Hollow Man (part 13)

For the moments after it looked like A.O.D had us beat. With out us the other detectives couldn’t really get anything. I wondered why. We were released from the hospital a few days later. I tried to hug Sphinx on the way out and to wish her a happy recovery. She walked to me stared with a cold look in her eyes and just walked past. I knew something was wrong I never seen Sphinx act like that towards me. Just a lost for words, or like she didn’t even want to talk to me. What does she know that I don’t? What did A.O.D tell her? I couldn’t figured it out. I just went home not to my house but to my house. I couldn’t risk knowing A.O.D knew my location and that I was still alive. Plus I thought better in the comfort of my old bed. I laid my (what seemed withered to me) body down in my cold, soft, plush and spring filled bed wondering in my thoughts as to how. How could I have been so stupid? What was I thinking? I snapped out of it to hear my phone ringing. It was just a number since I hadn’t backed up my new phone just yet. I answered, and to my surprise it was another detective Marcus Hayes. “Hey graves just checking in ya man I know you probably pissed about that you have to sit out a few weeks.” He said. Yeah well sitting out is not my thing I’m still thinking about what the hell is going on before that bitch could cover it up. Besides I’ll be back in no time, get some Neosporin, some ice packs, work out a little I’ll be back to full health soon.  “That’s great man we miss you two. We hope you guys make a full recovery, we expect y’all back soon even if she’s mad at you. And don’t worry about A.O.D, she’ll get what’s coming to her.” He exclaimed. Thanks Hayes I appreciate it. “One love man. Talk to you soon.” As we hung up I couldn’t help but to go to sleep after taking those pain pills. I felt more worst now then I had before I took them. I just drifted off to sleep. The next morning I got an early start on my day grabbing the supplies I needed for my comeback. I couldn’t help but to think about the case. It was frustrating to think about how I was followed every where I went. They knew when and where I was gonna be and how I was coming. It was like they were already ahead of us. I drove back home completely confused. I didn’t know what to think anymore.  I was starting to accept the fact that I was nothing more than sex object let alone a detective. I guess I was cool with it. I turned on some tv to get my mind off it, hoping that I could anyway. I started to question though as I sat up. Me and Marcus aren’t really that cool. I mean we went for drinks that one day. He was there observing the crime scene when the case broke. We saw him on our way from interviewing the witnesses. I noticed something when John was shot the forensics was never complete. They said it was but when we read it, it didn’t look like much. On this late night I decided to go for a little drive to the precinct. I couldn’t help but think about was going on. It was strange really, the theories that formed but was impossible to believe. I drove to the precinct and caught Hayes on the way out. “Heeey graves what are you doing here? Late night working?” He asked. Nah just some theories I have. The forensics team is still here right? “Not all just the lead she heading out too.” I gotta catch her before she leaves. “Yeah you do that.” For some reason I could feel him glaring at me but I didn’t have time. I had to catch the lead forensic, Aubrey Coleman. I caught her just in the nick of time. Hey Coleman, you got a minute?! “Heyyyy Graves what are you doing back so early?” She hugged me but I wasn’t really in the mood for hugging at the moment. “Yeah I gotta favor to ask you.” With the face concerned replied “yeah, sure what can I help you with?” The last time I read the report on John it wasn’t fully completed. “That’s odd not sure why hold on let me get that for you.” She scrolled over and found part of the report was missing. “That’s strange I made sure that I finished that report and you guys were the first ones to see it.” I think I know who took it. “Yeah well before I go the bullet was very special. It was made to make a mess kind of reversing.” What does that mean? “You see a regular bullet the first thing impacts creates a big hole then slowly smaller anything else it hits. Well this one is different the hole is small then grows bigger as if it explodes on impacts.” Thanks Coleman. Go out and enjoy yourself ima take a look around. I let her leave I couldn’t have getting into this mess. I took a little stroll up to Hayes desk to try to get some info. I looked but not to messy I had to be careful I’m where I picked stuff up and placed it back. There was nothing that I could find I guess just chasing an Invisible mouse. Maybe the report wasn’t done after all and Coleman was slacking on the job. That’s not her to do that though, she’s a woman of focus and commitment. To any and everything. I did however manage to find a hard drive in the form of an eraser. Made perfect sense, the guy loved to draw. It was part of his “3 D’s” “Drinking Drawing And Doing his job”. I thought it was lame until I saw he’d done just that throughout his career. I plugged the hard drive in only to stooped by a riddle. “Numbers and letter are all the same, realize that to know the name”. What name? As I said that I heard Hayes coming back up to his desk I had to hide quick so I took his hard drive and got low and hid in a nearby cubicle. He noticed that it was missing right away he got up out raged and hurried out the door. Damn my car is still here I need to get out of here before he realize that I’m still here. I snook to the stairs I couldn’t risk taking an elevator. It was too easy, I just slid by him it seemed too easy. I managed to get home safe and started working on the code. The numbers came back up. “ 1,14,7,5,12,15,6,4,5,1,20,8”. I began sinking into my chair as if I’m completely stooped. Then I began to think about the riddle “numbers and letters are all the same realized that to know the name” it sounded crazy. I started thinking how could they be the same? It stopped for a while as I faintly thought about that old Jackson 5 song “abc as easy as 123” that’s when it hit me maybe that’s what it mean. I went down the line number for letter. As I did just that it revealed “Angel of Death” so I typed it in and I was in with lists and photos. This bastard was following us everywhere the diner where I had the date, the time I left her house to meet up with Sphinx the bastard even took a picture of when me and Sphinx met up In the hospital. I scrolled through file and files til I stumbled upon the forensics report. I began to read it, it was clear that John wasn’t sniped the shooter shot in the back of the head the same time the “shooter” shot. The casing that was found near The shooters set up was really a blank. I couldn’t believe it then out of nowhere I get a text from Sphinx that read: “GET OUT OF THERE NOW!!!!!! Then a rocket hit the house knocking me nearly unconscious. Then A series of gunshots began closing in on my position. Then a shadow appeared and I looked up and saw Sphinx firing back. A shero if you will.