| Horror and Thriller Fiction posted February 18, 2024 | Chapters: |
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Greg's worst nightmare.
A chapter in the book Lair Of The Seductress
Batty Benslow
by Douglas Goff
The author has placed a warning on this post for language.
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Previous Chapter:
A truck driver had an unfortunate encounter with the mysterious Lilith. She killed three men the year before while Greg was dealing with the hag. Now she is back with a vengeance and Wolf Bend Chief Greg Harsen is called to the scene by FBI Agent David Harkins, a man who really like him. What Greg finds awakens him to the realization that more bad things are coming for him and his little town. Further, Harkins managed to wrangle him into Task Force Ash, which was created to capture the killer. A county wide callout for a jail riot interrupted the hunt for Lilith. At the riot, Greg finds out that Jenny's violent ex-husband, Lenny Benslow, has escaped from the jail.
New Chapter:
“Damn it."
"Damn it."
“Damn it!" Jesse was pacing back and forth, his hands pressed against the sides of his head.
“Stop saying damn it and focus. I need you. Jenny needs you.” Good advice Gregory ol’ boy. Focus. Jenny’s now on the clock. Victims are usually killed within twenty-four hours after being taken. Focus. Remember WIN. What’s Important Now.
When they arrived, the front door had been kicked in. Greg looked about the ransacked cabin. There was broken glass, a knocked over couch, and small drops of blood on the floor. Looks like Jenny fought hard. He saw her cell phone smashed to pieces next to the couch. Can’t track her that way.
“Lenny has my sister, Greg . . . oh damn, where are the kids?”
“Your mom has them. Get your head screwed on tight. If we're going to save her, we need to get to work.”
Officer Kelsey stepped into the cabin. “Nothing outside. They must have left in the vehicle they came in. What now, Chief?”
“Jesse, you with us?”
“Yes . . . yes, Boss. What . . . do you want me to do?”
“Get on the horn. Call Berry and have him get their crime lab over here as this is now a crime scene. Then call your mother and advise her about what happened. Tell her I need her to keep the kids until we find Jenny. Keep this area secure until the crime technicians arrive. Then meet us at the station.” That’ll keep the frazzled man busy and out of trouble.
“On it.” Jesse headed out the door to get on his vehicle radio.
“Katie, get to the station. Run everything you can on Lenny and Sally Benslow. Properties, cars, everything. I need to know it all, and I need to know it now.”
“What about you, Boss?” She was already heading for the door.
“I’m going to go get some answers from a crazy lady.”
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Greg pulled into Sally Benslow’s driveway, just as she was backing out. He nearly slammed into the bumper of her long black Cadillac. It still had the ‘I Don’t Brake For Aliens’ bumper sticker on it.
Nothing else had changed much either. The rickety old porch attached to the rundown white and brown bungalow style house still had the wind chime with the little aliens dangling from it, hanging from a deck roof support. He couldn’t see it, but he was sure the doormat with ‘They’re Here’ in big bold green letters was still there.
Katie had dropped him at the police station where he retrieved his police Charger and rushed here. He flipped on his red and blue lights, then stepped out of the car. He could see a large smirk spread across the woman’s face as she glared at him in her rearview mirror.
Greg approached Sally while she rolled down her window. “Better be here because you’re throwing your support behind my campaign for mayor, Chief Harsen.”
“I’m sure you know why I’m here, Mrs. Benslow.” I don’t have time for her shit.
“Of course, the feds just left. I’ll tell you what I told them. I don’t know nuthin’ ‘bout no breakout and I don’t know where my son is or where your wife is.”
How does she really know about Jenny? Could Jesse’s call to the crime lab have already gotten back to the feds? Maybe.
“Besides, I ain’t telling you nothing and wouldn’t tell you even if I knew.” The large woman was smug. “That slut is probably getting what she deserves.”
Don’t do it, Greg. She’s goading you. It took everything he had not to rip her out of the car. “I don’t remember asking you a question. I didn’t come here to ask you anything. I came here to tell you something. I killed the bastard who murdered your daughter. Seems you may have forgotten that, but I haven’t. So as far as I’m concerned, you owe me.”
