A/N: This was written in 2001 so it may suck but I thought I'd post it anyway. Enjoy!

To Catch a Killer

Crying and mourning could be heard from all over the small town in the state of Wisconsin. It was just before midnight on Friday the thirteenth of April and many people were dead, scattered among a carnival like pepper sprinkled on a fresh, steamy baked potato.

Ambulances surrounded the huge area, cattycornered in every direction. They were just starting to retrieve and clean up the bloody mess of bodies that was left from a killer who terrorized the town only two weeks before.

--

Rain pattered softly on the roof of Denise Starr's car. She was a tall woman, only 24 years old, with black hair down to her broad shoulders and deep, green eyes that could pierce through anyone's soul from her determination.

She drove slowly to work as she listened to the radio, intent on getting more information on the murder that took place two nights before. She turned up the volume when a reporter began speaking, "A young woman at the age of 28 died Saturday night on March 17th in a brutal fight for her life. Detectives still have not been able to track down the mysterious killer who they suspect already has killed two young women in the past week…"

Denise switched off her radio, tears gleaming in her eyes. One of the women murdered was her baby sister, Jasmine. She had been there the night of her murder and was almost murdered herself if it had not been for her neighbor, Johnny Frank, a former police officer.

As she drove, she could still hear her sister's cries for help, "Denise! Help me!" Then the blood curdling scream as the killer had shoved the knife in her chest.

Denise jerked the wheel to the right, dodging an oncoming car. Her thoughts had caused her to lose track of what was going on around her. Her heart was pounding in her head as she pulled to a complete stop in the nearest parking lot she found. That was it! For the sake of her sister, she was now determined to seek out the killer herself and bring him down to justice.

--

Johnny Frank pushed his glasses up on the rim of his nose. He straightened out the morning newspaper and a disturbing story caught his eye. The serial killer had struck again, "Well, I'll be," he mumbled to himself, "And still on the loose!"

"What are you mumbling about?" He turned to see his wife, Debra, enter the room with a glass of milk and a ham sandwich.

"Another woman was murdered Saturday," he replied as she passed him the food.

"Oh my…" she said, "Who?"

He took a bite of his sandwich, "They haven't released her name yet."

"Did they catch the killer?"

"Nope!" he answered, "Shame too. You know…" he fumbled in his pocked for his hanker chief then wiped his mouth, "If I was still on the police force, I would've caught him by now."

"Don't get any ideas!" she stated quickly.

"Did I say I was going to go after him?" he asked.

"No, but remember the time when you went after that thief?" she reminded him.

"That was a thief!" he implied, "This is a murderer!"

--

Denise arrived at work late but didn't really care. She had a choice to stay home or not, but she wanted something to keep her mind off her sister.

"Good Morning Denise," she heard her best friend Linda's voice and looked up.

"Well hey girl," Denise spoke as cheerfully as she could.

"I thought you were going to stay home," Linda said with concern as she shifted some file folders, stuffed with a collection of papers sticking out, from one arm to the other, "You've been through a lot in the past week."

"Yeah," she sighed.

"Why don't you go home and let me cover for you?" Linda suggested.

"No... I need something to do," she said with a weak smile, "but thanks, I appreciate it."

"No problem," Linda replied, "So, lunch at Ocean Horizon sound good to you?"

"Sure!"

"Ok well I'll see you then," she shifted the file folders again, "before I drop all this stuff. That would make a huge mess!"

Denise watched as Linda made her way over to her desk and sat down, "Yeah it would," Denise said quietly as she reached in her desk and got a quarter out of her box. She went down to the lobby and got a newspaper. As she retreated back to her desk, she read the news on the woman that was murdered.

She sat, reading the column to herself, "The sheriff, James Nation, of our county's police department, says the killer stalks his victims and strikes when they are most vulnerable."

She placed the newspaper down and leaned back in her chair, beginning to ponder. Visions of that night with her sister came once again. "Denise! Don't let him kill me!" Blood flashed before her.

Suddenly, she was startled back into reality when her boss greeted her, "Good morning Miss Starr."

Her heart was pounding in her ears as she returned his greeting, "Good morning Mr. Yost."

He went in his office and she sighed. This was going to be a long day.

--

Darkness was falling upon the small town. People were going home from hard days at work.

James Nation pinched the skin between his eyes, trying to relieve a painful headache. He had had no sleep since the serial killer had first attacked and was as alert as he could possibly be. He and his officers were expecting another murder that night.

Indeed, just past eight, there was a 911 emergency call from a woman who was crying frantically over the phone. In the background they heard an evil laugh then a gurgling sound from the woman as if her throat was slashed.

Dial tone.

After tracking the call, the police went to the house to find the dead woman covered in her thick, rich blood that oozed out of her like butter sliding out of a hot piece of corn bread...

