Lies in the Force
Nathan reached for the bottle of aspirin, even the tiny
rattling of the pills made his already splitting head ache even more. He could
still taste the alcohol on his tongue and the smell of cigarettes still
lingered on his clothes.
Without warning Nancy burst into Nathan’s office headed
right to the drapes and pulled them open.
“Nancy, good god are you trying to kill me?! Close those
stupid things!” Nathan winced in pain as the light from the morning sky hit his
eyes.
“Oh Nate, sorry, I didn’t see you sitting there.” Nancy
glanced over to the office couch noticing a heap of clothes, “Have you been
staying at the office?”
Only Nancy could call Nathan “Nate” without issue, they had
worked together for years and he saw her more as a mother figure than an
actually business partner.
Nathan met Nancy when he was ten, after his parents were
murdered. Nancy found Nathan stealing from a local convenient store, but
instead of turning him in, she decided to give him a home and a second chance. Nancy
quickly learned about Nathan’s parents and, after a yearlong investigation, the
Chicago Police Department stopped looking, stating the trail had gone cold.
Nathan slowly got up from his desk and sunk into the couch
amongst the dirty clothes and empty beer cans, “Yeah, Carla kicked me out and I
figured it was cheaper to stay here than a hotel. Besides I already pay rent
for this place.” A small shy smile came across his face as he silently laughed
at his own joke.
“What did you do?” Nancy asked, but she could probably name
a number of dumb things he did to cause Carla to tell him to get the hell out.
“Oh you know the usual, don’t worry we’ll work it out, we
always do, besides she doesn’t need me at home mulling over this case, leaving
pictures of the dead on our living room table.”
Nancy shook her head; she knew exactly what he was talking
about. Ten years ago Nathan opened his
own private detective office. For the most part he worked his own independent
cases, but about five years ago he started to see a pattern in some of his
cases. Most, if not all, were connected and all of them were once investigated
by the Chicago Police Department, but then dropped after detectives said the
trail went cold.
Three months ago Jonathan Luck walked into Nathan’s office.
Mr. Luck, as Nathan would find out, was anything but lucky. Jonathan looked disheveled, the dark circles
under his eyes told Nathan this man hadn’t slept in months and he smelled of
booze. Nathan didn’t know if he was to help the guy or let him sleep it off on
his couch. But before Nathan could say anything, Mr. Luck slapped an envelope on
his desk.
Pictures slid out grabbing Nathan’s attention and causing
him to sink into his chair.
“I need your help, no one will listen and no one will help.”
The words fell out of Jonathan’s mouth as he stood over Nathan’s desk.
The pictures were grisly, disgusting and something Nathan
had seen before. A woman nailed to a cross, tortured and left for dead. “Where
did you get these?” Nathan asked.
Jonathan took a deep breath, “They arrived on my door step
sometime last night. Found them this morning in an unmarked envelope.” Nate picked up one of the photos and studied
it carefully,
“Who’s the woman?” Nathan
asked with slight hesitation in his voice.
“Her name is Linda; we were together for three years. Then
one day she just vanished.”
This was the same story Nate heard a year ago when another
grieving man came to his office with pictures in hand and the tale of a missing
loved one.
“I need your help, the CPD won’t listen, they say she ran
away, wanted to get away from me. When I begged them to keep looking they told
me there was nothing more they could do.”
“Why not take these photos back to the police?” But Nathan already
knew the answer.
“I don’t trust them, they gave up, said I drove her off. I
can’t have them thinking I killed her.”
Nathan leaned back in his chair, he knew this man hadn’t
kill his girlfriend and he knew all too well the CPD wasn’t going to help. What
he didn’t know was how to find the person or persons responsible, especially
since he was convinced Linda’s murder and the murder of four other girls were
committed by members of the Chicago Police Department.
“Nate. Nate. NATHAN!” Nancy found herself shouting at Nathan
who was lost in thought.
“What?” He asked as if Nancy had casually called his name.
“You have a meeting today with Mr. Luck, remember? He’s going to be here in thirty minutes. You
need to get ready, and maybe think about freshening up a bit, you kind of
stink.”
Nathan grinned, he knew Nancy was right, he COULD use a
shower and maybe another drink, but Mr. Luck was on his way and he didn’t have
time to worry about his appearance. Nate pulled a white shirt out from under the
pile of clothes, popped some mints, and took a seat at his desk. He took a long
pause, pulled open the drawer, and took out a file. It was thick, filled with
notes and narratives from family members; potential witnesses and of course
photos of the now five female victims.
It had been three months since Jonathan Luck walked into
Nathan’s office, three long months leading to more questions and not many
answers. Nathan knew he was chasing ghosts, he also knew if these murders did
involve the CPD it went high up the food chain. As the months ticked by Nathan
knew there would be another missing woman, another murder, and another loved
one at his door looking for answers.
There was a quiet knock and Nathan’s door opened. Nancy
along with Mr. Luck walked inside.
“Mr. Luck is here to see you.”
“Thanks Nancy, you can close the door behind you.” Nancy
left the room, leaving the two men standing face to face. Jonathan Luck looked
better than he did three months ago; at least the dark circles under his eyes
had faded a bit, leaving Nathan to believe the man was getting some rest.
“Mr. Luck, how are you? Please have a seat.”
As Jonathan sat down he noticed the file on Nathan’s desk
“Is that it? Is that Linda’s case?”
Nathan nodded, “Yes, her’s along with four other women.”
Jonathan stood from his seat, “Four other women?! You never
told me there were others.”
