Any One of the Ten

Prompt:

You're a female writer who gets herself into a tricky situation and the only way to get out of it is to ...

Any One of the ten

     Jessica just stared at her cell phone in her hand for several minutes. She looked paler by the second as she finally turned off her phone and slowly laid it on her desk in a very busy newspaper reporter's room. “That was another threat, wasn’t it?” Patrick asked.

     Patrick sat on the edge of Jessica’s desk. Jessica just continued staring at her cell. After about a minute and no response from her, Patrick repeated himself. “Did you just say something?” Jessica asked.

     “What did you just say?” Jessica slowly looked toward Patrick. “Oh, yeah. Yes, it was another one. Only this one was different.”

     “How many of these have you gotten?” Patrick looked worried.

     “I get these threats all the time. It’s part of the fame when you are a reporter like me.” Jessica cocked her head toward Patrick and smiled slightly. “If I didn’t get at least five of them a day I wouldn’t be doing my job. I would be worried just like you are.”

     Patrick looked over at a glassed enclosed room with an older female sitting behind a desk. She could barely be seen because of the words 'Brandy Victoria' then under that ‘Editor’ on the glass. “Does Brandy know about them? Maybe we should call the police. You did say this one was different.”

     “It wasn’t what they said. It’s how they said it. I usually get them via email.”

     “Isn’t your cell number supposed to be unknown? How did he get it? I think we should still call the police.”

     “I'm not even sure if it was a male or female. They were using something to disguise it. I don’t want to get the police involved unless I need to. I’m sure it’s from one of the ten stories I'm working on right now. One of them involves the police.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     The title, Lancaster County Hospital, took up half the top floor of a large building. Jessica saw it as she walked toward the front entrance. She also saw the ambulance department as one ambulance left as another one pulled in where it was. Next to the new one another one idled.

     As Jessica entered that hospital she waved at a female security guard who was busy with several other upset visitors as she headed for a door at the far end of that hallway. Jessica glanced at the nameplate next to the door as she went through it without knocking. It read 'Thomas Kennison' and under that 'head of Operations.’

     Thomas looked up at Jessica and quickly reached under his center drawer at the desk he sat behind. Jessica couldn’t see what Thomas did, but a few seconds later she glanced back at the entrance when she heard a clicking sound.

     “What are you doing here? Did anyone see you come in here? You shouldn’t be here.”

     “Relax. No one saw me come in here. The only one who might have is your security guard out front, but she’s so busy with complaining visitors I don’t think she noticed me. It doesn’t really matter if she did. Everyone knows you are the one that leaked out a possible problem with flu epidemic that happened six years ago.”

     “I didn’t want anyone to know it was me. That’s why I gave you my email address. That epidemic killed over two hundred before we got it under control. I still don’t know who told everyone, but when I do I'm going to kill them.”

     Jessica smiled. “Actually, I did it. I wanted to see everyone’s reaction when it came out.”

     Thomas glared at Jessica in anger. “Why did you do that? If I had wanted everyone to know I would have told them myself”

     “I didn’t want them to know what I feared until you found out what really happened.” Thomas sudden stiffened. “Wait a second. You found something. Didn’t you? What have you discovered? Is it what I hope didn’t happen.”

     “Unfortunately, you are right. There’s no easy way to say this. I still don’t know who is behind it, but I think I am getting close to knowing who it is. What I do know is that the flu epidemic wasn’t an accident. Someone created it.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Patrick put his weight on his foot as he stepped up to the next wood crate. He did that to the three remaining crates in his crate ladder until he reached the top of it. Jessica followed right behind him. After helping Jessica up to join him, Patrick glanced down at his wood ladder. Then at the rusty falling apart fence about a hundred feet surrounding them.

     “I’m surprised they don't have any guards here. If you are right about this place you would think there would be guards.”

     “They are here. We just haven’t seen any yet.” A few seconds later Jessica pointed at the far end of the large building they were at as four armed individuals with their weapons out walked around the corner. “Look, there’s some now. They should be here in a few minutes,” Jessica whispered too.

     Jessica smiled when she saw the look of fear on Patrick’s face. “Don’t panic. They never look up. Just beyond the fence in the wooded area is what they focus on. I’ve been watching this place for the last three weeks, and I'm sure this is where the home invaders are at.”

