A String of Disturbing Cases

Officer Warren Blake stood at the crime scene, staring at the bloodstained floor, his brow furrowing deeply.

Recently, a series of bizarre and brutal murders had shaken the city of Riverside: the case of the elderly man eating his own legs, a group of teenagers cannibalizing one another, and today, a horrifying case of parents eating their own child.

Each case was more horrifying than the last, marked by extreme brutality. Everyone suspected some sort of supernatural involvement, yet there were no concrete traces of supernatural forces in the crime details.

However, there was one common link between all the victims: their insatiable appetite. According to their family members and neighbors, the victims had experienced a significant increase in hunger in the weeks leading up to their deaths. For example, the elderly professor's son had even taken his father to the hospital, but the doctors found nothing unusual.

Today's case was even more shocking. The couple involved were both doctors themselves, yet for reasons unknown, they had anesthetized their own son, severed one of his arms, and began cooking it. Fortunately, a neighbor heard strange noises and called the police in time to save the child.

"Officer Blake, we've questioned the couple. They used anesthetics from the hospital to knock their son out, then used surgical tools to amputate the arm, cooked it in the oven, and… well, they ate it,"

reported Officer Julia Evans, her expression tense with disgust.

"What's their mental state?"

Warren asked as he made his way toward the bedroom where the couple was being held.

"When questioned, they answered everything clearly, showing no intention to hide the truth. But the moment we stop talking to them, they lapse into a daze and obsess over eating again,"

Julia explained as they walked.

Warren pushed open the door. Inside, the middle-aged couple sat on the bed, bound, while three officers stood guard nearby.

The couple looked disheveled, drool dripping from their mouths as they muttered to themselves, their heads hanging low.

"Michael Dean, what do you want?"

Warren asked sharply, addressing the husband.

"Meat! I need meat!"

Michael raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a disturbing intensity.

"What kind of meat?"

Warren pressed, following his line of thought to probe further.

"Roasted meat! Roasted meat!"

Michael suddenly burst into laughter, his tone manic.

"It's heavenly! Once you taste it, you'll never forget!"

"What kind of roasted meat is this?"

Warren demanded, using the intensity of his voice to unsettle the suspect.

"Human meat! Roasted human meat!"

Michael slurred his words through his drooling mouth, making it hard to understand.

Warren felt a headache coming on. Was this man a cannibal, or was he suffering from some severe psychological disorder?

Just then, his phone chimed. Warren excused himself, stepping out of the room to check his messages. It wasn't his boss contacting him but rather a message from Logan. Attached was an address and a brief message:

"This barbecue place might be connected to the recent incidents. You should have someone from the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs check it out."

Curious, Warren clicked on the address: Rendall's BBQ. He had been too busy to know much about local spots, so he asked a nearby colleague.

"Oh, that place is really popular! I was actually planning to take my wife and kid there during my time off,"

his colleague said with a smile.

Warren thanked him and pocketed his phone, his mind swirling with thoughts as he returned to the room.

As he looked at Michael, still drooling on the bed, a sudden realization struck him. He pulled out his phone, hurriedly stepping closer to the suspect.

"Michael, what kind of roasted meat do you want?"

Warren asked again, but this time, he showed him a photo of Rendall's BBQ on his phone.

"Human meat! Human meat!"

Michael's eyes bulged as he stared at the image, his body trembling with excitement as more saliva poured from his mouth.

Warren's mind raced. It all made sense now—this barbecue place might be the source of the madness.

"Take them back to the station,"

Warren ordered the officers in the room.

"I'm going to report this immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

The officers quickly moved to secure the suspects and prepare for transport.

As the scene became more active, the colleague Warren had spoken to earlier approached him, curious.

"What's going on? Did you find something?"

"I think Rendall's BBQ is connected to these cases. I'd suggest canceling that dinner reservation,"

Warren said, patting his colleague on the shoulder before heading out of the house.

A little later, Warren was outside the conference room, waiting to report his findings. Next to him stood his partner, Zane Holt, a seasoned hunter from the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs.

"So, you're telling me these cannibalism cases are connected to that barbecue place?"

Zane asked, skeptical but intrigued.

"Yeah. When I questioned the suspect, he kept ranting about eating roasted human meat. I showed him a picture of Rendall's BBQ, and he completely lost it. All the victims or suspects in these cases have eaten there,"

Warren explained, his voice filled with urgency.

"Damn. Looks like I'll be staying away from that place,"

Zane muttered, shaking his head. He had heard good things about Rendall's and had even been thinking of trying it out himself. But now, with this information, it seemed like there was something much darker at play.

Just then, the conference room door opened, and the head of the task force, Captain Grant Palmer, stepped out, preparing to return to his office. Warren quickly intercepted him.

"Captain Palmer, I've got a lead on the cannibalism cases,"

Warren said, holding up his phone to show him the picture of Rendall's BBQ.

"This place is connected to the victims. I'm requesting an immediate joint operation between the police and the Bureau to investigate and shut it down."

"What? Explain yourself,"

Captain Palmer demanded, his expression shifting as he recognized the name of the restaurant.

"All the victims and suspects have eaten there,"

Warren said, surprised by the captain's reaction.

"This case is yours now. You'll handle the investigation,"

Captain Palmer replied, handing Warren a stack of paperwork before hurrying off.

"Captain, is something wrong?"

Warren called after him, confused by the sudden urgency.

"My wife took our son there! I haven't been home in days—I need to check on them!"

Captain Palmer shouted over his shoulder as he broke into a run, sweat already dripping from his forehead.

Warren and Zane exchanged glances, knowing they couldn't afford to waste any time. They immediately set to work, gathering the necessary personnel to launch the investigation.