Page 3 of Serial Love

A small cabin rental facility bordered his land on the south side. Owned and operated by an older widow, the vacation destination was also quiet and well run. Jack had initially been concerned about the constant comings and goings from tourists staying in the cabins, but that had not been an issue. The land between their two properties was thick in underbrush and trees, with no walking trails between. The entrance to her facility was nowhere near his, so he never noticed curious passers-by.

Privacy was important to him. He shook his head as he continued to run.Important? Hell, most of my friends consider me to be a loner!And that was fine by him. Hespent a lot of money to create his working retreat, not to mention the amount of expensive, top-line equipment his company required. Nosy neighbors, curiosity seekers, random hikers…not dealing with them!While his company’s location was not secret, it was also not broadcast. The ones who requested his services…private individuals or companies needing his help or the government agencies that wanted complete secrecy and discretion, never needed to come calling.

Jack had erected a defensible barrier around his acreage, using state-of-the-art technology. Not only did he use old-fashioned barbed wire fencing, but he wired it to trigger his alarm system when breached. Security cameras maintained the area, making it virtually impossible for someone to be on his land without him knowing about it ahead of time.

He continued his run, satisfied with the security of his perimeter. Only the babbling of a nearby creek broke the quiet of the morning. The birds were waking, their myriad of calls beginning to fill the woods. Blue jays and cardinals dotted the cedar trees, providing a splash of color amongst the green.

As he rounded another curve in the trail, his house came into view. Made of dark wood logs, a stone fireplace and windows overlooking the mountains on one side gave the large building the look of a luxury cabin. The construction took a full year to build the structure and another three months to secure the property.

He slowed his pace to a walk, allowing the breeze to cool his body. The wide front porch beckoned him from his run, but he bypassed the chairs. Jogging up the stepsof his house, he took a few minutes to stretch his warm muscles on the porch. His sharp eyes glanced around, a small smile curving the corners of his mouth as he appreciated all he surveyed.

Walking into the front room, he immediately went past the two-story living room on the left through the open dining room on the right and to the kitchen behind it. The large space, appointed with stainless appliances, was organized and airy. Grabbing a water bottle out of the refrigerator, he drank thirstily before moving down the hall to the staircase.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he stalked through into the master suite, heading straight toward the bathroom. He reached over to turn on the water in the glass block enclosed space. Stripping while the water warmed, he then stepped under the spray. Jack was a large man, and the bathroom was something he built especially for someone of his size. The oversized shower, with its multiple showerheads, sent water sluicing over his body. It did not take long to wash the sweat from the morning run off his body and he stepped out, wrapping the towel around his hips.

Not the type of man to spend any time in front of the mirror, he quickly combed his hair and stalked out into his utilitarian bedroom. The room, like the man, oozed casual masculinity with simple, but comfortable furnishings. The bed linens and walls were painted in muted blue and grey. Tossing on a dark t-shirt and slightly worn jeans, he sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his boots.

He made his way back down the stairs toward thehall leading into the kitchen. Before reaching the front of his house, he stopped at a closet door and pulled it open. With a few taps of his fingers on a hidden security pad, he entered the code and the back wall swung open, exposing another set of stairs leading down.

Descending the steps, he moved through the door at the bottom, walking into a spacious open room filled with computer stations and monitor screens on the walls.

He entered the hub of his company. Saints Protection & Investigations. One he had built from the ground up, filling the space with the latest equipment and the best men he could find. His dream…now a reality.

A large conference table sat in the center, several folders open in front of a man flipping through the papers.

“Morning,” Jack called out. “You hungry? The others will be here soon.”

Marc Jenkins looked up at his boss and nodded. “Yeah, I’m coming.” He stood, stretched his tall, lean frame, and walked toward the stairs. Following Jack, he turned and secured the closet panel behind him. The opposite wall held another door, this one leading to the three-car garage built at the back of his home.

The two men efficiently prepared a quick breakfast as they waited for the others to arrive. Jack’s gaze glanced at the security gate as the code was entered.

“Bart and Monty are here,” he said, watching as the dark SUV moved through the gate and up the drive toward the cabin.

Jack continued to watch as the passenger alightedfrom the vehicle first, twisting and turning his huge, muscular body from side to side. Jack smiled, knowing even in the full-sized SUV Bart would have felt constrained. As Bart stretched out the kinks from the trip, Monty moved toward the front door. Physically the two men appeared very different. Bart Taggart, bulky muscles from his years as a SEAL. Monty Lytton, tall and lean, but powerful. Deceptively powerful. Bart looked comfortable on the football field and Monty could have entered any boardroom taking command. But both equally dedicated to Jack and the company he had built.

A few minutes later, the two men strode into the kitchen, offering head jerks as early morning greetings as they made their way to the coffee pot. The four men were soon joined by the other four members of Jack’s team. The group hung around the kitchen for a while, drinking coffee and conversing easily. To an outsider, the scene would appear they were friends gathering before heading out to a sporting event. But underneath the effortless banter, were men serious about their careers.

The seven followed Jack down to the basement control center and settled into the chairs around the table. They had worked together for about two years, helping Jack establish his business. One that was growing in reputation.

Most of Jack’s duty tours with the Army’s Special Forces were spent as the Chief Warrant Officer for Tony Alvarez’s squad. The twelve-member squad was known as the best, securing their missions with expertefficiency. Tony had been the consummate leader and Jack was honored to be his second in command. After Tony had retired, he began a security business in the state Capital city of Richmond and several of his former squad members had joined him.

Jack had another year of his Army commitment and had been called to work with an inter-disciplinary team, tracking down some of the most wanted insurgents. Unsure how the team would function as a unit, he had been amazed. Consisting of a Navy SEAL, CIA contact, weapons and explosive experts, and several Special Forces, they quickly acclimated to their assignments, each bringing their particular skills to the table.

And Jack knew then what he wanted to do when his tour of duty was over— replicate in the civilian world what he had accomplished with that group.

The business took almost four years to create, but with his contacts, he was able to lure these men to him, each from a variety of backgrounds. With the blessings of their representative agencies, Saints Protection & Investigations functioned as one unit. More importantly, they flew under the radar, using whatever means necessary to accomplish their contracts.

The men focused their attention on Jack as he clicked on his laptop, projecting images on the wall screen. “The governor has requested our assistance. In the past several years, there have been a number of murders of young women on college campuses. The FBI has only recently begun to link them as a possible serial killer, and the killing spree may have been going on for years prior. The governor is now concerned because theFBI has been unable to solve the cases and they’re asking for our assistance.”

“Why the governor?” Bart asked.

“It appears the murders only occur at the numerous Virginia colleges. Now that the press is starting to get ahold of the possibility of a serial killer, the governor wants to cut down on the negative connection with the colleges.”

Each man’s computer tablet contained the information they began to decipher, as Jack continued his dissertation.

“Here’s what we know. There’s no particular physical type of woman. They’ve been blonde, brunette, and redhead. Their body types have also varied from very petite to a full-figured woman. Their ages are similar, but that would be due to the university setting. All have been between eighteen and twenty-three.”

Blaise asked, “Why weren’t they tied together earlier?”

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