Investigation (2)
"Dunno....the bodies have been mauled beyond recognition.... And I don't think one person was involved in the kill....it looks like a gang attack"
"A gang of what?" Joe asked
"How should I know" Melvin shrieked "we've got no lead on the killer....we got no lead on anything, all we've got is scribbling of blood at the site of the murder"
Sid who has been seemly uninterested in the proceedings, suddenly asked....
"What does it say?"
"I AM HERE" Melvin answered
"I am here.... what's I am here"
"We know you're here" Sid snapped.
"That's what it said!!!!" Melvin snapped back.
Joe heaved himself up on both hands and moved over to the window and raised the louvers facing the prison yard.
"So… 70 kills… No culprit… Blood writings and mauled corpses. Have you been able to identify the body of any corpse?" he asked
"None"
"What the hell.... Do we have Isialangua resident around here"
Melvin hopped on both feet and looked around….
"That can't be possible. This is Bayelsa"
"Then what's going on"
"How should I know" Melvin felt accused "this looks like bad juju"
"Damn it" Joe felt frustrated, his senses were leading him nowhere "how could a gang of I don't know what.... Kill seventy people in a week, write blood over the place, and just disappear…"
"Pretty much.... But whatever's killing them, surely had an upper hand, it wasn't a clear match.... And whatever's killing them must have gobbled their flesh too" The sweat was visibly breaking on his face "If it's a human, why would you kill someone and eats his flesh in this modern time... How can?"
Sid stared hard at Melvin, splitting his panic into two....
"Maybe it was a wild animal" This statement got to Joe....
"Yes a wild animal.... It could be where they're tracks" Melvin said no "but how could an animal kill without tracks...? And" thinks "how could an animal scribble in blood.... How could an animal kill 70 people in a week without alerting the public....how can?"
"Things are beginning to get dirty"
"There must be something behind it.... Something must be directing the attacks, thanks to the people and government, there's no forest in which a dangerous animal can hide in"
"Something like that"
Joe diverts…
"Where's James.... "
Melvin looked around him, racking his brain for an excuse....
"Well he's not here.... not since yesterday.... But I contacted him today"
Joe looked angry and his voice showed it....
"What" .... How can Small face could let everyone go AWOL.... This is bad management and I should know" undecided "let me get through to Kelvin"
Melvin picked up the phone on Sid desk and dialed, the line hummed distractedly. It went on for a while, and then a manly voice answered....
"Where the hell are you Man?" Joe shouted into the mouth piece. There's a picture of the man on the other side tilting his head from the unprovoked attack, but no, the man answered with equal spirit....
"Joe.... It's that you.... Gosh man where would I be but here?"
"Where?"
"Aaaargh.... man.... We're in the forest now, we got a track but it leads nowhere.... You understand"
Joe answered softly "Melvin briefed us on the issue"
"Is Sid There?"
"Right-o" He said "I'll be there in an hour.... You copy" There's a deafening bang on the other side, followed by sporadic gunshots, the line broke....
"Kelvin" Joe called.... The sound booms of again, then a howl, like that from hell. Kelvin's voice shouted at people on the other side, there was a noise of…
".... Take cover.... Something's behind you"
"Kelvin.... Come in Kelvin.... Are you there" the line breaks... "What's going on fellas" The hum comes in wildly, Joe tilted his head from the earpiece, he knew why, Kelvin was no longer with the phone. There were more shots, then frenzy of snarling, someone yelped. Then the din went silent, but voices could still be heard shouting in the background, but the creature was gone....
Joe still shouted into the mouthpiece
"Come in fellas…. Kelvin you hear me!" Melvin stood on his toes and walked closer….
"What's going on" Joe dropped the phone
"I don't know ….. But it doesn't sound good. Kelvin is under attack by me-don't-know what" Sid leaves her desk and is about to take her pullover from the opposite wall, Joe stopped her.
"Don't worry Sid….. We can handle it… Is Small face in" Sid replied in the negative after a long pause…
"The bastard" Joe took a regulation pistol from his drawer. A magnum, he blew on it and examined it.
"It speaks long use... but it will do….. Come on Melvin you know the way?"
Melvin shuddered…
"I've been there"
He answered looking outside fearfully........