Chapter 2: The Genius Detective

My name is Zachariah Wing Barone, and I am the youngest detective of Freedom Falls PD. I am 21 Years old, and single. I don't have a hobby other than catching bad guys and putting them in jail. I have an IQ of 160 too. To most of the guys here in the precinct, I'm called a genius detective. Apparently, I have closed the most cases and apprehended the most criminals. However, there's one that I never got the chance to, mainly because he disappeared by the time I became a detective, the case of the King. Oh how I wish I could've put that guy in behind bars too. Not for the fame or the glory or whatever, but he was not what the locals called him. He's a murderer. He killed and brutalized too many. A man like that, is too dangerous. I guess, he must've got scared of me, because as soon as I started making a name for myself he disappeared. Oh well. Anyways as I was saying I- "Zach stop daydreaming!"

"Huh?"

"I said stop daydreaming, we got work to do."

"What work?"

���Paperwork. There's more to being a detective than just solving cases and putting criminals behind bars you know. Honestly that's all you think about. That and your stupid martial arts."

"Hey they're not stupid. I think they're cool. Hmph." I giggled. That's Julie, my supervisor and partner. She's like an older sister to me. She had brunette hair that was always in a bun, and stood at 5' 2". She was physically fit too. Strong for a girl, as some would say. Her eyes were a glimmering shade of honey and she always had this feel of professionalism around her.

I finished filing my cases and doing boring paperwork and decided that now was a nice time to hit the mats, or the training room. I walked past the other guys and of course, they would tease me. "There he is. The Genius Detective. Out to put more guys away?"

"Not today Chris." Chris, was the uncle of the precinct. He was the most experienced of us here. He might look sluggish but don't let that dad-bod fool you. He gave me a run for my money the first time we sparred. He had spiky brown hair, and always smelled like old spice. In order to get the girls, he would say. He spoke with a Brooklyn accent, even though, he's from Harlem, and stood at just exactly six feet. "Today is just some training."

"Wow always thinking about that kung-fu eh?"

"It's not kung fu," I laughed. So the reason why these guys keep mentioning me putting bad guys away was because in just my first year here, I solved 30 cases and ended up catching 32 perps. Also, I forgot to mention another thing I do. I practiced martial arts. I am a practitioner of Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Karate, Capoeira, Judo, and Japanese Jujitsu. It was part of the reason why I was able to catch so many criminals. Mainly because, when they fought back, or resisted, I fought back too. "Hey Zachy!"

"Yes Tyler?" Tyler, before me, was the hand-to-hand expert. He was a practitioner of kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Tyler, was an African-American male that hailed from the streets of LA. He stood 6' 2", towering over me by a whole five inches, I'm 5' 10" by the way, and was always my sparring partner. Our record: 15, me - 18, him. While I was stronger when it came to strikes, he was heads and shoulders above me in grappling. "Want to go a few rounds with me, Zachy?"

"Sure, I could always beat your ass," I snarked.

"You make it sound like you have more wins."

I haven't given a full description of myself yet, so here I go. At the time, I was, like I mentioned, 5' 10" and weighed about 165lbs. I also had brunette spiky hair. My eyes were a haze brown, still are by the way, and of course, according to EVERYBODY, I was shredded. They said I had the physique of a slightly higher BMI(Body Mass Index, a fat percentage in simple terms) Bruce Lee. According to Julie, I had a chiseled face like Tom Cruise, in fact people say I look like a younger version of him. I don't see it though.

********

"That's….number 20 for me," I panted. Tyler and I had just finished sparring. I was only one victory behind him now. I was slouched over, drenching in sweat, with both hands on my knees. It was always great to have someone as skilled as Tyler practice with you. Tyler was on the floor, exhausted as well. "I'm still ahead," he exhaled.

"Only by one," I held up a finger and grinned. He got up and stretched his back. "Well," he sounded like an old man, speaking while stretching. He was only 26, really expressing the age gap between us, "Time for us to head back."

"Agreed." I chuckled.

After taking a shower in the locker room, Julie came screaming at me, "I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU FOR THE PAST 15 MINUTES!"

"I was taking a shower. Why?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was all the fuss? She knew I was going to go practice some hand-to-hand combat.

