The Nightmare Effect

Chapter Thirteen

        "Steven... what the hell is he talking about?" Jen crossed her arms and walked towards Carter.

        Oh shit. I just condemned the poor bastard. I normally don't bring up race unless it's relevant and I don't want to sound offensive, but... his black ass was about to get blacker. I had to think of something. I looked over at my jacket and ran over to get it. "Carter! Get your keys and bail like hell!" Carter grabs his keys, both of us are running out the door. The sun is bright like a fucker when we make it to the car. Carter speeds off and before we know it, we're at the station on Saturday. There's not a ton of the people there, but they can see that we're in no mood to talk. I didn't even put on my jacket. Instead, I just used it as a little cape over my head. I could have sworn that I hissed at someone when they tried to give me some water to drink.

        Instead of going to Carter's office, we went down to the lab. It was much quieter. The gentle hum of machines and the heater made it feel amazing.

        "I'm jealous of these guys. They get a quiet place and it's warm," Carter lays on top of an autopsy table.

        "Alright, now let's get down to... shit," I suddenly vomit into a nearby trashcan.

        "Can't hold your shit, hehe," Carter laughs at me.

        I walk back over to where I was sitting, holding the trashcan near me. "The pill... like I said, it makes you vulnerable."

        "How vulnerable?" he asks me.

        "Well, if one pill got you to throw a rock at a guy's car, then Warren was getting really messed up. Thing now is: who was suggesting to him?"

        "That Shakespeare guy?"

        "Yeah, I'm thinking so. We need to read that diary."

        "Be right back," Carter falls off the table and walks upstairs to get the diary. He comes back five minutes later.

        I take the diary and try to read it where Warren begins to talk about Shakespeare. "Says here that he knew Shakespeare a long time ago, when he went under a different name."

        "Read it out loud... but not too loud," Carter takes a sip of some water.

        "July, 16, 1973.

        I met with him today. He told us to stop calling him by his first name. I found it odd, but nothing out of the ordinary anymore. He'd changed his name three times now, from 'Gatsby' to 'Hemingway' and now to 'Shakespeare'. Such an ego he has, but his mind is able to match the brilliance of any name he takes. When he was known as 'Gatsby', he able to build us our funds needed for the plan, dealing with some of the most illegal of activity, but also bringing peace between notorious gangs. With 'Hemingway', he was able to use his writing to make some of the most moving propaganda pieces I'd ever seen. I was nearly crying when he read his 'Brotherly Address' aloud to us. And now he holds the name 'Shakespeare', saying that he wants to focus on something closer to the mind and how his name will live on for all time to see. Truly, we are making history on this day." I read.

        "So, Shakespeare's got a past. I already half knew he probably would," Carter took another sip.

        I flip ahead to another entry. "Listen to this, he says that he learns about what 'Shakespeare's been cooking up."

        "Then read it."

        "August, 23, 1984

        The plan is beginning to go under way. Wilma is preparing for her position by studying law to the best of her abilities. She had a natural at photographic memory and logical outlook. A perfect position for her, indeed. Barry was already an attorney for some time. He taught Wilma the basic ropes of law when she needed help. He was almost like a father to her, in a way. Mary's financial handling made her a stand out. It wouldn't be long until she became the Treasurer, that was expected. Then there was Billings. Not so much a smart man, but a very charismatic one. The senator seat is for surely his. Then there was myself. I was working as a detective under Commissioner Crane. He's a very nice man, but stern in his ways. When I finally do take his position, that's how I want to be. A commanding presence of calmness and giving a chance for someone to become something great. I want to be the one who gives that chance." I looked over at Carter when I finished the last sentence.

        His face was holding back tears. "How could he... after what he did for me... for my family?"

        I walked over to Carter, trying to put a friendly hand on his shoulder.

        "The fucker gave me a chance! And he goes out and breaks his oath to protect people! I hope he fucking burns in hell for this shit!" Carter pushed over the autopsy table. It fell and hit the ground hard. Tears began to run down his cheeks. He turned to me and reached out for me.

        "Hey, big guy... it's gonna be okay... we're gonna find him... and we're gonna find Shakespeare, too," I patted his back, trying to calm him down.

        "How do you arrest the man who gave you a life?" he asks me.

        "No one's special, or invincible. Those cuffs don't discriminate, neither should you," I answered him, honestly.

        I guess you can say that's my cruel view of the world we live in. No one should be special enough to avoid punishment. Sure, it's a cold thing to think and even to act on, but it's the truth. Either everyone can be punished, or no one can. That's pretty much true either way. Even if someone gets through with their whole life being unpunished, they're still going in the ground with the rest of us. I know that Shakespeare is eventually going to die, hell, by his age in the diary, it'll be the next ten, or twenty years. I know that Warren will die too, but there's no satisfaction in letting fuckers like them die without getting a bullet of justice first. Hehe, "bullet of justice", sounds like a Rawhide episode.

        I walk back over to the diary to see if there's anything else. "What else do we need?"

        "The pills. When does he mention the pills?" Carter asks.

        "Good point." I scan through the diary. " December, 17, 2010

        We were given white pills to take from now on. He said this was a new drug he wanted to test to see how loyal they make someone. The pills worked in an odd way. It firstly gives a sense of nirvana, almost pure joy, but that's where it lies to the brain. The pill changes the pathways in the mind to make every decision seem like a good one, according to the brain. This would make the person under the effect susceptible to mental suggestion. In higher doses, it could cause suicide, or blackouts. He said that those who have the blackouts are a special case. They're people who have a natural resistance to the drug, almost like an immunity. He told us that he found one person who has this naturally immunity. The person is under close surveillance as he studies the effect on the subject's mind. He tells us that the subject has constant dreams of being killed every night and suffers from insomnia. The pill and the dreams may be connected. Further testing is required."

        Holy hot damn shit on a stick Christ. They're talking about me. "Is... is that me?!" I turn to Carter.

        "Sounds like you, all right. They all knew about you," Carter replied.

        "Should I read the last entry?" I ask.

        "Might as well, if they brought you into all of this and you didn't even know it."

        "December, 13, 2011

        Tonight is the last night. I've been taking the pills, as he requested, and now he asks me of one final task. I must reveal myself to Edgar. I'll call off the guard standing guard for Billings. Then, I knock on the door, knowing that Billings will recognize me. I've given him protection in the past for some of his political dealings. My loyalty strays from no man, especially 'Shakespeare's'. After opening the door, I'll shoot Billings in the head and take his pills to try and throw off the police. I'll unmask myself in front of Billings's corpse, hoping that Edgar sees me. His girlfriend should be gone by then and the apartment set on fire. The group will leave through the back of the apartment and rally at the hideout. There, they will give up all weapons and explosives, surrendering themselves to the police. I'll make sure to kill Bill, ordering a sniper shot from the helicopter. After that, if I'm still alive, I'll have to take care of Edgar and Steven. He tells me, by that time, his research will be complete. Edgar I'll have no problem killing," thanks a bunch, asshole, "but Steven will be more difficult. In a way, Steven was like the son I never had. I basically raised him to choose justice over chaos, an unfortunate brainwashing technique, but I needed to cover my tracks. This is all unfortunate in its ending, but it must happen. 'Shakespeare' must prevail and the corrupted must fall."

        Carter had his eyes locked on the ground. "That fucker is going down tonight."