| Supernatural Science Fiction posted December 6, 2021 | Chapters: |
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The Curse/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
The Entity/Part Three
by scongrove
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. If you catch typos or mistakes, please let me know. Stay safe & I hope you enjoy! |
Manuel had just got into his unmarked car, fixing to give Tim Ross a call after what all he’d discovered from Dr. Katie Mendoza about Joseph Harris—who was currently her new patient and had changed his last name to Parker, in addition to the unexplainable mysterious voice on one of their recorded sessions—when his phone went off. “Well, shit,” he muttered, noticing it was a call from his Captain.
He swiped to answer, "Detective Sanchez speaking."
He swiped to answer, "Detective Sanchez speaking."
“I need you at Montclair Boulevard ASAP,” demanded Captain Hodge. “A body was found in an alley between Swinson’s Bakery and Mildred’s Café. It’s another homicide, same as Kevin Russo’s.”
Joseph Parker’s name instantly came to mind, giving Manuel all kinds of dangerous signals.
“Captain, are you saying the victim’s heart is missing?”
“Looks that way,” Hodge grumbled. “Since your partner requested a few days off, I sent Detective Ratcliff to the crime scene. As soon as you two wrap things up there, I want you guys back at the precinct pronto. We need to discuss all the details with this new homicide and the situation with A&E Pharmaceuticals.”
Manuel silently cursed. “Will do, Cap,” he said. “Do we have anything on those remains at A&E yet?”
“Yah,” Hodge reluctantly said. “Two of them were guards. One of them had only worked for the company a few months, but the other guy had been employed for over ten years. The other body was identified as Dr. Henry Michaels.”
“Well, there goes our lead suspect,” said Manuel, trying to sound convincing. He hated lying to his captain, but he had no other choice. Besides, there was no way anyone in their right mind would buy his and Detective Perkins’ story of real live vampires and humans with the ability to shift into wolves. He and his partner had promised to keep the Breedline species and their Covenant a secret. It was the only way to protect what was left of humanity, so they were forced to cover up evidence. In truth, if the Breedline were no longer in existence, it would surely be the end of all mankind. Their sole purpose on earth was to protect humans from evil and their own destruction.
Manuel cleared his throat and went on to ask, “So, any idea what caused the fire at A&E?”
“Nothing definite yet,” Hodge replied. “But it’s leaning toward arson. Most likely it’s connected to Dr. Leonard Manos’ death and the Summit Behavioral Institute. Possibly a coverup. We’ll go over the details later.”
When Manuel ended the call, he wasted no time and headed straight for Mildred’s Café. The moment he arrived, he saw flashing lights coming from two police cruisers, and recognized Detective Ratcliff’s vehicle parked in front. As soon as he approached the crime scene, where it had already been roped off, a crowd of onlookers were starting to gather. Some were using their phones to try and capture a few photos.
“Who got killed?” asked a young female bystander, sporting flamboyant pink hair. “Was it someone local?”
“Oh, dear God,” another woman said, her bug-eyes peering up at Manuel. “I just live two blocks from here. Am I in danger?”
“It’s that Valentine’s killer,” said an older man, wearing thick, coke bottle-looking glasses. “Same one that killed the son of Russo’s Exotic Cars. I heard the guy’s heart was tore clean from his chest.”
“How do you know?” asked the pink-haired woman.
“Because…” said the older man, pausing with a distraught look on his face, “…I was the one who found that body in the alley and called the police. The man’s chest was ripped open just like the first victim that was found on Valentine’s Day. And I’ll bet anything his heart is missing too.” He placed his hand over his forehead. “I nearly fainted when I saw him lying there, staring out of those awful dead eyes.”
“Valentine’s killer, my ass,” said a baldheaded man, whose arms were covered in ink. “No human is capable of that. I’d almost guarantee that werewolf is killing again.”
“A werewolf?” asked the older man, his eyes bulging behind his thick lenses. “What are you talking about?”
“You know,” said the tattooed bald guy. “The one who attacked that young girl and slaughtered her friends in the Salem Cemetery last year.”
“That was nothing but a bunch of made-up stories,” grunted the older guy, rolling his eyes. “Everyone knows there’s no such thing as a werewolf. Authorities said a bear was responsible for those attacks.”
Joseph and Stewart stood behind the group of people, silently watching in utter disbelief.
“Great timing, wouldn’t you say?” Stewart finally said to Joseph, keeping his voice low. “By the sound of it, we might just have ourselves a serial killer on the loose.”
