Captain Talbert and Agent Nichols in a sedan heading for the residence of Alexandra Panacea, Hull Texas, 25^th October 2015, 23:51

 

Driving the captains sedan was Agent Nichols he had insisted on accompanying him as he felt the captain shouldn’t be alone at a time like this let alone driving. Captain Talbert was looking out through the sedans window staring into empty space he just wanted the ground to open up and swallow him he had never felt like this before when working a case, there again a killer had never taken his nephew as well as the two most dear friends in his entire world.

 

Having to tell Paul and Maria that there son was dead had been bad enough but now he was going to have to look at the bodies of two men he had considered to be like sons to him. John and Sheldon had been two severely emotionally damaged men who had put aside their inner demons to protect the civilian populace of Texas, they were heroes in his eyes and he would regret for the rest of his life that he had never told them that. Captain Talbert had sworn a silent oath to himself that he would find the man who did this and may him pay for what he had done.

 

Agent Xavier Nichols had tried to make small talk in the aftermath of getting the news about the death of his detectives. Xavier seemed to be nice enough but Captain Talbert wasn’t in a mood to talk to anyone. Agent Nichols seemed to sense that early on and for most of the car ride they had sat in a comfortable silence.

 

The captain hoped that his boys weren’t brutalised like the rest of the victims but he wasn’t holding out much hope. Their sedan was closing on the dilapidated house of Alexandra Panacea, there were at least a dozen police cars and four ambulances but thankfully there didn’t seem to be any civilians and certainly no media presence.

 

Agent Nichols pulled over the sedan he turned to the captain. ‘You know you don’t have to see this.’

 

‘I have seen more dead bodies than you have had hot dinners.’ Muttered Captain Talbert, but he was still looking out the window away from the house and the bodies.

 

‘Yeah but I bet none of them were a relative or close work colleagues.’

 

‘What would you do in my position?’ asked Captain Talbert.

 

‘I would have to see them.’ Admitted Agent Nichols. ‘Then I would want to find out who did it to them and rip their heart out through their asshole.’

 

‘Yeah.’ Growled Captain Talbert. ‘Then feed it to the fucker before he croaks.’

 

They both smiled at the brief moment of levity then the captain said. ‘Do you think we have a chance of nailing this son of a bitch?’

 

‘We have every chance.’ Replied Agent Nichols. ‘We caught a break early as we now know that the killer is almost certainly after Panacea family members.’

 

‘Yeah some break.’ Huffed Captain Talbert, while crossing his arms.

 

Captain I can’t begin to imagine what you are going through.’ Said Agent Nichols ‘But I swear I will bring down this piece of shit or die trying.’

 

Captain Talbert nodded his thanks he looked over to the house for the first time. ‘Right lets fucking get this over with.’

 

They both got out of the car waiting  for them was Dr Fletcher, she looked visibly upset it would stand to reason she had worked closely with the detectives for years.

 

‘Alice.’ Said Captain Talbert, he embraced her. ‘I am pleased it is you and not someone else.’

 

‘I had to be here.’ Replied Dr Fletcher. ‘I rushed over as soon as the call came in, Albert I know you want to see them but I strongly advise that you don’t.’

 

‘Duly noted.’ Answered Captain Talbert. ‘But you know I have too.’

 

‘I know.’ Said Dr Fletcher, she looked visibly ashen. ‘I can’t look at them again not yet.’

 

‘I understand.’ Said Captain Talbert, he then gestured to Agent Nichols that they close with the house.

 

Captain Talbert and Agent Nichols closed with the house walking towards a smashed window  there were two men in white suits taking photos as well as Agent Lawrence who was inside the house examining the scene. No one acknowledged the captain when he approached and he appreciated the fact as seeing them was going to be bad enough.

 

When Captain Talbert saw them he sunk to his knees right between them he was so numb that he couldn’t cry as he couldn’t feel anything and for that he was thankful. To his right Detective Sheldon Matthews had been brutally butchered he was barely recognisable, it was hard to take in that his back had been broken to an extent that he was bent backwards. To his left Detective John Harrison had similarly brutalised it was surreal seeing the man with no hands they lay around his body along with his pistol.

