-1"He killed a cat?" Jimmy asked. "Do you remember how to find this place?"

Skeeter nodded. "Yeah . . . It was so out in the open though. It doesn't seem like the type of place where you would take a teenager to kill her."

"Maybe they didn't do it there," Kenny replied. "They could have met there, and once he had her, he could have taken her anywhere. This isn't a big place."

"It didn't have that stench of death either," Pete put in. "Like when blood soaks into the soil?"

"We're going back out there," Jimmy declared. "We still have a few hours of daylight left. I want the area around this grove searched. I'm betting he didn't take them too far away to kill them. Lets go."

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"Well that's something," Max mused aloud, putting all of her weight on her left leg and walking slowly across the living room. "It's a little easier now . . . At least something good happened today."

Kenny's going to freak, she thought, if I tell him about what happened today. Go way into overprotective mode, but the guy was so psychotic. What happened with us? I swear in my next life I'm coming back with a rock. A nice, boring, rock.

"Look, I got a 100% on my test," Nate cried, bounding into the room. "On division!"

Max forced herself to smile. "That's great, I know you studied hard for it. Good job."

"Can we put it on the fridge?"

She nodded, and followed him slowly into the kitchen. Can I really do this, she thought, can I really be a stay at home Mom? Damn Kenny for even putting this idea into my head . . . still, it's been okay. Good even, being able to be with Lindsay all day, Em after preschool, and Nate and Samantha after school. I can't believe I'm even considering this. This is never what I wanted. Groaning internally, she knew that they had to talk.

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"Fresh blood," Jimmy said, kneeling down on where Jordan killed the cat. "Where did he take it when he left?"

"Over there," Pete pointed. "He tucked it under his coat, and then buried behind those rocks."

"I'll get started on the excavating," Carter interjected, walking his team back there. "What do you bet the knife marks on the cat match the ones on the girls?"

Jimmy nodded in agreement, as he motioned to the woods. "Kenny, Skeeter, come with me. There is a group of caves about a half mile from here that we're going to take a look at. We're burning day light people!"

"He didn't bury it very deep," Carter trailed off, looking down at the shallow grave. "And it wasn't buried alone either. Hold up a minute Jimmy. There are a couple of animal carcasses here, and this cat was just tossed on top of a mass grave of them."

"Keep digging," Jimmy instructed, as the smell hit him. "I want to know what's down there Carter. Radio us if you find anything else. We're going into those caves."

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"Aunt Maxie?" Samantha asked hesitantly from the doorway. "Can I talk to you? If you're not too busy?"

Max shot her a quick grin, as she tucked the letter that her Mom sent her all those months ago back into her book. "Of course you can. What's going on?"

Samantha took a deep breath before joining her on the couch. "Can they hear us?"

"Emily and Lindsay? I don't think they understand much," Max trailed off. "Why? Is everything okay at school?"

"They're leaving me alone," Samantha conceded. "Um, I heard a rumor though. I don't know if it's true or not . . . But I want to know. You'd know, right? And you would tell me?"

"What are you talking about?," Max asked carefully, knowing despite everyone's best efforts the press got its claws into the story. "Sometimes rumors are just rumors. They don't always have to mean something."

"Those girls who disappeared and killed . . . some from my school. I heard that someone took all their skin off, and people are saying it was some cult. And Jordan. Is he going to do that to me too?"

"Oh, Sweetie," Max said softly, "He's never going to hurt you. I promise he won't."

"Is he doing this?"

Max paused, not wanting to lie to her. "I don't know . . . That's what Kenny and everyone else is working to find out. And they will. No one else is going to die."

Samantha nodded slowly. "Are you two fighting because of me?"

"What? No, of course not," Max insisted. "We fight because . . . sometimes we just do."

"Is that a grown up thing? I mean my Mom and Dad fought, but they never told me and Nate why. Do adults not like to talk about it with kids?"

