District-Three PD feels a small tremor as Oliver slams down his commline, “Fuck it Gary pick up the line!”

“Problems?” Superintendent Gleeson asks.

“I tried contacting Gary, but he’s not picking up sir.”

“You don’t know Gary that well do you? He’s not going to follow the book on this one, he’s not like his brother Niles,” Gleeson says. “Those boys are different in every way, and Gary well he’s got time slipping away, most likely he’s tearing his way through all the sources he has downtown until someone gives him something to go on, and then he isn’t going to stop until he finds this Maddison Gray, if that is her name.”

“But what if it’s all a setup? What if the killer is after Gary and not Maddison Gray?”

“You don’t think Gary hasn’t already though of that?” Gleeson replies. “Divisional has made you too comfortable Oliver. Gary knows the Downtown area better than anyone on my squad and he knows what killers think like, of course he knows that he’s the target. Christ even a child could see that. But you see Oliver, Gary has to find this girl to find our killer and he’s willing to put his own life on the line. That’s why he’s good at his job, because he always knows the risks, but just doesn’t care.”

“But why would he do something so careless like this? Why would he go alone?”

“Because he has to, if this killer is after him, the only way they’re going to come into the open is by knowing Gary is alone.”

“It’s suicidal, that’s what it is.”

“That’s your opinion, find out what you can about this Maddison Gray and maybe find something that connects her to the other murders, that’s what you’re here for, connect the dots for crying out loud,” Gleeson says. “Let Gary do his job, and you do yours. I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment as it is, half an hour ago some fucking nut job blew up sixteen lanes of mag-rail in uptown, so I don’t want to think about this one any more than I have to. Now go dig and come back to me when you have something worth worrying about.”

 

#

 

The further Downtown you go, the worse the clubs become, except for The Acid House, it’s a sure fire bet that no matter where this place was located, it would still be as putrid and dangerous as ever. Gary quickly dismounts his bike and heads towards the building. Two bouncers guarding the door attempt to stop him, in several fluid movements Gary sends them both to the ground and barges through the doorway and heads straight to the bar.

“District-Three PD, I need you to answer a few questions!” he yells at the barman, the barman turns his back and continues to serve the small group of customers hanging around the bar. Gary pushes his way through the crowd and grabs the barman by the throat and slams him into the counter. “Maybe you didn’t hear me before. District-Three PD have you seen this girl here tonight?” Gary asks as he pulls out the photo of Maddison Gray and shoves it into the barman’s face.

“Never seen her before,” the barman replies frantically.

“Wrong answer,” Gary says as he slams the barman’s head into the counter again. “Have you seen her here tonight?”

“She was in here earlier with Jones, but they left hours ago.”

“Where did they go?”

“I have no idea, honest to god!”

“I don’t believe you,” Gary says as he slams the barman’s head into the counter again.

“Maybe you should listen to the man,” a voice says from behind. Gary pulls out his blaster as he swings around, facing the two bouncers from earlier and another three, plus a thin man standing in between them, wearing a black suit and tie.

“Please, lower your blaster, you don’t know how hard it is to find good help these days.”

“I don’t give a fuck about your problems, you’re the owner I take it?”

“Yes, Domenic Swan, and you are?”

“I’m the guy asking the questions,” Gary replies quickly. “I’m looking for a girl by the name of Maddison Gray, I know she hangs with a guy named Jones. Your barman said they were here earlier, but he has no idea where they went, me I think he knows, and I bet you do too.”

“Quite a lot of questions and hypothesis, but I’m sorry I can’t help you. I have no idea who this Maddison Gray or Jones characters are. You see I tend not to associate with the scum that come here.”

“Bullshit, answer the question, or I’ll damage more than your barman’s face.”

“You amuse me,” Domenic says with a laugh.

“Last chance arsehole,” Gary says as he prepares himself for the attack.

“I’m sorry but as I said there…” is all Domenic can get out before Gary smashes his way into the group, sending three of the five bouncers to the ground, before the remaining two tackle him.

Domenic frantically makes his way out of the bar and towards his car out the back, as he opens the door a blaster is placed to his head.

“Tell me what I need to know or you’ll be nothing but another dead piece of shit,” Gary says.

“Jones runs a brothel on the other side of town, some horrible little place called The Royal Treatment. This girl you are after is his sister, or lover or both, I don’t know or care just leave me the fuck alone,” Domenic replies as he falls down to his knees. Gary slams Domenic’s head into the side of the car and runs back to his bike, leaping on it quickly he heads off towards The Royal Treatment, his teeth slam together as the AC-Stinger hits it’s top speed, his eyes move wildly from left to right as time frantically ticks down. This is when he operates at his best, with no restrictions, and if he was honest, really honest, he would tell you he loves it when it’s like this.

 

#

 

Oliver sits at his desk looking at the photo of Maddison Gray, ‘Damn it where have I see you before,’ he looks up from his desk and sees Channel Thirty-One’s news report about the body found earlier, and a cold shiver goes down his spine as he spots an all too familiar face in the crowd. ‘Holy fuck there is no way?’ Quickly he grabs his phone and dials a number, a face of a young girl appears on the screen.