     “Why didn’t you go in until now?” Patrick asked with his voice cracking.

     “I tried several times to get in there, but I almost got caught every time. So, this time I’m trying two things different. One is I brought you as a witness and two we aren’t going in at ground level. That was my biggest mistake. It almost got me killed.”

     “You should have called the police. Why didn’t you call them?” A few seconds later he answered his own question. “I know why. You don’t want to take the chance of someone else getting this story until you have it.”

     Jessica wiped the dust off the window behind them. Then squinted to look into a very busy old warehouse. What she and Patrick saw were several large vats. Cash filled one about a third of the way up. Jewelry had another one filled about halfway up. Several were full of televisions and other electronics.

     “We have them,” said Jessica. “Start taking pictures. I want pictures of everything down there. Especially the faces of everyone.”

     Patrick started taking pictures through a small section of glass Jessica cleared. Using his viewfinder, he examined each one before he took the pictures. He took about two dozen when they suddenly heard someone from below. “Who’s up there? What are you doing?”

     Jessica and Patrick jerked their heads toward the male voice. “I hope you got all the pictures you need. Because we have to get out of here.” Jessica started running down the steps. Patrick right behind her. She only got down one step before she went through them all. The other layers broke her descent. Patrick came down a few seconds later.

     As Jessica and Patrick crossed their arms across their faces they busted through the first row of steps. “You do know that they won’t be there when the police get here. That’s if you are going to finally call them.”

     “I know they aren’t going to be here,” Jessica said in a whisper too. “It doesn’t really matter, though. A long as you did get the pictures of those guys. I don’t plan to use them for this story, but I will give them to the police so these robberies will end. Even if that means they end in another city I’ll still get my story.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     “I’ll check into that… Yes, I have your phone number and email address… I will get back to you as soon as I can.” Dr. Tiffany Keller hung up her landline. “What can I do for you, Jessica Gordon?”

     “As you have probably have been warned about, I am doing a story on the fertility donation centers in town. I have already talked with the other administrators. You are the last one.”

     “I saved you until last because of all of your success. Over the last ten years, there has been a large increase in baby births. About twice as many as all the other cities in this state and country. At least half of them from this clinic. Why is that?”

     Jessica sat on the other side of a large luxury desk opposite Tiffany. “There are several reasons why. For one thing, we are the biggest clinic in this city. The biggest reason is probably because we pay a lot more for donations. Which means we have a bigger selection for couples and singles who want to have a baby.”

     “It isn’t just the number of babies. It’s also because one donor is responsible for most of those births. Who is that donor?”

     “You know I can’t tell you that. I wouldn’t even if I could.” Just then Tiffany’s phone rang again.

     I already know who the donor is. Jessica didn’t say that aloud. She just thought it as Tiffany answered her phone. I just wanted you to admit to it. Wait until everyone reads that their favorite donor is a shemale.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Jessica shivered as she looked down at a partially naked female in her mid to late twenties. Her face had no skin making it unrecognizable. The important parts of her body looked the same way too.

     Patrick stepped in front of Jessica and Detective Mitch Branson she was talking to. After taking several pictures from that angle he moved to the other side of the body. “I hate taking pictures like these. Do you really need them for your story? You’re not going to be able to use any of them.”

     “This is the seventeenth young woman killed and dumped in the ditch just outside of town in the last four months. Are you still going to tell me we don’t have a serial killer in our town? They have all been about the same age, height, weight, and had blonde hair. Do you have any ideas who this killer is?”

     Jessica faced Patrick. “I’m not going to use any of these pictures. You are taking them as a favor to the police. They need all the help they can get on this one.”

     “I resent that comment,” said Mitch. “We have been working on this case twenty-four/seven since the killings began. True, we don’t know who the killer is yet but we are close to finding him. There are several possible killers we are looking at with these murders.”

     “All of them males, right? That’s your problem,” said Jessica. “I know that most of the serial killers are male, but have you ever even considered that this might be a female this time. Just look at that body. Either it’s a male who really hates females from head to toe or it’s a female who hates others who look like her for some reason.”

