Know Your Enemy by Bruce Savage by Bruce Savage

KNOW YOUR ENEMY BRUCE SAVAGE

Table of Contents About Bruce Savage...................................................................... Bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s by Bruce Savage................................................................. Disclaimer...................................................................................... Copyright....................................................................................... Chapter 1.....................................................................................1 Chapter 2.....................................................................................7 Chapter 3.....................................................................................9 Chapter 4...................................................................................15 Chapter 5...................................................................................19 Chapter 6...................................................................................23 Chapter 7...................................................................................29 Chapter 8...................................................................................35 Chapter 9...................................................................................39 Chapter 10.................................................................................43 Chapter 11.................................................................................47 Chapter 12.................................................................................53 Chapter 13.................................................................................57 Chapter 14.................................................................................61 Chapter 15.................................................................................65 Chapter 16.................................................................................67 Chapter 17.................................................................................69 Chapter 18.................................................................................73 Chapter 19.................................................................................77 Chapter 20.................................................................................81

Chapter 21.................................................................................87 Chapter 22.................................................................................91 Chapter 23.................................................................................95 Chapter 24.................................................................................99 Chapter 25...............................................................................103 Chapter 26...............................................................................107 Chapter 27...............................................................................113 Chapter 28...............................................................................117 Chapter 29...............................................................................123 Chapter 30...............................................................................129 Chapter 31...............................................................................133 Chapter 32...............................................................................139 Chapter 33...............................................................................145 Chapter 34...............................................................................147 Chapter 35...............................................................................155 Chapter 36...............................................................................161 Chapter 37...............................................................................165 Chapter 38...............................................................................167 Chapter 39...............................................................................171 Chapter 40...............................................................................177 Chapter 41...............................................................................181 Chapter 42...............................................................................185 Wait!........................................................................................191 From the Author......................................................................193

About Bruce Savage Is the author of horror, thriller, science fction, and fantasy adventure novels. Born dirt poor as the son of a taxi driver and the youngest child of 16 brothers and sisters he grew up spending hours and hours at the local public library reading the great stories of Stephen King, Clive Barker, H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury and many other great authors as a way to entertain himself. These writers inspired Bruce to set out on a path to become a fction writer and learn the craft. 5 years later he’s still as passionate about the craft as he was the day he was handed his frst book to read. That was H.G. Well’s The Time Machine, a timeless classic that is inspiring and fuels the imagination and wonder of what will the human race become in the future? Over the years, Bruce developed a writing style that has been said to be a combination of Stephen King, James Patterson, and H.G.Well’s rolled up into one. You never know how far down the rabbit hole Bruce has brought you as the reader until it’s too late and he’s got you hooked and turning page after page. If you love a great story with a human element, suspense and imagination then you’ve chosen well choosing a book by Bruce Savage. Each of his novels is unique and packed with energy that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. Bruce Savage – KNOW YOUR ENEMY

Book’s by Bruce Savage The Noveelse: GODS ASSASSIN NO MERCY FOR THE DEAD LEGEND OF THE DRAGON THE SKULL EUROPA'S CHILD RUSSIAN GAMES QUEST FOR THE TABLET ORIGIN SHORT SCARY STORIES PSYCHO CASUALTIES OF WAR For previews and information about the author: Visit www.brucesavage.com .

Disclaimer KNOW YOUR ENEMY By Bruce Savage Copyright © 2016 KNOW YOUR ENEMY paperback Edition This paperback is licensed for your personal enooyment only. This paperback may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite paperback retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without the express permission in writing by the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. First Edition 1.0 Bruce Savage – KNOW YOUR ENEMY

ISBN-13: 978-1518880254 ISBN-10: 1518880258

Bruce Savage – KNOW YOUR ENEMY Visit: www.brucesavage.com or your favorite book seller to order additional copies.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY BRUCE SAVAGE

BRUCE SAVAGE

Chapter 1 Seth Greensburg was a collector of cars. Not oust any car, but police cars. He was always the frst at the doors of the Fresno Civic Center when the state held its auctions, selling of old or outdated equipment at substantially low prices. From old IBM Selectric typewriters to Police equipment, you could fnd it at the State auction. This is where Seth had obtained most of his collection of Police cars. He bought his pride and ooy a few years back. A 1998 Victoria Crown Royal completely equipment. The motor was blown, but that would be easy to

