Angels with Newfound Hope
Act 1 Chapter 18: Stalker
Alex's Apartment - Day 7, 8:40PM
After finally buying a sewing kit whilst getting lunch, Alex fully repaired his clothing. They'd really taken a beating in the past week with all the wounds he received. Some of the remaining bloodstains harshly attested to that. He'd just thrown his button-up back on when the doorbell rang. The sight of Sebastian greeted him as soon as the door itself swung open.
"Oh hey Sebastian. Need some more help?" The larger human questioned casually.
"I wouldn't be here if we didn't. Our resources are thinner than ever with Bryce removed from the case." The runner groaned. It pained Alex to see him so stressed out.
"Then let's not waste any time. What have you got for me?" He cut right to the chase.
"A few things. First up is the primary witness of Anna's murder: her assistant, Damion. He was the one who found her body. A few things have changed since this morning, as we've gotten additional information that warrants some questioning. He'll be found at the production facility." The officer rattled off.
"Next is something a little more personal. You seemed interested in that underground lab near the portal. Your opinion on it would be greatly appreciated, since it's suspected to be of human origin." He added.
"Guess I can add 'Archaeologist' to my resume, huh?" Alex joked. The gesture seemed much appreciated by his visitor, netting him a smile.
"Maybe 'Human Matters Consultant' would be more appropriate." Sebastian replied, keeping things more under control.
"Sweetness, I get to finally go in there balls-deep." The human thought aloud.
"Oh, you won't be going in person. We already have the collected information in the archives. Just take a look at that and give us your opinion." The officer shot down that idea, leaving him a little bummed.
"Understood, and the third item?" He returned to his previous demeanor. It had become a little too easy to hide his disappointment over his lifetime.
"Another witness to the murder: A store clerk who reported seeing and hearing something. It's probably worth it to ask him a few things. Here are all the details. Meet me at the station in a couple hours." The runner replied, back to business just as quickly. He handed his escortee a slip of paper with everything jotted down before stepping out once again.
Inspecting the paper, Alex figured he'd have enough time for two of the farthest listed items. It would be smart to visit the factory first. It was the absolute farthest, after all. He grabbed his bag and made a beeline for it...
The human arrived just as that postman from his first day stepped out. His upper half was obscured by a large box, keeping him from seeing anything to his left. But now wasn't the time to be a good samaritan. There was a job to be done.
The hallways leading up to Anna's lab were ripe with dread. Alex hadn't even the foggiest idea of how this 'Damion' would react to being interrogated at all. Still, he preemptively pulled out his phone to record.
"Data log. Reza case, investigation three. I'm getting ready to meet with the victim's assistant to ask him a few-"
"Just leave me alone!" A muffled voice cried from the other side. The same voice piped up in a disturbingly calm tone a moment after.
"Answer the question and I will. You found Anna's corpse. What time was that, and how was she killed?" The brunette already knew who was behind that door and it both pissed him off, and terrified him. Some agonized screaming ensued in the moments following.
"Fine... It was around 6:45... She had multiple stab wounds... from some sort of knife." Damion choked out. That asshole impersonating Viper must've really given him hell.
"And what was the last thing she was doing the last time you saw her alive. And don't even try that silent shit again. There are plenty of toys in here for you." That must've worked because the real Damion answered in an instant.
"She was i-in here, doing research. I was g-going home and we said some things. That's all I know, I-I swear!" He managed. That pitiful dragon was the one he was supposed to be interrogating?
"And what was it that you said?" 'Viper' questioned.
"Fuck you!" Damion screamed without even realizing.
"Pity." Alex could hear scraping metal and the scientist begging something incoherent before wailing in agony once more.
"Stop! Stop, I'll talk!" He begged more before a thud was heard. "I told her... She should just... drop dead if that's what... she was going to do anyway. Happy?" A few moments of silence passed before Viper finally spoke.
"Goodnight, Damion." The dragon's final scream was cut off by something before the door carefully opened. Viper strolled out casually with Alex's dart launcher in hand. From his deduction, they used it on Damion so he'd forget ever seeing them. Either that, or they thought the tranq darts inside were lethal. He took a photo of Viper and finished his log. His heart was absolutely pounding now. A trip back home was definitely necessary...
Something was slipped halfway under the door when Alex returned. It was a hastily scribbled note, reading 'Go to the portal'. He immediately thought of his attacker. They've been trying to kill him off this whole time. They'd have to try a lot harder than that to trick him.
Yet he still couldn't help but look towards it. Its faint silhouette instilled the feeling of solitude and dread. That was when he saw it: Muzzle flash, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of gunfire.
The brunette shoved open the door and bolted inside. That could've been anyone just then: his stalker, Reza, or even the fake Viper. They all had a motive to lure him like that. Reza could've even had the part needed to repair the portal and escape. In that case, Sebastian was correct and needed to be called fast. He whipped out his phone and dialed the police. Like hell if he was going to risk that...