     About an hour later per the sun peeking through trees, the body got taken to a nearby ambulance while the police, Jessica, and Patrick headed back toward their cars. “I thought you didn’t like to tell the police about a story until you had it finished,” Patrick said as he got into the passenger seat of a car. “Why are you helping them on this one?”

     Only after Jessica got behind the wheel of that car did she respond to Patrick’s question. “I do when they are going in the wrong direction, and they are doing that on this one.”

     “You know who the killer is. Don’t you?”

     Jessica smiled. “Let’s just say I’m a lot closer to figured out who she is than they are.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Carl walked up to Jessica who bent over to see the price tag on a car. “Can I help you?”

     “Nice price on this car. How can you sell them so low?”

     “It’s called volume discounts. I know some people that give me a huge discount because of the number of cars I get.”

     “This car looks a lot like one that was stolen a few weeks ago. It has a different color, but other than that it’s the same.”

     “What are you really asking me, Jessica Gordon. Yes, I know who you are. Everyone knows you.”

     Jessica bumped into the car and caused a scratch with her belt buckle. “Sorry, about that. Patrick take a picture of this. If I do buy this car I want that taken off the price.”

     Carl flinched when he saw the damage to his car. “The prices are already so low I barely make any money on them. Now you want it even lower after a scratch you caused.”

     “Relax. I was just kidding about the price reduction. I’m so clumsy. That’s why I brought Patrick. So, that if something like this happened I wouldn’t be accused of doing it on purpose to reduce the price.”

     “Of course, that’s what I thought before I saw how low they were. Are you sure you don’t know anything about the carjackings? This place would be the perfect cover for them. Just a different paint color and pin is all that’s needed. You don’t even have to worry about the license plate either because cars on your lot don’t have any.”

     “What are you trying to say? Do you think I’m involved with all these carjackings?”

     “No of course not,” Jessica remarked sarcastically. “I just thought maybe it was whoever is selling you these cars. If you give me their names I can check it out for you.”

     “I’m not involved and I’m not dealing with anyone who is.” Carl’s reddening face made him look angry. “Are you serious about buying this car or another one from my lot. If not I want, you out of here now.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     As Jessica stormed through a thick fancy decorated door she held a baby about six months old. “What’s going on?” An agitated Kevin asked as he looked up at Jessica. “How did you get in here?”

     A young female came running in right behind Jessica. “Sorry, Mr. Yollick. I tried to stop her, but you know Jessica Gordon.”

     “Unfortunately, I do. It’s okay. You can leave. I will take care of it.” The female gave Jessica a dirty look as she left.

     Jessica thrust the baby into Kevin’s face. “Is this one of your children?”

     “What are you talking about? I have never seen it before.”

     “That’s another lie. You are very good at that, but you are a lawyer.”

     Jessica cradled the baby in one arm and produced a cell phone from her jacket pocket in her other hand. She showed Kevin a picture of a young girl on it after clicking it on. “Do you know who this is?”

     Kevin took the phone and looked at the picture for about a minute. “She doesn’t look familiar to me.”

     “Let me remind you. You saw her and her baby just before you stole the baby from her.”

     “Oh, yeah. Now I remember her. I didn’t steal anyone. She’s the one who did the stealing.”

     Kevin searched through a cluttered drawer before he found the folder he had been looking for. He opened and scanned its contents. “This was a legal adoption. She’s the one who broke it. We have been looking for her ever since she took her baby from its adoptive parents. Do you know where she is?”

     “She didn’t steal her own child. Vivian changed her mind about the adoption.”

     “You need to get your facts straight. She did change her mind, but it was too late to get it back legally. So, she did steal it.”

     “Only because you kept her away from her child. She changed her mind just after she gave birth. You stole it and kept her away from her until it was too late to get it back legally.”

     “What exactly are you trying to accuse me of?” Suddenly Kevin smiled a big evil grin. “You made a big mistake in bringing that baby in here. We may not have its mother yet, but we do have it.”

     Jessica smiled back. “I never said this was her baby. This is another baby you stole. He was reunited with his mother legally only because you couldn’t keep her away from him long enough.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Jessica cocked her head away from two officers who talked to a nicely dressed suit and tie man. Patrick finished taking pictures of empty jewelry case then walked back to Jessica. “Did you get it?”

     “I sure did.” Patrick took a pocket recorder out of his pocket and gave it to Jessica.

