Robert Waggoner - John - The Senior Killer

Codes had been set up in a cell to call to alert Billy they had what they came for. In addition, if a person or persons, including themselves needed evacuating, a phrase agreed upon before they left Seoul would be used for a special pickup. In this case a small cargo ship from South Korea was in dock at Nanjian, just south of Dandong.

Arrangements made they rode an old truck full of monks down to Nanjian. From there it was fairly simple to sail across to South Korea. Once back on the Korea soil, the North Korean was whisked away by members of the CIA and their counterparts from South Korea. Brad heard later the guy had a wealth of information and would be placed under the witness protection plan in America.

Steve greeted Brad upon his arrival back in South Korea with bad news. The Senior Killer had struck again in Arden right under the noses of the FBI. Brad was less than curious and Steve felt the vibrations coming from his friend. No doubt he felt used and abused by the new FBI director and his first response to Steve was to let the FBI make the case. He said, rather too forcefully to Steve, “What you’re telling me is that my team is needed and the FBI is crawling back on their hands and knees asking for our help? ’

“I guess that is it in a nutshell,” Steve replied while sipping a cup of Korea coffee in Brad’s father in laws house. Sujin was starting to show now and her photo showing was a great success. A local popular photography magazine was going to do a full issue of her photos and wanted a contract signed to do more. She was excited and so was Brad.

Brad said, “I think my team will take some time off and relax on the beach watching the storms come ashore this fall. We are due for a rest and let the Hoover boys and girls take on the serial killer. Besides, Sujin is not getting any smaller and if she needs me I want to be there for her. Now, what I will do is feed the FBI information from the beach house about what we can learn from the computer and his clues that are left scattered around the Pacific Northwest.”

“That is good enough for me and I will report our meeting back in DC. I’m scheduled to fly out tomorrow and let’s celebrate your successful operation in China.”

Brad thought that last statement was patronizing as hell, but let it go for now. He still itched all over from the hot days dressed in a wool Buddhist cloak. He yearned for the bath house to relax and cleanse the soul and body. He loved the East and felt more than comfortable in Asia. Sadly, he thought, we better go home and see if we can put this killer behind bars or, better yet, in a cemetery. He felt a rage brewing in his lower bowels that only a death would satiate.

That night laying on a futon with Sujin they talked about photography, her career in the business, their child being born; and the need for Brad to continue his quest for what is right in the world: freedom. Rocky lie next to their snoring and at peace with the world; probably dreaming of Sandy and their offspring. Brad reached out and rubbed Rocky making the dog give off moaning sounds. Brad said to Sujin, “I know the China operation was important, but I feel used and it gets my gall thinking the political big wigs can play football with the little people.”

“I don’t completely understand your words, but I feel what you say. You always do what is right and your team knows they come first in your world. I say to you, my husband, take a fresh look at the serial killer and chances are you will see something plain as day you missed before.” Brad hugged her and lay in her arms falling asleep dreaming of their baby to come. Like Rocky, he was at peace with the world, as if only a few hours of sacred time were available.

The next day they all flew back to the USA. A direct flight took them to Seattle and Nancy met them at the airport. She’d asked Brad by phone if he would take the time to meet with her before taking the NASA jet back to North Bend. He agreed and now they sat upstairs in the airport having something to drink in an airline lounge for first class passengers. The door was locked with a sign that said “Fresh Paint, sorry closed.”

Nancy gave them the details of the Arden murders and Brad and the team listened carefully. Brad was a little impressed by John and his disguise as a postman. At the end of the meeting he invited Nancy to come to Oregon and she agreed.

November, a year to the date when Steve stood standing on the shore waiting for Brad to come down from Fish Rock where he first heard the news from his boss wanting Brad and his team to take on the job of finding the serial killer roaming around Southern California killing old people. The rain was beginning to fall sideways as the wind from the Pacific storms, once again made its presence known to the Batt Team housed in the Round House on the coast of Oregon.

Brad was telling his team, along with Nancy who represented the FBI as a special agent in charge, that this would be their last chance of stopping the Senior Killer. Nancy had brought a copy of John’s letter to the newspaper and they were in the process of discussing it now with Nancy once again is reading it while the rest of the team held copies follow her reading:

“DEAR READERS, BY NOW YOU HAVE THE NEWS OF ARDEN WHERE I GOT LUCKY

‘C’ AND….WELL, OK READERS HERE IS A CLUE WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND ME

Nancy laid the original down and looked at the team. She could faintly hear the rain and wind pounding the house. The storm was full force and the same feeling were in Brad’s stomach. He sucked in his breath and looked at his team one by one except Sujin who was resting in their bedroom. Also it wasn’t the storm pounding on the house, it was John pounding on his head that made Brad perk up and say rubbing his temple with one hand and petting Sandy with the other, “Billy. The clue. What do you think?”

“I think it is a simple one anyone could figure out. A huge plane is Howard Hughes [huge] and the ‘Spruce Goose’ is parked at the plane museum in McMinnville, Oregon. If you take the first letter of McMinnville and the last you have ‘ME.” His next stop is McMinnville, Oregon.”

“And of course Halloween is the day he will seek his next victim,” agent Jones said as he petted one of Sandy’s pups that was lying on his lap. “What kind of a plan can we put together on Halloween when people are having parties, kids are roaming the streets. Any kind of a costume would not be suspicious; we will be looking for a ghost that kills.”

Brad, who was now up walking around scratching his short haircut he needed for playing a monk’s role, said, “Guys I’m open for anything to talk about here. I think we need a run on the beach to clear our minds and open our blood channels for fresh oxygen to address this complicated case.” Sandy heard beach and stood at attention as her pups scrabbled to join her. About the same time, Sujin came out of her bedroom dressed in sweats, which had become her usual dress as of late.

“Let’s go everyone,” Sujin said with a smile on her face while she zipped up her dark green rain coat with an attached hood.

Nancy told her she would walk on the beach and talk about kids, while the joggers pounded the sand with their running shoes. Billy took the opportunity to dash upstairs and out next to the door for a smoke or three. Brad noticed Billy didn’t have his usual jovial attitude and inwardly smiled knowing Billy and his friends had been working on the clues and were close to some new information. Only Brad knew why Billy smoked so much. He did his best thinking drawing great gobs of smoke sending nicotine coursing through his veins. He wouldn’t be surprised to find out when they returned some new developments in the case.