Naked Dragon (9 page)

Naked Dragon

by G.A. Hauser

to catch up to him. When the agents finally did, Robbie was standing at the far end of the alley with one of his hands on the brick wall, catching his breath.

"What?" Agent Skinner panted as he gasped for air.

"What?"

"I saw him."

"You what?" Agent Green choked as he tried to breathe normally.

"We met eyes and he immediately darted down this alley."

"How the hell do you know it was him?" Agent Skinner wiped a drip of sweat off his face.

"I know. And now he knows I know."

"What the hell did he look like?" Agent Green grabbed the Seattle Police radio he was carrying.

"Give that to me!" Robbie snatched it and keyed the mike.

"X-ray unit 440," he said.

Radio repeated his call sign.

"I need as many units as available to the alley behind Feng's Laundromat on South Main Street. And a K9 if there's one available."

"Copy. Units to back X-ray 440 in an area check."

The air lit up with volunteers.

"A description when you can copy, radio." Robbie kept his eyes on the spot he had last seen him.

"Go ahead with your description."

"Identical to the composite. White male, 40-50, five feet six to seven, one-hundred thirty, black hair, black ball cap, blue zippered jacket, white shirt, black slacks. Last seen running southbound."

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A sergeant came over the air. "Radio, this is two-Edward, advise south radio, Robert sector to be on the lookout, that's right on the boarder."

"Copy, two-Edward."

Robbie handed back the radio to Agent Green.

"You're that sure it was him?"

"Positive. We need a damn K9."

Agent Green keyed the mike. "X-ray 440. Any luck with a K9 unit?"

"One's being called out from home, X-ray 440. ETA twenty minutes."

When Robbie heard the lag time he cursed under his breath and began walking back to the car.

"Taylor!" Agent Skinner shouted in anger, "You need to stay here to start the track!"

"You stay there. It'll be too late." As he walked back to the car, sirens were heard in all direction as the wild goose chase had begun. Lights whirled and tires screeched as patrol cars descended on the location from all four quadrants.
Well, if the
press didn't know before, they know something's going on
now. Good,
Robbie thought bitterly,
Good.

Leaning against the side of the sedan, Robbie rubbed his face as he thought it out carefully. "I know what you look like now, you fucker. I know," he mumbled.

Another patrol unit went screaming past him. K9 was written on the side in big yellow letters. A German Sheppard was barking its head off in the back seat. Seeing the cop's confusion, Robbie ran to flag him down as he struggled to find the exact alley. While the handler hooked up the agitated 82

Naked Dragon

by G.A. Hauser

dog, Robbie jogged to the spot he'd last seen the suspect as the two other agents tried to keep the scent uncontaminated from other pedestrians. The dog went a little crazy sniffing around, but Robbie knew it was too long a gap and it was just an exercise in futility.

Once they had a few cops to run with the dog handler, Robbie went back to lean on the car and concentrate. That grotesque smirking face burned like a brand on his mind. He fought to try and understand where he might run to. How he would zigzag his way out of the perimeter, pull off his jacket, pull off his shirt...

"That's it. You clever mother-fucker!" he shouted to himself, startling someone as they walked past. "You have two sets of clothing. When you cover the outer one in blood you pull everything off. You put the bloody clothing on first, then the clean clothing on top and leave. You get home and you burn them. So, today, you stopped and stripped off your top half, put on whatever color you were wearing underneath, pocketed the hat, and off you went, not fitting the clothing description at all, and not leaving a trace of you behind. You smart mother-fucker!"

He removed his mobile phone from his pocket and hit a button to dial a number he had saved specially. Then shaking his head as he thought about the latest tactic of this murderer, he heard the line connect. "Hey, David. You busy?"

"Robbie! No. Just doing the laundry and some cleaning.

You at work?"

"I saw him."

"No!"

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"Yes. We were cruising down South Main and we met eyes.

The fucker flew down an alley the minute he saw me."

