M: Dear readers, sorry once again for my absence, but I'm back again, with another chapter!
I don't know how long this story will be, or how long it will take me to publish the next part, for 'Chapter 10: A nearly forgotten foe' will exist of multiple parts.
I am planning to rewrite the entire story, but I won't change anything major, I'll just change a few lines, maybe put in a joke or two, but the main story will remain the same.
Well, I'd say that's about enough small talk, let's get on with the story, Enjoy!
Chapter 10: A nearly forgotten foe (part 1)
Every conversation has a dominant and submissive participant, with the strong naturally dominating the weak. Or at least, that's what Xeno believed. For example, when he had the briefing on the project Bloodrazor wanted, it was clear that despite Xeno's best efforts, Bloodrazor controlled the conversation.
Now Xeno was once again sitting in that very same room, only this time, he was directing the conversation. Like Bloodrazor back then, it brought him quite a lot of enjoyment, he really liked to dominate others, either physically, or verbally. But deep down, beyond the edges of reason, in the very centre his soul, he was disgusted by this preference.
Last time he knew Bloodrazor's real name, which was supposed to give him an edge, but despite Xeno's best efforts, Bloodrazor was still in full control of their conversation. This time, however, he wasn't facing the all-powerful Bloodrazor, a criminal mastermind, and the one who pretty much ruled this city. No, this time, he was talking to the unstable Marcus, who had gone through Bloodrazor's 'conditioning'. Xeno didn't know what they did to him, and part of him didn't want to know, but whatever it was, it had to be bad. He was traumatized through what seemed like torture, either psychologically or chemically. From the outside he looked fine, without as much as a scratch on him, but the inside was a different story. Marcus had to seem completely untouched for the plan to work, and due to this extra complication, Bloodrazor had to resort to more 'unorthodox' forms of torture. Xeno wasn't worried about Marcus' physical abilities, he had seen the training he received from Bloodrazor's men, but he was worried about the pup's mental stability. So, understandably, before he'd undergo any operation with the husky, Xeno wanted to check his new 'colleague' for himself.
"So, tell me, what do they call ya?" Xeno asked
"M-my name is M-Marcus" the husky replied
"But what about your name before that, before Bloodrazor found you and conditioned you?" Xeno asked
"I-I don't know, I'm sorry, but I just don't know it anymore" Marcus replied
"Well then, I guess I'll just have to make do with ya" Xeno stated as he turned the laptop that apparently belonged in that room. "This is our target, now let me tell ya the plan"
"So you all think I should tell him?" Zuma asked, even though the others made it quite clear how they felt on the matter.
"YES!" Chase, Marshall and Silvex shouted as one.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell him when he wakes up" Zuma said "But what if he doesn't feel the same? Or what if he does, and my whole life will have to change? I don't know if I could handle either outcome"
"Marshall, Silvex, can you give us a moment?" Chase asked, to which both the dally and the husky left without protest. Once they had cleared the room and closed the door behind them, Chase spoke again "Listen Zuma, what I'm going to tell you will never leave this room, understood?"
"You know that you're no longer my boss, right?" Zuma countered "But sure, I'll keep my mouth shut"
"When I was Ryder's second in command, I made it part of my job to know the thoughts and troubles of every team member" Chase said. When he had dropped the name of their former leader, both Chase and Zuma felt a wave of sadness, but Chase continued nonetheless "Including who had a crush on who, like when a pup paid more attention to one pup than any of the others. You didn't exactly make it hard to guess your feelings, and neither did Rocky"
"Hold on, you know who Rocky had feelings for?" Zuma asked as he felt a weird, jealous-like feeling crawling up to his stomach.
