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“Grab the bag from the carriage and let’s get him covered,” said Hugh. On the way, they’d stopped to get Dr. Kalper, but he’d been out seeing patients. His assistant, Pepper, had given them supplies so they could bring the body back for the doctor to examine. “And then I need to talk to the witnesses.” He was sure this wasn’t death by giant bird, but he needed to do his due diligence.
“Got it.” Jackson walked to the carriage and retrieved the bag.
“What are you going to do with him?” asked one of the teenage Servants who lingered in the shadows.
“We’re taking him to Dr. Kalper,” said Hugh
“JD don't need no doctor. JD’s dead.” The oldest of the young Servants strutted out of the shadows. He went by Con, and he was probably the leader and therefore the one responsible. He may not have killed JD, but he’d caused the kid’s death by bringing him into the gang.
“I’m quite aware that he’s dead.” He was ready to toss all the kids into jail. “But we need to check your story.”
“Nothing to check. Some monster flew through the sky and grabbed JD.” Con’s voice cracked a little, giving credibility to his story. “Picked him right up off the street. We were all there. It could’ve attacked any of us, but it grabbed JD. Carried him away. JD screaming and fighting but you can’t fight air and that’s all that he could reach. Air and claws.”
“Where did this happen?” He now understood why Townsend wanted to believe this tale. Con’s name was fitting because the kid could tell a good story, but Hugh had been around a lot more politicians than the reporter. The ability to sound convincing didn’t make the lies true, just more believable.
“Right there.” Con pointed down the street.
“Show me exactly where.”
He and Townsend followed the teenagers a few yards.
“Right here. Lady-Bird grabbed him right here.” Con stopped on the sidewalk.
“Lady-Bird?” He looked at Townsend.
“They say it’s a female,” said the reporter.
“Why do they think that?” The sex organs of birds were inside the body.
“We know it’s a female because it is a female,” said Con.
“She’s beautiful,” said Gray, one of the other young Servants. “Dark and deadly and her eyes—”
“Shut up.” Con punched the other Servant’s shoulder. “Lady-Bird ain’t beautiful. She’s the monster that killed JD.”
“Pretty or not, are you sure this is where JD was grabbed?” He wasn’t in the mood to listen to their squabbling.
“I knew no one would believe us.” Con actually sounded hurt. He was a very good actor.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe because I’m going to check the evidence.”
“What evidence?” asked Con.
“You said this Lady-Bird had claws. What kind of claws? Like a Servant?”
“No.” Con stared at his hands. “They weren’t like ours. They were like a bird’s feet with claws, but I don’t think they slide back in like ours do but”—he shrugged—“they might. It wasn’t like she hovered in the air for us to study her.”
“Okay. This creature probably has talons then and she grabbed JD with those, right?”
“Yeah. That’s what we said. She swooped down. Her legs tucked in. She moved so fast and then those cla...talons were out, and she grabbed him, pulling him right up into the air.” Con shivered.
“Where did she grab him? His head? Arms? Neck?”
“Ah...” Con paused, his eyes narrowing in thought.
“Back,” said Gray. “She grabbed his back. We were all running and”—he looked at Con—“I remember looking up at JD’s face. He was so scared.” The kid’s voice grew soft. “And those screams. I’ll never forget those.”
Hugh wanted to clap. It was a moving performance but that’s all it was. “I’ve got a problem with that part of your story.” He had a problem with all of it, but he’d start there. “Come with me.”
He walked back to Jackson who stood by JD’s remains which were now encased in the body bag. He bent and unzipped it. “I don't see any claw marks or talon marks.” He looked up at the Servants. “Do you? You said the creature grabbed his back.” He moved the clothes to reveal the kid’s skin. “There’s blood and cuts, places where the skin split, but no puncture wounds.”
“You got to believe us,” said Gray.
“I’ll believe the evidence.” He pulled JD’s shirt back down and zipped the bag. “And we’ll get that from Dr. Kalper.”
“I told you this new Almighty wouldn’t believe us. He’s no different than the old Almighty.” Con looked at Townsend.
