EKON: BLOOD TIES

Chapter 5

The skies above New York had turned an unforgiving shade of grey, rain drizzling down in a cold, persistent sheet as Claire and Dave stepped out of the squad car. The scene was already roped off, a small crowd of curious onlookers gathering under umbrellas as the crime scene tape flapped in the wind. Claire pulled her collar up, trying to keep the rain from dripping down her neck as she exchanged a grim look with Dave. They had just finished closing up one homicide scene when this call had come in—a second murder.

Vanessa was already there, crouched beside the body in her blue forensic jacket, her gloved hands working methodically as she examined the victim. The streetlights cast long shadows over the scene, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the rainy day. Claire noticed the tension in Vanessa's movements, her usual calm demeanor replaced by a sense of urgency.

"Looks like we've got another one," Vanessa muttered as they approached. She stood, wiping rain from her forehead with the back of her arm, her expression tight. "Similar M.O. as the last victim."

Claire exchanged a glance with Dave, her stomach tightening. Two murders in less than 48 hours. "Anything stand out?" she asked, squatting down to get a closer look.

The victim lay sprawled on the wet pavement, eyes wide open, staring lifelessly at the dark sky. Just like the first murder, there was no blood at the scene. The body looked pale, almost drained of life.

Vanessa nodded grimly. "No blood. Same puncture marks on the neck. It's like the victim was drained dry. We've got two victims now, both with the same pattern, but no leads on the killer."

Dave cursed under his breath. "This is getting out of hand."

Claire felt a chill run through her, but it wasn't from the rain. "Any signs of a struggle? Footprints, fibers, anything that could help us?"

"Nothing definitive yet," Vanessa said. "But something feels off. The wounds are precise, almost surgical in nature. Whoever's doing this knows what they're doing."

Claire straightened up, her mind racing. Two bodies, same strange puncture wounds, drained of blood. The first victim hadn't given them any solid leads, and now this—another mystery, another murder, and still no answers.

"What about time of death?" Dave asked, scanning the scene, his eyes sharp with focus.

Vanessa glanced at her notes. "I'd estimate within the last few hours. Same pattern as before—quick, efficient. No one saw anything, no cameras in the area that could help. It's like the killer struck and disappeared without a trace."

Claire frowned, a gnawing sense of unease growing within her. "We're dealing with someone who knows how to stay invisible. But why the blood? What kind of killer drains their victims like this?"

The rain picked up, beating down on the plastic tarps that covered the scene. Claire could feel the weight of the investigation pressing down on her. Two bodies, and yet they were no closer to understanding what they were up against.

"Vanessa," Claire said, her voice low, "are we thinking the same thing?"

Vanessa hesitated for a moment, her eyes meeting Claire's with a flicker of apprehension. "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but... yeah, this feels like something else. Something darker."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "What are we talking about here? Serial killer? Cult? What are we missing?"

"I'm not sure yet," Claire replied, her mind flashing back to the puncture marks, the eerie absence of blood. "But whatever it is, we're going to need to figure it out fast. Because I have a feeling this isn't over."

They stood in the rain, the hum of the city in the background, but the weight of the murders seemed to dampen even that. As Claire looked down at the lifeless body at her feet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something far more sinister was at play. Something that had yet to reveal itself.