PHOENIX: Spooks

by Howard, Paul

  “Morrison.” White said. Sam nodded his head.

  “He was still holding his gun,” Sam continued, “We haven’t found the rounds, but we did find a smear of blue ectoplasm on the car. I think he shot Morrison three times without any effect.”

  White rubbed his head painfully and stood up. Sam joined him and they began to walk, moving made it easier for both of them. “They’ve pulled the detail and put Woods on leave,” Sam said, “He wasn’t happy about it. There’s no sense in setting our people out there like sitting ducks.”

  “He’s playing with us.” White suggested. Sam nodded his head in agreement. “Did you read the transcript of Morrison’s last statement at the execution?”

  “No. I hate that shit.” Sam replied.

  “ ‘You’ll all see me again!’ ” White answered. “He means to kill all of us. Everybody involved in bringing him in. I was afraid of something like that.” Sam looked down and considered this information. He had not made that connection in his mind before. “Now you know why I didn’t call you on the motel job,” he explained, “I was afraid he might have been planning a trap for us.”

  “Did you find anything out from Phoenix we can use?” Sam asked. White shook his head.

  “We can’t stop him, Sam,” White answered, “I interviewed Bell himself. There’s no way to destroy him. He says the only people who can handle him are other spooks.”

  “The department doesn’t hire spooks.” Sam said.

  “I know,” White replied, “Maybe we need to find some.” Sam shook his head.

  “Try suggesting that to the department,” he scoffed, “You know that won’t happen.” They had cleared the terminal and reached the Solar. White gestured for Sam to drive. He was tired and hadn’t slept since he reached Phoenix.

  “They may change their minds once he’s killed enough cops, Sam.” White said. Sam looked at him very hard. “And he’s going to. All of us if he can.”

  “I did a little digging of my own on Lisa Warren,” Sam said, “That Big Company she works for, Benning? I sniffed around. Her boss Martin recommended her as his successor. Unfortunately for Lisa, he just took out another option and shows every indication that he plans to stay there till Hell freezes over.”

  “Where are you going with this, Sam?” White asked.

  “Well, only that her job pays a lot less than his,” Sam replied, “About seven hundred million a year less.”

  “Very interesting.” White observed. Sam nodded his head as they pulled onto the freeway. Dawn was two hours off and the road was moving, for a refreshing change.

  “So what do you think we should do now?” Sam asked.

  “First, get a shower and something to eat,” White answered, “Then we get a warrant for the arrest of Lisa Warren. We can’t stake her and we have more than enough to hold her on. We let him come to us now.”

  White’s thoughts turned to Larsen. He could see his face, the way his feet stuck out from under the table during interrogations, and the way he crunched at his desk because of that long, lanky frame of his. He had two kids, pretty little girls, both of them. Now they would have to live without their father. And his sweet, lovely wife Jill, who had always been so nice every time he saw her at dinners, picnics…everything. Such a smart woman. It made him sick to think about them.

  “Have you talked to Jill Larsen yet?”

  “It’s been taken care of, Lenny.” Sam replied. White reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. He offered it to Sam who eyed it suspiciously.

  “Just in case.” White said, and gestured for him to take it. Sam snatched the envelope and thrust it into his pocket.

  “They’re gonna pay for what they did to him,” White said, “I don’t know how yet, but we’re gonna get him.”

  After getting something to eat and cleaning himself up, White reported his findings to the captain and discussed termination of the stakeout detail. Brawly agreed that it was time to seek a warrant for Lisa and ordered them to get on it at once. White took the time to call Jill Larsen and see if there was anything she needed; she couldn’t even talk to him.

  The warrant ended up taking the whole morning to get. It was nearing noon when they finally set out to pick her up.

  Chapter Sixteen: The 88th Floor

  Lisa Warren was dictating a quarterly report into a machine. Looking down at the tablet in front her, she was completely absorbed in the figures.

