Title: For Better or Worse…
Chapter 4 – Out of the Blue…
"So now both our good leads are dead leads," Shane grumbled as he quickly requested CSI to send over the file and hung up the phone.
Jade just stared the phone with a numb feeling. "So someone has gone to great lengths to re-enact parts of a case that was closed some time ago. We know that Carmen, Arthur and Mr. White are all dead."
"So is Dean," Shane added for good measure. "Dr. Sloan gets a guy who wants to warn you and Steve that he's coming and then you and I are shot at in the mall by an as of yet unidentified male. Sorry partner, but you are the only common denominator in this whole equation."
"Unless we follow your line of reasoning and its two separate cases that by a strange coincidence happened to happen on the same day," Jade continued. "Perhaps, to throw us all off the real motive?"
"Which is…" Shane drawled.
"What we still need to learn."
XXXXXXXX
"So that is creepy," Amanda said walking into Mark's office. "I just finished working with the CSI team and it's our John Doe, whose real name is Luke Daily."
Mark looked up at Amanda with shock and surprise. "What else did the autopsy…well of sorts…turn up," Mark asked, taking the file from Amanda.
"There were a few parts missing…mostly large body parts like the whole upper body…but some of the organs like the liver and heart were in the box. The bulk of the legs and arms were missing, except the feet and the hands that were included and the head."
"Man I can't imagine what Jade first thought when she opened the box," Jesse remarked.
"What was this unknown DNA strand that was found?"
"The team was unable to make an exact match so it's being sent to Carl Farmer in DC to work on; as per the direction of Melvin Baker."
"Ah my Director friend," Mark lightly smiled. "What was the silver object?"
"Oh it was strange…a silver earring was found in the victim's left ear."
"Why strange, some guys do wear earrings," Jesse stated.
"This was a long, dangly woman's earring," Amanda shot back in sarcasm.
"Can I see the picture?"
"Sure," Amanda answered, handing the picture to Mark. "Looks pretty expensive."
"What did Jade say about this?"
"None of them apparently asked. I think they are more concerned with the fact their John Doe is dead and so is the Blue Lagoon lead."
XXXXXXXX
Jade's mind continued to wander away from the conversation at hand. It would show her images of Dean and their first meeting.
'You've met my sister right?' Jade asked in a disappointed tone.
'Yes…so?'
'Well…nothing…'
'I am not interested in her advances, if that's what you mean. I want to be with you. Let's just forget about Carmen.'
Jade offered a weak inner smile and then quickly got back into the discussion; a smile not lost on Steve, but one that didn't make him happy either.
"Well since the mall shooting is mine I'm going over to the CSI lab and going to work with their technology whizzes to see what else I missed in those surveillance tapes," Shane announced as he stood up and reached for his FBI jacket. "See you guys later."
"I want to visit the site Luke Daily was dropped at. I know the CSI team has already been there but I just want to revisit. Want to come along?" She asked with a smile.
"You know our first case together was sort of similar," Steve remarked. "And see how good it turned out."
Jade just offered a simple smile in return and led the way out of the office. The ride to the site was one of tormented silence until Steve couldn't take it any longer. "I know this is bothering you, but you have to reason it's a copy cat. Right?"
Jade's mind however, kept displaying bits and pieces of her time with Dean. "Jade?" Steve's soft call broke her morbid concentration.
"Oh sorry," Jade offered with a limp smile. "Copy-cat…right… well I keep telling myself that is the most logical explanation," Jade sighed.
"Oh I hear a "but" in there," Steve sighed.
"I am wondering if perhaps we forgot someone from Carmen's twisted band of sicko's and they are out for revenge. If it were someone close to Carmen then they'd know all the stuff that happened during the case and would want revenge on both of us for her death."
"Hmmm that does make sense," Steve agreed. "But you got the white house informant. Carmen and Arthur were both killed and their thugs were arrested and now awaiting trail. Who's left?"
"That's what we need to find out. Course all the things so far haven't been out of the ordinary. There is nothing to suggest something other than a copycat," Jade frowned as she dialed her father. After explaining her theory to her dad and enlisting his help they reached the drop site. The area was all but deserted; a building project put on hold a few years back and never picked up due to poor location. Jade and Steve started to look around the drop site and then head towards the only structure left standing, a few metal beams thrown together to look like a shack.
"Look for anything and bag it," Jade reminded Steve. Steve watched her in amazement. She was able to get a box of bloody body parts and yet still keep the composure to continue the hunt for the killer; it was the personal, emotional stuff she had trouble with.
Jade looked up at Steve, caught him looking and offered a smile in return. She had closed herself off from the world for so long that she still had trouble; even now, even engaged to a wonderful man; in sharing what she was thinking and feeling. She always said that emotional weakness was for the mentally disturbed. Steve, however, worked hard to assure her that showing emotional weakness to him was a sign of trust and strength of love. That is what she needed to keep believing in. "I'm going in," she called to Steve as she drew her weapon and small flashlight.
