Read Online Serial by Tim Marquitz - Free Book Online

Ironically, it was also the most effective.
    There was no time for Isaac to retaliate and plan something more horrific to draw Mendes out further and end all doubt. Even if he could pull something off, it wouldn’t carry the same weight as murdering the mayor under the noses of the police department. No, the time for territorial challenges was over.
    Mendes would die tonight.

Chapter Sixteen
    Isaac turned onto Mendes’s street just before midnight. He spied the detective’s car in his driveway. A smile stretched his lips as he loosed a quiet sigh. Isaac had gambled that Mendes would stay home and wait for the Ripper’s reply , and it looked like the gamble had paid off. A light flickered through the blinds, but no shadows moved behind them. Isaac settled in as best he could and watched the house.
    He checked his pistol for the tenth time, fingering the safety on and then back off, examining the homemade silencer he’d crafted. As much as he wanted to teach Mendes a lesson and make him suffer, he couldn’t imagine the detective making it easy. Even if he caught Mendes completely unaware, the man was still an officer. He would have weapons by his bed and would be hard to sneak up on. It was the nature of the job. Cops didn’t sleep well, paranoia inherited from the job making restful nights a wistful memory. Isaac figured he would have to shoot him and leave it at that. He couldn’t risk a mistake.
    When the inside light finally shut off, Isaac felt a tremble of excitement. Mendes had led him on a wild chase, but it was coming to a close. In just a short while, Mendes would be dead and there’d only be the Ripper. Isaac would give the town time to settle down and catch its breath, and then he’d be back.
    Just as Isaac reached for the door handle, the porch light flickered on. He cursed under his breath as Mendes stormed from the house and walked briskly to his car. Isaac saw the glimmer of his badge in the light, just before he hopped into the car and whipped out of the driveway. He drove off without a glance back. Isaac followed, waiting until it was safe to turn on his headlights.
    His heart pounded as he tailed the detective. Wherever Mendes was going, he was in a hurry. There was none of the overt law abidance of the last time. Though, he only drove slightly above the speed limit, and he zipped in and out of traffic and seemed to use his turn signals as an afterthought, signaling only some of the time. He got on the highway and immediately shifted to the far-left lane, heading toward the east side of town. His driving made it much easier for Isaac to keep tabs on him.
    The road stretched out before him as he followed, the Horizon exit zipping past before he wondered where Mendes was going. While there were a number of tiny pit stops along the way, there was pretty much nothing between there and Midland-Odessa. Isaac’s excitement grew, his hands tapping the wheel in unconscious anticipation. Mendes was leading him out into the desert.
    Isaac grasped the wheel tighter to stop the shake of his hands and breathed slowly to temper his bloodlust. While trailing Mendes on the highway was simple, if he turned off into the desert things would become much more difficult. Isaac didn’t believe the detective knew he was behind him, but there was always a chance he did. Isaac had to be prepared.
    Finally, at a construction turnaround, Mendes slipped off the highway and onto the narrow service road. Isaac eased onto the shoulder of the overpass and shut his lights off. He watched as Mendes continued on, suddenly turning right into the desert on a road Isaac couldn’t see. He smiled. While he couldn’t see the road, the detective’s taillights were a beacon he’d have no problem following.
    Isaac watched as the car slowed and drove farther and farther into the distance. He plotted the direction and location and waited, the height of the overpass giving him a clear view. The night was moonlit and bright with stars, and he