Demons Ascension - Monroe

[Posted by Ted H]

Workin on a side project that might net me an actual payday. Go figure, right? More info as it develops...

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[Demons Ascension - Monroe]

            "I'm not arrested, am I?" James asked, yet again.
            "Still aren't in handcuffs, are you?" the officer responded, yet again as they walked into the station. James had been compliant with the cop once it was explained that they had picked up Amanda and brought her down for questioning. She was in police custody, which was infinitely better than Croatoan's.
            "I wanna see her," James said as they walked. The cop shook his head. "I'm under direct orders to hand deliver you," he said as officers watched and whispered as they saw James. "To who?" James wondered as they walked up the office door of the chief. "Oh, this is gonna be fun," James said as he rolled his eyes. The officer knocked on the door, opened it and motioned James inside. James looked back as he entered to see John, who had been tailing behind the whole time, having a quiet and heated argument with Lyle.
            The chief's office was small, even smaller when compared to the size of the chief who was spilling fat over his chair as he leaned on the desk scribbling something down angrily. He had graying hair with a bald spot in the back and a permanent scowl on his face. The only thing missing was a mustache. He was wearing a suit with the jacket draped over his chair and sweat stains in his pits. He did not look like a pleasant person.
            The desk was a mess of paperwork and case folders. The windows had their blinds closed tight and the walls were covered in newspaper articles, awards and a diploma. Despite the bitter cold outside, Monroe actually had a small swivel fan going. It would slightly ruffle some papers every time it blew by but not actually move anything.
            "Have a seat, Drake," he said without looking up, his accent was so heavy with Chicago that it slightly annoyed James to listen to.
            "That's Blake, not..., " James said as he walked over to the chair opposite the desk "You know what? You can just call me James." Monroe grunted and James was at a loss for what that meant as the phone rang. Monroe grabbed the receiver, picked it up for half a second before slamming it back down. He apparently wasn't taking any calls. They sat opposite for a moment as Monroe finished whatever he was writing, flipped the pen away and drew both his hands together on the desk. He then blew heavily out his nose and stared at Blake but didn't say anything.
            For a moment there was silence between the two men, only broken up by the whistle of Monroe breathing heavily through his nose. James shifted his head over and shrugged. "It's good to meet you finally?" he said "I know we've both had very busy schedules lately. This alone time we have together really breaks up the monotony of constantly running around after a vicious killer."
            Monroe sharply drew air in through his nose before closing his eyes for a bit longer than a standard blink. He then exhaled before opening his eyes again. "I don't know how," he finally said "But whatever the hell is going on, I know for a fact that you're in it up to your eyeballs. You want to tell me how four of my guys ended up dead while trying to bring in one unarmed scumbag? Or how about the fact that two of the last three times this guy strikes, we find you right in the middle of it all?"
            "It's all part of a ritual," James said, choosing his words very carefully "This guy is trying to become a god, or at least that what he thinks will happen." No way he was convincing Monroe of something that he himself didn't think was possible a week ago.
            "I got my people out there with their body parts ripped out, looking like some fucked up modern art project, and you're telling me it's some deranged nut who thinks he's God?" Monroe screamed, spit flying from his mouth.
            "Not thee God, just a god," James said calmly.
            "You've got to be fucking kidding me. We already got one guy in custody who belongs in the nut house, now you're telling me he needs a roommate?"
            "Ritual killers can be easy to figure out once you factor what their MO is. Croa-, er, Crow's ritual requires precise location and timing."
            "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Monroe interrupted "Bradford's little star theory."
            "And Bradford's death gives us the fifth point of that star, all the exact same distance from the center."
            Monroe narrowed his gaze. "Alright hot shot," he said "Now that our boy Crow has his star, what now?"
            "My best guess is he needs his next target in the center."
            "And your little girlfriend we brought in is the next victim?"
            "Eventually. She's the only person Crow has associated with that isn't either dead or missing. If she's not next, she's definitely soon."
            "Well this Crow mother fucker isn't getting anywhere near her. He'd have to go through the entire force just to get within spitting distance."
            "We need to get her as far away from the city as possible."
            "She isn't going anywhere, and neither are you. I'm not convinced either of you are 100% clean in all this."
            "You don't understand, we need to move her, now, at least for the next twelve hours."
            "If he's dumb enough to come knocking around here, than it's his funeral.
            "You leave this girl here, everyone inside will be as good as dead."
            "We're done here," Monroe said as he got up and walked for the door. "Listen up!" he yelled as he walked outside. He yelled for every cop not doing anything vital to go to the apartments to apprehend Crow. He then kicked James out of his office and picked up his phone to make a call.
            James was allowed free to roam about so long as he didn't try to leave, a stipulation he felt was at least a slight infringement on his rights. they allowed him to see Amanda at least, so he'd let it go. Amanda was in a small waiting room with a young officer standing nearby. The officer looked about two days removed from the academy. Amanda lit up when she saw James enter.
            "What's happening?" she asked as she hugged him "Is Crow a murderer?" The young cop failed to suppress a laugh.
            "What's so funny?" James asked.
            "Crow a murderer?" the officer said "Get it?...Murder of crows?"
            "...And you're done talking, forever."
            "Sorry."
            "Yeah," James said, turning his attention back to Amanda "In the most simple way I can put it, Crow is the bad guy here."
            "So maybe he wasn't gay. Damn, you think you know a guy, and he turns out to be a serial killer. Was I next or something?"
            "We had...a strong reason to believe you were a target."
            "Awe," Amanda said, touched before asking "Wait, is that why you want me to leave with you? Because someone would want me dead?"
            "Um," James said, taken aback "There's that, but also because the commute to here from Syracuse is outrageous, I don't care how good the sex is."