"You're pretty smart," Max trailed off. "Samantha . . . Are you okay? I know life has been tough for a while."

"I'm fine. I'm promise."

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"I think we found it," Skeeter said, looking around the dark cave. "What the hell is this place?"

"It looks like a torture chamber," Kenny trailed off, looking at the chains on the wall. "That looks like blood over there."

"And there," Jimmy added. "That's a pentagram too, and over there . . . What's that circle of rocks?"

"They talked about a sacred circle in the Moneviles," Skeeter interjected. "That their god would rise from when enough sacred blood was spilled. It doesn't look so sacred to me."

"These carvings on the wall too," Kenny added. "Snakes, other reptiles, and some sort of figures. It looks like their carving each other up in their carvings too. Then feeding them to the snakes . . . this is twisted."

Jimmy took one more look around the cave, before radioing for back up. "We're doing a sweep of this place. I want everything documented. We're going to get this guy."

"Over there," Kenny said pointing, walking toward the back of the cave. "Would you look at that . . . Who are all of these people?"

"And who dropped them on their heads when they were kids?" Skeeter added joining him. "Whoa. I'm glad that I didn't have a big lunch . . . Shit."

Jimmy came up behind them, and tried not to blanch at the pile of shed skins. "Carter's on his way. It's not all human. Still . . . He's going to need a bigger team."

"Why would they keep it?" Skeeter trailed off, trying to control his churning stomach. "It's skin . . . Look, it's all dead and flaky. It's a sick trophy to keep."

"This whole thing is sick," Kenny agreed, looking around the cave as the back up and Carter arrived.

Jimmy nodded in agreement, as everyone moved in.

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"Mom? Are you okay?" Zach asked walking into the living room. "Mom?"

"Zach. I didn't hear you come in," Jill trailed off, as she looked up. "How was school today."

"Fine. I have a big test in biology next week," he replied. "It's weird there now. Everyone is talking."

Jill nodded. "That isn't surprising. Given all that has been happening around here lately. Did you know any of the girls who disappeared?"

"Not really. They were a couple of years younger then me," Zach said looking away. "Has Dad said anything? I mean kids are saying it's Jordan Bradshaw and his friends. Is it? I mean does Dad think it is?"

Jill shook her head. "He's looking at all possible angles, like he always does. How well do you know Jordan? He's not a friend of yours, is he?"

"No," Zach insisted, looking away. "He's kind of bully, and not to bright about it. I've heard things too . . . that he likes to date younger girls and do stuff to them."

"Like Samantha Richardson?"

"Yeah. She's a nice girl, Mom. Really pretty and smart, and she isn't afraid of him. Any of them."

"You sound like you have a crush on her."

"Mom! She's 14!"

"A very mature 14," Jill teased, pushing her concerns about her job out of her thoughts for a moment, "But still 14, and she's had a lot of upheaval in her life recently. You're 16, Sweetheart, and that is a big age difference right now."

"I don't want to date her. I just like her that's all. I want to be her friend!"

Jill smiled. "Well I'm glad. She is a nice girl, and she should have a friend like you. You should invite her over sometime."

Zach nodded. "I might . . . Why aren't you at work? Are you sick?"

Jill sighed. "Your father and I have been meaning to talk to you about that. Have a seat, and I'll fill you in."

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"Someone had a few too many drinks tonight," Skeeter said, giving Max a grim look, as he supported a slurring and stumbling Kenny. "Sorry about that, but hey you're looking good. It's great to see you walking again."

"Thanks," Max said, trying not to laugh at piss drunk husband. "Thanks for bringing him home . . . What were you guys drinking anyway? Grain alcohol?"

"Hey, it was a rough day," Pete interjected. "Where do you want us to put him?"

"Um, the couch is fine," Max replied, not wanting to wake the kids up. "I'm going to get a bowl or something in case he pukes."