     “Good. I don’t like doing it like this, but they haven’t given me much choice on this one.”

     “You know why they are doing it. It's because they think you know who is behind these jewelry thieves, but you aren’t telling them until you get your story.”

     “Part of that is true. I do know who is doing these thieves, but that’s not the main reason I haven’t told the police what I think. It’s not because of the story either. True, the story is a big part of it, but the real reason is because I haven’t found the prove I need to tell who they are. Once I know for sure I will tell them. Of course, the way they have treated me on this one they might find out when the rest of my readers read it.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     “I still don’t know if this is a story for me to tell.” Jessica sat in front of a desk with another female on the other side of it. “At least not one I should be doing.”

     “I’m a criminal storyteller. I don’t do stories about students getting better grades to stay on a team. Actually, I didn’t think that even happened anymore.”

     “It happens a lot more than you think. In fact, it’s statewide. Maybe even countrywide. That’s why I want you to do the story. If anyone can tell this story it’s you.”

     “I think this story does need to be told. I’m just not the one to tell it. It doesn’t sound criminal to me.”

     “Oh, but is very criminal. In fact, there are a lot of people will do whatever it takes to stop it.”

     “Maybe you should contact our sports department.” Jessica glanced down the nameplate on that cluttered desk. It read ‘Principal Marlene Hanson.’ “It might be a story for the educational department too.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     “You’re not still going to deny that we have a possible citywide threat here. Maybe even a worldwide one.” Jessica pointed over the shoulder of Matt to four individuals in hazmat suits in a large glassed room behind Matt. “We can see them. They are right there. You’re not even trying to cover it up.”

     Matt sighed. “There is nothing to cover up. They aren’t there to hide anything. We are a weapons testing facility. That’s what they are doing. Testing weapons.”

     “Don’t you mean they are testing death weapons. Why else would they have on hazmat suits?”

     “They are just being careful. Yes, they are around nuclear waste but it’s not enough to kill anyone.”

     “That isn’t what it appears like to us. That’s why we are here. There is a rumor going around that you aren’t testing anything. You are creating a death bomb that can destroy a continent.”

     Matt started laughing. “I don’t know where you got your information, but it’s wrong. We are just testers.”

     “It’s not just what you are doing. I also heard that someone on your team is a traitor. That they have sold this weapon to some terrorist.”

     “That’s a lie, too. I’m the Director here. I picked this team myself. There’s no way there is a traitor on my team.”

     Matt glanced over at Patrick who just took another picture. “I told you when you came in here, no pictures.”

     “I’m sorry. I forgot.” Patrick put his camera into a doctor looking briefcase on a small table beside them. As he placed the camera in there he saw the red light of a video camera. After putting the camera away Patrick saw a small hole in the side of that briefcase.

     “I didn’t say it was a member of your team. Only that it was a traitor.”

     “Are you accusing me of being that traitor? If you are you are in a lot more danger than this city or world.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Jessica craned her neck to hear the testimony going on in that very crowded courtroom. She tapped away on her tablet every so often. When the testimony ended and the male uniformed officer got up from the stand Jessica pulled her head back. Jessica glanced down at the other reporters and photographers on the back row. “There sure are a lot of out of city and state reporters here today. I knew there would be some, but I didn’t think it would be this many.”

     Patrick stopped taking pictures just after a female uniformed officer took the stand. “I’m not surprised. This is the trial of the century.”

     “I wouldn’t call it that. It’s a big one. I’ll give you that, but I wouldn’t say it’s that big.” Jessica continued tapping on her tablet every few seconds.

     “What else could it be. How often does a police officer get accused of killing his fellow officer?” Patrick started taking pictures again like the other photographers were doing.

     “He didn’t just kill another cop. The other officer wasn’t only his partner but his lover too.”

     Patrick looked at the other reporters and photographers. “That isn’t why you are mad at the others are here. It’s because you don’t like competition when it comes to a story.”

     “It’s true, I don’t want them here. The story isn’t why, though.” Jessica sighed. “It’s because I’m the reason we are here. I’m the one who proved he killed her.”

     Jessica glanced at the double doors. “At least they didn’t let the media in here.”

