The Following:
Peace, Love, and Happiness
Season 3:
Episode 2: Shaphat
There were multiple screens showing the bloody body belonging to Brandon Welsley. Each of the screens were shown from different angles of the room. Some were close up, while others were from the distance. The screen to the farthest, showed the handwritten note in Japanese.
You have failed Joe. You are dead to me.
Ryan eyed the screens as he thought about the handwritten note. The first note that was left was, Joe Lives, but now that he was in prison, it seemed as if his crazy fans were clearly upset.
Jeffery stepped up to him and said, "We now have positives on two sets of recent fingerprints in the room." He paused and looked at the middle screen. "Brandon Welsley and Genji Au."
"What do we know about Genji?" Ryan asked as an image of him appeared on the screens.
Jeffery cleared his throat and looked at the screen that showed Genji in front of a college classroom. He was wearing a Yankees ball cap, black jeans, and a Planet Fitness t-shirt.
"Genji is twenty-six years old and in his second year at NYU. His parents are Han and Keiko Au. Genji was born in Japan, but moved here when he was six years old and lived with his parents up until last year." He paused and looked at Ryan briefly who was staring at the screen. "His record is just the opposite of Brandon's. He had been arrested twice, one for stealing and the other for trespassing."
"Where has he been living since then?" Max asked.
"Unknown," Jeffery said shaking his head. "Best guess is that he has friends and was able to stay off the grid."
"Definitely fits Joe's protégé," Mike observed. He crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yes he does," Ryan agreed, "But why surface now?" He took a step toward the screens. "Why after all this time?"
"I don't know," Jeffery said, "There is still a lot that we don't know about him."
"What is his parents address?" Ryan asked.
"His parents live on 1553 East 23rd street," One of the computer techs answered. She gave Ryan a pleased look.
He looked at her and nodded in thanks. "I will go and talk to his parents," Ryan said reaching in his pocket for his keys.
"Okay," Jeffery said glancing at Ryan briefly before returning to the screens.
Mike watched Max follow Ryan to his car. He opted to join as well, but instead decided to let the two of them have some time together. Maybe she would tell them about their relationship. That is if the conversation came up. He didn't think Ryan would care. They were all adults and cared about each other. Ever since the case with Joe started, he grew close to Ryan.
Max exited the FBI building and caught up to Ryan who looked back at her and smiled at her. They got into his car. He typed the address in the GPS and then pulled out of the parking lot.
"You know I feel bad," Max said looking at Ryan as he came to red light.
"You do?" He asked glancing at her confused. He pulled at the stubble on his chin. "Why is that?"
"Well I have been preoccupied the past few days and haven't called you," She held back telling him about Mike. She wasn't sure when would be a good time.
"Well to play Devil's advocate," Ryan said with a small shrug, "I haven't called you either, so we are both at fault."
"That may be true," Max said running a hand through her hair. It seemed to glow in the sunlight. "But everyone knows how crappy you are with keeping in touch." She found herself chuckling. "It even takes you a while to answer a text, when it isn't an emergency."
"That is true," Ryan said returning his eyes to the road.
"So how you?" She asked continuing to look at him.
"I am fine," He said with a frown. "Still a bit sore, but getting better."
"Are you sure?" She asked knowing that he was holding something back from him.
She saw him as a man of impeccable strength. His life was not an easy one in the least. It seemed that he was always dealing with something that would normally tear a person apart. She didn't know how he was able to keep his composure. Yes, alcohol played a role in it for a while, but now that he was clean and sober, how did he deal with all the stress?
He lost his mother to leukemia when he was just fourteen. His father, was a cop in Albany who also worked for the NYPD. His father was killed when he tried to stop a robbery and died in his son's hands. After his father died, he tracked down the robber and drugged the guy until he died of an overdose. His brother was a fireman who died on 9/11. His sister Jenny was living under constant guard after she escaped death. They weren't really in contact after she gave up on him during his alcoholic days.
"I'm fine," He reassured her. "How are you?" He looked at her with a smile.
"Pretty good actually, considering the alternative," She said with a nod. "You haven't answered my question though." She could clearly tell that something was on his mind.
"I am fine," He said returning his eyes to the road. "I really am Max."
"What are you going to do about the call from Mark?" She asked watching him merge into traffic as they turned on to the freeway.
"Nothing as of now," Ryan shrugged. He ran a hand through his hair. "When we get back to my house, we can track the number, but I don't think the conversation was long enough to track."
"Plus the call didn't come from a blocked number," Max added, "He is much smarter than that. I would have to guess the phone was stolen."
