Cause of death: Unknown
Identified by: Teeth were used to check medical records. Concluded with the nuclear DNA comparison done by medical staff laboratory. (Skeletal specimen for identification: Right Tibia) *
*Disclosure – Unusual strands in DNA
Age: Bones are consistent with an age of around 32 years
Sex: Male Race: Caucasian
Date of death: (Found) 10/11/2010 (Estimate) 8/11/2010
…………………
Date of Examination: 12th November 2010 through to 20th November 2010
Examination and summary analysis performed by: UNDISCLOSED
Cause of death: Exsanguination (Loss of blood to a degree sufficient to cause death)
…………………
Findings
¥Blood found in the body was less than 40%
¥Unusual substance found in the blood inside the body
¥Bite marks around throat and wrists
¥Found in same clothes reported last wearing.
¥Wounds consistent with self-harm
¥Blood under fingernails – own DNA
¥Reported missing on the 20th of October 2010
¥No proof of struggle
¥Toxicology detects no drugs but cannot determine substance found in blood.
¥Shifter DNA – Species unknown
¥Unknown substance also found in the back of the throat
¥Internal organs larger than usual.
…………………
Conclusion:
The subject’s self-inflicted wounds have tiny incisions consistent with fang marks.
The unknown substance found in his blood was also found in the back of the throat, ingested.
Died from blood loss and sepsis caused by the open wounds across the body. Little medical history can be found. The front teeth were deformed but the molars towards the back of the throat were used in conjunction with the DNA check.
Due to the limited proof and evidence of third party, the cause of death cannot be completely determined with certainty. The manner of death is unknown.
“Unusual strands in DNA?” She flicked through the pages.
“His blood is similar to the wolf you brought in, the abnormalities matching.”
“What does that mean?”
“Not really sure yet. But if more of these files match it would be a breakthrough.”
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The lights above flashed several times.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
“Shit!” Miko ran to his door, peering out into the corridor.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
“Miko, what is it?” Alice chased behind him, the one file clutched to her chest. The lights overhead turned off for a few seconds before fluttering back to life, the backup generator kicking in.
“Someone has set off the alarm,” he replied in between the obnoxious beeps. He started to move towards the stairs, following the crowd of mildly panicked people as they passed beneath a violently flashing red light.
“As in a fire test?” she questioned, following quickly behind.
“Not that I know of.”
“Dr Le’Sanza!” someone called. “Doctor…” Miko turned to the sound of his name. “Doctor I’m glad I caught you, someone set the fire alarm off from the morgue.”
“The morgue? Wasn’t Dr Washington down there?”
“No, sir. Dr Washington got called to a meeting. Security is trying to reset the alarm but it could take a few minutes.”
“So there is no fire?”
“No, CCTV has just confirmed.”
“Thank you James, could you please go up to reception to help settle the patients?”
“But Dr, I should go help clear up the morgue…”
“It’s fine, I have someone to help.” James’s eyes flashed to Alice. “Oh, of course.” He started to run off, his white lab coat flying behind him.
Alice waited a few seconds while the beeping cleared, the sound resonating inside her skull. “What did he mean clean up the morgue?”
Miko turned to her, his face pale. “Shit.”
The mortuary was empty by the time they both descended the stairs, having to calm several people on the way down, reassuring them everything was fine.
The corridor leading to the main autopsy room was eerily quiet, nothing like how it normally was. Metal trolleys abandoned, paperwork scattered across the floor.
“Miko, who did you tell about the heart?” Alice heard herself whisper, her eyes scanning the rooms breaking off from the corridor. The emergency lighting was still activated, making everywhere darker than it should be, allowing shadows to swallow up the corners of the rooms.
Ignoring her, he walked past the main autopsy room and through a side door where floor to ceiling metal squares patterned the walls. One of the squares was open, the metal door open with a silver gurney half hanging out. A white cloth draped from the metal, the fabric caught on the edge of the door. A large fridge was at the back, next to a few racks with vials of different coloured liquids.
“It’s not here.” Miko panicky moved over everything on the shelves, even bending to check behind the rack. “It’s not here.” He opened the fridge next, closing the heavy door only moments later. “Shit. Alice, it isn’t here.”
“What about the body?” she asked.
He turned to the only open mortuary refrigerator, pushing the gurney violently with a high screech. “Someone has taken it,” he said hopelessly.
“Miko…” She went to stand in front of him, his attention on the black hole in the wall. “Who did you tell about the heart?” He didn’t seem to hear her, his attention still on the hole where the body should have been. “MIKO.” She clicked her fingers, causing him to blink and shake his head. “Who did you tell?”
“No one I couldn’t trust,” he said, voice croaking. “Alice why would someone break into a hospital for it?”
“I don’t know.” The room suddenly brightened, the main power kicking back in. “How can someone just stroll in here and leave with a body and no one notice?”
Miko finally met her eyes, the pupils narrowed. “I don’t know.” He turned to punch a cabinet. “FUCK!” The sound resonated as Miko grabbed his fist, swearing.
