Prologue. New York
City, NY. 1957
“Stop
fucking running, or I’ll just shoot your dumb ass!” Det. Abel Kincaid shouted
as he chased the fleeing perp. He had been after this kid for over a month, and
he wasn’t letting him get away, even if he had to chase this little punk all
night. “Damn, he’s a fast little shit,
and where is Tommy,” he thought.
The
perp was a teen that had committed multiple armed robberies and home invasions
over the last couple of months. Abel still didn’t have a name on the kid, but
figured he would get it when he caught the little son of a bitch. Tommy, that
he was thinking of, was his partner. Det. Tommy Oliver, also his training officer
when he first made detective. Tommy wasn’t so light on his feet these days.
Understandable, since he was nearing fifty, compared to Abel’s still young age
of twenty-eight.
“Tommy,
he’s heading into the abandoned apartment building on Eighth, catch up old
man!” he shouted into his radio.
Abel
gave chase into the building, following the perp up the stairs. He lost sight
of him a few floors up, but could still hear his footsteps. Nearing the top
floor, he heard the door to the roof get thrown open. He cautiously approached,
looking around before walking through the doorway.
“I can’t see shit
up here,” he
thought. All the lights had been broken or burned out long ago, making it hard
to see even a few feet in front of himself.
“Of course, I had to find your ass
on a cloudy night, at least the moon would’ve given me some fucking light.”
He continued forward, wishing he brought his damn flashlight, but this little
foot-chase wasn’t planned.
He
heard something crack behind him. Spinning on his heels, he turned to barely
see a hint of light off the barrel of the gun. Three shots rang out, and he
felt them tear through his chest. His vision blurred as he dropped his own gun,
and fell backwards. Instinct lead him to use his hands to check the damage. He
could barely see, but he could feel the wetness on his hands that told him he
was hit bad.
“Abel!
Jesus! Hang in there kid!” Tommy shouted as he finally reached the roof.
“At least he
remembered his flashlight,” Abel thought. Thinking was all he could do, talking
wasn’t an option at this point. Breathing didn’t appear to be either.
“I
have an officer down! Abandoned apartments on Eighth! I need an ambulance at
this location immediately!” Tommy yelled before tossing the radio aside, and
putting pressure on the wounds in Abel’s chest. “Fuck, hang in there kid! You
stay with me! Keep your fucking eyes open, you hear me!?”
It
was too late though, Abel couldn’t hear him anymore. He was already gone.
Abel
awoke in darkness. It was cold, so fucking cold here. He once again reached his
hands to his chest, but this time felt nothing. “Where am I,” he thought. “Tommy! Tommy, you there!”
His
head bounced off metal as he tried to sit up. Reaching to either side, he felt
metal walls. He began to panic, punching, and kicking until his foot knocked
open what appeared to be a small door. It took everything he had to slide
himself out, and he crashed to the ground for his effort once he did. He felt
so damn cold, why was it so cold?
Abel
slowly stood on legs that would barely hold him as he looked around. “Is this the fucking morgue? Why am I in the
fucking morgue?” His questions were soon answered when he saw his
reflection in a nearby mirror. He walked closer, sure he was seeing things
wrong. He could see three bullet wounds in his chest, and his skin was pale as
death.
“No, No, No I
can’t be fucking dead! I can’t be, I’m standing here!” he thought as
something strange began to happen. The color in his skin was returning, and his
chest appeared to be taking a transparent look. His bullet wounds were closing.
As they finished, his chest began to look normal again. “What the fuck is going on! Tommy! He can tell me what happened.”
Abel
looked up at the clock, it was two fifteen in the morning. Tommy would be at
home, sleeping no doubt, but he didn’t care. This couldn’t wait, he needed
answers. He began to rummage through some nearby lockers until he found some
clothes that fit him well enough for now, then he snuck out the back door.
He
was lucky that Tommy didn’t live far from the station. He had no car, or money
for a taxi, so he had to walk here. Tommy’s lights were still on. Strange, with
how late it was. Looking through the window, he could see Tommy sitting at his
kitchen table. He had a bottle booze and a bible keeping him company.
Abel
walked right in the open door, as he always had. “Tommy,” he called as he
entered.
Tommy
came running into the living room, gun in hand, and an expression of terror on
his face. “Abel! You can’t be here! I watched you fucking die!” he shouted. The
gun fell from his hand as he began to clutch his chest.
“Tommy,
it’s me. I don’t know how, but it’s really me. What happened out there?” It was
at this point he noticed that Tommy was having a heart attack. “Shit! Hang in
there buddy, I’ll get help!” he said as he ran to the phone on the kitchen
wall. “Yeah, my partner is having a heart attack. I need an ambulance at 5553
Meadow Ln. I’m a cop, my name is Det. Abel Kincaid. The man having the attack
is a cop as well, get here fast!”
