From the Ashes: CATU Book 6 Ch. 02

New York City

SPENCER ENTERS THE POLICE PRECINCT AND the place is utter chaos. He had been in the many precincts in Washington D.C. while he was with the FBI but it was never like this. People were handcuffed to whatever piece of furniture could not be lifted and moved and the crowd of people looking for someone to talk to made it hard to maneuver through himself.

After much struggling to get through the crowd and find directions, Spencer made it to the fourth floor. Here the atmosphere was settled down a bit and not as chaotic. He stands at the top of the stairs overlooking the room hoping to spot Angela with no luck.

"Can I help you?" a young, attractive female detective asks.

Spencer was slightly unnerved at not seeing the woman approach. "Yes," he answers with a friendly smile. "I'm looking for Captain Terrigian."

"He's right through that door there," she says pointing to a glass office set in the back of the large room.

Spencer gives her a nod and he smiles looking him up and down as he heads off toward the office. Spencer maneuvers past desks and people and into the office where a large burly man sat behind a very large oak desk. The man has a full beard and large cigar hanging from his mouth.

"Can I help you?" he asks gruffly looking up from a pile of papers sitting on his desk.

"I'm Special Agent Sp—"

"Ah yes, Reeds," the man says interrupting Spencer. "I was wondering when you were going to get here. Take a seat son."

"I don't have much information to go on sir, but—"

"I know, I know," he laughs heartily as he places the cigar down into the astray. "Secret stuff that no one wants to share. It's amazing we get any cases solved. Anyway, I could give you everything I know, but I have dozens of cases coming across my desk I only wish I could keep track of every detail. Your best bet is to talk with Detective Veris herself."

"That sounds good," Spencer says. "And I'd love to get started."

"As I am sure you would son." Terrigian looks at Spencer sternly. "I remember you Reeds. You have a history with Angela."

"Excuse me," Spencer says a little confused and surprised at the same time.

"You grew up with her all the way through college. I was her father's partner before I got the captain's position, shortly before his death."

Spencer's face reddens slightly. "I apologize, but I never paid much attention to people back then," he explains.

Terrigian laughs heartily again. "No I suppose not. You two were so crazy for each other I'm surprised you two could even make it out of the bedroom." He laughs harder at the idea that it even causes a similar reaction from Spencer.

"Yes, we did have some fun times."

"It's unfortunate about her father though. Not just his dying but if he were alive you two would probably be married now and both working for the FBI."

"It is amazing how things take a turn when you least expected it," Spencer says with an almost resigned tone. If only things wouldn't go certain ways things would be different.

"Well hell son, enough of living in the past. My detective needs some help and these bastards need to be brought down so I won't be wasting anymore of your time." The captain shuffles around his desk for a pen and piece of paper and scribbled something down before handing it to Spencer. "Here's the address to where you'll find Angela. Another murder so she'll probably still be there."

SPENCER TAKES A CAB TO THE address on the paper. Due to the extent of the crime scene he has to be dropped off a block away and walk the remainder. He shows his credentials and was let through the barrier and directed toward the crime scene.

Spencer doesn't see any reason for the police to cordon as much of the street as they have. He ignores the thoughts and proceeds to the house where another police officer is standing. Once Spencer reaches the top of the stairs the officer holds up his hand. "I need to see some identification," he says with a commanding tone.

"Seems like a lot of security," Spencer remarks as he hands over his identification to the man.

"It is, but with highly place people being killed its necessary," the man answers gruffly. He hands back Spencer identification then says, "I presume you're looking for Detective Veris."

"How did you know?"

"She's the lead investigator on these cases," the man answers. "Otherwise I don't see why else you're here."

"Well then I guess I need to get started as well."

"She's probably still with the victim."

Spencer nods and steps past the man. Instantly the smell of death hits him when he passes into the house. His hand reflexively goes to his nose as he scans the place. Blood covers almost ever spot on the walls, floors and furniture.

He stands there for a moment attempting to take it all in when unexpectantly he hears his name. "Reeds?" the voice, a woman's says. "Is it really you?"

He brings his attention around to the woman and instantly recognizes her. "Angela," he says with a smile.

"It's been a long time," she says as she strips off her gloves.

"Yes, it has."

Angela wraps him in a hug which is returned by Spencer. They embrace for a moment then she breaks away. "So the FBI sent you. I assume since we have history."

"Well not quite the FBI, but yes I was given the opportunity because if that," he explains. "My boss figured we'd get the case solved faster because of that."

Angela gives him a warm smile. "Not quite the FBI huh?"

"I guess you can say I've moved up in the world and out of the FBI."

"I doubt that means the CIA so I'm willing to bet it's that secret organization of CATU," she says with a smile.

"I can confirm nor deny that," he says smiling back.

"Honestly I don't want to know. But I do wonder why they would send such a top notch agent like you here."

Spencer laughs slightly. "Top notch?"

"Oh come on Spencer," she says dismissively. "I followed your career as best as I could until getting any information about you through any of the channels became impossible. You were top of your class and Special Agent for the FBI in no time."

"So you were stalking me," he states with a large grin.

"I guess you could call it that. I did miss you for awhile when you left for D.C."