Alice ignored him, instead picking up some debris off the floor and placing them on the side. She had noticed all the rooms, ones that normally locked with a key card, were unlocked. Going over to the double doors she peered at the black box on the wall, one that looked completely undamaged. Frowning she went to touch it, pulling her hand back at the last second when a spark flashed.
What the fuck?
“Miko? What would set off the fire alarm if there was no fire?”
He walked to stand beside her, frowning at the wall. “Someone could have pulled the fire alarm?”
“What about if something tripped the electric?” The black box sparked again, making them step back.
“Not normally, but a slight smoke from the spark could affect the sensitive detectors.”
“How long does it take for the alarm to be reset?”
Miko thought about it for a few seconds. “Up to ten minutes.”
“So they had ten minutes from when the alarm went off to grab what they came for and escape through the confusion.” That was obviously plenty of time.
“The alarm could have been planned.”
“Possible.” She checked another door, noticing it also had the same treatment.
“Do you…”
Alice held up her hand to silence him, concentrating on a sound from the corner of the room. She heard it again, a soft moan.
“Hello?”
The sound again, slightly louder.
“Shit.” Miko walked to an overturned gurney. “Over here.” Together they gently moved the obstacle, spotting someone lying along the floor, their back towards a metal cabinet. “Hey, can you hear me?” He gently ran his hands over the unconscious woman, checking her body for any damage.
; “She was thrown into the cabinet,” Alice commented as she pulled some broken glass away. The woman’s face was swollen, the skin around her eye swelling to the point her eye was forced closed. “She must have gotten in the way.”
“Barbarians, this is a bloody hospital for goodness sake.” Miko gently helped her up as the woman slowly regained consciousness. “Hello, it’s Dr Le’Sanza, can you tell me your name?” The woman just stared blankly through her one clear eye. “She’s probably concussed. We need to get her upstairs.”
“I’ll call for help.”
The air was chilly when Alice left the hospital, happy to leave the woman with a series of doctors. She had to leave the reports with Miko, who promised to contact her if he found anything. She wanted to stay but couldn’t risk running into anybody from the office. They wouldn’t have the body to study anymore but someone would definitely be investigating its disappearance, as well as the heart.
The floor squelched under her shoes as she paused outside the doors, water from the heavy rain leaving the floor and roads dangerously wet, the cold weather discouraging the water to evaporate. Eyes dry and gritty she wiped her face with her hands, her breath coming out in a long sigh. It was like they were a step ahead of them, first with killing the wolf and now with his body. Was that their plan all along? To leave the dead with a warning and then recover it?
Rex wasn’t telling her something.
A vibration in her pocket. Alice quickly peeked at the phone screen, ignoring the text from Dread. Her finger hovered over Rex.
This wasn’t just about his wolf anymore.
A sudden screech made her jump, her phone leaping from her hand to land in a heap on the ground. Heat scorched across her face, her body weightless as she was thrown back, her arms catching her fall as she was hurled to the wet concrete.
Screams rattled, surrounding her from all angles followed by heavy footsteps.
BANG!
Disorientated, she pushed herself up onto her arms and lifted her head, trying to make out the chaos that surrounded her.
“HELP, SOMEONE PLEASE!”
She shakily climbed to her feet, looking around at the carnage, blood a harsh red against the dark ground. A car had crashed into an ambulance, the white metal destroyed, crushing both vehicles completely. The impact had pushed the ambulance into the road, causing a few cars to swerve dangerously to avoid a collision, one being unlucky and crashing head on.
“MUMMY!”
“CALL THE DOCTORS!”
“THIS IS A HOSPITAL FOR FUCK SAKE!”
Voices shouted in the chaos, getting louder as cars continued to avoid adding further carnage. She felt the heat on her face intensify as something caught fire, igniting the first car instantly.
“PLEASE. SOMEONE. SHE’S TRAPPED!”
Alice moved through the crowd, running towards the people desperately trying to free the woman trapped in the car. The door had been caved in, people unable to pull the lock open as they scrambled to gain purchase. The woman groaned and rolled her head to one side of the airbag, blood dripping down her face.
“It won’t open.” Alice desperately searched for something she could use to help open the door. “Try the other door,” she cried to anyone who would listen.
She could feel the heat lick her skin, the scent of oil and petrol strong in her nose as it leaked across the asphalt.
“Hey, we’re just getting you out,” she spoke calmly to the woman in the car, her eyes glazed over in pain. “Can you undo your seatbelt for me?” The woman stared before sluggishly reaching over, trying desperately to release the belt.
“It won’t open.” The woman started to cry, violently tugging at the belt. “Why won’t it open?”
“It’s okay, we can cut it open. It’s not a problem.” The heat at her back was getting worse, smoke a thick plume surrounding them.
“Ma’am please step away from the car.” A fireman rushed over, his suit protecting him from the intense heat. “Ma’am I need you to get back from the car, it’s dangerous.” He pushed her out the way, and began to frantically work on the metal door with one of his instruments.
Alice stumbled back as coughs constricted her lungs, the smoke thick enough to obscure her vision. She thought she could see the red fire engine in the distance, but couldn’t make out the details.
