THE SECRET OF MANN

THE SECRET OF MANN

JEMMIE DALE HILL, Jr.

CHAPTER SIX

Close Call

“Where am I?” thinks David, and how long have I been here.” As David begins to regain consciousness, fighting to adjust his stinging and unfocused eyes. Scanning his strange new surroundings he is still not fully coherent. Things are moving back and forth so incredibly fast and yet in a lucid slow motion. A series of dreamy sequence blinks of his eyelids coats the dry surface of the membrane of his eye as it scans objects, people, and their movement. Once again life passes his watery vision frame, by stop motion frame. He sees many varieties of people with hospital uniforms on racing around, or so it appeared, but moving slowly. Trying to adjust his blurry vision, there is the faint sound of lots of shouting growing louder by the second, and the rustling sounds of rubber soled shoes running back and forth in a flurry of activity.

And from the looks of things, what looks to be other military personnel dressed in white medical smocks and surgical masks.

“Where am I? And what is this place?” He thinks. “So, I guess we did make it out." he thinks as he finally spies his toes at the end of the long bed.

"That also means that I'm not dead. I must be alive, wherever this somewhere is.” David tried hard to focus his recent memory of events, straining his brain to remember. He started to rise up to investigate this strange place, but he was fighting to free himself from something restricting his movement.

“Why can’t I move?” He tried hard struggling to get up, to just roll over would have been fine, in order to get a better look at the new situation he’s suddenly seemed to just appear in after a long bad dream. "I'm bound...in. something!"

David knows some kind of strong material is binding him, holding him down. He can feel the restraints digging into his skin with every attempt to use his strength to move against them. However, there is something else going on, something making him drowsy, weaker when he fights against the thick cloth straps too long.

“Bandages? They’ve covered me in, bandages."

David couldn’t tell how far they went or where they started, immobilizing and confined in misery’s pain, but dodged the increasing shadows of fear through unwavering courage to wake up to this. This other strange feeling something new never felt before, he had never been sedated. His perception of conscious reality had been altered. He felt as though he is wide-awake, but it seems as though he's dreaming as he scans the egg shell white walls lit up by long tubes of fluorescent bulbs that cast a dismal dim glow that reflected off the shiny almost glass like brown and black wax floor...

There is a needle in his arm and a long plastic tube pinned to the sheet that disappeared underneath the bandages the blanket, snaking along up-wards leading to a half empty dangling bag of saline taped to another tube in his arm. Another bottle along side the saline bag on the metal pole the word on the bottle, David tilted his head sideways with a furrowed brow to slowly read the letters on the bag. Squinting, blinking hard trying to focus his vision, he first mouthed each letter to read, “MORPHINE?” Instantly his fear of the unknown began to well up inside of him. Tension and nervous energy forced his chest to heave and fall with greater frequency. His pulse was pounding out of control.

Adrenaline surged and was racing through his body faster and faster. His eyes jerked frantically back and forth searching the giant recovery room. Feeling anxious with an uneasy fear of waking to unknown surroundings. He felt different sensations all over his body at once that were strangely unique to him, having never been drugged before. The nerve numbing sedative made his body feel almost limp. Having only minimal muscle control, his body seemed as if it were floating, hovering just a few feet off the floor.

The sensation was like lying down inside a gently gliding plane riding the hot rising air currents that waif upwards against the face of a sheer mountain cliff, floating.

Across the long rectangle room with the off white egg shell walls, the atmosphere dimmed even more by the large and heavy white curtains that were drawn tight, letting just enough of a sliver of yellow light in to tell it was daytime. David did momentarily spot what looked to be a familiar face among the row of beds at the far end of the room. The acrid smell of alcohol, copper and a faint foul odor of rubber and ammonia and other assorted cleaning solvents was always present, hanging thick and pungent in the air.

It was the injured Huey crewman that jumped out and helped him get into the chopper after he was shot. He was sitting up in the bed, he too was bandaged, but not quite as heavily wrapped his bandages were, and there was no sign of restraining straps to hold him down. When David tried to call out to him the muscles flexed, and air from his lungs rushed outwards from his windpipe. But no sound came out, the words he wanted to say were inaudible, nothing seemed to work as he tried desperately to talk.

So he lay there and tried to watch the crewman between slow almost stop motion blinks as long as he could, trying to remember his face. The crewman was talking to a doctor and pointing in his direction, David felt a little giddy along with the dreamy sensation, making his body feel as if was floating upwards again. Suddenly as he struggled the feeling complete exhaustion took over along with the need to just close his eyes, he quickly drifted back to a quiet sleep muttering to himself. ”The... medication - Morphine?" What is this stuff?"

David was set on timed sedation, the small square electronic box started humming, it was gray and about the size of a two pack box of graham crackers, the sound of a tiny muffled lawnmower with the IV flowing from it carried the drug, and every few minuets pumped the dosage into his arm. It was pulling him back into a harmless, content world of a coma like healing hibernation.

A long deep exhale past his lips, his eyes gently closed. It was back to dreamland he quickly slumped.

****

All Sam Castillo needed was something resembling a clue to the bombing retaliation, anything to go on. But after all this time, almost two-years and the long hot summer of June 17th 1972 was just the beginning of a long heat wave that would last until the end of October. The senseless murders of these men have not brought one piece of connectable evidence to bring forward one suspect. Four of the men were from his team, and the spunky little bookworm of a guy with the thick black spectacles that he was constantly punching at the bridge of his nose to push the constantly sliding frames onto his face.

He came from the squad upstairs, built the bomb that blew up the apartment building. They were all dead within the short span of six months that followed the raid that morning. Who ever this guy or persons are, they or he is extremely cool, methodical, calculating and cruelly sadistic.

And quick enough to get inside to murder them one at a time and get away without anyone ever getting so much of a glimpse of any perpetrator's, only his victims. Two of the men killed were in their own homes when they were attacked. The point man of the unit, he was first up the stairs, and he was the first to go. He had a habit of watching his favorite TV show 'Kojack' on Monday nights. He loved the show so much that he never missed one episode if he could help it. Peace became predatory the way he stalked his prey, becoming methodical and very meticulous in his note taking, paying close attention to time schedules and outside work interests. He followed his latest targeted victim home every Monday, after his shift had finished for nearly two weeks. He spent time watching from far away then up close, through these bushes and into the side window of his house he watched intently, as the cop did everything he normally did, and right on schedule. Which hurt him by being so predictable but helped immensely. ”Doesn't this guy have a life? Well, he won't have to worry about that for long.” Peace thought. Continuing his surveillance of his intended victim for another week, Peace was in no hurry, he wanted to take his time and not make any mistakes of leaving even the slightest amount of evidence behind. So he took the time to check and re-check his notes very carefully. Making sure of his habits, dinning preferences, even bathroom breaks between the commercials, and the exact time each ended. Peace set a new precedent in psychological interpretation, because of his ability of remaining calm and cool during his calculated stalking premeditation. He could have killed the officer easily one night a few days previous when he bumped into him on the street. The cop's shift had finished only few minuets ago. Peace was bold enough to approach him asking for a light...

