Chapter Fifteen

Rebecca awoke to the smell of blood and lots of it.

This was where the murders had taken place.

Mark.

Mark had brought her here. Mark had knocked her out and from the acid taste in her mouth he'd used chloroform too. How long had she been here?

She waited as her eyes became accustomed to the dark tunnel. Someone was sitting in a chair across from her, buried deep in the shadows. Rebecca tried to move but her arms were pinned above her head. She looked at her hands. They were shackled to a wall.

"There's no need in struggling."

Rebecca squinted in the direction of the voice. There wasn't enough light in the room to clearly see anything. The only thing she knew for certain was her gun was gone, and whoever was in the room was definitely not Mark.

"What did you do with Mark?" Her voice sounded hoarse even to her ears.

"Oh he's making sure your friends don't find us. Rest assured, your FBI friends aren't likely to charge to your rescue."

Rebecca prayed that wasn't true.

"He's been helping you?" The team at Magnolia Ridge was looking for one killer – not two. The realization of the errors she'd made ten years ago began falling into place.

"Oh no…I've been helping him. It seems our Mark is…what is it you profilers call it – a sadist? I found him after the first victim ten years ago, about the same time I got myself into this little jam with a hiker and I made a deal with him."

"Deal? What kind of deal?"

"Oh….I scratched his back and he, well see there was this hiker. I found her lost on the trail. Pretty little thing."

Rebecca felt the bile rise in her throat.

"Let's just say we had ourselves a party."

"You raped her?"

"She wanted it as much as me." He leaned against the chair, "Only afterward she decided there might be a little something in it for her. Started telling me how she was going to ruin my career."

"So you killed her?"

"Me? Nah…killings too messy for me."

Rebecca tried to remember the victims' name. She needed to humanize her; make him realize what he'd done, but her head was too foggy.

"You're friend Mark? Seems he has problems performing unless he gets real violent. And me? Well, let's just say I like to watch. He got rid of her and we've been in business ever since. Besides Mark's skills come in handy when these nature lovers come up here thinking they're so high and mighty. Get one of them alone and they'll damn near do anything you ask them too."

Rebecca knew any moment she'd recognize his voice. It was there – like him, in the shadows. She almost had it. Her head felt heavy, and her thoughts were jumbled. Her mouth was dry and her arms ached from the awkward position of the shackles.

"So we were right all along." Rebecca wanted to keep him talking.

"What's that?" He stood, the chair falling over, but he didn't step close enough to her for her to see him.

"Our profile, it's right."

There was a silence in the room.

"You're bluffing."

"Am I?" Rebecca fought the tremble in her voice. If she could just stall him; or better yet make him think the BAU was closer than he thought, he might make a mistake.

"We've been careful, we left no clues." He said, but Rebecca heard the hesitancy in his voice.

"Really?" She took a deep breath, "We knew whoever was taking these victims had to present themselves as little or no threat. There were no defensive wounds on any of the victims. They trusted you. And we knew we were dealing with a sadist, and that the UNSUB was probably acting out the same wounds he had suffered."

Rebecca's heart stopped as she heard a familiar sound; cuffs dangling.

"We also knew there is only one person with wounds similar to the ones found on the victims – Mark."

He was pacing. She watched his shadow move back and forth with agitation.

"And there is only one person in Colton County who could gain the trust of its residence without any suspicion, and that person is you, Sherriff Blackwolf."

A door open and a shaft of light caused her to squint.

Mark.

"She's right, Blackwolf."

Rebecca held her breath.

"What do you mean? She right?" This time there was no mistaking the panic in Blackwolf's voice.

"I just came from the Ridge. It's only a matter of time before Hotchner figures out the stab wounds on the victims match the ones Lucas Skinner gave me."

"So you tell him you always thought Skinner had an accomplice." Blackwolf's agitation was growing.

Rebecca held her breath as Mark stepped closer, in his hands a large hunting knife.

Blackwolf was racing back and forth now, stopping only to run his hand through his hair before beginning his race again.

"Stop pacing, man." Marks voice was like a caged animal.

"Stop? Stop!" Blackwolf moved towards the door, "You should have kept dumping them on the trail. I should have never allowed you to…"

Rebecca jerked as she realized the sudden rush of movement had been Mark as he plunged the knife into Blackwolf.

"Allow me? You fool. You never allowed me to do anything."

Rebecca turned her away. She couldn't watch.

She didn't know which was worse - hearing the sound of the knife plunging over and over into Sherriff Blackwolf, or the maniacal laughter from Mark as he pushed the blade in again and again.