Disclaimer: See part 1 Other info: See part 1
pt. 2
The two fell into familiar silence, looking through the folder's contents. The pictures were unbelievable and Blair pointed out several oddities to Jim. "This scorch pattern is incredible. It's impossibly natural - like a planned lightning strike."
Several of the pictures had good angles on the position of the bodies in the midst of the large burned areas. Huge black fingers inched up the walls, and mass destruction was all around, as if the scorch and damage were from a central source, an UNnatural disaster. They debated whether the marking could be from a combustible substance or an electrical source. Jim examined four full shots of the burn areas, one from each of the crime scenes. He set them out across Blair's desk, bending across it facing his partner, and moving the tiki before he impaled himself.
"See anything unusual in the photos?" Blair asked, silently urging Jim to step up his inspection.
Which Jim did, but the photos, plain black and whites, didn't reveal much. He pointed to a spot on the ground, a few feet from one body, then pointed to similar spots in the other photos. "This looks like the origin of the burns. But there's varying distance to the bodies."
"Meaning our perp is the most likely cause of these marks?" Sandburg looked up it Jim, shielding his eyes from the light. His headache was still there, and getting stronger.
"Like an incendiary device." Jim said and stood up, placing a hand at the back of his neck. He recognized the look on his partner's face. It meant they BOTH had headaches. That was never good. That usually meant trouble. "That would do it. And any quick-burning fluid, sprayed around."
The young man thought about that, standing and walking around to Jim's side of the desk. "But for what reason? Certainly not to hide the bodies. If he's trying to burn them to ashes, it isn't working. They aren't even singed. Just the matter outside the immediate mark."
"Could it be some kinda signature, Chief?" Jim picked up one of the pictures and gave it a couple 90 degree turns, focusing in to try to make out anything. It was no use. He'd do better if he could see the actual crime scene. "Any mention of devices or remnants found?"
"Not a one." Blair replied, shuffling the police reports from the file. "It's like it's... I don't really know. It's a kinda -"
"Magic?" Nik asked from the doorway.
"Come again?" the young man questioned.
"A Kinda Magic. You know, the song by Queen?" She said that pointedly to Jim, hoping the older man would have the better musical background. She wasn't disappointed.
"Yeah." the detective said with a slight smile. "Very well in fact."
The smile she gave him made Jim stop for a moment, look down at the ground, then work back to her face. As he brought his eyes up from the floor, he made a quick survey of the woman before him. Hearing Blair clear his throat, Jim shook his head, effectively stopping the tangent his mind was taking. "Uh, sorry. We were just going over the pictures trying to figure out the scorch patterns."
"Any conclusions?" Nik said walking forward.
Blair walked back around behind his desk and started to open his laptop. "I've got a couple buddies that could help with this. Something here is like totally familiar. I remember reading something about this sort of thing...in New York... I'll have to do some searching in the archives."
"Sounds good." Nik said, her gaze never leaving Jim. "I'll pull records on the deceased." Something unpleasant had just wrinkled the big man's brow, and she was just afraid it was heading her way.
Jim saw Simon heading towards them, and the captain didn't look happy. A rapid heartbeat and high sweat concentration were the Sentinel's confirmation. The unlit cigar only reaffirmed it. Ellison tried to focus on what the woman was saying, but it was no use. "Huh? Yeah. I'll work over the list of uh - yeah... list of whatdoyoucallits... uh"
"Witnesses?" Nik supplied. Glancing in the same direction as Jim's distracted stare, she found Simon directly behind her.
"You can do that later." The captain started. "Right now, we've got another body. Baederwood Mall Parking Garage."
"We're on it, sir." Jim said to Simon, then turned to his partner. "Grab your pack and the spare battery, and lets go. You can search on the way there." Jim turned to see Nik grab her coat and keys from her desk, then tuck a slim Glock 9mm into the holster at the small of her back. She walked back just as Blair was pulling on his own coat."
"I'll drive." Nik and Jim said in unison.
"Oh, this is too much." Simon commented and walked back to his office.
"You two are beginning to freak me out." Blair said as he pushed between them. Nik just shook her head as they moved toward the elevator. "Anything'll do, but let's just get there before the press does."
~~~~~
Easier said than done. It wasn't the press that was the problem. The two detectives were likely to kill each other. After a brief "debate" in the elevator, Sandburg took command, flipping a coin to decide who drove. Ellison won, a small smile finding its way onto his face. Had the anthropologist seen the look, he might have scheduled some tests for a later time. Jim said a brief 'thank you' to the invisible force that kept his friend distracted.
Once in the truck, Blair's attention was completely spent on the laptop, leaving a silent hole between Jim and Nikya. While Dakota paid attention to the streets, taking in the layout of the city, Ellison concentrated on something else. It WASN'T his driving, Nik unpleasantly realized. Judging by the way he took corners on three wheels, she knew the man was NOT afraid to die...
