The Internship

Chapter 7: Questions Arise

"10-10." A static noise accompanied by a faint police siren filled the car's radio. "No further assistance," a break in the connection made the person driving the car trump his finger in the steering wheel impatiently. "- down." The overlapping voices coming from the radio created a cacophonous din, making it impossible to understand any individual conversation. The last sentence sounded a lot like the suspect was down, which made both the officers sigh a breath of relief. 

Angel DeSilva sighed. His hands flitting to the radio, firmly pressing a button, "Noted. Leaving scene." He responded. He turned to face his patrol companion, Eric Lam, who snickered at his frustrated expression. It's not his fault the radio is so shitty sometimes. 

"Nothing's funny, Lam." Angel swatted at Eric's smug face before returning his eyes to the road. Driving back to their routine patrol route. 

The dulled static noise inside the car lulled both the patrolling officers into a relaxed silence. The bustling cityscapes, with their skyscrapers on one side and the river on the other, cocooned the tranquil flow of vehicles on the road. 

"Wanna go drinking at Raphael's after work?" Eric asked, indicating the local pub around the corner of their station, keeping his eyes on the road. Scanning. The ribbon asphalt stretched out towards the horizon; its lines, markings, and occasional potholes provided a steady rhythm to their patrol. 

A faint smile graced Angel's lips as he was about to respond when the radio came alive with static. 

"10-99! 10-99!" the blaring voice came from the command center. It's the code for required assistance. Angel's response died in his throat as he swiftly pulled the car up to a stop beside the roadside, awaiting more details. Both officers straightened in their seats, awaiting commands. 

"Body found on Main Street." The static cut in through their thoughts. They both shared a look of fear. "Assistance needed for crowd control." The radio went silent after a beep; the silence droned like a ghost inside the car. Angel started the car, the engine roaring to life, zooming past the traffic. 

When is this gonna end? 

Upon arriving at the scene, a flood of camera flashes blurred the officers' visions. Angel and Eric exited the car and moved straight to the restricted caution tape. Upon informing the other officers, they took their stance in front of the tape. 

The constant shuttering sounds of cameras going off, along with the jumble of reporters' and bystander voices, each shouting over the other in a desperate attempt to be heard, filled their ears. 

Angel dared to look behind the caution tape, and his breath stopped in sight. Amidst the crowd of paramedics and on-duty policemen, the bloodied and bruised black and blue feet of an individual peeked through. 

"Another dismembered body has been found by innocent bystanders early morning in east of Main Street." The booming, shrill voice of a female reporter came, and her camera crew was trying to push past Angel and his comrades to get better footage of the crime scene. 

"This is the second murder in the past two weeks." the reporter continued, her head reeling back from the scene with a winced expression, "The citizens are fear-ridden, asking questions that remain unanswered." She glanced around her surroundings; the camera took that as a call to record the passerby whispering around them, concern and dread etched on their faces. Some parents are reeling their children away from the commotion with hands over their eyes.  Shielding them from the heinous acts of this world. 

The female reported shifted from the zone to another corner of the area, following a herd of reporters to the oncoming pack of cars. 

The overlapping bustling of conversations, camera shutters, and law enforcement sirens continued to blare through the once-serene Main Street.