Mangled

by Zachary Prescott

  Feeling somewhat pained by the rejection, Mike retreated and lowered his head. “Did you have to sleep with him though?”

  Choosing to ignore his question, she took out a cigarette and lit it immediately, even while the warning sign against smoking was right before her, plastered to the wall. With some puffs and sigh in relief, she turned to the stewing man and smiled

  “You don’t know these men like I do”, she replied.

  Perplexed and befuddled, he built on her words, “What men?”

  Sarah took another drag from her cigarette and brushed off his question as the door opened and granted them exit. They both walked out in silence, only responding to greetings from those around them as they made their way to Luke’s office. Sarah unlocked the door and permitted Mike entrance before shutting it.

  Mike had been itching to ask the questions bothering his mind and he let rip immediately, “Is this going to work?”

  Shrugging and indifferent, she turned to the window and slipped into the black leathered chair that seemed to be the only stand out furniture in the office bearing a desk and barely anything else in sight or on its walls in form of decorations.

  “Are you losing faith and trust in me or my plans?” she asked him without turning around.

  Stuttering, he replied, “No… not… not… not at all”.

  Not long after he had spoken did his cellphone ring and sent him going into a frantic phase as he struggled to get himself in order. He recognized the number without doubt and cast Sarah a bothersome glare before waving for her to come closer.

  “Jake”, he simply said while the phone continued to ring aloud in his hand.

  “Answer the call and put it on speaker so I can hear”, she demanded.

  Placing the cellphone on the table before them, the voice came through immediately, “Hello Angelina or should I call you Sarah, which is what you are fooling them all into believing you are now”.

  Casting a lost expression on his face while staring at Sarah, Mike leaned closer and responded, “This is Detective Mike Rondon of the NYPD, who am I speaking with?”

  Silence aired momentarily before the response came. “This is Sean Stein… I want to speak with Angelina alone and nobody else”.

  “I’m sorry but there is nobody of such name here”, Mike replied.

  Sean burst into a rather nauseating laughter on his end, prompting Sarah to lean over and take control of the cellphone.

  “Hello Sean”, she sounded in a cozy manner. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you”.

  Sean seemed to be taking his time to answer but his heightened breath did just about enough to tell them the man wasn’t in the best mood since he heard Sarah’s voice.

  “I will kill you for what you did!” Sean let out immediately. “I will… “.

  Sarah interjected immediately, “Do you plan on threatening me the entire time through or there happens to be a reason for this call?”

  Mike watched and listened on, feeling like a fish out of its pond while his mind tried to understand what exactly was going on. She had assumed a pretty relaxed figure and toyed with her hair while she waited for Sean to speak.

  “I have Jake Sullivan… it is him you want I believe and I want that bounty offer placed on is head”, Sean demanded.

  Mike seemed elated and ecstatic as he smiled and rubbed his hands together.

  “Do you think I’m stupid Sean?” Sarah asked.

  Mike felt his excitement drop to a pretty disturbing low while he stared at Sarah for some explanation.

  “Tell me where you guys are and maybe we can come to an arrangement”, she continued.

  “I want the money first and then you’d find out more information… also, you will bring the cash over here alone… no cops, nothing!” Sean added before ending the call.

  Sarah turned to Mike and smiled, “We have them jut where we need them to be”.

  “Them?” Mike sounded confused. “I thought this was about catching Jake alone?”

  Seemingly naïve by the manner in which he thought, Sarah wondered how she had gotten involved with the man in the first place.

  “Just rally the officers outside… I have an announcement to make to them”, she ordered.

  Reluctantly but without putting up much fight towards disobeying her, he walked out of the door and slammed it behind him just in time for Sarah to slip out her cellphone and begin to punch in digits into it until she was satisfied to press against the green button and hold the phone to her ear.

  “I need you to trace a cell tower for me”, she whispered into her mouthpiece. “The information stays solely between you and me”.

  ***

  Waiting on Sarah, Mike stood with the officers as she stepped out of the office bearing a disturbed look. She took a few seconds to look around before clearing her throat and sighing aloud to show just how frustrated and worried she was about the situation of things.

  “I know we all must be wondering why I’ve called you all here”, she began. “You must wonder why I walk into that office every time”.

  The room remained silent with everyone saying nothing.

  “I go in there to seek answers as to why such a kind, loving and hardworking man with his veins pumping with loyalty and his heart filled with the desire to serve his country, would be killed in such gruesome manner”, she explained. “I go in there as a promise to myself and your boss that I will bring this killer to light”.

  Mike lowered his head and looked to the floor before clearing his throat.

  “To this effect, I believe I have discovered where our killer is hiding”, she finally dropped the bombshell. “You will have this information available to you by tomorrow but I want everyone prepared for the worst”.

  Mike looked completely blindsided. He motioned to speak but Sarah barely looked his way while she picked another officer to voice his question.

  “Does this mean Detective Jake is armed and dangerous?’ the officer asked.

  Sarah nodded her head slowly. “I have good information that he doesn’t intend going down without a fight which is why we must prepare ourselves”.

