Set during Pollo Loco. What if it wasn't just Lydecker looking for Ben?
Chapter one
"Eyes Only mentioned he wanted you to keep this under wraps."
Dr Shankar smiled and reassured the mysterious girl that there would be no traces left of the deceased. Then she moved onto the horrible stuff – how the poor man had been killed.
"The killer was incredibly strong - snapped the neck at the second vertebra with one hand. The victim's face and arms were covered with cuts and abrasions that indicate he was moving fast through the brush. My guess is he was running for his life. The body was found displayed on a rock outcropping."
Beverly hated her job sometimes. She was good at it but sometimes it disheartened her, made her think that there was nothing good left in the world. It was because of that feeling that she'd hooked up with Eyes Only and helped him in any way that she could. Helping to catch killers by doing her job, well, it made the long hours and sickening scenes seem almost worth it.
She carried on talking about the body, giving the report in the clinical, detached way she had found essential in order to examine bodies. The girl seemed distracted, like her mind was somewhere else but a tiny corner was being left to listen to what was being said. They turned to the body.
"Asian male, approximately twenty years of age. The tattoo's still healing, so I'd say it was done within the last two weeks," she said, lifting up the head to show the neck.
Meanwhile Samantha Sharp entered the office. She strode purposely across the lobby to the other door that she could she and started to push it open.
"Excuse me, you can't go in there," the receptionist hurriedly said, stepping forward so that Samantha had to let go of the door.
"I'm sorry, I thought it led to the toilet," she replied, smiling as pleasantly as she could. Her English accent sounded strange compared to the receptionist's American one.
"Bathrooms just through there," the receptionist answered and turned back to her desk.
Samantha rolled her eyes and turned to head for where the receptionist had pointed. She pushed the toilet door open but instead of entering she quietly slipped to the floor and rolled all the way across to the door which she quietly opened using her feet. She found it more difficult than most doors because she usually had the time to slip her shoes of, but it was difficult to do that in walking boots. She managed to get her feet into the right positions and rolled through. As she entered she saw a flash of movement as someone's head whipped round. She quickly hopped onto her feet and walked over to the pair of women. The one that had clocked her first was defiantly military. It oozed out of her, her muscles ready for action, her mind calculating the odds. Samantha had seen that once before, and because of it she knew exactly who the woman was. The other was clearly the doctor, the knee length white jacket being the most obvious clue. She held out her hand and smiled.
"Hi, my name's Samantha Sharp. I'm here to enquire about a body."
Dr Shankar looked surprised. She appeared to gather herself before replying.
"I'm sorry, you have to wait at reception, as you can see I'm busy at the moment."
Samantha glanced at the other women but her features were unchanged. She knew if she wanted to get out of there before Lydecker arrived she had to act fast.
"I work in homicide at Seattle Police Department, I'm here to gather evidence for the um," Samantha paused for a moment, "the um … barcode tattoo murders." She knew it sounded lame but it would have to do.
"Murders plural?" Max asked, immediately alert.
"Member of the family?" Samantha asked slyly and watched the surprise and suspicion on Max's face.
"I'm sorry, I need ID," Shankar persisted. Samantha took out her police look alike badge and flashed it up, long enough for it to be identified as something that looked like that of the Seattle PD but not long enough to be sure. She then strode over to the uncovered body. She began to quickly grab samples such as hair and she just managed to scrap under the body's finger nails before Max stopped her.
"Seattle PD my ass," she angrily warned her and grabbed her arm in a painful way.
"I'm looking for the killer, and I kind of want to get evidence before that bastard Lydecker gets here and closes the case down," Samantha watched as Max's face flashed with fear at the mention of her nemesis.
Shankar kept back out of it. She didn't know Max well but she did know that she could take care of it herself and Max seemed to be close to whoever it was that had been murdered. Just then she heard her receptionist call out 'Stop'.
"Don't trouble yourself. This is federal business."
Samantha swore loudly and continued hurriedly looking over the body, well aware that Max had darted in behind the dead man. She kept herself as inconspicuous as possible, which was hard, being 5"8 and wearing a jacket that was custom designed and had written on the back "I'd give up chocolate but I'm no quitter".
"Dr. Shankar?" Lydecker asked before he spotted the figure next to the body.
She was facing the other way but he didn't need to see her face to know who she was. She'd been at every crime scene and sniffing around all the bodies, gathering evidence. He hatred everything about her, her irritating British accent, her innocent manner and her relaxed attitude. He'd warned her off her investigation in Chicago, Miami and New York but still she defiantly persisted. He'd thought about having her killed before a fatal snag had occurred. She was completely off the radar, she wasn't registered in England, there was no passport matches at any of the airports, nothing on who she was, where she lived, what she did for a living. It made it very difficult to find out where she was at any given time. He'd had men tailing her but she'd lost them in minutes. She drove him crazy, and she knew it too.
