Chapter 17 – First Draft

She heard the bell ring on the door. She looked up and saw a man and a woman enter, they were fairly not-descript. Amee’s computer noticed they were both armed. She turned her head back to her food, and slouched. Whoever they were, she probably didn’t want to be noticed by them. She heard them talking to the waitress, she couldn’t make out the words with all the noise from the kitchen, but she saw the waitress point at her. She shifted, preparing to run if necessary.

She noticed them walking towards her, and speaking in hushed tones, they nodded to each other. “Amee?” The woman spoke, she was using a softer tone, the kind one uses when trying to lull someone into a sense of security.

“Got the wrong girl, go away.” Amee said, she kept her head down so they couldn’t get a better look.

The woman pulled out a police badge, and held it in front of Amee. Amee looked it over, it seemed legitimate. “I’m Detective Stanton, this is my partner, Detective Lampman. You’re mother is pretty worried, she has a lot of people out looking for you.”

“I said you got the wrong person, now take off and let me eat in peace.” Amee said, still trying to hide her face with the collar of her jacket.

“Amee, you aren’t in any trouble, we know you had nothing to do with the police officer’s death at the hospital. You’re mother just wants you safe at home.” Detective Stanton sat down across from her.

“Look kid I’m not in the mood to play games.” Detective Lampman grabbed Amee’s shoulder then noticed the blood under his fingers, he glanced at Stanton.

“Oh jesus, we gotta get her back to the hospital, look at all the blood. I’m calling a bus.” Stanton pulled out her cell phone.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, it’s from the kidnappers that chased me, I shoved one into a tree he cut his head, poured blood all over me. Tears and holes are from running down the ravine.” Amee showed her shoulder and arms. “See no injuries, I’m fine.”

The two uniformed officers noticing the disturbance moved over towards the trio. “Is everything alright here?” The tallest of the pair asked looking at Amee more closely.

“Everything’s fine, what are you two doing down here?” Stanton flashed her badge.

“Sorry Detective, didn’t know, but if you’re looking for the homicide it’s down the street there.” He pointed towards the busy crime scene.

“Stay there, Amee, Lampman watch her.” Detective Stanton stood up and motioned for the uniformed officer to follow her. Detective Lampman, sat down on the opposite side of her and looked at the pile of plates and then up at Amee. She paid him little mind she was more focused on trying to hear what the other detective was hearing, she found with some concentration she could focus on their conversation.

“We are on special duty direct from the mayor, if things don’t change she’ll be the next presidents daughter, she was chased out of the hospital by some professionals. You think they might have had something to do with that mess?” Detective Stanton asked in a hushed tone.

“Well we have one witness that claims to have seen someone matching her description heading that way, and someone following her. Also said that gang has been a problem around here for a while. Just overheard the interview, no detective’s on scene yet, thought you were coming to look into it.” He sipped his coffee and glanced back at Amee. “You sure that’s her? She looks kinda, well scummy to be that Amee kid.”

“It’s her alright, lead us on a nice chase. Whoever was after her certainly wanted her badly, killed a cop, and a nurse. Donno how the girl got away but she has a head on her shoulders. We’ll stop by before we take her in, thanks for the info.” Detective Stanton walked back over to Amee and Detective Lampman. “Let’s go Amee.” Detective Stanton tapped Amee on the shoulder gently.

Amee sighed and stood up. She silently wanted to scream her guilt out, she’d done it, she’d killed those people. But really had I? Her body had, and she seemed in control now. She had no intent, or want to do it. So was she really guilty? She walked quietly to the unmarked ford hybrid, seemed even the cops were going green these days. Detective Lampman opened the back door and motioned her inside. Amee sat down, still silent. “Not gonna cause us any problems are you?” He asked.

“No I’m tired, just want a shower.” Amee leaned back, resigned to her fate.

“Good.” He closed the door and sat in the front in the passenger seat.

“Hey Lampman, gonna check the homicide out before take her in, you mind?” Detective Stanton closed her door and started the car. Amee pushed the power window button, she was surprised when it went down. “This isn’t a standard police car.” Detective Stanton glanced back with a gentle smile. She pulled around the corner and parked by the police tape. “We’ll be quick. Just relax, you’re safe with us.” Detective Stanton pulled the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car. Detective Lampman followed her.

Amee leaned her head on the door frame, watching the pair walk past the police tape. She pulled her hoodie up over her head when she noticed a news van pull up, it was Doug Rhamsey. Amee hated the man, nothing was sacred from him, ratings were all that mattered and he would love to find Amee in the back of a police cruiser at the scene of a mass murder. She did her best to keep an eye on him, but she was more curious about what the detectives were talking about with the coroner.

