Chapter-25 ER Police

At midnight, there was a black armored jeep driving cautiously into The Forest of Echoes however it still moved with urgency, heading toward the old abandoned mill. The headlights illuminated a scene of splattered with blood. After a few moments, three people stepped out of the jeep.

It was Detectives Adriana and Adrian, accompanied by another woman who stood at 5'5" with angular features, high cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and brown eyes. Her long, sleek brown hair was tied into a ponytail. She wore a blue form-fitting, tailored blouse with a few buttons undone at the collar, a blue fitted leather jacket, a black high-waisted slim-fit trousers, black heeled boots, and black leather gloves.

Detective Adriana removed her black glasses. "Detective Diana, this is where the callers reported gunshots and roars," she said. As they scanned the area, Adriana noticed conflicting clues a bloodstained knife of an ancient design and modern bullet casings. It was as if two different events had occurred simultaneously. "Something doesn't add up," she muttered.

Detective Diana walked up to Adriana. "The ER hasn't gotten any serious calls like this in about a month, so whatever happened here has to be gang-related," she said.

Adriana nodded, slowly walking toward the center of the old mil;. "Adrian, search around the house. Diana and I will search the front," she instructed.

Detective Adrian nodded, taking out his pistol with a flashlight attached, he turned it on, while Adriana and Diana did the same, slowly approaching further into the mill... that's when they saw multiple dead bodies and the strong scent of blood made there nose wince.

"What gang could this be? So many dead," Diana asked.

Adriana then noticed something grey and white on the ground near the feet... she crouched down and, using her hand sprinkled it in the air. "What is this... ash?" whispered in recognition.

'According to lore, when a some supernatural creatures is killed by a divine power, their body disintegrated into ash, a sign that their soul had been purified, but this was not ordinary ash but remnants of a once-immortal being. Such occurrences were rare there might be a more powerful entities.; She thought

She then noticed a bullet on the ground, it looked like a silver bullet. "Moonlight... vampire," she muttered.

A vampire disintegrated by silver. But why here? And why now?

Adriana knew from her previous encounters with vampires that they possessed a form of cursed immortality, a gift from the ancient blood gods that rendered them impervious to conventional weapons. Silver, blessed by holy rituals, could harm some vampires, but true death for vampires required a deeper understanding of their origin and weaknesses.

However with her energy from the God of Justice Thalia, she could kill them easily without needing such items, her Divine Nyx energy allowed her to also be capable of vanquishing even the most resilient of supernatural beings. This gift came with a heavy burden, which she like it was that she had to commit acts of justice, protect the innocent, and avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

Moreover the reason she liked it was because she was born to a family of law officer, Adriana learned the art of deduction and combat from a young age. Her training under her father, a retired detective, instilled in her a relentless pursuit of truth. An incident during her academy years, where she uncovered corruption within the force, solidified her commitment to justice.

While Adriana was checking the ash, Diana was examining the dead bodies. 'Some of these guys were brutally ripped apart,' she thought. Then she noticed the chain links on a dead man's body. "Iron Chain Cartel," she said aloud, her brow furrowed as she surveyed the scene.

She recognized it as a mark of allegiance, many criminal groups marked their members with tattoos or brands that signified their loyalty, these marks often carried hidden meanings and symbols unique to each organization. For the Iron Chain Cartel, members received a chain-link tattoo, each link representing a different rank or achievement within the cartel.

What role does the Iron Chain Cartel play in this massacre? Are they perpetrators, victims, or mere bystanders caught in a larger scheme?

While Adriana and Diana were investigating the front of the house, Detective Adrian walked cautiously around the perimeter that when he heard the sound of slow, labored breathing to him it meant someone was weak, that when his flashlight revealed a man with his eyes gouged out, and he instantly recognized who it was.

"H-Hello," the man croaked weakly.

"Yeah... what happened here?" Adrian's voice shifted from his usual charming warmth to a deep, serious tone.

"It was our new enforcer. He wanted us to clear out our rivals, but there were too many. We were slaughtered," the man said.

The man wasn't supposed to talk because of the Pact of Silence, known as "Omerta" in some circles, this unspoken rule forbade members from speaking to law enforcement or revealing secrets of the underworld. Breaking this pact was seen as the ultimate betrayal, often resulting in severe consequences for the offender and their family.

