by Alex Siegel
Trailers, trucks, and construction equipment were parked outside the building. Workers pulled their coats tight as they hurried in and out. Even the toughest man couldn't shrug off weather like this.
Aaron looked over at Nancy who sat in the passenger's seat. A blue cap covered her brown, frizzy hair, but a few puffs had escaped at the bottom. She was a thickly built woman, but nobody could call her fat. She was just naturally wide. She was wearing heavy-duty jeans that looked sloppy and loose but were probably comfortable. Her overcoat was fireman yellow. As usual, she was smiling.
"Let's do this quickly," Aaron said. "We have a lot going on back at headquarters, and I need to be there."
"Yes, sir," Nancy said, "but your approval is needed before we can close out this phase of construction. It's important that we don't miss anything major."
"I understand. Come on."
He got out of the car. The wind had died down, but flakes were still falling. His boots crunched the snow as he ran over to the front door.
They went inside. The interior of the building was cool, but it was a lot warmer than outside. Aaron pulled off his hat.
All the plumbing and electrical work was complete. Most of the walls were up, and bright, permanent lights had been installed everywhere. The place was starting to feel friendly and inviting instead of just being a barren construction site.
"Less than a year ago," Aaron said, "this was an uninhabitable toxic waste site. I bought it just to make Xavier think this was my headquarters. It's ironic that the lie will soon become the truth."
He and Nancy started walking through the first floor. It would become an indoor shopping center, so the passageways were very wide and the rooms were large. Aaron identified where a grocery store would go, and a pharmacy would face it. He imagined happy shoppers in the halls instead of construction workers. The building would even have a small bowling alley.
He stopped walking. "I don't have time for this."
"But sir," Nancy said, "without your approval, the construction will have to stop. The schedule will slip."
"This inspection will take hours. This floor is huge, and there are forty condominiums on the upper stories. If I want to do a half-decent job, I won't get home until late tonight." He shook his head. "That's not acceptable with this cannibal thing happening. I want you to do the inspection. I'll rubber-stamp whatever you write up."
"Yes, sir." She appeared a little disappointed.
He guessed she was proud of her work and wanted to show it off.
"I do need to see the basement though," Aaron said. "That's important."
"We can't get down there from here. The stairway was filled in a few weeks ago, and the secret lift hasn't been installed. We have to use the tunnel."
He nodded. "Then let's do it."
They went outside and ran across the street to another site. A parking garage was under construction here. The structure was being made out of poured, reinforced concrete. The cold weather had forced a temporary halt in the project, but some levels were already completed. A thick layer of fluffy snow covered the top.
A chain-link fence surrounded the site. Aaron ran to the gate and found it sealed with a chain and padlock. He rattled the chain in annoyance.
He was reaching for his lock picks when a security guard ran over. The guard was so heavily bundled, only the middle part of his brown face was visible.
"Do you need something?" the guard said.
Aaron stared at him. "I'm the owner, Mr. Sarg. Open the gate."
"Can I see some identification, please?"
Aaron had come prepared. He took out his wallet and discreetly thumbed through his collection of driver's licenses until he found the right one. He pulled it out and showed it to the guard.
"Thank you, sir. I'm sorry we had to go through that, but this isn't the best neighborhood. We've had trouble with people trying to sneak in here."
The guard unlocked the gate.
"We need to inspect some equipment on the bottom level," Aaron told him. "Stay at your post. Hopefully, we won't be too long."
He and Nancy trudged through a heavy blanket of snow to reach the parking garage. There were four levels at present, two above ground and two below. The sides of the garage were open to the weather. They went down two flights of concrete stairs to reach the lowest level.
"Stop," he said. "Be quiet."
She froze.
He listened carefully to make sure the guard hadn't followed. Aaron heard only the light breeze above.
"Let's go," he said.
A few work lights were placed on the floor. He found the switch that turned them on, but the lighting was still poor. They walked over to a blank section of wall which looked solid and unremarkable.
Aaron took out his phone and pressed a special combination. A thick section of the wall silently pulled back and lifted out of the way. Giant hydraulic cylinders held it up. There was a tunnel beyond which was big enough for a truck. Lights on the ceiling automatically turned on.
He and Nancy walked through. The massive section of wall slid back into place with only a slight hissing sound. It weighed twenty tons.
"You used the special composite cement for that door, right?"
"Yes, sir," she said. "Any blast strong enough to punch through would probably bring down the whole parking garage."
They jogged along the tunnel. It had bends and dips that would force an intruder to slow down and take extra damage from weapons.
"When are the weapons being installed?" Aaron said.
"March."
"It can't be sooner?"
"We have to use the same team from Global Real Estate Partners that did our security upgrade on the hotel," Nancy said. "The legate doesn't trust anybody else for this kind of job, and we certainly don't have the manpower to do it ourselves. That team isn't available until March. I got the impression they're working overseas until then."
Aaron grimaced. Building a headquarters was an awkward process. Much of the work could only be done by people who were sworn to secrecy and preapproved by the Society. Towards the end, only true members could enter the new headquarters. He was becoming an expert on the subject.
