Demons Ascension - Pete

[Posted by Ted H]

...Lets all play make-up-a-mental-disorder!

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[Demons Ascension - Pete]

            He drove back towards John's apartment at a less frantic pace. John's gas tank was almost running on fumes when he arrived and James hoped John didn't mind since he was completely out of money. "I think he agreed to pay expenses anyway," James said to himself with a chuckle as he killed the engine and pulled out his cigarettes.
            He lit up as he flipped through radio stations and listened for any reports of the murders, old or new, but heard nothing. Either no one wanted to admit that people were getting their hearts cut out or it had become a very common occurrence in the six days James had been gone. A weather update caught James' ear though. A cold front had formed not far from the city and would be hitting over the night. "That's not ominous," James said as he finished his cigarette waited. He felt like this would end up being his last chance to relax for a long while.
            Lyle's car later pulled up and John stepped out. "I'll meet you at the station," he said as the car pulled away and he met up with James. "Enjoy your vacation?" John asked as James circled around and motioned for him to get in the car. "What, straight to business? I take it your friend had information."
            "We may or may not be in crunch time," James said "And you may or may not need to buy gas before we go too far either. "Tell me everything you know on the way," John said as he climbed into the car, but James remained outside. "There's someone inside your room," he said as he looked up and stared at the window that he swore he saw a shadow walk passed. "You sure?" John asked. "That corner room, third floor up," James said. John drew his pistol and made his way for the apartment. "Guess you aren't expecting anymore company," James said as he followed.
            The door to John's apartment hung open as the two men approached. "Stay behind me," John whispered as he pushed the door open and silently made his way in. He swept the room with his pistol as James took a look around. The room was undisturbed so it wasn't as if someone broke in to steal or search for anything. John crept his way to his bedroom and peered in, then he kicked the door open fully and screamed "Freeze! Hands in the air!"
            "Don't hurt me," the person inside pleaded as they made their way out, John training his gun on them the whole time. The man was a short, overweight and balding man in white sweatpants and sleeveless tank top. "Not exactly dressed for the weather now, are we?" James asked. "Keep back, James," John said, not lowering his gun "Keep hose hands up!" John took out his handcuffs and detained the man, then sat him down by the sofa in the living room. "You know this guy?" James asked. "It's complicated," John said "Don't talk to him though. Escaped mental patient, literally. Got out this morning."
            "Would this have anything to do with another murder that happened?" James asked, but John didn't respond.
            "You're Blake, aren't you?" the man said "An angel told me I could find you here."
            "Shut up!" John commanded.
            "Wait," James said "Who told you?"
            "Amy," the man responded "She said to find you, that you were the only one who could help me."
            "I know you said not to," James said to John "But I'm gonna go ahead and have a chat with this guy." James walked over and sat across the sofa from the man and faced him. "What's your name?" he asked.
            "Peter. Peter Young"
            "Ok Pete, where did you talk to Amy?"
            "Um, at a truck stop. Few miles beyond the city limits."
            "You were leaving the city?"
            "I'm trying to get back to my family in Cincinnati."
            "Start from the beginning. Why were you in a mental facility?"
            "I don't know," Pete said, and James thought he looked authentic as he scrunched his face trying to figure for himself why he was in a loony bin "But I was there, and so was Sarah."
            "Sarah?" James asked as John stepped in. "Sarah Langley,"  he said "AKA our newest victim. Found the same way in her room as the previous three vics."
            "He was there, too," Pete continued.
            "Who?"
            "The bastard who killed her."
            John and James looked at each other for a moment. James nodded and stood up. "Could you wait right here a moment?" he asked as he motioned John into the kitchen. "He's not going anywhere," he assured him as they entered, John positioning himself where he could still keep an eye out. "Tell me everything about the mental facility," he asked.
            "Not much to say that you wouldn't already guess," John said "Sarah Langley found dead in her room at the Hapdale Health Facility, same condition as the others. We found that symbol outside the building several floors higher than where her room was located."
            "This facility have security cameras?"
            "Yeah, and you'll love this, a series of malfunctions hit the system, causing certain cameras to fail in succession. Our killer managed to walk right in and never be seen, then the cameras started working again. If you piece the static right, you could actually follow where this guy was at all times. We have tech combing through the footage that wasn't static, just to see if maybe there's something we could use."
            "How the hell did this guy even get in? There are a lot of locked doors between the street and a patients room."
            "Even Bradford can't explain this one, our guy forced open every single door. The whole place is on lockdown since there's no way to secure the patients and keep them from walking right out."
            "And yet, we have our special guest."
            "Well, first ask me how our killer managed to escape."
            "He didn't sneak out like usual?"
            "He couldn't. You don't break your way through a place like that and not expect a couple security guards to be on the trail. Our man decided to take a more unique way out and detonate some explosives against a wall and just five stories down."
            "He got a bomb in there?"
            "We don't know how and we're looking for evidence of what he used, but he blasted part of Langley's room and part of Young's room a floor down. He was able to climb over a destroyed part of the outer wall and jump for a nearby tree. There were other rooms that were hit, but their residents were not so lucky."