"I can't believe it! You sure it was him?"

"Positive."

"They get containment?"

"Yes, but too late. The minute I came out of the other side of the alley he vanished. I would have killed myself to catch him but he had too long of a head start."

"Shit! So close!"

"But, I know how he gets out of the crime scenes now."

"How?"

"You remember everyone saying he is overdressed? Well, he takes everything off, puts the bloody clothing on and the clean clothing over it. It's so fucking simple I can't believe I didn't think of it before."

"Makes sense. You think since you've spotted him, he'll skip murdering someone tonight?"

"No. The opposite. It angered him. He'll be even more enraged and the poor kid will be the one to feel his wrath. I'm sick about it."

"It's not your fault, Robbie. Look, it's the closest anyone's got to him so far."

Robbie watched as blue and white after blue and white patrol car drove by him. "Idiots."

"What?"

"The cops keep driving down the same road. He's long gone now. Oh, never mind. Yes, I saw him, but, like I said, it'll only make him worse."

"Oh, babe, I'm sorry. What can I do?"

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"I wish you were here. You're so professional about the incidents. I have no idea what I'm in for later."

"We're all pretty good. Don't worry."

"Fucking K9 had to be called out from home. You'd think with this kind of crisis going on they'd keep one handy ... oh shit."

"What?"

"The press is cruising around in a van. That's another thing. It's about time this guy was outed in public. I'm sick of keeping this quiet. I've always said it helps no one but the killer."

"You sound really stressed, Robbie. I've never heard you this upset."

"Sorry. It's your day off. Sorry."

"No. Don't be stupid. I'm here for you. I just wish you could come over and lay naked with me in my bed."

That made him smile. "Five more hours. Hang in there."

"You hang in there. I'm just doing the damn laundry." He laughed.

"I gotta go, Skinner and Green are headed this way. See ya later." He hung up and pocketed the phone. "I won't ask if you had any luck. I know you haven't."

They snarled at him in response. He waited until they unlocked the door, then he climbed into the back seat. When they were seated and calm, Robbie said, "I know why he gets away with it."

They both perked up.

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"It's all about the clothing." After he explained his theory, he said, "Brace yourselves, gentlemen. This one tonight will be his worst. He's mad. He's very mad."

Agent Skinner rubbed his face in frustration as Agent Green started the car and drove down the cop-infested street.

* * * *

He couldn't stop himself. Dave drove to work right after second watch roll call had ended and all the patrol officers had left to go out onto the street. He slipped into the nearly vacant precinct to his locker, found his radio and snuck out after grabbing a newly charged battery. Once back in his truck, he turned the radio on and headed home. Maybe he was nuts, who cares? He just wanted to see what the evening would bring. He wished he'd had it with him all day just to hear Robbie's voice come over the air. It wasn't often an FBI agent was heard on SPD radio. That made him smile. It wasn't often that a Seattle patrol officer was having an affair with an FBI agent either. He pulled into his parking garage and hid the radio in a plastic bag so his neighbors didn't think he was a nut case. Then once inside, he cracked open a beer and sat down to listen to the night's events.

* * * *

Though it appeared Agent Taylor had nodded off in the back seat, what he was doing was going through the killer's routine step by step in his mind. Perhaps he would stop his beat-up white car near a group of young Asian men. Offer one a ride. Offer one money. Eventually one would take the bait.

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Inside the car they would chat, laugh. The attraction would be admitted shyly by the dragon.
How about a room
somewhere? What? No room? Homeless? Living on the street?

I'll buy you a room. How about those apartments? They seem
nice. Here. Tell the manager you want to rent one of the
units. I can set you up in one. No, I don't mind. I've got the
money and I want to help you. I help lots of young men just
like you. Here. Here's one hundred dollars. Just go and tell
him you would like to rent the place and this is a start. We'll
give him the rest in a couple of days. No, no need to thank
me. My pleasure
.

"Sleeping comfortably, Taylor?" Agent Skinner said.