He got so close to the officer he noticed the red eyes and need for a shave, even though the streets were dead quiet, not a soul in site, he still insisted in taking his time lighting his cigarette, he thanked the cop, and watched him walk away. He was like a science lab technician watching the doomed subject rat in a cage from a very short distance, knowing he would be the one to extinguish this life.

He took note that the cop even took the phone off the hook for a couple of hours so he wouldn’t be disturbed.

One Monday night Peace waited for the first commercial, he knew the man would make a break for the refrigerator once he found out what the opening plot was. He would always try and figure it out before the end of the show. On the 28th a breezy Monday moonless evening since he began the stalking. Peace decided to finally make his move.

First, he cut the power cable to the house at

9:40 PM and then disguised himself as a repair technician from the power company.

The cop let him in with out checking to make sure whom he was letting into his house. Then he calmly turned his back on the stranger inside his house and disappeared nonchalantly into the kitchen.

He was yelling at Peace the entire time from the other room. Telling him to make sure to have his show on by the time he got back to his seat. He boldly brought out his TV dinner, oven glove clasping the still sizzling food inside the aluminum-foil serving dish, fresh from the oven. He boldly sat it down on the little tray in front of him and waited for Peace to fix the power quickly so that he could get back to his program without missing too much.

Peace crouched down behind the set putting his gloves on and slowly screwed on the silencer of the 44-Magnum as he calmly chatted with the cop about last week's episode of the show. Of course the cop was excited that someone else liked the show as much as he did and wanted to make sure to explain his theories and motivations of the criminals behavior. As Peace readied for the fatal shot by spreading his knees slightly and digging his toes into the carpet when the gun recoiled it would not knock him backwards. When he had the right body position he interrupted the almost giddy man babbling on about something Crocker did to piss off Theo.

He looked up from behind the set and asked the cop a simple question, "Did he have a light." When the cop finally recognized that he had seen Peace before on the street, it was too late. “Peewt!” a puff of smoke from the muzzle, and the bullet raced to the target and connected with dead on accuracy. Peace calmly aimed the gun, and before the cop could suck in another breath, pulled the trigger again. Shooting the cop point blank in the face twice in the same spot, the bullets entered his left eye making his head jerk violently backwards and bouncing into the cushion of his lazy boy recliner, the slump to the left. His TV dinner was never touched sitting in it’s aluminum serving dish, the fork still stuck in one hand for a few seconds he must have clutched it violently from the reaction from being shot. The metal fork dangled in his hand, until his grip finally went limp, letting it fall gently to the floor, along with the remote he was holding with his other hand...

Next up on his list of revenge was the second lieutenant of the team. He was on a scheduled four-day vacation for his anniversary. Peace stalked the cop and his wife next. He followed the early thirty something couple like a shadow and they never even knew it, even with the patch Peace was still a master of body language and was now working on a few different disguises. He even worked on a British West Indian accent. He always had a penchant for watching 'James Bond' movies to emulate a few key

Characters that he liked because of their style. He sat next to the young couple at their favorite restaurant, listened in on the sexy conversation all through dinner, eating the same things they had for dinner.

Then followed them to an adult bookstore where he watched them behave like teenagers. The tipsy, wine sipping couple were both giggling kissing and flirting shamelessly as they made their way through the isle’s of books and magazine's. After about 30 minutes they were finally finished shopping for toys and went to the counter to pay for their purchases of a few new exotic toy’s and the latest 'John Holmes' release. Peace raced to beat them back home and broke into their house by busting out a single pane of glass in the backdoor.

He was even so bold as to shower in their house before they made it home. Peace calmly and quietly made his way through the maze of hallways inside the house before finally finding his way up the stairs to wait for them in their bedroom. Quietly, he slid underneath the bed. From the corner of his eye he spotted something. It was the cop's home security; A 357- Magnum revolver Velcro strapped to the under side of the bed. Peace quietly removed it from its holster and began to admire its lethal beauty.

He even put away his own gun, to test the firepower on its owner. He listened to them moan, pet and grope each other passionately while they watched the rented video.

Being an adventurous couple the cop husband soon began taking naughty Polaroid’s of his overtly sexual wife while she posed seductively for him. Soon they began to play games, even a little dress up role-playing. Peace remained patient and still even during a long and heated and athletic love making session of grunting and passionate moans. He waited, breathing shallow, not moving a muscle and thinking back to the night he Dominique, and Angie made love for the last time. Waiting for his opportunity, for just the right moment when the wife would get up from the bouncing mattress that now has suddenly ceased its shifting movement. She rose to go into the bathroom.

Somehow Peace knew she would be first to get up and leave the room. As he listened to the squeak of the faucet handle being turned on, the water of the shower pelted the porcelain tiles splashing, he lay there unmoving but his heart began to race in the last few moments of anticipation of what he was about to do. Resting in a fetal post coital ecstasy position exhausted, the cop started shifting around, searching for a more comfortable and dryer spot in the bed, the springs cried out. Peace was trying to imagine the man's position. As he lay atop the mattress, listening to him breath deep and heavy. He shifted the gun muzzle left, then right.

Down then up a bit, to determine his exact position above him. Once he was certain of the positioning of his aim. He started to slowly screw the silencer onto the end of the cop's pistol. Peace then took great patience in re-aiming for that exact spot. It wasn't long before the cop started to snore. He felt he had guessed the position of the man’s resting body close enough that he knew he would catch him with a shot, and if he needed he would finish the job if he missed.

He pushed the pistol up into the mattress. Feeling the strange pressure on the bed from beneath, the cop's eyes suddenly got as big as saucers. He realized that there was something, or someone under the bed, pressing it up wards. But it was too late!

At that exact second of realization, Peace pulled the trigger. The shot with the silencer on the end made very little noise, but it forced the man's neck to snap violently, jerking his head towards his chest upon the shells powerful impact. Then it fell heavy and limp like the rest of his body down onto the bed, the blood leaking quickly from the large opening.

As he collapsed, his weight lowered the springs closer to Peace’s face. And underneath the bed he continued to lie still until he made sure that there was no more sound of any breathing. Certain that he hit his mark, Peace slid from under the bed. He checked for any trace of thread from his clothing, and gathered up the spent shell. And as quietly as he came, he left the bedroom closing the door behind him and walked out of the back door, not looking back to even inspect his work.

