Morningstar/Alignment by Keith Trimm (people reading books txt) 📕

On the floor he placed his shin on the back of her neck constricting her windpipe, and aimed the pistol just to the right of her ear squeezing off two quick shots making a pop, pop sound like a cap gun. He grabbed the back of a chair and lifted himself up not looking at what he had done. In a flash he was out the door and down the steps racing back to his car in the back lot of the apartments.

Chapter 12

The back door of the house opened into the garage and Alex stepped through it letting the screen door slam behind him. Light leaked in around the edges of the garage door allowing enough light for him to search for what he needed. Around the car, he walked to a rack full of garden tools hanging off the unfinished wall. He stood scanning the selection.

Running his hand back in forth along the long tools, he grasped a garden shovel, a hoe, and tree saw. Carrying the tools under one arm, he walked around to the back of his four-door sedan and unlocked the trunk allowing it to pop open. Pushing aside a roll of plastic lawn bags and his tire iron, he let the tools fall into the trunk with a clatter of metal on metal.

He placed his hands on the lid of the trunk looking down at the selection, pondering his choice. This was not the first time he had done this, but he was always looking to perfect his craft. "Rope!" he remembered and went to his workbench, unraveling it from a peg hook by the work light. The rope was tossed on top of the shovel and hoe. He once again took hold of the trunk and slammed it shut. "There, that will do it," he thought.

He looked to his watch reading, 3:10 p.m. in digital numbers. "Time to go!" he thought and scrambled into the driver’s seat. Reaching to his visor, he pushed the door opener button watching in his rear view mirror, as the door climbed up allowing in the bright sunshine from outside.

The car was started and put in reverse. He pulled out into his driveway checking for cross traffic, making his way onto the residential street. The sounds of children screaming and yelling could be heard emanating from the local elementary school three blocks away and Alex sped off in that direction.

The gray skies above did little to illuminate the dead dried leaves and brown grass left by the changing of the seasons. Alex Parsons drove slowly past the elementary school watching carefully as the children played on the swings, running, chasing each other kicking and screaming. He had circled the school several times and was starting to get nervous as one of the playground monitors took notice of him. He did not vary from his course continuing to watch the children as he slowly sped by.

It was 3:20 p.m. and school was to be let out in ten minutes. He parked his car a block from the playground hiding behind a group of trees and waited for the children to pass on their way home. He had been here and done this before, planning it in his mind over and over. All the pieces were in place. It was time for another catch.

In the distance he saw several groups of children walking away from the school and his heart began to pound. He looked in all directions trying to see if anyone was around to notice him and started the car. He had one child in particular in mind and set off to capture him

The car sped off with almost no sound, and after a few passes, pulled alongside a small child walking alone. His eyes met the boys and the car came to a stop. Alex got out of the car, came up to the boy and knelt down in front of him.

"Ryan?" he said to the small boy. "Your mother asked me to give you a ride home from school today."

The boy looked into Alex’s eyes turning to the car without saying a word. Alex had the look of someone’s father and the disposition of a kind older man. He seemed very trust worthy and the boy believed him without question. Alex ran ahead of the boy and opened the passenger side door and let him in pushing the door lock just before shutting it.

Alex got in, put the car in drive and sped off down the street. He turned quickly away from the school so that no one would spot the boy in his car and told him to slide down in the seat so he would be protected in case of an accident. He smiled at the boy and told him he would be home soon. The boy sat silent just staring out the side windows, watching the trees pass by, as they drove onward.

"How are you doing?" Alex asked the small child.

"Fine," he replied looking at the door handle.

"I’ll have you home in five minutes, don’t you worry."

The child did not answer. He just sat quietly staring up to the window.

"How old are you?" Alex asked trying to make conversation keeping the boy calm.

"Six," he replied.

"You sure don’t talk much do you?" Alex asked with a smile.

"My mommy says we are going out to eat."

"Really?" Alex said trying to sound interested. "Where are you going to?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders and refused to make eye contact.

"You like pizza?" Alex asked.

"Yes."

"Me too. Pepperoni is my favorite."

Alex took notice of a car in his rearview mirror speeding up quickly, closing the distance between them. Hot lead shot through his veins and he had to struggle to keep his composure with the boy. Through the windshield of the car behind him he saw a woman waving her arms frantically and then heard the sounds of her horn honking. He had to think fast.