“Channel Thirty-One, this is Fiona.”

“Fiona, put Greg Phelps on, tell him it’s Charles Oliver from Delta Divisional.”

“One moment I’ll see if he’s available Mister Oliver,” Fiona says, a Channel Thirty-One’s logo appears along with some old time music, a man appears seconds later, in his early fifties, a mustache and a bald head.

“Charles, what do I owe this call to?”

“I need all the file footage you took at the Slasher crime scenes, more importantly, the first on scene footage.”

“You’ve got a lead on someone?”

“Not sure, you give me this, and I’ll make sure you’re the first to know if we have any breaking news.”

“I’ll send them straight to you, remember first on any breaking news?”

“You’ll be the first to know,” Oliver replies as he hangs up the phone, his computer begins to let out several loud beeps. ‘Let’s see if my hunch pays off.’ He turns to face the screen as the files start arriving.

 

#

 

Hallowthorpe Estate, built in the early days of Delta City by Caroline’s grandfather, it has been her home since she took over the family company. Caroline limps in through the doorway with the help of a tall man, once in, she pushes him away.

“Leave me be Jacob!”

“Please Miss, are you sure you’re ok?”

“For the last time Jacob, yes I am, now leave me be,” Caroline replies with frustration.

“As you wish, remember if you need me, call,” Jacob says as he leaves Caroline alone, she grabs a bottle from a small bar against the wall and fills a glass and takes a large mouthful then tops up the glass again. Grabbing her phone she quickly dials a number, moments later a man appears on the screen, in his late thirties, well kept, wearing black-rimmed glasses.

“Caroline, my god, you look like you’ve been through hell, what’s wrong?”

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong, Christopher, I was almost killed, that’s what’s wrong,” Caroline replies. “It was Rebecca, Christopher she tried to kill me.”

“Rebecca who?”

“Rebecca, Rebecca my sister you fool.”

“Have you been drinking Caroline?”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a simpleton you bastard!” Caroline yells. “It was Rebecca, the bitch smiled at me, she tried to kill me tonight Christopher, I am sure of it.”

“Look maybe I should come over.”

“For crying out loud Christopher I was not seeing things, it was Rebecca, not a figment of my imagination. It was her, and she tried to kill me and make it look like an accident!”

“Look calm down, I’m coming over, I don’t think you should be alone right now you’re obviously having some sort of episode.”

“I’m not having an episode!” Caroline screams. “I know my own sister when I see her.”

“Caroline it’s just not possible, I was at her funeral, and I saw her body, she’s dead. There’s no way you could have seen her tonight, let alone her trying to kill you.”

“I know what I saw, Rebecca is alive!”

“Well, what do you want me to do then if you’re not willing to talk this out rationally?”

“I want you to hire someone to find her, I want that bitch found and taken care of!” Caroline yells as she slams down the phone, she grabs her glass and takes another mouthful.

 

#

 

His bike comes to a stop and Gary leaps off and charges towards an old run down building, the words Royal Treatment faded on its side. He rips open the door and storms in, three girls sit on an old couch, and a man stands behind a small service desk, this place used to be one of the most luxurious hotels in its time, but now it’s just a dump. Gary raises his blaster at the man behind the counter, who stands their petrified, the girls run screaming from the room.

“District-Three PD, I want Jones.”

“He isn’t here.”

“Bullshit, I want Jones now!”

“Can I help you officer?” a voice asks from behind, Gary turns to face a scrawny young man, dressed in clothes that are too expensive for this part of town unless you make money from all the deadbeats.

“Are you Jones?”

“Depends on what you want?”

“I want you not to screw with me!” Gary yells as he fires a shot past the man’s head.

“Alright, Alright, I’m Jones, what do you want?” he screams holding his hands in the air.

“Maddison Gray, where is she?”

“Upstairs, room twenty-three, but she’s not alone.”

He grabs Jones by the scruff of the neck and slams him into the wall on his way past, his unconscious body crashes to the floor. Quickly Gary is up the stairway and without difficulty spots room twenty-three. He doesn’t even bother to knock, driving a boot into the door that sends it crashing to the floor, causing the two people in the room to jump with fright.

“You, fuck off,” Gary says to the male, the man quickly tries to gathers his clothes, and Gary grabs him by his hair and throws him out into the passageway.

“What’s this all about? This place is licensed, and I haven’t broken the law, well not yet anyway,” Maddison says.

“My name is Detective Inspector, Gary Jackson, from District-Three PD,” Gary replies holding up his badge. “Get dressed quickly, we have reason to believe your life is in danger.”

Maddison throws back the sheets, showing off her naked body and slowly climbs out of the bed. Gary slightly embarrassed turns around, he quickly gives the passageway a check over noticing an emergency exit at the end of the hall. It’s then that a shot rips into Gary’s back sending him crashing to the floor, his blaster goes tumbling out of reach. Frantically he scrambles forwards as he tries to reach for his blaster when another shot blows his outstretched hand off. He screams in pain and turns to face Maddison, she stands over him with a shotgun in her hand and a demented smile on her face.

 

END OF ACT III