“You were wondering why you were so tired this morning,” said the Shadow, his seething voice making the hairs on Joseph’s neck prickle. “Now you know the reason. And I have to say,” he made a satisfied noise in the back of his throat, “that Texan’s heart was simply scrumptious. Wouldn’t you agree, Joseph?”
Joseph kept silent, trying not to respond to the voice inside his head. Then suddenly, he felt nauseas.
“What’s a matter, Joseph?” asked the Shadow. “Cat got your tongue?”
Stewart turned toward Joseph, waiting for him to reply, but he said nothing. He just stared blankly off into the distance.
“Hey…” Stewart lightly nudged Joseph’s arm. “You okay?”
No, I’m not okay, he wanted to say. I’m possessed by a demon who makes me kill people. Instead, he blinked and said, “Yah. I’m fine.” He let out a deep breath. “Just a bit rattled, that’s all.”
“I hear yah, man,” Stewart said grimly as the crowd continued to ramble on, their voices rising in the background. “The whole thing is pretty gruesome. Although, this would make one helluva story, right?”
Joseph’s jaw knotted. Stewart’s question reverberated eerily in his mind.
“Well, what do you think?” Stewart shrugged. “You want to do the story? I mean, you’re the lead journalist now.”
“Nah,” said Joseph, shaking his head. “You go for it. Besides, I’ve got a full plate.”
“You sure?”
Joseph nodded. “I’m sure.”
Stewart’s lips curved up. “Thanks—”
“All right, everyone,” said Manuel, waving his arms as though he was herding cattle. “I need all of you to move back.” He raised his voice. “This is a crime scene.”
Immediately, phones were lowered, and the group of nosey people hurriedly backed away, especially after Manuel threatened them with charges of obstruction.
Damn meddling people, Manuel thought, grinding his molars. He ducked under the yellow police tape and strode toward a large Dumpster where two police officers stood. The minute he got closer, he noticed Detective Ratcliff crouching to inspect the body.
The victim—a male who appeared to be in his early to mid-twenties—lying face up, had a giant hole smack dab in the middle of his chest, exactly like the other victim had been found. And this poor guy’s heart too, appeared to be missing.
“Do we have an ID on the victim?” asked Manuel, crouching next to the detective.
Nicolas turned toward Manuel and nodded. “Jerry Duffin,” he said in a slight southern drawl. “Twenty-four years of age. An out-of-towner. Driver’s license says he’s from Texas.”
“Going by that hole,” said Manuel, gesturing toward the dead man’s chest, “I take it his heart is MIA.”
“Yep,” said Nicolas. “Same as Kevin Russo.”
“Well shit,” Manuel gritted out, then stood straight and looked between the two officers who stood nearby. “By chance, would either of you know if there’s any working cameras close by?”
“Sorry Detective Sanchez,” said one of the officers. “We already checked. There’s nothing on these buildings close enough to get a visual of this alley.”
“All right.” Manuel released a heavy sigh. “Thanks guys.”
“If you two got this covered,” said the other officer, looking between Manuel and Nicolas, “we’ll go maintain that crowd and wait for the coroner to arrive.”
“Thanks guys,” said Nicolas, standing straight. “We’d appreciate it.”
Manuel waited until the two officers were out of earshot, then said, “Captain wants us back at the precinct as soon as we wrap this up.”
Nicolas raised an inquisitive brow. “What’s up?”
“He wants to discuss this ordeal and the fire at A&E Pharmaceuticals,” said Manuel. “They’ve already identified the bodies.”
“Do they know if the fire was arson yet?”
“Nothing definite,” said Manuel. “But they suspect it. And there’s something else I just recently discovered.”
“Oh?” Nicolas narrowed his gaze. “And what’s that?”
“I found out some information on our perp.”
Nicolas’s eyes widened. “Are you talking about Joseph Harris?”
“Yah,” said Manuel, nodding. “Turns out, Joseph has changed his last name. It’s Parker now.”
“By the look on your face,” said Nicolas, “something tells me that’s not all you discovered.”
Manuel gravely nodded at Nicolas. “Yah, and it’s not good.”
“Have you contacted the Covenant?”
“I was fixing to,” said Manuel, “right before Captain called. I’ll try again before I head over to the precinct.”
“We’re getting closer, thanks to you, Detective. Maybe we’ll finally catch this guy.”
“That’s the easy part,” said Manuel. “But figuring out how to destroy this…” He wearily shook his head, “…whatever the hell it is, that’s going to be the difficult part.”
