Tolerance Book II

Chapter Ninety-Four: Waiting On A Killer

For three days Jay had been reigning in his frustration.  Having obtained aporoval, albeit reluctantly, for drawing King to him he was disappointed that the finer details of a plan had still not been agreed upon.   Despite his numerous attempts to arrange a meeting his friends had firmly rejected his proposals.  Now as he sat by the window  in the large canteen of the RCMP Bureau nursing a cup of cold coffee he contemplated the unpleasant reality that he may again need to go out on his own without backup.  That he would be without backup did not concern him in the least but it was the accompanying turmoil caused by his actions in going solo which gave him pause.   Although he had taken off  on prior occasions it had not been without consequences the fall-out of which had caused tension within the Unit.  As a result he was loathe to engender further problems.   It went against every bit of Jays' character to be the cause of strife for anyone yet he had been.  Heaving a sigh he twirled the paper cup in his good hand, eyeing its' contents distractedly as his mind wandered.

"You're looking mighty serious," a familiar voice approached from behind him.
"A lot on my mind Doc," the young Detective openly admitted as Parker took a seat opposite him, his honesty a testament to his straying thoughts.
"Want to share?" Parker was surprised by the frank response and hoped for once the other man would actually open up to him.
"Nope," Jay grinned mischievously but there was no real mirth.
"There's no harm in talking about what's on your mind."
"Never said there was.  Now how about you tell me how to approach King?"
"We discussed that already," the New Yorker frowned thinking back to the long briefing the day before even as he realized his companion was deflecting.
"True but I'm guessing anything you can add will be a benefit."
"As we know control is a lynchpin for King, especially where you're concerned.  That can be a hindrance to him because it may result in him overlooking other factors."
"That hasn't happened yet," Jay countered.
"True but it will eventually."
"Why are you so certain?"
"Because the longer the investigation has gone on the more obsessed he has become with you and .....,"
"Tunnel vision," Jay muttered.
"Exactly.  He's shown how relentless he can be but from our viewpoint he's also shown how obsessed he can be."
"Hell Doc what makes a guy like that tick?" Jay asked rhetorically with an air of resignation, sometimes human beings defied any understanding.
"Studies have offered some answers," Parker attempted to answer the unanswerable anyway, "but each case is tied specifically to that individual.  There are no hard absolutes, despite what some expertss would like to believe."
"You going against your training Doc?" Jay feigned shock.
"Not at all.  No one has all the answers.  Acknowledging that keeps us honest, not just in the medical field."
"So assuming he'll play ball and meet how do I approach him?" Jay repeated his earlier question seriously, he wanted all the pointers he could get in the hope of finally bringing King in.
"Well even by meeting you he will be giving away some control.  If he does agree to talk it's likely he's ready to end things."
"Likely but not certain."
"No."
"You don't think he's going to agree to come in do you?"
"Do you?"
"Well I'm kinda hoping it will be straightforward," the Detective admitted ruefully but he was fully cognizant that was highly  unlikely.
"We're all hoping that but realistically it's going to get messy," Parker stated grimly, "you sure you're up to dealing with him?"
"If I didn't think I could handle things Doc I'd say it."
"You going to meet him alone is highly dangerous."
"Maybe but it's the only option.  We've tried everything else," Jay advised unworriedly before sitting up straighter on his chair and eyeing his companion intently, "if things go south you remind the guys it's what I wanted okay? You'll do that for me?"
"Well I ....,"
"Doc I'm asking as a favour.  Please."
"Okay Jay," the Psychologist reluctantly acquiesced, hoping he'd never have to fulfill  the promise but dreading the distinct possibility he would.

