Page 24 of Death in the New Year

Animals were still restless, pacing back and forth, watching as the men dove into the water. The murky bayou was cold but not terribly deep where they were. As the men disappeared beneath the water, sheriff’s deputies pulled up, having received a call from the comms team.

“Gaspar, how y’all doin’?” asked the sheriff.

“Obviously, not good,” he frowned. “We think a bus went over the bridge early this morning.”

“What makes you think that?” he asked.

“The alligator told us,” frowned Gaspar.

The sheriff just laughed, shaking his head. A few moments later, four men broke through the water, lifting their masks.

“What did you find?” asked Nine.

“A school bus,” said Wilson. “Let us know how you want to handle it. The driver and kids were duct taped to the seats. They were all stabbed from what we can see.”

“Shit. He just brought this shit to our front door,” said Nine.

“I don’t think he knew that,” said Gaspar. “But he’s about to realize what a fucking mistake he made.”

“I’ll call Grant and see if he’s got a couple of cranes to pull the bus out,” said Ian. He walked away from the group, running right into Semu. “It’s alright, Semu. We’re going to bring the bus up now.”

“Sad. Girls are sad,”she signed to Ian, and he felt the gorilla’s heart breaking in two. She was such a sweet thing.

“I know, sweet girl. I know.”

By the time Grant arrived, the news media was parked on the other side of the bridge, watching the animals pace back and forth. From time to time, they gave private tours on the island, allowing veterinary students to come and study the animals, work with them, and have experience with animals they might not see otherwise.

As the four men dove back into the water, connecting the straps and chains to the bus, more people gathered. Unfortunately, there were two dozen families waiting to see if it was their children inside that bus.

“You need to get those cameras back,” said Gaspar to the sheriff. “Those families don’t need this replayed over and over again on the nightly news.”

“I thought y’all would have blocked them,” said the sheriff. Gaspar stared at him and nodded.

“Sly? Block the signals of all cameras, cell phones, anything that can take a picture. Get the VG boys over here pronto to move these crowds back.”

“They should be there any second. I’ve got thirty men that will push them off the property.”

Sure enough, Cam, Luke, Eric, Hex, and more than two dozen additional men moved everyone away from the land bridge and off the property. The only people allowed to stay were the families of the girls on that bus.

As the cranes groaned, lifting the school bus from the water, everyone stood back, watching. The sounds of rushing water from the windows and doors told them that the attacker made sure everything was open before he sent that bus to its doom.

Grant himself operated one of the cranes, directing his men to set it carefully on the bridge where the investigators and coroner could get to the young victims. When Nine opened the swinging door, he stared at the empty driver’s seat, then at the seat behind it. The bus driver had been stabbed and moved to that seat, secured, and unable to fight.

“Fuck me,” he whispered, staring at the carnage.

“They’re babies,” said Ian, walking on behind him. “They’re all nothing but fucking babies. Fourteen, fifteen, maybe sixteen years old.”

“What the hell is wrong with this demon?” said Ghost. Gaspar stared at the innocent faces. The last moments of their horrible death etched for all eternity.

“We’re going to find this son-of-a-bitch and end him.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The men of Gray Wolf sat around the massive conference table, staring at one another. Wilson, Clay, Rafe, and Angel were leaning against the wall, ready to race out the door if needed. Ian was gathering all the information that comms was sending through.

“Wilson? What can you tell us about the bodies?” asked Nine.

“Felix and I looked at each body. They were duct taped to the seats, shoes removed, hands palm up to the ceiling. The wounds were all the same. Stab wounds in palms, feet, and upper sides.”

---