Author's note: Going, just keep on going! Hehehehehehe. Just stating the facts and moving on into deeper levels!
5. The Moon Cave
A snow-covered New York greeted those who opened their eyes at dawn, along with the reports of an ongoing cold storm that would last for another five days. Peter saw it from Harry's window and contemplated his current predicament. He was involved in a strange chain of murders, all related to the kidnapping of a little girl from twenty years ago and aimed towards the biggest mobsters in New York. If things could get any worse, they were about to, that was for sure.
Well, luckily, Delson's file about the Rose was pretty useful. It contained data of thirty people and all records were quite detailed, except for the head of the organization. Apparently, the guy was a living mystery to most and was way too important for organizations like Interpol to put his details on a simple pen drive. Pffffiuuu! Interpol in the hole. Good Golly! This was getting bigger than Kingpin's belt size. If that Big Bad guy was in the city, he surely had made sure that nobody knew. Well, perhaps it was a good time to spoil his fun. And yes, that meant taking the Spider back in the scene, at least for a while. Just a while.
Peter reached for his house and making sure that Aunt May was still asleep, he walked up and reached for a suitcase hidden behind his desk. He wanted to get rid of the suit after the incident and forget, but he couldn't find the strength. Maybe fate foresaw this day. Now it was time to see what Delson's real colors were like and to do that, he headed for the Major Crimes office where Elliot was just arriving.
"You know, I always wondered what was inside this piece of junk" Spidey surprised the Deputy and the man chuckled after recovering from the shock. It felt great to be able to do that again.
"Very funny, Spider. You're about to find out yourself so how about if we reach for the door? I'm getting cold feet. I must say it feels good to see you back in the game" they walked to the entrance where Elliot made sure that no one could fix eyes on the wall-crawler and took him to his office. "I haven't forget our little chat from last night and I'm open to questions as long as they don't go against my work here"
"Ok. Sounds fair" Peter noticed the high technology in the office. "Pretty cool place you got here"
"Criminals can't be the only ones with the cool guns, don't you think?"
"Agreed" Spidey took a look at the photographs and files on the desk. One of the pictures of a giant saw and another was the forensic report. "What's with the oversize cleaver?"
"That is the murder weapon in both scenes of last night. We only have photos but the coroner reported this morning that Hector has a big slash across his chest and despite the fire, the denting in the bones is from a saw" pointed out Elliot. "Sadly, it also proves that the same person was in both scenes. One was an accomplice and the other as main hand"
"Why sadly?"
"Because, Parker, it proves that it is someone we know and we hoped that she would stay away was there"
"You know who it is?" Parker blinked.
"Yes. An inmate in the same jail compound as the Rose group but not from the main building"
"Where then?"
"… The Infant complex also known as Geppeto's Cradle"
"Wait, what? You mean that a child did this? That's impossible! I mean, Look at that blade! It's the size of a grown up person! And wait, a she? A girl? A little girl like Alice? For real?"
"Yes. She can easily lift it up and used it at will. We've seen it before. Normally, this child is locked up and behaves. She hardly talks but presents little trouble save for a few times when she's sleep-walking. This girl suffers from panic attacks, night fears, paranoia, blank mind moments and yes, berserker fits"
"Ok, that's just creepy" Spidey didn't hide a shudder. "But she didn't plan any of this, right?"
"Doubtful. She is known as Red and hardly gets socially involved. We ain't sure of how much information does she have but I don't see her going by herself in a killing spree like this one. Red is shy, apprehensive. It's not bad, just naughty like any other child"
"Then, why is she involved?"
"That's the thing. We don't know why would she go after Hector and the men in the port, save for those guys unloading drugs and stolen medical components"
"So, the Chinese were from a gang. From a mob?"
"Apparently, from Madame Gao's group. A very frequent associate of the Kingpin or so I've been told. She is not going to be happy about this and if Leman's associates hear of the stolen components, it's going to be hell"
"Ok, back to Hector. I read that he was involved in Alice's case"
"He was in our suspect list along with his employer but we had no proof. You see, Lemans worked in the Halliday Medical Research Labs"
"Wait, that guy worked with Charles Halliday? They say he works on high tech meds"
"Precisely. His methods have been praised for years but we have our doubts. Is a man chained to a wheel-chair because of a rare disease that will eventually kill him as he grows weaker with each passing year. Charles has been working on a cure for decades with little results and some of his most famous achievements are a bit suspicious, if I may say so myself"
"What do you mean?"