As they pulled into the parking garage, Jim got out quickly, heading directly for the yellow tape and jacketed officers. Nik stood by the truck for a moment, surveying the damage around her and opening up her mind to the buzzing that was so familiar.
Her body was blocking the open truck door until Blair nudged by, brushing her body with his own. When there was no response, he settled a hand cautiously on her elbow. "You okay, Detective?"
"It's Nik, please." She smiled to him, noting the concern painted on his face. "Sorry for the confrontation in the office. I'm a little defensive about certain topics - as if you hadn't noticed." A small chuckle escaped.
"Apology accepted." Blue eyes smiled at her.
"I'm also sorry if I squished you on the way here." Nik said returning his smile. "Is that Detective Ellison's way of welcoming me? Or do I have to survive a natural disaster?" There was a sudden sparkle in his eyes, something that softened the sarcasm that crusted Nikya's comments. Patting him lightly on the back, Nik sighed softly and headed towards the Coroner.
*Deep breath. I am...relaxed.* Taking another look beyond the yellow tape, Sandburg rephrased his thought. "I am... never gonna get used to this." Blair took the scene one foot at a time, noting the small chalk circle a couple feet away from him. It was several feet from the matching cookie-cutter outline. He tried not to focus on the contents of the chalk drawings and turned away after a few long seconds.
Seeing the small crowd that had gathered, Jim ordered a few officers to push the line back and disperse them. He took a long look at the area, the damage, the scorching, the body, and Dakota. She was standing by the body now, glancing around nervously, wildly. Her gaze passed over him, almost through him, until it rested on someone towards the back of the usual gore-chasers. He saw the smile on her face and tuned into her.
The buzzing that ruled her life kicked at her instincts, making her look up from the body. She'd felt it as they'd parked the truck, but it was definitely stronger now. Searching the small group of faces, she found the friendly eyes and smile. Handsome as ever, he stood at the back of the ruckus, just waiting for her to find him. They exchanged smiles as he put his hand to his head motioning that he'd call later. Then he was gone. "Connor..." The name was whispered before she knew it.
It wasn't really prying, he reconciled. When her heartrate soared and a brilliant smile graced her lips, Ellison had focused in on Dakota's words. Word, actually. *Conner? She knows Megan?* he questioned in his mind. He edged closer to her, concerned she might not be able to handle the body...and its pieces. Clearing his throat as he approached, Jim was caught off guard when she turned that smile on him. It almost distracted him.
Almost. "Something amusing about Marie Antoinette over here?"
Smile dissipating, her attention returned to the job and body at hand. "I was thinking of something else." She said calmly.
His mumble was a little louder than he'd intended. "More like someONE else." Her head came up quickly, while Jim turned away, an arrogant little smile of triumph firm on his face.
She examined the body, kneeling to get a better look at the cut. "Left-handed."
"How do you figure that?" Blair asked.
Surprised at Sandburg's voice, the two detectives turned their attention to find the Field Specialist standing behind them. The young man had attempted to quiet himself about the body, but obviously couldn't handle even a small curiosity. He had to turn away again.
"Angle of cut. See the sweep?" Jim delicately explained and then continued, informing his partner of the subtleties - where the cut started and how the upsweep and skin separation added to his beliefs. By the time Jim was done, Blair was turning green, with pale yellow shadings and white highlights.
The kid was just turning to walk away when Nik caught him by the arm. Ever the gentleman and thinking she might need a hand up, Blair smiled down at her and extended both hands. She took his left hand, quickly turning it over and jabbing a finger into the exposed forearm's soft tissue, just below the elbow. It was done so quickly, the anthropologist barely had time to yelp. In a second or so, his color returned.
"Whoa! That's amazing."
Looking up from his crouched position beside the body, Jim noticed the change in his partner's features. The fretful look was replaced with one of enthused interest, something not normal around inanimate bodies. "You okay, Chief?" Not only was the color coming back to his face, but he was staring directly at the body and not turning back to the color he'd been. "What'd you do?" Jim asked grabbing the woman's arm in concern.
"Acupressure." Dakota answered calmly. "Specific points control specific body functions. You can control everything from headaches to nausea to appetite. It's centuries old... I merely turned off his gag reflex, to put it in simple terms."
While the barb to his intelligence hurt, Jim knew Blair's bouncing well enough to see his friend wasn't harmed. "I don't know why I didn't think of that before!" The young man said, slapping a hand to his forehead. "I should've looked into that a while ago...Where's that spot again?"
