Tolerance Book III

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-One: Evil Contemplated

An hour later Voight returned to the men, now including Antonio and Kevin, after getting an update from the Forensics' Supervisor. He looked at the solemn faces knowing the news he imparted would do nothing to alleviate their concerns.

"So far they've found twenty-five bodies ....,"
"Damn!" Antonios' fury filled curse echoed the sentiments of them all.
"That means we have people here unaccounted for who haven't been identified," Kevin stated the unpalatable truth.
"Hell!" this time it was Adams' turn to curse.
"Damn!" Al shook his head in disgust, this investigation was going to be way bigger than they had anticipated.
"Probably the same situation in Seattle," Jay spoke softly as he eyed the two FBI Agents in deep conversation several feet away.
"We knew our figures weren't solid," Kevin pointed out practically, they could only work with the information they had at any given time.
"Guess this helps the Feds," Al noted.
"How?"
"Their Boss won't be able to brush things under the rug," Voight answered wearily, "we thought we had 21 Victims here and they had 13. With over 25 and likely more here now there's going to be no way to keep a lid on this."
"Would have been hard anyway," Adam stated, from past experience he knew the media always had sources.
"Only a matter of time before there's aerial Observors," Jay put in, blocking off two main roads for supposed works was one thing but the plethora of official vehicles would definitely draw attention, especially the high volume of Medical Examiners' vans now waiting patiently to be filled.
"There's something else we have to address," Jay looked at his friends unhappily, "some of the remains have been here a long time ..... way longer than four years ...,"
"This just keeps getting better and better!" Antonio groused sarcastically.
"This place is like a graveyard," Adam opined in disgust eyeing the numerous exposed plots, someone was treating the place as a private burial ground and it sickened him!
"Routine in burying the Victims ultimately made the Perpetrators sloppy," Parker stated, "the dog only found the first body because it had been in a shallower hole than most of the others. The four closest to the first were also shallower."
"That means those pour souls were the latest Victims," Al concluded solemnly.
"Makes sense," the Italian-American agreed before adding crossly, "if any of this makes sense!"

"Why?" Jay nuttered to himself with a distracted frown as he surveilled the expansive scene before them.
"Why what?" Kevin asked in confusion.
"Why keep them .... the bodies?"
"They didn't keep them they buried them," Antonio corrected.
"Yeah," Jay nodded, "but if they got rid of the bodies there would be no comeback against them .....,"
"Now we have tangible evidence of their crimes," Al was the first to grasp what their youngest Detective was alluding to, no one wanted to contemplate such gruesome acts but they all knew there were ways to deal with corpses permanently leaving little or no trace.

Collins and Pearson had been holding back to discuss their concerns about the green eyed Detective but had been
listening to the conversation. As the pair advanced on the group Collins spoke up.

"Maybe the bodies were kept as trophies."
"Doc what do you think?' Voight eyed the New Yorker, eager to gain his insight.
"Respectfully this isn't the work of a Serial Killer in the usual sense. This is someones' organ selling operation ...... a business if you like," Parker noted thoughtfully, "trophies aren't in their remit. These are just a by product of the business."
"Do you agree with that Halstead?" Collins asked seemingly casually but there was an untracable tone lacing the question which had everyone sans Pearson on edge.
"Doc is an accomplished Profiler," Jay began, "so I stand by his assertions."
"There something you want to say Collins?" Voight demanded eyeing the Seattle men with a steel glare.
"We were just curious as to how Halstead knew about what we'd find here," the older Agent didn't bother prevaricating, a discussion needed to be had about the young Detectives' trustworthiness.
"What the hell does that mean?" Adam hollered drawing glances their way from the Forensic' personnel and Uniformed Officers.
"This is a conversation for the office," Al stated sending his own glare towards the Agents, they would either revise their thinking or would be sent packing, Task Force or no Task Force!
"About time we went back to the precinct anyway," Voight declared with a calm voice which belied the anger flowing through him.
"Agreed," Collins accepted knowing their presence wasn't needed at the site and shrewd enough to know a confrontation was going to occur and it would be better away from the crime scene.