Title: The Postcard Murders, Chapter 8

By: greygoose70

Part 8

Dessie began blinking her eyes trying to comprehend where she was. The sight before her was somewhat obscured but started becoming clearer when she shook out the cobwebs that had gathered in her head. "Where am I?" she was finally able to sputter out.

"Lift your head and you should be able to figure that out," a male voice from behind her said.

Dessie raised her head; she was seated at the end of a bed where two dead bodies lay. "Oh my god," she cried out.

"Told you she would know," the male voice declared, "and you owe me ten bucks."

"Why are you doing this?" Dessie stammered a touch of anger and fright in her tone.

"Because we can," another voice replied, this time it being a female voice,

"You said you wanted to interview us, so start interviewing," again it was the male voice.

"Here, you can write our answers on this," the female said handing Dessie a pad and pencil over her shoulder. "One rule though, always stay facing forward, or this will happen."

Suddenly Dessie felt a tightness around her neck and her head being jerked back, it was then just as quickly released.

"Any unwanted movement and he pulls it tighter. Got it?"

"Got it," Dessie answered taking the items the woman was handing her. That's when she felt it, her phone, they hadn't taken it from her. If she were careful, she could turn it on, and hope Rick still had his on.

"Can I take off my jacket, it's warm in here," Dessie enquired.

"Sure," she heard them replied simultaneously.

Dessie began wiggling out of her jacket always maintaining her vision straight ahead. As she retracted her left arm from its sleeve, she pulled her phone out with it, placed it between her legs then activated it making sure it was connected to the item she could feel still in her ear. She then removed her right arm while keeping hold of her phone depositing in the sleeve where it would be out of sight from her captures. She then picked up the pad and pencil and began writing.

"What are writing," the woman behind her asked. "Let me see."

"It's the answer to my first question," Dessie told her while holding up the pad so the woman could see what she had written.

The woman let out a laugh when seeing what Dessie had written.

"What does it say," the man asked?

"Because we can," the woman answered which produced a laugh from the man. "Next question," the woman said.

Rick has put his phone on speaker, is listening to the recording of the last transmission he received from the earbud that he had placed deep into Dessie' ear. The last thing he heard was Dessie yell "ouch."

"Why do you think she yell "ouch", Rick," Gabriella asked as she sat down, having just joined the others in the conference room.

"I think she was stuck with a needle, that they sedated her," he replied. Just then he heard a voice come over the speaker, it said, "what are you writing, let me see." The next voice he heard was Dessie saying, "it's the answer to my first question." There was a brief pause then a roar of laughter, after which a male voice said, "what does it say."

"Because we can," Rick and everyone else in the room heard now that they were gathered closer. The response drew a laugh from the male voice, then the female said, "next question,"

Dessie' voice came back on saying, "at some point during my interview I will want to direct my question to just one of you, so how should I address you?"

"I'm Jill," the female replied.

"And I'm Jack," the male voice said.

"Cute," Dessie commented. "So, why only young couples," was her next question.

Those in the conference room listened intently as Dessie rattled off question after question hoping to get a hint as to where she was at. They have figured out that she was at the home of the killers' latest victims, even knew their given names, Cole and Carol.

"So, where did you find Cole and Carol?" Dessie enquired.

"The Viking Museum," Jill answered.

"If they were at the Viking Museum they would have registered," Lars declared, then looked at Gabriella saying, "let's go we can be there in ten minutes," rising from his chair heading for the door.

"Less if I drive," Gabriella responded jumping up going after him.

Rick and Emily continued to listen as Dessie asked questions and her captors responded, but Rick could tell Dessie was running out of things to ask. Suddenly Rick heard the woman identified as Jill say, "okay, Q & A time is over. Jack, tie her up and blind her, she's coming this us.

"Cole and Carol Spouse!" Lars shouted into his phone. "They live in the Rotebro district north of here, we're headed there now, I've called for a SWAT team, they should be on the way within minutes."

"Great, we're headed out now," Emily replied as she and Rick race to the stairs down to the parking garage. "Here Rick, you drive," she yelled tossing him the keys.