  “The projected earnings for this division of the company will remain at one hundred forty-seven million dollars as long as the following reasonable criteria are met. First: The Canadian Consortium will agree to withhold...”

  “Has anybody ever told you you’re real pretty when you’re being greedy?”

  She flicked the switch and jumped up from her chair. Morrison was standing near the inner door. She ran over without hesitation, delighted to finally see him.

  “Johnny!” she cried, as she put her arms around him and gave him a hug. He hugged her back and she kissed him on both cheeks.

  “Oh, Little Brother,” she exclaimed, “I’m so glad you made it. It wasn’t too painful, you poor thing!”

  “Pain? Not as you’d notice.” he replied. She hugged him again, as giddy as a young girl to see him at last. Leading him to the chairs, they sat across from each other.

  “Now it’s just you and me, like we planned all along,” she said holding his hands, “I’ll find you a place. By the beach maybe…” He pulled his hands away softly.

  “Well, there’s been a change of plans, kind of...” he said slowly. Her eyes registered disappointment and confusion.

  “But why? Everything went just like we planned it!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Johnny, you know I’ve never cared for anyone but you.”

  “What about Warren?” he asked, sarcastically. He was referring, of course, to her late husband. ‘Late’ thanks to him. Her expression hardened and she stood up impatiently, she didn’t like the question. It confused her.

  “We said we’d never talk about him again,” she replied in a much sterner tone, “You were a very naughty boy! We agreed never to talk about that again!”

  He stood up and his tone became much warmer. He walked over and put his arms around her waist.

  “That, we did!” he said playfully. “But, there’s been a change of plans, like I said.”

  “Johnny, not boys again? You promised me.” she began, but he cut her off and sat back down in the chair.

  “No boys.” he answered and broke out laughing ironically. “No girls, either. No nothing. Those assholes at Phoenix do good work. They sure did a job on me.”

  Her jaw dropped open as he continued to speak.

  “I’m indestructible. Everything works now. Everything, but my heart and lungs, my stomach, my taste buds, and my pecker! Yeah, Big Sister, Little Johnny Junior. It’s dead! I guess they don’t tell people about that because it might fuck up their sales.” Lisa crouched down and knelt next to him. Placing her arms around him, she pressed his head to her chest.

  “Johnny! Johnny, I’m sorry,” she said softly, stroking his hair, “It doesn’t matter. We can still be together...”

  He looked up into her face very sadly. His expression softened.

  “It does matter, Lisa,” he replied, “You’re the only one I trust. The only person in this world that matters to me now. You’ve done enough. If I involve you in any more of what I do, they’ll get you, just like they got me…”

  Suddenly, an alarm rang out over the entire floor. It was the panic system and Lisa looked around confused, thinking they had caught up with John at last.

  “Ms. Warren? Are you there?” a voice called through the intercom. “Are you all right? Something’s happened. Can you answer? Oh, god. Mr. Martin is dead!” The intercom went silent. Lisa looked at her brother, who had a sheepish grin on his face.

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you: you’re promoted!” he laughed. “Congratulations.” She looked at him with a horrified expression on her face.


  “You didn’t! Not here?” she gasped. “That wasn’t our plan!”

  A loud banging began at her door. Voices screamed from outside. A security guard called out from the other side of it. “Ms. Warren! Are you all right? Ms. Warren? It’s locked. Oh my god!” Lisa eyes bulged with horror.

  “What have you done? We wanted it to look like an accident!” she cried.

  “It does!” Morrison replied. “I made it look good.” The people started throwing themselves against her door. She looked up in a panic.

  “You’ve got to get out of here...” She stood up and tried to take his hand. He stepped over to the door and laughed.

  “What for?” he mused contemptuously. “What can they do to me?”

  The door burst open and the security guard entered with his gun drawn.

  “BOO!!” Morrison shouted at him. The frightened guard fired several rounds into him at point-blank range. They passed right through.

