The Abyss Stares Back - 03
Sloan stood and gazed upon the bloody ruin before her.
The body of a young hyperian man lay on a metal table at the coroner’s office. One of the recent victims that had been slain in the city of Kirkholm of late. His torso had been stabbed twelve times and his chest cut open, his ribs broken and pulled apart revealing a gaping cavity where once his heart and lungs had been. He had defensive wounds on his hands and left leg, but all of that paled in comparison with what had been done to his face. According to the coroner’s report the man’s face had been stabbed forty-three times. Shards of the blade had been found still embedded within his skull. His family had to identify him by a birthmark he had on his thigh. There was little else left to identify.
Wulf had coughed and gagged at the sight of him. It was understandable. Watcher Maeve Browlin, the female watcher who had stumbled upon them as they’d fought the suspect down below, stood by the door, observing from a distance.
“You see these sorts of crimes happen often in Kirkholm?” Sloan asked the coroner as she leaned in close to get a better look at the man’s wounds.
“Well…” Dr Holden started before pausing for a moment. “We get violent crimes all the time. Most cities have criminal elements at work in them. I have a colleague working in Bladehold who tells me they’ve been having trouble with The Trivium there. It seems the criminal syndicate is expanding. Anyway, he’s told me of the people they’ve killed in the past few months. Debtors, traitors, rival gang members. They like to slit their throat and stomach and pull their guts out and then leave them as a warning to others. Absolutely ghastly stuff.”
Sloan turned her crimson eyes towards the coroner. “But nothing like this?”
The man shook his head. “We’ve certainly seen serial killers before, some of which have sadistic and dramatic methods of killing. But these killings seem to indicate a level of hate and malice that I’ve never encountered.”
The door to the autopsy hall suddenly flung open and a short and demure hyperian man of halfling descent stormed in. He had a neatly trimmed moustache and wore a fine dark suit and a bowler hat. The way Wulfgang cleared his throat and stood up straight as the man entered signaled to Sloan that the man carried some power.
“What in the kaiser’s name is going on in here? Are you the one who killed our suspected?! Was that your doing?!” asked the man indignantly.
He was followed by another inspector who stood so tall he must have had giant blood in him. Watcher Browlin quickly departed with the inspectors’ arrival.
“Inspector Tiege, Inspector Eldon.” Said the coroner. “I was just showing this young woman the latest murder victim.”
“I can see that!” spat out Inspector Tiege as he stormed over to Sloan. “Are we just letting freaks waltz into the watchtower and tamper with our evidence and suspects as they see fit?! And by who’s authority do you get to make such demands? This is my case, gods damn it!”
Sloan raised an eyebrow and presented her badge to him. As he investigated the mark of station thoroughly, Sloan cast her eyes upon the the tall inspector standing behind him. His cold blue eyes hinted at a distant but soothing character, and his cool and quiet nature only cemented this hypothesis. Inspector Tiege glared at the symbol before turning his dark brown eyes back to her.
“And you think this gives you power over the imperial judicial system? You think a freak like you gets to just show up here and boss us around?”
“Well…” said Sloan but was immediately cut off by the inspector.
“No! No you don’t! I know you come from a world where you have to deal with infernal happenings and what not but that does not give you the right to interfere in regular murder cases.”
“You don’t think this an infernal happening?”
She motioned to the red ruin on the table.
“Believe me, lassy, I’ve seen worse in this line of work. But, just because a murder is particularly heinous doesn’t mean that it was committed by demons!”
Sloan shrugged. “True. People can be quite savage if they really wish to be.”
“Exactly!”
“Was there anything missing?”
“Missing?”
Inspector Tiege wrinkled his little round nose and Inspector Eldon couldn’t help but smile.
“From the body?” Sloan continued.
The inspector scoffed and motioned towards the cadaver’s open chest cavity.
“I mean aside from the obvious lack of lungs and a heart.” Said Sloan, rolling her eyes.
“I don’t see how that has anything to do with your line of business.”
Sloan took a deep breath. This was her least favorite part of the job. Entangling with local law enforcements.
“Murders committed through demonic influence can sometimes be done simply to sow discord, to instill fear. However, more often than not they are made to harvest materials. Components.”
“Components for what?”
“Rituals.” Said Wulfgang.
The inspector’s head snapped in his direction, turning his glaring gaze towards the watcher. Wulf hesitantly averted his eyes.
“He’s right.” Sloan continued. “They are often harvested for rituals, or other infernal machinations. There can be several kinds but most typically we’ve seen hearts and lungs get harvested. Along with teeth, bones, hair and eyes.” Sloan then turned to the coroner. “Dr Holden did you find any of these missing as well?”
The older physician looked uncertain for a moment, though it quickly became clear that his hesitation stemmed not from whether or not he knew, but whether or not he should answer.
“Yes…This young man also has some teeth missing and…”
Silence followed.
“Doctor Holden?” asked Inspector Tiege.
“There is a noticeable patch of hair missing on the back of his head. Though neither of his eyes were removed. Only stabbed into mush.”
“Lovely.” Said Sloan.
“Some of the other victims had their eyes removed though.” Dr Holden added.
Sloan nodded, as if she was expecting it.
“That still doesn’t prove anything!” said Inspector Tiege, who was getting more and more flustered.
“True. This is all very circumstantial. But there is one final detail that may tip the scales.”
Sloan leaned over the body and pointed towards the open chest cavity. Inspector Tiege cocked an eyebrow, wondering for a moment if he was being played for a fool. But curiosity got the better of him and he pulled a stool over and stepped onto it. He peered into the boy’s brutalized chest, seeming squeamish over the whole ordeal.
