Prototype

SWAT, at least in this area, is an on call position; Nathan maintained a regularly scheduled job with the Homicide Unit. The city’s reputation against crime was fairly good, and his department was seriously small due to lack of a pressing need. It was definitely something he could be proud of.

Today, it made him want to bang his head repeatedly against a desk – hard. He was surrounded with piles of paperwork that he would swear was reproducing at a rate that put rabbits to shame. He would finish one page, and six more would be in its place. He seriously hated paperwork; it was his least favorite but all too necessary activity. He was grateful there were no murders so far, but he hated sitting around with nothing physical to go do. He failed to understand why he was doing this type of paperwork – it wasn’t homicide related. It was another officer’s way of getting out of writing incident reports; he stuck the bored homicide detective with it.

Nathan’s desk phone started to ring.

Probably more papers that are breeding in the street officers’ offices, Nathan thought grimly. More paperwork and he’d probably have to shoot someone… but then there would be more paperwork because of that.

The phone did not shut up.

“Fine!” Nathan yelled before answering the phone.

“Don’t ignore your phone,” his captain said Nathan he answered.

“I have a mountain of paperwork,” Nathan answered simply. “I couldn’t find the phone.”

“You’re full of shit Nathan,” the captain started. “We have a potential spree killer case… we have six individuals that were all found dead in an alley behind a bar. Five of them are males, and one is a female. We need you to look into it, all right?”

Nathan quickly wrote down the information the captain was giving him and that the bodies were currently at the morgue and the scene where the bodies were found was already cleared. He was so thrilled to be out of the office working on that damn eternal paperwork.

* * *

“So you finally got to escape the dreaded desk work,” the Medical Examiner said when Nathan turned up at his office surrounded by the new corpses.

“I heard this may be a spree killing,” Nathan answered. He wasn’t “excited” per say, but he was hoping for an exciting case vs. a short and boring one. Boring? Involving dead bodies? Not possible.

“I doubt a spree killing,” the Medical Examiner said. “More like a beating. Probably gang related.”

“That’s always fun. I didn’t know our gangs’ violence was escalating to that level,” Nathan said. “Usually they just do vandalism and petty theft.”

“These ones have paint on them,” the Medical Examiner agreed. “But they were interrupted by something. They all got a pretty good beating before death. I found fractures of the arms, ribs, and one’s wrist; they all have bruises on their hands from dealing as well as getting this beating. I believe they did a good share of fighting, but their opponents overpowered them without any weapons.”

“And there was a woman too?” Nathan asked. “An eye witness they needed to silence?”

The Medical Examiner moved over to the last body. “She’s a lot more interesting than those guys are.”

“She’s more interesting in what way?”

“She was in the very same scene, but she suffered no broken bones. But her story isn’t that easy.” The Medical Examiner continued, “This woman has suffered a lot of abuse throughout her life. She has healed fractures and bruises in various stages of healing.

“What’s odd is that the fractures weren’t set using Western medicine.”

“What does that tell you?”

“Some of her injuries are typical for soldiers who suffered torture.”

“That bad, huh?” Nathan asked. He tried to block out his own similar memories.

“She’s been treated pretty badly in her life; at least her death will be much more peaceful.”

Nathan paused, “So, if she had no broken bones from the fight then how did she die?”

“A crow bar to her abdomen,” The Medical Examiner said, and he lifted the sheet so Nathan could see her face.

“Oh God,” Nathan said when he saw Reggie’s face.

“What?” The Medical Examiner asked in surprise.

“I know her,” Nathan said.

“I’m sorry, Nathan,” The Medical Examiner replied. “Did you know her well?”

Nathan was staring at Reggie’s quiet face. She looked so peaceful, despite fighting. He knew she didn’t serve in the military like he did, but it saddened him to know she encountered many of the same punishments as he.

“Not really,” Nathan confessed.

“Speak of the devil,” the ME said quickly when he saw an incoming news report. “Look at this, Nathan.”

Nathan looked at the television as the ME turned up the volume to the evening report with a photograph of Reggie – at least an artist representation of what she looked like.

Today there was a murder of a man we know simply as “Phil” at the NexGen research building on Weston Street.

The suspect is Reggie Ramone; she is currently on the run from law enforcement. Anyone with any information is encouraged to call the number below and use extreme caution if anyone comes too close to her. She is armed and extremely dangerous.

