Nature of the Beast

By Jodi Langston

Homicide cop, Nick Dempsey’s life is filled with turmoil and tough decisions after a near-fatal injury. He realizes his career and relationship with actress, Kathy Tyler, are both at a standstill and reluctantly leaves L. A. and Kathy behind.
Nick takes the job of sheriff in a northern Minnesota town. Can Kathy and Nick rekindle their love before a serial killer takes her from him forever?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jodi Langston
• Release date: Nov 8, 2010
• ISBN: 9780983016014

Jodi Langston

Jodi is a lover of all things creative. She's been writing and drawing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She write poetry as well as prose.She can be found roaming around my city camera in hand taking photos of wildlife and prairie wildflowers.Samples of her books, photos and poetry can be found at her blog.

Book preview

Nature of the Beast

by

Jodi Langston

Smashwords Edition

Copyright ©2010 Jodi Langston

All rights reserved

****

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Acknowledgements

Kay G. you are awesome!

Thank you to the following people:

Jane and Dania for all your hard work.

To Mark, Jenny and Glo for your friendship and encouragement.

And my son, Brandon, for his support and patience.

Chapter 1

Come on, come on, Homicide Detective Nick Dempsey growled, poking at the UP button on the elevator. Screw this, he muttered. He spun on his heels and headed for the stairwell. He pushed open the door and hurried to the stairs. His long legs easily took two steps at a time. Winded, he stopped to catch his breath on the stairway landing just outside the squad room door. He hadn’t managed to get more than four hours of sleep in the last two days. Nick may not have the body of a man his age but right now he was feeling every one of his forty years.

Nick’s wavy hair had grown long and unmanageable. A beard covered a three-inch scar that ran along his cheekbone. It was a souvenir, a constant reminder of his last encounter with the serial killer, Carl Davis. Carl had taught him two important things; never underestimate your adversary, and arrogance can be fatal.

Nick had been awakened from a sound sleep with news that the feds were here. He tucked his wrinkled shirt into faded jeans and threw on the only clean sport coat he had. He not only looked like, but no doubt smelled like something the cat had killed and left to rot on the back step. For the first time in the past two months Nick was happy that his girlfriend, actress Kathy Tyler, was in Africa shooting her latest movie. She’d have chewed his ass for looking like this.

Damn! Nick said through gritted teeth. Captain Reese had given him forty-eight hours to wrap up this case and by his count he still had twenty-four to go. This was the perfect ending to one lousy week.

Nick’s dark eyes scanned the crowded room. Jack was right; FBI agents had descended on the precinct like a swarm of locusts. The last thing Nick needed right now was the Federal Bureau of Incompetence messing with his case. The feds, in their drab suits and unsmiling faces exuded an air of superiority thick enough to choke on. They carefully distanced themselves from their uniformed and somewhat inferior colleagues. Being an uptight and unfriendly bastard was a prerequisite for becoming a fed.

Dempsey, my office, now. His captain’s voice boomed above the noise. He didn’t need to ask Nick twice. Nick hurried into the small cramped office Captain Reese called home. He was no stranger to this glass walled time-out room for the unmanageable. These days Nick spent a lot of time there, too much time, some would say.

What the hell are they doing here? Nick asked motioning to the room full of feds. Nick had started this case and he sure the hell was going to finish it.

We’re taking over, Dempsey, a voice with a slow southern drawl said from behind him. That could only mean one thing. Nick spun around to find himself face to face with Special Agent Bob Meyers. Now this was all making sense. Meyers was a man with a grudge and a severe case of dislike for Nick.

Like hell you are! This is my case, Nick said. He moved in closer. His six-foot two frame dwarfed the much smaller Meyers, but Bob Meyers was much too arrogant to be intimidated so easily.

In case you haven’t heard, Dempsey, the D.A. and her husband are now missing. I’m afraid this case is just more than you can handle. You had your chance. Now it’s time for the pros to step in and clean up this mess, he said with a smirk.

Nick gritted his teeth, trying hard not to tell the inbred bastard where he could go. Nick shot a pleading glance at his captain.

