She paused to look around with a hand raised. “What do you mean he appreciated his work?”
Detective Jake took interest in the response about greeting the question. He shifted in his seat and locked gaze on the woman who didn’t seem tossed out of her depth as she conjured her response.
“He is comfortable with what he does and for many reasons I would imagine”, she replied. “Firstly, his victims were never blindfolded and they never got bruised or had any blemish on their bodies”.
The room fell silent momentarily before whispers aired.
“You mean he killed them while they were wide awake and conscious of his deeds?” another cop asked with a sickened tone.
Sarah Connell simply nodded her head and turned to the screen before her. “He most likely must have used a sedative of some kind to keep them paralyzed but judging from the fact these bodies aren’t fresh and the last was a year old, I’d assume we haven’t seen the last of this killer”.
A thin smile crawled across Detective Jake’s cheeks. Her brilliance remained mesmerizing and her eloquence on his work was equally thrilling but he had other tricks up his sleeves and he was certain she couldn’t make a clean take on them all.
“I might have been wrong”, he thought to himself. “Maybe hiding my work isn’t entirely as fun as it could be”.
It was the first time he’d ever consider breaking his own rules. The rules had been in place for reasons he knew could come to unfold everything he had worked for and set him along the path of common serial killers who couldn’t abide by a code of conduct to keep themselves hidden from the public eye.
“I have a question please!” a frail arm speared into the air and prompted everyone around to look in the direction.
Detective Jake squinted his gaze and smiled. ‘Little Sam White… here you are rowing with the big leagues”.
The young detective upped himself from his seat like the newbie he was and prompted some mocking laughter from those around, before straightening himself and coughing out loud.
“Had the killing not be called in, none of these bodies would have been found according to the report filed to us via email”, Sam White explained. “Is it safe to say the killer is shy?”
The question bore a thick frown across Detective Jake’s face. He couldn’t believe his ears; he knew nobody else as bold as he was and the notion of being described as a hermit hiding away from the light was demeaning enough for him.
“No!” Sarah Connell stated staunchly. “The killer might be many things, but shy isn’t one of them… my guess is, he kills for the pleasure of it… maybe even attains some sexual satisfaction from the death of his victims, but shy isn’t one of his motive”.
The newbie slowly retreated to his seat and took down notes while the other officers did the same.
“That is all we have right now but more information should be passed to you as soon as they come to light”, Sarah Connell attempted to conclude the meeting as she turned around and began walking towards the light switch.
“What of the weapon used? What sort of weapon do we think our killer might have used to commit his deeds?” Mike Rondon inquired in his usual cocky tone.
Everyone turned to look at him and he barely flinched while he awaited his response from their profiler.
“Presumably a carving knife of some sorts but we cannot confirm for certain right now”, she answered. “Like I said, once we have more concrete information, we will pass them over to you”.
Her final words had led to end of the meeting and none was gladder than Detective Jake who planned on finding out just whatever he could on the eleventh body that threatened to undermine the potency of his memory.
Mike Gordon brushed past rudely before halting by the door. “I wonder how far your cocky attitude can take you in this department”.
“Farther than you”, Detective Jake replied.
Their banter had gone long enough, with snide remarks and harmless but rude comments always lacing their conversations.
“You need to respect the badge even if you don’t see how well others worked to get to where you are”, Mike Rondon added in disgust before proceeding to leave the room.
“Rondon! Jake! You two to my office right away!” the tenacious tone of their Captain came calling.
Detective Jake couldn’t have felt more disturbed, considering he was being called into the room with Mike Rondon.
“I’ll be damned”, he heard his nemesis mutter as Mike Rondon continued to grumble the entire way through.
Captain Luke led the way, while the two followed behind as every eye in the station turned to glare at the favored two whose career paths had differing tales attached to them.
***
“You don’t need to have your seats because what I have to say will be as brief as possible”, the Captain grunted.
Detective Jake went ahead to draw himself a seat regardless, noting the reddened face of his colleague who couldn’t understand the young man’s penchant for disobeying rules.
“I’ll say this and I will say it well so you both can understand the kind of shithole we just found ourselves in”, Captain Luke sighed. “The Mayor wants this killer found as we all do, but he is somewhat pressed on finding him fast to boost his political campaign for governor”.
Mike Rondon stepped closer with his hands folded across his chest. “Tuck Fisher is running for governor? To what end exactly?”
“Some people love having the better things in life Mike… you should stick with the mentality and it might bring you some class”, Detective Jake cut right in with a thin jab layered with enough angst to get his colleague reeling.
Captain Luke cut right in before things got heated. “That’s enough now between you two”.
Detective Jake couldn’t help but smile and let out a soft laugh.
“I don’t know how this will work but I’m pairing you both on this case”, the man dropped the bombshell. “I figured having the two best detectives we’ve got on the force working together isn’t a terrible thing, provided you two don’t manage to kill one another before things get sorted out!”
