The Crucifix Killer - Chris Carter [134]
‘A snuff movie joint? Very classy.’ His eyes fixed on D-King.
‘Oh you’re quick,’ D-King said, before noticing Hunter’s derisive look. ‘Wait a second. You think I run this fucked-up operation? Oh hell no.’
Hunter’s eyes moved over to the three naked men standing against the south wall and then to a shirtless Jerome. ‘So you folks having a little party? Getting down with it?’ He teased, putting on a silly, nasal voice.
‘Oh, you’re in the mood to be funny?’ D-King asked, cocking his shotgun. ‘What the fuck are you doing here, Detective?’
‘I was in the neighborhood. This is one of my favorite hangouts.’
‘You’re in a pretty fucked-up position to be cracking jokes,’ Jerome warned him.
Hunter’s eyes shifted to the three men.
‘My question still stands, Detective,’ D-King said. ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’
Hunter kept silent.
‘Wait a second,’ D-King said, squinting his eyes. ‘You slick motherfucker. You wanted me to do your job for you, ain’t that right?’
Jerome looked confused. ‘What?’
‘He knew I’d be going after whoever hurt Jenny with everything I had, so he sat still with his eye on me waiting for me to do all the hard work, waiting for me to scan the streets for him so he could turn up at the last minute and take the glory.’
‘Not quite like that,’ Hunter replied.
‘Well, I’ve got some bad news for you, Detective. The girl in your computer picture isn’t Jenny. Your maniac killer didn’t get to her. These three cocksuckers did.’ He pointed to the three naked men. ‘They raped, tortured and sodomized her before ripping her neck open. I’ve got it all on film.’ The anger was back in D-King’s voice and he exploded in a new violent rage slamming his shotgun barrel into the lower abdomen of the tattooed man for a second time. Hunter watched.
‘Tie them to the chairs,’ D-King commanded, tilting his head towards Warren.
‘You’re a policeman, do something,’ the one with glasses pleaded.
‘Shut the fuck up,’ Warren shot back, punching the man in the mouth.
‘He’s right,’ Hunter intervened. ‘I can’t just allow you to take your vengeance any way you want to.’
‘Stay the fuck out of this, Detective. This ain’t your show.’
‘I’m making it my show.’
D-King looked around the room with a sarcastic smile on his lips. ‘I think you’ll find you’re outnumbered, Detective. What do you think you can do?’
‘And if he’s got back-up boss?’ Jerome asked.
‘He doesn’t. If he did they’d be down here already,’ D-King said, throwing Hunter a defiant look.
‘Tie them up,’ D-King commanded again.
A couple of minutes later the three naked men sat tied to metal chairs in the center of the room.
‘Look, you’re not in the wrong yet,’ Hunter said, taking a step closer to D-King. ‘This still hasn’t gotten out of hand. Let me take them in. Let the law deal with them. They’ll rot in jail.’
‘If I were you I’d stand still,’ Warren said, lifting his gun and aiming at Hunter’s head.
‘If you were me you’d be good-looking,’ Hunter shot back. ‘D-King, I know you’re upset by what they did to Jenny, but we can solve this the right way.’
D-King let out a loud laugh. ‘Somehow “upset” doesn’t quite say it. And this is the right way. Let me bring it to you real, Detective Hunter. The law will allow them to walk and you know it. They’ll turn this thing around using some bullshit technicality as they always do. If you take them in, you’ve gotta take us in and that ain’t happening, baby. Sorry, Hunter, we’ve gotta deal with them our way.’
‘I can’t just stand here and watch you kill them.’
‘Close your eyes then. You’re not even supposed to be here. These people kidnap, rape,