I’m sorry, Nick, but it’s out of my hands now. The D.A. was being honored tonight by the governor and she’s three hours overdue. Her car was found about a mile from her house, empty except for her purse. The word JUSTICE was scrawled on the dashboard with her lipstick. Same M.O. as Judge Thomas, we just haven’t found the bodies yet, he said shaking, his head.

This has nothing to do with my capabilities or with the D.A. This is personal and you know it. Nick turned and glared at the steely eyed fed. Meyers was the calm, collected sort. You couldn’t rattle him even if you hit him upside the head with a brick. Something Nick was dying to do at the moment.

Jack Marler, Nick’s partner, watched the three men intently in that fish bowl of a room. He saw no trace of his fair-haired late partner in his son. Nick got the dark, swarthy Italian looks from his mother, as well as her temper. There was nothing Jack hated more than being on the outside looking in but this was Nick’s battle and his interference would only make matters worse. Jack ran a hand nervously through his graying hair and gritted his teeth through the biting pain in his stomach. He chewed a handful of antacids and washed the chalky mess down with stale coffee. He looked older than his fifty-two years. Life in the trenches had battered and broken him.

Nick and Meyers moved cautiously; like a cobra and a mongoose doing their deadly dance, two cunning adversaries looking for each other’s weakness, waiting to strike. It was a strange attitude for two men who were supposed to be on the same team. Nick talked with his hands when he was angry. And right now Nick was talking with his hands.

You can’t do this, Captain. I can handle it. He wants me out of the way because he’s got a score to settle.

I’m very impressed Dempsey, Special Agent Meyers said smiling. When the going gets tough, the tough whine. Really, Dempsey, you give yourself more credit than you deserve. He turned his back on Nick. We haven’t found a body yet, so there’s still a chance they’re alive. If we play this one by the book we can catch him, Meyers said confidently.

I know where she is. Carl Davis has her. If we move fast we can get the bastard. Nick had a wild look in his eyes like a man desperately pleading his case before a hanging judge.

Now I know you've lost your fucking mind. Carl Davis is dead, Meyers bellowed. Nick sensed he was getting to him; the ice king was beginning to crack.

The body we found was burnt beyond recognition. Even the dental records weren’t a hundred percent. I’ve been talking to my sources and they tell me he’s been seen around. He wants me and the D.A.’s the bait.

Well now, you’re seeing ghosts. No, maybe he’s Lazarus raised from the dead. DNA doesn’t lie. Jesus Christ, Dempsey, those crack heads will tell you anything for the right price. Maybe you smoked a little too much of that shit while you were in vice.

You son of a bitch, Nick screamed. I didn’t do anything that wasn’t in the line of duty. Nick’s hands balled into fists. It took all of his strength to keep from slapping the smile off his face.

Captain Reese quickly stepped between them. Nick was a six-foot two powerhouse of muscles with an instinct for self-preservation. Meyers was small and of slight build, looking like a piece that had dropped off of Nick. If Nick got a hold of Meyers, they’d be scraping him off the walls and the ceiling. Captain Reese didn’t want to see a good cop like Nick throw his career away on a smug bastard like Meyers.

All I want is four men to help me check out the warehouse where I nailed him before. If I’m wrong we’ve lost nothing and if I’m right...

I’ve heard enough, Dempsey. Meyers waved him off. I can’t spare one man let alone four. This case doesn’t concern you any longer. I think you better report to the department shrink first thing Monday morning. I always knew you were out in left field. I just never knew how far out until now. Meyers was enjoying this far too much, Nick thought; humiliating him was Meyers’ favorite past time. Stepping in and yanking the case out from under him was par for the course. Meyers was always there, waiting to take the credit for what he hadn’t earned. Nick would have liked nothing better than to wipe that smirk off his face, but he wouldn’t be able to help the D.A. from a jail cell. He was going to have to go this one alone.

Captain Reese took Nick by the arm and led him to the door. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep Nick. You’ve been going at this like you’re possessed. I’ll let you know if anything changes so you can get in on the bust, too. The situation was going from bad to worse. Meyers now had his Captain questioning his judgment and possibly his sanity.

