"And so," the pathologist continued, "The eyes were stitched closed with some care as only the lids and skin were touched, the corneas remained undamaged. The mouth was probably sewn at the same time and it was another 48 to 56 hours after that when death occurred. Again, the cuts are surgical in their precision; this person is skilled and takes pride in their workmanship. The thread is knotted with care, the stitches all evenly spaced... oh... except here." Flicking through the autopsy photos, he selected one which he placed down on the table in front of Chappelle.
"See the slight variation here?" he asked, leaning our the photo. "There's a gap between the stitches. I think a straw or feeding tube was inserted here, keeping the victim nourished. Residue in his mouth and thoat indicates his last meal was vanilla shake, probably Protein Diet, it's a low-carb meal replacement drink. You can buy the mix at any supermarket or health store, and it's easy to administer, just add water." Feeling pleased with his report, he looked around the table. "Any questions?"
Tony leaned forward and looked at the photo. "I don't get this. He, or she, sewed the agent's eyes and mouth closed, then kept him alive for two or three days before killing him. Why? It wasn't to extract information, he ensured he wasn't able to speak. What's the purpose?"
"You'll need to speak with a profiler or shrink for that, but perhaps it's power, power in it's rawest form. The victim can't talk but the perpetrator can, all he wants. No distractions, no dissent, a captive audience. Perhaps he wasn't allowed a doll as a child," he chuckled. Aware that his attempt at humour had fallen flat, he gathered together his papers. "I'm sorry, I can't say, I can only report my findings."
"There were no drugs, opiates in the blood? asked Chappelle.
"No, none," agreed the pathologist, now anxious to leave.
"How could he get the stitching so neat, so even? Conner's a strong, experienced agent, he'd be resisting, moving his head."
"I can't be 100% certain yet, we're still conducting tests, but there are two small indentations at the temple. The flesh has degraded somewhat so they are difficult to spot, but it's possible his head was placed in a vice to hold it still."
Once the pathologist had left the room, Ryan turned to the others, anger in his voice."How did a simple infiltration turn into torture and death? I need answers from you two... how am I going to explain this to Division?
"One, possibly three operatives dead, and what do we have to show for it? Nothing. Six weeks work, three agents and not one piece of information!"
Picking up one of the photos, Jack studied it, then put it down again with care. Nobody deserved such a death. Speaking quietly, he turned to Chappelle, "We have one confirmed death Ryan and the other two agents are due to report tomorrow. There's nothing to indicate a problem at either location-"
"But they went dark. If they're in trouble, they can't contact us anyway. Damnit Jack, I knew this was a foolhardy enterprise. I warned Division but was over-ruled and look at us now."
"Look Ryan," interjected Tony. "It was a sound idea a month ago and it's still the best option. The Patriot Movement has been whispering that something big is going down this summer, perhaps July 4th. We need intel and fast. Placing an agent at each of the three branches, San Ynez, Barstow and Anaheim was the quickest and best solution. Conner was Anaheim; he reported in on Tuesday, missed Friday and the box with his head was found yesterday, Monday. I say we keep- "
Shaking his head, Chappelle stood and made his directive clear, "When the other two, if the other two, report in, I want them to abort. We can't afford to lose manpower like this. We'll get the information we need another way."
"Now Jack," he said, turning towards him. "Why was the box addressed to you?"
Jack shrugged. "A taunt? A challenge? We don't know yet, but I promise we'll find out. It's not in character with the militia, they usually resort to a bullet in the back of the head, so I would be interested to hear what a profiler has to say about this."
"Oh Jesus Jack, I'm surprised that you of all people would suggest that. No profiler has ever caught a killer, not once. Why do you think this would be any different?"
"It's the anomaly I'm interested in. This is totally off the page re the militia. I want to know why."
"Well set it up then, but make it fast. I want the two agents out in the field brought in and questioned as soon as possible."
Moving to the door, he added, "24 hour protection is mandatory for both of you until this is resolved... and Jack, please make sure your daughter knows the importance of this. We don't need another... Kim episode."