THE CHASE - Connor x OC (I Am Sequel)

Chapter 19

April 15th, 2040 - Detroit Police Department Archives...1 mile outside of Jericho

It's a rather cool, spring day. The rain has ceased for just a minute, but we all prepare for it to start back up with global warming's effects bearing down on all of us. Androids walk among us going about their own day, as they head into the gigantic skyscraper, which reigns as a beacon above all of Detroit - Detroit Police Department Headquarters. The looming aura of mystery hangs over everyone.

Okay. I'm joking around and should focus, with Ethan here at least. But if you read that in some sort of deep detective voice you can really get down to something. Too bad neither Nick or I have one of those. God, I hate not having him here with me. He would've knocked Ethan out by now. Or at least...I hope he would.

Ever since Nick got married, he's been a lot more...complacent? The Nick I used to know would readily throw someone off a bridge for looking at him weirdly. Ever since he married Gavin, he's been a lot more tolerant, just taking a lot of deep breaths instead. I suppose it's better that he's just not going around ready to smite someone down for breathing incorrectly, but...never the less I'm a little divided on it. I miss a little angsty Nick.

Ethan held the door for me and we headed into the elevator, hitting the button for Floor -9, the Archives. Being in an elevator heading to a negative floor does give me quite a bit of anxiety. Oh geez, I ever wonder why, when I consider that time I tried to murder my husband. When we entered the archives, I realize just how large the area is. This is just the first floor too, for everything in the past decade. Shelves, and shelves of files, all the way back to January 1st, 2030. Not even evidence is held here. You can get a slip, which tells you where to find evidence for a case, but that's in a warehouse across town.

We headed over to the computer and typed in the 15 digit case number Asher Kam had given us.

"Row 121, Level 4," I said to Ethan. Ethan sighed and nodded, heading left. I looked up at the number on the top of the shelf: Row 1. God...

It took 15 minutes, but when we found the case file, we unceremoniously threw it on the ground and cracked it open to the first page.

"Victim. Mark Esha - 45 years old. Died of suicide," I announced.

"Mark Esha...that's an anagram of Asher Kam," Ethan said.

"And Mark Esha was a serial killer," I sighed.

"What?"

"Yes. He killed young boys," I nodded.

"So, this is the guy Spencer and Asher were with?"

"I guess so..."

"Then I've got myself a case!" Ethan announced. He was giddy, but I wasn't so sure.

"It can't be that easy," I sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Asher wouldn't have given it up that easy. He said to connect all the dots. Look at the organization. We're here right now, but he wants us to look for something else," I explained.

"Something else? Something else like what?" Ethan demanded to know.

"I don't know. I don't know at all."

I scanned a small portion of the case file unable to come up with anything. "We'll have to just take this out."

"No, no. That goes against Detroit Police Department code," Ethan sighed.

"Oh my God. Break a fucking rule," I snapped, snatching the file and walking off with it, forcing Ethan to follow disappointedly.

"We really shouldn't do this."

"I really don't give a fuck what we shouldn't do. Don't you see here that all the rules are subverted now? Don't you think everything is a little off now? We're playing a different fucking game now," I shook my head.

"What?" Ethan asked.

"Things aren't fucking normal. We're dealing with an insane serial killer who we just learned was being basically tutored by another serial killer. I think we're dealing with a little momentary rule breaking."

"Breaking minor rules is fine. But larger rules could lose me the case."

"You're not going to lose the case. You're dealing with an android who literally attempted to kill someone in front of me. We're just waiting on an admission which we'll get in moments."

"Moments? If we're lucky. This guy doesn't care about how many years he'll be in prison."

"Fine. Fine. Whatever," I sighed as I jumped in the elevator. Ethan rolled his eyes and got in with me.

"You're funny, you know that?" He laughed with his disgustingly charming posh British accent.

"Yeah. Whatever."

"You don't get to choose to get a job, and not follow the rules."

"Well, here I am," I shrugged. "Everyone breaks the rules. You either jump on the ship or jump off."

"And if I jump off?" Ethan asked.

"You drown."