Ten Points Of Hell

[Nero D. Ace]

POINT ONE : KROGO

May 13, 7:25 AM

Krogo woke up drowsier than usual. He still hadn't recovered from the previous night's hangover. His head felt like it would burst at any moment.

With great difficulty, he staggered over to the bathroom and took a look in the mirror .

“Shit ...”, he muttered as he took a look at his pale worn-out face.

My name is Krogo, Age – 29 years, Status – Single, Job …

Suddenly, his bedside phone started ringing. Splashing as much water on his face to get the drowsiness out of his system, he went over and picked it up.

“Hello? … Yes, sir. Of course, sir! Yes, I'll be there right away.”

He went over to the sofa and looked under the mattress. It was there, his standard issue .45 S&W, tucked away with all bullets inside. That meant he hadn't killed anyone last night.

Job – Local Police Officer. It's not a job I particularly like. It's not the fear of being killed that eventually gets to you. It's ... something else … something much more disturbing.

Krogo slipped into his police uniform and stepped out of his flat. It was a run-down place but all that he could afford, with his bank account in it's current state. He wasn't alone though. Many police officers had been suffering ever since that day.

“Oh, Mr. Krogo. How are you doing today?”, an old lady opened the door opposite his flat just as he stepped out.

“Good morning, Mrs. Smith. I was just on my way to the station.”

“They have even YOU working extra shifts? The city must be in bad shape.”

Krogo laughed it off. “It's nothing we can't handle, ma'am. Be sure to lock the door.”

Much much disturbing.

6:23 PM

“Heads up Kro!”, a file came flying towards Krogo's face as he caught it.

“Nice catch.”, a grinning man came over to him.

Stuy Highwind. The most junior officer in the force. He joined up barely a month ago but he's fit in quite nicely with the senior officers.

“So … we made some headway into that Oblivia Bradford case.”

Krogo looked up in surprise. “You're kidding me. I thought we had her declared dead.”

“We did. That was just a ruse by Detective Ren to get them to lower their guard and thinking that the police had given up.”

“Why wasn't I told about this?”

“You've just been told. Get up. We got a lead on her location. Seems it may be the old factory by the river.”

“We've already checked there.”

“Yeah, with half a dozen cars blazing in with full sirens, we have. Get into your civilian gear. We've been ordered to do some surveillance.”

Deeply disturbing.

7:01 PM

Krogo stared through the binoculars from behind the steering wheel. The factory still appeared deserted to him. There were no signs of any movement on the ground.

The people behind this were most definitely professionals, possibly but not probably mercenaries.

Krogo saw a rustling of leaves near the back of the factory.

“We may have some movement.”, he said to Stuy.

“Right, I'll go check it up, get a closer look. You call for backup and stay alert.”

Before Krogo could protest, Stuy had already exited the car, pulled out his gun and stealthily made his way behind the factory, using the bushes and shadows as cover.

Krogo keyed in the backup request.

“Request received, RY-9. Backup will be there in half an hour.”

All Krogo could do now was wait.

7:23 PM

Gunshots!

Krogo heard them loud and clear. They came from within the factory. There had been three shots fired in total. There was also the unmistakable sound of a woman's scream.

Idiot!

Krogo quickly jumped out of the car as well and ran towards the factory, kicking the front door open and scampered in, looking for cover.

The gunshots continued on and Krogo lost count of the number of shots fired.

Three? Five? It was hard to tell.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

Krogo heard an unfamiliar voice. It wasn't that of Stuy. Could it be possible these people had turned on each other?

“PUT THE GUN DOWN!” Krogo's heart skipped a beat. It was the young officer.

“YOU LOUSY BACK-STABBING ...”

Krogo heard more gunshots and the sound of two bodies falling.

No!

Krogo leapt out of his hiding spot and jumped into the room the action was taking place. The room was largely empty except for the two bodies lying on the floor – one of them Stuy, the other …

“Hey!”

Krogo turned around to see a punch fly at his face. The last thing he remembered was seeing a shadow hover over him as he lost consciousness.

8:37 PM

It was another hour or so before he regained consciousness and when he did, he was lying in the back of an ambulance, his partner Stuy and a young woman next to him.

The lousiest part of the job … the most disturbing …

Stuy was in bad shape. He had only one gunshot wound but in a very critical position as far as Krogo could tell.

“He is … he is going to live … right?”, the woman sensed that he had woken up and spoke.

The part that makes me wanna kill myself …

Krogo nodded. “Don't worry. The wound may be critical but I've seen people come back from it before. Plus, Stuy is a young man. He should be alright.”