"I had promised Rocky I wouldn't tell anyone, but I think he would forgive me in this case, as an act for the greater good, so to speak" Chase said. Every word that came out of Chase's mouth sent another wave of stress up to Zuma's stomach, but Chase didn't seem to notice a thing. "Rocky once told me…" Chase paused for a second, a second in which Zuma swore that if Chase would pause again, no dirty cop would have to kill him, Zuma would kill the shepherd himself, before Chase continued: "That he loved you"
These words sent another wave of feelings up Zuma's stomach, but this felt different. This wave actually made him happier than he had ever been, although his training as an NCIS Special Agent prevented him from showing it. As such, the lab was silent for a moment, after which he spoke: "R-Rocky loves me?"
"Yes, he does, but he's too careful. I didn't think he'd be able to confess these feelings then, and I don't think he can now. That's why you should talk to him and confess your feelings the first chance you get" Chase said "And don't worry about your life changing, it's not like it's normal right now"
Their conversation gets interrupted by a knock on the door, and a few seconds later the doctor walked in.
"Congratulations detective, you are cleared to leave" the doctor said "Just try to avoid shootings the next few weeks"
"One can always hope" Chase said as he got up. "Thanks for the help, doc"
"There is something that might interest you" the doctor said
"Like what?" Chase asked as he put his clothes back on, as well as his gun and badge.
"Your friend, John Smith, has woken up" the doctor said
"I don't know any John Smith- " Chase started before being interrupted by Zuma
"I do, I know him, and so do you, Chase" Zuma said while winking at Chase. "In fact, you just encouraged me to go and talk to him, remember?"
"What do you…" Chase then realised what Zuma meant "Oh, that John Smith, of course I know Johnny, he's an old friend"
"Then let me take you tohim" the doctor said, ignoring the slip-up from Chase, before opening the door again and leaving the room, followed by Zuma and Chase.
Sergeant Wu had been on the force for an impressive 26 years now, and he was used to quite some violence, and weirdness, since this was Coastal City after all. But he had never seen anything like this before. Four minutes ago, he had received a call from dispatch that a body had been found under... 'unusual circumstances'. Now he was standing over it, looking at the scratches, the ripped-out throat, the clawed out eyes, it made him feel like he felt when he saw his first body on the job. Back then, he had to hurl, which was completely natural. If you wouldn't have that urge, then there was something wrong with you. But now, after 26 years, with over 800 dead bodies, he suddenly felt like a rooky cop all over again. But even with this feeling, there was something Wu found even more scary and sickening, the part that really shocked him was something else on the body, something that made his entire life flash by, starting with his application to his high school.
When he was young, he wanted to join the navy. In fact, he was nearly obsessed by it. He chose his subjects in high school, his courses at university, all in favour of one goal: to make his dream of becoming a NAVY SEAL a reality. But when, during his college, his applications were denied, it broke his heart. He eventually decided to join in his late father's footsteps and so he became a cop. He had left any dream of joining the army behind him, and he had focused on his career of being an officer, and later a sergeant in the CCPD. But, as God, or Allah, or the universe, or any other kind of deity that seems to be all-powerful and that rules divine likes to do, it takes your past, and throws it back, straight into your face. All this raced through Sergeant Wu's mind as he looked down on the corpse lying at his feet, wearing a NAVY SEAL uniform.
"Are you alright, sir?" Officer Cara Redwood asked
"Uhm, yeah, I'm fine, but he clearly isn't" the sergeant replied, as he started to get his sarcastic personality back.
"Who could've done such a thing?" Officer Cara asked her superior. She was staring at the thousands of claw marks all over the body, and of course the throat of the victim. She didn't even want to look at the eyes.
"That's not for us to find out Officer Redwood" Sergeant Wu said "Reach out to Silvex, we need him on this case"
"But sir, he's taken some time off-" Cara started
"Look at this body, look at the aggression the killer must've had" Sergeant Wu said as he gestured to the body "You don't have to be a detective to know that whoever did this, they will not stop killing, unless someone stops them. Silvex is the best detective we have, and we'll need him"
"I'll make the call right away" Cara said as she walked away, looking for a number on her phone. When she found it, she called it, but it didn't belong to Silvex. No, it belonged to Bloodrazor.
"Hello?" Bloodrazor's icy voice sounded on the other side.
