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He stood back and watched the flames lick at the funeral pyre he had created. His fury abated he had loving wrapped her cold body and placed her tenderly on the wooden platform he had built for this very purpose. The tongues of flame danced along the edge of the oilskin wrapped, gasoline soaked body before it was engulfed in a whooshing fireball that brought a joyous smile to his face, lighting up the early morning sky. He tore his eyes from the spectacle that was giving him so much pleasure to glance longingly at the seven other charred and twisted remains. He knew that soon there wouldn’t be much left of this one. His mind drifted from the blue hot flames in front of him to a plan formulating in his mind.
He knelt on the ground rubbing his ankle, his downcast eyes glittering with the pleasure of the search. It was too easy to convince them that he was trustworthy, far too easy to get their assistance. Especially if they thought he was injured. It didn’t usually take long, a kind hearted gentle soul would stop and ask him if he needed help and sealed her own fate. After all he was a good looking, well dressed man on a popular upper class jogging track. His face handsome but forgettable he blended in perfectly and was just one of the multitude of joggers to the others. A grin creased his brow as he heard the approach of what was obviously a small female, he could tell by the smaller lighter steps that she would only be a small woman. This one would be an easy catch indeed. “Are you okay?” she spoke captivating him with her soft southern lilt “Apart from being stupid” he laughed as he straightened up “Yeah just twisted my ankle” “Can I help you with anything?” she spoke again. The delicately husky tones of her voice ensuring his rapt attention and deepening his desire for her to be the one. Spinning his web around her he smiled engagingly, before he spoke again “A pretty little thing like you” he spoke gently “I’d likely squash you if you tried to help me” he paused “I’ll just catch my breath here for a minute and then hobble on over to that bench” he gestured with his head towards the bench about 50 feet away from them. “I’m stronger than I appear” she smiled, completely unaware of the way her silver blonde hair pulled back in a loose pony tail and her make up free face gave her the appearance of a high school senior and made her all the more appealing to the man whom she was trying to assist. “I’ll just bet you are” he smiled back realising that now all he had to do was reel her in. “I’m sure I’m strong enough to assist you to the bench Mr…..” she stated “Jerry” he extended a hand to her, which she met in a firm handshake, his eyes travelling down the length of her slim firm body. “You can call me Stormy” she spoke using the hated nickname but feeling decidedly uncomfortable with the way this man was perusing her body so openly. She cast her trained eye over him cataloguing the information with a practised ease that should have frightened her. A big man, bigger than many of her acquaintance she judged him at about 6’3”, thick shaggy dark hair and a handsome yet nondescript face, the kind of face that you thought was nice and then forgot as soon as you saw another. Brown eyes and tanned skin, broad shoulders. He obviously spent a lot of time working out. In fact judging by the strength of the hold he had on her shoulders, she had no fear that he could snap her in two without even raising a sweat. “This is very kind of you Stormy” he spoke as she waited by his side for him to settle onto the bench, their progress had been slow and halting but they had made it there. “Not a problem Jerry” she smiled at him “I’d like to show my appreciation” he looked up at her innocently “Can I buy you a coffee?” he gestured towards the small coffee shop that sat across the street from them. “I’d love to Jerry” she apologised “But I was waiting for a friend” she gestured with her finger “And he’s late as usual but he is here now” Tempest had never thought she would ever be as glad to see her new partner as she was now, as she watched his graceful agile jog along the track, making his way toward her, a frown marring his handsome features. “Thanks for the offer” she murmured extending a hand to him wincing as he clasped her hand in a crushing handshake, her eyes transfixed by the tattoo of a butterfly in the soft flesh between his thumb and forefinger. “Another time Stormy” he spoke a hint of anger in his voice as he realised that his plan and his hunger for the young woman who had helped him was being foiled. Tempest offered him a wave as she moved to join Ezra on the jogging track, falling perfectly in stride with him as they fell into a comfortable pace. “I don’t know how I let you talk me into this” he drawled smoothly as they ran “Who is your friend?” he gestured in the gestured they had just run from “I’m not sure” she answered “But I’m glad you decided to show up” They ran in companionable silence, by the time they passed the bench that Tempest had left her new acquaintance at again he was gone. Scanning the area quickly she was sure she saw him being helped into a late model pick up truck by a young woman. A woman who if she had been paying closer attention she would have realised bore a startling resemblance to her. Shaking off the concerns she held about the man in her mind she resumed the run she was beginning to enjoy, pushing her partner and herself had turned into a fun way to spend the morning.
