Victim 18 post 20

An hour and a half later finds Wren pulling off interstate fifty-five onto East Sangamon road at Springfield. She follows uncle Mike’s directions and soon is pulling up to O’Malley’s sporting goods and hardware. She goes in and asks one of the clerks for Sean O’Malley. Soon the soft young voice of the girl is heard through the store as she pages him over the intercom and soon he turns up.

“Wren? Boy it has been a long time, you have really grown up since I last saw you.”

“So have you. Sean uncle Mike said you could help me.”

“Let’s go to my office, I just got off the phone with him.”

They go back through the store room and down a hall passing several doors as they go. He opens a door marked manager and they both head in. Once inside he locks the door behind them and turns to Wren holding a finger to his lips. He walks over to the wall on the left and moves a small filing cabinet a little to the right. Then goes over to the opposite wall and swings a picture out on a hinge. Behind it he opens a safe and reaches inside. The paneled wall behind which splits open and swings into itself. Sean walks over, pushes it in a little further and turns on a light switch just inside. Wren peers around the edge behind Sean and looks down a long narrow stair. Sean leads the way with Wren close behind. They go down what to Wren seems like two floors worth of steps and come to a vault door. Sean works the combination, pulls it open and walks through.

“Welcome to the vault.”

He turns on the light and to Wren’s amazement the room is both large and full of weapons. She starts looking around at the different guns, knives, swords, and pistols.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I really hadn’t thought it all the way through to be honest. It needs to do the job in one shot. To be easily hidden, and above all silent.”

“A knife would suit the bill exactly.”

“But I’d have to be very close for it to work. No, I need to have a safe distance between me and them. What’s this one?”

“Ah, I see you have an eye for the unique. That’s a Congolese jacket gun. You see it straps to your lower arm like this and, if you flex your hand it cocks and activates the laser sight, then down like this and the barrel will protrude a couple of inches then fire. As you can see it already has a silencer built on and it takes a standard 9 mm pistol shell but it'll only hold 4 shots counting the chamber. I could let you have it for say six hundred dollars.”

“I’ll definitely take that. Do you have a 9mm semi-auto with laser sight and silencer?”

“Yes I do, fine gun too, Russian made light and reliable. I could let you have it for say nine hundred.”

“O.K., that’s two in a row cheaper than they should be.”

“Well, you’re not used to buying guns with history are you?”

“What do you mean history?”

“Most everything in this room has either already been used in a crime or it is so illegal that there are no duties or taxes on them. Plus you’re an O’Malley and I won’t make a profit off of you.”

“I understand. How about something with a better range?”

“I have a nice Chinese made bolt action seven millimeter magnum. Silencer, laser sight, and a generation three night vision scope for a thousand.”

Wren leaves her cousin’s shop with her three guns, a pair of night vision binoculars, a parabolic microphone for eavesdropping and a pair of night vision goggles. She arrives home later that afternoon and decides to start her pursuit of Rachel until she leads her to the rest.

Wren knows where her former boss Mr. Winslow lives from dropping him off once when his car was in the shop. She parks alongside the Kirkwood city park where she can look straight down Jefferson street and see his house. She can’t make out details around it but she can see enough to know if Rachel leaves in her little green car. Shortly after seven she sees the car pull out of the driveway and head towards her. It turns left and Wren starts following it. She follows it out to interstate two-seventy and over to South County mall. She stays some distance from her when she parks and watches as a young woman of African descent walks up to her. Wren recognizes the other woman even from her current distance as being the second of the two women who abducted her. Wren leaves her car and tails them through the mall for sometime before they sit down in the food court. Wren hides out in an adjoining store absentmindedly looking through the racks of clothes but always keeping her eyes on the two of them. They keep pointing at different people as they walk by and talking as they do. After a while Wren has to change stores and start all over again. Just before the mall closes she sees the two of them head toward the exit. She follows long enough to be sure they are heading toward their cars and goes out a different exit herself. Back at her car she watches them sitting in one car together. The waiting both irritates and puzzles Wren as she can not see why they were just sitting around. Before long though she sees one of them pointing at another woman who has just come out of the mall. A camera is picked up by Rachel and their car starts up. Wren starts her own car knowing the pursuit is on. Their car is soon moving and so is Wren. Soon they are on Lemay Ferry road and heading toward the city. Four streets up and a right turn puts them in front of the new woman’s home. Again the camera is out as the woman is greeted at her car by a man. Soon the man and woman are inside the house while Rachel and her friend are heading back toward the mall. By ten Rachel is pulling back into her driveway alone.