"Ms Sharp, here already," he ignored the doctor completely.
Samantha laughed silently and turned around beaming at him.
"Well, I believe in being punctual, you never know, evidence might just disappear from a crime scene."
"Head home, keep out of this," Lydecker growled at her before motioning his men over to the body. He turned back to Shankar and showed her his badge.
"We're here to take possession of John Doe 20-514. My men will prepare him for transport, you can leave," he ordered and Beverly willingly obliged.
Samantha and Lydecker faced off.
"You know, I meant what I said in New York. I'm not giving this case up. I'm gonna find whoever the hell is doing these murders and hand them in to the cops. You trying to stop me is purely a waste of both your time and mine," Samantha wasn't in the least bit intimidated by Lydecker's power. She'd met many a man like him, even followed the orders of some of them. But Lydecker really aggravated her. She was doing her job, he was doing his and yet he seemed determined to keep her out in the dark. She had been warned that he would act just that way but still, she'd hope he'd be a little nicer.
Lydecker walked up to her trying to gain superiority from height. Only problem was that Samantha was taller than him.
"This is dangerous work. You wanna live, leave now and never come back," he maintained eye contact while he talked.
"Well if you put it like that, bite me," Samantha flippantly replied before storming towards the door. Lydecker let her go. He needed to do something about her, and fast.
Samantha headed back to her rented apartment. She'd picked it carefully, it had several fire escapes and easy roof access with a gap small enough to hop buildings in a hurry. She dumped her evidence bag on her bed and spent ten minutes meditating, trying to get the frustration out of her system. When she felt she could handler a computer without tearing out its insides and chucking it out the window (something she would love to do to Lydecker) she continued work on the case. She started by sending instant messages out to all the underground sources she had in Seattle asking about a Max Guevara. She was bored out of her mind. Usually she'd be given a picture and details of who she was after. She'd find out the bounty, go after them, and hand them over to whoever paid her the most. Simple. This however was not. She picked up her mobile and dialled in a number, chanting it to herself to remember it.
"Tom Morgan speaking," a young male voice answered.
"Hey Simon, it's Sam here. You still a massive science geek?" she asked him while loading up the case notes for the barcode killings. There was a momentary pause on the other end.
"You put it so nicely and yes I suppose I am," Simon agreed. He'd met Samantha when she'd been working for someone not quite as friendly as she was now and he'd helped her get the case done quickly.
"Excellent. Can you run some shit through your machines for me?"
"Bring it over and I'll see what I can do."
The next day Lydecker was at his desk reading over a report one of his soldiers had just handed him. Another body had been found. He'd have to head out soon to get it before any reporter went sniffing around. He grabbed his coat and started out the door when Sandoval appeared.
"I just heard. Two in as many days. He getting faster," he said and Lydecker silently agreed.
"How you found anything extra out about that Sharp girl yet?" Lydecker asked. He had several people looking her up but so far he'd found nothing. It didn't hurt to try though.
"Nothing concrete, but one of the technicians found something. A picture. Looks like her so we're making phone calls."
"Good. Keep me informed."
"Yes Sir"
Samantha had had a busy morning. She'd gone and looked around the crime scene of the first body and had found some possible links to Max. Several people had replied with reports of a gorgeous young women kicking ass on the streets and from the description it sounded a lot like Max. She'd been driving back to her flat when she'd got the call telling her there was another body. She hurried over to the coroner's office and had arrived in time to see Lydecker leaving with two soldiers, who were holding a rather suspicious looking shape between them.
"Shit," she yelled, a bit louder than she'd thought. Lydecker spotted her and he looked pissed. She hurried away before he could say anything. As she walked down the busy street her mobile rang.
"Sam here," she answered.
"It's me. I've got some information that might help you," a mysterious voice told her. She knew who it was.
"Hey. What do you know?" she asked.
"Ben. He believed in the Virgin Mary. Worshipped her. It could be a link."
Samantha glanced at her watch.
"Ok, time to go speak to the Lord. See you," her goodbye was met with the clicking as the caller switched off.
Lydecker was pacing his office. She was really getting under his skin. Every single time she was there. Something had to be done about her, and fast before she compromised things. If he could just find the missing link. She could be a valuable asset if only something would turn up. She seemed to know what she was doing. He heard someone outside the door and when they knocked he ordered them in. It was a young soldier.
"Sir, Agent Sandoval asked me to bring this to you straight away," he said, handing Lydecker a file. With a nod he dismissed the soldier who hurried off back to wherever he was meant to be. Lydecker opened the file and as soon as he read the opening lines he picked up his phone and called Sandoval.
"Find her and bring her in tonight," he ordered as he stared down at the A4 picture on the second page. It was her all right and if the source was right then she could be a very valuable asset in deed. Or his worst nightmare.