AUSTIN FBI OFFICES: AM
John Mathews knocked on the office door and entered by invitation of the gruff voice within. He saw Chris Larabee studying a file, a frown on his face. "Another one missing, right?" he asked as the Agent looked up from the file. "Yep. But tell me, why does this fall in FBI jurisdiction? It's a missing person case. That's under local jurisdiction." Chris inquired, still trying to put together all the puzzle pieces as to why Agent Mathews had been sent here. "You read the files. Someone has been kidnapping women clear across the southern states. And all we ever find are their charred remains." "And you think that he has made his way to Austin? And he's responsible for the disappearance of these women?" "So far he has traveled in a straight line. That line heads right to Austin. I'd say it's possible, if not likely, that our man has struck right here already." "Tell my agents that we'll meet in the conference room in one hour." Chris turned back to the file in front of him as John stood and moved out of the office. AUSTIN FBI OFFICES
"No Cassidy.....for the last time your not going down to the creek to swim. That's way to dangerous". Kelly rolled her eyes in frustration as her niece continued her pleading from the other end of the phone. "I'll tell ya what. If you'll let me get off of this phone and do my job I'll take you for a swim when I get home. How's that?". She held the phone away from her ear as a riot of excited squeals burst from the receiver. Kelly cut her eyes upwards as a finger tapped the desk in front of her. Looking up Buck was leaning casually against her desk. "OK....gotta go kid". She returned her attention to Buck as she hung up the phone. "What can I do for ya Agent Wilmington?"she asked with a chill in her voice. He stared appraisingly. "Did figure you for the family type.Running around keeping up with a husband and kids". Kelly held up her left hand for inspection. "Do you see anything remotely resembling a wedding band?" Buck hesitantly shook his head. "No but since when does that mean anything?" "Since now" . Kelly fought the wave of agitation that overwhelmed her whenever Buck Wilmington opened his mouth. "No husband no kids. Got it?"she hissed. "And just what type did you figure me for?" "Look I'm sorry I just heard you on the phone. Sounded to me like you were talking to your kid"he rushed to explain. "Kid is right but not mine. She's my niece if you must know". "Fine! I was just trying to make small talk. Hell I thought most women like talkin about their families" Buck huffed. "Wilmington my families is the last thing I want to talk about". Kelly looked up and noticed Agent Tanner and his new partner taking an interest in the verbal sparing match between her and Buck. "Seems were drawing and audience. I think we should get some work done instead of harassing each other" Kelly suggested. "Whatever you say Agent Allen". Buck gave her a sarcastic smile. "Chris wants the whole team assembled in the conference room so I would move it if you don't want on his bad side this morning". Buck turned and strode down the row of desks towards the conference room. Kelly stood and quickly followed her infuriating partner. AUSTIN FBI OFFICES
Kathryn looked at the two sparring agents and shook her head. Hearing the order they were needed in the conference room she shuffled several things around her desk in order to find a steno pad and grabbed a pen. She looked up to Vin and nodded. He rose from his desk and started heading towards the conference room. Not knowing where it was located she trotted to catch up with him and followed him to the larger room. "Is this a new case?" she asked Vin nervously. *Why am I so nervous,* she thought furiously to herself. *All this is is a basic conference.* "Yeah, looks like it," Vin answered and glanced in her direction. Once inside she saw some of the other agents settling themselves around the table getting ready for the meeting. They took two seats, settled down, and waited for the others to arrive. AUSTIN FBI OFFICES