"True," Ryan agreed.
It took them almost an hour to get to Genji's parents house. They parked beside a public school that was full of kids running around in the courtyard up front. There were two heated basketball games going on as well. The noise from happily playing kids filled the air as well as the occasional curse word.
Ryan approached the house with Max following closely behind. The house was three stories high, painted a sky blue, and a large newly built patio in the front. He stepped up to the front door and rang the buzzer. "Let's hope we get something here," Max said while they waited.
Ryan looked at Max strangely for a few moments. "I agree," He simply said after the moments pause.
"But you know that won't happen," Max said as Ryan rang the bell again. "Nothing seems to come that easy for us."
Ryan sighed and knocked on the door a few times, but there was no answer. He looked at Max as he reached the doorknob. She shook her head, but he ignored her as he tried the door. Of course it was locked. "They are not home," Max stepping away from the door. "So what next?"
"Their car is still in the driveway," Ryan said trying the windows. The last window on the left was unlocked. "Here I go."
"Wait Ryan," Max protested knowing what he was doing was illegal and wrong. She wasn't expecting him to listen though.
Ryan groaned as he entered the house. He unlocked the door for Max. "Let's do this," He said as she made her way inside.
"I don't like this," Max said following Ryan.
"It needs to be done," Ryan said walking through the living room.
There were two large shelves on either side of a massive flat screen TV that was filed with books, DVDs, and magazines. In the middle of the living room was a glass coffee table with a small bouquet of pink roses in the middle. Two leather couches were placed opposite of the TV in an 'L' shape.
Ryan searched the dining room, den, kitchen, and each closet, but found nothing out of the ordinary. He then decided to check the upstairs, but he didn't really find anything either. Genji's parents room was obsessively clean and Genji's bedroom was stripped of all his belongings. The only thing that remained, was an old and faded photo of him when he was five years old. He was playing in a sandbox.
"Something doesn't feel right here," Max said as she eyed the room.
"I tend to agree," Ryan said walking out of the room.
He made his way to the kitchen and then to the basement. The basement door was locked from the inside. He looked at Max who gave him a worried look, before he kicked open the door. As soon as he did so, he heard movement from the basement. He pulled out his gun at the same time Max did so.
Ryan cautiously made his way down the wooden and cracked stairs. He felt that with each step, one of them may crack sending him to the basement floor quicker then he wanted to. But none of them did. They were just old, but not broken.
As soon as Ryan was at the bottom, he was greeted by a scene from a horror movie. There were two people tied from the ceiling with rope by their wrists. Their hands were placed in front of their stomach were holding their guts similar to Brandon's. The both of them were wearing Joe's mask with 'X' marks over the eyes.
Genji was standing on top of a chair in between them. He had rope tied from the ceiling around his neck. He eyed Ryan and Max approaching. "Hello Ryan," He simply said with a tantalizing smile. "This is for Joe," He raised a knife and stabbed himself in the gut. "You failed us. You failed us all." He sliced to the right and then to the left.
"No," Ryan shouted darting toward him.
Genji smiled as he kicked over the chair, tightening the rope around his neck. Ryan caught him, but it was too late. Genji had already given himself small incisions along the throat and when the rope tightened around his neck, it had opened the cuts. His head went limp moments later. A large amount of blood and guts dropped to the floor.
"Damn," Max said grossed out. She turned away from Genji.
Ryan stepped away from the body grim faced. He stared at Genji for a few moments before he turned toward the two bodies and removed the masks. The bodies belonged to Han and Keiko. As he removed them, Han's hands fell to the side of his body, dropping his innards on to the floor with a messy 'mush' sound.
Ryan stepped away from the bodies when he noticed blood on his shirt. He reached for his phone and called Jeffery, telling him about what he found here. Jeffery told him that he would send a team over and that he should wait there until they got there.
Ryan closed his phone and then looked at his shirt again. "I need something new to wear," He said feeling grossed out. His entire shirt was covered in blood and he even felt the wetness from it against his stomach.
Max didn't respond to him, other than giving him a grossed out look.
Jeffery closed his phone and then placed it in his pocket. He returned to his seat next to Mike and looked at Brandon's parents. "Sorry about that," He said looking at his parents.
"Why would someone want to do that to him?" Mark tearfully asked looking at Jeffery as he took a seat.
"We are trying to find that out," Jeffery gently said. He leaned forward in his chair and placed both arms on the table. "Did you son have any enemies?"
"None that I can think of," Mark shrugged his shoulders.
