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Case #1: Romeo Chapter 8 |
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Sleuths
Headquarters Atlanta,
Georgia Sunday,
October 6, 2002
“We’ve got the SOB. This is Romeo!” Logan replied, the sound of hatred tainting his voice. Logan noticed Agent Morgan as he entered the room. “What the hell are you doing here?” “Long time no see, Logan.” Agent Morgan replied. He pursed his lips in a forced smile, which quickly faded back into his no-nonsense features, which he used while on the job. “What are you doing here, Zane?” Logan huffed loudly, for effect, to indicate his disapproval. Agent Morgan bowed his head in frustration as he stroked his hand over his short crew-cut hair. “You’ve got the wrong guy, Logan.” Agent Morgan brought his hand down from his head and cupped it over his mouth, resting his chin on his thumb, and exhaled. “This isn’t Romeo.” “How do you know that?” Hope protested. “You’ve only been on the case for what…five minutes!”
Agent Morgan took a few seconds before he replied. “I know him.” Agent Morgan began stoking his hands over his hair, again. “This is Agent Christopher Grant with the FBI.” “What!” Hope screamed. Suddenly, she felt betrayed. “Is that all I was to you? Another Case?” Chris stood to his feet, still handcuffed, and took a few steps toward Hope. “No! Don’t!” She turned away from him, her shoulders slightly hunched over. “I have enough on my plate with Romeo. I don’t need your lies too.” Logan put his hand on Hope’s shoulder and squeezed gently, but she pulled away. “If you need any-.” “Stop Logan, please. I don’t need consoling. I don’t need anything. I just want to be left alone.” And that was all she said before she stormed out of headquarters. Logan started to go after her, but Toni stopped him. “Let me,” She said calmly.
Jason caught Toni before she left in pursuit of Hope. “If you need me,” He patted the coat pocket that held his cellular phone. “Call.” “Bring her back to me. I love her.” Chris called out to Toni. Logan looked at Chris, hatred in his eyes. “Shut up!”
Outside
of Sleuths HQ Atlanta,
Georgia Sunday,
October 6, 2002 1:01
PM “I’m fine! Please, just leave me alone.” Hope brushed past Toni and got into the cab. “I
know what you’re going through, Hope.” “I don’t even know you. How could you possibly know anything about me?” “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know you, not really, but I know the situation.” “Oh God! What are you going to do now? Play junior psychiatrist with me?” “Fine! If you don’t want my help, so be it. But at least tell me where you’re going.”
Toni nodded. Maybe Logan would know what Hope was talking about. “Be safe.” Toni shivered as a cold gust of wind passed over her. “I hope I’m doing the right thing by letting her go off on her own.” She said to herself as she watched the cab drive off. The
Watson Residence Atlanta,
Georgia December
24, 1993 11:58
PM I
held my hand over my mouth tightly stifling a scream that threatened to
escape from my throat. What
was going in my parents’ bedroom?
Faith
had already bolted up out of her bed.
The expression on her face revealing the horror she felt, the
horror that we both felt. Without
even speaking we knew what the other was thinking; that is how closely
we were connected to one another. The connection of identical twins is very uncanny. I
quietly, slowly turned the doorknob to our bedroom and we crept silently
into the dark hallway. Even
in the dark I managed to find my way to the small desk at the far end of
the hallway. Faith wasn’t
far behind. Opening
the draw of the desk I removed the revolver and held it in a tight grip
by my side as we made our way back towards our parents bedroom.
Standing
just outside of the slightly ajar bedroom door I prepared myself
mentally for whatever it was I was about to see.
But
Faith couldn’t wait any longer, and she entered the bedroom. I
entered after her, and screamed when I saw our father covered in blood,
hovering over our mother’s mutilated body.
The knife he used to stab her with still in his grasp. Faith
moved beside the bed, out of range, and before I knew it I had the gun
pointed at my father. He
pleaded for me to put it down; but I pulled the trigger not once but
twice. “Hope!”
Faith screamed. Blood
spatter covering her face. “What
have you done?”
Greenwood
Cemetery Atlanta,
Georgia Sunday,
October 6, 2002 1:40
PM FAITH
WATSON: Hope
traced the name on the headstone with her index finger.
“What happened, sis?” Hope
asked. “Why did things
have to end like this?” “Who
ever said it was over?” A voice, obviously machine generated, asked.
Hope tried to turn and face her attacker, but a gun was shoved up
against the back of her neck. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment.
A very long time.”
“Shame
on you, Hope.” Hope felt
the barrel of the gun tighten up against the back of her neck.
“You’ll get your peek. Trust
me!” Hope
cackled. “Trust you?
This coming from a person who can only talk to me through a voice
distorter.” Hope’s
sudden burst of sarcasm angered her attacker, and as quickly as the gun
was removed from Hope's neck its handle connected with her skull,
rendering her unconscious.
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The
double doors of Sleuths Headquarters opened violently as Logan with a
handcuffed Christopher Maloney entered, followed by Toni, Jason and
Hope.
Logan
stepped toward Agent Morgan in an attempt to intimidate him.
Logan
nodded his approval.
“To
visit old ghosts.”