--

Denise, at the time, was walking the neighborhood when she came upon a thin person lying on the side walk. It was a young woman.

She gasped and ran over to her, "Oh no!" was all that came from her quivering lips.

Suddenly, she heard foot steps to her left. She looked over her shoulder and the foot steps stopped.

Seeing nothing, she stood and eased away from the girl.

As she began her way back to her house, the sound of the foot steps followed. Her heart jumping to her throat and she began running.

The faster she ran, the faster the steps quickened behind her and they seemed to be closing the distance between them.

She glanced back, again seeing nothing, when she ran into someone and started screaming.

"Denise, it's me!" Johnny said covering her mouth with his hand.

"Oh... Johnny!" she was crying, "He... someone was... after me!"

"I don’t see anyone," he said looking around them.

"Someone was... I swear!"

"I believe you," he said hugging her, "Come on, let's go to the police department."

--

"Two bodies found," James said astonished as Denise and Johnny stood in his office, "And close to the same time. How can that be?"

"May I add two different neighborhoods?" Denise said.

"Yes!" James brushed the stubble on his chin with his thumb, "Hmm!"

"Do you think there is more than one killer?" Johnny asked.

"Perhaps," James said, "I've got an idea. The killer strikes young women in their 20's. Maybe we can pinpoint who his next victim is."

"Mr. Nation," Denise spoke up, "I'm 24."

"Do you think they would go after her?" Johnny asked.

"I was followed in my neighborhood," she said.

"Possibly," James continued, "Why don't we make a plan and catch this killer?"

"It's about damn time!" Denise replied angry at the thought of him killing her sister.

"All right then," James said, "Come with me."

--

Linda tried Denise's number fifty times without getting an answer, "Denise where are you?" she mumbled as she pressed the redial button.

It had been a week and on a night like this, she should be home, but every time she called, she wasn’t.

"Odd!" she said, "She hasn’t even been at work."

She gave up and leaned back on her couch, her eyes heavy with sleep. She slowly began to doze when suddenly a wire was around her neck and tightening. Someone was trying to choke her. She gasped and tried to scream for help but the wire cut off her airway. She pulled helplessly on the wire but couldn’t loosen it. She was going to die.

--

"Funny!" James said as he escorted Denise into her home, "It's been a week without a murder!"

"Because I haven’t been home," Denise stated.

"No, he would have struck by now I think," he sighed, "but who?"

Denise felt as if her heart stopped, "Linda," she gasped and ran out the door.

James followed her, "Where are you going?"

"He's going to attack Linda!" she choked on the words, "I just know it. Come on!"

They jumped in his car and went to Linda's home. Denise got out of the car and ran to the door. She hit the door until her hand hurt, "Linda!" she called, "Linda!"

"Move!" James demanded and kicked the door open.

Denise hurried in and when she found Linda dead, she screamed...

"Stop screaming!" James said.

"I'm sorry," she cried and turned to face him.

He had a wire in his hands, "Poor Denise," he said, "Fell right into my trap!"

"What?!" Denise gasped, "You... you are the killer?!"

Someone else stepped into the room wearing nothing but black. Johnny!

"Hey Denise," he said twirling a knife in his hand.

Fear gripped Denise, "You too?"

"Yep!" he said with a smirk.

"I'm not believing this," she mumbled.

"Believe it or not!" James started towards her.

She took off running through the house to the back door. Both men were on her heels as she raced out the door.

Her legs carried her to the carnival that happened to be going on at the time.

"Yes!" she said as she continued running.

So close! Just a few more yards.

"Don’t make me do this!" she heard James call from behind her.

Do what? she thought then heard a gun shot and felt a sharp pain in her left leg. She stumbled and fell, rolling a couple of times before her body stopped right next to the carnival...

--

People at the carnival heard the gun shot and turned to see a man frantically shooting anyone in his path.

Screams of terror filled the air as many bodies began dropping dead from James and Johnny's rampage.

Denise struggled to get up as the gun fire continued. She needed to get to the police. Wait! she thought. James is the sheriff!

"What do I do?" she asked herself while limping out of the target ranges of the gun fire when she collapsed and fainted from the tremendous pain.

When Denise awoke, the sound of sirens from ambulances filled her ears. She was afraid to look around but did, seeing dead bodies, decapitated body parts, and blood everywhere.

Survivors were huddled over their dead or injured loved ones, making Denise think of her sister. Tears filled her eyes but she fought back the urge to cry. Then she thought of Linda, and her anger rose toward James and Johnny. Where were they anyway?

Two days later, Denise sat in her living room, watching the news about the carnival massacre. The killers had been notified as dead and as she watched, it showed the ambulances picking up the injured bodies when something caught her eye.

In the far corner of the screen, she saw the devilish smile and piercing eyes of... James Nation.

The End?