Hyper

Chapter 25 – Something still doesn’t make sense.

[Location: Decontamination Depot t3rm1nu5 - Aboard the Elysian Fields]

As the two men left the Elysian Fields, Charlie noticed the repulsor that Tom repaired sitting on a cart next to the ship. They walked closer to the cart to get a better look.

Jack visually inspected the device. “Well…it’s fixed.” He moved one of the lubricant lines to the side. “He actually did a pretty good job.” Jack pointed to a wire harness. “He put shrink tube on all of the connection points.” Then he pointed to one of the bolts. “He marked all of the bolts with a black tic-mark when he torqued them to spec.” Jack winced a little and slightly backed away. “It still stinks a little like burned flesh…kinda sick to think about where the smell came from.”

Charlie rummaged through the tools and greasy rags on the cart. It was critical that he keep track of all of the tools and equipment on D.D. 315 since getting a replacement was like buying a lottery ticket and hoping to win a million dollars. Central’s budget had gone out of control a few years ago, which forced huge cut backs recently. Tools were rarely replaced and many pieces of equipment, like the drive on dock door three, were allowed to remain in service even if they had been plagued with problems. He could tell that the wrenches had come from the high power lab but the multi-meter must have belonged to the Elysian Fields.

He held up one the wrenches. “Make sure I get these back before you go.” The wrench made a metallic clank as he tossed it back onto the cart and then he rummaged through the dirty rags. “I don’t care about this other stuff, just my tools.”

As Charlie sorted through the rags he noticed something hiding between two of them. It felt like something metal and rectangle shaped. Curiously, he uncovered the item and let it drop onto the cart. His eyes locked onto what he saw. “Son of a…” A stunned expression washed over his face.

Not knowing what Charlie was looking at, Jack said, “What? What is it?”

Charlie nodded toward the item he had just discovered. “Look familiar?”

Jack looked down. “That’s…” He paused, wide eyed, and his mouth made small jerky moves as it tried to speak the right words. “That’s…that’s Jozef’s lighter.”

Jack lifted Jozef’s prized bikini-girl lighter and inspected it. He pursed his lips and nodded, declaring, “Tom killed Jozef.” He held up the lighter in front of Charlie’s face. “This proves it.” Then he gave Charlie a determined look. “We gotta stop him.”

Charlie had come to the same conclusion. There was only one way that Tom could be in possession of Jozef’s lighter. One plus one equaled two. It always had and it always would. A wave of relief rushed through Charlie’s body; he was now one hundred percent certain that Tom Salsbury had committed the murders on D.D.315.

Killed Jozef because they had a long history of hating each other’s guts. Killed Roy so he could cover his tracks…took the security disk and demolished the security console. Killed Ruben because he was going to recover video from the RAM board. It adds up. Makes perfect sense.

The feeling of certainty, the feeling of knowing without a doubt who the enemy was, lifted a huge weight of worry from Charlie’s shoulders.

“Yep… now we know who it is, but we still have to find out where he is.” Charlie took the lighter from Jack and slid it into his pants pocket. “I bet he’s got Jozef’s side arm too.”

Jack nodded. “Probably.”

The two men performed a weapons check, realizing that bringing in Tom Salsbury was going to be no easy task. It wasn’t enough that Tom was a daunting figure and skilled with a firearm, he was also a maniacal multi-murderer that had just slaughtered three people. Charlie knew that if his lack of morality had allowed him to butcher three people already, killing two more wouldn’t be a problem.

Charlie clicked off the safety on his side arm. “First we need to search the office area. Once it has been secured I’ll lock the doors to prevent Tom from doubling back on us.” He slid the firearm into its holster. “Next we search control room number one. Then we lock it up like the office.” Charlie pulled two leather magazine holders from his pocket and slid them onto the left side of his belt. “Then we search the cafeteria. If we haven’t found him by then we’re gonna have to search control room number two.”

“There’s a second control room in this place?” Jack said as he took his pulse rifle from his shoulder and racked the action.

“Control room two is on the other side of the plant. It runs the hydrogen filtering systems. If we don’t find him there, then we’re gonna have to dig him out of the plant.”

Jack glanced at Charlie and said, “Digging him out of the plant will be like digging him out of the jungle. There’s a million places to hide. It’ll be guerilla warfare.”

Charlie nodded. “Yep, you’re right. Finding him in the plant would be a nasty-ass job. I’m hoping we find him before we have to do that.”

Jack adjusted his communicator earpiece and positioned his mic closer to his mouth. “Mic check.” Then he looked at Charlie. “We normally use channel three, switch to thirteen so Salbury doesn’t pick us up.”

Charlie adjusted his communicator and responded, “Roger that.”

Jack set his rifle in a ready position at a forty-five-degree angle across the front of his body. “You ready?”

Charlie slid his side arm from its holster and gave it a quick once over. “Let’s get this over with. I know where we’re goin’ so I’m on point.”

He led the way with his side arm in hand and ready for whatever Tom Salsbury was about to throw at them. He felt relieved that he was actually taking steps to stop the mayhem that was running rampant on his depot. Charlie liked order and the events taking place over the last few hours were anything but. Jack followed a few steps behind, his hand resting on the pistol-grip of the rifle and his finger slightly above the trigger.

As the two men headed for the office, questions started to pick at the edges of Charlie’s mind again.

Wonder why Salsbury didn’t kill Jack. It almost seems like he left him alive on purpose. But why? Everything points to Tom, but what if Jack staged his own attack and planted the lighter? And Tom has access to more firepower than he can carry, so why would he take Jozef’s side arm? And where does the ball peen hammer fit into all of this? Did Salsbury hide it in the shipping container? He must have if he killed Jozef, but both Jack and Ruben had access to Jozef’s body too. Tom gave me the impression he didn’t know Jozef was dead…

Charlie gave Jack a suspicious glance as the two walked toward the office. Charlie’s conversation with Tom, the hidden ball peen hammer, Jozef’s bikini lighter and side arm were all pieces of the puzzle, but pieces that didn’t fit together quite right.

Something still doesn’t make sense.