Hollywood Blood: A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thriller (25 page)

Chapter Fifty-Eight

After a couple more hours in the interrogation room fleshing out Dr. Adam Shaw’s story, we did some additional checkin
g on the NYPD’s cult expert, Fred Lundy, on loan to the FBI. As it turned out Lundy had also visited Myra when she was in the psychiatric hospital, just not as often as Adam Shaw had.

We also pulled the
background file done on Lundy when he went to work with the feds and learned that he’d moved to New Orleans for a few years after being a cop in Austin. He’d raised his niece, Lenore Redford, there, before moving on to New York and working with the police department. Lenore’s past history had never been disclosed to the authorities after her arrest in Texas under the last name of Hastings.

Unfortunately, a record check on
Lundy’s family members hadn’t been completed by either the NYPD or the FBI, or they would have probably picked up on Lenore’s arrest and commitment to the psychiatric facility. Had they done some additional checking, they might have also eventually realized that Lenore was not Lundy’s niece, but rather his kidnap victim.

The early morning held the promise of a beautiful sunrise as the taskforce assembled in a parkin
g lot a mile from Fred Lundy’s home in the Malibu hills. A couple dozen officers, including the feds and the LAPD SWAT Team, were preparing for the raid.

“Why do you think Lundy
killed Myra when she was so devoted to him?” Charlie asked, putting down a donut and slipping into a Kevlar vest for the assault on Lundy’s compound.

“Probably to keep her quiet about everything,” I
said, remembering that Lundy was the taskforce member who’d killed Myra at Karma’s estate after she’d shot at me. “He’d used her to play his game and couldn’t risk having her talk after being arrested.”

“And the game?” Charlie asked after Pearl and I had finished pulling on vests and fitting our helmets for the assau
lt. “Why do you suppose Lundy let us in? If he’d just kept quiet about everything, we probably never would have known about the game.”

“We
know from checking Lundy’s school records that he was a computer genius,” I said, putting out a bowl of water for Bernie. At my request, Robin had picked up Bernie at Mack’s house and brought him to the station before we left. I wanted my big dog with me for the raid on Lundy’s compound. “The game that Lundy created became his world, where he could control and manipulate everyone who played. I think that letting us in on part of the game was his way of trying to show us his superiority, how he could outsmart anyone who played, including his own agency and the police.”

Charlie tried on a helmet and said, “The guy must have had total control over
Myra to make her do the things she did.”

“
Lundy’s a cult expert,” Pearl said. “He saved Myra and then went on to raise her, enrolling her in school, and listing her as his niece on the school records. Over the years, he probably used the same techniques that cults use to control Myra.”

I agreed. “
Myra became Lundy’s proxy killer. Allowing the Predators in on the game provided both money and an audience. But he also craved excitement and notoriety. Allowing the feds and the cops into the game along with the press coverage raised the stakes to a whole other level.”

“We’re going in first,” Chief Reed said after walking over to us. He motioned to Byron Ellington and his team at the far end of the parking lot. “The fe
ds screwed this up big time. I’m not letting them take credit for the collar.” He adjusted a helmet that looked too big for him. “It’s been a few years since I’ve done this sort of thing, so I’ll let you all take the point behind SWAT.”

Skully came over as we were checking our weapons and said to me, “The mutt stays back until the residence is cleared.”

I shook my head. “He’s not a mutt. He’s an essential member of this department. And, he’s going in behind SWAT with me.”

“I won’t have a dog and a…” The captain almost stepped in something Bernie leaves behind in the grass. He took a breath and continued. “I
’m still your superior and I won’t be contradicted on this.” His gaze came over to Chief Reed, looking for agreement.

“We’re using a flash bang entry with SWAT,” Reed said. “After the initial
access, the dog goes in with Sexton.” Skully started to whine in protest, but Reed cut him off. “I’m in charge of this taskforce. If something goes wrong, I’m the one who takes the heat for it, not you.”

The entry into
Lundy’s compound, made at sunrise, was quick and loud—LAPD’s version of shock and awe. The residence was secured and determined to be empty less than ten minutes after we entered. After Bernie and I finished checking a couple of bedrooms, we met up with Charlie and Pearl.

“Maybe the devil’s
buddy is on vacation,” Charlie suggested.

“Or out torturing souls somewhere,” Pearl said.

I thought about what they’d said and something occurred to me. “Computers.”

Charlie
removed his helmet, ran a hand through his dyed hair. “Say again.”

“Did either of you see any computers during the search of the residence?”

Pearl thought about it and then said, “Just one in the library. A laptop.”

“It doesn’t add up.
If Lundy’s a computer geek who creates interactive games, he must have other computers.”

