Post by buck on Apr 4, 2012 21:56:26 GMT -5
Martian Manhunter: Parts Unknown
A Scream in the Night
Another empty bedroom. Signs of a fight for life. Bed sheets cleanly ripped in half as the victim held on to their last remaining life line. Blood spray all over the room; marks on the wooden furniture from the murder weapon. No body though. Detective John Jones searches the room carefully examining each detail. His partner Lindsey Tomlin enters the small one room apartment. Lindsey was known by the whole force as a firecracker of a woman. Despite her small size she was one of the most intimidating members of the Boulder police force. Her temper was famous with the force she'd burnt through more partners then most can count. Though with John it surely seemed she'd found a perfect compliment to her nature. Even with all of her temperament issues she was irresistible to most men. Her fiery red hair was accentuated by her pale skin. Though her frame was small she had curves in all the right places thanks to her meticulous physical training schedule.
John barely notices Lindsey enter the small dwelling as he examines the nightmarish blood spray, something resembling the images of Friday the 13th or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
“It's him again isn't it John?”
“Looks that way.” John says as he gazes across the room at the blade stabbed through the picture frame just like the other two crime scenes. The killer is taunting them, obviously, he thinks he's can't be caught. John looks around in his eight months on the force he has already gained a reputation for finding the clues no one else can. Turning instant cold cases into miraculous victories for the Justice System.
“He's an animal. The blood splatter is brutal he didn't just cut this girl, he picked her up and threw her against the wall.” Lindsey comments as she see the petite frame of the girl dented on the wall itself.
“I've seen bear attacks that weren't this brutal.” John replies the empathy for the girl's family evident in his voice. Lindsey starts to respond to her partner when a knock is heard on the door. “Come in.” John's dulcet voice flows like caramel. The door opens and a younger looking cop walks in.
The small, framed kid was obviously fresh out of the academy. “Detectives,” he starts before his face turns a greenish color, akin to John's natural martian skin tone, and he rushes right around , A few seconds later they hear him vomiting in the parking lot.
John gets to his feet and moves toward the door with Lindsey only a step behind him. The two walk outside to see the young patrolman doubled over done vomiting. He quietly mutters to himself as Lindsey reaches down and rubs his back.
“It's okay.” she says with a silky coo.
“Oh god! All that blood. Was it all her's?” the patrolman inquires.
“We'd assume if it's The Butcher's handy work again.” John calmly replies.
“I'm so sorry. This is so embarrassing.” the patrolman says tears rolling down his eyes.
“It's alright. It happens to everyone on their first crime scene.” Lindsey tries to calm the young man.
“It took me a few crime scenes before I got full control of my gag reflex.” John reassures the young man. The patrolman wipes his tears away as he stands to his feet.
“I was going in there to tell you, Commissioner Rawlings is pulling you guys off the case.”
“John and Lindsey both look at the young patrolman with confusion on their face.
“Senator Alberts, daughter was abducted. Rawlings wants his top two detectives on the case.”
****
The unmarked Charger rumbles up the long winding driveway. As they near the house the flashing lights are uncountable. John is stopped by a grizzly looking patrolmen. The bearded man approaches John's window and begins to shout, “The Senator isn't receiving anybody at this time.” John cuts him off flashing his badge. “Go ahead on in. The Commissioner is waiting for you two with Sam Wright.”
John throws the car back into drive as the officer moves out of his way. The car comes to a halt behind the mobile tech van. Commissioner Rawlings and Sam Wright stand behind the van each wearing a grim look.
John swings his door open and Rawlings is on him before his first foot hits the ground. Rawlings was a good man. His his african-american descent had spurned him on; as he had to work twice as hard to move up in the ranks of police officials. A tall and powerfully built man Rawling demanded respect with just his presence. John pushes himself out of the car and greets the Commissioner. “Evening Rawlings, please tell me this isn't another Butcher case.”
Rawlings grim look lessens indicating that it isn't the Butcher. “Not the Butcher, but it's still an ugly situation John. The Senator's daughter was taken from her second floor bedroom. There was a slight struggle someone was injured, but we aren't sure whose. Sam has already started the work on it, but it's going to take some time just like all good lab work. Sam smiles at Lindsey who is too dialed in to gaining details to even notice him. Sam shrugs it off and hops inside of the lab truck to head back to the station. John, Lindsey and Rawlings begin walking towards the home as Sam pulls off. Rawling exhales as they walk up the driveway.
