Title: Who wants to live forever (part 5)
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR
Rating: PG
TV verse: Blood Ties
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money..
Wc: 944
Sequel to: Expectations
AN.: A big THANK YOU to luvinmike for being such a great beta!

Part 5:

(Henry's Condo)

Somebody stole Mike's body.

Henry couldn't believe his ears and the ensuing shock made him almost stagger.

To not only lose the man, but also his remains was like a slap in the face. Whoever did this would pay for it dearly!

***

(The harbor)

"Oh, this is too much! You mean to tell me that blond do-gooder of a cop got upgraded to Immortal? How precious!" Astaroth almost howled with laughter.

"That's not funny! Do you have any idea how serious this could become?!"

"Oh, come off it! Sure, he may not be as easy to kill as before, but apart from that, there is not that big a difference. Think about it! He most likely hasn't got a clue what happened to him, and more importantly, nobody to tell him or show him the ropes. Even if, I still don't see the difference he could make. I mean, basically Immortals are nothing better than a bunch of humans refusing to stay dead. They do not have any special powers. Their only talents worth mentioning are gained by, let's call it for lack of better word, experience, which I may add, the blond idiot won't gain in a day. So chill, would ya?!"

"I will remind you of this conversation when everything goes south!"

"Yeah, yeah. What did he do to earn such high expectations anyway?"

"By being a thorn in my side! Remember those times when all you had to do is dump bodies in a river and everything was fine?"

"Yes, good times…"

"Well, this irritating SOB keeps fishing them back out so to speak and dares to ask questions! As if being a syndicate boss isn't enough hard work already?! How am I supposed to further humanity's most base and sinful tendencies if I have to worry about upholding the façade of being a good citizen?!"

"Oh, whatever! Are you done with feeling sorry for yourself?! You simply got lazy and somebody finally made you actually work to hide your sloppy habits."

"Whatever."

"Just think of it as a challenge. Life can get extremely boring without those every once in a while. Now, what about Fitzroy?"

"Oh, so your problems are more important than mine, I see… No, actually you may be right. I might have gotten too used to the easy life. Now, about the walking dead…"

***

(The morgue)

" …and I have no clue why somebody would do such a thing," Dr. Mohadevan was explaining just as the doors flew open and in stormed a very enraged young man who demanded:

"Explain!"

"Oh, Henry! Good, you're here!" Vicki exclaimed, a little disconcerted by the vampire's abrupt appearance.

He looked searchingly around the room, taking everything in before looking expectantly at her.

"OK, Rajani arrived early in the morning to find the building in chaos. Officers had been assaulted and the morgue vandalized. All the bodies were decapitated and their heads taken. Upon closer investigation, it was determined that those were the only things missing. Those, Mike's entire body, and a lab coat. The body snatchers made quite a mess, but only in here. No other room was touched."

"Interesting…" he frowned.

"Yeah, we thought so, too. Why take only the heads of the other bodies but Mike's whole corpse. What do you think? Coreen thought it might be a ritual and went to Dr. Sagara for advice."

"Mmm, a ritual might be possible." He looked again around and the frown grew even deeper.

"I wonder…" He walked around, sometimes back and forth, as if replaying something in his mind before continuing:

"Why vandalize the room?"

Vicki looked at him as if he had grown another head. "What?!"

"Why did they not simply break in, steal the heads, and leave? Why risk discovery and waste time creating all this destruction?"

"Well, I hate to break this to you, Henry, but humanity has a craving for destruction when given the opportunity, especially the law-breaking variety."

"I know that, Vicki. I just still feel there is more to it. Maybe they were searching for something."

"But nothing is gone. OK, a lab coat, but maybe one of them simply had a kink."

"Mmm, it is strange."

Again he walked around, this time with closed eyes, before cursing:

"There were too many people here! I can't single out the culprits scents." When he passed one of the steel tables, he suddenly stopped and looked at it almost reverently.

"This is where-"

"-Detective Celluci's body lay." Henry finished for the Indian doctor, keeping his back turned to the two watching women.

Had Vicki not known him so well, she would have thought his tone cold and unfeeling, but that and the slight tremble of the one hand resting on the table's center gave him away. A moment later he turned with his royal mask back in place.

"There is nothing here. We should meet Coreen."

"OK."

Vicki quickly thanked Rajani before they started to leave the morgue, but after only a few feet, Henry came to a sudden stop and to Vicki's surprise, sniffed the air. His nostrils flared and he suddenly zoomed to their right until he stood in front of a broom closet. Nearly ripping the door from its hinges, he opened it and went inside.

"Henry?"

Again he closed his eyes and just stood there. He swayed close to the wall once before he again stepped outside, taking a few steps in the direction of the exit only to stop again and look around in frustration.

"Henry?"

Looking at her with a mixture of disbelief and hope, he announced:

"Vicki, I think Mike may still be alive."

***

tbc