Team Bête Noire

By: “Timothy” Fred Parks

Chapter 2: Butterflies?

Gooood Morning Boston!  Hey! It’s going to be a great day in bean town.  The Red Sox are getting ready for a day at the races in continued attempts to reel in Yankees. With a three game set starting tonight, there’s a wicked good chance they could over take them by the end of the weekend.   Tonight’s weather looks great for baseball.  It’s going to be cloudy and cool with a North Easterly wind at five miles per hour.  Over night lows at sixty-two degrees but game time temperatures should be in the high sixties.  That’ll wrap up this edition of the 6:15 sports report.  Hang in there folks because its Friday and I have a little something to get you stoked for the last day of this week and set you mind right for the weekend.  Turn it up and rock it out Boston.  Here’s a little Living Dead Girl to get your motors running….

Craig sat up on the edge of his bed as the clock radio alarm blared some forgotten late 90’s rock song.  He rotated his neck side-to-side and listened to the pops and crackles of one too many miles on a relatively young frame.  As he stood up the knees followed suit making even louder cracks and creaks.

He yawned big and rubbed the back of his head as he instinctively made his way to the morning depository to drop off some liquid assets.  That’s when he realized he had fallen asleep fully dressed yet again.  His mouth was dry and thick; the only reminder left from a night of hiding memories in a bottle.

After taking care of his morning business transactions he stripped off his button up shirt, leaving the dingy white undershirt in place.  He turned on the cold water and began to splash his face and rub his hair.  It was as close to a shower as he’d taken in three weeks.

The sickness was getting worse.  The depression was digging its claws deeper into him by the day.  He tried to chase it with alcohol

“Silly rabbit” he thought to himself “alcohol is a depressant”

What did it matter though? She was gone.  His career was gone.  His self-respect was gone. He plunged his hand into his pocket and felt around…Yep, and now what little money he had available to him was gone as well.

Craig turned and left the restroom.  He took a white button up shirt from a pile near the bed and sniffed it. 

“Clean enough” he whispered and pulled the shirt over his body, buttoned it then tucked it in his black trousers.

He made his way to the front door.  He wasn’t sure where he would go but he wouldn’t stay here.  Here was where she used to live.  Here…had turned into a place he knew in his heart she’d be disappointed with.  He couldn’t bear to be “here” longer than it took to sleep one off. 

Craig pulled his over coat on feeling the weight of his guns that rested in the specially concealed shoulder harnesses, then opened the door. As the door swung open his eyes met a familiar face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s time…time to set in motion a new age” Dr. Edgar Wilhiam said to himself; a wicked smile filled his features.

Dr. Wilhiam’s steady hands took a needle from his workstation then pushed it into a rubber stopper that covered what appeared to be an empty vile.  Then he ever so carefully placed the vile inside a plexy glass containment box and sealed it. 

Once he was satisfied the box was airtight, he slipped his hands into the built-in gloves on the side.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked seemingly to no one.

“This is the Niphanda fusca” he began to explain.

“What’s that?” he asked; once again to no one in particular

“Oh yes, yes this is a very rare specimen but not for the reason you may think.  This one has been specially engineered” Dr. Wilhiam said as he pulled the needle from the vile.

A blue gas immediately began to pour from the hole that had been created by the needle.  As air hit the blue cloud it became caustic to the rubber stopper and melted it away.  A thick blue mist hung in the box just over a hanging caterpillar cocoon.

“That’s it” he said gleefully and began to chuckle in a most disturbing manner.

“We’ve done it Peter.  We’ve done it boy,” he said whimsically as he pulled his hands from the gloves and began spinning in his chair.

“See Peter.  See it” he encouraged

No answer.

Dr. Wilhiam’s face suddenly became grave and his whimsy turned to aggravation.  He stood quickly then reached into the shadows of his darkened laboratory to pull a stiffened body that was strapped to a rolling chair into the light just in front of the sealed containment box.

“Look boy.  You helped me create this.  You deserve to be here for its glorious culmination” Wilhiam exclaimed.

Peter’s lifeless body didn’t reply.

“Now I know what you are thinking lad.  You always were such a bright young man.  You’re wondering how this species of butterfly could ever survive” Wilhiam once again began to chuckle.

“I cross breed them with the common cockroach” he said in triumph then slapped the body on the back.

“I know, I know that was a stroke of brilliance,” he said thoughtfully as he sat next to the body.

“But I mustn’t take full credit for this…oh no Peter, this is our victory…our triumph” he said as he leaned back comfortably and put his arm around his one time lab assistant.

“We’ll watch them burn their cities trying to find this tiny little bringer of death.  It will truly be beauty that kills the beasts of this world Peter.  We’ll see to that,” Wilhiam said as his eyes took on a glazed far away look.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you want Ramey” Craig said after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in partner” Ramey St. Cloud asked with his world famous sleazy smile.

