The Genesis Chamber

by Beighton Devlin

  “Ralph!” He squinted at them with suspicion.

  “Ralph, we need to ask you about the other person that was at the shooting!” she shouted.

  “The one in the wolf mask?” he asked.

  Maria’s ears perked up. She held her breath and looked at Travis, then back to the kid. “Yes! Just give us ten minutes! If you like we can go get a burger and a shake.” She nodded to confirm what she had said. “You tell us what you saw and you can go.”

  “You promise that my parents won’t find out?” He tilted his head and put his hands on his hips.

  “We promise, kid!” Travis said, still trying to catch his breath. “Let’s go eat. I need to sit down after running like that. You know, you’re pretty good! You should think of taking on Usain Bolt.”

  “You think so?” Ralph smiled.

  “Absolutely!” Maria added. “What do you say, shall we eat?”

  “Okay. You got it. But then you leave me alone, right?” He waited for some reassurance.

  “That’s right, Ralph!” Travis shouted. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Ralph smiled, shook his head, and stepped off the curb. He had taken a few steps when the sound of squealing wheels got the detectives’ attention. They turned their heads to see a white panel van speeding towards the kid, who froze as it got closer and closer.

  Travis lurched forward in attempt to get the child out of the way but only managed to reach the middle of the road as the van hit Ralph head on. The air filled with screams from other pedestrians who witnessed the collision. Unable to stop through his momentum, Travis hit the side of the speeding van. The force sent him flying sideways, hitting the tarmac and rolling several times. He looked up to see Ralph’s limp body going under the back wheels of the fast-moving van.

  Through instinct, Maria drew her gun and caught a glimpse of the driver as he passed. He stared at her from behind a mask. A wolf mask. What horrified her was she was sure he was sadistically smiling at her.

  She ran into the middle of the road to try and get a clear shot. Making the decision to aim for a rear tire, she took aim and emptied an entire clip, to no avail. The van sped off and screeched around the next corner

  She quickly turned around to see Travis limping towards the kid, who lay motionless in the street. She holstered her weapon and got her cell out as she rushed over to them.

  “This is Detective Maria Hernandez!” she shouted in urgency. “I need an ambulance to Richmond Park and an APB on a white panel van. Florida plates Zero, Fiver, Niner, Oscar, Sierra, Golf, Quebec. Approach with caution and apprehend the driver. Please be advised he could be armed.”

  By the time she had reached them, Travis was only a few feet away from the kid. He suddenly fell to the ground, holding his left arm with his right hand. Blood was running from his forehead. She knelt down to support him.

  “I’m okay. Check on him,” he mumbled.

  “Lie down.” She slowly lowered him down. “There’s an ambulance coming.”

  She leaned over the boy. He had blood coming out his nose and ears. His legs were bent upwards in an unnatural position. It was too late.

  “How’s he doing?” Travis asked.

  Maria looked at him and shook her head, then took another look at the body in the road. “This fucker is going to pay.”

  The Genesis Chamber

  Chapter 35

  Limping heavily, and with his left arm bandaged, Travis followed Maria into the Homicide office wearing sunglasses to hide the black eye. The cut on his forehead was held together by butterfly stitches, and dark bruising on his cheekbone made him look like he’d gone a few rounds with “Iron Mike.” They had taken no more than two steps into the room when the familiar bellowing voice of Regan resonated, causing the injured detective to wince.

  “You two.” He pointed a finger at them. “Get your asses in here, now!” He disappeared into his office, slamming the door behind him.

  “I really fucking need this today.” Travis stopped, looked at his bandaged arm, then grimaced as he began to hobble towards the lieutenant’s office.

  “This is going to be a perfect start to a Tuesday morning.” Maria sighed and shrugged, resigning herself to the fact that they were about to get a roasting. “Oh well, here goes nothing.”

  She knocked on the door and waited to be summoned in. She didn’t have to wait long.

