Judge, Jury, & Executioner

Chapter 20

Drake opened the door and climbed out. The hotel wasn't the fanciest thing he'd ever seen,  but it could've been worse. They got Reaves and Emily inside and then saw other agents and officers walking the hallways.

They came to the desk and the manager handed them two keys. A room for Emily and a room for Reaves. Drake took Reaves' key and Mull took Emily's. Reaves and Drake walked down the hallway.

The rugs looked like they were covered in mold. Not to mention a strange smell filled the whole hotel. They stopped an elevator and Drake pressed the button.

They heard a commotion and looked over. Greyson McNaughton was shoving his way into the room. Mull waved him in and the agents blocking him stopped.

Drake stoped and waited. McNaughton straightened his coat and caught up with them.

"Are all the jurors here?" He asked.

"Yeah, all the jurors are in their rooms and the phones have been disconnected. We ensured all of them had not been contacted by Noah Whelan," Drake explained.

"Where's Maddox?"

"With Noah at his house waiting on a patrol car to pick them up and take them to the precinct."

"The Judge isn't happy. He said he's going to call a mistrial in the morning unless I can come up with a reason for him not to. Which at this point, I don't know what to say. We're talking about Jury tampering and murder."

Drake looked at Reaves and Reaves looked irritated with McNaughton. But he had a point. This case had costed two people their lives.

"So how long should we keep the jurors here?" Drake Asked.

"Till tomorrow morning when the judge makes his ruling. Either way, Dominic Nickels is gonna walk. It's as simple as that."

McNaughton walked back to the door and left. Drake folded his arms and then stepped into the elevator. Reaves followed him but Drake could see the gears turning in his head. Reaves was thinking of something. But what could it be.

"Reaves? What's going on up there?" Drake Asked.

"What if we're looking at this all wrong like what Maddox said. But what if all of this was actually connected to Dominic," Reaves suggested.

"The Executioner is trying to get him free, why? Because he's innocent? Why would he do that?"

Reaves couldn't comment back. Drake pulled out his phone and saw no one had called. The elevator doors opened and they stepped out. The room was just a few doors down.

"Keep your head down. I'll meet Maddox at the precinct with Noah and maybe we'll finally get some answers," Drake said as Reaves entered the room.

"Can you have Detective Cooke call one of the officers or Agent Mull so I can pick her brain on something?" Reaves asked.

"Sure. I'll call her once I'm on my way."

"Thanks."

***

London pulled the sheets up and turned on the TV. This was the stupidest week of his life in a nutshell. People dying left and right. And now he was being held in a hotel because the cops couldn't catch the killer. He clicked on a movie and started watching it.

Two feds outside his door armed and serious. London has spent a thirty minute car drive trying to get one of them to laugh. It ended in silence. Everything sucked right now.

London scratched his leg and found a big bite. Suddenly he didn't feel like laying under the covers. After climbing out from under the covers he stared at the bed for a long time.

He finally pulled a chair over and sat down in it to watch the movie. It sucks. He huffed and looked around the room. There was literally nothing to do. And the cops solution, hide everyone in a hotel with bed bugs and Ebola. London scoffed and then went back to watching the movie.

He hit the mute button and the TV froze up. He hit it again and nothing changed. London even tried turning it off and it stayed frozen. Then the TV went black. Words came up on the screen.

London Eckford, I suggest you do exactly as I say. Or your parents will die.

London bursted into laughter at the text.

"Are you kidding? My parents were drug addicts and died like four years ago. I don't have any parents," London said to the screen.

But you do have a half sister who lives in Boston. She has a son. Two people you care about.

London froze and then he gulped. A photo of his sister and Tim displayed on the TV. London rubbed the back of his neck and felt sweat.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked.

It's very simple. Walk out that door, wait for Nathan Reaves to exit his room. It's right across from yours, and then attack the FBI Agent outside your door. Take his gun, shoot Reaves. Fail, and your sister and her son, die.

London looked at the door of the room and then he stood up. He walked away from the TV and then he stared at the door handle. There was a brief pause as he considered telling the FBI agents. That maybe there was a chance he could do something. Then the TV flashed and he saw security camera footage of the hotel hallway.

There was no escape. He opened the door and stepped out. The two FBI agents looked at him and then reached around in his pocket for cigarettes. Lighting one he shrugged. They both nodded and went back to watching for the Executioner.

Without knowing that London was about to do his job for him. He saw the door across from him open, and a black haired man stepped out smiling. London cleared his throat and then blew out smoke.