“Tessa mentioned something about Sebastian Crow finding some information on this particular demon,” explained Nicolas. “If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll know how to destroy it.”
“Keep your fingers crossed,” said Manuel. “I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”
To be continued. . .
NOTE: This is not part of the chapter. A reference for terms and cast of characters in this chapter, especially for new readers.
BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
BREEDLINE COVENANT - The Breedline species must live within the boundaries of their Covenant. There is one in every state. A council governs its laws and oversees the species population.
Detective Manuel Sanchez - He is a homicide detective at the San Francisco Police Department who late discovers he carries the Breedline genetics. His partner is Detective Frank Perkins. His sister is Lailah.
Detective Frank Perkins - He is Manuel Sanchez's partner and discovers the secret world of the Breedline. Born as a human, Frank pledges his loyalty to the Breedline. Fighting alongside his partner, they take an oath to help the Breedline protect the world from corruption and unknown creatures that prey on the innocent.
Captain James Hodge - Unaware of the Breedline species, he is Detectives' Manuel Sanchez and Detective Frank Perkins superior at the San Francisco, California Police Department.
Dr. Henry Michaels - He is a ruthless scientists and head physician of Adam and Eve Pharmaceuticals, hired by the government to do research on his patients to create a new species.
Dr. Leonard Manos - He is the lead physician for the Summit Behavioral Institute who used to be Joseph's patient. He was murdered before Detectives' Sanchez and Perkins could bring him in for questioning after he was suspected in a kidnapping and performing experiments on his own patients.
Nicolas Ratcliff - He is immortal with the power of invisibility and supernatural speed. He works for the San Francisco Police Department as a detective. He's bonded with Jena McCain.
Tim Ross - He is a Breedline species and the council head of the California Covenant.
Joseph Parker (a.k.a. Joseph Harris) - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Tessa Fairchild (a.k.a. the Breedline Queen) - She was born into the human world and later discovers she's a Breedline. Abandoned by her parents, and raised by her aunt and uncle, Tessa has no knowledge of being born a twin. After she meets Jace, they become bonded mates. During her first change into her Breedline wolf, she shifts into the new Breedline queen. She is an inspiring artist.
Sebastian Crow - He is a half-breed and Eve's bonded mate. He has the power to summon a portal.
Kevin Russo - He is Carrie Randall's ex-boyfriend who was murdered by the Shadow.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
BREEDLINE COVENANT - The Breedline species must live within the boundaries of their Covenant. There is one in every state. A council governs its laws and oversees the species population.
Detective Manuel Sanchez - He is a homicide detective at the San Francisco Police Department who late discovers he carries the Breedline genetics. His partner is Detective Frank Perkins. His sister is Lailah.
Detective Frank Perkins - He is Manuel Sanchez's partner and discovers the secret world of the Breedline. Born as a human, Frank pledges his loyalty to the Breedline. Fighting alongside his partner, they take an oath to help the Breedline protect the world from corruption and unknown creatures that prey on the innocent.
Captain James Hodge - Unaware of the Breedline species, he is Detectives' Manuel Sanchez and Detective Frank Perkins superior at the San Francisco, California Police Department.
Dr. Henry Michaels - He is a ruthless scientists and head physician of Adam and Eve Pharmaceuticals, hired by the government to do research on his patients to create a new species.
Dr. Leonard Manos - He is the lead physician for the Summit Behavioral Institute who used to be Joseph's patient. He was murdered before Detectives' Sanchez and Perkins could bring him in for questioning after he was suspected in a kidnapping and performing experiments on his own patients.
Nicolas Ratcliff - He is immortal with the power of invisibility and supernatural speed. He works for the San Francisco Police Department as a detective. He's bonded with Jena McCain.
Tim Ross - He is a Breedline species and the council head of the California Covenant.
Joseph Parker (a.k.a. Joseph Harris) - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Tessa Fairchild (a.k.a. the Breedline Queen) - She was born into the human world and later discovers she's a Breedline. Abandoned by her parents, and raised by her aunt and uncle, Tessa has no knowledge of being born a twin. After she meets Jace, they become bonded mates. During her first change into her Breedline wolf, she shifts into the new Breedline queen. She is an inspiring artist.
Sebastian Crow - He is a half-breed and Eve's bonded mate. He has the power to summon a portal.
Kevin Russo - He is Carrie Randall's ex-boyfriend who was murdered by the Shadow.
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