Chapter 30 #2
He clicks on the email and it pops up covering the whole screen. There’s a photo attachment but before clicking on the photo, he scrolls down to the message.
Jesus died at the age of thirty-three. He died for our sins, our salvation, for forgiveness of our wrong doings. Thirty-three marks to signal the angel to protect this woman from the demon that lives within her. To bring her closer to her spiritual purpose. If this fails, she may be lost forever.
This is it, the update we needed to track this guy, to know what state of condition the girls are in but I don’t know if I’m ready for this, ready to see what he did with those thirty-three markings.
The cursor moves to the picture and hovers over it in hesitation before finally clicking on it.
Gasps fill the room as the photo broadcasts a female back with slices all over it.
Blood trickles from the wounds. Deep cuts but not enough to cause death from what I see.
Cuts cover all over the back and I notice a mole on the lower hip.
My body starts vibrating at the realization who it belongs to.
Looking at the other side of the photo, I notice a brown strand of hair right at the shoulder.
I absolutely lose it. I shove from the table causing the chair to flip over under my feet. Grabbing the nearest thing, I send it flying towards a wall causing it to shatter.
“Solace! SOLACE!” The Director screams my name but white noise fills my ears. I can’t control it, I can’t control the rage that’s overpowering me, exposing me to my peers.
“Look what he fucking did! We’ve been too slow to find this fucker and he’s touched her, marked her like she’s some sort of canvas,” I spit out.
I pace back and forth, taking deep breaths trying to get a hold of myself but it’s no use. I knew deep down something would happen to her, but seeing it displayed with pride just makes me want to vomit.
“You’re off the case, Solace. I knew this would be too personal. Out, get him out of here now!” he demands.
I whirl at him, pinning him with such hatred and venom. “Fuck you,” is all I can get out before I’m pulled away. Beckett whispers in my ear to walk away, trying to get me to leave before I lose my job. As if I give a fuck about this job right now.
I pull the door open hard causing it to hit the wall as I leave the tainted room. I walk with purpose to my desk, grabbing my bag and making my way back towards the elevator. Beckett is hot on my heels, not leaving me alone as if I’m going to do something stupid. Which I just might.
“Go, Beckett. Go back before you lose your job,” I grumble at him.
“We’re a team, and if that means I lose my job, then so be it. I got your six. Your girl and our partner are out there and we need to act now. We can’t wait for them,” he declares as he pushes the button causing the doors to open.
We make our way down until we get to the parking garage. I need to get to Antonio, he needs to know what the hell just happened to his cousin and we need his help to find her.
“Follow me to the mansion. We need to meet with the boys. Once we get there, I need you and Samson to track the IP address so we can locate where this email came from,” I instruct him before slipping into my car and peeling out of the garage.
I send a quick text to the number, which I'm assuming is Antonio’s, and plug in the address before I cut in and out of traffic.
I’m done waiting. I’m done wondering what the hell my woman is going through.
I make it there in record time, flying out of my car with Beckett parking and hot on my heels.
The door opens and Antonio stands there with concern written all over his face.
“Not yet. We need to be in the room before we discuss so we don’t freak out the others in this house.” The only thing he can say that causes me to slow my pace down.
We follow him back to the room, passing the girls, giving them a soft smile. Once we’re secured inside, Beckett heads straight over to where Samson already has the computers up and ready. He types furiously in the keys causing Samson to sit back and admire his work.
“You going to tell me what the hell is going on?” Antonio grinds out.
“We got a message right before we left the station. He cut her up and displayed her like she’s some sort of canvas,” I snarl.
Right as I spit it out, the image blows up on the screen.
He curses under his breath at the gruesome scene.
Codes start to appear, blocking the view, scrolling at a speed that causes my head to go dizzy.
I have to look away to avoid vomiting all over the expensive rug.
Not just at the rapid fire numbers, but seeing her on display like that again.
“Found it!” Beckett exclaims. “But this doesn’t make sense. Isn’t this where we’d searched and came up empty?”
The location brings us back to the very community that we raided with no sign of life. Did he go back and the priest, pastor, or whatever the hell he is, is covering for him? Antonio and I look at each other and as if we’re talking with our eyes, we race out of the room.