"Well I honestly didn't think I would ever see you again."

"And you had no excuse not to or pick up the phone at least," she says almost sourly.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"What for?"

"Well for not doing anything," he explains. In his mind he searches for an answer to the confusion.

"I'm not worried about it Spencer. I was just busting your balls."

"So what you said—"

"Was the truth," she interrupts. "Look I understand that you got involved with your new career and I'm sure it took up a lot of your time and was exciting. The same thing happened with me after my father died. I decided to follow in his shoes and it changed my life and helped with the pain of losing him."

"Have you found anyone special?" he asks abruptly changing the subject.

Angela's face turns red for a moment. "I've had a few relationships."

"Anything serious?"

"One but, what's with the twenty questions?" she asks curiously.

"I just want to know about what has happened with you all these years," he answers. In the back of his mind he wants to really talk about Sam and let Angela know how special she was and how lonely he now feels.

"Well, we've got plenty of time for that later," she says not hinting at any real annoyance in her voice. "Maybe later when we wrap things up we can go grab some coffee of something."

"Yeah, there is an investigation going on," he comments. Angela nods. "So then brief me in on what's going on."

"Then follow me," Angela says then she turns around and heads to the back of the house. "And watch your step it's a mess in here."

"A mess doesn't begin to describe any of this."

"This yes," she says. "What you are about to see, no."

Spencer follows Angela further into the house and into a back bedroom. What he sees, nobody could have prepared him for it. The room is completely bathed in red, from what he can only guess is blood.

"We set up this walkway," Angela says pointing to a collapsible metal walkway attached to a small set of steps. "The carpet is completely soaked in blood."

"Where are the bodies?" Spencer asks as he looks around the room.

"CSU has already been here, collected evidence and took what is left of them out."

"Why are you still here?"

"I'm a cop Spencer, it's what I do."

"What's the other reason?" he asks staring at her until his eyes bored into her.

Angela bites her lower lip in indecision of how much she wants to share with him. "Remember when we were kids and I got these strange feelings where something bad took place?"

"Yeah, we thought you had some kind of psychic ability," he answers.

"Well whatever it was or is it never really went away. Here recently with these brutal murders I can come here once everyone has left and I get a feeling, almost an impression you can say, but I don't exactly know what it is. It's like some kind of evil was here and it's the same at every scene."

Spencer suppresses the shock he has. When they were kids he had the same feelings except Angela couldn't see the things he could. He kept it to himself but treated her no different. "I feel the same presence as you do," he admits.

Angela's eyes go big as she says, "You do?"

"I have since we were kids too, but for me I see things you never did. I have an ability called Second Sight that allows me to do so," he explains.

"You can just feel it?"

"Yeah," he says. "I felt it the moment I walked in. Why is it different for you?"

"Yes," she says. "I have to concentrate more than when I was a kid, but I can recognize the feeling if I have sensed it before. I like to be here alone when I do because I don't want anyone else to know about it."

"I can understand why you'd want to," Spencer says sympathizing with her.

Angela punches him in the arm suddenly and quickly. "Why the fuck did you keep that away from me?"

"I don't know," he answers just as quickly. "I didn't think you'd believe me."

"How the hell could I not have? It's not like it was that different than what I experienced."

"At least I didn't make fun of you," he throws back looking serious.

Angela glares at him for a moment before breaking a smile. "No at least you didn't do that. I couldn't forgive you if you did."

Spencer smiles back. "So are you going to feel me in on what's going on?"

Angela's smile quickly fades as her face takes on a more serious tone. "So far we have had murders of what seemed at first to be high ranking officials like Police Commissioner Dalton or Judge Reynolds. But then Chief of Detectives Gomerez and Captain Stenson of the Eleventh Precinct was killed we knew something was going on."

"This doesn't look like the blood of one person," Spencer observes.

"It's not," Angela answers with a look of gloom on her face. "This, like every other scene except one, is from every one of the family members."

"What?"

"All the victims were linked in some way to each other. Why their families were killed with them are beyond any logic I came up with."

"Do you at least have an idea?"

"The Sanguine Consortium," she says evenly.

"The same organization your father spent all his time going after?"

"The same one and he could never take it down."

"And now with all these important people being murdered, you think they are the reason for that," Spencer speculates.

"It's the same killer and method. If not for the link between the victims I would guess it was random and someone else."

"If it's a consortium then who's door do we go busting down?" Spencer questions.

"I wish it was that simple," Angela says frowning. "That's why my father had such a hard time nailing those bastards. There isn't anything concrete saying Here we are! Come get us!"

"So how then do we prove it?"

"I don't know, but we're over our heads and with that fight in the streets, I knew we needed some help."

"If she is who we suspect she is then it's a good thing you did."

"I take it you've run into her before," Angela says.

"More times than I care to have," Spencer says with a shake of his head.

"I think I need to take you to meet someone," she says after a moment of silence.

"Who?"

"He's an old guy that runs a store over in the Bronx. He's kind of a collector in things old and what not. He has given me some insight about my gift. He may know something more about yours." She grabs his arms for balance as she steps down from the metal walkway. "With you here we'll nail these bastards."

*