Russian Roulette

Rose Lange, daughter of recent murder victims Brian and Melissa Lange was abducted from her foster home late last night. Anyone with information is urged to come forward.

Still no leads in the case of Ailsa Harper, who was also abducted from her home. Three months have passed and the police still have no leads.T

here are also no leads in the case of Bud Morgan, a gas station attendant found shot last November, the victim of an apparent carjacking.

Xxx

Halloween 2009

Midnight drew near. Ailsa had been walking for hours. Michael had left two days ago. She was worried. They could have seen him, killed him. But she knew, deep down, that he was alive. It was time. Tonight he would bring Angel home, whatever that meant.

Soon they would be free.

Ailsa had left the barn as it began to grow dark. In the past two years, they had moved more times than she could keep track of with her hands. Most of the time, they slept in barns and shacks. Ailsa loved him, so she followed, dragging their family with her. He was all she had. The branches of fallen trees cut her legs, but she kept on.

She found them after the police had. The shack was nearly surrounded with pigs and news people. There was a small area that wasn't covered. She slipped in through the back door. The doctor and Michael were fighting while Deborah watched. The girl, probably Angel, was screaming and crying on the floor. Michael saw her standing in the corner, wearing her mask and a long white dress. Their eyes met and soon, he and the doctor were sailing through the air. Angel's screams nearly blocked out the one word Ailsa ever heard Michael say.

"Die!"

Soon, the horrifying crack of gunfire sounded. Ailsa tried to scream but nothing came out. She fell to the floor and curled into a ball. When Angela stepped out, there was more of that horrible sound. Death began to swirl around the shack and a cold feeling settled deep inside Ailsa. He was dying and she couldn't be there to make it easier. She hugged her knees to her chest, trying to hold herself together. Suddenly, Deborah appeared.

"Go to him. Come home with us."

Ailsa nodded and went outside. The air danced around her, making her skirt flutter. She knelt him and looked at his face for the first time. He was just the way she had imagined. She kissed him and felt him slip away. "Good-bye my love."

When she stood, the cops didn't fire. They had no reason to. All she was was a woman in a mask. No threat now. But they didn't know about the knife strapped to leg. She reached under her skirt and went to the body of the doctor. He was still moving. As she was about to stab him, the cracks sounded again.

Finally, she felt one hit her in the chest. She staggered back and fell onto Michael. She looked into his eyes as she felt her body start to slow.

Soon my darling.

Then, nothing.

Xxx

Brackett felt rage bubble up inside him. So many lives had been lost tonight. An innocent girl was dead. His own baby girl was gone as well. And there were surely others, dead because of the maniac that had thankfully gone to hell where he belonged.

Brackett walked over to the bodies of Myers and the mystery woman. He pushed off her mask. For a moment, he saw a young Deborah Myers.

But it wasn't. But the resemblance was there and it was strong. She was barely breathing. If they got her to the hospital soon, she might live.

"Hey Sheriff!"

It was one of his deputies, Jacob Grant. An hour ago, he had radioed in that he was lost. Now, he was found.

"What is it?"

"We found a barn a few miles east. They were standing outside." Jacob's partner, Gabby Paulson stood behind him. A little girl, maybe three years old, stood next to her. A baby was in her arms.

"Hi, what's your name?" Brackett asked.

"Boo," the little girl said. "And the baby's name is Judith."

Xxx

The end.