  He was about to laugh at the guard when he heard Lisa gasp behind him. Whirling around quickly to see his sister, her face had a deathly pallor. She was standing directly behind him when the bullets passed through. Two of them were now lodged in her chest. She grasped his shoulder and wobbled on her heels before collapsing to the floor.

  He knelt down and held her in his arms. She looked at him groggily and blood began to come out of her mouth.

  “LISA!” he cried helplessly. “No, no, listen to me!” she began to exhale a long last breath and her eyes rolled back into her head. “Come on, Big Sister! Look at me! Death is nothing! NOTHING!!”

  A bullet nicked her aorta and her chest began to fill with blood. Lisa was drowning in her own body fluids. She looked at her brother desperately screaming at her through the gathering fog, but she could hear nothing but the profound ringing in her ears. The fog turned to darkness, and she was gone.

  Lisa Warren was dead. There would be no reprieve, no Phoenix, no rescue, no infusion.

  No Lisa.

  He clenched his fists with rage and let out a desperate, angry howl of grief, which exploded into fury as he stood up, focusing the full force of it upon the security guard, who now noticed the blue ooze on Morrison’s shirt, realizing what it meant.

  “A spook!” the guard gasped. “You’re a goddamn spook!”

  “And you’re a goddamn corpse!”

  Morrison lunged at the guard and grabbed the arm with the gun, twisting it sharply until the bones crackled loudly and he let go of it. The guard dropped to his knees in pain. Morrison grasped his head, twisting it with a jerk until the neck snapped and his body went limp. He continued to twist the head with fanatical strength, as the rest of the people in the office, who witnessed what was happening, ran away screaming in terror.

  This was the spectacle that greeted White and Sam as the elevator door to the outer lobby opened. The fleeing people parted just in time for White to see Morrison tossing the head of the guard into the outer office. It tumbled by Sam and banged into the back of the elevator. The detectives drew their guns and White shouted.

  “You people get back!” he ordered. “Get out of the way!” He glared at the murderer. “Morrison!” he shouted. Morrison looked at White with genuine amusement.

  “Well, well. Look who’s here!” he shouted and gestured to the head. “You two can keep the little souvenir.”

  Taking advantage of the confusion, Morrison dodged down the hallway next to Lisa’s office. A woman grabbed Sam and began to cry hysterically.

  “I’m kind of busy, Lady!” Sam shouted. White took a few steps after Morrison.

  “Stay here!” he ordered. “Keep these people back!”

  He ducked down the hallway after Morrison and ran to the end, where there was a single door. He pushed through and swung around to check the corners as he moved in. There was no other exit, only a wall of plate-glass windows and the skyline outside.

  Instantly, Morrison knocked him down, as if coming from nowhere. White landed on his back. He raised the gun to fire, but Morrison snatched it out of his hand and turned it upon him. White froze like a statue.

  “You used to be smarter than that, Inspector White,” Morrison mused, “Can I call you Lenny?” He smiled and waited, but White said nothing.

  “Were you gonna try to shoot me? That guard did, and look what happened to him.” He gestured to the bullet holes in his shirt. “This was a brand new shirt! Don’t you just hate that crap?”

  “We’re gonna stop you!” White snapped back, rising to his feet.

  “ ‘We’ doesn’t include you, Lenny,” Morrison chided, “I always thought you were a smart cop, but you broke the first rule of police work: Never give up your piece.” White set his jaw in anger.

  “If you’re gonna shoot, do it John,” White sneered, “But spare me anymore of your pathetic attempts at wit. You’re boring me.”

  “If you insist, Lenny.”

  He shot White in the chest; who immediately collapsed to the floor. Morrison knelt down beside him. White struggled to raise his head. His breathing made a gurgling sound as he began to cough up blood.

  “That sounds disgusting, Lenny!” Morrison laughed. “I had planned on settling the score with you a little later, but I’ll settle with you being the first. Well, except for Larsen.”

  White coughed out his answer. He knew what was going to happen next, but he chose defiance to the end.

  “I’ll see you in Hell...” he gasped. Morrison let a wry smile cross his lips.

