Tuemckey's THE PUZZLE(Piece C)

C.The puzzle's complete, is there any piece missing?




''What does the bastard want now?'' James asked himself.Maybe he was tired of this whole letter charade and wanted to reveal himself. Step into the light and become known, shwon on tv, interviewed by newspapers. Just like any other serial killers. He wanted to be famous.
''Nah, it can't be it.''James responded to himself.
He hadn't made more than 50 yards from his apartment flat when a white van approached him, two black guys looking like bodybuilders jumped at him, spraying mace into his face and throwing his numb, non-responding body inside.No chance of calling his partners now. If there ever was a chance. The van rode with such haste and speed that it seemed the end of the world was cahsing after them and the driver and occupants were the only persons that knew about it.
Finally James could face his obsession for the past half year, see what flesh he was made of and what motives sprung behing his actions.
One hour later he had been dumped in an old and remote mansion, outside the city limits and off the recent maps. They had tied him to a chair in a cold room, listening to screams, yells and shrieks of women.
The supposed serial killer entered the room. He turned the lights on but James was still bended.
-Welcome, agent Strohm! I've been expecting you....
-Who are you, you sick degenerate bastard?
-let's not give in to vulgarities, shall we agent.I'm sure the Academy teaches its men to handle any situation they're in, dangerous or otherwise, with extreme caution and calm. That, for me at least, means a certain tone when coverstaing, a certain approach to the person you're speaking with. In this case, me. And I don't think you've shown any of the imposed rules just now.
-You're still a fucking degenerate bastard, you prick! Let me go and I'll show you manners, the same ones you've shown your victims.
-Victims? ha....Why do you want to call them that? Do you think they would want to be remembered by that name? The victim of a serial killer. Please bear in mind that all of my killings have not been casual the least, but thoroughly planned.And frankly, I'm quite proud of that...
-You're proud of being a killer? You bastard!
James still struggled to break free from the ties.
-I'll put the language to the shock and to the spray. I'm not a killer, I'm only human. No one can be given the fault for my actions, but neither I can be called by that name. Do you think I chose to end those girls' lives? Nobody chooses its own life and you know that. Did you choose your life, your job, agent Strohm?
-Yes, I did, so I can lock forever behind bars sonavabitches like you....
James spat, but his target was thin air.
-I'm starting to believe you've got a limited vocabulary, agent. Surely you can do better than that . I thought of you highly, please don't disappoint. Do you think the men you put in prison choose their fate? It is only society and lifestyle that makes them do what they do, act abnormal, as many would put it, be the outlaws.Do bear in mind that these individuals have wives, kids , families. And you, by ending their freedom, are breaking apart families.Can you imagine a girl that loves his father, although he's a...say...rapist, crying hot, sad, salty tears upon hearing the news that she doesn't have a dad anymore, cause you've locked him away. Do you choose to do that? It just happens. Do you think a blind man chooses to be blind, a deaf chooses to be deaf, a mute chooses to be mute?
-What has this got to do with your gruesome murders?
-It has got ot do a lot.You don't understand it now cause you can't see with my eyes, but i'll tell you more about that later.
-How many have you killed?
The killer didn't respond.
-Why did you bring me here?
Silence. No answer.
-Answer me, you fucking motherfucker.
-Again with that tone, agent. That's no way to talk with your counterpart..
-Counterpart my ass, you fuck! Do you wanna kill me, torture me, what?Just get this over with! I'm not writing your biography so I don't want to listen to your thoughts, ideas.I don't give a fuck about what you are and who you are. To me, you're a pathethic fuck that's trying to find himself motives for the crimes he's comitted. Aren't you?
-You're quite far and away from the truth.Tell me, what are we as humans? Are we superior beings put on earth? Are we having the right to rule earth and opress other animals or other lifeforms. cause in the end we're nothing more than the most vicious and savage animals. It's in our blood. We crave for raw food, raw flesh.Tell me, don't you find it awkward that when a car accident, a train disaster etc. happens, we as people can't do anything else but gather around the place of massacre and gaze, grinning, hungry for more.Cause we're plain hyenas and we sense death and blood from miles away and we live with the images of limbs torn apart and stomachs turned open or broken craniums. It's our natural drug. What keeps us high.If we wouldn't get this dosage this dosage we'd start killing eachother, for nothing, just to stop the urge of seeying and tasting atrocities with our eyes. It's who we are.