Dempsey, I was wondering if your duty included banging a teenage hooker? An evil smile slid across Meyers’ tanned face.

Nick felt the blood drain from his face. The fed’s cold, emotionless eyes left Nick wondering what was next. That kind of knowledge and power in the hands of this self-righteous prick was frightening. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. God, how had he found out about Angel? No one knew about Angel, no one except Jack. He really must have done some digging to find out about her. She was another ghost from his sordid days in vice, when playing the game and winning was the only thing that mattered. He couldn’t have refused her any more than a line of coke or a shot of Jack Daniels. The red-headed little wildcat was a gift from a big time dealer he was investigating. To have refused her would have meant life on her back and an early trip to the grave. Nick had taken her home to protect her. He hadn’t planned on falling in love with the world-wise teenager. Angel was a fitting name, God never created a more beautiful woman. Sending her home was the most difficult decision he ever had to make. The look of betrayal in her eyes still haunted him today. There would always be a place in his heart for Angel. How could Meyers understand that? He was a man who only saw things in black and white.

Nick’s heart pounded in his head. Suddenly, the room seemed too small for the three of them. Nick turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him. He took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. Times like these made him long for his days in vice. He’d take a whacked-out dealer over a close-minded fed any day. Nick’s transition to homicide had been anything but smooth and with his life hanging in the balance, he had learned to trust his instincts. Right now his gut was telling him it was Carl Davis they were looking for.

The room fell silent and all eyes turned to the angry detective standing outside the captain’s office. The cops were used to Nick’s displays of frustration. It wasn’t often Nick and the Captain saw eye-to eye-and tonight would be no exception.

Nick’s nightmare had begun a week ago when Judge Dale Thomas was found murdered in his home. His high-priced, high-tech security system had failed to protect him. There were no signs of robbery. The word JUSTICE was written on the wall in the Judge’s blood. Two days ago, Judge Richard Morris was found hacked to death, the same grizzly message scrawled on the wall.

Nick’s mind flashed back to the day of Davis’ sentencing. He had been given three life sentences with no possibility of parole.

You call this justice? You’ll pay for what you’ve done to me. My sword of justice will strike you down! Davis looked at his tormentors, Judge Thomas, District Attorney, Anne Sellars, and Detective Nick Dempsey. Judge Morris had refused to overturn the conviction on a technicality; it did however keep him off death row. Anne had done her best to make certain there would be no insanity plea. There would be no chance for Davis to kill again in a few years. Nick had followed the trail of bodies to an old abandoned warehouse, it was Nick’s bullet that stopped his reign of terror.

It has been said to catch a killer, you have to think like one, and for a brief time Nick had crawled into the mind of Carl Davis. They had thought as much alike as if they had shared one mind, one body. Nick had journeyed to the dark side, would he be able to return? Would he always keep a piece of that killer inside him, never to be free? Nick sensed he was out there waiting for him, laughing, taunting him. All these things were like a beacon, leading him back to the place of their last fateful encounter. He was the last piece of the puzzle, the only one who hadn’t been punished yet. If Nick was right, he couldn’t take the chance of Davis getting to his girlfriend, Kathy Tyler. The thought of that made the bile rise up in Nick’s throat. For the first time he was grateful Kathy was on location shooting a movie. The others were nothing more than the cheese in the trap and if he wasn’t careful that trap would spring on him.

Nick was a hunter, a hunter of men. He tracked the killers that stalked the innocent and brought them to justice. A cold shiver ran down his spine. This time he wasn’t sure if he was the hunter or the hunted. Carl Davis could have easily lived out the remainder of his life a free man; dead to all who had hunted him. But his uncontrollable need for revenge would be his downfall.

No matter what the risk or how great the price he had to follow his instincts, the feds be damned. He walked to his desk, grabbed two clips from the drawer and slammed it shut. If he didn’t act on his suspicions and they turned out to be true, well that was something Nick couldn’t live with. It was only a matter of time before Davis got tired of waiting and killed the District Attorney, Anne Sellars, and her husband.

