Alien Crime Boss

Chapter 1

Novalie

The car glides smoothly even along the rough terrain in this part of town. My method of transportation is a bit outdated by most standards, an older model hovercar that can both roll on the ground as well as soar through the air. We don’t use it much as a flyer, even over these pothole-filled pathways. When you’re a Peacekeeper charged with upholding the law, there’s something to be said for making your presence obvious right here on the ground. 

I slide down the glass window for the sake of allowing some air inside to get rid of the humidity, but it’s no good. 

“It’s a fucking hot one today,” comments Agent Mara Silva, a fellow Peacekeeper and a dear friend of mine. “Novalie, remind me of what we already have for the crime scene.”

“The murder of one Bahana Branon, a high-ranking member of the Odex Mafia,” I reply, having memorized all of the firsthand details when the Peacekeepers received the call earlier in the morning. “Reportedly tortured then beaten to death in the middle of a residential courtyard.”

“Just another day in the office.”

“But this isn’t another plain old murder. The twist here is that the incident occurred deep within the realms of Vakutan territory.”

“Well, that’s going to cause a bit of a stir in the local community,” remarks Mara.

“And an even bigger one in the underworld. We’re here, get ready.”

I slow the vehicle down as we approach a narrow opening between two buildings. Huddled around is a group of citizens, all of them keen to get an eyeful of the scene. I grab hold of the intercom.

“Clear the way folks, there’s nothing to see here!”

My voice amplifies over the intercom, causing the citizens of Gur to disperse. The police remove the barrier to allow us entry into the cordoned-off scene. The alleyway-like opening widens into a small courtyard, decorated with benches and a small fountain. 

From here I can see the fountain spouting blood in place of water. After parking in the corner, I grab my gear and exit the vehicle. The courtyard acts as a social setting for the residents in the area, mainly for those living in the apartments looking down on us from above.

Seated nearby is who I assume to be witnesses with blankets wrapped around them. They appear shaken up, their eyes either empty or filled with a look of regret, perhaps ruing being there firsthand to see what had happened.

“Damn!” curses Mara, pinching her nose. “The smell!”

The air is riddled with the sour odor of tainted meat, its overpowering scent intensified by the dreaded heat of the sun. I step closer to the source as I come upon the scene of the crime.

Strewn over the side of the fountain is the victim, Bahana Branon, or what remains of him. Most of his body is intact but his hands and feet lay a few feet away from him, exposed in the open air.

“Can someone get these covered?” I yell out, angered by the amateurish work. I inspect his upper body, seeing the top of his head dunked into the water. Blood leaks from where his hair once was, now replaced by a mix of bone and flesh.

The water is contaminated with his blood, with shards of his skull floating around in it. The sight is nauseating but I swallow hard and begin taking notes. Mara throws a hand to her mouth and gags. Some people just never quite adjust to the smell.

“Hand me the camera,” I tell her. “Go take a minute.”

She hands me a small device in the shape of a pen. At the top of it is a lens capable of snapping crystal-clear images. I get to work documenting pictures of the victim, getting up close and personal. Mara comes back to me, her skin pale as she shoots another glance at Bahana.

“What – what kind of sick monster could have done this?” she stutters.

“Whoever did this wanted them to suffer,” I say. Walking over to the now-covered appendages, I pull back the tarp. “These were sliced off cleanly, with precision. Note the flatness along the exposed flesh.”

I bring Mara back to the body. “Compare that to the head wound.” Mara reluctantly leans in closer, inspecting the smashed head. “That wasn’t done with a weapon, it seems to be the result of brute force. Maybe the killer used the side of the fountain here to achieve this.”

I cast a glance around the various apartment balconies up ahead, then at the crowd behind us trying so desperately to get a look.

“I don’t like this,” I mutter.

“What?” asks Mara.

“I said I don’t like this. The killer could be watching us right now from anywhere.”

“Please don’t say that.” She shudders. “Besides, I don’t see any suspicious-looking Vakutan in the immediate vicinity.”

“Me neither, but we can’t be so quick to assume it was one of them who did this.”

“But this is their territory, didn’t you say that?” she asks in confusion.

“Yes, but Odex and Vakutan aren’t the only groups we have to worry about. There’s also the Dragonian clan.”

“Why can’t this all be so simple?” sighs Mara.

“It almost never is with gang-related cases. There’s an ongoing struggle for power between all three groups so I wouldn’t put it past the Dragonian to have done this and framed it on the Vakutan.”

