17. WHAT HAPPENED TO NED?
Fifteen officers, four crime scene investigators and Detective Frank Tripp entered the forest near Everglades KOA campground. It was just after midnight and it was dark, but the moon was out and illuminated the area through a thick canopy of branches.
Spreading out, they made a wide pincer movement, thoroughly searching as much of the area as possible in one motion.
They moved quietly, carefully picking their steps, to avoid branches from snapping under the pressure of shoes.
Something moved.
Eric spotted it first and he drew Frank's attention, silently pointing.
Frank Tripp held up his hand in warning. Everybody stopped dead in their tracks.
Barely visible in the dark, despite the beams of moonlight shining through the pine trees, they could all see a black silhouette, the two glimpses of white indicating the location of eyes.
The figure turned briskly to sprint away and its robe rustled as it got caught on a sprig of a near-by tree. With a solid toss the owner pulled it lose. The tearing of cotton broke through the silence of the night before the clad figure resumed flight.
"Get him," Tripp hissed into his walkie-talkie.
The policemen now chased after the fleeing suspect, uncaring for the noise they made. Another figure with dark clothes jumped in line with the first. From behind some trees more dark figures moved, their backs turned towards the approaching officers and they rushed off, in a desperate attempt to escape.
The sound of people panting, boots plunging into sodden mud and robes fluttering disturbed the otherwise peaceful silence of the night.
Detective Tripp issued rapid orders to the other policemen, making sure each and every one headed where he wanted them. His strategy was plain and simple- pursuit and surround. There was a reason why he'd brought so many men. Spreading out, they circled around the fugitives and efficiently closed them in.
The dark figures clustered together, huddling together. Stealing quick glances around, it was obvious that they were trapped.
"Well, well, well," Tripp sneered, his breathing only slightly increased from the hot pursuit. He looked in disgust at the scene in front of him. A quick head count told him they'd caught eleven students, which, Ned not included, meant they had them all.
Some officers had pulled out their flashlights. The glaring yellow beams of light danced over the black costumes. They looked like monk's habits, falling down from shoulder to the ground. Similar black material was used for the cowls, with narrow slits for the eyes. The dressed up figures shifted nervously, some fidgeting, some still panting, some throwing glances over their shoulders as if looking for an escape.
There was none. They were completely surrounded.
Eric Delko couldn't wait any longer. He jumped forward and pulled the first black cowl he could reach from the stunned student's head. Reaching out, he held out the black material, barely registering that Speed took it from him and immediately bagged it. "Where's Ned?" he barked.
A stunned Ginny Taylor was staring at him, a mixture of fury and fear evident in her features from being exposed.
Eric wasn't in the mood for patience. He grabbed the girl by the shoulder and roughly shook her. "Where is he?" he demanded sharply.
Her eyes widened, her lip trembled and she slowly raised her arm. Unsteadily, she pointed into the forest, her eyes drifting without focus in the same direction.
Eric let go of her and retreated.
Frank wasted no time and stepped forward. "Simmons and Parker, go. Alexx... you're with them," he ordered.
The crime lab's ME was already running, kit in her hand as she followed the two police officers into the woods.
"All right. You're under arrest," Tripp simply announced and without thinking he rattled off the right procedures that had to be told to each suspect. That done, he turned to the crime lab investigators. "Let's take off these robes and bag them, shall we? Michaels, get the cuffs ready."
XXX-XXX-XXX
Alexx Woods stared at the scene in front of her. "Oh, you poor thing," she whispered.
It was the third time she was looking at a man hanging in the trees in less than two weeks. She wasted no time and carefully stepped forward, leaving the two police officers waiting. Again, her fingers tried to detect a pulse, this time on Ned Sante's ankle. She couldn't find one but he wasn't nearly as cold as Horatio had been.
Knowing from experience now that there was still a chance, especially since they'd found Ned much faster than they had found Horatio, she motioned for the two police officers. "We're going to get him down now," she urged and quickly instructed on how the first officer was to hold the young student steady while the other had to cut the ropes.
Only minutes later, Ned Sante was spread out on the ground, a dark trail of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Alexx knelt next to him and sighed sadly. "This wasn't how you wanted to get your life back, now was it?" She tilted his head and lifted his chin then bent forward to listen if he was breathing. She didn't hear him draw in a breath and his chest wasn't rising up and down either. Her fingers already resting on his neck, Alexx couldn't find a pulse.
She grabbed the mouth barrier device from her kit and slammed her hands in place, immediately starting chest compressions. "Come on," she whispered desperately. She repeated the cycle of compressions and ventilations four times, then checked for breathing and a pulse again.
It wasn't there. What was there, was an unnatural indent in Ned's ribcage. Unwilling to give up, Alexx continued with CPR. She didn't know how long she tried, checking for a pulse in between the compressions and breathing, but after a long time, she leant back on her haunches in exhaustion.
"Oh, honey," she said, gently stroking through Ned's hair. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."
XXX-XXX-XXX
The eleven students had been released from their protective black habits. Eric, Calleigh and Speed had bagged and tagged them all, while the police officers had handcuffed each student. They were completely unresponsive and resigned, apparently still in shock from being caught.
"How did you get here?" Tripp demanded, looking questioningly at the silent group. "Cars?"
Nobody answered.
"I repeat," Tripp stepped closer, adopting a menacing attitude. "Did you come by car?"
The girl named Jenny gave a shuddering nod.
"What cars?" He only had to throw her a glowering glare.
"My car," she whispered. "A white Ford Mustang. And Mitchell's car. Dark green. Buick."
"Where are they parked?"
"Parking lot B."
"Did you set up camp here?" Tripp asked.
The girl shook her head.
Tripp's cell phone rang and he stepped back, turning his back to the group of students. Grabbing his phone, the detective opened it and answered curtly. "Yes?"
He listened, and his face turned grim. "All right. I'm sending them over." Snapping his phone shut, he turned back to face the nervous crowd. "Okay, kids. We're booking you for murder. Ned Sante didn't make it."
Eric cursed. Speed let out a deep sigh. Calleigh just stared at Frank.
The group of students remained silent, although some of the kids were shuffling on their feet.
"Care to tell me why?" Tripp tried, although that question was going to be one of the subjects of the interrogations that would soon follow.
None of the students answered.
"We'll get to the truth," Eric snapped angrily.
"Paul," Frank said to one of the policemen. "Take another man with you and go and find those cars. I want nothing and nobody touching those cars, got that? Eric and Speed here will be there later to search for evidence. Michaels," he watched Paul and another cop leaving and now faced the next police officer. "You and the rest take these kids and book them for murder. Get them out of my sight."
Michaels nodded and clicked with his fingers. "All right. You've heard the man. We're going for a walk, people. Let's go." He and the other officers escorted the silent group out of the forest.
Frank looked at the crime lab investigators. "Calleigh, why don't you go and assist Alexx with the crime scene. Eric and Speed, we're going to search the area between here and there and see if the students have accidentally dropped anything. Like chains or whips."
Calleigh sighed sadly. Grabbing her kit, she left the area and headed in the direction Alexx had disappeared in.
Frank, Eric and Speed, flashlights in their hands, started searching.
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A/N: Awww.... I killed Ned... I'm sorry, it just happened. Are you ready for the conclusion? There's only one chapter left, folks! Give me a few days to wrap it up...