He was right about the position of the muzzle. The large shell ejected from the left side of the cops fragmented skull, leaving a real nasty circular and jagged exit wound. The whole time his wife continued to shower, unaware of what horror she was about to find when she came back into the room, she continued freshening up.

Peace had only one thought in his mind while listening to them as they made love, the anger at how relaxed he could be while his friends are dead.

For a period of time during the police investigation they shifted their focus thinking his wife had killed him.

But later it was a hunch at first, and then positively established that he was shot from underneath. The carpet under the bed was the only evidence they could find. The small trace amount of gun-powder residue left on the carpet fibers, when the pistol was fired, indicated that the single shot that killed the cop came from directly beneath him. It sliced up through the mattress tearing through the fabric and then shattering the skull easily and finally through the ceiling and then out through the roof.

The wound started from the base right of the skull and exited the top of the left side of his forehead. The bullet that did the carnage was never found. He was killed by his own gun, which was also mysteriously missing.

A 44-Magnum was the weapon of choice for Peace. He had recently become an Eastwood fan. But he also liked the power and accuracy of the 357-Magnum.

The young rookie of the unit was one of the two men hit by the girl's machine gun fire and survived was 22 years old. He joined the force and the first week after graduation, and being assigned for being the top cadet, he winds up getting shot. He was just getting over his rehabilitation, and still a bit sore but was being released from the critical unit of the hospital, the stitches used to close the wound still tender. One month of rehab sessions and not paying attention to his surroundings. Which was un-characteristic of him, he was always aware and suspicious of everything since the incident, but he had no idea that he was being watched from a short distance and followed.

One night he got into his car to drive home, un-aware knowing that Peace had been shadowed him for a week, and had cut into the stem on his right front tire. Leaving just enough air hissing out slowly to let him drive away and get far enough down the road and out of the bumper to bumper traffic congestion of a combination of Midway airfield, and or an eyewitness downtown commuter.

The tire was loosing air quickly. He thought at first he would have enough to make it. Then came to grips with the harsh reality that he would not have quite enough to get home. About mid way down Interstate -55 South just past Cicero Avenue is when the tire finally went completely flat.

He was able to pull off the road to check the tire. Peace was following not very far behind him. The rookie took a dimly lit rural exit, creeping the car slowly, and safely off the busy highway and onto the quiet road well away from the danger of traffic.

The car finally rolled to a complete stop on the soft dirt shoulder, and so did Peace. He quickly ran up and offered his assistance to the disabled, and now suddenly stranded man.

Saying he had noticed the tire on the car from behind him on the highway, and wanted to do the right thing and make sure he would be Ok. He must have been very convincing and reassuring, because the rookie was very cautious and nervous about every situation he got into since the raid. When Peace told him he had a tire star that just happened to be handy. At first the rookie declined the help until he tried to get out of the car and the stinging pain shot up his arm and he quickly felt his pounding heart about to bust through the stitches.

He moaned aloud and eased himself back down into the seat grimacing. Peace did a great acting job of being the helpful, comforting good citizen. He offered to take the tire off for him, knowing he would have difficulty repairing it himself from the looks of him.

Peace even offered to inspect the tire for him, and after he took it off they could both have a look at why the tire went flat in the first place, but Peace already knew. When the rookie nervously agreed, and got struggled to get out of the car, Peace called him over saying he thinks he has found the problem. As t he rookie bent down for a closer inspection of the tire Peace looked up at him smiling, “Look there...the stem, it’s broken.

I think I hear it leaking from here, can’t you?” When the rookie put his head down leaning his head into the tire to better listen with his right ear. He closed his eyes to concentrate on hearing if there was any sound of air rushing out, and that is when he found the freshly sliced stem.

When he turned his head and went to look up at Peace, he was also out of habit reaching for his weapon to make sure he didn't drop it when he bent over. But Peace was anticipating his every move, and before he could react or even blink. The tire iron was already moving towards his head. Peace quickly shoved the metal bar forcefully downward, jamming it hard and imbedding it into his face.

The half inch iron bar pierced the left eye and plowed deep into his upper cheekbone, tearing into and parting the brain tissue until the tip stopped resting at the back of his skull, the tip protruded the splintered bone of the back of his head by a few inches, killing him instantly.

“And nobody sees a damn thing!” Screamed an outraged Castillo during the briefing investigation, flinging his half full coffee cut against the wall where it shattered into a dozen pieces. The last of the swat team that was part of the raid on the apartment was the next victim on the list. Peace once again busy with his note pad, tracking stalking and kept the man’s schedule and on pieces of paper, which he later burned.

He quickly found out about his obsession with the movies, especially new science fiction releases. So Peace shadowed him a few days, and finally waiting right behind him in line to purchase tickets into the theatre hosting a newly released 'Sci-Fi' thriller.

He shadowed him through the heavily trampled red carpet of theatre.

The inviting and intoxicating aroma of fresh hot buttered popcorn filled the air. Along with charged anticipation of everyone as they scurried about, rushing to get their treats and race to find a good seat then quietly settle into it, heart pounding with childlike excitement and anticipation. The main feature tonight was '2001 A Space Odyssey'. Wanting to always be sure, Peace frequently double-checked any, and all quirky background habits of his latest victim. Peace found out that the man had a weak digestive system.

That his tolerance level was low if he had ingested any peppered beef, cheese, or sausage bomber sandwiches, which he craved even though they were bad for him. He had recently devoured two, and Peace was waiting for them to take effect. And as soon as the time had come for the lights to go down and the coming attraction’s had begun, so did his lower intestines. The cop figured he had just enough time to get to the bathroom and back. But Peace barged in, and without a seconds hesitation, pointed the pistol with silencer firmly into place.

He yanked the stall door open while the startled cop was sitting passively on the toilet with his eyes closed. Peace raised the pistol to the cops face, and just as he looked at a pair of black shoes planted just before him, almost inside his stall. He looked up into a blank faced Peace, staring down at him with that penetrating unblinking dark stare of his good eye that was boring a hole right through him. He managed a gasp just before he fired. There was a sharp back and upwards recoil as the weapon went off.

Not much noise above a fairly audible 'Pewoot' sound as the hammer jammed into the rear of the bullet exploding it from the chamber. Slicing through the cops flesh and bone like a 90' mile an hour fastball through wet tissue paper. Outside the bathroom another Sci-Fi fan whose thirst had been overly quenched trying to wash down the salt coated concession popcorn while waiting for the start of the show, suddenly rushed in throwing the door open, wincing and holding himself trying desperately to take the focus from his full and stinging bladder.

Hopping and pleading to just make it to the front of porcelain oasis, was not so lucky. He relieved himself soaking the front of his designer jeans at the first full frightening site of the limp corpse leaning forward, still seated, but leaking a small pool of blood underneath it.