  “Today is not a good day to fuck with me, Hernandez. Get in here now!” her superior growled from inside.

  She grabbed the handle and turned to Travis. “I can’t imagine any day would be a good day to fuck with him.” She smiled.

  “Please don’t; it hurts when I laugh,” he said, trying to contain a smile.

  She opened the door, entered, and spotted Andy sitting in a chair opposite Regan, who was perched behind his desk looking extremely vexed. As soon as the door was closed he started his tirade.

  “So, Cagney and Lacey, do you want to explain to me why I have to call the parents of a fourteen-year-old boy and tell them that at the time of his death, their son was being pursued by two of my homicide detectives?” he fumed.

  “Technically, sir, I’m not a homicide detective,” Travis said quietly, causing his partner to glare at him in disbelief, knowing full well a comment like that was going to infuriate the beast even more.

  The lieutenant didn’t respond immediately, just scowled at them, his face turning a deep scarlet as his anger built. Unable to contain his rage, he let rip.

  “Are you a clown? A funny man? A joker in the pack?” He banged his fists on the desk. “I tell you what, funny man; you make the call to the kid’s parents. You tell them how their son died because of you and your incompetence. Maybe drop in some of your rib-cracking wit to break the ice, you fucking idiot!” As he vented his rage, Regan had raised six inches out of his seat while berating the young detective.

  “I was just saying—”

  “Hernandez!” He cut him off and glared straight at her. “Advise your partner to shut up from here on out or I will kick him all over this office that he, technically, doesn’t work in.” He returned his stare to Travis.

  “Sir, we are both upset by this.” She tried to calm the rising tension. “We had the kid’s trust. He had stopped running and was crossing the road to come and talk to us.” She looked at her injured partner; he really did look like a schoolboy who was being chastised by his father, she thought. She looked back to her boss. “Sir, this was no accident.”

  “What?” he asked in disbelief.

  She glanced at Andy then at Travis, waiting for a nod to confirm she had the go ahead tell them what had happened.

  “The killer was waiting for the kid, sir. I’m one hundred percent sure of it.” She paused and let the information sink in for a moment. “I, err… also, I caught a glimpse of the driver. He was wearing a mask. A wolf mask.”

  “Like the one you found at the theme park?” Regan asked.

  “That was a pig mask, sir, but yes, sir.” She nodded.

  “What’s the deal with the animal masks?” he inquired, and looked at Andy. “What do you make of it?”

  “Not sure,” he replied with a puzzled look. “But I would imagine someone driving around in a van with a mask on would garner a lot of attention.”

  “Sir,” she grabbed his attention. “We did get some information from the kid. He confirmed that there was another shooter at the scene.” She looked at Andy. “Sorry, partner, but this is by no means over. Someone else shot your dad.”

  “The kid said that?” He looked at her, mouth agape. “Did he give you a description?”

  She shook her head. “He was crossing the road to give us all the details when he got hit. All he said was that the other guy there was wearing a wolf mask.”

  The lieutenant rubbed his forehead. “Okay, let’s get the facts down as we have them so far.” He picked up a pen and opened up a notepad on his desk. “What have we got?”

  “We know there have been kids going missing after arra
nging meetings through a mobile app Chat Around Me…”

  “What happened with the search warrant for AppTech?” he interrupted her, and looked up from his writing.

  “We got the warrant but we haven’t executed it yet, sir,” Travis spoke. “We’re heading over there today to seize the records.”

  “Good. Get on that as a matter of urgency.” He started writing again.

  “Yes, sir,” she agreed. “We’re hoping to find something that confirms my theory.”

  “And what theory is that?” the lieutenant asked.

  “That this is some kind of pedophile ring,” she said as a matter of fact. “They make contact with the victims using this app, and promise them some sort of fame or fortune, then they lure them to the theme parks and kidnap them.” She stopped to think of everything pertaining to the case. “Palmer has confirmed that these animal masks are homemade, so that leads us to think they have a significant relevance to the kidnappings somehow—”

  “Why?” Regan stopped her again.

