Avid readers, I apologize for my utter lack of updating. A warning for all of you, I am not updating according to a timetable. I am in year 12, and have university stuff to complete, SATs to do, exams to sit, and many more torturous end of high school tasks. But, just know that this story is NOT abandoned. I like the plot line and where it is heading. So, no abandonment here. Just a little bit of neglect, and I sincerely apologize for it.
Thank you to my beta LiveLaughLoveFP for fixing my mistakes in this chapter :)
DISCLAIMER: In the real world, no. How ever, in my own little reality, I have recently gotten the rights to, well, whatever I want :)
The headquarters for the Los Angeles division of the FBI was rather quiet this morning. No calls had come in about high profile murders, no calls about kidnappings, no calls about anything other than dreaded paperwork. Well, that's what the agents of the Violent Crimes Unit were doing. Or pretending to do. Agent Colby Granger was really playing a stealthy game of battle ships with his partner, Agent David Sinclair; Agent Megan Reeves was thoroughly engrossed in a game of solitaire; and their boss, Agent Don Eppes, was actually doing paperwork. Being the boss, he did have to set an example, no matter how much he despised the task.
Thankfully (depending on your point of view), Don's phone rang, calling them to a crime scene at TeamWorkz Corp.
"Alright folks, we got a shooting at TeamWorkz Corp. Megan, I want you and Colby to talk to the victims at the hospital while David and I check out the scene." Don hands out these orders with the precision of an expert, and his team members follow accordingly. As they were about to walk to the elevator, Don's phone rang again. The result of this call was a new set of orders being dealt out.
"There's been a shooting at CalSci similar to the one at TeamWorkz, so change of plans people, David, you and Colby go to the TeamWorkz scene. Megan and I will go to CalSci" Don ordered. Hearing the news about CalSci, everyone was worried about their friends there, and became even more determined, if it were possible, (commas are usually better than brackets) to solving the case.
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LAPD Lt. Gary Walker greeted David and Colby as they arrived at the TeamWorkz crime scene.
"G'Morning Agents," Walker says in a gruff voice. David and Colby return the greeting, before getting down to business. They wander over to where the shooter's body lies.
"So, about 20 minutes ago, this lady tells the receptionist that she is meant to be in the session booked by the DA's office, but slept in and got caught in traffic. The receptionist didn't think anything of it because apparently some people think that because their office organises these sessions they can have a sleep in. So, the receptionist pretty much forgets about her, and not five minutes later, there's shots fired. The receptionist rushes to the conference room to witness the shooter shoot herself in the head," Walker finished off detailing the events for David and Colby as the coroner stood up to talk to them.
"Victim died from a gunshot wound to the right temple, which is pretty obvious and messy," this was said with slight grimaces all around - no matter how much you do the job, it can still effect you.
"An interesting thing is," the coroner continues, kneeling down and lifting up the shooters gun hand, "The trigger finger has a small tattoo on the inside of it, it's a silver scorpion, just like the one she dropped," the coroner puts the hand back down, "Apart from that, there's nothing else to say about the body," the coroner finishes, marking a few things down on a clipboard.
"I'm gonna talk to some witnesses David," Colby informs his partner, before heading off to find them.
"Is there anything else you can tell me about this Gary?" David asks, hoping for more than what the coroner has told them.
"Yeah, and it's the weirdest thing. I think the scorpion is a sign, because there was a triple homicide in a Starbucks on Vermont Avenue and the shooter left a silver scorpion on one of the tables. It's practically identical, and I'd bet my badge that these 2 cases are connected," Gary informs David, which David makes a note of. "I'll let Don know about it; can you get us what's happened so far with the case?" David asks, agreeing with the veteran LAPD officer.
Colby wasn't getting anywhere with the witnesses. The only one that had been slightly useful was the receptionist, and that only showed that this attack was meticulously planned, and that the shooter was a pro. He wasn't paying full attention to the witness he was interviewing now. Part of his mind was focused on the silver scorpion. It seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't place how. His brain registered that the witness had stopped talking, and that no new information was shed.
