"Do you think the Priest is the Animal?" asks Grayson looking over his shoulder from the front seat of the black police Tahoe—but his question appears to fall on deaf ears.
Although Douglas heard him loud and clear, he chose not to answer. He had considered this notion himself, but only briefly, then just as quickly dismissed it. Nathan Darke was a trained operative who killed quickly and efficiently—the Animal was something else. But right now that wasn't what was on the Captain's mind.
They were entering Old Town, the part of New Eden where the original city of Sault Ste Marie still stood. Where New Eden, when it came into being, surrounded and absorbed Sault Ste Marie, and its populace. The Old Town moniker took on a double meaning when as the years passed the older residents of New Eden migrated to that part of the city. Most disturbing was the mass exodus of Old Town's residents immediately following the Founders disappearance. It literally became a ghost town overnight—completely deserted.
Douglas had sent men in to investigate the disappearances, but found no evidence of foul play, and very little evidence that anyone had recently lived there at all. It was just another one of those strange happenings that until the Founders recent disappearance hadn't registered with anyone, including Douglas. With the city unraveling before his eyes, Douglas eventually had to pull his men out to focus on the escalating crime spree.
Old Town quickly became a draw to those various and sundry criminal elements both inside and outside the confines of New Eden. Gangs, drug dealers, and prostitutes found a home in this relinquished portion of the city and Douglas had little choice in the matter. With such a small force of inexperienced men dedicated to the protection of the citizenry who hadn't lost their minds, the Captain was content that the bulk of the criminal enterprise was confined to a single area.
"No," Douglas finally offered to Grayson, "these two men are completely different."
Two recent sightings of Nathan Darke had yielded the best possible chance of finding him but it meant Douglas and the six men protecting him would have to split up. These were his best men and he wasn't going to risk sending in anyone else. And although it wasn't a popular decision amongst the group, it made sense if they were going to put a stop to the Priest.
To equalize the odds Douglas took his two Sergeants, Dan Grayson and Lyle Morgan with him to the most recent report, and sent the other four men to "K" Street under the command of Lieutenant Thomas.
"K" Street, or King Street as it had been known, was just a single block long but was the focal point of most of the criminal enterprise in Old Town. A Canadian biker gang, the Korpse Krüe, had swept in after the police vacated the area and turned K Street into drive though of sorts dedicated to those given to debauchery.
Its close proximity to the canal had meant that they could move product in and out with ease during the earliest days of their occupation, and Douglas was certain they had set up shop in some of the abandoned buildings nearby to manufacture and store drugs.
He had never felt so helpless in all his years. So much crime was plaguing his city and he was powerless to stop any of it at this point—and too proud to ask for help.
Both the governments of the United States and Canada had offered troops and assistance, but Douglas feared allowing them in the city would bring about an attempt to regain the lands each had surrendered to New Eden during the Founding War. He had rebuffed their respective offers and thus far they had kept their distance, all the while Douglas knew if either made the decision to cross New Eden's borders there was no stopping them. He feared the worse this situation grew the greater the chance was one, or both governments would invade—it was inevitable.
Neither government had ever fully embraced how each could endure their greatest losses of men and equipment in their respective histories without suffering a single casualty. Come to think of—neither could he…
There was one thing for certain, and Douglas took some solace in the fact, that there would be no new criminal elements moving into New Eden, nor any product moving out. Both countries, while remaining outside his borders, had placed a naval blockade on their respective sides of the canal, and cordoned off all access roads into and out of New Eden; in effect completely isolating New Eden from further outside influences.
Battle lines had been drawn, and the enemies of New Eden were apparent to the Captain. First he would deal with the Priest and the Animal—then the Korpse Krüe.
"Do not, I repeat, do not engage the priest if sighted." was one of the last things Captain Douglas had said to Thomas, Fisher, Sole, and Franks before he dispatched them off to K Street. "Investigate, document, and report your findings directly to me." he had continued. "And above all, do not hesitate to call for back up if you need it."
Although somewhat offended, after all they were four trained officers, and the priest was only one man, they knew better than to disregard the Captain's orders.
As their black Tahoe pulls onto K Street Thomas spies a small crowd gathered halfway down the block in a chain link fenced parking lot. Several vehicles speed away upon sighting the police presence and the crowd begins to disperse rather quickly.
"Keep your eyes peeled men" Lieutenant Thomas says as he's pulls the vehicle into the fenced lot.