"I'll take the back," Steve informed her as he did the same.
Jade carefully pulled the failing door open and squinted into the dimly lit, dank smelling establishment. "Hello? Police!" She called out firmly. The only sounds to be heard were the scurrying of rodents and her heart, rapidly picking up the pace. She took another step only to step on something that let out a help, causing her to do the same. A few seconds and she had herself composed and was finally inside the building. She heard Steve coming in the back and let out a small sigh of relief.
Her flashlight danced around the dark corners of the square to reveal it was devoid of life; yet a nagging feeling inside said they weren't alone.
"Anything?" Steve called out.
"Nothing but rats, and I don't mean the two legged kind," Jade huffed. "You?"
"Just a few traces of garbage," Steve replied. "Nothing that we can use though."
Jade continued to work her way towards Steve in the darkness finally stopping a few feet away. Steve heard Jade and looked at her and then his head snapped up, followed by his gun.
"Don't move…" Steve ordered firmly.
"What? Why?" Jade questioned. "Steve what's gotten into you?"
"I am talking to the man behind you."
XXXXXXXX
"So what are we looking for?" The IT tech at the CSI office asked Shane.
"Anything…that…doesn't…fit…" Shane uttered slowly as he scanned every inch of space on the display TV before them. "Something…like…that…" he said pointing to the corner of an emblem on the sleeve of a man wearing a dark cap. "Can you tell me what that belongs to?"
"It might take a bit," the CSI tech offered.
"I can wait."
XXXXXXXX
Mark continued with the rest of his daily activities but his mind kept returning to the terrified look on the messengers face. It was the look of pure terror. As if he were being forced to deliver a message that he knew would mean the end of his own life but one he still had no choice but to deliver.
"I know that look," Amanda said walking into Mark's office.
"And I know that look," Mark countered, looking at Amanda in concern. "What's wrong?"
"I think Shane is hiding something from me," she sighed sadly, slumping down in front of Mark's desk.
"Tell me what happened."
XXXXXXXX
As if on instinct, Jade whizzed around, gun in hand and launched herself sideways into his body. They both tumbled to the ground. Jade felt Steve yank her off and within seconds the man seeking shelter had two angry law enforcement officers pointing their weapons at him.
"D-don't…sh…shoot…" he offered meekly.
"Who are you!" Jade demanded in anger.
"Uh…S…Sam Callow…"
"What are you doing here Sam Callow?" Steve followed.
"Sl…sleeping…" he stammered.
Steve and Jade looked at each other sideways before dropping their guns; but keeping them ready at their sides.
"Why didn't you identify yourself earlier when I called out?" Jade asked impatiently.
"Look I don't d-do drugs and I d-don't steal…I thought that…well y-you guys always th-thinkk that we are the…"
"Are you drunk?" Steve sighed.
"A-a little…but I'm a go-good person," the Sam announced happily.
Steve started to question Sam as Jade looked around for anyone else that might be lurking; another set of eyes that might have witness the murder of Luke Daily. Steve finished with Sam, handing him a card for rehab and then headed back outside to Jade.
"Well he said that in his drunken stupor, he saw a cab drop a guy outside, the guy waited for a bit and then was picked up by a white van with a strange logo…it looked like this," Steve said handing her a piece of paper.
"Do you know this?" Jade asked quickly.
"I have a hunch…" Steve smiled.
"Good enough for me," Jade said firmly as she and Steve headed back to the car and were once again off chasing their would-be assassin turned murderer.
XXXXXXXX
"Excellent," Shane said; grabbing the paper from the CSI's hands before the tech had a chance to tell him what it was.
Shane gestured to a local cop to come along as backup and in a matter of seconds they too were off; not knowingly heading in the same direction as another interested party.
XXXXXXXX
The man sat quietly doing his mundane job as he always had. It was so easy to fool simple minded people with his sordid explanation for his current life circumstances. And they bought it – enough to give him a job without a thorough background check.
"Oh today is…" the smug male voice taunted the picture on the desk before him. But quickly stopped short as he heard the sound of screeching tires.
"Not possible!" His mind seethed in horror; looking out the window to see both Jade and Shane's FBI issue vehicles pull up to his building at the same time.
"How the hell did they find me!" He yelled inside his mind, as he turned around and headed back to his desk. He bent over, pretending to pick something up, pushed a button, which unbeknownst to everyone around him, was the mechanism to seal up his hidden lair; a lair concealed in cement a few feet below his very workstation.
"Damn them…damn them all…"
"Creed? Is something wrong?" A lady beside him asked.
"No…" he lied.
XXXXXXXX
"What on earth…" Jade started.
"What the…" Shane echoed as both their cars pulled to a halt a few feet from the other.
"What are you doing here?" Shane and Jade asked simultaneously as they just stared at each other in wonder.
"Our masked shooter from the shopping mall security has this company's emblem on his jacket," Shane told them.
"A bum at the messenger drop site drew the same one about our dead messenger," Jade explained.