     Patrick saw the look of fear on Jessica’s face. “You really are scared about this, aren’t you?”

     “Of course, I am. He’s a police officer. When he gets away with this, and since he’s a police officer we know he will, he’s going to come after me.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     “It's been one tricky situation after another. It could be any one of them that threatened me. The big question is which one is it.” Jessica sat behind her desk in the newspaper office tapping away on her laptop talking to herself as she typed.

     “I still don’t know who caused the flu epidemic. That doesn’t mean that whoever did create it thinks that I do.” Jessica stopped typing for about a minute. “Maybe they do know I don’t know yet. They could be trying to stop me before I find out who they are.”

     ”Patrick was right. The home invaders did get away before the police got there. It wasn’t a total loss, though. They didn’t have the time to take most of their stolen property.” Jessica sighed. “The home invaders haven’t been caught yet, but they have almost seen in several cities they had to flee just before getting caught. Also without most of what they stole. It’s only a matter of time before they are caught. They could have threatened me.”

     Jessica leaned back in her chair and stared at her laptop for about a minute before she continued. “I don’t think Dr. Tiffany Keller is the one who threatened me. There may be some problems when it comes to her being a doctor, but not because she’s a shemale. Is that enough for her to threaten me. Maybe it is?”

     ”This one is probably the one who has threatened me. Even though I don’t know who the serial killer is yet they might know that. Whether they know it or not they still could have done it just in case I did.” Jessica’s hands shook as she typed out this.

     ”I may be wrong about Carl. Maybe he’s not involved with the carjackings or knows who is. After all, I have had someone watching him for the last few days, and he hasn’t shown any signs that he is. It could be that he’s just being careful too. If that’s true he still could be the one who threatened me.”

     ”Kevin is definitely the sleaziest lawyer in the world. He makes all the other sleazy lawyers look good. No wonder everyone thinks lawyers are crooked. It’s people like Kevin that makes everyone feel that way.” Jessica just sat there staring at her tablet. “I don’t think he would threaten me. He’d just sue me.”

     Jessica started tapping away on her tablet, but after a couple of lines, she deleted it all. “The jewelry thieves are still a mystery to me. I thought that I knew who they were, but I was wrong. So far, I haven’t been able to find out who they are, but I will. Maybe that’s why they threatened me. I don’t know anything, but they might not know that.”

     ”I still don’t think getting good grades is a story for me. So, I doubt anyone threatened me about that. It is a possibility, though. Especially if Marlene is right about keeping it a secret.”

     ”This is another one that is a definite possibility as to who threatened me. It’s not as possible as the serial killer, but because of what is really going on at that ‘testing’ facility it’s possible. Especially if the rumors are right about the terrorists and traitor.”

     ”The trial isn’t over with yet. So, when that police officer goes get off he could come after me. I don’t think that he’s going to do that. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t think he threatened me. It could be one of this fellow officers doing it on his behave. I don’t think any of them did it either.”

     ”Maybe when this story hits the papers tomorrow the threats will end. Once everyone knows I don’t know anything it will be over.” Jessica sighed. ”Of course, I haven’t gotten a threat like that one since I got it.”

     Just then Jessica’s cell phone rang. Jessica just stared at it until the fourth ring. Then she snatched it up and answered it quickly. She glanced down at the number a second before she answered it. “Hello, who is this?”

     “I checked this number. It’s a burner. Burners are hard to get nowadays. That tells me you are a hacker. Which would explain how you got my private number. It took me a few days to figure that out. After all, I don’t give out my phone number to too many people. Only a few know it.”

     Jessica stopped speaking for about a minute. When the caller didn’t respond, she continued. “I was sure it was one of the stories that I am working on. Once I realize how you got my phone number I figured out I was wrong about that. For the last few days, I have made a lot of people mad because of you. I’m trying to rectify that, but I don’t know if I can. All because of you. Who are you? Why did you threaten me?”

     After a few minutes of listening Jessica finally spoke. She tried several times before then, but she only got a word or two out before she got interrupted. “I still can’t believe you threatened me because of the novel I am writing. It’s not even a true story. So, I don’t know why you threatened me. I made the whole thing up.”

     A few seconds of silence. Jessica sighed. “Unless I did write a true story without realizing it.”

Word Count = 4,648