"Sir, we have a body that's brutally murdered, and now Sergeant Wu wants me to call Silvex…" Cara said before she was stopped by Bloodrazor.
"You were right bringing this to my attention,Cara" Bloodrazor said "Thank you, and I'll handle it from here" he then hangs up the phone, leaving a somewhat stressed Cara Redwood.
"Mr Greene? Can you hear me?" the doctor asked Rocky as he was standing beside the Mix's bed.
"Yeah, I'm perfectly awake" Rocky replied "Who are you?"
"I am Samuel Blackthorn, and I'm your doctor today" the doctor said "Oh, and before I forget, if anyone asks, your name is John Smith"
"What the hell are you talking about? My name is Rocky Greene and I won't hide it" Rocky stated
"Calm down, Rocky" a calm voice said, a voice Rocky would recognize anywhere. Needless to say, Rocky immediately looked at the source, and there he was, standing inside the door opening, his crush, the love of his life, Zuma.
Maybe it was because the request came from Zuma, or maybe it was just common sense, but Rocky immediately shut his mouth, which left the doctor free to leave.
"I'll leave you two alone" Samuel said as he left the room, giving the two pups some privacy.
"Rocky, there's something I need to tell you, and I know that if I wait I will get far too nervous, and then I won't be able to get it off my chest" Zuma said, and then a silence fell, as Zuma tried to build up the nerve to say it. It wasn't a pleasant silence either, no it was one of those awkwardly long silences which both sides want to break, but neither could find the words. Zuma tried to speak his mind, but he froze. He tried again, with the same outcome. When the silence had lasted about three minutes, during which Zuma repeatedly opened his mouth to say it, but when no words came out, he closed it again. A few seconds later he opened it again, yielding the same result. This continues for the full duration of the three minutes, until Rocky starts to find the silence unbearable.
After those endless three minutes, Zuma swallowed, took a deep breath and gathered all the courage left in him, but as he opened his mouth to say it, and this time really say it, Rocky beat him to the punch. "Zuma, I'm in love with you"
"Well, they are sure taking their sweet time in there" Marshall noticed, voicing the thoughts of everyone present. "Should we go in and check on them?"
"No way!" Chase said "Maybe they're doing something we shouldn't see, if you know what I mean. It would be like that morning phone call I got a few days ago, only worse, on both sides"
"Oh yeah, well, you're absolutely right" Marshall said to his mate as he too remembered the call Chase got on his first day as a detective. He then noticed a man walking down the hallway, in their direction, while looking straight at them "Hey, does anyone know that guy?"
Both Chase and Silvex turned towards the man, and they immediately recognized him.
"Captain?!" Silvex said "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"
"As a matter of fact, yes there is" Andreas Xavier said "I have a bit of a major problem. In fact, everyone who wears a uniform in this city has"
"What is it, captain? What's going on?" Chase asked
"Well, a body has been found down by the docks, and Sergeant Wu was the first officer on the scene. He immediately wanted you two on the case, seeing as it was even more brutal than the body you caught a few days ago" Xavier said
"Even more brutal?" Chase asked "How is that possible?"
"I'm afraid that I can't share details with off duty detectives" Xavier said with a hint of sincere regret in his voice. "But I'm here to ask you for a favour. Two to be exact"
"Two favours?" Chase asked "And what would those be?"
"Well, for one, I want the two of you on the case" Xavier said "but the second one is more complicated, and I can only ask for it if you agree to the first one, else I'd be breaching protocol"
Chase quickly looks at Silvex, who nods at him, before Chase replies: "Alright we're in, what do you need?"
"Well, we have already traced the MO to a known serial killer, who is currently under investigation by an old friend of yours" Xavier said as he looked at Chase and Marshall "Have either of you been in any recent contact with NCIS Special Agent Zuma Shade?"
