The Weakness In Me
By
Anthony Esposito
Prologue
8th september 2005
Deputy Kelly Slater had just finished one of the biggest cases of his career in the Sheriff's department of his home town of Cold Springs.
He'd managed to rescue one of the missing girls kidnapped by the Serial Killer known as the "Collector".
Over a period of several months the The Collector had kidnapped and tortured over fourteen women aged between sixteen and twenty-nine throughout the western half of the state.
He would keep them until he got bored or just simply found a new playmate. He seemed to be able to roam the area with impunity, carefully selecting his victims, there seemed to be no end to his reign of terror. Until, that is, one of the imprisoned women somehow overpowered him, fought back and managed to break free.
With the information she had given the Sheriff's office, local and state police, and the FBI, the net was closing in . It was one of those lucky breaks, a fortunate incident, completely divorced from the investigation which always seems to solve serial killer cases. They were on to him.
Dorothy Bowden, the putative victim who had escaped, had given them a detailed description of the hell hole in which she was subjected to mental and physical agony, where she was coerced into gratifying a sociopath's twisted needs. Simply put it was a den of sexual torture and humiliation.
Sheriff Howson brought their cruiser to a stand about quarter of a mile away from the abandoned mine. Slater and Howson exited the vehicle and opened the trunk of the cruiser. Their trunk seemed to contain the entire arsenal of Cold Springs Sheriff's Department, and then some. Howson had deputised six other men from town who were on their way. The FBI task force were also sending their men.
"What the hell are you staring at Son?" Howson asked.
"Sorry Sheriff, I guess I froze, we are trained for situations like this one but you never believe that day will come".
"I've been Sheriff of this shitty town for the past twenty six years and I can count on one hand how many times I have had to fire my weapon. But this is it son, if you're going to freeze better to do it out here and not in there".
"What about the Feds?" asks Slater.
"I've spoken to Special Agent Frank Carson, they're meeting us here."
"Don't you think we should wait for backup."
"We know there is at least one other woman inside there, she may not have that long, so waiting is not an option, we go in son. Besides, this is our town. We didn't ask to be caught up in this travelling-killer shit, but it looks like it's all going to end here, this is our place and our people."
They checked their weapons, then without anymore hesitation they started to make their way towards the cavernous entrance.
A few dozen metres inside the passageway divided in two.
"It seems we have come to an impasse son, you go that way." The Sheriff points to his right.
Slater was puzzled. "Maybe I should go left sir, it's wider and let's be honest, I'm quite a bit bigger than you."
"We've got no time to argue son, you go right, I'll take left."
Slater did as he was told. They went their separate ways.
Outside, a small army was beginning to gather as agents and deputies arrived. The two G-men who emerged from the black SUV soon took control.
"Listen up we have at least one other female hostage inside plus two of our own so shoot only if absolutely necessary. Let's get this son of a bitch."
Slater reached the end of the path and faced a dead end, he slowly turned around and starts to make his way back. He quickly drew his firearm and pointed it straight ahead. "Sheriff' he whispered. No answer. Slater noticed a little tunnel off to his right which he'd failed to spot.
Realising there was no one close by he holstered his firearm and crawled on all fours into the tunnel. It quickly widened and he could now stand up easily, he could see a set of metal double doors. Trying to stay as quiet as possible so as not to draw attention to himself he examined the padlocked doors. He could find no way to open them. This has to be it, he thought as he knocked the door with the butt of his pistol.
Without thinking one of the girls inside started to scream, thinking she had finally been rescued, which made Slater act more hastily.
"Stand away from the door." he shouted.
Pfft. Slater shot the padlock and opened the door. He came face to face with an emaciated young woman, nude apart from a pair of filthy panties.
"Don't be alarmed. My name is Deputy Kelly Slater, I am with the sheriff's office."
Slater gave the frightened girl his police jacket to cover up. "Are you okay to move?" she just nodded in response. "What's your name?" Slater whispered. Still no answer. Do you know if there any other girls here?" she pointed to a second metal door in the wall behind her.
"Fuck it." he shot the lock on the second metal door. There was a second girl in there, curled up, petrified, whimpering. "It's okay." said Slater as he approached the frightened girl.
"Jesus Christ you only look around Sixteen." said Slater.