  The men began to murmur immediately.

  “I will have more information ready to you by tomorrow”, she ended the meeting and dismissed them immediately.

  Perplexed and feeling left out from whatever her intent was, Mike stood akimbo and with nothing but the look of disbelief on his face. He motioned to follow her but became hesitant, before finally summoning the nous within to let out his emotions and fill her in on exactly how he felt.

  Racing towards Captain Luke’s office door through which Sarah had just walked, Mike called out to her, “Sarah! Sarah!”

  She barely looked around before hearing him slam the door shut behind him and circling her until he could stare into her eyes.

  “What the hell was all that about?” he sounded calm but definitely enraged.

  Shrugging and ignorig his question, she went on to sit comfortably in the late Captain Luke’s chair. Her face glowed with some rather disturbing smirk as she licked her lips and giggled endlessly without necessarily voicing out what she had in her head.

  “Will you talk to me and stop putting me in the blind spot every darn time!?” Mike Rondon yelled and kicked against the chair before him.

  Sighing and slowly looking at Mike, she finally spoke but in a subtle and rather relaxed tone. “You have no idea what Sean is or what that man is capable of”.

  Confused and without trying to hide it, Mike pulled himself a seat and planted himself into it before crossing his legs. “Regale me… why are we even talking about Sean? Isn’t he trying to nail the man who murdered his wife like we are?”

  Sarah had no answers for him but simply began searching through Captain Luke’s locker. “Everything is going to plan just as it should Mike… simply watch and let the bug boys play as they should”.

  He could not believe her words, as everything
she kept saying made no sense. He began sweating profusely and disturbingly, as he loosened his tie and ran his hand over his head. Maintaining a position in his seat became equally disturbing as he struggled to make reason of whatever direction she was hoping to go with their investigation.

  “You know what!?” Mike got up from his seat and sighed. “I think it’s time we shared everything we have with the department”.

  Sarah simply stared at him without making a sound.

  “If they are going to hunt Jake down, then they deserve to know just all we know”, he continued.

  She raised her left hand, rammed it hard into the table and startled him before replying, “I don’t like people meddling in my business… they have enough evidence to tie him to the crimes already”.

  Mike shook his head fervently. “No… no… we do this right from now… no more back surveillance and midnight runs like we are private investigators”.

  Sarah slowly got to her feet and walked to the door while Mike watched her. She slipped the lock into place and reached for her back before pulling out her revolver and staring at it. Mike felt his heart threaten to implode but managed to maintain his stance while he placed his hand against the chair for some support.

  “I don’t believe you understand how much I am willing to go if anyone tries to fuck up my investigation”, she giggled before pulling out the bullets in the gun and leaving one inside.

  Mike felt his breath heighten as he asked, ‘What are you doing?”

  She pointed the almost empty gun at him and pulled back the safety. “How many rounds of luck would you suppose you have in you?”

  His legs shuddered in fright and his hand barely brought enough brace for him as he threatened to fall upon hearing her pull the trigger. The empty sound unsettled his nerves and made him think about racing for the door but she was in the way and he would have to beat her to it.

  “I’ll let you in on a little secret”, she slowly approached with the gun pressed against his chest.

  “What are you doing? What do you think you’re doing?” he asked in a tensed tone.

  “Jake means nothing to me on this case, but you see Sean, he is the real deal… the last piece in the triangle yet to fall and I would have had my full revenge”, she explained with her lips close to his ear in the most uncomfortable and seductive manner. He brushed himself away from her immediately and began heading for the door before halting just in front of it.

  He turned back around and took another look at her. “I don’t know what you’ve gotten me into, but I sure as hell will bring the killers to justice”.

  Mike stormed off immediately, kicking and swearing while the door slowly shut behind him with a smiling Sarah waving her gun. She soon returned to the door and locked it behind her before setting about searching the office. It was just a day before the newly appointed Captain would be reinstated and she had been tasked to sweep for anything useful that might come from the Captain’s office or shed light on who might have killed him.

  “I am coming for you Sean”, she whistled while wiping her prints off everything in the office. “I am coming for you”.

  Chapter Sixteen

  J

  ake awakened with a headache and to the stench of fish and what he couldn’t make out but definitely felt smelled raw. He wiggled and shook his head fervently until his consciousness returned fully and the sight of large chunks of meats hanging from the ceiling caught his attention.

  “Jesus Christ!” Jake sounded gutted, shaking aggressively and trying to get himself free.

  Feeling the shackles around his wrist fail to give way, he looked around for a better solution but stopped as the knocking sound from an approaching pair of heeled shoes caught his hearing. His heart seemed to stop beating temporarily and his eyes darted around the room for answers as to what exactly was going on.

  “Sean! Sean! Is that you?” he asked aloud.

  Getting no answers as whoever was behind him had stopped walking and he could not turn back around to have a view with the manner in which he had been bound to the center pole in the middle of the meat shop. He could hear someone breathing behind him and his senses tingled desperately to be able to do something about it but he remained still.