Abel
returned to Tommy, he looked in bad shape. “You hang in there buddy, help’s on
the way.”
Chapter 1. St. Louis, MO. 2017
Det.
Matthew Brooks waited in his new captain’s office. It was his first official
day as a member of the STLPD. A recent release from the LAPD under disciplinary
circumstances had brought him here. He was beginning to think his career as a
cop was over, then he got the call that this department was willing to give him
a chance. He wasn’t impressed so far, this place looked run down.
“Good
morning Det. Brooks, good to have you,” said Capt. Martin as he entered the
office. “Sorry to make you wait, but it’s been a busy morning.
“Not
a problem sir, just glad to be here, and just call me Matt if that’s ok.”
“Shouldn’t
be a problem, but we need to get a few things straight before you get started
Matt.”
“Oh, I’m sure we
do,” he
thought. “I’m listening Captain.”
“You
didn’t come here under the best circumstances. Now, I don’t know if you did
what they said, or if you’re innocent like you claim. All I can say is that
shit doesn’t fly in my house. If I think for one second that you’re up to
something, I’ll shit can your ass in a heartbeat, understood?”
“I
understand sir, trust me, you’ll have no trouble out of me.”
“Good,
glad we cleared that up. Follow me, I’ll introduce you to your new partner. Not
many were keen to work with you, given the circumstance.”
“I
figured as much sir, who drew the short straw?”
“Actually,
he doesn’t know he’s working with you yet. He’s a bit of weird one to be honest
with you. Nobody wants to be partnered with him either, but he’s a damn good
detective.”
“That’s
all I ask for sir.”
Everybody
watched, and whispered as the Captain lead Matt toward two desks at the back.
One of the desks was empty, his he was guessing. A younger looking detective
sat at the other. Matt would place him around mid-twenties if he had to guess. “At least I get to work with somebody around
my age,” he thought. The detective hung up his desk phone as he and the Captain
approached.
“Matt
Brooks, Abel Kincaid, you two will be working together from now on.” Capt.
Martin said as he gestured between them.
“Wait,
Captain, I work alone,” Abel said.
“No
Kincaid, just because you manage to chase off every partner I assign you,
doesn’t mean you work alone. It just means you’re an asshole,” the Captain
replied.
“But.”
“I
don’t want to hear it, you two are partners, that’s final,” he said as he
walked away.
“Nice
to meet you,” Matt said as he extended his hand.
Abel
shook his hand. “Yeah, nice to meet you too,” he said, though his tone implied
otherwise.
Matt
sat at the empty desk, looking through the drawers. “Maybe we can get a beer
after we finish our shift. I’m not from here, could use someone to show me
around.”
Abel
looked up from his paperwork. “Let’s just get this out there. I’m not your
buddy, and we’re not going to be hanging out after shifts. In a couple of
weeks, you’ll request a different partner when you figure all that out.”
“Well,
I guess you’re sort of screwed there,” Matt replied.
“What’s
that supposed to mean kid?”
“Kid, did he just
call me kid? Fucker looks the same age as me.” “I guess you
haven’t heard, I’m not exactly welcome here. Nobody wants to be my partner,
that’s why I’m with you.
“Alright,
I’ll bite, why?”
Matt
shook his head. “I’m sure you’ll hear anyway, I was let go from the LAPD under
disciplinary circumstances. I was lucky to even get this job.”
“Dirty,
or brutal?” Abel asked.
“What?”
“There’s
only two main reasons you got let go, most things just get a slap on the wrist,
or a suspension. So, I’ll ask again. Were you dirty, or were you brutal?”
“Hey,
Fuck you!”
“Sorry
to interrupt your engaging introduction, but you two caught a case,” Capt.
Martin called.
“What
is it?” Abel asked, still locked in a stare down with his new partner.
“Triple
homicide, downtown, I’ll text you the address.”
This
got both of their attention. A triple homicide was more important than a petty
argument. “On our way captain,” Abel said as he grabbed his keys.
“How
do you get away with not wearing a suit?” Matt asked as he got into the car. He
had never seen a robbery/homicide detective wear a long sleeve t-shirt and
jeans while working.
“Captain
gives me trouble about it once in a while, but I think he figured out that I
don’t give a shit. A suit doesn’t solve a case for you kid.”
“There’s that kid
shit again, what’s with this guy?” “I thought it was protocol.”
“You
solve enough cases, people tend to leave you alone about the small shit,” Abel
replied.
“We
get a lot of cases around here?” Matt asked.