"We got a call. There's a crime scene we were ordered to investigate."

"Where at?"

"The local college."

"Is it homicide?"

"No, but the victims were brutalized. They're in pretty bad shape. However, I call them victims but I don't know if they actually are."

"What do you mean?"

"It was Jackie."

"The rapist? Soooooo, karma came to get him." I shrugged. "Was it really a crime a scene?"

"It wasn't a crime scene, I don't know. They just told us to go check it out. They guys over the phone said the 'Genius' might find this interesting."

"All right, all right let me go grab my coat."

We arrived at the scene, and I didn't know what to say. Jackie and his lackeys were in pretty bad shape. They weren't killed, but they were beaten within an inch of their lives. The paramedics were still treating them when we arrived. "Any information you can give us?" I asked the officer at the scene.

"Well, our friend here," he pointed at Jackie, "says the one that did this to them, he said that he wasn't going to kill them because she was there. Whatever that means."

"She?"

"The one they were going to get. He kept saying, I almost had her too."

"So they got led into a trap?" Julie inquired.

"Not exactly. Though I don't believe so. Jackie isn't dumb, he knows if his victims are baiting him." I responded. I walked over to barely conscious Jackie, and began interrogating him. "Hey Jackie, what happened here."

"I already told that guy over there. Somebody came in, at the best moment, and kicked all of our asses."

"I can see that," I responded annoyed, "I'm asking is how? You never fell for any of our traps. So why now?"

"It wasn't a trap. This guy just fucken came in. Meddling in our business."

"So it wasn't a trap, and this vigilante was able to overpower Jackie Williams, a man known for his brute strength," I muttered to myself. "Wait, where's the girl?" I looked around shocked. I realized they mentioned that the potential rape victim was here. She was. Then, where is she?

"I don't know. When we came to, she was gone."

"Gone?"

"She was a fine lil thing too. Let me tell you detective."

"I don't care about that," I shut him up. "At least somebody made my job of catching you a whole lot easier. Trust me, you're just a victim of your own crimes here."

"Oh I know," he chuckled at me. Unbelievable, this man was downright scum and he wasn't upset that he was going to jail. He was more upset that he was interrupted in his heinous act. "But you see, detective I wasn't the monster that night. He was."

"You keep saying that," I looked away and surveyed the surrounding area. The only signs of a struggle were where Jackie and his gang was. "But, we have a lot of women that can attest to that. You're going away for a long time scum." I walked up towards the mural. A blood splat. Not from a firearm either. No, somebody's head. I inspected the wounds of the other perps. The blood markings that were scattered in this area matched their wounds. These weren't simple wounds too. This man, this vigilante, knew what he was doing. This wasn't some amateur. He knew how to fight. He knew how to make them hurt. Wait a minute. Jackie said that, that guy was the monster that night. Why? Because they took a beating? No, it seemed more than that. It was as if, as if this guy was sending a message, and Jackie knew who he was with said message. What did he say? I ran back to Jackie and grabbed him by the collar. "What did he say to you?"

"Ahaha, I expect no less from the one the call the 'Genius.'"

"Shut up and spill it Jackie." I tried to intimidate him.

"You're smart detective, figure it out."

I glared at Jackie. He was withholding his information because this is the only form of amusement he had now. I let go of him and went to report to Julie. "Anything Zach?"

"Nothing concrete, but I do have a hunch or feeling."

"Tell me, you're usually correct about those things anyways."

"Well the more I think about it, it seemed like the guy who was here. Wasn't trying to just stop Jackie. No, he was sending a message, and Jackie, at that point knew, not the actual identity, but the reputation of said guy once he got that message across. Think about it, someone that big and bulky, calling somebody a monster."

"You're right, and?"

"And the girl. She's our key. She was here last night too. Yet she's not here. Why?"

"The other guy took her, he wanted her," Julie inferred.

"I doubt it. Though rapists don't want 'spoiled goods' or 'leftovers,' they wouldn't go out of their way to prevent another. At least the common one at least. Plus, if he had the physical prowess to incapacitate Jackie and his boys-"

"Would he even bother to intervene when he can get his own," Julie finished my sentence.

"Exactly. Unless his M.O, was the same type as Jackie's over here."

