Devil's Harvest

Chapter 1

The summer had brought brutal heat to the city of L.A. and everyone was looking forward to the cooler temperatures of October. But with the slightly cooling temperature came a horror that would leave the population hiding behind locked doors. Disemboweled bodies were turning up in and around the city. The bodies had been drained of blood and all of their internal organs removed. Rumors circulated throughout the city. Aliens? Vampires? Satanic cult? No one knew. The public had even given the killer a name, The Night Ripper, which the police now used as well. To make matters worse it was almost Halloween. The people who weren't hiding behind locked doors were running around the city already decked out in their costumes. Even with warnings appearing everyday in the paper the parties continued in bars and flowed out into the streets after the bars closed. The police department was at the end of their ropes checking out all leads.

Another body had turned up during the night. A man of about twenty had been discovered in an alley. The glazed unseeing eyes stared out of the shell that was left of the body. All internal organs had been removed and two holes in the side of the neck indicated where the body had been drained of blood. All police units available were on call. Including the undercover units.

Billie, Deaq, and Van stood in the alley with a small group of investigating detectives.

"This is some sick stuff." Van said shaking his head.

"Any match with the Missing Persons Unit?" Deaq asked.

"They think he is Edward Wallace. Been missing for three days. We won't know for sure until the prints come back." The senior detective at the scene said.

"Eddie Wallace?"

"What is it Van?"

"I knew him.......... well, I knew his brother Jason. He was in the academy with me."

"Do you want to do the notification of the next of kin, once the identification is verified?" The officer in charge asked

"No I'm not good at that."

"Hey man, it would be better coming from you then a stranger." Deaq spoke up.

"He's right Van." Billie added.

"Well, we're not really that close..............He was...........well, he was jealous of me."

"Jealous of you?" Deaq smiled. "This I gotta hear."

"There was this girl............"

"Why did I know that?" Deaq smiled and looked over at Billie.

"Go on Van." She said giving Deaq a small smile.

"Well, he was kind of a loner. No one really liked him. I felt sorry for him so I'd take him out to the clubs with me once in awhile."

"I want to hear about the girl." Deaq smiled.

"There was this girl he liked, but she liked me. End of story."

"What city is he working out of?" Billie asked.

"None. He didn't make it through the academy. Flunked out of the psychiatric exam. Had a little bit of psycho in him."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"He kind of got off on pain. Not his, someone else's. I use to see him when we were training hand to hand. If someone got hurt he'd have the biggest smile on his face. You could tell he was enjoying it a little too much."

"Well it's up to you Van. If you don't want to be the one to notify him that's fine." Billie said.

"Hey partner, if this was my kid brother, I'd want to hear about it from someone I knew. Besides, you owe him, you stole his girl."

"Look Deaq, I didn't steal his girl. She was never his."

Van looked back and forth between Billie and Deaq.

"Okay, I'll do it, but you're coming with me for moral support."

"Hey Van, you're my partner. I'll be there."

When the identification was verified they were given Jason's address and they headed to his house.

Jason Wallace lived on the outskirts of L.A. His lot was littered with debris, they carefully made their way through it without tripping over anything. As they walked down the dark path toward his house a movement to Van's left made him stop in his tracks.

"Deaq don't move!" He whispered.

TBC