“Maybe he’s got an office, somewhere,” Charlie suggested.

“Maybe,” I said. But it still seemed strange to me that Lundy would have only one computer at his estate.

An hour later, after an exhaustive search of the house and grounds, Chief Reed and Byron Ellington called us all together on the backyard patio. There were at least two dozen officers and FBI agents present as the sun of a new day
blazed on the horizon.

“We’re going to leave a few officers here and stand down,” Reed announced. “W
e’ve got a BOLO out for Lundy. We’ll just have to hope we catch a break and he surfaces.”

We had changed back into our civilian clothes and were packing up our belongings when I told Charlie and Pearl that I planned to stay behind.

“What gives?” Charlie asked. “You must be dead tired, Kate. I thought we could stop for breakfast and then everyone could head for home and catch a few hours of shuteye.”

It was obvious that Charlie was starving. “I just want to hang around a couple of hours and see if anything develops. You guys go on without me. I’ll call you later.”

Bernie and I spent the next hour wandering around the grounds of Lundy’s estate. I’d given up on finding anything and was daydreaming about that Frappuccino when Bernie trotted through a gate and down a hill to the adjacent undeveloped property. He stopped and began to whine. It wasn’t his usual early warning whine of distress, but it was there, soft and steady.

“What is it boy?” I asked.

He looked at me and then trotted off further down the hill. I thought maybe there was a female dog somewhere in a neighbor’s yard as I followed, calling after him.

A few yards down the hill, I realized that Bernie had stopped and was looking at a
large utility box that probably controlled an irrigation system.

“Let’s go
,” I said. “I’m in no mood for games.”

The low whine continued as I attached his leash and tried pulling him up. He wouldn’t budge.

“Come on, boy. Let’s go home, have some breakfast, and take a nap.” He still wouldn’t move. I again tugged on his leash and tried pulling him to his feet, without success. I huffed out a breath in frustration and happened to glance down, noticing that the cover to the utility box was loose from its frame. Then I noticed the hinges. The box had a series of hinges on one side.

I reached down and pulled
on the utility box cover. It swung open, revealing a ladder affixed to a round concrete casing that led underground. About six feet down, the ladder disappeared into the darkness of the passageway.

I looked around for the off
icers assigned to watch Lundy’s residence. We were down a hill, a couple of hundred yards away from where I’d last seen them patrolling. They were no longer in sight.

I glanced
over at Bernie and said, “I’m just going down a few feet to check on this, then I’ll be right back.” I gave him the German command for stay. “Bleib.”

My partner continued to whine and wag his tail, giving me that look he has when he’s about to disobey me.

“I mean it, Bernie—bleib!”

I entered the
passageway, seeing that the ladder ended as the channel gradually slopped downward. The opening narrowed and I dropped down to take a look. A few feet down I saw that the tunnel grew darker. I thought I heard something, turned to listen, and felt a sharp blow to my head.

I saw a hand reaching
out for me as the shadows of the underground world deepened and then faded to black.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

The world came back to me a few minutes later, but it was not the world I had known. This was the
place of consummate evil—the world of Azazel.

My head throbbed
. I struggled to my feet, tried to stand, but fell back. The room spun around me like something out of a carnival ride. When my vision finally steadied, I saw that my hands and feet were tied and my gun was missing.

Then I
saw the devil’s disciple standing in the shadows of the room. He came over to the chair where I was held, smiled, and pointed a gun at me.

“Nice of you to drop
in, Detective,” Fred Lundy said. “Welcome to hell.”

The pounding in my head was inte
nse. “The game is over, Lundy. We have your compound surrounded.”

He laughed. “That’s interesting. Last time I checked my security cameras, there were four cops on the patio eating donuts and drinking coffee.”

“We know about your relationship with Lenore. How you killed the men who attacked her when she was a girl and then used her in your game.”

Lundy
smirked, took a bow. “What can I say? I was a hero who saved a child in distress.” The monster who had fooled us all took a step closer to me. His stare was intimidating. “Do you know that I received a medal for my actions that day? After a little staging, my superiors actually believed that the men who attacked Lenore were armed and tried to kill me. Killing a bunch of child rapists and saving a little girl played well for a small time cop on his way up.”

I took a moment and tried to get my bearings. I was in a living room-sized bunker with dim overhead lighting. A bank of computers
blinked on a table across from me. A corridor led away from the room, but it appeared I was alone with the beast that had orchestrated the killing machine known as Myra. No matter what the outcome, I was determined to understand the whole story.

“After you killed her attackers,
” I said, “you kidnapped Lenore, raised her as your niece, and later convinced her to become your proxy, seeking revenge on those who had harmed her.”