“John, we need a win here. We are getting ripped apart over the Butcher case. I know you guys are doing all that you can and I'm not doing you any favors by pulling you off of it. This abduction is going to make that case look like a blurb in the lifestyles section on page eight. Alberts is getting ready to announce his candidacy for President and they say he could knock Harper off his throne. So we need to find this little girl and find her alive. Do you get me John?”
“Yes sir.” John says as an officer swings the front door open for John and Lindsey. The partners are greeted by the first responder as they enter the grand and spacious home. Chandeliers hang from the ceilings illuminating every inch of the home. “Right this way,” the young detective says as he gestures for them to enter the Senator's study.
Inside the Senator sits his temples red from being rubbed by his thumb. His salt and pepper hair looking more on the salt side after the night he has had. “Greetings Mister Senator, My name is John Jones and this is my partner Lindsey Tomlin. We've been assigned this investigation and we need to ask you some preliminary questions to get the ball rolling.”
“We just answered all of the other officers questions why do we have to talk to you too. Aren't you just wasting time you could be using to find our daughter!” the Senator's wife explodes.
“Dorothy!” The senator bellows at his wife. “I'm so sorry Detective it's been a rough night for both of us.” The Senator lowers his tone.
“You have nothing to apologize for Mister Senator.” John smoothly replies. “When did you first notice your daughter was missing?”
“It was only about an hour ago. I heard noise on the side of the house and went out to check on things as I got around to the side of the house I heard a scream from my daughter's room. I took off immediately towards the front door I had just come from. I made it in the house just in time to hear the crash of her window being broken. I raced upstairs just in time to see a figure carrying her off into the night.”
“Can you describe the figure?”
“Unfortunately not it was moving too quickly and was out of sight within minutes.”
“Do you have an enemies that might have done this?” John asks the painful question to the Senator.
“You don' get to my position without burning a few bridges Detective. My hands aren't completely clean, but no threats have came in recently that I felt we needed to address.” The Senator replies with a twang of hurt in his voice.
“Do you mind if me and my partner take a look around your daughter's room?”
“Go right ahead, but I believe Mr. Wright who was in here earlier did a very through job.”
John and Lindsey climb the stairs. “He's hiding something.” John whispers.
“You too? He must have his own people working the case and he's afraid we will get in their way.” Lindsey jumps to the conclusion. The door is cracked open as John and Lindsey hit the top of the stairs.
The scene shows signs of struggle pictures on the floor. A few specks of blood are on the floor. John begins looking deeper into the crime scene. Finding something that Sam overlooked is always a challenge, but doing so has broken so many cases wide open that John has learned to always double check the crime scene.
“What are you looking for John? Sam did this crime scene there is no way he missed anything.”
“You always have to turn things over. No matter how meaningless it seems sometimes it can be the difference between solving a case and it going cold case.” John walks over to the windowsill a silverish glint caught his attention. He pulls out a pair of tweezers as he picks up the small bit of hair. “How about this?” John calls out with just a bit of pride in his voice.
“They don't own a dog do they?” Lindsey asks with confusion peppering her words.
“No they sure don't let's get going.” John says with a smile.
****
The Charger rumbles down the empty countryside. John and Lindsey are riding in complete silence as John senses something running across the street at the last possible second. John locks up the brakes as he attempts to avoid the hulking creature. A thud is heard as Lindsey screams the creature lies in the road not moving. John motions for Lindsey to stay in the vehicle; John bounds out of the vehicle with his weapon pulled right away. Lindsey watches as John is side-swiped by the creature who is back on it's feet right away. Without a hint of hesitation Lindsey is out of the car and knocking the creature off of John. The creature turn and swipes at Lindsey ripping through her jacket and ripping her skin open right below her collar bone. Lindsey drops to the ground in pain as the creature turns it's attention back to John.
John launches himself to his feet and throws a powerful haymaker sending the creature to the asphalt. John hops on top of it. It's silver-hair shimmering in the moonlight John lends a few more punches bringing blood to the creature's snout. With a kick of it's powerful legs John is sent into the grill off the car and with a howl the creature disappears into the night. John rolls over and pushes himself up to check on Lindsey blood seeps through her jacket from the big gash across her chest.
