The Tomb (The Watchers Book 1) - Carl Novakovich

The Tomb (The Watchers Book 1) by Carl Novakovich

Book excerpt

A Message

Please stop what you're doing. Look around you. Wherever you are in this moment, please pay close attention. Your neighbors, the people that might be walking by, your spouse — are they who you think they are? I ask you this because what I'm about to tell you will open your eyes to the truth of the world. As you continue, you will not be able to unsee the truth. However, I beg you to not stop reading because the world has already changed, but I guarantee that you have yet to see why. Not just for the people involved in this story, but for you as well.

This is not my story; I'm just helping it along. In fact, this is not a story at all. I'll be chiming in from time to time, as well as a couple friends of mine, to tell you the rest. Understand that what you are about to hear will change your life forever. Just know, everything you read will reflect your everyday life. It will open your eyes to the truth that has been around you this entire time.

Please, understand that what I am about to tell you is not something you should take lightly. So, please, read carefully, pay close attention, and most importantly — stay safe...

The Case

JOHN

DECEMBER 2018

Chicago

Walking back from yet another food run. I feel like that is most of my job now. Walter Finch, my partner in the Chicago Police Department, sends me on quite a few of these. This is the same man who raised me after my aunt, who was like a mother to me, died. He was once in great shape, just like I am now, but he let himself go as the years got the best of him. After sixty years on this Earth, I guess it's easy to not care as much about the way you look. That, and he isn't the detective he once was — that might be my fault in a way. Now it's just, 'hey, John, how about a snack,' or 'hey, John, how about a sub?' The problem is, he usually considers a sub the same thing as a snack... the fat bastard.

Oh, and that's me, by the way — John Gideon. I'm half Walter's age. At just thirty, I still take care of the way I look. The way I see it, if I want to catch the criminals we're chasing, then I need to be in the best shape possible. Walter doesn't share the same ideals as I do. Hell, the day I joined the homicide and missing persons unit and became his partner was the day he officially checked out and had me complete all of his work. It's okay though, it's the least I can do for the man who was always there for me. He is the only family I have left. It would be nice to have him a bit more active in some cases, though.

I mean, for instance, today we are on a stake-out looking for a suspect that could be involved in a string of missing person cases we've been working on for over a year now. With thirteen people missing, four dead and, as of today, only one lead, I need all the help I can get. Unfortunately, Walter has only wanted to help in one way — to stay out of mine. It's not the best partnership, but I love the man like a father, and I can't very well tell him to get his shit together, now can I?

Also, getting out of the car on a stake-out to go on a food run is not part of the protocol, but thankfully, for the time of year it is, it's easy for me to blend right in with all of the other people.

December in Chicago is a crazy time. I guess December in any city is pretty crazy, but in Chicago, it's another world. It makes it easier to blend in. There are lights all around, snow on the ground, people enjoying the festivities. Oh, and let's not forget about ice skating in Millennium Park — the people can't get enough of that. So, considering people tell me that the way I walk, dress, act, and I guess my overall demeanor screams 'cop' from a mile away, it's a good thing I can just blend in with the other people walking around, as I walk back to the car with a big bag of food. I make sure to hide my badge behind the food, as well. It's not uncommon for a detective to be walking down the street. Still, considering this is a residential street, I don’t want to give our suspect any reason to get suspicious today, all because Walter had a craving.

Before I left Walter to get his food, I begged him to keep an eye on our suspect's apartment building to make sure we didn't lose him. As I walk back to the car, I can see through the back window that Walter is playing with the sun-visor instead of doing his job. Sometimes I don't know what to do with this man.

I open the driver side door and interrupt Walter's playtime, "Cut it out. I left you here to watch for the suspect, not to play with yourself!"

"Finally! I'm starving," Walter replies.

I hand him a sandwich, and he wastes no time diving in. With food in his mouth, he asks, "Hey, you didn't forget my backup sub, did you? You know I like to snack when these things run late."

What did I tell you...

"No, Walter, I did not forget your backup sub. And how many times do I have to tell you, a sub is not a snack, you fat ass."

Walter rubs his stomach. "It is to me."

We both laugh it off — that's just Walter.

I could tell at times the fat jokes bother him when it isn’t just the two of us. He’s not a fan of the other detectives making fun of him. He once was a great detective, now he’s the butt of every joke — it can find a way to get to the best of us. However, when it's just him and me, he knows I don't mean anything by it, I only say it for his own good. I worry about his health.

After both of us chowing down for a bit, I know its’s time to get down to business. We had been here for a few hours before my little run, and now we need to go over these case files again. It's only a matter of time before our suspect comes out of his apartment.

"Alright, so let's run down these case files one more time."

Walter threw his sub on the dashboard and pulls out a large file with the cases we've been working on.

"Well, our girl, Jenna Meyers, went missing the same way as all the others. It was reported by a friend of hers about thirty-six hours after she first went missing. Luckily, the friend was the one that mentioned we should look into this suspect — Steven James. I guess he was Jenna's boyfriend. Apparently, he has been acting strange ever since she went missing."

I take a second to reprocess all this information. "I think if my girlfriend went missing, I would be acting strange too."

"Yea, well, something doesn't seem right about this guy." Walter says, with a bit of unease in his voice.

"What do you mean?" I ask with a bit of confusion at Walter’s actual detective work.

Walter flips to a different page in the file. "I had one of the guys at the precinct dig into our suspect.”

That makes more sense...

Walter continues. “He looks like all of our missing victims."

"How so?" I ask, immediately forgetting my original bias in Steven’s favor.

Walter explains, "Outside of his name and address, this guy is basically a ghost. There is no family, school, or job history. Hell, he doesn't even have a social media account. I'm not saying that makes him our kidnapper, but something doesn't feel right."

Okay, now I'm a bit more interested. Walter could have led with that before we came on this stake-out. "Alright, does that mean he's our next victim or is he picking off people with his off-the-grid patterns?"

"Eh... couldn't tell ya." Walter’s interest in the case has reached its limit, and he grabs his sub.

God damn... Walter's attention span is getting smaller by the day.

"Walter, we need to figure something out here. Just because of all that doesn't mean we're any closer to solving this.” I ponder for a moment. “But, I'm pretty sure something is up with this guy."

Walter takes a few more bites, and a curious gaze comes over him. I honestly thought, for a moment, he was thinking of the case — for a moment. Then he speaks.