Up ahead, he spied between the rows of parked cars, an alley cutting the block in two. He reached out and turned on his blinker, signaling a right turn. Slowing to a crawl, he made the turn, driving down the narrow path. He tried not to make any abrupt moves that might set her off. The woman behind him stopped honking, turning to following him just a few feet off his bumper.

He came to a stop, put the car in park and let it idle. She stopped behind him and turned her car off. Exiting the car quickly in a panic the woman raced over to Alex before he was able to get all the way out of his car and stood before him out of breath.

"Who are you?" she said trying not to yell.

Scrambling for the right lie he stated, "I’m a friend of the family and I’m doing a favor for his mother."

She looked at him with disbelief. "And your name is?" she asked.

He knew he was caught and said "Alex." He paused looking in her eyes. "And what is your name, you nosy woman?" he asked.

She was taken aback by his comment now fearing being alone in the alley with him. Her thoughts rested with the child, knowing she had to take him from this stranger.

"Cathy Anderson if you must know," she said back to him, thinking she should just scream for help.

"Well Cathy, I see we have a problem here."

She looked into his car and looked at the small child huddled down in the passenger seat. "Let me have the child" she stated firmly, "I don’t care where you go after that."

"Really? Why don’t I believe you?"

"The child is my only concern."

"I believe you," he said calmly, "You seem very sincere, I bet you have children of your own."

She refused to tell this man about her own family trying to keep the conversation on the matter at hand. "Give me the child," she reiterated.

"I don’t think I can do that."

She stepped back and looked around the alley. "There is no way you are leaving here with that child."

"I wouldn’t be so sure Cathy."

His use of her first name angered her. She stepped to the front of his car and looked down at his license plate trying to memorize it. She then looked behind his car noticing hers parked there.

"Do you think you can block me in here?" he said with a smug grin. "Are you willing to risk your life for this child?"

She didn’t think anyone would really be capable of driving over someone, playing on what compassion this man may still have. "Yes I am," she said.

"How about your three young one’s at home?"

Her eyes shot open wide. "How do you know? Have you been stalking my family?"

"Absolutely not Cathy. At least not yet," he said as his eyes began to tint red.

She stepped around to the passenger side of his car and grabbed the door handle finding it locked. He entered the car and slammed the door shut. He quickly put in the key and turned the car on. She ran to the rear of his car attempting to get to her own car. Alex put his car in reverse and waited for her to run between his rear and her front bumpers. At the right moment he slammed on his gas and rammed the woman in the legs. With a crash of metal and breaking bone the woman screamed in agony. The cars separated and she fell to the ground in a heap. He hit the gas again and crushed her torso between the cars killing her instantly.

"I guess you were willing to die for the boy," he said under his breath putting the car in drive, speeding down the alley. The young boy looked to Alex not saying a word. He just looked out his window at the trees passing by. They made it to the end of the alley, then turning out onto the brick-street.

Up ahead, Alex spotted a police car coming down the street in his direction. He kept his eyes forward and his hands firmly on the wheel, driving like the police car wasn’t there. As he neared the patrol car, he happened to make eye contact with the officer, seeing that he was locked in a stare with him. He felt that the officer had recognized him. They passed. Immediately, Alex watched in his rear view mirror, as the patrol car made a quick U-turn in the middle of the street. The patrol car’s lights turned on flashing red and blue in a rhythmic pattern and the siren blared throughout the neighborhood.

Alex panicked. He stomped on the accelerator pedal, forcing it to the floor, and spun his front wheels, shooting the car down the residential street at over 60 mph. He ran stop sign after stop sign missing several cars by inches as the patrol car followed closely behind him. The police sirens blared, as the two vehicles were shot through the streets like bullets heading for an unknown target. Alex knew he was heading for a dead end and needed to go eight blocks north in order to hit the highway and make it out of town.

He slammed on the breaks, sending the car into a slow spin. The car slid on the pavement turning slowly until it was perpendicular with the police car. It caught the brick-street and flipped repeatedly over and over, coming to rest on its roof.

Chapter 13

Tony set the newspaper on Brinkman’s desk and just shook his head.

"I had no idea." He said in disbelief. "Parsons was the one the whole time. I sat next to him