CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Ellie frantically sucked in what air she could around the tight gag jammed inside her mouth. In desperation, she tried to keep the fear at bay. Her nostrils quivered with the effort. The shock at being tasered gradually subsided and she cautiously turned her head to one side in an effort to orientate herself.
Spying a sink and a chest freezer, her gaze dropped to the floor. It widened as she recognized a pile of pale wood shavings. She was in Lex Wilson’s shed. She was sure of it. The smell of paint burned her nostrils.
She lay on the workbench in the middle of the room. Her hands were pinned to her sides and something heavy pressed across her chest, holding her captive. She lifted her head as far as she could and saw that a thick rope had been tied around her middle, the pressure so immense, it felt like she was suffocating.
The tightness of the rope, combined with the impenetrable rag in her mouth nearly severed all contact with oxygen and her desperate lungs fought to breathe.
A shadow fell across her field of vision. Wilson appeared at her side. His eyes held a wild glint of anticipation and a fresh wave of terror washed over her.
“So, Detective Cooper. Welcome to my workshop. How are you feeling?”
How the hell did he know who she was? A shiver of terror arced through her. She twisted her head from side to side, groaning against the gag—her only weapon, the scorching heat of her gaze.
“Now, now, now. That’s not the way to greet me. I feel like I’ve known you for so long. I feel like we’ve been friends forever.”
She stared at him in confusion.
He leaned down close beside her head and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I was going to keep Angelina’s head, you know. All that honey-blond hair. I even sawed it off her in anticipation of adding it to my collection. But something held me back. There was something not quite right about it. I decided to wait for something special.” His fingers caressed her cheek again. “Something very special.”
Moaning in horror, she turned her face away.
And saw it.
The wall of newspaper clippings.
The picture of Angelina Caruso’s head.
The photo of her jewelry.
The story about Josie Ward, picturing her grieving parents.
Sally Batten’s mother, desolate in her huge armchair.
So many others Ellie didn’t recognize…
A close-up photo of Jamie’s mangled pram.
She gasped and blinked her eyes to clear them, certain she’d got it wrong, but the article was still there. The one that showed her being held back by a paramedic, her face bleak with agony and despair.
Oh, God, it was him. He was the one who’d killed Jamie.
Bile rose in her throat, threatening to choke her. She coughed and gasped and tried to dislodge the revulsion that blocked her airways. Her head spun and lights sparkled behind her closed eyelids. She was suffocating.
And then she was exploding with pain.
Lex’s fist connected with her rib cage, snapping bone beneath his knuckles.
“Breathe, Detective. I don’t want you dying too early and missing out on all the fun.”
Despite the agony, she struggled against the ropes that bound her, knowing her time was running out. A knife appeared in Lex’s hand, the blade glinting in the light. He moved closer and cold steel pressed against her neck.
She gasped in ice-cold fear. White-hot heat seared her neck and blood trickled down the side of her throat. Shivering with panic, she tried not to choke on the rag in her mouth. He grabbed hold of her head and ran the knife lightly across her throat, from one side to the other.
“I guess I could do it right now. Make it quick and easy, like I was with the others. But then, they weren’t quite as special as you.”
There was a wildness in his eyes that drove terror straight through her heart. Fear got the better of her and she felt her bladder give way.
“Fuck! You pissed on my table! You fucking pissed on my table!”
This time, his fist connected with her stomach. Pain crashed through her, setting her nerve endings on fire.
“You’re going to fucking pay for that, bitch.”
The door to the shed opened. Relief poured through her. Wilson looked up in surprise.
Clayton!
No, not him. Someone else.
A moment later, her captor sighed in pleasure and a wide grin stretched across his bearded face.
“Michelle, my sweet. What a lovely surprise. I’ve often wondered if you missed it as much as I did.”
The woman Ellie had spoken to earlier—spoken to and had entirely discounted—appeared in front of Ellie, a frown of concern marring her face.
As if oblivious to her unease, Wilson smiled at his wife. “I’ve saved the best till last, my sweet wife. Isn’t she the most magnificent creation you’ve ever seen?”
He indicated Ellie on the workbench and Michelle stepped closer. Her eyes widened in recognition, replaced quickly by fear.
“Lex! How could you? This one’s with the police. Why did you have to bring her home?”
