MR. MANIAC

CHAPTER 2

Layla Prescott was a woman of many talents. For one, she was the third of her class at Quantico, with a high ranking score on deductive reasoning. She also was well educated on how politics worked into the line of duty, meaning she can do her job and still please the brass. But what made her stand out was her ruthless determination for solving a case through and through. Cold cases or unsolved profiles did not exist in her mind. She would do anything for any amount of time to get a problem solved. Another thing was her way with words, she could talk anyone out of anything, she rarely would need to aim her firearm at a person, during the training trials she could've easily shot and killed suspects, but her words... it was almost as if she were a muse or a siren singing a song. This amazing feat was largely in part due to her inadequacy with combat. She scored an 85% during the field combat test, which should've sealed her fate and had her kicked out the program until trials next year. But thanks to her mentor, longtime friend, godfather, and now new partner... she was in. Of course he didn't know who exactly he was getting as a partner; they never tell you that until it's face to face time. But she knew he'd be happy to see her. She had always dreamed of working with her godfather Special Agent Tug Matthews. He was the closest thing to a father she knew since she was 6. Making Tug proud was top of her list of things to do now that she's in the big leagues.

She had never seen the J. Edgar Hoover Building up close, nonetheless been inside it. It was everything she dreamed it would be, everything she had heard about it at Quantico was accurate, with little exaggerations, the sightseeing had to be cut short though, it was time to be introduced to Tug as his new partner officially. She could feel the nervousness run down her nerves when the suited man came to see her.

"Hello Agent Prescott, I'm Special Agent Doyle. It's time for you to be formally introduced to your new partner. Right this way." He said with a showroom smile on his face, his hair slicked to the side, making him look like one of those classic FBI agents Prescott was used to seeing on TV. She managed to hide from blushing, not wanting to be a stereotypical female agent in his eyes. But as they walked through the halls to the conference room, she couldn't help but ask.

"How long have you been an Agent?" she asked timidly

"Oh about a year, I'm honestly still fairly new just like you. But just a little more seasoned." He said in a boyish voice

"What's your first name? I mean that is... if you don't mind me asking."

"I wouldn't mind, but not here on the job. It's unprofessional." He said now speaking with a tone of bravado

"Maybe tonight? Dinner maybe?"

"Is that a date? First fifth teen seconds?"

"No! No! not at all... Just thought maybe you could give me an idea of what I'm gonna be dealing with. New environment and all you know." Layla was full on blushing now, she spited herself for it on the inside. She wanted to make a daring and notable impression. But not like this.

"Well if that's the case. I'd be delighted." Doyle stopped now in front of Conference room 1AC he stood in front of her momentarily

"Round eight sounds nice to you? Pick you up outside." Doyle said eagerly "Sounds great."

"Okay. Follow me please in here." Doyle said switching back to his professional voice, with a slight hint of intimidation leading her in the room

Tug stood across the table peeking outside the blinds, smoking a Marlboro cigarette briefly lost in thought, he turned around to see her and a look of shock flushed over with joy.

"I'm sorry, you can't smoke in here sir." Doyle said meekly "And I can't seem to give a shit either." Tug growled

"Agent Prescott, this is our senior agent, Special Agent Matthews. Matthews, this is Agent Prescott, she'll be your partner on the Harris case."

"Agent Prescott and I are already acquainted. That'll be all." Tug said dismissively

Doyle was caught off guard by the remark. He went outside the door to pretend like he was doing something of importance, then strolled off. Meanwhile back in the conference room Layla looked at Matthews with the sparkle in her eyes of a long lost daughter finally seeing her father. She wanted desperately to run into him full speed and hug him with all her might. The little girl that was practically raised by him in her wanted to do this. But the woman she had become over the years taught her that Tug had his soft moments, but now wasn't one of those moments.

"Long time no see." She blurted out, unsure of what to really say

"Yeah... Glad you made it out of the Academy. Quantico is tough shit for the weak minded." Tug said, putting on his best impression for general interest in anything besides the case

"Who could have a weak mind growing up with you, Tug?" she giggled meekly

"Yeah I guess you got a point there. But the catch up can wait till later. Right now I need you. I was unsure about a woman being thrown at me for babysitting on this case. A rookie woman at that." Tug said with an instructive tone, masking a tone of regretful apology. Layla sensed this

"But luckily for you, I'm not a rookie woman." Layla said matter-of-factly a grin on her face, accepting his apology incognito

"Damn right you're not. But even so, this isn't the puzzle we used to solve. And this damn sure isn't a Quantico training exercise. This is the real deal... hell, this is beyond the real deal. You understand?" Tug said

"Perfectly. DO as you say, and learn quickly."
"Exactly. Now, tell me... have you been reading your daily newspaper?" "Should I be?"

Tug dropped down a thick file. Stamped in red the Confidential label across it. She opened it up, there were psychoanalysis, newspaper clippings, evidence reports, crime scene details. The whole nine right there before her. It was like a vast library of crime and needless violence in her sight set before her. But to Tug, it was so much more, it was like the pieces to a puzzle laid out before him, just in the wrong order.

"Read some of the headlines." Tug muttered, not wanting to lay eyes on the file

Layla skimmed through some of the headlines, the reports and the rest of the file. Then lifted her gaze to Tug. She knew this would take her all night to get through.

"Is this our case?" she said

"Yes. And Layla I'm not lying when I tell you... neither of us might walk away from this in one piece. So do your homework, and do it well. I expect a full analysis report tomorrow. Just like we used to practice. Got it?"

Layla took the heavy file in her arms. Looking into Tug's eyes clearly determined. "Got It."

As she walked out the door Doyle was a tad bit startled. Luckily he didn't jolt Layla. She blushed a bit seeing him.

"Looks like I'm booked tonight." She said girlishly
"I can help you go over that if you'd like." Doyle asked, trying to hide his disappointment

"No it's okay. Some other time... soon. I promise." She said, starting to walk away, Doyle stopped her

"Aaron.... My name's Aaron." He said with a boyish smile, signs of his cheeks reddening apparent.

Layla smiled back, flushed and taken by his charm.
"Layla... Layla Prescott."
"Nice to meet you, Layla." Doyle said looking into her eyes
"The pleasure is all mine." She returned back to him.
Doyle walked Prescott to her car, opening the door for her
"Maybe tomorrow if you're not too busy that is... Tomorrow okay?" Aaron asked shyly "Tomorrow's good. See you then."
"Can't wait."

Layla shut her car door now, driving off back to her apartment. She was glad Aaron distracted her from what she skimmed over in the conference room. It honestly scared her to an extent. And she could already tell that it'd scare her even more once she buckled down and actually read it. The headlines on one of the newspapers read a grim title, one that wasn't the typical she expected from the training courses at Quantico... this one had originality, it had a meaning. It was one of those things you couldn't shake from your mind even if you tried. She still couldn't entirely shake the image from her mind. The headlines read: Mr. Maniac Killer slays estimated two-hundred in 'Oakland Cove Apartments Massacre' beside it a picture of a smile carved in a woman's stomach... a pregnant woman's stomach. Layla could tell she was in for a long sleepless night.