Robert Waggoner - John - The Senior Killer

The younger one looked at the old guy and the older man shrugged his shoulders saying it was fine by him if this guy wanted to tag along. So it was decided John would lead the way up a road he saw and had been on in the years past. John got into his SUV that was packed with all the things necessary to look like a hunter in the back. They drove out to highway 19 and headed down towards the southeast which is known as the John Day highway. About five miles out of town John spotted the road he had marked on his map and turned left with the two victims following him. His excitement grew as they wound their way uphill into the mountains. About an hour later on top of a mountain, in a grove of pine trees a nice camping place sat vacant. John pulled in and the suburban followed. John stood by his SUV while the two guys jockeyed their camp trailer into a nice spot. After unhooking the two guys told John they would like to drive around looking the area over now that they trailer was unhooked. They told their new friend they had lots more room in their rig and how about John riding with them. John jumped at the chance and soon they were driving slowly on the narrow logging road with John in the passenger seat and the older man in the back sitting behind him.

Back at the airport in McMinnville, Paul had found an old timer who was there on his own. He’d taken a bus to the event and lived in Newberg not so far way on the highway to Portland. Paul was playing the role to the hilt and excitement was mounting as he thought about sending the Marlin spike his brother gave him up into the guy’s brain. He flashed back at his last kill. He was chosen to kill their mother while father was in town drinking at the tavern. They would tell father she had run away, which she had threatened so many times before. Father would beat the hell out them, but the mother would lay the wood of a whip like branch she had placed by the old cook stove. It stung like all get out and it raised welts like a strip dark red across white skin. The plan was set on the day father went to the feed store and to the tavern. It never failed when he came home to choose one of them to beat the hell out of then made one of them drop their pants while he stroked his member with pig fat and abused one of the brothers.

A rage was building with Paul and he fought the urge to lay waste to this guy right here in front of the crowd. Old people were so mean and their words stung like bee stings when they talked to young people. He agreed with his brother that when a person reached sixty, time to pass on. He was more than glad to help rid the senior population. Now his big brother gave him his opportunity to begin his own career of killing old folks

Paul’s friends name was Howard and he lived alone in a small house on the outskirts of town. He was retired from the fruit factory in town and lived a solitary life doing nothing. He was happy to be here today and it was obvious to Paul his memory of where he was and what he was doing was not so good. Paul saw a man walk to a microphone and the historical story of the Spruce Goose was about to begin.

Meanwhile at the FBI trailer Nancy and the other agents, including Billy looked at the computer printouts and all agreed now the hard part was ahead of them: waiting. Also to make sure if the killer made a run for it, a block or so outside the gate of the airport was now lined with police cars bumper to bumper and men were in place to lay a mat strip of nails to flatten the tires of a vehicle in a car chase. By the time word came to them the killer was making an escape attempt, they would have time to stretch the nails across the road and the police cars lined up would act as a funnel.

Billy was outside the trailer chain smoking listening to the faint sound of the guy giving the history lesson. All was quiet as only a few cars trickled in and most of them had more than one passenger. Everyone had about an hour to wait as the speech drug on before the cars started to leave as that was the last event for the day.

Driving along the ridge top of a large mountain, the air was crisp and clear. Not a cloud in the sky and no wind to speak of. Inside the suburban, John was talking a mile a minute and had his thermos of coffee with knock out pills ready to share with the two gents from Portland. If they drank the coffee, it would be all over in a matter of minutes. With two of them the knock out pills was the best way to do this kill. While he noticed a wide spot to pull over John suggested they stop and take a look with glasses at the possibility of seeing some elk. Both agreed as they pulled over while John handed the older guy in the backseat a cup of coffee. While he was reaching across the back of his seat in front with his right hand to pass the coffee, faster than he could remember anyone moving, a pair of handcuffs tightened on one wrist while the car came to an abrupt stop and the driver had his left hand raised up and thrown back to make a neat pair of locked wrists all within a few seconds times. John, having been turned was thrown against the dashboard from the sudden stop his mouth hanging open stared into the meanest set of eyes he’d ever seen. It didn’t take but a fraction of a second to recognize the dog and knew the game was up.

The Spruce Goose event was over. The crowd slowly made their way to their cars and pickup trucks. Most of the vehicles had more than one person in them. Parents brought both kids and grandparents to see the show.

Paul and his new friend Howard walked to Paul’s car. He helped the old guy in because he was as feeble physically as mentally. The traffic was slow to get out the gate as security checked each car on the way out. Paul felt comfortable with his ID and expected no problems on the way out to Newburg and leaving his new friend staring at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.

In the FBI trailer activity was at its peak. Checking cars with one passenger coming in with more than one going out; or more than what came in for that matter. Two times they thought they had him when one car had an additional passenger. Turned out an old friend was taking a ride with them home. Another one had a single guy coming in, but two going out. In that case two old friends had met and were going for a beer downtown.

Paul was starting to get a little nervous. There was too much activity up front of the long line to get out. However, he was determined to stay the course and complete the mission his brother gave him.

Nancy was pleased about the way it was going. Agents in the field were patrolling the fence line and the checkout was going smoothly. They were, she guessed about half way through. Billy was jabbering like magpies and always reaching for a cigarette when Nancy told him to light up before he drove her crazy. Billy smiled and almost tore his shirt pocket digging out a Marlboro. At the checkout booth all could hear what the agents said while talking to the vehicles leaving.

Only one car was between Paul and the checkout guys. There was one on each side of the car checking ID’s. Now it was his turn as he slowly made his way to the stopping point and rolled down his window. The guy smiled and asked for his ID and the same on the other side with his passenger Howard. About that time from in the FBI trailer an agent said, “Red alert, we got something here with that car at the checkout point. It came in with one person and now has two.”

Nancy came on point and said in her mouth piece which went directly to the agents at the checkout point that something was up and to make sure the stories they were hearing rang true.

Paul had sweat running down his forehead and when his security guard reached up and listen to what someone was telling him he panicked and stuck his foot to the floor and took off like a shot. An alert went out for the make, model and color of the car down the line of waiting police cars. By now the car that was in front of Paul had cleared the end of the line of police cars and that was when Paul from a block away saw some guys dragging something across the road. He kept his foot to the floor and Howard had slipped down in the seat holding onto his open window frame. Paul foolishly thought if he could only make to the end of the line of cars he could maybe get away.