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After assessing his options Jay had finally confronted Voight about the delay in being proactive.  Although the older man had argued that they were  merely being  cautious the young Detective had laid his cards on the table for his Sergeant in a candid conversation which resulted in his presence now on a park bench in the Capilano mountain range located just outside of  Vancouvers' city environs.  The location was a famous tourist spot boasting amongst other attractions several suspension bridges and a bear sanctuary which was perched atop a small mountain replete with a stream running through it.  Jays' chosen seat however was at the base of said  mountain, up against a backdrop of dense trees and colourful wooden statues.   Eyeing the landscape before him from his vantage point Jay had to admit he was surprised Voight had given his tacit approval to the location.  The older man  had given Jay his word there would be no attempts to provide surveillance and protection of any kind.  There was no room to scare King away and any sign of being observed would have signalled the end of the plan.  Of course as plans went it was rudimentary to say the least and the Detective understood his Superiors' concerns.  Even now as he sat patiently waiting for their nemesis to appear the young man wasn't sure what exactly had swayed Voight but it may have been rooted in his rare blunt admission that he needed to end things now.   That frank statement had  clearly surprised the seasoned Sergeant although he had tried to hide his reaction.  It was rare indeed for Jay to admit he was anything  but fine so offering up his need to close the investigation had not been an easy tactic yet he knew he  had no other choice if he wanted to meet King.   Ultimately Voights' tacit approval had led to a discussion about Kings' likely actions, none of which were pleasant.   None of that really mattered however as far as Jay was concerned.   As ever his own well being did not register with him.   No, his concern was enticing the Killer to give himself up without any further bloodshed.  Initially Parker had posed the conundrum of giving King the illusion of control while in reality taking it away from him.  There were no easy solutions to the dilemma unfortunately.  Jay had pointed out that he would just have to play it by ear when he met the man.  The actual act of getting King to show himself had been ridiculously simple.  Jay had walked out of the bureau office at lunch time unaccompanied.  That had been a first for sure and they all knew the seemingly all seeing King would have been made aware of the rare occurrence without haste.   After stopping off at a  nearby deli and collecting a salad sandwich and water  as if he was one of the many office Workers flooding the  various eateries he had continued on his way at a leisurely pace and eventually reached his destination with the ease  of a fit young man showing no signs of exertion.  He had purchased a ticket and headed for the bench they had  chosen the  previous day.   Although a tourist hotspot was taking a risk with members of the public present Jay had pointed out that the element of surprise should ensure their quarry did not have an opportunity to plot any devastation.    As a part of his argument for proceeding that day the Detective had stipulated that he would only remain in the location  for one hour, further reducing  the  chance of King  setting up a deadly event.    Of course everyone was aware that there was a possibility the man they sought would not make an appearance but of them all Jay was the only one who felt the likelihood was high King would show up.   As usual his keen instincts were telling him that a confrontation was coming and he welcomed it.  Already having resolved to ensure  no one else died at the Killers' behest Jay intended to go all out to end the months' long investigation no matter what the cost was to himself.  Without moving his head the young man swivelled his eyes in every direction, keenly seeking any sign of King amongst the unsuspecting Tourists as they happily took photos and mingled with fellow Travellers.   He had discussed the possibility with Parker that their quarry  might pose as a Tourist, after all the transformation could be accomplished with simple props such as a camera and binoculars that could be acquired locally quite easily.  The Psychologist had agreed the idea might appeal to King.   A subtle glance at his watch, as he slowly unwrapped  the salad sandwich as if he didn't have a care in the world, informed him he had been sitting there for ten minutes.  Another fifty and he would casually depart and return  to the office.  Every fibre of his being was willing his prey to appear irrespective of the incumbent danger that shrouded the cold hearted man.   Taking a bite of the thick bread ensemble he barely tasted the food, his senses attuned to every nook and cranny visible from his vantage point.  Being an ex-Sniper meant that within a minute  of sitting down upon his arrival he had memorized every item in the green landscape and the various picnic benches and seating areas.  He had automatically conjured up a mental catalogue of everything that was stationary.  Once that was done he had briefly scrutised the various staff members but did not dwell on them as the Unit had already accessed the Personnel Files for each person working in the Tourist attraction and found all to be free of any criminal background.  Next he had turned his attention to the one unknown variable, the variable that could ultimately bring the whole plan crashing down, members of the public.   Normally Mouse would be feverishly working his magic  in a surveillance van close by eagerly checking photos and allocating them to names before checking their life history.  That however was not happening this time.  Jay truly was solo.  Initially after Voight had granted approval Jay had entertained doubts as to the mans' willingness to let him go in without any form of  back up whatsoever.  The older man after all was used to being in control and what Jay wanted effectively rendered him ineffective.  Bracing himself for a patented glare the younger man had approached the Sergeant and sought his word that no hidden measures would be put in place.  As expected Voight had met the request with a steely moment of cold silence before he relented and assured the Detective that this once he was willing to play things differently.  He had then added a grim caveat that if his Detective got hurt as a result of the solo meeting there would be hell to pay.  Jay had wisely decided not to question that warning and merely offered his firm hand in gratitude which was solidly shaken.  Now as the minutes slowly passed Jay wondered if his gambit would pay off or if it was just waste of time.  Perusing the group of Tourists who had just come out of the souvenir shop laden down with colourful gift bags and brochures his eyes strayed to a man straggling behind the group.  Without moving a muscle Jays' senses went on high alert.  King had take the bait! Okay so him  being the bait was   not ideal but he'd take the arrival as a win anyway.  Now all he needed to do was snare the man without any bloodshed ......

tbc

Authors' Note:

Sincere apologies for the late publication!   Real life is throwing obstacles in my way at the moment in the form of house works and an eye problem acting up!   My concentration is being sorely tested 🤣.  Will do my best to publish next chapter as usual next Monday but if there's a delay ye ('you' .... apparently the word 'ye' is an Irish thing!) will know why 🤷‍♀️.