"Brandon was a quiet teen who was liked by everyone," Mary sadly said. She wiped her nose with a tissue. "There was no reason for anyone to hate him."
"He never did drugs and was against drinking," Mark continued, "he would go to the gym three nights a week with his girlfriend."
"I see," Jeffery said glancing at Mike who shrugged his shoulders.
"You are going to find the guy that did this?" Mark asked.
"Yes we are," Jeffery said holding back the information that Ryan had just told him.
Jeffery knew that telling them the truth would probably be the worst thing possible. They were already distraught as it was and adding such bitter news would be the tip of the iceberg. He wanted to give them hope, even a little bit.
"What was Brandon's girlfriend's name?" Mike said as he cracked his knuckled against his leg.
"Rachel Mason," Mary answered. She began to cry into her hands again.
"I'm sorry that we aren't of more help," Mark said reaching out to his wife. She rested her head on his shoulder and cried onto it.
"It's okay," Jeffery said understanding how they felt. He rubbed the back of his neck that was beginning to feel sore. "You have been very helpful." He closed his small pad and pocketed it.
"Do you mind if we take a look at his room for a few moments?" Mike asked hoping that they would be able to find something.
Mike didn't believe that Brandon was as perfect as they were making him seem. There had to be dirt of some sort that his parents either weren't telling them or were unaware of. No one had such a perfect and clean slate.
"I actually do mind," Mark said looking at Mike apologetically. "This isn't really a good time." He paused and hugged his wife tightly.
"I understand," Jeffery said glancing at Mike briefly in surprise.
"Do you think my son's killer is part of Joe Carroll or Lily Gray's cult?" Mark asked. He began to rub his wife's back affectionately.
"We don't know yet," Jeffery said standing up. "But we will let you know as soon as we find out. Do you mind if I send a squad car to watch your house for anything suspicious?"
"Nope," Mark shook his head, "I know that my wife and I would feel safer."
"Okay then," Jeffery said pushing in his chair. "I will have a car dispatched right away."
Jeffery turned and walked away from table with Mike following closely behind. Mike stopped and turned around. "I am so sorry for your loss," He said to Mark and Mary with feeling.
The loss of his father was at its worse now. He completely understood what they were going through. The loss of a parent was always painful, but to lose a child. That was a parent's worst nightmare.
Mike's family was not a close one. His work in the FBI kept him busy most of the time, especially with the cases dealing with Joe and Lily. But he did manage to call them a few times a week Every Sunday morning, he'd drive in and have breakfast with his parents.
He had three brothers who were living in different parts of the country and for a while hardly spoke to them. They weren't on bad terms by any means, but they were close at all. It was sad, but he felt closer to Ran than he did to his brothers. Especially as of lately.
His father's death though, did one good thing though. It brought his brothers back in the picture. It was silly but they all decided to use the WhatsApp messenger to keep in touch. He didn't use it too often, but he was glad to be able to see their posts.
Mark nodded his head. "Thanks," He said sadly.
Mike left the house and followed Jeffery into his car. As soon as he was seated, Jeffery turned to him and said, "Ryan and Max found Genji." He started the car and pulled away from the house.
"Oh good," Mike said pleased to hear some good news finally.
"Not really," Jeffery shook his head. He looked at Mike whose pleased look immediately faded, "Genji is dead. He killed himself in similar fashion to Brandon."
"Damn it," Mike cursed under his breath. He made a fist and lightly pounded his thigh. "Did they talk to his parent's at all?"
"Nope," Jeffery shook his head again. "They were killed in similar fashion. We are heading there now to meet Ryan and Max."
Mike cursed again as he ran a hand through his hair. He was beyond fed up with this. Yes, it did come with the job. He was an FBI agent who dealt with murders. But it seemed as if there would never be a break. Just one sick murder after another. All dealing with either Joe or Lily. That was unless this was part of something new, but he doubted it. It was most likely from a fan of either Joe or Lily demonstrating their blind and sick obsession for either one of them.
Mark stared out of his window at the morgue as he approached it. He pulled up in front of the building and shut off his car. He stepped out and knocked on the door. The paint job had seen better days. It was either a dark gray or white, he wasn't sure. The door was thin and chipped at the body. Grass in the front was over grown and covered in dandelions and weeds.
The door opened and a middle aged man, probably mid-forties peered out. "Yes how may I help you?" He asked when he noticed Mark.
Mark studied the man. He was bald, with a small grayish stubble on his chin. He was an inch or two taller than him and well built, despite being a few pounds overweight. He had thick black glasses that didn't match his face at all.
