Body Box: Adult Paranormal Romance (Supernatural Thriller) (Dark Suspense) (The Smoke & Fire Series Book 2)

by Michele Wesley

  He handed over the note.

  “This is what was attached to the box. I’m taking heed of this note. It appears to be a warning, because of the unusual aspects of this situation.”

  Yala inspected the note, eyeing, smelling and flipping it several times before reading it, three times. Although she found the act atrocious, the content of the note was simple.

  1. This is box one: the torso.

  2. Please do not open this box (it is one-third of a complete box set.)

  3. Box two, the lower body, will arrive in 48 hours.

  4. Connecting box one and box two will prove this subject can be saved and reconnected.

  5. Box three, the head, will arrive in 96 hours.

  6. Failure to follow directions, mainly opening any part of the box set before the three parts are connected, will result in the subject’s death.

  At a loss, Yala’s thoughts drifted, attempting to search for logic.

  Where in the hell had the suspect hidden the rest of the victim’s body? Surely, the victim was still whole?

  The suspect must have found a way to camouflage the rest of the body.

  Yala's job was to find the rest of the victim, the man behind this act, and answers to the mystery surrounding it.

  If the body part was alive, like the doctor claimed, she had to do what was necessary to save this person from this—Body Box.

  What else could she call this?

  She was a part of a sadistic magic show, only she didn’t have access to the secrets of the tricks. Yala took measurements and snapped photos. She used instruments to tap on various parts of the box. She did everything accept open the dang thing. Her findings only led to more questions.

  She found a few partial fingerprints and prayed one would be the suspect’s. Since she was not in her element with this case, she was forced to send the prints to her Top contact, for further processing. She knew better than any law official, if the suspect wasn’t in any of the law databases, she would need to find an actual human to match the prints to.

  How do I proceed with something like this? The note was simple, but her jarring reality was a glass-encased, box with a living torso inside.

  The box measurements and the dimensions, so far, seemed to lean towards a standard-size coffin.

  She leaned on the exam table and stared into the torso’s neck.

  “So, there is a heartbeat in there and the tissue is alive?”

  She eyed the doctor and pointed at the unbelievable.

  “He is alive?”

  Dr. Hughes appeared to be at as much of a loss as she was.

  “Yes, I’m sure of it. If you’d like, I can run you through the tests I have conducted, so far. I intend to do them again, to see if I missed anything.”

  For about the hundredth time, Yala ran her hand through the empty space where the head should have been. When observing didn't produce answers, she climbed atop the autopsy table and laid her body perpendicular and parallel to the box. She waited for something magical to ensue and checked to see if there was a way the inventor of this evil trick could have tucked away the rest of the body.

  There were no hidden mirrors or tiny lights that bent or distorted the view of the rest of the body.

  Laying on her back, atop the table, she glanced at Dr. Hughes.

  “Doc, before we conduct any further exams, I need to find out how this box arrived. Whoever brought this box here is either a suspect or may lead us to one.”

  Relief seemed to sweep through the doctor, when she’d hopped atop the table.

  Smiling at her actions, Dr. Hughes was likely glad Top had sent him someone with an open mind.

  He took a seat on one of the stools.

  Yala dragged her stool closer and sat next to the doctor. Their view was the torso-filled box.

  “Okay, I’m ready, Doc. Even if you don’t think something has relevance, say it anyway.”

  He cleared his throat, and began.

  “Last night was a slow night for me. I conducted an autopsy, boxed the body, and cleaned everything, as I normally would. I spent most of my night reading and studying.

  “Whoever dropped off the box must have known my schedule and the security team’s routes and rounds. When I headed for the parking lot, a little after 6:00 a.m., I stumbled into a large cardboard box, sitting in the entrance walkway. There was no mistaking who the box was intended for; my name was written on the cardboard, in big black letters, with a permanent marker.”

  Dr. Hughes pointed to the cardboard box that sat off to the side, near the freezers.

  “This office is behind the hospital and hidden from the main flow of traffic. The location makes it easier to get away with something like this, but the box couldn't have been in the entrance all night, security would have noticed it.”

  The doctor placed his fingers to his forehead and unconsciously massaged the area.

  “I carted the box into this exam room and got it onto my table. Upon removing the cardboard and Styrofoam, I noticed the box inside was glass. I figured a murderer had delivered me his handiwork, until I caught sight of the attached note.

  “I read the note, several times, before I checked the box more thoroughly. The note quenched my will to open the box, and instincts made me follow the instructions.”

  Yala sat motionless, hanging on to every word the doctor spoke.

  “I locked myself in this room and, for about three hours, I ran every test I could think of without opening the box. I called security, but they informed they hadn't seen anything. Before I put in the call to Top, I put in an urgent request to reroute the dead to the county coroner's office. I don't believe we need any additional traffic at this location.”

  Yala noticed the doctor had obviously faced his share of difficult situations.

  “When it became clear I wouldn’t find answers right away, I called Top. And here you are.”

  Yala inclined her head, still not sure of what to make of the situation.

