Part II Waking Nightmare (unfinshed)

The cop just stood there, staring blankly at her.1

Nicole couldn't believe what she'd just heard him say. 2

She repeated it to herself in her head again, trying to make sense of it ' the man I shot and killed... is gone'.3

"How is this possible?" she asked the cop standing in front of her.4

He shook his head as if he didn't understand it himself, then tried to explain to her that she must of just wounded him.5

Feeling the nervous shake in her blood increasing with every word he spoke she exploded into a fury and began screaming "I want my kids here with me NOW!"6

"Ma'am you have to stay calm and start..." the cop was taking on a authority tone with her and she wasn't having it.7

"Look here you sonofabitch I'm done telling you! Either you go get my children or you get outta my way and I'll do it myself" She glared at him, daring him to stop her as she pushed her way past him and began jogging toward her truck. Determined to be reunited with her kids sooner rather than later.8

"MOM!" she heard a familar voice and froze in her tracks, spinning around she saw the sweet sleepy smile of her daughter, grinning out at her from the open window of a patrol car.9

"Hallie, OH My GOD" she screamed as she ran towards her daughter.10

Hallie saw the concern on her mothers face and heard the exhaustion in her voice as jumped from the car, running to her mom.11

Nicole wrapped her arms around her little girl and lifted her up, holding her she sobbed quietly.12

"Mamma...whats wrong? Why did the police lady come get me from Lisa's?"13

Nicole calmed herself and set her daughter back on her feet.14

"I asked the police to go get you for me honey, I had some trouble getting to where you were and they said they would be happy to pick you up for me."15

Nicole couldn't imagine telling her the truth, 'what good could come of scaring her children' she thought.16

Grabbing Hallie's hand Nicole set off to find the cop she had yelled at. 17

Looking at the flurry of activity she spotted him and together she and her daughter made their way through crowd of police.18

"What about my son?" she asked, interupting the conversation he had been having with one of the many officers that were teeming about the place.19

"Ma'am there is an officer at your house now with your son, they will lock up and meet us at the station later. Now, if you will please take your daughter and go sit down another officer will assist you in making a statement" He said irritated with her.20

"What station?" she asked flatly.21

"WHAT? Why?... Don't worry about it! One of us will bring you with us when we are done here" Again she heard the irritation in his voice and could almost see the urge he was struggling with, trying not to roll his eyes as he turned his back to her.22

Now it was her turn to let him in on how irritated she was, she bent down and asked her daughter to go wait in the police car with nice police lady. 23

Both Mother and daughter turned and saw the car was gone. 24

"Okay then... Hallie honey, cover your ears"25

Nicole told her daughter with a grin.26

Smiling Hallie knew what was coming, she liked watching her mom in action. 27

Knowing she'd not miss out on anything by covering her ears she did so.28

" Excuse me officer, what is your name?" Nicole interupted again, only this time with a syrupy sweet tone and sarcastic attitude.29

"I thought I told you go sit down and wait ma'am"30

He replied. treating her as though she was a child.31

"Oh I know what you told me, I was just wondering what your name is Officer... Fagerstrom" she said as she read his name tag.32

"Well there, now you have it" He said, showing as much sarcasm as she had.33

"Yes I suppose I do... I will need it to write up the report." He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders as if to say what now. As she turned to walk away she added " I mean, you can't very well write a story for the Hearald with out the names of all involved" then smiling down at her daughter she looked back up to see his red face and asked " Now can you?' as she handed him her business card she had found in the pocket of her jeans.34

It read ' Nicole Culpepper Senior Reporter' on the newspapers business design.35

Suddenly she felt as though she had his attention, "Perhaps now you would be so kind as to accomodate my daughter and myself in a more comfortable location while you guys finish your investigation? Hmmm?" She said keeping her voice low.36

"Mom" Hallie tugged at her moms arm " Are you gonna yell at the cop now or can I uncover my ears?"37

"Uncover your ears babe, Mommy doesn't think she will be doing any yelling now after all" Nicole reassured her daughter.38

"Ummm, yes ma'am I would like to offer your daughter and yourself a more comfortable place to wait for your son but..." Officer Fagerstrom was cut off.39

"But what!" Nicole heard the man's voice behind her and turned to see a tall dark haired man in jeans, a t-shirt and a leather coat. 40

"Well sir..." Fagerstrom stuttered as he tried to explain himself. Nicole enjoyed watching this pompus cop squirm under the scrutiny of his superior officer.41

"Detective Waylan" the plain clothes cop introduced himself, then bending down he asked Hallie "And what is you name ma'am?" Hallie smiled shyly and looked up at her mom for the okay to talk to the stranger in front of her.42

Nicole winked at her and nodded the okay.43

"My name is Hallie and this is my mom, We need better acompladations' she said trying explain to the detective what her mother was talking to the other cop about. Hallie was old enough to pronounce words correctly but since the death of her father she sometimes reverted back to babyish ways. The psychiatrist had assured Nicole that it was normal for children to act out in all different ways after losing a parent and that she shouldn't focus on it.44

Detective Waylan smiled and stood up to face Nicole45

"Well I think I can help you and your mom out with some better accomodations" he told Hallie while looking at Nicole.46

"How about we go to a nice warm motel room and wait for your brother there?"47

Hallie nodded her head and asked "Can we have pancakes?"48

Looking back down at Hallie he laughed and agreed that pancakes sounded good.49

While walking to the detectives car Nicole turned and gave Fagerstrom a satisfied glance, she had dealt with cops quite a bit in her 16 years as a jounalist and she couldn't stand most of them. They had a tendancy to be power drunk and often abused their authority. Fagerstrom was still standing there red faced and obviously frustrated by her refusal to bow down to his grandiouse attitude.50

She smiled and turned back toward the car.51

During the drive Detective Waylan apologized for her treatment and assured her she be comfortable at the motel.52

"What about my son?" she asked while looking out the window at the wet pavement, it had began to rain. She was intent on getting both her children with her and was refusing to let the subject drop and to just trust they would do their jobs.53

"Your son is already at the motel, I picked him up from the house a while ago. We have cops keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity at your house and until we catch this guy we need you and your kids to stay at the motel" Nicole watched him as he talked, noticing the lines at the corners of his eyes. They made him look as though he was smiling through his them. A handsome man she thought, as she relaxed knowing her children were now safe.54

"Who is this maniac and where did he come from?" she asked after noticing Hallie was asleep in the back seat, car rides always made her drowsy and she was probably still feeling the effects of the Xanax.55

"Well all we really know is that he came up this way from Southern California, he has left a trail of bodies all the way from San Diego and now up to Washington. He doesn't fit the normal profile of a serial killer though, that's why he has been so hard to nab"56

"What do you mean? How is he different?" she questioned.57

"He doesn't seem to be too picky about his victims and what's really strange is that everytime we have him cornered he just seems to disappear."58

"Ya mean like this morning, I shoot him, he goes down and now he's gone, no trace of him. This is just great!" she exclaimed "How do I know he isn't going to just reappear?, I'm not too difficult to find ya know?" 59

"We know, that's why we are relocating you and your family to the motel until we catch this guy. And in the meantime you have to just lay low."60