Chapter 14

The wreckage of Dr. Seb’s car blocks the vehicles going from Pharm Botanical Research Institute and into the mainland. One police mobile gets to the site, and out went an officer holding the rank of lieutenant according to his insignia.

“Hello!? Can anyone hear me!?” shouted Lt. Thanat Simaron. The one driving, Sgt. Marlon Wiyapong, gets out as well to survey the scene. Sgt. Won, with his flashlight on, makes his way to the broken barricade at the side. This serves as the last line of protection for vehicles before plunging to the sea.

Lt. Tan quickly gets to the driver side of the car and sees the body of Dr. Seb, tied to his seat by the seatbelt and bloodied from the head. He is about to free the poor scientist when his sergeant calls him.

“Lieutenant! There’s another body here by the cliff!” shouted Sgt. Won.

“How is it!?” asked Lt. Tan, looking over to where Sgt. Won is.

“Unconscious, sir!”

“Secure the area, Won!”

He quickly sets up EWDs around the scene so that the other vehicles behind can switch lanes early. Lt. Tan is then able to free Dr. Seb from his seat. He pulls him over to the side. Some of the drivers of the stalled cars get out and help the two officers as well, pushing the destroyed car aside to, at least, completely open up one lane.

“Base-Condor. Base-Condor. Come in, Base,” said Lt. Tan after taking out the radio from his belt. He taps Dr. Seb on the shoulder to try and wake him.

“Condor-Base. Go ahead.”

“I have a 10-50 westbound of the Land Bridge. Two civilians down. I repeat: two civilians down. Requesting paramedics and air support. One located by the cliff – unconscious. The other taken out the wreckage with multiple head and body injuries – unresponsive with weak pulse. Over.”

“10-4, Condor. Notified Fire and Medical Team in the nearest vicinity. ETA two minutes. Air support is ten minutes out. Over.”

“Copy, Base. Over and out.”

“Sir? Sir?” said Lt. Tan as he taps Dr. Seb on the shoulder. He gets no response except for shallow breaths. He, then, frisks the pockets to feel a wallet or anything that will let him identify the dying man beside him.

“Won, any sign of the medical team?” asked Lt. Tan looking at the sergeant, who is using his flashlight to guide the other vehicles to the other lane.

“They’re coming sir. They’re cutting in this lane,” said Sgt. Won, pointing to the mainland. Lt. Tan turns and sees another police car speeding over to them together with two ambulances and a fire truck. “How is the victim, sir?” Sgt. Won asked.

“Not good. Shallow breaths and unresponsive.”

“How about the air support?”

“Ten minutes out three minutes ago.”

“Response team is here, lieutenant.”

Out of the police car that has just arrived, four uniformed men emerge. Two come to Lt. Tan, while the other two to Sgt. Won. The sergeant gives his flashlight to one and told him to man the traffic flow, then goes with the other towards the cliff where the Exeter’s body is.

“Lieutenant, sir!” said one of the two that approaches him. Both men are in salute.

Lt. Tan returns the gesture while kneeling beside Dr. Seb, “At ease, officers.”

“How is he sir?” asked one who called to Lt. Tan. He briefs the other two officers afterwards.

“Where is the Forensics team?” asked Lt. Tan.

“They are on their way sir.”

“I need them to take a look at the car: there is a three-inch hole at its starboard side by the engine.”

“Identifications, sir?”

Lt. Tan hands over a wallet to the officers as the EMT comes rushing towards Dr. Seb.

“Notify his immediate family members about this.”

“Yes sir.”

A voice echoes out of Lt. Tan’s radio.

“Ground Team-Hele One, come in. Ground Team-Hele One. Come in Ground Team. Over.”

Lt. Tan, talking to the paramedic’s team, signals to Sgt. Won to answer the radio.

“Hele One-Ground Team. This is Sergeant Wiyapong. Go ahead.”

“Hele One inbound to site, sergeant. ETA one minute.”

“Copy. One victim unconscious by the cliff.”

“10-4. Has the victim been attended to?”

“Negative. His position can’t be reached by foot.”

“How long has he been there?”

“Ground Team responded fifteen minutes ago. Victim has been by the cliff since, unresponsive.”

“Roger that, sergeant. Hele One 30 seconds away. Over and out.”

Two rescuers, tied by a rope through an electronic pulley, come down from a hovering chopper to attend to Exeter. However, when they come back up, instead of an injured scientist, a filled body bag is with them.

Lt. Tan and Sgt. Won can only look on, as the remains of Dr. Helman is being taken up to the helicopter. Officer Tine, one of the rescuers, approaches the other two cops.

“At ease, Officer…Rapasath,” responded Lt. Tan, looking closely at the nameplate.

“Thank you, lieutenant. Tine Rapasath, but you can call me Tine. Victim is gone, sir. He was dead even before we got to him.”

“Any IDs?” asked Sgt. Won.

“Here is his wallet, sergeant.”

“I think his things are in the wreckage, officer,” said Lt. Tan as Sgt. Won looks inside Dr. Helman’s wallet.

“We’ll look into those and bring them to the morgue," said Officer Tine.

“Where will you take him, Officer Tine?” asked Sgt. Won as he gives the wallet and IDs to Lt. Tan.

“St. Elizabeth’s Hospital – the nearest one from here.”

“We’ll notify the family and bring them there.”

“Yes, sir. Excuse me, I’ll leave you now: I have to make a report for this.”

“Carry on. Thank you, Officer Tine.”

“Doctor Exeter Helman, Senior Botanist and Cytologist,” said Lt. Tan, reading what the ID is showing.

“What about the man at the driver side, lieutenant?”

“His name is Sebastian Yankhun, director of Pharm Institute. We go to Mister Helman’s house now to inform his family.”

“What about to Mister Yankhun’s?”

“A team is already on it.”

“Forensics are here lieutenant,” said Sgt. Won.

Before they go, Lt. Tan approaches one from the Forensics team to notify them of the hole on the side of the car.

“Why would someone gun down two scientists on their way home?” Sgt. Won asked while Lt. Won starts their car.

“I don’t know, Won. A shot that leaves a mark like that can only come from high-powered guns, like those used by the military.” Lt. Tan drives off the scene and into their destination.

“I agree. But why target two scientists who study plants?”

“You’re guess is as good as mine, Won. What did Forensics say about the things inside the wreckage?”

“Just clothes, gadgets, and some papers on the bags, sir.”

“Tell them to hold on to those things for investigation.”

“I’m afraid we can’t sir.”

“Why?” asked Lt. Tan a bit angrily. He wants to use whatever are in those pile of things for lead.

“There are two wills in it, one from each of the victims. Legal is on it now for processing. They were only able to take photos of the items.”

“Damn it!” shouted the frustrated Lt. Tan as he puts their car to fifth gear. “What about Mister Yankhun?”

“He is still unconscious and in critical condition, sir.”

“Let’s hope he stabilizes. He’s our only hope for information in this case. Can’t we do anything about the things from the baggage?”

“No, sir. After Legal processes those wills, everything stated in there will be done immediately, and not even a court order can stop it.”

“Shit!”

This is not the first time that Lt. Tan and Sgt. Won have a case whose fate lies in a man on a precarious state. However, without Dr. Seb, they will grope in the dark trying to solve his death and Exeter’s. As they steer their car towards Dr. Helman’s address, they can only hope that the head of Pharm Institute survives.