“Maybe so.”

“Then again, I’m just speculating. Do you have the stomach to gather some of our dear friend Bahana here?”

Mara takes a deep breath and nods. “I wasn’t planning on eating lunch anyway.”

“Alright, I’ll head over to the witnesses and see if I can find anything out from them. Give me a shout if you need something.”

I approach the first of three witnesses, a Kaleidian woman whose eyes are wide with fear when I greet her.

“You saw this happen, right? Or at least part of it?”

“I… No… I mean, yes but…” The woman’s mouth keeps opening and closing with nothing comprehensible coming out. “I just… heard the screams…”

I could see there was no way I’m going to get anything useful from her in her current state. Thanking her, I move to the next witness, a human man. He continuously fidgets with his hands, but luckily is able to talk.

“I woke up to the screaming,” he tells me. “I rushed to the balcony just in time to see the swing of an ax. It was one of the victim’s hands that came off, though I can’t remember which one.”

“An ax,” I mutter. So I was right then. “Did you catch sight of the killer’s features?”

“I’m afraid not. The courtyard was still engulfed in the shadows at the time of the killing.”
I come to the final witness, an elderly citizen. She's clearly Baktu, the planet Gur's original race.

“I was the one who called the police, but as per usual they took their time,” she groans as if witnessing the event was merely an inconvenience. “It was barbaric. The killer threw down the ax and used his hands and whatever he could find to do that to the poor man’s head. In all my years, I’ve never seen anything quite as violent.”

As with the others, she also hadn’t seen the killer’s face. His identity remains a mystery. I return to Mara just as she seals the final evidence bag, which now contains fragments of skull.

“So what do you think this is all about?” she asks. “If these gangs are all trying to get rid of each other, wouldn’t the streets be littered with scenes like these?”

“Well, there’s word of them trying to co-exist peacefully. Maybe one of them is trying to start a gang war, or perhaps this Odex caused trouble on the wrong side of town. Then again, it could be that this truce doesn’t exist at all, who knows? Either way, someone’s responsible for this, and I’m going to bring the son of a bitch down.”

“You’re fired up, Novalie,” says Mara as we make our way back to the hovercar. “This won’t be easy.”

“If this job was easy then everyone would be doing it.”

As I drive out, Mara swipes through information displayed on a holographic screen in front of her.

“So you said this was Vakutan territory. Seems like it’s the Vindrik Syndicate specifically who’s calling the shots around here.”

“Tell me more,” I say with curiosity. “I’ve only heard the name thrown around once or twice, but I need details.”

“They’re quite the bad guys from the looks of things. Let me see here… Yikes. The Vindrik certainly have a handle on this part of the city. Take a look.”

I come to a stop in traffic and glance over at Mara’s screen. The Vindrik’s associates stretch far and wide, the screen displaying a long list of known names as well as a map highlighting the areas under their control.

“Any murders under their belt?” I ask.

“Well, yes and no,” says an unsure Mara. “Some of their members have committed murder, but all those caught denied the killings had any ties to the Vindrik. Victims seem to have been family or friends of the perpetrators, all non-gang affiliated, so there's no clear link to the Syndicate.”

“Or maybe it’s all a cover-up with the top brass pulling the strings,” I remark.

“Even if that were the case, these guys are all in prison now anyway, and I highly doubt any will talk at this stage. You know what they say, ‘snitches get stitches.’”

I bring my eyes back to the road as the hovercar accelerates, making a turn in the direction of the Peacekeeper's headquarters.

“So what activity do we have directly tied to the Vindrik Syndicate?” I ask.

“Looks like there have been statements given that detail a few things, just give me a second… Yeah, so store owners who refuse to pay up protection money are made an example of, being physically beaten and their shops being trashed. No one gives any names or identification of the enforcers though.”

“Likely out of fear, I imagine.”
“Can you blame them? These Vindrik are no joke. Definitely the alphas in this section of Gur.”

I pull into the parking lot, the whirring of the hovercar engine slowly ceasing as I bring the vehicle to a halt.

“No matter the case, the perpetrator must be brought to justice,” I say with determination. “A gang war is the last thing Gur needs. Citizens here deserve to live in peace. To not have to wake up to a gory mess on their doorstep. I’ll consult with Lucia later on. For now, let’s bring what we’ve collected to the evidence room.”