Author: Tiffany

Story One:

                  The Need to Scream

         
    Stacey Johnson had always been in the crime scene, but now she just wanted to relax.  It had been years since Stacey had to fire a gun, or arrest someone; and she was enjoying life in her hometown of Saint Mary’s, Pennsylvania.  But, with one call from an old colleague, her life would change.

    “Stacey, I need your help.  There is a guy on a killing spree down in Emporium, and I can’t catch him without you.”
    “I guess I could help, but it’s been so long.  I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”
    “You’ll do fine.  I know that together we will catch him.”
    “Okay, let’s meet down at the station.”

    Jason Moniker was like an older brother to Stacey, and hearing his voice made her smile.  But, standing in front of the mirror, Stacey questioned herself.  

    Can I do this?  After all these years, can I go out and fight crime?  Why didn’t I stick it out after the incident?  I did everything in my power to stop Jeremy from jumping, but I just couldn’t get through to him.  

    Stacey shook her head, and giving herself one last glance, walked away.

    On arriving at the station, Stacey wondered what she was getting herself into.  What she thought she lost a long time ago quickly came back to her…

    The kid was on the ledge; she told him to get down, but he refused to.  When Stacey edged closer to the boy, he jumped.  A loud scream echoed and the last thing Stacey heard was a fatal thump, as the young man’s body hit the sidewalk below.

    The scream still haunted her to this very day.  Knowing the call had been urgent; Stacey got out of her truck and went into the station.  Jason came up to her and told her the whole story.  The killer had killed thirty-five people and was still going strong.  

    “Stacey, it’s time we put a stop to this.”
    “I agree.  Are you sure you want me on this case and not someone else?”
    “No.  I know with your help we can end this.  We have been trying to track the killer down, but have had no luck.  Once we locate him, we’ll get started.”
    “Okay.”

    Jason received a call that the man had been spotted on South Mountain; thirty minutes away from where they were.  

    South Mountain over looks Emporium, Pennsylvania, and is a great place to go for deer and elk sightings, and a great view of the beautiful foliage the area has to offer.

    “Let’s go Jason.  We’ve got to catch him now.”
    “Okay.  Stacey, you sure you’re ready?”
    “Yeah, I’m ready, why?”
    “Just have to be sure.”
    “I’ll be fine.”

    The drive was nice and the area was beautiful.  Too bad it wasn’t a leisure trip.  Approaching the building, they saw that it was surrounded by trees; it was the perfect hideout, for sure.

    “This should be interesting,” Jason said.
    “We’ll get him.”  
    “Nervous?”  Jason asked.
    “No.”  Stacey lied.

    Going in through the back, Stacey and Jason heard gun fire.  They stayed low and edged as close as they could, to try and get a glimpse of their guy.  Spying a young man in his mid-thirties standing by a male’s body, they thought they would approach him until footfall made them stop.

    “Wonder who he shot?”  Stacey whispered.
    “I don’t know.”  

    They watched and waited silently for a clue.  Then, dressed in black, came a tall man; appearing to be in his late forties.  Unaware of any unwanted visitors, he went up to the body and spoke to the shooter.

    “Go easy?”
    “Yeah, who’s next?”
    “Stacey Johnson.”

    Stacey froze, she couldn’t believe her ears.

    “How should she go?”
    “Kill her silently, Son.”
    “I got ya boss.”

    The gunman left.  Little did he know, Stacey was right under his nose.  

    “He’s going to look for you and I can’t understand why.”
    “Yeah, I heard, and I can’t believe they want me.”  

    Pondering, Stacey remembered something that made light of the situation.  Again, her past came back to haunt her.

    “Do you remember the kid who jumped off of the ledge?”
    “Yeah, I remember Jeremy.”
    “Well, I remember his father saying that some day he would make me pay for his son’s death.”
    “I hope you’re wrong.” Jason frowned.

The partners stayed together in the warehouse for a long time, waiting for the gunman to return.  