The four of them reconvened in front of the building about to enter. Shane had given instructions for the two tailing police cars to seal off the building from behind.
"Let's go…" Shane directed as he pulled the door open and entered the rather non-descript looking establishment.
The four law enforcement officials walked into the building with Shane taking the lead. Jade's eyes started to look at the surprised faces of the workers as her partner made arrangements to clear and search the building. They soon had their needed cooperation and started with the employees; unaware that the very mastermind they were looking for wasn't more than a few feet away; laughing inwardly at their naivety, but waiting for the opportunity to finish them off for good.
Jade and Shane studied the group and then both cast their gaze on a young man that appeared very nervous. "Very familiar…" Shane whispered to his partner. "You talk to him."
They each took one corner and Jade's eyes fixed on the fifth man; a younger man in his mid twenties she guessed with very piercing eyes. When she reached him; she immediately sensed a tension in the air but wondered why. She didn't know this man from Adam.
"How long have you worked here?" Jade asked the young man the same question she did the others.
"A few years. Was all I could find," he mumbled sadly. "I have bum arm," he finished in a sad tone; showing her a false right hand; which was false indeed – part of his masterful disguise.
"Thanks," Jade continued with her questions until she was sure he wasn't involved as he had been working that day, seen by all the staff and vouched for also; then she moved on.
"Okay so this was an exercise in futility," Steve said walking up to Jade and touching the small of her back.
An interested set of eyes immediately narrowed and seethed at the gesture. Obviously Steve Sloan was able to win her back. He'll pay for that. I will see them destroyed!
"I guess…" Shane started, walking up to them with a frown, only to be interrupted by a call on his radio. "You found what? We'll be right there…let's go."
The four rushed out the back door; leaving an officer to make sure the employee stayed where they were until directed to leave.
"Where did you find it?" Jade asked as she bent down and examined the jacket, cap and sniper barrel one of the officers had found.
"In the dumpster, a kid was pulling it out," the officer replied. "He's in the squad car now. He claims he was looking for stuff other than that."
"Well I don't think our kid is our assassin I do think it's possible our assassin might have sent a kid back to retrieve what he quickly left behind," Steve pondered. "The store is…"
"A bit too far for running distance. Could have driven by on the way to his hideout and just threw it into the trash," One of the officers suggested.
"Or it was planted here because this person knew we'd soon discover what the emblem belonged to and come and search the place," Jade piped up. "Perhaps to keep us from looking inside the building," she finished by looking up with a frown.
"I'll get a warrant to search the place," Shane stated as he turned his back to them and opened his phone.
"What is it?" Steve asked Jade.
"This is all too easy," Jade frowned, her brain starting to ponder all the events that happened to date. "So our two events are connected. We have a messenger at the hospital with a warning for us. He's killed and sent to me in a box. We have an assassin in the mall whose disguise is left in the garbage bin for us and we find it. It's as if…" she turned away, her gaze narrowing in the distance; then she looked back at Steve with wonder. "It's as if we have a copy cat who is trying to scare us for some reason but then is very sloppy with the clean up." Jade finished as she watched the police officers starting to cordon off the area to await the arrival of the CSI team.
"Unless he intends it that way," Steve added. "Maybe all of this is just a set up for something else…but what?"
"Well at least now we have one case and one suspect," Jade sighed. "Once Shane gets that warrant I want all these people out of here and we'll start searching this building. I think there is more to this place than meets the eye. I think this building is hiding something…"
"Like our killer?" Steve uttered fatefully.
"If we are lucky."
XXXXXXXX
"What is all this stuff!" Jesse exclaimed as he walked into Mark's office later that afternoon.
"Jade's mother, Chloe, sent over some boxes via FedEx because there was no one at Jade's to accept," Mark smiled.
"School treasures," Jesse read a label. "Cool stuff," he laughed as he read another box label. "Jade? Cool? Uh…" he stopped when Mark cleared his throat. "Well cool okay yes."
Mark just smiled as he read one of the smaller boxes. "Sister," he frowned.
"She kept stuff on Carmen?" Jesse questioned.
"I guess so. I guess there was a time before they became mortal enemies when they shared…well...things…" Mark replied as he tested the lid. "How very clumsy of those delivery guys."
"Mark you shouldn't," Jesse stated as he moved closer. "What's in it?"
Jesse accidentally bumped the loose lid, causing it to fall to the floor. "I swear I didn't do that on purpose."
"Uh huh…" Mark smiled as he looked down at a picture and then did a double take.
"What is it Mark? You look as though you've seen a ghost," Jesse commented lightly.
"Maybe I have…" Mark said pulling out two small photographs. "This is of Jade at her graduation from the FBI and this one from the day of the press conference Dean's body was delivered to," Mark said holding up for Jesse to see. "Notice anything familiar?"
"I…" Jesse started and then stopped, looking up at Mark in concern. "Is that…but how…Mark what does this mean? Could it be Jade?"