She was chuckling softly as Sandburg stood feeling the inside of his arm. "Maybe I'll show you later, but it takes years to master. I learned from a Tibetan monk who'd spent his whole life studying the subject - and it was rumored he was well over a hundred. Do it right, and you can cure most common ailments. Do it wrong, and you can kill." With a small smile up to the young man, Nik turned her attention back to Ellison who was going over the body with his hands outstretched. "Reading her Chi?"
"Huh?" Jim said, not really hearing her question and thinking her tone irksome. "What's that?"
"Her Chi, Jim. Her life force." Blair said, staring down at them. The typical blank stare in answer to the academics let the teaching fellow know Jim wasn't concerned with a definition. Usually Blair wouldn't have pushed a lengthy definition, but he wanted something to cover the Sentinel's actions. "You know. CHI." His own hand motions mimicking Jim's, the anthropologist tried to emphasize the word's importance.
"You know I was just trying to get an idea of..." But he was cut off by Blair's cleared throat. Looking up, Jim saw his partner nod unhappily towards their companion. It was pretty much all Ellison could do to keep from laughing. Sandburg's eyes were pushed so far to one side, they could have easily popped right out. Pinching the bridge of his nose with a couple fingers, Jim tried to play along. "Well, I was measuring... Uhm, I needed to see... there was something I wanted to.." His partner could only offer a shrug. The master of obfuscation was on vacation. "Forget it." Jim said quickly. As he turned to make his concession, Nik's violet eyes caught his gaze. "I was... uh... reading ...her Chi." Forcing a hand into the pocket of the victim's coat, Jim grabbed the billfold that was still there. Hoping it would keep her busy, the detective handed it over to Dakota and let her go through it while he resumed reading the body, trying to garner anything he could and maybe estimate how long she'd been there. Jim also opened up his sense of smell to see if he could pick up a stray cologne or something.
"What do you think? Execution?" Blair nervously asked to the two detectives. "No." Dakota said first. "She wasn't on her knees, and the cut definitely came from behind." Nik stood and handed Blair the ID from the billfold. "We need to run this through the precinct computer, see what they can get on her. Probably not much more than her business address, but try it anyway, please."
Blair looked over to Jim who nodded almost imperceptibly. Permission granted, Sandburg took the wallet and headed back to his laptop and the truck.
"So," Jim said with some smugness. "Do YOU think it was an execution?"
"No." came her ready reply. "There was definitely a fight..."
He'd picked up on that, had actually seen the tell-tale scuff marks and footprints. Ellison wasn't certain how Dakota had known, yet her statement was full of confidence. He wanted more information, but she'd already started with something else - walking the length of the body, then looking over to Jim. The intense violet eyes took him by surprise, and he found it hard to concentrate on her next sentence.
"She's my height so the perp would be..."
Standing them face to face, she grabbed his arm and mocked a sword sweep towards herself. It would have been fine, except when his fingers touched the warm skin of her throat. Their gazes locked, and Jim noticed her bite her lower lip. He cleared his throat and repeated the action, missing her long, sensuous neck by a matter of millimeters. But his fingers still registered the growing warmth of her skin. He cleared his throat, forcing his mind back to the crime scene. When Nik quietly repeated her observation, Jim countered with his. "So the perp is about my height."
"Are you a swordsman, Detective Ellison?" She said meekly, hoping desperately to sound in control.
"Maybe I've just seen my share of decapitations." Putting his hand back in his coat pocket, Jim looked over his shoulder at Sandburg running the victim's ID. "Was there anything in the wallet?"
For a minute or two, they discussed the relevance that the victim hadn't been mugged.
The compact, lady's billfold had been full. All credit cards, calling cards, and a couple hundred in cash were still there. They walked the crime scene and talked a bit more.
Stopping near the coroner's wagon, Nik brought their conversation full circle. "You didn't answer my question."
"And that was?" the big man said in mock innocence.
"Are you a swordsman?"
"I've swung a blade before, but I'm no expert." They stood looking at each other.
There was a bit of tension, and she smiled up at him suddenly. "Anything in which you ARE an expert?" She was rewarded with a small smile from him and his arms crossing casually over his chest. A posture, she felt certain, was his physical defense to prying questions. Getting no answer, Nik turned and walked quickly to the Medical Examiner, who was removing the body.
Jim took that time to find his partner, who was examining the cars in the vicinity of the body.
"Whatcha up to, Chief?"
Sandburg pointed to the scorched area around him, observing in reality what they'd supposed from the pictures. Windshields, headlights, tires - all vandalized, as if some massive storm had been brought in and unleashed on that level. The one patch of light in the midst of the scorching drew the two of them. "Ground Zero. This is where it hit." They looked up at the ceiling and down at the floor in unison, attracting a few amused glances from those on the scene. The two rationalized that it hadn't come from below or above, since the ceiling wasn't scorched and neither the ceiling nor the floor had structural damage. Jim, however, noticed that three rows of lights were popped and shattered in order and made a note to check the building's wiring to see if it carried enough power to do that kind of damage. Jim tuned in his senses, blocking the random car alarms, and worked the scene.
