L.I.E. (Learn, Improve, Educate)

Chapter 9 - Fallacy

Lael Aiken was closing his fists most of the time since the ship started to sail. Although he had his feet well placed in the floor, the feeling of being in the middle of the see made him really nervous and a bit dizzy.

"You look like you're gonna pass out" Julian noticed, looking at him with concern.

"I'm n-not used to this". He waved his hand and smiled trying to look good, although his hands were shaking and his smile was just a grimace. Julian covered his mouth with his hand, trying not to laugh.

"I can see that". He was now laughing. Aiken shook his head and sighed, looking away so Julian wouldn't see him smiling too. Gore cleared his throat and continued with a more serious tone "I almost forgot to comment with you". He began to whisper now. "But have you heard the conversation between Carver and Harvey earlier about Thomas Browdy?"

Lael narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"I haven't, I think I was out. Thomas Browdy? The man who started a shooting in a high-school? Who got imprisoned a month ago, right?"

"Exactly". Julian nodded and continued "Apparently he was killed yesterday too."

"Really? Was it part of the same group that murdered the other eight prisoners?" Lael tilted his head.

"Yes. And apparently a prisoner that wasn't taking the right doses of his medication was the one that started it." Julian looked around for any sign that there was someone listening to them.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you heard about the phenomenon called Folie à deux?"

"Yes, it's what happens when we have someone with psychotic symptoms that end up making another person also have the same symptoms."

"Exactly." Gore nodded "It seems that this was the case."

Lael frowned.

"That happened with, if I can remember, the five other prisoners too, wasn't it?" he had a wary expression on his face. Something doesn't click.

"That's what they say. During a psychotic outbreak, they got their hands on razors and scissors that no one knows where they got them from and they murdered those guys and, apparently, Thomas too". He paused. "It was only possible to know that it was him now because overall the bodies were so wounded up and tore apart that they had hard time figuring out who they were."

"What about those prisoners, have someone already interviewed them?" Lael asked. His team wasn't in charge of those interviews; it was passed to Harvey's team, so he didn't have much chance to ask the developments on the case.

"Yes, John did." Gore pressed his fingers against is chin and massaged it. "What I've heard this: the prisoners are disbelieved and deny everything. Well, of course they wouldn't confess, right?" he shrugged. "Nonetheless, they will probably be charged with the a couple more years in prison. They're lucky there isn't a death penalty here, because I believe that they'd get executed after this."

Lael made a sarcastic laugh.

"They and many more." He muttered while rubbing his sweated hands. Gore nodded and made a tiny smile.

"Hey... don't you think there's something weird about our trip to this island?" Julian continued to talk in a whisper. Now Lael was the one who nodded and spoke in the same tone.

"Yes. I find the lack of details and congruence on this mission quite weird. It's almost like..." he let the words hover in the air as he noticed Carver staring at them. He gulped and looked away.