They arrived at an opening that would eventually be another secure door. Motion sensors turned on more lights beyond. Aaron and Nancy had returned to the basement of the first building.
Their footsteps echoed from the hard walls of the huge space. A regular grid of octagonal pillars went between the floor and the ceiling. Metallic tiles with a rainbow sheen covered all the surfaces. The headquarters in the Rosemont Tower Hotel used the same ultra-strong material as a final, inner layer of armor.
"The electrical system down here is rated for five megawatts," Nancy said. "Even the twins can't use that much juice... I hope. The main water and sewer lines are good to go. We're using the river for cooling so we don't need an external air-conditioner, and that system is operational."
Aaron walked over to a section where interior walls were under construction. They were still just studs and frames, but it was an encouraging start. He already knew where his office would be.
"Could we move in now if necessary?"
"Sir?" Nancy raised her eyebrows.
"If a disaster struck the Rosemont Tower, and we had to bolt, could we live here?"
"I suppose." She pursed her lips. "We could camp on the floor. It would only take a few hours to install some toilets and showers if we didn't care about aesthetics. The environmental controls work. Yes, sir. It would be rough at first, but we could move today."
"That's all I care about." Aaron turned and headed towards the tunnel. "I have to go back to headquarters. I have a pile of police reports to read. Stay here and finish the inspection. You'll have to take a cab home."
"No problem, sir."
Chapter Four
Sheryl looked at Tawni while Tawni drove the car. Sheryl still found her incredibly attractive even after five months of living together. Tawni's skin was a flawless, but
tery brown, and she had the cheek bones of a queen. Her wavy hair was just a little wild. The thin film of darkness that clung to her skin these days made her even more striking. Sex with Tawni was always interesting. Everything about her was thrilling.
"Don't stare at me," Tawni said. "It makes me feel like a circus clown."
"Sorry." Sheryl faced forward.
She used a mirror attached to the visor of the car to check her face. The unattractive shadows had faded away as far as she could see.
"Stop freaking out," Tawni said.
"I want to be pretty, not spooky. I think the darkness is gone. What a relief."
They were driving through the slushy streets of Niles which was a suburb north-west of Chicago. Tawni parked in front of a two-story, red brick building in a commercial area. The car skidded a little on a patch of ice and hit the curb before stopping.
Sheryl bundled up for the tenth time today. She dispensed with the scarf this time just because she couldn't be bothered. Getting ready for the winter weather was a lot of work.
They got out of the car and walked to the front door of the brick building.
"Same cover story?" Sheryl said.
"Sure," Tawni said. "It's worked twice so far."
A sign on the door read, "May Flowers Real Estate." Tawni pushed it open, and Sheryl followed her inside.
As soon as they hit the warm air, they began unbundling. The office was small and had only a few employees. All of them had depressed expressions. A young woman behind a desk looked at them curiously.
"We need to talk to Luna May," Sheryl said.
"Buying or selling?" the receptionist said.
"Neither. We're investigators from the Illinois Bureau of Violent Crime." Sheryl showed her badge. "I think you can guess why we're here."
The receptionist sighed and pressed a button on an intercom. "Luna, more detectives want to talk to you."
"Damn," another woman replied through the intercom. "Send them in."
The receptionist led Sheryl and Tawni into a private office in the back of the building. Luna May was a middle-aged woman with perfectly coiffed blonde hair. Her blush and lipstick were just so. She was wearing a green pantsuit that would've looked more appropriate on a younger, shapelier body.
The walls of her office were decorated with awards and certificates. The collection was impressive until Sheryl looked closer. The Niles Chamber of Commerce had given Luna an award for "top realtor," which simply meant she was friends with the right people. She was also a member of the "million dollar club," but the commission on a million dollars in real estate wasn't exactly high living. Finally, she had an award for "most listings." Getting one for "most sales" would've been better.
Luna stood up and said, "I've already talked to the police, the FBI, and too many reporters. I'm getting tired of these interviews."
"We don't care how tired you are," Sheryl said. "You can start by telling us what you told everybody else."
She and Tawni sat on chairs facing the desk.
Luna grunted and sat down.
"Roger prepared brochures and listings for me," she said. "He was always a good employee. I have absolutely no idea how or why he became a cannibal. He stopped coming to work a week ago, and I haven't seen him since."
"Why did he stop coming?" Sheryl said.
"He claimed he needed a vacation."
"Was he always an exercise freak?"
"What do you mean?" Luna said.
"We saw him in the morgue this morning. His body was solid muscle. Not a bit of fat on him."
Luna furrowed her brow. "Are we talking about the same guy?" She dug around in her desk, pulled out a photograph, and handed it over. "That's Roger on the right."
Sheryl and Tawni examined the picture. It showed Luna's office staff wearing Halloween costumes as a group. Roger was dressed like Dracula. He had a pudgy face and a pear-shaped body.
"Right face," Sheryl said, "wrong body. What year was this taken?"
"This year," Luna said. "Six weeks ago. He was in great shape? That's hard to believe. I noticed he was losing weight, but he still had plenty of fat the last time I saw him."
"When did you notice this?"
