos, employers and gang account information. What a goldmine! It also lists all of their victims, and how much money they got from each of them. I guess this means I don’t have to go to any more of their meetings. Now I can not only find them when I want, but can also Identify them by their pictures.

This would be so simple if I could just follow this list straight through. But, if I did that they would catch on and get me. So I need this to be completely random. Now how do I do that?”

She sits contemplating how to make it random or at least appear random when she sees an old game sitting on the closet shelf where she forgot to close the door.

“A roll of the dice simple, effective, random.”

She pulls down the box and gives the dice a roll. Three and five another roll, six and three again. One die rolls six again.

“Well three and six make nine so the victims are three, five, six, and nine.

No, those will come later. First I have to save a mother who doesn’t even know she needs saving. So the next one is the one who got me into all of this in the first place Rachel Winslow. Then Juliana Brown and I think I’ll send them some special invitations to a party of my own. From the look of their addresses I’ll only have time for them. But, I don’t have to hurry, I’ve got nothing but time.”

Wren finishes her pizza and gets out her clothes for the night. Her ensemble is as usual basic black from head to toe.

“When all this is over I’m never wearing black again. It may go with anything and it might be slimming but yuck, I’m so sick of it already.”

It’s an overcast evening and with a new moon all is completely dark. If anyone was to look out a window they would probably never notice the shadowy figure moving up through the yards. It slides up to a fence silently giving the family dog a special treat made just for him not to kill, but just to sleep for a while. Predictably he takes it and swallows it almost whole. Then the shadow moves back behind a shrub out of any chance of sight waiting for the sleeping pills to take effect.

The dog settles down to sleep and the shadow is already on the move. Now Wren silently slips over the fence and carefully almost unnoticed slides across the yard. Carefully and with agonizing patience she moves up to a darkened window, and peers inside, through the surreal glow of the goggles nothing can be seen moving. The thin blade of a hacksaw is pushed in-between the two windows and the slow cutting of the latch begins. After what seems like hours of cutting the window slides up and open. With a quick hoisting by her arms Wren disappears from the yard and the window slides back down.

Once inside Wren becomes just a darker spot in the darkness of the house. She creeps through the dining room and into the kitchen, then into the hall that leads to the front of the house and past the family room. With a slight start she is surprised to see the family still up and intently watching a movie. Up the stairs and she starts looking for the right room. She knows the right room when she enters it and finds the computer that used to be in her own apartment. She knows it’s hers because how many people would have their case painted to match their desk.

She goes to the window, unlatches it and pushes the screen up then looks out to find the front porch roof just a few feet below and pulls the window down. She moves to the closet to wait for Rachel—the one that started her in this, and the one who with the help of Juliana is planning another victim already. She’s bored but hot with rage constantly feeling the smooth metal of the gun in her hand waiting for who knows how long.

Finally she hears footsteps in the hall and people saying good-night. Still she waits and listens as the light turns on in the room and she recognizes two voices in the room. Could she be so lucky as to have both Rachel and Juliana in the same place? The answer is very clear, yes they are.

Victim 18 post 23

Once inside she pauses listening for any sound other than her own heart beat and watches for any sign of movement, yet to her relief the only thing she notices is the scent of fried bacon and fresh biscuits. With trembling hands she picks up the bag with the laptop and a cell phone sitting next to it. She starts looking around the first floor leaving the living room and entering a kitchen, the scent of fresh bacon stronger than before, the oven still warm as she passes close. Dishes sit drying in a rack next to the sink, everything looking very surreal in the green glow of the night goggles. No bedrooms here but the staircase in the front of the house beckons.

Up the narrow old stairs, as softly as possible step by step fear builds in the pit of her stomach with each step she takes. Her heart pounding inside her chest so loudly she can now hear it quite clearly. She knows at any point the slightest sound could alert everyone in the house to her presence... SQUEAK!! She freezes, hand gun drawn, not even daring to breathe.

There’s no sign of anyone even noticing the intruder in their midst. She continues up another squeak not quite as loud but still ear piercing to her. Her heart is beating faster and harder, her hands starting to sweat. Her stomach feeling as though it would like to jump out of her and wait somewhere, anywhere else as long as it was not with her. She is starting to sweat all over, though she feels miserably cold with fear. Her fear weighing her down, making each step feel heavy and deliberate, as if her feet are made of lead.

Her eyes are just clear of the second floor when she sees the dog staring at her in the darkness, its lips pulled back, teeth exposed, and a deep ominous growl forming within it. It stands there prepared to do harm to the intruder when Wren pulls the shot. The silencer does its job and the body of the dog quickly slides across the slick hardwood floor to rest against the opposite wall with the force of the shell's impact.