  “Well, why go to the bother of making a mask that you could easily buy from any costume or joke shop?” She looked around the room at the others to make sure her point was valid.

  “Good reasoning,” the lieutenant agreed, and continued writing.

  “We think the red baseball caps might be relevant too—” She was halted by her superior suddenly raising his hand.

  “Red caps? Why is that ringing bells?” He tapped his pen on his pad and went into thought for a moment before a look of euphoria spread across his face. “Andy, didn’t your shooting victim have a red cap on? The shooting where the kid got caught in the crossfire?”

  “Erm . . . Yes, now that you mention it, I think he did.” The senior detective nodded.

  “Yes.” He pointed at Andy. “Pull the file on that. We’ll go over it again to see if we missed anything.” Andy stood up and walked to the door. “Pull the file on the assassination case, too. I’ll bet they’re connected in some way.”

  “Will do, sir,” Andy said, and left.

  “What’s your next move?” Regan turned to Maria.

  “We’re heading over to AppTech to execute this warrant, sir—” She was interrupted again, this time by her phone ringing. “Hernandez... Hi, Palmer… Are you serious . . .? Send the information to my cell.” She disconnected the call and looked at the lieutenant, excitement etched across her face. “They’ve found the van that was used to kill the kid.”

  “Have they run the plates?” Regan asked.

  “Palmer said it’s registered to a little Mom and Pop operation so they don’t have computerized records. Anyway, you’re not going to believe this. The van in question is on a long-term lease to AppTech.” Her enthusiasm was obvious. “A lot of shit is getting linked back to that place.”

  There was a knock on the office door. “Enter!” the lieutenant ordered.

  The door opened. Andy entered carrying the two files, which he placed on the desk, then realized everyone in the room was looking at him.

  “What’s wrong?” he nervously asked. “What did I miss?”

  “There’s no easy way to say this, Cooper.” Regan cleared his throat. “Maria has just received a call from Palmer. The van used to run the kid down was on a long-term lease to AppTech.”

  “No. Are you sure?” He looked horrified. “There must be some mistake.”

  “I’m afraid not, Andy.” His superior paused to think for a second, then continued. “Look, because of your connection to the company, I’m afraid I’m going to have to pull you from this case altogether.” He looked apologetic and shrugged his shoulders. “I have no choice.”

  Maria turned to the senior detective, who looked like his whole world had been crushed. “Andy,” she said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure Chris is not a part of this. That slimy bastard Sinclair or the other one… err… Miller, they are more likely candidates.”

  “Sinclair!” Regan sat forward, waving his finger at Maria and Travis. “I did some checking up on that guy, and I’ve got a feeling he let the press in on the Seaton murder downstairs.”

  “Do you think he’s behind all this?” Andy asked.

  “Well, he certainly knows his was around computers and a CCTV system,” he said, as if convincing himself of his theory. “You can bet your life on it he knows how to hack into a database and erase files. You two get down there. Execute that warrant, and have a good sniff around while you’re there.” He glanced briefly at Andy, then back to the duo. “Treat everyone as a suspect.” He paused. “No exceptions.”

  “Right away, sir.” She signaled for Travis to follow her and started towards the door.

  “Maria,” the senior detective called after her. She turned around. “Do me a favor; make sure Jen is safe, please.”

  “Of course, partner. That goes without saying,” she reassured him.

  He shook his head. “I can’t believe the person who shot Dad could be this close to the family.” He took a deep breath. “You find this fucker and you nail him, you hear me?”

  “Roger that! Hopefully he’ll resist arrest when we get him.” She smiled.

  Regan looked at Travis, who had been holding his injured arm the entire time.

  “Are you okay for duty, son?” he asked out of concern. “I don’t want one of my best detectives going into a situation with a guy who can’t back her up.”

  “I’ll be fine, sir,” he insisted.