"Thank you for talking to me Miss Harper," Colby told her before moving onto the next witness. He had interviewed nearly all of them now, not that there was that many to begin with.
"Hi, I'm Agent Granger," he flashed the witness his badge, "What's your name?"
"Dave," the witness said. He seemed distant, which was expected really.
"Hey Dave, do you mind telling me what you saw this morning?" Colby asked gently, not wanting to push too hard and have Dave shut down.
"Uh, sure... well, the instructor was explaining the next team building activity... when, um, well... I was at the back... and I saw this lady walk in, then... then, uh, she pulled out a gun," Dave broke off, recollecting his thoughts. Colby was keenly listening, the witness actually witnessed something.
"I froze when I saw the gun... and then she aimed it at Lola... then e-everyone else..." Dave trailed off, not realising the importance of what he just told Colby.
"Who's Lola, Dave? Do you know her?" Colby asked Dave, pen poised over notepad ready to write down any details pertaining to Lola.
"Lola... Lola Mannings works across from me and uh... I think she has a son... or younger brother... I can't remember..." Dave trailed off, a little disturbed that he can't remember that fact about his co-worker.
"It's alright Dave, thank you for your help, why don't you go with this paramedic over to the ambulance," Colby says guiding Dave to a paramedic who was standing by, waiting for Colby to finish with him.
Colby walks over to David, whom has begun talking to witnesses that Colby hasn't gotten too. He waits patiently beside David until he finished his current interview.
"OK, that's all. Thanks for your help" David finishes up, letting the witness leave.
"I got something" both Granger and Sinclair tell each other at the same time. They do a quick game of scissors paper rock, resulting with Colby winning and going first.
"The shooter was here specifically for someone, a witness, Dave, saw the shooter aim at a... Lola Mannings before going crazy," Colby informs David, checking his notes for Lola's name.
"No way? All this for one person? Is Lola one of the casualties?" David asks, slightly incredulous that someone would go on a rampage just to get one person.
"No, she's one of the injured," Colby answered, seeing where his partner was coming from. Who would hire someone to shoot a specific individual, as well as any bystanders, and then have the hired gun shot themselves? It's crazy. Extravagant. Which brought Colby back to the familiarity of the silver scorpion.
"OK, Gary told me about another crime scene at a Starbucks on Vermont avenue, triple homicide, killer left behind a sliver scorpion" David told his partner. Colby nodded, as he absorbed this information.
"Hey, Colby, man. You alright? You seem a little off," David tells his partner, giving him a slight nudge to get his attention.
"Huh, yeah, sorry David. It's just the silver scorpion. I swear I know it from somewhere, but I can't remember where," Colby complains to David, wracking his brain for the significance of the silver scorpion.
"OK man, when we get back to the office you can look it up. I'm going to inform Don with what we know, then go to the hospital to get a report on Lola Mannings," David tells Colby, pulling out his phone and hitting the speed dial.
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Don sped to CalSci, making it in record time. Megan, who would normally have commented on Dons almost reckless driving, stayed quiet. They were both worried about their friends and family at CalSci, the scene of the latest shooting.
"They're alright Don," Megan says, not really talking to Don.
"I know, I know..." Don replied. He knew that Megan was mostly talking to herself, but it also helped him keep calm. He put his foot down further on the accelerator. When they arrived at CalSci, they didn't make it in record time due to the LA traffic, despite trying.
They practically leapt out of the car when the ignition was killed, running into the familiar lecture hall that now doubled as their crime scene. When they arrived at the scene, they were welcomed by CSU, paramedics, LAPD, and a bunch of witnesses, all scattered haphazardly around the room and bodies. Don quickly scanned the 3 victims, feeling bitter about the lost loved ones and a guilty relief that none of the bodies were his younger brother's.
"Don!" A familiar yell came from over near where the paramedics have set up a mini base for those who weren't seriously hurt.
"Chuck!" Don yells back, utterly relieved. Megan placed a hand on his shoulder, and left to talk to one of the local officers to get the low down of the crime scene. He nodded at Megan, and went to his baby brother.
"Man, you had me worried Chuck" Don lightly teases, despite what has happened. He needed it for stress relief.
