The Shadow of Winter

Chapter 9

        Blue and red lights flashed over slick pavement, sirens wailed in the night like desperate cries of mourning. Ambulances waited on standby as the last flames of a dying fire were put out by men covered head to toe in black and yellow-taped bodysuits with gas masks over their faces. Few of these men were also shifting through the area with the unrealistic hope that they may spot the movement of a fortunate soul that had somehow survived the devastating incident. Most had already lost faith and were searching for any bodily remains that could be used as some form of identification. The charred rubble of what used to be a wall slowly crumbled, a few pieces rolling away from the mess to come to a stop inches from a pair of black and white boots.

        Detective Vector frowned down at the little shards, still glowing orange at their centers, and kicked them back toward the simmering remains of what used to be a rundown, cheap apartment complex. His partner Detective Espio strode up from behind him with his gold eyes on the carnage as well.

        "There were no survivors," said Espio in a solemn voice. "Everyone inside must have been asleep when the fire occurred, and with how careless the owner of the apartment was with safety, the fire alarm system had been nonfunctional."

        The crocodile stood silently with crossed arms, the image of civilians screaming in their beds as the flames overtook them playing through his head. He flinched as a rotten, burning smell mixed with the dark vision of those thrashing people turning into nothing but charred bodies. It made him sick to think that someone could do such a thing. It made him sick that he knew who had done it, yet had been unable to stop them. "They must've been real angry when they realized the kid wasn't here," murmured Vector to the chameleon while his eyes roamed the area once more.

        "I believe they would have killed everyone in the building anyway, just to be sure there were no witnesses." For a moment, Espio laid a hand on one of Vector's arms in reassurance before taking it away and whirling around to face the street where the investigators' tan Jeep stood out among the numerous flashing police cars. "We can't do much here, Vector. Let the firemen clear the rubble and recover the bodies, or what is left of them."

        With a loud sigh, Vector slapped a palm to the side of his forehead in exasperation. "The victims are all stackin' up in this case, and we still don't know the identity of the first—that man the girl had seen get killed. We have no leads and no evidence except for the sample of blood we can't even find a match to. Espio, I think these guys are just too smart for us." He felt terrible for saying such a thing, but it had to be the truth. Time after time those criminals had slipped under their experienced noses and caused more harm with each occurring incidence. "Maybe we should hand over the case to another team. Maybe we're just not good enough to solve this ourselves."

        Espio stopped a few feet away from the car and lowered his eyelids, considering what the chief of the Chaotix Detectives had suggested. Perhaps it was time some outside help was needed to solve the case, he thought. But, being the adamant ninja he was, Espio would never agree to fully leave the case to the responsibility of another investigation team. The Chaotix would take part in it, no matter what. Giving up meant failure, and failure would surely tear down the confidence the team had gained over years of hard work and success.

        Before he could voice his thoughts to Vector, the back door of the Jeep swung open and a bee holding a smart tablet flew out. "Guys, guys! Look what I found! Look!"

        "What is it, Charmy?" asked Vector as he hurried to meet Espio by the youngster's side. He grabbed a hold of the fuzzy, flying body when paper wings fluttered at his nose, and pressed it firmly on the ground. "Calm down and show us whatcha got."

        The boy was obviously excited with how he continued to wriggle even when being held down. His amber eyes shone as he flipped through the tabs on his device, bringing up an article written by a small-time news team. He then shoved the smart tablet in Vector's face, a radiant smile playing at his lips. "Read this! It'll tell you what you need to know!"