“Is this supposed to be funny?” asked the inspector, rage boiling in his eyes. “What the fuck am I supposed to be looking for?”
Sloan smirked and leaned in closer, pointing further and further into the cavity. The inspector begrudgingly followed her lead and leaned in closer. The chemical smell of formaldehyde and decayed viscera engulfed his senses, but soon he saw it. A small cluster of cuts carved into the flesh close to the back and neck muscles.
“What is that?” the inspector asked.
Sloan smirked. “An abyssal rune.”
Sloan and Wulf stood before a massive map of the city hung upon a wall with red pins marking several locations.
“How many is that?” she asked.
“That fit this general description? Six.” Said Inspector Tiege as he brought out an envelope of more files and photos.
“That’s a lot.”
Sloan’s crimson eyes remained locked onto the map. The red pins seemed to cluster exclusively within the district of Lindon.
“And you’re certain the suspect was possessed?” asked Inspector Eldon, seemingly eager for clarifications. “He was certainly deranged but demonic possession seems a little far fetched.”
“He clawed into himself a demonic rune, the same one we found on the other victims. Yes, I’m certain he was possessed.” Said Sloan as she inspected the map. “Tell me about the victims.”
“None of the victims know each other. All of them span a variety of different ethnicity and even species. We have four hyperians, two of which were of halfling descent, and one elf.” The inspector continued. “Men and women of various ages. No connecting thread except that they all either lived in or worked in Lindon. Except the lorian, she works in Tollstock but lives in Brumsfield.”
“Meaning she commutes through Lindon.”
“Precisely.”
Sloan leaned in close to inspect a photograph that been hung on the map. The image was of a symbol painted on a wall, clearly used as a gang sign. “Where is this?”
“Tillbone territory.” Answered Inspector Eldon.
“Local gang that have been trying to make a name for themselves.” Inspector Tiege continued. “Wait. Is that symbol…”
“A demonic rune?” Sloan finished the question for him. “It seems so though the details are all wrong.”
“Is it the same as the ones we’ve found so far?” asked Eldon.
Sloan shook her head. “Nope. The symbol found carved into the victims is the symbol for ‘sacrifice’ and the one clawed into the suspect was ‘thrall’. As far as I can tell the symbol this gang has adopted for themselves is the rune for…‘kitchen’.”
“Kitchen?” asked Tiege.
“Yeah. I suspect one of them saw it in a book and tried to recreated it, not knowing what it meant.”
“But it could be them.” Said Tiege, a fiery determination stoking in his eyes.
“I don’t think so. The style is not the same. Are they a violent gang?”
Eldon shrugged. “About the same as any other low level gang.”
“But they could be escalating.” Said Tiege. “This could be our big break! Their leader likes to eat his breakfast at the Riverside Diner. We could bring him in for questioning.”
“That might provoke more violence from his gang members.” Said Wulfgang.
“When I want you opinion, I’ll ask for it, watcher.” Said Tiege as he picked up his bowler hat. “Eldon, assemble a team. “I want Luther Tillbone in handcuffs within the hour!”
The halfling inspector rushed out in a huff, leaving the other three behind in the office. Eldon, the half giant inspector, lazily looked to Sloan.
“You don’t think it’s him, do you?”
Sloan shook her head. “I might be wrong, but the rune is all wrong. I think it’s a coincidence.”
Eldon sighed as he got up and put on his coat. “Very well, but I expect you to let us know when you find out more.”
Sloan nodded. “Do you mind if we look over your archives? I have a sneaking feeling I can find a person or two in town who knows demonic runes.”
“Only if you promise not to kill them.” Said Inspector Eldon stoically.
“Only if they had nothing to do with it. Otherwise the law compels me.”
Eldon sighed. “The archives are on the third floor. Just show them your badge and tell them I sent you.”
The inspector then left the office.
Wulf peered out the window into the early morning light and soon saw a small platoon of watchers hastily depart the watchtower.
“So, are we gonna be doing research all day?” he said with a yawn.
“Probably.” Said Sloan as she put on her own coat. “You can get some sleep in the meantime if you wish.”
Watcher Wulfgang Petersen put on his cap and quietly shook his head.
“Very well. Then read away we shall.”
Wulf sat by his reading desk with his head resting on a stack of papers. His snores were low but somehow managed to echo far in the quiet atmosphere of the office. He had done his very best to stay awake as long as he could but had eventually succumbed to sleep.
Next to him Sloan sifted through several files, cross examining academic records of people who had learned exotic languages in the Kirkholm Academy. Out of the three hundred people she found on record only four had specialized in demonic runes and out of those four two had moved elsewhere and one was dead. There was one she found that still lived in Kirkholm, and better yet, she lived in the district of Lindon.
Sloan pulled what few records she could find on one Ailene Butler who, from the look of it, seemed a very mundane person. However, curiously, she seemed to have recently been admitted to the Grimwald Sanatorium. Admitted by her family when she reported hearing strange whispers and seeing shadowy figures.
The blackguard’s dark eyes locked on the image of Ailene Butler. It all seemed to fit too well. This woman would be Sloan’s prime suspect…if she hadn’t been locked up in the local sanatorium for the past six months.
“Wulf, wake up.”
“I’m up! I wasn’t asleep.”
Sloan chuckled. “Get your cap.”
“Why? Where are we going?”
“Grimwald Sanatorium.”