“Mr. Luck at the time that wasn’t really any of your concern
and I didn’t know if Linda’s case was in fact connected to the others.” Jonathan didn’t know how to process the news,
but a part of him was relieved to see Linda wasn’t the only victim. “This
wasn’t how I wanted to start our meeting, but yes including Linda there are a
total of five victims, all brunette women, and I don’t think Linda will be the
last.”
The truth was Nathan didn’t have much evidence to go on
outside the fact all five women were killed the same way and all five women looked
alike, but he knew in his gut something was off and he had to work fast.
“Mr. Luck, I’ve spent the last five years and three months
working on this case. I wish I had answers, but the reality is I’m up against
some major road blocks. It seems every time I take one step forward I’m pushed
back ten. I am convinced Linda’s murder and the others were orchestrated by the
Chicago Police Department.”
A blank look came across Jonathan’s face, “You’re telling
me, you think the police have something to do with this?” Johnathan started to
pace around Nathan’s office. “That’s nuts! I mean I know the CPD has its issues
and its reputation, but allowing five women to be kidnapped, tortured and
killed? I can’t believe they’d actually do something so heinous.”
Nathan sat down in his chair and looked at Jonathan right in
the eyes, “Mr. Luck I have combed through records dating back to when the Chicago
Police Department was first created. I’ve looked through files, read testimonies
and seen pictures dating back to 1895 and I can tell you with certainty, there
is a connection.”
Jonathan didn’t know what to say, part of him wanted to
standup and run out of the office, never looking back. He thought this guy was
nuts. Who would believe the CPD would kill women for more than a hundred years? Jonathan took a deep breath.
“What can I do to help?”
A look of relief came across Nathan’s face. That was the
last thing he expected to come out of Mr. Luck’s mouth, but he was grateful. He
knew solving this case was not going to be easy and he could use some help. Not
that Nancy wasn’t great at her job, he just felt uneasy dragging her too deep
into this mess. For the first time Nathan felt like he had an ally, someone who
was willing to dig into the dark history of the Chicago Police Department.
“Mr. Luck, do you know who Commissioner Theodore Wallace is?” Nathan asked, trying to gage how much
knowledge he had about the police department.
“Oh please call me Jon; if we’re going down this rabbit hole
we might as well be informal.”
Nathan looked surprised, but for the first time he felt like
he had a real allie. “Okay, Jon, how much do you know about Commissioner
Wallace?”
“I mean, I’ve seen him on the news, but other than that I
really don’t know much about the man.”
“That’s just it.” Nathan whispered, “no one knows much about
him, no one except his inner circle. But take a look.”
Nathan laid out several pictures dating back a hundred
years; Jonathan couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “That’s not I mean that
can’t be Commissioner Wallace?”
Nathan told Jonathan everything he discovered, including his
theory that the man in the picture dated 1895 was in fact Theo Wallace, and the
man in the current picture was the same man. He explained Wallace spent more
than a hundred years working his way up the ranks of the police force. A closer look at his police jacket showed
Wallace climbed the police and political latter faster than anyone in the
department.
“I believe that Wallace and members of his inner circle are
involved in something that’s allowing him to stay young and stay in command. I
think he’s the reason all those women were nailed to crosses, tortured, and killed.”
Nathan thought their conversation was a good start, he didn’t
know what the next step was, but he knew working with Jon they stood a chance
of ending these horrific killings. Nathan and Jon spoke all day before he knew
it , it was late and Nathan needed to clear his head. He thanked Jon for coming
and told him he’d be in touch.
Despite having a new partner Nathan was still stuck, years
of research had brought him to this new discovery, but now he felt like he’d
hit a brick wall. He needed to find the
smoking gun, that one piece of evidence to tie it all together. Nathan knew there
was only one person he could really trust and help him get over his brain
block, Carla. He’d been sleeping in his office for a week now to give her some
space and frankly give her time to cool off, but he needed her now, more than
ever. He took a deep breath and dialed
her number.
“Hey, it’s me. Look I know I’m a moron and well I was a
jerk. I’m sorry.”
A voice on the other end simply replied, “You are, but I
still love you. It’s time to come home.”
And for the first time in a week Nathan found himself
smiling. “I was hoping you’d say that! I have a little more work to do, but
I’ll be home soon.”
Nathan hung up the phone when he realized it was nine
o’clock and he knew the best place to clear his head. He walked out of his
office and down Lower Wacker towards Madison. It wasn’t a short walk from his
place to the Fourth Wall, but it gave Nathan time to think. It was nine thirty
by the time he got to the piano bar; most of the people in the place had just
come from one of the many shows playing throughout the theatre district. Nathan
moved towards the piano, sat down and began to play. He was in his space, his
element, a place where he was completely free.
It was a good night at the Fourth Wall, the tips and drinks came
as soon as he started playing. For Nathan playing piano and singing was the
best way to get work done. He could think of something else for a few hours and
somehow that always lead to some kind of revelation. Before Nate knew it, it
was two in the morning and the bar was closing. He gathered his tips, took one
last shot and started to head out.
“HEY!” Nathan stopped in his tracks. Who was calling him?
He’d already settled up with the manager and didn’t know any of the stragglers
in the bar. “HEY, I’m talking to you.” Nathan turned around slowly. Standing
behind him was a large man in a nice three piece suit.
“Do I know you?”
The man walked towards Nathan causing him to stumble back
slightly. “No, you don’t but we know you Mr. Evers.”
A puzzled look came over Nathan’s face. Evers was his last
name, but when he moved in with Nancy he changed it to Williams. No one ever
used his birth name; no one really knew his last name wasn’t Williams. “Well
you’ve clearly got my attention, what do you want?”
“You’re playing with fire Mr. Evers, you’re digging into
business that’s been going on long before you or the City of Chicago itself was
born. Consider this conversation your only warning, next time won’t be so
causal.”