"I got it," Pete said, heading toward the kitchen. "Aren't you supposed to be resting too?"

Max groaned. "I'm not broken. What happened today?"

Skeeter grinned at her. "Apparently not. You're sure you want to know? It wasn't pretty, and you're . . . well you're on leave for a reason."

"Yeah, maternity leave," Max countered, watching Kenny doze off.

"And how is Lindsay?" Skeeter asked, changing the subject, and nodding toward Kenny. "Someone is a really proud Dad. I never thought I'd see the day . . . The pictures don't do her justice."

Max couldn't help but smile. "She's beautiful, a screamer though. Don't change the subject either."

"Only if you sit," Skeeter conceded. "You need to take care of yourself better then this."

"You're all driving me crazy," Max replied, joining him on the other couch. "Especially him."

"It's only because we care," Skeeter countered. "We found the spot today where the girls were killed. You know the grove road, the one that leads of into the woods? Well there are some caves there, and . . . well that was the spot."

"God," Max said softly, seeing why they all had gotten drunk. "It was bad?"

"Very," he replied. "It had that stench, you know the one. And it had all these carvings on the wall, and skins. The girls and animals, just piled up. It was horrid, but it gave us some leads at least, and we've got the area staked out. We're getting closer."

"How . . . I mean, how did you find it?"

"We followed Jordan Bradshaw there . . . and he killed a cat."

"A cat? Did you pick the son of a bitch up?"

"No law against killing a cat, and he didn't go into the cave. He stayed in the woods, in this circle of trees. He buried it there, on top of a pile of animal carcasses."

"What's going on in this town? I mean seriously . . . And these are children."

"I wish I knew," Skeeter agreed. "Are you going to be all right here?"

"Of course," she replied, following his gaze over at her passed out husband. "Thanks for bringing him home Skeeter. I owe you."

"Come back to work soon, and I'd be forever in your debt. We're short staffed as it is."

"I'm trying to," Max replied, walking the two men out. That is a conversation I'm not looking forward to having. "Thanks again."

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"What's going on?" a voice whispered in the darkness. "How could you let them find it? It's a sacred place, and it's been ruined! Ruined by your incompetence!"

"I didn't know! I went there to gather my strength! I didn't see them!"

"Fool," another voice chimed in. "Do you know how close we are to being discovered. They know where we found the girls, and we need a new way!"

"I have one! She'll be perfect, and this is all her fault anyway. I wanted to save her, cherish her, but we need one now. It's almost time."

"We'll get her," a voice boomed from the corner. "Everyone will gather, and we'll do our sacrifice. We won't be stopped this time."

"Never," all the voices agreed.

"Now, we must punish him for his mistake. Come my son."

"Please. It won't happen again!"

"I know that. Look at me!"

The boy looked up, just as the knife entered his stomach.

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"Max," Kenny groaned the next morning, hearing the noise around him and he realized he was on their couch. "Shit, my head."

Max tried not to giggle at his expression and the way his hair stuck up all over his head. "How are you feeling?"

"I wish I was dead," he answered, groaning again. "What the hell was I thinking?"

"I heard it was a rough day," Max replied. "Uh, Skeeter told me what you guys found yesterday. He brought you home last night."

"Ugh. You look like you're about to laugh."

"You smell like a brewery."

"Is that a hint to go take a shower?"

"I've never been that subtle," Max replied, joining him on the couch. "Sorry you had to see all of that yesterday. It didn't sound good."

"It wasn't," he agreed. "I'm glad that you didn't have too."

Max ignored the bait. "I'm sure you are . . . Maybe this will be the break that you're looking for."

"Yeah," he agreed, looking at her bleary eyed. "I don't want to go back in today. I feel like I'm gonna puke. What?"

"I've got to tell you something," Max trailed off, thinking of her conversation with Jackson Bradshaw. "It can wait though. Go shower and stuff, you'll feel better. And smell better."

He regarded her skeptically before replying. "You okay?"

