CHAPTER 1
RYAN
I've always tried to find the path that was best for me. As a young child, I always had a dream of becoming a detective. I watched all the crime shows and even saw friends of the family take on that role. When I went through the police academy, I had this doubt that maybe I would never be able to call myself a detective. The doubts were for no reason, though.
Here I am at thirty-two years old, working my ass off as a detective. I’ve been told I was born to solve cases with all of the skills I bring to the workforce. At first, I was a little nervous that people wouldn’t support me in this room because I was too young. But shockingly, I feel more supported than ever right now.
Over the past year, I've had some heavy cases come through the district. There have been murders, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and human trafficking cases. Each of them presents in a unique manner, because there were some that were straightforward, where you could tell who the murderer is, and others that were a bit of a challenge.
My boss always tells me that I’m the best one to take care of the cases, because I have this calming way of talking to others.I don’t know if I believe that, but whatever he says goes. If I may say so myself, I have this short circuit that can go off at any moment.
One of the things I like about being a detective is the knowledge that I learn. I'm about to see the ins and outs of cases that most people in the general public wouldn't know. Three months ago, I had the chance to go into the morgue and learn from the medical examiner important details to look for during investigations. I was able to learn about the areas where evidence can be collected from a body, the importance of dental records, and other information that could be helpful.
Little did the medical examiner know that this information would become beneficial to me at a later time. I've always been so fascinated by crimes. Growing up, I was a true crime junkie and would listen to all the different podcasts about serial killers and criminals in general. This information stuck with me into adulthood and made me who I am today.
You might wonder what that means. Well, I've learned the key components of how to commit a crime myself. I don't go after innocent people. In fact, it's the complete opposite. If there are people who seem to hurt those I encounter, or others who haven't done anything… then they will be faced with me. This all reminds me of what happened one month ago.
I see an incoming call from my brother, James, which can mean only one thing. He forgot to get something for his house before I come over tonight. I don't put much thought into it before answering the phone.
"Hey, bro, do you mind going to the store to grab some snacks before you come over after work?" My brother asks before I head to his house.
“Of course, I’m leaving work now. I’ll grab the usual and see you when I get to your house.”
I hang up the phone before making my way to the local supermarket in town. When I arrive, I go grab chips, salsa, salami, pepperoni, and cheese. These are our classic go-to snacks whenever we watch a game that's on TV. After I grab everything we need, I head to my car, where I hear a scream coming from the distance. I throw the grocery bags in the car before making my way to the area where the scream came from.
As I round the corner into an alley beside the store, I see a tall, muscular man kneeling over a woman, thrusting into her while slapping her across the face. It's clear she doesn't want this to happen, with her pleas for him to stop and asking for help. I don't know what the hell is wrong with him and why he thinks he can take advantage of her like that. Being the person I am, I interject into what’s going on in front of me, but he surely doesn’t like it.
“Bro, get the hell away so I can get some pussy,” he spits out.
“Please make him stop,” the girl says, with tears streaming down her face.
"You heard her. She told you to stop, so get the fuck out of her," I say, pushing him away from her.
I can tell I struck a nerve with him because he instantly gets up and makes his way over to me, ready to hit me. I react quickly, pull my knife out, and slice his dick off.
“If you want to fuck someone against their will, then you don’t deserve to have a dick,” I yell out.
I know I’m about to be in deep shit if someone finds out about this. The man in front of me screams out in pain, but I don’t really give a shit. I lean forward again and slit his neck, causing him to fall out onto the ground.
Well, fuck, I didn’t go into the night wanting to kill someone, but I guess that’s what happens when your nervesare struck. The girl in front of me looks completely mortified at what just happened in front of her.
“Are you okay?” I question.
“Uh, you just killed a man in front of me. How am I supposed to feel okay?”
“I did it to protect you. You’re going to be safe. Get out of here and forget this ever happened. I’ll take care of this,” I say.
Before I can get any other response out of her, she lowers her dress and runs off. Now, I need to figure out what to do with the body. Since there are no security cameras around, I decide to leave his body there to be a problem for another day. I hurry back into my car and text James.
Me: Hey, something happened. I need to go home first, then I’ll come over.
James: Something always happens, don’t worry about coming over.
Me: I promise I’ll come.
After that, he doesn't respond again, so I know I might as well spend the rest of the night at home.
I really wish James and I had actually kept in contact more since that night happened, but we didn't. We’ve both gotten so busy that we've put our sibling bonding on the back burner. I know we need to get back together, but I just don't know when. We're both so busy that it makes it hard to spend much-needed time together.