Before Nathan could even respond the man got into a black town
car and drove off. Nathan paused, at that moment he knew he was on the right
track and he’d rattled some cages. He wanted to run back and tell Carla what
happen, but it was late and he didn’t want to wake her so headed back to his
office and decided he would call Jon in the morning.
Nancy woke Nathan up when she got into the office; she knew
a good strong cup of coffee was needed.
“Hey Nate, here ‘ya go, a good ol’ cup of jo to get you
going.”
“Thank you Nancy.” He replied as he rubbed the sleep from his
eyes. “Hey, can you call Jon? Tell him
to get here as soon as possible.”
“Sure can, I see a night at the piano bar did you good.”
Nancy smiled and headed back to her desk.
Jonathan arrived thirty minutes later, “Sorry, I would have
been here sooner, but you know how public transit is around here.”
Nathan didn’t respond he was hunched over his desk, poring
over papers. Jon knew something was up;
he didn’t even bother getting Nathan’s attention and he just headed over to the
desk.
“Hey Jon, I didn’t see you come in. Please sit down.” Once Jon was seated Nathan started telling him
everything that had happened last night.
“Wait, you sing at a
piano bar?!”Jon quipped trying to lighten the mood.
“That’s your take away from this whole story, the fact I sing
at a piano bar, really?” Jon smiled and Nathan realized he was poking fun.
Nathan sat down and took a long pause.
“So we know we’re on to something.” Jon’s proclamation broke
the silence pulling Nathan back to reality.
“Yes, but we need to figure out what they’re doing and why.”
Nathan knew they needed a person on the inside, something
Jon thought was impossible, but Nathan had a plan. He hesitated before telling
Jon his idea. He knew the plan would put him and Carla in a tough spot, but it
was something both Nathan and Carla had talked about over the last five years.
They both knew there was only one way to find the proof the needed and nail the
Chicago Police Department to their own cross.
“My girlfriend is Carla Gross; she’s an investigative journalist
for the Chicago Tribune, and she’s been helping me dig into the department’s
past.”
Jon knew where Nathan was going, but he wasn’t sure this was
a good idea. “You want to ask your girlfriend to somehow get on the inside of
Wallace’s inner circle? I don’t know Nathan.” Jon picked up the picture of
Carla Nathan kept on his desk. “She’s probably really good at her job, but with
everything we know so far, aren’t you putting her in a dangerous position?”
Carla was very attractive. She was around 5’8 and in
Nathan’s opinion had the perfect curves. Her hair was a beautiful brown with
hints of gold and her eyes seemed to sparkle when she smiled. Carla did match
the description of the murdered woman. Jon worried involving her could cost
more than just her job. “Nathan, before we move forward you need to make sure
Carla is on board, this is a big favor you’re asking.”
Nathan smiled; he understood that, but he also knew Carla
had been working to expose the truth behind the CPD. “Jon, Carla and I might fight and have our
issues, but I would never put her in a situation she wasn’t hundred percent
sure she could handle. We’ve already talked about it and she’s ready and
willing to help.”
That evening, Nate packed up his files and headed home.
Carla was waiting for him in the living room; she had papers spread all over
the table. “What’cha working on?” Nate asked as he walked through the door.
“Oh, you know, same ol’ thing: a little corruption, a little
murder.” Nate smiled, he knew Carla loved her job, but he also knew she was
growing restless covering the multiple murders that took place daily across the
city.
After spending the last year covering murder after murder,
Carla started thinking something was off. She started to wonder if all this
crime wasn’t somehow being orchestrated by the very people paid to stop it.
“I told Jon about the plan, he seems okay with it, but he
has his reservations. He doesn’t know if you should be putting yourself in such
danger.”
Carla rolled her eyes. She understood where Jon was coming
from, but she was a strong intelligent woman who could take care of herself.
“Well tell Jon since he hasn’t spent that much time with me he can’t judge. I’m
a big girl and I’ll be fine.”
Nathan knew what Carla said was true and it wasn’t worth the
argument. He sat down next to her on the couch, “Did you get the approval?” he
knew the plan wasn’t going anywhere if Carla didn’t get her assignment editor
to approve her story request.
“Sure did, they loved it. They think a story on the man who
vowed to stop the senseless killings is perfect and just what this city needs.
I have my first meeting with him tomorrow morning.”
The morning seemed to creep up fast. Carla got out of bed,
showered and packed her belongings. She needed her laptop and recorder and she
placed a small can of pepper spray in her bag; just in case. Nathan rolled over;
this was the first goodnight sleep he’d gotten in months. He wasn’t sure if
that was because he was back in his own bed, or because he saw some light at
the end of the tunnel.
“Are you ready for
this?”
Carla looked into the mirror, “Born ready!” She chuckled,
she knew it was cliché, but that’s how she felt. This was the story she’d been
waiting to write her entire life.
“Well you look very nice. Remember, we meet back at my
office for lunch.”
“I know.” Carla turned towards Nate; she kissed him lightly
on the lips. “Don’t worry, it’s just the first meet and greet, I’ll be fine.”
Nate knew she was right, but he couldn’t shake the feeling
she was walking into the lion’s den. The bottom line, he didn’t trust the
Chicago Police Department and he sure as hell didn’t trust Commissioner
Wallace.
Nathan and Jon were meeting for coffee after Carla left for
her meeting. Nathan figured some coffee with Jon might get his mind off of
Carla. He wanted to head to the piano bar, but it was 7 in the morning. He
walked down South La Salle past the Chicago City Hall; just as he got to
Madison he spotted Jon. Nathen started walking towards him, but stopped. Jon
was talking to someone, but he couldn’t see who. Something struck Nathan as odd.