Rick caught the Keys one handed while at the same time opening the driver's door and sliding in, Emily doing same from the passenger's side. Rich slid the key into its slot and fired up the Audi R8 V-10, 600 HP engine, popped down on the accelerator twice then dropped the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission into reverse, slammed down on the accelerator, squealing the Michelin 295/35ZR19 as he backed out, he didn't wait for the vehicle to come to a complete stop before slamming the shift lever into first gear and sped out towards the exit, again squealing the tires.

"Make for the E04, Rick. It goes right through Rotebro," Emily said activating the Audi GPS system to the 13-inch screen.

The E04 is one of Sweden's multi-lane expressways, three lanes each direction. Speed limit is 120kph (75mph), Rick is keeping the Audi at a respectable 240kph (150mph).

Rick slowed the Audi down as he enters the neighborhood were the Spouse' reside. As he passes their house he spots the red BMW coup. "That's Sylvia Munster' car, the victim in Munich," he tells Emily.

"Yeah, the plate number is a match," she replies, then says, "keep going the SWAT team should be here by now."

Rick continues on for a couple of blocks before seeing the black SWAT van, pulls up behind it and parks. A tall, well build man, in black attire, walks up, introduces himself as Captain John Mosby, SWAT commander. Rick in turn introduces himself and Emily. Just as he finished, Lars and Gabriella pulled up.

"Pleased to meet you," Rick says as he got out of the car, then taking the man's hand in his, shaking it. "Anything happening," he asks?

"Not that we've found. We've done a quick survey off the exterior, besides the front and back door, there is a rear door from the garage. All windows have the blinds drawn shut, no visibility to the inside."

"Okay, what's your plan?" Rick then enquires, then adds, "I'd like to go in as quietly as possible."

"That was my thinking as well," Mosby replies, "therefore I believe going in through the rear garage door, then into the main structure is our best way to go. I have a man that can pick the locks."

"Well, it's your show, Captain, what do say we get started," Rick conceded.

Captain Mosley walked back to where his crew waited and began giving out instructions. Rick went over to where Emily was talking with Lars and Gabriella began telling them what the plan was and assigning them to separate groups.

With everyone in position and the doors unlocked the silent entrance began. Captain Mosby radioed the others he was going in first, that once he was inside, he would signal the others to enter.

Mosby slowly and quietly opened the rear door from the garage and entered. Doing a quick scan of the area he found it empty, so he went over to the door that led into the interior of the house, and quietly opened the door there but only for a few inches. He listened for any noise but not hearing any he signaled for the teams at the back and front doors to enter.

The team at the back entry arrived first, Mosby signaled them to check and clear the rooms down the right side of the hall while he did the same on the left side. It was Mosby that discovered the bodies, "holy Jesus," he muttered softly.

Rick, who had been trailing behind stepped forward to take a look. "Just like all the others," he whispered as he now stood next to Captain Mosby.

With the house cleared everyone exited the house while Lars called for a medical examiner and forensics team.

Rick stood taking in the neighborhood, his mind in deep thought. The killers were gone, and they took Dessie with them, but why.

Just then Captain Mosby appeared telling Rick that he and his men were headed back. As he turned to leave Rick had a thought and asked him if there was a car in the garage. He received a simple "no" for an answer. He thanked Mosby then went to get with Gabriella.

"Hey Gabriella," Rick shouted to get her attention, then in his normal voice asked if the Sprouse' owned a car. Gabriella went over to her car, Rick following, got in and type in the request on the onboard computer. After a couple of moments she turned saying, "yes, a 2014 SAAB 9-5, white, License number RD-593-C."

Rick turned to find Lars and Emily behind him, immediately took in their stares and asked if Interpol had a helicopter stationed here.

"Two," they responded simultaneously.

"Why? What ya thinking?" Lars asked in return.

"What are we going to do with her," the driver asked as he continued north on the E04 highway.

"We'll let here off at a remote desolate area where she'll have a long walk to civilization. This isn't a heavily traveled road so traffic will be sparse," his female companion responded.

"I'm thinking they switched cars again and are headed north on the E04, will eventually cross over into Finland and then Russia," Rick responded.

"Okay, let me make the call," Lars said pulling out his phone. After hanging up he said, "she'll be in the air in five."

"Let's go Em," Rick announced heading for the Audi. "Channel 9," they heard Lars shout just as Rick fired up the engine and took off in a squeal of tires.

End of Chapter