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Codes & Heretics-Chapter 8-Are They Getting Any Closer?
At Los Angeles General.
The doctor had taken the tube out of her throat only a few hours before, and since then, Karolin had been forced to stay quiet, despite the fact that she had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
"Hey, I see you're awake. How are you feeling?" Charlie asked the girl lying in the hospital bed.
"I'd feel better if I didn't have to be here," she answered him in a raspy voice.
"Well, unfortunately, you're going to have to stay here for a few more days."
The blonde girl gave him a look that said Don't remind me.
"Well, don't worry. You're safe here," he said as he took a seat in the chair next to her bed.
"I wish I could believe you."
"Why can't you?"
"The last time someone said that, Jen and two other girls ended up being killed."
"I'm sorry."
They sat in a somewhat uncomfortable silence for the next five minutes or so until a nurse came in to see how she was doing.
"I'll feel better when I get out of here," she told the kind-looking woman.
"Well, don't worry. You'll be out of here in a few days."
The woman left and, once again, the two adults sat in silence.
Los Angeles FBI offices.
"Has he said anything yet?" Don asked David as the younger agent closed the door to the interrogation room.
"He wants a lawyer."
"Of course he does." Just then, Don's cell phone rang. "Eppes. What? Okay. Yeah, we'll be there." He closed his cell phone and tuned to David, "There was another body found."
"You go. I'll finish up here."
"Thanks, David," Don said before leaving the office.
Outside of the Los Angeles FBI Field Offices.
As Don walked outside and headed towards his car, he hit the speed dial on his cell phone and waited impatiently for the person the he other line to pick up.
"Rawlings," a female voice answered after two rings.
"Nika, it's Don; I need to ask a favor."
"Sure, name it," the woman answered as she walked to her car.
"I need to you come down to LA. We have a murderer on our hands, only one witness, and it's starting to look like an old acquaintance of yours did it."
"Which acquaintance?" she asked, stopping next to a blue Jetta.
"A Theodore Rugney; name ring any bells?"
"Yeah; he was arrested for some murders in San Mateo a few years back. Why are you looking at him for your murders?"
"They're eerily similar to the ones he was suspected of committing three years ago."
"I'll be there as soon as I can." Nika ended the call and ran back up the four flights of stairs she had just walked down.
"Nika, what's wrong?" one of her co-workers asked as she grabbed four notebooks from her desk and ran back down the stairs.
She called behind her, "I'll be in LA," before she disappeared through the door.
"What was that about?" another asked.
"I don't know, but she grabbed all of her notebooks from three years ago," the first co-worker answered as she stared at the blank spot where the books had been moments before.
Los Angeles.
Don arrived at the house where one of Rugney's victims had been living.
"Meet Lexi Juarez, Rugney's first supposed rape victim," Terry said as Don approached her.
"Were there any witnesses?" he asked her, meaning the crowd that had gathered behind the yellow crime scene tape.
"No, but it looks like she was killed the same way as the other women."
"This is not looking good; not looking good at all."
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