Jon was talking to a man riding in the same car as the man who approached him
at the Piano Bar.
Nathan wondered if he should say something, but before he
got to Jon the car drove off and Jon entered the coffee shop. He walked down
the sidewalk and into the coffee shop. Jon was sitting in the corner when he
noticed Nate at the door.
“Nathan over here.” Nathan hesitated,
“Hey Jon.” Nathan
smiled as he walked to Jon’s table and sat down. “Well, Carla’s off to her
meeting today with Wallace. She says not to worry but that’s easier said than
done.” Nathan waved down a waiter; he thought a good cup of coffee might calm
his nerves. “Wish I had some whisky to put in here.” He joked as the waiter
handed him his drink. Nathan told Jon they planned to meet up at his office
around lunch.
“You think it’s a good idea to have her meet with you? I mean, won’t it look suspicious her meeting
with the guy who’s spent five years looking into the dark history of the Chicago
Police Department?”
Nathan hadn’t thought about it. Then again, no one knew Carla had a
boyfriend. Plus, she didn’t use her real name at the paper. He was thrown off
by the question; he thought Jon would have wanted to meet with them.
“No it’s fine; she says she’ll just tell him she has a
meeting with her editor. I mean that tracks with what she’s doing. I thought
you’d like to join us.”
“Of course, I want to be kept in the loop; I mean we started
this together.”
“Great, I’ll text you
when she’s on her way. We can all catch up.”
Nathan took one more sip of his coffee and headed for the
door.
“Hey aren’t you going to finish that?” Jon shouted,
“Nope, damn thing’s
gone cold.”
The truth was Nathan needed to get out of there. He still didn’t feel right, something was
bothering him about Jon’s behavior and the conversation he’d seen before they
met. Nate headed back to his office. He was about to call Nancy when he
stopped. An uneasy feeling came over him. What if my phone is bugged, what if
someone is listening. Nathan stepped inside a local convenient store and grabbed
a pay as you go phone.
“Hey Nancy, yes it’s Nate.” He said as he rolled his eyes.
“No, I’m calling from a different phone; I’ll explain everything when I get in
the office. I need you to pull everything we have on Mr. Luck.”
Nathan walked through the door of his office. Nancy was standing by his desk ready with the
information. “Here are the files you asked for. What’s going on, why are you
looking into Jon?”
Nathan snatched the files. Nancy was taken aback by his
reaction; she’d never seen him so mad. “Nathan Williams! What is going on? Answer
me.”
Nathan stopped what he was doing and turned towards Nancy.
He told her about Jon and the strange conversation he saw and the uneasy
feeling he got while they had coffee.
“You think Jon has something to do with the murders?”
Nathan walked to his desk, sat down, and sighed. “Honestly,
I just don’t know. I mean who can we really trust? Everything we have on this
guy is basic. It’s like he’s living the most normal life ever, nothing has ever
happen to him that stands out he’s just so ordinary.”
“Nate none of this makes sense. We’ve spent months with Jon.
He’s always been on board.”
Nathan understood what Nancy was talking about, but he also
knew what he felt in his gut. “Nancy, I’m
just saying we need to dig a little deeper.”
Nathan looked at his phone it was nine thirty, he still had
plenty of time to go over his notes before Carla was to arrive.
Carla walked into Nathan’s office a little after one. She looked satisfied in how her day went, but
quickly noticed Nate wasn’t himself. He was frantically flipping through pages
and photos. Carla placed her hand on Nathan’s arm.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
Nathan looked at Carla, he was glad to see she was okay, but
he wasn’t happy with what he’d discovered.
“Carla, was everything okay? Were you able to meet with
Wallace?”
“Yes, but he was late, didn’t get there until almost nine.
He said he was in a meeting. But overall everything went well. We talked and we
both agreed to meet in the morning to conduct the interviews.
What are you doing?”
“I’m reexamining my files. I met with Jon for coffee this
morning and saw him talking to someone in a black town car, like the one from a
few months ago.” Nathan told Carla he felt something was off, that Jon wasn’t
who he thought he was.
“Carla I’ve looked over these pictures a thousand times, I
don’t know how I missed it?” Nathan took out several pictures.
Carla didn’t understand why he was showing her the photos. She’d seem them as many times as Nathan. “I
don’t understand, what am I looking at?”
“This!” Nathan pointed to two pictures. “You see this person
here, standing next to Constable Wallace back in 1835?” Carla nodded, she saw
the man, but she really didn’t see what Nathan was worried about. “Now look at
this picture of Commissioner Wallace when he first took office in 2000, you see
the man standing right next to him?”
Carla took a long look at the picture. She couldn’t believe
what she was seeing, both men were the same.
“Is that Jon? No, that can’t be Jon? It has to be a mistake
or maybe a relative.” Carla didn’t want to believe what she was seeing. Jon
Luck worked in the Merchandise Mart. He handled mergers and acquisitions for a
brokerage firm. He had nothing to do with law enforcement.
Nathan understood exactly how Carla felt. He had a hard time
believing it himself. Nathan spent the entire morning looking into Jonathan
Luck’s life and the reality was the life of Mr. Luck didn’t start until 1981.
That’s when the name Jonathan Luck appeared in the tax records of Hester and
Rosenthal Brokerage Firm. Before that no such person existed.
“Look at the name under the man in the first picture.”
Carla took a closer look. “Benjamin Wallace.”
“Yes. And here’s the best part. Benjamin Wallace disappeared
in 1980. A year later, a man named Jonathan Luck showed up at Hester and
Rosenthal’s as their newest employee. New name, new job, but the same face and
he couldn’t stay away from his brother. About a year into his new job Hester
and Rosenthal found themselves a large client: the Chicago Police Department.”
