J. Edgar Hoover building (Years ago)
The office space serving as the workplace for the FBI Counterintelligence Division is filled with sounds : people typing on keyboards, talking on the phone, discussing work progress with colleagues and the usual casual chatter. I entered the office at nine in the morning, surrounded by these familiar voices as I sat down to continue my work. Since the death of Suleiman Abbasid I was left with no leads but with full concentration after the successful mission in rescuing the leader of the Russian opposition and his wife from France. He is safe for now, but not so lucky for the FSB gunmen who are scheduled to appear in court for the charges of attempted terrorism in France. As I booted up my computer someone dropped a paper bag labeled New York Bagels on my desk and I saw Andy's face when I looked up.
"Sorry for abandoning you in that op." he said in a sheepish manner. "Consider this compensation Isa."
"Cute." I said in a sarcastic manner while reaching for the bag. "So what's next for you?"
"I don't really know." he shrugged. "I'm betting that Ryan will give me an earful for doing this to you."
"Payback for quitting the mission in an outlandish way? Serves you right I suppose."
"Am I seeing a sense of humor?" he said.
"I'm taking this, thanks for the 'compensation'." I said. Then my phone rang on the desk as our boss Ryan Carey popped his body out from his office.
"Duncan! In my office!" he shouted.
"Get on with it." I gave my partner a pat on his arm before picking up my phone. "Hello?" I asked.
"Agent Black Bird? This is ME Kumar calling."
"Doctor Kumar from the morgue? Okay, I'm listening."
"Yeah uh... I don't normally call but um... I found things from the body you would find interesting."
"Which body? Suleiman Abbasid?"
"That body. Can you come down now?"
"Okay, I'm on my way."
A few minutes later
The elevator doors parted upon reaching the designated floor where the morgue is and I stepped out, entering the sort of foyer before entering the real morgue. On an examination slab lays the body of Suleiman Abbasid which I think that ME Kumar has performed the autopsy. "Doctor Kumar?" I called out in the empty morgue. The doors to the morgue opened back again and the doctor himself walked in, carrying a bunch of binders in his grasp. "Whoa there doctor. Let me help." I said.
"Huh?" he said at first. "Oh, it's you Isa. Sorry, been busy with the whole medical reports."
"I can see that." I say, taking a few binders from his hand. "Tough work in being our current and only ME."
"I was thinking of getting an assistant but then..."
"Hiring process? Tell me about it." I say. "I worked for my dad once in an internship program."
"Really?" he asked, setting down the binders on his desk. "Your father's Tony Stark right?"
"Yeah." I replied. "So... what's so interesting about the body that you need me to come down here to the morgue?"
"Right, the body." the ME said, slipping on a pair of rubber gloves and handing me one. "You might need it." he then headed to the examination slab while I followed behind him. "The cause of death is a gunshot wound in the chest." he pulled back the plastic sheet, showing the man's corpse. "I hope you haven't eaten anything."
"I have a degree in forensic science." I say. "I can live with that."
"One, that's great, and two, why aren't you a doctor?"
"I spent time in the military intel department when I served in the army." I said. Doctor Kumar gently shook his head in disappointment and continued his explanation.
"Whoever shot him, I'd say, he or she is a highly trained assassin. It's a 9x19mm Parabellum round Glock 18." he explained. "I say it because there are no fingerprints on this murder weapon, the ID holder is also a fake name."
"Fake?" I asked. "More like the MO of a hired gun. Question is who?"
"I was pondering that as well. But I found this." the ME held up an evidence bag with a few strands of hair inside. "The guy's obviously bald, and his hair color wasn't blonde."
"Okay, the strands of black hair meant that it could be the assassin's hair."
"And the DNA on the hair is heavily damaged, not enough to establish a profile but I can tell that the assassin is a female." the ME concluded. "I also found a dog tag on the victim."
"Hang on, a dog tag?" I asked. "Does Saudi soldiers have one?"
"It gets even better, it's from our country's army." he said, handing me the dog tag. "Here."
"Okay, it's weird." I say, looking at the tag. "I think I need to head to the Pentagon to talk to my commanding officer."
"Pentagon? For real?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm." I say, capturing the pictures of the dog tag. "Thanks Doctor Kumar."
"You're... welcome?" he asked with an awkward smile.
YOU ARE READING
Russian Roulette
Mystery / Thriller"This is a crossroad Isabella." he said. "There will be no return if you were captured." "Can I even turn back?" I asked.