“Yeah,
we stay pretty busy.”
“Are
triple homicides common?”
“I’d
have to say no on that.”
The
rest of the ride stayed quiet, neither man had much to say to the other. Soon,
they were pulling up to the location the captain had texted them. The entrance
to the apartment building had been taped off, and uniformed officers were
guarding the door.
“Which
apartment?” Abel asked one of the officers as they approached the building.
“It’s
3b Det. Kincaid. Go ahead and go up, they’re waiting for you,” the officer
replied as he took one side of the tape down. “It’s pretty ripe up there. You
want some Vicks?”
“Nah,
I’ll be fine, but Hollywood here might,” Abel replied.
Matt
waved his hand that he didn’t. “I was wondering how long that would take.”
Abel
chuckled as they went upstairs. The smell was as ripe as advertised as they
reached the apartment. Forensics was already hard at work inside. “What do we
got boys?”
“Three
bodies, adult male, adult female, and a teenage male. Guessing Mom, Dad, and
son from the photos around. Family name is Deckard,” John Mason replied.
“Matt,
this is John Mason, Head Coroner for the city. John, this is my new partner,
Matt Brooks.”
“New
partner Abel? How long is this one going to last?”
“Up
to him I would imagine, but I’d put money on not long.”
“I’m
not that easy to get rid of.” Matt said. “Where’s the other kid in the
pictures?”
“Nice
catch detective, not here is all I can say for now.”
Matt
could see that Abel had walked away from the conversation. He was staring at a
message written in blood on the far wall behind where the bodies sat. He was
staring at it like he had seen a ghost. “Reditus sum? What the hell is that?”
he asked as he approached Abel.
“It’s
Latin, and it means I’m back,” Abel replied.
“Who’s
back?”
“Good
question, somebody with a flair for the dramatic I’d say,” Abel replied as he
looked closer at the message. “John, looks like we might have a print in the blood.
Can you try to lift it?”
John
approached, looking where Abel was pointing. “Holy shit, how the hell did you
spot that?”
“Good
eyes and years of practice.”
“Let
me work some magic. We’re pretty much done with collection, feel free to look around.”
Abel
and Matt returned to the couch where the bodies had been placed. Abel was
silently studying the victims.
“So,
we going to work this together, or should I go get a coffee of something,” Matt
asked.
Abel
flashed an annoyed look before standing. “Alright Hollywood, tell me what you
see.”
“Blood
spatter indicates the victims were shot right where they are, but ligature
marks indicate they were restrained at the time. Most likely, he untied them,
and posed them after doing the deed. Looks like double taps to the head from a
small caliber firearm was the cause of death, I’d say 9mm if I had to guess.”
“Not
bad, so what does that tell you?”
“Our
boy doesn’t get off so much on how he killed the victims, too boring of a
method for that. He gets his jollies on the created scene, the idea of us
seeing what he did.”
“Pretty
good kid, you might just do well here,” Abel replied.
“Just
not as your partner, right?”
“Bingo.”
“What
the hell is your problem?”
“No
problem, just prefer to work alone. I don’t like holding peoples hand so they
can keep up.”
“Fine,
one case, you give me one case. If you feel I can’t keep up with you, I’ll
request the damn transfer myself. But, if I do keep up, and you don’t have to
hold my hand as you put it, then you shut the fuck up and work with me.”
Abel
nodded with a slight smile on his face, he actually seemed a little impressed.
“Alright then, you get one case. Let’s head back to the station, I want you to
start looking through the archives, see if you can find any similar cases that
connect to this one. Doesn’t seem like it’s this guy’s first rodeo.”
“Agreed,
and enough with the kid shit. You don’t look any older than me, sounds
ridiculous.”
Abel
laughed as he started walking out of the apartment. “Let’s go Hollywood, we got
work to do.”
“What
about the other kid in the photos?”
“We’ll
post a unit out front, he’ll turn up.”
Chapter 2.
“You
thinking this guy migrated here from somewhere else?” Matt asked.
“I
Imagine so, I would remember any cases that looked like that. He can’t be new
though, too meticulous for a first time. First time is always sloppy.”
“There’s
something else though, isn’t there. You seemed like something was bothering you
when you read that message written in blood, like it was something familiar.”
“It
was the Latin, just brings up bad memories, nothing important.”
“Abel, you there
Abel, come in,”
the Captain said over the radio.
“Yeah,
I’m here Captain. What’s going on?”
“You two are close
to a robbery in progress, possible hostage situation. Gas and Go on Grand Ave.”
“On
our way, Captain,” Abel said as he hit the lights and siren.
“Stay
low, below the windows. Approach from the front. I’m going around back, don’t
enter until I’m in,” Abel ordered after they reached the gas station.