  “While I chew on that, let’s proceed with the examinations. I would love for you to prove that what I think I see is not true.”

  She observed, as the doctor lifted and slid the box slightly over the raised edge of his exam table. The action exposed a small portion of the wood bottom, which was nothing more than thin plywood. The doctor penetrated the wood with a needle she was sure would break, but the needle maintained its strength, and the doctor was able to extract what he needed.

  The action proved they could get into the box; but like the doctor, Yala wasn’t willing to risk opening it. The note was straightforward—the victim dies, if the box is opened.

  Yala shadowed the doctor. She stood on her tiptoes to glance over his shoulders as he took several x-rays, too blurred to reveal anything substantial, but visible enough to confirm that all remained intact inside the torso.

  Where in the hell is the blood traveling to, if this body part is, in fact, alive?

  Straining to hear, she listened to the steady beat of a heart through several of the doctor’s listening devices. As a Top agent, most of Yala’s assignments were top secret or above, but this Body Box case definitely delved into the unnatural.

  The doctor's voice drew her attention.

  “So, what do you want to do? I called Top, because I didn’t want this getting out to the public.”

  She considered the question.

  “I think we should follow the note’s instructions. If a complete box set somehow reconnects this victim’s parts and keeps him alive, we should at least follow the instructions, no matter how bizarre. I’ll also pull surveillance and talk to possible witnesses that will hopefully led me to a suspect.”

  Dr. Hughes continued to examine the box with a magnifying glass.

  “I agree, wholeheartedly. I’ll lock this room. No one else, except for my assistant, has access. I’ll brief him that I’m working on a project that renders this room off-limits and retrieve the spare key from him as soon as he comes into work.”

  Y
ala stared at the box, hoping to receive answers through telepathy. She had her work cut out for her with this case.

  “I’ll be back doc. I’ll pull the surveillance footage and talk to security.”

  Moments later and after hours of chasing empty leads, Yala check in with the doctor. She studied the box a second time before she left to inquire and investigate the areas around the hospital.

  Chapter 2

  Moving Parts

  After a few hours of sleep, Yala was up and ready to go again, determined to find justice and the rest of the victim’s body.

  All she'd found the day prior were empty leads. After she’d studied the surveillance tapes, she'd made a stop at the hospital’s Human Resources department. She retrieved the personal information of the security team on duty at the time the box was dropped off.

  An interview with the two guards produced a description of a black SUV, likely the same as the one in the grainy picture of the SUV she’d seen on the surveillance footage. The quality of the footage had been too dark to read the vehicle's license plate.

  Yala's plan today was to interview the hospital’s day and night crews, so as to not single out and spook any one person. She had to tread lightly. The last thing she needed to do was spook the monster responsible for the Body Box and not receive the remaining two parts of the victim.

  Dr. Hughes had showered and slept on the couch in his office. Although there were no requirements, that they knew of, for medical needs and care of the torso, the doctor seemed protective of it.

  Upon entering the office, Yala bid the doctor good morning before heading to the exam room. She approached the box with scanning eyes and a hesitant stride. The unseen complexities of it intrigued her.

  As she sat in the corner of the room and scanned more surveillance, she caught movement from the corner of her eye. Her gaze traveled towards the box, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Pleased to see the magician hadn’t found a way to make the box or torso disappear, she relaxed.

  Her gaze returned to the video, certain she was looking specifically at a dark colored Range Rover. There it was again, movement. Her gaze shot up and roved the expanse of the room.

  What in the hell?

  Maybe she should have taken the doctor's advice and worked out of his assistant's office. Standing, she crept around the room, observing it at every angle. Finally, she spotted it. The hand on the torso twitched. It jerked, as if it had fallen asleep and the man fought to rouse it.

  As she inched towards the box, she noticed the chest flexed, slightly, with each twitch of the hand.

  Is he trying to lift his hand?

  The sight of the headless, legless torso attempting to move was freakish. The hairs on the back of her neck stood as the sensation of fingers walking up her back made her straighten her posture. She placed her hand atop her gun and took a few steps away from the box. She needed Dr. Hughes, and fast. Since they were the only two in the building, she stuck her head out the door and yelled.

  “Doctor Hughes! I think the torso is trying to move!”

  Dr. Hughes ran into the room with the speed of an Olympic sprinter.

  Usain Bolt, look out.

  The doctor studied the box inquisitively, as he moved around the table. The hand strained to lift again, resembling a weird science project. The action jarred both Yala and Dr. Hughes, leaving them staring at each other for confirmation that they saw the same thing.

  “Shit! Not good.”

  Hearing the doctor curse confirmed the seriousness of their situation. He ran towards the door, a flurry of words trailing his hasty exit.

  “I’ll be right back. He may need a sedative. If he regains motor functions while in there, without his head, he could inadvertently open the box.”

  Yala’s eyes widened.

  “Shit! Not Good.”

  Dr. Hughes returned with his hands and arms full of medicines and equipment. Once his hands were free, he waved her over.