“What the hell was that partner?” Lindsey manages to get out through a grimace.
“I'm not sure, but we might have found our kidnapper.” John smiles as he holds up a silverish handful of hair which resembled that found at the senator's home. “Let's go get you patched up.”
****
Sam Wright takes another sip of his black coffee. He grimaces at the heat as he flips through criminal databases trying to find any sort of crime resembling the kidnapping with even possible matches on the DNA. Sam picks up his cup of coffee as the door to the lab flies open. John and Lindsey rush in looking like hell. John notices right away the bloodstain soaking through Lindsey's blouse.
“I'm fine.” Lindsey states very mildly as she notices Sam looking at her wound.
“You aren't we need to get that dressed right away. Take of your jacket.” John says as Sam pulls out a first aid kit. Lindsey reluctantly takes off her blouse. Grimacing in pain as she raises her arm's above her head. John begins dabbing the wound with saline attempting to clear the blood away.
“We came across something when we were leaving the Senator's house. It walked around on two feet, but it wasn't a human when it was fully upright it was around seven feet tall.”
As John is talking Lindsey catches Sam's eyes wondering down toward her lacy bra; she quickly pushes his chin up a bit so he's looking at the cut again.
“It's claws did that to Lindsey I have no clue what it was.”
Sam begins applying medical tape to the slash on Lindsey's chest; he wraps it with a medical bandage. As she redresses Sam looks back at John.
“I think whatever it was is connected to the Senator's daughter's disappearance though. I pulled a tuft of hair from the creature as it ran away. And I got this sample of fur at the crime scene. I'm not sure how you overlooked it Sam. They appear to be from the same creature though.” Sam snatches the samples from John's hands and looks over them.
“It looks like they are identical, but I can't be positive yet.” Sam says as he begins working on the samples. “I wish I had a blood sample from the creature though it'd make things so much easier.”
John pulls his shirt off and rips off a strip where the creature's blood sprayed. “Ask and you shall receive, Sam.” Sam heart drops as he watches Lindsey checking out John's chiseled chest. She'd never want to be with some lab rat with a little extra pudge. “Lindsey, I need to get a blood sample from you too. We have no clue what attacked you and we need to run a few tests, and make sure that it wasn't rabid or have any dangerous substances on it's claws.” Lindsey submits as Sam pulls out a syringe as a call breaks over the radio.
“We've got a call from Senator Alberts residence. Potentially violate situation involving a domestic dispute. Detective Jones and Tomlin are requested to respond.”
As Sam finishes drawing blood, Lindsey stands up as she slips her jacket back on. “Time to go back to the scene of the crime partner.”
****
Chaos reigns supreme as John and Lindsey skid to a halt at the end of the driveway from the shed shouts can be heard mixed with howls of a dog in pain. John sees two officers posted up behind their cruiser away from the shed. Lindsey approaches the two officers, “What's going on? Whose in the shed?”
“We don't know detective. We've only been here a few minutes we had just started to approach the shed when a gunshot rang out we pulled back and waited for you too to show up by Commissioner's orders. All we've heard since is yelling that sounded like the Senator and howls. We're ready to provide backup if need be.”
A pain filled howl crosses the lawn. John and Lindsey both pull out there weapons. As they run towards the door of the shed.
“Where is she? She had nothing to do with this!” the Senator's voice breaks through the calm cool night air. Another lonesome howl cracks through the air like electricity.
“Bring her back dammit!” the Senator's voice comes through louder this time.
John and Lindsey reach the door as another howl breaks out.
“No. Stop. Mercy. Please don't do this!” A new voice breaks through the door of the shed.
“Mercy! Did you show her mercy? When you ripped her away from her from her room in the night!” Senator Alberts voice cracks as he yells.
“Senator Alberts don't do anything rash” John yells as he tries to break the locked door of the shed.
“Stop! Please! Please.” The second voice cries out.
The sound of the gunshot dulls out the busting of the lock and the last cry for mercy. John and Lindsey enter the shed as Senator Albert's stands over a dead man's body. Lindsey and John keep their guns pointed at the Senator as he lays his weapon down on the ground. Leaning down to his knees he interlocks his fingers and places his hands behind his head.