“So what do you have so far?” Detective Stanton asked the man wearing the Coroner’s jacket.

“Six bodies, five of them were shot, one has a broken neck.” The coroner walked over to the body that was laying face down against the building. “This one, was the only one who was shot from behind.” Detective Lampman crouched down and looked at the body. Amee turned her head away feeling ill.

“Damn, this is some cold blooded killer.” Lampman stood up again. “Never seen anything like this. It’s like some special forces guys came through here.”

“Quite correct, whoever did this was methodical and calm. One shot, one kill, snapped that one’s arm like a twig, then snapped his neck. This one, one of them probably stood over and shot from behind. We think he died last the rest seemed to be actively involved with the altercation. We’ll know more once we sort through the evidence. Bloody mess is what this is.” A man in a black police jacket walked over to the detectives.

“Hey Jason, didn’t know they had you out here.” Detective Stanton’s tone seemed to soften.

“Ya, I’m on night rotation, I thought Hanson, and Bell were assigned to this case.” Jason glanced around as if looking for someone.

“We figured we’d stop by, see if we could help, but seems things are under control.” Detective Stanton looked about the scene.

“Who do you have in the car?” Jason asked, glancing at the car.

“Just some runaway.” Detective Stanton rubbed her eyes.

“So nobody important huh? Wonder why the vulture is circling then.” Jason glanced back towards the car.

“Damn it.” Detective Lampman rushed towards the car. Amee looked up and saw Doug Rhamsey coming towards her.

“I’m here at the scene of what police say is one of the most brutal murders they’ve seen in a decade. This comes on the heels of a police officer being slain at the St Patrick’s hospital just hours ago.” The camera was pointed right at Amee. “It seems they have at least one suspect in custody already.”

“She’s not a suspect, she’s just a friend of my kid’s who ran away. She’s got nothing to do with this.” Detective Lampman laughed.

“Turn the camera off.” Doug said with a frown. “So off the record you have any information on the kidnapping of Senator Morris’s daughter, or this murder?”

“Nothing new, except we are fairly sure that the Senator’s daughter managed to evade her kidnappers, and this, well looks like a turf war gone bad if you ask me. Gangs in this side of town, been bad for a while now.” Amee glanced up at Detective Lampman who had seemed slow-witted and the muscle to Detective Stanton’s brain, she admired his ability to deflect the press so well. Mom should hire him as a spin doctor. Doug and his camera man moved off for greener pastures. Amee relaxed again and her mouth stretched into a yawn. “Been a long night huh?” Detective Lampman asked, his voice softened.

“Ya, being chased out of the hospital by rent-a-cops, real cops, and thugs in suits isn’t exactly what I’d call relaxing.” Amee glanced up at Detective Lampman, he didn’t seem like a bad fellow after all.

“We’ll get you home soon, Detective Stanton’s just to nosy for her own good. Sorry for being so rough before.” He fiddled in his pocket for something, finally pulling out a pack of cigarettes. Amee glanced up at him again.

“You know those are bad for you right?” Amee looked back at Detective Stanton, it seemed a couple of more plain cloths police officers had joined her. “Who are those two?” Amee motioned her head towards the two new detectives.

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“Good news it means you can get home, and I can get off duty.” Detective Lampman put his cigarette away and slid the package into his pocket. He got into the car and as predicted Stanton started walking over to the car. One of the new detectives walked over with her.

“Hey that’s our witness isn’t it? You can’t withhold evidence, this is my crime scene.” The man a frowned. His dark hair was combed tight across his head. He wore a dark suit, that was immaculate. He might have been considered attractive if he didn’t look so serious.

“She’s not your witness, she’s just a runaway we need to take back to her parents.” Stanton turned, her voice betrayed her annoyance.

“Not so fast I have witnesses that place her passing the crime scene about the time the shots were fired, I’ll have her transferred to a cruiser. Look at the blood on her coat. She could be a suspect.” He walked up to Stanton towering over her. “You want to be written up?”

“Bell, go back, play big shot with your team, she’s going home to her parents, orders direct from the chief. Got it?” Stanton jabbed her finger into Bell’s shoulder.

“Unacceptable. Officer take this girl to your cruiser, we’re taking her into custody.” Detective Bell turned back to one of the uniformed officers.

“No, she’s going home. You want to take it up with IAD tomorrow go ahead.” Stanton stood in front of Amee.

“Are you trying to lose your pension?” Detective Bell inched closer to Stanton.