Alex couldn't see much from his viewpoint when the dispatched team finally arrived. Just a few dragons looking around and that was about it. It was around an hour later that he received any information about the disturbance, though no trace of anyone was found.
"Fuck my life." The strained human groaned to himself, stormy gaze fixated on his phone. There went his chance of checking out the lab. All that could be done now was the one task close by: go question the store clerk...
That little dragon who bowled him over was rushing away just as he rounded the corner. They really didn't have to run everywhere they went.
"Hello again, Alex. How can I help you?" Zhong greeted as the aforementioned male stepped up to the counter. "Actually, can you make it quick? I'm just about to close up here." He added, gesturing to the sanitizer wipe currently in use.
"Sure thing. I just have a few questions, courtesy of the police." Alex politely requested. This setting gave him bad flashbacks to his old retail job.
"Alright. As long as they're quick. I have to leave for my other job soon too." The dragon tossed the wipe, clacking away at the till instead.
"Rapid fire, then. You reported seeing something yesterday evening. Care to tell me what?" The ambassador questioned. Hopefully, Zhong would actually have something useful.
"Of course. This was when I came back from my second job, so around two or three in the morning. I couldn't make out much in the darkness, but the police requested anything unusual to be reported." The clerk exposed little with his statement aside from the time.
"Well that didn't give me much. What exactly did you see?" Alex deadpanned, keeping his patience in check for now.
"There was a human like figure walking in a hurry away from the production facility." That time, a lot more was revealed.
"And you're positive it was human? Could you make out any details?" The human further pressed. That was vital information that could be used to his advantage.
"I'm afraid not. It was too dark to see much of anything. Honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell if it was either you or Reza." Zhong denied.
"I see. What did you do when you saw them?" The black-clad man wasn't exactly happy at his statement so far. The only thing he had going was that the figure was human. That didn't narrow anything down at all.
"Nothing. It was a little unusual, and I wouldn't have bothered to mention it under normal circumstances. I only did because of the police's call for witnesses, as I said." The dragon prattled off. This was getting more hopeless by the second.
"Do you at least know what direction they went?" The human grasped at any shred of hope he could gather something he didn't already know.
"Hang on a second." The stout anthro grabbed a sheet of paper and scribbled down a diagram. "Here. This is the east entry to the facility, and the arrow is where they were going." He placed a claw on the respective areas. That... was actually something Alex could go off of.
"So, away from the main district. That's quite useful, thanks. I need to get going now. See you tomorrow." He bid the clerk farewell and jogged out the door without giving him a chance to speak. There was about fifteen minutes left until he had to meet up: just enough time to reach the station...
The hall leading to Bryce's office was nearly dead. What else could be expected from the station at this hour? Sebastian greeted the human as he came inside.
"Seems like you've taken a liking to Bryce's chair, eh?" Alex joked, noting just how tiny the runner seemed sitting in it.
"Maybe. I could get used to it. But please don't tell him. Good job calling us when you heard Reza, by the way. It's too bad he got away again. Maybe a witness will come forward and tell us what happened. But back to business." Sebastian cocked a brow when he was handed Alex's phone.
"Why are you handing me this?" He questioned, flipping the device in his hands.
"Damion's interrogation is on that, along with Zhong's statement." The brunette decided not to bring up the photo just yet.
"I see. Well, let's hear them." With that, Zhong's statement was pulled up first.
"Well this is interesting. We've had few reports of Reza since he went into hiding, so this is beyond helpful. It's another confirmation with his involvement in this." The smaller officer commented. Alex also handed him the diagram to go with it. "So what about Damion?"
"Just brace yourself. You're not going to like this." The larger male warned before playing. The instant the officer heard Damion's cries, he shot him a glare. But then Viper piped up. Their calm tone and near perfect mimicry made Sebastian do a double-take.
Then the torture started. Damion's screams echoed throughout the office, sending a chill down his spine. A wave of relief washed over them when the recording finally ended.
"Who... was that?" The tan raptor questioned, somewhat disturbed at the whole thing.
"This." Alex brought up the picture. "I didn't dare turn on my flash for fear of being silenced myself. This is someone from my world: a deadly criminal called Viper."
"That's a little scarier than I wanted to know. Thanks a ton for the help, Alex. I don't know much about this 'Viper', so we may need you more if you have anything." Sebastian gratefully requested.
"I'm afraid I don't know much more. The only advice I have is to keep your head on a swivel, and advise everyone else do the same. No Terran officer has survived an encounter with them and told the tale." That one statement actually made the runner gulp out of fear.
"How do you know this?" He asked, hoping the response is more lighthearted than the advice.
"I'm close friends with the case leader back in Onyx. Thankfully, he hasn't died chasing after them yet." Alex replied in a nicer tone. That took a little weight off Sebastian's shoulders.
"That would be great to know if the portal were still working. We could ask him to come over and help out. Anyway, that'll be it for today. We'll contact you if we need anything." The two bid farewell and Alex finally headed back to his place for some much needed rest...