“Why you let them in?” Jessie Lee said in an angry voice. Her appearance was slim and tired, dark circles on her eyes, sunken cheeks, and paranoid.
“They said they come to help us,” Bella West said.
“How can you so sure that he hasn't sent them to find us?” Piper Mason said. Her condition wasn’t different from those two. Both thin and tired.
“Well ... We are from The Agency of Civil for Peacefulness and Security between Parallel universes. We do the case that Thomas Ivan has involved, he kidnapped and killed you in other parallel universes,” Kate explained with them while showing the badge and identity card again.
Kate looked at their faces one by one sadly. Both tired and skinny, their mental condition might be suffering because they stuck in this room together. “We will take you out,”
Jessie, Piper and Bella looked at each other. But surprisingly no sign of happiness on their eyes.
“No, we won’t go anywhere. We're safe here,” Jessie said in paranoid. “He can’t find us. We have been here for months. He still can't find us. Then why do we have to risk our lives? He may see us and what we endured to hide here will be nothing,” she continued. Her face began to look like a madman.
They have been here for months? Bribing the police to conceal their information, didn’t go outside, didn’t go to work, didn’t go to buy food, didn’t contact family and didn't even open the window curtain because they were afraid that Thomas would see them.
“We will take care of you. Please follow us, ACPSP will take care of all of you the best. I guarantee that Thomas won’t be able to reach you. Our building has a system to prevent the illegal wormhole connection. He can't get in,” Kate tried to convince them calmly.
Piper and Bella seemed to agree with Kate. They tightly gripped each other arms and nodded.
“We’ll go with you,” Piper said in a trembling voice.
“No!!” Jessie's voice was interrupted. “Are you crazy? If going out, Thomas definitely gets you. Do you think they can help you in time? Didn't you watch the news? Even in the public restroom, he could do,”
Piper and Bella were silent. They started to become uncertain again. “But we may survive, Jessie. I just want to go home,” Piper began to speak softly.
“It was your fault, Piper. If that day, you didn't persuade us to do things like that, today we haven't run like hell. Don't have to hide like a rat. Don't have to endure staying in this foul room together, can’t sleep and hungry,” Jessie said with emotion.
What Jessie had said made Jason thought that they were the cause of the great fire.
“I know you all have to struggle with being hide like this but today is the end. We guarantee that Thomas will not get you,” Kate tried to negotiate.
“Did you catch him?” Jessie asked.
Kate embarrassed about this question. “Well, ... we caught one of him but have to prove that he is the person we wanted,”
“Means not yet, right?” Jessie said hard.
“Um ... we haven't found him in this universe yet,” Kate said.
Jessie even more confused and seemed to become insane. She grabbed a knife and held it tightly. “Then get out. I don't believe you can take care of us. Just only one criminal you can’t catch,” She pointed the knife at Kate.
Jason rushed in to conceal Kate immediately. “Calm down, Miss. Lee, we don't really want anyone to get hurt, right? Please put the knife down and we will let you decide on your own,” he said with a fast heartbeat but still kept the tone calm.
“Put the knife down, Jessie,” Bella said in awe and began to cry.
“Get out of this room!!!” Jessie cried out to Jason and Kate while pointing a knife at them. Jason only raised his hands up as a sign language that he had no weapons while using his body to protect his partner.
Jason could feel that Kate grabbed his waist tightly. She also tries to pull him away from Jessie who has gone crazy. But if he left them, Thomas would definitely found them in one day. Jason slowly slit his hand into the suit pocket.
“If you want to stay here, it is fine, but I found this in a pile of letters under the door and if you need my advice, you should follow us,” He gave them an envelope. The front stated Bella West's name. It was a receipt for the food she ordered to the room last week. And on the back of the envelope was….
A hexagram.
“Oh .... no.... no.... He knew we are here,” Jessie cried out in a hopeless. Her eyes looked empty. Jason slowly moved toward her and pulled the knife out of her hand. Felt relieved, she seemed to surrender.
Jason put the knife down on a table away from Jessie's hand.
“Do you want anything from this room? We'll help to pack,” Jason said and Jessie nodded absent-mindedly. They started to put some clothes in their luggage, a few personal belongings. Kate called ACPSP of B05 to send the car to pick up and guard them.
“It’s because of you, Piper!! If I can kill you, Thomas will spare my life,” Suddenly, Jessie cried out madly again and took the knife that Jason was resting on the table, brandished at Piper Mason, who was waiting for the staff to pick up near the bedroom door. Jason tried to grab Jessie's body but slit out. Then everything happened very quickly. Didn't know where the red blood came from and spilled over the floor with the screaming of pain.
“Stop!!” Jason's voice shouted. He hurriedly locked and pulled Jessie away from Piper who was screaming at the top of her lungs. He quickly snatched the knife out of Jessie's hand. Kate rushed to Piper, along with clothes that were hanging nearby. Wrapped around Piper's arm that was full of blood.
The atmosphere began to pressure. And the blood smell spread until the remaining people almost got mad. Bella cried out and Piper screamed and cried in pain, she tried to grab anything close and threw to Jessie as revenge.
