By Ken Marien, (c) 1999
“Good morning, agents.” His big, bald head spoke without any emotion whatsoever.
“Good morning, sir,” said agent Eric, the funny one.
“I have something for you. Something to INVESTIGATE, not TO GET BLOWN INTO PIECES! Got it?”
Apearently he was still mad about the last case where they kinda blew up a Russian Tanker. But they didn’t mean to, it just happened.
“What’s the case, sir?” asked agent Frank. Frank was the forensics expert of the team and somehow he knew they were getting a dangerous case. No ‘weird danger’ like all the other times, but just down-to-earth danger.
“I’m sending you to Special Operations to investagate the death of one John Jürgens. He was found dead around 7.30 last night. No police yet. You’re the first. Now get out of my sight.”
Agent Danny knodded, straightened his suit and walked out with the rest, leaving the big bald one alone with his bad temper and social problems.
On their way to the car Eric held Frank a moment : “Hey, Frank, do you have an extra gun for me? I sorta lost mine last time.”
“No, I’m sorry. Maybe Danny, or else you have to ask the Bureau.”
“I already asked them both: Danny didn’t have a spare one and the Bureau doesn’t believe me anymore.”
“So you have nothing?”
“Of course I have something,” Eric said as he pulled out a big butcher knife, a little rusted but shining clean.
“Well, as long as we’re just investigating you’ll be fine,” said Frank, opening his pocket to take his cigs.
It was freezing outside. Danny was trying to open his car.
“Come on, how can something this expensive be so much crap?” He kicked the blue Viper he was working on.
“Take it easy, Danny. Why do we need two cars? Let’s just take mine,” said Frank.
“Fine.”
Frank closed his coat and lit his cigarette. The smoke made complicated forms and twists in the cold winter sky.
They all got in Frank’s Taurus and left for the Special Operations Buildings.
There were two big skyscrapers forming Special Operations. They were located in the middle of town with hudreds of people passing by every minute. Frank parks right in front, almost hitting a young woman.
“Frank, be careful. I don’t want any trouble before we get started.”
“Yeah, sorry, I’m a bit tense today.”
Inside the building the temperature was nice, very nice. So was the girl at the desk. She was in her mid-20’s, blonde hair on her shoulders, deep blue eyes and what a figure! Eric was the first to reach the desk
followed after 0.01 seconds by Danny and after 0.05 by Frank.
“Good morning, genltemen, can I help you?” Her voice was as sweet as anything they ever heard.
“Yes. We’re here for the investigation of Mr Jürgens,” said Danny, trying to look as impressive as possible.
“Ah, yes. Could you show me some ID, please?”
“Of course.” They all reached deep in their coat pockets and dug up their badges.
“Ok, here are your special badges. Mr Jürgens’ office is on the fifth floor. And that’s the only elevator in the building. If you have any questions you can always come to me.”
“What’s your number?” Eric asked, immediately interupted by Frank.
“Thanks. We know where to find you,” he said, taking Eric by the arm.
The fifth floor was quiet. There was nobody around except a guard in a darkblue uniform standing in front of a door. His stressed face was staring right forward.
“Good morning. Is this Mr Jürgens’ office?” Danny asked the man.
“Yes it is. You here to investigate?” he asked in a cold voice.
“You here to stand in way of people?” Eric asked with a great smile.
“Forgive my partner. He’s quite rude today. I don’t know why. But we are the investigators,” said Danny.
The guard opened the door and let them in. The room was small and started to smell. In the middle of it lied a man with a little hole in the forehead with some dried up blood around it. His eyes were wide open and showed fear and pain. Frank sat down next to it.
“There’s a hole in the window,” said Danny, “probably sniper.”
“Could be. It is a sniper caliber between his eyes here,” Frank said, moving the victims head in all directions.
“What if I checked the roof from across the street, Frank?” Eric asked.
“Sure, go ahead. I’ll question the guard outside.”
“And I’ll go see the boss.”
Danny found himself an excuse to see the young lady from the reception again, and got the boss’ adress as well. It was on the seventh floor. In front of his office there were two big men dressed in black. They looked
‘professional’. That was the only word he could find for their looks.
“Hello, I’m here for the investigation of John Jürgens. Can I speak to your boss, please?”
“He’s busy at the moment, but we’ll tell him you’re in the building,” the biggest of the two said.
“I can’t see him now?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Ok. Thank you. I guess,” he said as he turned back and headed for the fifth floor again.
