Case Files of Detective Kenneth Cohl

Case File Ten: Desert Chase

Kenneth took the DVD and ran to the player in the living room; he turned on the television and put in the disc. When it started, it had Lauren standing in the middle of a stage; she still had her long light brown hair, and was in an Egyptian dress with papers in her hands.

"Dearest Kenneth; no more commanded by such poor passion. It were for me to throw my scepter at the injurious gods; to tell them that this world did equal theirs. Impatience does become a dog that's mad: then is it sin to rush into the secret house of death. Our lamp is spent, it's out! Good sirs, take heart: We'll bury him and make death proud to take us. Come, this case of that huge spirit now is cold. Come; we have no friend but resolution, and the briefest end."

The camera began to pan out and as it moved away, Kenneth could see that Lauren's feet were chained to the stage. As the screen went black, words in white began to appear on the screen.

"So, let's see if you can solve this riddle, both Lauren's and Carmen's lives are at risk, can you be a god and save them both, let the sands of time start to flow as you embark on a journey to the otherworld. ~Alister Crowley"

Kenneth angered when he saw Alister's name, balled his fist and punched a hole through his table. He got up and ran for the door, grabbing his keys and drove to the police station. Once inside he rushed to the back and showed the DVD to Salvo.

"You're going to go after him; aren't you?" The inspector said with a sigh as he rubbed his eyes with his fingers

"You can't stop me."

"I know I can't, but at least take an officer with you."

"I can't do that, enough lives are in danger right now as it is."

"Then what can I do to help?"

"There is only one thing, help me get to Egypt."

"Egypt?"

"Yes, the lines Lauren said are pieces that Cleopatra said in a Shakespeare play, plus the whole "sands of time" and "journey to the otherworld", the way she was dressed, it's all Egyptian."

"I see, well let me get a flight for you."

"That won't be necessary inspector." A voice said from behind.

Kenneth and the inspector looked over to see a young man seeming to be around Kenneth's age standing at the door. He was about Kenneth's height; long black hair jelled back into a ponytail, black pants and shirt.

"Who are you?" Salvo asked

"You can call me Enigma, I work with the FBI"

A few moments later, Kenneth was seated in the back of a black Ford Taurus, next to Enigma, being driven to the airport.

"So what has the FBI caught in all this?"

"We are after Alister, plain and simple."

"Why, he only escapes after being caught?"

"My mission isn't to capture him, I was sent to kill him."

After that, there was only silence. They arrived at the airport and found two other agents; a Russian female named Lachina Bellatrix, she was dressed in all black leather with long red hair and a male codenamed Wing, he had short blonde hair and was dressed in just camouflage shorts and a shirt. Kenneth was expecting a private jet, and was disappointed to find they were going on just a small passenger plane. It was such a small plane; it only had room for about sixteen passengers. By the time it came for takeoff, all sixteen seats had been filled as they went into the sky. Kenneth and Enigma got seats next to each other in the middle left side of the plane. Lachina got left side first row, while Wing got left side last row, right behind Kenneth. As the stewardess made her first walk through the plane, Kenneth grabbed himself some sodas bracing for this sixteen hour flight. At about hour three, Kenneth turned around to see Wing was out of it, he had a cap on his head and a blanket covering his body up to his mouth. 

 When Kenneth turned back around he noticed a man from the second row right side get up and make his way to the back for the restroom, and then returned to their seat. When there was about thirty minutes left till landing the stewardess screamed. Everyone turned around to find Wing's body on the floor. Kenneth, Enigma and Lachina ran over to their fallen friend. They flipped his body over and noticed his lips had turned purple; Enigma checked but was unable to find a pulse. There was a small hole in his neck and a scent of almonds around the wound. Kenneth and the agent's knew he was murdered by cyanide poisoning; the question was which of the other twelve passengers did it. Enigma began to question the stewardess about what she had seen during the flight.

"Miss, what was his condition before he fell?" Enigma asked.

"He had stayed in the same position he was in the whole flight, seated with a cap and blanket covering most of him, I never really got a good look, I just know he never moved." She replied.

"Were you the one awake for the entire flight?"

"Yes, I was up the entire flight in the back near where the restrooms are making fresh coffee for me and the pilots."

While Enigma was asking her questions, Kenneth began making a diagram of the plane circling the seats of the people he had seen get up and walk to the back. When the list was done he went to the back to join Enigma, Lachina kept watch over the people still in their seats. Kenneth took his diagram to the stewardess and asked her out of those people if she can remember any that went towards the victim. She pointed to one seat and said that was the only person she remembered that got up and went anywhere near the victim while walking back to the restroom. Kenneth and Enigma looked at each other and nodded. They walked over to the body then looked at the man that was in the seat next to Wing.

"Sir, we would like you to stand up, we believe you're the most likely suspect in this murder case." Enigma said.

"Then would you care to show me the proof?" The man said as he stood up, he was taller than either Enigma or Kenneth, had short blonde hair and was well dressed in a suit, maybe in his 60s.

"The proof to solving all of this, can be found right behind us, isn't that right, Lachina?" Kenneth said as he and Enigma turned to look at her.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked.

"You are the only one that went anywhere close to the body; you're a pretty pathetic murderer." Kenneth stated.

"Maybe I wanted you to know it was me." She said as she removed her coat to reveal a parachute and a detonator.

"Long live Alister!" She cried out as she pushed the button on the detonator which blew off the emergency exit door, and she flew out to escape. Thankfully the passengers were already buckled down as the panic started. Kenneth and Enigma gripped onto a seat and could only watch as Wing's body flew out of the door as well. The older man grabbed the stewardess and dragged her down the small hall where her station was. She fainted as he pulled a knife out from his boot and stabbed it through her shirt and into the wall to hold her in place. He then walked back to where the others were.

"Well aren't you two kids gonna go after her?" he asked.

"Just who the hell are you?" Kenneth replied.

"The name is Lion, and when the time is right, you'll learn more about me, but right now, I'll get this bird on the ground, and you two go catch that bitch." He said while tossing each of them a parachute.

Enigma and Kenneth looked at each other, strapped on the parachutes and then jumped out the door. They were falling right into the middle of Cairo. They spotted Lachina running and began to chase. She kicked a man in the head and stole one of the motorbikes he was selling. When they got there, Enigma flashed his FBI badge, and they each took a bike. The chase after Lachina lead them out of the city, with the heat bearing down on them and sand catching in their eyes. After a while the pyramids began to come into sight as they entered the city of Giza. Lachina pulled her bike over and stopped when she got close to the pyramids. Kenneth and Enigma hit the brakes when they got close to her.

"This is as far as I need to go to lead you fools, Alister is waiting up ahead, its' up to you to find him." She said as a helicopter flew by and she jumped onto the passing rope ladder attached to it. The copter flew off towards the pyramids, literally leaving the two in the dust.