“I’ve got to be quick so I can get out of here. Four doors, which one to choose first? I guess we’ll go left to right.”

The first door is partially open and she can easily see a bathroom sink. The next door is locked. She'll come back to it later if she has to. The third door opens with a slight nerve racking creek and peering around it she can clearly make out a couple, one stirs in their sleep but doesn't seem to notice her as they return to snoring.

“Door four this has got to be it or it's back to door number two.”

She pushes the door open and there still up and looking straight at her his silhouette just visible in the dim light cast by the street lamp outside stands Hacker, his hard bass voice coming out through his clenched teeth as he tries to speak softly yet menacingly.

“I thought I’d been followed home tonight. I guess Tommy was right when he said he was followed. Clarence will be pretty happy to have a rival gang member taken out though.”

He reaches for the light beside his bed.

“Hey! What’s up with the lights?”

“Stupid boy doesn’t know when the powers off does he? Oh, that’s right there’s no power to his brain either or he would know sooner or later his crimes would come back to haunt him.”

“WREN!”

Her pistol goes off with a now familiar PFFFT and Hackers now brainless, limp body hits the floor with a loud Thud! The smell of burnt gunpowder mixed with the acrid scent of blood quickly permeates the air as Wren darts from the room.

She sprints to the stairs, slips on the dog's blood and slides down the railing then almost throws herself back out of the living room window stumbling to her feet as she runs in the direction of her bike.

When she gets back to her bike she is out of breath, shaking with fear and choking back her own vomit.

“I hope that shot worked, the dot was right between his eyes.”

She straps the additional bag to the back of the bike and throws a leg over. Heading in the opposite direction from where she came, she catches Jamison leaving her visor open allowing the wind to punish her face and dry her tears until she reaches highway forty-four. She drives west not knowing or caring where she is heading and is all the way to Gray Summit before she realizes where she is and that she is getting low on gas. Too late to make the exit, she leaves the highway at the Washington exit instead.

Daylight is just breaking when she pulls into the gas station. Dismounting she pulls off her helmet freeing her head and loosening her long hair to cool in the breeze. Her fear has left her and she is now instead sick with hunger as she fills up her equally hungry bike. She pays for the gas and walks over to the counter of the attached Burger King to get some breakfast.

“Can I help you?”

“Yea, I’ll have a Whopper with everything and a Coke.”

She sits down and can hear the familiar sounds of the channel two morning news from a television somewhere in the restaurant.

“Police are investigating a series of strange homicides this morning. All occurring within relatively close proximity to each other. A police spokesman had this to say:”

“The first three seem to have been committed by the same perpetrator as all the shots are in the same locations on the bodies. The fourth would seem to be a burglary gone bad as a laptop is now missing. The thing that concerns us is it could be a gang dispute as all four have the same tattoo on their right ring finger.”

“In other news....”

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1492 a year of imfamy

Okay, this is going to be a quick slam of a post so darn the facts full keyboard warrior ahead!

On this day, let us remember what was brought to the Americas with the arrival of the parasites on the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria:

Violence

Slavery

Pestalence unknown to the Americas (Chicken pox, small pox, syphlus...)

Theft

Cultural destruction

Mass genocide

Concentration camps

Systemic planned starvation

Bigotry

Now did any of that exist here before?  I'm sure petty theft did, but not the wholsale teft of the entire continent.  Slavery?  Some say yes and others say no...so maybe?  Violence, I'm sure there were wars, domestic violence, etc, I mean you can't fill an area with people and not have an asshole somewhere in there.

American Indians did not go to their Concentration Camps willingly, we were forced there just like the Jewish peoples in Germany were--ever wonder where they got the idea?  Blankets from small pox wards that should have been incinerated were shipped to those camps because "the only good Indian is a dead Indian."  We were given whisky to guzzel because if your drunk you can't fight, and Indians usually get hooked on alcohol pretty easily--alcoholism is rampant in my family and yep we're a bunch of Indians.

Everytime someone shouts "trust..." something govermental I respond "Sure you can trust the government just ask an Indian."  We were promised peace, they gave us sickness.  We were promised food, they barely gave us enough to live.  We promised healthcare, dogs in major cities got better.

With a few exceptions look at where the American Indian Nations used to be and look at where the Concentration Camps are now.  We were forced onto the worst ground that provided nothing.  The Cherokee were forced from roughly Georgia to Oklahoma! (Research the trail of tears, my family walked it!)

So on this day of the invader who couldn't navigate out of a paper sack, pick a tribe and start reading up on what White Man did to them.

Maura