The dead man's reflection was clear in the crimson fluid after each drop formed and fell into the center moving slowly outward and finally became mirror calm, until the next droplet leaked from the jagged egg sized hole in the skull of the body, to the gray and white patchwork tile floor. Peace had quickly raced through the rear exit, as the patron soiled his slacks, threw up and screamed, immediately running out calling for help, the manager and a refund.

The cop's body was found with his mouth wide open, head slumped over to his knees dead. His last vision of Peace standing over him, tall bald and black must have almost scared the crap out of him. Dressed head to toe in black, from his turtleneck sweater, down to his long leather coat and patch, looking very much like a the pirate 'Richard Roundtree' in the movie 'Shaft'. Just before the flash and impact of the bullet, as he looked upwards to see the angel of death, this towering intimidating presence before him.

He probably anticipated the shot and never even felt a thing. Gossip about the latest murder spread faster than a wild Montana grass fire flashing across the dry flat landscape, during hot blowing mid September windstorm. It wasn't long before the news was all over town, about another swat team cop killed. This one shot in the left eye, while he sat in the bathroom stall, died on the toilet taking a crap at a local movie theatre, no more than a mile from his house.

The bomb maker would be the last to finally meet Peace after a hard day’s work at the office. As usual the bomb specialist went to the underground parking garage to find his car and head on home. One week after the bathroom shooting, Peace had been watching the bomb maker, and analyzed his situation quickly. Peace was getting very good at pre-meditated revenge killing. Peace broke in the mans car and hid, before he could close the door and put the key in the ignition, Peace sprang from his hiding place in the back seat and quickly lashed out, placing the pistol against the bombers head. He thought it was a robbery attempt. “Hold on, don't do something crazy, I’ll give you my wallet.”

Peace just laughed, he stretched the black leather glove tight on the gun hand. Beneath the leather he had on rubber surgical gloves. Peace was always careful. He wrapped the bomb maker's wrists in duct tape, and then began wrapping a thin wire around his neck, winding it tighter and tighter with every loop, binding him to the head-rest. Then he used an entire roll of duct tape and rolled it around his head until it slowly began to strangle him.

The thin wire dug into his neck deeper and deeper with every straining, twisting movement to breathe and get free. The thin wire was imbedded so deep into his throat that it almost took off his head completely off. After he was dead, the killer took a small souvenir from the crime scene. The left eye was missing from the corpse. It appeared to be in the words of the criminal pathologist: “Our findings state that it would have had to have been gouged out with a simple dull pocket knife from the looks of the half sliced, half torn flesh.” A cop-killer with a penchant for left eyes was now running loose on the streets of Chicago. Peace had killed everyone that was involved with the bombing raid in the apartment that morning, everyone but the man who ordered the raid and bombing in the first place, Sam Castillo.

”I gotta find this creep before he finds me”, Castillo thinks.

On the Westside of Chicago in one of many old renovated ex-mafia meeting spots, protected with thick small tightly woven red brick wall that was covered with hundreds of bullet ricochet spots. A corner tavern in the middle of a urban neighborhood now sits quietly almost forgotten by times past, a man dressed in black sits alone in the corner, deep in his; angry thought of bombs and sniper fire. Dominique, Angie, Lori and David, his friends all of them murdered by the cops, and for what? The question cycled in his head, and the haunting thought of loss.

Gone is the silky smoothness of the girl's skin he would never touch again. Peace quietly sipped his drink and never noticed some one was watching him since he walked into the bar. Suddenly as he felt a presence moving up behind him, he slowly swiveled around on the thin torn black plastic stool to come eye to eye with a beautiful smile. He sat staring in part admiration and part fascination. ”Hey baby,” an attractive female voice says speaking to him as she continued to sashay forward. “You don’t have to drink alone you know.”

As Peace turned his seat around to get a good look at the face of this beautiful young girl with the sexy voice, she walked slowly toward him until she was standing with her toes directly front of his chair. “Got a smoke?” she asked, obviously flirting with her eyes and wide smile. Peace struggled to keep his cool, as he pulled out his lighter from inside his jacket. Flicking the tiny jagged wheel against the flint twice producing a small flame that he holds out to her. She reached out grabbing his hand to steady it, placing the cigarette into the center of the light.

Never taking her eyes off of him she slowly inhales and began her inquiry. “What’s your name Sugar?” The near melted candle its light dim, the wax settled in a liquid pool that threatened to put it out at any given moment. The golden hew of the light danced across her smooth polished skin. Once they're eyes meet they never wandered from each other 's passionate gaze. The powerfully handsome muscular bald black man with a black leather patch over his left eye dressed head to toe in black leather slowly returned the lighter to his inside jacket pocket, pulled up the closest bar stool to his right.

Peace patted it gesturing for her to have a seat, while smiling seductively. He was showing off his trademark, those perfect rows of pearly white teeth stretched in a broad proud grin before he replied. “My Friends..." He extended his huge hand out to her palm up, and smiled that wide perfect smile of his. "They call, me ... Peace baby.”

The end of another long day of looking at mug shots old case files, Sam Castillo is tired. His eyes are sore from concentration, his body being in one hunched over position for way too long. To tired for some ass kissing ribbon cutting ceremony with the Mayor and his new flunky, some hot shot latest puppet came all the up here from Dallas Texas, what the hell does he know about Chicago politics. All of a sudden he moves here and becomes an Alderman Whitteman? Damn Texas transplanted Alderman my ass...!”

Castillo has a fleeting thought and stopped dead in his tracks. In a flash his mind is racing a mile a minute. The desperate need to find this individual soon became an obsession.

“Hold on, hold on a minute. That’s got to be IT.... That Bastard!" Peace said something about some Alderman, and about taking away his eye along with his life for a long over due vendetta. Finally a break in the investigation, a connection to tie everything connecting these files together. Wait a damn second”, he thought. “This guy Peace was supposed to have been killed along with every one else in that apartment explosion. Or was he?

That has to be it, that he’s not dead, that prick. Sam rubbed his rough stubble patched chin and snapped his fingers in a moment of discovery gesture. "Must have been somewhere else at the time of the raid! Son-of-a-bitch. So, he didn’t die in the blast.

He’s got to be the one. Now I’ve got to find out what kind of a connection our friend the Alderman Whitteman and our left eye friendly Mr. Peace have.

“So, Foxy Momma, what’s Yo Name...?” Peace was dredging up his teachings from a recent graduation from hard time manipulating hustler education, his bachelor degree firm in hand from the divine corridors of the street. He has been transformed since then inside and out. He is no longer a shy green male prostitute.

But he can portray that any time he wants to. When needed, he would let the intended lust conquest see that he exudes undeniable, powerful erotic electricity with an almost magnetic quality. Swirling winds of sensuality that he could produce at will seemed to surround and draw in women of all types into the seductive inner circle. Once inside the eye of the storm, the overwhelming hypnotic spell is then cast.

