Where In The World Are The Killers?

Star of Death

"Is it normal for this team to have sudden unforeseen stops?" Nathan asks Carmen and Jack as the three sit on the couch in the lounge.

"Sadly, yes," Carmen confirms, scrolling through her phone, "Jack is convinced some mystical being is responsible!"

"Magic is real, so who's to say there isn't someone powerful enough to interfere in our lives?!" Jack argues.

She rolls her eyes, "enough, Jack! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the break we have while we wait for clearance to investigate!"

"I don't get why we can't just show up unannounced like we always do," he replies.

"Something about safety, anyway; why don't you go explore or something?" she suggested.

"I hear there's a snake park nearby!" Nathan offered.

"Snakes?! No way! You can keep those slimy noodles to yourself!" Jack gags.

"Slimy noodles? Really?" he deadpanned.

"What about visiting- Hold on, my phone's ringing," Carmen says, noticing the caller ID read Jonah, "hey, what's up, Jonah?"

"I pulled an Anders," was the response she got.

"Say what?" she questions.

"I found a dead body," Jonah clarified.

"... You've gotta stop hanging out with Anders so much," she sighed, "is it a murder or a freak accident?"

"I don't normally classify someone being shot as an accident," he responds.

"Alright, where are you so Jack and I can investigate?" Carmen asks.

"The Moremi Game Reserve," Jonah answered, "I tried calling Anders, but he didn't answer; I'll keep trying, though."

"Thanks; if you get ahold of him, ask him to meet us there," she requested, ending the call, "looks like Jonah found the cure for your boredom, Jack! We've got a murder to investigate!"

Jack groans but pulls himself to his feet, "that wasn't what I meant...."

Jonah had texted Carmen the address for the game reserve, and after grabbing Angela, she and Jack drove to the reserve. Jonah was waiting for them at the entrance and helped Angela bring the stretcher to where he found the body.

The small group arrived at the back of Camp Moremi, where there was a large, circular seating area with built-in benches and a firepit in the middle. The deck overlooked the vast landscape, and they could see animals walking in the distance. But despite the beauty of the scenery, the dead body waiting for them wasn't a pretty sight.

The body was in front of the fire pit, blood pooling on the wood underneath. Five bullet holes were in the man: one between his eyes, another through his throat, the third in his heart, and lastly, both his lungs. A ceramic mug was shattered by his hand, so he must have been killed while having a cup of coffee.

The man was older, early seventies, and was tall with a fit physique. His white hair was short on the sides, with the top half longer and combed to the right. His tanned skin, riddled with scars and wrinkles, showed the man had lived a long, dangerous life. His blue eyes were blank, and blood stained his mouth. The man wore light brown khaki shorts, a white t-shirt under a light brown vest, dark brown hiking boots, and work gloves.

Looking around the deck, they noticed a black leather coat with an orange hood draped across a bench. But the jacket seemed too small to belong to the victim, so it had to be someone else. There was also a house key on the floor with a tag attached to it by a piece of string, but the sun had faded the text.