  “Yeah, in about seventy-five years! Say hello to Lisa for me!” He squeezed the trigger and shot White in the head, point-blank. The sound of running footsteps came quickly. He smiled and laid the gun on White’s chest.

  Sam appeared at the door. He noticed White and despaired. An overwhelming surge of rage took control of his mind, with eyes wide and nostrils flaring, he was so angry it even startled Morrison. He pointed his gun at Morrison and fired repeatedly. The bullets had no effect, going through him and making holes in the plate-glass.

  “Bullets cost money, Sam!” Morrison sneered. “I gotta go! You can follow me if you want!”

  He ran for the window as hard as he could, shouting “Timber!” and crashed through it. Sam watched in horror as he plunged out of sight.

  Justin met Veronica at the office where she worked. He came in as a vendor service rep and the two of them clicked at once. Over the next several weeks their relationship had blossomed into something serious. They had gone out together every chance they got and had met for lunch at the Plaza Restaurant. Justin was mustering his courage to invite Veronica to meet his parents. He had never felt that way about any girl before. His eyes never left hers even as the waiter brought the food.

  The Plaza at ground level below was busy with diners having their lunch. The sound of glass breaking above was only heard by a few, and some looked up. Several gasped, and some women screamed, as they watched a horrifying sight that most of them could not believe; a man was plummeting from the eighty-eighth floor directly above them.

  There were only a few seconds to react and some got up and moved, unsure where he would hit. The couple seated at the table directly below didn’t even see him at all. Justin and Veronica looked at the others around them, confused by their reactions. They had no chance to react when Morrison slammed into their table at terminal velocity.

  The marble top shattered and the table legs buckled instantly, the concussive force killing both of them before they knew what had happened. The exploding table wasn’t loud enough to cover the horrible sound of three bodies breaking under such incredible force.

  Morrison hit like a bag of fluid. His abdomen popped like a balloon, spilling ecto-fluid as it burst open, his guts splattering on the ground. His body almost completely lost its shape. The witnesses jumped back at first, then stood horrified and revolted by the sight. Some, both men and women, began to sob. Others were too stunned to utter a sound.

  But it got worse. Morrison’s body began to move slightly after
a few moments, making the most gruesome sounds. At first it was just spasmodic jerks. Then the guts began to suck back into the open cavity of his body with a disgusting sloshing and slurping noise.

  His shapeless legs and arms began to crackle and straighten back to their original shape. The blood from the bodies of the two people he had killed had begun to flow out and cover the ground around the three of them. He got up on all fours as the cavity of his abdomen closed; his back began to reform with a terrible popping and snapping resonance.

  He slowly stood up and many people began to cry out loud as they watched. Some became nauseous and vomited; others could not stand to see more, and began to run away in horror. The rest of the patrons began to step back in shock.

  He stood crookedly and looked like a scarecrow in his torn and ragged clothes, his body wavering as it took shape. His legs and back straightened, his head pulled upward, the sound of his neck made a wet, crackling crunch.

  His head was crushed flat on the left side, driving his jaw through the skin so that it stuck out in front of his right ear. His right eye dangled from the socket, hanging by the optic nerve. It swung morbidly as he moved. The left side of his head began to reform with a gruesome slurping noise and the eye moved back into the socket. The other eye appeared from inside his skull and went back into place, along with his jaw.

  He watched their reaction with a sense of cruel pleasure, as the wounds on his face closed up and he was finally renewed. The people watching this were near hysteria at what they just saw. He looked at them and smiled, adjusting his tie casually. He finally looked down at Justin and Veronica and shrugged nonchalantly. He winked at the nearest waiter and shook his head.

  “I don’t think these two are going to leave much of a tip!” he joked and grinned.

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a quarter and tossed it at him. The waiter didn’t move as it clattered sarcastically on the pavement. Morrison stepped out of the bloody pool and wiped his ragged suit off. He looked at everyone and smiled once more.