"Two or three weeks ago. It was strange. He started eating huge lunches, but he was getting thinner at the same time and quickly. The girls in the office wanted to know his diet secrets. Is that important?"
"The guy we saw had lost a lot of weight," Sheryl said. "We think he was taking drugs."
Luna shook her head. "Not Roger. He was a sweet guy. Very stable. He went to Church every Sunday and loved to tell bad jokes. My clients liked him. I never got the sense he was on drugs. His limit was two cups of coffee a day."
"This sweet guy ripped apart a woman with his teeth. He attacked a police officer with a knife. There must be a reason!"
Luna blanched and looked down.
"I'm sorry," Sheryl said. "I know this is tough for you. Please, think. We're looking for any clues."
Luna shook her head. "I wish I could help you. I really do. When I heard the news, I was so shocked I couldn't speak. Roger worked in this office for four years. I invited him to my house for Christmas parties. It's impossible to believe he was some kind of monster all that time. He was too nice a guy. Something changed him."
"I'll buy that theory. Let's try to pinpoint the exact time the change occurred."
"If I had to guess, three weeks ago," Luna said. "That's when he started eating like crazy. He had more energy too. He seemed happier."
"Did he say anything strange?"
"He talked about getting more exercise, but I didn't take him seriously. You know how guys are. They love to talk about getting in shape."
Sheryl sighed. "We need to interview your staff. Maybe they'll remember something useful."
She and Tawni spent an hour talking to everybody in the small office, but they got the same story every time. Nobody had the faintest idea of what had caused Roger to lose his mind.
Sheryl and Tawni went back to the car. As soon as they were seated and the heater was blowing warm air, Sheryl called Aaron.
"Report," the commander said.
She summarized what they had learned in the real estate office.
"That's interesting," he said. "Smythe told me the guy was extremely lean."
"He was, sir, but his office-mates saw him eating enough for three. He certainly wasn't starving himself, unless he was bulimic."
"Hold on. I need Perry to check something."
Sheryl waited patiently. She heard Aaron and Perry having a conversation in the background. Sometimes it was convenient that they shared an office.
"Perry checked the perp's credit cards," Aaron said. "He spent three thousand dollars on groceries and fast-food restaurants before his death. He was eating enough for five. This is good info. We can start looking for other people with the same symptoms. We're up to eighteen victims and counting. It's clear several cannibals are out there, but the police haven't caught another one."
Sheryl winced. "Oh, the real estate agent mentioned she talked to the FBI."
"I expect the federal government is taking a keen interest in this matter. The news channels are covering the story non-stop."
"What do you want us to do next, sir?"
"Go to the scene of the crime," he said. "See if you can find a clue everybody else missed. The victim's apartment is next to the perp's, so you can check them both. I'll have a police detective meet you there and walk you through the scene."
"A real Chicago detective?" she said. "How are you going to arrange that?"
"It will just take a phone call. Days like today are why I play golf with the chief of police."
* * *
Sheryl and Tawni were standing in the hallway of an apartment building. The yellow carpeting was thin, hard, and a little dirty. Some kids had scribbled on the white walls with a crayon. Cheap fixtures cast glaring light.
Sheryl looked down at her suit and frowned at its rumpled con
dition. She hated not looking her best even though a few wrinkles were appropriate for her cover story.
"This is pretty intense," she said.
"Yeah," Tawni said. "Feels good. I like working instead of just training."
"I'm still adjusting to my new life. It's tough for me."
Tawni just stared straight ahead. She seemed very cool and distant.
"Are you mad at me?" Sheryl said.
Tawni shrugged. "No. Why?"
"You've hardly talked to me all day. Did we have a fight that I forgot about?"
"I'm not mad. I swear."
"We're supposed to be lovers," Sheryl said. "You could show a little more affection. With all this scary stuff going on, I could certainly use it."
Tawni rolled her eyes.
A pudgy man in a blue business suit walked up to them. He had a terrible haircut, and Sheryl fought to keep from smiling at it. Small ears stuck out from his round head. She liked his dark blue tie though.
"Are you the investigators from the Illinois Bureau of Violent Crime?" he asked.
Sheryl nodded. "You're the detective?"
"That's right. Detective Harry Loose." He gave both women a firm handshake. "I've never heard of that bureau before."
"We can show you our badges."
"No. The chief sent me here, and that's good enough for me. Let's go."
Loose led Sheryl and Tawni down the hallway. Two uniformed police officers were guarding a doorway sealed with yellow police tape. When Loose showed them his badge, they stepped out of the way. He pulled off enough tape to allow Tawni and Sheryl to duck through.
"The victim's apartment," Loose announced as he followed the women inside.
The first thing Sheryl noticed was the blood. A huge amount had soaked the carpet and had spattered the walls. The mess included some hair and small scraps of skin. Roger was a sloppy eater, she thought. She was nauseated, but she managed to maintain a professional demeanor. A chair in the main room was overturned.
Tawni walked around the bloodstain as if it were just ordinary dirt. Her eyes went left and right as she searched for clues.
"Was there any particular reason he picked this victim?" she said.