KNOW YOUR ENEMY swap out. Other than that, the body was in great shape. In August of every year, he would bring his entire collection up to Sacramento for the show at the state fair. His shop was his garage at his house, oust outside of Selma. This was also the place where he would storage the cars until it was time to show them of. He had close to thirty acres of land at his house. Almost two of the acres encompassed a huge storage facility where the cars would stay protected until it was time for a showing or for sale to someone that was interested in old Police cars. Surprisingly there were quite a few people that had purchased cars from Seth over the years. Mostly other collectors like him. He had received a call from a man interested in purchasing a state trooper vehicle that he saw in Seth’s catalog online. Along with the shows, Seth had a website showing of and advertising all of the Police cars that he had in his inventory. The man was specifcally interested in a California State Trooper vehicle and made it clear that nothing else would do. Just his luck that Seth had recently fnished refurbishing a 2002 State Trooper vehicle

BRUCE SAVAGE that he had picked up at auction. The man had made an ofer Seth could not refuse for the vehicle and assured him he would be by within the hour, cash in hand, to pick up his property. A buzzer sounded in the garage where Seth was fnishing up touches on the State Trooper car alerting Seth that someone had driven through the set of electric eyes he had set up at the beginning of the driveway. Seth spent a great deal of time in the garage and needed some way of knowing when a customer or possible visitor was at the house. He fnished wiping down the hood of the car and headed out of the garage for the house. Seth could see that when he had reached the house that there was no one there. He stood there a little confused at what could have made the buzzer go of if nobody had driven up the driveway. After a moment of trying to solve the mystery, he decided to let it go and rule it of to possible kids playing a ooke and headed back to the garage. He walked back to the State Trooper vehicle to fnish working on it before the buyer picked it up when he noticed that someone was in the car.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY “Excuse me; is there something I can help you with?” Seth asked the man sitting in the driver’s seat of the State trooper vehicle. “I’m sorry but that’s not for sale. Someone’s already bought it and is on their way to pick it up.” Seth announced to the man. The man stopped and stared at Seth for a moment before opening the driver’s side door and getting out. He was dressed head to toe in a State Trooper uniform. “I know. I’m the one you spoke to on the phone. I came to pick the car up.” The man said unsnapping his holster. “Well, hey I’m sorry about that. Didn’t know it was you. How do you like her?” Seth asked. The man reached for his holster, pulled out his gun, and pointed it at Seth. Seth’s reaction was of shock. He froze in his steps not knowing what to say or do, but wanting so much to run. “Oh, it’ll do oust fne for what I need. You do good work. You should be proud of yourself.” The man said and then pulled the trigger. He shot Seth twice in the chest and Seth dropped to the foor of the garage. The last thing that Seth had seen in his life was the collection of Police cars that he loved so

BRUCE SAVAGE much. Yet, there was no one to rescue him in his fnal moments. He picked Seth up and put him in the trunk of the car and then opened the garage doors and headed for the highway. Where he would wait for him. The one he was going to play a game with. The one he knew as Detective James Taggett.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

BRUCE SAVAGE

Chapter 2 I was cruising along on Highway 80 outside of Sacramento when I noticed a State Police car following me. He followed me for about fve miles before he fnally decided to stop following and fipped on his lights to get me to pull over. I pulled the car to the right and put it into park and got out my badge. “What the hell does he want? I was only doing in a 6 -mile zone for crying out loud.” I said to myself.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY The trooper got out of his car and started to walk towards me while fumbling with his hat. He kept trying to position it on his head due to a little wind that was kicking up outside. I still couldn’t get a clear look at his face. He approached my car and I rolled down the window and reached for my badge to show him that I was a fellow cop. In law enforcement, we usually extended certain courtesies to one of our own. And I was hoping this trooper understood that. What happened next I still can’t remember clearly. Maybe because it was so shocking and completely unexpected. Maybe because I couldn’t fathom the possibility of it happening. What I do remember is the trooper approaching the car and then drawing his weapon from his holster. His other hand still fumbling with his hat over his face. And then there was a fash from the muzzle of his gun. The trooper had shot me at point blank range.