    “Maybe he’ll give up,” Jason said.
    “No, he won’t give up until he finds me.”  Stacey shook a little, but tried to stay strong for Jason.
   
    Stacey was in charge of monitoring the front door and from where they were; Jason could see the back.  Finally Stacey got a glimpse of their perp.  With a disgusted look on his face, the gunman walked into the warehouse and went in to see the boss.  Pointing out the shooter, Jason and Stacey got as close as they could to the door; to see if they could hear what the man had to say.

    “I couldn’t find her.”
    “You, WHAT?” The boss screamed.  
    “I couldn’t find her.”
    “I know she is here somewhere.  My insider at the station told me her and some Moniker kid headed for here about a half hour ago.  Keep looking!”

    Stacey watched the man leave.  She wondered what he would do if he couldn’t find her, and what would the boss do to him if he came back again with no good news?  The situation wasn’t looking good.

    “What should we do?”  Stacey asked.
    “We could get the boss.”
    “What about the other guy?  If we fire a shot, he will know where we are.”
    “We’ll get him and tell him if he cooperates, we won’t have to shoot him.  It’s the only thing I can think of right now.”
    “I hope this works.” Stacey started to shake again.

    The boss was in a room off by itself.  He seemed upset and frustrated.  Stacey and Jason were about to jump in and hopefully catch him off guard.

    “Ready?”  Jason asked.
    “Ready.”

    They bolted in, but were taken aback to find a bodyguard at the man’s side.  When the guy went to fire, they pulled their guns out and shot them both.  They heard the gunman running towards the room and they bolted.

    “Stacey, I think it’s time we got on the move.”
    “But Jason, where do we go?”
    “Let’s split up.  That way we can throw this guy off and one of us can get a good shot at him.”
    “Okay.”

    They both darted in different directions.  Jason took the stairs and Stacey took the basement.  Perhaps she figured she would be safe there until Jason took the guy out…

    Wandering around, Stacey found some of the bodies.  She was amazed at how they were lined up and where they were.  She hoped that the gunman wouldn’t find her, and then she heard something.

    “I must move,” Stacey whispered.

    Jason came running into the room.  He seemed to be out of breath and Stacey wondered if someone was chasing him.  She came out from behind a crate and grabbed him by the arm.

    “What’s going on?”
    “He spotted me and I tried to shake him, but it was no good.  Couldn’t even get a shot at him, Stacey, we have to get out of here.”

    They got up and slowly edged towards the doorway, but it was too late.  The gunman came in and fired at Jason.  Stacey fired back, but it was no good.  Jason hit the floor and was dead.  Stacey tried to run, but there was no running from this guy.  He grabbed Stacey and held her down.  

    “You might have killed the boss, but I am still going to carry out this murder the way it should be carried out.”
    “Oh, please don’t kill me,” Stacey pled for her life.  “Why are you doing this?”
    “Jeremy was my brother.  Do you honestly think I wouldn’t help my father to avenge his death?”
    “But, why kill so many others, if I was the one you wanted dead all along?”
    “I can’t speak for my dad, but I personally enjoy watching others suffer.  I think everyone should have to feel the pain Jeremy must have felt.”
    “Please, just let me go.”
    “Enough of this, there is one thing I must do before killing you.  My dad left me with strict orders to silence you.  I will be glad to carry that particular order out.”

    Stacey tried to scream, but it was too late.  The man jammed a knife down her throat and cut her voice box out.  He then shot her in the head, and turned the gun on himself.

    When the cops finally arrived, after calls of gun fire in the area, it was too late. Silence filled the entire warehouse.  In the basement, the police found the bodies of all three: Jason, Stacey, and the gunman.  

    Jeremy had screamed, but Stacey never got the chance.  The pain and the fear that she felt would never be heard.  

    No one could ever explain the situation.  They just said it was such a pity that the best cops had died.  The paper spoke of the tragedy as though it were a terrible accident.  Little did they know that if only a scream could have been heard, justice would have been served.  But, the scream forever would be hanging on in time.  The need of it so important, and yet so lost, as though it never existed.

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