-What the fuck are you talking about? Are you on drugs or something? So, because you don't see enough crime reports on the daily news you've just become a killer yourself, so you can live these events in first person.
-I think you're confining me in a small box, agent.
-You're fucking right I do. It's called solitary, for 40 fucking years. That's what you deserve.
-And you might be the one to judge what anyone deserves. Then you might enlighten me on several issues. Do you think The Vietnamese deserved to be bombed by the Americans? Or the Koreans, Irakis and so on? Do you think we deserve the right to vote and after 4 years of lies we find out our vote has been lost to oblivion. Do you think Africa deserves to be raped 500 more years so that the whites can finally say ''there's nothing we can do for you anymore, we're sorry.'' Do you think those girls that I've killed deserved to die by my knives. Or the ones that wait their turn? Agent, you're mistaking alot of my discussion with you with some sort of trying to escape plea. I'm not trying to escape, cause i know I can't be caught.And I'm gonna give you answers to your questions. But you won't ask me anything.
-What kind of game is this?
-It's no game, agent.
Silence.
The room, although was very cold, temerature-wise, felt like a sauna for the police officer.
The killer was toying with his mind, probably trying to get answers from him, see how much they knew about him.The truth was they didn't know anything, or close to anything, so in case he'd make it alive, he'd use all the info to get the bastard, once and for all.
-I'm all ears, said James.
-Good, you should be.I know one of your colleagues named ''The Barbie syndrome'' book as a point of reference next to my killings.I've never actually read it, although I hear it's quite good, nor have I based anything I've done on even the rumour of it existing and its premise. Besides my girls have not been prostitutes.
How could he know of the book? James asked himself.There had been nobody from the outside at the time that conversation had taken place.And he hadn't mentioned it to nobody else outside the precinct.
-You wanna know why you feel as if you're having something stuck in your eye? It's because you do have something in your eye. I planted a microscopic camera behind your retina that's linked to the one I have. So, everything you see I see and vice-versa. But only if I want to.You probably don't remember but those nightmares that you had were images sent by me through the device in your eye.
When had that happened? He couldn't remember anyone breaking into his apartment to plant a camera in his eye. This was turning into a creepy confession, to say the least.
-The numbers of killings I've made is 17.I've got three more on my list, but you can save them. Do you like puzzles, agent? I never did like puzzles when I was a kid. All those pieces that didn't fit, then when they did, there were pieces that din't make sense withing the whole. But as yaers passed, I grew fond of them and learnt the secrets of building a puzzle, learnt the way the pieces must grow the entire picture, it's quite an art, in my opinion. And with a puzzle you can save the next 3 girls' lives. I'll tell you how you'll do this. I've cut already 3 dead girls into pieces, so you've got three sets of 2 hands each, arms, legs and so on.
James started to puke.His stomach and his mindwould not bear the torture the killer's words were inflicting on him.
-Don't worry, I've cleaned them of blood, besides they're bandaged. So, what you have to do is to put together these 3 bodies in order to save the remaining 3 ''vic-tims'' on my list. I guarantee I'll flee the city and you'll never meet me again. I can't let you get me, but at least you have saved 3 women from their deaths and at the end of the day, you're still the hero.If you're able to put just one body in its rightfully order, you'll save just one girl and so on.
James almost fainted.
-Hope you're good with puzzles.I wouldn't want you to miss this opportunity of saving these lives.No you get the chance to choose life over death and decide who deserves to live and who not to.And to make your work easyer, I'll show you the footage of the girls being choped up. Maybe that way you can remember the parts better.
The killer pressed a button on a remote he held in his right hand and soon the ligyhts were dimmed and a clip started playing. He took the bend off James' face and put a knife blade between his teeth.
-This will help you get free. I'll be upstairs, watching you all the time. After you cut the ties, you'll find the bodies in the large freezer behind the closet. I assume you'll know what to do afterwards.
The serial killer's voice sounded more familiar now than ever.Could he have been someone he'd know? Soeone close to him?
The killer closed the door behind him, looking at the officer's weapon. It fitted his hand perfectly.
-Nice gun...