“So?”
“So, in my book, that means if I find out you helped, or even knew about Lenny’s plans, then I’m going to come after you and come after you hard.” Greg stared her in the eye.
“Don’t you threaten me, Chief Harsen. I’ll have your badge.” She scowled, spittle shooting out from her engorged lips.
“My wife’s more important to me than any stupid piece of tin. You just remember what I said, Sally. Besides, if Lenny hurts my wife, you’ll be burying another kid.” Greg turned and walked away.
“She’s Lenny’s wife, not yours. She’s Lenny’s! And when I run that black homo out of office, you’ll be unemployed anyways!” the hateful woman screamed as spittle dripped off her chubby chin.
Greg pulled out of her driveway and headed back over to the police station. He had a slight grin on his face. He had gotten what he was really after. Prior to talking with Sally, he had no idea if she was involved with her son’s escape.
After meeting with her, his years of interviewing and reading people had paid off. Sally Benslow is 100% involved in this mess. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. When he arrived at the station, Jesse pulled in. The two men quickly joined Officer Kelsey, who was sitting at her desk computer with a small stack of papers.
“Not much, Boss. I ran Lenny first, and he owns nothing. Same with the other two escapees. Sally Benslow owns the house over on Chelsia Street, as well as two vehicles.” Katie shrugged.
“Two vehicles?” I’ve only ever seen one.
“Yes, an old Cadillac and a newer Ford F-150. It’s not plated, but the printout shows it’s black.” The female officer handed him the Ford’s data sheet.
“Says here she bought it just last week. I’d bet my paycheck that’s the staged vehicle the escapees have.” Still, how do we find them? There’s no other leads. Nothing under Lenny’s name. That’s where I expected to find a house, property, or something. Wait . . . where wouldn’t I expect to find something? Of course!
“Katie, try Marge Benslow. Look for any properties.”
“The dead daughter?” she questioned his request but was already typing in her name.
“If you wanted to hide a place, putting it under a dead woman’s name would be a good idea.” Come on, this has to work. Please, God. I’m running out of options here.
“Bingo! #7 Stolen Pines Trail. Under Marge Benslow. Purchased six months ago.” Officer Kelsey was smiling as she hit print. Jesse grabbed the paper when it popped off the printer and handed it to Greg.
“Stolen Pines? Either of you ever heard of that?”
“Yep. It’s an old dirt road about halfway between here and the Colville National Forest. Has six or eight old cabins on it. But, Greg, they’re all rundown and abandoned. There’s an old cave on the hillside behind them that people say is haunted.” Jesse nodded.
“How do you know all that?” Katie asked.
“All the high school kids know about that place. Once you got your driver’s license, the first thing local kids’ll do is go out there to drink and party. I bet half the town of Wolf Bend lost their virginity out there. I know I did. Cabin #4.”
“Okay, that falls under the category of too much information.” Kelsey frowned. “This has to be it. Dead women don’t buy abandoned cabins. Looks like this escape was in the planning for months. What’s our play, Chief?”
Greg took a minute to think. It’s almost dark. Clock’s ticking. We gotta move now. “Let’s gear up. Vests and long guns. I know it’d be smart to wait until after midnight, maybe catch them sleeping, but I think every minute counts. We go now.”
“I’ll get on the radio.” Kelsey went for the stationary mic on a nearby desk.
“No, I said we go now.”
“I understand, Chief, but let’s get some back-up.” The woman frowned.
“She’s family, Katie. To both Jessie and I. We’re doing this my way. I don’t need anyone questioning my actions out there. You can stay out of it if you want to.”
“Shit, Greg, that’s a crap thing to say to me.” A flash of anger crossed the young woman’s face. “Just let me grab the long guns, and we’ll go get your wife.”
“Get the M-4’s.” The usually jovial Jesse looked haggard. “So what’s your plan, Chief?”