You got a room? And that's the key? Great job! I'll bet you
could use a good meal and a shower. You wait here and let
me buy us some food. Wait here. I'll be right back. See? That
didn't take long. Come on. I'll follow you. You have the key?

Good. Okay, shut the door. That's right. Now. Eat this. This is
good food. Eat it. Eat it all up.

"Shit." Agent Green perked up and turned the police radio louder.

"Two-George," the dispatcher called.

"Two-George," the relief sergeant answered.

"Meet two-George-three at the location on your screen."

Robbie sat up and rubbed his face. "Be prepared. It's going to be much worse."

"How can it get any worse?" Agent Skinner breathed sarcastically.

"Wait," was all that Robbie said.

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As they parked behind a patrol car, the men in bio-suits were already there. Robbie stepped out of the sedan and found a police officer throwing up right outside the apartment building. "Oh, Christ," he shook his head sadly. Both Agent Green and Skinner looked back at Robbie anxiously.

Robbie walked up to the sick police officer and patted his back. "Hang in there."

He nodded, then held his stomach trying to prevent another bout of retching.

Moving slowly through the narrow halls, Robbie already knew what he would find. The image was firmly planted in his brain. Pausing, he took out his pad, then made some notes in it. After waiting a moment, he proceeded to the room inside yet another aging apartment building. The dull murmur of men conferring was buzzing in his ears.

Agent Green peered in, covered his mouth out of reflex, then dropped his hand to his side as if the show of weakness was an embarrassment. Before Robbie even looked into the room he whispered, "Frank. What's it say on the walls?"

Frank craned his neck to look back at the entrance of the apartment. When he stepped closer he relayed, "It says
This
is your fault
, and his moniker."

Robbie held out his pad. When Agent Skinner found those exact words on it, he blinked his eyes in confusion. "Why did you ask me then?"

"I didn't know. I just wanted it confirmed. Never mind."

Stuffing the pad back into his pocket, he moved to the entrance and looked in. "Holy Christ," he breathed.

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One of the homicide detectives said, "I've never seen anything like this in my entire thirty-year career."

Lowering his eyes in anguish, Robbie moved out of the long stuffy hall to the fresh air of outdoors. Someone was giving the poor cop a bottle of water to rinse his mouth out. A sergeant was near him, patting his back in comfort.

Robbie walked tiredly to the sedan and leaned against the fender. A lump came to his throat. He shouldn't feel responsible. It would have happened anyway.

* * * *

The minute Dave heard two-George's call sign and the same comments by the dispatcher, he knew. That icy feeling sat in his gut like a sour ball. Instantly the images of the last two crime scenes appeared crystal clear in his mind. No matter how hard he rubbed his eyes those horrid visions wouldn't leave.

* * * *

As he walked through his condominium door Robbie loosened his tie. Scuffing his feet to the kitchen, he located a bottle of scotch in the cupboard and poured a shot. After it had slid down his throat, he sat next to his phone and dialed.

"David?"

"Hey. You home?"

"Yes."

"You sound like shit."

"Can you come by?"

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"Yes. Be there in a few minutes. I'll call when I'm outside the garage."

"Thanks, babe. I'll be waiting."

* * * *

Dave hung up the phone and felt sick to his stomach. It was getting to all of them. How could it not?

Waiting until the gate drew back, Dave then pulled his truck into the low garage and parked in the reserved spot.

Robbie was standing at the exit door, holding it open for him.

Even from where Dave was standing he could see how it had taken its toll on him.

They barely greeted each other in the hall. Dave waited for them to be in the privacy of his unit before saying a word.

The moment they were locked in, he reached out for him.

Immediately Robbie dropped against him and squeezed him tight.

Cuddling him, rubbing his back gently, Dave could only imagine how his night had been. Allowing Robbie to take his time and break the embrace when he was ready, Dave kissed his hair and cheek lovingly, trying not to hit him with a barrage of questions.