  “I need your help. I need to test his toxicity levels.”

  She didn’t understand.

  “I thought you tested that yesterday.”

  The doctor had found low levels of a sedative in the torso’s system, but nothing life threatening.

  “I did. I checked for everything…but think about this. This torso has been here for a day, and this is the first time he’s attempted to move. It could mean the sedative I found in his system yesterday has worn off. However, if he is currently being sedated in another part of his body, the drug should flow into this portion of his body as well.”

  Yala glared at the ceiling, attempting to process the doctor's words.

  “So, if the suspect injects this man’s legs—which we can’t see here—with a sedative, the drug will somehow find its way into this part of his body as well?”

  She twisted her lips and forced the concept into her brain.

  “So, no matter what part of his body receives physical contact, he may feel it the same as if he were whole?”

  “Exactly,” the doctor confirmed.

  They worked under the assumption that the man’s body could unexplainably be in two or three locations at once. Yet, the doctor seemed sure he was somehow a whole person, physically.

  “Doc, I think you may be right. So, this means his head could be somewhere viewing an area where his torso is supposed to be and although he can't see it, he can feel it, if it's touched? Goodness.”

  There wasn’t a science class in the world that could make her understand this.

  The doctor ushered his head towards the machine.

  “The test is almost done. What I don’t want to do is accidentally overdose this man.”

  At the beep, the doctor dashed to the gas chromatography-mass spectrometer and retrieved a printout. He pulled his glasses over his eyes and read words and codes Yala was sure would give her migraines.

  “The sedative in his system has worn off. It explains why he's starting to move.”

  Concern remained in the creases of the doctor's face.

  “We still face a dilemma. If I give him a sedative in the here and now of this exam room and the suspect gives him another sedative in another part of his body, we could accidentally—and collectively—kill him.”

  Yala was at a loss. She wasn't afraid to admit that she wasn't this level of smart. Science had never been her strongest subject. The complexity of the situation made her brain ache.

  Problem one: don’t give him the sedative and he could regain full use of his body and push the box open. Problem two: give him the sedative and accidentally overdose him.

  She pointed at the box as her breath caught.

  “I think we should give him the drugs. He is starting to regain full use of his arm and the other arm is moving too.”

  Dr. Hughes prepared the needle and didn’t waste time penetrating the bottom of the box. Once the needle hit home, the arms of the torso immediately relaxed, like an addict getting their fix.

  “Let’s hope that someone smart enough to pull off something so complex would, at least be smart enough to know the difference between sedation and cognitive awareness. They should be smart enough to know, or at least figure out, that we have sedated this man.”

  “Doc, do you think we’ll receive the next box, like the note states?”

  Staring at the torso, the doctor nodded his head.

  “Yes. I think we’re being tested to see if we will follow directions. What I don’t understand is why? Why do this to someone? What motives does one have for doing this, other than to show us that he is smart? If we can’t figure out how this is being done and who is doing it, he will have proven he is smarter.”

  Chapter 3

  The Connection

  The next morning, Yala waited in the shadows, to catch who might drop off the next part of the box. Her wide-eyed glare scanned the area, stalker fast, as she stooped behind a patch of half-dead bushes. Steam from her breath floated into the air as the cold folded her in a tight embrace. She’
d been waiting for three hours. She pulled the collar of her coat over her ears and sunk her head into her shoulders, seeking warmth. She rolled her eyes at the sun, whose rays did nothing to warm her numb fingers and toes.

  When she spotted the mail delivery truck speed past the hospital and pull around into the medical examiner’s small parking area, she ran to meet the truck. Dr. Hughes was hot on her heels as he shot out of the entrance door to meet the delivery man.

  While the doctor signed for the box, Yala eyeballed the mail man. Her threatening glare had the man’s head constantly turning in her direction.

  Once the doctor retrieved a dolly and wheeled the box into the building, Yala questioned the mail man. It was more like interrogated the poor man. When she was done, he hopped into his truck and sped away from her, likely thinking she was crazy.

  She didn’t have to be an investigative expert to conclude the man had no idea what was going on. However, she acquired his information and work location to figure out who’d shipped the box.

  Before venturing off to track leads, Yala joined Dr. Hughes to see if the second part of the Body Box would do what the instructions suggested—reattach the man’s body.

  She observed as the doctor cut away the cardboard outer shell of box. Their glares went to and remained glued to the sight of the man’s lower body. His abdomen, right below his belly button down to his toes occupied the second box.

  The doctor took the first set of measurements. Yala took a second set. The two boxes matched in area; but length was added to the second box, to accommodate the legs. There was a slight variation in the new box; it was shaved around the outer circumference, so that a small portion would slide into the first box.

  Yala had questions, many. She was tempted to raise her hand like a student.

  “Okay. Although box one is a Lego fit over box two, there is still the problem of the glass separating the body parts.”

  Dr. Hughes scratched his beard as his eyes bounced back and forth between the two boxes.

  “I don’t know. Let’s do what the note says, slide the boxes together and see what happens.”