"Blonde, young adult, around your age," an epiphany came over Julie, and her eyes widened, "there was a girl matching those criteria that was checked into the Mary Jane Hospital last night."

"That would fit the same time frame as- did she have any injuries?"

"Yes, from a struggle to prevent….sexual assault."

"She's the girl that was here last night!"

"But why send her to the hospital?"

"Don't know. But we do know now, that it wasn't another competitor. He wasn't after the girl. He was after Jackie." My suspicions were confirmed. This man was sending a message. The question now was it to rapists like Jackie, or criminals alike?

"But why? One of the victims' close ones?"

"Who knows. But for now, let's go to the hospital."

"Agreed."

We arrived at the hospital, and were led to the girl's room. "Huh, Jessica May Roberts."

"What got a crush from her name already," Julie teased.

"No, just reading." We arrived at her room and inside was a girl who was sitting upright on her bed, with a few bandages to cover her wounds. "Ms. Roberts?"

"Yes?" She had a soft voice, maybe not usually, but it was noticeable that what happened to her still had its effects on her. She was still mentally and physically drained from fighting for life.

"I'm Detective Zachary and this is my partner Julie. We're to ask you a couple questions. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Last night, at your college campus, were you sexually assaulted?"

"Yes, I was."

"Were you…"

"No, I was saved, rescued if you will, at that moment. As the giant man," Giant? She's talking about Jackie, "mounted me, someone kicked him off."

"Kicked?"

"Yes."

"Could you describe him?"

"Yes," you could see it in her eyes. The trauma and shock was still there. The fact that she was willing to tell us is a miracle in it of itself. "I don't remember much before I lost conscious however."

"That's okay," Julie comforted her, "anything helps."

"The person that saved me was a male. He looked as though….as though," She was trying hard to remember. Her eyes squinted and she scratched her head, "As though he was around the same age as me."

"Anything else?"

"No, sorry."

"That's okay," I smiled at her, "that was plenty. You've been through a lot in the past 18 hours. Get some rest okay?"

"Okay."

I got up, and began to gather my thoughts. Ms. Roberts here was around my age, around the years 18-21. She believes her "rescuer" was of the same age group. He knew, at least, basic hand-to-hand combat. He was strong enough to overpower and defeat Jackie and his gang, and he wanted to send a message. The way he beat them too, brutal. But, what did it match? Was he somebody entirely new or was he known? My thoughts were scrambled. Then, as I was reaching the door, "DETECTIVE!" Jessica called out.

"Yes, Ms. Roberts?"

"I just remembered, though I won't know if it helps."

"What is it?"

"He wore a hood. A red one."

"A...red...hood," I muttered to myself. A red hood wearing vigilante? A hood wearing vigilante….. A HOOD WEARING VIGILANTE! My eyes widened. The possibility was slim to none, but if he did this it makes sense. It worked. It almost made fit too well. "Thank you, Ms. Roberts." I smiled gently at her. I notioned for Julie to come with me and we with left the room. "What?" She asked me. "You look like you just made a connection."

"Julie, you said you believed in my hunches right?"

"Yes."

"Even if they're far fetched?"

"What are you getting at," she asked confused.

"A hooded vigilante that brutally beats criminals. Sounds familiar?"

"No," Julie responded, " I don't see what you're getting at."

"Who do we know, or at least have some info on, that's a vigilante. That specifically aims for criminals." Julie still looked at me puzzled. "The King of the Streets!"

"No," Julie shook her head, "he's dead?"

"But it makes sense. It connects. It works."

"Plus, it wouldn't be too far fetched for him."

We walked out of the hospital and met up with Chris and Tyler. "What's up? You look like you have something." Tyler questioned.

"I think I got a lead."

"On?"

"Our vigilante."

"Who you think it is?"

"It might sound crazy, but we need to ask captain to reopen that case."

"What case?" Chris asked

"The King's case."

"THE WHAT?" They both responded. Chris began to collect his thoughts and nodded to himself. "It makes sense. I'll put in the request immediately."

"Thank you Chris."

"Aw shit," Tyler began to rub his hands, "big daddy of the streets is back."

"And this time," I responded with determination, "I will catch him."