This unspoken rule, enforced by a council of ancient enforcers, was believed to be under the protection of a dark deity. Breaking the pact not only invited severe consequences from the cartel but also cursed the offender with eternal torment, a fate worse than death. Despite the grave risk. But for some reason, the man spoke as if he recognized Adrian's voice. 

"New enforcer... what happened to the old one?" Adrian asked.

Who is the mysterious new enforcer of the Iron Chain Cartel, and what drives their ruthless campaign of violence? Could they be connected to the dark forces we've encountered before, or are they a new player in this deadly game?

Adrian was a former undercover operative for the Special Investigations Division, honed his instincts in the dark underworld of organized crime, his training under Detective Captain Ramirez, a legendary figure in law enforcement circles, molded him into a master of Stealth and disguise, deception. From infiltrating criminal syndicates to extracting crucial intelligence, Adrian's tenure as an operative earned him a reputation for resourcefulness and tenacity but it also changed him.

"W-We don't...know," the man stuttered.

What his name" Adrian asked.

"Mortis" the man answered.

"Alright," Adrian said before moving closer and snapping the man's neck before he could protest.

Detective Adrian walked into the house silently. Detective Adriana's heard his voice echoed from inside. "Adriana, come check this out."

Adriana quickly stood up and went toward the house with Detective Diana. Before entering, Adrian spoke again. "Be ready for what you're about to see."

By Adrian words Adriana's curiosity was piqued, and she needed to find out what was inside, as she entered the house slowly, she remarked, "...Vampires. They're always so vicious with their kills, but this is too unclean, like younglings."

Walking around the house, the scene was absolutely disturbing, he strong smell of blood permeated the entire house. As Adriana moved through the house she started to feel a familiar, Nyx energy causing her to hyperventilate.

"I've already had him escape twice. It can't happen a third time, not in this case," she muttered under her breath.

When Adrian heard Adriana he knew what she was referring to. as Adriana harbored an intense fear of failing in her duties. This fear stemmed from a traumatic event in her past where she was unable to save her sister, who was thrown into the wrong organization because of her it was a memory that still haunted her.

Adrian looked at Adriana, contemplating her situation. 'While Adriana is an excellent detective, she's overly righteous and determined, with an obsession for her cases. There one, though, seems to consume her more than the others... I suppose that's how she earned the alias "The Specter",' he thought.

The Specter, the name signifies her almost supernatural ability to uncover the truth and bring justice from the shadows, moving through the criminal underworld with eerie, ghost-like precision and efficiency. Like the time of Daemon being framed for one of his crimes... but she didn't know that

'Just like the killer, Daemon, aka the Reaper, she was obsessed with his case. The heinous crimes and his series of murders. He targeted individuals who he deemed was perfect for his cult's activities or were deemed disposable. His murders were brutal, with victims' bodies arranged in grotesque, symbolic displays resembling Daemon's art style from his university. Unable to solve the case, she became obsessed with the art style killing and the massacre of families,' Adrian thought.

While Adriana was panicking, Adrian remained calm and collected, this wasn't unusual; there were times when Adriana began to panic, but Adrian's calm and observant nature helped her regain composure, she knew she couldn't have done some things without him, so she fully trusted him.

Despite helping others, Adrian always maintained a cautious and mysterious demeanor, to other officers, it sometimes seemed like he was hiding something.

Diana walked up to Adriana, placing a hand on her back. "Adriana, calm down... Calm down. Just breathe... I'm here with you. Deep breaths, in and out," she said.

After a few deep breaths, Adriana calmed down. Diana asked, "Are you okay?" her gaze searching Adriana's face for signs of distress.

"Yeah, I'm good... I'm good thank you," Adriana said, patting Diana's hand softly. "I recognize your energy; I've felt it twice before when you slipped through my grasp. But there won't be a third time. This ends now, your escape was your this massacre was your last mistake." she muttered under her breath.

Adriana then turned to look at Diana and Adrian, her eyes narrowed, a shadow of unease flickering across her face. "I think I know who did this," she said. 'So, you're a vampire,' she thought.