Chapter 4: Unusual Suspect

Despite his relatively short tenure at the NYPD, Kurtis Stryker was every bit as competent and skilled as any seasoned veteran. His eyes and ears was constantly to the streets where he had come from, the people that he had known for years who just decided to make wrong decisions in their life his constant source of reliable information. He had seen so much crazy and ridiculous things in his career, and things weren't looking any better as he hovered above the deceased body of Francisco Spicolli in the county morgue, combing over the corpse with a fine tooth comb.

"Kurtis, I invited you in here to be a spectator, but I have to ask you to please take off your hat." The doctor told Stryker.

"Sorry about that, and please, call me Stryker."

Stryker removed his black base-ball cap, annoyed that the doctor would call him by his first name. It wasn't the fact that he never liked his given name, he just felt that it never suited his style. There were only two types of people that called him Kurtis: people that didn't know him and people that wanted to piss him off.

The doctor ran a light over the corpses pale, cold skin, muttering softly to himself as he worked. "Aside from severe bruising to the kidneys, the victim also appears to have been asphyxiated. A large supply of blood present in the throat and mouth area of victim, leads me to believe that our victim was beaten by the perpetrator before being strangled..."

Stryker shook his head, not really believing the doctors diagnosis.

"No doc, I think the asphyxiation and blunt force to the kidneys occurred at the same time." Stryker motioned to the victims throat. "There are no visible marks on the neck, indicating that he was probably killed in the crook of his murderers arm...a choke hold. From that position the perp could have caused the kidney injuries by kneeing his victim..."

"Kurtis, when I want your 'medical advice', I will ask for it."

"Eh, whatever. It's what I would have did." It was exactly what Stryker would have done because he understood the mentality of a fighter. For the past two years Stryker delved into the ancient Chinese martial art of Hua Chuan. What had initially started out as a simple training exercise for incoming rookies transformed Stryker's life for the better. His skills at hand to hand combat was unmatched in the NYPD, but more importantly his discipline and natural intuition was top of the line also.

A burst of static emanated from Stryker's police receiver, interrupting the eternal slumber of the dead. "Stryker, the witness that called in is waiting in the interrogation room."

"Well, looks like we can get to the bottom of this."

Not too long ago, a female had called regarding the body that was found in the alley. Having a witness could bust the case wide open and have their perp behind bars as soon as possible. Before Stryker and the doctor could enter the interrogation room, they were greeted by the unsavory appearance of Detective John O'Hara. With a face permanently engraved with the seriousness and gull of any hypocritical officer, O'Hara was the poster boy for corruption in the entire precinct. He stood in the doorway to the interrogation room, dressed in a dark suit with the professionalism and subtlety of a used car salesman.

"Your presence won't be needed Kurtis." O'Hara said in his usual monotonous drawl. "We can handle this."

Stryker rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and scare the poor girl half to death. I think it would be better if I talked to her."

"Better yet Kurtis, how about you come in and see how a true professional works." Stryker and O'Hara entered the interrogation room to begin questioning. The young woman was sitting crossed leg at the end of the long wooden table. She was Latina, with long dark hair and clothing that left little to the imagination. Stryker had seen her around many times in Hell's Kitchen, working the streets for all she was worth. He tried not to delve to personally in her affairs, after all, prostitution was a victim-less crime.

I wouldn't touch her that's for damn sure.

Stryker tried as best as possible to ignore the conspicuous bumps surrounding the young womans mouth as he and O'Hara took their seat at the end of the table.

"OK, Ms...Lopez. I would like to ask you a few questions. Comprende?"

Stryker buried his face in his hands as the young woman looked upon them with disdain.

"You think you can get me a square?" She said.

"Anything that would make you feel more comfortable." O'Hara leaned closer to Stryker and whispered in his ear. "Kurtis, what's a 'square'?"

"It's a cigarette O'Hara. Get the girl a cigarette."

"Well, I see no need why you can't get it Kurtis, I'm trying to question..."

The young woman interrupted him. "No, actually, I think you should go get it pendejo."

Even O'Hara could understood the lethality in her tone as her rose from his seat and headed for the door.

"I'll be back with your 'squares' Ms. Lopez." He let the door crash shut behind him, leaving the two of them alone.

"Well since he's gone, let's get on with this shall we. Can you describe what happened on the night of June first?"

She shifted in her seat, but began to answer his questions. "Well, I was walking home, and these four guys were talking to me, you know, trying to get at me. I tried to ignore them, then..." A slight tremble escaped from her throat. "They attacked me! They pulled me into a alley and tried to rape me! I tried to fight them off...and then this guy appeared..."

Four men? Now we're getting somewhere.

"This guy? What did he look like?" Stryker pressed on.

"I couldn't see his face that well, it was too dark. I could make out that he was white and had long hair. Oh, and type of clothing he was wearing."

"OK Ms. Lopez, what was he wearing?"

"It looked like a hoodie, and there was this design on it. You know, that Karate sign with the circle..."

A Yin Yang.

"What happened next?"

"Well, they tried to attack this guy, and he went ballistic on their asses. He must have knocked the first three guys out with one hit, and then the last guy..." Her eyes faltered for a second. "He saved my life, those men would have probably killed me if he hadn't shown up..."

Stryker knew that this would come, feelings of gratitude towards a person that had saved their life.

"Ms. Lopez, I know that this man saved your life, but you have to understand, he killed a man, and he has to face the consequences of that crime."

O'Hara re-entered the interrogation room, a pack of cigarettes a lighter in his hand. "I got your 'squares', and almost got my ass handed to me by that prick Murphy. I swear I'm telling the chief on that buffoon."

Stryker deftly snatched the pack of smokes and lighter from O'Hara's hand. "Here you are senorita." He said, slipping a cigarette into her slender hand.

"gracias."

"I think we're done here O'Hara. Don't worry, I took care of everything." Stryker said, helping the young woman to her feet. "We can work out the details of a composite sketch later. You did a good job Ms. Lopez."

Stryker was smiling on the outside, reveling over the astonishment etched over O'Hara's face, but inside his mind raced with all of the new information he had just learned.

We're looking at a skilled fighter, no doubt. Four men, able to take them all out, killing one. Possibly a trained martial artist...

The warrior inside of Stryker was stirring. This investigation was starting to get interesting...