Once outside, he pops open his trunk of the SUV and presses a button where a secret compartment appears right under the base of it. Guns, knives, ropes, and other weapons display ready to be picked. Before he goes for his choice, he pulls on leather gloves and tosses me a pair.
“Go put your gun in your car and put these on. Nothing can be traced back.” He hands me a set of gloves and gestures over at my car with the tip of his chin.
I don’t think twice and do what he says.
Leaving my badge, gun, wallet, and anything that could identify me.
The mask of a soldier begins to bind itself to me and I welcome it with open arms. Returning, I put the gloves on and he hands me a gun that I assume has no serial number and a knife.
Once we have everything we need, he shuts the compartment and trunk, and we head out to the most holy little community there is.
For the sake of the people, they better take shelter.
The tires kick up rocks as we make our way down the dirt road and come to a halting stop in front of the church. We received a call from Samson that the IP leads right to this god-forsaken place.
Antonio gets out and picks the lock granting us access inside.
Candles are lit all around casting a glow throughout the space.
We raise our guns, checking around us for any movement, clearing the big room.
The rest of the doors are open with no one inside.
We finally get to the one door that's closed and it’s locked.
Antonio wastes no time and kicks it in, causing it to crash to the floor.
There’s a woman bent over the desk crying out, begging for it to stop.
The fucking holy man who’s supposed to represent something so good, is committing something so evil.
He’s buried deep inside her getting his fill as she’s shaking, snot running down her face.
The primal rage takes over and I launch myself at him, ripping him off her, causing him to crash into a shelf on the side wall.
Antonio runs over to her, helping her cover up and whispers to her to get out of here and don’t look back. She doesn’t hesitate and runs out the room as quickly as she can without looking back. He peeks out the door to make sure she made it out the front door before he nods to continue.
Stunned, laying on the floor, Pastor Jefferson looks up at me with so much horror. Like I interrupted something so sacred. My fist flies connecting to his face and I yank him up, throwing him across the desk. Antonio moves, grabbing him by the throat and raises him up against the wall.
“Where are they?” he yells.
He claws at his hands trying to relieve the pressure to get a sliver of air. Antonio bangs his head against the wall, losing all patience. When he realizes the man between his hands is starting to turn blue, he lightens up on his hold before slamming him into a chair.
“How dare you,” he gasps, catching his breath. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Antonio ties his hands to the arms of the chair as I stride over to stand right in front of him.
“I knew you were lying when we were here last. You knew what Oliver was doing. Why is the IP coming back to this very church? Where is he holding them?” I snarl.
He scrunches his face as if he’s trying to figure out what we’re referring to but realization dawns on him.
“He’s doing the Lord's work. He was summoned to bring peace to this world. You must let it play out for everyone's sake,” he preaches with so much pride.
“Just like you were doing the Lord's work with that girl? You’re using the excuse of religion to commit sins. I’ve never seen this play out and I know Christ would not approve of the very thing you are claiming He allows.
” I pull out my knife and with one fluid motion, I swing it downward cutting off his manhood.
I may not be a religious man, but my parents are and growing up in church, this was nothing they would have accepted. They would have shunned him out for his outrageous acts. This is not what faith is about. This is a cult disguised as something holy and this will end now.
He screams in pain as blood gushes out of him. He will die from this but not before I get my answers.
“Tell us where he is before we cut another piece of you off.” Antonio steps forward with a lethal promise.
“He’s an hour away!” he yells. “Please, he’s at the old house on Maple Street. You can’t miss it, it’s the only house. The address is in the top drawer.”
Reaching over to the desk, I open the drawer and find a piece of paper with an address scribbled on it. I grab it, handing it over to Antonio. He takes it and makes his way out of the church.
“Please, don’t leave me here. Help me!” the piss-poor of a man cries.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you.” I give him a side smirk before I pull the gun from my waist band and fire at the side of his head, killing him instantly.
I return to the SUV, getting in before Antonio takes off down the road. A million thoughts run through my head. The way I cut the guy's dick off and killed him without hesitation. I don’t feel anything, not like I should.
“I already called the crew. They’ll be here in a few to clean up the mess and make sure no one saw anything and if they did, they’ll be hushed. It was too dark for the woman to recognize us but I have a feeling she’ll keep quiet,” he informs me as we make our way off this poisonous land.
“Let’s go hunting.”