Chapter 10

"So, first of all, I need to know what happened while I was gone. I'll pick it up from there" Clara told Mr. McCarthy while in his office. She had gone to meet him, so he could fill her in on the latest development. Especially Richard's case, but she didn't make it look obvious.

"I thought your partner would have done that already," said Mr. McCarthy looking her in the eyes.

"Wait, who? James?" She scoffed.

"I'm sorry, I can't work with him. He's an arse and I hate it" she frowned.

"Here we go again, detective," Mr. McCarthy said, throwing his hands in the air. "You came in minutes ago looking all like a changed person, but what you're saying now shows you're not" he added.

"Sir, I'm changed, but I can't work with someone who won't stop pestering me on issues that aren't even professional" she replied. "I thought you said he's a perfect match for me?" She asked.

"Yes, I did, and he is"

"Oh spare me that, he isn't" she replied rolling her eyes and making Mr. McCarthy fold his arms.

"What are you driving at?" He asked.

"I'm just trying to let you know that he's not filling me In on anything" she replied frustrated.

"Look, he's a very good detective who solves cases just like you" he started, "I figured you guys are the best I've got, so I teamed you up. The best of the bests. You know what that means?" He asked.

"What?"

"The best results," he said with a grin making Clara groan inwardly.

"Fine, I get it," she said, "--but can I just know what happened, on the current case he's on, so I'll know where to start from?" She asked.

"Okay, fine, I'll tell you but you'll have to meet him to know how far he's gone with the investigation"

"Got it" she replied.

"Okay, so there's this high school girl who killed her friend a few minutes after the monsters attacked the city yesterday. I don't know how or why she did it, but her stomach was ripped open and her liver was ripped out and put in a plastic sack"

"What the hell?!" She cursed, "a high school girl did that?" She asked, surprised.

"Exactly" he replied. " The school called, later on, to report that a certain Richard Smith who happened to be a teacher in the school is connected with the murder. According to them, he erased every last footage of the park where it happened and we were told to bring him in"

Clara pretended as if she didn't know who Richard was when his name was mentioned, she was good at hiding her expressions.

"Oh really?" She asked feigning surprise.

"Yeah, and there's this attack on a group of teenagers who went camping in the woods. Four were killed with one receiving treatment at the hospital..."

"Matt," he was cut short by James Interruption.

"What?" She asked confused.

"His name, Matt" he replied with a smile. "Why would I miss your briefing?" He asked with a wink.

Clara fought the urge to put a bullet in his head.

"And where's this teacher, Richard?" She asked.

"He had been transferred to the headquarters" he replied, " I saw to it" he added as Clara's eyes widened, and it took her every resistance ability she has in her to stop herself from putting a bullet in his head.

****

Mrs. Smith was sitting in her car, a few blocks from SCPD, and was about to call Clara when another call came in. It was an unknown ID and she wondered who it was as she picked it up, placing it in her left ear.

"Hello?" She said into the phone.

"Hello, Mrs. Gonzalez Smith" a frown broke across her face.

***

Mr. Ben was pacing about in the base when Mr. Gary came in. He saw the worried look on his face and this got his attention.

"Hey, why do you look, so worried?" He asked moving closer to him.

"Oh, and you care all of a sudden?" Mr. Ben snapped. "After making your daughter leave. You didn't even bother to talk her into returning, what type of a father are you?" He asked looking directly into his eyes.

"Listen up, Ben, she made her choice" he replied almost raising his voice.

"Well, this city has been crawling with monsters under our nose, and we did nothing about it," he said. "If you're to prove you're worthy of being a leader," Mr. Ben said walking away, " then prove it" he added but was stopped by Mr. Gary.

"How do you know this?" He asked looking straight into his eyes as if he was looking for answers there.

"That's why I'm a tech lord, I get information easily" he replied, leaving Mr. Gary who stood in the middle of the hall.

****

"You're not thinking clearly if you think I'll keep your husband here with me" detective James' voice boomed from the speaker.