“Bell, how about this, you wake the Chief of Police up, If she tells me to hand this young woman over I will, but unless I hear it from her lips you’ll have to arrest me if you want to take this girl anywhere.” Detective Stanton offered her cell phone to Bell. Bell pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, he walked away from the group. After a few minutes he walked back looking a bit paler.

“She wants to talk to you.” He offered the phone to Detective Stanton. She gave a smug smile and took the phone.

“Yes Chief, we have her. We were about to take her home when Detective Bell interfered. Of course Ma’am.” She offered the phone to back to Detective Bell. “She wants to talk to you again.” Detective Bell took the phone back. His face fell as he listened to the person on the other end of the conversation.

“Yes of course ma’am, I’m sorry, yes, of course. Thank you Ma’am.” He closed the phone up and slipped it back in his pocket. “You must think this hilarious Stanton.”

“No, just annoying, you have a good evening.” Detective Stanton slipped into the driver’s seat of her car and started the engine. She pulled away from the curb.

“Looks like golden boy isn’t so golden anymore. You wanted him to see her didn’t you?” Detective Lampman laughed.

“No, but the look on his face was priceless.” Detective Stanton changed lanes and turned left.

“So how did you two find me anyway?” Amee leaned forward.

“We got an anonymous tip.” Detective Stanton said without looking away from the road. Amee leaned back and looked out the window lapsing back into silence.

“Did you see anything that happened back there?” Detective Stanton looked in the rear view mirror.

“I was too busy running for my life to notice much of anything, thought the gunshots were them shooting at me. Figured if I stopped in the diner they’d be less inclined to use violence.” Amee tugged up her hoodie. Detective Stanton glanced at her partner, who gave a slight shrug.

“Look Amee, if you know anything about it, you should come forward, at least give us an idea where to start looking.” Detective Stanton said quietly.

“I donno anything more than you do, probably less my body was on autopilot, I couldn’t even tell you how I got out of the ravine.” Amee sighed quietly. She watched the passing buildings become more upscale, they were about to go past the pentagon, and the White House. Amee sighed again, looking up at the house as they drove past.

“Things keep up the way that could be your new home.” Detective Stanton glanced back at Amee. “Not looking forward to it?”

“What so every time I am late for school it shows up on national news?” Amee scowled.

“It’s not that bad. Besides, gets you free rides home.” Detective Stanton winked and turned her full attention back to the road. They drove for a few more miles, and finally Detective Stanton pulled the car into Amee’s driveway.

It wasn’t long before the car had a pair of secret service agents on either side. One knocked on the window with the handle of a flash light. “What’s your business here?”

“This is the Senator’s daughter.” Detective Stanton showed her badge. The agent on the passenger’s side shone his flashlight into the back seat of the car. Amee pulled her hoodie down, and pulled off the baseball cap.

“It’s her.” He opened the door for Amee.

“Thanks for the ride.” Amee got out of the car and walked up the driveway. She waved back to the Detectives and went inside.

Once inside all she could hear was her mother speaking loudly on her phone. “What I want to know is why she wasn’t under guard at the hospital? What do you mean you didn’t think she would be a priority? It didn’t occur to you that my youngest daughter might be a target for those fanatics?” Her mother looked up and saw her. “I’ll be discussing this with your superior’s soon.” She hung up the phone. “Amee! Where have you been? Why didn’t you call?” Her mother had some uncustomary darkness under her eyes.

“I…” Amee scowled suddenly, the evening forgotten, someone tried to kidnap her and now it was her fault? “Screw you!” Amee promptly turned and stalked away, her hands shaking with barely controlled fury.

“Amee, I didn’t mean it that way, Amee! Amee! Get back here this instant!” Her mother called after her. Amee slammed the door to her bedroom, then her bathroom.

Amee stripped off her borrowed cloths, she felt something heavy bang against her leg as she started to change. She reached into the pocket. She gasped as her hand wrapped around the extra clip. Oh my god. She looked around the bathroom frantically. Finally she decided on the back of the toilet again and dropped the clip into the water. Amee backed away from the toilet. Stupid stupid. She got into the shower and pulled the doors closed.

She turned the taps on and leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She let water run over her and allowed it to drown out the anger, the frustration, and the memories of the terrible evening.

*****

Douglas leaned forward in his office chair and awaited Nick’s arrival with the video. He stared out over the Washington skyline. There were so many things to ponder, so many mysteries. How could the girl do what she does. She survived four high powered sniper rounds with not even a scratch to show for it. Then she took out two highly trained full grown battle hardened men, and by the sounds of it, she had no trouble with them. He remembered the talk he had with the pair they had dosed her with enough tranquilizer to literally take down three or four elephants, but she still got up and took them down with little to no effort. Then apparently she leaped over an eight foot tall fence and ran at such a high speed through the forest it was impossible to keep up with her. How was it possible? Douglas rubbed his temples in contemplation. He was interested to see the video of her fight with the gang. Nick had already called and confirmed it was the girl.

