Dark Obsession
Dark Obsession - Chapter Nine
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Logan Cale sat at his computer
terminal deep in thought. To his left, a file lay open, papers and photos
spread across the desktop. He reached for the phone and then hesitated,
wondering if he was doing the right thing by withholding information from the
police, but his friendship with Max stayed his hand. Instead, he picked up his
cell phone and dialed. Dismayed that he'd been routed
to Zack's answering machine, he left a short message.
Logan
Arial'> leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his already untidy
hair. After meeting with Matt Sung the previous day, he'd
been too distracted to sleep, his mind full of frightening thoughts at the
possible identity of the killer. He spent the night mulling over the
inconclusive evidence that Sung had supplied him with, evidence the police had
kept from the public so as not to be hindered in their
investigation.
Logan
Arial'> knew that Sung was breaking the rules by sharing classified information
with him, and was thankful that his role as Eyes Only
ensured the other man's cooperation. Eyes Only had
been instrumental in solving many cases the Seattle PD would have otherwise
been unable to break. It was for this reason, and this
reason alone, that Sung defied his superiors, phoning in his findings following
a police search the night before.
"Logan, it's
Matt Sung. That lead we had? It panned out."
"The
fingernail scrapings?"
"Yeah.
Arial'> Forensic examination turned up some interesting results. There was a
trace of magnesium nitrate, it's a chemical substance found in fertilizer.
manufacture it before the Pulse. We sent a team out last night. You'll never
believe what they found."
"Bodies?"
"Not quite. There was blood;
we sent that in for analysis, but it gets a whole lot crazier. Words
Whoever the perp is, he's
one sick puppy. Had some kind of shrine; an altar with
candles, a rosary, a statue of the Virgin Mary and a pile of bloody teeth.
"Good God."
Logan
Arial'> picked up the report and read it again.
Mission
Arial'>. Duty. Discipline.
Past discussions with Max about
her childhood replayed in his head.
Manticore.
The Virgin Mother
and cross.
Logan
Arial'> remembered the story. It was one of the first Max had told him, back in
the early days of their acquaintanceship. She'd gone
on an Eyes Only mission, narrowly escaping with her life. He'd
commented about faith and belief and Max had snorted, saying there was no such
thing. He'd been shocked.
"Don't you believe there's
a higher power out there looking out for everyone?"
"No, not
anymore. One night, back when we were
kids, Gab had seizures. One of the janitors came into the room and we thought
he was done for. If Gab were reported, they'd have
taken him away, like they did later with Jack. But the
guy smiled, gave him a card with a picture of a woman on it and told him she'd
keep him safe. Ben called her The Blue Lady. She was supposed to protect us. A
load of bull, if you ask me. Didn't
stop them from killing Jack. Our so-called protector didn't
do shit for us.
"That's when I stopped
believing. I make my own destiny."
A goddess, a
protector that a young boy and those closest to him clung to like a lifeline,
in a place worse than hell.style='line-height:150%;font-family:Times New Roman;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>
Logan
Arial'> went through the photos Sung gave him again. They'd
been snapped by hover drones - quite accidental luck for the
authorities. Until they'd uncovered the existence of
the pictures, they'd had no leads at all. The suspect had been caught on camera
in three separate locations; scenes of three different
murders. And while there was no physical evidence
linking the suspect to the murders,
Arial'>Logan
that face anywhere.
And
Arial'> recent conversations with Alec, Max and Zack, regarding Ben, started to
make more sense. His strange behavior of late, his
darker broodiness, odd flares of anger replaced with quick apologies and shy
withdrawals.
There was no doubt in
Arial'>Logan
hover drone footage, cemented it. It seemed that the three Transgenics had been
right to worry about their brother.
Ben had a thoughtful look on
his face as he held Zack's cell phone, turning it over in his palm while
considering his options. One thing was certain: He had to find out exactly what
Logan
Arial'> thought he knew.
Quickly, he deleted the message
and replaced the phone on the counter where he'd found
it. Zack would undoubtedly come looking for it when he realized it was missing.
According to the message, Zack was expecting a call from
Arial'>Logan
find out if
Logan
Arial'> was really a threat. Ben didn't want to kill
the guy unless he absolutely had to. He was a friend - of sorts - and a close
friend of Max's, after all. It would gut her to lose him.
Leaving a quick note for Zack,
he informed his brother that
Arial'>Logan
he'd gone to meet 'some detective friend' and would
contact him later that evening. That should give me
enough time to do whatever has to be done, he smiled grimly.
supplies.
Ben approached the abandoned
factory but stopped a few blocks away. Something was off, something that made
the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It just didn't
feel right. Scanning the area, he spotted four men. There was nothing
extraordinary about them; they could have been simple citizens going about
their business. But that's when it clicked.
Plainclothesmen.
Arial'>
Police.
It was suddenly very clear.
Logan
Arial'> knows.
The phone rang, rousing
Arial'>Logan
thoughts.
"I heard you were looking
for me."
"So you're Lydecker,"
Logan
Arial'> replied calmly.
"Got it
in one. But then, you
were looking for me, not the other way around. Tell me, what is so
important that the great Eyes Only needs to speak to
me?"
"You
alone?"
"As
requested. Can we get to the point? I'm a
busy man," Lydecker answered shortly.
"Busy making assassins out
of children, you mean?"
"The point, please,"
came the gruff reply.
"I was trying to find out
about a serial killer. Had an inkling he might have
been one of the kids rumored to have escaped from
your little project," was
Arial'>Logan
response. "Turns out I don't need your help anymore," he added
dismissively.
"Really,
now?"
Logan
Arial'> remained silent.
"So they've caught him,
then?"
More silence.
"I see from your lack of
response that they haven't. But you're certain he's not 'one of mine', as you
put it."
"That's right."
"I see. You're trying to
protect Max, I take it," Lydecker continued smoothly.
Logan
Arial'> couldn't stifle the gasp that escaped his
lips.
"Oh, I know about your
connection to my kids, Mr. Cale. I've been keeping tabs on you."
"I don't know what you're
talking about. In any case, you needn't concern
yourself. Like I said, I was wrong. The killer isn't
Transgenic."
"And that's why they have
no prints on file, no way of identifying him from the evidence? What is he, a
ghost?" Lydecker scoffed.
After a moment he continued,
"Do you think this is all some kind of joke? That these kids are like
puppies you can housetrain? They were
designed to kill. Coldly...efficiently...and
happily. These kids you're protecting?
All they need is a trigger and the sweet pets will become dangerous animals.
Let me put you straight, son. Max is not the girl next
door. You have no idea what they're really capable of." He paused
again, exhaling with a short chuckle. "Then again, maybe you do.
"Tell Max we'll catch up
with them soon. Especially if one of them is making such a
public spectacle of himself. I thought I taught
them better than that. I'll be watching and waiting,
Cale. It's only a matter of time."
The line went dead.
"Lydecker?
Arial'> Lydecker? Dammit!"
Logan
Arial'> cursed loudly. I'm an idiot.
involved?"
"I was wondering that
myself," came a deceptively calm voice from the doorway.
Arial'>Logan
and his jaw dropped in surprise.
Ben.