            James then walked back into the living room and faced Pete. "Tell me everything," he said as Pete shrugged. "I don't think I can add much," he said "That cop summed it up pretty nice."
            "What happened after the explosion?" James asked.
            "Well, I was sleeping when it happened. I don't remember hearing a boom, but rather just that sound concrete makes when it collapses. Some of the ceiling had fallen on me, but I climbed out and immediately noticed a way out of that horrible place."
            "Why were you in there to begin with?"
            "I didn't know, and no one ever told me. They were more concerned with fixing me, and I only pleaded that how can they do that when they won't even tell me what they're trying to fix? I just wanted to go home and see my family. They wouldn't even let me call them."
            "When did you see the man who killed Sarah?"
            "I saw what looked like a person fall passed my room. I ran over to the hole and saw him on his feet on the ground. He turned back to look and that's when I saw his face."
            James looked back towards John. "You used to sketch back in college, right?" he asked. John looked back at him confused. "You want me to be a sketch artist now?"
            "You bring an escaped mental patient into the station, what he saw won't hold any weight."
            "So why should I bother?"
            "Because if he saw who I think he saw, then I'll know who to go after."
            "Bradford wants you at the station, too. Once he finds out you're back in Chicago, he'll be on you like white on rice."
            "Look, I can't really explain it quick but we don't have a lot of time. Crow is the guy we need."
            "Yeah, your friend told me about Crow. But I talked to him and he had an alibi for all three murders, iron clad."
            "He's the guy behind it all though, and he's only now starting to kill other people himself."
            "Bradford isn't going to buy your reasoning and neither am I right now. And now you're telling me to trust an escaped mental patient because he had a run in with some mystery woman that no one else has encountered? James, I don't know what to tell you, man."
            "Just, please, do the sketch. I guarantee you he'll describe Crow."
            John reluctantly agreed and went to go find a pad of paper. James then turned to talk to Pete some more. "So what happened next?" he asked.
            "I climbed down the tree," Pete said "And I just wanted to get home."
            "You got out of the city without a cop finding you?"
            "I took a taxi."
            "With what money?"
            "I, uh, bailed on him while he was in traffic."
            "And you got out of the city where you run into Amy? How did that conversation go?"
            "I went to a truck stop to ask for directions. That woman was waiting for me when I entered the bathroom."
            "I've noticed she has a thing for walking out of bathrooms."
            "She said she knew who I was and why I was trying to leave but I needed to return to the city and find you."
            "And how did you know to come here?"
            "She told me where to go, but for some reason she wouldn't lead me. She said she couldn't go into the city."
            "And you listened to her?
            "You don't tell an angel no. She said she'd get a message to my family that I was ok. She said she'd tell Anise, Billy and Amanda that daddy is fine and he'll be home soon. That I have to help you and I'll see them right after."
            "Why me? Why not the cops?"
            "She said that there isn't enough time. I had to go to you because if I went to the police, they wouldn't listen and lock me back up in that horrible place. You won't let them send me back, will you?"
            "Never," James said and Pete smiled as if he could finally relax after acquiring so much anxiety. "Thank you," he said.
            James nodded as John returned with a pad of paper and a pencil. "For the record, I think this is a stupid idea," John said as he tossed his coat aside and sat down in a nearby chair. "Noted," James said as he got up and turned to Pete. "You're gonna describe this man to officer Praque, ok? Afterwards, we'll see about sending you home."
            "Send him home?" John questioned with an annoyed look "That's just not gonna happen, I don't care what you think about it."
            "We'll figure something out, but I believe this guy. Why, is there something I don't know?"
            John shook his head. "He's trying to get home to Cincinnati because that's the last part of his life he remembers," he was whispering so Pete couldn't hear "In 2004, Peter Young murdered his entire family after moving to Chicago. He went through some schizophrenic episode or something, the details were never explained to me. They're dead, all dead at his hands. The only reason he acts normal now is because they medicated his ass to the gills. Once those meds wear off, he's liable to have another psychotic episode."
            "Wow," James whispered back.
            "He's going to the station, and then back to the medical facility to continue his treatment."
            "Well could you do the sketch while he's still thinking clearly?"
            "Fine, but we all go to the station right after, got it?"
            "No problem."
            James stepped out while John made a rough sketch at Pete's dictation. When he was done, he had a picture that looked as spot on to Crow as possible. "Dammit, James," he said to himself knowing what James would say to that. He got up to find him but only noticed the open door and a note on the table near his coat.
            "Dear John," he read from the paper "I'm not gonna stop you from bringing Pete to the station since it's probably for the best. I know I'm right about Crow so I'm gonna try to deal with him in person. Hopefully I won't get stabbed this time (long story). Call your partner and get Pete to the station cuz I'm gonna take your car. When you're done, meet me at the apartment. P.S. I borrowed twenty bucks for gas because...reasons."
            "Son of a bitch," John said as he crumpled up the paper and pulled out his cell phone. "Lyle," he said after calling his partner up "Could you swing by? I got Young in custody, long story. By the way, remember how I asked you quiet about how James is back? We might as well tell Bradford now. Again, long story. Just get here, I'll explain."