He shrugged. “I know, my sweet, but what was I to do? She climbed into my car, right when I needed her.” He shrugged again. “What was I to do?”
Michelle didn’t look convinced and Ellie prayed fervently with what little strength she had left that the woman would intervene.
“It’s too risky, Lex. You need to let her go. She was here earlier, asking about you. Someone will know she was here. They will come looking.”
Wilson appeared to weigh up the wisdom of her words. Ellie held her breath, desperate for anything that would delay the inevitable. At last, Lex let out a sigh and nodded.
“You’re right. It’s too risky. But I can’t just let her go. She knows too much.” He looked around the shed. “She’s seen too much.”
“Please Lex, let her go. Think of me. Think of our girls. You need to stop.”
“Yes, you’re right. Of course, you’re right. I’ll take her to the theme park. No one will think to look for her there.”
Ellie frowned, her mind in a turmoil. The theme park? What were they talking about?”
Michelle’s shoulders slumped on a loud sigh. “This is it, Lex. This is the last time. It must stop.” Her gaze burned with determination. “We’ll go and see someone—a doctor—someone who can help you.”
Ellie held her breath. Lex moved closer to his wife. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Okay,” he whispered. “It’s over. I promise. Just as soon as I get rid of this one. It’s for the best. For everyone.”
Michelle nodded, her expression one of sad resignation. “All right. Go, but hurry home. I’ll stay here, in case the police come calling. Can you handle her on your own?”
“Of course.”
“What are you going to do with her?”
“I only want her head. After that, I will get rid of her.”
Michelle gave a short nod of agreement. “So be it.”
The woman turned and left the shed as silently as she’d entered. Working quickly now, Lex loosened the rope that held Ellie bound to the workbench and eased her into a sitting position. Her arms remained tied behind her back.
Lex pulled the Taser gun out of his pocket and pressed it against her heart.
“We’re going for another ride. One false move and I’ll shoot you. At this close range, there’s no guarantee you’ll survive. Do you understand?”
Ellie drew in a breath to speak and choked on the filthy rag. Giving up the effort to communicate verbally, she nodded.
Lex’s eyes glittered in anticipation. “You’re going to love where I’m taking you. It’s so much better this way. What better way to celebrate my finest achievement than from the top of the old rollercoaster?”
* * *
Clayton checked the magazine of his gun for the third time and drew in a deep breath in an effort to steady his trembling fingers. He knew Ben’s concern about his involvement in the search for Ellie was well founded and he would have probably reacted the same way. But he couldn’t sit at the station waiting, wondering what was happening while the woman he loved was in the hands of a psychopathic murderer.
Not a sound could be heard from inside the shed that sat non-threateningly in the darkness that surrounded Wilson’s backyard. They only had Ellie’s ambiguous text to point them in this direction, but everyone at the station, including Clayton, agreed it was the place the made the most sense.
Wilson needed a place to take his victims. The other girls had been butchered someplace other than the location where they’d been found. It had always been Clayton’s premise that the killer they hunted had a house of his own.
He caught the eye of Harry Turner, the head of their hastily assembled TRG squad. A single nod. It was time.
In silence, the other squad members took their positions. Clayton watched while Harry counted them down. Moments later, the yard was filled with noise.
“Go! Go! Go!”
The door to the shed burst open and the room was filled with TRG officers, shouting and yelling and pointing guns. Clayton’s gaze zeroed in on the workbench in the middle of the room. Apart from a rope as thick as his arm, the table was empty.
Moving closer, he smelled the acrid odor of urine mixed with the smell of paint fumes. A wet patch marked the wooden bench. Small, dark stains that looked suspiciously like blood also marred the surface.
He looked around, spotting three chest freezers and various tools that had been left out on the bench that ran along the opposite side of the shed. A tin of pink paint sat amongst a pile of wood shavings.
They’d found him. But where was Ellie?
With a feeling of foreboding, Clayton strode over to one of the freezers. Gritting his teeth, he lifted the lid.
“Holy fuck!” The expletive was muttered by Turner, his tone thick with shock and disbelief as he peered around Clayton at the contents of the freezer. “Are they…?” His voice faded off.
Clayton stared at what he presumed were the legs of Sally Batten and nodded grimly. “I’m afraid so.”
