AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Whatever the cause, she had to act quickly. Otherwise, the evidence would dissipate.
“Okay, sir,” Olivia replied, her voice firm despite the lingering traces of sleepiness. “I'll get there as soon as I can.”
After hanging up the phone, Olivia gathered her belongings, then rushed out of her office and into the night. On her way to the scene, she called Michael.
Michael answered on the third ring. “Hey.”
“There’s a fire in Parkside Woods. Eaton wants it looked at now. Waverly FD has it tamped down.”
“All right, I’ll meet you there in about fifteen minutes. Be careful.” He yawned.
Twenty
The arsonist's voice echoed in the dimly lit room as they addressed the former secretary of the town council. Their words dripped with venom as they laid out the accusations against her and the rest of the council.
“For your crimes of corruption, malpractice, falsifying, and mishandling documents related to land deeds, property ownership, zoning permits, and civil agreements,” the arsonist began, voice low and menacing. “This involves forgery, embezzlement, tampering with records, and taking bribes in exchange for manipulating the town's paperwork.”
The former secretary's eyes widened. “I’m sorry. Please, let me go.”
The arsonist continued, their tone growing more intense with each word. “And I hold the entire town council in contempt for denying me my future,” they declared, their voice trembling with anger and resentment.
The former secretary broke out into a sweat.
“I’m sure you never imagined that your actions—driven by greed and ambition—would have such far-reaching consequences. Now, you can only hang your head in shame, knowing you brought this upon yourself, along with your fellow council members.
“I sentence you to death.” With that, they raised their weapon and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit its target, and the former town council secretary left the world.
With that part of their work complete, the arsonist sat at their worktable. They had perfected their incendiary devices. Each now fit in a small aspirin bottle. They filled their backpack.
Her body weighed little as they removed her clothing and placed her in a black bag, which they dropped into a trunk. The afternoon rain had turned the night sky dark. They drove into the parking lot of Waverly Junction’s large warehouse club.
Leaving their car, they approached the sliding front doors, a backpack slung over their left shoulder. They grabbed a basket and headed inside. The store was busy, filled with people shopping after work for dinner odds and ends as well as the upcoming Halloween holiday. They grabbed laundry detergent, toothpaste, shampoo, batteries, oatmeal, canned tomatoes, a couple of novels and a container of chocolate chip cookies.
As they moved through the store, they also placed small aspirin bottles discreetly behind items on the shelves. “Popcorn will be fun,” they chuckled as they placed some behind canned corn.
After checking out, they returned to their car and waited. They saw the front doors explode, heard the first cries and saw people begin to run from the store. They checked their watch. They knew the Waverly Junction Fire Department response times by heart. They had four minutes.
They drove to the back of the building. Store staff and patrons were jumping from the loading dock. They pulled into an empty bay in the blind spot of the camera. Popping open their trunk, they slipped on a turnout coat and bunker pants, lifted the body bag into their arms and grabbed a can of kerosene. No one would notice a firefighter during a fire.
They opened the bag and tucked the body below the refrigeration unit power supply. Quickly, they doused the body with the accelerant and lit it on fire. They placed two more aspirin bottles beneath the refrigeration unit. Assured the fire was roaring around the body and throughout the enormous building, they retreated, stopping only to shut down the standpipe, cutting off the water to the sprinkler system. Content as the firetrucks began to respond, they faded into the background.
* * *
Luke knocked firmly on Jackson's office door, his voice carrying through the wood as he called out, “Hey, we're out of laundry detergent. Can Monica and I head to the warehouse club to pick up some more? And do we need anything else while we're out?”
Jackson opened the door, tossing Luke a wad of cash as he rattled off a list of breakfast essentials. “Grab some more eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancake syrup. We'll have a big breakfast,” he instructed, a hint of anticipation in his voice. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed his Tahoe keys to Luke, trusting him with the truck and the shopping.
As Luke caught the keys with practiced ease, Jackson exchanged a knowing glance with Monica Dawson as they prepared to depart on their errand. He knew they were developing a budding relationship. With a quick nod of acknowledgment, they headed out into the crisp October night air, the promise of a hearty breakfast fueling their mission.
Jackson lay down on his bunk. He’d been going nonstop.
Suddenly, the shrill ring of the firehouse phone pierced the air, jolting him to a sitting position. He picked up quickly. “Station 3.”
“Jackson,” Luke's voice crackled over the line, urgency palpable in every word. “There's an explosion and fire at the Waverly Junction Consumer Club. We need all available units on scene, ASAP.” As he listened to Luke, he heard explosions and screams.
“Get as many people out as you can, then get to the Tahoe. There should be extra gear inside,” Jackson ordered.
He ran to his office and went over the radio. “This is Captain Jackson Reynolds, Battalion 1, Station 3,” he announced, his words carrying the weight of command. “There is an explosion and fire at the Waverly Junction Consumer Club. Requesting immediate assistance from all available units. Repeat, there is an explosion and fire at the Waverly Junction Consumer Club. Need backup now.”
