Battle Scars I - The Immortal

Chapter 11: Monsters

1

We had got back to the bar late and stayed up a while afterwards. In turn, we woke up late as well. It was past eleven hundred when we all got up. Bart taught us how to prepare a new dish and we took it to the bar.

     While we were eating, we were interrupted by the arrival of three soldiers.

     One was in lead while the other two followed behind him. They stood at attention as he stopped in front of me and handed out a folder.

     "Agent Eagle-Eye these are orders directly from the council for your next assignment."

     I took the folder and watched as the soldiers took their leave.

     Opening it, I found a note from Councilman Bouldren:

Agents,

Seeing as you are feeling obliged to partake in civic duties, there is another matter in the city that you are to resolve before you return to base. There is a serial killer, called Zaphim the Skinner, who has taken up residence in the city. He has been at large for many years now and as of late has taken to assassinating military officers. Last night Colonel Akido, who was taking his leave in the city, was killed while your skirmish with the 29th Syndicate was taking place. You will find and eliminate this menace within the next two weeks. Do not worry about expenses and tell Bartholomew that everything will be taken care of regarding cost.

-        Bouldren

The mission briefing was under this introduction. In essence, we were to find and terminate this serial killer, as the councilman had written.

     Zaphim was a human male. He had been on a killing spree for the past seven years, moving between five different planets and a staggering number of cities in that time. It appeared that he favored males or young children as targets. Recently, he had taken to targeting members of the military.

     Below the briefing were photos. There were many, but I didn't need to see them all.

     The first picture was of Colonel Akido, dated early this morning. The body was set up against a wall and trash unit in an alley. His jaw was removed in a brutish manner, the flesh and muscle of the wound ragged and severely cut. He was cut open from his sternum to his groin as if he were an experiment, his intestines pulled out in every direction, some organs even ripped out. There was a note pinned a flap of his chest skin:

LITTLE TOY SOLDIERS

     I put the photo face down on the bar and looked at the next picture. My hand was shaking slightly as anger began to take hold. The photo I saw now only intensified my feelings.

     There was a Zantarian child. I didn't know where the body was, but it was cut in half in as ragged a way as the coronel's jaw had been removed. The body was naked, and the tail had been removed from the lower half and placed in the child's jaw. The arms were wrapped around the legs as if to embrace them.

     I did my best to restrain myself from slamming the photos onto the bar. It was still quite a loud sound when I put them down, I couldn't bring myself to look at another one yet.

     "John, what's wrong?" Amelia asked as she handed to file off to James.

     "See for yourself." I said quietly, finding it hard to keep my voice level.

     I slid the photos over to her.

     You seem a bit shaken. All you've seen and this troubles you?

     I'm not shaken. I'm enraged! How could there be anyone out there doing this, repeatedly for his own pleasure. It does trouble me that this was happening. A warzone is one thing, but this is... I don't even know what to call this.