The frightened girl pointed behind Slater causing him to jump to the floor. He turned and fired off a single shot and instantly killed the first female, who was about to stab him in the back. "What the fuck?" he exclaimed as he turned around and stared at the second girl. It slowly became apparent to Slater that the first girl was a part of a trap, a decoy. Which meant that the killer had anticipated his presence.
"Thank you," Slater said, "what's your name?"
"Shaye Jackson," she said, her tone of voice betraying terror.
Slater helped her to her feet, took off the jacket he gave the first girl and put it around Shaye.
Back outside Special Agent Frank carson asked his colleagues: "How many shots was that?'
"It sounded like two," said one of the agents, Michael Vincent.
"Okay let's split up you two go left, myself and Pete will go right, Alex you wait outside."
Slater was looking around, trying to make sense of his surroundings, when he noticed some light coming from up ahead. He decided to head in that direction, rather than return the way he came. Shaye grabbed Slater's arm as he walked. He turned to look at her, but there is no way she would let go now. They came to an exit which led them into the woods.
As they left the mines Slater heard something behind him, he turned quickly as he instinctively pointed his weapon, only to find that it's the sheriff.
"Jesus Sheriff, I could have killed you."
Slater asked Shaye to remain there while he talked with the Sheriff. Slater noticed the black SUV as he walked over to the Sheriff. "Where the hell are the feds?" asked Slater.
"They must be inside I haven't seen anyone" the Sheriff responds blankly.
After the Sheriff spoke, Slater heard Shaye gasping trembling behind him, he turned around slowly to face her. Her expression was one of complete terror and Slater noticed urine dripping down her legs onto the grass. Slater turned back to the Sheriff quickly, only this time the gun was pointed at him.
"Be smart now son." said the Sheriff.
"Don't you call me that."
Slater slowly moved towards Shaye, positioning himself directly between the two of them.
"I never wanted it to end this way son, don't look at me like that. I'm holding the fucking gun so I get to call you what I want. It was so easy, but you had to keep looking and digging. You just couldn't let it go, could you?'
The Sheriff started to backtrack to his cruiser, still pointing his firearm at Slater. Slater tried to rush him, but the Sheriff fired off a shot causing Slater to take cover which gave the Sheriff enough time to speed of in his cruiser.
Special Agent Carson came out running and found the body of Agent Alex Wilson at the entrance. Slater got to his feet as Shaye ran towards him, grabbing his arm for the second time.
"It was fucking Sheriff Howson all this Goddamn time, that fucker has played me from the start."
"Do you have any idea where he may go?"
"He has a hunting lodge a few miles from here."
"Kelly you're needed here." Carson looked in the direction of Shaye. "Let my Agents take the lead, you're too close to this."
"Is she going to be okay?' Slater asked the paramedic taking Shaye to the ambulance.
"She is bruised and battered, dehydrated and malnourished. I have only given her a quick once over but I can tell she has been tortured no end. Does anyone actually get over this sort of trauma? But we will know more when we get her back to the hospital."
"Thank you" said Slater. "Can you please keep me updated?'
Slater felt his phone vibrate.
"Honey can I call you back this is kind of a bad time?"
"Of course you can honey, but I don't know if she will be alive later." Sheriff Howson said down the line.
"Howson!" Slater yells, But the line goes dead. "My family! Frank, I need a vehicle now."
"I'll drive. Where we going."
"Home, he has my wife."
It took them around ten minutes to reach Slater's house. "Take the back." Frank said.
"No you take the back, I'm going through the front." Slater immediately leaped out of the car and ran straight to the front bay window - and dived through it.
"Shit, kid." Frank said.
Distraught, angry, desperate Slater frantically shouted "Becca, Becca it's me honey, call out."
He made it through the front of the house with Frank covering the back. He indicated to Frank that he was heading upstairs.
All the bedroom doors, including his own, were closed. Slater just stood in front of his bedroom door, unprepared for what maybe behind it. After a few pusillanimous seconds he kicked the door open and was confronted with a scene of horror.
Having secured the house, finding no sign of the Sheriff, Frank entered the bedroom. Slater was on the edge of his double bed, cradling the body of his dead wife. Becca had been shot between the eyes.