Jason had to cover her because everyone was getting crazy, and Jessie still struggled and picked up anything to throw back to Piper, too. The room was filled with the sound of cracking and shrieking.
Then Jessie wriggled out of Jason's hands. She pulled Piper's hair. Then they pinched each other’s hairs, pulled and slapped. Blood was splash all around, even Jason couldn't stop them. This might be called the blood smell caused people got mad. If they haven't stopped, then there would be someone dead.
Crash!!!!
A sound of something broken louden.
“Please stop!! We are helping you. Do you want Thomas to be happy that you kill each other?” Kate said in a sharp voice after using a sonic gun to break a chair. And all three women stood still.
Jason rushed to handcuff Jessie to prevent her from doing anything unexpected and prevented Piper or Bella from approaching her. Then for a while staff from ACPSP of B05 arrived.
They took the three women out of the room wore armors and helmets, covering their faces. Then took an elevator to the area below and got in the armored car. Jason and Kate took a taxi after them.
“Jess, he doesn't want to kill them, right?” asked Kate. She looked out of the car with blank eyes. On the sidewalk, people crowded. The children ran and played full of fun, and the parents followed them carrying a bottle of water, ice creams and a variety of desserts. Sunday like this, they seemed to be happy with family. It's a shame that the three women haven't had a chance to see this lovely life for months.
Jason pondered before answering her. He knew what Kate was wondering about.
“No, Thomas didn't want to kill them by himself. But he wanted to make a terror and paranoia for them, then they would never sleep tight, their stomach’s never full. They were not brave enough to go outside. Without a job, the money they saved has running out because of bribing the police. They ordered food and necessity things to delivery to the room. Could only watch news about what he did to them in other parallel universes. They didn't even dare to open the curtains to see the sky. Think about it, what’ll happen to their perceptions. They will be distracted, depressed, and one day the patience runs out, they start to be crazy and blame each
other. Finally, there must be someone who does violent until one of them dies,” he said.
“They bribed the police not to reveal their records and addresses. That would make Thomas unable to find them. But he takes advantage of this, too. He chased and killed them in other parallel universes as a message on them that one day their queue will come. That would be frightened until they lose their minds as we have just seen,” Jason continued.
“But he sent a hexagram to Bella's room, means he knew where they are,” Kate interrupted.
Jason smiled slyly. “Well, ... Actually, I don't know whether Thomas knows where they were. But that hexagram, I wrote it myself while you were trying to persuade them. In case you don't succeed, it’ll be a plan B,” he said proudly. “At least it made them change their minds and wanted to leave the room. Unfortunately, Jessie got mad and almost become a sad ending,”
“You're cunning,” Kate said while narrowed her eyes to look at him.
“It’s called quick-witted, Kate... In conclusion, I think Thomas Ivan wants to see them suffer. He wants to see them kill each other and just now, he almost succeed. Even though the great fire case has expired because there is no witness or reliable evidence for prosecuting anyone. But if they kill each other. There will be someone dead and someone who goes to prison. Their lives will be destroyed by themselves, and they only have these two options if we can't catch Thomas,” Jason said, shrugged.
“He knew we almost touch his back and then he planned for us to get Thomas Ivan from B03. He planned the scene, so we thought he had committed suicide. But they; the women will know that Thomas from B03 is not the real criminal. So they haven't come out of the room. You know, haven't been sleeping well for months, starving and be paranoid, soon they’ll start blaming someone and kill each other. Just this, Thomas, the real criminal can run away,”
“If one of them would like to come out of the room and report the police, they would break up, and they would probably fight violently and end up with killing each other anyway ... He's clever...” Kate said, amazing.
Jason nodded in agreement. That was a very ingenious plan and solved unexpected problems.
“But he’s not as smart as me, Kate,” he said proudly, grinned widely at her. Although he has worked for many years, but he has never deal with a case that important and had to solve a puzzle like this. Solving the problem step by step until almost successful made him felt terribly good.
“Are you hungry?” Kate immediately changed the subject. “I want something light, stay in that room for an hour makes me sick. Your room looks like heaven,” she said while sighing.
Thomas played a mind game with them, which seemed to work very well. They suffer and live in fear. There wouldn't be even one night for them to sleep tight.
These pressures would cause a freak in one day, like a time bomb. But if they haven't gone mad, lived in that room would be seriously ill soon because they didn't even dare to take the rubbish outside. Open the door for a person delivering food was probably the most courageous thing. If it wasn't really necessary or hungry enough, then they probably wouldn't risk ordering meals. So that’s why they were thin and tired like that.
Chapter 24
Kate let all three women took a warm drink and had some food until their stomachs were full. Let them took some rest for a while and then started talking and interrogation. She started from Jessie Lee, who better from losing her mind and seemed to want to talk about the whole story more than anyone else.
“How this happened, Jessie? Why Thomas chases you in other parallel universes,” Kate asked.
Jessie only sat staring at a cup of coffee that still warm and had some white steam waved gently. She sighed, trying to compose the whole story consciously. Kate waited patiently and not pushing her.