Wishing he could find relief in the fact that they’d at last identified their killer, Clayton turned away from the sad display before him. Ellie was missing. As far as he knew, she was with the monster who took pleasure carving up women while they were still alive.
Fear cramped his belly. He glanced over at Turner and saw the newspaper clippings.
The blood drained from his face.
* * *
Ellie stared out the window of the taxi and prayed for a miracle. Hopes of Clayton finding her were fading fast. She’d prayed that he’d decode the text she’d sent him and head over to Wilson’s house, but now that they’d left the property, she knew he’d never locate her in time.
There was no way he’d even think to look for her at the derelict theme park that used to house Australia’s Wonderland. Not being from Sydney, he probably wasn’t even aware it existed.
The park had been closed for years. It had been inhabited by homeless wanderers from time to time and went through cycles of being a hangout for drug dealers, but by and large, it was considered abandoned and would never find its way onto most peoples’ radar.
Moving slightly on the seat, Ellie struggled to find a more comfortable position. Her arms were still bound, but Wilson had retied them in front of her, explaining that he would need her to help him by pulling herself up into the carriage of the roller coaster.
“You can see for miles up there,” he’d smiled. “It’s the best view in Sydney. What better way to complete my creation?”
She’d shuddered at the madness that gleamed in his eyes and had turned away from him, refusing to allow him the satisfaction of seeing the desolation and despair that threatened to overwhelm her.
She shifted her weight again and frowned at the lump beneath her bottom. Working her hands closer toward the offending object, she realized her phone was still in the pocket of her jacket.
Her heart clenched with elation and was immediately followed by disappointment. She couldn’t possibly get it out and use it with her hands bound the way they were… Or could she?
Her life was at stake. She refused to give up without a fight. She snuck a glance at Wilson. His attention was fixed on the road in front of him. He hummed a tune she didn’t recognize. A slight smile played around his lips. He appeared lost in his thoughts, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
She inched her hands in the direction of her jacket pocket and walked her fingers beneath her until she finally came into contact with her phone. Her heart skipped a beat. As carefully as she could, she grasped the phone between two fingers and pulled, praying desperately that her grip would hold. Inch by inch, the phone moved toward her hand. At last, she’d tugged it far enough out of her pocket that her fingers could close around it.
She wanted to collapse in relief, but retrieving the phone was only half the battle.
Peeking at Wilson from beneath her lashes, Ellie was confident his attention still remained elsewhere. With the phone now grasped firmly in her right hand, she brought it to her lap and glanced down. As quickly as she could, she opened a new message screen and typed a one-word message to Clayton.
* * *
Clayton dragged his hand through his hair for the umpteenth time and clamped his jaw shut on another curse. The officers around him gave him a wide berth, their faces reflecting his frustration and fear.
Lex Wilson had only one known place of abode. A computer search under his wife’s name had come up with nothing. After examining every inch of the backyard shed, Clayton and the TRG members had pounded on the door that led to the house, demanding entry.
A confused and half-asleep woman had met them at the door. After identifying herself as Michelle Wilson, she’d denied any knowledge of her husband’s whereabouts, claiming that the last time she’d seen him had been earlier in the afternoon, right before he’d left for work.
After searching the premises and finding nothing but a couple of sleeping children, the men had reluctantly withdrawn and by tacit agreement had headed back to the station to regroup.
Clayton clenched his fists in an effort to stop himself from driving one of them through the nearest wall. He needed to hit something, anything. Hard. Not knowing Ellie’s whereabouts was driving him beyond the point of reason. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d stared at his phone, willing it to conjure some form of contact from her, but it had remained agonizingly silent. If it hadn’t been for Ben’s cautioning frown, he’d probably have lost all control.
He’d never felt so scared and helpless in all of his life. Ellie was out there somewhere with a madman and he didn’t have a clue how to find her. The beep of his phone inside his shirt pocket sent his pulse skyrocketing. He fumbled in his haste to drag it out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen and his heart went into overdrive. It was a text from Ellie.
1derlnd.
Frustration surged through him. What the fuck did that mean?
“Ben!” Clayton covered the distance to Ben’s office in four large strides. “Ben!”
Ben stepped out through the doorway, his face lined with fatigue. “What is it, Clayton?”
“Ellie’s sent me another text.”
“Oh, thank God! That means she’s still alive. What did she say?”