… is the fact that this job … is a liar's job.

May 14

MASS MURDER IN TOWN

Yesterday, 6 bodies were discovered killed in the abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. Police have gone on record citing the murders as homicide. The identity and gender of the murdered people has not been disclosed.

In addition, Officer Stuy Highwind passed away this morning in the General Hospital at 2:49 AM due to complications from a gunshot wound. The wake will be held at the Highwind residence today afternoon.

The job of a a soul-less liar.

Edited October 16, 2012 by Emotional Outlet

[† Anras Rune]

interesting, very different writing style, i like it!

keep em coming, as this is good...

[† RazorDan]

nice one man, looking forward to more

[Manifesto]

Very very interesting ahhhh ! I want more.

[Asch]

Stuy =( , anyways I like that, SO with 10 points you mean 10 persons ?

[Nero D. Ace]

You'll see.

POINT TWO : REN

May 12, 11:20 PM

Ren stared at the files in front of him, his eyes full of exhaustion, his patience expired. There was nothing left, nothing they could do. No matter where they looked, they found no records, no evidence that this group existed. Their pattern of attacks, their slight descriptions – nothing.

Dammit.

He got up and threw all the files into the trash can. They were all worthless, censored beyond the point of recovery. They had suspicions that the group was ex-military, but there were no records that could link them to a civilian identity.

Because of the covert nature of their ops, it seemed no-one knew who they were. In other words, they were shadows – invisible soldiers not accountable to anyone, guided only by their own beliefs.

RINNNGGGG!!!

“Hello.”, Ren picked it up, thinking it was the chief telling him to go home already. Abandon the case, salvage what you can.

Yeah, right. That's all that we've become good for these days.

“Detective Ren?”, a voice spoke.

“Yes, who's speaking and where did you get this number?”

“I have a friend, he has all the numbers. As for who I am ...” the voice chuckled. “You'll find out soon enough. Just think of me as a Santa Claus.”

Ren tensed. Something was off about this guy. He didn't sound like a prank caller. The voice, the laugh – it was too … evil.

“They're holding the Bradford girl in the factory by the river.”

With that, he hung up.

Ren acted quickly, hurrying towards the Crime Lab where hopefully, a couple of the young techies would still be doing overtime.

“Yo, Renzy!”, a man waved at him. “Going out for some fresh air, eh?”

“Not a chance.”, Ren threw the phone at him. “Get a lock on that. I want the ID of the guy who last called as well as last known location. Send the details to my cell.”

The man caught the phone and asked. “Alright. But where are you going?”

Ren put on his jacket. “I have to tell the chief that the case is dead. Oblivia Bradford was found murdered last night.”

The man looked upset but not surprised. They had had no lead on her for several days.

May 13, 2:13 AM

“This sounds a bit extreme, Detective.”, Chief Ballard said.

“There's no other way, sir. We have to get her declared dead otherwise the group will get wind of it the second we get near them and she'll be lost for good this time.”

“What about the source? Can we really trust his intel?”

“A techie traced the call to the dead center of the North Pole. He's definitely a pro. I've exhausted all other options. True or not, we have to make this raid.”

“Very well.”, Ballard folded his hands. “I suggest you assign two officers to scout out the location later this evening, under cover of darkness.”

Ren nodded. “I'll need some time to decide.”

7:25 AM

Ren dialed Krogo's number. He had shortened the list of officers to him and Stuy. Krogo had the experience and a calm head while Stuy had the stamina and passion required to pull it off.

“Krogo, yeah listen. I need you to report to the station earlier today and stay afterwards for an overtime. Yeah? … Good.”

6:18 PM

“And that sums it up, Officer Highwind. Scout out the area and if you find anything suspicious, call in for backup.”

“Sir!”

“Your partner for this assignment will be Krogo. Go and brief him as well. I have to check up on something.”

7:08 PM

“Hello? What? They actually found people in there. Send in all units now! Have them block the roads, cover all the escape routes. I don't want them escaping!”

Ren stepped away from the body and pulled out the knife he had used to stab it in the head.

8:10 PM

Ren sat in his office, dead exhausted. He had planned on going with the units and cornering those bastards. However, the past several days had taken a toll on his body and he had finally succumbed. Now, he could simply wait.

Either he would succeed ...

“Sir ...”, a voice came over the static radio.

“Detective Ren here.”

“Sir … Officer Stuy. He was shot. He's in critical condition.”

Ren said nothing for a few moments. Then, “What about the girl? Is she alright?”