The dim light in the bunker drained the color from the monster’s eyes
. “I was closer to her than you could ever imagine. I raised her like she was my own daughter.” His empty eyes drifted away from me for a moment, as he checked the monitors on the officers who had been left behind at the estate. “But I was much more than a father figure to Lenore. She worshiped me.”

“She called you, Azazel
, and thought you were her savior.”

Lundy
’s lips twisted up into a grin. “As you probably know, during her attack Lenore was nearly killed and had a near-death experience. She saw a bright light. Because of her trauma, she didn’t realize it was the light from my police cruiser as I pulled up to the scene.

“
After I saved her life by killing her attackers, Lenore came to believe I’d been cast out of the light and had resurrected her. I told her that I was Azazel and she was the Chosen One. She eventually came to understand that she’d been chosen to take revenge on all those who had harmed her.”

The monster’s smile tw
isted into something that made my stomach churn as he went on. “As Lenore grew older I changed her name to Myra and we developed, how shall I put this delicately, something more than a father-daughter relationship. She trusted me completely.”

“You’re disgusting,” I said
, my head still pounding. “You’re worse than her foster father and the men who attacked her.”

He laughed. “
Myra became my personal sex toy. She had arms, legs, and a voice, but I controlled everything she said and did. I used every tool you can imagine to mold her into the woman that she later became—the woman you knew as Myra. That includes using the skills she learned in school to eventually become Karma’s financial controller.”

“And skim millions from her accounts.”

“True. I needed Myra close to Karma. Having her marry the man who would eventually become her sister’s chauffeur worked in my favor. She used her considerable persuasive powers to gain the confidence of those close to Karma, including her surrogate mother and best friend.

“Harriett and Vee
completely trusted the woman they knew as Barbara Collins with Karma’s money and their lives.” He smiled, his voice taking on a caustic edge. “How does the saying go, fools and their money are easily parted. Fools sometimes also lose their lives.”

As he tal
ked, I again took a moment to glance around the room, looking for anything I might use to overpower him. There were some chairs in front of the computers, but nothing looked promising to use as a weapon.

I carried a small backup gun in an ankle holster, but it had also been taken. My thoughts drifted to Bernie. My partner was probably still sitting patie
ntly at the entrance to Lundy’s underground chamber, waiting for me to return.

Lundy
checked his computer monitors again. I felt nothing but loathing for the man.

“You created a killing machine,” I said when the monster turned back to me. “You used
Myra to do your bidding and that of the Predators.”

Lundy waved a hand
, motioning to the row of computers. “The Predators are all out there, in cyberspace, Detective. They love the game, the excitement of what’s coming next.” He raised his gun and pointed it at me again. “They’re even watching us right now. In fact, they’re voting on what should happen to you.” He smiled. “How does it feel to have an unseen jury deliberating whether you should live or die?”

I
had no idea if what he’d said was true. But if the Predators were watching us and deciding my fate, it would likely take some time for them all to view what was happening and respond. All of that worked in my favor, but it seemed to be the only thing in my favor. I decided to stall for time and ask Lundy how the game began.

“You were John Brighton, the creator of the game for Fleshded?” I asked.

“When I heard that Billie Bathgate had written a song about a lover singing to the prince of darkness, I took the opportunity to create the false identity and the Internet company. I convinced Bathgate the game would be a marketing bonanza for the singing group. But the game was hardly a challenge for me. I decided to take it over, use my expertise on cults, and move the game in a whole new direction, first by inviting the Predators to play and eventually the police.

“The Predators liked the sex games that
Myra and her sisters played. They especially enjoyed the foreplay before Myra murdered Rose.” He laughed. “I must admit it was rather enjoyable.”

I felt sick at the memory of seeing the murder. “What about Wilkerson?” I asked, continuing to stall. “Why did you give him up as one of the Predators and show us the screens they’d been viewing?”

“Wilkerson was a loose cannon. He violated our prime protocol by using an Internet address that could be traced. Once I showed Agent Dressler the screens he’d accessed, I knew that the electronic breadcrumbs would lead back to him. It was a way to be rid of him and at the same time show off my magnificent creation—the ultimate reality game.”

“Is that why you wanted
your own agency and the police in on the game?”

“The Predators bought into the game, but I soon realized they weren’t the challenge I’d hoped for. It was easy to mani
pulate them into believing they controlled what was happening, even though I was pulling all the strings.

“
The messages in the lyrics at the Nordquist and Jackson killings were my initial invitation for my colleagues and you to join in the game.” He lowered the gun and smiled. “Unfortunately, no one was bright enough to accept the invitation and follow the trail that I’d set out. I was forced to let Dressler believe that he’d figured out Azazel’s game, so you could all play along with me.”