A Scream in the Night
Another empty bedroom. Signs of a fight for life. Bed sheets cleanly ripped in half as the victim held on to their last remaining life line. Blood spray all over the room; marks on the wooden furniture from the murder weapon. No body though. Detective John Jones searches the room carefully examining each detail. His partner Lindsey Tomlin enters the small one room apartment. Lindsey was known by the whole force as a firecracker of a woman. Despite her small size she was one of the most intimidating members of the Boulder police force. Her temper was famous with the force she'd burnt through more partners then most can count. Though with John it surely seemed she'd found a perfect compliment to her nature. Even with all of her temperament issues she was irresistible to most men. Her fiery red hair was accentuated by her pale skin. Though her frame was small she had curves in all the right places thanks to her meticulous physical training schedule.
John barely notices Lindsey enter the small dwelling as he examines the nightmarish blood spray, something resembling the images of Friday the 13th or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
“It's him again isn't it John?”
“Looks that way.” John says as he gazes across the room at the blade stabbed through the picture frame just like the other two crime scenes. The killer is taunting them, obviously, he thinks he's can't be caught. John looks around in his eight months on the force he has already gained a reputation for finding the clues no one else can. Turning instant cold cases into miraculous victories for the Justice System.
“He's an animal. The blood splatter is brutal he didn't just cut this girl, he picked her up and threw her against the wall.” Lindsey comments as she see the petite frame of the girl dented on the wall itself.
“I've seen bear attacks that weren't this brutal.” John replies the empathy for the girl's family evident in his voice. Lindsey starts to respond to her partner when a knock is heard on the door. “Come in.” John's dulcet voice flows like caramel. The door opens and a younger looking cop walks in.
The small, framed kid was obviously fresh out of the academy. “Detectives,” he starts before his face turns a greenish color, akin to John's natural martian skin tone, and he rushes right around , A few seconds later they hear him vomiting in the parking lot.
John gets to his feet and moves toward the door with Lindsey only a step behind him. The two walk outside to see the young patrolman doubled over done vomiting. He quietly mutters to himself as Lindsey reaches down and rubs his back.
“It's okay.” she says with a silky coo.
“Oh god! All that blood. Was it all her's?” the patrolman inquires.
“We'd assume if it's The Butcher's handy work again.” John calmly replies.
“I'm so sorry. This is so embarrassing.” the patrolman says tears rolling down his eyes.
“It's alright. It happens to everyone on their first crime scene.” Lindsey tries to calm the young man.
“It took me a few crime scenes before I got full control of my gag reflex.” John reassures the young man. The patrolman wipes his tears away as he stands to his feet.
“I was going in there to tell you, Commissioner Rawlings is pulling you guys off the case.”
“John and Lindsey both look at the young patrolman with confusion on their face.
“Senator Alberts, daughter was abducted. Rawlings wants his top two detectives on the case.”
****
The unmarked Charger rumbles up the long winding driveway. As they near the house the flashing lights are uncountable. John is stopped by a grizzly looking patrolmen. The bearded man approaches John's window and begins to shout, “The Senator isn't receiving anybody at this time.” John cuts him off flashing his badge. “Go ahead on in. The Commissioner is waiting for you two with Sam Wright.”
John throws the car back into drive as the officer moves out of his way. The car comes to a halt behind the mobile tech van. Commissioner Rawlings and Sam Wright stand behind the van each wearing a grim look.
John swings his door open and Rawlings is on him before his first foot hits the ground. Rawlings was a good man. His his african-american descent had spurned him on; as he had to work twice as hard to move up in the ranks of police officials. A tall and powerfully built man Rawling demanded respect with just his presence. John pushes himself out of the car and greets the Commissioner. “Evening Rawlings, please tell me this isn't another Butcher case.”
Rawlings grim look lessens indicating that it isn't the Butcher. “Not the Butcher, but it's still an ugly situation John. The Senator's daughter was taken from her second floor bedroom. There was a slight struggle someone was injured, but we aren't sure whose. Sam has already started the work on it, but it's going to take some time just like all good lab work. Sam smiles at Lindsey who is too dialed in to gaining details to even notice him. Sam shrugs it off and hops inside of the lab truck to head back to the station. John, Lindsey and Rawlings begin walking towards the home as Sam pulls off. Rawling exhales as they walk up the driveway.