  “Stop messing with me Sean!” he warned. “You really need to stop messing with me dude!”

  A round of slow but loud applause suddenly erupted before he heard the footsteps near once again.

  “Look at you almost shitting yourself”, Sean giggled.

  Jake couldn’t see the funny side to the events while he continued to wiggle against his restraints.

  “What are you doing?” Jake asked.

  Barely breaking a smile, Sean answered, “Trading your dangerous ass for my revenge”.

  It sunk in and definitely made sense. Jake could see it in the man’s eyes; the need to find justice by any means, even if it meant burning anyone he cared about. His head fell towards the ground and his lips mumbled inaudibly.

  “What happens next?” Jake whispered. “I’m guessing you called her again and she’s coming isn’t she?”

  Sean knelt before him and smiled. “You’re smarter than you look and definitely fit the bill painted about you”.

  He got back up, gesticulated with his finger as though he intended to point out something then stopped and turned to look at Jake with an inquisitive look across his face but said nothing still. Jake didn’t like the air and thoughts about the events he felt would follow.

  “You know I actually grew fond of you these past days we ended up together”, Sean sounded as sincere as possible. “I have the inkling to ask why you feel the need to kill people but I want to get justice for Susan even more and the longer we act as buddies, the more difficult it will be to get what I want”.

  Jake spat to his side immediately. “I don’t want your pity! I know what I am and I definitely don’t need anyone pitying me!”

  Sean nodded and walked away to place a call, while Jake tried hard to think of the best possible way out. The meat room was definitely large and possibly the largest he had seen in his life. The floors looked pretty much riddled with dirt and blood but nothing useful to help him pick the lock around his wrists. Frustrated and unwilling to find out whatever plans Sean had in mind, he knew he would have to take the worst possible step.

  “Oh God”, he mumbled while pressing hard against his thumb and hearing it shift out of place.

  Feeling his thumb out of place but still not enough to help him get completely out of his cuffs, Jake dislocated two more fingers and held his breath as the immeasurable pain flushed through his entire body. Sean still had not returned and it seemed to be a blessing in disguise to Jake until he felt something press hard against his neck.

  It was cold but he also noticed the slender fingers laid to rest on his shoulder while the hushing sound indicating he should make no sound or even a move.

  “You didn’t think I was going to let you go that easy did you?” she asked.

  Jake gasped and felt his face fold into a frown. His nerves stiffened to the feel of the cold nozzle pointed against his neck while she yanked at his restraints to ascertain they were still in place.

  “Sarah”, he simply said without venting out any other word.

  She managed a soft chuckle and plated a kiss on his neck. “I knew I was going to see you again honey… since you’re the one carrying my tracker”.

  Jake felt foolish and definitely angry. He had been tagged again by some means during their previous encounter.

  “All I had to do was wait… I wasn’t going to come for you in that shitty dump you were hiding in but I trusted in Sean’s rage to bring you out”, she explained.

  Her sense of confidence definitely left him befuddled as to how he had missed it all; her intelligent side, to the fact she possessed some kind of darkness within her just as he did.

  “Why are you trying to frame me for Susan’s death?” he asked.
>
  Sarah shrugged and replied, “You were on Susan’s radar and I said to myself after I found the betraying bitch, how better it would be to kill two birds with one stone”.

  He was simply being the collateral damage and the fall guy for her crime and it stunk badly and disgusted him to the pit of his stomach.

  “You will not get away with any of this”, he promised her.

  Cackling aloud in an evil laughter, she hammered him hard in the back of his head, forcing him to pass out immediately. Setting herself to work immediately, she began untying the man before dragging him away towards the corner of the large room, slumping him against the wall and in adjacent direction to the entry where Sean had gone out through earlier.

  “All we have to do now is wait”, she chuckled to herself, crouching by the unconscious Jake.

  Sean placed the cellphone to his ear for the umpteenth time but got nothing in response before noting a beep indicating a message had just come in. it simply read;

  “I have him… it’s your move next”.

  Hurrying back into the meat room, panting and obviously fueled with anger, Sean heard the loud bang and halted, imagining the bullet shot had whizzed past him until the sting in his gut prompting him to feel the lower left corner of his stomach. Bloodied and oozing with immense pain, he staggered backwards and felt the cellphone slide out of his hand and to the ground.

  Still without view of who had shot him but with some idea, he searched around for Jake but the man wasn’t in sight or shacked around the pole he had kept him earlier.

  “Shit!” Sean mumbled and went on a knee as he groaned in pain. “You crazy bitch! Show yourself!”

  Sarah slowly crawled out from the corner of the room where she had been all along, smiling and swinging the ammunition in her hand.

  “Always tricky and never with the balls to do things the proper way”, Sean gasped and coughed aloud before getting on both knees. “What is the deal with fucking the two detectives?”

  she stared at him, seemingly unhappy by his insinuation. “Detective Mike was simply a tool to get all I wanted… he was my perfect alibi in case I needed one and the son of a bitch did some mean surveillance too”.