Either he would succeed …

“Negative. There are six dead bodies here. Two of them female and one matching the description of Miss Bradford.”

… or he would fail.

[† Anras Rune]

interesting storyline...very dark and pessimistic...

[Stuy]

this is great iki, i'm looking forward to more ^^

[Nero D. Ace]

Sorry if i don't update this often, but the timeline of this story is a bitch to keep track of

That and I'm still working on the details as I go along is making this my hardest story yet. Thank you for your patience. Here's Point Three.

---

POINT THREE : STUY

May 12, 10:00 PM

Stuy looked at the phone in his hand. Had he made the right decision? Not like it mattered. It wasn't like he had a choice. He had been pushed into this …

No. It was his choice. Those bastards had made sure to cover their tracks nicely. He was responsible for all his decisions and it was time to accept the consequences.

He dialed a number and waited for someone to pick up.

“Hello?”, he said in a hushed tone, as if afraid someone would listen. “Fuck you, Razor. I ain't gonna do this no more.”

He then quickly hanged up the phone and flung it as hard as he could towards the bottom of the sea.

It's time for a new beginning.

11:09 PM

Stuy's hands shook as he held the new phone in his hand, the number dialed in, the voice-encrypter running in full motion, and the triangulation scrambler fully operational.

There was a slight moment of hesitance and then he pushed the “Call” button.

A ring went through.

Why am I doing this?

The second ring went.

Because I have to set things right.

Two more rings went by.

But it's not my problem. The woman means nothing to me. Why compromise the safety of my own family?

Someone picked it up.

Because I'm an officer who swore to serve and protect.

“Hello?”, the husky voice of Ren came through.

“Detective Ren?”, Stuy said, watching the voice scrambler go to work.

“Yes, who's speaking and where did you get this number?”, the reply came.

“I have a friend, he has all the numbers. As for who I am ...”, Stuy paused for a moment and realised he had just called that bastard Iki his friend. He chuckled manically at that unpleasant memory. “You'll find out soon enough. Just think of me as a Santa Claus.”

Heh, Santa Claus. What the hell has gotten wrong with my head? Has being near those assholes for just 4 days corrupted my mind?

“They're holding the Bradford girl in the factory by the river.”

Stuy quickly hung up the phone and took it apart, leaving no evidence that it ever existed.

May 13, 1:34 AM

Stuy stealthily opened the door to his apartment, careful not to wake up Shirley. They had been married for 2 years now and were expecting their first child soon.

This is why I did it. I don't deserve to be a father if I don't right this wrong.

Stuy quietly crawled into bed and tried to get some sleep, sleep came slightly easier than the other nights.

6:15 PM

“Hey Highwind!”, a man called out at Stuy as he was heading out to grab a cup of coffee. “Detectice Ren's asking to see you now.”

All at once, Stuy tensed.

Did he know? How could he have known? He had taken every possible precaution and yet he had been caught.

Was this it? His punishment from hell?

Stuy went into the Detective's office and stood straight, ready to receive whatever was coming at him.

“Officer Stuy!”, Ren barked. “We've had an update on the Bradford case. An anonymous tip states that the subject may be held hostage at the old factory by the river.”

Stuy relaxed. They didn't know.

Ren continued. “We can't send the whole task force on an anonymous tip, plus these people have been tricky to apprehend. I need someone capable to …”

But Stuy was no longer listening. Fortune had smiled upon him and given him a better chance to redeem himself. He hated the idea of going against those guys head-on but he would have nothing but sleepless nights ahead of him if he didn't act.

“And that sums it up, Officer Stuy. Scout out the area and if you find anything suspicious, call in for backup.”

“Sir!”

“Your partner for this assignment will be Krogo. Go and brief him as well. I have to check up on something.”

6:22 PM

Chances like this don't come flying out of the sky. This is fate. I'll ditch Krogo the first chance I get and pay back those bastards 10 times for the hell they put me through, at least that fellow Iki and the other man Rune. They had been the most ruthless of them.

I could give Razor and the others a chance.

Stuy's spirits lightened up immensely as he ran into Krogo.

“Heads up Kro!”, he threw the file at him.

7:01 PM

Stuy waited impatiently alongside Kro.

This is taking forever. What is Kro thinking? These guys are pros. They're not gonna make an amateur move like show themselves at a crucial point like this.

I have to speed things up.

Stuy took out a bunch of coins and threw them at the nearest bushes, making the leaves rustle.

“We may have some movement.”, Kro said to Stuy.

“Right, I'll go check it up, get a closer look. You call for backup and stay alert.”