  “Hernandez, are you okay with this guy like this?” He waved his hand at the injured officer.

  “Yes, sir, he’ll be fine.” She nodded.

  “Cooper.” He closed the notepad on his desk and put his pen in the breast pocket of his jacket. “You and I will go down to the tech guys and light a fire under their asses. I want to know where those files are, today. Then we’re going to go over these files again.” He pointed his finger at the other officers again. “You two, be careful. Anything you find, you call me. Any problems, you call me. Anything at all, you call me. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

  “We all meet back here tonight and run over everything again.” He dismissed them by nodding towards the door. “Now get out of here and get this bastard.”

  The Genesis Chamber

  Chapter 36

  As they headed towards AppTech, Maria drove at her usual breakneck speed. Travis sat holding his injured arm, occasionally lifting it just to see how far he could move it before it hurt.

  “Are you going to be a baby about that all day?” She shot him a sideways glance.

  “I never said anything. I’m just seeing how much movement I have in it.” He paused, raised one eyebrow and looked at her. “I could do with a massage, just to ease the pain a little.” His words fell on deaf ears.

  “I’ve been thinking.” She swerved to avoid a car that had stopped suddenly. “I know the lieutenant said to treat everyone as a suspect, but I think we should take Chris into our confidence.”

  He put his hand on his shoulder and rolled it a couple of times. “It’s your call. I don’t know the guy, but, what from I have seen of him, he doesn’t strike me as the kind of man that would shoot his own dad.” He grimaced, obviously in pain. “Or the kind of guy to be involved in a pedophile ring, for that matter.”

  Concentrating on the traffic, she nodded her head. “That’s what I’m thinking, too.”

  She pulled the car into the AppTech parking lot and stopped the car in a ‘Reserved For Employees Only’ spot. They exited the car and entered main reception. John Sinclair lifted his head behind the reception desk as they approached.

  “Good morning, Detectives. What a lovely morning.” He greeted them with a smile. “How can I help you?”

  “We’re here to see Chris.” She walked straight through the checkpoint and headed towards the elevator. Travis was right behind her.

  “Wait, Detectives!” He ran around from his position to chase after them. “You haven’t signed in, and you have
n’t got your name badge.” He lightly placed a hand on Maria’s left shoulder.

  With lightening reflexes her right hand reached across and grabbed his hand. She spun around, bringing her arm underneath his armpit and before he knew it, Sinclair was on the ground, looking up at her firearm, which was no more than six inches from his face with the safety clicked off.

  “Take this is as your one and only warning. Touch me again and I will shoot you dead.” She stared at him a few seconds, deliberately put the safety back on, and returned the weapon to its holster. Then she pointed at the gold shield on her belt. “As for a badge, this is the only one I need.”

  She straightened up, stepped over him, and signaled for her partner to follow, leaving the embarrassed head of security to slowly get to his feet.

  “Is that your idea of keeping a low profile and discreetly asking questions?” Travis asked, as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

  “That mother fucker is lucky I didn’t double tap him.” She glared at Sinclair, who had returned to the reception desk and was on the phone. “Fucking guy assaulting a police officer. I have half a mind to arrest him right now.”

  Ding. The elevator arrived and they boarded.

  When they reached Chris’s office, they found the door ajar. Maria pushed it open as she knocked and they entered. Chris was on the phone behind his desk.

  “It’s okay, John,” he said, looking up at them and smiling. “They’re here now.”

  On the opposite side of the desk sat Jen, holding a tablet, looking at her uncle. She turned around when she heard him say they had arrived.

  “Hey.” She smiled broadly. “Morning, Maria. Is Dad with you?”

  “No, he isn’t, but he said to say hi.” She returned the smile. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, I’m really enjoying it here and, I’m learning loads.” She brimmed with excitement and turned back to her uncle. “I have a pretty cool teacher to thank for that.”

  Chris put down the handset, turned to the detectives and shook his head, while pointing at the phone.