"Nobody has ever known where Charles tests his creations. Many have asked and were dismissed but I fear those who found out never got to tell the tale. Apparently, Big Bad knows it and aims to take on Halliday"
"How do you know?"
"…" Elliot pointed at a big file. "Even if we can't detain them, blood-cleaners have to keep us informed about their victims. Big Bad has been hunting Charlie's associates for months now but this one earns the cake. This arrived at my door this morning and among many things, Big Bad reveals that he didn't kill Hector himself; one of his lackeys did it through Red. But the interesting thing is that Lemans was sending money to Europe, to Charlie, in concept of the acquisition of the so-called Miracle Cures. These are Halliday's star products, although they haven't been put in the market yet. It is said that they are medicines that can cure grave illnesses. It shouldn't surprise me given Hector's work but the truth is that the interesting part is not the shipment, is the clients"
"The clients?"
"Read here" several lines had been high-lighted. Spidey's eyes bulged.
"Osborne, Silvermane, Fisk, Owl… All the big mobsters!"
"The first two use the medicines for themselves. Norman probably adds them into his own experiments, that's for sure. But the big ball here is Fisk. According to my friends at the town hall, he's been seeing a cardio pathologist these last months and the news ain't good. They fear that if he gets a strong stroke, it could be his last"
"Do you think he really buys that those Miracle things work? He must be desperate but…"
"Apparently, Osborne was also their contact with Hector. With Lemans gone, the mobsters have no reason to stay in the banks anymore and if the Kingpin begins to falter, we're in for World War Three"
"Peace is over and if the Big Guy falls, we're toast"
"Exactly"
"Any ideas of lackey did it?"
"Well, we asked around and everyone coincided on one detail: Hector didn't scream and from what we got from the coin, they used a strong liquid. He was taken out silently"
"That means, they probably drugged him first"
"Precisely and for that reason, if I have to bet for someone, I'll go for these two" Elliot put on the large screen and showed two names: Dr. Plague and the Rabbi. "Old friends, like to work together. The first one is an expert in poisons, illnesses and plants. The other is a free-lance do-gooder with a taste for man who abuse women. So, I think Plague is our man but he might not be alone in town"
"He's creepy" the photo showed a man with a Venetian mask like the one Plague doctors used and with sharp needles as claws. He wore goggles and sported a long robe.
"Plague is as cold as ice, sharp-minded, persuasive and ruthless. Loves to torture his victims before they expire"
"My kind of doctor"
"We don't know where he is but probably it is a greenhouse or similar. He likes to grow toxic plants"
"That's a great start" Peter got ready to leave.
"One more thing before you go, don't seek him out. Plague loves that. He will lure you right into his lair, into his Moon Cave to kill you"
"Moon Cave?"
"Uh, technical term there. The Moon Cave was there the poisonous dragon Orochi lived and waited for his victims. Plague loves to leave clues so people follow him to their deaths"
"I'll keep it in mind. Any leads to get started?"
"Maybe there's one" Elliot opened the file. "Here! Hector knew that Osborne didn't play fair and sold his products in the black market. Lemans wrote down that he was going to discuss that with him during the ball and make him reveal the location but, if that wasn't possible, Hector had a pretty good idea of where to start. There's an abandoned industrial component near the docks. Not far from where the slaughter took place. If we find the black market stash, we might find out how did Hector smuggled those medicines into the country and find a clue of Plague's next target"
"Good plan"
"Be careful, Spider. Last night was just the first act. Many hands are at work here. I'll handle Fury and the others but, please, stay safe" Delson lead him to a window and opened it. "Big Bad has the weapons. We have the people" the deputy gave him a small device to stay in contact.