“EVERYONE GET DOWN.”
A pop as petrol ignited, causing a fireball only meters away. Metal creaked against the heat, a car becoming engulfed as the flames raced to devour everything in its path. Another firefighter became immersed in smoke beside her, his friends struggling for control, ignoring her as she stood motionless. Burning flesh assaulted her nose, choking as it became hard to breath.
Without thought she approached the flame, the orange and yellow element dancing, fighting against the breeze and the water being poured from the hose.
“It’s not working,” she whispered to herself, watching the fire grow rather than die. She couldn’t understand why, but she felt the biggest urge to touch the fire. She thrust her hand into the blaze, coating her skin with her own blue power.
A cyclone of sound surrounded her, voices and screams she couldn’t distinguish as she concentrated on the flame. The fire reacted, surrounding her completely rather than following its desired destination along the oil. Alice peeked over her shoulder, making sure the fireman was still working on the car door, prioritising the injured.
“DON’T MOVE!” Another fireman mouthed at her, unable to hear him above the roar of the flames.
Alice threw her head back, a scream breaking free from her throat, her chi electric as she tried to fight the fire, absorbing its energy. Her hair whipped around her head as her fingertips started to burn, blue fire meeting the red. Slowly the blue conquered, swallowing the danger as her own power burned past her elbows. With one last pop the last of the flame went out, taking with it her breath.
Lungs tight, she held her hands to her chest, her arms still holding her blue flame, the edges licked with green. With a last thought, Alice extinguished the flame, turning off her power like a faucet.
The abrupt emptiness staggered her, causing her to fall to her knees below the smoke. Blood pumped in her ears, breath struggling as her lungs struggled to move in and out. Her hand shook as she reached to her face, her fingertips coming back red as she felt something warm drip down her face.
She surrendered to the sudden exhaustion.
Chapter 13
Beep. Beep. Beep.
What the bloody hell is that?
Alice reached over blindly, trying to turn off the annoying sound.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Unable to find the source of the sound she stretched, feeling something in her hand tug.
“Keep still please.”
“OW!” Alice jumped into a sitting position, staring at the red hole that was now in her hand. “What was that?”
“Just removing your drip,” a woman in white and blue answered, her attention completely on the task of cleaning the small cut quickly and efficiently. “You might feel slightly disorientated, we had to sedate you because you kept burning my colleagues.”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Alice groggily blinked the remnant of sleep from her eyes, trying to pay attention to the surrounding details. Panic slowly settled in as she recognised the room, an adjustable bed with itchy wool blankets, a single wooden chair at the foot and ugly blue curtains. A TV was on in the top corner, an old small box with a huge heavy back.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Oh, let me get that.” The nurse clicked a few buttons, stopping the repetitive noise.
“Why…why…” she stuttered, her throat dry. She heard a loud commotion towards the gap in her door, could just make out Dread arguing.
“You did an amazing thing you know.”
“I’m… I’m sorry, what?” Confused by the statement she twisted to face the nurse.
“Because of you, that woman and possibly more survived that inferno
.” With that statement she left, allowing Dread to enter.
“Wow, private room. Snazzy.” She coughed, clearing her throat.
Dread just stared, his face creased in worry before he began pacing back and forth.
“Dread, seriously, I’m fine.” He just continued to pace, the action making her nervous. He was the calmest and most collected person she knew. He did not pace. “What was I supposed to do? Let her die? The water wasn’t working…” she started to babble.
“What you did was brave and stupid.” He stopped pacing, his black eyes scary as he reassured himself she was okay. “Mostly stupid.”
“But…”
“You were caught on camera.”
“Camera?” she asked, confused.
“On a phone, someone caught footage of you absorbing all that fire.”
“So?” She swung her legs off the hospital bed.
Dread was suddenly in front of her, his body blocking her from getting off. “Do not move.”
“Is that why you’re pissed at me? I don’t understand.”
“I’m not angry, I’m just…” Dread looked around the room, searching for an explanation. “Alice you can’t get caught doing things like that on camera.”
“What? Why?” She lifted her chin defiantly.
“Since I found out Daemons have been sniffing around,” he snapped at her, his burst of irritation and worry evident from the vibration of his pulse. “We both know your affiliation with fire is unusual, that alone would gain you unwanted attention. Add that to the fact…”
“The fact what?” She wiggled her toes, satisfied that she felt every movement.
“I have already said too much.” Dread cleared his throat.
“Were you going to say that Daemons killed my family?” She watched the surprise flash across his face before he looked away. That was all the confirmation she needed. She knew she would never get him to admit it out loud, yet that one look gained her a little more of the missing puzzle.
Instead of replying he took a moment to compose himself, the move bringing the small TV in the corner into view, ‘BREAKING NEWS’ flashing across the screen.
Alice leant forward to watch the poor quality video, clearly recorded on a mobile phone. The image shook but showed a blonde woman in a circle of fire, blue power a river flowing from her hands, eating up the flame. The video cut off just before she collapsed.
Witch's Sorrow: A Witch Detective Urban Fantasy (Alice Skye Series Book 1) Page 12