Chapter 38: Battle Preparations

Raziel was confused, "This woman is weak. We have to get her to a hospital."

Maya took out a pill from her bag and passed it to him, "Give her this pill. It's made by the healing powers of a water pathway superhuman. The police department gives us three at the end of every month.

"We can't send her to a hospital yet. At least not until we know everything about Zach."

Raziel opened her mouth and forced the pill down her throat. A few seconds later, colour returned to her pale face and she opened her eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked as she sat upright on the sofa.

Maya came to sit on the table in front of her and showed her her ID, "We're police detectives. Tell us everything you know about Zach." She picked up a pen and a note from her bag.

Fear appeared on her face at the mention of Zach's name, "I don't know anything!"

Maya replied in a calming voice, "Relax, we're not here for you. We believe Zach is responsible for a string of recent kidnappings. Take a deep breath and tell us what you know."

Zach's wife took several deep breath before responding a little hysterically, "I swear I had no idea he would use my old warehouse as a slaughterhouse!"

Raziel interjected, "What do you mean a slaughterhouse?"

Maya gave Raziel a sharp look that told him not to interrupt her.

Zach's wife calmed down a bit and said, "I used to have an old warehouse in Commeo Street but I don't use it anymore because of the distance to my house here.

"I wanted to sell it three days ago and I went there only to meet Zach there with a lot of mutilated bodies."

Maya frowned, "What about the four alibis you provided for Zach?"

Zach's wife started to cry, "I didn't know he was kidnapping people those nights he wasn't sleeping at home.

"I just thought he was cheating on me to get back at me."

Maya continued to write, "What do you mean by 'get back at you'?"

Zach's wife was silent for a few seconds before replying with a little embarrassment in her voice, "The night the first kidnapping happened, he came to watch the game at his father's house but caught me in bed with him."

Maya managed to keep a straight face but Raziel could not hide his surprise.

He interjected with anger, "So you all lied about your alibis because of your personal issues? Did you know people died because you all lied?"

Maya stopped Raziel before he could continue asking more questions. She said to Zach's wife, "I'm guessing when he caught the two of you in bed, he didn't wait but left instantly."

Zach's wife nodded, "Yes"

Raziel frowned, "So the first kidnapping was a spur of the moment crime."

Maya frowned and asked, "It was a baseball final. Didn't you expect them to watch it together?"

Zach's wife shook her head, "They had an argument about how the church should be run during the day.

"With how big of a disagreement they had, we weren't expecting him to come to his father's house for the game."

Maya nodded, "So when you met him at the crime scene, he locked you up in the house. He used your ID outside the city to make it look like you travelled. Where is this old warehouse of yours?"

Zach's wife replied in a curt voice, "12, 2nd Commeo Street. How soon will you catch him?"

Maya didn't answer her question but asked her question of her own, "When will Zach return home?"

Zach's wife looked at the clock, "Around four in the afternoon. That's in one hour's time."

Maya stared intently at her and asked in a grave voice, "Do you know if your husband is a superhuman?"

Zach's wife appeared to be in thought, "I'm not sure but sometimes when we're at home, I won't even see him coming. He would appear suddenly in my front. If I ask how he does that, he would call it a magic trick."

Maya stood up from the table and pulled Raziel away, "We can confirm he's an illusory pathway superhuman. He might be a level 1 or 2."

Raziel frowned, "Why do you think he might be in level 2?"

Maya lowered her voice, "When his wife mentioned the mutilated bodies, I remembered a book I read in the police library. Some evil organisations in Nicaorh advance by refining the essence of ordinary humans but they always require a lot of human bodies."

Raziel nodded, "So you think he refined the essence of the people he kidnapped. I think we should fight him here."

Maya nodded, "Yeah, we'll turn this place around to our advantage. First of all, we'll pour a little bit of water on the foot mat outside.

"He may be able to hide himself but his footprints will expose him on a floor of tiles like this."

Raziel was surprised by her ingenuity, "Have you fought an illusory pathway superhuman before?"

Maya shook her head, "No, I read about them in the police library. I figured he's a new superhuman, he has little battle experience."

Raziel agreed with her. He said, "I've a faced a level 3 illusory superhuman before and I learned somethings."

Maya looked at him in disbelief, "How the hell are you still alive?"

Raziel chuckled, "The person spared my life. An area level of attack is the best line of action when facing them. We might not be able to see them but they're definitely around us.

"Also they can switch positions with others when they're in close proximity."

Maya fell silent for a few seconds, "You'll be the one to fight him first. I'll launch a sneak attack to kill him. I hope you have an area wide attack?"

Raziel nodded his head in response. They got to business. Maya put a little bit of water on the footman. Raziel took Zach's wife back to the hidden compartment and hid her in there placing the bed back in the appropriate position.

Raziel hid behind the large sofa in the sitting room while Maya was peeping into the sitting room through a door hole from the bedroom.

They patiently awaited Zach's arrival.