Tempest watched the other agents meandering into the conference room and knew that she had a few moments yet. Standing she smoothed her gray trousers, running her tiny hands around her waistband checking that her dusky pink blouse was correctly tucked. Moving her hands to her hair she checked that her hair was still in its loose chignon, before running them over the loose knot of the creamy sweater she wore over her shoulders in deference to the cooler morning and evening weather. She smiled as she realised that the only thing that set her aside from the Versace wearing, Bollinger guzzling socialites her mother would like to see her part of was her footwear. Scuffed brown London Underground Boots didn’t exactly match her Donna Karan ensemble but at least they were comfortable and got the job done. Her only concession to the ordinary if far from mundane employment she had sought. “Certainly Mr Standish” she smiled. She had vowed that she wouldn’t like the quietly arrogant man that had been made her partner. She had admired him for years, but that didn’t mean she had to like him. “After you” he smiled and gestured for her to precede him into the conference room “Any inkling what this little soiree entails” Tempest spoke as she passed in front of him and into the room "I’m afraid I may” he nodded as he pulled the high backed leather look office chair from the table, waiting for her to take her seat before he took his own. ~~~~~~ Chris passed his gaze over the 12 other people in the room and drew a deep breath, he knew that this was going to be a difficult case for them, but there was no other team better suited to work it then they were. “We’ve got a new case team” Chris spoke his softly authoritative voice capturing everyone’s attention “What is it this time?” Nathan asked, he had noticed Chris’s almost reticence to announce the case so he figured it had to be bad. “We think it’s a serial” Chris allowed his flinty green gaze to peruse every person in the room, gauging from their reactions or lack of how difficult this case would be to work. “ How have we been so fortunate that the press haven’t swarmed all over it” Tempest turned wide eyes on her team leader. “They don’t know yet” he answered swiftly “But I’ll let John fill you in” he took his seat allowing John the full attention of the team John stood and moved to the whiteboard a bundle of pictures in his hand quickly affixing 18 pictures of attractive young women to the board with magnetic strips. “These we believe are his victims” “We believe?” JD asked softly his eyes flickering across the beautiful young women in the pictures on the board “We have not a shred of evidence linking the cases” John spoke almost regretfully “Except for his signature” he shook his head “And that only applies to these cases “He pointed to the first eleven photos” “Why those?” Ash asked not really wanting to hear the answer “We have found their bodies” John sat back in his chair and watched the rest of the team “What’s the signature?” Vin asked “He cuts off the young woman’s betrothal finger and then incinerates her” Ezra spoke quietly never lifting his eyes from the table The silence that shrouded the table after Ezra’s soft words was almost deafening. “How do you know that?” John asked his eyes boring into the top of Ezra’s downcast head Dinah Mallory Victim 1, Claire Harrington Victim 3 and Melanie Pickering Victim 7, I worked on the cases while I was in Atlanta I was also on the case of Michelle Baker Victim 8 but the dental records were inconclusive in establishing her identity’ “Then we have a more than decent start on the case” John nodded at Chris signifying he was finished speaking as he pushed files towards each of the agents. “The info is basically in the file” Chris stated watching them closely “What’s the short story?” Josiah looked up from the crime scene photos “18 potential victims. 11 definite. All young Caucasian females. The youngest was 16 the oldest 32. 8 victims in Atlanta. 3 victims in Savannah. 7 possible here. He seems to use the Bundy MO” “Which is?” ash frowned baffled by the aggression and hate that was displayed in the file in front of her. "He feigns an injury and preys on human kindness” Ezra spoke softly “We can’t be sure of that, however, because their last hours are sketchy at best” John shook his head as he shuffled a flyer around the table toward the agents. “This young lady was reported missing this morning” he looked down at the smiling beauty “Desiree Martin” he read from the flyer “17. honour student, star athlete, happy at home. She went jogging yesterday morning” “I believe he has another victim” Ezra spoke flatly 
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