Screams erupt from the old warehouse that has been closed for over 50 years, you’d think they would shut it down after all the murders that have happened here! I mean it seems like every time you turn around there’s a new murder case there or attempted murder at least.

I grab my pistol from my holster and use the heal of my boot to kick down the large thick planks that block the entryway. Balancing my flashlight on the arm that’s holding my gun. I weave in and out of shelves, some knocked over some standing tall. My orders were to check the latest crime scene for evidence but was stopped in my tracks by something under the broken window.

I cautiously walk over to whatever it was and examine it. It’s a pair of black heals. I pick them up and examine them, wondering what they were doing here. I flip them over to find the size on the bottom. Check the right, scuff marks, check the left, splotchy scuff marks. I reposition my flashlight to shine straight down onto the shoes when I notice the scuff marks are splatters.

Something twitches in the corner of my right eye and I drop the shoes and my flashlight. There was nothing there. My flashlight suddenly died and whipped around to the left and squeezed the trigger 3 times. The sound echoed through the whole place and I felt a sharp pain in my neck. The world began blurring and someone grabbed my waist from behind and dragged me off.

When I woke up I was too loopy to think. I giggled a little. But that quickly faded as my stomach lurched, my breathing quickened, my heart pounded, my chest ached. The tears flowed hard in rapid streams. I couldn’t slow anything. My hands began to shake and my body shivered, but I wasn’t cold. I fought the ropes tying my hands to the hot, metal chair but it was of no use.

The room I was in suddenly filled with the scent of fresh lavender. My shaking stopped but my confusion grew. My stomach lurched again and threw up on the floor. I coughed up blood and tried to spit it out of my mouth.

“Your body’s just tying to expel the toxin.”

“Who’s there?! And what have you done to me?!!” I cry out with no response. Tears release in steady streams as my eyes flicker between the darkness, searching for any sign of movement.

“Well. Lots of people ask that question but once they know… they wish that they hadn’t.”

“Y-you’re bluffing!” I say as my heart pounds in my chest again.

“Fine if you really believe that. It’s a neuro-toxin specifically designed to speed up the heart in order to cause severe clotting in the major arteries.” His tone is secure and steady, I have no reason to believe he’s lying. “Now. I happen to have,” I hear him tap the glass of what I presume is a small vial, “the antidote. But.. let me, just, here.” A light switches on and I see my boyfriend tied to a chair. “Now.. officer..” he steps in closer “officer Kassidy. Kass. My question,” he leans in, only an inch from my face. I wince. “,Is for you.”

“You get away from her!!! You’re going to regret this!”

“They always talk. Never shut up. Well how about.. we change that. Hm?” He tears a piece of duct tape off of a roll hanging on the wall and spreads it over his lips. “Alright then, Kassidy. Let’s play .. a game.” I shake my head. “Awee! Kass-“

“It’s Kassidy” I say through gritted teeth.

“Well fine then.. Kassidy, I have just one question! Do you-“ he licks his lips and uses his sleeve to wipe something off his cheek. “Do you really want this-“ he holds up the vial “antidote?” He raises his eyebrows and straightens his face out with a slight shrug.

I stay silent. “Hm.. well! It’s either this or you die.. but! Before.. ahem.. before you” he takes a deep long breath. “Before you decide.” He chuckles slightly. “Just know your uh.. boyfriend over there he’s been injected with the same thing you have. And I only have the one vial.” He busts out laughing and stretches his words out. “The choice is yours,”

I look over at my boyfriend whose head is shaking and his eyes are filling with tears. But then he winks.

“I want to use it.” I say my voice a little shaky but much more sure than before.

“Come again?”

“I said I want to use it! Are you deaf?!” I shout. He stands still, confused and unsure of what to do now.

“Now wait, no, hold on see. The thing is… I’ve only got 1. Now so, hmm, you didn’t seem like the selfish type.”

“I know you have only the one. And I do know you injected me with that neurotoxin. But.. because I’ve been injected.. I know the side affects. And he,” I point over to Alex. “He has none of them,” I smile. “Check. Mate,”

He looks at the ground and shakes his head. “No see that’s where you’re wrong, I don’t lose. Ever!”

“There’s a first time for everything!” I wiggle my wrists free and grab the needle with the neurotoxin and stab it into his neck. I press down on the plunger and pull the needle out. His body falls to the ground and I run to untie Alex. The back up team busts down the door and is confused to see us here.

“Officer Kassidy? What are you doing here?”

“No time. Let’s go!” I say as I gesture to the unconscious man lying on the floor. Officer James and Darrel grab him and run. Everyone else helps to cover us from all sides. On our way out I grab the bloodied heals and put em in a bag for examination.

As we get out to the vans and pile in something started screeching. We drove off and when we rounded the corner the old warehouse blew up. The crime scenes were gone as long with every trace of any cold case that ever happened in that place. But I’d be willing to bet we finally caught him.