"What have I told you about calling me Chuck?" Charlie complains right back, showing Don that he's fine. Just shell shocked. Don grins back, and the paramedic moves onto another patient. This one has a cut on his forehead and possibly a concussion.
"OK Chuck, can you tell me what happened?" Don asked, getting down to business, which was easier knowing Charlie was all right.
"No, not really. I was giving a lecture for the school tour, when he just came in during and started shooting before... Before..." Charlie broke off. He had just witnessed some guy come in and start shooting before offing himself. He was understandably traumatised.
"Hey, it's OK Chuck, we know the rest of the story. You just have to focus on letting Dad know what's happened," Don pacified his younger brother, blanching a little at their Dad's reaction to the shooting. Charlie groaned at the thought. Don placed a comforting hand on Charlie's shoulder.
"It'll be alright Chuck," he said, "If you wait in your office, I can give you a lift home."
Charlie just nodded, and wandered off to his office. Don knew he'd be safe there, and that Amita and Larry would join him there, so he wouldn't be alone.
He was just about to start interviewing the blond teen next to him, whom was a part of the excursion, when Megan came over to give him an account of what happened.
"So, from what I've gotten from the locals, our John Doe," Megan indicated with her notepad to the dead shooter, "Walked into the lecture, before shooting at the high school excursion group and some of the uni students. We have three dead, two victims and our John Doe. Nothing unusual about the victims, but our shooter was holding a silver scorpion in his hand when he shot himself," Megan finished off.
Don nodded to himself, absorbing the information. Neither of them noticed the keen pair of ears, belonging to the blond with a possible concussion, drinking up every word they said. Before they could go on, Don's phone rang.
"David, what have you got for me..." Don says into the phone, wandering off.
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The blond teen, formerly known as Alex Rider and currently known as Jacob Mannings, walked over to one of the agents for information. He had glimpsed the silver scorpion in the shooters hand, but he had hardly dared to believe it till now, when the agents confirmed it.
"Hey, uh... do you know what's going on?" Jacob asked the unknown female agent in front of him.
"Agent Megan Reeves, and no, sorry. A local cop will come around to let you know. Has one spoken to you yet?" Agent Reeves asked kindly. To her, he was just a teen whom had been through a horrible ordeal. Jacob decided to use that to get info. MI6 were right about one thing; no one suspects a kid of spying.
"Uh, no... I've only spoken to the paramedic who gave me this," he pointed at the butterfly bandaid on his head.
"OK then..." Agent Reeves prompted for his name.
"Jacob," he supplied, purposely not giving her his full name. If they really needed it, they could ask for it.
"Jacob then, can you tell me what happened?" The agent asked gently.
"Well, uh..." Thankfully, the male agent chose that moment to return saving Jacob from giving the female agent a vague and unclear witness statement.
"That was Colby and David; apparently we have a grand total of three crime scenes with silver scorpions on site, and the TeamWorkz attack was apparently a targeted on Lola Mannings, she's currently in hospital..." Jacob tuned him out at the mention of Lola.
She was in hospital because of him.
"Excuse me, what do you mean Lola's in hospital?" Jacob rudely and unprofessionally interrupts. Not that he cared at the moment. Both Don and Megan paused their conversation to look at him in shock.
"Who are you?" Don asked him, a little put out that a teenager just rudely interrupted their private conversation.
"Jacob Mannings," Jacob said, emphasising the 'Mannings.' The looks on their faces were priceless, and if the situation was different, Jacob would have found it entertaining. The situation being what it was, he didn't.
"Related to Lola Mannings I assume?" Megan asked, confirming their assumption when Jacob nodded in reply.
"Yeah, I'm her younger brother," Jacob provided. The agents exchange looks before continuing the conversation.
"Well, Jacob, your sister is in hospital with a bullet injury to the shoulder, but she'll be fine. If you want, I can have one of the ambulances take you to her hospital, but we will have to talk to you later, so stay at the hospital," Don told him, but he had no intention of staying at the hospital after checking on Lola. Nodding anyway, he followed Agent Reeves to the ambulance.