Tick Tock Part One - Hickory

A Lonely Cactus

They headed down and discussed their next steps. As expected, the first order of business was to take DNA samples from their three suspects to confirm their identities. A human technician took the swabs, which were then handed off to Nines and Connor to sample orally. Connor's LED span red briefly as he analysed the saliva, quickly able to match it to the DNA from the semen samples he'd ingested during the investigation. He was quietly relieved that wouldn't be required a third time. Nines confirmed his findings. They definitely had the right men in custody, and they were guilty of all three crimes.

"You should just make it easy on yourself and confess," Reed encouraged casually as he sat across from one of the men. Bradley Jones. He was just a little older than Hank, but looked so much worse. . He was the sort of guy you'd look at and think...Yeah, this guy's a pedo. He just had the look of someone who's not quite right. Someone dangerous, with a sneer that sent shivers down Reed's spine. The ones who touched kids were always the worst to deal with.

"Confess to what? They're androids...It's not the real thing." Jones' indignation was palpable as he spoke in a voice much higher than had Reed expected. It was soft and gentle, a contrast to his rough looks. That just creeped him out even more. He hoped Hank was having better luck in the other room and felt comforted by the fact that Nines was just behind the glass. He clenched his teeth, trying not to let the disgust show on his face. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to be a part of.

"You can think whatever you like, but the law disagrees. You can either confess now and make it easy for yourself or not. We have the evidence either way." The man's head was quite round, and he didn't have much of a neck. It was surprising he had the energy to do much of anything, let alone rape a kid. Jones seemed to read some of Reed's discomfort and leaned forward, watching as he moved back in response. Reed pushed the paper and pen across expectantly. His whole body seized up as the man reached down with an inhumanly soft hand and took his wrist in a clammy grasp.

"It's really not the same, Detective...Androids are so much firmer...They're not as soft and warm, and when they bleed that sticky, oily stuff...it'll stain your skin for a week." Reed almost choked on a breath as Jones' gentle thumb circled his wrist almost affectionately. He swallowed hard, eyes darting to the large hand holding him and then to the man now leaning across the table. What the fuck did this guy want from him? Did he expect him to agree? That just because he didn't enjoy raping an android kid, it didn't count? "They break just as easily though...They got that right at least...And the screams! The screams are just divine." His dreamy musings cut off with a chuckle as Reed ripped his hand free and stumbled away from the table. The fuck had he just listened to?

"Detective Reed. Allow me to take over," Nines' voice interrupted calmly from the now open doorway. Reed felt numb as he nodded before leaving the cramped room. As he entered the bathroom, he held his breath and gripped one of the small sinks. I don't feel so good. He closed his eyes and took a breath, unsurprised as he gagged. Hard. Today was not his day. A nightmare of a press release, dealing with that monster, and now this. It was almost unfortunate that Nines was making sure he ate these days. It meant he actually had something in his stomach to throw up. He cursed quietly as he ran the tap and rinsed his mouth. At least drinking had taught him one thing; how to throw up without spraying and huffing vomit through his nose. He cleaned up, but wasn't ready to leave the safety of the sink just yet. It never usually hit him this badly.

He could handle a lot. He had handled a lot. Bodies sliced up. Guts strewn across walls. Corpses left for months. Bloated bodies pulled from rivers with the skin falling off. He'd seen and handled it all, and only in his earlier years had he actually puked his guts out like this. There was just something about this type of guy that got to him. Those eyes. That voice. The lack of anything approaching remorse. It was all wrong. Kids were supposed to be protected. It was unnatural to even think about that sort of thing. Reed just couldn't deal with it. It was one of the reasons he'd always stuck to narcotics and homicides. Dealing with kids was hard. He shivered as he closed his eyes, trying to ignore how that soft, clammy touch lingered on his skin.