There was an earlier report of a reward of one million dollars for her safe return to NexGen. Anyone who is interested is cautioned to be on guard when apprehending this suspect.

Nathan noticed immediately the phone number wasn’t correct. There was something more than what it appeared to be.

Nathan would have to investigate NexGen; the circumstantial evidence was enough to start looking into the company and get inside legally. He wasn’t going to let this all happen to the memory of Reggie.

“Good bye, my friend,” Nathan told her softly as he touched her face. He withdrew his hand in surprise.

“What is it?” the Medical Examiner asked.

“She’s warm,” Nathan said.

The Medical Examiner spoke quickly, “Don’t be saying weird things like that. I’ve watched too many zombie movies for that…”

Before they could continue their conversation, the “corpse” opened her eyes and inhaled deeply. Nathan and the Medical Examiner both jumped back from her, and Nathan instinctively reached for his firearm.

Before the opportunity to ready the weapon occurred, Reggie brought her leg up, propelling her backward, pulling her head under her upturned body. She moved up, her foot catching Nathan’s weapon and knocking it across the room. Finally, she landed in a defensive stance.

She was frightened, shaking, and sweating. Her wound was gaping open but was not bleeding for whatever reason. She paused when her eyes fell on Nathan, who was still watching as his firearm flew through the air and landed behind him somewhere with a loud clunk and the crashing of beakers or something made of glass.

“Nathan?” she asked when she recognized his face.

He felt a rush of emotions at the sight of her very much alive. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to cry, scream, or pass out; standing there and staring at her felt very insufficient. All of his available options seemed viable but particularly useless in this type of situation. The Medical Examiner took his own opportunity to faint.

“You’re supposed to be dead, and that’s a bad injury and you’re not bleeding – that wound would typically kill someone else,” Nathan informed her.

“Part of what created me made my blood stream strong enough to clot even extreme wounds,” Reggie answered, looking at her wound. “It’s a temporary solution in injuries like this one. I need medical treatment as quickly as possible.”

She glanced down at the Medical Examiner who was still resting on the floor from a terror-induced sleep. She glanced around the room, recognizing a morgue’s general set up.

“Perhaps when he awakens, he can close the wound for me,” Reggie said calmly.

* * *

The Medical Examiner, after waking to the same horror he faced before he took an unplanned rest, worked diligently to stitch her crowbar wound closed. He didn’t worry about his patients potentially feeling pain, but this time was different and he couldn’t offer her any anesthetics. Each stitch made him feel guiltier than the last. She watched him in silence as he sewed her skin closed. She did not flinch, ask questions, or even change her breathing.

“What… are you?” the Medical Examiner asked after he was finished closing her wound.

Reggie glanced at him in curiosity. She tilted her head as she considered the question. Until her time away from NexGen, she didn’t recognize there was something different about her.

“I am not entirely sure,” Reggie answered.

Despite her lack of emotion, Nathan could feel the internal struggle Reggie was facing. He knew what it was to doubt one’s own identity; he only doubted his social identity and his abilities toward sharing his life with a partner, the ability to connect more specifically. She was unsure of everything; even the simplest of things eluded her knowledge.

“You’ll find your own answers in time,” the Medical Examiner told her. He, too, could feel Reggie’s internal struggle.

“Have you been updated to my status?” Reggie asked, rapidly changing the subject.

“That you’re wanted for murder?” Nathan asked. “Yeah, I heard.”

Nathan’s radio came on and he immediately responded for a status update. He listened to the radio that was loud enough for Reggie’s senses to pick up. He was receiving official orders to search for and apprehend her – the public was terrified and they wanted answers. He looked at the floor and brought his eyes up to Reggie.

“Too bad I have a Jane Doe I can’t figure out the identity to,” the Medical Examiner interjected.

“You were called in here because of that gang fight; she’s one of the victims,” he confirmed as he started the official paperwork.

“Sorry, I can’t help you with this murder case, Officer,” the medical examiner said, before returning to work.

The phone interrupted him from resuming his work.

“Hello?” he asked the receiver. “I do have an officer here right now, but let me verify if we’re currently in a place where they can have a discussion with you…” he placed the phone on hold.

“The caller insists he knows this patient by name. His name is Paul, and he mentioned someone named Shelby scrambling data…”

“You need to take the call,” Reggie interjected quickly.