BRUCE SAVAGE

Chapter 5 Twenty-Five-year-old Anna Mason sped along I-80, twenty minutes outside of Sacramento in her red Porsche 911 Carrera S. She could feel the power in her hands as she efortlessly maneuvered in and out of trafc heading for Oakland. A rendezvous was on the menu with her boyfriend Enrique Torres the owner of several hotels and resorts from the Caribbean to Cape Cod. Money was what she liked most about Enrique. And Enrique had no misgivings about letting people know he had it. It was a trinket of his afection when he handed her the keys to the 200 Porsche, candy apple red, her fantasy favor for her dream car.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY In a few minutes at the speed she was traveling at she would be oust outside of Oakland and ready to hit her lover boy up for more trinkets. In exchange, he got what he wanted, sex and anything else he wanted. Anna didn’t really care about the strange sexual desires that Enrique had, as long as he kept the gifts coming. She swung both ways and knew that she could use it to her advantage, to her fnancial beneft that is. She pushed harder on the accelerator and the little red supercharged sports car with the vanity plate “PAID 4” imprinted on it roared louder and increased its speed at her request. The highway had cleared and there was no one in sight as she sped along I-80. Anna cranked up the volume on the Bose stereo and the surround sound speakers pumped out more of Ludacris ‘Pimping all over the world’. She sang along for part of the song and then took her eyes of the road for only a second to change the station as she entered mile marker 220. In the road was a piece of a tire from a tractortrailer that had blown out somewhere up ahead, or so anyone would think so. The Porsche’s front tire

BRUCE SAVAGE slammed into it and at the speed she was traveling at the tire disintegrated as if it was made of tissue paper. She held tightly to the steering wheel as the car started to turn into a spin. Anna slammed on the brakes and the rear end of the Porsche spun around turning the car backward and slamming into the guardrail. The emergency airbag deployed on impact, rocketing Anna’s head backward into the headrest of the custom leather seat. Finally, the car came to a stop after grinding against the guardrail for at least 100 feet. For a moment there was no movement in the $9 ,000 sports car until the airbag defated and Anna let out a scream. “FUCK! GODDAMN IT! FUCK!” Anna screamed as she quickly inventoried herself and whether she was still alive or not. Smoke billowed from the front end of the car as the heat from the grinding metal of the front rim and tire that was now non-existent melted wire connections and ignited leaking oil. She probably only had moments before the whole engine caught on fre and her goose would be cooked as well. She grabbed at the handle of the car door but the

KNOW YOUR ENEMY impact from the collision with the guardrail had twisted the frame of the expensive trinket and fused both doors’ shut. There was no way out. From behind her a pair of headlights started growing larger as it approached the accident. Anna caught the refection of the headlights in her rear view mirror and panic changed to possible relief as the vehicle came closer. The vehicle came closer until fnally, it pulled up in front of Anna’s car. After a moment, the driver got out and walked calmly up to Anna’s smoking wreck and Anna banged on the driver’s side window to show him she was trapped inside of the car. Suddenly Anna’s eyes widened with terror as she saw what the man was carrying in his hand. It was a gun. A .44 magnum to be exact. The man stood there for a moment smiling at her. Then he raised the gun to the window of Anna’s car and carefully aimed and found his target and then fred twice. The driver’s side window shattered as the bullets from the mini-canon ripped through and Anna slumped over to the passenger’s seat dead with two bullets in her chest.

BRUCE SAVAGE He reached inside of the car and grabbed a handful of her long blonde hair with one hand and unclasped the knife on his belt and began carving his message. It was a message for a Detective Taggett.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

BRUCE SAVAGE

Chapter 4 It was a truck driver that was headed to Redding to pick up another load of raw timber that had spotted my car. He had phoned it into police on his cell, not out of concern that there might be someone inoured, but out of annoyance that someone would be parked on the side of the road and sleeping in their vehicle. This was one of John Thorton’s pet peeves as a truck driver for nearly 50 years. Nothing pissed him of more than vehicles parked in the emergency lane late at night. For a truck driver it was an accident waiting to happen, and a maoor annoyance. A state cruiser was dispatched to check on my vehicle when to the ofcer’s alarm had found me