"Sending Clara to monitor things on the inside, that was lame" he continued, "and you coming here yourself, dumbest move ever," he said as Mrs. Smith shifted uncomfortably on her sit.

She looked around to see if he was around her, but she saw no one. He knows she's there for sure.

"Who are you and what do you want?" She asked with a frown.

"I'm just your friendly neighborhood," he said and inhaled sharply. "Ahhh... I'm so much enjoying this".

" Why don't you stop hiding in the shadows and come to face me like a man with balls, huh?" She said her face was mean and threatening.

"Isn't it obvious?" He started, "you're no match for me" he added.

"Well there's only one way to find out" she replied, with a smirk.

"Are you playing games with me now?"

"Believe whatever you want, but it's not gonna end well for you," she said.

"I have the upper hand here," he said chuckling, "You might want to stop the threats, it doesn't sit well with me" he added.

She chuckled, "you know," she started " if Clara wants you down, then you'd be down in a minute"

"And if I want your husband dead, he would have been dead since yesterday. The whole transfer thing, wouldn't have happened" he said, "think about it"

"What do you want?" She asked with all seriousness.

"You see, that's what I'm talking about," he said. "Let's be serious here," he said before exhaling deeply. "There's this tiny piece of jewel, it's not even pretty by the way, and I don't know why I have to get it from you, but I need it and I want you to give it to me" he paused, "If you ever wanna see your husband again" he added.

"I swear to God, if you hurt as much as a hair on Richard's hair, So help me God, I'll send you back to hell where you came from"

"Not the threats again," he said, sounding more like a baby. "Okay, play's over. I need the jewel and... Damn! I don't have all the time in the world" he said before chuckling, "I don't know why I find it easy to sound like you guys"

"Sounds like you're working for someone," she said.

"Someone you wouldn't want to know" he replied sharply as Mrs. Smith brought out her encrypted phone, unlocked it, and wanted to click something when he stopped her.

"Ahh-ah... Not so fast" he said, "drop the phone" he added.

"Damnit!" She cursed dropping the phone on the seat beside her.

"Good girl," he said, "so, the jewel?"

"I don't have it with me here" she replied.

"Of course, I know" he replied.

"Well, you know too much and that's your problem" she replied coldly.

"Thanks for the compliment," he said. "Bring it tonight, the old warehouse at Oak Street, 22:00 hours and you'll have your husband," he said, "Punctuality is something I cherish a lot he added"

"Okay, got it" she replied

"And, one more thing" he added, "Come alone or you'll never see your husband again," he said, " and your innocent-looking cousin" he added ending the call as Mrs. Smith's eyes widened.

****

"I need to see the girl," Clara told Mr. McCarthy who agreed.

"I don't think that's necessary" James protested.

"Of course, it isn't to you, but to me, it is very important that I see her," she said, her eyes staring daggers at him.

"I don't understand. Do you guys know each other before?" Mr. McCarthy asked surprised.

"It's not necessary" detective James replied.

"Is there something important to you?" Clara asked narrowing her eyes at him.

"Of course, the jewel" he replied looking straight into her eyes as she frowned.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mr. McCarthy was lost.

"It's nothing chief," Clara said, "and I would love to see this girl," she said with a tone of finality, leaving the office as Chief and Detective James trailed behind her.

"She's crazy" Mr. McCarthy whispered to Detective James.

"I know" he whispered back to him with a cool smile that soon turned into a frown as he concentrated on Clara who didn't bother to look behind her.

They got to the interrogation room where the girl was, but they couldn't see her through the see-through glass.

"I'm going in," Clara said stubbornly, opening the door as she stomped inside but stopped in her tracks when she spotted something on the floor.

Mr. McCarthy was surprised when Clara stopped all of a sudden. He moved inside and also stopped on seeing what she saw. It was the girl's body in the pool of her blood. Her eyes were missing and her chest was ripped open.

James also came inside and paused. A frown broke across his face.

"What the hell?!" He cursed.