“But you said Jon didn’t know Wallace or anything about
him.” But before Nathan could answer, Nancy walked in with Jon at her side.
“Jon’s here.”
Nathan stopped midsentence to redirect the conversation.
“Hey Jon, glad you could make it. Carla was just about to tell me how today
went.”
“Great, I was wondering that myself.”
Carla told Jon and Nathan what happened. She told them that
Wallace was surprisingly nice and a real gentleman, something they all figured
came from the fact his was born more than a hundred years ago. Overall, it
seemed Carla was able to gain his trust.
“So now that you’ve managed to get on his good side, what’s
next?” Jon asked with a small smirk on
his face. Nathan took notice, but disregarded the incident, not wanting to let
Jon know that they were onto him.
“Well, believe it or not, I was able to get myself invited
to one of the biggest events of the year. Wallace asked if I wanted to
accompany him to the Policeman’s Gala tomorrow night.”
The Policeman’s Gala was one of the oldest events in
Chicago. Hundreds of people attended from all over the city and surrounding counties
to support the CPD. It was a night of honors, department donations, and this
year Commissioner Theodor Wallace was going to be honored for his work on fighting
gang violence in the city.
A big grin came across Jon’s face, “Really, that’s great,
I’ll know somebody there.”
Nathan was confused, why was Jon going to the event. You
can’t just show up and expect to get inside, you have to be invited. “Jon how
did you score an invite.”
“Well, the Police Department is one of my firm’s clients. We
do a drawing ever year for one non-executive to attend the gala and this year
my name was picked.”
Nathan thought that was rather convenient seeing that Carla
was also invited.
“Great then you can keep an eye on Carla.” Nathan knew as
soon as the words came out of his month Carla would never let him forget it.
“I don’t need a babysitter!” Carla quipped. “I’ll be fine
and I think it’s great Jon will be there. It will be nice to have another
person working to get information.”
“Well that’s settled; guess I’ll have to dust off the old tux.”
Jon got up from the chair and headed for the door. “Carla, I will see you
tomorrow night.”
Nathan couldn’t sleep. He kept tossing and turning, his mind
just wouldn’t shut off. It wasn’t so much that Wallace invited Carla to the
gala that made sense. She was doing a story about him. She’d need to be at an
event where he was being honored. That wasn’t the problem. It was the fact Jon
was going and after everything Nathan discovered about the man he didn’t know
if he was putting Carla in a very dangerous situation. Nathan looked at the clock;
it was three am so he decided to give the couch a try.
Nathan grabbed his pillow and headed to the living room. He
sunk into the couch and has Nathan focused on the sounds of Chicago at night he
finally fell to sleep, but his mind would not rest.
Nathan began to toss and turn, “Nathan! NATHAN!! Help me,
PLEASE!” Carla called out. He tried to grab her hand, he tried running to her,
but he was too late. He couldn’t reach her in time.
“You’re too late Nathan, say good-bye.” Jon shouted as he
put a gag in Carla’s mouth.
And without warning Nathan hit the hard ground screaming,
“NO!!”
“Carla” he shouted. She came running out of their room.
“Nathan, what’s wrong?” She touched his back and found it
was soaked through with sweat. “Nathan are you okay? You’re soaking wet. What’s
going on?”
Nathan’s heart was pounding, “What time is it?”
“It’s one o’clock. You’ve slept most of the day. What’s
going on are you okay?”
Nathan took a deep breath and forced himself off the couch,
his back hurt from sleeping all day. “I just had a bad dream. It’s fine. You’re
here and you’re okay so let’s just drop it.”
Carla knew Nathan was worried and scared, but he’d never
admit it. Honestly she was kind of worried herself. Nathan decided a long
shower would clear his head as Carla prepared for her evening at the Policeman’s
Gala. Carla picked out a long black dress; she wanted to look nice and
professional. Carla carefully laid out what she needed, a small recorder, a
note pad, and a small can of pepper spray. She tucked the pepper spray into a
leather strap around her thigh.
“I don’t think that pepper spray will be very helpful, why
not take the Glock?”
“Nathan have you lost your mind, you want me to take a gun
into an event filled with members of the Chicago Police Department?!”
Nathan knew she was right, but it would make him feel
better. “I understand, but I don’t think pepper spray will be enough.” Before Nathan
and Carla could finish there was a knock at the door.
“Are you expecting someone?” Carla asked.
“No, you stay here I’ll
see who it is.”
Carla slipped into the bedroom as Nathan slowly moved
towards the door. He looked through the peep hole to find Jon waiting in a tux.
Nathan cautiously opened the door “Jon, what are you doing here?”
“Well I thought you’d want me to accompany Carla to the
gala. Where is she?”
Carla came out of the bedroom; both Jon and Nathan stopped
and stared. She looked stunning. Nathan swallowed “WOW, Carla you look
amazing!”
Jon walked towards Carla, “Words fail me.” Jon took Carla’s
arm. The two smiled and said good-bye and headed to the Gala.
Carla walked into the Thompson Center with Jon on her arm. She
spotted the Commissioner, “I’m going over to the Commissioner’s table. You stay
out of trouble and remember keep an eye out for anything strange.”
Before Carla could make her way to Commissioner Wallace, she
noticed he was walking towards her.
“Ms. Gross, you look splendid. I’m so glad you were able to
join me.” Wallace took Carla by the arm as they walked to the bar. “Open bar,
it doesn’t get any better than this.” Wallace joked. Carla smiled. One drink
wouldn’t hurt her. Wallace handed her a
glass of pink champagne, Carla took a sip, and the little bubbles went right to
her head.