The next night is a repeat of the first and Wren starts to wonder if she will ever get any further in her attempt at tracking down this gang. Friday night fills her with hope though that they will meet up and she can stop following Rachel.

With the exception of a call from her doctor that the tests done in Rolla came back negative, Wren sleeps through most of the afternoon in preparation for the evenings events. Norman calls her several times and leaves messages about going out somewhere but she feels she has to do this. Norman would eventually get over her and move on with his life. She doesn’t want him to get hurt in all this and feels it will be better for him if she just lets him go. Though the thought of not having him around hurts her deeply, the thought of him being drugged into all this hurts her more. For his protection she had to sever her relationship to him. She wakes late in the afternoon, eats a light meal and packs some energy bars into a jacket pocket for later. She stops and stands in front of the mirror looking at her reflection before she heads out to the garage.

“Well now, once again I look the part of someone who doesn’t want to be seen in the night. All black from my sneakers to my helmet, a perfect shadow for shadowing people. Now to Rachel’s and see where she goes tonight, and if she does I hope it’s to meet up with that gang.”

She throws a leg over her bike and heads back to Kirkwood. She’s just pulling onto Jefferson as she sees Rachel’s car pulling out onto the street heading away from her. She is grateful for not having to wait around and relieved that she didn’t miss her at the same time. She follows Rachel way into the city to a section of old warehouses where she parks with a bunch of other cars. Wren parks a little ways off behind the cover of a nearby dumpster and gets out the binoculars as she prepares to wait. She watches Rachel go up to a side door and a security guard lets her in. Shortly another car arrives and she watches a young man get out, he turns just right so that she can make out it is the same guy from the court building. Soon three other cars arrive and she recognizes all three people who get out.

“Well, this is it, now I just have to wait for their meeting to break up, then I can pick the first one to follow.”

Several hours later: A short man sporting a fire red Mohawk comes out of the warehouse.

“Tag, you’re it. Now are you ready to take me home big guy?”

He walks out to his black Monte Carlo and fires it up while two other guys come over to the passenger’s side.

“Well I’m in luck two guys going with him.”

The rest of the gang is right behind them heading for their cars when Clarence calls out and stops them.

“Remember guys to be back here next Saturday at the same time as tonight.”

They all call back saying they will and anyone who isn’t already in their cars soon are. But Wren is already gone and following the Monte before the rest pull out.

The first guy is dropped off at 5283 Tholozan Avenue. Wren has just enough time to write down the address on a paper taped to her gas tank before they’re off again.

The second guy is dropped off at 5761 Mardel. The driver finally pulls up to his own house on Nottingham. It’s only eleven when Wren takes her final note for the evening and she decides it may be a good idea to check out her uncle's idea for cover.

Half an hour finds her pulling back up in front of Mike’s again and once again she heads inside. The same bouncer as before walks up to her as she comes in the door.

“Wren, right?”

“You’re good.”

“No, I just never forget a pretty face. You want me to put your helmet somewhere safe?”

“If you wouldn’t mind that would be nice.”

“No problem at all.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pack of sticky notes and writes something down then taking her helmet sticks it to the back of it.

“You know where I can find the manager?”

“I’ll send him out to see you.”

“Thanks”

She watches him walk off and notices her name clearly written on the tag now stuck to the back of her helmet.

Soon a middle aged man comes out of the main club and walks up to her.

“I’m Bill Walters, the evening manager, what can I do for you.”

“I’m Wren Robbins, my uncle Mike said I could work some evenings here. You know, to earn a little extra money and the like.”

“Actually I have an idea why you’re here. He told me to expect you to turn up without notice. By the way don’t worry I’ve a bit of a shady past myself and the last person I would ever think of crossing is big Mike. I imagine you would like to look around, get a feel for the place, meet a few of the girls, get an idea what kind of work there is to do.”

“Exactly, I need to see what suits me and if need be, what clothes or lack there of I need to pick up.”

“You have anything in mind?”

“I was a model in college for a couple of summers so once I adjust to the job I was thinking maybe the stage and catwalk.”

“Doesn’t pay quite as good but if you’re a bit of an exhibitionist it’s a good place for that.”

“Somewhat and if you’ll pardon the pun I need the exposure. Do you think there would be anyone willing to give me some pointers?”

“I think I could find a few but they would all be morning shift.”

“If that’s what it takes then I’ll do it.”