All but two of the crowd had fled the scene by the time Thomas brought the vehicle to a stop just a few yards from six lifeless looking bodies.
The four men exited the vehicle weapons drawn and at the ready.
"Fisher, Sole, watch our flanks," the Lieutenant barked at his men, his military training was suddenly fresh in his mind. "Franks, cover the rear!"
Thomas' men vigilantly took up their positions as "Tom" himself set his sights on the six bodies a few yards in front of him.
Tom was a nickname he had embraced partially because of his smaller stature, standing only five feet six inches tall, which had drawn references to Tom Thumb throughout his life, but mostly because he never cared for his given name, Maximilian.
The two people who had remained when everyone else scattered appeared to be a member of the Krüe, and one of their "old ladies", probably belonging to one of the fallen members.
"Stand up and keep your hands where I can see them." Tom ordered the two as he approached them with his weapon at the ready. The Krüe member was just a prospect but he knew the drill and complied immediately, while the woman, visibly shaken, and crying, remained slumped over one of the bodies. "Ma'am", Tom said in a much softer tone this time, "please stand up and join you friend. I can't help these men if you don't comply with my orders."
With that her crying stoped suddenly, she is silent for a moment, then turns her head and glares at Tom through swollen tear filled eyes. The intense look she delivers pierces his Psyche and momentarily catches him off guard.
"He's fucking dead!" She abruptly screams at the top of her lungs as her mouth froths and spews spittle in Thomas' direction. "How're you gonna help a dead man you tiny piece of shit!” she continues springing to her feet at the same time—then starting at the Lieutenant.
With just a few feet between himself and the woman Thomas has little time to weigh his options—and to further complicate things the Krüe prospect has fallen into step a few feet behind her.
Alex Sole, who is at this point watching Thomas' left flank and having heard the scream, shoots a glance over his right shoulder in Thomas' direction. "Take them down, Lieutenant," he calls out, "we've got no time for this shit!"
"Stop where you are, ma'am, or I'll have to shoot!" is the warning Thomas delivers in a stern direct tone—but she continues her advance as the Krüe prospect closes in behind her.
Thomas tightens his grip on the weapon, clicks off the safety, and slides his index finger onto the trigger.
"Shoot them!" Sole encourages as the two are almost at arm’s length in front of Thomas.
"Five and a half pounds..." is what Thomas thinks to himself as the two approach. That's the amount of pressure necessary to fire his Glock 36; five and a half pounds to deliver a forty five caliber round into the woman approaching him who less than a minute ago was stricken with grief, and is now a half second away from joining her dead biker boyfriend.
Thomas hadn't heard Alex Sole encourage him to fire, or for that matter Marty Fisher, and Benjamin Franks who had chimed in to support Sole without even looking to see what was happening. No, Maximilian Thomas had put all his attention into the two people approaching his position and what he noticed was only one of them was focused on him—the woman.
Mere inches from the gun barrel the Krüe prospect throws two huge burly arms around the woman from behind enveloping her in a bear hug and scooping her up off the ground. Arms and legs flailing wildly she screams in protest and tries to escape his powerful grasp—but cannot.
A rapid fire utterance of "Shut up bitch!" by the Krüe prospect fails to deliver the desired response as she drops her head forward, then thrusts it back hard crashing the back of her head hard into the Krüe prospects chin. Momentarily dazed he releases his grip on her and she lands on wobbly legs having herself been dazed in the process.
Trying hard to regain her composure, and once more setting her sights on Thomas, she rambles back in his direction when powerful hands grip her shoulders, steadying her as the prospect delivers the full force of a head butt to the back of her skull sending the woman to the pavement unconscious.
"She's my sister." the hulking six foot six three hundred pound Krüe prospect offers to Thomas as if it should explain everything—but it doesn't.
"Is she going to prison?" he asks in an almost caring tone Thomas would have thought unlikely to come from someone such as this.
"That's up to you. “, Thomas responds sensing he needs to exploit this opening, "Tell me exactly what happened here and you’ll both be free to go.”
Thirteen blocks away the Captain, Grayson and Morgan are questioning a prostitute who claims to have seen one of her girlfriends talking to a man fitting Nathan's description outside this building less than thirty minutes ago.
Douglas' phone vibrates, "It's Thomas.” he says, and steps away to answer the call.
"Are you sure it was this building?” Grayson asks the prostitute.
"What did I say?” she shoots back with a look of contempt in her eyes.
"You said this was this building, ma'am.", Morgan offers to draw the heat off his partner.