Wallace walked Carla over to their table. She caught a
glimpse of Jon out of the corner of her eye. He was talking to members of
Wallace’s inner circle. Carla thought that was odd. How did Jon work his way
into a conversation with the City’s top political leaders? Jon, who noticed
Carla, gave her a little wink and went about his conversation.
The Commissioner pulled out Carl’s seat and the two sat down
just as their salads were being plated. Carla looked up at the waiter and
noticed it was Nathan. The look of shock
came across her face. Nathan walked away leaving Carla’s mind racing. Carla
excused herself and headed to the bathroom.
Carla grabbed Nathan by his arm and dragged him with her,
“What are you doing here?”
“Relax, they’re all too busy eating and hobnobbing to even
notice me. I have it all under control.”
Carla’s face turned bright red, she was so mad at Nathan she
didn’t know if she wanted to punch him or just walk away. “How could you not
tell me, does Jon know you’re here?”
“Of course not, I don’t trust him and I couldn’t leave you
alone with him and his brother!”
“I’m going back to the table, don’t let Jon see you.” Carla
stormed out of the bathroom. She stopped by the bar and grabbed another drink. She
stood there for a moment with her eyes closed, took a breath, smiled and headed
back to Wallace’s table.
The evening seemed uneventful. People ate and drank and
everyone seemed to be enamored with Wallace. There was something about the way
Wallace spoke and how he seemed to glide around the room shaking hands and
making conversation. The man was for a lack of a better term suave. He demanded
your attention and by doing so some of the hardest, meanest, politicians gave
him their respect. It was almost impossible not be impressed by the guy. Even
Carla found herself seeing Wallace in a different light. She had to give it to
him, his keynote address was rather convincing.
Once dinner was over, dessert was served, and the speeches
concluded. Then real party began. Nathan
knew as the lights started to dim and the DJ started to play he needed to keep
an eye on both Jon and Carla. Nathan had his eyes closely fixed on Carla who
was dancing with Wallace. Just as the song came to an end Wallace whispered
something in Carla’s ear. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and left the room. Before
he could get to Carla, Jon reached her. Nathan slipped back into the corner. He
closely watched Jon and Carla; he tried to read their lips but couldn’t make
out what they were saying. Before too long both Carla and Jon disappeared into
the darkness.
Where did they go? Nathan began to panic; he could no longer
see Jon or Carla. Nathan ran through the dance floor and out the door, towards
Randolph Street.
“Hey, did you see a guy
and a woman in a black ball gown come this way?” Nathan asked the group of
people smoking outside. Before Nathan got his answer, he heard a familiar
voice.
“You’re too late, Mr. Evers.” Nathan turned to see the same
large man he’d met at the piano bar. “They’re gone. We warned you the next time
we met wouldn’t be so cordial.”
“You monsters!” Nathan shouted, “Tell me where they went, I
won’t let her be your next victim.” Without saying a word the man turned and
walked away. Nathan wanted to go after him, his heart was pounding. ‘What have
I done’, he asked himself.’ I can’t let this happen.’ Nathan started to pace
back and forth when his phone started to ring. He looked at the screen. It was
Carla. “Carla, Carla where are you? Are you okay?”
“Hello Nathan.” Jon said with a cool tone in his voice, one
that sent a shiver down Nathan’s spine.
“Jon, where are you? Where’s Carla?”
“Now, now, Nathan I can’t just give you the answers you
want, that wouldn’t be any fun.”
Nathan could feel his blood rise. This man who came into his
office begging for his help. This man who sold him a sob story about a dead
girlfriend. This man who he trusted was nothing more than a lying murder.
“Jon.” Nathan stopped himself, “or should I call you
Benjamin?”
“Very good, I told my brother you were smart. Now, use that big brain of yours and find
your girlfriend.” Jon hung up leaving Nathan with little to no information on
where they went.
Nathan didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to head back
to his office, and he clearly couldn’t call the police. At that moment he
realized he could use the GPS app to track Carla’s phone. He just hoped Jon was
too stupid to turn it off. Nathan activated the tracking. “Thank god for technology.” Nathan pulled up
Carla’s location. She was at Holy Name Cathedral. Nathan ran down the stairs
towards the “EL” and jumped on the Red Line.
Nathan was impatient; he kept looking at his phone which
wasn’t helping since there wasn’t service underground. He just wanted to get to
Carla. He needed to know she was okay.
The “EL” came to his stop, Nathan ran up the stairs right towards Holy
Name Cathedral. Nathan reached the giant wood doors, he pushed them open, and the
sound echoed throughout the sanctuary. Nathan didn’t know where to go, he wasn’t
even sure Carla was there. Then, out of nowhere, he heard a familiar voice.
“Well done Mr. Evers, well done.”
Nathan looked up to find Jon standing next to the Alter as a
shadow of the crucifix came down around them. The empty cathedral was cold and
the sounds of Nathan’s heavy breathing were bouncing off the stain glass
windows. Without hesitation Nathan ran towards Jon, tackling him to the ground
and started throwing punches. “You asshole, we trusted you! What have you done
with Carla?”
Despite being repeatedly punched in the face, Jon kept
laughing.
“What is funny?” Nathan asked exhausted. Jon pushed Nathan
off of him and stood up. He wiped the blood from his nose and straightened his
tux.
Nathan sat down, he was more confused than ever and he was
pretty sure Jon was completely unhinged. Jon slowly walked over to the pews and
sat down.
“Nathan, it was
decided long ago our lives would intersect. It’s your destiny. “
Nathan was uneasy. He didn’t know what Jon was talking
about. How can one’s life be decided before they’re even born? “What the hell
are you talking about? I don’t understand!”
