The Memorial Day Murders

Chapter 19 : Unexpected outcomes

After cleaning the study the four of us decided to have a head start and I placed the files on the tables. "These are every victims we can find on the murders. Some are retired veterans."

"But the problem is who is behind all this? We do know that these murders are linked to their service in Afghanistan."

"Could it be your theory earlier Madam Vice President?" Timothy asked me, his eyes scanning through the details of the murder victim. "That past has came back to haunt you?"

"A hundred percent." I said. "If I'm correct," I dipped my head low. "George Duncan could be briefing the president about it."

"One of your commanding officers?" James asked. "Curious that Commander Manchester wasn't in danger."

"I'm not saying he isn't." I replied. "Some were killed by IEDs, some by gunfire and some by weapons such as knives."

"Why don't we start from the first victim?" Dom suggested.

"Okay." James replied. Dom slid over the file in his hands, which belongs to the first victim. "First murder victim, Oswald Morrison. Honorably discharged lieutenant of the Australian Army, served in Afghan during the War on Terror."

"How long until he retired?" Dom asked.

"Three years. Left the army due to PTSD." I said. "Poor thing. He was one of the few survivors of his platoon when the Taliban ambushed them."

"Guys, we got a body-" a voice interrupted our conversation as the door swung open. Richard froze at the doorway when he saw us huddled at a table with a bundle of files stacked against another. "Sorry." he said.

"New body, a closer lead." I said, standing up. "Thanks for the accidental tip."

City of London (Ten minutes later)

Taking the elevator towards the crime scene I carried a steel briefcase containing forensic equipment. Due to the nature of the murder MI6 also deployed personnel to guard the scene and we were sent in as a forensic team to investigate and collect evidence. We reached the balcony level where the main point of entry is sealed with police tapes and armed men standing guard. Noting our approach they checked our IDs which we have to falsify except for James and granted us entry. The weather is gloomy, which gave us the need to finish up fast. I approached the body which is lying not far from the balcony railing but I felt faint when I knelt down to access the victim. "You okay Madam Vice President?" Timothy asked, noting the disturbance.

"I don't feel so good." I replied. "Felt like I'm going to throw up."

"I'm a field medic." Olivia said, stepping forward. "I can handle this." Timothy helped me aside for some air and handed the kit to Olivia. "You haven't been like this since last week? Are you sure that you called the doctor already?" he asked.

"Yeah, but the results should be in this week but this thing happened." I replied. "Please don't tell me that is happening."

"What?" the agent asked. I shook my head and patted him on the shoulder. Olivia has completed the assessment and covered the body with a white cloth.

"He was shot in the head, sniper style." she concluded, peeling off her surgical gloves as she saw me approaching. "I've cleared out the stuff in his pockets." she tossed me a sealed plastic bag full of items.

"Angle of the shot Jason?" I asked. "Gerry, what about you?"

"The shooter might be close." Jason said. He was the better sniper in Elite Alpha so I know who to count on to find the point of origin of a gun shot. "He or she might be aiming at a vertical direction, the degree of the shot concluded that the shooter must've been standing."

"I did a scan around the compound." Gerry said. "No traces of poison." Gerry, the poison expert. Lincoln was leaning against the railing, accessing the victim's phone using a pair of gloves. Jefferson, tech whizz.

"I need time Isa." he said, dropping the phone into a clear plastic bag. "He has a lot of OSINT material." when I turned to look around for anything suspicious I saw a man, looking at the team with a pair of binoculars while standing a block away.

"Hey!" I shouted at the man. The man, seemingly knowing that his action's have been noticed, dropped his binoculars and whirled, running away. "Stop!" I shouted, breaking into a run. James saw and ran alongside me. Using the steel railings as a boost we jumped, James landing first with shoulder roll and I followed suit.

"Not bad at all." James said as we ran.

"Learned gymnastics when young." I replied. The man had a backpack on him, which I believed to contain something valuable. We chased him for more than two blocks but he is still distancing himself from us. "We've got a runner." I said.

"Keep him on your tail." James said, running in another direction. Leaping from another rooftop I grabbed the nearby line and tossed myself in the air, landing hard against the man's back when James attacked him with a glass bottle thrown at his direction. "Who do you work for?" James demanded, pointing his gun at him. "Tell us now!"

"You're too late! You're too late!" the man shouted. Before we can ask an explosion rocked the ground and the MI6 headquarters burst into flames. We stared at the scene in horror as the building burned while black smoke came gushing out from the flames as sirens of the firetrucks were heard from a distance.