Pandora's Children - Part 22

"It's ready," Jaci said and held it up.

"Let's go see the captain."

Jaci knocked on the door and he beckoned us in.

"You have it?" he asked. Jaci handed him the warrant. "That was a #longueur alright. Get Judge Silver. He's expecting you. The cavalry will be waiting."

***

By the time we left Judge Silver's office, it was #gloaming. Twilight had fallen and we were on our way to the house of Pandora's Children, where we would shut down the serial killer cult once and for all. It would take months, years, to figure out where the bodies were.

***

We'd already found hundreds in the #littoral, but what of all the other serial killers. Where did they bury their bodies? Capturing them all would be the easy part. The interrogations would be harder, but all the families deserved closure, and we would give it to them.

***

We pulled up a few houses down and they had #hydrangea shrubs out front. A handy landmark if we needed it. Arrayed along the street were more then a dozen police cars, marked and unmarked, two paddy wagons, and a SWAT vehicle.

We got out the car and moved into position.

***

Everyone was waiting on my order, and I didn't need any #potvalor to give it. I had adrenalin.

I raised my fist into the air and pumped it.

Floodlights lit up Grace's house and a male voice through a megaphone said, "Fort Worth Police. Come out with your hands up."

***

Their answer was fast but not unexpected. The police cars closest to the front of the house were peppered with #buckshot. We'd radioed ahead with a basic plan and instead of opening fire, SWAT shot flash bangs and smoke grenades in, and then moved forward.

We were next.

***

Time seemed to slow and it felt like a #slough for a few minutes as nothing seemed to happen, until the radio crackled to life with, "All clear."

Jaci and I ran in, only to find the house almost empty. SWAT directed us to five dead bodies, and a room with 7 live ones.

***

The #sinews in my legs strained as I crouched down to look at the bodies. I saw Dana first, neck slit. A guy I assumed was the muscle, shot. Two more executed, and then Grace of God, Daughter of Pandora, lying where she fell, foam around her mouth.

Poisoned.

***

We moved onto the live ones, all cuffed with plastic ties.

"What happened out there?"

"Clean up," one of them said.

"And you are?"

She mumbled, "#Aurora."

"Pretty name. How many have you killed?"

She opened her mouth to say something but stopped. "None yet."

***

"What about the rest of you?" I asked.

They shook their heads.

"Take them out to the truck," I said. The night was heavy was #languor as I looked at Jaci. "They escaped. Now what?"

"We interrogate the ones we have and then see if we can find the rest."

"You won't."

***