“John, we need a win here. We are getting ripped apart over the Butcher case. I know you guys are doing all that you can and I'm not doing you any favors by pulling you off of it. This abduction is going to make that case look like a blurb in the lifestyles section on page eight. Alberts is getting ready to announce his candidacy for President and they say he could knock Harper off his throne. So we need to find this little girl and find her alive. Do you get me John?”
“Yes sir.” John says as an officer swings the front door open for John and Lindsey. The partners are greeted by the first responder as they enter the grand and spacious home. Chandeliers hang from the ceilings illuminating every inch of the home. “Right this way,” the young detective says as he gestures for them to enter the Senator's study.
Inside the Senator sits his temples red from being rubbed by his thumb. His salt and pepper hair looking more on the salt side after the night he has had. “Greetings Mister Senator, My name is John Jones and this is my partner Lindsey Tomlin. We've been assigned this investigation and we need to ask you some preliminary questions to get the ball rolling.”
“We just answered all of the other officers questions why do we have to talk to you too. Aren't you just wasting time you could be using to find our daughter!” the Senator's wife explodes.
“Dorothy!” The senator bellows at his wife. “I'm so sorry Detective it's been a rough night for both of us.” The Senator lowers his tone.
“You have nothing to apologize for Mister Senator.” John smoothly replies. “When did you first notice your daughter was missing?”
“It was only about an hour ago. I heard noise on the side of the house and went out to check on things as I got around to the side of the house I heard a scream from my daughter's room. I took off immediately towards the front door I had just come from. I made it in the house just in time to hear the crash of her window being broken. I raced upstairs just in time to see a figure carrying her off into the night.”
“Can you describe the figure?”
“Unfortunately not it was moving too quickly and was out of sight within minutes.”
“Do you have an enemies that might have done this?” John asks the painful question to the Senator.
“You don' get to my position without burning a few bridges Detective. My hands aren't completely clean, but no threats have came in recently that I felt we needed to address.” The Senator replies with a twang of hurt in his voice.
“Do you mind if me and my partner take a look around your daughter's room?”
“Go right ahead, but I believe Mr. Wright who was in here earlier did a very through job.”
John and Lindsey climb the stairs. “He's hiding something.” John whispers.
“You too? He must have his own people working the case and he's afraid we will get in their way.” Lindsey jumps to the conclusion. The door is cracked open as John and Lindsey hit the top of the stairs.
The scene shows signs of struggle pictures on the floor. A few specks of blood are on the floor. John begins looking deeper into the crime scene. Finding something that Sam overlooked is always a challenge, but doing so has broken so many cases wide open that John has learned to always double check the crime scene.
“What are you looking for John? Sam did this crime scene there is no way he missed anything.”
“You always have to turn things over. No matter how meaningless it seems sometimes it can be the difference between solving a case and it going cold case.” John walks over to the windowsill a silverish glint caught his attention. He pulls out a pair of tweezers as he picks up the small bit of hair. “How about this?” John calls out with just a bit of pride in his voice.
“They don't own a dog do they?” Lindsey asks with confusion peppering her words.
“No they sure don't let's get going.” John says with a smile.
****
The Charger rumbles down the empty countryside. John and Lindsey are riding in complete silence as John senses something running across the street at the last possible second. John locks up the brakes as he attempts to avoid the hulking creature. A thud is heard as Lindsey screams the creature lies in the road not moving. John motions for Lindsey to stay in the vehicle; John bounds out of the vehicle with his weapon pulled right away. Lindsey watches as John is side-swiped by the creature who is back on it's feet right away. Without a hint of hesitation Lindsey is out of the car and knocking the creature off of John. The creature turn and swipes at Lindsey ripping through her jacket and ripping her skin open right below her collar bone. Lindsey drops to the ground in pain as the creature turns it's attention back to John.
John launches himself to his feet and throws a powerful haymaker sending the creature to the asphalt. John hops on top of it. It's silver-hair shimmering in the moonlight John lends a few more punches bringing blood to the creature's snout. With a kick of it's powerful legs John is sent into the grill off the car and with a howl the creature disappears into the night. John rolls over and pushes himself up to check on Lindsey blood seeps through her jacket from the big gash across her chest.