TWO DAYS LATER

James gathered all his men to bring the news.
-As of today guys, the case is closed by orders of the captain.
-What? That's bullshit...
-I know, I know. It seems they think we've spent too much time and energy on it and we've gotten nothing out. Not even a single drop of truth.So please, stop chasing leads, stop scooping for witnesses or prints, it's over. I'm going home, it has been an exhaustinh half year. I suggest you do the same.
James took his coat and left the building.
Twenty minutes later another letter showed up at the precinct.
''I've decided I should do the step I had thought I'd never take. I'm giving myself up.Before it's too late, come get me. The adress is this.''
-Quick, call James. We've got him now! said Jay
But the ex in-charge officer was not to be found on the phone. Probably he had turned it off to enjoy some serenity and peace of mind for the first time in six months.
-Nevermind James, if he picks up while we're on the road we'll tell him where the spot is. Now, let's move, let's move.
The whole precinct was mobilised and a convoy of 20 police cars left the station in such rush that not even the captain knew what was going on.


The remote mansion had two levels and a basement.The only road that got there was an old country road connected to another lost on the map road.There were no means of communication within the range of 30 miles and probably not even an all-seeying satellite didn't know of the existence of this place.The house had been a heritage piece the killer had gotten from his dad. He was sometimes remembering the rants about not liking the house and wanting to sell it, but in the end he was more than happy how it turned out to be.Quite a helping hand to his actions.
The basement was the main control room and source of electricity for the house.It resembled a hi-tech bunker, filled with radio stations, police stations, custom made tracking devices and other usefull tools.The first level had three rooms, a kitchen turned into a sort of lab and a toilet that was never used.The second floor was made out of another bathroom and two more rooms. One with trophies and another, bigger one, where the last 3 remaining girls on the list were caged.
The killer entered the room.
-Hello, ladies. How's it going tonight?
All 3 were sitting on the floor, shoe-less, looking skinny and shocked.
-Let us go, you bastard! Help, help, someone please help us!
-Ah, here we go again. You know screaming won't do any good, you've tried that already. Well, this is gonna end very soon, though. The puzzle didn't work out, I'm afraid, thus I'll have to kill you.
The poor girls continued screaming, through sobs and cries.
-This depresses me. Let me put some music on.Maybe that will cheer you up.
He pressed a button on his remote control and the whole house started singing Christmas carols.
He set the speakers to maximum volume and left the room.
-I'm going to prepare myself. Bye for now.
The music was so loud that he had to put headphones on not to get disturbed. He couldn't take the screams anymore. But now he couldn't hear nothing that was going on outside either.



Jay and the rest of the crew phoned James a few more times, but still no answer.
-When we're taking this sonavabitch down, I want James there aswell. He's the one that must take the laurels in this case, he's the one with the sleepless nights due to this bastard. We go in, clean, no noise and we nail the prick. I want everyone focused and ready for action.He might send us into a trap, for all we know, so be carefull.Mike, you back David and Rick. Mark, you're going with me and the first team at the entrance. Let's do it guys, let's do it!

As the police convoy pulled closer to the mansion, there was only one window lit. They could hear the music from a hundred meters.
-Is he having a party with...carols? said Mike
-Guys, don't joke. This all might be a trap. Eyes open for everything.
The policemen rushed out of their cars, clad in bulletproof vests and gas masks.
-Go, go, go, go!
-Secure the perimeter, secure the perimeter!
Mark and Jay with the first team broke the fron t door.
-It's the police, nobody move.
The music was quite an adversary.
-Fucking music! yelled Mark
Ten seconds later they were everywhere the first level, searching the rooms, making their way inside the darkness with flashlights.
-All clear!
-Upstairs, upstairs! Go, go, go!
When they broke into the trophy room, some had to take their masks off and vomit.
-Fucking sick bastard!
-I hear screams in the next room! said Jay
The 3 girls looked like ghosts to the policemen.
-Rick, give them a blanket, quick!said Jay
He turned to the ''to-be'' victims.
-Are you alone in the house? Are you alone in the house?
But due to all the screaming the girls had no more power to talk. Besides the loud music was not allowing them understand fully the cops' questions. They just pointed down.
-Ok, guys, let's check the basement. There should be one. Double check all the rooms for weapons or bombs and get these girls somewhere safe. Call an ambulance! yelled Jay at his men.
-The fucker must be somewhere hiding.


The serail killer had heard the noises and the commotion when it was too late. As he was taking the headphones off, Jay and his men had already broke into the basement.
-Don't you move, you piece of shit! Drop the headphones, drop everything. If you've got any concealed weapons, I suggest you throw them away otherwise I'll turn your ass into Swiss cheese, you fuck.And turn off the fucking music.
The killer pressed the button and silence stood between men.
-Nowhere to hide now, huh, prick? Answer me!
The serail killer didn't react in any way, other than putting his hands over his head.
-Turn around, motherfucker! said Mike
-Why should I hide, I'm the one that called you here.....said the killer
-Turn around, he said! yelled Jay
-You don't wanna do this....the killer spoke softly.
-Wait till James sees this....said Mike
The serial killer turned around, facing the police squad. An evil grin stood on his face, looking proud and content with himself.
The policemen let their guard down for a split second.
-James, is that you!!!!!??????...........


THE END.



Appendix:
All that you've heard, read and seen
All that you wish to be and that you've been
are part of the Puzzle.

All your relatives, from nephews to nieces
Strangers you meet on streets and mates, they're all pieces
of the Puzzle.

Every breath you waste, every food you taste
Every muscle in your body or thought in your brain
You're here so don't live your life in haste
Try to figure out who's behind your shadow and what's to gain
from the Puzzle.

You might find it difficult to see it through
To realize the pieces taking form and open like a mussel
At the end you'll find out it is you
The mind behind this Puzzle.




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