“Sir?” Nick’s silhouette blocked the office doorway.

“Yes, sorry Nick, I was just thinking about our next move.” Douglas swung his chair away from the window and back towards his desk and turned on the desk lamp. “Let us see this video that so impressed you.”

“I’m going to warn you sir, it’s pretty graphic.” Nick sat down across from Douglas and handed him a flash drive. Douglas nodded and slid the flash drive into his notebook and waited for the video to start to play.

The vantage point was good. Disappointingly it started with Amee already holding one of the gangers. Douglas watched his face an emotionless mask. She was so graceful, yet deadly, precise, vicious and flawless. He had never seen anything like it. A smile slipped past out as she watched her force the gang member to his knees, it looked so effortless. She hadn’t missed once. He quirked his head to the side as she watched her walk up to the last gang member and execute him. The camera started to shake just before the shot was fired, then the film ended.

“Amazing, I trust you watched this?” Douglas looked up to Nick.

“Yes, sir, couldn’t believe a word he said until I saw it.” Nick was white as a ghost; Douglas hadn’t noticed initially he was far too excited to see the recording.

“Did it bother you? I’m sure a hardened soldier like you has seen worse.” Douglas replayed the video, memorizing the fluidity of the motion. “She’s beautiful, an angel of death.”

“That’s just it sir, did you see the look on her face, it’s like she’s inhuman, you’d expect a smile, a frown, some sort of reaction to the violence, but there was nothing it was stone cold. She was like a machine. That’s the kind of look you see on an assassin’s face, someone who’s killed for years and years and are just numb to it. She’s fifteen, I just started to imagine the body count, by her age.” Nick looked away from the monitor in disgust as she executed the last gang member.

“Oh she’s a very special girl indeed. I apologize Nick, I should have sent more men. I had no idea she was so...” Douglas searched for a word but couldn’t find one. “I cannot wait to meet her face to face.” Douglas was in love, or at least his twisted obsessive version of it. This girl could take him places, two-hundred and fifty million was nothing compared to what he could make off her himself.

“Sir, if there is nothing else?” Nick started to stand up.

“Did anyone else see this, or hear what the man had to say?” Douglas ejected the flash drive.

“No, Sir, I thought it best we keep this as discrete as possible sir.” Nick paused by the chair.

“Good, keep it that way, Nick, it would be in everyone’s best interest that this is kept quiet.” Douglas smiled and leaned back in his chair tapping his finger tips together. “Close the door on your way out please.” Douglas waited until he heard Nick close the outer door and pulled out his cell phone and dialled McDonald.

“Hello, what is it at this atrocious hour of the night?” Albert’s familiar cantankerous voice came through the phone’s earpiece.

“Yes, Mr. McDonald I’m sorry to bother you at this late hour, but there has been a problem with one of the men I selected for the team, Nick Vallen, apparently he was involved with an information leak. Now I’ve sealed the leak, however Nick being one of your employee’s I thought it best I let you deal with him. The sooner the better, I might add.” Douglas looked down at the flash drive, it was a dangerous play, but the payoff was huge.

“That is quite disturbing. I’ll have him dealt with immediately. What did he leak?” McDonald asked.

“Information about our surveillance operation. Now I eliminated his contact, he was an information broker, got to him before he could pass the information along, he confided in me before he died.” Douglas kept the charm on.

“Well good work Douglas, any news on the operation this evening?” Of course McDonald would ask, Douglas silently cursed he hadn’t thought up a good answer yet.

“Not good, a police officer and nurse were killed, two of the men were injured, one may never walk again. The girl escaped, and when they did manage to track her down the area was swarming with police, I thought it best we not push our luck, so far no one suspects what is really happening.” Douglas kept the lies small, details vague.

“I’m impressed by her, these were well-trained men. Necessary sacrifices I assure you. The more information we have about her in action, the more we learn from her.” McDonald sounded pleased.

“Yes if I get any more information I’ll pass it along. The men did find a small video of her taking out two security guards, and her escaping the emergency room after being tasered. Once I have it in my hands I’ll email it to you.” Douglas spun the flash drive in his fingers.

“Well, good work, it seems though if we’re going to take her in we are going to have to give the men better tools to do their job.” McDonald yawned on the other side of the phone.

“I will let you get back to sleep, sir.” Douglas hung up the phone and looked down at the flash drive again with a smile.