Strangulation Point 3

Yay, found it.

11mins 43seconds


“Where am I?”


11mins 42seconds.


“Amy!”


        Ranophe had been the first one to react. Now all of them were looking at her. Amy’s eyes were wide open. Her breathing had become ragged. “Where am I?”
        She kept repeating the same words. Ranophe took one hand and Sara quickly took the other. They didn’t notice Everard take a step back. It was Ranophe who spoke first. “Be calm Amy. I’m Sergeant Ranophe Bell of Monterrey P.D. This is Sergeant Sara Rhee.”
        Amy squirmed in her chains. “Where am I sergeant?”
        He looked around. “This is the Theodosius Kriptidsis Processing Warehouse on Cannery Row. The building is secure…”
        “Sergeant.” She turned her head as much as the coils allowed. “And this room?”
        Ranophe squeezed her hand. “Well…”
        “We are going to get you out of this Amy!” Sara Rhee joined in.
        “Oh my God!” Amy screamed. “Don’t say that! Never say it!”
        Ranophe pushed Sara out of the way. “Look at me Amy…”
*
        Everard took another step away from Amy as the sergeants tried to calm her down. By now he could see his men watching nervously as Amy struggled and screamed. He glanced at his notebook and kept stepping backwards. He began to notice that he could smell more than just the mold now. There was something more. Then it hit him. A humungous stench of sweat. Something poked him in the ribs. There was a click.
*
        Amy stared into Ranophe’s eyes. They were gentle. The whole room was still a blur to her. The walls were just shadows. She could sense someone strung up next to her. All she could really see was the kind policeman that held her hands and the silly well meaning b***h.
        For his part Ranophe just waited until she had calmed down. After asking Sara to check the other two victims he turned back to Amy. “What do you last remember Amy?”
        “I had been shopping. I always went to the small grocery stores to get my food. My uncle runs one of them so I get a discount. A single mum needs all the discounts she can get right?”
        “of course.” He smiled. “How did you get home?”
        “I have a car. An old GM thingy. It’s a kind of station wagon. Don’t like cars much.”
        “What time was this?”
        “It was in the morning. What time is it now?”
        Ranophe looked at his watch. “It’s the late afternoon. Not yet evening. Ok, we don’t have much time and I need to keep asking you questions. What happened after you got home?”
        A tear rolled down her cheek. “I… I didn’t get home officer. The last thing I remember was waiting at the traffic lights. And then pain in my right shoulder. That’s it.”
        “Now you’re here.”
        “Now I’m here.”
*
        “Don’t turn around Everard.”
        Everard kept staring at the victims. “Is that you Alberto? Why are you put a gun to my back?” He whispered.
        The gun jabbed his ribs a little more. “Why are you stepping back Everard? Got something to hide?”
        “No, of course not. I’m as clueless as you are.”
        “Let’s hope not or your screwed.” Everard could feel the sweaty man smiling. “No, I have question. When the chief asked you to pick your guys for this operation why did you pick us six? From the whole of Monterrey P.D. why us six? Its like you already knew the answers.”
*
        “Sara. We need to talk.” It was Ranophe. “Did you find anything else? Please tell me you got something on this.”
        She shook her head. “Their pulses are totally normal. We’ve just got the same clues. But, I’ve asked Epi to search their pockets again. Maybe there’s something.”
        “Okay…”
        She looked him in the face. He was biting his bottom lip a little. He did this when he half wanted to say something but was too scared to say it. “Spit it out Bell.”
        “I’m sorry about recoiling earlier. I was just so… shocked by what you said and…”
        “Save it.” She pressed a finger against his lips. “I know how you are. It’s why I like you. So, don’t apologise okay?”
*
        “I don’t know. Your names just came to me. It’s by chance Sphingo. Just by chance.”
        “Bullshit Sir. Complete and utter bullshit. How long have you been working for Jigsaw?”
*
        Ranophe smiled and felt his heart jump a little. Then it burst out of his chest. “Sergeant!”
        He span around to see Amy’s body jerking wildly. “Sergeant! Help me…” Her voice began to melt into gurgles.
        “S**t! She’s being strangled.” As they looked the coils were beginning to tighten around her neck. “Sara get her legs. Gus, Hugo help me.”
        The big set Gus Pesa and the tall thin Hugo Spears jumped over the boxes to help him. As Sara held up Amy’s legs Ranophe climbed onto Gus’s shoulders to take a look at the coils in detail. “There’s a kind of clip at the back. But I cant remove it if the coils are moving. Hugo, jab your fingers into the clip and break it open. I’ll hold the coils.”
        Hugo stretched his body as much as he could. He stood on his tiptoes and stuck his hand far above his head. After scrambling a little he felt his finger tips touch the plastic clip. He could barely reach it and the coils were still slowly moving. “Hurry up Sarge.”
        Ranophe brushed the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve then grabbed the coils as hard as he could. They slowed down even more. “Now Hugo. Piece the clip and release it from the inside.”
        Hugo braced himself then stretched his body as much as possible. His finger darted inside the clip. It hit a small button and quickly the clip just fell away and bounced off the floor. As soon as he had released it the coils loosened up and Ranophe began to remove them from around Amy’s head and body. Then she fell to the ground or rather fell on Sara.
        Ranophe jumped off Gus and cradled Amy’s head in his arms while checking her neck. “Are you ok?”
        She coughed a little and groaned. Then looked into his face. “Ranophe you are my hero. But, I cant help but feel that you weren’t meant to save me. In fact you were meant to do the opposite.”