"That's right," she says nodding her head emphatically, "now where's my money?"
"Ma'am, the reward is for information leading to the capture of the gentleman we're looking for." says Grayson growing weary that this woman's information is even credible.
"Well then, get you selves in there and capture his ass so I can get my money!” she says raising her voice loud enough for Douglas to hear forcing an end to his conversation so he can intervene in the questioning.
"Ma'am..." Douglas starts but is quickly interrupted.
"Y'all can quit with that ma'am shit!” she says seemingly offended. "My name is Trixie—call me Trixie."
"Trixie," Douglas thinks to himself as he studies the fidgety middle aged woman with her deep set eyes and hardened completion that scream years of drug abuse to him.
"Ma... Trixie," Douglas starts, "are you suggesting the man we are seeking is in this building?" Douglas asks pointing a finger toward the entrance.
"I ain't s-s-suggesting shit," Trixie manages stumbling over the word, "I'm telling you he's in the damn building!"
"Did you see him enter the building with your girlfriend?” Douglas asks.
"Not exactly," Trixie says emphasizing her words with a little head jerk, "I had another friend come by and take me for a ride. We had some business to conduct. I was only gone about twenty minutes, but when I got back they were gone."
"So, if they were gone when you got back, what makes you think they didn't take his car and drive somewhere like you and your friend to conduct some business of their own?" Douglas asks with a skeptical tone.
"Well,” says Trixie with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "for one, he didn't have no car—he was walking. And two, we got us a room set up in this building on the fifth floor so I'm thinking that's where they went. Besides, I don't think he was looking to conduct the same kind of business."
"What do you mean by that?” Douglas asks.
"Because, I figure he's down her trying to save her!” Trixie says, "I mean I doubt a priest would be down here trying to get busy!"
The three men look at one another. Grayson says to Douglas under his breath, "We didn't specify the clothes as a priest's attire in the APB—just dark clothes."
"What did Thomas have to say?" Morgan asks the Captain.
"He said the priest killed six Korpse Krüe disciples on K Street, including their President, Vice President, Sergeant at Arms, and three bodyguards, and then left on foot."
"How was he armed?” asked Grayson.
"Thomas said he wasn't armed." said Douglas, "Apparently he was approached, threatened, and attacked. He disarmed his attackers and killed them with their own weapons, leaving them behind when he left."
"And now he's in this building trying to save a..." Lyle Morgan doesn't get to finish that thought as the sound of shattering glass erupts overhead followed shortly thereafter by an ear piercing scream.
The three men try to scatter, and get Trixie to safety, but she retreats from their attempt as the body of her friend slams into the ground at her feet with a gut wrenching thud followed by a hail of shattered glass and splintered wood raining down on them.
"Noooooo...!” Trixie screams as she drops to her knees beside the dead girl.
Douglas looks up and sees the dark shadowy form in the window and orders his men to cover the back exit.
"Do not approach the priest," he tells them, "but if you get a shot take it!"
Douglas pulls out his cell phone and hits redial as he crouches down to feel the girl’s neck for a pulse."She's dead!” he thinks to himself just confirming what he already knew. He looks at Trixie's tortured face and shakes his head—she cries out.
"Hello." Thomas says answering the phone on the first ring.
"Get your asses here,” Douglas barks at the Lieutenant, "We have eyes on the priest in the building. The front and back exits are covered but we need you here for back up!"
"Yes sir!” Thomas says, "Be there in..."
Thomas' response is cut short as the Captains cell phone dies.
"Dammit!” Douglas curses.
He glances up at the window—it is empty now. Something catches his eye to his left as a dark figure makes its way across the front of the adjacent building, then darts down an alley way.
Douglas can hear Thomas' siren but he can't afford to wait for them to get here or he will lose the priest.
"Trixie," Douglas says pointing to his left, "see that building with the alley beside it?"
She manages a quick glance, then a nod.
"Tell my men when they get here that I went down the alley after the priest—okay?" he asks.
Trixie acknowledges his request with another quick nod. Then weeping slowly collapses across the body of the dead girl.
Douglas hurries off toward the alley. His only chance for help to follow rests in the hands of a despondent prostitute he entrusted to pass on a critical message. A message Trixie no doubt would have delivered if not for the fact she didn't see the thin shard of razor sharp glass protruding from the chest of the young woman she had called her friend.
The shard of glass, that when Trixie collapses across the girl’s lifeless form, pierces her flesh—and heart before she even knows it was happening.
Trixie dies…
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