and realised what he was seeing. His eyes flicked to the bloody scissors embedded in the doorframe, blood dripping from their blades. He lowered his firearm and sighed, then groaned. "Jesus."
Dani didn’t look over, didn’t respond. She was fighting the pain. Scott flicked his head towards the girl and holstered his weapon. Reaching over, he took the duvet from the bed and wrapped it around Dani, then ushered her to her feet. "I need you to stand up and come with me, can you do that?"
Dani nodded and stood up slowly. She screamed, the stab wound in her waist crippling her, toppling her back to the bed. Scott stepped closer to her, easing her down. "Easy now, easy. Wilson, I need a medic here. Now! "
"Did you get the…the guy who did this?"
Scott looked at Dani quizzically. He observed the blood on her clothes, noticed the gash on her waist. He looked at her bruised face, her battered body, the finger marks on her neck, and wondered what sort of sicko could do this to a teenage girl. He knew then, that he uttered his answer with complete confidence. "Not yet. But we will."
"He was just here though…"
"What?"
"He left…minutes ago. I think."
"You think?"
"I passed out…I could be wrong."
"Main thing is you saw the person who did this." Scott placed a hand on her shoulder. "Wait here." He ran to the landing. "Wilson, put out an APW to the local cars. The guy who did this isn't long gone."
"That’s great. Do you have a description?"
Scott averted his gaze to Dani, who coughed and fingered her torn face. "Dressed all in black, armour, balaclava, carrying a shotgun."
Scott nodded. "All black, wearing armour and a balaclava, carrying a shotgun. Worth a shot, put it out. Let’s catch the sick fuck who did this. And where's my fucking medic? "
Wilson grunted. Muted radio chatter broke the stifled silence.
Scott took Dani by the arm. "You're safe now, Dani. You're safe now."
NINE
Detective Inspector Scott finished his weak coffee and placed the cup in a bin. Looking at the coffee machine, his hand moved to buy a second cup, remembered the vile taste of the previous one, and stopped.
You'll be going to the station soon .
Maybe hit the coffee shop on the way back.
He turned around and strode down the hallway, arriving outside the ICU. Several nurses passed with a friendly glance and a curious stare. He paid them no attention and looked through the glass before him. The ward beyond held several ICU patients. His eyes roamed to the far left and settled on Dani. On her arrival, the medical staff had sedated her. Scott had lost track of time, but she now lay silent, covered in bandages and tubes. Several doctors swarmed around her. A couple of nurses stood by, watching, learning.
His heart broke for the young girl.
When he'd found her, she was soaked in blood, most of which was her own. The attacker sliced the young girl's face open with a pair of kitchen scissors and stabbed her, he assumed to initiate the Chelsea grin that now disfigured her. He was familiar with the technique. Scott remembered a case from last year that showed similar wounds. The victim, on that occasion, hadn't survived. He was a lot older. Dani had fought valiantly, only passing out in the ambulance on the way here. She'd lost a lot of blood, but she was a fighter. He admired her for that.
Preliminary reports from the crime scene indicated a mass murder. An unknown assailant stormed the household, killed Dani's parents before slaughtering her brother and then torturing her. The torture could have gone on for hours. The kid's bedroom showed signs of struggle and mass bloodletting. Once he figured the brother had died in an enclosed space, he realised just how much blood she'd lost. Scott watched the doctors, their frenzy now controlled, no longer as important or hurried as when they'd arrived.
Dani was safe.
Scott watched TV shows. In emergencies, people shouted words like 'stat' and 'clear' and a variety of medical jargon, usually
Dani didn’t look over, didn’t respond. She was fighting the pain. Scott flicked his head towards the girl and holstered his weapon. Reaching over, he took the duvet from the bed and wrapped it around Dani, then ushered her to her feet. "I need you to stand up and come with me, can you do that?"
Dani nodded and stood up slowly. She screamed, the stab wound in her waist crippling her, toppling her back to the bed. Scott stepped closer to her, easing her down. "Easy now, easy. Wilson, I need a medic here. Now! "
"Did you get the…the guy who did this?"
Scott looked at Dani quizzically. He observed the blood on her clothes, noticed the gash on her waist. He looked at her bruised face, her battered body, the finger marks on her neck, and wondered what sort of sicko could do this to a teenage girl. He knew then, that he uttered his answer with complete confidence. "Not yet. But we will."
"He was just here though…"
"What?"
"He left…minutes ago. I think."
"You think?"
"I passed out…I could be wrong."
"Main thing is you saw the person who did this." Scott placed a hand on her shoulder. "Wait here." He ran to the landing. "Wilson, put out an APW to the local cars. The guy who did this isn't long gone."
"That’s great. Do you have a description?"
Scott averted his gaze to Dani, who coughed and fingered her torn face. "Dressed all in black, armour, balaclava, carrying a shotgun."
Scott nodded. "All black, wearing armour and a balaclava, carrying a shotgun. Worth a shot, put it out. Let’s catch the sick fuck who did this. And where's my fucking medic? "
Wilson grunted. Muted radio chatter broke the stifled silence.
Scott took Dani by the arm. "You're safe now, Dani. You're safe now."
NINE
Detective Inspector Scott finished his weak coffee and placed the cup in a bin. Looking at the coffee machine, his hand moved to buy a second cup, remembered the vile taste of the previous one, and stopped.
You'll be going to the station soon .
Maybe hit the coffee shop on the way back.
He turned around and strode down the hallway, arriving outside the ICU. Several nurses passed with a friendly glance and a curious stare. He paid them no attention and looked through the glass before him. The ward beyond held several ICU patients. His eyes roamed to the far left and settled on Dani. On her arrival, the medical staff had sedated her. Scott had lost track of time, but she now lay silent, covered in bandages and tubes. Several doctors swarmed around her. A couple of nurses stood by, watching, learning.
His heart broke for the young girl.
When he'd found her, she was soaked in blood, most of which was her own. The attacker sliced the young girl's face open with a pair of kitchen scissors and stabbed her, he assumed to initiate the Chelsea grin that now disfigured her. He was familiar with the technique. Scott remembered a case from last year that showed similar wounds. The victim, on that occasion, hadn't survived. He was a lot older. Dani had fought valiantly, only passing out in the ambulance on the way here. She'd lost a lot of blood, but she was a fighter. He admired her for that.
Preliminary reports from the crime scene indicated a mass murder. An unknown assailant stormed the household, killed Dani's parents before slaughtering her brother and then torturing her. The torture could have gone on for hours. The kid's bedroom showed signs of struggle and mass bloodletting. Once he figured the brother had died in an enclosed space, he realised just how much blood she'd lost. Scott watched the doctors, their frenzy now controlled, no longer as important or hurried as when they'd arrived.
Dani was safe.
Scott watched TV shows. In emergencies, people shouted words like 'stat' and 'clear' and a variety of medical jargon, usually
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