Jon stood and walked back over to Nathan. He extended his
hand to help Nathan up off the ground, but Nathan slapped his hand away.
“Everything you’ve done, every path you’ve walked has been a calculated
decision. One made hundreds of years ago. We just needed to make sure you
stayed on that path. Your parent’s murder wasn’t an accident, it was punishment?”
Nathan heard enough. Of course Jon new about his parents,
he’d told him the story of their death and how he came to live with Nancy. But
before Nathan could say anything he heard screaming. He looked up and saw three men hoisting Carla
up onto a cross. A fourth man in red robes stood in front of her. His hands
were stretched out to the side and he was chanting in Latin. Nathan couldn’t
make out what was being said. But he also didn’t know much Latin so for all he
knew the man was asking for a cup of coffee in exchange for Carla.
“Do you hear what he’s saying Nathan?” Jon asked with
excitement in his voice, “My brother is asking that her life’s essence is
transferred to him in exchange for her sacrifice.” Carla’s body jerked and Nathan could see a
white light start to come from her body.
He rushed towards Carla, but Jon grabbed Nathan by the arm and
threw him on the ground. “Nathan, my boy, you’ll never learn anything if you
don’t listen.” Nathan tried to get back
up, but Jon kicked him back down, this time leaving his foot on Nathan’s chest.
“Stay down and listen, you may find what I have to say useful.”
“Doubtful” Nathan muttered.
“Now Nathan, don’t insult my intelligence.” Nathan looked at
Carla. She was nailed to the cross upside down and passed out. Whatever white
light that was coming from her body was gone and the color from her face had
drained. Jon walked towards Carla as his
brother continued the ritual.
“Don’t you touch
her!” Nathan shouted.
Jon ran his hand down Carla’s leg “Nathan, she’s not worth
it. The only thing she’s worth is her sacrifice. She’s just gotten in the way
of your true destiny.”
“You keep talking about my destiny, I don’t understand.”
Before Jon could answer the church doors’ opened, Nathan was
too exhausted to try and see who was coming towards them, but he could clearly
hear the click of heels on the marble floor. At this moment the only thing he
was sure of was the person headed towards them was a woman.
The clicks of the heels got closer and it wasn’t long before
Nathan realized who it was and at that very moment his heart sank into his
stomach.
“Nancy?!”
“Hello Nathan” Nancy said in a cool, calm voice. “Pick him
up” she ordered.
Jonathan heaved Nathan off the floor and sat him in the pew.
Nancy sat down next to Nathan. She
placed her hand on Nathan’s knee. Which caused him to jump from his seat.
“Don’t touch me; I can’t even believe what I’m seeing. You,
god Nancy how is this even possible? You took me in, treated me as your son,
made me the man I am today, please tell me I’m wrong.”
“I told you kid, nothing that’s happened in your life was by
accident.” Nathan had heard enough from Jon and without warning lunged after
him, knocking him to the ground.
“You bastard, I
should kill you!”
“You can try Nathan, it won’t do you any good, I’m a demon.”
Nathan stopped. He was exhausted, beaten and confused. “What
do you mean, you’re a demon?”
Nancy stood up, straightened her pencil skirt “I know it’s
confusing, but my son it’s true. And so are you.” Nancy slowly walked over to
where Carla was hanging; Wallace stopped and turned to Nancy.
“It’s complete. Her sacrifice was accepted.” Wallace said
with satisfaction in his voice.
Nancy touched Carl’s neck for a pulse. “Very well done
Wallace. I can always count on you with these matters.”
“Don’t you touch her!” Nathan screamed. Nancy took out a knife, “Would it speed things
up if I cut down your precious Carla, her part in this over anyway.” Nancy took
the knife and cut Carla down and placed her on the floor.
Nathan got up and started to walk towards Carla, but as he
started to move, Nancy waved her hand and Nathan was lifted off the ground.
Nancy moved towards him, “Now my boy if you aren’t going to listen I’ll just
have to make you. If I put you down will you calm yourself so we can talk?”
“Yes.” Nathan replied and with that he fell to the ground.
Nathan picked himself up. He could see Jon standing near
Carla’s limp body.
“Now Nathan I imagine you have a lot of questions so let me
explain.” Nancy walked towards Nathan. “You
see you are a part of something wonderful and amazing, something that started
way before the dawn of man. Killing your parents, well, that was unfortunate
but they were a problem. “
At that moment Nathan realized it was Nancy who had his
parents killed, “You killed them, but why, why would you do that?”
“Your parents were weak” Jon shouted, Nancy shot Jon an icy look
and with that he went back to helping his brother tend to Carla’s body.
“He’s right, your parents were weak, but they weren’t always
that way. In fact you parents were some of the more influential members of the Order
of the Fallen Angel. So much so that I knew one day their child would take up
my thrown and help regain our rightful place on this miserable place called
earth.” Nathan’s whole body began to shake with anger.
“Stop talking. You have no right to talk about my parents like
that!” Nathan shouted so loud the stain glass windows rattled.
“I HAVE EVERY RIGHT!” Nancy’s voice turned dark and mean,
“THEY BETRADED ME, THEY PROMISSED ME THEIR FIRST BORN.” Nancy slowly walked
towards Nathan. “THE ONE WHO WAS GOING
TO LEAD US OUT OF THE SHADOWS, AND WHAT DID THEY DO? THEY FLED WITH THE ONE
THING THAT COULD MAKE US INVINCABLE. YOU!”