In the interrogation room, there was only a table and chairs in which they were sitting. Behind Kate was a large mirror that reflected Jessie's pale face. And Jason watched them behind the mirror but they couldn't see him.
“We are friends, me, Piper and Bella. We were not at the same school. We only had a home in the same neighborhood. There we met Thomas, a rich boy who liked to hide himself and never play with anyone,” Jessie began.
“You can guess, a child who isolated from anyone was often the target of children in group, especially us. We liked to tease him vigorously. And one day he fought. I slapped him at the ear strongly. I think that would cause his ear to be disabled. I knew it wasn't something to be proud of but at that time we just stupid kids. We didn't care our act could hurt anyone. We just wanted to show off to everybody that we were cool,”
“His parents came to talk to our parents. And that caused us to get heavily punished. Since then we teased him harder. We didn't care how carefully he held a birthday cake box for someone. We didn’t care about whether he was going to school. Didn't care what that day would be important for him. Then one day we had a prank idea, in the evening we saw him walked into his house. During that time, his house was repainted. Piper thought it would be fun to blow those paint buckets,” continued Jessie.
“So we took the old carpet found in the trash can in front of his house, rolled it with the spray and set on fire, then left around the area that the paint buckets had placed. But the paint in the buckets wasn’t spread over the walls of his house. We didn't know what was together with the buckets, but they quickly caught fire and we were shock,”
“We ran away and we were sure no one saw us doing that because it was a very late night. After the great fire, we moved to new places denied everything that Thomas told the police. Keep praying for it to pass through. We were back to normal life, transferred to many schools until graduated and went to work. We didn't talk about that fire again because there was no evidence to link to us. It looked like our lives has returned to normal, but one day a paper with hexagram was sent to me,”
“What does that hexagram mean?” Kate questioned.
“It's a symbol of Ivan’s family,” Jessie replied.
Because of this, when they saw a hexagram was sent, they freaked out and hurriedly packed and got out of the room. They know that he was going to pay back because the great fire case has expired. They bribed the police not to share their records and addresses with anyone, but it was too late because Thomas found Jessie and Piper and sent them a hexagram.
So they had to come to Bella's room and the kidnapping and killing of women from other parallel universes began. They thought that they would stay in Bella's room until the police could arrest Thomas, but it made them almost got mad.
Lately, they started to argue more often, sometimes even had a fight. They missed the comfort they have got before 4-5 months of suffering. The more watched news from other parallel universes the more frightened and paranoid, had to wait and hide, both confused and afraid until their minds were blown.
“Then, where can we find Thomas, Jess?” Kate asked Jason when she finished talking to the three women, they all told her the same. “He may already fled to another parallel universe, catch another him and lock up like Thomas B03 and steal his life,” She continued.
Jason still had no idea. He only knew that now, the three women were safe and resting, that was good. And it seemed like both Jason and Kate had a chance to take a rest, too. Because before everything has done like this, it’s already evening.
“I will call Emma to pick us up here,” Kate said. Then she went outside the room.
Just for a while, Kate returned to Jason, who was still standing in the observation room in front of the mirror. She led him to the lab for connecting wormhole. This place looked similar to B07, and a few minutes later they returned to Emma's lab safely.
“Hooray!!” The voices of children shouted joyfully when Jason and Kate arrived. Those were Emma's children who came to play at her lab waited for them to come back.
“Hello children,” Kate greeted and Emma’s kids rushed to hug her.
Jason looked at them chatted and played for a while then turned to E
mma.
“Today is Sunday, Mr. Smith, then my children follow me to play here, and they never touch my control panel,” Emma said.
Jason looked at her face thoughtfully and turned to look at the children. “Why your children so skinny, Emma?” He said.
“What do you really want to say, Mr. Smith?” Emma said displeased while putting her hand on her waist. She knew that he thought she snatched her children’s food.
Jason made a playful face and shrugged. “Let's have dinner, Emma,” he said and quickly walked out of the room.
Emma sighed fed up. “How can you bear him, Kate?” She asked Kate who came to her with her children.
Kate laughed, “He might be the one who bears me, Emma,” she joked, and Emma shook her head, fed up with both of them.
“We’re going to find something delicious. You come with us? I’ll treat you dinner in return for your hard work on Sunday. Please ask Adam too,” Kate said and Emma nodded.
@@@@@@
They sat in a restaurant with a playground for the children to spend time. Jason played with the children and they got a lot of fun. The large ball house allowed him to dive down and pulled the kids' legs from beneath.
“Ricky and Martha seem to like your new Jason Smith, Kate,” Emma's husband, Adam Johnson said while watching them.
Kate smiled at him but seemed a little uncomfortable. “Well, ... He is not my new Jason Smith, but he is Jason Smith from another parallel universe, Adam,”
“Come on, it’s the same. Emma told me that he helped you when you were kidnapped by the criminal. At that time I was very shocked. I think he's good, right?” Adam asked with interest.
“Yes, he is good. You don’t believe that he knows how to find the three women who are the cause of this case by playing 16 parallel universes sculpture at the learning center in B01,” Kate told Emma and Adam, they were amazed with this.
The Traveling Killer and Jason Smith Page 22