THE PATH



Johnson was listening to the recording Alex and Ray found in the abandoned warehouse.  When the recording ended, he said. “That’s pretty scary…but it can be a joke”
“Maybe…but that’s all we have right now” Ray said, leaning forward on his chair. “Oh please…we have a lot of evidences; the scientists will call me, and give me the name of that murderer in no time” Johnson said, smiling.

Before Alex could reply, the phone rang. Johnson picked it up. “Yes? Did you find it...good, send a squad…bye” Johnson hanged up the phone, and he turned around, looking at the two detectives.
“We have a name…a squad is going to arrest him in no time…”
“That’s not the right path Captain, I think you should listen to us, and listen to this recording,” Alex said, pointing at the recorder on the desk. Johnson slammed his fist on the desk, and he yelled, “I’m not going to follows this crazy idea Sullivan, I’m sorry…if you want to follow that crazy recording…do it, but you have not my support…now go” Alex and Ray stood up, and left the room…both angry.

…………

“What an idiot…he follows those evidences just because he wants an easy job” Ray said, sitting the chair in front of his desk. “We don’t need his help, when we will arrest the true murderer, he will knell before us,” Alex said, sitting on his chair too.

“So…what can we do with this recording?” Alex asked, turning on his computer. “There is not much we can do…we need an expert”
“Are you talking about me?”
Alex and Ray turned around, just in time to see Lance walking in the room. “Lance, just in time, we need your help” Alex said, standing up, and walking toward Lance. “We need help with this,” Ray said, throwing the recorder. Lance took the recorder, and he turned it on.

When the recording ended, Lance could not help but say, “Oh…my…god….what the hell are you getting into?”
“I don’t know…can you help us?”
Lance sat down on Alex’s chair, and looked at recorder, thoughtful. After a few minutes he said, “This kind of stuff goes beyond my knowledge…we need a sound expert”
Alex took the recorder, and he asked, “And…who is he?”
Lance smiled, and looking at the dragon in front of him, he said, “Maybe you know him…is name is Michael Juptile”

…………

Michael Juptile did not work for the police; he was a digital artist, and a well-known writer. He was also a sound and video expert, and that is why in the middle of the morning…his cell phone rang. He took his cell phone, still looking at the computer screen in front of him.

“Hello?”
“Hey Michael, it’s me…Lance” Michael stood up from his chair, and he said, “What do you want Lance? Still those twenty bucks? Listen, I told you…I have a lot of work, and I must pay for…”
“Slow down…I don’t want my money back, we need your help”
“We?”
“Come to the police station, and you will see…”
“Better for you that this is not a joke”
“I assure you…this is not a joke…bye” After that, Lance hanged up the phone.

…………

A few hours later, Michael walked inside Alex and Ray’s office, panting. “Finally…” Lance said, standing up from the small chair in the corner. “Sorry Lance…I wanted to eat something…and I didn’t notice that it was getting late”
“Do you think that the Rose will wait for you?” Alex said, standing up too. “What?” Michael said, still panting. “Okay…he needs an explanation now...” Ray said, while resetting his computer.

After a quick explanation, Lance gave his friend the recording. “You are the best Michael…prove it” Lance said, crossing his arms. “Okay…just give me a computer…and you will have a name in a few hours,” Michael said, snapping his fingers. “Okay, see you in few hours then…come Alex, let’s have some coffee”

Alex and Ray left the room, and went to the coffee machine…the wonderful instrument that every police station must have. They drank a few coffees, while doing this…someone was looking at them from a window outside.

After the fifth coffee, Captain Johnson walked to the coffee machine, and pushed the two aside. “Captain…what’s your problem?” Johnson looked at Alex with an angry face, and he almost yelled at him, “Another people has been attacked by that crazy murder, that’s my problem”
“Who…who has been attacked?” Johnson sarcastically smiled at Alex. “You know him…his name is Marcus Forandret”
“Marcus? The rose killed him?”
“No…but almost…now he is in the hospital…right between life and death…his life is in the hand of god now” Johnson quickly drank a coffee, and then he asked, “You said that you talked with him last night?”
“Yeah…why are you asking me this?”
“Nothing Alex…nothing…” Johnson threw the empty plastic glass in the nearest trashcan, and then he walked away.