"You got it" Peter jumped out and felt the cold breeze in his face before starting to swing. It felt nice, despite the chill. What the hell? It felt like he had been trapped for a whole year! He needed this feeling, the freedom brought by the heights and the cool air while moving through town. Yes, perhaps Peter really needed Spidey to cure himself from his own wrongdoings. He had a purpose and the ways to make it real. It was now time to work. Ok, let's see. The onslaught took place in dock 62. That is close to the skateboard plaza, Hudson River, 22nd West Street, Chelsea Piers, 12th Avenue… Yeah, that could be it! A really crowded place, perfect to disguise an operation such as illegal traffic. Spidey swung across Columbus Park and headed for Greenwich Village. He could see the Empire State Building from up close but what really got him was how close he was to Hell's Kitchen, Fisk favorite playground. "Delson, do you copy?"
"Loud and clear. Are you there?" Elliot kept track of him in his computer.
"Almost. I just realized that this is way too close to Kingpin's lair. I'm not saying that Daredevil doesn't do a good job in Hell's Kitchen but…"
"I think I'm getting your point. If the cargo is near Kingpin's household, how come his men didn't know about it?"
"Or did and didn't want to get their hands dirty"
"Perhaps" Elliot went thoughtful.
"I don't see any of Kingpin's men around but you can never be sure. I just hope I can get there before they do"
"Don't worry. I didn't present the team in the end but they are tracking you right now. They have promised me that our communicator can be located even with really thick walls and ten meters of depth. So, if you go to the sewers or any trouble, we'll know"
"That is good to hear. What do you know about the gang-war?"
"A little. Let me see… The latest news that we have are that Silvermane and Owsley have joined forces to take down Kingpin. They have done it before but now they have the trump card" Elliot and his team kept track and survey Spidey's movements and his surroundings. "Chinese and Russians are also in the pack but have little to say. They always wait to see who puts the biggest gun on the table"
"Mr. Negative and the others?"
"Same tactic. Whoever wins will get an empire worth millions and the trust of the most despicable elements of the West Coast" the hero had reached Chelsea Piers but it seemed a normal day in the shops. "Ok, this is where we get to the hairy part"
"Too true. The moment of truth, the One Million Dollar question: Where will you hide a cargo of illegal medicines? It's got to be here somewhere! C'mon, Norman! Where did you hide them?" Peter looked around. There had to be some sort of clue. "I spoke with Harry Osborne last night. Knows nothing of his father's business with Hector"
"I thought as much. Oscorp is not at its best, mind you. After the wild ride with the Goblin, Norman has been trying to get on people's good side for months but perhaps, he is also trying to get back the trust of Fisk and the others to keep his company running"
"Hmmm. That could be a clue. If Norman was trying to keep his friends, then that means making expensive gifts" Elliot went thoughtful with Peter's words. "Question is what kind of gifts?" a too familiar shiver went down his spine. Spider sense? Now? But, why? "Delson, do you see anything?"
"Nothing. Having a bad feeling?"
"A big bad feeling" Peter kept on going but not before noticing a small glint that quickly disappeared. He had to find the right place.
Three buildings away from him, a figure came out of his hiding place holding his rifle tight. That kid was getting too close to the fires and before it was time.
"Whisper speaking. Come in. We might have a problem" spoke the stranger through the radio. "The bug is in the hole and before the good Doctor has finished rigging. Plague's not done yet and I can't keep up with that stupid sixth sense of Mr. Red Tights ringing every time I get close enough"
"We told you to keep an eye on him, Amos. If there is something we don't need is a hero meddling in this operation! Iggghh! Why am I surrounded by such bumbling idiots? Tawagoto! Ugh, never mind. Fear not. Our beloved Red is guarding the precinct and she will take care of your little slip-up" a slightly high-pitched voice answered him.
"Hey, Kumo. Just for the record, but isn't it my job to…?"
"Yes, yes. It is but he stays out of our business, the better. Don't let him get away, that's all for now! Oh, and if you see any sign of the Pin, do tell"
"You got it" Amos made sure of Spidey's position and headed towards their meeting point. Plague still needed time to set the trap so time was what he was going to give him.
You seriously didn't think that Dr. Plague had come alone to NY, did you?
Getting closer to the embers!