Older, younger Black, White, Spanish, Oriental, big or thin, it didn’t matter to him. If they had the cash he would play them like a fine instrument, and that's all they seemingly wanted, was just to be loved long and hard by a real man and from first appearances Peace fit the description on every count. His physique was lean and magnificent in its form. He stood at 6’ foot 3 inches tall” with an extremely well developed muscular upper body. Women were all fascinated and stared during the hottest times of the summer when he would go shirtless, men look on with jealous admiration at his overly defined abdominal muscles.

He worked out every day at dawn, running 6 miles, 100 push -ups, and 500 squats and sit ups to say fit, and maintain a slim tight waist, with thick muscular thighs that flexed with every step. He always kept the best surprise for last, but the way it was growing and bulging against the leather material it would not be a surprise that he would keep for long, his libido was taking over and another bulge was becoming quite noticeable. He always did attract women by the handfuls when he would go out, which he seldom did to stay out of the public eye. He practiced and soon mastered the art of seduction taught to him long ago by the older woman that found him hustling for nickels and dimes. Blessed with flawless facial features smooth skin magnetic eyes and near perfect smile, she showed him first to let go of his past and remake himself anew. How to use his eye patch as a conversation ice breaker, he made up several different stories about how he lost his eye, and every one was aimed at relaxing the person he was either seducing or in the process of taking them through a con game. He became a lightning quick thinker on his feet, which he used to get him into and out of any situation. He perfected the game of seduction then offered his own version, drawing the fly into the spider’s web. He exhausted them slowly, getting what he wanted. Swallowing them whole then he spit the bones out, and without hesitation swiftly moved on. Many have tumbled into the vortex loving the sexy temptation he offers but hating the final victimized person they have become and struggle to quickly escape unharmed. “Damn, you fine Girl!” Peace said shaking his head smiling. He chewed on a straw and examines his potentially new conquest, all the while 'Stevie Wonder’s' latest dance floor sensation, 'Superstition' was blaring away vibrating the juke box and the old wooden slats it rested on. ”Well, my name is Aubrey, Aubrey West but my friends call me 'Peach'. She was from New York City, hoping to escape to a better life moving in with her aunt. She grew up borderline Queens, near the Bronx. A tough 24 year old, 5' foot 7" inches tall, 130 firm pounds of superbly formed woman.

Her lips slightly parted, she leaned across him to grab his drink from his hand, lifting it to her lips to sip. The angle showed the full swell of her breasts as they stood proudly, she raised and lowered her long lashes and winked at him with large dark almond shaped eyes as she smiled at Peace. "I can see why." He tells her, as he scans down to her exquisitely round shapely backside, it was with out a doubt her finest feature. "I’m 21 and a whole, lot of fun.

So I’m told by those fortunate few who were lucky enough to have gotten that close." "Well, Well, nice to meet you Peach.”

Peace says cool and calmly returns to his drink. “Honey I ain’t never seen you, in here before.” Aubrey obviously flirting sexily with him, moving in close enough to stroke his clean-shaven head feeling it's smoothness beneath her fingertips. ”Yea baby you know, I just got here from Dallas Texas."

"I’m just here visiting for awhile, admiring all...the beautiful things the great city of Chicago has to offer.” He turned sideways on his stool, and was looking Aubrey over from head to toe, every firm inch of her he studied, hard. Like a starving dog standing in the park admiring from a short distance behind the cover of bushes eyeing a lone party picnic basket of fresh homemade sandwiches, fruit, chilled sodas and a few slices of fresh homemade apple pie. Suddenly Peace felt hungry.

”Peace Huh? What a cool name." That patch makes you look dangerously sexy. You dangerous honey?” Aubrey asked smiling and leaning in close enough to stroke his smooth cheek gently. Just as 'Marvin Gaye' takes his turn in the jukebox play list selection, soon the sounds of 'What’s Going On' filled the steamy smoke filled air of the little bar. ”Wanna dance?” Aubrey asks.

“Groovy-baby, like the man says. Let's get it on!” Peace finished his drink in one long gulp and rose from the stool. She could finally see how tall and well formed he was and smiled in approval.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, leading him to her favorite spot of the tavern, a nearly dark corner on the heavily worn, uneven loose creaking wooden slats of the old floor, where she would imagine the singers were serenading her with the passionate phrases, sometimes she'd get lost inside the rhythmic pulse of the heavy bass and drums, sending her into a deep trance during her dance.

He was admiring the wonderful view of her well defined back, and wondered if she worked out as well, from the looks of her body she was in great shape. He continued to enjoy the view as she walked a few feet in front of him. The way her perfectly rounded firm ass cheeks jiggled, moving up and down flexing inside the tight pants with every step. "Fine ass body" he thought. Finally in her spot, she turned to him and they stepped into each other's embrace and began to move in unison to the swaying rhythm. They're bodies nearly blocked the main isle of the tiny corner tavern.

That night there were few patrons and no one minded if they had to side step to get around them as they continued their slow mirror image gyrations. Dancing seductively, their hips started pressing against one another harder and harder, looking very much like a public heavy petting session.

They made it hard for others not to notice the primal, near pornographic dance with one another. Neither one not giving a damn who watched, keeping the deep concentration locked on each other’s eye’s, looking deep into each other’s window to the soul.

Peace could not take it any longer, he slowly moved in at the end of the song and softly pressed his lips to hers, kissing Aubrey softly on the mouth, he sucking gently on her lower lip and then finding her tongue, her breath was sweet as she breath deeply through her nose.

"What, Do you say?” She noticed, that he had become excited during their little dance. By the feel of the huge hot bulge inside his smooth black leather pants. ”Let’s you, and me go back to my place, and get to know each other just, a little better." Aubrey whispered softly in his ear.

"Girl! You just read my mind.” Peace agreed, grabbing his full length 'Shaft' styled black leather coat, he lifted his drink one last time until the ice cubes clinked on his teeth. A quick gulp finishing his rum and coke, slung his coat over his shoulder, one arm around Aubrey, they headed for the exit.

“Right on. Let's split then.” He said.

****

Slowly David begins once again to regain his senses and started immediately analyzing and questioning his new strange surroundings. Blinking his squinted eyes very slowly in protection, trying to acclimate the blurry vision while focusing them to the bright neon overhead light. He was again very much disoriented. He began to scan the crowded large rectangular off white painted room. The scene and actions of the people around him were much calmer this time, very different from when he had closed his eyes from the rushing heat of the explosion as the giant dull green painted chopper barley escaped a giant wall of flames. The atmosphere in the room seemed to be much quieter this time. While at the same time possessing a very unnerving calm about it.