Still befuddled by what they had heard, the two exchanged glances with one another. For Detective Jake, it was an impossibility he would never even want to find a way around, while for his esteemed nemesis and colleague, it as a slap to his ego as well.
“Not a chance in hell!” Detective Jake declined immediately as he shot himself up from his seat and threatened to storm out.
It was worrying enough that his work was about getting blown into the open, talk less of working with his arch rival and nemesis in the force. Mike had his ways and they never tallied with those of Detective Jake. The possibility of them working together had been slashed into insurmountable odds from the day they met and they respected and loved it that way.
“For once I agree with Detective douche, Sir”, Mike noted. “You need us working individually on this case or we might never get past this room”.
Staring the tensed looking Mike Rondon in the fact, their Captain quizzed further, “Why is that?”
Mike Rondon shrugged, turned around and met his eyes with those of his rival who had the same expression on his face too.
“He means we will kill each other Sir”, Detective Jake explained. “It will be my foot to his neck that does the job and I’m sure of it”.
Mike grew furious, drew closer and clenched his fists while words got traded and the Captain slowly leaned his head downwards in disbelief. His heart raced and his head had begun feeling like a bludgeoning hammer had been dealt to it. Looking back up again to see both men acting like kids, he shook his head, clenched his fists and rammed them down and hard into the table.
It definitely got their attention as they both fell mute. “Are you two done?”
Detective Jake sighed, stepped forward with a thin frown and moved to speak before halting upon seeing the raised hand from the Captain.
Detective Jake looked puzzled; as though he had no idea one of them had been part of the murder. The expression bore a tone of mastery, showing just how well he had grown over time to both mask his insatiable hunger for annual killing and the everyday expressions that did well to mask who he was inside.
“I want you two on this and nothing changes”, the Captain continued. “Should you both kill yourselves, it had better be after the case is solved!”
The men nodded at once and headed for the door in silence. The stinging gaze from their superior continued to linger on their back and even after the door was shut and with them on the other side, they could still equally tell his dissatisfaction. The case at hand rattled the man they often knew to be calm and of the best possible demeanor in the entire New York Police force.
Mike Rondon paused, stood akimbo and wore a frown. “I have never seen him that way before”.
Detective Jake remained mute, acting as though every word from Mike was gold while in fact, his heart had begun on an unsteady raging beat rhythm.
“I agree to work on this with you if… “, Mike paused, slumped his head to the side with some degree of irritation on his face. “Seriously?”
Detective Jake gave no reply but continued to walk ahead until he got to the elevator. The hurrying footsteps behind him drew closer and within seconds, he could tell his newly assigned partner didn’t plan on letting him be regardless.
“We cannot work on this together Mike”, Detective Jake pointed out staunchly. “You will only slow me down”.
Scoffing and practically spitting to his left and on the floor, Mike Rondon graced the elevator. “I play by the rules Jake and it means we team up on this even if you’re the last person in the world I want to be in bed with right now”.
Smiling eerily, Detective Jake followed suit and took his position beside the man. “For the record, you ain’t my type”.
He could see the red faced Mike Rondon in the reflection coming off of the elevator doors as it chimed close. They were obviously stuck with one another.
“Let’s see how far you’d go”, Detective Jake thought to himself before slowly wearing an irritating smile. “I need to rid myself of him”.
Chapter Three
“O
h Lord!” he thought to himself while perusing the rough architectural structure of the building before him.
The building, old and obviously not being managed properly regardless of it being a federal owned place wasn’t his favorites of places to walk into. Those working within it never saw his kind as fun to converse or engage with and there was always some kind of prejudice and unaired blame to be passed around to his kind for the kind of work he does.
The prejudice was felt by all and even the newest member to his work place felt it from the moment they introduced themselves as “CIA”.
“Fucking terrorist instigators!” one ignorant police officer had labeled him some time ago when he sought the man for information on a sensitive topic. “You people are tied to the worst shit happening in this country”.
Closing his eyes and calming his nerves in bid to overwhelm the disturbing feeling growing in the pit of his belly, Sean Stein slipped both hands into his jacket’s pockets and began marching forward somewhat meekly in search of answers. Thoughts of Mark and his cohorts ran through the man’s mind but he soon shoved it off with some disgust left at the end of his throat about his once-upon-a-time best friend.
Mumbling beneath his breath as someone held the front door open for him, Sean Stein voiced. “This is for her and not for you Mark… this isn’t for your bloody agency”.
“Welcome to the New York Police Department Sir”, a young officer standing by the door bowed tenderly. “How may I be of help to you today?”
The question left Sean somewhat undecided on what to say or use, while he scanned the young officer’s face for his best possible excuse to see the Captain.
In conflicting thoughts, he asked himself, “Should I use the badge or go like a civilian?”
