Chapter 24 Wednesday, 1445 hours (2:45 PM)

Joshua played the alligator kill over and over in his mind. It was satisfying of course, but there was something missing. Joshua felt it in his body. Then he realized what the emptiness was. He needed someone to share this all with. Of course it would have to be someone who'd appreciate the finer points of torture and killing.

Joshua took out his file cards and read the entries. Most of the Calfers were blank slates. They could be molded, but there was no time to create a Joshua clone. He put away the cards and gazed dreamily through the window at his zoo. Jack was the natural choice of course. But no. Jack wouldn't do. His was a cynical sadism. Joshua wanted someone sensitive - someone with whom he could share experiences at a deep level.

Brian was the one. He had the artistic sensibility and he'd shown he could tolerate killing. Joshua had to know if deep down, Brian was like himself. Was it more than simply tolerance. Deep down, did Brian enjoy it? Why shouldn't he?

It was too bad that Brian wasn't there to film the crocodile affair. Joshua wished he could have observed him there, but the police, damn them, had begun sporadically jamming the walkie-talkies, and Brian didn't get the call.

Joshua convinced himself that all he had to do was to make Brian look inside himself for the boy to discover his dark side.

Smiling, Joshua went off to hunt up Brian.