Still, very much out of a full and complete grasp of his reality. He had been taken off the Morphine drip. Things were beginning to make some sense, but not quite all of it yet . “So, thirsty mouth dry” He thinks and begins to test his swallowing ability. After finding it difficult, he began looking for some assistance. Finally on the far end of the room, an older nurse 43 years of age, slightly over weight, and a but too much make up and lipstick on, trying to conceal the ravages of her once beautiful complexion that the thief of time has stolen. Her once smooth skin, now left with drying wrinkles that seem to reproduce with each new glance into the looking glass. Still, many consider her attractive for her age, and being for a former cheerleader her body has held some tone and shape well. Her shoulder length dark brown hair that was streaked through out with graying strands, noticed his movement from the corner of her eye. With a long determined quick gate, she moved towards him after excusing herself from a informational medication dosage, and post-op out-patient care instructional lecture. Her thick thighs sealed inside queen size white support pantyhose stretched tight, making a slight whistling sound as they rub against each other with each pass. Her stride and rubber heeled shoes that squeaked with every placement of her foot quickened. “Well, Well!" She said as she approached with an easy relaxed pink freckled walnut filled cheek smile. If it isn’t Mister 'Rip Van Winkle.' Lo and Behold he is finally, awake. "Have a nice nap, Mr. Van Winkle? Just joking Private, we try to make you stay with us as pleasant as we can. If you need anything just ask for me, my name is Nancy." she smiled that puffy eyed smile again as she grabbed his chart from the hook at the front of the bed an began to let her eyes roam back and forth across the pages, as she finished each one she flipped them one by one to the back, looking to find out the updated round diagnosis on his clipboard.

"Lets just see what we've got here . . . Private, David Mann?” she asked again with a questioning grin, each time she did her eyes would turn to slits almost disappeared beneath those large round cheeks of hers. Nancy suddenly for no reason grew silent, and the smile slowly began to disappear. She continued further study of the medical progress report in a motionless silence. There came a strange expression of dismay that slowly crept over her full joy filled cherubic face.

Her concentration deepened as she picked through the sheets of paper. Nearly frowning in disbelief she flipped the sheets of paper quickly backwards to the first day admittance log of post-op treatment. She stepped over to read the calibration of the auto-dosing machines that pumped saline, vitamins, and morphine into his system. David tried to make a sound to speak to her, but he couldn't. He realized that bandages were restricting him. Nancy stopped his frantic movement, making a halt gesture with both hands, along with a stern look for him to relax. She began to gently remove the wide cloth bandages that partially covered his head and face. “You know David," she looked at him curiously. "You have the most beautiful green, of the greenest eyes I have ever seen, in my life. I just have to tell you that.” She handed him a paper cup half filled with water then stood back displaying a wide and oddly shaped toothy grin, looking down with astonished admiration of the unique shade of the orbits staring back at her. David bit down on the straw that tried hard to elude him, capturing it with the roof of his mouth and his tongue.

He began to draw the cool water up the plastic straw with a long slow suction until water into the small near leather like now abandoned vault, he started to fill his dry mouth with the wet coolness. He closed his eye to take in the satisfying feeling of having a thirst quenched in complete ecstasy. He had forgotten the simple pleasure of just how good a cool glass of water felt inside his bone-dry mouth, and tasted like. He never once thought about a drink of water being delicious.

This was truly incredibly enjoyable refreshing moment. David was wrapped up in the moment of joy, he was drinking too fast, filling up his mouth then gulping the full contents of his mouth, he had almost forgotten how to swallow and began choking. Then after a few deep lung-clearing coughs, he tried to speak. Only a raspy whispered slid past his lips in a barely audible, very horse voice asks her, ” Nancy, Where, am I?"

"Saigon Military Hospital" she replied. "You, are our miracle patient. We were all taking bets, no one ever thought you’d last a week the way you were torn to pieces.”

”How long have I. . . .

David started to ask..

“Excuse Me..?”, she replied with a wrinkled brow, she cocked her head sideways like a dog investigating something abnormal to his realm of understanding. She had a puzzled blank expression on her face as if he should know by know. She picked up his chart once again and began to scan it for more of an understanding of his injuries to help with his rehabilitation. ”Well, lets... see?" It says here you‘ve been here with us, about... two and a half months now!”

“WHAT?” David was taking another drink when he caught the answer and almost choked on his water again. He rolled to the side of the bed, and hung his head over the side coughing hard, splattering some of the water onto the waxy tile floor. " Two and a half months? How can that be? I need to get up, need to get on my feet."

"Whoa soldier relax, relax…! First off, you need to stop thrashing around before you hurt yourself. Then you need to take one step at a time.” But when David went to move his legs, the bandages restrict and bind him down again. ”Here David, Wait let me?

Lets have a look at your progress, shall we?” she tells him as she begins to slowly, carefully unravel the bandages. Nancy was handling David's arm with the utmost care and kindness, as if she would break it if she were not careful, imagining his injuries will be tender to the touch if not painful. But when David does not react to the increasing firmness of her grip as she expected started to worry her, until she sees beneath the last layer of cotton wrapping before exposed skin. There is a noticeable gasp as she drew in a deep breath past her lips, and the shock in her wide eyes that she cannot hide, instantly recoiling her hand from him, with a look of disbelief that suddenly al the blood rushed from her face leaving a pale expression of shock, and her mouth gaping open. She hesitates for a second, as if to inhale a deep calming breath to regain her composure. Then the stunned nurse continued to slowly remove the bandages covering his left arm, as careful she could, one cycle wrap at a time and this time at a more concentrated and deliberate pace. Her heart was beating furiously. Her eyes grew wide. Perspiration began to from beads that started to roll down her cheek.

She was suddenly like a deer caught in the headlights as the final wrap is pulled away. Not blinking in fear of missing something, staring down in a fixed gaze. The duty nurse was expecting to find some sort of sign of injury, scar tissue, some scabbing. Something other than what she found beneath the yards of cloth strands, which was nothing, not even a sign of a scratch.

Trying to remain calm the nurse began to slowly step backwards with a frightened expression blanketing her face. Momentarily, she stood confused at what exactly she should do next. Paralyzed in disbelief, a tinge of icy fear crept over her. David realized what was happening by the expression on the woman's face. So he strained a strangely crooked smile upwards at her to get her attention from her disbelieving eyes. ”Excuse, mum--Me David,” is all she can think to say as she started to back away. “I’ll Be Right Back.”