 

‘As far as we can tell so far.’ Said one of the closest CSI’s. ‘Detective Harrison went through the window perhaps because they feared for the welfare of Alexandra most likely due to the open window upstairs.

 

‘The detectives must have disturbed the killer, it is painfully apparent that the murdered leapt from the second story onto Detective Matthews breaking his back then butchering him. Detective Harrison must have rushed to investigate when the killer cut off his hands then dragged him through the window.

 

‘It is obvious that Alexandra was the last on the butchers bill as the machete used is still lodged in her stomach. Like Nurse Richards before her Alexandra had her face cut off and it is still missing, due to the jagged nature of the cuts I was assume at this point that the killer used a piece of broken glass to do the cutting. We are taking blood samples from the scene to try and match with DNA from the other crime scenes.’

 

Captain Talbert got to his feet and as he did so he caught sight of Agent Lawrence who had come to the window. ‘You still think that all this butchery is staging?’

 

‘Definitely.’ Answered Agent Lawrence. ‘The face cutting suggests someone sadistic but Dr Fletcher found a puncture wound similar to that found on Alexandra’s relatives. The paradox continues with this perpetrator the man seems like a fucking maniac but to do all of this without being caught suggests someone in complete control.’

 

‘Not just that.’ Put in Agent Nichols, who had been taking a look at the bodies. ‘To do what he did this man has to be a trained killer he did all of this to them and neither detective were able to get a shot off.

 

‘The killer leapt from the upstairs window slew Detective Matthews then killed Detective Harrison before he was able to fire one round, not just that the killer was able to cut off John’s hands before he could react then was able to drag with through this window and butcher him.

 

‘This man knows what he is doing which makes him ten times more dangerous and unpredictable than if he was some raving lunatic. For the life of me I can’t help shake the feeling that this man isn’t a lone wolf, my gut feeling tells me that someone unleashed this monster upon us.’

 

‘What you mean like a contract killer?’ asked Captain Talbert.

 

‘Perhaps.’ Shrugged Agent Nichols. ‘It would explain the puncture wounds in the Panacea family members, if it were a contract killer it would stand to reason that the contractor would demand proof. The killer could be harvesting DNA to provide proof that the victims were actually dead.’

 

‘Then how did the killer or if there is a contractor how did they get their DNA?’ asked Captain Talbert.

 

‘It all comes down to motive.’ Put in Agent Lawrence. ‘We know now that the killer is after Panacea family members but we have no idea why and until we do every Panacea family member as well as those around them are in grave danger.’

 

‘We are doing our best to find every one of them.’ Said Captain Talbert. ‘But they are a strung out bunch of people the priority is finding Alexandra’s estranged husband and their surviving son Alex.’

 

‘I know it might sound crazy to say it.’ Said Agent Lawrence. ‘But do you think there is anything in the fact that all the Panacea victims forenames all began with A?’

 

‘Perhaps.’ Put in Agent Nichols. ‘But there again it might be a quirk of Alexandra’s immediate family considering her husband is called Anthony and Alistair could be  a wild card as he is a second cousin.’

 

‘We need to dig deeper for motive.’ Said Captain Talbert. ‘Can we look into finances and criminal records of Panacea family members and known associates?’

 

‘I will make the request to Agent Pickard.’ Stated Agent Nichols. ‘But I know that he will be reluctant to do anything so overt considering we are doing everything we can to keep their identities a secret.’

 

‘Well.’ Grumbled Captain Talbert. ‘We had been doing something fucking overt soon while we still have Panacea family members left with a pulse.’

 

Their conversation was cut off as a police officer ran up to them. ‘Captain Talbert we have a location on Alex Panacea.’

 

‘Where is he at home?’

 

‘No the door to door teams spoke with his housemate.’ Replied the officer. ‘Alex is heading over to the medical university in Houston.’

 

‘What now at this time?’ asked the captain, incredulously. ‘It’s the middle of the goddamned night.’

 

The police officer shrugged. ‘According to his housemate there was some kind of an emergency.’

 

‘An emergency at a university?’ guffawed Captain Talbert, then he looked horrified. ‘The fucking killer is luring Alex to the university the son of a bitch is setting a trap we have to get over there right now!’