“I don’t have one. I’m just going to go in there and kill them all. And if they’ve hurt Jenny, well let’s say I’m going to hurt them a lot before they die.”
Previous Chapter:
A truck driver had an unfortunate encounter with the mysterious Lilith. She killed three men the year before while Greg was dealing with the hag. Now she is back with a vengeance and Wolf Bend Chief Greg Harsen is called to the scene by FBI Agent David Harkins, a man who really like him. What Greg finds awakens him to the realization that more bad things are coming for him and his little town. Further, Harkins managed to wrangle him into Task Force Ash, which was created to capture the killer. A county wide callout for a jail riot interrupted the hunt for Lilith. At the riot, Greg finds out that Jenny's violent ex-husband, Lenny Benslow, has escaped from the jail.
New Chapter:
“Damn it."
"Damn it."
“Damn it!" Jesse was pacing back and forth, his hands pressed against the sides of his head.
“Stop saying damn it and focus. I need you. Jenny needs you.” Good advice Gregory ol’ boy. Focus. Jenny’s now on the clock. Victims are usually killed within twenty-four hours after being taken. Focus. Remember WIN. What’s Important Now.
When they arrived, the front door had been kicked in. Greg looked about the ransacked cabin. There was broken glass, a knocked over couch, and small drops of blood on the floor. Looks like Jenny fought hard. He saw her cell phone smashed to pieces next to the couch. Can’t track her that way.
“Lenny has my sister, Greg . . . oh damn, where are the kids?”
“Your mom has them. Get your head screwed on tight. If we're going to save her, we need to get to work.”
Officer Kelsey stepped into the cabin. “Nothing outside. They must have left in the vehicle they came in. What now, Chief?”
“Jesse, you with us?”
“Yes . . . yes, Boss. What . . . do you want me to do?”
“Get on the horn. Call Berry and have him get their crime lab over here as this is now a crime scene. Then call your mother and advise her about what happened. Tell her I need her to keep the kids until we find Jenny. Keep this area secure until the crime technicians arrive. Then meet us at the station.” That’ll keep the frazzled man busy and out of trouble.
“On it.” Jesse headed out the door to get on his vehicle radio.
“Katie, get to the station. Run everything you can on Lenny and Sally Benslow. Properties, cars, everything. I need to know it all, and I need to know it now.”
“What about you, Boss?” She was already heading for the door.
“I’m going to go get some answers from a crazy lady.”
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Greg pulled into Sally Benslow’s driveway, just as she was backing out. He nearly slammed into the bumper of her long black Cadillac. It still had the ‘I Don’t Brake For Aliens’ bumper sticker on it.
Nothing else had changed much either. The rickety old porch attached to the rundown white and brown bungalow style house still had the wind chime with the little aliens dangling from it, hanging from a deck roof support. He couldn’t see it, but he was sure the doormat with ‘They’re Here’ in big bold green letters was still there.
Katie had dropped him at the police station where he retrieved his police Charger and rushed here. He flipped on his red and blue lights, then stepped out of the car. He could see a large smirk spread across the woman’s face as she glared at him in her rearview mirror.
Greg approached Sally while she rolled down her window. “Better be here because you’re throwing your support behind my campaign for mayor, Chief Harsen.”
“I’m sure you know why I’m here, Mrs. Benslow.” I don’t have time for her shit.
“Of course, the feds just left. I’ll tell you what I told them. I don’t know nuthin’ ‘bout no breakout and I don’t know where my son is or where your wife is.”
How does she really know about Jenny? Could Jesse’s call to the crime lab have already gotten back to the feds? Maybe.
“Besides, I ain’t telling you nothing and wouldn’t tell you even if I knew.” The large woman was smug. “That slut is probably getting what she deserves.”
Don’t do it, Greg. She’s goading you. It took everything he had not to rip her out of the car. “I don’t remember asking you a question. I didn’t come here to ask you anything. I came here to tell you something. I killed the bastard who murdered your daughter. Seems you may have forgotten that, but I haven’t. So as far as I’m concerned, you owe me.”
“So?”