“That’s just it,” Clayton growled. “It doesn’t make sense.” He showed the phone to Ben.
Ben looked at the screen and frowned. “Onedrlnd?”
Luke strode up. “What’s happened?”
“Clayton received a text from Ellie.”
“Oh, thank Christ,” Luke breathed. “Let’s hope it’s truly from her.”
“Yeah, well, she could have been a little less cryptic,” Clayton said.
“What did she say?” Luke asked.
“Look, the number one dr lnd,” Clayton replied.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
Luke fell silent. A few moments later, he clicked his fingers, excitement exploding across his face. “I’ve got it! It’s text for Wonderland, Australia’s Wonderland! The theme park at Mt Druitt.”
“What theme park?” Clayton asked, impatience sharpening his words.
“It was huge when I was a teenager. We used to love going there on the weekend. It was Sydney’s answer to Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. Unfortunately, the owners couldn’t make it pay.” He shrugged. “It’s been closed for nearly a decade.”
“So what’s there now?” Clayton asked.
“I don’t know. Most of it was demolished, but I think the old roller coaster’s still there.”
“We get calls every now and then from people complaining of unsavory types hanging around there,” Ben added. “The place is surrounded by an eight-foot fence, but you know how it is, there are ways and means.”
“Is it possible Wilson could have taken Ellie there?” Though it wasn’t easy, Clayton curbed his instinctive urge to jump into the nearest squad car and hightail it to the theme park. He waited.
Ben frowned in thought and then nodded. “It’s possible, especially if he’s been there before. He may have cut a hole in the fence. There’s no security monitoring it, so breaking in is relatively easy if you have access to wire cutters.”
Clayton’s heart rate picked up its pace. “How far away is it?”
“About twenty minutes or so,” Luke supplied. “Less if we use the sirens.”
Adrenaline poured through Clayton’s veins. He stared at Ben and waited for the man’s approval.
“Let’s do it.”
Clayton spun on his heel and strode back into the squad room. Ben called to the men who lounged against various pieces of furniture and quickly brought them up to speed. The air filled with electric anticipation as officers readied for the task ahead.
Clayton checked the weapon he’d been issued and collected his Kevlar vest. With his heart hammering, his thoughts turned to Ellie. He sent a silent prayer heavenward that they weren’t too late.
* * *
Lex brought the taxi to a stop outside the high wire fence that surrounded the old theme park and ordered Ellie from the car. Eyeing the Taser gun balefully, she did the best she could to exit the car without falling. The bindings cut into her wrists and she’d long since lost feeling in her fingers.
There had been a moment when Wilson had pulled into a gas station. Hope had flared in her heart. She’d thought frantically of a way to escape, or at the very least, to attract someone’s attention.
But the place was deserted and Wilson had parked as far away from the console operator’s window as possible. He’d locked the car on his exit and paid for his gas with a credit card at the pump. The whole episode took less than five minutes. The disappointment of not making good her escape had almost suffocated her when Wilson climbed back into the driver’s seat and continued on their way.
She thought about Clayton and the text she’d sent him and hoped desperately that he understood. Otherwise, there was no way anyone would find her. He was her only hope.
With a large flashlight in one hand and the Taser gun in the other, held close to her side, Lex nudged her forward. Barefooted, Ellie stumbled on a sharp rock that bit into the soft skin of her foot. She cried out and almost fell.
“Keep moving!” Lex shouted and prodded her forward. Drawing in a quick breath, Ellie’s ribs burned in protest. She bit down on a gasp of pain and continued on until the dark shadow of the old roller coaster loomed ahead of her. Like the vertebrae of a forgotten dinosaur, it was silhouetted against the night.
As they moved closer, Ellie made out a few of the individual carts that used to run on the roller coaster track. She remembered coming to the theme park with her parents when she was a kid. She’d beg them to allow her to ride on the roller coaster, but they’d always turned away, telling her it was too dangerous. The machinery had been old, even back then.
“Get in,” Lex ordered, indicating the cart with a thrust of his head.
The flashlight played over the rusted metal. Cobwebs clung to its crevices. Ellie shuddered at the thought of climbing into it. The park had been closed for years. She couldn’t believe the roller coaster could still be working.
