Across the yard, with a deputy at her side, Zeffie sat on the front steps of her store, taking in the police activity—the yellow tape strung around Byyle’s car and the pumps, the flashing lights, and crackling radios—as emergency vehicles streamed into her gas station. Caressing her golden retriever, Zeffie blinked back tears, trying to process it all.

Police assured her that the man who died was a suspected serial killer who was going to murder Samantha Moore, that Zeffie had saved her life. Still, it was difficult for Zeffie. She later asked about the cat in Byyle’s car, and was told that it was going to an animal rescue society.

A couple of hours after Sam’s rescue, the massive joint-forces operation was launched to search the 200-acre property where Byyle resided. The goal was to recover any other victims and collect evidence in the Hydra investigation. They moved with critical speed on Byyle’s blood type, which was consistent with traces they had from the Hydra case. Next, they gave typing his DNA—from the fingernail recovered at the motel crime scene—the highest priority, to confirm whether Byyle was the Hydra.

***

Later that day, McDade and Noble went to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington to obtain Samantha Moore’s statement.

They praised her courage and determination to survive, crediting her with bringing an end to the Hydra killings.

“Tell me about the people who saved me,” Sam asked.

Upon hearing about what Zeffie and Wyatt did, she asked if they could come to the hospital so she could thank them. It was arranged, and Sam hugged Zeffie, then Wyatt, for a long time. Sam also agreed to give Wyatt an exclusive interview for True Signal News.

Within 24 hours, Sam’s aunt and uncle, Lori and Mac Campbell, and her boyfriend, Kevin Tatum, arrived in Burlington for a tear-filled reunion.

Not long after that, McDade and Noble returned, and passed a gift-wrapped box to Sam. She sobbed when she opened it to see the silver chain bracelet that her mother had given her.

***

In the first hours after Samantha Moore’s rescue and the death of the Hydra, local, state, national, and international newspeople rushed to Lucifer’s Notch in the Northeast Kingdom.

The exhaustive search and investigation had yielded a series of developments and revelations, keeping the case in the news for days.

As time passed, it was determined that Gina Rose “Cass” Gangel and Ewing Gibson “Gibby” Spiker had no involvement in Byyle’s activities or any connection to Samantha Moore’s abduction and confinement. However, Spiker faced a charge related to disturbing and robbing graves. But after more was known about the circumstances of the case, the charge was reduced by the State’s Attorney, and Spiker was ordered to pay a fine.