Doctor Who_ Hope - Mark Clapham [38]
Out! shouted the Doctor, slamming the door into the faces of the street children, who had been pushing past each other to get a look at the gruesome display. Powlin gave the Doctor a questioning look.
This isnt a sight for children, said the Doctor, moving past Powlin for a closer examination of the bodies.
Doctor, said Powlin, holstering his weapon. Those children have probably seen more death and violence in their short lives than you ever have.
Oh, I doubt that, replied the Doctor, his serious tone leaving no room for disagreement. Whatever schedule our killer is working to, its just picked up a notch, he added, and it took a moment for Powlin to register the change of subject.
Youre telling me, said Powlin redundantly. Multiple victims is unheard of, especially only a day after the previous attack. Think this might be a copycat killing?
The Doctor shook his head. No, these incisions are the work of the same killer. But there are anomalies. He gingerly slipped a hand into a space between two of the bodies, and picked up a slim plastic capsule.
Powlin looked at it blankly. What is it?
A disposable casing from a medical shot, discarded when an injection is made, said the Doctor. Now, from what Ive seen on Endpoint, I doubt anything is disposable, am I right?
Powlin took the casing and examined it. Only time Ive been inoculated, the syringe went straight into the steriliser and was used again.
I thought so, said the Doctor, nodding enthusiastically in spite of his gory surroundings. He began to search around the clothing of the adult female corpse, and eventually lifted up an arm for Powlin to examine. Look, there.
Powlin followed the Doctors finger, and could see a small, clear bead peeking through the grey sleeve. The Doctor pressed the material around it down, and Powlin could see that the bead was at the end of a slim dart sticking into the womans skin.
Tranquilliser shot, said the Doctor, standing up and letting the corpse drop back to the floor. He bounded over to one of the dead children, and started doing a similar examination. It looked like he was playing with a headless ragdoll, flipping it around. There, another one. Our killers getting sloppy, leaving physical evidence. He wanted this crop of heads quickly and efficiently, so he came in through the window, firing tranquilliser shots from a medium range dart gun, a device not uncommon in outbreak situations but incompatible with any medical technology Ive seen in Hope. He removed the heads, and left without clearing up after himself.
Sounds like he doesnt care any more, said Powlin.
Possibly, said the Doctor. Or that whatever hes doing with these heads, our killer thinks the end of the project will make any retribution for his crimes seem irrelevant.
The previous day, Pazon had finally after some not inconsiderable remuneration given Fitz what he knew on the Brotherhood of the Silver Fist. It seemed that most of the populace of Hope knew who the Brotherhood were, as their previous attacks on Silver, and the miserable failure of such attacks, had been the subject of a number of news items on the local mediastreams. Pazon had pointed out a flat, televisiontype screen on a nearby stall, which was showing images of Silver despatching one of the Brotherhood the previous night. The Brotherhood were generally regarded as exactly what Fitz had suspected dangerous fanatics who were capable of anything.
Pazon had given Fitz a location to go to, a deserted area beneath two bridges where Pazon had heard that members of the Brotherhood met. Fitz had spent the rest of the afternoon staking the place out, watching from