"Yeah, go," she replied, as Nate and Em came bounding into the room. "Or you'll probably won't get a chance to later. Hi guys."

"Mama," Em cried, crawling into her lap. "Daddy! Stay!"

"In a minute," he promised, tousling Nate's hair as he left and shooting Max a look. "I'll be back."

Max shook her head as he left, and snatched the phone up as it rang. "Hello? Can you hold on a second? Em, you're crushing me."

Shifting Em to her other hip, she looked over at Nate who was laughing with Lindsay. "Hi? Are you still there?"

"Max?," Jimmy asked. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, sorry," she said, as Em crawled to the other side of the couch. "What's up?"

"Is Kenny around?"

"He's in the shower," Max replied, leaning back against the cushions. "I guess you all had a late night?"

"We did," Jimmy confirmed, still grimacing from his talking to from Jill. "Go easy on him."

"Oh, he's paying for it now."

Jimmy sighed. "Have him call me at the station when he's down okay? How are you feeling? And Lindsay?"

"Good, both of us. She's getting bigger every day."

"Hurry back. Bye Max," he said, as she watched Kenny come back down.

"Bye," she said, hanging up and turning back to her husband. "Call Jimmy."

"I'll get on that," he said, scooping Lindsay up in his arms, and joining Max on the couch. "What's going on with you, Honey?"

Max shot Nate a look, before turning back to him. "Ah, I think it might have to wait."

"Nate," Kenny said. "Want to do me a favor?"

"Okay."

Kenny grinned despite his pounding head. "Could you run upstairs and get Lindsays bear? And make sure Samantha is out of bed?"

Max shook her head as Nate bounded toward the stairs. "I wish I had that much energy. What bear?"

Kenny shrugged. "Sorry about last night . . . What is it?"

Max swallowed, as she told him about her conversation with Dr. Bradshaw.

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"Shit," Pete said under his breath. "This changes things. A lot. The one day I got on patrol alone. Shit."

Reaching for his radio, he called back to the station quickly. Walking around the body quickly, he tried to control his raging stomach. How many people have to die, he wondered, how many? And where do we go from here?

"Maybe we were wrong the whole time," he spoke aloud, just to hear the sound of his own voice back on the grove access road. Hearing the silence echo around him. "Hurry up, Guys."

"He didn't hurt you?" Kenny asked. "Honey? He didn't do anything?"

Max shrugged. "He tried to sound menacing, but it really didn't come across that way."

"He threatened you and the kids. I don't take that lightly, and neither should you."

"I don't," she retorted. "He wanted you to back off from the investigation by threatening me. He won't do anything Kenny because it'll just make his kid look more guilty. You know that as well as I do."

"You really want to take that chance?"

"Well what do you want me to do? Go into hiding? Lock the kids in their rooms?"

"You think that this is funny? After everything we've been through you should take this seriously."

"That isn't fair. The whole world isn't going to come crashing down over one assholes comments."

"Max, there is a good chance that it's his son doing this. And from what you just said, and from what he said to Jill, it sounds like he might be involved as well. I don't want you anywhere near him."

She sat back, "Do you really think that I'm so incompetent that I can't take care of myself?"

"Of course I don't."

"Then stop acting like you do! I'm not some fragile piece of glass that's going to shatter," she trailed off. "I thought you knew me better then that."

"It's different now!"

"Why? Because we have kids, or what happened to Josh? Maybe because I'm handicapped at the moment? What? Will you stop treating me like I'm broken, Kenny? I'm still me, and I'm sick of you treating me like I'm some pathetic, sniveling victim all of the time!"

"Sorry for caring about what happens to you!"

"It's more then that, and you know it! You've been after me to quit my job since before Lindsay was born," she retorted. "When we first got together you told me what you wanted in a wife, and well I'm not it. I've never been the sweet, wholesome, homemaker you wanted me to be. Is this what this is all about? You finally have a chance to have that?"