“And
Myra knew everything that was happening?”

Lundy
checked the monitors again. “Most of it. But she never wanted the police involved in the game. I led her to believe that the song lyrics left at the crime scenes were messages only meant for the Predators.

“
When Chloe ran away and she feared the game would be compromised, Myra closed the Internet portal. I had to intervene, tell her that the authorities were being invited into the game, and reopen the site.”

My head was still
throbbing and I had a feeling that Dressler was getting tired of the stalling. “And Myra always did what she was told?”

“Despite all her training and conditioning,
Myra had an independent streak. She’s the one who wanted to kill you.”

“Because I was being let into the game?”

“No, she was angry that you tried and eventually succeeded in finding Chloe. Myra had chosen Chloe, indoctrinated and trained her. When Chloe ran from the Jackson murder scene, Myra felt betrayed and became obsessed with killing her. It was her decision to torture and murder Chloe’s mother to find out where her daughter was hiding.

“It was also
Myra’s idea to kill you. I gave in to her little indulgence, even deciding to raise the stakes by letting you know that you’d been chosen to die. But, as you know, it didn’t work out as she intended. That’s when we decided it was time to end the game.”

“And when the game didn’t end the way you intended, you killed
Myra,” I said.

He pursed his lips together. “
Myra was emotionally damaged due to the trauma she suffered as a child. Her near-death experience eventually became the basis of the cyber world I created—the Forbidden World. It was a world where Myra and I met and she received instructions about the game.

“
I must admit that I led Myra to believe that when the game finally ended, we would get married, move away, and live happily ever after. She didn’t understand that her game was just one of many and the players in these games never survive.”

I started to ask
Lundy what he meant, but he untied my feet and pulled me up. “While we wait for the votes to come in, Detective, why don’t we take a little tour of my compound?” He motion to a computer monitor. “It looks like your colleagues are still busy with their donuts.” He pushed his gun into my back as he led me toward a corridor that was adjacent to his computer room. We stopped a few feet from the corridor and he waved his gun around, indicating the room where I’d been held prisoner.

“You might call
this mission control,” Lundy said. “It’s the place where the Predators were invited to join in my game.” His eyes narrowed. “There are many worlds with many predators out there that I control. Some of them are quite bizarre and wonderful.” The monster pushed me toward the corridor. “And what would a game be without some players?”

As I moved down
the passageway, I realized it contained a series of rooms that lined the hallway. Each of the rooms had a door with a flat panel monitor affixed to it. We stopped at the second door. Lundy hit a remote control and the monitor turned on.

T
here was a young girl inside the room. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. She sat on a bed, reading a book.

“This is Candace,” Lundy
said. “She’s almost completed her basic training. In a few weeks, she’ll be ready to play one of my games. Candace will be the prey, hunted by a killer who has paid a great deal of money to stalk her. He’ll receive clues about Candace’s whereabouts in cyberspace, and then…” He paused and smiled, apparently pleased with his creation. “We’ll see. If Candace wins, she’ll have a wonderful life with me before I kill her. If she loses…” His eyes darkened even further. “…I’m afraid the poor girl doesn’t realize either way she loses. As I said, the players never survive the game.”

I turned to him. “And you’re using the same mind-control techniques that you used on Lenore.”

“Not exactly,” he said, laughing. “The sex, I must say, is quiet exquisite and useful, but like any good game controller, I’ve learned to adapt and modify my techniques to suit the proxy. Sex is only one of several techniques that I’ve perfected.”

Lundy
pushed me forward, the gun twisting hard into my back. “Fear and pain are very effective tools. They can make the most stubborn subject say and do almost anything. But there are other methods.”

We stopped. Lundy
came around and faced me. “Would you like a demonstration?”

“No,” I said. “I’m not going to watch you torture someone
.”

He shrugged. “Too bad. One of my players has a remarkable fear of snakes. It’s quite comical, but extremely useful.”

We moved on to the other rooms that were unfinished and looked more like underground cages. Each enclosure contained a young woman who I learned was in training for one of Lundy’s games. There were six women in total, the oldest looked to be around twenty.

We stopped at the last cage and I saw a young woman slumped down in a corn
er of the room, crying. Lundy explained that she had just been acquired and was only beginning her training.

I felt drained and sickened.
The monster led me from his torture chamber back into the computer room. I knew my time was growing short. Dressler, no doubt, enjoyed showing off his work and his victims, but I knew he couldn’t keep me around much longer. There was also the matter of Bernie. Was he planning to kill my dog after he was finished with me?