Eric stood on the roof. It was even colder there and the wind was so strong it could blow him off if he didn’t pay attention. He tried to find something, but he couldn’t. This was the cleanest roof he had ever seen. Maybe the shooter wasn’t on the roof but in his room. Great! More possibilities. Just what he needed. He deceided to get back inside and try to be useful for the investigation.
Frank questioned the guard and noticed there was something wrong. First of all the guard mentioned coroners but the Big Bald One said they were the first and he didn’t see any sign of medical examination either. And second, the guard was sweating like hell, he was so nervous he could barely speak.
“Hey, Frank. Are you ready?” Danny yelled. “We’re gonna ask a list of employees at the reception.”
“Hold on, I’m coming with you.” He also wanted to see that girl again, and maybe he needed a list too, but he didn’t really know yet.
They got the list and saw the girl, what was more than they hoped. When the arrived at the fifth floor again the guard was missing. All of a sudden Danny and Frank got their guns and started running in the two
directions the hall would let them.
“The bastard ran away,” Danny yelled.
“Guys! Wait!” Eric said but it was already too late. They were gone.
It took them exactly 12 seconds to arrive back.
“He could be anywhere, but he can’t escape if we block his exit. What are we standing here? Get the hell downstairs!” Danny ordered.
According to the beautiful girl no one passed there. Then Frank was aproached by the two ‘profesionals’.
“Could you please come with us, our boss wants to speak to you.”
“Well, you have to talk to the team leader over there.” Frank said. He didn’t trust those guys.
“Yeah sure, finally. Frank, you’re coming with me. Eric, you stay here. No one gets out, okay?”
They were brought to the seventh floor where Danny already had been by the two men who didn’t say anything. Frank really didn’t trust this. Why the hell does a man who supervises bookkeepers need apes with guns to protect him? Because they had guns. He could see the holsters trough their jackets. He just knew people were about to get shot. Inside the office there was a big guy in white shirt with sweat stains under his arms sitting behind his desk. Maybe he was 40, 45 years old. He had one hand on his desk, the other one under the desk.
“Goodday, gentlemen. How’s the investigation?”
“Well, we found out that the guard has knows something,” Danny said, immediately interupted by Frank.
“Well, uh, he told me his wife could have a baby any minute, so that could, uh, explain his behavior.”
“Nice try, fancy boy, but he didn’t have a wife.”
Frank heard the guards behind him doing something but he couldn’t hear what. Until he heard a gunshot and felt a sharp pain trough his back. “GET DOWN FRANK!”
The room was filled with bullets flying around trying to hit Danny or Frank. Frank mannaged to fall on the floor next to the desk and tried to turn around. He felt the bullet in his back turning as he did. “IT FUCKIN’ HURTS GODDAMNIT!” he yelled.
Danny already got his gun and shot one of the guards in the chest. The man dropped his gun and with a reflex grabbed where the bullet had entered his body and then fell to the floor, hitting it hard with his head.
Finally Frank got to his gun and aimed at the other guard who was pointing his gun at Danny. Frank pulled the trigger and saw the guy bang against the wall, firing his weapon at Danny and then collapsing, number
was down. He heard Danny shout in pain and he heard another shot. In a fraction of a second Frank covered his head. He felt a bullet entering and leaving his left shoulder.
“FUCK! MOTHERFUCKER!”
Danny had never heard Frank swear this much. He raised his gun again and shot the big man in the leg. The big man fell on his desk which splintered as soon as his massive body hit it.
“NOW ITS JUST YOU AND ME MOTHERFUCKER! JUST YOUR UGLY FACE AND THIS GUN ASSHOLE!” Frank was tripping. Anger and hate were showed in his eyes.
“FRANK! DON’T KILL HIM! WE NEED HIM!”
“SORRY DANNY, IT’S PERSONAL. FUCK YOU FATSO, LOOKS LIKE FANCY BOY IS GONNA END YOUR LIFE WITH A NICE BULLET IN YOUR SWEATY BRAIN!”
He shot once, twice. The blood splattered on his face and clothes and all over the room. His brains all over Frank’s shoes.
“Damn, Frank. We were investigating something, remember?”
“Yeah. Now take me to a hospital.” He fainted.
Danny took one last look at the room: bloodstains everywhere, two dead bodies lying on each side of the door, a splintered desk with the remains of the Supervisor of Exports.
The Big Bald One wouldn’t like this…