"Yes," Mark said giving him an Oscar fake smile. "I am doing a paper on cremation and I need to interview you someone. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions."
"I know who you are," The man said closing the door.
Mark stuck in his foot blocking the door. He pushed it open and reached for his knife. He quickly and skillfully sliced the man's jugular. The man reached up to his throat choking on his own blood. He gave him a pained look as he fell to his knees and then to the floor in a bloody heap.
Mark watched the body excited. "Now look what you made me do," He said to the man, "I do enjoy killing, but I was really hoping to interview you for the fun of it, even though I am not in college."
Mark closed the door behind him and locked it. He bent down and grabbed the man underneath the shoulders. With a grunt he began to pull, before he realized he had no idea where the over was. He dropped the body carelessly and began to search for it. It took five minutes, but he found it on the other side of the building.
"Actually," Mark said to the man when he returned to his body. "Luke deserves to go first. I care about him and don't give two shits about you."
Mark left the morgue to retrieve his brother from his car. He placed Luke as gently as he could on the car and then carefully pushed him into the morgue. He made his way to the oven and turned on the oven. It would have to get hotter than 1000 degrees.
"Oh Luke," He said sadly. His eyes began to well up as he caressed his brother's pale cheek. "Why you?"
He leaned close and kissed him on the forehead. He hugged his brother tightly and began to cry. He didn't want to cremate his brother, but he knew that he couldn't drag him around wherever he went. It would slow him down. Plus the body was not smelling too pleasant either.
Mark caressed his brother's cheeks and then grabbed his hands. "Everything will be okay," He said to him. He placed his brother's hands on to his cheeks. "I will kill that bitch. I will cause Ryan so much pain, he will regret everything." He paused and closed his eyes pretending his brother wasn't dead and actually standing there in front of him. "Revenge is a dish best served cold." He quoted a Star Trek line.
When they were young, Mark and Luke used to watch Star Trek every night. Mark's favorite series was Next Generation. He felt Patrick Stewart, not only being an amazing and underappreciated actor, was also the best captain. Luke, however, loved Voyager the most and Mark teased him, because he had a crush on Kate Mulgrew.
The both of them would often pretend that Star Trek was real and they would be beamed away to search space for aliens. Their dreams as a kid were definitely too boldly go where no man had gone before. They often pretended that they were on an away mission and would play in the woods pretending it belonged to a hostile alien world.
Mark opened his eyes and kissed him on the forehead again. He picked up his brother and placed him inside a flammable container that was made out of pine. He pushed him as gently as he could into the oven. "Goodbye," He said watching the flames dance around his brother.
Once the door was sealed, the body was subjected to a jet-engine like column of flame, aimed at the torso. The heat ignited the container and began to dry the body. Soft tissues begin to tighten, burn and vaporize from the heat, while the skin began to turn waxy, discolor, blister, and split. The muscles soon began to char, flex, and extend as limbs tightened.
Mark turned away from the oven and pushed the cart back to the front room. He grabbed the man and struggled immensely but soon was able to place him on the cart. He pushed the cart to the main office and carefully sat the man at his desk.
"It is going to be a while until my brother is finished in there," Mark bitterly said, "So I am going to interview you in the end."
Mark took a seat opposite of the man and looked at him. "Mother always told me that when I was using something from someone that didn't belong to me," He said leaning back in his chair. "Wow I like this chair." He touched the soft leather arms. "I am pretty surprised that such a crappy place would have such nice and comfortable chairs."
He paused eyeing the man who was sitting in the upright position. His head was angled to his left and a small stream of blood still oozed out of the wound.
"Anyways," Mark continued, "I must not get distracted here." He paused and crossed his legs. "Mother always told me to be polite to people who I borrow things from and since I am borrowing your oven, I am being polite."
Mark copied his brother's infectious and often terrifying laugh. The more it struck fear in their victim, the better it felt. Finding someone's fear and exploiting it, was an act of dominance. You not only want to control someone, but you want to feel powerful. You do this by weakening someone. Any John Smith can scare someone with a gun or knife, but to strike fear in someone, the best is to build uncertainty and mystery. B becoming impossible to read, you will have someone in your control.
"I didn't get your name," He eyed the tag on his shirt. "Hello there Carlos, my name is Mark." He stood up and shook his hand. "You have a strong grip there sir." Mark copied his brother's laugh again. "Well Carlos, while we wait, why don't you tell me a little about yourself and I then I will tell you about myself."
Hope you like it!
I have a surprise twist coming up ;) hee hee
shaw18