The nurse turned, increased her stride and almost sprinted away from the bed towards the her rayon uniform barely able to contain the large breasts that bounced and swayed always threatening to spring from the white cotton bras confines. Her white thick-soled hard rubber shoes, they were squeaking loudly on the waxy floor. The support hose made a 'wisp' type sound with each chubby thigh fighting for position with each pass in their hurried steps towards the exit. David was unconcerned with her strange reaction, but seeming more curious about his buddy across the room. So he cast his eyes about looking for him, but there is was a new face occupying the bed of his friend. A male orderly was at that moment walking by his bed. ”Excuse me Sir, could you please tell me what happened to the patient that once occupied that bed, the one right over there?” David asks, “Oh you must mean Henry.” The orderly said smiling. “He was released a couple of weeks ago. I believe he is still on medical leave, and was to report back home. So I'd imagine that he is as of right now, headed to the 'VA' Hospital in Langley Virginia.”

“What did you say was his last name again Sir?” David asks.

The orderly had to stop and rub his chin and think for a second. ” I think it was something like "Castgo. Gastlo," or something to that effect! No....wait, Wait a minuet! Castro, Henry... Castro!

That’s it!” ”Thanks Sir.” David said, thanking him with a strained wave. The orderly calmly nodded his head in recognition of the wave and returned to his normal duties of checking the visual condition of his patients as he makes his rounds. David suddenly reflects back in time to the second closest friends he has ever had. ”It seems like it all just happened yesterday. First Dominique, Angie, and Lori. Then one by one: Doc, Hacksaw, Preacher, NASA, Ali and finally Stevie, all of them gone in the blink of an eye.

He began to feel a pang of remorse digging deep inside his gut, his very soul that troubled him, that he was the lone survivor in both deadly situations. “Damn it. I have got to get out of here, and I will, as soon as I get the disk back." "I, am outta here!”

****

Castillo suddenly feels a rookie detective's excitement by what he has found. He even caught himself smiling for second from the small patch of re-discovered pride, for finally finding something in the case that makes a logical connection. Adrenaline rushed and pulsed through his body, and wildly in his veins, with the pressure and force of dual a finely tuned 'Holly' carburetor injection ystem mounted on a rebuilt funny-car, toes on the throttle at the starting line, its first test run. Waiting for the yellow light to turn green. Sam felt like he had nitro fuel surging thru his veins.

He felt completely renewed, like it was him about to make that run, headed for the finish line in first place, only yards from the end of the quarter mile doing record time. Revitalized for the moment about the fact that he finally has something to go on in the cul-de-sac of a serial cop killer investigation other than his imaginary scenario’s.

With all the files laid out on the desk in front of him he felt the excitement of adrenaline coursing through his veins again like a rookie detective close to solving his first real case. When suddenly the pattern’s and motive’s of the past couple of months become painfully clear, REVENGE!

“This guy wants to send a message big time, but to who? I just need to find out what drives him, them or her, to commit this kind of cold calculated, sadistically psychotic means of redemption. And what sot of connection he has with the new Alderman.

What could he have done to this guy Mitchell? Peace! Whatever! To have him deliberately leave a trail like some kind of macabre warning. Sam knows he first track, then hunt him down before he can kill again.

Wanting the victims to either see him, or know of his presence just before he kills them. "Well!", Castillo says to himself.

“Guess I will be attending another boring, ass kissing ribbon ceremony. It is time for a little one on one Tex. I got a little story that I know someone is just dying to tell me, and I just cannot wait to hear it. Lets see what kind of skeleton’s we have stashed away in our closet, eh...Mister Alderman!”

****

As Peace climbed into Aubrey's car to avoid the drizzle that would soon develop into a full-blown storm in minuets, he’s already busy plotting away at a plan. Thinking ahead he was already laying the groundwork for some new diabolical dirty work, and a new path to pave. His first deed on the agenda, he needed a place to lay low for a while especially after smoking those last two cops. He wanted to toy with Castillo. He knew that sooner or later the pieces of the puzzle would fall into place for him and he would come calling. Peace let him get close but not too close, the trail must be getting hot, time to lay low for a while. A new girl with a fine ass, a place to crash. "Out of sight, out of mind."

Peace thought, smiling to himself. “Just two more to go! I’m gonna save that cock sucker Castillo for last for settin the shit up.

He ain’t goin no where till he see me, for the last time before I send him to hell. But, Mr. Alderman Whitteman, you shall serve your constituents by first seeing things in a different light. For your deed we will become brothers of a single vision for once.

Then, it’s a life you will gladly donate...for an eye! And then, there was one. Payback, ain't it a BITCH! Castillo, I’ll be seeing you before you see me, which will be Real...soon! Yo ass will be mine, and on my terms and in my time." Aubrey was busy navigating through the congested streets and turning the radio dial looking for a decent song to sing along to, while Peace sat passively silent in thought. Staring out through the gathered raindrops on the window, at the brightly lit neon storefronts and large mix of people on the sidewalk passing each other quickly heading to their next destination. He surveyed the faces in the crowd, at times seeing his mothers face making him wonder how she was since he ran away those many years ago. The scrambling pedestrians clutched their collars tight to keep the rain out, while dodging the rain puddles that formed in the sagging concrete. He watched them step back from the cub to dodge the side spray from the tires as the cars whiz by the intersections. Almost 11: 30 and the street still had a lot of activity in the darkness. His glancing view seemed to almost hold them in place for a split second, some of them mid stride, like a snapshot frozen in time. "Killing my friends, has brought death to your doorstep. I will be the judge, jury and executioner and there will be no appeal. I hereby sentence you, to Death By Impatience! Dominique, Lori, and Angie I’m almost done with the bastards that killed you my loving sisters, and the stranger the healer. Now I will never find out his secret . "Damn you Castillo." Peace thought as he frowned and began to reflect with a clenched jaw. "You killed that strange cat David before I could find out what the fuck that was that happened on that train?

Fool healed his self, right in front of my eyes. Peace Stopped all other thought for a moment to try and dissect and figure out exactly what it was that he saw that was so unbelievable. "He had a Big ass hole in his chest, Gushing blood so hard I could hear it.

Then all of a sudden I could see through his hand, right into the big fuckin hole in his chest." He said to himself. "Then all of a sudden, It just started to close up.

Didn’t leave no scar. Nothing! Now, that... Mutha-fucka was Somebody! I ain’t never heard, or seen of no shit like that before. He healed himself, right before my eyes, Shit. Except maybe... Jesus!” Peace stopped breathing momentarily at the very thought, he pondered on in silence as the light changed and Aubrey jammed the gas, around the next corner she was closer to home.

" Jesus?"

****

The stunned duty nurse Nancy was returning quickly towards David’s bedside, her rubber-soled shoes squeaking, trumpeting her return with each step against the shiny wax floor. Only this time, she had company. She was being followed by a small group of curious men and women like they were puppies and she had a dripping ice-cream cone in one hand and a dangling hot-dog about to fall out of the bun in the other. They quickly marched over in a collective and surrounded the small bed.