“That’s not true,” said the reporter. “Hugh needs evidence. You know Kalper. He’s been helping the other classes for years. He won’t lie.”
“Even Kalper can be bought,” said Con. “Let’s go.” He and the other Servants slipped back into the shadows and disappeared.
“This is not the way for us to get information or help around here.” Townsend gave him a disgusted look.
“They weren’t giving us information. They were feeding us lies.”
“You don't know that,” said Townsend. “Maybe this Lady-Bird grabbed JD’s clothes. The shirt is shredded.”
“The shirt is so worn that a slap on the shoulder would’ve caused it to tear.”
“That doesn’t rule out Lady-Bird,” said Townsend.
“Fine but Servants can fall pretty far and not get hurt. Nothing could’ve gotten him high enough from where it supposedly grabbed him”—he pointed down the street—“to where he landed that’d cause the kind of damage this kid had to his body.” He glanced up at the apartment building. “I’d guess he was pushed from the roof.”
“Did either of you notice that his ear isn’t cut?” asked Jackson.
“Yeah. I saw that too,” said Hugh. Servants used different cuts on their ears to distinguish which gang they belonged to.
“It doesn’t mean they lied,” said Townsend.
“No, but it could mean that they were initiating him into the gang and maybe it went wrong. It could also mean that JD refused to join with them, and they killed—”
“Hey.” Jackson nudged Hugh. “Isn’t that another one of your scientists?”
“No way.” He followed the Guard’s gaze. “What in the name of Araldo is going on?”
Gruder walked along the sidewalk on the other side of the street, heading in their direction. His head was down, and his coat pulled up, partially concealing his face.
“Is he missing a limb too?” asked Townsend.
“I don’t think so,” he said.
Gruder must’ve felt them staring at him because he stopped and looked in their direction. His face paled before he dropped his head again and walked over to them.
“Oh my. What happened?” Gruder stared at the body bag. “A kid?”
“Yeah, and we’re not sure what happened,” said Hugh.
“There are a lot of gangs in this area.” Gruder’s eyes saddened. “They seem to be recruiting them younger and younger.” He looked away from the body. “Did this kid refuse to join?”
“That’s what we think,” he said.
“This part of town is getting worse every day. Hopefully, the new schools can help.”
“It is a rough area. Why are you here? You don’t live around here, do you?” he asked.
“I’m visiting a friend.” Gruder’s eyes locked with his, and Hugh was pretty sure he was being sized up.
“I see.” Only Servants lived in this area. Maybe Gruder had a girlfriend and wasn’t quite ready to admit to interclass relations.
“I do need to get going though. I’m on my way to work. You should stop by the lab. We have a few new meat substitutes for you to try. One is actually pretty good.”
“I’ll come by later today or tomorrow.” He had to get more food out there. A full belly went a long way to help minimize crime.
“I’ll see you then and”—Gruder glanced at the body again—“good luck. I hope you find out who did this to the poor kid.”
“Me too.” As soon as Gruder left, Hugh turned toward the others. “We should get JD’s body to Kalper.”
“You two go ahead,” said Townsend. “I’m going to stay here and see if I can repair the damage you did.”
“I’m not going to apologize for letting those kids know that I’m looking for facts backed by evidence, not tales.” He hoped it’d stop the rumors about this bird-creature.
“Good thing you’re not a reporter. Those who come to tell us what they saw or heard don’t appreciate being called liars.”
“Then they shouldn’t lie.”
“Just send the carriage back for me.” Townsend turned and walked away.
“He’s not too happy with you.” Jackson bent and lifted JD’s small body, placing it into the carriage before climbing inside.
“He’ll get over it.” Hugh followed him and instructed the Grunt to go to Kalper’s house.
“You really think gangs are doing all these killings?” asked Jackson.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Good.” The Guard paused and then said, “Don’t you find it a bit strange that two of your scientists, both who used to work for Conguise on Level Five, are in this area?”
“Yeah, and I don’t like that at all.” He wasn’t a fan of coincidences and two in one day were two too many.
“Ableson’s story seemed true to me,” said Jackson.
“Yeah. Me too.” Neither said a word about Gruder’s.