“It’s perfectly fine,” Lex explained, sensing her reticence. “I was here only a few months ago. Wait until you see the view. Your final moments looking out on one of the most spectacular sights of Sydney. It doesn’t get any better than that.” He chuckled in genuine amusement.
Ellie shuddered, refusing to even contemplate it. In an effort to distract him, she questioned him about the ancient ride.
“H-how do you make it go?” she asked, knowing the electricity to the Park would have been disconnected when it closed.
“By gas-powered generator. I brought one out here a couple of years ago. It goes like a dream. With no one around for miles, it’s the perfect place to come and reflect on my handiwork.”
Lex prodded her again with the Taser gun. “Now, get in. We’re wasting time. I’ve waited so long for the perfect end to my creation. Now that I have you, I’m getting impatient. The sooner we get to the top, the sooner I can end this.”
Casting around in the darkness, Ellie searched frantically for a sign that Clayton was on his way. The only illumination came from the distant glow of street lights. For a moment, she thought she heard the sound of sirens, but a few seconds later, she realized she’d imagined it. The night was still and quiet.
Her heart sank. Fear renewed its grip on her mind. Lex pushed her hard from behind and she fell into the cart with a cry. Unable to use her hands to cushion her fall, she collapsed awkwardly against the hard, rusted metal. Pain shot through her hip and radiated along her spine. Her ribs and belly were engulfed in fire. She couldn’t move.
“Move over,” Wilson shouted. “There’s hardly enough room as it is.”
Tears of pain rolled down Ellie’s cheeks. “I-I can’t,” she gasped. “It-it hurts.”
“It’s gonna hurt a hell of a lot more when I start with the saw.” He shoved her hard with his shoulder. She gasped from the agony the movement caused. “Now, get over.”
Moments later, the sound of a motor started and Wilson scrambled in behind her. The flashlight glinted off something metallic in his hand. When Ellie realized it was a hacksaw, her blood iced over.
Biting her lip against the panic that threatened to overwhelm her, she closed her eyes against the nightmare unraveling before her and prayed for the end to be quick.
* * *
Clayton broke every record known to man in his haste to get to the theme park. A couple of miles from the park, he ordered everyone to cut their sirens and lights. No use giving the bastard a heads-up that they were onto him.
Seven minutes after he left the police station, he brought the police vehicle to a sliding stop outside a high chain fence. Followed closely by Luke, he leaped out of the car, a pair of heavy wire cutters in his hand.
Within seconds, he’d cut a hole large enough to allow entry. Shouldering his way through, Clayton paused only long enough to take directions from Luke before forging onward into the dark shadows that apparently housed the roller coaster.
Tugging his revolver out of the holster, Clayton eased off the safety and crept forward on silent feet. The sudden sputter of an engine nearby startled him. He spun on his heel in the direction of the sound. Luke came to halt behind him, swearing under his breath.
“What the hell is that?” Clayton’s whisper was harsh in the stillness.
“I don’t know. Sounds like some kind of motor.”
“It’s coming from over there.” Clayton indicated with his chin, hoping Luke could see him in the dimness.
“That’s where the roller coaster is.”
Blood pulsed heavily in Clayton’s veins. Dread tightened his gut. Was Ellie even now at the roller coaster, at the mercy of a madman? Signaling to Luke, he started in the direction of the noise, the other officer close on his heels.
* * *
The cart made its slow ascent along the steep steel rail, squealing raucously in protest. Ellie clung to the side with her fingernails, even as the bindings around her wrists cut into her flesh. The cart rattled and swayed alarmingly, sending renewed shivers of fear coursing down her spine.
Behind her, Wilson cackled in glee, shouting above the sound of the generator about the wonderful evening and the magnificent view of the city lights, far in the distance.
When the cart reached the top, he fiddled with some kind of contraption on the side of it and brought it to a stop. Ellie was grateful the inky dullness of the night camouflaged the full extent of their position, high above the ground.
A flimsy, wooden maintenance platform hung precariously at the top of the rollercoaster. Wilson yelled at her above the noise of the motor and prodded her once again with the Taser.
“Get out.”
With no choice but to do as she was told, Ellie stumbled awkwardly and half fell onto the platform. It creaked and swayed and she cried out in terror. The madman behind her laughed.
Joining her on the platform, he spread his arms wide.
“Does it get any better than this?”
Ellie shuddered and willed herself not to look down.
Wil