Stuy was glad to step out of the cramped car and got out before Kro could protest. It was time to let fate do it's work.

7:13 PM

Stuy had managed to get inside the factory without arousing much suspicion, which was odd.

He had fully expected a fire-fight to start the moment he neared the entry but there had been no guard, which was unbelievable, considering the level of paranoia these people had.

He had gotten to the third room of the factory, the dining room when he heard voices coming from the other side of the wall.

“Oh no no no no no!”, a voice came. It was unmistakably Rune's. “You don't get to leave till this thing finished to the end!”

“To hell with this shit!”, another lighter voice came. It belonged to Shazi, the only female on the team. “This is not the stuff I signed on for! Black Ops is one thing … but kidnapping? Don't you have any pride?”

“EVERYONE CALM THE FUCK DOWN!”, a third loud voice came and Stuy froze. It was Iki.

He heard three gunshots be fired.

“NOW IF ALL YOU DAMN ASSHOLES ARE DONE BITCHING ABOUT EACH OTHER, CAN WE PUH-LEASE GET BACK ON TOPIC!”, he yelled.

The room went quiet and Stuy quietly slipped into an offensive position. He would need every advantage.

“Now …”, Iki continued speaking. “We have a leak somewhere. Someone let the hostage loose. Since our fearless leader is dead and the Client hasn't called us for several days now, it's too much of a bother to look for that leak. In the meanwhile, we're sitting ducks for cops and lone rangers who wanna take us down, like ole Stewie in the next room.”

Stuy stopped moving.

“Yeah Stewie!”, Iki's voice came over. “Just 'cause there ain't a guard there doesn't mean we're stupid enough to not put up a webcam.”

Stuy swore under his breath. He had been careless. WHY did he underestimate them?

“Give it up!”, he bluffed. “Backup will arrive any second now. Give yourself up and confess and maybe' I'll help you get a shorter sentence. Offer's not valid for you, Iki.”

“How nice.”, Iki replied. “Pity I don't want it. Rune, handle him. I'm gonna go scout our positions.”

“STOP RIGHT THERE!”, Stuy boldly stepped into the next room, his gun in his hand … to see Rune standing in the same position,

“Well well well …”, Rune muttered. “Funny, I didn't think you had the balls for something like this. That's why you were our inside man, see. You were GUTLESS!”

Stuy remained calm. This was Rune's specialty. Getting inside his opponent's head.

“I am going to enjoy this so much, asshole.”

Stuy steadied his gun and constantly kept his gaze on the gun in Rune' hand.

At a point like this, either of us firing would be suicide. I need to wait for his hand to falter, just slightly so that I can get the advantage.

One small advantage and he'll be eating the dust. I'm fully relaxed while he's been in this dump all day. I stand the better chance and he knows it. I can't let him get in my head.

Anras' face faltered. He was getting tired.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!”, he yelled, his face twisted with rage.

“PUT THE GUN DOWN!”, Stuy warned in an equally high voice.

“YOU LOUSY BACK-STABBING ...”, Anras barked back and there it was, his hand faltered slightly.

The next few events happened in mere milliseconds

Stuy saw this and quickly poised his finger to fire.

I've won. This nightmare will finally be over. I …

And that's when he noticed in Anras' right hand – a second gun. Anras had deliberately been holding the first gun in his left hand to mirror Stuy's movements, to make Stuy think like he had the edge.

I've lost. I let him get inside my head. I let him make me believe that he was faltering and now he had the advantage.

Anras' face twisted from rage to a grin as a bullet let loose from his second gun, catching Stuy in the gut.

I gave it a shot. I suppose that's what matters. I wonder if I'll get Heaven or Hell.

These were Stuy's final thoughts as he lost consciousness. Before passing out, he could have sworn he heard his partner's voice …

May 14, 2:20 AM

Stuy woke up in a hospital bed, completely oblivious of all the events that had happened after getting shot.

It didn't make sense. How was he …

“Still alive?, he heard a familiar voice and Stuy smiled out of the sheer irony of it.

“Don't worry. It'll be over soon.”

Stuy watched the shadowy figure inject something inside his Morphine.

“Hey.”, he said at the figure, resigning himself to his fate. “Is she alive? The Bradford lady?”

The figure nodded and left.

Stuy smiled to himself.

It was good. He hadn't failed after all. He'd finally get some good sleep.

[† Anras Rune]

always the bad guys aint i...lol

anyhoo still keeping with the crazy timeline thing... and the pessimistic setting!

keep it up...XD