Alex and Ray walked in the streets, just to take a break. There was a beautiful sunset, but they were not paying attention to the world around them, they were talking about the investigation.
“Marcus has been attacked…why?” Ray asked. “I don’t know, someone wanted him dead…maybe because he knew too much,” Alex said, kicking an empty can on the ground.
“Are you saying that he knew something that he didn’t tell us?”
“Maybe…we must wait until he fells better…then we will speak with him”
Alex and Ray walked around the city for a few hours, still talking about the possible explanations. When they finally walked back to the police station, they saw Johnson waiting for them.

“What’s the problem Captain?” Johnson’s face was as if stone mask…no emotions on it.
“We send a squad to the house of the suspected man…the house was full of explosives…the squad is gone” Alex could not help, but think that Johnson was an idiot. “Now Alex doesn’t tell me that you were right…they knew that the police was coming…”
“Do you believe that there is a spy here?” Ray said, looking at the police station. “Maybe…anyway, after the explosion we send another squad, and in the ruins of the house, we found a burned journal…it belongs to James Calera”

“Who is he?” Alex asked. “It’s the president of the Esor Corporation…the biggest pharmacologist company of the world,” Ray said, snapping his fingers. “Yes…but he disappeared three months ago…no one knows where he is”
“And we didn’t find him?”
“No…it seems like he left this world,” Johnson said, looking at the sky. “Anyway…you two…follow your evidences, and try to locate Calera…he is the key” Johnson said, and then he walked away.

…………

Back in the office, Alex, Ray, Lance and Michael were looking at the small computer monitor.
“Okay guys…this is the only one I’m able to locate…the recording was not really clear”
“It’s okay…we need just one…who is he?” Michael opened an image file, and he showed it to the dragon. “Its name is Davyn Sarewo, he lives in the countryside”
“Excellent”
“Wait…maybe you should check this other people” Michael opened four other files on the computer. “Okay…Saphire-dragon, we have only the nickname he uses on the internet…Leon Talon, he lives in this district…Lam Nok Hin, a windragon that lives in the countryside…and last but not least John imasta, he lives in another district of this city”
“Why should I check them too?” Alex asked, walking around the room. “Because they are all part of an organization called The Path, I don’t know why…but I guess that these five people may know something about the Black Rose and James Calera”
“Okay…we have anything to loose” Alex said, walking out of the room, soon followed by Ray.

Meanwhile, from a window, a man was looking at them with a binocular, and listening to them with a directional microphone. He listened to the whole conversation, after that…he walked out of the building, and keeping the distance…he followed the two Detectives.

However, it was not the only one…a shadow creature was following them too, but it had a different idea…a very different idea.

…………

James Calera was walking in the dark hallway, holding his breath. He was going to speak with The Black Rose himself…the master of the order. He reached a black metal door at the end of the corridor. He did not have to open it, the door opened by itself. James walked inside the dark room, finally breathing again.

“I see you held your breath…you knew about the toxic smoke?”
“Obviously master…”
“Good…how are the two detectives doing?”
“They discovered The Path…they are going to meet them”
“Excellent…everything is going according to plan”
“Master…the police know that I’m the one who did the robbery at the National Museum…”
“Don’t worry James…as long as you stay hidden with me…they will not find you”
“Yes…thank you master. But…we have another problem…Peter Pendragon”
“…he is still alive after all…chaos dragons never die”
“And Lee…I don’t trust him…”
“As long as we pay him that much money…he will stay by our side…he is a mercenary after all…and he did well by delivering the recording”
“And…one last problem…well…someone that can become a problem…Lord Mana and Shiron”
“Those two? They didn’t even know about our order…”
“But they will…if the detectives speak with the member of The Path…”
“Don’t worry about them James…just stay focused”
“Yes master…”

James left the room, shaking a little bit because of the master voice. Everyone feared the master, and since James was the closest one to him…he knew that very well.

………

“Alex and Ray…the Black Rose…The Path…the destiny of many people is in their hand…and only time will tell…who will decide the fate of the hearth”

That’s what I thought when I heard of them…even I couldn’t see beyond the fog of the future…so I had to wait…and wait…and wait…



END OF EPISODE 1