Nathan could feel his blood start to boil; he couldn’t
listen to this anymore. Not only was this woman insulting his parents, she’s
saying they deserved to be murdered. Nathan focused on Nancy’s eyes as she
continued to talk and before he even knew what was happening he found himself
filled with uncontrolled power. “I SAID STOP!” Nathan shouted. At that moment
it was as if the air was sucked out of the room. The stain glass windows
shattered and with one move of his hand without touching her, he tossed Nancy
across the marble floor into the Alter.
Nathan’s eyes were red with rage and without moving he elevated
Nancy off the ground pinning her to the wall. “You bitch. I trusted you. I saw
you as my mother. I made you my business partner. And this, this is how you
treat me?!” Without warning Jon and Wallace rushed Nathan, but he was much
stronger than they expected. Nathan suddenly turned his attention to Jon. “You
are even worse than her. You played on my emotions and used my girlfriend to
further your agenda. Consider this a mercy killing.” And with that both the
necks of Jon and Wallace snapped as they fell to the floor. Moments later,
black smoke slithered out of their bodies and creeped off into the night.
“Interesting?!” Nathan didn’t know what to make of it but
quickly returned his focus on Nancy.
“Their bodies were just vessels.” Nancy tried to explain. “The
Wallace brothers died many years ago sometime after they were first possessed.
The demons inside have retreated to safety.”
“If I kill, will the same thing happen? Should we give it a
try?”
Nathan focused all his rage towards Nancy. Her body began to
shake and crack as light started to come through. But before Nathan could
finish he heard a faint voice.
“Nathan. Nathan. Don’t do it. You’re not like them. You’re
not a killer. Don’t give in.”
Nathan began to look around. He didn’t know who was talking
to him. And at that moment he was pretty sure he was losing his mind.
“No Nathan you are not going crazy. You’re just meant to do
more in this world and this path you’re on won’t help.”
And then out of the corner of his eye Nathan finally saw who
was talking to him. Standing there in full form was Carla. But he didn’t
understand how this was possible. Her body was still lying motionless on the
floor. Carla started walking towards Nathan.
As Carla continued to walk towards Nathan he noticed she had a white
glow around her. “Carla, what are you?”
“Let’s just say I’m your guardian angel. My life on earth
ended but my afterlife journey is just beginning. My first task. You Nathan. I
need you to walk away from this anger and rage. Let go Nathan, let go.”
And with that Nancy fell to the floor. “Carla, I can’t do
this without you.”
“Nathan you can and you will. We will meet again, but for
now I must go. I love you.”
Nathan could feel the rage and anger leave his body. He knew
Carla was right. This wasn’t him. He wasn’t a killer. He turned to face Carla
but she was gone. Nancy stood up. “You’re just as weak as your parents Nate. I
tried to keep you on the path to your destiny but you have shown me you can’t
handle the power.”
Before Nathan could open his mouth to reply the doors to the
church opened. A very large man dressed in a black suit walked down the long
marble floor towards both Nancy and Nathan.
For some reason Nathan thought he knew this guy and as the man got
closer he realized it was the same man who was the Wallace brother’s muscle.
“You’re correct Nancy. Nathan doesn’t know just how powerful
he is, but he isn’t weak.” The man proceeded to move towards Nancy.
“Who are you?” Nathan asked.
The man picked Nancy up off the ground. “I’m Charles, but
you can call me Charlie.”
“Okay, Charlie who the hell are you? The last time I saw
you, you were threatening me!”
Charlie sat Nancy in the Pew. “Charlie I can’t believe this.
The whole time we trusted you, you were working for the other side.” Nancy
shouted.
“Nancy if I were you I’d keep my mouth shut. The district is
very interested in speaking with you.”
“The District? What is that?” At this point Nathan didn’t
know what was happening.
“You see Nate from the moment you were born we’ve been
watching you. We knew the Order of the Fallen Angel plan and that’s when the
District sent me down to infiltrate. Long story short kid, I was here to make
sure you didn’t go evil. That’s why I let Carla’s spirit speak to you; I knew
she would be able to get through.”
“Have I had any control over my own life?!” Nathan sat down
is total disbelief.
“Sorry, kid. Not so much. The people upstairs have been
watching closely to make sure we got here in time before you became what the
Order wanted you to become. The devil.” Charlie lifted Nancy up. “And this one
here, we’ve been looking for a way to get our hands on her forever and now
thanks to you we have.”
“Great, glad I could help. You only allowed my girlfriend to
get killed and have basically told me I have no control over what I am doing in
my life. But hey humanity’s safe. We can all sleep at night!” Nathan was so
frustrated. He wanted to just forget about everything, bury Carla and move on.
As Charlie started to drag Nancy with him he noticed a look
of defeat on Nathan’s face. “Hey kid, look I know you have no idea what’s going
on and you think your life is being completely manipulated, but we just had to
get you to this point, the rest is up to you.”
Nathan didn’t know what to do. “I don’t understand. What am
I supposed to do now? I can’t just go home and call Carla’s parents and tell
them demons killer her. They’ll have me arrested or thrown in the nut house.”
Charlie stopped. “Give me a second.” He pulled out his phone
and dialed. “Hey. Yea, it’s Charlie is the boss around? Great. Tell him I have
the kid and Nancy. I’m bringing him to the district with us. It’s time we gave
this kid some direction and help.”
Charlie hung up the phone. “Well kid you’re in luck. Looks
like the boss wants to see you. So what you say want to see what your destiny
really holds.”
Nathan didn’t know what to say. He thought about it. He
didn’t have anything else to lose. “Sure, why not. Might as well finish
whatever this is I started.”
And with that Charlie and Nathan walked Nancy out of the
church. The three got into a big black SUV and took off. Nathan didn’t know
what lied ahead for him, but he knew one thing for sure, his life was about to
get much more exciting.