“What the hell was that partner?” Lindsey manages to get out through a grimace.
“I'm not sure, but we might have found our kidnapper.” John smiles as he holds up a silverish handful of hair which resembled that found at the senator's home. “Let's go get you patched up.”
****
Sam Wright takes another sip of his black coffee. He grimaces at the heat as he flips through criminal databases trying to find any sort of crime resembling the kidnapping with even possible matches on the DNA. Sam picks up his cup of coffee as the door to the lab flies open. John and Lindsey rush in looking like hell. John notices right away the bloodstain soaking through Lindsey's blouse.
“I'm fine.” Lindsey states very mildly as she notices Sam looking at her wound.
“You aren't we need to get that dressed right away. Take of your jacket.” John says as Sam pulls out a first aid kit. Lindsey reluctantly takes off her blouse. Grimacing in pain as she raises her arm's above her head. John begins dabbing the wound with saline attempting to clear the blood away.
“We came across something when we were leaving the Senator's house. It walked around on two feet, but it wasn't a human when it was fully upright it was around seven feet tall.”
As John is talking Lindsey catches Sam's eyes wondering down toward her lacy bra; she quickly pushes his chin up a bit so he's looking at the cut again.
“It's claws did that to Lindsey I have no clue what it was.”
Sam begins applying medical tape to the slash on Lindsey's chest; he wraps it with a medical bandage. As she redresses Sam looks back at John.
“I think whatever it was is connected to the Senator's daughter's disappearance though. I pulled a tuft of hair from the creature as it ran away. And I got this sample of fur at the crime scene. I'm not sure how you overlooked it Sam. They appear to be from the same creature though.” Sam snatches the samples from John's hands and looks over them.
“It looks like they are identical, but I can't be positive yet.” Sam says as he begins working on the samples. “I wish I had a blood sample from the creature though it'd make things so much easier.”
John pulls his shirt off and rips off a strip where the creature's blood sprayed. “Ask and you shall receive, Sam.” Sam heart drops as he watches Lindsey checking out John's chiseled chest. She'd never want to be with some lab rat with a little extra pudge. “Lindsey, I need to get a blood sample from you too. We have no clue what attacked you and we need to run a few tests, and make sure that it wasn't rabid or have any dangerous substances on it's claws.” Lindsey submits as Sam pulls out a syringe as a call breaks over the radio.
“We've got a call from Senator Alberts residence. Potentially violate situation involving a domestic dispute. Detective Jones and Tomlin are requested to respond.”
As Sam finishes drawing blood, Lindsey stands up as she slips her jacket back on. “Time to go back to the scene of the crime partner.”
****
Chaos reigns supreme as John and Lindsey skid to a halt at the end of the driveway from the shed shouts can be heard mixed with howls of a dog in pain. John sees two officers posted up behind their cruiser away from the shed. Lindsey approaches the two officers, “What's going on? Whose in the shed?”
“We don't know detective. We've only been here a few minutes we had just started to approach the shed when a gunshot rang out we pulled back and waited for you too to show up by Commissioner's orders. All we've heard since is yelling that sounded like the Senator and howls. We're ready to provide backup if need be.”
A pain filled howl crosses the lawn. John and Lindsey both pull out there weapons. As they run towards the door of the shed.
“Where is she? She had nothing to do with this!” the Senator's voice breaks through the calm cool night air. Another lonesome howl cracks through the air like electricity.
“Bring her back dammit!” the Senator's voice comes through louder this time.
John and Lindsey reach the door as another howl breaks out.
“No. Stop. Mercy. Please don't do this!” A new voice breaks through the door of the shed.
“Mercy! Did you show her mercy? When you ripped her away from her from her room in the night!” Senator Alberts voice cracks as he yells.
“Senator Alberts don't do anything rash” John yells as he tries to break the locked door of the shed.
“Stop! Please! Please.” The second voice cries out.
The sound of the gunshot dulls out the busting of the lock and the last cry for mercy. John and Lindsey enter the shed as Senator Albert's stands over a dead man's body. Lindsey and John keep their guns pointed at the Senator as he lays his weapon down on the ground. Leaning down to his knees he interlocks his fingers and places his hands behind his head.