The flushed and angry look on Nick’s face told Jack Marler, hands off. Jack was Nick’s best friend. He’d be retiring soon and Nick couldn’t take the chance on involving him in something that could cost him his pension and possibly his life. Jack Marler and Nick’s father John were two young cops. A simple traffic stop left John dead and Jack with a bullet in him he’d carry around the rest of his life. He had been Nick’s surrogate father ever since. Taking risks was what Nick did best, but Jack had no intention of letting Nick do this without back up. He had promised to watch out for Nick and he wasn’t about to stop now. Nick was the best detective Jack had ever worked with. He saw things and felt things that went unnoticed by others. If Nick said it was so, you could bet your life on it, and that’s exactly what they were doing now. Jack grabbed his coat and followed his headstrong friend. Nick shot him a don’t even think about it look, and headed off into the rainy night. Jack waited, hidden by the darkness, as Nick drove off to meet his destiny.

The eternal struggle of good and evil would be replayed tonight and with the grace of God, good would once again be triumphant. Davis was an off-the-chart psychopath: a brutal, methodical killer who fed off the pain and terror he inflicted on others.

The rain came down hard and Nick strained to see beyond the hypnotic rhythm of the wipers. The red light on the unmarked car pulsed like a beating heart as he wove his way through the late night traffic. Driving like a man trying to escape the demons that were chasing him. He disregarded every traffic rule in the book, but then Nick never had been one for rules. He thought of the old adage his grandma often used when referring to him-‘Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread.’ Fool was an apt description of himself, he thought, especially in times like these.

Jack didn’t try to keep up with Nick; it was useless. He knew where Nick was headed. As homicide cops, they usually got involved after the fact. This time it would be different; it was a matter of life and death.

Nick brought his car to a stop down the block from the abandoned warehouse. Unlike the last time he faced Davis; tonight there would be no backup and no margin for error. He un-holstered his gun and take it off safety. The rain let up as he made his way down the filthy alley. His heart thundered in his ears and his breath grew short as panic seized him. What the hell am I doing here alone? He thought. Somehow he knew Jack wasn’t far behind. Carl Davis wasn’t like the others he had encountered before; his insanity gave him an edge. That sudden rush of adrenaline just when you thought he was finished. Pain meant nothing to him and he was willing to take risks others weren’t, a trait that Nick also shared. Last time it had taken four cops and a bullet in the chest to bring him down, Nick’s bullet.

Nick reached for the door handle; the knob twisted in his hand and clicked. It was unlocked, how convenient. He held his breath and gently pushed on the battered steel door. He paused for a moment wondering what fate awaited him on the other side. The hair on the back of his neck bristled in anticipation. He pressed his back to the wall and moved slowly down the dark corridor. He cringed as rats scurried in front of him; Nick couldn’t stand rats. When he was ten, the neighborhood bully had stuffed him in a trunk with a bunch of rats, not something you forget. He still carried the physical and emotional scars from the ordeal. Had Carl Davis been the victim or the bully as a child? Had being pushed one too many times created the monster Nick now faced today? Could man’s inhumanity to man be neatly broken down to a specific time and place that unleashed the beast from within?

Nick heard the sounds of muffled voices in the distance, just a few more yards to go. There was a faint glow of light from the corridor ahead; two more doorways and then a large room after that. He had been here before, in Davis’ chamber of horrors. This was the place their fates would be decided. With his heart pounding and his adrenaline pumping he wondered why he chose a profession he’d sworn he never would. Maybe this was his way to avenge his father’s senseless murder. Nick punished all those who took something as precious as a life. With one violent mindless act they had taken a husband from a wife, a father from a son. What would he leave behind if Davis got his justice? No loving wife and son to mourn him, just Jack, and where the hell was he?

The sounds of gunfire echoed in the distance. The screams of terror brought him back to reality, he moved faster. Focus, he told himself, your life isn’t supposed to flash before your eyes until you’re dying. This couldn’t be a good sign. Nick heard a man’s voice pleading. He knew all too