Chapter 1- 911

15 June 2019, New York.

12:45 a.m.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

"Hello, erm...we need help. The guy he- he's not moving. His body is very cold."

"The body? Try to calm down sir and tell me what you see."

"Yes the body! He's dead. There's a dead man in his car. Can you send somebody quick?"

"Can you tell me where are you exactly?"

"Cortlandt alley."

"Okay. What's your name?"

"Is it important now? There a read man just send someone!"

"I already sent a dispatch car. The police are on their way. Can you check his pulse for me please?"

The line went silent for a second.

"No. I can't feel anything and his wrist..."

"His wrist? What wrong with his wrist?"

"It's sliced open. Like how you do when you want to commit suicide and there's another injury but I can't quite make it out. Ma'am...he's blue.

It didn't take time for the police to arrive at the scene. A man stood by a silver Chevrolet in hysterics, his hair standing from how much he pulled at it.

"Finally!" He almost cried at their arrival.

"Step aside sir." One of the officers marched past the hysterical man as he carefully approached the car that parked silently by the wall.

He turned on his flashlight to aid him through the midnight darkness. The stench in the alley was remarkably awful and the constant scratches of the rats' nails against the ground only added to the chilling setting.

The officer stood by the already opened door and checked for a pulse yet found nothing. The body felt icy under his fingers and with concentration you can see that the body was turning bluish. He turned his attention to the wrist and was surprised to see the both of them cut open and true to the distress call, an injury glared back at him from one of the dead man's arms.

"Freddie, I think we should call the CIB. He's just like the others."

°°°°°°°°

"Glad you were able to come." Detective Ken Decker spoke as his partner and head detective Adam Woods approached.

"It's my job Ken. What do we have here?" Adam replied as they both started walking towards the crime scene.

The alley was closed with the distinguished yellow tape, holding off curious onlookers from police officials, detectives, and the forensic team as they did their job.

"Doc says that he's just like the ones before him." Ken sighed. "Both wrists slit to drain his body from his blood and the letter E was carved onto his left arm."

"That bastard." Adam growled under his breath.

"Ah...Woods, you're finally here." Doctor Franco Newman greeted from his crouched position next to the dead man.

"Good evening Doc."

"Ah...not a good evening to this man indeed." The forensic doctor replied. "It surprises me that this one here is remarkably younger than the rest. It alters our age range to another 10 years down.

Adam ticked his tongue is distaste.

"Didn't you find anything that could help us?"

Doctor Newman sighed as he got up onto his feet. "The team found no fingerprints in the car or on the body."

Adam let out a breath of frustration as he ran a hand through his hair while the other rested on his hip.

"Check surveillance videos. See what we can find from them." Adam ordered Ken. "And where are Avery and Alex?"

"We're right here Adam." Avery Proter answered as she and her partner Alex Danvers entered the scene.

"Sorry we're late boss. We got stuck in traffic." Alex provided. "What do we have here?"

"It seems that we have another victim in the E case." Ken replied as he made way from them to see the body.

"Again?" Avery was the first to react. "Geez."

"Let's wrap up here and take everything back to forensic." Adam spoke wanting to waste no more time just standing there.

He sighed deeply. What was he going to tell the chief? That they were failing terribly at this case? That even though they were doing their best, killings still never stopped from that serial killer?

He sighed again. "Alex and Avery, you go check any CCTV footage you can find around here. And let's send Elliot and Kristen the man's picture for facial recognition."

"On it boss."

The team dispersed as each went to his business.

"How are you going to deal with chief West?" Ken had the audacity to surface the subject.

"I'll figure out a way. But it won't prevent the fact that I'll have to tell him the inevitable."

Ken placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Good luck buddy."

"Thanks." Adam replied dryly. Oh how he wished he didn't have to face the chief's angry burst at the news. Things were already hectic just as it is and this case has proved to be the hardest yet.

They've been running after that serial killer, known between them as E. A ghost of a man, leaving absolutely nothing behind. They've tried hard rk keep it away from the media but Adam didn't know how long they can hold up before everything is spilled.

He fetched for his phone and dialed emergency contact number on his phone. He waited out as the ringing echoed through his ears.

"Hello?" A sweet female voice answered from the other line.

"Hey baby girl." A smile grazed his lips as he spoke.

"What's up Adam?"

"Uhmm....I think I won't be able to get back home tonight. We have another E case."

"Oh." Came his wife's airy reply.

"Just go back to bed pumpkin okay. Don't wait for me."

A sigh blew from the other side. "Okay. You just be safe Adam okay."

"Always am." He replied with a toothy grin even though he knew she couldn't see it. "Oh and Collette-" he called in remembrance, "I love you."

"I love you to Adam."

°°°°°°

29 June 2019, New York.

5:26 p.m.

Collette gritted her teeth in frustration as she left her seventh store empty-handed. She was determined to purchase the new AUX headset that her husband so desperately wanted and surprise him with it over their anniversary dinner. But the odds were not in her favor for in every store she enters, she is faced with the same crushing apology.

"Sorry ma'am. We're currently out of stock. We'll be getting a new batch tomorrow."

But she can't wait till tomorrow. Their anniversary was today and there's no saying when she'd be able to spend time with Adam again or even see him for that matter.

Ever since he got assigned that new case, he's been spending almost all of his time hauled up in his office at the CIB, trying to crack it. Things got more messy each day and it only added to his already piled up work.

Collette sighed as she tried to regain her strength for another round of searching. She was about to head to her eighth store when her phone started ringing in her pocket.

Adam's name blared through the screen making her smile like a high-schooler. Today was the day she'll finally be able to see him after a whole week of absence and even though she knew he'd be leaving again tomorrow morning, she was still content with this short time with him.

"Hello." Glee was evident in her voice.

"Hey baby girl." Adam's voice boomed from the other line. "Where are you?"

"Uhmm...where else would I be? At home." She lied. She wasn't about to tell him that she's out hunting for his anniversary gift. She knew he'd be home by seven so her lie can easily stand out.

"Are you on your way back home?" She asked wearily, a sudden thought of being caught lying made her heartbeats slightly peak up. She never felt comfortable lying.

"No...about that actually..."

Adam's nervousness and hesitation were enough for Collette to know what his next words will be.

"Something came up and..uh..we finally have a lead and it-"

"It's okay Adam." She was quick to withhold his stuttering. "I understand. You gotta save lives right?"

"I'm so sorry pumpkin. I promise I'll make it all up to you once this is all over."

"Of course." The disappointment was evident in her tone no matter how hard she tried to hide it. A lump formed in her throat but she swallowed it down.

"I was thinking of going to visit my mother today anyway so this works out fine."

Collette heard her husband sigh. "Sure baby girl. Tell her I say hi as well. I'll call you at night okay?"

"Okay." Collette answered with a nod of her head as if Adam could see it.

She let out a deep, restrained breath, all her excitement and glee decaying at a fast rate. She should've expected that. She should've known that he'll forget about their anniversary. She should've known that things wouldn't work out as she wanted them too.

With another deep sigh, she started making her way out of the mall. It only took her a step or two before hearing someone calling from behind her.

She turned around to be met with a young boy wearing a store uniform, running hastily towards her.

"Ma'am. Wait!" He called as he approached her.

Collette watched in confusion as the young man stood in front of her, panting as he tried to control his ragged breaths.

"Ma'am." He spoke out again between breaths. "You were just asking about the new AUX headset at our store. We just got the new batch with all the colors available if you're still up for buying one."