“So, in my book, that means if I find out you helped, or even knew about Lenny’s plans, then I’m going to come after you and come after you hard.” Greg stared her in the eye.
“Don’t you threaten me, Chief Harsen. I’ll have your badge.” She scowled, spittle shooting out from her engorged lips.
“My wife’s more important to me than any stupid piece of tin. You just remember what I said, Sally. Besides, if Lenny hurts my wife, you’ll be burying another kid.” Greg turned and walked away.
“She’s Lenny’s wife, not yours. She’s Lenny’s! And when I run that black homo out of office, you’ll be unemployed anyways!” the hateful woman screamed as spittle dripped off her chubby chin.
Greg pulled out of her driveway and headed back over to the police station. He had a slight grin on his face. He had gotten what he was really after. Prior to talking with Sally, he had no idea if she was involved with her son’s escape.
After meeting with her, his years of interviewing and reading people had paid off. Sally Benslow is 100% involved in this mess. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. When he arrived at the station, Jesse pulled in. The two men quickly joined Officer Kelsey, who was sitting at her desk computer with a small stack of papers.
“Not much, Boss. I ran Lenny first, and he owns nothing. Same with the other two escapees. Sally Benslow owns the house over on Chelsia Street, as well as two vehicles.” Katie shrugged.
“Two vehicles?” I’ve only ever seen one.
“Yes, an old Cadillac and a newer Ford F-150. It’s not plated, but the printout shows it’s black.” The female officer handed him the Ford’s data sheet.
“Says here she bought it just last week. I’d bet my paycheck that’s the staged vehicle the escapees have.” Still, how do we find them? There’s no other leads. Nothing under Lenny’s name. That’s where I expected to find a house, property, or something. Wait . . . where wouldn’t I expect to find something? Of course!
“Katie, try Marge Benslow. Look for any properties.”
“The dead daughter?” she questioned his request but was already typing in her name.
“If you wanted to hide a place, putting it under a dead woman’s name would be a good idea.” Come on, this has to work. Please, God. I’m running out of options here.
“Bingo! #7 Stolen Pines Trail. Under Marge Benslow. Purchased six months ago.” Officer Kelsey was smiling as she hit print. Jesse grabbed the paper when it popped off the printer and handed it to Greg.
“Stolen Pines? Either of you ever heard of that?”
“Yep. It’s an old dirt road about halfway between here and the Colville National Forest. Has six or eight old cabins on it. But, Greg, they’re all rundown and abandoned. There’s an old cave on the hillside behind them that people say is haunted.” Jesse nodded.
“How do you know all that?” Katie asked.
“All the high school kids know about that place. Once you got your driver’s license, the first thing local kids’ll do is go out there to drink and party. I bet half the town of Wolf Bend lost their virginity out there. I know I did. Cabin #4.”
“Okay, that falls under the category of too much information.” Kelsey frowned. “This has to be it. Dead women don’t buy abandoned cabins. Looks like this escape was in the planning for months. What’s our play, Chief?”
Greg took a minute to think. It’s almost dark. Clock’s ticking. We gotta move now. “Let’s gear up. Vests and long guns. I know it’d be smart to wait until after midnight, maybe catch them sleeping, but I think every minute counts. We go now.”
“I’ll get on the radio.” Kelsey went for the stationary mic on a nearby desk.
“No, I said we go now.”
“I understand, Chief, but let’s get some back-up.” The woman frowned.
“She’s family, Katie. To both Jessie and I. We’re doing this my way. I don’t need anyone questioning my actions out there. You can stay out of it if you want to.”
“Shit, Greg, that’s a crap thing to say to me.” A flash of anger crossed the young woman’s face. “Just let me grab the long guns, and we’ll go get your wife.”
“Get the M-4’s.” The usually jovial Jesse looked haggard. “So what’s your plan, Chief?”
“I don’t have one. I’m just going to go in there and kill them all. And if they’ve hurt Jenny, well let’s say I’m going to hurt them a lot before they die.”
© Copyright 2024. Douglas Goff All rights reserved.
Douglas Goff has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