"Uhm, well…" Chase starts as he quickly glances at Silvex who doesn't seem to have a solution either. They knew they needed to keep Rocky's presence a secret, but they couldn't just let a serial killer roam free. "We have kind of been a little out of touch lately…"
Xavier was about to respond when Zuma exited the room where Rocky was in, looked around and suddenly saw Xavier standing with Chase, Silvex and Marshall.
Zuma was approaching from behind Xavier when Chase spotted him. Which gave Chase the perfect reply: "Although he did hear about me being in the hospital and he came to give me his best wishes. In fact, here he is now!" Chase said as he pulled Zuma towards him and whispered in his ear: "Play along"
"Well, this is a surprise" Xavier said, but something in his voice scared Silvex, it was almost like Xavier knew they were hiding something, and Chase feared Xavier also knew what they were hiding. "But a fortunate one" he then turned to Zuma "We need your help, the Port-to-Port killer has struck in Coastal City, and we need to stop him. Can I count on your assistance?"
"Yes" Zuma said without hesitation. "Let's catch this son of a bitch"
As left for the door, he opened it with the usual cracking sound of the old, rusty hinges. When he crossed the threshold, stepping out onto the pavement, deeply breathing in the cold air of the night, he couldn't resist looking back, just this once. And as he looked back, he gazed over his latest masterpiece, a family of five, and he realized, that doing this was what he truly loved. This was his purpose, his destiny. Even though this could only end one of two ways, with him either caught or dead, he still found that it was his life's goal. He then turned around, careful not to trip over garden gnome, and closed the door behind him. He stopped to breathe in and out a few times, so that the cold, late-night air could travel through his body, until he closed his coat's zipper, and disappeared into the night, never to be seen again.
It wasn't long before the police arrived, at the call of 'domestic disturbance'. But after seeing what had happened, the officers reported it in, and thus came the FBI, led by Supervisory Special Agent Hunter Highland. But this SSA left quite shortly after, knowing enough to realize staying behind was pointless, this killer was far too good, and so he returned to the FBI field office. Or at least, that's what the other cops thought. The truth was that Hunter left to make a phone call, from a deadzone. A deadzone was a location that had no camera's, so no surveillance either.
"Hello, customer service, what can I do for you?" the automatic response came
"L'enfer c'est les autres" Hunter responded in French.
"Securing phone line, please bear with us" the same automatic voice replied. "Phone line secure, redirecting call to the commander"
"Yes?" a male voice asked as he picked up the phone on the other end.
"Hey boss, it's me" Hunter said.
"Hunter, nice to hear from you again, what's new from the FBI?" the same voice asked
"M struck again, he's in Portland now" Hunter said "It won't be long before he gets an assignment in Coastal City"
"Understood, I'll put all operatives on high alert" the voice responded "Is there anything else?"
"Yeah, I don't think the timing is a coincidence" Hunter said "Shadow said it was almost time for you-know-what, and now M shows up. Maybe it would be better to steer clear of you-know-who?"
"I agree, Hunter, I really do, but we've been working on this for years, and this might be our only chance, they deserve to know what happened two years ago" the voice responded "But how is the other long-term operation going?"
"I have his identity, do you want me to take him out?" Hunter asked
"No, not yet" the voice responded "First, I want you to run surveillance, we need to be sure it's him before we make our move"
"Why be so careful?" Hunter asked "Callum has gathered the proof already, the target's hidden bank account with millions of dollars says enough, no police captain would make that much"
"Still, I'd like to be absolutely sure about it, before we pick a fight with the CCPD" the voice said "Especially if I want to present this matter to you-know-who as a show of good faith"
"Alright then Ace, you're the boss" Hunter said "If you're sure about this, then I will follow your lead"
"Good luck following him, if you go now, you can get there by dusk" the Ace of Spades said "And Hunter, don't get caught"
"Sir, yes, sir" Hunter responded before ending the call. 'Now, what's the fastest way to get to Coastal City?'
M: In case anyone feels offended by the line: 'But, as God, or Allah, or the universe, or any other kind of deity that seems to be all-powerful and that rules divine', let me assure you, there was no offence intended.