The Crusader Ch. 02

"Thanks a lot Jessica," Rollie said as he turned to her. "I wasn't ready to talk to the Captain yet."

"I'm sorry," she replied not hiding her sarcasm. "But you said you wanted my help talking to Captain Mallory. I thought we could discuss your idea better if you actually talked to the Captain." Jessica looked sweet and innocent but had a wicked gleam in her blue eyes. "Damn it Rollie, this idea is just too dangerous without back up."

Rollie looked at Jessica, then into Mallory's office and back at Jessica. "You two have given me an idea," he said. "I've got to run an errand. No stay here Jess," he ordered, "I'll be back in about an hour or so."

Three days later when Jessica entered the squad room she saw Rollie in Captain Mallory's office. They were in what appeared to be a heated discussion. Finally the Captain nodded, Rollie smiled and left the office.

"The stake out is a go Doc," he said.

He's excited and ready to go undercover, Jessica thought. He doesn't seem to care about the risks involved. Rollie saw the look on her face.

"Doc, we've got to do something. We've got to stop this bastard before he attacks another woman." Rollie took her hand. "I know this could all go sideways but it's the best lead we've had. Please understand Jessica. I'm not trying to be a hero and I don't have a death wish but I don't want another woman to have to go through what our five victims have." He released her hand and in a softer and lower voice he added, "What Susan went through." "And lastly what I went through."

Jessica looked into Rollie's eyes and saw the hope and the intensity there. He's going to do this, with or without Mallory's approval or mine, she thought. The only thing I can do is get on board or get out of the way.

"Okay Rollie. I do understand. But promise me that you'll be careful." Now Jessica put her hand over his. I've worked too hard on you and I hate wasting good work," she added with a smile.

"Is that because you were my doctor or because you're Jessica?" Rollie asked returning her smile.

"We'll talk about that when this is over Rollie," Jessica replied with a smile. "I promise."

"I tell you that last gal was really sweet," Collin said to his drinking buddies. "She put up a fight until the chloroform put her under. Had the best body of the bunch."

The two men with him laughed and slapped him on the back. "Are you gonna get another one?" One of the men asked.

"Not sure just yet," was the reply. "Maybe let things die down a little first." Collin took a drink. "You know the cops formed a special task force to try and catch me don't you?"

Both men nodded and laughed. "They're never gonna catch you Collin."

"Nope. I'm too smart for them. They're tryin to figure out who and why and they never will. Hey Jim," he yelled at the bartender. "Give us another round down here."

The derelict staggered into Benny's and took his usual spot at the end of the bar. He waved at the bartender. Jim poured a shot of rot gut whiskey and drew a large draft beer, walked to the customer and sat them down in from of the bum. The bartender picked up the bills the bum had dropped on the bar. Jim didn't hang around to talk with his customer. The other times the bum had been in over the last week or so it was obvious all he wanted was his drinks; he wasn't interested in idle talk. The bar fly would repeat his order about every hour or so. Another reason the bartender didn't hang around was that the bum had a very bad case of body odor. It was apparent that he hadn't bathed or washed his clothes in some time.

That pair of jeans and shirt haven't seen a washing machine in a long time, the bartender thought. And that long rain coat may never have been cleaned. It's got stains from who knows what all down the front. I bet if he took it off it would stand in the corner all by itself. Damn shame. He's a big guy and could be decent lookin if he wasn't all shrunk down because of his drinking.

Another new regular entered the bar and took his usual booth about half way down the wall. The really big man walked with a decided limp. His right pants leg was cut off about half way between the knee and his ankle and the reason for his limp was easy to see. From knee down he had a prosthetic device instead of a leg.

"Peg-Leg" as the bartender thought of him didn't talk much either. He would order a pitcher of beer and drink slowly until it was gone. Some nights he added a shot or two of whiskey. At least he seems to have had a bath sometime in the last week or so, Jim thought. Don't know where he came from but he's seen the elephant a time or two I bet.

Collin and his two friends continued to talk, getting louder with every drink. Jake, one of Collin's friends asked, "Why are you doin this? I mean I've never heard of you doin something like this before."

"Yeah Collin, why?" Bert the other man asked.

"You remember my brother Brad don't you?"

Jake nodded his head. Bert thought for a few seconds. "Brad Thomas was your brother? I never put you two together."

"Brad attacked a woman over on the college campus one night," Collin told them. "He was broke and needed a fix, so he thought this gal would be an easy mark. But then my idiot brother got carried away and raped her."