All were bumping into one another trying to get close enough to see first hand the physical anomaly of the wounded and near death but now defying scientific explanation and completely healed and recovered Private David Mann. They had very animated carnival sideshow type anxious looks on their faces. ”OH-OH!” David thinks to himself, as he scans the faces in the gathered crowd of penetrating stares.

”This does not look good!” The nurse Nancy was trying her best acting performance and by using her most calming fake sincere tone and plastic smiles. The group crushed inward to allow a better view. “I hope you don’t mind David, but...I’d like to show these gentlemen something." Well... Extraordinary.” The overly cheery chubby nurse once again gently lifted David's arm as if would shatter if she dropped it. Working slowly, taking her time as she patiently peeled back the bandages. She raised the newly exposed skin for close inspection by the group. The pristine flesh beneath the bandages revealed absolute perfect wound free, scar-less skin on a patient so torn up on admission day by 50. Millimeter machine gun shell wounds, that they had given the possibility of only hours of life, not weeks. There was even a macabre lottery going on the floor about what would be the time of death. After a near death by near amputation of his leg and arm at the shoulder by huge shells, and only weeks later to find he did not die, but had a full recovery. This is truly amazing. Nancy helped to bandage his shoulder hip and leg, with splints to keep the twisted, folded flesh connected, or as close to the bone as best as they could, in hopes it would heal partially so that if by chance he did live, they could decide on amputation, or some other type of reconstructive surgery. Their hope for him was that if he had survived, he could still somehow try and live a semi-normal live with one arm to operate a wheel chair. They knew for a fact, patient # 9 as they referred to him. That happened to be David’s bed number, was only minuets from one of their certain payoffs to their ghoulish lotto game of life or death.

So the decision was made to keep Morphine in the IV trying to keep the dying soldier as comfortable and numb as they can, before they hoped he quietly died without pain. The doctors like the nurse are stunned beyond belief by what they don’t find under David’s bandages the more they remove. "It’s the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life”, one Dr. says his mouth still hanging open in disbelief. The admitting young Doctor could only utter one descriptive phrase, ”Fantastic! When David was first admitted to the triage center they continue to stare one by one as they rolled him into surgery, gawking in awe at the completely shredded skin and flayed muscle, the way the powerful shell had smashed ribs as it plowed through his body.

Some missing chunks of muscle were ripped away by the destruction of the shells from the tanks guns, but now all they see before them is simply flawless skin. ”We'll need to run test’s immediately, A to Z.” They all turned their collective backs and huddled, then began to debate David situation, ignoring him like he has become their test rat in a glass cage. Caring on their observation’s and speculation, as if he were not in the same room, leaving David just a little upset. ”It’s definitely time to go!” He thought, looking at his future jailers.

David looked up into the maze of zombie-like stares, looking down on him and instantly made up his mind. He started at that very second figuring out an escape plan of action, as he lay there uncomfortable, being gawked at.

They were grabbing at him, handling him like they were inspecting a unique package instead of a person. Each probing his medical chart for deeper clues of what they think is possible for this medical miracle, perhaps some mistake they made in the chemical dosage that triggered something in his body that caused this. Thinking someone missed something in his chart, unseen misread or misunderstood information that could be critical to undiscovered clues to this mystery.

"Excuse me”, David tried to interject. “Would it be alright with you gentleman, and you and you Ma’am, if you would be so kind as to peel the rest of this mummy’s outfit long enough for me to possibly take a hot shower, and maybe use a real bathroom for once, instead of holding my ass over this cold steel bed pan for a change? Oh and get some real food." They all stare at each other for a moment pondering the question, encircle the bed again choking off David’s oxygen and continued as if he had said nothing.

They watched in awe as the nurse began to unravel the remaining cloth wraps. They stopped to inspect and examine David as if he was some sort of giant party tamale. Pausing only every other couple of second’s to inspect by touching his upper-body. It was soon realized that once all the wraps were removed, he had some how completely healed. Even the large section's of shredded flesh was now flawless skin. One of the doctors was anxiously lifting the bandages covering his penis. But he stopped just short, realizing that it was not an effected area.

Passing that particular body part for closer examination made David suddenly a rush of anxiety and tension lift from him, and he felt a sigh of relief come over him that they wouldn’t be handling his genitals in the nurse’s presence. They were also curious about the lack of arm pit and pubic hair. She was about to make some kind of point about handling David the way, they were bickering like this was her discovery.

David suddenly feels a cool rush of air across the top of his head as they reveal underneath the head bandage a completely bare scalp. David’s free hand immediately rushed to his follicle free scalp, did his hair fall out? or “Did they shave it off and not tell me?” he thinks, while he was passed out on medication. Whatever it was David was now was completely bald and hairless all over.

They all gathered in for a closer inspection of their new found human oddity groping him, stroking his skin, rubbing it feeling it’s texture. It’s like silk”, another Doctor say's smiling dead panned. ”This is absolutely amazing skin...! Look at this.” Another young doctor says with wide eyes. ”Not even as much as a scar.” Now feeling freedom from the confining bondage of the cocoon as the last of the bandages is removed, David drew in a deep breath and exhaled with a big relaxed smile. In his best effort at acting yet he asked nurse Nancy about the fatigues he was wearing at the time he was brought in. He needs the disk before he leaves. ”Back in a Sec,” she said, as she scurried off to fetch his uniform. She returns with a plastic bag of shredded bloody rags, with a paper sticker with his name on it. "Damn! There is no...way." The nurse and the group leave David in stunned disbelief.

"This! Was MY, uniform? Look at it! ” David thinks as he tumbles it end over end, scanning through the thick plastic. ”No wonder they are looking at me like somehow I factor into, or at least one of these hopeful wannabe doctors wish's to get a better chance of getting some sort of overnight medical recognition from all this. “These Idiot’s want to play lab rat with me? Well not if I have anything to say about this rookie gaze-a-thon. Not today anyway.” David searched the clothing. His fingers squeezed every inch of the fabric of the ragged pockets.

“WHERE...IS...It?” "Where Is It?” Then he felt it. He pulled it free of the threads. It had some how gotten inside the lining itself. David furrowed his brow over just how that happened, but the question was shelved for now as he slid it out to inspect it. Now he is the one who is amazed. Through all the shelling and shrapnel, there is not a nick or a scratch on the disc. It’s just as smooth as the day he took it from Dr. Matthew Mann’s study. “This is truly fantastic.” he thought.

Clutching it tight in his palm, he makes his way out into the hallway still dressed in his hospital gown. As he enters the hallway he suddenly experiences flashback images of when he was bound in bandages and under sedation for weeks at a time, while he lay helpless in the hospital bed. All the while the morphine drip took over his mind and made his already strange dreams seem even more bizarre.

Images of People's faces, strange places, water, space, traveling. All these pictures were happening very fast. He's sudden