“Take a hike Ramey I’m late” Craig said as he pushed the man back and shut the door behind him.

“Now is that anyway to treat your partner Falcon” Ramey said.

Craig smiled big.

“Your right” he said.

The next thing Ramey felt was his body being shoved into an adjacent wall as Craig took him by his lapels and shoved.

“I should give you the same treatment you gave me accept to do that I’d have to be into the unlawful carnal knowledge of a weasel, and you just aren’t my type” Craig said as he stepped back and turned to walk away.

Ramey recovered from the wall and grabbed Craig’s shoulder to spin him to face him.  As he did he felt the cold steel of Craig’s desert eagle under his chin?  Ramey held his hands up and backed away.

“Still carrying that chunk of steel I see” Ramey said with and uncomfortable grin.

Craig seriously considered pulling the trigger.  Prison couldn’t be as bad as his life was now.  Still Ramey was a cop.  He was crooked, dirty, no good, snake in the grass…but he was a brother.  He lowered the pistol and replaced it as quickly and nonchalantly as he had produced it; almost giving the appearance of a magician’s slight of hand trick.

“Man, now that I’ve never gotten used to.  I still wish you’d teach me how to do it,” Ramey said in genuine admiration.

“What do you want” Craig replied; ignoring the man’s comment.

“Hey man, seriously I didn’t want to come here.  I figure we should respect you more than that.  You want to be a drunken bum then go ahead.  None of my business, but the captain wants you in on this.  At least to take a quick look” Ramey said; his imported Brooklyn accent always became more prominent when he was trying to strong-arm someone.

“Not interested” Craig said and began to walk away again.

“No man, it’s not like that.  My orders are you come… either because you want to, or with cuffs.  Period” Ramey said.

Craig looked a Ramey wit a smirk on his face, then held out his wrist.

Ramey’s eyes reflected a certain fear.  He knew there was no way he’d get the cuffs on his former partner’s wrist…least not by himself.

“Seriously Falcon” Ramey said.

“Stop calling me that” Craig replied

“You can fool yourself and you can fool the rest of the world Falcon but you know I know you.  I know what’s in your blood.  You’re just as much of a bird of prey now as you were back in the day.  Back before her death” Ramey said.

Ramey braced himself for the pain to come.  He knew he had crossed a line.

Craig’s hand rose but then fell back to his side.  Even this wasn’t worth dealing with.  Not even this little taste of the old life held any interest for him.

“What’s it going to pay” Craig asked after a tense moment.

At least this inconvenience might net a bottle or two.

“That’s up to the captain but if nothing else I’ll buy you a drink.  It’s the least I could do” Ramey replied.

Craig stepped in closer.

“No Ramey, you’ll never get off that easy.  One of these days when you’re least expecting it…that’s when you’ll pay your debt.  You keep that knowledge with you partner” Craig replied

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Murphy apartment buildings apartment 4d, down town Boston

Craig stepped through the door behind Ramey.  The small apartment was quaint yet cozy.  Pictures on the wall showed children and grandchildren from many generations.  Doilies seem to cover nearly everything.  Butterflies carved from wood adorned many shelves in the room.  It was the quintessential “grandmother’s” house.  The only thing missing was the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven.

There was a smell in the room however, and it certainly was not chocolate chips….

“Falcon, good to see you again” Captain Miles said as he stepped from beside the door.

Craig took the captains hand and shook it slightly.

“Who’s the corpse” Craig asked without returning the greeting.

“Always business eh Falcon” Captain Miles replied.

“I’m assuming that’s why I’m hear Gary.  Unless that is you are starting a new hobby of calling up old employees to reacquaint them with….” Craig stopped and sniffed the air.

“Ode de Mortis” Craig replied.

Captain Miles face turned grave.

“This is serious Falcon.  I’m running out of options and time.  I need to put my finger on something but I still don’t know what I’m looking at” Captain Miles said.

Craig’s eyes searched the room.  Nothing seemed strange.  There was no sign of struggle and there was no blood around the body that lay on the floor.  A team of forensic technicians worked their grid and collected evidence.

“Well, aren’t you even curious enough to take a look” Miles asked.

“I don’t think its smart to start trampling a crime scene captain but if you insist” Craig replied then stepped over toward the body. 

Craig leaned down and took a closer look at the body.  It was a little old woman about seventy years old.  Her silver gray hair was thinning and revealed her scalp underneath.

“Stroke” Craig said and stood up.

“You think” Miles asked curiously.

“Her face is contorted and slack” Craig replied then stepped away.

“Yeah, maybe.  Hey before you leave take a look in the bed room will ya” Miles said with a look on his face that told Craig there was more to this than he was willing to see.

Craig turned and made his way into the bedroom where the stench of death was even stronger.  Laying on the bed was a man about the same age as the woman.  As he stepped forward he notice one of the technicians scrapping skin cells from his hand.  This was common procedure but what was not, was that the woman slipped the container into her pocket.