“Got
it, be careful, and don’t be too shy to scream if you get into trouble.”
Abel
shook his head at the comment. “Just keep your damn head down, don’t need you
getting shot on your first day.”
Abel
moved around the back of the building. He could see the back door was being held
open by a milk crate, possibly how the robbers got in if that was a habit. No
one appeared to be in the back room as he entered. A small hallway connected
the backroom to the main area of the store. Abel could hear a man’s voice
screaming about getting the safe open. Another man was trying to explain that
he couldn’t, the safe’s door was on a time lock, and he had to wait for the
countdown to open it.
Looking
from the doorway, Abel had a good view of the gunman. “Freeze, police!” he
screamed with his gun pointed at the suspect. The man turned, beginning to aim
his gun at Abel. Two shots sounded off from Abel’s sidearm, striking the
suspect center mass as he fell backward. As he went down, Abel heard a blast
from his left, followed by the shattering of glass behind him.
Matt
burst through the front hearing Abel’s shots at the first suspect. He came in
just in time to see the second suspect fire a shotgun at Abel. He wasn’t fast
enough to stop the shot, but he put the suspect down with two shots of his own
right after. “Abel, are you ok.”
“I’m
fine,” Abel yelled back.
“You
sure, could’ve sworn he got with you that one from where I was standing.”
“It
was close, but he missed.”
“Glad
to hear that,” Matt replied as he approached the downed suspect, sliding the
shotgun away as he checked for a pulse. “This one’s dead,” he called.
“This
one too,” Abel replied as he grabbed the radio from his belt. “This is
Detective Kincaid, I have two suspects down at the Gas and Go on Grand Ave.
Both suspects are dead, better get the coroner over here.”
Matt
circled around the store to where Abel had been standing. He could see the
spread of the shot, no way it missed Abel. “You sure you’re not hit? Adrenaline
can make you not feel it, and buckshot can be hard to notice if only a few
pieces hit you.”
“I’m
fine Hollywood, he missed. I think I would know if I was shot.”
“Fine,
I just don’t see how he missed. You must be the luckiest person I’ve ever met.”
“Yeah,
lucky guy, that’s me,” Abel replied.
“For
Christ’s sake Abel, I sent you to stop a robbery, not to give me two more dead
bodies to deal with. How many shooting is that this year, six?” the Captain
asked as Matt and Abel entered the squad room.
“It’s
only four, sir,” Abel replied, trying not to smile at his own smart-ass response.
“Only
four, only you can walk in here and say only fucking four. Most people don’t
have in four in their whole career.”
“Guess
I’m just lucky then, sir.”
“We
really didn’t have a choice sir, they started shooting as soon as Abel
identified himself,” Matt added.
“Save
it for your fucking report Brooks. If I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it,
understood?”
“Yes
sir, I understand. Opinions are like assholes and all that shit,” Matt replied,
that one got a smile out of Abel.
“Start
looking through those archives, I want to know how many times this guy has done
this. If anyone gives you any shit, tell them I told you to look,” Abel said as
the Captain walked away.
“I’m
on it, how far out do you want me to check?” Matt asked.
“Nation-wide,
just in case, he could’ve started anywhere.”
“You
got it, I’ll call you when I find something.”
“Maybe this kid isn’t
half bad, still need him gone though,” Abel thought as he sat at his desk. He
knew it would be awhile before he got any info on that print from the scene, if
it even had a match. He knew it wouldn’t really matter even if it did, more to
this one than anyone else knew, but like it or not, he knew.
Abel
reached into his desk drawer and retrieved his backup side arm, Internal
affairs took his service weapon after his interview about the shooting, and he
refused to walk around unarmed. As he placed the backup in his holster, his
desk phone began to ring. “Robbery/Homicide, Kincaid speaking,” he said upon
answer.
“Is
this Abel?” said a quiet female voice on the other end.
“Yes
ma’am, Abel Kincaid.”
“I
need your help Mr. Kincaid,” she said, she sounded frightened.
“Ma’am,
if this an emergency I urge you to hang up and dial 911.”
“No,
they can’t help me, I was told you could.”
“I’m
listening ma’am. How did you get my number if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Maria
Sanchez gave me your number. She said you helped her, and that you can help
me.”
Everything
was becoming clear to Abel now, he remembers Miss Sanchez. “Why don’t you just
give me your address, we can speak in person.”
“My
address in 2352 Elm Ln. Don’t you need to know what’s going on?”
“No
ma’am, you can tell me when I get there. Best not to discuss these matters over
the phone. I’m on my way now.”
“Thank
you, Mr. Kincaid, please hurry.”