He leads her into and through the club showing her around. When she leaves at one in the morning she has the names of several different dance supplies and adult stores that can cater to her need of special clothes.

She spends the next day shopping for her new outfits. She knew taking this gang out would be costly but she never realized that her stage clothes would cost more than her weapons. To Wren the real irony was that with her new job she would be uncovered most of the time in order to provide herself with cover. She changed shoes four times through the day trying to adjust to the different heel heights and platforms. She found looking through the adult stores unusual. The employees were always helpful and friendly which for some reason really surprised her. She got a bit of a laugh though looking at some of the items for sale and learned a lot very quickly whenever she asked about anything she just couldn’t make out a use for.

When she arrives home that night Norman’s truck is sitting in her driveway. She hits the remote for the garage door and drives right past him. She comes back out and looks into the truck at the sleeping man in the seat. She goes back in and throws a pizza in the oven then heads back to her room to change. She slips into a very low cut, tight fitting black latex dress and a pair of clear six inch platform heels.

She found the dress while she was out shopping and just couldn’t keep herself from buying it when she saw it. Why? Even she couldn’t answer that for sure but felt it was worth the price for what it did to her figure. Based on the reaction of the men in the shop she felt Norman would like it and if nothing else she just had to have it. She pulls the pizza out of the oven, brushes out her hair and walks back out to Norman’s truck. She leans down low knowing how much of her chest she is displaying and with a mischievous grin taps on his window. He jumps at the sound simultaneously banging his head on the back glass and his thighs on the steering wheel. He looks out his window and she sees his jaw visibly drop. Wren gets a good chuckle at his reaction though.

“Hey, you want some pizza, or are you just going to stay out here all night?”

She stands back up and walks back to the front door. Norman staring at her as the moonlight plays its reflection across her now shiny curves. He is following her before she makes it to the door though.

“What’s with the dress?”

“I found it while I was out shopping today. I tried it on just to see what it was like and found I just had to have it. I thought you might like it too, and judging by your reaction in the driveway I was right.”

“Well I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t. But where were you shopping to find it.”

“Oh I’ve been all over picking up this and that. Besides, how would you know where I could have found it?”

“I don't, that's the point.”

“Well, now what brings you over here on a Saturday night?”

“You, or someone trying to be you. Your name and social security number came up in a background check today.”

“What? Where?”

“Mike's Pub and Showgirl Hall over on the East side. I called over and talked to a Michael O’Malley who insisted it was legit and he should know his own niece when he sees her. He also very clearly explained that if I value my nose to keep it out of your business.”

“Be glad he didn’t say if you value your life.”

“Who is Michael O’Malley to you Wren?”

“My grandpa O’Malley’s older brother.”

“Why was he running a background check on you?”

“I went to get a temporary job until I find one in my field. I can’t live on my savings forever and it could take a little while to find a job. That’s all.”

“Do you know what kind of place that is?”

“A burger and malt shop with a fun family atmosphere. OF COURSE I KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLACE IT IS! The truth of the matter is though that number one no one would look for me there. Number two the security is out of this world. And number three the pay and benefits are phenomenal. I thought this through Norman and at this time this is where I need to be. It’s only temporary and as soon as I find the right job I can leave, no strings attached.”

“I don’t agree with it though Wren.”

“Oh, I see you don’t agree with it. So Would you like it better if I were waiting tables at Applebee’s, or Steak n’ Shake? I can make two or three times the money and if anyone gets out of hand the bouncers throw them out, or is it that you are afraid of other men seeing me when you haven’t yet? Which is it Norman? Come on, tell me?”

“I don’t know, maybe all of it.”

“Well you told me not too long ago that you learned when not to argue with me but really, I don’t think the lesson took. I am doing what I need to for now and for now this job is in my immediate future. If you can’t cope with it then you need to evaluate your relationship with me. As for my last question I have a simple solution to that.”

Wren reaches down crossing her arms at her waist, then grabbing her hem pulls her dress off over her head in one smooth movement.

“Now, you see me naked before anyone at my new job gets a chance. Now if you would be so kind as to leave I have a lot of crying to do right now and I really don’t need an audience for it. Since you are however still my lawyer and I still consider you fully capable of that I will call you if I need you. If you decide you can handle the situation between me and my new job you know where to find me.”



Wren escorts the now speechless Norman to the door and locks him out. It is sometime before she sees his headlights back out of the driveway and true to her word she spends the better part of the night crying.