“Ah hem” Craig faked clearing his throat.

The woman stood up and quickly exited the room while Craig checked the body.  The facial expression was the same.  Craig picked up a pencil that lay on the nightstand and very lightly touched the skin on the face that was slack.  The man’s whole face slid further down his skull.  Craig jumped back.

He tossed the pencil on the bed and turned to the door where Captain Miles met him.

“Stroke” Miles asked with a grin.

“Well, I guess you know its not.  Want to fill me in on the rest of what your holding out” Craig asked.

Miles thought for a second.

“Not just yet.  I’m not sure you’ve got it anymore.  I guess I was just hoping for the best” Miles said then turned and walked away.

Craig looked over Miles’ shoulder and noticed the woman technician moving through the door of the apartment.

“Yeah ok fine” Craig said and pushed past the man.

“Hold on, hold on…I didn’t say I as completely convinced” Miles said; realizing his attempt at goading Craig’s curiosity had failed.

“What ever Miles.  I’m running late.  If I’m interested, I’ll be in touch” Craig said then stepped by Ramey into the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deanna took the stairs to avoid any curious people she may encounter on the elevator.  It also gave her the chance to slip out of her stolen white forensic technician’s attire.  She quickly stashed the outfit in one of the wastebaskets she encountered on her way down then straightened and smoothed her red dress that had been concealed underneath.

Once she made it out of the building she felt relief wash over her.  She had been afraid she had blown her cover when she was caught taking the skin samples.

“Now you really clean up nicely” a voice from behind her acknowledged.

Deanna tried to ignore the man and keep walking but the presence of the man got stronger.

“I’ve seen some strange collectable objects in my day but this takes the cake” Craig said as he came along side her.

Deanna stopped.

“Excuse me” she said with a nervous annoyed tone.

“Well I’ve seen people collect baseball cards, dolls, sea shells….even knew a woman who collected scraps of tin foil…but I’ve never seen anyone collect samples of old dead people before” Craig explained.

“I beg your pardon” Deanna said as her mind desperately fought for a convincing lie to put this man off her trail.

“Cut it lady, I saw you take it…”

Suddenly Craig felt a little woozy and dizzy.  He felt the back of his neck and pulled a small tranquilizer dart from his skin.  He looked at it in disbelief.

“Ah you’re kidding me right” he said to Deanna who was now backing way.

He tried to take a step toward her but found his feet didn’t work.  The world went dark.

When his eyes opened again he was laying on a cot in a dark room.  A little light from a door was the only thing that gave him the indication that he was still alive.  At least he thought he was still alive.

The door opened as he sat up.  In walked three people.

“Good afternoon Craig Falcon.  It’s good to see you again. I hope you are in better humor than when last we met” Colleen stated with a large welcoming smile.

“Oh man! I’ve died and gone to Hollyweird” Craig grumbled as he felt the back of his neck where the dart had been.

This was not the kind of thing that happened in real life.  This was the stuff of cheesy detective novels and “b” movies.  It was the kind of thing Stan Lee might find campy.  He had to be dreaming.

“And you where there and you where there and I as trying to get back to you Aunty Em” Craig said sarcastically recalling a scene from the wizard of Oz.

“Wow, I thought we were getting a super detective not Henny Youngman” Tyler said as he rolled his eyes.

“Hey guys leave him alone.  This must be weird enough as it is” Deanna said as she sat next to Craig on the cot.

“I’m sorry Mr. Falcon.  It’s my fault.  I should have been more careful” Deanna said.

Craig forced a smile then stood up.

“Ok then, it’s been real and it’s been fun but it ain’t been real fun.  Where’s the road out of loonieville” Craig said.

“Of course you are free to go any time you like Mr. Falcon” Colleen said then stepped aside.

“Just like that” Craig asked.

“Just like that Mr. Falcon” she replied.

Craig eyed her suspiciously before stepping around her.

“Of course, if you’d like to stay a while and be our guest.  I’m sure your time with us could be at the very least…stimulating…that is intellectually” Colleen stated.

Craig made it to the door with every intention of stepping through it and bee lining for the first exit.  Still, something inside him stirred.  It was the old curiosity.  It was a little of the old life that he had drunk into oblivion.

“He’s not up to it Colleen, he’s washed up isn’t it” Tyler goaded.

“Watch it bub” Craig said as he spun and in an instant both desert eagles were trained on the man.

“Oh so the old man’s still got a little something then” Tyler asked unshaken by the guns in his face.

Deanna stepped over between Tyler and Craig.  Her big eyes seemed to soothe Craig’s raging soul somehow.  He lowered his guns then turned and walked through the door.

“Deanna please show Mr. Falcon the door if he’d like.  Take him to the east exit” Colleen ordered.

“But the east exit is all the way…” Deanna began.

“The east exit” Colleen repeated.

Deanna gave a look of understanding then followed after Craig