"Don't be stupid, Max."

"So now I'm stupid and incompetent? What do you want from me?"

"Sometimes I wonder," he spat back. "Maybe we were a mistake in the first place."

"Yeah maybe we were."

"I'll get that," Kenny said, grabbing the ringing phone. "Hello? Hi Jimmy. Yeah, I'm coming. Bye."

Max turned away, and tried to control her pounding heart. What happened to us, she wondered, everyday it's something else. What the hell happened?

"I gotta go," he said, breaking into her thoughts. "I'll see you tonight."

"Fine. Bye."

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"It's Jordan Bradshaw," Jimmy said. "Stabbed to death apparently, but that'll be Carter's call."

Kenny nodded, trying to put his fight with Max in the back of his mind. "What do you bet the same knife was used to kill him and the girls?"

"I'd say it was likely," Jimmy agreed. "Although he wasn't skinned."

"You think his cult friends found out he was the one that led us to this spot, and this was his pay back?," Kenny asked,. "They take their secrecy seriously, and that cave . . . well it's pretty damning evidence to them."

"Whoever them is," Jimmy replied, looking around the crime scene. "Poor kid probably didn't know what he was in for when he signed up with them. Not that he deserves any sympathy, but these cults have a way of brainwashing people."

Kenny nodded. "What about Vessella? He did used to be a cult leader, and he might have some insight."

"Or he might have killed him," Jimmy added. "I want to talk to his friends too."

"You might want to try his father," Kenny added, as he filled in what Max had told him earlier, minus their scuffle afterward. "What do you think?"

"The guy is a piece of work," Jimmy trailed off. "It sounds like she gave him a piece of her mind too."

"She's nuts. The guy threatens her and the kids, and she just goes at it with him? In her condition? I don't get her sometimes," Kenny replied distantly. "She couldn't leave well enough alone."

Jimmy paused, looking Kenny over carefully. "Max is pretty smart, and I'm actually surprised she didn't slug the guy."

Kenny just shook his head, and changed the subject. "Did anyone go talk to the guy yet?"

"Don't worry about it," Jimmy said quickly, not liking his demeanor. "We're done here, let's head back to the station."

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Max leaned back against the seat of her jeep, after dropping all of the kids off and sighed. We can't keep fighting like this, she thought, all we're doing is pushing each other away. We just had a baby for gods sake, as she looked over at a happy Lindsay in her car seat.

"Shit," she said, as she jumped at the knock on her window. "Hi, Jill."

"You looked like you were sleeping," Jill said in way of greeting. "Although someone is awake in the back seat. Hi, Cutie."

Max couldn't help but smile as she followed Jill's gaze. "She's been remarkably well behaved today. What's up?"

"I hear that she's loud. Where are you heading? You want to go and get a cup of coffee or something?"

"Are you okay?"

Jill shook her head. "Not exactly. Meet you around the corner?"

"Sure. Five minutes?"

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"I demand action!" Jackson Bradshaw crowed in Jimmy's office, "You said that my son was a killer, and now look what happened!"

"We're doing everything that we can," Jimmy said quietly. "We'll catch the person who did this."

"Just like you caught the person who killed those little girls? Why don't you try going after criminals Sheriff? It might make all of the difference in solving crimes!"

Jimmy bit his tongue. "Why don't you have a seat Dr. Bradshaw? I've been meaning to have a word with you anyway."

"Is it about your wife? Or your crippled deputy?"

"What you did to Jill is reprehensible," Jimmy said lowly. "And we're taking you to court for it. You can't threaten my wife or my deputy to deter out investigation."

"It didn't seem to make much of a difference in your investigation, and I use that term loosely. You owe me now. You people got my son killed! All because you're too incompetent to find the real criminals."

"You can get out of my office," Jimmy said flatly, opening the door. "I'm sorry for your loss, we'll be in touch."