No Place I'd Rather Be...

The next day,

Carlton Lassiter awoke. He had forgotten that he had fallen asleep in the office overnight. He remembered his little fight with Shawn and he knew that even though, he’d told them both “no.” They weren’t going to leave it and they would get involved. At that thought the Head Detective moaned.

As he got to his feet and wondered about what he should do next, Juliet O’Hara, fully rested and ready to work again, darted in with a package. “Carlton! Carlton!” she screamed.

“What?”

She skidded to a halt before him and gave him a curious, flummoxed expression. “Did you--?”

“--sleep here? Yes. I did. But that’s not important. What is it?”

“This.” She passed him the package.

The Head Detective opened it up and tilted it upward, so that a CD fell out. He instantly grabbed it and stuck it into the DVD player to the TV that they had in the temporary station for their case. He played it.

It was the killer and the footage of the second victim that they had found. Why were they just now getting this? The message played out much to the horror of all the SBPD and CPD officers gathered...especially Juliet O’Hara and Carlton Lassiter.

Carlton listened intently to the recording:

“City of Chicago, this is the newest killer speaking. I want to be labeled and called “The Slasher” and to prevent you puny idiots from trying to figure out what my type is, I’m going to tell you...it’s blonde men with blue eyes!”

With that, he released the trigger and the gun sent a single bullet flying outward at the helpless victim. Patrick Cleary’s - the second victim - terrified and muffled screams echoed in the air, as the bullet hit him dead in the chest. But he wasn’t dead. They all watched as the poor man continued to frantically pull at the ropes binding his wrists, screaming like hell into the cloth. But another crack of the gun went off, as another bullet hit him in the shoulder. He howled. Blood began dripping from him, until the final crack of the gun went off and a third bullet...the kill shot...hit him in the head. His jerking and struggling stopped. And blood pooled out on the ground.

The detectives all heard laughter and then they saw the recording click off. Juliet let out a little soft gasp in shock and horror and Carlton turned to his group.

“The Slasher?”

****

The Slasher AKA: Keith Ballard walked over one the bridges, that ran over the Chicago River. He dashed toward his car, laughing. As he reached out for his handle, his eyes caught sight of the United Center few feet away from where he had parked.

He saw a group of hockey players walking together and having a good time. Keith cocked his head, as his eyes wandered onto a shaggy blond player in the center of the group. As they got closer, unaware of his presence, he noticed the crystal blue eyes of the man and it made him smirk.

“Well, now, who are you, sweet blondie?” Keith muttered to himself, as he let go of the handle and decided to stalk the group.

He lost them around a corner, but he didn’t seem bothered by it, as he looked up and saw a sign with the picture of the man and someone else beside him.

“Patrick Kane, eh?” Keith hissed. He looked closer at the sign and passed over the brunette beside him that had the name Jonathan Toews. Instead he took note of Patrick. “A hockey player...the “toughest” kind...I’m open to challenge that! I’m open to going after hockey players and testing how “tough” they really are, especially this one...and soon I’ll get him. His helpless face in my collection of victims would be a wonderful addition! Oh yes, oh yes, it would.”

He snickered to himself and headed back to his car.

****

Later that evening, the Blackhawks had the duty of playing the Dallas Stars at the United Center. Keith Ballard snuck into the player’s lot and spotted a trio of players walking toward him and the entrance of the place. He briefly caught sight of a blond haired man in the group. Snickering to himself, he pulled on his ski mask and ducked out of sight, getting ready to pounce.

He whipped out his dagger knife weapon and held it at ready to his side. As soon as the three hockey players were in view, he leapt out of and ambushed them. He quickly took the blond by surprise, seizing his wrist and pulling him backward. He stuck the blade to the man’s throat.

“Jamie! Tyler!” He screamed out.

Keith saw the scared faces of the teammates. “Hello Patrick Kane,” he spoke into the ear of the blond guy, who was struggling and screaming something in Russian.

Patrick Kane wasn’t Russian...was he?

“That’s not fucking Patrick Kane!” one of the men snarled.

“That’s Valeri Nichushkin!” the other added on.

Keith paused and flipped “Patrick” around. Sure enough it was not him...but some other cute blondie with blue eyes. He could still take this one, as a practice, right? Keith tightened his grip and spun Valeri back around, putting the blade back in place.

“He’s my type still, so I’m going to kidnap him and kill him and you two are going to tell the police that “The Slasher” is going after hockey players with blue eyes and blond hair now!” the serial killer snarled. “His pretty little face all pale and bloody and his sweet-looking mouth all covered up in a “gag” of my choice…”

“Not going to happen! I’m the Captain Jamie Benn and that Dallas Star is NOT for sale to be killed tonight!” Jamie barked and lunged forward. He grabbed the other free arm of Val’s and began a tug of war.

“Jamie, be careful!” Tyler warned.

“Hey, instead of criticizing me, wanna stop standing there and help out your teammates and linemates, Segs!”

“Tyler, Jamie, please, help me!” the man spoke, with a thick Russian accent underlining his fair English.

Eventually the two Dallas players managed to pull Val to safety, but not before Keith swung his dagger and sliced the innocent Russian on the arm and gave him a nice scar on his cheek. He began to bleed, as Tyler pulled him close to him, while Jamie battled with the serial killer, successfully driving him off.

“Come on, let’s get inside and get him help!” Jamie spun around and ordered.

Tyler guided the wounded Star into the UC and rushed him down the hallway, blood dripping and marking their trail. Jamie followed, panic-stricken. What the hell was wrong? Someone had just attacked his teammate and drawn blood!

“Someone help! He’s bleeding!!” Tyler screamed, as they burst into the common area. Val was crying with agony and Tyler had the man’s blood all over him, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to get him help at once. That was the priority.

Jamie skidded in after them, as the medical staff for the Blackhawks dashed in and took over. They led Val away with an urgency. Tyler turned to his Captain, his eyes wide with fright.

“Who would do something so horrible like that to Val?”

“A serial killer apparently.”

Jamie pulled Tyler close to him and they walked into the locker room, where their teammates were. They cleaned up and told everyone what had happened in the parking lot. The entire Dallas Stars’ locker room was ignited with tension. Everyone was scared and worried about Val.

And while that occurred, news broke out through the NHL and through Chicago at once, as a report came in that a hockey player…an NHL hockey player had gone missing. The Blackhawks-Stars game was officially put on hiatus and then cancelled. It would be rescheduled for a later date. A Colorado Avalanche player had been kidnapped by an unknown predator and the race was on to find him.

His name was Nathan MacKinnon.

Notes

Oh wow.....things are getting dicier!!
You didn't really think I'd let Keith Ballard kill Nichy, did you? If you did...just...go away. *tries to control inner building anger and not snap, like Marchy*
Poor Nichy, I mean how can you attack him and think he's KANER!!!! Nichy DOES NOT EQUAL Kaner!! :(


Next up: Kinny and the Serial Killer and More Kazer! :D