"I don't get it, Chief." He started. "Nothing."
"What do you mean? Your headache bothering your senses?" They looked at each other as Jim shook his head.
*He always knows.* "What I mean is this feels completely natural. I don't detect any chemicals, other than what's been spilled by the cars. Nothing cloak and dagger." They knelt to look at the one clean spot in the area.
"What about a flare? Burns to ashes and a sudden displacement of the air, like a flame up, would disperse it." But Jim shook his head before the young man had even finished.
"Not without some residue and this patch is clean. I mean REALLY clean."
The area was completely clean, down to the cement. They were noting that it was slightly cleaner than a busy parking garage floor should be, when Nik walked over, standing directly opposite the blank patch. Jim noted the obvious similarity. "They're footprints. Whatever did this, was done while the perp was standing in the middle of it."
The three of them stared at the spot, noting the approximate size and placement of Jim's feet when he stood there. Their perp was approximately Jim's height and shoe size. To that, Jim smiled and laughed.
"So we're looking for someone about Jim's size who runs around in a flame- retardant suit." Blair said on a laugh.
"And carries a sword..." Nik added.
Jim capped off the commentary with a simple but effective police phrase. "That narrows it down."
The trio walked through the scene one last time, searching for any last bits of information they could and pooling what they had. It wasn't much. No witnesses, broken surveillance camera, and little physical evidence. Checking the computer's preliminary results turned up a loss a well. A couple of e-mails from Sandburg's friends regarding forwarded information, and a mention of a similar case in Seattle nearly a year earlier. The ID search would take a while as well.
"So, we're looking at a possible copycat." Jim threw out.
"No. Lots of people run around with swords."
Blair laughed, but Jim just stared. It wasn't that what she said wasn't funny, it was that she didn't seem to say it with the intent to BE funny. Jim looked at her. Her heart was racing, as if she'd said the wrong thing. The words had come off her tongue so easily, plainly even, that Jim wondered if she had actually understood what she'd said.
Nik looked away from the two men. She shouldn't have said anything, but the comment was out now. Hopefully, they could pass over it. She stared at her shoe, then kicked a piece of something automotive that had been strewn about by the explosions. It skittered directly forward and hit something, the metallic ting getting her immediate attention. The clinking grabbed Jim's attention and he stared down at her.
"What do ya think that was?" Jim asked with a smirk.
"There's enough debris around here," Blair started. "Could be anything from a dropped transmission to a fender."
"Clear resonance, too high for the metal in regular car parts..." Nik said catching Jim's stare, then hitting the floor at the same time the detective did.
"You're weirding me out again." Blair said as he fell to the ground with them, turning his head slightly to share their discovery. Under a car, some feet away from where the body had been, was a beautiful sword.
Since she was the smallest, Dakota was "volunteered" to retrieve the item. It didn't really bother her to get the sword. Even gloved, her hand actually itched to hold it. She pulled it carefully towards her, not allowing the blade to scrape the pavement. Her eyes were filled with genuine appreciation as she stood and studied the sword. There was a momentary flash of concern as she examined the tip of the pommel, interested in the large golden stone fixed there. Taking the ornate hilt into her grasp, the detective swept the blade through the air in front of her, gracefully, practiced. Dakota let the light skim down the leading edge. A couple nicks, some scratches, a little blood as well, but it wasn't the murder weapon.
The partners watched as their third passed the sword from hand to hand, noting the ease with which she handled it.
"Well." Jim said rather intrigued. "Tag it and bag it, Detective."
"We've got a murder weapon?" Blair asked, staring with hungry eyes at the sword, most obviously an antique.
Nik was shaking her head before the comment was finished. "It's hers..."
Jim nodded his agreement at the other detective's statement. Taking the weapon with a gloved hand, Jim opened up his senses to examine it thoroughly. The first thing he noticed was the weight. Besides having a large handle with some ornate basket-work, the blade was slightly longer than most and razor-sharp. This was a custom piece - finely crafted and very old. He had to admit, though, that it had great balance. His attention focused on the faceted gem on the end of the pommel, then turned to the feel of the piece as a weapon.
It was Nik's turn to stare in wonder. Jim had obviously had some training with swords. She watched him study the blade as it arced through the air. Stealing a glance at Sandburg, Dakota noted the look of wonder on the young man's face. Evidently, Detective Ellison didn't share everything with his partner...
His examination over, Jim handed the sword off to Forensics. The blood, nicks, and scrapes pointed towards Nik's theory. There had been a fight, but over what? It added a new dimension to the killer's profile. Not just a ruthless decapitation, but some sort of fight for life...
~~~~~