“We will share all our information with him and work together to bring the monster to justice,” he declares.
“Mr. Yates?” A voice says from behind him. Victor turns greeting the older gentlemen with a smile and offers him a chair.
After the greetings are over Mr. Steward declines lunch. “I’m sorry, but I can’t stay long.” He pulls papers from his leather briefcase and slides a picture towards Victor. “Is this the man in question?”
Victor lifts the wanted poster and stares at the man he has never seen but has come to hate. He shows it to Summer, and she turns away nodding, “Yes, his name is Alberto Hass, but he goes by Dr. Jung Rudolph, as well.” Victor stares at the young man and tries to see past the good-looking image he presents, but all he can see is a monster.
“Excellent. Here's what I could find out. Most of it, you already know, but some you do not. He changes names every time he gets in over his head, then moves on, assuming a fresh identity. What is interesting, or stupid in my opinion, is that he always remains a doctor. Not a good way to disappear, to my way of thinking.”
Summer listens and remains quiet. “What else?” Victor demands.
“He has been chased out of Boston, he murdered a secretary and lover...” He glances at Summer apologetically.
“Please continue Mr. Steward, there is nothing you could say about him that would shock me. He murdered my parents and eight-year-old twin sisters,” Summer insists.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Denning. His methods are extreme, he injected his secretary with a concoction of animal and human bacteria. She would have died an excruciating death, so she spared herself that misery and jumped from his third story hotel window. The police were too late to catch him. He fled to New York by train. He used a single woman traveling alone, to cover his escape. She was lucky to survive her encounter.”
Summer gasps, “He’s been here all this time?”
“No, my dear. When he stepped off the train the police presence was intense. They'd been searching for him everywhere. He used a prost… umm a woman of questionable means to escape. He killed her as well.” He slides Victor another piece of paper detailing the gruesome murder of the prostitute. “It seems she bought train tickets to Pennsylvania before she died. That is all I know.”
“Were the tickets used?” Victor asks.
“Yes. He's been gone for five days now.” Victor slides an envelope of cash to him for his work, then takes the papers. Mr. Steward stands to leave, but turns before walking out, “Understand, he could have gotten off anywhere after he left New York, but I would think he's assuming he escaped again. I pray you God speed in catching this evil.”
Summer slides the paper over and reads in detail what he did to the woman who helped him escape. Her hands are trembling when Victor takes it from her. Her light blue eyes seek him, “If he did that to a woman who helped him, how would he…” she doesn’t finish the sentence.
Victor pays the waiter and guides her from the restaurant. “This is why I didn’t tell you sooner about my meeting with him. We now know he isn’t in New York. That is good and better still we know where he is headed.”
Summer lets him shuttle her into the carriage and doesn’t trust herself to speak. She glances out of the window as Victor gives all the paperwork to Danny. “Truly, he is the harbinger of death, it follows him wherever he goes,” she murmurs.
“Tell me, at any moment during your time with him, did you see fear in his eyes?” Danny asks darkly.
Her head snaps up, and she flashes to the moment he struck her in her cabin on the ship. When he realized he wasn't immune to everything as he supposed. “Once, after he struck me,” her hand inadvertently touches her cheek, and she glances out the window of the carriage. “He put his hands on me and I… well he didn't take rejection very well.”
“What did you do?” Victor wonders.
“I attacked him. You see, he had just admitted to purposely slaughtering my family. He struck me to the cabin floor, splitting my lip. When he made me a disgusting offer, I laughed at him and threatened to spit my blood in his eyes.” Summer looks away and misses the surprised look that passes between the two men.
“There is that fighting spirit I love, we will stop him, Summer. Do you still wish to go to the island?” Victor asks.
“Yes,” she replies in a hoarse voice. He takes her hand, and Danny continues reading the documents given to him.
Victor gives the driver instructions to take them to Castle Gardens. The carriage pulls off, and Danny reaches out to give him back the papers, “I will bring in my brothers on this, Victor.”
“If they are available it would be…” the carriage jerks and the driver yells. A loud thump is heard, and both Victor and Danny look out the windows, as the carriage slows.
“Ho…” The driver yells, and both men draw their pistols. Summer watches terrified.
“Stay inside, don't get out,” Victor yells at her. He and Danny both leap from different sides of the carriage as Summer glances outside, only to realize they are surrounded on all sides by six men pointing rifles at them.
“We won’t be hurting ya’, Mr. Yates. Our boss needs to have a meetin’ with your English lady. Come peacefully, and no one has to be dying today.” The Irish brogue is thick, and they're all wearing black cloths covering their faces.
“Stop! I will go with you, don’t hurt them.” Summer shouts and leaps from the carriage. Victor and