The problem with the badge was the prejudice he had thought of earlier and it would only bring in more hassles than good with everyone possibly tightening up their sit and making his word even more gruesome to get through.
He decided on the latter, “I need to see the Captain please… I have some information on a case he would like to hear about”.
Sean eyed the young man before him, and then slowly looked towards the left breast pocket with the tag “Sam White” attached to it.
“You’re Sam right? Can I call you Officer Sam?” he inquired while the young officer nodded. “Good! I need to speak with your boss or whoever is in charge”.
Sam flinched and blinked uncomfortably. “May I ask what this is about Sir?”
Sean felt his lips threaten to blurb out words that might possibly get him in trouble before rethinking and reevaluating his choices.
“I’m sorry but this is a sensitive matter and I need to speak with your superior”, Sean noted again. “I would love to explain it to you but it just wouldn’t matter”.
Sam’s face grew pale and his eyes widened as his twitched his lips and nodded. “Do you have a valid ID?”
It was one problem after the other for Sean Stein, who fondled the only piece of identification on him within his pocket but was too careful not to bring it out or brandish it just yet.
“I’m sorry but I don’t have one on me right now”, he answered immediately. “I need to see your boss… it is about the killings you guys found at some swamp or waterside”.
The revelation made Sam even paler while his forehead wrinkled into a thick frown immediately. Clearing his throat and shifting into a more commanding stance, he shook his head. “You could tell me what you intend sharing with the boss and I will deem it worthy enough to allow you see him”.
Sean couldn’t believe his ears, but from what he could tell, the police officers were obviously particular about who walked in and came to air what. It was standard procedure to have visitors drilled in such tasking times.
“Can I see your boss or what?” the insistent tone from Sean attracted the incoming pair who stopped by Sam White and briefly exchanged glances at Sam and his company.
“Sammy!” Detective Jake slipped his fingers into the young man’s sandy hair. “Is your dad in town?”
Sean grinned, eased off the fake smile and made move to walk past Sam before feeling the young officer’s hand stop him. “I’m sorry Sir but we have been getting some pretty odd visitors in here off late and I would appreciate… “.
Sean interjected immediately. “I don’t like being touched and I will appreciate it if you get your hand off of me right away!”
Sam chuckled, smiling away and pushed further with the observant eyes of Mike Rondon and Detective Jake seeking answers without asking any question. Sean looked down and towards the hand, standing in between him and the intended destination, before looking into the young officer’s eyes.
“I warned you!” he fumed but still wore the oddest smile yet.
None of them had anticipated what came next; his actions were swift and mesmerizing and within seconds, young Sam White was screaming in pain and holding his right hand with what appeared to be a slightly dislocated thumb.
“Oh God! He broke my thumb! He broke my thumb!” Sam White cried atop his voice while his face suddenly flushed red with blood.
Like a chain reaction set in motion, the sounds from safeties being taken off guns and the sight of no less than twenty pointed in Sean’s direction brought a thin smile to his lips and a rather cocky one too.
Detective Jake stepped closer, pointing his service pistol in the unknown man’s face. “On your knees! On your knees right this instant!�
��
Sean made no move to oblige, looking around the room like he was waiting for a bomb to get dropped. His perceived nonchalance and arrogance only seemed to mystify Detective Jake rather than angst him as he slowly began lowering his gun.
Mike Rondon couldn’t believe his eyes and he pressed closer than his colleague. “Do you have a death wish buddy? Do you have a death wish!?”
“I don’t think so, but I asked him to get his filthy hands off of me!” Sean replied calmly but in a heightened tone.
Tensions grew and the air seemed apparently thick with discomfort while the officers on the floor kept their guns strained at the strange and cocky fellow. Detective Jake eyed the menace from head to toe, taking into sight and context his shabby dressing but meticulously neat outfit too. His shoes, albeit old, shone brilliantly like he had taken ample time to polish them.
To make things worse, he had not realized it earlier but the man bore a mix of rough, yet clean as hell outlook which only seemed to mystify the befuddled agent some more.
The staunch voice from Captain Luke broke through from the distance and everyone turned around momentarily. “Stand down men! This is a friendly!”
Mike Rondon turned back around to look right into the nozzle of a magnum being pointed right in his direction. “Don’t ever turn your back on me when you’re holding a gun!”
The words, as cocky as always seemed to impress their Captain who beamed with a warm and odd smile on his face as he approached. Slowly, everyone looked from their captain to the strange fellow, wondering about what was going on and awaiting an explanation fervently.
Sean decided he’d put them in more misery by simply shoving aside Mike Rondon’s gun and walking towards Captain Luke.
“Did you know?” he asked without wearing a smile. “Did you know or you only just found out?”
Captain Luke barely parted his lips to speak when the punch rammed into his face and slit his lower lip. The action brought gasps and raised arms in the direction of the assailant.
Mangled Page 3