KNOW YOUR ENEMY shot in the front seat. Within moments Lifeline had dispatched a helicopter and rushed me to Sacramento Medical Center. I remember only brief images of these events as I fell in and out of consciousness and then fnally into a coma. I had lost a lot of blood from being shot point blank range. The shooter had put a nice hole in my shoulder and the bullet thankfully had gone straight through and into the car seat instead of sprawling around and shredding vital organs. When I awoke a fuzzy image was standing over my bed. It was a man, my boss Chief Leroy Levi. “Doctor, I think he’s regaining consciousness. I think James is waking up.” I could hear Levi say. There was a brief commotion and then the fuzzy image of the doctor appeared before me. I blinked my eyes several times trying to clear them up and gain focus on my surroundings. “Don’t try to speak James. Save your energy.” I could hear Chief Levi say from behind the doctor. “Mr. Taggett...can you hear me?” The Doctor asked. “If you can hear me I want you to squeeze my fnger as hard as you can.” The Doctor took my

BRUCE SAVAGE hand and placed his fnger in it and I squeezed it as best I could. “That’s very good Mr. Taggett.” The Doctor said. He took out a fashlight and shown the light in my eyes to check the dilation of my pupils. “I think you’re going to be oust fne James. You’re in the best of hands here. Try and get some rest. You have been through a very traumatic experience.” The Doctor said. He turned around and took a clipboard from the nurse that had come into the room and issued orders and then he turned to Chief Levi. “I think for the moment we should let him rest. He’s still very weak. It’s not uncommon in cases like this for him to slip back into a coma if he’s put under stress. Give him a couple of days to come out of it fully.” The Doctor said then headed of to tend to his other patients. “Thank you, Doctor, give him anything he needs. You got that. Spare no expense.” Chief Levi said giving the doctor the look of a man that was dead serious, and probably would bring the down the fury and wrath of the entire Police force on him if he didn’t.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY “James, I’m going to go now. You get some rest. We’ll talk when you’re strong enough.” Chief Levi said walking to the door. He stopped halfway through the door to turn around and fash a smile my way and give me a thumb’s up. “Get some rest James.” He said then disappeared out the door. I drifted of back to sleep. The next time I would wake up I would fnd out something that would destroy my world.

BRUCE SAVAGE

Chapter The next morning, I had awoken to the sound of Katie Couric talking about a plane crash in Alaska. I opened my eyes and tried to move, but found it difcult. Damn near impossible. My body ached as if I had been in a football game against the Rams all by myself. I looked across the room and could see my partner Jef Atkins sleeping peacefully in one of the chairs brought in by visitors that I assumed had been holding vigil over me while I was in a coma. I thought to myself that Jef must have come in sometime in the night and stayed awake as long as he could and then drifted of. That’s my partner over there I thought to myself. Good old’

KNOW YOUR ENEMY Starsky covering Hutch’s back. I couldn’t ask for a better friend than Jef. A story came on the news and I redirected my attention to Katie and what she was saying on the television. “And this oust in. Sources at the FBI have announced another victim of the serial killer being called the Highway Killer. A 2 -year-old woman was found shot to death in her car last night. Anna Mason was pronounced dead at the scene when a California State Trooper found the wreckage of her car along Interstate 9 outside of Oakland. This will make the third victim of the Highway killer. No other information about the investigation is available and FBI ofcials are not talking in hopes that someone will come forward that may have information that will lead to the capture of the suspected serial killer. “Son of a Bitch!” I screamed at the television. Jef heard me and woke up; nearly falling out of the chair he was sleeping in and came over to the side of my bed. “James! Calm Down!” Jef said half asleep.

BRUCE SAVAGE “Doctor! You need to get in here!” Jef hollered towards the doorway. “As soon as I’m able I’m going after that son of a bitch!” I said to Jef. “As soon as you’re able? That won’t be for a little while, James. Doctor’s orders are for you to take it easy. Got it?” Jef said as he stood at the side of my bed. “He made a big mistake. He didn’t kill me.” “Was it a mistake? Or was it what he wanted? We don’t know anything yet James. But as soon as you’re able I promise we’ll get him together. That’s what partners are for aren’t they?” Jef said. “His next mistake will be his last,” I replied.