Collin stopped to order another drink. Before he continued Jake pointed to the man in the booth and the other one at the end of the bar. "Think you ought to be talkin so loud with strangers around?"

"Those are just two bar flies. I've seen em in here for the last two weeks or so. They don't matter." Collin knocked back his whiskey and chased it with his beer.

"Anyway Brad was HIV and he gave it to the bitch. Seems her husband was a cop. He leaned on a couple of people and found out where Brad was holed up. You remember Denny? Used to run with Brad. The cop found out and followed Denny to that flea bag hotel Brad was stayin at."

"Holly shit," Jake said.

"Denny said that the cop broke into the room and started shootin at Brad," Collin continued. He said that when the shootin started he was able to sneak out of the room and get away." Collin paused for a few seconds. "That's what he claimed just before I stuck a knife in his eye for leading the cops to my brother where he was killed."

All three men downed their drinks and ordered another round.

"But that doesn't explain why you're doing all this," Bert said.

"I decided I'd punish this cop, Detective Chambers is his name, for shooting my brother by raping women to show him that he don't mean shit. That's why I choose women at colleges; just like his wife. Every time he sees a report on my attacks he'll think about his wife."

"What if they catch you?" It was Jack's turn for a question.

"If they do, I'll take care of it with this," Collin answered as he pulled back his shirt to show a 9MM pistol stuck in his belt. "I'll show that son of a bitch Chambers that I know how to shoot too."

Collin and his friends hadn't noticed the derelict from the end of the bar walking toward them and when they did they thought he was headed for the restroom which was down a hall behind them. When the bum stopped close to them, they turned to look at him.

"Collin Thomas, Police. You're under arrest for the attack and rape of five women," the bar fly said loudly.

The guy that confronted them wasn't like the derelict that had been sitting at the end of the bar. This man stood tall and spoke in a commanding voice. He also had a large handgun pointed at them. Jack and Bert backed away leaving Collin to face the cop.

"I'm Detective Chambers Thomas. Remember my name?" The office had an evil grin on his face. "Payback's a bitch and then you die."

Collin reached for his weapon but before he could get it out Rollie slapped him beside his head with his Glock. As Collin fell to the floor Jake and Burt ran for the front door.

"Hold it right there," the big man from the booth ordered. He stood holding a large pistol on the two. "If you run, you'll just die tired. Why don't y'all just get down on the floor right now?"

Jake and Bert hit the floor and their hands were quickly secured behind their backs with zip ties. "I'm Sergeant Tully you piss ants. You're under arrest so just lay there real quiet like."

"We didn't do anything," Jake complained. "Why are you arresting us?"

"Cause you're guilty of being stupid. You deserve to go to jail for hanging around with scum like Thomas," was Tully's answer.

He turned and saw Rollie with his knee in Thomas' back as he put handcuffs on him. Then he saw Rollie pull his pistol and stick the barrel to the side of the prisoner's head.

Rollie turned Thomas over so he could see his face. "I'm going to kill you right here Thomas. You hear?" Rollie's voice was filled with hate. "Just like I did your brother."

Tully started toward Rollie. He was determined that his young friend wouldn't ruin his life by stepping over the line. Before he got there he heard Rollie laugh.

"Guess you're not as mean as you thought Collin," Rollie said pointing to the front of the prisoner's pants. Collin had pissed in his pants in fear.

"Tully come get this piece of crap out of my sight," Rollie said stepping back from Thomas. "He's not worth me going to jail for."

"So what now," Jessica asked as she sat down at Rollie's desk.

It was two days after the arrest. The reports were finished, the suspect was in custody, and now the courts would take over. Rollie and the task force had done their jobs; they found and stopped the "Campus Rapist" as the media had been calling the attacker.

Rollie leaned back in his chair. "I'm going to get the best steak in town and a glass of Jack Daniels and relax. After that I'm going home to take another shower. I can't seem to feel clean enough."

"Well you didn't bath or shave for eight or nine days," Jessica said laughing. "It may take more than one or two showers to get the smell out of your nose and your mind."

"Care to join me for a steak?" Rollie looked at her and smiled. "You know I could also use some help washing my back." Rollie raised one eyebrow in a question.

Jessica saw the smile and the questioning look that Rollie gave her. Maybe he's right. Maybe his feelings are more than just a patient for his doctor.

"Okay Rollie, I'll join you for a steak and a beer," Jessica replied. "We'll discuss the other as we go along."

The End